of all our Reformed Churches both at Home and Abroad All these he past and Touches at that Sell your Coat and buy a Sword so soon as he Mentioned this I desired him to beware of the Rock Sir William Paterson in calling the Sword there the Sword of the Spirit whereby he did no less than upon the matter Charge my Blessed Lord and Masteâ— with Commanding Simon of this above I told him my Answer to Sir William was what Were these two Swords the Disciples produced two Swords of the Spirit To which I got no Answer and all that Sir John offered here for my Satisfaction was Mr. Dick do you think these two Swords were enough for all the Disciples To which I Answered for the time they were and the Commission was not concerned in what Swords were there or not but was generall and a Warrand to all Christains to make use of the same in their own innocent self Defence to the Worlds end Then sayes Mr. John Vass Mr Dick you know the word Buy is variously taken in Scripture sometimes Figuratively as in that of Isai Buy Wine and Milk c. I told him I knew that but durst he or any else say it was taken so in the place under Debate Adding could there be any thing more clear or less Figurative then Sell your Coat and as if he had said with the price thereof Buy a Sword Insinuating that after his Departure they should have more need of Swords then Cloaths Mr. Vass was offering somewhat else which I hindered by Charging him to beware of doing Violence to the Spirit of GOD which when I was saying I gave a Moderate chop upon the Table For which I could not pass without Andrew Youngs Check that I was of a too fiery Spirit To which I Answered I knew I had a Natural Infirmity in that but that the Lord had helped me in some Measure to strive against it gave me no small Satisfaction I told them also these Swords our Blessed Lord gave Commission to Buy were either for offence Defence or both of which above to this I got no Answer Only I Remember Sir John Lauder told me somewhat of Passive Obedience and Instanced Tertullian anent it what it was I Totally Disremember But what ever it were I must tell Sir John once for all that suffering simply comes under no Divine Precept and whatever he have else for it I matter the less since I have my Blessed Masters Precept for Active Resistance Innocent self Defence this Serves me and if he tell me I ought rather to suffer than Sin I shall readily grant it and yet in that give no Passive Obedience but suffer for Disobedience But of this enough considering what is upon this head contained in the abovementioned Authors particularly Jus Populi Now thereafter That modest and moderate Gentleman I suppose his Name be Sir John Maitland told me very meekly he was very glad I had been interrupted in opposing my self to the Laws of the Land in which I was a Subject least my case should have been worse I Answered him with as much meekness as my hot spurred Nature was capable of I knew no Laws I had opposed which were not Diametrically opposite to the express Texts of Scripture which I judged neither I nor any other Christian was obliged to own for Laws and that I had been hindered for to Defend my self from the Word of GOD and had gotten it denyed me by the Justice Clerk that the same was the Supream Law I judged a very great Injustice for which they were all to Answer to GOD with whom I knew that was standing on Record The Gentlemen said nothing but Sir John Lauder would have refused this but I told him chaping yet more eagerly upon the Table What Sir Ye refuse me that for which I have no fewer thaâ— Five Hundred Witnesses and which is yet more I am sure it stands Registrate in Heaven Now to return where we left to the Landlords in Landward and Towns to these Convoyers to Prisons and Scaffolds aâ—â— others we have classed with you What are you resolved to do in that great and terrible Day of our Lord Think not to shelter under these Laws for the very Inactors themselves as you have heard shall be as far to seek as to shelter as you nor ever dream that your Lands and Houses for preservation whereof you have sinned against my great Master shall hear you when ye cry upon them to hide you may ye not expect such an Answer from them as this Do you not remember how long not only we but the whole Creation groaned under the burden of your Sins As you Answered our Groans then so shall we Answer you now Consider then Friends in time where you will shelter and what will you do in that day But now to come yet nearer you all in Bullâ— let us make yet another Essay for though I can not say with Paul that I would be content to be Accursed for my Brethren nor yet with Moses Let my Name be Bloted out of the Book of Life Yet I assure you my heart Yearns for my Acceptation of this my Feckless endeavour and for a Blessing from