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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.
If God be thus ready to punish his own children, 1and that thus sharply, it shows the sin of those that are fearless and careless, which provoketh God exceedingly, Zach. 4. 15. I am very sore displeased with the careless heathen, the heathens had sins enow besides to anger the Lord, yet this sin did it above other sins, and it is not to be wondered at that it should, for it is a rule in Philosophy, and most true, that of all things that which provoketh a man most, is contempt, in so much that Aristotle maketh it the only cause of anger, though ⟨p. 14⟩therein he is deceived, yet it is the main; we use to say non respondere pro convitio est, it is a sign of contempt not to answer again, as when a man is chidden and stricken, & non respondere to go by, as if he took no notice of it at Gods hand, this is contempt. And thus a Father when he is angry with his son, or a Master with his servant, how heinously doth he take it! And so God who now hath discovered his wrath to the whole Land, and to every particular man in it, this neglect of him will cause his wrath to wax hot against us, but yet for the land in general we have cause to hope that his wrath doth not so, but that God takes it well at our hands, that we are thus publicly assembled: but let me say this, though, to every particular man, though God spare the Kingdom, yet if thou neglect him and be careless, it will go the worse with thee however. In the 50. Psalm when he had expressed great threatenings in the former verses; he concludes with this, Consider this, O all ye that forget God! you that mind him not, least he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you: and so in the Prophet Jeremiah 5, 12, 13, 14. verses, because you say that his words are but wind, they shall be as fire, and you as dry wood, and they shall devour you. This is the great fault of men, that they are ready to fear things which they should not fear, the creatures, poverty and discredit, but are backward to fear the Lord.
If God be thus ready to punish his own children, 1and that thus sharpely, it shewes the sinne of those that are fearelesse and carelesse, which provoketh God exceedingly, Zach. 4. 15. I am very sore displeased with the carelesse heathen, the heathens had sinnes enow besides to anger the Lord, yet this sinne did it above other sinnes, and it is not to bee wondred at that it should, for it is a rule in Philosophy, and most true, that of all things that which provoketh a man most, is contempt, in so much that Aristotle maketh it the onely cause of anger, though