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…

First, I say, there is meat, a man that is not ¹humble, never loves and affects Christ nor the ⟨p. 252⟩Word; because he is full, and we know that a man that hath a full stomach will set light by the daintiest dish, when as he that is hungry will feed upon courser fare. So it is with a man that is humble, he hungers and thirsts after Christ, prizeth the Word at a high rate, because it reveals Christ unto him, he esteems the Word not with eloquence, but alone, the best; when it comes in the demonstration and evidence of the Spirit, when it is purely Preached, when it comes as pure milk without mixture, then it is sweet unto him: but a man that is not humble, he will not prize Christ, neither relish the Word when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit, when it is purely preached, but he must have something joined with it: as a man that is full, who cares not for eating Grapes, and therefore stands looking and gazing on them; or as a man that is not a thirst, he will gaze more on the graving of the cup, then he will desire to drink that which is in the cup; when as the hungry, or thirsty man, he will not so much gaze on the Grape, or respect the outside of the cup, as to eat and to drink: so a truly humbled man, he will not regard eloquence and wit in the Word, this is unto him but as a graven cup, that will not satisfy him, but the pure word alone, is that which will satisfy him, and nourish him up in grace: A man that is not humble, is like a sieve that looseth through it all that is good, but keeps nothing but motes and dirt: when he comes unto the word, if there be any thing that may fit his ⟨p. 253⟩humour, that he will hold; which is nothing but vanity and nourisheth not: but for that which is able to feed the soul, and make him wise in all spiritual wisdom, which is the application, both of the threatenings, and the promises unto the soul, this he lets go as not worth the keeping: and this is the reason, why men remain so barren and fruitless, because they do not retain that, or love that which would make them fruitful in holiness: these men are like children that cry for books, not because they have a desire to learn, but because they may turn over some gaudy or gilded letters;

First, I say, there is meate, a man that is not