The Soul's Preparation for Christ

Quest. But now a question will grow from hence; ⟨p. 221⟩May not a wicked man that never was truly broken-hearted make a large and open confession of his sins?

Quest. But now a question will grow from hence; ⟨p. 221⟩May not a wicked man that never was truly broken-hearted make a large and open confession of his sinnes?

Answ. I confess that in the horror of conscience he may do it, with the dog returning to his vomit, and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire; now the hog that is kept in a clean meadow, will look somewhat white, but if he comes from thence, h• will lie down in the first dirty puddle he comes at; so there are some sinners that have been well trained up, and live in a good family, they are a little cleansed; but when they come to live among wicked companions, they grow as profane as the rest; and yet all this while they are hogs, and will murmur at others that are more holy then themselves; Now the dog is he that hath had his eyes opened, and his conscience awakened, and some horror laid upon his soul, and this doth make him disgorge himself for a while, to ease him of his horror; but when that man returns to his sins, he will snarl and bite too, and fall heavily upon Gods people, so much the more because he hath confessed his sins; thus it was with Judas, he swallowed down his thirty pence, but God made him come and acknowledge his sin, and take shame to himself, and yet a Judas, a devil, & at this day in hell: I tell you, this his confession out-bide most people in our generation; the fish is content to nibble at the bait, and so is taken with the hook, and when it hath the hook and bait too, it would be rid of both: so when horror of conscience hath fastened upon ⟨p. 222⟩