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…

The third Reason is this, till a man be humbled, he sows his seed amongst thorns, he sows amongst ¹his lusts, that chokes and destroys whatever good duty he doth perform; you know men will not sow their seed among thorns, because as the place is unfruitful, so it is unseasonable; men would be accounted unwise men in doing so: so it is with men that are not humbled, they sow many holy actions amongst their lusts, and therefore it is that they remain poor in grace; till a man be truly humbled, sin is not mortified, and every unmortified lust is a thorn to every seed of grace in the heart, hinders the growth of it, burdeneth ⟨p. 241⟩the heart and weakeneth grace, and therefore the Prophet saith, in Jer. 4. 3. that they sowed their ²seed amongst thorns, and therefore it was, that it prospered not, it took away all the goodness of their actions, because they were mingled with their lusts; mingle lusts and grace together, and you will never grow fruitful in good.

The third Reason is this, till a man be humbled, hee sowes his seed amongst thornes, hee sowes amongst ¹his lusts, that chokes and destroyes whatever good duty he doth performe; you know men will not sow their seede among thornes, because as the place is unfruitfull, so it is unseasonable; men would be accounted unwise men in doing so: so it is with men that are not humbled, they sow many holy actions amongst their lusts, and therefore it is that they remaine poore in grace; till a man bee truely humbled, sinne is not mortified, and everie unmortified lust is a thorne to every seede of grace in the heart, hinders the growth of it, burdeneth ⟨p. 241⟩the heart and weakneth grace, and therefore the Prophet saith, in Ier. 4. 3. that they sowed their ²