Sermons, Title page – Dedication
CERTAINE SERMONS, VPONUPON SEVERALL Texts of Scripture: PREACHED BY THAT REuerend and faithfull ſeruant of Ieſus Chriſt M. ROBERT ROLLOK, Minister of the Church (and Rector of the Colledge) of EDINBVRGH. Whereof the firſt eleuen were before publiſhed, and the remnant ſeuen, are newly adjoyned thereunto.
Imprinted at Edinburgh ANDRO HART, 1616.
The number of Sermons, with the Texts of Scripture, and in what leafe to find eueryevery Sermon.
I 2. Cor. Chap. 5. verſ. 1. 2. 3 4. Fol. 1
II 2. Cor. Chap. 5. verſ. 5. 6. 7. 8. Fol. 24
III 2. Cor. Chap. 5. verſ. 9. 10. 11. Fol. 45
IV 2. Cor. Chap. 5. verſ. 12. 13. 14. 15. Fol. 63
V 2. Cor. Chap. 5. verſ. 16. 17. 18. Fol. 79
VI 1. Cor. Chap. 2. verſ. 6. 7. 8. 9. Fol. 97
VII 1. Cor. Chap. 2. verſ. 10. 11. 12. Fol. 118
VIII 2. Cor. Chap. 4. verſ. 3. 4. 5. Fol. 137
IX 2. Cor. Chap. 10. verſ. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Fol. 155
X Philip. Chap. 1. verſ. 18. 19. 20. 21. &c. Fol. 175
XI Titus, Chap. 3. verſ. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Fol. 198
Theſe are newlie adjoyned.
XII Pſalme cxxx. verſ. 1. 2. 3. 4. Fol. 229
XIII Pſalme cxxx. verſ. 5. 6. 7. 8. Fol. 246
XIV Mat. Chap. 15. ver. 21. 22. 23. 24 &c. Fol. 262
XV Luk. chap. 7. ver. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. &c. Fol. 281
XVI Iohn, Chap. 3. verſe 6. Fol. 306
XVII … Timoth. Chap. 1. verſ. 12. 13. 14. Fol. 332
XVIII 1. Tim. Chap. 1. verſ. 14. 15. 16. Fol. 357
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL, THEIR MOST LOVING FRIEND IN THE LORD, MASTER WILLIAM SCOT of ELY, Grace in this life, and euerlaſting glorie in the Life to come.
OVR Gracious GOD, who in His rich MercieMercy (RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL) hath in this latter time raiſed vp manie rare and worthie inſtruments and faithfull Preachers in other Countreyes about vsus, hath not left this our Countrey deſtitute of the like benefites: for, as amongst them, ſo amongst vsus, ſtriuing with our ingratitude, Hee hath raiſed vp from time to time ſundrie notable men, indewed with ſingular graces, whoſe Ministerie Hee made powerfull to ouer… the kingdome of Sathan, ſinne, and the Anti… to acquire a CHVRCH vntounto Himſelfe, in the which Hee might bee glorified in the riches of His mercies: of whome the moste part nowe ſleepe in the LORD, and rest from their labours: Amongst whome MASTER ROBERT ROLLOK, of bleſſed memorie, deſerueth (for his graces) to bee counted with the first: for who euer preaſſed more to approoue himſelfe to GOD in a good conſcience than hee? Who euer was more faithfull and pairfull in his calling than hee? Hee ſtro…e alwayes to glorifie GOD, and to honour his profeſſion and calling by a godlie life and conuerſation, ſo that the verie enemies of the trueth coulde not accuſe him, nor Enuie it ſelfe justlie reprooue him: Hee ſet himſelfe alwayes to doe good to others: for hee thought hee was not his owne man, but deputed for the ſeruice of others: Hee was neuer idle, but hee did either reade, meditate, praye, conferre, counſell, comfort, preach or write: He was peaceable in the Church, patient of wronges, neuer vindictiue, but euer readie to forgiue: Hee ſought not the worlde, knowing that hee had heere no continuing, but had his conuerſation in the Heauen, from whence hee looked for his Sauiour to come.
