The acceptable sacrifice, or, The excellency of a broken heart showing the nature, signs…The acceptable sacrifice, or, The excellency of a broken heart shewing the nature, signs…

It seems also now to this Man, that this is but the beginning of Hell; but as it were, the first step down to the Pit; when alas! All these are but the beginnings of Love, and but that which makes way for Life. The Lord kills before he makes alive, he wounds before his Hands make whole. Yea, he does the one, in Order to, or because he would do the other; he wounds, because his Purpose is to heal. He maketh sore, and bindeth up: He woundeth, and his Hands make whole; Deut. 32. 39. 1 Sam. 2. 6. Job 5. 18.

His design, I say, is the Salvation of the Soul. He scourgeth, ⟨p. 29⟩he breaketh the Heart of every Son whom he receiveth, and Woe be to him whose Heart God breaketh not.

His design, I say, is the Salvation of the Soul. He scourgeth, ⟨p. 29⟩he breaketh the Heart of every Son whom he receiveth, and Wo be to him whose Heart God breaketh not.

And thus have I proved, what at first I asserted; namely, That a Spirit rightly Broken, an Heart truly Contrite, is to God an Excellent Thing. A Broken and a Contrite Heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. For thus say I,