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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. › Doctrine 2THE GOLDEN SCEPTER. › Doctrine 2
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.
He moderates them; they are Still in measure, and not beyond their strength, Revel. 2. 10. saith 1Christ to the Church of Smyrna, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer; behold Satan shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days: as if he should have said, I will moderate this persecution, and do measure out the time to you, but ten days and no more; and therefore fear not: so as you shall not have so much as Satan would, for he would never give over; nor so little as you would, for then you should not be afflicted at all. If you ask now what it is to be afflicted in measure? I answer, if afflictions lye so 2upon his children as to cause them to put forth their hands to wickedness, then it is above measure, but if so as they never fret nor faint under it, it is not: now he hath promised, that he will so accommodate afflictions, as they shall not work so with his people, Psal. 125. 3. The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest he put forth his hand to 3iniquity; it shall not be so long as to cause a distemper in the spirit of them, so as they should not carry themselves in a meek manner under it: I mean not so, but that at the first it may cause a bustling in their spirits, as it did in Job, when it grew sharp, and he spake unadvisedly, yet not a substantial ⟨p. 23⟩disquiet, he came to himself again. To this purpose let the Psalm 129. 3, 4. be compared 4with the former, God compares there the afflicters of his people to plowers set to plough his ground, (the Babylonians and all the other enemies were but Gods plowers) now they should not do it, as to do them any hurt, no more than for his advantage and his Churches, they should not go a foot further, for then God cuts their cords in sunder, and when the traces are cut, then the plough stands still, goes not a jot further, let the horses do what they will.