The Soul's Preparation for Christ

but partly drunkenness on the one side, and merriness on another, took away all the amazement whereby the soul might have been wrought upon, and he have received everlasting salvation: Therefore think of it. It was the course the Scripture observed in the lamenting Church Zach. 12.12. The house of David apart, and their wives apart, the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart: There is no casting up of account in a crowd; but if a man will cast up his account, if he will see his sins, & consider his base practices, he must go aside by himself, loose occasions and vain occasions withdraw the mind, and pluck off the soul from seeing the evil, and affecting the heart with it. Therefore the Apostle Peter a little beyond my text, when he saw the Jews were affected with that he had delivered, and that their hearts were touched, when they asked him what they should do, he saith, save your selves from this untoward generation, God hath now touched your hearts, suffer not Satan by these wicked Instruments of his, to steal the terror of God out of your harts; for your drunken companions are like nothing else, but those ravenous fowls spoken of by Christ, that devoured ⟨p. 98⟩the seed that fell by the way side, the foul is the Devil, the seed is the word of God, now the Devil doth not pluck this out of the soul himself alone; but often by cursed companions: the ale-house is the bush, that harbours those ravenous beasts, and drunken companions are those: The Devil useth to pluck out this good seed out of the heart: & therefore as you love your souls, suffer not your selves to be drawn away by these cursed wretches, do not suffer them to steal the work of Gods spirit away which he hath wrought in your hearts: this I observe to check that cursed practice of men, who when a man is troubled, send him to play at cards, or dice, or the like, which is the greatest means to hinder the work of God in their hearts.

but partly drunkennesse on the one side, and merriness on another, tooke away all the amazement whereby the soule might have beene wrought upon, and he have received everlasting salvation: Therfore thinke of it. It was the course the Scripture observed in the lamenting Church Zach. 12.12. The house of David apart, and their wives apart, the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart: There is no casting up of account in a crowd; but if a man will cast up his account, if he will see his sins, & cōsider his base practices, he must go aside by himselfe, loose occasions and vaine occasions withdraw the minde, and plucke off the soule from seeing the evill, and affecting the heart with it. Therefore the Apostle Peter a little beyond my text, when he saw the Jewes were affected with that he had delivered, and that their hearts were touched, when they asked him what they should doe, he saith, save your selves from this untoward generation, God hath now touched your hearts, suffer not Satan by these wicked Instrumēts of his, to steale the terrour of God out of your harts; for your drunken companions are like nothing else, but those ravenous foules spoken of by Christ, that deuoured