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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09997	Remaines of that reverend and learned divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majesty, master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Containing three excellent treatises, namely, Iudas's repentance. The saints spirituall strength. Pauls conversion.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1634 (1634)	STC 20249; ESTC S115107	168,230	405

as they were and then he prooves in the third Chapter that wee are justified by faith without the workes of the Law and this he doth to humble them and then in the rest of the Chapters hee preaches of Iustification and Reconciliation by Christ because men will not receive Christ till they be humbled And thus I say humiliation is the first step to happinesse and the first beginning of grace and bringing to Christ and therefore it is that wee generally labour to humble men in preaching of the Law and then after perswade them by the promises to come unto Christ because men care not for Christ they esteeme not of him they finde no need of him till they be humble therefore if you would receive the Gospell and Christ offered in the Gospell if you would be ingrafted into Christ then you must labour to be humble But for the more full explaining of this thing some questions are to bee answered which will make plaine what this humiliation is and what a necessary condition it is unto salvation The first question is this upon what ground or for what reason is humiliation so necessary unto salvation This will be the sooner answered if we doe but consider what is that which makes men keepe backe from Christ there are two hinderances that keepe men from Christ the first is unbeleefe and the second is a neglect of Christ unbeleefe that was the sinne that kept men from Christ in the first age of the Church in the Apostles times they beleeved not that they might bee saved that is they would not beleeve that the Messias was come in the flesh but now in the second estate of the Church such unbeleefe is not the cause that keepes men from Christ neither which wee labour most to convince men of for they doe generally beleeve the Gospell but our labour now is to draw men from the neglect of Christ wee preach Christ generally unto all that whosoever will may receive Christ but men will not receive him till they bee humbled they thinke they stand in no need of Christ they care not whether they have him or no they prize him not they looke upon him a farre off they will not have him for the fetching now Christ will never be received till he be prized above all things and this men will not doe till they be humble humiliation if it be sound will give a man such a sweet taste of Christ and holinesse and such a bitter taste of sinne that nothing will satisfie him but Christ this will make his heart pant after grace and when the heart is in this case then Christ will be prized and not before but this men will not I say doe till they be humbled It is true God can come in the still and soft winde that is hee can give Christ and the Spirit without this condition and he may likewise make men fit to receive the Gospell without it but hee will not therefore hee will come in the rough winds that rends the rockes hee will first humble men and make men fit to receive the Gospell and Christ by the Gospell before they shall have him and therefore it is said that the poore receive the Gospell that is those that are broken hearted receive Christ tendered in the Gospell because they are thorowly humbled for this cause also we Preach the Law to bring men to the sight of their sinnes that they may be humbled and therefore it is called a Schoole-master to bring us unto Christ the Law showes unto men the sinfulnesse of their nature and their indisposition I had not knowne sinne faith Paul but by the Law that is I had not knowne sinneas sinne to humble mee if I had not lookt into this Glasse if I had not beene taught by this Master and this is that which makes men flie unto the Citie of refuge that is they will not runne unto Christ till they be humbled this wee see in the Prodigall Luke 15. 16 17. hee would never goe unto his father till hee could see no meanes to escape and then hee takes a resolution to goe so a sinner will never receive Christ nor the Gospell till he be humbled Now there is a two-fold neglect the first is a totall the second is a particular neglect First I say men neglect Christ totally when they refuse all the offers of grace when they will not have Christ upon any condition they will not speake when the spirit cals they will not beleeve that they may be saved these are the same with them in the Gospell That were invited unto the marriage they excuse themselves they have other imployments that they must looke unto let Christ and grace goe where they will both farmes and Oxen and wives must first bee looked after that is they minde earthly things more then Christ and if Christ will not bee had without they loose the love of these they will not come they know the feast was ready but they mind it not and this is the condition of many