there has been some thousands wakened up, who had not been so for a long
time before. And will it not be a hard matter, seeing that it is so,
that Saint Andrews sall be as Gideon's fleece; that all the kingdom
about it sall be wet with the dew of heaven, and it sall only be dry?
Even so, will it not be a shame, that all others sall be stirred up, and
ye not a whit stirred up in this day more than if there were not such a
thing? And, therefore, beloved, I would have you to join yourselves with
the rest of the people of God in this cause.

"Thy youth." That is, _thy young men_. Those that are renewed by grace
they are called young, albeit they were never so old, because their age
is not reckoned by their first, but by their second birth. Ay, moreover,
still the older that the children of God grow in years, and the weaker
in the world, they grow younger and stronger in grace. Secondly, they
are called young, because of the strength that they have to resist
temptations. Before they be renewed by grace and born again that way,
they are like bairns, that every temptation prevails with them; but then
they are as young men, who are able to resist temptations to sin, so
that sin gets not liberty to exercise dominion over them. Thirdly, they
are called young, because they will contend with all their power and
might for the faith. I would have all of you to be young in these
respects, and labour to get ane evidence of your new birth by these,
that ye are growing in grace, gaining still more strength to resist
temptations, and by contending earnestly for the faith; even be bold in
this, especially in contending for the truth. Strive for the truth, for,
if ye anes lose it, ye will not get it so easily again. And this same is
the covenant of truth whilk ye are to swear to; for as our Covenant is
renewed, so also it is exponed (explained) according as the exigencies
of the time requires, and it is applied to the present purpose.

Beloved, I told you already that ye have no cause of fear, for I avow
and attest here before God, that what ye do is not against authority,
but for authority, let some men who are wickedly disposed say what they
will; but what ye do is for authority. And I told you of the obligations
whereby authority are bound to this. And for the words of it, because
they are conceived in a terrible manner, ye need not to stand in awe for
this; and it were good that ye should read them over again, and think
upon this wrath