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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.
5 If all these will not serve to persuade our hearts 1to believe, the Lord descends a little lower, and helps us out with an argument of his readiness to pardon, from the consideration of what is in our selves, consider how you would deal with your children. Psal. 103. 13. Like as a father pitieth his 2children, so the Lord them that fear him. If a child that is yours, offend you an hundred times, yet if he come in and humble himself, you will pardon him: And will not God, when his people humble themselves? We use but such arguments as God himself doth, and do but set him and your consciences together, to reason the case: But you will object again, and say, it is possible for a child so to offend, as that a father will not nor cannot forgive him. True, but the Psalmists meaning is, not as if GOD ⟨p. 260⟩would pardon no more, then an earthly father; but on the contrary, if you that are earthly fathers can do so much, I that am an infinite Lord God and not man, can do much more, who is Omnipotent and can do whatsoever he will, and shows his omnipotency in pardoning. I compare with this, Isaiah 55. 9. My thoughts are not as your thoughts. What though your sins be great and in their own thoughts unpardonable, and you think them greater then can be forgiven? but my thoughts says GOD, are not as your thoughts; he speaks this of pardoning; but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my thoughts above your thoughts, and my ways above yours, in multiplying to pardon. Though you could not forgive, nay though you cannot think or imagine how such transgressions should be forgiven, yet I can forgive them.
5 If all these will not serve to perswade our hearts 1to believe, the Lord descends a little lower, and helpes us out with an argument of his readinesse to pardon, from the consideration of what is in our selves, consider how you would deale with your children. Psal. 103. 13