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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 7THE GOLDEN SCEPTER. › Doctrine 7
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.
As also a second cause to move men to turn 1may be some present commodity. This doth appear in many of those that applied themselves to Christ: some did it for the loaves, and some for ⟨p. 188⟩their convenient living, some for the hope of an earthly Kingdom, which they thought he would have brought; but these all left him afterwards. There be many such false motives, but the only true motives are taken from the apprehension of eternal 2life and eternal death: the conversion is not right till then, and the reason is, because all other motives may be over balanced; But the motives of life and death cannot be over topped by any thing; If preferment be offered, or what ever the world can offer: but these exceed all that Satan, or the world, or the flesh can suggest. Therefore a man is then turned, when the Lord shall enlarge his thoughts, to see the greatness and the vastness of these two; for then all those other things appear but as Candles in the Sunshine: So that if Satan come with earthly honours and pleasures in his hand, the answer will be easy, but what are these to eternal death, and everlasting life? and these are not thought of nor considered by carnal men: though they talk of heaven and hell, yet they see not the immense vastness and latitude of them, and therefore go on so confidently, hence Christ in Mark 16. when he sends forth his Disciples to 3convert men, he bids them use these two arguments. Tell every man if he believe he shall be saved; if not, he shall be damned. Where we see the motives that Ministers are to use by Christs direction, are eternal life and death: And Saint Paul endeavouring to convert Felix, told him of the Judgement to come, which made him to tremble: And Christ told the woman of Samaria of ⟨p. 189⟩that water and spring, that flows up to eternal life. 4Consider therefore whether ever thou hadst a true apprehension of these, without which a man cannot be throughly wrought upon; which apprehension if true, hath these conditions in it.