Gods husbandry

and strive to do as Peter did for his denying his Master, (for a counterfeit following him, is little better then a denial of him) even to get alone and weep, (at least grieve, which may well be without weeping) very bitterly: and when thine other occasions call thee from thy chamber, yet hold thy thoughts still on work (and let the plaster lye to the sore all the day.) Be thinking, Ah wretched creature I, that have so great a space of time continued an Hypocrite, a professor of Religion, not changed in heart, not washed in the inner man, not made a new creature! O how great cause hath God to abhor me, have I to abhor my self, that have so long gone about to cozen God, and to mock mine own soul! And so whatsoever thou beest doing, let thine heart be feeding on this bitter herb of inwardly bemoaning thy guile and thine irreformednesse, and unchangednesse of heart. Bid these cogitations welcome as thou sittest at meat, and count them as the best sauce for thy meat, yea, as the best dish on thy table. In company let these cogitations be thy most esteemed companions, and in solitariness give thy self over to them, and so continue to do, till thou find a plain change of thine heart, a manifest alteration, and so evident a framing thee to be another then thou wast before, that at last thou mayest be able, (which if thou wilt not be weary of striving, within no long space of time thou shalt be able to say) Now I find and feel, that ⟨p. 48⟩I am made new. Brethren, if any of you had a very sore leg, or arm, he would be content to go to some Chirurgeon, to dress the same every morning and evening, and let (perhaps) a smarting plaster lye upon it all day long, and all night too, for three weeks, or a months space together, that he might be healed and not lose his joint. O why should not he that hath an heart diseased with that grievous fistula of hypocrisy, be contented, as it were, to dress it twice a day, by some solemn, secret, and earnest lamenting it before God, and to let the plaster of grief lye at it all day, by frequent renewing of his sorrowful thoughts for it, that this foul and festered sore may be healed, and he may not lose his soul and body both by it? Wilt thou not bestow as much time, pains, care, in healing thy soul, as thy leg or arm?

and striue to doe as Peter did for his denying his Master, (for a counterfeit following him, is little better then a denyall of him) euen to get alone and weepe, (at least grieue, which may well be without weeping) very bitterly: and when thine other occasions call thee from thy chamber, yet hold thy thoughts still on worke (and let the plaister lye to the sore all the day.) Be thinking, Ah wretched creature I, that haue so great a space of time continued an Hypocrite, a professor of Religion, not changed in heart, not washed in the inner man, not made a new creature! O how great cause hath God to abhorre me, haue I to abhorre my selfe, that haue so long gone about to coozen God, and to mocke mine owne soule! And so whatsoeuer thou beest doing, let thine heart bee feeding on this bitter herbe of inwardly bemoning thy guile and thine irreformednesse, and vnchangednesse of heart. Bid these cogitations welcome as thou sittest at meate, and count them as the best sawce for thy meat, yea, as the best dish on thy table. In company let these cogitations be thy most esteemed companions, and in solitarinesse giue thy selfe ouer to them, and so continue to doe, till thou find a plaine change of thine heart, a manifest alteration, and so euident a framing thee to be another then thou wast before, that at last thou mayest be able, (which if thou wilt not be weary of striuing, within no long space of time thou shalt be able to say) Now I finde and feele, that