sin and wickedness, as the Prophet himself explicates,
saying, that I might declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Is∣rael
his sin. But seeing their being full of judgement doth not want
danger, but exposes a man to a thousand evils, in as much as the
world can indure nothing less then the reproof of sin; therefore I
am, by the power of the Spirit, not onely full of judgement, but
also
Secondly, full of Might; and as the Spirit of judgement expo∣ses
me to danger, so the Spirit of might inables me to contemn
those dangers. So that though the world, because of the Spirit of
judgement, threatens never so many evils: yet the Prophet is not
frighted from his office, but through the Spirit of might, discharges
it faithfully, in despight of all those threatnings.
And whatever Ministers, want this Spirit of might, though out
of danger, they may be confident, yet at the very first incoun∣ter
of evil, they will bend and yeeld, and speak and do all things
for the favour of the world; rather then for the truths sake,
they will expose themselves, to the hatred and opposition of the
world.
5. Without this power of the Spirit, they are unable to wrestle
with, and overcome the Devil; whose subtilty, and wrath, and
malice, and power, they must needs encounter with, in the work
of the Ministry. Christ, as soon as he was indued with this power,
and anointed by the spirit to preach, was immediately led into the
wilderness, to be temped of the devil, who would fain have taken
him off, from the work of the Ministery, if it had been possible:
But Christ being indued with this power, overcame the divel. And
Christ, before he sent his Apostles to preach the Kindgdom of
God, as you may see Luke 9. 1. called them together, and gave
them power and authority over all devils; and when they returned,
they told him, that the devils themselves, were subject to them.
But now, the seven sons of Sceva, who were destitute of this pow∣er,
when they took upon them, to call over one, who had an evill
spirit, the name of the Lord Jesus, and to say, we adjure you by Jesus
whom Paul preacheth, The evil spirit, answered and said, Jesus I
know, and Paul I know, but who are ye? and so, the man in whom
the evil spirit was, leaped upon them, and overcame them, and
prevailed against them, and they fled away, naked and wounded.
Acts 19. So that they being destitute, of this power from on high,