desire of riches then in ouer little Looke thou through this age thou shalt finde that it inclineth to ouer great seeking of riches Againe ye shall finde that a thousand faileth in ouer great desire of pleasure and so it tendeth more to an excesse then to a defect And therefore this mortification hath more adoe to hold downe these affections then to draw them forward seeing they set vpon excesse on euery side Bridle then your affection for will you goe to your owne experience ye shall finde more adoe in drawing backe your affections from this world the pleasure and riches of the same then in putting them forward Now to come to the arguments ye haue heard the first from that life hid vp in God he pointed it out to them which should moue them to mortifie their members as they would looke for the reuealing of it Now in the verse that followeth the second argument is set downe on the contrarie Before he set downe heauen now hee setteth downe damnation before them Note For the which things saith he the wrath of God commeth on the childrē of disobedience They are tumbled into hell for vncleannes of any sort men and women are thrust daily into hell not onely for them altogether but also for any one of these sinnes if it raigne in them And indeede there are few in whom some one of these vices if not the whole number doth not raigne so that if he be not auaritious yet it may be he is a fornicatour and giuen to this filthie vncleannes of the flesh or some other of these sinnes And I say to thee there is not one of these sinnes if it raigne in thee but it will draw thee to hell that is his meaning So he closeth in this mortification betwixt heauen and hell heauen on the one side and hell on the other mercie on the one side and iudgement on the other to let thee vnderstand that if heauen will not moue thee hell will get thee if that life will not moue thee iudgement and hell shall deuoure thee In the world we are allured with heauen and threatned with hell if thou wilt not be moued with the one the other shall oppresse thee if thou were a King thy estate shall not helpe thee And therefore slay thy foule affections as thou wouldest haue heauen and eschue hel And in that he setteth hel before them it letteth vs see the canker of our nature yea euen of the regenerate Thou art not so well renued but thou hast neede to be chased and compelled to thy grace and to haue the terrors of hell and of the wrath The best haue neede to be awakened with Gods terrors of God obiect to thee to chase thee to heauen as the Apostle 2. Cor. chap. 5. vers 11. saith knowing this terror of the Lord therfore I am faithfull in my vocation bring others to the faith A Minister if he were neuer so good yea if it were Paul himselfe yet ye see hee hath neede of this terror of the wrath of God to be obiected to him that he may be faithfull and waite vpon the glorie of heauen Then againe ye see fornication will procure the wrath of God euerlasting much more the temporall Well thou thinkest simple fornication a single man with a single woman it is but a smal fault but the Apostle saith fornication if thou lie in it it will thrust thee downe into hell Sinne in any sort or measure will procure the wrath of God There is no sinne but it will bring the wrath of God against thee and in the end shut thee in hell But this is to be marked For the which cause saith he the wrath of God falleth vpon whom vpon the children of disobedience that is vpon these persons that will not repent Therefore it is not euery fornication and vncleannes that will cause thee goe to hell but it is fornication vnrepented for and vncleannes vnrepented for that is the sinne which will put thee in hell and vpon that sinner that is impenitent the wrath of God falleth Auarice that is not repented for and a man that is hardened in heart that is he and that is the sinne that will put thee in hell So to speake it properly it is not so much harlotry fornication vncleannes and auarice or other sinne in it selfe that procureth the wrath of God as it is the impenitencie of the person that cannot nor will not repent Alas could the harlot repent him of his sinne hee would be saued Could the murtherer repent him of his murther he would be saued Could the auaricious repent him of his auarice hee would not be vnder the wrath of God For there is no sin so great but if repentance follow there is grace The greatest sinne is pardonable to the penitent for thee Repent thee then of thy sinne as thou knowest it and aske mercie in the Lord Iesus and if thou doe this thou shalt be saued and free from the wrath of this great God for of all sinne in the world the sinne that is accompanied with impenitencie is the greatest Therefore set your heart euer to repent The least sinne vnpardonable to the impenitent as thou wilt declare thy faith in Iesus for faith in Christ can not be without true repentance If we should liue Methusalahs daies all is little enough to repent of sinne yea euen the smallest that euer thou diddest or art guiltie of Thou that hast bin an harlot spend the rest of thy life in repentance and thou shalt finde grace and saluation And so likewise thou that hast been a murtherer an oppressor an auaricious bodie spend the time ye haue behinde in heartie repentance and I assure you ye shall finde mercie and saluation otherwise I debarre you out of heauen Or I leaue these words marke he saith For the which the wrath of God commeth vpon the children of disobedience Supposing that the Colossians had been such men as had walked in all the sinnes he spake of yet this wrath commeth not vpon them Then it is not the elect that be made a spectacle to the world of the wrath and iudgements of God but they are the reprobates that are made the spectacles of Gods wrath and iudgements for they are the children of disobedience As for the elect none of them falleth vnder this wrath O happie is the estate of the chosen number and if thou be not one of the number of Gods elect in the Lord Iesus woe is thee thou shalt be made a spectacle of Gods wrath But as for the elect he chuseth them out to let them see his wrath rather in others then that they should experiment it in their owne persons He will take a slaue and torment him in the sight of his elect and Psal 50. teare him as it were in pieces O the terrible hand of God! to make them to stand in awe for all the reprobate if they were Kings they are
for nought It is impossible that he who serues Christ can want a reward thou who caust serue Christ with many crosses it is the very way to bring thee to a kingdome So blessed is that feruant that serues Christ Iesus if thou get not this benefit to be a seruant in his house though it were to be but a porter for the vilest seruant that serues Christ shall get a hire euen a kingdome woe shall be to thee Therefore seeing now is the time to serue him shew your selues faithfull seruants to Iesus for when all vantage failes thee the Lord Iesus will be thine aduantage and therefore serue the Lord and thou shalt not want a reward And thou must not thinke that this rewarde comes vnto thee through merit it comes of grace for when thou hast done all that is commaunded thee say I am an vnprofitable seruant Luk. 17. 10. And so fie on the Papists that thinke their seruice shall merit such an hire as is the inheritance of heauen This reward comes of grace onely and of his faithfulnes that hath promised otherwise hell would be thy reward Therfore thou who lookes for a reward of thy seruice thinke thou art seruing Christ thinke againe thou shalt get a reward but beware of presumption to thinke this turne shall merit heauen No but the thing I doe shall not be the cause of my saluation no I am but an vnprofitable seruant and in the meane time looke for a reward of mercie and grace because he is a faithful Lord that hath promised thee a reward and in the end thou shalt get a kingdome purchased by the bloud of the Lord Iesus Now I come to the second argument to moue seruants to The second argument doe their dutie contained in the last verses of this chapter These seruants in old time were in hard condition for they were slaues liuing to the appetites of men bought sold beaten and slame at their pleasure for looke what power men had ouer beasts the like had they ouer their seruants Therefore these seruants might haue said there is a faire reward abiding vs but yet our present estate is intolerable wee are intreated as beasts and we sustaine great iniurie he meetes with this and in a word promiseth a iust amends and reuenge of the wrong done to them Let no man abuse his power ouer poore ones what euer wrong is done to them it shall be repayed So the lesson pertaining to the inferiour and opprest by the mightie ones in this world Masters and Lords especially is this Art thou a seruant doest thou well seruest thou the Lord Iesus Christ in thy seruice is thine eye set to please him thou shalt receiue the reward of thy weldoing that of an inheritance in heauen In well doing sufferest thou gettest thou wrong art thou opprest roughly handled with crueltie and seueritie The Apostle answers thou shalt haue an assisement beside the reward What wouldest thou haue The Lord shall oppresse them that oppresse thee This generally appertaines to all estates Doest thou well Thy reward shall be an eternal heritage In well doing sufferest thou wrong The Lord promiseth thee an assisement and an acquittance of them that doe thee wrong Brethren it is marueilous to see the care and regard the Lord hath to his owne if they were neuer so poore wormes that the great folke will not vouchsafe themselues once to looke to it would seeme enough that a poore seruant should get such an heritage howbeit his iniuries hee suffered were neuer reuenged Who would thinke otherwise O but the Apostle answers not after this manner It may suffice that you shall get a faire reward for the seruice ye doe as for the rest what matters it No but hee saith in effect as for the wrong done to you it shal be auenged So the Lord is not content to giue them a reward but for the wrong they suffer the Lord will be auenged on them that wrongs them if they were the greatest Monarchs in the world Howbeit thou wouldest forgiue them as Steuen did Act. 7. and say Lord lay not this to their charge yet the Lords iustice will not suffer thee vnreuenged the Lord shal take them that oppresse thee and throw them into hell if they continue impenitent yea it comes to passe oft times that oppressors of the poore and Church before they goe out of the world that the Lord in the sight of the poore and oppressed takes them and rents and riues them in such sort as they are compelled to pitie them O then how terrible is the iudgement that abides oppressors and abusers of their seruants whatsoeuer Well then