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

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with a great deal of Tendernefs and Familiarity ; Tell me'
(faith fhe) where thou feedeft, and where thou makeft thy
Flocks to re]} at Noon ? 7,dly, an Argument, whereby (he
prefleth the hearing of her Suit; and it is from the Difad-
vantage (he might through Frailty fuftain ; Why Jhould 1
be as one that turneth afide by the Flocks of thy Companions ?
I (hall draw up thefe three things in one Propofition, and,
in unfolding of it, touch them particularly.
Propof. Although the fmcere Lovers of Jefus Chrift
may be fo fcorched by the Heat of Afflitftion and Tribula¬
tion, as not to know where to find Paflure or Reft, yet
’tis fo unreafonable a thing in their Eyes to turn afide by
the Flocks of his Companions, that they will feck Pafture
and Reft in his Company, and from him alone. This may
be, at firft Reading, perceived to be the very Scope of the
Words. There are theft four Things in it :
if}. That there are fome Companions of Jefus Chrift,
whom, even in the greateft Extremities, we cannot follow,
without turning afide. By Companions of Chrift here, un-
derftand not thefe who are really fo, whom he honoureth
with the Title of his Friends, John xv. 14. You are my
Friends, if you do whatfoever 1 command you, or, at leaft,
as they come under that Notion; but thefe whole Work
and Defign have a Tendency to ftt the Soul at Variance
with Jefus Chrift, or at a Diftance from him, who, when
the Lord Jefus, the eternal Wifdom of the Father, crieth,
Turn in hither ; they upon the other hand, by Word or
evil Example, fay, Turn in hither. I (hall reckon out
in general thefe four Companions whom we cannot follow,
without turning afide.
Fir]}, Theft who carry it written upon the Face of their
Converfittion, in Capital Letters, that he that runs may
read it, that they are Enemies to Jefus Chrift ; and theft
'arc the openly profane. Profanity abounding is a fpiritual
peftilence ; Souls are thereby tumbled over by Heaps into
eternal