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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.
And with all this consider his greatness, who it 1is hath done all these things for thee; the great God of heaven and earth: this sets an high price upon all he hath done for us. If a great King doth but cast his countenance upon thee, how is it prized! but that the great God should look after such a wretch as thou art, not having any thing in thee, why he should respect thee so, how should it affect thee! and from hence also consider what he is able to do for thee. Men know not God in his greatness, and therefore it is he is not sought unto. Why do we trouble our selves so much about the creatures, fear this man and that man, and think a little credit or preferment a great matter? if we saw but God in his greatness, all these would vanish. See how the Prophet describes him, Isay 40. 15. when he says, all the nations are but a small 2thing to him, like the few drops of the bucket and the dust of the balance; put the case all the Nations of the world were for thee or against thee, who would not think this a great matter (as what would we think if we had but one Nation against us?) yet let them be compared to the Lord; they are but as ⟨p. 183⟩dust blown away with his breath. If our eyes were but opened to see as Gehazies were, the host that was about him, so ours to see the Lord, we should desire him alone, and seek him: and then a man would be ready for all varieties of changes, put him where you will, he will be content to have Gods favour whilst he lives, and heaven when he dyes, and till this be wrought he doth not seek God with a perfect heart; till a man comes to this choice, I have many things in the world, but the LORD is my portion, and he is my exceeding great reward; and I can live on him alone, it being as impossible for me to have him without comfort as to have the Sun without light; so as whatever becomes of him, he is able to say, I have lost nothing, I am not driven out of my inheritance and portion, I have Gods presence, and that will be a direction and a protection to us in hard times, so that we may say, The Lords Name is my strong Tower, and though others fly to other refuges, yet Thither fly the righteous, and are safe. Thou must seek Gods presence 3in time of peace: if thou wouldest have it for thy refuge in time of danger. Both these we may see,