that unhappy party so great a length for the overthrow of the work of God But ye understand not my drift in it it was that I might get credit from them and thereby I will have place and opportunity to speak for the People of God and for the Cause and so this is a way to be usefull for the Work of God by their puting credit upon me that way I will have a fair opportunity to get many a good turn don in the favour of honest men Gang thy way Man the vengeance of God gang with thee for we will either have good God's gate or will never have good at all for good is not good if it come not God's gate we look never that God will trist us with good through such foul fingers as yours we look that God will trist us with good through a cleanlier hand But I never knew that this was your duty to do evil that good might come of it I never knew that the Scriptur stated the matter thus that Folk should do evil than good might come of it I ween'd ay that Folk should have done good at present if they would have had good to have followed on it But I never knew that Folk was to do evil that good might follow I never read that in all the Bible and I have read it all from the one end to the other and some of it twice over but I never read that in it all Go thy way Man the vengeance of God gang with thee for we look never for good at the like of thy hand I dare say if it were not more respect to thy carnal interests that thou lookst most to than any respect that thou hast to the Cause of Christ and his People thou wouldst never have gon the length thou hast gon God reward you for that ye have don to Christ and his Cause and so he will in his own due time ye will get the Devil to your thanks yet for the good ye have don to the Cause of Christ and his People by compliance But there are many likewise who have this pretext for their compliance they profess to be keeping their life till a better time it is a sin to us to let our life and what belongs to us gang this gate we may keep our life till a better time indeed as I was telling you before I never heard tell that that man's life did ever any more good to Christ and his Cause that once did compet therewith and was preferred thereunto and so was brought-off with prejudice to the same God will never be in such a Knaves common as thine to prefer thy life with that honour as to make it usefull for the Cause of Christ again who has preferred thy life to the Cause I ween'd the Scriptur had arted thee better Man that he that is faithfull in the little will be faithfull in the greater and he that is not faithfull in little will not be faitfull in much We will never honour such as have denied his Cause to make them usefull for the Cause and Work again such as is faithfull in the little and keeps his garments clean in an evil time God will prefer that honest man with taking a good turn of his hand for his Cause and People He will take nothing of a Lown's hand that has defiled himself and has not been faithfull in the little Let still that sound in your ears that he that is faithfull in the little will be faithfull in the much he that is not faithfull in the little will not be faithfull in the much I 'l wad ye shall see these children that have gon that gate and are keeping their life till a better time goodsooth I 'l wad that ye shall see an evil time take them Goodsooth they will look with clear eyes that ever will see their life do a good turn more in this world I believe the most part of them if not all of them is kept for a black hour They will look with clear eyes that ever will see them get a good time or yet be usefull to the Church in this world again There are many likewise that have this pretext for their compliance that they do what they do that way out of no ill intention it was upon such good accounts that they did such and such things we had no ill intention in so doing we intended to wrong no man far be it from us to persecut or bid any body do any thing against their Light we had no ill intention in what we have don Ye have a bony pretext of it forsooth I shall desire any man to search through all the Scripturs and see if any such a thing be to be found in them of God's stating mens honesty upon good intentions while the good intentions brought-forth evil fruit I never read such a thing in all the Bible I thought the Scriptur had said with the heart man believes and with the tongue confession is made unto Salvation in contending for the matters of God for his Cause and interest hands tongues aâ—d feet are to be made use of Good deeds and actions are usefull for the Cause of Christ but for your good thoughts and intentions while they have brought forth such bad fruits as the apples of Sodom and the grapes of Gomorrah I have no skill of them The most part of those Knaves that say they had good thoughts and intentions we will see them the greatest persecuters that the People of God will have These good intentions of yours ye will get a black reward for them for they have wronged the church â—arr so ye are at the loss and the church both with those good intentions of yours But in the next place I suppose that this is as ordinary a pretext among us for compliance as any What could my bare testimony do to it it could not turn the chase all that Party Side Way that ye say is for Jesus Christ they are all dung down ere ever I sided with any Party We might wel have cast our selves into hazard by doing or speaking for that way but that could never have don the turn it would never have turned the chase What could my speaking have don for keeping in the Ministers when Acts and Laws was for their casting-out it would never have don good I might wel have cast my self into hazard What could my vote have done for such a mans life that Acts and Laws were for the execution of And when once it was so what need we hazard our selves needlesly For what would the testimony of silly poor lasses and lads have done A bony pretence ye have of it forsooth I never read it in all the Scripturs where ever God made a mans fore-sight of events the measur of his actions in duty I never heard that a man was to shift his duty upon that account because he thought his duty would not have good consequences I never understood
