¶THE TEXT.

FROM the dayis of zour Fatheris,Verse. 7. ze ar gone away from myne ordinances, and haue not keipit thē: returne vnto me, & I will returne vnto zow, saith ye Lord of hostes: but ze said, quhairin sal we returne? Will a man spoyle his Godis?8. Zit haue ze spoyled me: But ze say, quhairin haue we spoyled thee? In teindis and offeringis. Ze ar cursed wt a curse:9. for ze haue spoyled me, euin this whole Natioun.

Bring ze all the teindis into the stoirhous,10. that thair may be meat in myne hous, and proue me now heir with, saith the Lord of Hostes, if I will not oppin the windowes of heuin vnto zow, and powre zow out a blyssing without measure.

11. And I will rebuke the deuourer for zour sakes, and he sall not distroy the frute of zour ground nether sall zour wine be barren in the feild, saith the Lord of Hostes.

12. And all Nation is sall call zow blissed: for ze salbe a plesand land saith the Lord of Hostes.

¶THE ARGVMENT.

LYKE as the wyse and trustie Medecineris, or the faithfull and trew Chirurgianis do not luke sa mekle (in ministratioun of thair Phisik or in applicatioun of thair Salues and Plaisteris) vnto the presēt plesure or pane of thair patientis, as vnto thair profite, sa intend I this day nouther sa mekle to auoide or seik ony of thir twa, as to profite the body of Christ (quhilk is his Kirk) tuiching that maledie and sair,Ephes. 1. quhilk in my Iudgement, at this present maist cheifly vexis and anoyis it, not that I coūt my self abill or sufficient sa to do, but that being callit to occupy this place, in trauelling to do it, I may schaw my gude will and frelie vtter my mynd, in this mater vnto zow all,Prouerb 16. according to gods word, leuing the incres to him that wirkis all thingis to his glorie and the cōmoditie of thame that lufe him,Rom. • . and thairfoir that I may the mair cōmodiously performe my purpois I haue chosin this Text of Scripture, now red in zour audience, preichit of auld be the Prophet Malachie vnto the Kirk of God,The ordour or diuisioun of this text. in the like stait that we now ar in, the principall partis quhairof ar thir, first he perswadis thē to repentance with argumentis proper and cōuenient to mufe them thairunto, Secundly he cōfutis thair rebellious answeris, & schawis thē planely quhairin thay cheifly did offend. Thridly he exhortis them maist eirnestlie to amēd the faultis that he laid to thair charge, promysing vnto thame gif thay do sa, the benedictioun of God and aboundance of all thingis. This is ye groūd or ordour quhilk our Prophet, I say, obseruis, quhilk also I purpois presentlie to follow as God of his mercy will minister his graces vnto me.

¶From the dayis of zour Fatheris, ze ar gone away from myn ordinances. &c.

The purpois of our Prophet is, first of all (as I haue said) to perswade his brethrē the Iewis to repentance and conuersioun to God, of quhais grace and mercy onlie it was, that thair name and natioun was to be foūd in eirth, vnrutit out and cōsumit, as thay ar taucht in the verse precedant, but becaus it is but loste laubour to craue repentance of thame that think not thame selfis giltie, acknawledges na fault cōmittit, nor estemis that thay haue ony neid of amendement, Thairfoir he dois let thame vnderstand thair estait and that thay of all vther men, had maist neid of repentance and amendement of lyfe, becaus thay wer not only transgressouris of Goddis Law thame selfis, but also, that baith thay and thair Fatheris befoir thame, had vnto that day departit from the haly ordinances & Lawis of the Lord, sa that this was na vncouth or new thing that happinnit vnto thē, but ane inueterat & auld euill quhilk from age to age thay wer inclynit and naturally geuin vnto, in the quhilk thay did euin then still continew, following in that cace thair progenitouris, quhome thay in thair maneris na les viuely resemblit then gif thay had remanit thame selfis aliue vnto that hour, forasmekle as in thē planelie appeirit that same stifneckitnes and vncircumcisioun of hartis and earis, quhair with thair Fatheris (as sayis the constant Martir Steuin) alwayis resistit the haly Gaist,Act. 7. we se then brethren that the Prophetis purpois is not only to conuict thame of defectioun from God, but also to let thame vnderstand that it was als natural for thame to rebell aganis God, as to be thair fathers sonnis, for, as we vse to say, thay had it be kynd and coft it not, and zit sa far absent wer thay from acknawledgeing of this, yt thay almaist, culd neuer be brocht to grāt it, no not then, quhen it was euin bound, as it wer, on thair backis. Of this we leirne, that lang custome to sinne, is a thing maist pernitious, for it makis that thing, quhilk of the self, is maist abhominable to appeir nathing to thame that ar hantit thairwith, specially if God defer punischment ony quhyle, for then beginnis man to flatter him self, to abuse the patience of God, & to wrap him self in that cairles and maist perrillous perswasioun, that God regairdis not his doingis, nor is thairwith sa heichly offendit as the Scripture beiris, and sa procedis to heap sinne vpon sinne vntil ye day of wraith, zea, thairof cūmis it (as sayis Salomon) that the hartis of men, ar fully set in thame to do euill becaus sentēce aganis ane euill wark is not spedelie execute,Rom. 2. for this caus,Ecclesi. 8. the Prophet first trauellis to walkin vp thir pepill from this wickit perswasioun that his exhortatioun to repentance micht tak the better effect.

