Remains, Title page 1 – Table of contents 1

Remains · Title page 1 – Table of contents 1

REMAINES OF THAT REVEREND AND LEARNED DIVINE, JOHN PRESTON, D. in Divinity, Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majesty, Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.

page missingntaining three excellent Treatises, Namely, IVDAS'S Repentance. The Saints Spirituall Strength. PAVLS Conversion.

HEBR. 11.

Being dead, hee yet speaketh.

LONDON: Printed for Andrew Crooke. 1634.

IVDAS HIS Repentance.

OR, THE LAMENTABLE EFFECTS OF A STARTLED CONSCIENCE.

Delivered in eight severall Doctrines, raised from the third, fourth, and fifth Verses of the 27. Chapter of the Gospell by St. MATTHEVV.

All the usefull and profitable Observations of that late Reverend Divine IOHN PRESTON, D^r. in Divinity, Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne.

Printed at London for Andrew Crooke. 1634.

The Contents of JVDAS Repentance.

DOCTRINE I. SVch as a Mans life is, such is his Name after death. page 3

REASON. I. God blessethor curseth man according to his workes. p. 4

1 In regard of his Truth. ibid.

2 In regard of his Glory. ibid.

REAS. II. Manappeareth like himselfe. p. 4

REAS. III. Other men in the end speake truth without enuie or feare. p. 5

USE I. Not to be secretly wicked, for God is a publike rewarder of all. ibid.

USE II. To cleansethe heart from sinne by daily repentance, left sin should rot the name. p. 6

USE III. To encourage good men, their ill reports shall soone vanish p. 7

To discourage wicked men, their good reports shall not long last. p. 7

DOCT. II. Sinne seemes small before it be committed, after, most vile and hainous. p. 8

REAS. I. Lust blindes the eyes of our understanding. p. 9

REAS. II. The Divell lessens the sinne before committed, aggravates it afterward. ibid.

REAS. III. God leaves a man to himselfe. ibid.

Good men, for sinne, sometimes of God, left to themselvs;

1 For increase of Gods glory. p. 10

2 For awakening their consciences. ibid.

The reason of insensiblenesse in grose sinnes. p. 11

USE. To beware of the Divels subtile temptations. ibid.

Satans deceits to draw man into sinne, are;

1 Promise of pleasure, profit, &c. p. 13

2 Hope of escape, and going to heaven. p. 14

3 Hope of leaving it when we will. p. 15

4 Neerenesse to vertue. p. 16

5 Pronenesse of Nature. ibid.

6 Turning away the thoughts to something else. p. 17

7 Beginning by degrees. ibid.

DOCT. III. Tishard to discerne false Repentance, Confession, and Restitution, from true.

False Repentance goes very farre, both in respect of the Reasons drawne from the Grounds, and Concomitants. p. 19

I. The Grounds of false Repentance:

1. Selfe-love. p. 20

3 Aiarnall apprehension of beautie, sweetnesse and excellencie in Gods wayes. ibid.

4 Good Education. ibid.

II. False Grounds of Confession:

III. False ground of Restitution, is the burthensomenesse of sinne. ibid.

USE I. To shew the vanitie of Popish Doctrine. ibid.

USE II. To exhort men to try whether their owne Repentance be true or false. p. 23

Two things hinder this judging of a mans selfe:

I. Vnwillingnesse to search: the causes whereof are,

1 Along perswasion of ones good estate.

2. A desire to taine some delightfull sinne.

II. Inability to judge

Helpes to judge whether ones Repentance be true or false, are by

I. Inward Differences: five.

1 An inward inclination to holy Duties. p. 24

2 An abilitie to performe good purposes. p. 25

3 A particular apprebation of holmesse. p. 26

4 A detestation of all sinne. ibid.

5 A love to God in his Attributes. ibid.

II. Outward Effects:

1 Constancie. p. 27

2 An uniformitie in life. p. 28

3 Generalitie of obedience. ibid.

The godly man differs from the wicked in his Relapse.

