The Soul's Preparation for Christ

Well then, Secondly, he resolves to hear the minister again, and he falls to reading and conferring with others, to try if it be so as the minister before revealed unto him, and commonly ⟨p. 138⟩he goeth to hear the same minister again, and by this means what with hearing and reading & conferring, he seeth the thing he doubted of is too certain, and that the thing be questioned before is without all doubt: the Law is just, the word is plain, if God be true, this is true, The wages of sin is death; Yea of every sinful thought: and, He that believeth not, is condemned already: so that now the sinner begins to consider that the condemnation threatened sleeps not, and that God hath him in chase, and that punishment that God threatens shall be executed upon him sooner or latter: thus the soul from a general amazement, comes to see that it is so, and by this means he is surprised with a sudden fear of spirit in expectation and suspicion of what is discovered, left God should lay it upon him, in so much that the soul saith, What if God should damn me, God may do it: and what if God should execute his vengeance upon me, the soul feareth that the evil discovered will fall upon him, the nature of his fear is this, he knoweth there is cause of fear, and he cannot bear the evil when it is come. He saith, I am a sinful wretch, and God may damn me for ought I know, and what if God should damn me: this is the reason of those phrases of Scripture, We have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again, ¹the spirit that shows our bondage, and thence comes this fear.

Well then, Secondly, he resolves to heare the minister againe, and he fals to reading and conferring with others, to try if it be so as the minister before revealed unto him, and commonly ⟨p. 138⟩he goeth to heare the same minister againe, and by this meanes what with hearing and reading & conferring, he seeth the thing he doubted of is too certaine, and that the thing be questioned before is without all doubt: the Law is just, the word is plaine, if God be true, this is true, The wages of sinne is death; Yea of every sinful thought: and, He that beleeveth not, is condemned already: so that now the sinner beginnes to consider that the condemnation threatned sleepes not, and that God hath him in chase, and that punishment that God threatens shall be executed upon him sooner or latter: thus the soule from a generall amazement, comes to see that it is so, and by this meanes he is surprised with a sudden feare of spirit in expectation and suspition of what is discovered, left God should lay it upon him, in so much that the soule saith, What if God should damne me, God may doe it: and what if God should execute his vengeance upon me, the soule feareth that the evill discovered will fall upon him, the nature of his feare is this, he knoweth there is cause of feare, and he cannot beare the evill when it is come. He saith, I am a sinfull wretch, and God may damne me for ought I know, and what if God should damne me: this is the reason of those phrases of Scripture, Wee have not received the spirit of bondage to feare againe,