10. THE TENTH SERMON UPON ISAIAH, CHAPTER 38.

THE TENTH SERMON UPON ISAIAH, CHAPTER 38.

15 What shall I say? For he hath said it to me, and he hath done it: I shall walk weakly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

16 O Lord, to them that overlive them, and to all that are in them, the life of my spirit shall be known: that thou causest me to sleep, and hast given life to me.

I N our last Sermon, (well-beloved in Christ Jesus) the King returned to his wonted grief, and took up his old lamentation again, uttering his trouble in these words: My habitation is departed and transported from me; as if he should say, my life is ready to depart, death is instant, and my removing is at hand: he showeth the manner of his removing by two similitudes, the one similitude is taken from a shepherds tent, the other from a Weaver and his web. As to the first, look in what manner we see the shepherd tents flitted and removed, after the same manner I see my life to be flitted and removed. In the which we are taught, not to settle our standing here, nor to fixe our anker here, but that we may be ready to remove, because we are under warning, and know not what hour the Lord will call on us. There is none yt is sure that he must change habitation, and is out of doubt in his conscience that he is to remove, that will settle his heart in that place which he is not able to keep; but being assured that he shall remove, he will send his household stuff and substance before him. If this be true in earthly things, how much more ought we, seeing the Lord giveth us leisure, to send our substance before us? And as it is true that the heart followeth the substance, let both heart and substance be sent to heaven, where they may both meet us to our comfort. Be rich in God, be rich in good works, and that kind of substance shall be able to convoy thee, and shall serve & stand instead to thee both in heaven and earth. The second comparison was taken from the Weaver and his web, and the effect of it is this: as the Weaver bringeth his web to the off cutting, so, would the King say, I see I have brought this miserable life of mine to the off-cutting, I have procured my sudden and untimely death by mine evil life, I have hasted this messenger. It is true, that all the diseases of the body, and the chief diseases of the soul flow from sin. And as death entered by sin, so by multiplication of sin, death is hastened; sin shorteneth our life, sin maketh our days evil, sin maketh them full of grief and sorrow, sin involveth us in a thousand cares, sin wrappeth us in infinite unprofitable labors: Sin weakeneth our body by deceiveable pleasures, sin vexeth our mind with such terrors as cannot be expressed. Albeit if this good King had occasion to say, that his evil spent life spurred him to his death, what may our young nobility say? if it be true that one sin, blood, cutteth the half of the days, as the Psalmist saith; how much more shall a heap of sins concurring in one person shorten the days? The sacrilegious blasphemer, and the bloody adulterer, and infinite more other sins, concurring in one person, shall not these shorten this miserable life? The thing which they fear most, & would willingliest eschew, that same thing (such is their judgment,) they run headlong on. As to the profane multitude, ye see these two vices, gluttony and drunkenness, whereby they draw on themselves sudden death: and there is never a man, but he is subject unto one sin or other, which shorteneth the thread of his life, and draweth on that which he would eschew: Well, I will not insist in these occasions of death; take heed whether ye walk in mercy, or in your own sins. If ye walk in your own sins, of all judgments it is the most terrible to be left to yourself: now mercy is offered, and therefore ye that would be translated from death to life, use this time diligently. In the second part of that exercise I shown you the rage and fury of his sickness, we did let you see the weight of his fever was so great, that it made him think that God was a devouring Lion, ready to bruise all his bones to powder: It made him to look that both soul and body should be taken from him that day ere night. We shown that these voices could not flow from a temporal pain only, but there behooved to be a fire in the soul, a further pain then could come of any bodily disease in the earth. Of all troubles that come unto man, the trouble of conscience is the greatest; & of all other troubles this is the chiefest, when besides a sight of sin, there is a touch of the insupportable anger & indignation of the living God. It appeareth by these voices, that the King felt a touch of this wrath, whereby God appeareth to be a consuming fire. It is the custom of God to bring his children into these extremities, that feeling the pangs of hell, they may see how precious the death of Christ ought to be unto them: How far they are bound unto him, what is the duty they owe unto him that went betwixt them and so bitter a punishment. This kind of extremity teacheth us how easy it is for the Lord to repress the pride of the flesh, and to beat down this wantonness of our filthy nature. This glorious King in the space of 12. hours is brought to the ports of the grave and of desperation in a manner: So ye see how easy it is for the Lord to bring the proudest flesh low, and to do this he needeth not fire nor sword, nor any other instrument but such as we have within ourselves: he is able to make our own darlings to be our greatest tortures: For we carry within us either one viper or other which shall destroy the soul, except the Lord