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The golden sceptre held forth to the humble With the Churches dignityThe golden scepter held forth to the humble VVith the Churches dignitie
The golden sceptre held forth to the humble With the Churches dignity by her marriage. And the Churches duty in her carriage. In three treatises. The former delivered in sundry sermons in Cambridge, for the weekly fasts, 1625. The two latter in Lincolns Inn. By the late learned and reverend divine, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty, Mr. of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and sometime preacher at Lincolns Inn.The golden scepter held forth to the humble VVith the Churches dignitie by her marriage. And the Churches dutie in her carriage. In three treatises. The former delivered in sundry sermons in Cambridge, for the weekely fasts, 1625. The two latter in Lincolnes Inne. By the late learned and reverend divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to His Maiesty, Mr. of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and somtime preacher at Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by R. Badger for N. Bourne, 1638
THE GOLDEN SCEPTRE. › Doctrine 4THE GOLDEN SCEPTER. › Doctrine 4
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
He that hath made the choice himself will serve, else not; but he will condemn himself, that he should make a choice so unsuitable to him; and it also teacheth a man to set an high price upon CHRIST, and forgiveness of sins, as you hear; and that will set all thy desires on work, and cause thee to refuse no obedience, whether active or passive: For, what is the reason men obey their lusts, but because they prize pleasures, have an high esteem of honours, &c. and the same effect will the prizing of CHRIST have in thee, to do any thing for Him, so as thou shalt not count thy life dear, for Him.
Hee that hath made the choyce himselfe will serve, else not; but hee will condemne himselfe, that he should make a choyce so unsuitable to him; and it also teacheth a man to set an high price upon CHRIST, and forgivenesse of sinnes, as you heare; and that will set all thy desires on worke, and cause thee to refuse no obedience, whether active or passive: For, what is the reason men obey their lusts, but because they prize pleasures, have an high esteeme of honours, &c. and the same effect will the prizing of CHRIST have in thee, to do any thing for Him, so as thou shalt not count thy life deare, for Him.
They would not do all this constantly and for 1ever, if they should come to Christ and be obedient for a while (as Johns hearers and Herod was) yet they would return unto their vomit again: and not stay with Him if they were not humbled, they might come in, as those hearers (signified by the second and third ground) did, who received the seed with joy, and as those of whom it is said, Christ would not commit himself to them, but stay with ⟨p. 74⟩him, men will not unless they be humbled: For unless a man be brought to part with all for Christ, and to sell all, he will in the end repent of his bargain; if there be a reservation of any thing, the time will come he will go back, and start aside like a broken Bow; and until a man be throughly humbled, he will not be brought to part with all for CHRIST; he that is humbled, he only is the Merchant-like minded man, who sells all he hath and goes away rejoicing, is glad at the heart that he hath Christ though with the loss of the whole world; he is willing to take Christ upon all conditions, with losses and crosses, and to deny himself in every thing; for he knows the bitterness of sin, and so sets such a price upon Christ as if the bargain were to make again, he would do as he had done, but the other what he hath done in a fit, he repents him of afterwards, and therefore true repentance (which godly sorrow and true humiliation worketh) is called repentance never to be repented of,