his authority rebuking their slavish fear although they themselves have ground to be quieted yet they can not untill he say be not afraid it is I I command your Devil to sit within your self will that do it No there are some of them that are peremptor they will have a special confirmation and Peter steps out before the rest if it be thou bid mo come to thee on the water otherwise I will never believe Wel Peter must ye have a confirmation Ye shall have it but ye shall not crack much of it ere all be don it may be ye be at a greater doubt before the end of the day Then that which compleatly allayeth all their fear is Christ's in-coming to them and nothing else doth it For Use then Let all the People of the Lord know there is such an infirmity attending them when difficultys are renewed upon you and slavish fear labours to take possession of you who are fled to Christ guard against it and know the evils thereof encourage your selves against it When your fear grows in a cloud and dark day to prevent it Consider 1. what interest God hath in his People they are set as a seal upon his heart and written upon the palms of his hands he hath said he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Would we be afraid if we believed that any that troubleth the People of God do as ill as if they took God on the looking face Indeed and in truth if we believed that we would think them won gear 2. Believe this also that whatever the Lord doth or suffers men to do shall work together for the good of his People it is a common truth in every bodys mouth yea but I may say the least believed truth in all the Bible Ye will not question the truth of the promise but yet ye stand at the application I offer you that instance and put your selves to it if ye can solidly acquiesce with it in your heart that all the distresses and afflictions his People are under in Brittain and Ireland shall work together for their good then if it be so as I do not doubt of it why then do ye not believe it and are quiet 3. Believe this also that there is nothing that befalls his People but what is by his Providence ye say it 's true but there are many things that we meet with that God doth not allow I say there is nothing ye meet with but that which is either by his active or permissive Providence There is no evil don in the city but what the Lord knoweth That the Ministers in Brittain and Ireland are put from their houses Kirks and Lands and banished out of the countrey is all his Providence and shall work together for their good and if it be then ye are to be silent 4. Know this and believe that there is nothing to be feared but God and an evil conscience As a man in Ireland said to a Bishop when he threatned to imprison him he answered I know no such prison as an evil conscience and so if ye resolve to fear nothing but the God of Heaven and an evil conscience ye need not fear men for the fear of these will quiet all your other fears A SERMON PREACHED at FINNICK The _… of August 1662. BY M R WILLIAM GUTHRY upon Matth. 16 25. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it I Have told you that the natural life of man may come in competition with the Cause and interests of Christ and that some men will get a free choice in this case to save or lose their life though every one will not get it to their option I have likewise told you that the natural life of Man when put to a mans option to save or to lose as he pleaseth with denials or not denial of the Cause was a mighty temptation All that a man hath will he give for his life But however it might be a mighty tentation and however many things may occurr in the way to obstruct the man's right choice in the case yet be it known unto you all that whosoever seeketh to save his life with prejudice to the cause of Christ and a good Conscience thereby loseth his life I was beginning to tell you what wayes a man would study to save his life with prejudice to Christ and his cause and he doth so either by omitting that which is his duty before God for fear of his life or for fear of inconveniences that might follow upon his doing of his duty or he doth it by committing that which is positively sinfull before God for fear of his life First of all the man prefers his natural life to Christ and his cause and a good Conscience by omitting his duty and that is 1. when he forbears to testifie for God in his place and station I mean by witnessing with the mouth for him this reaches both minister and People when they will not speak for Christ's cause when it 's reproach'd for fear of hazard this is to seek to save their life by omitting of duty 2. Folk may be said to seek to save their life with prejudice to the cause of Christ by omission of duty in this case when God layes an opportunity of his service and work before them for the good of his Church but by reason of their faint-heartedness they fear and will not set about it and so will not rescue Christ and his cause by opposing what God calls them to oppose 3. By omitting other duties competent for them in their place and station or by reason of the wicked Laws made against such duties by the Supream Magistrat with certification of such and such hazards to occurr upon them by doing of those duties as ye ever already heard Having spoken to these things we come now to speak of the next great Head of cases and wayes with prejudice to Christ and his cause and interests and our own Conscience positively by doing that which is sinfull against God and this is don several and many wayes There are several and many cases in which Folk may be said to prefer their natural life to Christ's cause and their own Conscience by commmitting positively that which is sinfull against GOD. And First Folk prefers their natural life to Christ his interests and Cause when men do disclaim the interests and cause of Christ and all that party side and faction because of Christ Jesus and the Truth I hope it 's clear and without controversy to you all if Folk do this for fear of their life or any peril or hazard that they may come under with prejudice to his interest and cause that they are seeking to save their lives with prejudice to his interests and cause and so fall-in under the hazard of the Text of losing their life This was Peter's fault for as holy a man as he was