Vnto the exhortatioun to repentance, quhairin the Lord desyris thē to returne to him, is addit a promeis, to wit, that he will returne vnto thame, that thay thairby may be assurit that thair repentāce sall not be vnprofitable, for as it is, but loste laubour and a vane purpois, to perswade men to repent that acknawledgis na fault (as we haue said befoir) sa na les vane is it to exhort to repentance, albeit the sinne wer grātit, quhair thair is na hope nor assurāce of mercy, for quhair na certitude of forgiuenes is, bot only a bair knawledge and horrour of sinne, the myndis of men ar rather thairby dreuin to disperatioun nor to repentance,Gen. 3. 1. Sam. 26. & 31. 2. Sam 17. Math. 27. as appeiris in Cain, Saull, Ahitophell, Iudas and diueris vtheris. Thairfoir amangis the cheif articklis of our faith that ar vtterly necessar to be beleuit vnto saluatioū this ane amang the rest is coūtit, namely, to beleue, the remissioū of sinnis. Of this place then, we leirne quhat is richt and trew repentance, to wit, conuersioun vnto God, quhilk as it is the richt definitioun of repentance, sa seruis it to confute ye conuersioun to creatures, and all the vaine theatricall toyis prescribit in papistrie to penitentis, quhair of I mynde not at this present particularlie to speik, seing that it is a cōmoun place continually taucht vnto zow in the Catechisme, and also becaus I purpois to intreit ane vther mater cōtenit in this Text mair at lenth.

Nouther is it to be pretermittit that the Prophet vpbraidis the pepill of his tyme with the wickitnes and rebellioun of thair foir fatheris, quhilk suppois it appeir at the first to be vncurteously & vniustly done, zit gif we considder quhat maner of men he had to do with, we fall se that he was iustlie mouit sa to do, for first the pepill yt he delt with, wer Hypocrites that boistit and gloryit of the Richteousnes of thair Fatheris, and vnder the pretence thairof leuit maist licentiously and wickitly, thinking it aneuch that thay wer discendit of haly and verteous Fatheris. Thairfoir he is compellit to lat thame se quhat maner of men thair Fatheris wer, to the end that thay micht the mair eirnestly prepair thē selfis to repentance, quhill thay suld se ye cloik takin away quhilk thay supposit yai had vnder the tytill of thair foirbearis. And in this sens do not only the Prophetis in the auld Testament,Psalm. 78. Isai. 1. Ierem. 9. Zacharie. 1. Mat. 3. & 23. Iohn. 8. Act. 7. frequentlie cast the faultis of the Fatheris, in the teith of the Iewis, bot also Iohne ye Baptist, Christ and his Apostillis do the same in the new Testament as in thair sermonis & doctrine euidently appeiris. Secundly, thir pepill followit the futesteppis of thair Fatheris in doing of euill, or ellis the prophet wald not haue delt sa rigorously with them, for thocht a wickit man (as sayis Ezechiell) beget a sone,Ezechi. 1 • , zit gif he feare and cōmit na sic wickitnes, his Fatheris impietie sall not be laid to his charge, bot gif he follow his Fatheris euill exampill then will the Lord visite the iniquitie of the Father vpon the sone.Exod. 10. Thairfoir maist iustly (say I) ar thir pepilis wickit Fatheris castin in thair teith becaus thay ar found in ye lyke wickitnes.

¶Mairouer we haue heirof to obserue how vane a thing it is to boist of our progenitouris, seing that thair ar nane of all our Fatheris, quhais lyues being straitly examinit but that thair salbe found in thame mater a neuch to thair cōdempnatioun, & also occasioun a neuch to abate that pryde quhilk we ar wount fulischelie to consaue of thair halynes, it teachis vs also how far furth we may without danger follow thē yt haue passit befoir vs, to wit, sa far furth as they obey God and his worde, vtherwayis thair exampill will not serue to excuse vs, becaus the langer that wickitnes continew, and the ma that do commit it, it is the mair abhominabill in Goddis sicht, and the neirer vnto vengeance. And this mekle being spokin for the first part lat vs proceid to the secund.