prevent in mercy. Last of all, we show how this King in his greatest extremity behaved himself, notwithstanding God appeareth to be a fire to his soul, yet he retireth to the same God: and where he might not by words utter the grief and trouble of his heart when the benefit of his speech was taken from him, yet he ceaseth not, but he sigheth and maketh his moan, counterfeiting the Dove, the Swallow and the Crane, he chattereth and lifteth up his eyes, using all such gestures: so long as he had his tongue he prayeth, and the words are few which he speaketh, but they are sententious; It hath oppressed, refresh me, or weave me out. As if he would say, the force of this disease and fury of this fever is so great, that it overcometh all force of nature: Therefore, seeing nature will avail nothing, I fly to the God of nature to whom it is easy to support nature, and of this God I crave health and continuance of my days; I crave that as he hath begun, so he would weave out this web to the glory of his name and comfort of his Church. From this last part we shown you two things; we marked first these contrary voices into which the servants of God burst forth in their greatest troubles, uttering sometimes words full of doubting, and sometimes full of confidence. In the 15. verse God appeareth to have been a consuming fire and a raging Lion to him. In the 14. verse, he maketh his recourse to the same God, and suppose he threatened him, yet he reposeth upon him. Upon this we did let you see, first, that doubting and confidence may have place both in one and the selfsame soul: There was never a servant of God but had experience of this: yea it is proper to the children of God to be subject to this doubting, suppose in mercy they be kept from desperation. For seeing this faith of ours as long as we are here is imperfect, how is it possible that any faithful soul weighing their faith with that perfection which is in God, to whom nothing is pleasant but that which is perfect, how is it possible, I say, but that soul must doubt? As the faithful again see the Scriptures and look to that perfection that is required therein, look to the progress and increase of faith that is required therein, and see on the other side their great wants, how far we are from this progress, how is it possible but the soul must doubt? Again, laying aside this trial, and looking down upon our behavior to these sins that are in our flesh, and to the lusts whereunto our hearts are inclined, and to the angry face of God against sin, how is it possible but we must doubt? Therefore I conclude, There is never a servant of God but in their souls they had this doubting; looking on themselves they doubted, looking on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus they believed. That notable vessel acknowledged himself to be subject to this doubting. 1. Cor. 4.8. where he saith, we are always in affliction, but not in distress, we doubt, but we despair not. That good vessel acknowledged doubting, only he denieth despair: He granteth that this doubting hath place in the soul with faith, but not despair; seeing despair cutteth the pillars of our hope, and consequently of our faith: Therefore it cannot remain in the soul with faith. Under doubting he comprehendeth all other errors, stammerings and wrestlings whereby the soul is troubled, wrestling between hope & despair: But all these imperfections are freely pardoned in the righteous merits of Christ, or else there were no place of salvation for us. I wished those who knew this, to comfort themselves with it; & they that had not experience of this, to remember the lesson that they might make use thereof, if at any time it shall please the Lord to assault them with these terrible visitations. The last lesson that we gathered of the last part was this: We learned of this King to make our recourse to God in our greatest anguish of body and soul, and when the benefit of our speech and tongues are taken from us, that we cannot pray to God in distinct language, yet not to leave off, but make recourse unto him by sighing of the heart, by lifting up of eyes, by continual groaning, moaning and lamentation; that in these things God may be glorified: for it is true, the Lord knoweth the meaning of thy sigh and sob, as well as thou knowest this language which I speak. And how is this? because they are raised by his own Spirit, and are the works of his own Spirit: and I pray you, knoweth he not the meaning of his own Spirit? Therefore when the benefit of the tongue is taken from you, that ye may not praise him with your tongue, then let every member of the body and soul concur to praise him as long as there is any of them free. There is none exempted from these troubles, there is none can enter into the kingdom of heaven, except first he taste of these troubles: There is no estate, Emperor, King, or Prince, that looketh for life, but he must enter in that narrow way. Only they that are appointed for damnation walk in the broad way, but terrible is the narrowness that abideth them in the end. They have a short time of largeness to be recompensed with everlasting straightness: Therefore their estate is rather to be lamented then envied. Always, ye that make you for the city that hath her foundations, & for the kingdom that cannot be shaken, ye should not be weary to go forward in the narrow way, but whatever trouble he hath laid upon the soul or body, let us take it in patience; for these are the pledges of mercy, such as make conformity between us and Christ Jesus, in whom only is true comfort and salvation. Thus far we proceeded in our last exercise.