my GOD to it it may be it has been in Mercy to not a few that GOD has put these things into my heart and I may say has had the Patience by his Spirit to Dictate these things to me and if any of you reap Profite thereby I obtest you to return the whole Praise to my Blessed Lord and Master Then to you all in cumulo let me again propose this Question what are you Resolved upon Are you yet undetermined Will ye not follow my simple Honest hearted Advice Or will you not apply your to our Honest Ministers up and down the Nations both Old and Young for Council whose it is more properly to deall in this Affair I say will ye not hear me in these things And do you not for all that is said in the Word of God nor that you have heard of others nor from what you have heard from me your Poor Friend believe that there is a God that there is a Hell that there is a Heaven that there is a day of Judgement coming I would fain hope it is not so with you for in this you should be worse as to your case and condition nor are the very Devils themselves for they believe all these things and Trimble And yet indeed it would be matter of comfort to us to know that some of you were come this length though we hope better things of others Believe Believe Dear Friends what we are telling you from that Unerring Word of GOD our Supream Law least you be forced Untimously so to do which yet will be so much the sadder unto you if you Reject this my Friendly Advice I say again unto you all What resolve you to do in that Great and Terrible Day of the LORD When Our Blessed Lord Jesus
intimate your hearty and earnest desire to them that they would again turn unto the Lord's way and not any longer either indanger themselves or wrong the cause of Christ 4thly Let your whole complex Carriage towards the Smell of God and of Tenderness towards both their Souls and Bodies I dare not advise to Reason with either for I have hitherto found that not only hardning to them but also indisposing to the Essayer A better help in this case I am sure will be the pursuance of my Sixth Advice in order to Preparation for our Blessed Lord's coming and that is let one and all of us stir up our Souls and all that is within us to wrestle for a speedy coming I am sure one Sight of his most Amiable Countenance among us would avail more in these matters and every thing else that is wrong among us in bulk than all the feckless Essays we can make though it be yet our Duty in our Stations to use our utmost Endeavours for reclaiming any that go astray I have been under a necessity to give this hint neither is there more discovered thereby than the Physicians know already having hinted so much in their Examination of me My Seventh Advice shall be O study study a Soul-hunger after our Lord and Master whose compassions could never suffer him yet to tarry long away from any that were at the point of Starving through his Absence I shall add this Caution here look that it be Himself principally if not only you hunger and Thrist after for though we may indeed have an eye upon the many precious things that attends his coming yet these all how precious soever they bear but the Shell his Blessed Self being the very Kernell and Soul of the Mercy yea it is Himself that makes Mercies such Now my Dearest Friends in the Exercise of these Duties we have shortly hinted at both before and here more particularly upon this head with what others Our Blessed Lord Himself may art us to whether immediatly by His Spirit or by His Servants of the Ministry I do nothing doubt but either of these Comings of Our Blessed Lord and Master shall be rendred the more Refreshfull unto us That this may be yet a little more clear we shall hint at a word in Reference to either And first You know that Mercies coming in the Covenant Channel are the sweetest and most Soul refreshing Mercies and as to either these mercies that come to us in the way of Duty these being contained in the Covenant tho' not from any Vertue in themselves yet by Our Blessed Lord's appointment in the Covenant and through Vertue transmitted by his Blessed Self to them in the Covenant I say Mercies coming that way are twice Mercies and Our Lord's coming to his in that way the Mercy is still the more refreshfull in this Respect that to that of his coming which is Mercy Mercy in it self yet to these it is yet more Mercy as coming to their Distinct Perception in the Covenant Channel whereas while coming to others His coming shall be to such as a Dream who while they be well wakened shall be out of case to feel the Sweetness of the Mercy Now let me again Obtest you Dearest Friends to make Conscience of these Duties as you have a Respect to the Glory of GOD the good of his Cause the good of your of your own Souls the Conviction and if not attainable