A03611:282
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.
Me thinks I see this poor soul sliding away and saying, how many sins have I committed, Oh mercy, mercy, Christ. And this is the last word he speaketh, and so he dies; and no question but mercy shall be given him. It is not a Lord have mercy upon me, and God forgive me will serve the turn: No, it is otherwise, if ever God set home this work, he will make you restless in seeking mercy, and nothing shall content you but mercy to pardon your sins, and grace to subdue them, and the soul thinks if mercy would but shine upon him, and if his sins were taken away that they might never hinder him in a Christian course, he were a happy man: this is the frame of the soul that is truly weary of sin.
Me thinkes I see this poore soule slyding away and saying, how many sinnes have I committed, Oh mercy, mercy, Christ. And this is the last word he speaketh, and so he dies; and no question but mercy shall be given him. It is not a Lord have mercy upon me, and God forgive me will serve the turne: No, it is otherwise, if ever God set home this worke, he will make you restlesse in seeking mercy, and nothing shall content you but mercy to pardon your sinnes, and grace to subdue them, and the soule thinkes if mercy would but shine upon him, and if his sinnes were taken away that they might never hinder him in a Christiā course, he were a happy man: this is the frame of the soule that is truely weary of sinne.
When the young man came to Christ, and played fair and a far off, and said he could do any thing. Well (said Christ) if thou canst do any thing,1 then go and sell all that thou hast and give it to the poor: but he went away sorrowful from Christ (saith the text) he did not come to Christ sorrowful, but went away sorrowful from Christ whereas if he had been burdened with sin as sin, he would have come to Christ sorrowful, and say, Now I see Lord the world is a heavy ⟨p. 158⟩burden, O Lord help me against it, give me mercy to pardon me, and grace to remove it: But our Saviour heard no more of the young man, and as it is in the text, this pricking of heart made the Jews come to Peter saying, Men and brethren, What shall we do? They did not as a great many say now a days, if the minister were far enough off from me, and I from him, I were happy, I cannot be quiet for him: these are reprobate speeches: but the sinner that is truly humbled and burdened with sin as sin, he comes home, and is resolved to wait for mercy till the Lord showeth mercy to him. Carnal sorrow sent Judas and Ahithophel to the gallows, but godly sorrow ever drives a man to God.