The Soul's Preparation for Christ

had it not been for thy sins, had it not been for the sins of the elect, the soldiers could not have apprehended him, the Pharisees could not have witnessed against him, there could have been no Judge to condemn him; very well then, thy sins caused all this, thy wicked thoughts and wicked actions caused our Saviour to cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He sunk under the consideration of thy sins, and thou goest away and makest a trick of youth of them, ⟨p. 107⟩and a matter of merriment, of loose talk, and wicked doings; well, you had a part in the crucifying of Christ. When you are gone, think of this, and as you are going home, think with your selves, It was my sins that had a part in the shedding of the blood of Christ; and when you are at meat let that come into your mind, I have had a hand in the crucifying of the Lord Jesus Christ; and when you go to bed think of it, I am one of those that have imbrued their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus, that Saviour that is now at the right hand of God, that hath done so much for his servants, that sweat drops of blood, those sweats and drops were for thy sins, and is this a matter of merriment and a trick of youth in the mean time? No, no, thy soul will find it otherwise one day, unless the Lord remove those sins of thine, those sins will make thee howl in hell fire one day, unless you be burdened with them here: think of this, I am one of those that by vain thoughts and profane actions have crucified the Lord of life; and if you can make those sins a matter of merriment I wonder at it.

had it not beene for thy sinnes, had it not beene for the sinnes of the elect, the souldiers could not have apprehended him, the Pharisees could not have witnessed against him, there could have been no Judge to condemne him; very well then, thy sins caused all this, thy wicked thoughts and wicked actions caused our Saviour to cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He sunke under the consideration of thy sinnes, and thou goest away and makest a tricke of youth of them, ⟨p. 107⟩and a matter of merryment, of loose talke, and wicked doings; well, you had a part in the crucifying of Christ. When you are gone, think of this, and as you are going home, thinke with your selves, It was my sinnes that had a part in the shedding of the blood of Christ; and when you are at meate let that come into your mind, I have had a hand in the crucifying of the Lord Jesus Christ; and when you goe to bed thinke of it, I am one of those that have embrewed their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus, that Saviour that is now at the right hand of God, that hath done so much for his servants, that sweat drops of blood, those sweates and drops were for thy sinnes, and is this a matter of merryment and a tricke of youth in the meane time? No, no, thy soule will finde it otherwise one day, unlesse the Lord remove those sinnes of thine, those sins will make thee howle in hell fire one day, unlesse you be burthened with them here: thinke of this, I am one of those that by vaine thoughts and prophane actions have crucifyed the Lord of life; and if you can make those sinnes a matter of merriment I wonder at it.