Sermon Preached After Sentence of Exile, Sermon
A SERMON Preached by Maſter Michael Bruice, IN THE Tolbooth of EDINBƲRGH, The immediate Sabbath after he received the Sentence of Exile for Virginia.
Text, PSALM 140. v. 12, 13.
12. I know that the Lord will maintain the Cauſe of the afflicted, and the Right of the poor.
13. Surely the Righteous ſhall give thanks unto thy name, the upright ſhall dwell in thy preſence.
THere are three things of excellent worth to be known at ſuch a time as this, and I think ye ſhould be labouring to know the worth of all theſe three things in this your day. The firſt thing that is of excellent worth to be known, is this, To know that though we do not maintain the Cauſe, yet, go the World as it will, God will maintain it, ſays the Pſalmiſt here, Though we be an afflicted people that is during the Cauſe, and do not maintain it, yet it ſhall be maintained; I know God ſhall maintain it, and I will never quit the knowledge of that. The ſecond thing here that is of excellent worth to be known, is, Although we ſhould be weeping all our days, under the ſenſe of many Loſſes, yet we ſhall win home over to God, and dwell at laſt in his preſence; Therefore if all things were well conſidered, the poor traitour Bodies that ſells God for a tippence, and their Conſciences for a Livelyhood, and their Souls for Goods and Geer, are the moſt miſerable Bodies in the World, for they ſhall never dwell in his preſence, but they ſhall geet their Letters of Excluſion, Depart from me, under the Great Seal of Heaven, never to be ranverſed again. There is a third thing of excellent worth no be well read by you, in ſuch a day as this, and that is in the ſlippery ſitting of the wickeds Caſe, though they flouriſh as a Green Bay-Tree, yet they ſhall ſoon be cut down. He hath prepared Hunters to hunt them to Death, will he not gar the people of God hunt them to death? No, no, oft times he'l not let the people of God fil their Fingers on them. But there are three Hunters that oft times he ſends to them wicked men to be their Death. Firſt, he ſends their own wiekedneſs to them, and that is alſe black a Hunter as ever hunted wicked men, he makes their own iniquity to hunt them till they be ruined; he makes wickedneſs ſlay them, and their own iniquity to be their death; Miſchief ſhall hunt the violent man till he be ruined. Secondly, he makes the Creatures hund them to death, that was ane unk… Hunter, that poor Pharaoh met with; he made the Red-ſea hunt him till he was ruined. Thirdly, he'l have their own will to hunt them to death, he'l have that which they lay as a Snare before the people of God, to hunt them to death; that which wicked mendelights moſt in, and gloties moſt in, will be their Hunter or all be done. I wot well they are great Fools then, to glory in that which will hunt them from hole to hole, and from this Land to that Land, and never leave them till it raive the throat out of them; What will be thought of thoſe poor Bodies that will be hunted to death with that they delighted moſt in? Now the Words that we have read are the uſe that the Pſalmiſt makes of all that he hath been ſaying through the Pſalm, or rather ye may take it in the time of his toſſings, his caſting of his Anchor on a ſure Foundation, and there fixing, and on this he compoſes his Spirit. Now would ye know the Anchorage of every true Chriſtian? Then come to the words that I have read, and ye will find three pieces of Anchorages for a Chriſtian to fix on. The firſt piece of Anchorage is this, The Cauſe of the afflicted and the Right of the poor God will maintain; Anchor on it ſure, for it is ſure enough, ey ye may anchor there, and bide all the Storm over; The Cauſe of the afflicted, and the Right of the poor God will maintain; that is a brave Anchorage, and in it we have three things conſiderable. Firſt, the deſignation of the perſons that God will own in their biding by the Cauſe, and that is the afflicted and the poor; well is our day for that, though we cannot get our ſelves in owning with the rich, and great Folk, yet I wot well we may get our names ſlipped in among the afflicted and poor, and it theſe that lie neareſt God's help, it is theſe that he'l own, wel is our day for that; Hes he not a bonny pack of us think ye? Sirs it matters not, he'l take our Cauſe be the end feckleſs as we are. A ſecond thing in this is the party that will own us, and that is God himſelf, he'l be our Advocate, he'l be our Agent, he'l be our Maintainer, very good then, he'l maintain the Cauſe: For my part I never deſire a better maintainer of a Covenant nor God himſelf, and I