But it is needleſſe to praiſe him, either to you, Syr, who knoweth ſo well what ſtore of grace the LORD vouchſafed vponupon him, or yet to anie others, ſeeing his workes ſpeake plainlie enough for him: for as hee edified manie in his life by his Preaching, ſo alſo hath hee edified many not onlie in his Countrey, but in manie other partes, by his learned and judicious writinges, lef… behinde him.
And becauſe his Lectures, that hauehave beene before publiſhed by vsus, vponupon the COLOSSIANS and THESSALONIANS, as alſo the first eleuen SERMONS heere contained, hauehave beene receiued with good liking and applauſe of manie: and newe, finding that there are not copies extant, eſpeciallie of theſe eleuen Sermons, to ſatisfie the deſire of ſuch as ſeeke them, wee hauehave thought good to cauſe imprint them ouer againe: as alſo to adjoyne ſeuen other Sermons, preached by him vponupon diuerſe Textes, and receiued by his Schollers from his mouth: which indeede wee must confeſſe, required the refining hand of the Author, that they might hauehave ſhined in their owne beautie: Alwayes, our care hauehave beene in theſe, as in all the rest before publiſhed, out of ſome copies offered vntounto vsus, as neare as wee coulde, to giuegive out to the publike viewe of the Church, both the matter, ſtile, and phraſe of the godlie Author.
Nowe, for manie reaſons wee are mooued to recommende theſe his Sermons, (and our labours therein) to your patronage, that with them your memorie, with the posteritie, might long endure.
First, in reſpect of the entire louelove and affection yee carried to Master ROLLOK from the first houre that yee were acquainted with him, euen vntounto his death: for no man euer loued him, conuerſed with him, reſpected him, &c, more than your ſelfe: and manie a time hauehave you reſorted vntounto him in his health, and offered him ſuch curteſie and kindneſſe, that hee acknowledged himſelfe to bee obliged to none ſo much as to you.
And finallie, yee not onelie viſited him in his ſickneſſe, but allured him to come to your houſe, where without regarde of paines and expenſes, yee entertained him, and ſuch as viſited him, moſte liberallie and chearefullie, till the time that the LORD called him to Himſelfe: Yea, yee counted it a ſingular bleſſing of the LORD, that Hee honoured you with ſuh a gueſt.
Next, Maſter ROLLOK in his Teſtament ordained, that all his Bookes, which after ſhoulde bee imprinted, ſhoulde bee dedicated vntounto you: that whoſoeuer got commoditie thereof, next after GOD, might giuegive the honour and thankes vntounto you.
Thirdlie, through your care, endeuour, and expenſes onelie theſe whole Sermons were gathered in from them that wrote them, through your procurement onelie they were reuiſed, corrected, and made fit for the Printing: by your meanes onelie nowe they ſee the light, which without you had beene buried in darkneſſe.
Laſtlie, if it were free for vsus to make choyſe of a patrone, wee woulde make choyſe of none but you, to testifie our thankefulneſſe for your great vndeſerued kindneſſe ſhewed vntounto vsus particularlie, yea, and to all theſe whome the LORD hath ſet in His ſeruice.
So that in all reſpectes reaſon requireth, that all theſe Sermons ſhoulde bee publiſhed vnderunder your patronage and protection: For whereas your name was not prefixed vntounto the firſt eleuen, when they were firſt imprinted: (ſeeing by your endeuour, charges, and expenſes onelie they were firſt ſet foorth) nowe this occaſion beeing preſented, wee might juſtlie hauehave beene blamed, if that ouer-ſight by vsus had not beene amended.
Finallie, Syr, honour the LORD, and Hee will honour you, delight in His wayes, and Hee will giuegive you your hearts deſire, weary not to doe good vntounto the Saincts, and He will recompenſe you, & at laſt, will crowne all your good deedes with glorie.
The LORD make you to goe on from grace to grace, and in all thinges direct you by His Spirite, that yee may bee long happie in this life, and for euer happie in the life to come, Amen. Edinburgh, the 22. of Ianuarie, Anno Dom. 1616.
Yours in the Lord, H. C. W. A.