The Soul's Preparation for Christ

Thirdly, in the third place the Lord pursueth the soul, and when the heart cannot be rid of this fear, the Lord begins to let fly against the soul of a sinner, and discharges that evil upon him which was formerly feared, and affliction enters into the heart. The nature of fear is to fear an evil to come: now the Lord makes the soul to see that it is not only great drunkards & adulterers that are threatened, but every sinful thought and idle word.

Thirdly, in the third place the Lord pursueth the soule, and when the heart cannot be rid of this feare, the Lord beginnes to let fly against the soule of a sinner, and discharges that evill upon him which was formerly feared, and affliction enters into the heart. The nature of feare is to feare an evill to come: now the Lord makes the soule to see that it is not only great drunkards & adulterers that are threatned, but every sinfull thought and idle word.

The soul would fain have driven away this fear, but the Lord will not let him, but saith, these curses shall kindle upon thee, and shall continue for ever to thy perdition. And hence comes this sorrow, the Lord lets in some vein of his vengeance, and some secret displeasure of his, and makes sin to stab the soul, and then the curse lieth upon him, and the Lord as it were kindles the fire of his wrath upon him really, and makes him see this is that which he feared. Now his conscience is all on a flame within him, and he saith to himself, Thou hast sinned and offended a just God, and therefore thou must be damned and to hell thou must go: This is the particular ⟨p. 142⟩seizing of the curse upon a sinful soul; for this is the nature of true sorrow, if evil be to come we fear it, if evil be upon us we grieve and sorrow for it, herein is the greatest work of all, & the Lord deals diversly as he seeth fit; specially these three ways.

The soule would faine have driven away this feare, but the Lord will not let him, but saith, these curses shall kindle upon thee, and shall continue for ever to thy perdition. And hence comes this sorrow, the Lord lets in some veine of his vengeance, and some secret displeasure of his, and makes sinne to stabbe the soule, and then the curse lyeth upon him, and the Lord as it were kindles the fire of his wrath upon him really, and makes him see this is that which he feared. Now his conscience is all on a flame within him, and he saith to himselfe, Thou hast sinned and offended a just God, and therefore thou must be damned and to hell thou must goe: This is the particular