Preparing the heart

"By way of direction. I cannot go out into all the severals of preparation, how the heart must be purged, faith exercised, repentance renewed, wants and weaknesses reviewed, God's glory considered, the nature, grounds, and ends of the ordinances weighed in our thoughts.
Only, in the general, so much preparation there must be as will make the heart reverent. God will be served with a joy mixed with trembling: the heart is never right in worship till it be possessed with an awe of God: 'How dreadful is this place!' Gen28:17. And again, such preparation as will settle the bent of the spirits heavenward. It is said somewhere, 'They set themselves to seek the Lord,' and David saith, Ps. 57:7, 'My heart is fixed, my heart is fixed;' that is, composed to a heavenly and holy frame. And again, such preparation as will make you come humble and hungry. Grace is usually given to the desiring soul: 'He hath filled the hungry with good things,' Luke 1:53. Again, such as erecteth and raiseth the heart into a posture of expectation. It is often said, 'Be it to thee according to thy faith.' They that look for nothing find nothing, Christ's greater things are for those that believe, John 1:50

Thomas Manton - Photo by Rinaldo Romani