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The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole duty of prayer. Delivered in…The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in…
The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole duty of prayer. Delivered in five sermons upon I Thess. 5.17. By the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, Master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.The saints daily exercise A treatise concerning the whole dutie of prayer. Delivered in fiue sermons vpon I Thess. 5.17. By the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by W. Jones, 1629London: printed by W. Iones, 1629
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Lastly, you must take heed of sticking in any particular means; for, if you do, it is a sign 1trust not God, as you ought to do. It is a fault commonly, we pitch upon such a particular way, and we think that must do it, or nothing: Now, if God be trusted to, he hath more ways to the wood then one, he hath more means to bring a thing to pass then one: And therefore we must leave it to him, who often doth it best by another ⟨p. 97⟩means, then we dreamed of. As for example, David had a promise of the Kingdom; Now, when he had the Kingdom of Judah, yet you know, the Kingdom of Israel stood out: for Ishbosheth had the Kingdom, and Abner was his chief Captain: besides, in his coming into his Kingdom of Judah, we see how God wrought the business, without device, by a means, that he never thought of, in that battle, when Saul was killed, and so many of his sons, there was so much way made for him, when himself used no means to bring it to pass. Afterward when the Kingdom of Israel was kept from him, and he had only Judah, we see, God caused a division between Ishbosheth, and Abner his chief Captain; upon that comes Abner, and offers to David the whole Kingdom, but yet he was but a reconciled enemy; and what Abner might have done, he knew not. Therefore, God by his providence, though Joab sinned in it, caused Abner to be taken away by Joab; when this was done, yet Ishbosheth was alive still; then were there two men set by the providence of God, (though it were a great sin in them) to take away his head, and so the Kingdom came wholly to David: for, there were but two sons, Mephibosheth, that was lame of his feet, and Ishbosheth, that was lame in his mind, a weak man unable to manage so great, and weighty a business, to purpose: So God brought the business to pass by a way, that David thought not off. Therefore, though we may use means, yet, after the use of them, we ⟨p. 98⟩must depend upon God, and leave it to God to take one means, or other. We must do, in this case, as we do when we go to a man, that is very 2skilful to do a work for us: If we go to a Carpenter, and tell him we have such a thing to be done; or, if we go to those that we call […], that bring water from place to place, we tell him, this is our desire, but how he will work, and which way he will bring it to pass, we know not, and yet we trust such a one: