A42772:31
An useful case of conscience discussed and resolved concerning associations and confederacies with idolaters,…An usefull case of conscience discussed and resolved concerning associations and confederacies with idolaters,…
An useful case of conscience discussed and resolved concerning associations and confederacies with idolaters, infidels, heretics, or any other known enemies of truth and godliness. By Master George Gillespie, late minister at Edinburgh. Whereunto is subjoined a letter, written by him to the commissioners of the General Assembly, in the time of his sickness: together with his testimony unto this truth, written two days before his death.An usefull case of conscience discussed and resolved concerning associations and confederacies with idolaters, infidels, hereticks, or any other known enemies of truth and godlinesse. By Master George Gillespie, late minister at Edinburgh. Whereunto is subjoyned a letter, written by him to the commissioners of the Generall Assembly, in the time of his sicknesse: together with his testimony unto this truth, written two dayes before his death.
Edinburgh: printed by the heirs of George Anderson for Andro Wilson, 1649Edinburgh: printed by the heires of George Anderson for Andro Wilson, 1649
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Let us now, 1. Examine our selves, whether there ⟨p. 18⟩be so much tenderness of conscience in us, as to close with those Scripture Truths, or whether we are still in a way of consulting with flesh and blood. 2. Be humbled for former miscarriages and failings in these particulars, and for not walking accurately according to these Scripture Rules. 3. Beware for the future: remember and apply these Rules when we have to do with the practise of them. And that I may drive home this nail to the head, I add (beside what was said before) these Reasons and Motives. First, tis a great judgement when God mingleth a perverse Spirit in the midst of a people, Isay 19. 14. shall we then make that a voluntary act of our own, which the Word mentioneth as a dreadful judgement? With this spiritual judgement is oftentimes joined a temporal judgement as 2 Chron. 16. 9. and 20. 37. and 28. 20. so Hos. 5. 13. 7, 8, compared with Hos. 8. 8, 9. where their judgement, soundeth forth their sin as by an Echo: The Chaldee paraphrase in the place last cited saith, The house of Israel is delivered into the hands of the people whom they loved. Secondly, remember what followed upon Gods peoples mingling themselves with the heathen, Psal. 106. 35. They were mingled among the heathen and learned their works. Hos. 7. 8. Ephraim he hath mixed himself among the people, that is, by making confederacies with the heathen, (as Lu• there expounds the place) and by seeking their help and assistance, Hos. 5. 13. But what follows, Ephraim is a cake not turned, hot and overbaken in the neither side, but cold and raw in the upper side. This will prove the fruit of such confederacies and associations, to make us zealous for some earthly or humane thing, but remise and cold in the things of Christ; to be too hot on our neither side, and too raw on the upper side. Whereas not mingling our selves with the wicked: we shall through Gods