Now, in that which I have read, he entereth into the second part of the song. [ 1] And first, he bursteth out of hand (as it were) into the praise of God, [ 2] then after he showeth the benefit which he hath received, and the wonderful comfort which he hath gotten of God. [ 3] And in respect that this comfort did flow from the word of promise, he taketh occasion in the 16. verse to praise the word of God: [ 4] And in the 17. ver. he noteth the time when he fell into this disease, [ 5] and in the end of that verse he letteth us see the manner how he was delivered.

Now to return to the 15. verse, I say, while as the King is musing and pausing upon the greatness of the benefit, ravished in an admiration of the wonderful works of God, he cannot contain himself, but he bursteth forth in these voices of praise and thanksgiving: What shall I say? A pathetic and cutted kind of speech, signifying that his heart was so stuffed and swollen, his tongue would not serve him to express the matter. What shall I say? As if he would say, where shall I borrow any words to express the matter? Where shall I borrow praise, that I may answer so great goodness and kindness as I have found in my particular, in this God of mine? I turned not so soon unto him, and the tears distilled not so soon from mine eyes, but he accepted my person, he granted my health, and promised me his favorable and merciful protection all the rest of my days. How am I able to meet these benefits in word, much less in deed? Yea, it is not possible to the tongue to utter that which the heart thinketh. But suppose I cannot as I would, I shall praise thee as I may, and as thou hast given me the grace. A notable kind of thanksgiving learned of his predecessor David, who when he was in like case, used the like form of praise, saying: What shall I render to God for all his benefits? A form of praise wherein this good King granteth three things: first he granteth this ingeniously, that the benefit which he received was free, freely bestowed on him without any procurement of his: Yea, he acknowledged that he procured the quite contrary. Secondly, he granteth that he hath nothing in himself to meet this benefit: yea not one word, much less a deed, yea scarcely is he able to render praise for it. Thirdly, he testifieth that suppose he may not in such measure as his heart would, and as the worthiness of the benefit required, burst forth in the praise of this great God, yet he would not be idle. And surely, suppose he speaketh few words, yet in these few he giveth the signs of a more thankful heart, then if he had spoken a cart full of words, or uttered millions of words. It is not the babbling of the tongue that the Lord looketh to; but he looketh and hath an eye to the inward disposition of the heart, he looketh to the constitution of the spirit, because he is a Spirit. And therefore the Lord liketh of this Kings heart, suppose his words would not serve him.