men in the world they will not come in within the lists of the Gospell least they should be catcht with the hooke though they generally beleeve yet they will not outwardly professe Christ this is a fearefull condition if they continue in it hee hath sworne that they shall never enter into his rest The second is a partiall neglect and this is when they make a mixture both of the love of the world and of the love of Christ they minde Christ and grace and holinesse but they minde them not altogether that is they would bee contented to doe something for Christ but they will not doe all things it may bee they will forsake a little profit or pleasure or vaine glory or coveteousnesse for Christ but they will not forsake all These are like the three grounds spoken of in the Gospell the first ground received Christ but they would not professe him so many men will be contented to heare the Gospell but they will not professe Christ because they are not thorowly humbled or if they doe chance to professe yet they will not continue the reason why the seede in the first ground did not continue was because the plow had not gone deepe enough that is they were not humbled The second ground went yet further it not onely received the seed but it sprung up with much hope of a fruitfull harvest yet it continues not it will not suffer for Christ so many men will receive the Gospell and joy in the profession of it but they will not suffer for Christ because they are not humble that is the plough went not deepe enough to humble them The third ground went yet further it did not onely what the other did but it did that which the other would not doe that is it would be contented to suffer for Christ but yet it would not doe all things hee would retaine some pleasure and some profit

repentance may goefarre 1. If we consider the substance of it 2. If we consider the concommitants First if we consider the substance it may goe farre for 1. He may seriously consider his wayes 2. He may have a kinde of sorrow for his sins 3. He may sue for pardons for his sinnes as doe many hypocrites 4. He may desire faith and repentance as Francis Spira did But here wee must know that there is a twofold desire of faith and repentance First from a selfe-love not out of a love to the graces but feare of hell and this may be in false repentance Secondly From a love to the graces having sensibly tasted them this desire is grace 5. There may be an amendment for a time as did Saul and Pharaoh 6. He may come to that passe that if the sinne were to be committed againe he would not doe it for all the world as Iudas Secondly Trve repentance and false are very like in respect of their concomitants 1. This false repentance may cause a remorse yea it may bring forth teares as we may see in Saul 1 Sam. 24. 17. he lift up his voice and wept 2. This false repentance may cause confession freely and fully as did Pharaoh Exod. 9. 27. taking shame to himselfe and ascribing glory to God thus did Saul 1 Sam. 26. 21. he confessed that he had sinned exceedingly so that one would have thought that it had beene true 3. It may cause them to fast and pray for pardon as did Ahab 1 Kings 21. 27. but it was not in truth but onely in the time of his misery 4. They may come to Restitution as Iudas did 5. They may bring forth some fruits of amendment of life so that verie farre this false Repentance may goe as the second and third ground And now behold true Repentance in substance and concomitants what can you finde more in it hence it is that so many are deceived with false repentance which is so like the true but bring them to the touchstone and you shall finde a broad difference betweene them as after you shall see Now the Reasons of this Point are taken from the false grounds from whence repentance comes which are these 1. It comes from selfe-love when sinne proves hurtfull and the hurt is neere at hand then it may worke but all out of selfe-love An hypocrite when he finds fire in the sinne hee throwes it away but when once the fire is out of the coale hee will play with it and foole himselfe hee feares onely the fire not the foulenesse of sinne he hates the sting not the sinne 2. This repentance comes from the common gifts of the holy Ghost which a carnall man may have as First Hee may disapprove the foulenesse of sinne Secondly Hee may hate the uglinesse thereof But here we must know that the light of nature is extinguished in some more then in others as no doubt but that it was rife in Iudas When sinnes rightly are propounded to us farre we may goe in false repentance Thirdly their repentance comes from the beauty sweetnesse and excellency a carnall man may finde in Gods wayes which may make him amend and turne unto God for a while as in the time of Iohn Baptist they confessed and turned to him but it was but for a while the reason was because he was a burning and a shining light and they rejoyced in his light So the second ground found a sweetnesse in the Word and left all but yet returned as 2 Pet. 2. latter end Some in the excellency of Preaching may see a sweetnesse and rejoyce a while but yet returne againe to their sinnes Fourthly Their repentance may