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…

Fifthly, to receive the Gospel, is, to do and suffer what is commanded him, as Paul in this ¹place, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? as if he should say; I am ready both to do and suffer whatsoever thou wilt have me, and Paul was as good as his word, as appeared by those reproaches and sufferings that he bare for Christ, always making ready to lay down his life for Christ, now such a disposition no man will have, such a thing no man will do till he be first humbled. Yet as I said, a man may do some things as the dead hand of the Dial, it may perhaps point right at one stroke without the help of the master-wheels, but to go round and miss none it cannot; so a carnal man may hit upon some good duty, that God commands and refrain some sin, that God forbids, but to go through he cannot, to take up reproach and disgrace, to lose his credit, to forsake his friends, to lose honour, and riches, and pleasure, this he will not do, till he be humbled; ⟨p. 207⟩therefore labour to see the necessity of this duty of humiliation, or else you will not do all things for Christ, and labour to get the degrees of it, and withal get the degrees of grace, and that will increase spiritual sorrow, and degrees of sorrow, makes degrees of joy: a man or woman that never sorrows, or never had the degrees of sorrow, never truly rejoiced in Christ, for as the spirit works grace, and grace works true humiliation, so true humiliation works joy; therefore you see it is necessary: again there will be no suffering for Christ, till there be rejoicing in Christ; a man will not either do any thing, or suffer any thing for that thing, that he cannot delight in, therefore labour to be humbled.

Fifthly, to receive the Gospell, is, to doe and suffer what is commanded him, as Paul in this ¹place, Lord, what wilt thou have mee to doe? as if he should say; I am ready both to doe and suffer whatsoever thou wilt have mee, and Paul was as good as his word, as appeared by those reproches and sufferings that hee bare for Christ, alwayes making ready to lay downe his life for Christ, now such a disposition no man will have, such a thing no man will doe till he be first humbled. Yet as I said, a man may doe some things as the dead hand of the Dyall, it may perhaps point right at one stroke without the help of the master-wheeles, but to goe round and misse none it cannot; so a carnall man may hit upon some good dutie, that God commands and refraine some sinne, that God forbids, but to goe thorow he cannot, to take up reproach and disgrace, to lose his credit, to forsake his friends, to lose honour, and riches, and pleasure, this he will not doe, till he be humbled;