A03611:477
The Soul's Preparation for Christ
The souls preparation for Christ. Or, A treatise of contrition Wherein is discovered how God breaks the heart and wounds the soul, in the conversion of a sinner to Himself.The soules preparation for Christ. Or, A treatise of contrition Wherein is discovered how God breaks the heart and wounds the soule, in the conversion of a sinner to Himselfe.
London: printed by M. Flesher for Robert Dawlman, 1632London: printed by M. Flesher for Robert Davvlman, 1632
THE SOULS PREPARATION FOR CHRIST.THE SOVLES PREPARATION FOR CHRIST.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1The third use is for exhortation, if you know these things (as I am persuaded you do) then ⟨p. 239⟩be entreated in the name of the Lord Jesus to walk in that way which God hath revealed; this is the baseness of our hearts, we are loath to unbuckle our vile and secret distempers, they are shameful themselves, and yet we are loath to take shame for them. Therefore deal openly & freely with your souls, confess your sins freely, that God may deal comfortably with you; hath the Lord at any time let in this horror into thy soul; and is thy heart now troubled at the word; and after all thy tears, and pains, and means using with uprightness, do thy corruptions still remain? are they not yet subdued as they might be? canst thou not get any assurance of the pardon of them? I say then, cast away thy shameful hiding and concealing of sin, and do not say, what will the world, and ministers say of me? away with these shifts, God calls thee to confession, the Saints have done it, and thou must, nay, thou wilt do it, (if ever thy heart be kindly broken, as it should be,) in some measure pleasing unto God, and profitable to thy self.
1The third use is for exhortation, if you know these things (as I am perswaded you doe) then ⟨p. 239⟩be intreated in the name of the Lord Jesus to walke in that way which God hath revealed; this is the basenesse of our hearts, we are loath to unbuckle our vile and secret distempers, they are shamefull themselves, and yet we are loath to take shame for them. Therefore deale openly & freely with your soules, confesse your sins freely, that God may deale comfortably with you; hath the Lord at any time let in this horrour into thy soule; and is thy heart now troubled at the word; and after all thy teares, and paines, and meanes using with uprightnesse, doe thy corruptions still remaine? are they not yet subdued as they might be? canst thou not get any assurance of the pardon of them? I say then, cast away thy shamefull hiding and concealing of sinne, and do not say, what will the world, and ministers say of me? away with these shifts, God cals thee to confession, the Saints have done it, and thou must, nay, thou wilt doe it, (if ever thy heart be kindly broken, as it should be,) in some measure pleasing unto God, and profitable to thy selfe.