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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.
A third rule or means wherein this labour against evil ways must be bestowed, is to strive to 1take notice of all the ways of God, whereby he labours to turn thee from thy evil ways, and let them not pass without some impression to that purpose for which God intends them. God useth not only his Word, but many means else, to turn men; as by his works, and by many passages of providence he strives with us, all which should be observed. As it may be, some great cross upon the commission of a sin, some great dangerous sickness, though not to death; sometimes he sends great fears and terrors of conscience upon some sin committed, sometimes an evil report is brought up of us; or he sends friends to admonish us, or executes some Judgement upon another for the like sin in our sight. When he meets with thee some way or other, as he met Balaam, he looks we should understand something by it: and ⟨p. 243⟩if we neglect those his dealings with us, he takes it ill at our hands, and so gives us up to our lusts more and more. Dan. 5. 22. there had been a Judgement brought upon Nebuchadnezzar in the sight of Belshazzar his Son, which should have been a means to have turned him: but Thou Belshazzar his Son hast not humbled thy self, though thou knewest all this. As if he had said, I did all this to one near thee in thy sight, that thou mightest be humbled, and turn to me. This was the case of Jeroboam, 1 Kings 13. God sent the Prophet to him with signs and wonders, both in tearing the Altar and withering his hand, yet still he went on. And verse 23. it is noted and set down on purpose by the Holy Ghost, that after this Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, &c. as if God had said, I looked thou shouldst have returned upon the sight of all these Judgements, but thou wouldest not. So Jeremiah 3. 8. you know that Israel was carried captive long before Judah. I gave Israel a bill of divorcement for her adultery: yet treacherous Judah feared not; as if he had said, a Judgement on their next neighbour should have made them to have returned. Therefore do thou think, what the Lord would by all such passages of providence towards thee, which are all as warning pieces before the great army, as cracks before the fall, crevices through which the Lord reveals himself: For you must know, that God brings men in by his works as well as by his word;