The Soul's Preparation for Christ

So the will and affections of a man which are ⟨p. 248⟩the great wheels of this curious clock of the soul these wheels do naturally of themselves run all hellward, and sin-ward, and devil-ward: now before the soul can receive a new principle of grace, first, the Lord unmasks a man, and makes him come to a stand, and makes him see hell gaping for him; thus the heart is at a maze.

So the will and affections of a man which are ⟨p. 248⟩the great wheels of this curious clock of the soule these wheels do naturally of thēselves run all helward, and sin-ward, and devil-ward: now before the soule can receive a new principle of grace, first, the Lord unmaskes a man, and makes him come to a stand, and makes him see hell gaping for him; thus the heart is at a maze.

Secondly, the Lord lays the weight of sin and corruption upon him, and that doth sink the soul with the horror, and vexation, and loathsomeness of his sins.

Secondly, the Lord laies the weight of sinne and corruption upon him, and that doth sincke the soule with the horrour, and vexation, and loathsomnesse of his sinnes.

Thirdly, then the soul is carried away from sin by hatred and dislike; and saith, Is this the fruit of sin that delighteth me? oh then no more malice, no more drunkenness, thus the heart is turned away: but after the soul is once brought on to God by faith, and goes to God, & receives the spirit of sanctification, (of which we shall speak afterwards) this is a new principle of life, and out of this gracious disposition the soul is now grown to hate sin freely, and to knock off the fingers from corruptions, and beat down his lusts, and to love God freely; out of that power of grace which the Lord hath put into the soul.