History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, Book 2 · Body of book two · Floating text 12
The Sermon of Iohn Knox in Sterlin, in the greatest of our trouble.
O thou the eternall, the God of Hosts, how long shalt thou be against the prayer of thy people?
5: Thou hast fed us with the bread of tears, and hast given to us tears to drinke in great measure.
6. Thou hast made us a strife unto our neighbours, and our enemies laught us to scorne amongst themselves.
7. O God of Hosts, turne us againe, make thy face to shine, and we shall be saved, &c.
This Psalme had the said Iohn begun in Edinburgh, as it were foreseeing our calamity, of which in very deed he did not obscurely speak, but he plainly did admonish us, That he was assured of troubles suddenly to come, and therefore he exhorted all men to prayers. He treated the first three Verses in Edinburgh, to the comfort of many.
The Argument of the 80 Psalme.
He declared the Argument of the Psalme, affirming for his judgement, That it was made by David himself, who in the Spirit of Prophesie foresaw the miserable estate of Gods people, especially after the ten Tribes were divided, and departed from the obedience of Iuda; for it was not (said he) without cause, that Ioseph, Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasse was especially named, and not Iuda; to wit, Because that they came first to calamity, and were translated from their own Inheritance, while that Iuda yet possessed the Kingdome.Note. He confessed that justly they were punished for Idolatry committed; but he affirmed, That amongst them there remained some true worshippers of God, for whose comfort were the Prophets sent, as well to call them to repentance, as to assure them of deliverance, and of the promises of God to be performed unto them.
The Division.
He divided the Psalme into three parts; to wit,
1. In a Prayer.
2. In the ground whereupon their Prayer was founded.
3. And in the lamentable complaints, and the Vow they made unto God.
Their Prayer was, That God should convert and turne them, That he should make his face to shine upon them, And that he should restore them to their former dignity.
The Grounds and Foundations of their Prayers were,
1. That God himself had become Pastor and Governour unto them.
2. That he had taken the protection of them into his own hand.
3. That he had chosen his habitation amongst them.
4. That he had delivered them from Bondage and Thraldome.
5. That he had multiplied and blessed them with many notable Benedictions.
Upon those two parts he gave these Notes.
First, That the felicity of Gods people may not be measured by any externall appearance; for often it is, That the same people to whom God becometh not onelyonly Creator, but Pastor and Protector, is more severely dealt with, then those Nations where very ignorance and contempt of God raigneth.
Secondly, That God never made his acquaintance and league with one people by his Word,Note. but that there he had some of his elect, who albeit they suffered for a time in the midst of the wicked, yet in the end they found comfort, and felt in very experience, that Gods promises are not vaine.
Thirdly, That those prayers were dyted unto the people by the holy Ghost, before they came to the uttermost of trouble, to assure them that God, by whose Spirit the Prayer was dyted, would not contemne the same in the midst of their calamities.
The third part, containing the lamenable complaint, he treated on in Sterlin, in presence of the Duke, and of the whole Councell.
In the exposition thereof, he declared wherfore God in wisedom sometimes suffered his chosen Flock to be exposed to mockage and dangers, and to appearing destruction; to wit, That they may feel the vehemency of Gods indignation,Note diligently. That they may know how little strength is in themselves, That they may leave a testimony to the Generations following, as well of the malice of the Devill against Gods people, as of the marvellous work of God in preserving his little flock by farre other means than man can espie.
In explaning these words, How long shalt thou be angry, O Lord, against the prayer of thy people; he declared how dolorous and fearfull it was to fight against that temptation, that God turned away his face from our prayers, for that was nothing else than to comprehend and conceive God to bee armed to our destruction: which temptation no flesh can abide nor overcome, unlesse the mighty Spirit of God interpose himself suddenly.
The example he gave, The impaciency of Saul, when God would not hear his prayers.
The difference betwixt the Elect and Reprobate in that Temptation, he plainly declared to be, that the Elect sustained by the secret power of Gods Spirit, did still call upon God, albeit he appeared to contemne their prayers: which (said he) is the sacrifice most acceptable to God, and is in a manner even to fight with God, and to overcome him, as Iacob did in wrastling with his Angell.
