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 Motive is this, because except a man ¹be humbled, he cannot have any sound comfort; for howsoever, as I said, it is not a simple grace, yet it is so necessary a condition, that except we be humbled, we will not receive Christ, nor come unto him; now all joy and comfort lieth in the receiving of Christ, and Christs accepting of you: Consider what comfort Cain and Judas, and others had, that did not receive Christ; and again, consider the comfort that Peter and Paul, and Mary Magdalen had in receiving of Christ, and then consider whether they had not this condition, and were not throughly humbled or no; it is true, the other were humbled, but it was not the humiliation of the spirit, which is a work of the spirit, but it was a work of the flesh: now if our comfort stands in receiving of Christ, and if we will not receive Christ, till we be humbled, then it stands us upon to examine our selves, whether this condition be in us or no, or whether we have received Christ with this condition or no, if you have not, you may suspect your selves, that you are neither Christs, nor Christ yours, for this is the first steppe unto Christ, ⟨p. 242⟩he that is truly humbled is in the right way to salvation: now if a man were to go a journey, and were directed to go by such a hedge, or such a Wind-mill, it stands him upon to mark diligently, whether he hath gone by such a place or not, that so he may know whether he be in the right way to his journeys end; so it should be with you. I have told you that if you be saved, you must be humble; that is, if you would go unto heaven, you must go this way, you must turn at humiliation; if you miss this crook, the further you go on in this way of yours, the further you go from the right way to salvation and happiness.

The third Motive is this, because except a man ¹be humbled, he cannot have any sound comfort; for howsoever, as I said, it is not a simple grace, yet it is so necessary a condition, that except we be humbled, we will not receive Christ, nor come unto him; now all joy and comfort lyeth in the receiving of Christ, and Christs accepting of you: Consider what comfort Cain and Iudas, and others had, that did not receive Christ; and againe, consider the comfort that Peter and Paul, and Mary Magdalen had in receiving of Christ, and then consider whether they had not this condition, and were not throughly humbled or no; it is true, the other were humbled, but it was not the humiliation of the spirit, which is a worke of the spirit, but it was a worke of the flesh: now if our comfort stands in receiving of Christ, and if we will not receive Christ, till wee bee humbled, then it stands us upon to examine our selves, whether this condition bee in us or no, or whether we have received Christ with this condition or no, if you have not, you may suspect your selves, that you are neither Christs, nor Christ yours, for this is the first steppe unto Christ,