1 In using all meanes against his sinne, and shunning all occasions. p. 29

2 In not allowing himselfe in it. ibid.

3 In labouring to overcome it. ibid.

4 In increasing more and more in grace. ibid.

Differences betweene true and false confession, are:

1 Confession of the least and secretest sinnes. p. 30

2 Constancie. ibid.

3 A good ground, namely Humiliation. ibid.

Differences betweene true and false Restitution, is, a cheerefull (not unwilling) restoring the things we love and delight in. ibid.

VSE III. To teach men what to judge of others Repentance. p. 31

USE IV. To shew the wofull case of such as have not gone so farre in Repentance as Iudas did. ibid.

DOCT. IV. Good things are approved in wicked mens consciences, whether they will or no. p. 31

REAS. I. Because it is not in mans owne power to iudge as he list, but from the light of conscience. p. 32

REAS. II. Because Godwill have glory from all his creatures. p. 33

USE. I. To teach us to thinke well of the waies of God. ibid.

USE. II. Not to be discouraged with any opposition. ibid.

DOCT. V. Mans nature apt to excuse sinne after tis committed. p. 34

REAS. I. Actuall sinneleaves darknesse in the minde. ibid.

REAS. II. It begets passion that corrupts the judgement. p. 35

REAS. III. It weakens the faculties of the soule. ibid.

REAS. IV. It drives away Gods Spirit from us. ibid.

USE. To flye sinne, that blindes our eyes, and binders our receverie. ibid.

USE II. Being falne, to remember how apt we are to excuse sinne. p. 36

DOCTR. VI. Companions in evill least comfortable in times of extremitie. p. 36

REAS. I. Gods justice, who sets them one against another, that joyne against him. p. 37

REAS. II. Mans nature, apt to love treason, hate the traytor. ibid.

REAS. III. Their owne love being gaine or somebase end. ibid.

VSE I. To make us beware how we joyne with wicked men. ibid.

DOCTR. VII. The greatest comfort in sinne proves commonly the avost discomfortable. p. 38

REAS. I. The Curse of God. ibid.

REAS. II. Sinne makes the soule sicke. ibid.

VSE I. To make men take beed how they turne from God to sinne. p. 39

DOCT. VIII. Gods wrath and sinne, charged on the conscience, are exceeding terrible and insupportable. p. 39

What horror of conscience is, shewed in six Questions.

QVEST. I. How horror of conscience wrought.

1 By Gods Spirit. p. 40

2 By the Divell. ibid.

Notes to discerne by which of these tis wrought, are,

1 By the falsehood mingled with the trouble of conscience.

2 By the Affection it striketh in us.

3 By the extremitie of anguish it causeth.

4 By the manner of doing it. p. 41

QVEST. II. What a condition such are in? ibid.

QVEST. III. Whether God sends it for a punishment, or preparation of Grace. ibid.

QVEST. IV. What is to be thought of those that are in such trouble of Conscience. p. 42

QVEST. V. How to be discerned from melancholly. ibid.

QVEST. VI. Whether it may befall the childe of God in the estate of Grace. p. 43

Reasons of the Doctrine. I. Sin and Gods wrath in themselves the greatest evils. p. 45

REAS. II. Gods presence is taken from them. ibid.

REAS. III. The sensiblenesse of Conscience. p. 46

USE I. To labour to keepe a good conscience. ibid.

USE II. To shew the miserable condition of such as goe on in sinne, altogether insensible of the burthen thereof. p. 47

USE III. To teach us the way to obtaine pardon, is earnestly to sue for it above all other things. p. 49

The right way to get pardon is, to labour,

I. For humiliation by the Law.

II. For comfort by the Gospell.

The way to see the fault, is,

1. To looke on some particular grosse sinne. p. 51

2. To consider the corruption of Nature. ibid.

Faith in Christ, and a particular application of the Promises is the best way to be sure of mercy. p. 52