The Soul's Preparation for Christ

¹The third use is for exhortation: If every sorrow will not do it, and if slight sorrow will not do it, what then remains to be done, then if ever thou wouldest be comforted, and receive mercy from the great God, labour to take the right way, and never be quieted, till you do bring your hearts to a right pitch of sorrow; let it never be said of as it was of you them in Hosea, They have not cried unto me with their hearts, when they how led upon their beds, ²they assembled themselves for corn & wine, but they rebel against me. Thou hast a little slight sorrow, but oh labour to have thy heart truly touched, that at last it may break in regard of thy many distempers; the longer seed time, the greater harvest; and so howsoever this sorrow is troublesome now, it will be very comfortable in the end; and though it be tedious to lay all these cursed abominations upon thy heart; yet it will not be harsh when the Lord remembers you in his Kingdom; it will never repent you that you have had your hearts humbled and broken, when the Lord comes to heal you; and it will never repent you that you have wept, when the Lord comes to wipe away all tears from your eyes. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted, ³saith our Saviour, but Woe to you that are at ease in Zion;⁴ there is a time of mourning for sin; you cannot have ease and quietness always, you had better now be wounded then everlastingly tormented. And therefore if you desire ⟨p. 199⟩to see the face of God with comfort, and to have Christ speak for you, and say, come you poor heavy hearted sinners, I will ease you, if ever you desire this, labour to lay load on your hearts with sorrow for your sins. Oh what comfort shall • poor broken heart find in that day! David saith,⁵ A broken and contrite heart (O Lord) thou wilt not despise.

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