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…

The first means to strengthen the inward man is to abound in spiritual knowledge: because the ¹more knowledge the more strength, for the spiritual knowledge of divine truths is the strength of the soul; for as the soul is unto the body, so is the knowledge of the word unto the inward man. The body is dead without the soul, not able to do any thing, so the inward man without this spiritual ⟨p. 108⟩strength which is wrought in the soul by the saving knowledge of the Word, is nothing but weakness, therefore the Apostle saith, 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne Babes desire the sincere milk of ²Word, that ye may grow by it: knowledge in the Word will make them grow in Christ: the contrary unto this we see the Apostles upbraids in the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 3. 1. and Heb. 5. 13. because they were weak in knowledge, he calls them ³Babes, for saith he, He that is not expert in the Word of righteousness, is a Babe, therefore labour ⁴to abound in spiritual knowledge. I press this the more because I fear many of you are weak, because you are ignorant; you want this spiritual knowledge: you know in our ordinary talk we count ignorance folly, when a man doth any thing that he should not do, or would not do, if he did but understand himself; we say, that man is weak in judgement, or it is folly in him: surely this weakness in the inward man is folly indeed; and a man cannot show his weakness more then to be weak in spiritual knowledge, and yet you must know, that a man may have much knowledge, as worldly knowledge, and the knowledge of divine truths, and yet be but weak in the inward man: for there is a knowledge of Arts, which fills the brain with knowledge; but the spirit goes no further, that is, it doth not sanctify that knowledge in the heart? Again, there is a knowledge of the spirit, which is an operative working knowledge, which goes with