never deſire a better maintainer of the Cauſe and Work of Reformation nor the Lord himſelf; though we were dead and rotten, ſuch a Maintainer will gar the Cauſe and Covenant ſpeak for it ſelf in Britain and Ireland. It's a ſtrange thing Sirs, I'l warrant you the Philiſtines thought themſelves brave Folk, when they had gotten the Ark of God among them, but ere all was done they thought themſelves alſe unhappy in having of it, as ever they thought themſelves happy; for God gart it ſpeak with meekle black Vengance towards them, and all that they could do could not anſwer the Arks Arguments, it ſpake with ſuch Judgment and Plagues as ever ye heard tell of, as ye may read in the 1 of Sam. 5. chap. And I doubt not but theſe poor Bodies that hes overthrown our Covenant and Work of Reformation, ſhall wiſh as much that they had non overthrown them, as ever they were bly that their overthrow, ſtay till God gar a work of Reformation plead for it ſelf with Vengeance, and ſtay till God gar Vengeance ſpeak for a broken Govenant, and then all the Prelats and all the Lords in Scotland will not anſwer theſe arguments, let them try their parts againſt the Covenant as they pleaſe; but all the Prelats in Scotland ſhall not be able to anſwer the arguments of a broken Covenant, when it pleads with vengeance.
A ſecond thing of this Anchorage is, the way how he brings it in; I know (ſayes he) God will maintain the cauſe of the afflicted: And it is not an Outward and External, or bare Speculative knowledge, but a knowledge with a perſwaſion, founded on an Infallible ground, and a piece of Anchorage for a Chriſtian to fix on, is this, Surely the Righteous ſhall give thanks to God: A man cannot expreſs his perſwaſion of a thing better, nor by this; Surely the Righteous ſhall give thanks unto thy Name: It ſhall not be a thing only in the Heart and Thought to do, but it ſhall be a done Turn, they ſhall think no ſhame to praiſe their Maſter for what they have the Recept of. A third piece of Anchorage for a Chriſtian to fix on; is this, The Righteous ſhall dwell in thy preſence; I will not ſay but ye may have hard Battering if ye be Upright, but in Gods preſence ſhall be Lodging: The men of the World ſayes they'l gar us take up our Lodging in Virginia to learn us to be more Loyal: They may do ſo, but they'l get no thanks for their pains: But I'l tell you News, if we be Upright, the preſence of God ſhall be our Lodging, Lodge where we will; and think ye not but I may Lodge there, and have a Brave Life of it where I Quarter, and get my Boarding Born me, and where I'l Quarter and pay no Houſe Male; where I'l Quarter in good Company: O then Sweet and Heartſome will my Houſe Quarters be: But I may not ſtand on preferring, really all theſe words drops ſweetneſs, as the Honey and the Honey Comb; if I had the Faith of theſe three on my Spirit, I would go though all the world comforted. Firſt, The Faith of this, that the Cauſe of the afflicted, and the right of the poor, God will maintain. Secondly, The Faith of this, that I and others ſhould have ground and reaſon to thank him yet for that's com'd and gone. Thirdly, That I and theſe others ſhould be Upright, and ſo ſhould dwell in his preſence; if I had theſe three Purſe-pennies, I would think nothing to go through all the world with them: I ſhall now give you one Leſſon from the Connection, and then come to the words more particularly: O! but you may ſee David here is much buſied in this Pſalm about his enemies that layes Grins and Snares for him; therefore he's in great hazard to be taken with ſome of theſe, and yet ye ſee how he comes and ſetles himſelf in the midſt of all theſe waters and waves: Now the Obſervation is this, that many times the people of God may be haden in hot water with enemies, and meet with much to ſling from them, and yet may win to Anchor, and ſtay in the midſt of them: Here are four things in Perſecutors that troubles the people of God very much. Firſt, The perſons of the Perſecutors that ſome times have been ſuppoſed to have been Friends and no Enemies, and to them to be Perſecuted by ſuppoſed Friends, there is a great buſineſs: If it had been an enemy (ſayes David in the 95 Pſalm) that had done this, I would have known what to have done, but it is a Brother that hath done it; what ſhall be ſaid of that? If it had been Heathens or Pagons, or precis'd Papiſts that had ſo Perſecuted us, we would have kn…n what to have done better; but is our Brethren, Baſtards as they are, not Strangers and Foraigners, that ſo guids us, but our own Rulers that ſhould have been our Nurſing Fathers, Cruel and Unhumain