Prima the first things, in reference to the middle and last things

Sect. 4. The third reason for this sorrow.

Again, ¹without hearty sorrow no spiritual comfort. We must first be humbled before the Lord, and then he will lift us up. Christ indeed was anointed to preach good tidings, but to whom? to the poor, to the broken-hearted, to the captives, to them that are bound, ²to the bruised, Isaiah 61.11. God pours not the oil of his mercy save into a broken vessel, God never comforts ⟨p. 63⟩throughly, save where he finds humiliation and repentance for sin. ³The word of God (saith one) hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of his chosen: First, it falleth to mens ears as the sound of many waters, a mighty, great, and confused sound, and which commonly bringeth neither terror nor joy, but yet a wondering, and acknowledgement of a strange force, and more then humane power; this is that effect which many felt hearing Christ, when they were astonished at his doctrine, as teaching with authority; ⁴what manner doctrine is this? never man spake like this man: The next effect is the voice of thunder, which bringeth not only wonder, but fear also; not only filleth the ears with sound, and the heart with astonishment, but moreover shaketh and terrifieth the conscience: The third effect is the sound of harping, while the word not only ravisheth with admiration, and striketh the conscience with terror, but also lastly filleth it with sweet peace and joy. Now albeit the two first degrees may be without the last, yet none feel the last, who have not in some degree felt both the first. He saith true, in some degree, though commonly the deeper is the sense of misery, the sweeter is the sense of mercy. In our dead security before conversion (saith another) God is fain to let the law, sin, conscience, Satan,