The Soul's Preparation for Christ

Away therefore with all these Lapwing cries and complaints, it is the nature of that bird to cry & flutter most when she is farthest from her nest, because by this means she would cozen passengers, and have her young ones: So it is with an hypocrite, he will complain a great way off of his sin, and have some secret turning. It is admirable to see how hard it is for a man to lay ⟨p. 152⟩open his sins before God, it is a sign that he is never weary of sin, that he is not willing truly to confess his sin, when he is lawfully called to it, and when he pretends […] it is true sometimes God will accept of a confession made to him in secret, if it be in truth, but when God will have a man unbowell himself, and all his abominations, and when a man cometh and desires comfort in this kind, then for a man to cover his sin, and to complain a far off of some ordinary corruption, which every poor child of God is troubled with, and that particular lust whereof he is guilty for shame he is not willing to acknowledge; this argueth that the heart is naught and never sound this wearisomeness of sin: I know that the best heart under heaven will have many windings and turnings; but the Lord will never leave the heart in this case, till he come to deal plainly; and say, these are my sins, and this is my uncleanness, and this is my secret theft, and thus he openeth himself at large, to that man whom God hath appointed for that end: but some are content to confess and complain of their sins when God hath them upon the rack, and Judas did, but mark, his punishment is the greatest cause of his complaint, and hell is his greatest fear, he […] weary of sin because of the plague and punishment due to it, but he never regards the vileness of sin in this respect, because it makes a separation between God and his soul. Secondly, as the soul complains of the vile nature of sin and desires to have his face ⟨p. 153⟩covered with shame, for it is so in the second place; it will never meddle with nor give way to any thing that is sinful, so far as it is revealed, so to be setting aside sudden passions, and violent temptations, but when a man is come to himself again, his conscience is awakened; this is sure, the soul will not dare to tamper with any thing that is sinful: why? because it hath bin wearied with the burden of it before.

Away therefore with all these Lapwing cries and complaints, it is the nature of that bird to cry & flutter most when she is farthest from her neast, because by this meanes she would cozen passengers, and have her young ones: So it is with an hypocrite, he will complaine a great way off of his sinne, and have some secret turning. It is admirable to see how hard it is for a man to lay