as they are; and it is thoſe whoſe words are as Butter, many that put the people of God to an Nonplus well: Then ſince it is ſo, that they have a Sword in their heart, but ſpeaks as their mouth were full of Butter; David ſays the ſtreſs of this over upon God, that he would keep him from them. A ſecond thing in Perſecutors that is very toſſing to the people of God, and holds them oft times in hot water, is the Grins and Snares that they lay for them, and poor bodies can never tell where the lye, and if we look not well about us, our Feet will be in ſome Cord or Grin or ever we wot of our ſelves. A third thing in Perſecutors that troubles the people of God very much, is the Language of Perſecutors; it's as a Sword in their Bowels while the enemies ſay continually where is their God: I rather byd Execution or Martyrdom, ſayes the poor man, or I byd their Language; it's a Sword always in my Bones, while they ſay continually where is there God? A fourth thing in Enemies that toſſes and troubles the people of God very much; is their Cruelty, they'l never neither let them get Nights reſt nor Days reſt, whill they apprehend them; and till they deal Inhumainly with them, in Executing them, and dealing worſe then Heathens or Pagons would deal with them: Now notwithſtanding of all this toſſing of David with Enemies, yet he comes to an Anchorage, and there he fixes; he comes to a point, and there he fixes. Now there are ſix points that a Chriſtian may win to in the midſt of all his toſſings with enemies: Have any of you win to all theſe ſix points ye Priſoners? Fix your ſelves Sirs, for the Lord knows what battering we may meeet with or all the buſineſs end. The firſt point that a Chriſtian may win to in the midſt of all his toſſings, ye may take it out of the 6 v. of this Pſalm, I ſaid unto the Lord, thou art my God; Go the world as it will, I have a ſtanding Intereſt in God, and I'l fix there and byd there; for they call this the main Chance, therefore fix there, for it's the main buſineſs, and ſicker what ye will, if the main Chance be not ſickered, I'l not give a Gray Groat for you and your Religion both; if ye be not well Anchored here, it matters not what ye be Anchored on. The ſecond point that a Chriſtian may win to in the midſt of all his toſſings, and that is in the 27 Pſalm. at the 4 v. One thing have I deſired of the Lord that will I ſeek after, that I may dwell in the houſe of the Lord all the days of my life; and go where I will poor ordinance ſhall ay be beſt to me, I ſhall never caſt out with them, be in what Countrey I will, go to what Countrey I will, poor and pure ordinance ſhall be my purſuit, go where I will, I'l never deſire to live without poor Ordinances; there I fix, and go where I will the Ordinances of God, of thee O Scotland ſhall never go out of my mind; O broken down well of the Daughter of Zion in thee O Scotland! for thee ſhall mine eyes trinkle down, if I forget thee O Jeruſalem, then let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. The third point that poor men may win to when they are ſore toſſed with enemies, and ye may take it out of the 4 of the Acts 27 and 28 v. There ſayes the Apoſtle, Herod and Pontius Pilate, and the Jews are gathered together againſt thy holy child Jeſus; I wot well then that will be a black Councel, then I wot well they will exceed bounds when all the enemies are together, no they'l do but to the holy Child Jeſus what ever thy hand and counſel hath foreordained to be done; here they ſtand poor folk, they can win no farther nor thy allowance: We are ay flitting and flowing in our Thoughts about what enemies will do, but let their intentions to do be never ſo ſtrong, they can neither add nor pair, but what his counſel and hand hath decreed; and ſince there is a hand and a counſel of God about all that concerneth me, what needs I be feard though enemies ſhould hunt me as a Partridge in the wilderneſs. The fourth point that poor men may win to when they are toſſed, and that is in 76 Pſal. 10 v. Surely the wrath of man ſhall praiſe thee: There comes the poor man and he flings down his Anchor, the men of the world thinks that they'l get much done by their Wrath and Malice, and ſo all the Skaith muſt come to themſelves, for we and our Maſter ſhall have the winning of it. There is a fifth point that we may come to in the midſt of our toſſings, and that is in the 31 Jerem. 