there are two things well doing and suffering of wrong well doing shall receiue an inheritance suffering shall receiue a reuenge vengeance shall come vpon the oppressour So let none be wearie in well doing in this world nor be impatient in suffering for it is all but for a moment we doe and suffer in respect of that eternitie The second thing to bee marked is this Who is this that shall reuenge the cause of the poore seruants Hee saies not your masters haue masters aboue them as no doubt they had for all superiours haue Magistrates aboue them to take order with them if they doe wrong alas if hee had answered so it had been little comfort to them as they found by experience for they accepted of the persons of men they accounted of the master not of the seruant they permitted thē by their lawes to abuse their seruants The Apostle knew how slacke the Iustices are to reuenge the cause of seruants and therefore he promiseth no amends at their hands but at the hands of the Lord. So now speaking of reuenge he promiseth it not to come of the Magistrate but from the Lord for hee knew the Lord would not beguile him Ye may then see he hath trusted much to God and depending on him he promiseth much in his name What wouldest thou haue a reward a reuenge the Apostle promiseth both to thee but at the Lords hand The lesson then is the man that knowes God well and is well acquainted with his mercie with his iustice with his power and his wisedom it is wonderful what he will promise in his name flesh and bloud scarsely will beleeue it Note Againe a poore bodie and one opprest one that knowes not this when he heares of this it is wonderfull how he will swallow vp these promises nay thou neuer didst eate meate with such pleasure as this poore one will swallow them vp And I say a Pastor should not promise ought of God except he knew him thou that art an hearer if thou know him in his power iustice and the rest in despite of all the world thy heart will rest on him Therefore know him in Iesus Christ and pray night and day O Lord I lie in darknes let me see thee in Iesus Christ and the glorie that is in thee
LECTVRES VPON THE EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE COLOSSIANS PREACHED BY THAT FAITHFVLL seruant of God Maister ROBERT ROLLOK sometime Rector of the Vniuersitie of Edenburgh COLOS. 3. 16 17. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs singing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoeuer ye shall doe in word or deede doe all in the Name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God euen the Father by him AT LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston dwelling in Pater-noster row ouer against the signe of the Checker 1603. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND MY VERY CHRISTIAN FRIEND Maister William Scot of Ely all goodnesse in this life and in the life to come euerlasting happinesse SIr in many things God hath been pleased to linke vs together as in nature in nation and in honest familiaritie or Christian acquaintance and sundrie such like yet in none of these hath this great grace of his more plainely and plentifully appeared then in the band of the holy Religion which we professe As the thing it selfe hath been is and I trust shall for euer be the greatest glorie and best comfort that God hath affoorded vs in this world so we cannot but make much of the meanes and thinke well of the men by which this and many other graces haue been offered vnto vs 〈◊〉 â—ffected in vs. 〈◊〉 meanes are the Word Sacraments and Prayers of the Church together with many other good helpes and aides both publike and priuate which are good not onely because they proceede from God From whom alone floweth euery good and perfect gift and is all onely goodnes himselfe but also because they tend to our spirituall benefit in generall and in speciall are the strictest band to tye vs together one with another and to hold vs fast in the blessed fellowship of the saints The men are Gâ—â—â— faithfull seruants labouring in the ministerie of Gods holy word and doctrine amongst vs. Who howsoeuer they bee of themselues infirme and weake and haue Gods blessed treasures but in earthen vessels and therefore many times euen in both these respects not onely despised but ill intreated in this euill world yet are they made vnto â—s and the rest that beleeue the sauor of life vnto life 〈◊〉 Christ. Amongst others whom God in this last age hath vouchsafed vnto vs who may we or who mould we more continually remember or more reuerently regard then that worthie Country man of ours Maister ROBERT ROLLOK who what hee was in himselfe I meane for his life and conuersation I suppose verilie you of any man liuing best know and can and will most truely relate as time and occasion shall be offered because you were not onely the longest but most inwardly acquainted with all his cariages And what he was and hath been to the Church his worthy workes left â—â—â—ind him besides his daily labours in the Pulpit and Schooles can more then sufficientlie testifie What to men in the world is manifested by many things But not by any more then this that hitherto enuie it selfe hath not opened her mouth neither euer shall be able so to doe his conuersation was so Christian and his iudgement so sincere This worthie instrument of his glorie God graciouslie offered nay liberally lent a long while to our