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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.
Learn, that if you would remove the cross, you must remove the sin first. You may observe 1it in diseases, that twenty medicines may be used, and yet if you hit not right upon the cause of the disease, the patient is never the better; but if that be removed, the symptoms presently vanish: so when some cross is upon us, we set our heads, and hands, and friends awork to remove it, but all in vain, whilst we hit not the cause, and that is sin, which whilst it continues, the cross will continue.
Learne, that if you would remove the crosse, you must remove the sinne first. You may observe 1it in diseases, that twenty medicines may bee used, and yet if you hit not right upon the cause of the disease, the patient is never the better; but if that be removed, the symptomes presently vanish: so when some crosse is upon us, wee set our heads, and hands, and friends aworke to remove it, but all in vaine, whilst wee hit not the cause, and that is sinne, which whilst it continues, the crosse will continue.
- 1Use 3. How to remove crosses.Vse 3. How to remove crosses.
The reason why our peace and prosperity is entertained with so many crosses and troubles is, because our lives are interwoven with so many sins. The cause of Gods unevenness in his dispensations of his mercy towards thee, is the unevenness of thy carriage towards him. Hast thou a healthful body, a sure estate, many friends? Think not that these shall secure thee: see Adam in paradise, Solomon in his glory, David on his mountain, which he thought made strong; and you shall see Adam, when sin had made a breach upon him once, quickly made miserable; and sin bringing in upon Solomon an army of troubles after it; and upon David in the height, sin bringing in upon him the hazard of his kingdom, the rebellion of his son: sin in a mans best estate makes him miserable, and grace in the worst estate makes a man happy. Saint Paul with a good conscience was happy in prison, David through faith was happy at Ziglag.