A03611:190
The Soul's Preparation for Christ
The souls preparation for Christ. Or, A treatise of contrition Wherein is discovered how God breaks the heart and wounds the soul, in the conversion of a sinner to Himself.The soules preparation for Christ. Or, A treatise of contrition Wherein is discovered how God breaks the heart and wounds the soule, in the conversion of a sinner to Himselfe.
London: printed by M. Flesher for Robert Dawlman, 1632London: printed by M. Flesher for Robert Davvlman, 1632
THE SOULS PREPARATION FOR CHRIST.THE SOVLES PREPARATION FOR CHRIST.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Lastly, meditation labours to affect the heart, not only to know a thing, but to bring it home to the soul,1 these things are so, know it for thy good; So when a man hath viewed all and considered all, then meditation brings all to the heart, and labours to affect the heart therewith; this is that which brings sorrow and compunction for sin, a settled exercise of the heart that meditates on sins, that makes inquiry after them: and the grounds are two,2 and very remarkable they are.
Lastly, meditation labours to affect the heart, not only to know a thing, but to bring it home to the soule,1 these things are so, know it for thy good; So when a man hath viewed all and considered all, then meditation brings all to the heart, and labours to affect the heart therewith; this is that which brings sorrow and compunction for sinne, a setled exercise of the heart that meditates on sinnes, that makes inquiry after them: and the grounds are two,2 and very remarkeable they are.
The first is this, meditation makes all a mans sins, and any truth belonging thereunto more powerfully and plainly to be brought home unto the heart. It is the action of the understanding when a man doth gather all reasons, and musters up force of arguments, and labours to press the soul, and lay them heavy upon the heart, and bring it under the power of the truth. It is with meditation as it is with usurers that will grate upon men, and grind the faces of the poor; and suck the blood of the needy, they will exact upon men and take use upon use, they will not be contented to take the principal, but they will have consideration for all the time, until they have sucked the blood of a poor man that is under such a muckworm; A poor man could be content to pay the principal, but to exact use