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…

Now that you may know the better what this strength is, you must first labour to know what weakness is: by weakness I do not mean weakness before a man be converted, for that cannot properly be called weakness, but wickedness: and therefore know that this weakness, which I speak of here, which is proper unto Christians, is of two sorts; The first is weakness of grace, as in the 1 Cor. 3. 1. I speak unto you as unto babes in Christ, ¹that is, as to those that are weak in knowledge, ²babes. The second kind of weakness is this, ⟨p. 71⟩³when one, that hath been strong is new fallen sick, and weak into a consumption of grace that he cannot use grace, and his strength, so as formerly he could: now they who are weak in the first sort of weakness, grow strong; but they who are weak in the second sort, grow weaker and weaker: therefore if there be any here that are such, that hath once truly loved God and his Kingdom, but now is fallen unto the love of the world, that once was lively and quick to good, but is now backward and cold, my Counsel to them shall be the same which Christ gives unto the Church of Ephesus, Revelation 2. v. 5. to remember and repent, and to do their first works, lest their Candle-stick be taken from them; let them remember what they were in times past, and what they are now, and then let them humble themselves and turn again into the right way and be ashamed of themselves, that they run so far away from Christ; and that in time, lest their Candlestick be taken away from them, lest these opportunities to good, and the offer of grace be taken from them.

Now that you may know the better what this strength is, you must first labour to know what weakenesse is: by weaknesse I doe not meane weaknesse before a man be converted, for that cannot properly be called weaknesse, but wickednesse: and therefore know that this weaknesse, which I speake of here, which is proper unto Christians, is of two sorts; The first is weakenesse of grace, as in the