the Confounding of Enemies And beside what of Advantages this shall afford you at his comings with Deliverance in time which shall yet neither be few nor small you shall undoubtedly find much Consolation therefrom at that his great and last coming To which this in a word you have heard before our Blessed Lords coming to Judgement shall be to the Wicked so very Terrible that they shall seek all possible means for shuning the appearance which yet they shall never get done and though they great and small shall cry to Hills and Mountains to fall upon them to cover and hide them from the Face of the Lamb yet shall all this Crying be in Vain But to you to you that are in Covenant with the Almighty in and through our Blessed Lord and have been helped with the wise Virgins To keep your Lamps Trimmed this appearance shall be so far from being a Surprizall that it shall be the most Joyfull Sound ever you heard in your time O how Soul Refreshing shall it be to you when at the call of the last Trumpet you have Raised up your heads through these Mooles and having Soul and Body Joyned together again at the very first Peep as you look up shall you see the Lamb of GOD Sitting on his Throne which shall so much take up all your Senses both Internall and Externall Spirituall and Bodily that you shall not be in hazard of being Frighted with the Screicks of the Reprobate and Wicked but the whole Motions of our Souls shall be O To be at him O To be at him O how Soul Ravishing shall the sight be And now must we halt here a little till the Elect be gathered together during which time let us vent our Meditation of the difference that will be betwixt the Elect and Reprobate the Reprobate saying Oh alace for ever yonder he is for the dishonour done to whom we could never shed a Tear the Elect says well's me yonder he is upon the account of the Dishonour done to whom I have had many a sore Heart and have shed many a Tear The Reprobate says Oh! he is yonder whom I could never either Love or Fear Says the Elect blessed for ever be the sight yonder he is who helped me both to Love and Fear him the Reprobate says Oh! for-ever yonder he is whom I could never be perswaded either to believe or patiently to wait for Says the Elect Rejoice O my Soul for ever yonder he is that helped me by his Spirit both to trust in and wait for him the Reprobate says Oh and alace yonder he is towards the Meeting of whom all the Exhortations in time could never move me to make preparation says the Elect Glory to his Name for ever he is there now for Meeting of whom he helped me many a day to be Trimming my Lamp Says the Reprobate Oh and undone for ever yonder he is whom in his Members I not only persecuted but Murdered many a time Says the Elect endless blessings on his ever Glorious Face for whose sake â—he helped me to suffer Persecution says one and to be Hanged on a Gibbet Beheaded or Drowned say others and so forth of all the rest of the Duties the Elect have been helped to perform and against the performance whereof the Reprobate have been hardened or rather have hardened themselves Now may we suppose the whole Elect to be gathered together and looking many a greedy look to be at him then may we suppose our blessed Lord and Master by his Omnipotent Arm halling
great Work I have now in hand I mean Death and Eternity neither of which is terrifying nor dumping to me for the which and all other of his Favours and Mercies which he in the abundance of his Goodness and Riches of his free Grace bestowed on me even one me who while in a Natural State was as evil and abominable in Gods sight as any here at this time I desire to bless Adore Admire Exalt and praise the Lord while in time for I know I shall shortly praise him without Interruption or Intermission I say it again I bless him for all his Mercies and Favours conferred upon me and not only this among the rest but above all next to that great one that he made me his own by his Purchase and so became mine and altho' I have not keeped all right as to him yet he has keeped all right as to me and betwixt him and me all is right his other Mercies and Favours that he has condescended so much to Dignifie and Honour me as to Crown all in me with Martyrdom At which the Bailie called again Beat but he stoped him saying ye need not Beat for ye shall have no Cause of Beating so he Cryed out saying Now my Dear Freinds in Christ it is your Assistance I Crave in this Exercise of Praising let me Beseech you to join with me in Singing to the Praise of this even my GOD and the GOD of my Consolation and Salvation I say to the Father Son and Holy Ghost let us Sing Praise from the beginning of the 2d Psalm So having Sung that Psalm through which we Sang with great Chearfulness and sometimes Pointing with his Hands to one