Since those corporal sacrifices in the old law ceased, there is not a spiritual sacrifice more acceptable to God then is the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving: for the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving sanctifieth not only thy person, but all the benefits which the Lord bestoweth on thy person. For that which is true in meat and drink, is true in all the rest of the benefits which are pledges of his mercy in Christ Jesus. Now the Apostle testifieth in the 4 to Timothy, first Epist. 4. verse, that thanksgiving sanctifieth our meat and drink, and maketh it both holy and wholesome. As this is true in these creatures, so it is true in all the rest of the benefits and blessings of God. So when I look on this thanksgiving, I am moved, yea I am compelled to mark three things in it; first, I am moved to mark the wonderful goodness of God. Secondly, our horrible ingratitude. Thirdly, the great arrogancy of the enemies of God, the Papists. [1] First then I say, ye may easily see the goodness of God in this form of praise, who when he may require our life, our soul and body, and the whole actions of our life for his benefits, yet he is content with a simple kind of praise and thanksgiving; in such sort that if ye heart be good, suppose we babble with words, yet it is acceptable to him. [2] As this showeth his kindness and wonderful mercy on his part: so on our part it showeth our horrible ingratitude, that albeit little will content our God, yet we will not bestow that little on him; it cometh never in our mind to think it, much less to do it in deed. So this is an intolerable ingratitude upon our part. This ingratitude maketh it come to pass, that we possess his benefits with an evil conscience. This maketh it come to pass, that the curse of God hangeth over all your riches, which curse ye either see in your days, or else it is seen after you in your prodigal posterity: And this is only by reason ye are unthankful to God for his benefits. I am assured (and this ground cannot deceive me,) there is none of you that hath purchased any benefit in a good conscience, but ye will thank God for it: for a good conscience will never shake off the memory of God altogether. So when ye forget to thank God, it is an evident argument that the benefit is purchased in an evil conscience: For the which cause the curse of God is hanging over your riches. Which appeareth either in your time, or suppose the Lord be longsuffering, in your posterity. Then to testify that the benefits are well come by, be thankful to God for them, and purchase nothing but that whereof ye have a sure warrant in your conscience. [3] Now the third thing that I am moved to mark, I say, this letteth us see the horrible arrogancy of the Papists, who think that they cannot only be thankful for his benefits in word, but also they are able to do him one good turn for another in deed; and when after their manner they have satisfied him, they make a superplus, which they call works of supererogation. Those their works of supererogation are a superlative folly and madness which cannot be expressed; that whereas the best servants of God found in experience, that by word they were not able to satisfy him, they think by their deeds to satisfy his infinite goodness. But I leave them, and go forward.

He showeth in the next words the greatness of the benefit, and he taketh it up briefly under two words, after this manner: He hath said it, and himself hath done it: he said it in his promise, he did it in keeping of his promise; he both said and did it himself, that the whole glory of the work might appertain to him: he said it freely, for I procured the contrary; he kept it as freely: for the Lord is true, suppose all the world be false. Ye see how properly he taketh up under these two words, the mercy and truth of God; the mercy of God in promising, the truth of God in keeping and performing of his promises: The mercy of God in promising freely, for he is debtor to no man, and therefore whatsoever he promiseth, he promiseth freely: for there is none of us can make claim to any better condition, then the natural branches might have made claim to; and if ye list to read of their natural inclination, ye have many places of Scripture: and in special I send you to Deuter. 32. Exodus 32. Isaiah 48. For there speaking of the Jews, the Lord saith, I foreknew thy stubbornness, I saw the sinews of thy neck were of brass, and thy face of iron, I foresaw that thou wouldst remain false and unfaithful: yet notwithstanding I made my promise freely unto thee, and as freely as I made it, I kept it as feely. It is I, it is I, saith he in the 43. of Isaiah, that putteth away thine iniquities: it is I, that for mine own name sake calleth not thy sins to memory. If this be true in the natural branches, how much more is it true in us? Then we have nothing to lay betwixt us & the judgments of God, but his mercy freely offered us in the blood of Christ Jesus. It is God, saith he, that hath done this: As if he would say, all the rest are liars; only God is true, and ere he fail in one jot of that he saith, he is able to make the world turn upside down, and to invert the order of nature, as ye may see in the former part of the Chapter, in bringing back of the Sun by ten degrees. And therefore this teacheth us, that there lacketh not in God neither a power nor a will; only on our part there lacketh an hand, an instrument to receive and believe the promises: And therefore suppose there be carts full of promises, and as sure promises that there can be nothing surer, it is not possible that these promises can avail anything, except the Spirit prepare a way for himself, except the Lord create in the soul faith. Therefore all your care and diligence should stand in this, to crave that with the hearing of the word, the Lord would conjoin the working of his Spirit: that faith being wrought, and the heart being opened fully, we may lean and repose steadfastly on the faithful promises of God. In the end of the verse, he showeth a blessed and happy effect which issued out of this notable benefit: he saith, I shall henceforth all the rest of my years walk, overpassing the bitterness of my soul: As if he would say, by this benefit, the grief of my conscience and the terrors and troubles of my soul are removed. He maketh no mention of the rest of the benefits, of the health of his body, of his sure and prosperous estate, which was both promised and given unto him. But he touched that which troubled him most, the grief of his conscience was the thing that troubled him most, and therefore he maketh mention only of it. This bitterness made such a deep impression in his soul, that in ye17. verse he calleth it bitter bitterness, he hath no words to express this bitterness, whatever it was. Where the judgments of God make such a print in the soul, it is long ere sin can blot it out: and so long as the memory of the judgment remaineth, it is easy to be thankful, it is easy to go forward in doing some part of our duty, it is easy to stand in awe yt we fall not into the hands of God; but when we blot out this memory, we return to that same puddle out of the which we were delivered. Therefore I commend to you to crave of God a sanctified memory, that ye may keep fresh the judgments of God which either ye have seen in others, or felt in your own bodies, that the feeling of these judgments, may serve you to be thankful to him, and may make you to stand in awe; and beware to fall into the hands of a consuming fire.