But ze said quhairin sall we returne? &c. Albeit that thir pepill wer giltie, and had offendit God ma wayis then ane, as the crymes laid to thair charge, be the Prophet in the Chapteris precedant, testifyis, zit becaus he dois specifie, na particulare cryme now in this place, thay begyn to quarrell with him according to thair accustomit maner, and to answer him as thay had done at all vther tymes, demanding quhairin thay suld returne? Na vtherwise nor thay had bene giltles, & had bene rebukit without a caus. Thairfoir that thay may be na mair dissauit and blindit with sa gros ignorance, the Prophet declairis vnto them that besyde all the rest of thair sinnis, quhilk wer mony, thay wer fallin in a new offence (quhilk thair Fatheris for all thair wickitnes neuer attemptit) namelie sacriledge, in that thay outher fraudulētly retenit that quhilk was sanctify it and dedicatit to God and to his worschip, or elis conuertit and turnit the same to vther vsis nor was appointit. Quhairin albeit thay monyfauldlie offendit, zit dois ye Prophet comprehend all vnder the name of teindis and oblatiounis, becaus thay specially wer euill payit and withaldin from Godis Ministeris the Preistis and Leuitis,Nam. 18. to quhome the teindis, oblatiounis, and first frutis appertenit be the Law of God, besyde all vther thingis that the Lord appointit vnto thame asweil for the Sacrifices,Deut. 14. Deut. 18. Iosua. 13. Ezechi. 44. thair a win sustentatioun, as for the releif of the pure. And thairfoir had thay na vther inheritāce in Israell, then to defraud them thairof it was nane vther thing bot to spuilze them of that quhilk God had geuin them as ane heritage for thair seruice qubairwith thay seruit him in the Tabernackle of the Congregatioun, quhairunto thay had als gude richt as ony mā in Israell had to his feild or Wynezaird.

Notwithstanding the pepill, vnmyndefull of thair dewtie, efter thair returning out of Babilon, delt sa vnmercyfullie with the pure and sa nigardlie and fraudulētlie with the Preistis, that the pure wer compellit to lay thair Winezairdis and thair housis in wed for corne to eit in thair necessitie,Nehe. 5. and sum also maid bondmen and slaues of thair sonnis and douchteris for money to pay the Kingis tribute, zea, and the Leuites for laik of thair portiounis left thair offices, sa that the hous of God was forsakin as it is writtin in the buik of Nehemiah.Nehe. 13. Of this fraude, negligence, and cauldnes, I dout not bot the pepill had thair excusis, as the pouertie that thay wer brocht to in thair banischment, the greit expensis maid in reedefying the towne and Tempill, togidder with the continuall warris, incursiounis and hostilitie yt thay sustenit of thair nichtbouris to thair greit and importabill charges, zea, and that the 〈◊〉 to quhome cheifly thir thingis did belang, wer vnworthie of thame, being negligent in thair offices and of corrupt conuersatiounis, as appeirit in thair mariages with the Heathen and familiaritie wt thame to the greit hinderance of ye wark of God.Ezra. 10. Thir excusis,Nehe. 6. & 13 I say, thocht the pepill micht haue pretendit zit dois the Lord admit nane of thē, but maist schairplie rebukis and conuictis thame of ye horribill cryme of sacriledge, quhilk also be dois aggrauat be a comparisoun, quhairin he cōferris him self with the Idolis of the Natiounis, and the ingrate behauiour of Israell to him with the obseruance and fidelitie of the Gentiles to thair fals Godis. Will a man (sayis he) spoyle his Godis? Zit ze haue spoylit me: In this sens also dois ye Prophet Ieremie,Ierem. 1. aggrage, the incō stancie and defectioū of thair fatheris frō God, in thir wordis. Go ze to the Iles of Ch ••• im and behauld, and send vnto Kedar and tak diligent heid, and se quhidder thair be sie thingis. Hes ony Natioun chā geit thair Godis? quhilk zit are na Godis, Bot my pepill haue changeit thair glorie for that quhilk dois na profite. &c. Sum thinkis that the word, Godis, signifyis in this place Iudgeis or Magistratis, vnto quhome the Lord compairis him self, ressoning with ye pepill efter this sort. What man is sa schameles or sulehardie that dar be sa bauld as to spoyle his Iudge, King or Magistrate? quhilk zit ar bot men (suppois, be ressoun of thair office,Psalm. 82. I haue cō municate my Name to thame calling thē Godis and Children of the maist heich) And zit sa greit is zour monstrous audacitie, that ze dar spuilze me quhilk am zour Lord Eternall and only trew God. This interpretatioun is not altogidder to be reiectit, forasmekle as it hes na inconuenience nor absurditie in it, zit dois the first (in my Iudgement) better expres the prophetis mynd, and mekle mair dois aggrauat the pepillis cryme. For was it not a horribill thing to se the Heathen Idolateris mair deuoit, reuerent, and faithfull to thair Idolis and fals Godis nor the Iewes wer, to him that only is the verray trew God?Cicero de natura deorum And zit sa it was, for as thair is na Natioun sa barbarous or beistly, that hes not this perswasioun, that thair is a God, sa quhat sa euer thay anis set vp to thame selfis for God, that thay obstinatlie hauld still in reuerence and estimatioun, vsing nouther fraud nor gyle, nor zit spairing ony expēsis about ye thingis that thay haue dedicate to thair honour, bot Israell that knew God or (as the Apostle sayis) rather wer knawin of God,Gala. 4. and vnderstude thair dewtie toward him be the reuelatioun of his will cōtenit in his word, defraudit him of his honour, and spuilzeit him of ye thingis appointit to his worschip. And becaus thay wald not be estemit sic mē thay quer ell still with the Prophet na les proudlie nor thay had done befoir, demanding of him zit anis agane quhat thair offēce was, Quhairin (say thay) haue we spoylit the? Thairfoir without ony parable he planely pronunces thame giltie of sacriledge in yt thay had spuilzeit the Lord in teindis and offeringis.