Art and sometimes to another but Especially when he Sang the 6th 7th and 8th Verses his Countenance so Shined that it might easily appeared to Judicious and Pious Spectators that he was in an Excelent Frame and in a Special way to be Helped to Sing Praise to the LORD and having done with Singing he said with a Pleasent Countenance I nothing doubt but amongst this great Confluence of People there are many that are nearer and Dearer to our Exalted and Glorified Lord Jesus Christ therefore I shall Address my self to two Sorts and shall Speak a short Word to each of these as Providence and time shall allow me first I shall Speak to Friends Secondly to Enemies at which the Bailie called to Beat but he stopped him saying forbear Beat not for ye have had no Cause to Beat as yet neither shall ye have any Cause hereafter and so he Proceeded saying as to you that are Freinds I mean all such as are Resolved to follow our Blessed LORD fully through Good Report and Bad Report Cost what it will I say according to the Rule that he hath given in his Word I say I have three words of good News to tell you and as the Words of a Dying Man And First it shall be well with the Righteous yea verily it shall be well with the Righteous Now in speaking to this I would say two things but do not mistake me For I am neither a Minister nor a Preacher for I am not going to preach but only to give my last Advice to these here which I shall do in a few words For neither do I desire to weary you nor to speak much more the Body being shortly to be caught up above the Clouds pointing with his hand up to Heaven I mean my Soul which shall be immediatly there And First That you my Friends may understand me that the Righteousness of none can make you Righteous but Christ and he Imputed to you for Righteousness So I say ye most have a Borrowed Righteousness even the Righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to you and this is the way that ye most be Righteous I say it shall be well with the Righteous the Spirit of GOD hath said it in his word and that is better than an Angel had spoken it from Heaven for we have a more sure word of Prophesie 2 Peter 1 Chap. and 16 Verse at which the Bailie said what Sir are ye going to Preach to whom he Answered yet Smiling I am not Preaching but leaving my last Advice to these here as not only I am but as others are Engaged to GOD that I should Admonish my Christian Friends and Acquaintances in Christ while I am in the Body And now this being my last Appearance for GOD I am bound thereto Therefore I intreat you Yea I Charge that ye would nor Interrupt me and ye shall have no cause to Beat Drums and so he proceeded saying But Secondly to be Righteous is not to sit down nor rest Satisfied with what ye have attained but to press foreward to the Prize and so walking Answerable to what ye have Received and to what ye profess not being Satisfied with what ye are or may appear to be in the Eyes of Men but study a holy and inward way and walking in the sight of GOD and all Men that ye are the persons that have this imputed Righteousness imputed to you and so labour to have your Light so to shine before Men that ye may Glorifie your Heavenly Father and such as are these Righteous I say it shall be well with them Then a Second word of good News I have to tell you my Friends is this that Jesus Christ is sitting at the Helm of Affairs and whatever he will he doth it and there is none that is able to stop him when he worketh and whatsoever his pleasure is cometh to pass this man thinketh he is working one peice of Work and a Second Man thinketh he is working an other peice of Work and a Third Man thinketh he is working his peice of Work and it may be all are working contrar one to another as they think and yet for all that they are all working and carrying on his work even when they think they are doing that which at least some of them would have done the quite contrary so I say in all these they are all working and carrying on Christ's work Now my Friends I exhort all of you yea I obtest you for Christ's sake weary not of GOD but wait on him and keep his way I mean the way appointed in His Word and must him with his own work for all that has been done or shall ever be done by the Actions of Men to the contrar yet his work is still câ—rried on thereby so lippen to GOD and ye shall not be disappointed But a Third word of Good News that I have to tell you is this that notwithstanding of all the dark Clouds that has been and now are yet I can assure you that there are Glorious Days coming to thir Covenanted Lands and I assure you yea I dare aver it that they are nearer than ye at least a great part even of the Godly that are does believe I say it again Sirs there are Glorious Days coming to thir Lands even to