Church but we 〈◊〉 so reuerentlie esteeming him as we should nor â—â—â—refullie profiting by him as in deede we ought God in great mercie towards him doubtles though in no small iudgement to vs ward hath been pleased to retraite him to himselfe out of this wretched world and to bring him to yea to place him in celestiall heauenlie ioyes Which whatsoeuer he was doing he did hunger and thirst after yea groane and 〈◊〉 and as we may say in another mans speech 〈◊〉 another matter he did eate drinke and 〈◊〉 eternall life euery thing in him in a manner assuredly testifying that here was not his hope but that he looked for a citie eternall in the heauens All which graces God gaue him not onely for his owne consolation but in deed for our imitation if happilie we can striue thereto that he being in some measure both in life and death made conformable to his head and Sauiour Christ we might learne in deed and that by an example in fraile flesh and blood to purge our selues from all filthines of the flesh and the spirit and to finish our sanctification in the feare of God Wherein that the Lord might the better instrucâ—â—s he hath thus farre graciouslie prouided for vs that though he be departed from vs as in regarde of the bodie yet he is present with vs in respect of his spirit yea to say truth he liueth and that not onely with God and innumerable Saints and Angels in the heauenlie places where is the fruition and fulnes of ioy for euermore but euen with men yea holy men vpon earth and speaketh to them though not in a bodily voyce yet in the sound of his Lectures and fame of many excellent things of his prouoking the good euerie day to be better and admonishing the wicked euery where to turne from dead workes vnto the liuing God that so they might repent and be saued And this he doth amongst others euen in these Sermons or Lectures which now I present vnto you as a posthume birth after the Fathers decease or as an Orphane destitute of earthly parents not onely to receiue as it were breath and being from you for that it hath done alreadie as without whose good meanes in deed it could neuer haue beheld this light but all good supportation beside it lying in you not onely for your selfe but with sundrie others by reason of the good credit you haue among all speciallie with the godlie to giue it voge and passage Take it therefore I pray you into your good patronage and protection and receiue it as it is in deed yours yea yours I say if not in many good and gracious respects besides yet in a double regarde at the least One in consideration of the author whose things whilest he liued yea and after life and death also were yours as yours again his but all in Christ Another in that it is produced to the view of all by your meanes without which it should haue been as bed-reden notable to moue hand or foote nor to see or speake or should haue perished inter blattas tineas as we say but now commeth forth into the world cloathed as it were with your countenance and to be vpheld by your credit In this holy loue of yours hold on I beseech you and increase with the increasings of God and shew it effectuallie not onely to his which yet remaine amongst vs as you haue bountifullie done and yet doe that so that may be verified in you in the daies of your pilgrimage which was auerred of a right worthie person in former time he
in him are hid all treasures of wisedome and knowledge therfore be not wise without him seeke not wisdome without him There are false teachers entred in that make you thinke there is wisedome without him but I say vnto you if you would not be deceiued seeke no wisedome without him for in him is the treasure of all wisedome and knowledge There is the force of the argument briefly Now marke the order of the Apostle Before hee exhorted them that they should not be deceiued by the inticing of mens words and doctrine and hee laies out the reason taken from the treasure and riches of wisdome and knowledge that is in Christ So the Apostle to the Hebrues 13. 8. being about to exhort them that they should not be carried about with sundrie and strange doctrine hee laies downe this ground Christ is today and yesterday c. therfore be not carried away from him As if hee would say there was neuer saluation without him from the beginning of the world and there shall be no saluation without him to the end thereof therefore sticke to him This order teacheth vs this lesson that after wee haue let men see what is in Christ after we haue opened as it were and laid abroad before the eyes of the world all that store of wisedome and knowledge that is in him then it is time to exhort men to leaue all their doctrine and vanitie and inticing words of men and to sticke by this Christ in whom there is such wisedome and knowledge For brethren you must vnderstand men if they see not true wisedome they will drinke in vanitie the heart must be filled with The heart must be filled vvith something something if thou see not the truth thou must drinke in lyes And more when thou hast begun to receiue the truth as these Colossians did except that truth be opened and laid before thy eyes as it were to be seene what is in it and what is the meaning and true sense of the same except this Gospell I say be continually taught O vaine man thou wilt goe to the puddle of mens fancies thou wilt fall againe to mens doctrine The preaching of the Gospell