Now, this King finding this benefit so sweet, he is compelled to burst forth in the praise of the word of God, which brought forth so good an effect: And first he praiseth it generally from the good it doeth unto all men: Then he praiseth it in particular, from his own particular experience & comfort which he received in his own person. This doctrine is necessary and notable for these times. First, then he praiseth the word, from the good it worketh in all flesh; By these things (saith he) men live: that this, by the force of these words it cometh to pass, that we enjoy the benefit of this natural life, whereby we live in this body upon earth: For the Lord’s word calleth on things that are not, as though they were, and his word maketh them to be. By his word he created heaven and earth, by his word he gave man life and breath, and whatsoever is necessary to him: By his word he assigned to him the earth, the seasons and bounds of his habitation: To this end that man being created according to the image of God, he might seek God; and no doubt, he is not far from every one of us: For as the Apostle saith, Acts 17. In him we live, move, and have our being. And as this is true in this natural life, so is it as true in the entertainment of this life: for by the benefit of this word we are sustained. For our life standeth not only in meat and drink, but in every word that proceedeth out of the Lord’s mouth, Matthew 4. that is, in everything whereunto the Lord giveth power to nourish: For it is the Lord’s word that giveth power to nourish us. And suppose meat and drink were removed, the Lord is able to make stones to nourish us. This good King acknowledged this good effect to come of the word, and therefore he praiseth the word.

Now, after he had praised it from the general effect, he goeth forward, and praiseth it from his own particular experience, and he saith in the conclusion of these things: The life of my soul standeth; that is, in thy saying and doing, in thy truth and mercy, in thy promising, and keeping thereof, standeth the life of my soul: as if the King would say: Not only have I this natural life which I live in this miserable body, by the benefit of the word, but I have a more precious life, the life of my soul and spirit, which discerneth me from the rest of mankind, which putteth me in a better estate then the rest of the world, which maketh mine heaven to begin here, which never shall end. For as there is a life and death of the body, so there is a life and death of the soul. The life of the body may be conjoined with the death of the soul, and the death of the body, may stand with the life of the soul. The life of the body standeth in the presence of the soul; the life of the soul standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life. Except the soul be borne again by the Spirit of life, ye shall never see the face of God; before the soul be quickened by the Spirit of life, it remaineth a dead carrion, dead in sin, dead in the lusts of the flesh (as the Apostle saith) Ephes. 2. Colossians 2. And consequently, there remaineth but a carrion, both in soul & body: the soul being as void of a spiritual and heavenly life, as a carrion is of a natural life. The words of the Apostle in that place, & in sundry places are, Dead in sin, dead in trespasses, and in the uncircumcised lusts of the flesh: Where death hath place, life must be wholly extinguished; and where death hath place, there can neither be half-life, quarter life, nor a breath of life: But so it is, that death hath place in our soul by nature: Therefore by nature there cannot be so much as a spark of that heavenly life in it. And if there be not so much as a spark of life in it, where is that half or quarter life whereof the Papists speak? They will not have it dead, but lamed or crooked: The Apostle saith in plain terms, that it is dead; and therefore that spiritual life must be wholly put out, and consequently, all kind of will to good, and all sight of God in Christ is banished away; & this death of the soul remaineth perpetually in us, until such time that the participation of the Spirit of life, which is in the body of Christ Jesus, free us from the law of sin and from the law of death which is in our own nature. Romans 8.

