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…

Again, let man set before him sins against knowledge, or great sins; and this will be a means to humble you, for what is the sin against the holy Ghost, but sinning against knowledge upon an obstinate will in despite of God and the Spirit: and that the sin of knowledge is a great sin appears in Acts 17. 30. At the time of their ignorance ¹God winked; that is, so long as you wanted the means of knowledge, both of knowing me and my Spirit, I little regarded it, I winked at it, that is, I esteemed it not so great, but past it over; but now the cause is altered, since I came in my own person, and preached unto you: now I will not wink at your sin as before, I will not ⟨p. 215⟩pass it over as I did before; but I will behold you in another manner. After the knowledge of sin to fall into it, and then not to be humbled, is to slight a sin, and to slight a sin after the committing of it, is more dangerous then the sin it self, wounds the soul more, provokes Gods wrath against a man the more; as a servant after a fault committed, when his Master tells him of it, if he shall then slight it, as not regarding it, the slighting of it, incenses his Master more against him, then the fault it self; therefore if you would be humbled, apply sin unto the soul, and come from the general, unto particular sins, especially fasten your hearts upon great sins: that rule in Logic holds true, that generals work not, but particulars are prevalent: As I said before, when sin lieth like a burden at the foot, it hurts not, but when it is laid upon the shoulders, then it hurteth: saving knowledge breaks the heart, and humbles the soul: on the contrary ignorance hardens more and more: this we see in Joh. 4. in the woman of Canaan, the reason wherefore she received not Christ, was, because she wanted ²knowledge, to know her own estate; general conference, and exhortations to receive Christ will not serve till Christ comes in particular unto her, and tells her in plain words, that she is an harlot; until then, she little regarded him, then she can bestir her self, then she can confess, and be humbled: and thus he dealt with Paul in this place, Paul why persecutest thou me, and thus he