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 twelfth motive, to move you to hate sin, ¹is, because sin is the greatest tyrant that God hath. The consideration what a tyrant lust is, would make you afraid of sin, if you did but know what vexation it would put you unto: from which tyranny you shall never be freed, till you come to give peremptory denials unto it in every thing: for when strong lusts possess your hearts, they lead you about, distract you, and weary you. Now what greater enemy can any man have then he, that draws away the heart of his spouse after him, from her own husband? What greater enemy can any chaste woman have, then he that entices her to folly, and to make her his whore: beloved, sin draws away your hearts and affections from God: you are, or you ought to be Christs Spouse, then think with your selves, whether sin be not an enemy both unto Christ, and unto your selves: It is true, it may be it will promise you to make satisfaction, but perform nothing; for while they are yet living and quick in us, we are in this straight; either we resist them, or not resist them: if we resist them, they pain us, and weary us out with importunity: but if we resist them not, then we put fuel unto the fire, and so make it the greater: and when the lust hath gotten more strength, then it must have more satisfaction, and ⟨p. 286⟩when that is done, yet more will be desired; as the fire the bigger it grows, the more fuel it requires to feed it, and so there will be no end: but it will grow, in infinitum, infinitely, till it hath drawn you into perdition: therefore there is no way, but to put it clean out, and to quench every spark; to give no fuel to it at all, nor so much as to gaze upon unmeet objects, else shall you never be free from the vexation and tyranny of it: but rather sink deeper and deeper, like a man in a quick-sand. Let this move you to hate sin.

The twelfth motive, to move you to hate sinne, ¹is, because sinne is the greatest tyrant that God hath. The consideration what a tyrant lust is, would make you affraid of sinne, if you did but know what vexation it would put you unto: from which tyranny you shall never bee freed, till you come to give peremptory denialls unto it in every thing: for when strong lusts possesse your hearts, they lead you about, distract you, and weary you. Now what greater enemy can any man have then hee, that drawes away the heart of his spouse after him, from her owne husband? What greater enemy can any chaste woman have, then hee that entises her to folly, and to make her his whoore: beloved, sinne drawes away your hearts and affections from God: you are, or you ought to bee Christs Spouse, then thinke with your selves, whether sinne be not an enemy both unto Christ, and unto your selves: It is true, it may be it will promise you to make satisfaction, but performe nothing; for while they are yet living and quicke in us, wee are in this straight; either wee resist them, or not resist them: if we resist them, they paine us, and weary us out with importunitie: but if we resist them not, then we put fewell unto the fire, and so make it the greater: and when the lust hath gotten more strength, then it must have more satisfaction, and