Religion & morality > Last publick sermon, being a faithful and free one, preached by Mr. Hugh Mackaile ... upon the Sabbath immediately preceeding that 8th of September 1662, the day affixed for the removing of the ministers of Edinburgh from their kirks

the Marriage of the King’s Son, wherein Solomon, accord-'
ing to the Angular Prerogative of Wifdom, wherewith he
was privileged above all the reft of the Children of Men,
diveth deeply into that myftenaus and admirable Con¬
junction betwixt Chrift and his Church, which is called.
Rev. xxi. 9. The Bride, the Lamb's Wife-, wherein, under-
borrowed Terms, he giveth a vive Reprefentation of Be¬
lievers in their various Exigencies and Dependance on
Chrift in this World, and of his Difpenfations towards
them, in condelcending to a gracious Supply. And in this
Place the Church is held forth, under the Figure of a chalte
Virgin, (landing without, in a defolate and forlorn Eftate,
in the fcorching Beams of the Sun (hining in his Strength,
anxious where to And a fatisfying Shelter, accounting it a
mifcrable Thing to join herfelf to thefe who prefume to
rival it with him whom her Soul loveth, whom (he there¬
fore fcornfully calls his Companions ; and in this Strait (he
crieth to him for a Shelter and Reft. So likeways it often¬
times comes to pafs, that the Condition of the Church of
God is darkened by AffliClion, the Lord covering theDaugh-
ter of Zion with a Cloud in his Anger, and calling down
from Heaven to Earth the Beauty of his Ifrael; and the
Devil catcheth hold of this Occalion to fot at Work all
his Inftruments to fet forward their DeftruClion, if fo by
any Means he can engage his People to lay afide their In¬
tegrity, to hearken to the InllruClion that caufeth to err
from the Words of Knowledge, or to break forth into a
Murmuring ; Why fhould I wait for the Lord any long¬
er l But they who have their H arts already difengaged
from the World, and engaged to Chrift, will account it
nnreafonable to hearken to anything that may fupport a
Divorce from him; and therefore, when they are furround-
ed with Difficulties, they turn in to that known Boforh
where they have oft poured out the Complaints of their
Soul; hence they feek Counfol and Strength to follow it.
Yon