35 v. Thus ſaith the Lord, who giveth the Sun for a light by day, and the Ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night, who divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roar, the Lord of hoſts is his Name: If theſe ordinances depart from before me, ſaith the Lord, then the ſeed of Iſrael ſhall ceaſe from being a Nation before me for ever. There is an Alteration to be upon the good will of the Lord toward his people and Church in keeping a Table for his Bairns, and in making a Lamp alwayes to burn before his Anointed as long as the Ordinances of Sun and Moon and Stars do not fail, as long as there is no alteration, there it's a ſign and token of his unchangeable reſpect to his Church and people; there we fix. There is a ſixth point that we come to in the midh of our toſſings, and that is the 3 of Iſaiah 10 v. Say to the righteous is ſhall be well with them, for they ſhall eat fruit of their doings: There is a point we fix on go the world as it will; I will not ſay but we may meet with ſad troubles for righteouſneſs ſake but (well well ſhall call) up the Reer of it Now Sirs, will ye tell me, have he win to all theſe 6 points? Yet now for Uſe, I think there are three complaints that our Maſter hath of us all. The firſt is that which ye may read in the 1 Kings at the 21 v. How long halt ye betwixt two opinions? If the Lord be God follow him, but if Baal, then follow him: Our Maſter is ſaying, to Priſoners, to to Miniſters and Profeſſors, How long will ye halt betwixt two opinions? Will ye once be determined in the matters of your Faith in this reeling and flowing time?
The ſecond complaint that our Maſter hath of the moſt part of the Profeſſors in Scotland, and that is, Every new trouble puts them to be ſeeking their ground again, after they ſeem'd to have taken it up; Is not this very ſad that every new trouble puts us to ſeek a ſtance again, though we ſeem'd to be footing a ſtand before. There is a third complaint he hath of us all, and that is our hearts are not right with him, neither are we ſtedfaſt in his Covenant, and the moſt part of us travels betwixt theſe two, even for getting of his counſel, and inconſtancy with him in his Covenant: But we come now more particularly to the Words; I know that the Cauſe of the afflicted and the Right of the poor God will maintain: And the Obſervation is this, That as the people of God have need of knowledge in a day of troubble, ſo it is very commendable among them to be making uſe of their knowledge for ſettling and fixing the heart in a day of the Croſs; O but ignorance doth folk much ill in a day of trouble; there is many folk hath knowledge, and they make not the right uſe of its and there are many hath knowledge, and yet they get not the right uſe of it; but that is an ill uſe that a man gets of his knowledge when he makes uſe of it for the ſtumbling of thoſe that are about him, that are not ſo knowing; but ye ſee how the man has knoweldge, and he makes uſe of it for ſettling of himſelf upon God. There is two things in this Obſervation. Firſt, it's a brave thing for a Chriſtian to have much Light. Secondly, it's a brave thing for a Chriſtian to be making uſe of that Light for fixing of himſelf in a day of trouble. That I may ſpeak a little to the Obſervation, I'l ſpeak a Word to theſe three or four things. Firſt, what are theſe things that a Chriſtian is to know in order to its fixedneſs in a day of the Croſs. Secondly, what the knowledge is that fixes us on the nobleneſs of that knowledge. We ſhall ſpeak of theſe pieces of knowledge, and then a word of uſe. The firſt thing then to be ſpoken to is, There are theſe things that we ſhall know; and there are 9 things the knowledge of which ſhould never be off our hearts. The firſt is in the 9 of Jer. 24 ver. But let him that glorieth glory in this. That he underſtandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exerciſeth Judgment, Righteouſneſs and Loving-kindneſs in the Earth; for in theſe things I delight, ſaith the Lord. That is one thing that I am to know, and let the Impreſſion of it never wear off my Soul; What ever toſſings his people come to upon the Earth, that God exerciſeth Loving-Kindneſs towards them. A ſecond thing that I know, and that is in the 33 Pſalm, at the 10 and 11. v. The Lord bringeth the Counſel of the Heathen to nought, he maketh the Devices of the people of none effect; The Counſel of the Lord ſtandeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all Generations. There is another thing, I know the men of the World ſays the Acts of their Council ſhall ſtand againſt us ſentenced for Rebels, but that is not the Counſel of God when all is done, therefore he will bring it to nought, and make it of none effect, Therefore when we have gotten our Sentence from the World, and from the Counſel we will appeal