should not be suspected to be of that Party that 's called Phanatiks that so ye might not be under the hazard they are in at this time Therefore ye have spoken so proudly against that Party in the day of their affliction It had not been so ill for you to have called them so in the day of their prosperity But in this ye are exceeding guilty that ye have spoken proudly in the day of Jacobs distress and affliction 4. There is this charged on Edom and ye may take it here as another step and degree of compliance with the enemies of God neither shouldst thou have laid thy hand on thy Brothers substance in the day that strangers carried away his forces Will any body think ye that prosesses love to the cause take an harl of an honest man's gear when its going for the Cause and Covenant and work of Reformation Indeed I 'l warrand you that they will Its true none I know that has love really to the Cause and Covenant and work of Reformation will do so But I know enough of Lowns that have professed much love to the Work will be very glad to winn a days wages to drive an honest man's pound when it 's going for the work of Reformation and many will not hook to put-in their hand among the honest mans gear when it 's going for the Work of Reformation and take a good deal of it Will ye do so Then truely it shall be the dearest gear that ever ye wan in your life Will the States take a fine of a man for promoving of the work of God And will ye take any off-fallings that ye can get Will ye lay your hand on your Brothers substance in the day of his distress Take it as ye will but ye may as wel take God's vengeance as take it and if ye take it ye shall take God's vengeance with it It shall be the dearest gear in your aught the thing that ye take of them that way if ye take any thing of the People of God for the Covenant and Work of Reformation or for any thing relating thereunto believe it ye shall get the broad curse of God with it that shall crow in their crop and burst out at the broad side and turn out that which is in or you that all the world shall see as wel within as without and withall know assuredly this is one of the highest wayes of joining issues and interests with God's enemies that the Spirit of God hath left on record in the Scriptur and know ye are once scrued up and over among the black band and God knows when ye shall come-off again 5. There is this there charged on Edom and ye may take it likewise as another step and degree of compliance and that is thou stoodst on the cross way to cut-off those of his that did remain There is even some folk at this present that has not gone the full length they resolve that from the Work of God are going over the bray and the People of God is like to be ruined as it s to lend all a putt together to put all further wrong to reproach any thing that remaines Professed enemies have gotten the one wheel of the work of God over the bray and ye wait wel under thumb to get the other put over the bray also the vote and cause will go against them Quoth ye we can not help it and we need not cast our selves into needless hazards from the work be going let it go and from that party be going let them even go we need not speak for them for they will over the bray be as it will therefore let us vote even as the rest vote lest we bring our selves into hazard I know there are some of you that would not have taken the lives of those that were execut at this time nay but ye will not hook to reproach them for all that and amongst the enemies of God not care to say they were guilty of death it s an high way of joining interest and issue with that Party hereby ye seek to save your life with prejudice to Christ his cause interests and People God shall serue you up among that number that put his People to execution 6. There is another degree of joining issues and interests with that Party charged on Edom and that is the discovering those that were hidd and that follows still on the other the matters of God are going wrong these have a rant and hand to put it further wrong the next thing that they will do if they have an opportunity they will delate and discover any body that they know hidd that they think if they were discovered would come into hazard for the Covenant and Cause and Work of Reformation there is not much dinn of our compliance yet but we are busy enough else tatling and telling to some others of some that we know hidden that we know if they come to light they 'l come into the chalk for the work of God Wherefore do ye so Is it not that ye your selves should not be suspected to be one of that Party or is out of malice that ye do so This is also an high degree of joining issue and interest with that Party 7. There is another degre of this evil here charged on Edom take it also as another part of compliance or joining of interest with God's enemies and that is drinking upon the Holy Mountain of God There is some folk having come all the lengths in the end the end they will even come to this to drink to the confusion of the Covenant and all that Party that will adhere to it and so when they fall upon their rants among their companions will say here to the confusion of the Covenant and all the Phanatiks and some of them will even be so absurd as to say the Devil clank over with it Such of you may read in the 16 verse of the Prophecy of Obadiah and look what it speaks of you and throughout all that chapter of Obadiah ye may read in at your own leisur ye will find many instances there and degrees of compliance I shall not speak much more upon it but remember this general head that though ye do not disclaim Christ nor his Cause nor yet take the declaration yet that there is a joining of issue and interest with that Party that are the professed enemies of God that ye have so don for personal hazards and it goes readily from one degree to another till it winn to the last 1. They begin and they side with that Party that is the enemies of the Church of God and will speak but little and debate for that Party and they will speak nothing against the People of God yet they will say as little for them but they will stand on the other side and indeed if they be there they will gang alittle further the next time and profess that they have reason to
