The Soul's Preparation for Christ

Secondly, they differ in their grounds: the cause and ground of a broken hearted sinner, it is from the loathsomeness and vileness that the heart seeth in sinn•, and therefore it confesseth to free it self from that sin, and to let out all those abominations that are so loathsome and tedious to him; as the sinner that is truly burdened is to confess all his sins, so especially those that are most loathsome and secret, even those sins whereby the heart hath bin most estranged from God: for as before the soul did confess sin freely, because he was content to take shame to himself, so now he doth it to rid himself of the same. Then a man feels sin kindly, when it goeth to the very inwards of the soul; it is in this case with a broken hearted sinner, as it is with that part of a mans body that is impostumed, or the like; when the impostume is ripe, if it be lanced to the quick, the very core and all comes out; b•t if it be pricked with a pin, there may some corrupt matter come out, but the core remains yet in it still: so it is with an impostumed heart, when a man is truly pierced with his abominations, he is content to lay open the most inward corruptions ⟨p. 225⟩of all, that there may be a perfect killing of all: nay, it labours to sweep out the most secret sins of all, without any ifs, or ands, and he saith, Oh this proud, wretched, adulterous heart of mine, hath bin my bane, & it will be my destruction for ever, if God be not more merciful, now the core and all comes out; whereas the hypocrite that feels only the fear, and horror, and punishment of sin, executed or threatened, he confesseth no more then may procure his case, he desires not so much to have his corruptions removed, as to be freed from horror;¹ And therefore a hypocrite will scum over all his confessions, his talk will be a hundred miles from his sins, he never comes to that main sin which keeps his heart from God; and it is remarkable, one man complains he is troubled with wandering thoughts in hearing the word, and his soul is taken aside with strange distempers; but follow that soul home, and you shall commonly find some base corruptions that take up his heart;

Secondly, they differ in their grounds: the cause and ground of a broken hearted sinner, it is from the loathsomnesse and vilenesse that the heart seeth in sinn, and therefore it confesseth to free it selfe from that sin, and to let out all those abominations that are so loathsome and tedious to him; as the sinner that is truly burthened is to confesse all his sinnes, so especially those that are most loathsome and secret, even those sins whereby the heart hath bin most estranged from God: for as before the soule did confesse sinne freely, because he was content to take shame to himself, so now he doth it to ridde himselfe of the same. Then a man feeles sinne kindly, when it goeth to the very inwards of the soule; it is in this case with a broken hearted sinner, as it is with that part of a mans body that is impostumed, or the like; whē the impostume is ripe, if it be laūced to the quicke, the very coare and all comes out; bt if it be pricked with a pinne, there may some corrupt matter come out, but the coare remaines yet in it still: so it is with an impostumed heart, when a man is truly pierced with his abominations, he is content to lay open the most inward corruptions