Remains of that reverend and learned divine, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in…Remaines of that reverend and learned divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in…

Thirdly, the natural conscience can go no further then it's enlightened; it may approve formal civill living, and holiness in the general, but it cannot so approve of holiness in the particular, that the stricter any man is, the more they approve him, and desire to be like him: A man truly spiritual is burdensome to a natural conscience, though never so much enlightened; the high degrees of holiness do make him distaste him. Wherefore canst not thou delight in them that are good? thou hast care to fear.

Thirdly, the naturall conscience can goe no further then it's enlightned; it may approve formall civill living, and holinesse in the generall, but it cannot so approve of holinesse in the particular, that the stricter any man is, the more they approve him, and desire to be like him: A man truly spirituall is burthensome to a natural conscience, though never so much enlightned; the high degrees of holinesse doe make him distaste him. Wherefore canst not thou delight in them that are good? thou hast care to feare.

Fourthly, the natural conscience may make a man abstain from many sins, but he abstains from none out of a detestation and hatred of them: he may indeed hate a moral vice, because he may have a moral virtue contrary to it; but he cannot hate sin, for nothing is contrary to sin but grace, which he hath not: If therefore you abstain from sin out of a hatred to it, it's certain you are changed; else though you abstain, it's but from a natural conscience. Moses and Lot abstained from uncleanness, so that they wept and were vexed, that was a sign of change; else abstain never so much, it's not true grace. But if thou hatest it because it's sin, and hatest all sin both small and great, it's certain thou art changed.

Fourthly, the naturall conscience may make a man abstaine from many sinnes, but hee abstaines from none out of a detestation and hatred of them: he may indeed hate a morall vice, because hee may have a morall vertue contrary to it; but hee cannot hate sinne, for nothing is contrary to sinne but grace, which he hath not: If therefore you abstaine from sinne out of a hatred to it, it's certaine you are changed; else though you abstaine, it's but from a naturall conscience. Moses and Lot abstained from uncleannesse, so that they wept and were vexed, that was a signe of change; else abstaine never so much, it's not true grace. But if thou hatest it because it's sinne, and hatest all sinne both small and great, it's certaine thou art changed.