evidence something of joy for the success and prosperity of the wicked at lest to profess joy in that case for fear of hazard or inconveniencies once being there they will not stand much to speak proudly and testifie against the People of God in affliction and to blame them thus that it is all justly come upon them they were all so proud that they could not stand indeed when once they be at this to reproach the People of God thus without all debate when they see their gear going for the Covenant and Cause and Work of Reformation if they get opportunity of any thing that is ado they will even find in their heart to take a clat of it Indeed when once they be at that with it they will take a clat of an honest mans gear when it is going for the honest Cause without debate they will not spare to stand in the cross-way to cut-off those of his that doth remain Wo them I nothing doubt if they be cuting-off any thing of the Work of God that remaines but they will discover any that they know hidd that they think will come into the calk for that work If they do all the rest doubtless when they come to their own companions and have taken a rant they will drink to the confusion of the Covenant and all the Phanatiks Now ye see there are many ways of joining interests and issues with the Enemies of God and gang from less to more from one degree unto another till God in his righteous judgment lay-on the last stone as their plague it may be ye are but standing on the other side to day yet and if ye be speaking nothing for the People of God ye are speaking as little against them Wel are ye standing on the other side else in God's righteous judgment ere some few years gang about ye will be drinking to the confusion of the Covenant and all that will adhere to it Fourthly There is a way that men prefer their natural life to the Cause and interests of Christ by doing that which is positively sinfull and that by giving obedience to sinfull Acts and Laws for fear of personal hazard is such a thing as I know to be iniquous and sinfull but there comes out such a Law from the Supream Magistrat that such a thing must be done or then be liable to such and such hazard and for fear of that hazard I give obedience to that iniquous Law and that way seek to save my life with prejudice to Christ and his Cause This was the case of the three children that were put to it at Babylon but they did not obey there came out a wicked Law against them that whenever they heard all the bagg-pipes blow they should without any more fall down and worship the idol that Nebuchadnezzar had set up or then take it upon their peril to be cast into the firy fornace O! but the three children made a fair and honest choise Be it known to you all Gentiles quoth they if the bagg-pipes should blow till they burst again we will not fall down and worship the Idol that Nebuchadnezzar has set-up if our God please he can deliver us but whether he will deliver us or not we will not bow down to your glecks O! but they made a fair choice There are many Folks now in our days I think if the King would command the most iniquous Law that ever was commanded in a church I doubt not but they would give obedience thereunto for fear of inconveniencies that they fear would come upon them for their disobedience they have given a great proof of this already and a greater proof than this can not be given for they have sworn that his Majestys will shall be the rule according to which they shall level all their actions I hope it is clear to you all that these Lowns have taken a sinfull way to save their life with prejudice to Christ and his Cause as ever was taken I am sure their lives must be in hazard The next I proposed to speak to was What pretences have men to say for their own defence for this unhappy way of complyance What shaddow or pretext have they for this Have they nothing to say for themselves for taking of such an uncanny gate as this Yes that they have it is an ill deed but they 'l alwayes get some excuse for it and so they have much to say for their evil deeds too they have many pretences and reasons for their own defence here though I hope ye are all clear that no pretext or reasons formable can be given without a ragg about the foot of them No formable reason can be given why men seek to save their lives with prejudice to Christ and his Cause but such as they are they have enough of them and ye shall judge them for I shall give you an instance of some few of them Now let every man lay his hand to his heart and be judge here The first pretext that we shall name which many have for their compliance is this LAW and AUTHORITY there is Law and Authority for the thing When we say what meant ye to comply and take that unhappy course by the end they chuse this goodly pretence there is Law and Authority for it in this they fortifie themselves in all their abominable courses there is Law and Authority for such things Wilt thou tell me O man if thou hast any spunk of ingenuity remaining in thee whether or not was there not Law and authority at Babylon for the three children to fall down and worship the graven image that Nebuchadnezzar the King set-up Though this Law and Authority came from the King yet it was not a lawfull authority therefore they behoved to say to the King in this we will neither obey Law nor Authority Or wilt thou tell me man of all the Martyrs that ever thou heardst of martyred for the Cause of Christ if ever any of them was martyred without a shaddow of Law and Authority save some that have been killed secretly Any that were brought to any publick hearing there was alwayes some shaddow of Law and authority laid against them Was it not so from the beginning All the cruelty that ever was done to Christ his Church and his Cause since the beginning it was still sent-out with some shaddow of Law and authority it was still so since the beginning I think man if thou wert a man and not a beast thou shouldst resolve not to make thy conscienâ—â— subject to all the iniquous Laws that may come through a Land I mean'd one that has rational understanding above a beast should know that he should not make his Conscience subject to all the iniquous Laws that come through the world I had thoughts that thou that art a man baptized into the name of Father Son and holy Ghost there is some spunk of ingenuity left within thee that thou shouldst know this