1. When the Lord hath wounded the hearts of his elect, this is the immediate work of their hearts, (if the Lord prevent them not by his grace, as many times he ⟨p. 126⟩doth) they look to what good they have, or if they find little or none, they then seek for some in themselves, that thereby they may heal their wound, because they think thus, that as their sins have provoked God to anger against them, so if now they can reform and leave those sins, or if not, repent and be sorry for them; if now they pray, and hear, and do as others do, they have some hope that this will heal their wound, and pacify the Lord towards them; when they see there is no peace in a sinful course, they will therefore try if there be any to be found in a good course: And look as Adam when he saw his own shame and nakedness, hid himself from God in the bushes, and covered his nakedness with fig-leaves; so the soul not being able to endure to see its own nakedness and vileness, not knowing Christ Jesus, and he being far to seek, doth therefore labour to cover his wickedness and sinfulness which now he feels by some of these fig-leaves. And hence Micah 6.7. they enquire wherewith they should come before the Lord, should they bring rivers of oil, or thousands of lambs, or the first borne of their body to remove the sin of their soul? Paul did account these duties gain, 1and set them at a high rate, because he thought that God did so himself: When the Lord hath wounded the soul, the first voice it speaks, ⟨p. 127⟩is, What shall I do? Do? saith Conscience, leave thy sins, do as well as others, do with all thy might, and strength, pray, hear, and confer, God accepts of good desires, and requires no more of any man but to do what he can. Hence the soul plies both oars, though against wind and tide, and strives, and wrestles with his sins, and hopes one day to be better, and here he rests. And observe it, look as sin is his greatest evil, so the casting away of his sins, and seeking to be better, is very sweet to him; and being so sweet, rests in what he hath, and seeks for what he wants, and so hopes all will be well one day, and so stays here; although (God knows) it be without Christ, nor cannot rest on him, though he hath heard of him a thousand times.
1. When the Lord hath wounded the hearts of his elect, this is the immediate work of their hearts, (if the Lord prevent them not by his grace, as many times hee ⟨p. 126⟩doth) they look to what good they have, or if they find little or none, they then seek for some in themselves, that thereby they may heale their wound, because they think thus, that as their sinnes have provoked God to anger against them, so if now they can reforme and leave those sinnes, or if not, repent and be sorry for them; if now they pray, and heare, and doe as others doe, they have some hope that this will heale their wound, and pacifie the Lord towards them; when they see there is no peace in a sinfull course, they will therefore try if there be any to be found in a good course: And look as Adam when he saw his own shame and nakednesse, hid himselfe from God in the bushes, and covered his nakednesse with fig-leaves; so the soule not being able to endure to see its own nakednesse and vilenesse, not knowing Christ Jesus, and he being far to seek, doth therefore labour to cover his wickednesse and sinfulnesse which now he feeles by some of these fig-leaves. And hence Micah 6.7. they enquire wherewith they should come before the Lord, should they bring rivers of oyl, or thousands of lambes, or the first borne of their body to remove the sinne of their soule? Paul did account these duties gaine, 1and set them at a high rate, because he thought that God did so himselfe: When the Lord hath wounded the soule, the first voyce it speaks, ⟨p. 127⟩is, What shall I doe? Doe? saith Conscience, leave thy sins, doe as well as others, doe with all thy might, and strength, pray, heare, and confer, God accepts of good desires, and requires no more of any man but to doe what he can. Hence the soule plyes both oares, though against wind and tide, and strives, and wrastles with his sinnes, and hopes one day to be better, and here he rests. And observe it, look as sinne is his greatest evill, so the casting away of his sins, and seeking to be better, is very sweet to him; and being so sweet, rests in what hee hath, and seeks for what he wants, and so hopes all will be well one day, and so stayes here; although (God knowes) it be without Christ, nor cannot rest on him, though hee hath heard of him a thousand times.
- 1Phil. 3.7.
