The Soul's Preparation for Christ

As a mariner that is tossed with a tempest in a dark night, when he sees no stars, he casts anchor, and that cheers him; this hope is the anchor of the soul, whereby it looks out and expects mercy from God: the poor soul seeth no light nor comfort, nothing but the wrath of an angry God, and he saith, God is a just God, and a jealous God, even that God whose truth I have opposed, is displeased with me, then the soul is tossed and troubled, and runs upon the rocks of despair, how shall the soul be supported in this condition? you will find this true one day, therefore look to it before: you vile drunkards are now sailing in a fair gale of pleasure, and carnal delight, but when the Lords wrath shall seize upon you, when he shall let in the flashes of hell fire, then you are tossed, sometimes up to heaven, now down to hell: therefore cast anchor now, and this hope will uphold you,¹ for this hope is called ⟨p. 213⟩the anchor of the soul. Thou dost not yet see the Lord refreshing of thee, but it may be otherwise. The people of Nineveh said, Who know's but God may repent, ²this upheld their hearts, and made them seek to the Lord in the use of the means, and the Lord had mercy on them. If you belong unto the Lord, he will come against those drunken proud hearts, and rebellious hearts of yours, and drag them down to hell, and make them sorrow for their sins. And remember this against that day, Who knows but the Lord may show mercy? and therefore yet hear, and pray, and fast, and seek unto him for mercy. We fence those parts of our bodies most that are most precious, and the hurt whereof is most dangerous. Hope is called the helms of salvation, ³and the assurance of Gods love is the head of a Christian, now take away a Christians head, and he is clean gone: the devil ever labours for that, and saith, You come to heaven? prove it: Lo, you think God hath need of drunkards and adulterers in heaven? and will God provide a crown of glory for his professed enemies? Hath God made heaven a hog-f•ie for such unclean wretches as you are? No, no, there is no such expectation of mercy: this wounds the head of the soul, but hope is the helmet that covers the head of a Christian, makes him say, I confess I am as bad as any man can say of me: