The Soul's Preparation for Christ

and if they send a parley to him that doth besiege it, and say, they are ready to perish, why, he bids them deliver then, and they shall be provided for, he bids them yield, and they shall be succoured, and before that day, there is no supply shall be brought into the City: So it is with meditation, and here is the cunning of a Christian. Do as wise Soldiers do, cut off all provision, that is, by serious meditation bring thy heart to such a loathing of sin, that it may never love it more, besiege the heart with daily meditation, that so you may cut off any ease and refreshing that the heart may seem to have in any sinful course; if the soul be looking after any sin, if the soul would go out a little to occasions, and take delight in his corruptions, the drunkard in his company, and the worldly man in his wealth, then batter that: When you are thus affected, beleaguer the way, that you may find no comfort; no ease, and when the soul is looking after occasions, and lingering after his abominations, then say to your hearts, you will have your sins though you have your shame with them, you will have your corruptions, though you have your confusion with them: when the soul would meddle with these, let meditation knock off these. If you be still proud, and malicious, and quarrelling, take heed; you cannot have these, but you must have hell and all; you cannot have these, but you must have ⟨p. 112⟩destruction and all: the mercy of God will be not abused; and the justice of God will not be provoked, and God will be revenged of you, and at last the heart by this means will be troubled: Why, deliver up your sins then, and your souls, if your hearts find any sorrow and anguish; why, then yield up your souls unto Christ, that you may find as much comfort in a good way, as you have done misery in an evil way. Thus by meditation make the heart see those evils; nay, thus by meditation make thy heart see those evils, and the punishment that shall be executed for those evils.

and if they send a parly to him that doth besiege it, and say, they are ready to perish, why, he bids them deliver then, and they shall be provided for, he bids them yeeld, and they shall be succoured, and before that day, there is no supply shall be brought into the City: So it is with meditation, and here is the cunning of a Christian. Do as wise Souldiers doe, cut off all provision, that is, by serious meditation bring thy heart to such a loathing of sinne, that it may never love it more, besiege the heart with daily meditation, that so you may cut off any ease and refreshing that the heart may seeme to have in any sinfull course; if the soule be looking after any sinne, if the soule would goe out a litle to occasions, and take delight in his corruptions, the drunkard in his company, and the wordly man in his wealth, then batter that: When you are thus affected, beleaguer the way, that you may finde no comfort; no ease, and when the soule is looking after occasions, and lingering after his abominations, then say to your hearts, you will have your sins though you have your shame with them, you will have your corruptions, though you have your confusion with them: when the soule would meddle with these, let meditation knocke off these. If you be still proud, and malitious, and quarrelling, take heed; you cannot have these, but you must have hell and all; you cannot have these, but you must have