Now would ye know whether your soul liveth or not? Would ye perceive whether this Spirit of life be begun in you or not? I will give you certain effects, whereby ye may examine the life of the soul. There are many effects given us in the Scriptures; as namely, Galatians 6. But I leave them, & choose three special effects, whereby everyone may discern of the life of the soul. There is first, that inward peace of conscience. There is next, that joy and rejoicing under trouble. There is thirdly, a love of God, a love of virtue, and a hatred of vice: where ever any of these three hath place, there the soul liveth, where thou findest thy conscience refreshed, and thy soul recreate from the great terrors & manifold pangs of sin, no question the soul liveth: for this is the effect of the right Spirit, and this is the right peace whereof the world is ignorant, that passeth all natural understanding. The more thou makest this peace to grow, ye more thou livest in thy soul. The more this peace groweth, the more sin decayeth, the more thou castest out all that baggage of sin, that troubleth the quiet estate of the conscience. In a word, the only thing that troubleth the soul, that disquieteth the conscience, and that we have to cast out, is sin: For sin is the only thing that severeth us from God, in whom there is only true peace and quietness to be found. Therefore our exercise should chiefly stand in this, to expel this enemy and monster sin, and to possess that saving juice and wholesome peace that passeth all understanding. The second effect, whereby we may know that the soul liveth, is the joy and rejoicing under trouble. For we know by experience, that trouble of it own nature, cannot bring forth this joy, but bringeth forth the contrary effects, as sadness, heaviness and sorrow. Now, where the Spirit is so disposed that we rejoice under trouble, this is a sure argument of the blessed Spirit, the Spirit of life, which only quickeneth the soul; and this joy maketh us not only to rejoice in trouble, but to glory also, as saith the Apostle: For surely the cross of Christ is our only joy, & the shame of Christ is our only honor. Hereby we perceive the great glory that the Lord hath called us to, that not only he maketh us to believe his word: but to suffer for him also: only ye have to take heed to your troubles: For this joy accompanieth not all troubles, but only those troubles that are suffered for Christ’s cause, for righteousness sake, & are underserved. For those troubles that are deserved, the like joy is not to be found in them. The third effect, whereby we may know that the soul liveth, is the love of God, and hatred of evil: Where this love is kindled in the soul, where we begin to know God, to love him and to taste of him, (for it is not possible that we can love him, except we have a taste of his sweetness) this love make us like to God, for God is love, (as John saith.) If love dwell in thine heart, God dwelleth in thine heart, and this love is a sure pledge of the life of the soul; where this love is, of necessity also there must be a hatred of evil.

Now try and examine, if the Spirit of life hath wrought these effects in thy soul in any measure, if it were never so small: it is a sure argument that this life is begun, and the life which God hath begun, he will perfect it. If the love of God were never so little, and the hatred of evil were never so little: if any of these effects were but in a small measure, ye may be sure that Christ dwelleth in your hearts by faith, and that the soul liveth. Ye that feel this, (as I would that ye all felt it) press to nourish and strengthen this life; not weary in well doing, but go forward in working the works of the Spirit. Sow not in the flesh, go not forward in the lusts and appetites thereof: for ye may learn of the Apostle, what advantage this labor bringeth: to wit, shame and confusion, death of the body, and death of soul. Romans 6. But on the contrary, go forward in nourishing of the Spirit, and in well doing. Sow in the Spirit, and as the Apostle saith, ye shall reap an everlasting and incomprehensible life. This Spirit then is said to be nourished and corroborate in our hearts, when we nourish the light and knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, when we edify ourselves in our most holy faith, and continue in the exercise of prayer: As by the contrary we banish this light of the good Spirit, and by our evil doing we banish the knowledge of God in Christ, when we put out this light, diminish our persuasion, and leave off the exercise of prayer: For by the same means whereby the soul liveth, they being removed, the soul dieth. Therefore those that would live this way, they ought to nourish the knowledge of God, they ought to be exercised in well doing, in hearing of God’s word, in edifying them in their most holy faith, and in continual craving of grace and mercy by prayer.

