The Soul's Preparation for Christ

You that keep your sins so close, and maintain them so tenderly, the God of heaven will pluck those sweet morsels from your mouths, and lay them upon you, when you would be rid of them; As a man that is sick, he will not send to the Physician, because he thinks he is able to bear it out, till at last the disease begins to fester inwardly, & all the Physicians under heaven cannot cure him; if he had sent in time, he might have been eased; so it is with many sinful creatures, out of a sturdy stoutness of heart, they scorn to confess their corruptions; well, now God opens their eyes, and they begin to say, this is not well, and that is not well; but you will not send for the minister all this while, if it be horror of conscience, you will bear it; well, at last you come to your death beds, and the Lord lays his heavy hand upon you, and then you cry for the minister and all; oh saith one, woe to me because of this adulterous heart, this drunkenness, and this malice, and this madness against God and his people; I was a cunning persecutor, and with such a woman I committed adultery, and at last, when he hath ended his confession, he sinks and dies. Now the minister comes too late; ye will bear the check of conscience, & in time the wound grows sore, and your soul sinks into irrecoverable misery; ⟨p. 233⟩Oh, woe to that soul, this is all because he would not have his heart lanced; well, if thou wilt not, then take that cursed heart of thine, and expect Gods wrath with it, if thou repent not. See how God deals with a sinner in this kind; the text saith, His bones are full of the sins of his youth, ¹which shall lie with him in the dust: Although sin be sweet in his mouth, though he spare it, and keep it close as sugar under his tongue, it is as the gall of asps within them; take heed how you keep your sins close, when conscience and horror calls upon you to confess them, and God hath you upon the rack, and saith, these sins you have committed in secret, either confess them, or they shall turn to the gall of asps; if still you will have your sins, remember that the God of heaven bears witness this day against that soul, that will not come off, but hides his sin; take heed that God say not Amen, when thou art going the way of all flesh;

You that keepe your sinnes so close, and maintaine them so tenderly, the God of heaven will plucke those sweet morsels from your mouthes, and lay them upon you, when you would be rid of them; As a man that is sicke, he will not send to the Physitian, because he thinks he is able to beare it out, till at last the disease begins to fester inwardly, & all the Physitians under heaven cannot cure him; if he had sent in time, he might have beene eased; so it is with many sinfull creatures, out of a sturdy stoutnesse of heart, they scorne to confesse their corruptions; well, now God opens their eyes, and they begin to say, this is not well, and that is not well; but you will not send for the minister all this while, if it be horrour of conscience, you will beare it; well, at last you come to your death beds, and the Lord layes his heavy hand upon you, and then you cry for the minister and all; oh saith one, woe to me because of this adulterous heart, this drunkennesse, and this malice, and this madnesse against God and his people; I was a cunning persecutor, and with such a woman I committed adultery, and at last, when he hath ended his confession, he sinks and dies. Now the minister comes too late; yee will beare the check of conscience, & in time the wound growes soare, and your soule sinks into irrecoverable misery;