A Spiritual Propine of a Pastor to his People, Section 12 – Section 13
Ane short exhortation anent tryall.
FOr want of tryall and consideration of their awin estaite, the greater multitude perishes in ignorance, they of knawledge carrie with them the greater condemnation, for not doing the will of him whom they know; and sik as hes begun to doe, relents, leaues off, and falles on sleep, til God waken them by some crosse, least they shuld fal with the former in vtter condemnation. Men in publick charge in Kirk & pollicie, sleuthis, perverts & misfaris al, and men in private occupations, runnes loose without feare of God, or aequitable and charitable dealing with their neighbour, & sa the heap of this common confusion of sin, growes huge out of measure; that it is the wounderfull merciemercy and long suffering of God, that stayes the consuming fire of his wrath, from finding out sik mater, and burning there vponupon, to the bottome of hell. My counsel and warning is therefore to all in the louelove of Christ, that they caste aside the busines & cares of this warld, wherewith they are haillelie occupied, to the wrak and losse of their saules, and esteeming the chief earand and turne, whilk they hauehave to doe in this warld to be, how, that after a miserable, short, and vaine life, they may liue happelie hereafter for euer: That in this consideration, I say▪ they take large time, and great paines in this exercise of tryall and examination of the estaite wherein they stande before God: sa that they neither sleepe nor eat ane day or night, before they hauehave spente some peece of time, fectfullie and fruitfully, in the wark of tryall; that finding out their wants, danger and miserie, they may be mooved earnestly to seik and embrace the furniture and remedie, whilk God of his superaboundant grace, vouchsafes daily to offer by the preaching of his word, and profitable writings of his godlie and learned servants. And that this be done by speedy redeeming time without farder delay: for it is now high time, and fuire dayes, our day of the Gospell is past noone, and the Sun thereof tendes toward going downe: Yet then to day if ye will heare his voice, hardin not your harts, neither sleipe in ignorance, infidelitie, and sinne, least being debarred, yee perish with the multitude of the foolish, ignorant, faithlesse and rebellious. For this purpose then, I exhort and earnestly beseik all and euerie ane, (specially of you deare flock) after your verie names, to wey and considder the Scriptures following, whilk now and then ye heare opened vp and intreated for this effect; and that with grace and sanctification of your saules, the quhilk onelyonly God is able to giuegive, by the working of his spirite, and hes promised to sik as will seik for the samin: Aske therefore the samin earnestlie, and seik him carefullie, that ye may receiue and finde, and by all meanes, quicken and steir vp the measure of that gift whilk ye sall get of your bountiful God. Now seeing manie things appeir that is not, and Christ himselfe as man was deceiued with the Figge-tree, weill busked with leaues, & fruitful-like a far-off, but found barren and fruitles when it was ryped nearely, and therefore accursed. We are blinde in our awin faultes, we passe ouer lightly, we easelie forgiue them, and flatter our selues therein, as though we were gud ynough, yea, and better nor our neighbours. Therefore see that this tryall be taken not cauldlie, negligently, flouthfullie, but grauely, carefully, and diligently, not as before men, but before God, wha sees the secreet of thy hart: not in maters knawin to men onelyonly, but to thy awin hart and conscience, yea to God wha is greater nor thy heart and conscience; neither mon this be done generallie, but particularlie, ryping out all the hirnes and plyes of thy heart, and calling narrowlie thy memorie to a counte of all thoughts, wordes and deedes; and finally, not suddenly as a thing fectles, and of small importance, that may be easelie past ouer, or vsed for a fashion of religion or halinesse; but grauely, with lang time & weightie attention, as the greatest matter thou hes to do in the world, for the honor of thy God, and thine awin salvation eternall.
Now thought but doubt, if thou try thy selfe aright, thou sall see ane ouglie sight, whilk may terrifie thy conscience exceedinglie, yet dispaire not, but assure thee there is infinite store of merciemercy and grace in God, offered in the Lord Iesus Christ, to all that humbly acknowledge their miserie, hungers and thirstes for his grace, and embraces the faithfull promises thereof, be a liuelie faith.
That Christians ought to try themselues alwaies, and namely, before they come to the Table of the Lord: For thir reasons easie to be gathered of the Texts following.
1 Sa God commandes, therefore if they be his children and servants they mon obey.
2 They sall hauehave great and everlasting profite and honour in sa doing.
3 They sall incurre great and everlasting skaith and shame in omitting and not doing: