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…

Secondly, you must look upon things to come as present, bring things within the compass of a ¹spiritual understanding, or else you will not be humbled; look upon the wrath of God as present, look upon death as present, look upon the brittleness of thy nature, that thou art in the hand of the potter: consider how soon the bubble may be blown out, look upon salvation and damnation with an equal eye, consider your selves now as if you were to appear and make up your accounts before God. Consider what you would do if you ⟨p. 218⟩should now go into eternity, consider the presence of God amongst you, which one day you shall see in another manner. Do as Sailors do, when they see a storm a far off, they prepare and esteem of it as present: Thus should every Christian do, look upon every thing as present; for what is the reason that sin is not avoided of many, that they sin and remain as stones without sense, but because they do not apprehend sin and the punishment thereof as present; they look not upon the wrath of God as present, nor on death and hell as present: Belshazzar, so long as he looked upon sin a far off, it never moved him, but when he saw the present hand writing, that humbled him: Things apprehended as present make a deep impression in the heart, either of joy if good, or of fear if evil, and therefore if men would but look upon sin, and the wrath of God, and death, and eternal life, as present, they would be humbled.

Secondly, you must looke upon things to come as present, bring things within the compasse of a ¹spirituall understanding, or else you will not bee humbled; look vpon the wrath of God as present, looke upon death as present, looke upon the britlenesse of thy nature, that thou art in the hand of the potter: consider how soone the buble may be blowne out, looke upon salvation and damnation with an equall eye, consider your selues now as if you were to appeare and make up your accounts before God. Consider what you would doe if you ⟨p. 218⟩should now goe into eternity, consider the presence of God amongst you, which one day you shall see in another manner. Doe as Saylors doe, when they see a storme a farre off, they prepare and esteeme ofit as present: Thus should euery Christian doe, looke upon euery thing as present; for what is the reason that sin is not auoided of many, that they sin and remaine as stones without sence, but because they doe not apprehend sinne and the punishment thereof as present; they looke not vpon the wrath of God as present, nor on death and hell as present: Belshazzar, so long as he looked vpon sinne a far off, it neuer mooued him, but when he saw the present hand writing, that humbled him: Things apprehended as present make a deepe impression in the heart, either of ioy if good, or of feare if euill, and therefore if men would but looke vpon sinne, and the wrath of God, and death, and eternall life, as present, they would be humbled.