The Godly Man's Picture

Oh then, let all humbled sinners go to Jesus Christ: Christ was bruised with desertion to heal them who are bruised with sin: If you can show Christ your sores, and touch him by faith, you shall be healed of all your soul-bruises: Will not Christ break thee, then do not undo thy self by despair.

Use 2. Will not Jesus Christ break a bruised reed,¹ then it reproves those who do (what in them lies) to break the bruised reed;² and they are such as go about to hinder the work of Conversion in others, when they see them wounded and troubled for sin, they dishearten them, telling them, that Religion is a sour melancholy thing, they had better return to their former pleasures: when an Arrow of Conviction is shot into their Conscience, these pull it out again, and will not suffer the work of Conviction to go forward. Thus when the soul is almost bruised, they hinder it from a thorough bruise: This is for men to be Devils to others: If to shed the blood of another makes a man guilty, what is it to damn another's soul?

Use 2. Will not Jesus Christ break a bruised reed,¹ then it reproves those who do (what in them lies) to break the bruised reed;² and they are such as go about to hinder the work of Conversion in others, when they see them wounded and troubled for sin, they dishear•en them, telling them, that Religion is a sowre melancholly thing, they had better return to their former pleasures: when an Arrow of Conviction is shot into their Conscience, these pull it out again, and will not suffer the work of Conviction to go forward. Thus when the soul is almost bruised, they hinder it from a thorow bruise: This is for men to be Devils to others: If to shed the bloud of another makes a man guilty, what is it to damn anothers soul?