must be cōtinued traditions and vanitie thou wilt be a Papist yea and an Atheist to And therefore there is nothing more needfull then this that these riches of Christ be laid out before our eyes and euer tolde to vs that in Christ is all wisdome and knowledge I aske what is the cause that this miserable world all men and all nations for the most part be so drunke in mens dreames what is the Popes doctrine but dreames and poyson drinke it in thou shalt be poysoned with it I tell thee because these false deceiuers close vp the Gospell and swaddle vp Christ in the swaddle bands this is the cause that these poore soules see no better and therefore they are led to damnation blindfolded O miserable bodies these foule spirits send out their poyson to dampne the world withall as alas the greatest part of Europe this day can tell But to sticke to the words The Apostle saith I speake this least any man should beguile you with inticing words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are set out in faire flattring talke Then ye see here he opposeth to all the treasures of Christ inticing words to wisedome he opposeth flattring words There is no wisedome without Christ all is plaine sophistrie as it is called in the Schooles Then in a word all wisdome being in Christ if thou y t wilt be wise without him seeke thy wisedome where thou wilt runne to Rome runne here and there to the Iesuites to get wisedome out of them thou shalt be filled with dreames thou shalt finde nothing but sophistrie thou shalt not meete with wisedome All that thou shalt see and finde shall be but inticing words And what wilt thou winne by this He saith that ye be not deceiued and tooke in a grin Thou shalt be taken in a grin as a beast if thou seeke ought without him Alas brethren when I remember Antichrist and his wofully deceiue soules this miserable world it is a pitie to see how it is abused by these traitors and deceiuers of mens soules O that damnation and iudgement that shall fall on that cursed kingdome of Antichrist For I assure you this world for the greatest part are taken in the grins by Antichrist and so reserued to iudgement And the more miserable are they that are in the grin of Antichrist that they thinke that they are in sweete bands for the end shall let ye see how bitter the bands were let them now be to thee as sweete as they will thou shalt finde in the end that of all bands in this world they are the worst To goe forward He hath vttered a great care to the Colossians whom hee neuer saw nor knew Therefore they might haue said what care is this thou hast of vs thou neuer sawst vs nor we thee He meetes with this in the next words O ye Colossians saith he though I be absent from you in the flesh yet am I with you in the spirit Then ye see the Saints the true members of Christ they haue a sight and knowledge of others that the world knowes not of This world and naturall men that haue Iudgement and loue of the world concerning other men not the spirit of Iesus thinke that none can reach out to the worlds end and can haue knowledge of another nor any care ouer him if he see him not with his bodily eye but al is vaine For a spirituall man will send his soule to the end of the world and vpon this hee will vtter his care vnto him by his exhortation And this is a token of a greater thing euen of this ioyning of the godly together that one day they shal be together soule and bodie If thou haue a heart and care with the Church of God thou shalt raigne with her in heauen for euer And in deede if thou haue not this it is a venture if euer thou raigne with her Now when he hath set downe this spirituall presence with them he subioynes the effect of it reioycing saith he there is the effect of that spirituall presence his soule was with them Spirituall presence of the faithfull one with another and with ioy hee reioyced to see them So this presence spiritual whē the heart of the faithfull is with others it is no fantacie as a vaine head will thinke but I say thou hadst neuer such ioy as the faithfull will haue with others in a spirituall presence Thou neuer knewest this ioy that hast not this spiritual presence And brethren it is euen with the Church as it is with Christ 1. Pet. 1. 8. he saith you haue not seene Christ with your eyes yet beleeuing in him who is farre from vs in his bodily presence and louing him howbeit he be away ye reioyce with a ioy that is
Lord allowes it him and thou who pinchest the belly of him the Lord shall pinch thee in things heauenly the Lord will haue an eye to him beware therefore how thou dealest with them in this life Then he saith Giue them What That that is iust that is that that thou hast conditioned with them Hast thou conditioned for such a hire keepe thy condition yea there is more giue them but giue them that that is equall what is that Haue they serued thee according to the rule that I prescribed haue they serued thee in all things then be not so streight with them but giue aboue thy condition made to them be more liberall and stand not with them in their hire The Apostle 1. Pet. 2. 