The Soul's Preparation for Christ

And hence it is, that if any thing come under the colour of corruption, the soul that is truly weary of sin, saith, Omitting of this duty is evil, and therefore I will not omit it, the doing of this action is sinful, and therefore I will not do it; because the sin is worse then the plague, he will take the less evil of the two, as we use to do in other matters: if a man hate his sin for the plague, then so soon as that is removed, he returns to his sin again, the blow was but weak. This was the fault in Judas his sorrow he did see and confess his sins, and bewail them, and did more then many will do now a days, & took shame to himself, bu• though he confessed and complained of his sin, yet he would rather commit murder upon himself, then under-go the horror of sin; if he had been weary of sin because of the loathsomeness of it, he would not have laid violent hands upon himself: These two passages are every where, where true saving grace is.

And hence it is, that if any thing come under the colour of corruption, the soule that is truly weary of sinne, saith, Omitting of this duty is evill, and therefore I will not omit it, the doing of this action is sinfull, and therefore I will not doe it; because the sinne is worse then the plague, he will take the lesse evill of the two, as we use to doe in other matters: if a man hate his sinne for the plague, then so soone as that is removed, he returnes to his sinne againe, the blow was but weake. This was the fault in Judas his sorrow he did see and confesse his sinnes, and bewaile them, and did more then many will doe now a daies, & tooke shame to himselfe, bu• though he confessed and complained of his sinne, yet he would rather commit murther upon himselfe, then under-goe the horrour of sinne; if he had beene weary of sin because of the loathsomenesse of it, he would not have layed violent hands upon himselfe: These two passages are every where, where true saving grace is.

Now in the third place, if God should deprive a sinner of his judgement and horror of conscience, yet if his heart be truly apprehensive of sin as it is sin, he cannot lay aside his sorrow; so long as sin prevails and gets head against him, and dogs him up and down, nothing will content him, but the removal of his sin: That soul