Heirof then Brethren we obserue that God countis him self spuilzeit of yt quhilk was with haldin frō the Preistis & Leuitis,Act, 17. not that thair cūmis ony vtilitie vnto him thairof (for he neidis na thing of ouris, nouther eitis he the flesche nor drinkis ye blude of Bullis nor Goatis as sayis the Psalmest) bot becaus the Lord had ordanit that the Preistis and the pure suld liue of the teindis,Psalm. 50. and that the first frutis of all thingis suld be offerit vnto him in remē brance that all thingis wer ressauit of him, thairfoir iustly callis he the teindis and oblatioūis his,Leuit 27. specially being now sanctifyit vnto him and appointit to his worschip, of the quhilk also he is spuilzeit, quhēsaeuer yai ar with haldin or applyit to ony vther vse. Nouther culd thir pepill excuse thair fraud be the vnworthynes of the Preistis, for gif thay had only thairwith bene offē dit, doutles thay wald haue eirnestly socht for reformatioun, quhilk thing thay did not, quhairof it appeiris that all this abuse procedit of thair a win priuate, auaritious, and corrupt affectiounis, quhilk maid thē in this ane sinne monyfauldlie to trāsgres. For first, thay schew thame selfis to haue bene prophaine and proud contempneris of the grace of God and all externall Religioun,Exod. 25. in that thay wer cauld, slaw, and negligent to mak ony coist to mantene those thingis quhairby God seillit vp his presence and habitatioun amang thame.Leuit. 7. Secūdly, thay manifestly brak Godis Law quhairin thay ar straitly commandit,Num. 18. faith fully to pay thir thingis to the preistis and Leuitis. Thridly, thay wer ingrate and vnthankfull vnto God, in denying vnto him a part of the incres of thair substance of quhome thay had ressauit all.Dut. 2 • . Fourtly, thair auaritious impietie is euident in this, that thay sufferit the Leuitis for want of thair leuingis to fal away from the seruice of God. Fyftlie, thay wer iniust that with held the wageis from Godis seruandis, yt was dew vnto thame for thair laubour, quhairunto also thay addit inhumanitie & vnmercyfulnes, defrauding the pure of thair sustentatioun appointit vnto thame of God. 〈◊〉 . 14.

