A09970:581
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.
1 Dost thou not hate the law? dost thou not wish that the Law were not so strict, and that it gave more liberty? Let an unregenerate man try himself by this, and he will find such a disposition in him, that he desires that the law would give him leave to commit such and such a sin; he esteems of the Law as a thing that is contrary to him, and therefore their complaint of godly men is, that their ways are contrary to ours, in the book of Wisdom. What ways? the ways of the law: for where is contrariety, there ⟨p. 265⟩is hatred; and if they hate the law, they hate the lawgiver God, for the law is the express image of God.
1 Dost thou not hate the law? dost thou not wish that the Law were not so strict, and that it gave more liberty? Let an unregenerate man try himselfe by this, and he will find such a disposition in him, that he desires that the law would give him leave to commit such and such a sin; he esteemes of the Law as a thing that is contrary to him, and therfore their complaint of godly men is, that their wayes are contrary to ours, in the booke of Wisedome. What wayes? the wayes of the law: for where is contrariety, there ⟨p. 265⟩is hatred; and if they hate the law, they hate the lawgiver God, for the law is the expresse image of God.
2. Again, I would ask thee, if this be not also thy disposition, that thou hast no great delight to be where the Lord is? thou hast not any delight in holy duties, otherwise than as custom, and natural conscience have made them familiar to thee; nor to be in the company of the Saints (for where two or three of them are, there God is among them) but when thou art among them, thou art as it were out of thy element; if they be such as are formal like thy self, thou canst away with them; but if they be holy, and the holiness of God appear in them, thou delightest not in them; thou couldest, it may be, be among the Saints, if they hold their tongues; but let God shine in them, then thou canst not endure to be there.