arise from a good Family company or Ministry Thus Ioash 2 Chro. 24. good while Iehojada lived which seemes to be thirtie yeeres so Vzzia 2 Chro. 26 was good all the dayes of Zacharia so many are good while they are under carefull Governours and in good company so long as good meanes last they will be good I cannot compare such men better then to the Swine which whilest they are in faire meddowes keepe themselves cleane which is no thanke to them but the place but as soone as they come to the mire they tumble in it so will these men so soone as opportunitie is given them 2. So likewise confession may arise from false grounds First from passion being in good moods they confesse sometimes not otherwaies but sound humiliation as a spring makes us alwayes ready to confesse Secondly From some evident discovery of his sinnes when the light shines so in his eyes that he cannot but confesse as Saul when he evidently saw Davids kindnesse could not but confesse Thirdly From some extorting cause as here did Iudas when God and his conscience prest him to it so did Pharaoh when he was under the racke Thirdly Restitution may also arise from false grounds There was a great difference betweene the restitution of Iudas and Zacheus Iudas was sicke and opprest with his silver peeces as a man of meat in his stomacke therefore no wonder though hee would be rid thereof but Zacheus did it most willingly and freely This sheweth unto us the vanity of the Popish doctrine which makes but three parts of Repentance Confession Contrition Satisfaction all these had Iudas yet who can say he truly repented one may doe all that they say yet be damned Let men then looke to themselves that have not gone as farre as Iudas namely have not repented confessed and restored for though these be in false repentance yet are they in true also onely in false there are these onely in true there is these and more also for as the guilt in counterfeit gold which makes it like the true is good so the fault is that it is not throughout such as the outside is so these things in false repentance are good the fault is that their grounds are not good also And againe they which have gone as farre as Iudas and seeme to have repented let them try themselves and take heed they be not deceived Now there are two things that hinder us from judging aright of our estate 1. Vnwillingnesse to search 2. Unability to judge First Unwillingnesse to search and the causes of that are these First because they have beene long sure and others so judge of them and therefore now they are loath to call in question their estate But let such know that nothing can establish their state more for either your repentance was sound and then the more comfort unto you if you search or else it was not sound and then the sooner you discover the falsenesse thereof the sooner you may amend it 2. It is because they are unwilling to make their hearts fully sound they would not be perfect they will have some sinne to dally with but this is great folly in men for want of one steppe more to misse heaven and to make shipwracke in the haven of their happinesse Secondly inabilitie

when any earthly thing which his affections were glewed to stood in competition with Christ he had rather loose Christ then hee would loose all his pleasure in these earthly things because he is not thorowly humbled humiliation comes and takes all impedimouts away plowes up the hardnesse of the heart sets the affections on another object to delight in checkes the will opens the mind awakeneth the conscience that Christ is all to him in all things and therefore it is compared unto the good ground that received the Word with an honest and good heart the heart will not bee fit to receive that good that will make it good till it bee plowed deepe and humbled then the Word will grow the heart must bee humbled before grace will grow and therefore this is the effect that humiliation works when the heart is humbled hee will not part with Christ for any thing in the world Therefore you see upon what ground humiliation is necessary because men will not receive Christ till they be humbled The second question is whether humiliation is simply and absolutely necessary To this I answer that it is not simply and absolutely necessary for it is not a simple grace and therefore not necessary on Gods part But it is a condition required on our parts because we will not receive Christ till we be humble I say it is not a simple grace or simply necessary For that which a man may exceede in is not simply necessary but a man or woman may have too much of it that is he may exceed in the measure he may be over humble and therefore Paul writes unto the Corinthians 2 Cor. 2. 7. That they should comfort the incestious person least hee should bee swallowed up of griefe now that which is a simple grace a man cannot have too much of hee cannot exceed in it as for example a man cannot have too much faith or repentance or love sanctification c. but the more hee hath of these the better now howsoever it is not simply necessary on Gods part because hee can save men without it yet it is a necessary condition on our parts and in regard of us because we will not receive Christ till we be humbled And therefore it is that we Preach the Gospell generally sometimes sometimes with the condition as in Matth. 