Bot ane micht thinke, quhat neidis all thir wordis quha knawis not yt the teindis and oblatiounis wer ordanit be God to sustene the Preistis and Leuitis in the auld Testament, and that thir pepill wer worthely rebukit of the Prophet for withhalding of thame, bot quhat belangis that to vs? I answer, that as we subscriue the Prophetis doctrine and with him this day cō depne thir pepil, sa gif we wil examine our selfis, we sal find thair schooe (as we vse to say) meit aneuch for our fute, and our trāsgressioun in this point to be nathing inferiour vnto thairis. For suppois the Leuiticall Preistheid be abrogatit zit hes ye Lord a Kirk for quhais edificatioun he hes ordanit Ministeris,Heb. 7. & 8. Pastouris, and Teicheris, quha aucht,Ephes. 2. be the ordināce of Christ him self to haue thair reward for thair labour,Math. 10 quhairunto the Apostle wrytand to the Corinthianis aggreis,Luk. 10. affirming, 〈◊〉 Lord hes ordanit, that thay quhilk preich the Gospell suld liue of the Gospell. • Cor. 9. And as for the pure,Deut. • 5. baith Moses & our Master do witnes that we fall neuer want thame, quhome also we ar bound to sustene and charitabillie to prouyde for.Math. 2 • . Iohn. 12. How cairfullie, the Primatiue and first Kirk vnder the Gospell, prouydit for thair Ministeris and the pure,Act. 2.4.5. • . & 14. the Actis of ye Apostillis & paulis Epistillis do testifie, quhairin we se euerie Congregatioun not only cairful for thair a win pure,Rom. 15. 1. Cor. 16. bot also reddy to releif ye necessitie of the pure sanctis that dwellit far frō thame.2. Cor. 8 & 9 1. Cor. 9. 1. Timo. • . Thair Ministeris also with thair famileis wer honorabilly sustenit in all thingis necessarie, thocht sum of zow haue spokin in derisioun, that suppois ze be bound to sustene the Minister, quhat to do haue ze with his wyfe and children? Brethren for my part I wald ze had Angelis to zour Ministeris gif ze wer worthy of thame, or that it wer the will of God, bot seing that God willis not so, bot that ze salbe seruit be the Ministerie of men, it behouis zow to tak thame as thay ar, with all thingis yt of necessitie belangis vnto thame or lawfully dependis on thame,1. Timo. 3. sie as are wyfes, childrē and familie, quhilk not only must be honestly reulit and the children haldin vnder obedience with all honestie (as Paul teichis) bot also must be prouydit for hospitalitie,Titus. 2. quhilk all men knawis requyris baith foirsicht and expensis. Ze se then that the Ministeris of the primatiue Kirk (that leuit befoir Princes wer Christianes and nurischers of the Kirk as it was Prophesyit) wer na beggeris,Esay. 40. suppois thay wer no Lordis yt aboūdit in superfluous welth as the Papis Bishoppis did, bot had sufficient, as weill for the necessitie of thair a win famileis,Act. 21. as for the help of vther Christianes, that now and then, as occasiounis seruit repairit to thair housis. ¶ Efterward quhen the tyme come foirspokin be Dauid that Kingis and Empreouris and thair Kingdomes suld serue the Lord and bring giftis vnto him,Psal. •• . & • 2. thay prouydit for ye kirk. Not as the Heathē Idolateris did for thair Preistis, bot as the Eternall God of auld vnder the law prouydit for his Ministeris,Rom. 16. to wit, that thay suld be mantenit with yt teindis, sa following his exampil that only is wyse, thay ordanit be thair authoritie yt the Teindis sulde serue to the same vse in the tyme of the Gospell, adding also of thair a win substance diueris vtheris rentis and possessiounis, making thame yt taucht thame in the word of God, (according to the doctrine of the Apostle) pertakeris of all thair gudis.Gala. • . Efter this sort I say did the godly and christiane Empreouris & Kingis prouyde for the preicheris of the Euangell, the scuilis, the pure, the Kirkis, & quhatsaeuer ellis belangit to the externall worschip and seruice of God, quhairupon all the substance befoir mentionit alwayis was spēdit sa lang as outher puritie of doctrine, or the ancient seueritie of disciplin remanit in the visibill Kirk. Bot how sone that euer superstitioun enterit in and the disciplin decayit, the Kirk rentis also begā to be mispendit, for sum wer sauld, sum set in few, sum reft be Tyrannis and wickit men, and the remanēt wes deuorit be the Locustis that come out of the smoke of ye bottomles pit,Apoc. • . quhais Impietie albeit god hes reuelit, and banischit be the preiching of his word from amang vs, zit is not that substāce quhilk thay abusit restoirit agane to the richt vse, bot als prophanely and wickitly spendit this day in Scotland as euer it was.

