The Soul's Preparation for Christ

¹This Contrition (as I conceive) is nothing else, but namely when a sinner by the sight of sin, and vileness of it, and the punishment due to the same, is made sensible of sin, and is made to hate it, and hath his heart separated from the same; and the sight of sin makes it self known in three particulars: §1First, when the soul is sensible of sin; §2Secondly, when it hath a hearty and sound sorrow for the same, and an earnest detestation of it. §3Thirdly, when he hath his heart separated from his corruptions. All these are not wrought, so much by any power that is in us, as by the Almighty power of God working in us; for the sinner would not see his sin, but the Lord forceth him, as the holy Prophet saith:² Thou holdest my eyes waking, I am so troubled that I cannot speak, the Lord holds sin to a carnal sinful wretch, so that his sin walks, and sleepeth, and goeth with him; nay the soul of a poor sinner would beat back the blow, and would not have the word to touch him, he labours to shift off the arrows of the Almighty, which the Lord shooteth into the soul; but the Lord will not suffer him so to do; Thy arrows stick fast in me▪ and thy hand presseth me sore. ³Psalm. 38.2. As if the ⟨p. 3⟩Prophet had said, I would fain have beat back thine arrows, but they stick fast in me; and I would have shaken off the burden, that lay upon me, but thine hand presseth me sore, so then at last, when the sinner sees, he cannot shake off the arrows, then he is content to be separate from his corruptions.

¹This Contrition (as I conceive) is nothing else, but namely when a sinner by the sight of sinne, and vilenesse of it, and the punishment due to the same, is made sensible of sinne, and is made to hate it, and hath his heart separated from the same; and the sight of sin makes it selfe knowne in three particulars: