The Soul's Preparation for Christ

¹Thirdly, seeing meditation brings marvellous comfort and profit to our souls, then what remains? if I were silent, the word it self would speak, and the profit of the duty would speak, and bring your hearts to address your souls to this: you are therefore to be exhorted, since you see what it is that God requires, that with speed, you set upon it, and that with care and conscience you labour to persevere in the performance thereof, I beseech you think of it, what is more usual in the world then this, that men should make sleight and little account of their sins? nay, to go bolt upright under those execrable abominations wherefore they stand guilty before God. Look as it was with Sampson he went away with the gates of Gaza and made nothing of them: so ⟨p. 99⟩there are many, that carry the gates of hell upon their backs, as drunkenness & adultery, and yet they fear not, nor are affrighted thereat, nay; Gods own servants, that desire to look towards Zion. Is not this your complaint many times? I cannot find sin heavy, I confess the word discovers it, and reveals it, but I cannot be troubled for it, I cannot find my soul burdened with it: sin is not heavy unto me, but I carry it away easily, and make no bones of the matter, though proud, and lewd, and careless, and untoward, yet my hart is not apprehensive of the weight of it: Let me speak unto you: Are you not therefore here hindered in the way God requires of you, because you weigh not & ponder not those evil ways you stand guilty of before God, but you are better content to see them and slight them, then to remember them & lay them aside: I beseech you to take notice of it. Look as it is with men in the world, if five hundred pound weight be laid on the ground, if a man never pluck at it, he shall not feel the weight of it; your sins are not many hundreds, but many thousand weights, the least vain thought you ever imagined, the least idle word that ever you uttered, are weight enough to press your souls down into everlasting perdition, and therefore so many sins, so great, and so constantly committed against so much knowledge, against so many comforts, and encouragements, against so many vows and protestations, are much more heavy, and yet you see them nor: the reason is, you ⟨p. 100⟩see them not, you weigh not pride, you weigh not malice, you weigh not dead heartednesse;