The Soul's Preparation for Christ

Now if all be true that I have said, there are but few sorrowers for sin, therefore few saved; here we see the ground & reason, why many fly off from Godliness, and Christianity: This is the cause; their souls were only troubled with a little hellish sorrow, but their hearts were never kindly grieved for their sins. If a mans arm be broken and disjointed a little, it may grow together again; But if it be quite broken ⟨p. 197⟩off, it cannot grow together; so the terror of the Law affrighted his conscience, and a powerful minister unjointed his soul, and the Judgements of God were rending of him; but he was never cut off altogether: and therefore he returns as vile, and as base, if not worse then before, and he grows more firmly to his corruptions.

Now if all be true that I have said, there are but few sorrowers for sinne, therefore few saved; here we see the ground & reason, why many fly off from Godlinesse, and Christianity: This is the cause; their soules were only troubled with a little hellish sorrow, but their hearts were never kindly grieved for their sinnes. If a mans arme be broken and disjoynted a little, it may grow together againe; But if it be quite broken ⟨p. 197⟩off, it cannot grow together; so the terrour of the Law affrighted his conscience, and a powerfull minister unjointed his soule, and the Judgements of God were rending of him; but he was never cut off altogether: and therfore he returnes as vile, and as base, if not worse then before, and he growes more firmly to his corruptions.

It is with a mans conversion, as in some mens ditching; they do not pull up all the trees by the roots, but plash them: so when you come to have your corruptions cut off, you plash them, and do not wound your hearts kindly, and you do not make your souls feel the burden of sin truly: this will make a man grow and flourish still, howsoever more cunningly and subtly. This lopping professor grows more subtle in his wickedness: the soul that hath been terrified for his lusts, he is now grown a plashed adulterer, and Alehouse haunter, he will be drunk more cunningly and secretly: and so he that hath been an open opposer of Gods children, will now jibe and jest at them in a corner, and when he comes amongst his old companions, then he can vent out all his malice.