The Soul's Preparation for Christ

The first is the inlet of the heart, so that nothing can affect the heart, but so far as reason conceiveth it, and ushers it home to the soul; thereupon the heart, as the King hath his Councillors which call all matters before them, and consult about business, & then they bring them before the King, to have a final sentence from him, to know what he will have and what he will not have; So the understanding is like the Counsellors, and the will is the Queen; the understanding saith, this or that is good, then the will saith, let me have it; the understanding saith, these and these duties are required, and the will embraceth them; the understanding conceives what sin is, and the will saith, these and these evils have I done, and they will cost me my life if I ⟨p. 32⟩repent not: As it was with Job, when his Oxen and Cattle were taken, it never troubled him, because he never knew it, but when he heard of it by the messengers, he said, Naked came I out of my mothers womb.

The first is the inlet of the heart, so that nothing can affect the heart, but so farre as reason conceiveth it, and ushers it home to the soule; thereupon the heart, as the King hath his Councellors which call all matters before them, and consult about businesse, & then they bring them before the King, to have a finall sentence from him, to know what he will have and what he will not have; So the understanding is like the Counsellors, and the will is the Queene; the understanding saith, this or that is good, then the will saith, let me have it; the understanding saith, these and these duties are required, and the will imbraceth them; the understanding conceives what sinne is, and the will saith, these and these evills have I done, and they will cost me my life if I ⟨p. 32⟩repent not: As it was with Iob, when his Oxen and Cattell were taken, it never troubled him, because he never knew it, but when he heard of it by the messengers, he said, Naked came I out of my mothers wombe.