A09997:490
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…
Remains of that reverend and learned divine, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns-Inn Containing three excellent treatises, namely, Judas's repentance. The saints spiritual strength. Pauls conversion.Remaines of that reverend and learned divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Containing three excellent treatises, namely, Iudas's repentance. The saints spirituall strength. Pauls conversion.
London: printed by John Beale for Andrew Crooke, 1634
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The first Rule is this, As you must get knowledge 1before you will be humble, so now in the first place, you must not defer or put it off; when God doth give you a sight of sin, it will be your wisdom to apply the medicine presently whilst the wound is green, the Word will have a greater power of working then, then it will have afterwards: if it in this case be deferred, it will gather corruption, it will put you to more pain and charge; it is good therefore not to defer humiliation, or put off the working of the Spirit in this case; but if the Spirit give thee a sight of sin, presently apply it unto the Soul, and that so much the rather, because the labour will be less, the pain less, and the danger less. When a bone is out of joint, it is good setting it whilst it is hot, no man will defer it; in such a case the deferring of it will be with much more grief: so when the heart is put out of love with sin, if you then presently apply the Word unto it, it will humble and change you, but if you defer, it will be a hard and difficult thing to bring the heart unto repentance: ⟨p. 233⟩to bring it unto a good frame and soft disposition: Again therefore consider this, and make good use of the opportunity: the Apostle gives the reason why it is so hard to bring the heart unto a fit temper again, Heb. 3. 13. Take heed, saith he, that you be not hardened through the deceitfulness of 2sin: there is a deceit in every sin, which if you look not unto it, will beguile you; if you do not put out the spark, it will be a harder thing for you to put out the flame, to stop the passage of sin; but you will be like unto those, Rom. 2. 5. that have hearts that cannot repent, hearts past 3grace; therefore take heed of quenching the spirit, and this we do when we put off repentance, and humiliation, when we are by the spirit brought unto a sight of our sins.
The first Rule is this, As you must get knowledge