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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. › DoctrineTHE GOLDEN SCEPTER. › Doctrine
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.
Consider what opinion thou hast of thy self 1Every man that is regenerate, at his regeneration changeth his opinion of himself, as Saint Paul, 2Rom. 7. It is no longer I, but sin. Before he was Regenerate, sin was himself; but now there was a new Lord come into the house, that renewed-self, the Regenerate part; and that which before was wholly himself, he now speaks of as one crept in, as of an Inmate, that should not be there. Now if thou reckonest the Regenerate part thy self, then thou hast sought the Lords presence: for that part is thereby strengthened. The perfection of this self stands in conjunction with the Lord, and so ⟨p. 156⟩seeks him; if not, but thou accountest flesh in thee thy self, it is impossible thou shouldest seek God aright, for God and it are contraries: A regenerate man says, let me have God, and what ever I lose, whether life, liberty, yet my self is safe; he considers still chiefly, whether doth this tend to the safety of my self or no? and though he is content, and would have the outward man do well too; as if I have a fair house to dwell in, I would have it 3safe; yet if it be set on fire, it is no great matter, so long as my self is kept safe. Take a man who hath clothes on, if he can keep his clothes whole, it is well; but if they be rent, he cares not, so his body be safe; so where the regenerate part is The self, if the outward man can be kept safe, it is well, he had rather have it so; but however, so the regenerate part be safe, he cares not much; for he accounts it but as the renting of his clothes: but take another man, that as yet is no other then he was borne at first, into whom no new man is come to dwell, he thinks thus with himself, sure I must not destroy my self; I would keep a good conscience, but not so as to destroy my self; and it is impossible, that what a man reckons himself, he should suffer to be destroyed: therefore when discredit, imprisonment, &c. comes, all these are reckoned wounds given to himself, he lets God go to defend and save himself harmless. All this difference comes from the difference of opinion, that a man hath of what is himself.