But the Reprobate (said he) being denyed of their requests at Gods hand, do either cease to pray and contemne God, who straightlie commandeth us to call upon him in the day of adversitie, or else they seek at the Devill, that which they see they cannot obtain by God.
2. In the second part he declared how hard it was to this corrupt nature of ours not to rejoyce and put confidence in our selves when God giveth victory,Note. and therefore how necessary it was that man by affliction should be brought to the knowledge of his own infirmitie▪ least that he being puffed up with vain confidence, he make an Idoll of his owne strength, as did King Nebuchadnezzar.
He did gravely dispute upon the nature of the blinde world, which in all ages had insolently rejoyced when God did chasten his own children, whose glory and honour because the Reprobate can never see, therefore they despi…e them, and the wondrous works of God in them. And yet (said he) the joy and rejoycing of the world, is but meer sorrow, because the end of it tendeth to sudden destructon, as the riotous banquetting of Baltasar declareth, applying these heads to the time and persons (he said) if none of Gods children had suffered before us the same injuries that presently we sustaine, these our troubles would appear intollerable, such is our tender delicacie, and selfe-love of our owne flesh. That these things which we lightly passe over in others, we can greatlie complaine of, if they touch our selves.
I doubt not but that some of us have ofter then once read this Psalme, as also that we have read and heard the travell and troubles of our ancient Fathers. But which of us, either in reading or hearing their dolours and temptations did so discend into our selves that we felt the bitternesse of their passions? I think none. And therefore hath God brought us to some experience in our own persons.
But yet because the matter may appear obscure, unlesse it be more properly applyed; I cannot in conscience but use such plainnesse as God shall grant unto me. Our faces are this day confounded, our enemies triumph, our hearts have quaked for fear, and yet they remain oppressed with sorrow and shame. But what shall we think to be the very cause that God hath thus dejected us;Speciali… Applicatio. if I shall say, Our sins, and former unthankfulnesse unto God, I speak the truth, but yet I speak more generally then the present necessity requireth: For when the sins of men are rebuked in generall, seldome it is that man descendeth within himself, accusing and condemning in himself that which most displeaseth God; but rather he doubteth that to be a cause, which before God is no cause indeed. For example, The Israelites fighting against the Tribe of Benjamin, were twice discomfited with the losse of 40000 men. They lamented and bewailed both first and last; but we finde not that they came to the knowledge of their offence and sin which was the cause that they fell by the edge of the sword, but rather they doubted that to have been a cause of their misfortune, which God had commanded, for they asked, Shall we go and fight any more against our brethren the sonnes of Benjamin. By which question it is evident, That they supposed that the cause of their overthrow and discomfite was, Because they had lifted the sword against their brethren and naturall Countrey-men: And yet the expresse Commandment of God that was given unto them, did deliver them from all crime in that cause. There is no doubt, but that there was some cause in the Israelites that God gave them so over into the hands of these wicked men, against whom he sent them, by his own expresse Commandment, to execute his Judgements. Such as do well mark the History, and the estate of that people, may easily see the cause why God was offended: All the whole people had declined from God,Let Scotland yet take heed. Idolatry was maintained by the common consent of the multitude, and, as the Text saith, Every man did that which appeared good in his own eyes. In this mean time the Levite complained of the villany that was done unto himself, and unto his wife, which oppressed by the Benjamites of Gibeah, died under their filthy lusts: which horrible fact enflamed the hearts of the whole people to take vengeance upon that abomination (and therein they offended) but in this they failed, That they go to execute judgement against the wicked without any repentance, or remorse of conscience of their owne former offences, and defection from God. And farther, Because they were a great multitude, and the other were far inferiour unto them: They trusted in their own strength, and thought themselves able enough to do their purpose, without any invocation of the Name of God: But after that they had twice proved the vanity of their own strength, they fasted and prayed; and being humbled before God, they received a more favourable answer, and assured promise of the Victory. The like may be amongst us, albeit suddenly we do not espie it: And to the end that every man may the better examine himself, I will divide the whole company into two sorts of men. The one are those that from the beginning of this trouble have