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 second sign whereby you shall know whether ¹you be truly humbled or no, is this: examine whether you tremble at the Word, when it is preached: it is the sign that God himself gives, Isaiah 66. 2. I will be with him that trembleth at my ²Word: he whom the Word hath humbled, in whom it hath wrought this effect, even to make conscience of all his ways, that labours to see every turning of his heart, and fears his corruptions, that they will master the work of grace in him; this man is truly humbled. Eccles 9. 1. I ³considered in my heart, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works are in the hands of God, &c. That is, his heart is taken up with a solid care of offending God: he will not trust himself, or his heart with any thing, he sees and fears God, both in his power and holiness: he fears the threatening of the Word, and he is affected with the ⟨p. 250⟩promises of the Gospel. Only by the way take this caveat with you: it may be you fear the Word, but take heed that it be a right fear, for in this fear there are two things. First, there is the fire of the coal; and then secondly, there is the filth of the coal. Now it is a great fault of many men, they are more affrighted with the fire of the coal, then with the filth of the coal; sin troubles them more, because of the wrath of God, and hell, and damnation, which by the Word they apprehend, then because of the defilement that comes by sin, that defiles the beauty of the soul: therefore by this you shall certainly know whether you be throughly humbled or no; examine, what is your carriage towards the Word, when it convinceth you of sin, are you then strucken with an astonishment, and amazement, and doth this sorrow continue upon your hearts, or else when your are reproved of sin, and you find your selves guilty, do you only sigh and sob, and grieve a little, but anon your hearts begins to slight them: is it thus with you, then it is a sure sign, that you were never thoroughly humbled; for as it is with a disease, we say a man is not healed, till he be healed at the root: so a man is not truly humbled till the Word work this effect in him; namely, to make sin a burden unto him; howsoever there may be a a salve made that will cure the wound, skin it over, yet it will not continue, but break out again;