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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Temptation. Yea, Afflidion is the Lord’s Furnace, where¬
in the more they be tried, they come forth the more pu¬
rified; Job xxxvi. 8, 9, to. If the Righteous be bound
in Fetters, and held in Cords of /'fflittion, then he fhenetb
them their Work and Tranjgrefions wherein they have ex¬
ceeded ; he openeth alfo their Ears to Difcipline, and com-
niandeth them to return from Iniquity. The Conclufion of
a believing Soul under Afflidion is, If God punilh me fo
Iharply for thole Sins that I have already committed a-
gainit him, much more lhall I not be ftricken if I revolt
any more l This is the Conclufion of Ezra, ix. 6, 7, 15,
and 14. / am ajhamed and blufh to lift up my Face to thee,
0 my God; for our Tranfgrefions are gone up to the Hea¬
vens : And for this we, our Kings and our Priejls, have
been delivered over to a Spoil and Confnfwn. And after all
this is come upon us for cur evil Deeds, (feeing thou haft
punifhei us lefs than our Iniquities deferve') fhould -we again
break thy Commandments, would thou not be angry with us
till thou had confumed us, and had left no Remnant nor E-
fcapingi So that Afllidions are to a Believer Difengage-
ments Ttom Sin ; and ’tis a dreadful thing, notwithftand-
'nS °f Judgments, to be incorrigible. If we confider the
lad Coniequences of it upon Pharaoh, it may bring all filch
to this Conclufion ; My Flefh trembleth for Fear of thee,
and is afraid of thy righteous Judgments.
A fecond thing imported in this Reft is, Peace with God
through Jefus Chrift. This is a Shadow from the foorch-
ing Sun, under which a reconciled Believer may fit, and
the Lord’s Fruit be fweet to his Tafte : No Worm can
come at the Root of this Gourd, to make it wither. Ene¬
mies may do much to purchafe the People of Cod Enemies
among Men on Earth, but they can never purchale them
Enemies in Heaven. The Lord will not be bribed by their
Gifts; for all the Beafts of the Field are his, and the Cattle
on a thoufand Hills : He will not be allured by their Piea-
fures ;