to another Judicature that is above them, well's us, for we have one above us, that will ſee us righted in our Sentence; it is he whoſe Counſel endureth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to all Generations. There is a third thing I am to know, and that is in the 2 Tim. 1.12. I know in whom I have believed, and the good thing I have committed unto him he will keep till that day, I know I have committed my Soul to him, and I know I have committed Wife and Bairns, Goods and Geir to him, and all now if ye take not the Bond. I can commit all to God, and he can give me a good accou…t of all in that day, O but that day will be a brave counting day betwixt Chriſt and his Followers: and if ye ſhould ſpear what an a day will that be? It will be a brave counting day betwixt Chriſt and his Followers, it'l be a brave counting day betwixt Chriſt and his Father; Here am I, and the Children thou gave me, here am I, and my Bairns at my Back, there is never one of them loſt, for all the ſcatterings, and wanderings that was among them▪ they are all here; Now ſome were killed in the Fields, ſome were executed on Scaffolds, ſome by Murderers hagged down as they ſtood on the Croſs-ways, ſome murdered in Houſes, their Relations never heard tell of them, ſome loſt in the Sea, ſome baniſhed to the utmoſt Parts of the Earth, ſome part of them buried, and ſome part of them unburied; but here are they all now, and never one of them loſt; they ſhall all Proclaime the high Praiſes of the Lord through Eternity. Sixthly, it'l be a counting Day betwixt Chriſt and his Followers. Here am I, with all that ye committed to me, your Souls with Increaſe; O ſuch a gallant counting day as that will be. There is a fourth thing I know, and that is in the 4 Dan. 2 or 3▪ v. before the end. I know God ruleth in Heaven among the Children of men. I pray you who is Maſter Governour of the World? I wot well it's neither. Men nor Devils, then we would not have a Cock to crow day; I wot well ſays the Magiſtrates and Men of the World, there is▪ none ruleth above us, ſoft and fair, as noble Blaids has been taught by ſad ſtrokes and ſore Skins; that the moſt high ruleth in Heaven among the Children of Men: Noble Nebuchadnizzar would not ken this, he was ſo great, till he made him to ken it by a ſore skin, 4 Dan. 38 v. It may be it coſt ſome of our great men a ſore skin yet or they learn this Leſſon; but learn it they ſhall; ſome of them might have known▪ this already, by what they were put to, but if they will not take up their Leſſon by what they have met with, God ſhall gar them ken yet by a more God-like-ſtroke, that he ruleth in Heaven, and among the Children of Men. There is a fifth thing I am to carry the knowledge of alongs with me; and that is in the 5 Matth. 18 v. Heaven and Earth may paſs away, but one jot or tittle of his Word ſhall not paſs away, till all be fulfilled; Therefore what ever is commanded I know I muſt obey, and what ever threatenings he has threatened upon enemies, I believe they will be accompliſhed, and whatever he has promiſed to his friends, I know it will be made out; This I know, and this I am to carry, the Faith of alongs with me through all my troubles. There is a ſixth thing that I am to know, and that is in the 89th. Pſalm, That whatever be the afflictions of the people of God, yet he will not take his Loving-kindneſs from them; And ſince I know that, what for ſhould I be diſcouraged and caſt down? The men of the World ſays what have we to look to now ſince we are ſuffering ſuch hard things for our Covenant and Work of Reformation? Indeed and our▪ Maſter were taking his Loving-kindneſs from us, then we will brag the beſt of them all, ſay the contrary who will, and I ſay rejoyce not over me, O mine Enemy, though I fall I ſhall riſe again; they ſhall be upmoſt that bides by our Maſter, and they ſhall be undermoſt that oppoſes him; ſay the contrary who will. There is a ſeventh thing I am to know, and that is, Be his Diſpenſations never ſo ſad, yet I know that which is in the 10th. v. of the 25 Pſal. All his Paths are Mercy and Truth to them that keep his Testimonies; And if I could come to be a fearer of him, and a keeper of his Covenant, I would ſoon be at a point as to what men could do to me; The men of the World ſays they ſhall put this and that in our Cup, to gar us rew what we have done; but if I be a keeper of his Covenant, my Maſter will put in Mercy and Truth in all his Diſpenſations to me, and then that'l ſweeten all. There is an eighth thing I know, and that is in the 75 v. of the 119 Pſal. I know all thy Judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulneſs hast afflicted me, I know that there is alſo much faithfulneſs in every rod that is laid upon my Back, as was exerciſed upon me when I was dandled upon his Knees. There is a ninth thing I know, and that is, That the Lord is God, and not Man, the holy one of Iſrael in the midſt of us; therefore we ſhall not die but live; He hath ordained us for Correction, but not for Deſtruction; he will debate with us, but it will be in meaſure. There is a tenth thing I am to know, and that is in the 3 of Malachy, 3 v. He ſhall ſit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver; I know this, that as long as we are in the Fire, he will ſit at the Lip of it; I know he ſits as a Refiner to drop in Bell-mettal as the Droſs goes away: Bnd his end in all this is that we may offer unto him the Sacrifice of Righteouſneſs; Now theſe are ten things that a Chriſtian is to know and anchor upon in a day of trouble. The ſecond thing to be ſpoken to is, What is that knowledge that a Chriſtian hath, which is a knowledge in order to fixedneſs that a man muſt have, it is a knowledge with theſe four in the midſt of it; I am diſtinct in what I know, the cauſe of the afflicted, and the right of the poor God will maintain: I know though I ſhould be Baniſhed to Virginia, and never ſee that Cauſe maintained, yet God will maintain it; I know that, and I am diſtinct in the knowledge of it. 2dly. This man he knows believingly, he knows him ſo, that he has a perſwaſion through Faith that will admit of no Controverſies, it's not a knowledge by ratrym, it's not a knowledge by report and hear-ſay; but it is a knowledge that hath a divine Perſwaſion in the Boſom of it, flowing from a divine ſtamp of the finger of God upon the Spirit, cannot be taken off. Thirdly, not only doth he know diſtinctly and believingly, but he knows experimentally, and from what he hath found, he draws concluſions and perſwaſions. Fourthly, it's a knowledge with much operation in the Boſom of it, making him quick and nimble in the Practice of holineſs in all the courſe of this Life. The third thing to be ſpoken to, is, Wherein lies the nobleneſs of this knowledge? The nobleneſs of attaining ſuch knowledge lies in theſe three. Firſt, The nobleneſs of it lies in this, it ſays thou haſt been a good Schollar at the School of Chriſt; but I fear it may be ſaid of the moſt part of us, we have been but Buboes all our time, and ſo will come of it. Secondly, The nobleneſs of it lies in this, that it is that which will help to fix you and keep you from being blown over in the day of Tempeſts and Storms, when other folk are made Ship-wreck. Thirdly, The nobleneſs of it lies in this, this is it that will help you to brag all your Enemies out of it, and it'l make you read your Fortune, and the Fortune of your Enemies; Though I fall I ſhall riſe: Nor for uſe of this: Will ye tell me, Sirs, what knowledge have ye, and what uſe ye are getting of your knowledge? I trow it may be ſaid of many of us that we have little knowledge, and that the knowledge we have, we get not the right uſe of it; What uſe make ye of your knowledge now-a-days, Sirs, ye that has win to knowledge, for it's not for want of Light that the moſt part of you runs to the Devil, but ye run to the Devil now a dayes with a Candle in your hand; O but there is much thortering and murdering in Scotland, but thortering with Light ſhall be the wariſomeſt ſin that ever Scotland medled with; for thereby many a poor body ſhall have a debate in their boſom, that they ſhall not ſoon win over, whether or no they have ſinned the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt; becauſe they have gone over the belly of ſo much Light; I will not ſay much to it, but O but it is heartſome to win to theſe two, much Light, and the right uſe of that Light: O but here is noble News: the Cauſe of the afflicted, and the right of the poor, God will maintain it; and it's upon this account, that when the Kirk and people of God cannot get righting from the Courts under the Sun, but is wronged by the Sentences of the Councels of men. they take in their wronged Sentences before God: Therefore ſayes David in the 17 Pſ. 2 v. Let my Sentence come forth from thy preſence, and let thine eyes behold theſe things that are equal; We have gotten our Sentence from men, now good Lord we muſt have our Sentence from thee, and thou muſt judge upon things that are equal, and ſee whether thy Sentence will not agree with theirs; the Cauſe of the afflicted, and the right of the poor God will maintain: Now there is three things lying in the boſom of this.
