The Soul's Preparation for Christ

and another man complains of his hard heart, it stirs not at the word of God, and Gods Judgements do not melt him, when yet in the mean time he nourisheth that pride, and self-uncleanness, that is the cause thereof, and there are many besides these: as it is with a dog, he doth not gorge up his meat because he loathes it, but because his stomach is troubled with it, and therefore when his pain is over, he takes it with greediness again; so it is with an hypocrite, his heart is burdened with extreme sorrow, and therefore he ⟨p. 226⟩throws out so much as did trouble and gal his conscience, and may work him some ease; but afterwards he returns to it again; and this is the cause why we have so many revolters, and backsliders, after such open confessions; they confess only to ease themselves of the horror, and therefore when the horror is gone, they fall to their old sin again, whereas a sound Christian doth confess his sin, only from the loathsomeness of it.

and another man complaines of his hard heart, it stirres not at the word of God, and Gods Judgements doe not melt him, when yet in the meane time he nourisheth that pride, and selfe-uncleannesse, that is the cause thereof, and there are many besides these: as it is with a dogge, he doth not gorge up his meat because he loathes it, but because his stomacke is troubled with it, and therefore when his paine is over, he takes it with greedinesse againe; so it is with an hypocrite, his heart is burthened with extreame sorrow, and therefore he ⟨p. 226⟩throwes out so much as did trouble and gal his conscience, and may worke him some ease; but afterwards he returnes to it againe; and this is the cause why we have so many revolters, and backesliders, after such open confessions; they confesse only to ease themselves of the horror, and therefore when the horror is gone, they fall to their old sinne againe, wheras a sound Christian doth confesse his sinne, onely from the loathsomnesse of it.