11. 28. Come unto mee all that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you till men doe feele sinne as a heavy burthen they will not come unto Christ to bee cased of it Againe in Revel 22. 17. whosoever is athirst let him come and take of the water of Life freely except they first be athirst and finde they stand in need of Christ they will not come unto him to be refreshed Againe sometimes it is put without any condition except faith Revel 22. and whosoever will let him take of the water of Life freely that is whosoever hath a desire to come unto Christ let him come and he shall have him without any exception of persons or condition Hee that beleeveth shall bee saved and hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned bring true saving purging working Iustifying faith and thou shalt have Christ and salvation where there is no mention of humiliation For there may wee know be seedings without plowing and there may be plowing and yet no sowing and sowing and no reaping so I say there may bee saving and sanctifying grace wrought in the heart without humiliation and againe there may be humiliation and no true grace at all or generall graces but not speciall and saving graces but the way to make us fit to receive grace is to be humble A man may be said to receive Christ by a common light of knowledge and hereupon doe many things for Christ but yet he will not take Christ for his King aswell as a Saviour except he be humbled hee will not take Christ so as to be ruled by his Lawes and to live under his Commands he will not take him with losses and crosses disgrace and reproach till he be humbled he will not indure reproach he would be content to have Christ but if Christ must cost him all that then Christ and he must part but when a man is thorowly humbled then he will part with all things for Christ nothing shall be so deare and precious unto him as Christ will be if any thing come in Competition with Christ hee will refuse it for Christ thus you see that humiliation is a necessary condition on our parts though not a simple grace The third Question is this whether there bee any kinds of humiliation more then one To this I answer that there is a two-fold sorrow the first is a preparative sorrow the second is a godly sorrow The preparative sorrow is nothing else but a sorrowing for sinne as it causeth punishment or a sorrowing for some Iudgement likely to insue and pronounced against him but this is not the true sorrow a reprobate may have this sorrow which shall never be saved this was the sorrow of Iudas and Cain and Ahab they sorrowed but it was a false sorrow only a worke of the flesh it hath his originall from nature its object punishment and its end despaire but the second is a godly sorrow such as the Apostle speakes of in 1 Corinth 7. 7. that workes repentance not to bee repented of that is it turnes the heart to God it takes away that flintie disposition of nature by the conveyance of grace it makes the heart better it brings it into a frame of obedience it workes a willingnesse in it to good so that the difference of them lyeth in this the one is outward but the other is inward the one is from grace the other is from temporall things the one is a worke of the flesh the other is a worke of the sanctifying Spirit the one will make a man flye unto Christ because of our wants as in the example of the Publican especially in the prodigall sonne hee never seekes unto his father till hee be thorowly humbled then he concludes I will goe unto my father the other will set and push a man further from God this wee see in Cain and Iudas their sorrow made them run away from God but this godly sorrow or humiliation never rests till it bring a sinner into the presence of Christ and when the soule is in Gods presence then it will never rest till Christ have made its peace with God but as I said the nature of the worldly sorrow is to drive a man further from Christ. Adam had this sorrow he runnes and hides himselfe A carnall man will sorrow either for some present Iudgement upon his person or else upon his substance but yet it will not turne the heart that will not worke a plyable disposition in the heart to yeeld obedience out of love in hatred to sinne but on the contrary that hardneth the heart the