Then the same accusatiounis and complaintis that God vsit, of auld, be his Prophet aganis the Iewes, serue this day aganis thame that ar lyke the Iewes in transgressioun, zea, thay serue aganis vs: For this day Christ is spuilzeit amang vs, quhil yt quhilk aucht to mantene the Ministerie of the Kirk and the pure, is geuin to prophane men,The miserabill estait of the Kirk of Scotland. flattereris in Court, Ruffianes and Hyrelingis. The pure in the meane tyme oppressit with hounger, the Kirkis and Tempilis decaying for laik of Ministeris and vphalding, and the schuilis vtterlie neglectit and ouersene.The pure & sehuilis neglectit. Ar not thir thingis so? Behald the wayis and streitis & ze sall se thame (to the greit dishonour of Christ and decay of the commoun welth) replenischit with beggeris and vnbrydilit zouth,Act. • . & 4. albeit na man amang vs, that may not, nor can not sustene thame selfis, suld be sufferit to laik. Our zouth also aucht to be nurischit and mātenit at the schuilis, that thairoutof efterward micht spring preicheris, counsellouris, Phisiciounis and all vther kyndes of leirnit men that we haue neid of. For the schuillis at the seid of the Kirk and commoun-welth,The sehuilis the seid of the Kirk. and our Children ar the hope of the posteritie, quhilk being neglectit thair can nathing be luikit for▪ bot that barbarous ignorance sall ouerflow all, for suppois God hes wonderously, at this tyme steirit vp preicheris amang vs, euin quhen darknes and ignorance had the vpperhand, he will not do sa heirefter seing we haue the ordinarie meane to prouyde them, quhilk gif we cō tempne, in vane sall we luke for extraordinarie prouisioun.Exod. 1 • . Israell was miraculussie fed in the wildernes with MANNA,Deut. • . bot how sone thay did eit of the corne of the land of Canaā the MANNA ceissit,Iosua. 5. nouther had thay it ony moir, bot leuit efterward on the frute of the ground ordinarlie laubourit with thair handis. I speik to prudent men that may vnderstād & iudge quhat I say:The Tēpilis decayit. Bot now to speik of zour Tē pilis quhair the word of god suld be preichit and the Sacramentis Ministerit all mē seis to quhat miserabill rewyne and decay thay ar cum,1. Cor. 4. zea, thay ar sa prophanit, that in my conscience, gif I had bene brocht vp in Germanie or in ony vther countrie, quhair Christ is trewly preichit, and all thingis done decently and in ordour according to Goddis word, and had hard of that puritie of Religioun that is amang zow, and for the lufe thairof, had takin trauell to visite this land, and then suld haue sene the foull deformitie and desolatioun of zour Kirkis and Tempilis, quhilk ar mair like to scheip cottis then the housis of God. I culd not haue iudgeit that thair had bene ony feir of God or richt Religioun in the maist part of this realme?The Ministeris neglectit and contempnit. And as for the ministers of the word thay ar vtterly neglectit and cū in manifest cotempt amang zow, ze Raill vpon thame at zour pleasure, of thair doctrine (gif it serue not zour turne and aggre not with zour appetytis) ze ar becum impatient, & to be schort, we ar now maid zour Tabill talk quhome ze mock in zour mirrines, & threatin in zour anger. I am compellit to speik this, thocht I be als plane as plesant, and appeir to zow as the greitest fule of yt rest to stand vp heir to vtter that quhilk vther men thinkis, weil, let me be coūzit a fule for speiking the treuth, I regaird not, nouther may I spair to speik it, thocht I suld be Iudgeit, in our awin caus, to be cary it away with particular affectioū, following heirin the exampil of our Prophet Malachie,Hieronimus in proemio super Malachiā ad minerisi & Alexādrū monachos, & in expositione Capitis. 3. quha (gif credite may be geuin to Hierom) was Ezra the Preist, the staits of quhais tyme, gif we mark his buik diligentlie, properly aggreis with this prophesie. And zit thocht he was a preist, he sparit not, frely, at the cōmandement of god, to rebuik thame that defraudit the preistis of the teindis & oblatioūis appointit vnto thame. This is it that muisis me, let men iudge as thay lyst, to lay out befoir zour eyis the miserabill estait of the pure Kirk of Scotland, that thairby ze may be prouokit to pitie it, and to restoir the thingis, that iniustly ze spuilzie it of, leist the Lord requyre at zour handis the blude of thame that perische in default of the richt dispensatioun of thir thingis. I speik not this to prouoke ony priuat man to retene in his hand that quhilk he is bound to pay to the possessouris of the beneficis, becaus thay mispend it, no, bot rather exhortis thame faithfully to pay thair dewteis, and commit the punischement of the abuse to God that behaldis the doingis of all men,Rom. • . and will rewaird euerie man according to his warkis,Apoc. 22. as appeiris in the wordis of the Text quhilk follow.

