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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die nearer to an End, Matt. xxiv. aj. a a. Then flail
there be great Tribulation, Juch as was not ftnee the Begin-
tting of the JVorld, no nor ever jhall be ; and what follows,
except thefe Days fhould be flortned no Flejh Jhould be faved,
but, for the Elect's Sake, thefe Days flail be flortned. So
that Violence is an evident Demonftration of Ihort Conti¬
nuance. How great a Damp might this be to the Fury of
Enemies, if thoroughly weighed? Certainly, as ’tis theWif-
dom of God’s People, when they embark in Religion, to
conftder ferioully what it may coil them, fo likeways ought
Enemies to do, whether they be able to perfect what they
have begun, whether they be able with their thoufands to
meet God with his twenty thoufands, or elfe, while the
■Lord is yet afar off, to fend Ambafladors and fue for
Peace.
e,thly, Conftder that, in the Time of hotteft Tribulation,
God hath a Feaft to give his People ; the Spoufe doubts
not that it is, but inquires where it is, Where feedefi
thou thy Flocks at Noon ? Let them be in a Wildernefs, he
rains down Manna upon them; let them be furrounded
with Enemies, he covers to them a Table in the midft
of their Enemies. When Enemies empty one Cup, he
makes another to overflow and run over. There are'two
Things referved to the People of God, which the hotteft
Perfecution cannot deprive them of, which makes up their
Fealt ; fir ft Stiffen tation, fecondly Delight. For the firft,
not to fpeak of that outward Provifion he makes for his
People, oftentimes preferving them from the bloody De-
figns of their Adverfaries, he will raife up an Obadiah
that will feed the Prophets of the Lord by fifties in Caves,
there is a fpiritual Sujfentation which he arTords unto them,
keeping them from finking under Difcouragements; fo that,
with the Apoftle Paul, they know how to want as well
as how to abound ; how to be hungry as how to be full ;
how to be ftraiteaed as how to be enlarged; having learned
in
1,