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 fifth sign whereby you shall know, whether your judgements are rectified, is this, examine ¹what you are in the times of trial; as you are in these times, so you are either strong or weak, and so God esteems of you; for God esteems a man strong, as he is in the time of trial; thus he approved of Abraham; Abraham in the time of trial was strong, and Paul in the time of trial was strong; and therefore God set a price upon them; he priseth them at a high rate, Abraham is his friend, and Paul is a chosen vessel, and not only when the temptation is past, but when the temptation is present, then see your strength whether you have strength to master particular corruptions, if in this time you start aside, you have flaws and much weakness in you: you are like a broken bow that will seem for show, as well as the best, but when a man comes to draw it, then it breaks, so some men seem to be strong in ⟨p. 119⟩Christ till they be tried, but when they are drawn then they break, they have no strength to withstand sin; and therefore it is that God many times sends temptations and afflictions to this end to try men, to see what is in them, whether they are such as they seem to be or no: not that he knows not before, but because that by his trial, others may know what they are: And here God makes a difference in trials, some are tried by small, others by great trials, partly because hypocrites may be known, and partly, because he may stir up the godly to get more strength; as also to wean them from depending upon their own strength; therefore in Esa. 40. 30. it is said, Even the youths shall faint and be weary, that is, he that thought himself to be strong in his own apprehension, shall prove weak; And thus much for the third means.

The fifth signe whereby you shall know, whether your judgements are rectified, is this, examine ¹what you are in the times of tryall; as you are in these times, so you are either strong or weake, and so God esteemes of you; for God esteemes a man strong, as he is in the time of tryall; thus he approoved of Abraham; Abraham in the time of tryall was strong, and Paul in the time of tryall was strong; and therefore God set a price upon them; hee priseth them at a high rate, Abraham is his friend, and Paul is a chosen vessell, and not only when the temptation is past, but when the temptation is present, then see your strength whether you have strength to master particular corruptions, if in this time you start aside, you have flawes and much weakenesse in you: you are like a broken bow that will seeme for show, as well as the best, but when a man comes to draw it, then it breakes, so some men seeme to bee strong in