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…

It were wisdom in you to do the like, you that have spent and do spend your time about trifles and babbles upon your lusts, conclude, that now for the time to come, you will gather your strength, and bend all your labour and pains to this end, for the strengthening of the inward man, and say in your selves, we had a price in our hands, that is, we had much time whereby we might have strengthened the inward man, but we had no heart, that is, we were befooled, because we did not know the excellency of the inward man, but we will do so no more, the time now that we have, shall be spent in this, how we may be strengthened in the inward man and grow in favour with God.

It were wisedome in you to doe the like, you that have spent and doe spend your time about trifles and bables upon your lusts, conclude, that now for the time to come, you will gather your strength, and bend all your labour and paines to this end, for the strengthning of the inward man, and say in your selves, we had a price in our hands, that is, wee had much time whereby wee might have strengthned the inward man, but wee had no heart, that is, we were befooled, because we did not know the excellency of the inward man, but we will doe so no more, the time now that wee have, shall bee spent in this, how wee may bee strengthned in the inward man and grow in favour with God.

The second hinderance that must be removed, which is contrary unto the growth of the inward ¹man is strong lusts, unmortified affections: there are inward hinderances which must be removed before the soul can grow strong in grace; these venom the soul, and keep off the stroke of the Word, it keeps the plaster from the sore; as for example, if a man be wounded by an arrow, so long as the arrow head is in the wound no plaster will heal it: now as it is in the outward man, so it is with the inward man, if you retain any lust, any ⟨p. 122⟩beloved sin, and so come unto the ordinances of God, you will come without profit, because the arrow head is in the wound, your lusts you keep unmortified, and so long you cannot be healed, this keeps the plaster off the sore: you know what pains the humours of the body will breed in a man, when they gather into any part of the body, and how they will hinder the augmentation in other parts. So when these evil humours of the soul gather together, and begin to reign and bear rule in the soul, it is unpossible that the soul should grow in holiness till they be purged away, therefore be earnest with God to purge out these humours, whether they be profit or pleasure, or honour, or any other thing, and in thus doing, you shall strengthen the inward man, and the stronger that the inward man is, the healthfuller the soul is; I say, it is unpossible that you should thrive in the inward man, so long as you retain any sin, and therefore our Saviour saith, How can ye believe, seeing you seek honour one of another, if you retain the love of credit and reputation in the world, before grace, how can you believe? You cannot be strong in the inward man.