The golden scepter held forth to the humble VVith the Churches dignitie by her marriage. And the Churches dutie in her carriage. In three treatises. The former delivered in sundry sermons in Cambridge, for the weekely fasts, 1625. The two latter in Lincolnes Inne. By the late learned and reverend divine, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to His Maiesty, Mr. of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and somtime preacher at Lincolnes Inne.

TO THE TRVLY VERTVOVS AND RELIGIOVS Gentleman, RICHARD KNIGHTLEY, Esquire.

SIR,

IT hath beene our cu∣stome hitherto, who were deputed by the Author to this service, to inscribe or dedicate the severall tractates wee have put forth, to some or other of his speciall friends, as proofs of our fidelity, in discharging of the trust reposed in us, and speciall emblemes of the Authours great abilities. For if in

every triviall and small Epistle, a man do ex∣arare animam, imprint upon the paper some peeces of his soule, he doth it much more doubtlesse in his studied exercises, wherein he cannot but conceive his memory may live, and some part of himselfe be kept a∣live, and sweet to all posterity.

If he could say, non omnis moriar, because * 1.1 he was a Poet, and think his Poem perenni∣us aere, a monument that time it selfe would not be able to divoure: how much more may he say it that drawes himselfe unto the life in an immortall Dye, and writes such characters as are not subject to decay and perish? For all flesh is grasse, and all the glory of man as the flower of grasse: the grasse wi∣thereth, and the flower falleth away, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever: and this is the word, which by the Gospell is preached unto you, 1 Pet. 1. 24, 25.

Seeing therefore it hath pleased God to preserve these peeces yet alive, and after long deferring and desiring, to produce and bring them forth to publike view; we have thought good, in a prime and

speciall manner to entitle you unto them, and to send them out unto the world under the covert and shadow of your name.

For seeing it pleased the Authour to choose your habitation, wherein to put off and lay up his (then) decaying and declining body, why should it not bee proper and convenient, to send these living and surviving peeces of his soule, for to at∣tend it? considering especially, how much his body heretofore had waited on his soule, which otherwise, in humane proba∣bilitie, might still have beene alive.

Neither is there any doubt, but these vi∣gorous and usefull breathings of his spirit, wil find accesse and entertainment, where his languid, and at last, his breathlesse bo∣dy did. Especially these which may more properly be counted his, than any thing that hitherto hath seene the light, and this wee dare be bold to say for these, that none of them did more expresse the Au∣thour to the life.

Those that did either know him in his

life time, or since have much and frequently perused his writings, shall find these three things every where occurring.

The foulenesse of sinne, the freenesse of grace, and the fulnesse of duty, which in o∣ther peeces onely scattered, and sparkling here and there, are here collected under proper heads, and handled so professedly and clearely, as nothing more concerning them can be desired.

In the first are the danger and deformity of sin, driving the spouse to sad and low ex∣pressions of her selfe, as those virgins were commanded, Deut. 21. 11, 12, 13. Even to shave her head, and pare her nailes, and bewaile her father and her mother, that is, her naturall and inbred evils and corruptions.

In the second, is the glorious freenesse of the grace of Christ, receiving this dejected and humbled captive unto favour, and, with that great King, Hest. 5. 2. reaching forth the Golden Scepter of his love and mercy to her, not onely to the pardon and forgive∣nesse of all her sin, but intitling also of her unto all things, for all things are hers, whether

Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things prosent, or things to come, all are hers, because she is Christs, 1 Cor. 3. 21, 22.

In the third, the fulnesse of her duty is prest upon her, for, the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, doth no sooner appeare to a∣ny man, but it teacheth to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, Tit. 2. 11, 12. that as before Ahasuerus had the virgins pu∣rified that were to approach his bed, with various and costly powders and perfumes, Hest. 2. 12, &c. so Christ, when once the soule is faithfully espoused unto him, per∣fumes and washes her in his most precious bloud, and beautifies her with variety of graces, that he may present her to himselfe a glo∣rious Spouse, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that she should be holy, and without blame, Eph. 5. 27.

And now what rests, but that these Treatises crave shadow & protection from you, nay owne you for their Patron? Doth not the low and humble posture of your

mind intitle you unto the first? your high opinion of free grace, unto the second? and your holy and spotlesse carriage, to the third? Having so just a title (besides other ingage∣ments) by this threefold clayme, 'tis but ju∣stice to call your name upon it; and, by your acceptance of it, you shall shew friendship to this Posthume, and especially oblige

Your already much obliged, and ingaged,

• THOMAS GOODVVIN.
• THOMAS BALL.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Horat.