A03611:263
The Soul's Preparation for Christ
The souls preparation for Christ. Or, A treatise of contrition Wherein is discovered how God breaks the heart and wounds the soul, in the conversion of a sinner to Himself.The soules preparation for Christ. Or, A treatise of contrition Wherein is discovered how God breaks the heart and wounds the soule, in the conversion of a sinner to Himselfe.
London: printed by M. Flesher for Robert Dawlman, 1632London: printed by M. Flesher for Robert Davvlman, 1632
THE SOULS PREPARATION FOR CHRIST.THE SOVLES PREPARATION FOR CHRIST.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Haply a sinner will come to this, he will be content to carry his heart, and that furiously against sin, because it brings Judgements and plagues; But thus far a hypocrite may go, a Judas, a Cain, a Saul: Cain would say his sins were greater then could be forgiven: because he had killed his brother; but he could never see his sin so vile; because it did separate him from God.
Haply a sinner will come to this, he will be content to carry his heart, and that furiously against sinne, because it brings Judgements and plagues; But thus farre a hypocrite may goe, a Judas, a Caine, a Saul: Caine would say his sinnes were greater then could be forgiven: because he had killed his brother; but he could never see his sinne so vile; because it did separate him from God.
Thus you see how God enters the blow, and followeth it home upon the soul, but yet for all this, God may leave a man as he did Judas and Saul, and there is an end of them.
Thus you see how God enters the blow, and followeth it home upon the soule, but yet for all this, God may leave a man as he did Iudas and Saul, and there is an end of them.
Now in the third place, if the Lord purpose to do good to the soul, he will not suffer him to be quiet here, but he openeth the eye of the soul further; and makes him sorrow, not because it is a great and shameful sin, but the Lord saith to the soul, even the least sin makes a separation between me and thee; and the heart begins to reason thus, Lord is this true? is this the smart of sin? and is this the vile nature of sin? O Lord! how odious are these abominations that cause this evil, and though they had not caused this evil, yet this is worse then the evil, that they make a separation between God and my soul. Good Lord, why was I borne? and why came I into this world? why did God continue me here, and all the means of grace for my good, and all the comforts of this life, whereby my course might be maintained and made less tedious? what if I did want this horror of heart, and had all the ease in the world? and what if I might be free from all misery on earth? what were this, so long as I had sin in my soul, that makes a separation between God & my soul? I was made to be one with God, & to have communion wth God, & to obey his commandments, but I have departed from God by sin & departed from his commandments.