A03611:356
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.
Thus the Lord commands mercy to the unreasonable creature, that is thus wearied with the weight that he carrieth; hath the Lord care of oxen? As the Apostle saith in another case, It is for our sakes that the Lord requires this duty: The meaning is this; shall not the heart of thy brother be eased, that is tired thus with the wrath of the Almighty? shall not this poor fainting creature be succoured? are you men or are you beasts in this kind? If a hog be but in distress, it is strange to see how folk come about it; are we devils then that we can see poor creatures burdened with the unconceivable wrath of the Lord, and not pity them? do you see these, and not mourn and succour, and pray to heaven for them? See what Job saith, and let him speak in the behalf of all distressed souls,1 O saith he, that my sorrows were all weighed they would prove heavier then the sand. Mark how he cries for succour, oh you my friends have pity upon me, for the hand of God is heavy upon me, for the hand of God hath touched me: Imagine you saw him sitting upon the dunghill mourning, it is not the hand of a man or an enemy but the heavy hand of God; and therefore all you my friends that see my anguish and my sorrows have pity upon me.
Thus the Lord commands mercy to the unreasonable creature, that is thus wearied with the weight that he carrieth; hath the Lord care of oxen? As the Apostle saith in another case, It is for our sakes that the Lord requires this duty: The meaning is this; shall not the heart of thy brother be eased, that is tired thus with the wrath of the Almighty? shall not this poore fainting creature be succoured? are you men or are you beasts in this kinde? If a hogge be but in distresse, it is strange to see how folke come about it; are we divels then that we can see poore creatures burthened with the unconceivable wrath of the Lord, and not pitty them? doe you see these, and not mourne and succour, and pray to heaven for them? See what Iob saith, and let him speake in the behalfe of all distressed soules,1 O saith hee, that my sorrowes were all weighed they would prove heavier then the sand. Marke how he cries for succour, oh you my friends have pitty upon me, for the hand of God is heavy upon me, for the hand of God hath touched me: Imagine you saw him sitting upon the dunghill mourning, it is not the hand of a man or an enemy but the heavy hand of God; and therefore all you my friends that see my anguish and my sorrowes have pitty upon me.