Now the King saith, he hath this life, and he hath experience of the good word in this (for I take this to be a different life from the other, whereof he spake before, to wit, this is the life of the soul, which proceedeth of the word of promise,) for this word is the power of God to salvation, to all them that believe. Romans 1. Set your hearts, saith Moses, Deuteronomy 32, upon this word, for it is not a vain word; it is your life and felicity. The words which I speak (saith our Master, John , 6.) are Spirit & life; And from, this John calleth him the word of life, the bread of life. Peter saith, whom shall we go to? for in thee are the words of life. It is he that hath life in himself, John , 5. From this also it is said, 1. Cor. 15. that as the first Adam was made a living soul, so the second Adam was made a quickening Spirit: and by reason we are made participant of this spirit, by the ministry of his word, therefore it is called the word of the Spirit; & by the same reason we that are his Ministers are counted the Ministers of the Spirit, as the Apostle calleth us, 2. Cor. 3. They that would read further of the praise of this word, I remit them to the 19. Psalm, where the properties of this word are exactly set down. I will end here. Who so looketh upon the precious effects of this word, and on the other side, looketh upon our unhappy behavior; I am assured, it would astonish any Christian heart, to behold how the Lord can suffer our contempt so long as he doth. For formerly, whereas there was scarcely crumbs of this bread of life to be had in this country, men sought it out diligently, and ran to have it with such zeal, that they compassed both sea and land, they spared neither travel nor cost; but forcibly as it were, thronged and thrusted in, and made irruption in this kingdom: But now when it hath pleased the Lord to offer unto us great plenty of this food, we so despise the bounty and liberality of this good God, that we turn this great grace and mercy of his, into judgment and vengeance upon our own heads. And as to the greatest part of the multitude, they disdain it so spitefully, that they had rather embrace the leaven of the Pharisees, and draw them to that company where they can have no other food, but songs, masks, mummings, and unknown Languages: And so think to feed their souls by the mockery of God.

Now as to the Gentlemen, Earls, Lord’s, and Barons, they are so drunken with sacrilege, that ere they will part with these goods, they had rather part with the life of their soul; yea, when it cometh to this, that the word cannot be entertained but by their expenses, they make no choice, but had rather lose their souls a hundred times, ere they would bestow a half penny upon the Church. This is true in the greatest part: so it is the Lord that wonderfully continueth the light amongst us, that keepeth a face of a ministry in Scotland. There is no good entertainment, but a very great poverty in the most part of the Ministry. See then if the judgment of God pronounced, 2. Thes. 2. goeth not fast forward, who hath given us over, as appeareth, to be deceived by the mighty power and working of the Devil; in such sort, that every man striveth, who shall put his appetites furthest in execution. Oh! unhappy and wrathful country, that hath so abused the merciful calling and great benignity of God; it is a wonderful thing to look upon this matter, and to consider our great ingratitude. The more that knowledge groweth, the more conscience decayeth, as if conscience and knowledge could not both rest in one breast: look to the works of all men, it appeareth that the bringing in of light hath banished conscience which was in the time of darkness. What can be the cause of this, that as light groweth, the effect of light decayeth? It is a thing that passeth the understanding of man, and the end of it shall be more then terrible. Is it not more then wonderful, that the more that this Country is watered with the saving and heavenly dew, the more our hearts are hardened? What must this bring forth? It must bring forth at the last, an eternal consumption, which consumption must be so much the greater, the greater that our contempt is: For it is not possible, but that ground which is so oft refreshed with rain and dew, and yet bringeth forth no other thing but thorns and briars, but at the last it must be burnt up. How is it possible that thorns that are provided for the fire, but they must be consumed by the fire? And seeing our deeds testify that we are nothing but thorns, of necessity we must be burnt up, except the Lord work otherwise then I have any expectation: For the longer that judgment is delayed, it shall be heavier when it lighteth, seeing the contempt is so great. Therefore the Lord give you grace, that as ye know there is a Hell and eternity of pain, and as ye would eschew it, so ye may take up a new course of life. But this cannot be, except the Lord work it by his holy Spirit, except he forget our sins, and assure us of the remission of them in the blood of Christ. And therefore, I have to crave with you, and ye with me, that this may come to pass, that in the bowels of his mercy we may eschew that terrible damnation, from the which the Lord preserve us, for Christ Jesus his Sons sake. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, be all honor and praise, now & forever. Amen.