Ze ar Cursit with a Curse: for ze haue spoylit me, euin this haill Natioun. Becaus thir pepill acknawledgeit nor felt not the grauitie of thair sin as thay aucht. The prophet puttis thame in mynd of the punischement that hidderto thay had sustenit thairfoir, namely, that thay wer cursit with a curse, signifying that thay wer al maner of wayis miserabill and vnhappy, and quhy? becaus not a few of thame, bot that haill Natioun had spuilzeit the Lord. How miserabill thir pepill wer efter thair returning from Babell,Ezra. 4. & 5. Neha. 4.5. & 6. the bukis and prophesies of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggay and Zechariah do witnes,Hagg. 1. & 2. Zechariah. 3 to wit, that thay wer only hatit and inuyit, of all the Natiounis adiacent, quha continually socht thair distructioū baith be secreit dissaitis & oppin Hostilitie, bot also wer oppressit with Famine, derth and scarcitie of all thingis, quhilk maid thame to complane, grudge, & murmure aganis God, as thocht ye cause of thair infelicitie had procedit of him. Quhairunto the Lord heir answeris, as it wer in thir wordis, ze complane of zour miserie bot ze persaue not the cause, I grāt that ze ar miserabill, zea, that ze ar cursit and vnhappy ma wayis then ane, bot the caus is in zour selfis that hes spuilzeit me of that quhilk was dedicat to my honour, and thairfoir ze can not be blyssit quhylo ze defraud me of yt quhilk is myne. That thir pepill wer iustly plaguit we all cōfes, bot wald God that we culd considder our a win estait, apply this to our selfis & mak our frute thairof: For thocht all men meruell at the cruell weiris, vnfrutefull seasounis, strange diseasis, derth, famine, and vther incommoditeis quhairwith ye warld is oppressit. Zit thay considder not, that the maist part of men ar sa inobedient and vnthankfull vnto God, that thay deserue to be na better intreatit bot rather vorse. And to pas by vther Natiounis let vs try our selfis, we profes Religioun, zit ar we barrane of the frutis thairof: for euin thay thingis without the quhilk Religioun can not stand ar scarse to be found amang vs, sic as ar faith, innocencie, puritie of lyfe, charitie and Inuocatioū of Goddis name. And as for the teindis and rentis of the Kirk, the almous of the pure, and sic thingis as we ar bound to bestow vpon ye mantenance of Goddis honour and richt Religioun (thocht we be prodigall in vther thingis) zit in thame ar we negligent, cald, fraudulent, gredie and nigard. For as sumtyme Kingis, Prencis, Lordis & vther potent mē liberally inrichit the Kirk, sa now be the contrair all thair trauell is to satiate thair gredynes with the spuilze thairof. Can the warld then luik for ony prosperitie, happynes, tranquillitie, or benedictioū from God, quhyle thay thus neglect his honour? Na surely, Ze meruel, I dout not, quhy ze haue not preuailit aganis zone throtcutteris and vnnaturall murthereris within the Towne and Castell of Edinburgh, specially ze hauing a maist iust actioun, being ma in number and mair vailzeant men, and nathing inferiour to thame in wisdome, circumspectioun, or ony gude qualiteis outher of body or of mynd, bot ceis to meruell: for the caus quhy that ze haue not preuailit aganis thame lang or now, amāg mony vther zour sinnis quhair with ze ar defylit, is this, that the spuilze of the pure is in zour housis,Esay. 3. ze inuaid the possessioun of that quhilk appertenis not vnto zow, and that quhilk our foirbearis gaue of gudezeill to Goddis honour and the commoū welth of the Kirk, ze spuilze to zour a win priuate vsis without outher ryme or ressoun, nouther will ze be controllit. This, this, I say, is the cheif caus yt nathing prosperis in zour hādis, gif thairfoir ze wald yt euer God suld decoir zow with that honour to be his instrumentis to clenge this land from the innocent blude quhairwith it is pollutit, and the fylthie murthereris quhairwith it is infamit and defylit: Clenge then zour handis of all impietie, specially of sacriledge quhairby ze spuilze the pure, the schuilis, the Tempilis, and Ministeris of Goddis word, zea, Christ him self, I grant that our Fatheris of Immoderat zeill (besyde the teindis & necessarie rentis of the Kirk) gaue thairunto superfluously, and mair nor aneuch, Quhat then is to be done? Bot that the Preicheris of Goddis word be ressonabillie sustenit, seing that thair is aneuch and ouer mekle to do it, the schuillis and the pure be weill prouydit as thay aucht, and the Tempilis honestly and reuerently repairit, that the pepill without iniurie of wynd or wedder may sit and heir Goddis word, and participat of his haly Sacramē tis. And gif thair restis ony thing vnspendit quhen this is done (as na dout thair wil) in the name of God let it be bestowit on the nixt necessarie affairis of the commoun welth, and not to ony mannis priuate commoditie. Except ze • o this God will not be with zow, nouther can ze haue ony prosperitie, bot the end of a cummer salbe the beginning of ane vther, bot gif ze will be obedient to his voice he will be with zow, and blys all the warkis of zour handis,Leuit. • 6. Deut. 2 • . as he hes promysit in his worde, quhairof we fall haue better occasioun to speik in the thrid heid of our Text vnto the quhilk let vs now proceid: wearie not I pray zow, suppois the tyme be almaist spendit for I sall not be lang.

¶ Bring ze all the teindis into the stoirhous, &c. Efter that the Prophet hes cō futit the vniust querrellingis and responsis of the pepill and also had prouit thame criminall, he schawis thame the remedie and how thay may recouer agane the benedictioun and fauour of God, to wit, gif thay will deill vprichtly with him in time cūming, quhairunto he maist ernistly exhortis thame, promysing (gif thay will amend the former faultis) Goddis blyssingis and fauour in all thingis. Bring ze (sayis he) all the teindis into the stoirhous, or treasure of the Tempill, he craifis all, that thay may knaw that he will haue nane fraudulently withdraw in as thay wer befoir, quhen for the fossoun thay gaue a part, as thocht thay had benezealous of Religioun, and retenit the rest to satisfie thair auaritious affectioūis. The caus quhy that the Lord commandis all the teindis faithfully to be geuin without ony fraud, he sayis, yt thair may be meit in his hous to sustene the Preistis and the Leuitis that waitit on his seruice, and that thair may be sufficient also for all vther thingis that he had appointit in his Law to be done, quhairof we haue spokin at lenth afoir. This is it that the Lord requyris of thir pepill, and exhortis thame to proue him heir withall. Quhidder gif he will not oppin vnto them the wyndois of heuin. &c. Behald deir Brethren the bountifulnes & familiaritie of our God toward vs, yt this way subiectis his fidelitie to our tryall, binding him self be promeis to recōpance and that largely, quhatsaeuer is bestow it on his seruice, thocht he be detter to no man, nor zit hes ony commoditie of our oblatioūis (as we haue said afoir) for nouther dwellis he in Tempilis maid with hā dis,Act. 7. & 17. nor zit hes he ony neid that our gudis be spendit on him,Psalm. 10. bot all the externall worschipping is ordanit be him for the nurischement of our faith, quha be eirthlie thingis mon be taucht peice and peice to vnderstand heuinly thingis that thairunto be thame, we may be led, as it wer, be the hand. For vs then, I say, is the externall exercise of Religioun, and all the expensis that is maid thairupon ordanit, and not for him, and zit notwithstanding in exhorting vs to be liberall in that quhilk cūmis altogidder to our a win profite, he speiks als submissiuely as it wer a borower making requeist to a lenner, that wald say, len me, I pray zow, sic a summe of money or samekle victuall to sic a day and proue my credite thairwith, quhidder gif I will not thankfully pay zow agane and yt with profite. O the meruellous and vnspeikabill cair that the Lord hes ouer vs and our Saluatioun.