sustained the common danger with their brethren: The other be these which be joyned to our fellowship. In the one and in the other I fear that just cause shall be found, why God should thus have humbled us. And albeit that this appear strange at the first hearing, yet if every man shall examine himself, I speak as that his conscience dyteth him, I doubt not but he shall subscribe to my sentence. Let us begin at our selves who longest hath continued in this Battell. When we were a few number in comparison of our enemies, when we had neither Earle nor Lord (a few excepted) to comfort us, we called upon God, and took him for our Protector, Defence, and onelyonly Refuge. Amongst us was heard no bragging of multitude, nor of our strength nor policy, we did onelyonly sob to God to have respect to the equity of our Cause, and to the cruell pursuit of the tyrannicall enemy. But since that our number had been thus multiplied, and chiefly since the Duke with his friends have been joyned with us, there was nothing heard, but, This Lord will bring these many hundred Speares; This man hath the credit to perswade this Countrey; If this Earle be ours, no man in such bounds will trouble us. And thus the best of us all, that before felt Gods potent hand to our defence, hath of late dayes put Flesh to be our Arme. But wherein yet had the Duke and his friends offended?Let janglers and inconstant m…n note. It may be, That as we have trusted in them, so have they put too much confidence in their owne strength. But granting it be not so, I see a cause most just, why the Duke and his friends should thus be confounded amongst the rest of their brethren. I have not yet forgotten what was the dolour and anguish of my owne heart, when at Saint Iohnston, Cooper-Moure, and Edinburgh Craigs, those cruell murtherers that now hath put us to this dishonour, threatned our present destruction; The Duke and his friends at all three Journeys was to them a great comfort, and unto us a great discouragement: For his name and authority did more astonish us, then did the force of the other; yea, without his assistance, they could not have compelled us to appoint with the Queen upon so unequall Conditions. I am certaine, if the Duke hath unfainedly repented of that his assistance to those murtherers unjustly pursuing us: yea, I am certaine, if he hath repented of the innocent blood of Christs blessed Martyrs which was shed by his fault: But let it be, that so he hath done (as I hear that he hath confessed his offence before the Lords and Brethren of the Congregation) yet I am assured, That neither he,Le the House of Hamilton remember this. neither yet his friends, did feel before this time the anguish and grief of hearts which we felt, when their blinde fury pursued us; and therefore hath God justly permitted both them and us to fall into this confusion at once; us, for that we put our trust and confidence in man;Conclusio. and them, because that they should feel their owne hearts, how bitter was the cup which they made others to drinke before them. Resteth that both they and we turn to the Eternall our God (who beateth down to death, to the intent that he may raise up again to leave the remembrance of his wonderous deliverance, to the praise of his owne Name) which if we do unfainedly, I no more doubt but that this our dolour, confusion, and fear, shall be turned into joy, honour, and boldnesse, then that I doubt that God gave Victory to the Israelites over the Benjamites, Let the Papists and greatest enemies witnesse.after that twice with ignominy they were repulsed and driven back: yea, whatsoever shall become of us and our mortall carkasses, I doubt not but that this Cause (in despight of Sathan) shall prevaile in this Realme of Scotland. For as it is the eternall Trueth of the eternall God, so shall it once prevaile, howsoever for the time it be impugned. It may be that God shall plague some for that they delight not in the Trueth, albeit for worldly respects they seem to favour it: Yea God may take some of his dearest children away before that their eyes see greater troubles. But neither shall the one nor the other so hinder this action, but in the end it shall triumph.
This Sermon ended, in the which he did vehemently exhort all men to amendment of life, to Prayers, and to the Works of Charity, the mindes of men began wonderously to be erected: and immediately after dinner the Lords passed to counsell, unto the which the said Iohn Knox was called to make invocation of the Name of God (for other Preachers were none with us at that time) in the end it was concluded, That William Maitland aforesaid, should passe to London, to expose our estate and condition to the Queen and Counsell, and that the Noble-men should depart to their home and quiet to the 16 day of December: Which time was appointed to the next Convention in Sterlin, as in this our third Booke following shall be more amply declared. With this we end the second Book of the History of the progresse of Religion within Scotland.
Look upon us, O Lord, in the multitude of thy mercies, for we are brought even to the deep of the dungeon.
The end of the second Booke.