Firſt, that the people of God hes a Cauſe in Scotland. although many of them hes little in their owning of it; there is a Cauſe own it as ye will; O wo to many a man becauſe the people of God hes a Cauſe to own in Scotland, wo to many a man that we had a Cauſe, for they have loſt their Soul, becauſe they would not own it. Thirdly, though that Cauſe be good, yet the owners of it be a very afflicted people; yet a good Cauſe backed by an afflicted people ſhall have God to maintain it, therefore caſt not out with the Cauſe, the owner of it be an afflicted people: That I may ſpeak a little to this, I'l ſpeak a word to theſe three or four. Firſt, what is the reaſon of this that a good Cauſe may have none to own it but a poor and an afflicted people. Secondly, what way doth God maintain that Cauſe when there is none to own it but an affl cted people. Thirdly, what ground of incouragement is this to an afflicted people owning a good Cauſe that God will maintain it himſelf. Fourthly, a word of Caution, together with ſome uſes and then go forward. Now for the firſt, how comes it that the Cauſe of the people God is good, and yet they are but an afflicted party in owning of it? It is upon three accounts that it is ſo: Firſt, upon this account, that though they own their duty, yet they are not without ſin and ſinful faults, and therefore though he will honour them to own the cauſe, becauſe they are his people, and give them a reward for the ſame, yet he'l not miſs to take vengeance on their Inventions; and therefore though owning the Cauſe they are but an afflicted people. Secondly, he'l have us an afflicted people that own his good Cauſe, that he may train us up in the exerciſe of three three things. Firſt, In the exerciſing of believing 3 Zephaniah 12. I will alſo leave in the midſt of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they ſhall truſt in the Name of the Lord: But I trow though we be an afflicted and poor people, yet we have done as little at the believing Trade, as if we had not been called to that exerciſe: Thirdly, he'l have us train'd up in the exerciſing of waiting, but I trow in ſtead of waiting on, many of us comes to the far nook of our patience. Fourthly, he'l have us thereby trained up in ſelf-denyal on the one hand, and dependance upon God on the other hand, he'l have us dying of our own bottom by affliction, but O Sirs, but ſelf love may go through many a Croſs with a Chriſtian, O but it may be long or a Chriſtian win to that; not I but Chriſt in me. Fifthly, he'l have poor bodies train'd up in this; to acknowledge God in all his wayes. And Laſtly, he'l have us an afflicted people, tho we be owning his Cauſe for this reaſon, that he may put all and every one of us to ſubſcrive this with our blood, as it were, That it is a bitter thing to depart from the living God, 2 Jerem. 19. And laſt of all, that he may make the afflicted people carry the afflicted and born down Cauſe over the belly of all the great and proſperous men in the world that oppoſes it: That he may make out the Scriptures to make the things that are not, to confound things that are; that ſo the work may be ſeen to be of God and not of man, for he'l not have arme reveal'd by the arme of fleſh; therefore he'l have none to own his Cauſe but an afflicted and poor people. The next thing to be ſpoken to, is what way God doth maintain this Cauſe, when there is none to own it but an afflicted people: There is eight wayes that God doth maintain the Cauſe when there is none to back it but an afflicted people. The firſt way that he maintains it is this; he gars the Cauſe ſpeak and plead for it ſelf, when all poor bodies are laid by, when there is none to plead for a Covenant, and Cauſe, and work of Reformation, he'l gar it plead with the arguments of vengeance, that all the Prelats in Scotland ſhall not be able to anſwer the arguments thereof; The Philiſtines when they got the Ark of