A03611:75
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.
Secondly, we must look on the nature of sin in the venom of it, the deadly hurtful nature that it hath for plagues and miseries it doth procure to our souls; and that you may do partly if you compare it with other things▪ and partly if you look at it in regard of your selves; First, compare sin with those things that are most fearful and horrible; As suppose any soul here present were to behold the damned in hell, and if the Lord should give thee a little peep hole into hell, that thou didst see the horror of those damned souls, and thy heart begins to shake in the consideration thereof; then propound this to thy own heart, what pains the damned in hell do endure for sin, and thy heart will shake and quake at it, the least sin that ever thou didst commit, though thou makest a light matter of it, is a greater evil then the pains of the damned in hell setting aside their sin, all the torments in hell are not so great an evil, as the least sin is: men begin to shrink at this, & loath to go down to hell, and to be in endless torments.
Secondly, we must looke on the nature of sin in the venome of it, the deadly hurtfull nature that it hath for plagues and miseries it doth procure to our soules; and that you may doe partly if you compare it with other things▪ and partly if you looke at it in regard of your selves; First, compare sinne with those things that are most fearefull and horrible; As suppose any soule here present were to behold the damned in hell, and if the Lord should give thee a little peepe hole into hell, that thou didst see the horror of those damned soules, and thy heart begins to shake in the consideration thereof; then propound this to thy owne heart, what paines the damned in hel doe indure for sinne, and thy heart will shake and quake at it, the least sinne that ever thou didst commit, though thou makest a light matter of it, is a greater evill then the paines of the damned in hell setting aside their sinne, all the torments in hell are not so great an evill, as the least sinne is: men begin to shrink at this, & loath to go downe to hell, and to be in endlesse torments.