The Sincere Convert

There is 1. the straight gate of Humiliation: God saveth none but first he humbleth them; now it is hard to §1pass through the gates and flames of hell, for a heart as stiff as a stake to bow, as hard as stone to bleed for the least prick, not to mourn for one sin, but all sins, and not for a sit, but all a mans life time; Oh it is hard for a man to suffer himself to be loaden with sin, and pressed to death for sin, so as never to love sin m•re, but to spit in the face of that which he once loved as dearly as his life. It is easy to drop a tear or two, and be sermon sick, but to have a heart rent for sin and from sin, […] is is true humiliation, and this is hard

There is 1. the straight gate of Humiliation: God saveth none but first he humbleth them; now it is hard to §1passe through the gates and flames of hell, for a heart as stiffe as a stake to bow, as hard as stone to bleed for the least prick, not to mourne for one sin, but all sinnes, and not for a sit, but all a mans life time; Oh it is hard for a man to suff•r himselfe to be loaden with sin, and prest to death for sinne, so as never to love sinne m•re, but to spit in the face of that which he once loved as dearely as his life. It is easie to drop a teare or two, and be sermon sick, but to have a heart rent for sinne and from sinne, 〈…〉 is is true humiliation, and this is hard

2. The straight gate of Faith, Eph. 1. 19. its an easy matter to presume, but hard to believe in Christ. It is easy for a man that was never humbled ⟨p. 147⟩to believe and say, 'tis but believing: but it is an hard matter for a man humbled, when he seeth all his sins in order before him, the devil and conscience roaring upon him, and crying out against him, and God rowning upon him, now to call God Father, is an hard work. Judas had rather be hanged than believe. It is hard to see a Christ, as a rock to stand upon, when we are overwhelmed with sorrow of heart for sin. It is hard to prize Christ above ten thousand worlds of pearl: 'tis hard to desire Christ, and nothing but Christ; hard to follow Christ all the day long, and never to be quiet till he is got in thine arms, and then with Simeon to say, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.