Bot let vs heir with quhat benefitis he promysis to recompance thame gif thay will do thair dewtie. First, he promysis to oppin the wyndowis of heuin vnto them, he sayis not that he wil oppin a wyndow, bot in the plurall number wyndowis, signifying, that he will caus all thingis that thay haue neid of thairoutof to flow vnto thame in all aboundance. Secundly, that the blyssingis quhilk he will powre out of heuin vpon thame, sall produce and bring furth frute out of the eirth (not simplie to satisfie thair neid) bot mekle mair, zea, it salbe bezond measure. Thridly, he promysis that not only sall the heuin and the eirth mutually aggre togidder, (as sayis ye Prophet Hosea) to produce all thingis aboundantly vnto thame,Hosea. 2. bot also quhen thay ar producit he sall preserue them frō all thingis that may hynder thame from cumming to maturitie and perfectioun, quhidder it be noysum beistis or vnseasonabill wedder. Finally, he promysis sa to deill with thame that the prophane and godles Natiounis salbe compellit to acknawledge thame for a happy and a blyssit pepill in quhome Goddis liberall blyssingis and benefitis sa sall abound, that the plesandnes, fertilitie & fruitfulnes of thair land sall allure all men to lufe it and to desyre to dwell in it.

Of this we note from quhence cummis aboundance of victuall, incres of frutis, & all vther prosperitie to man, certanely not from the elementis abuse, nor from the earth beneth, nor zit from mānis laubour, (for the heuinis as sayis Ieremie can giue na schouris,Ieremiah. 14 and then of force it mon follow that the earth salbe barrane & mānis laubour loist) from nane of thir thingis then procedis mānis happynes, bot from God only in quhais hand is the brydill yt moderatis all thingis, quha also (quhen man is obedient to him) makis all his creaturis to serue him,Iob. 5. zea, the stanis of the feild (as sayis Iob) to be in league with him, and the beistis of the feild to be at peace with him. And be the cōtrarie quhē men ar inobedient to God thay ar cursit in all that euer thay put thair hand vnto,Deut. 28. and all the creaturis of God ar enemeis vnto thame, zea, the heuin geuis thame nouther dew nor raine, nor the earth ony frute mair nor thay wer maid of Iron and brasse.Leuit. 26. Let vs then brethren feir God, reuerence and worsship him as he hes commandit and be zealous to mantene his honour with all our poweris and substance, and sa sal he prosper our interprysis to his glorie and our comfort, bot gif we be disobedient to him, cairles and negligent of his honour, his plagues can not depart frō vs, for he will honour thame that honour him, and powre contempt vpon thame yt lichtly him.1. Samuel. 2. Langer at this present, seing that the tyme faillis me I will not hald zow, bot beseikis zow all, and principallie zow maist Nobill and worthie Personages to prēt thir thingis in zour myndis to zour profite, to suffer the wordis of exhortatioū patiently,H •• os. 13. and tak in gude worth yt quhilk is spokin, albeit it haue bene sumquhat rudely and schairply vtterit, considdering that it procedit from the hart of him that luifis and fauouris baith zow & zour caus, remembring the saying of Salomon, oppin rebuke is better then secreit lufe,Prouerb. 26. and the woundis of a lufer mair faithfull then the kissis of ane enemie thocht thay be plesāt. God grant that the wordis quhilk ze haue hard wt zour outward eiris may be sa fixit in zour hartis, yt the frute thairof may heir efter appeir to the glorie of God, and ye cō moditie of his Kirk, quhilk he hes redemit to him self be ye precious blude of his only & weilbelovit Sone Iesus Christ our Lord & only Sauiour, to quhōe with the father & the haly Gaist be perpetual praise, glorie, & honor baith now & for euer. Amen

¶ This Sermon was presentit to the Kirk, red & approuit be the persounis vnderwrittin, appointit thairunto be ye assēblie haldin at Perth 6. Augusti. Anno. 1572.

I. SANCTANDROIS. IHONE ERSKYN. M. IHONE WYNRAM. Williame Crystesone M. of Dundie. Iohn Knox with my dead hand but glaid heart praising God that of his mercy he leuis suche light to his Kirk in this desolatioun.