A03611:388
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.
Secondly, when God stirs, do you stir your hearts too, be you stabbed further, & make the blow go deeper, therefore wheresoever any truth goeth near thy heart, and awakens thee, look up to heaven, and bless God for it, and labour to drive the nail home to the head, and make the salve sink into the bottom; And let me advise you to this, when your souls are ⟨p. 203⟩wrought upon by any reproofs or admonitions, take that truth, and labour to maintain the power of it upon your hearts all the week after; and let your souls be awed by it.
Secondly, when God stirres, doe you stirre your hearts too, be you stabbed further, & make the blow goe deeper, therefore wheresoever any truth goeth neere thy heart, and awakens thee, looke up to heaven, and blesse God for it, and labour to drive the naile home to the head, and make the salve sinke into the bottome; And let me advise you to this, when your soules are ⟨p. 203⟩wrought upon by any reproofes or admonitions, take that truth, and labour to maintaine the power of it upon your hearts all the weeke after; and let your soules be awed by it.
Thirdly, consider what thy soul finds to be most evil and detestable, whether it be poverty or disgrace, or loss of liberty; and then (mark what I say) get up thy heart higher in the very apprehension of sin as it is sin: and let thy soul be more affected with the vileness of sin, then of any other hardship whatsoever; As thus, suppose thy heart be very proud, if shame and disgrace befall thee, oh how doth this heart shake in the apprehension of it, he can live no longer, except some honour come: Now sin is worse then shame, therefore look up to heaven, & say, oh my heart did shake with shame, but sin is far worse, for, what if the Lord take away my honour, that he hath promised to such as fear his name? and what if he blot my name out of the book of life, therefore sin is worst of all; this is certain, there is no evil the soul fears or finds, but sin is the cause of it, but the separation of the soul from the Lord is the greatest evil, and sin is the cause of it, and therefore rest not till thy soul shake in the apprehension of it. This is the next way to be above punishment or any thing else.