The unsearchable riches of Christ, and of grace and glory in and through [sic]…The unsearchable riches of Christ, and of grace and glory in and thorow [sic]…

The little heart-softness that is amongst us is one o• the neck-breaks of Religion, and mars our growth exceedingly: what shall we say or think of our condition, when we call to remembrance the seekers of God of old, who watered their couches with tears and made their beds to swim: who mingled their drink with tears and their meat with weeping? O! what is become of that now? or what Religion is this that we have in these days, in comparison of that which they had, who were so serious and so much affected and heart-wrought with their Religion, when we are so chill-cold and frozen, when our hearts are scarce kindly warmed, much less softened and melted? It is no wonder there be much lamenting for the want of sense and life, when there is so much heart-hardness the contrary of this heart melting softness.

The little heart-softness that is amongst us is one o• the neck-breaks of Religion, and marrs our growth exceedingly: what shall we say or think of our condition, when we call to remembrance the seekers of God of old, who watered their couches with tears and made their beds to swim: who mingled their drink with tears and their meat with weeping? O! what is become of that now? or what Religion is this that we have in these dayes, in comparison of that which they had, who were so serious and so much affected and heart-wrought with their Religion, when we are so chil-cold and frozen, when our hearts are scarce kindly warmed, much less softened and melted? It is no wonder there be much lamenting for the want of sense and life, when there is so much heart-hardness the contrarie of this heart melting softness.

But it may be Asked here: How comes it to pass, that the People of God are now so unlike that which ⟨p. 238⟩Gods People were wont to be: so little softened, country, and melted? I speak not of external weeping and shedding of tears: for there may be much of that, where the heart is but little softened, though not ordinarily: often when the heart is inwardly melted, external weeping in some Measure follows, though the one of these may be and is some times without the other: neither do I speak of that softness which is peculiarly requisite for the Communion: but of that which is called for in our ordinary walk, to make us folding, yielding, and pliable to God, ready to receive any impression that he will please to stamp on us: what (I say) can be the causes of the want of this. Or that we are not in it as Gods people were wont to be? I answer First, It may be, that Professors now have much more conceit of their Profession, and content themselves better with the form, and with the Gospels being clearer now then it was in former days; and God resists the proud, yea even pride in the Godly: Trembling & such other evidences of tenderness in several of those Saints mentioned in the Scripture, are not much to be found with us, we are Alas! very unlike them; a sharp word from God would have made the strongest of them to tremble, nay the Godly are several times in the old Testament described to be tremblers at the Word; but we, very generally, are bolstered up, in a manner, with much stoutheartedness and self conceit, as if we were above challenges, fears, doubtings and puzzling cases of Conscience: David, Job, Paul and others of the Saints, who had not such ground for that sort of exercise, as most of us have, may I not say, as all of us have? yet were more in it then we. Whence this comes, were worthy of our serious enquiry. It's probable that Pride and Self conceit have much influence upon it. Secondly,