The Soul's Preparation for Christ

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⟩this: namely, when the soul sees the burden of sin as sin: For when the soul comes to feel sin in the proper colours of it, and to be affected with the loathsomeness that is in that sin, which hath formerly over-ruled it: Now the soul begins to renounce the power of that sin, and to withdraw himself from under the dominion of his corruptions, so that the union between sin and the soul is now broken, and room is prepared & way is made for the Lord Jesus to come into the soul; when sorrow hath wearied the heart and loosened it from the love of sin then the heart is fitted for Christ. As it is with a vessel that hath been for dishonour, if a man will turn the nature of it and make it a vessel of honour, he must not only beat it a little, but he must melt it throughly, and then it is fit to be a vessel of honour. So the soul of every sinful man and woman is a vessel of dishonour, and sin hath marvellously polluted them. Now if you will have your hearts fitted for Christ, you must not only have your hearts warmed a little by humiliation, but you must have them melted all to pieces, and the heart must be content to part with all abominations whatsoever, that so the Lord may take place in it, and rule over it even for ever. First, cast out the strong man, and then the Lord Christ will come in and take possession of the heart; sin and satan are the strong man, and the Lord Christ binds this strong man and casts him out, when he showeth the vileness of sin, and trieth the heart with the burden of it, and binds ⟨p. 162⟩the soul to good behaviour; that now the heart is readily content that Christ should come and do all in the soul.

The second reason is, because by sound sorrow the soule is truly prepared and fitted for the Lord Jesus Christ, and no other way then ⟨p. 161⟩this: namely, when the soule sees the burthen of sin as sin: For when the soule comes to feele sinne in the proper colours of it, and to be affected with the loathsomnesse that is in that sin, which hath formerly over-ruled it: Now the soule begins to renounce the power of that sinne, and to withdraw himselfe from under the dominion of his corruptions, so that the union betweene sin and the soule is now broken, and roome is prepared & way is made for the Lord Jesus to come into the soule; when sorrow hath wearied the heart and loosened it from the love of sinne then the heart is fitted for Christ. As it is with a vessell that hath beene for dishonour, if a man will turne the nature of it and make it a vessell of honour, he must not only beat it a little, but he must melt it throughly, and then it is fit to be a vessell of honour. So the soule of every sinfull man and woman is a vessell of dishonour, and sinne hath marvelously polluted them. Now if you will have your hearts fitted for Christ, you must not only have your hearts warmed a little by humiliation, but you must have them melted all to pieces, and the heart must be content to part with al abominations whatsoever, that so the Lord may take place in it, and rule over it even for ever. First, cast out the strong man, and then the Lord Christ wil come in and take possession of the heart; sinne and satan are the strong man, and the Lord Christ binds this strong man and casts him out, when he sheweth the vilenesse of sinne, and trieth the heart with the burthen of it, and binds