A03611:288
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.
And the ground is this, take the soul as it is polluted with corruption and all abominations, sin is very cross to the nature of the soul, it is a creature and a created thing by God, and hath his being from God, and the soul as it is a creature, was made for God: and howsoever the power of sin prevailed with it and made it fall short of God, yet the nature of the soul still, considering it as it is a creature, it is made for God, and desires to have fellowship and union with God: therefore mark how I dispute: If sin be the worst evil to the soul, as crossing the end of it, and depriving the soul of his chiefest good, then the Lord is able to make the soul see sin as the greatest evil to the soul; But sin crosseth the end of the creature, for the end of the creature is Godward, and to have union and fellowship with God. Therefore the Lord is able to make the soul see the evil of sin as well as the evil of punishment: Therefore it is no wonder that the heart be most of all pierced with sin.
And the ground is this, take the soule as it is polluted with corruption and all abominations, sinne is very crosse to the nature of the soule, it is a creature and a created thing by God, and hath his being from God, and the soule as it is a creature, was made for God: and howsoever the power of sinne prevailed with it and made it fall short of God, yet the nature of the soule still, considering it as it is a creature, it is made for God, and desires to have fellowship and union with God: therefore marke how I despute: If sinne be the worst evill to the soule, as crossing the end of it, and depriving the soule of his chiefest good, then the Lord is able to make the soule see sinne as the greatest evill to the soule; But sinne crosseth the end of the creature, for the end of the creature is Godward, and to have union and fellowship with God. Therefore the Lord is able to make the soule see the evill of sinne as well as the evill of punishment: Therefore it is no wonder that the heart be most of all pierced with sinne.
The second reason is, because by sound sorrow the soul is truly prepared and fitted for the Lord Jesus Christ, and no other way then ⟨p. 161⟩