A03611:401
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.
God deals with poor sinners in this case, as men do that pound precious powder, as Bezoar stone or the like, to make some potion withal, they will break it, and pound it all to pieces, yet they cover it up close, and will not loose the least sand of it, as they break it, so they keep it close that none be lost: So when God doth purpose to do good to your souls, he will break you, and melt you,; and then you think he hath ⟨p. 207⟩cast you off in his anger; No, no, he is pounding of you, but he will preserve those souls notwithstanding, and will not lose such poor sinners whom he purposeth to do good unto.
God deales with poore sinnners in this case, as men doe that pound pretious powder, as Bezar stone or the like, to make some potion withall, they will breake it, and pound it all to pieces, yet they cover it up close, and will not loose the least sand of it, as they breake it, so they keepe it close that none be lost: So when God doth purpose to doe good to your soules, he will breake you, and melt you,; and then you thinke he hath ⟨p. 207⟩cast you off in his anger; No, no, he is pounding of you, but he will preserve those soules notwithstanding, and will not lose such poore sinners whom he purposeth to doe good unto.
As it is with pocket dy•ls, a man may shake them this way and that way,1 but they are still northward by virtue of the lodestone; so there are many shakings in the soul, sometime it feareth God will not be merciful, he sometimes hopes that he will; thus it is tossed to and fro, but still it is heaven-ward, & there is a hope that it may be otherwise: For the Lord holds the soul by a secret virtue to himself, and draws the heart to seek for mercy.