The Soul's Preparation for Christ

The second Use is for Instruction,¹ to show us, that a broken hearted sinner is easily convicted of his sins, and willing to under-go any reproof; he that will confess his sins freely of himself, will easily yield when he is called upon to do it. If the word lay any thing to his charge, he will not deny it, a man need not bring any witnesses against him: he will never seek to cover his sin, but if any occasional passage of speech come, that may discover his sin, he takes it presently, and yields to it, and saith, I am the man, I confess, this is my sin and my folly: he doth not fence his heart against the truth.

The second Use is for Instruction,¹ to shew us, that a broken hearted sinner is easily convicted of his sinnes, and willing to under-goe any reproofe; hee that will confesse his sinnes freely of himselfe, will easily yeeld when hee is called upon to doe it. If the word lay any thing to his charge, he will not deny it, a man need not bring any witnesses against him: he will never seeke to cover his sinne, but if any occasionall passage of speech come, that may discover his sinne, he takes it presently, and yeelds to it, and saith, I am the man, I confesse, this is my sinne and my folly: he doth not fence his heart against the truth.

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To whom shall I look (saith God) even to a man that hath a contrite heart, ¹and trembles at my word: this is the root, and this is the fruit: the heart must be contrite and broken by the hammer of Gods Law, before it can shake at the hearing