We shall assuredly be broken off, if we be not broken up; Beloved!
...
But now where are our broken hearts? I know not what to say, my heart aches within me, O that it could be broken because hearts are generally unbroken: Sinners are secure, Consciences are seared, wickedness is bold, sins are a delight and pastime, God is not seen nor feared in his judgments, in His warnings, in His dealings; Reformation is abhorred, Humiliation (most know not what it means, and if they do) it is distasted: Serious thoughts of our sinful ways who takes them? Sufficient time for self-examination who takes it for himself? Every man runs on in his course, loves as he did, lives as he did, And never knew a trouble in his soul, nor a tear in his eye either for his own, or for the sins of others, all his days: And what will the end of all this be?
O that God would pity us this day, and break our hearts for us! though it be so irksome and contrary to our flesh and blood: It is better (said a Father to dye one death, then to live and fear all deaths: better it is to suffer the heart to be broken then to expose our selves to all sorts of Judicial & eternal breakings: O Lord said dying Fulgen. (Da panitentiam & postea indulgentiam) make me a penitent sinner, and then let me find thee an indulgent Father: Never look for great mercies, for long mercies, for any mercies with unbroken hearts; we are not good, we can do no good, we can expect no good, till our sinful hearts be broken: O Christians be persuaded this day to get broken hearts! God can do it for you, and will do it for you, if you will but use the means and seek unto him: spare time, and take it to study the Law, to study Conscience, to study the Gospel, to study mercies, to study judgments, to study Christ, to study all, that after all, our hearts may be broken for our sins, that so God may not break away from us, but continue to be our God, and that judgments (which look so black upon us may be broken off, and plots (contriv'd against us) may break asunder, and all spiritual and earthly mercies may break down in mercy upon us.
—Obadiah Sedgwick