the worth of it so no man will prize Christ as excellent till hee know him therefore labour to bring your hearts unto such a frame that you may see that excellency that is in Christ which you cannot see in any thing else and then you will love him above all things The second motive to perswade you is this that this good you see in Christ is yours if you be his now that which makes a man to love any thing that he hath property and right in is this because it is his owne and if you aske him wherefore he loves his wife or his child or his goods hee will answer because they are mine owne so till a man make Christ his owne he will not love him above all things but when hee is once come to this that Christ is his owne then he will prize Christ above all things and love him above all things mine owne hath a great force that is a part of my selfe so when Christ is your owne when you have made Christ a part of your selves then you will love him and prize and esteeme of him as you doe of your selves and you will as unwillingly part with him as with the noblest member of your body therefore examine your humiliation by your love I say not so much by the greatnesse of your humiliation as by your love the effect of it examine your love by your prizing of Christ and grace and goe through all the workes of love 1 Cor. 13. it is patient it suffereth much it envieth not it seeks not his owne thus examine whether you can patiently endure reproach and shame and disgrace for Christ examine whether you can rather loose your right then by getting of it dishonour the Gospell examine whether you doe not murmure or repine at the prosperity of others when your selves are in a meaner condition examine whether you bee gentle meeke and easie to bee intreated of your inferiours or equals if you can doe these things and that from this ground because the love of God in Christ constraines you it is a signe that you are truely humbled The second signe whereby you shall know whether you bee truely humbled or no is this examine whether you tremble at the Word when it is preached it is the signe that God himselfe gives Isaiah 66. 2. I will be with him that trembleth at my Word hee whom the Word hath humbled in whom it hath wrought this effect even to make conscience of all his wayes that labours to see every turning of his heart and feares his corruptions that they will master the worke of grace in him this man is truely humbled Eccles 9. 1. I considered in my heart that the righteous and the wise and their workes 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 himselfe or his heart with any thing he sees and feares God both in his power and holinesse hee feares the threatning of the Word and hee is affected with the promises of the Gospell Onely by the way take this caveat with you it may bee you feare the Word but take heed that it bee a right feare for in this feare there are two things First there is the fire of the coale and then secondly there is the filth of the coale Now it is a great fault of many men they are more affrighted with the fire of the coale then with the filth of the coale sinne 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 sinne that defiles the beauty of the soule therefore by this you shall certainely know whether you be throughly humbled or no examine what is your carriage towards the Word when it convinceth you of sinne are you then strucken with an astonishment and amazement and doth this sorrow continue upon your hearts or else when your are reproved of sinne and you find your selves guilty doe you onely sigh and sob and grieve a little but anone your hearts begins to slight them is it thus with you then it is a sure signe that you were never thorowly humbled for as it is with a disease wee say a man is not healed till he bee healed at the roote so a man is not truely humbled till the Word worke this effect in him namely to make sinne a burthen unto him howsoever there may bee a a salve made that will cure the wound skin it over yet it will not continue but breake out againe so though men oftentimes may seeme to bee humbled by the Word yet the truth is they deceive themselves the disease of their soules was never throughly healed it may be some mercy skin'd it over and hee thought he had beene healed but it breakes out againe hee respects not the threatnings of the Word but he goes unto evill company againe he will prophane the Sabbath and sweare and be drunke againe if it bee thus with you you were never truely humbled for if you were you would tremble at the Word what shall we say doe you tremble at the Word when you are no more mooved at it then the seates you sit on we may preach the Law and damnation and spend our selves and yet it will not worke upon you this effect as to humble you but till then never say that you are humbled and by this therefore examine your selves The third Signe whereby a man may know whether he be truly humbled or no is this examine how you stand affected to the Word when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit for as you are affected to the Word so you are more or lesse humbled if you feele a sweetnesse in the Word a saving power in it it is a signe that you are truly humbled and on the contrary if the word be an unsavoury thing unto you if you cannot love it alone for it selfe it is a signe that you are not humbled now in the word there are two things Meate and Medicine First I say there is meate a man that is not humble never loves and affects Christ nor the Word because hee is full and wee know that a man that hath a full stomacke will set light by the daintiest dish when as hee 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 reveales Christ unto him hee esteemes 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 milke without mixture then it is sweet unto him but a man that is not humble hee 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