God, I warrant they thought they had a priſe, there was never one to appear to own them, For it well, ſayes the Lord, the Ark ſhall plead for it ſelf, and they ſhall be as blyth to quit it, as ever they were blyth to take it; as ye may ſee in the 2 Sam. 4 v. I will not ſay much Sirs, but I am ſure the Kirk and Work of God will be troubleſome on the Stomack of ſome of our Malignants in Scotland, it'l make unreſt when they think it to be diſjeaſted; there is ſome ſort of Meat, though folk would fain eat it, yet it will not disjeaſt on their Stomack, but it comes up and gars them wirry them, but ſhall not go down; for a broken Covenant will plead with ſuch vengeance, that they ſhall not anſwer the arguments of it. There is a ſecond way that he maintains the Cauſe when poor bodies is laid by, and that is by borrowing a yocking of ſome enemies Plough for plowing a yocking in perſecutors Land, to give the people of God breathing time and leaſure to get their plough yocked, ſo God borrowes a yocking of the Philiſtines plough to Till a Rigg in Saul's Lund when he was purſuing David, while David got his Plough yocked, there was nothing betwixt David and him, but he's e'n coming purſuing him down the one ſide of the Hill, and David is going up the other; well, the Lord ſends one to Saul to cry to him, the Philiſtines is come in upon thy borders, and leaves off from purſuing David, and that was a yocking to Saul, while David was made ready for him; who wots but God may borrow a yocking of ſome enemies Plough to give Perſecutors yet a yocking, while the people of God get their Cords fixed.
A third way how he maintains the Cauſe ſometimes, and that is, by making Religion take a grip of the hearts of ſome of the enemies that has been the Ring-leaders of the Perſecutors of the Kirk and People of God, and then there will be reſt in the Church and People walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghoſt, in that 9 Acts Saul a Perſecutor and Ring-leader of Perſecution; Religion grip'd him at the heart. And then. in the 31. There was reſt throughout all the Church, walking in fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost: Is not that a brave way of maintaining of the Cauſe, that the perſecuted Cauſe ſhall take ſome great men be the heart, and then there ſhall be reſt in all the Churches, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghoſt. There is a fourth way that he maintains the Cauſe, and it is this, That be his Peoples Cauſe what will, they ſhall be honourably dealt with, and honourably carried through by him, and there ſhall be nothing wanting whan they'r put to ſufferings, to bear their expences for the honour of the Cauſe, but it ſhall be a gracious Cauſe by their great expence in ſuffering; this is clear in the 11 of the Revelations: There the witneſſes are ſlain, and their Bodies left on the Ground unburied; Well, within three days and a half they riſe again, and are carried into Heaven, and their being carried into Heaven is a greater terror to Enemies, then all they did among them: Our Maſter has ſo honourly born his peoples Expences, that he has made the Cauſe more glorious than all the actings, and many a time has his People had that to crack of, the more they were perſecuted, the more they ſang, who would have thought but a Priſon and a ſore Skin would have gart folk forget ſinging? and yet they never ſang ſweeter nor then; ſome ſays if they were in Priſon two or three days, they would be carried out in Biers, ſome ſays if they were in Priſon they would forget ſinging; there ſhall neither Priſons nor ſore Skins keep me from ſinging, II ſing as well in Priſon as in a Palace, and our ſinging in Priſon and Bonds ſhall be for the credit of our Cauſe, as well as preaching at liberty. Poor Paul and Barnabas when they got many Stripes, and were eaſten in Priſon,
End of the text · Michael Bruce, Sermon Preached After Sentence of Exile (1668)