18. sets downe two properties of a master Iust and liberall Compare this with that that went before when he spake of the reward of the Lord. There there was not such a modification but a kingdome was promised but turning to the dutie of masters he modifies a stipend hee bids not giue all his inheritance but giue him that that is iust and equall that is a part of it according to their labour and condition and that liberally without niggardlines This imports something This lets thee see a great difference betwixt God and man in rewarding The thing that man will giue thee is but a hire a thing measured but the thing the Lord giues is not modefied nor measured to thee it is an inheritance and all that is gotten here is but an earnest peny of thy reward Of this followeth another difference The thing thou gettest of thy master it is a debt to thee thou merits it at his hand but when thou commest to God there is no debt there and thy doing is no merit but a thing giuen of beneuolence It hath pleased God to giue thee a reward and so to giue it by no debt goe thy way with thy merits for if thou sticke to them thou shalt get no merit but hell Gods giuing to thee of any thing is of fauour Now to end briefly To moue the masters to their dutie he addes to an argument Knowing that yee also haue a Lord in the heauens What followes on this There is something suppressed to wit a Lord in the heauens who if you giue that that is iust and equall shall giue you that that is iust and equall hee will doe iustice both to you and them he will make all oddes euen there is no respect of persons with him This is the office of the Lord to make all oddes euen neuer soule shall receiue wrong at his hands but when thou gets punishment thou gets thy due punishment pertaines to thee c. The thing that I marke is this It is the Lord that makes masters and that makes this inequalitie that giues this preferment that raiseth vp and casteth downe When Adam was created was there any preferment No as the Lord doth this so the eye of that great Lord is neuer off him whom he hath preferred Hath he made thee a Lord or hath he raised thee to any preferment his eye is vpon thee and as his eye is vpon thee so he stands aboue thee with mercie in the one hand and iudgement and vengeance in the other And the greater thou be the greater mercie and iudgement is aboue thee No thy hand is not so readie to take vengeance of thy seruant as his hand is readie to reuenge the wrong And thy vengeance and his differs in this thine is wrong but his is neuer wrong but al is right he doth But yet brethren to weigh the words Knowing saith he there is the first word The light of knowledge is the ground of dutie Light of knowledge ground of dutie What can a blind bodie doe that sees nothing if he were a King a Iudge and a Master The light then of knowledge is the ground of dutie as ignorance is the ground of all euill doing Knowing What That ye also haue Then the masters that did not their dutie they misunderstood the thing they had and men know not that they haue if it were but this wee haue a God yet they know him not The next word is Ye haue a Lord. It is the ignorance of the Lord that makes men misknow their dutie their eye is euer beneath the eye of the King is vpon the subiect but it is a rare grace to get an eye to looke to the Lord that is aboue him and therefore he thinkes hee hath no more adoe but with the poore subiects and so hee cannot doe his dutie aright Where is this Lord In the heauen Thou art in the earth though thou wert a King but thy Lord is aboue thee thou art farre beneath him and therefore the iudgement and stroke that must fall from him must be sad and heauie because it is farre fetcht The furthest stroke thou canst bring will be from thy Crowne but what is that to the stroke of God fetched from the high heauens yea from aboue Gods stroke all heauens that must be a very sore stroke beware of it for if it light on thee thou shalt neuer rise againe The last word also makes a comparison betwixt the Lord and the seruants you haue a Lord as they haue as they are seruants so are ye likewise seruants yea to a greater Lord. Yea the more high the Lord is aboue you in comparison ye are the lower seruants then the sweeper of your house is Note if ye were a King the very dust is greater in comparison then thou art Thou canst not make a pickle of dust Would to God Kings and Lords knew this Abraham knew it when he said What am I but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. Now then to make the masters to doe their dutie he brings them downe vnder the feete of the Lord of heauen hee brings thee out of thy chaire hee hurles the King out of his throne It teacheth vs that there will be no dutie gotten of superiours except thou bee first humbled vnder thy God If thou be not humbled vnder God thou wilt not nor canst not doe thy dutie Lastly I see a different dealing in the Apostle when he deales with seruants he Note well doth it comfortably but comming to Lords and Masters he drawes vp their head to see that there is a Iudge sitting aboue them this is another manner of dealing So marke his discretion hauing to doe with sundrie estates and persons he vseth sundrie arguments Our folke may not abide this forme of dealing who bad him say they threaten Lords and Kings speake to the Commons and poore people Well well let not the mouth of the Gospell be closed which speakes sometimes comfortably and sometimes boysterously and lets men see an angrie God and all to their saluation Further I perceiue this all Superiours would be threatned Masters would be threatned Princes would be threatned and the higher the greater matter of threatning For such is the