ANE SERMON PREICHIT BEFOIR THE Regent and Nobilitie vpon a part of the thrid Chapter of the Prophet Malachi in the Kirk of Leith at the tyme of the Generall Assemblie on Sonday the 13. of Ianuarie Anno. Do. 1571. Be Dauid Fergussone Minister of the Euangell at Dunfermlyne ¶ IMPRENTIT AT SANCtandrois be Robert Lekpreuik ANNO DO M.D.LXXII TO THE MAIST NOBILL AND WORTHIE Lord Iohne Erle of Marr Lord Erskin and Regent to the Kingis Maiestie his Realme and liegis zour humbill subiect Dauid Fergusson wischis the fauour and lufe of God throuch Christ our Sauiour togidder with prosperous Gouernament and all felicitie ALBEIT my mynd nor purpois was not richt Nobill and worthie Lord to haue publischit this sermō at ony time zit becaus it did not fructifie as I supposit it suld haue done being as sayis Ezechiel lyke a tone or plesant sang to the heirers for a season thair hartis in the meane time still going efter their couetousnes prouokit also be the malitious toungis of sū eirnestly requeistit be vtheris At lenth I was compellit for farther instructioun of the negligent heireris the stopping of the mouthis of euill speikeris and the satisfactioun of the incessant requeistis of gude and godlie men to bestow and spend sum time trauel to put it in that same forme ordour that it was spokin and preichit in befoir zour Grace Quhilk quhē I had faithfully performit as all thay that hard it quhen thay sall reid it agane I trow will testifie distrusting myne awin iudgement I presentit it to the Kirk now laitly assemblit in Perth the sext of August that thay quha for the maist part wer heireris of it micht iudge asweil of the soundnes of the doctrine contenit into it as of my sinceritie in the wryting thairof and sa micht allow or disallow it as it meritit vnto the quhilk besines the Kirk appointit Iohne Erskin of Dun Superintendent of Angus M. Iohne Dowglas Bischop of Sanctandrois M. Iohne Winram Superintendent of Stratherne M. Knox Minister of Edinburgh and Williame Christison Minister of Dundie quha diligently red and approuit the same subscriuing it with thair handis in the Name of the haill Kirk as a Sermon consonant and aggreabill to Goddis word Quhairof I haue takin bauldnes to publische it and that vnder zour Graces name to quhome the patrocinie defēce of godlynes and vertew belangis to y e end it may be the mair acceptabil to gude mē Rom. 13. and that wickit men may be the mair affrayit to calumniate or defame it not that I greitlie regaird the iudgement of men hauing the testimonie of a gude consciēce for my warrand 2. Cor. 4. bot that I iudge it profitabill to seik all ordinarie meanis that be lawful to mantene the treuth and promot Goddis glorie Zour humanitie and gentilnes quhairof not only I bot almaist all vther men haue experience muifis me to be sa hamely as to offer and dedicate sa small a wark vnto zour Grace douting nathing but that ze will accept regaird it rather according to the qualitie substāce thairof nor according to the quantitie of it or y e persone of the wryter quhilk quhen I sall vnderstād it will prouoke and incourage me to present zour Grace sum day with a greiter wark and a larger Volume as a perpetuall monumēt of my vnfenzeit lufe affectiō to zour Grace The Lord Iesus preserue y e Kingis Maiestie comfort and assist zow y t ze may be a bill to execute zour charge to the glorie of God and the commoditie of this pure Realme Amen From Dunfermlyne the 20. day of August Anno 1572. Be zour Graces humbil subiect and daylie Oratour Dauid Fergussone Minister of Christis Euangell IOANNIS DAVIDSONII CARMEN GRaecia mellifluo quantum det nestoris ori Aut demostheneo debeat eloquio Ipsi facundo quantum mihi crede parenti Attribuat linguae turba togata suae Nos tibi Fergusi tantum debere fatemur Scotanam linguam qui reparare studes Sermonem patrium ditas inculta vetustas Horret qua longe barbariemque fugas Adde etiam neque abest facundis gratia dictis Respondet verbis materia apta tuis Quod satis ostendit nobis tua concio praesens Qua nihil in lucem doctius ire potest PATRICII AVTHINLECTI CARMEN QVisquis de decimis bonisque sacris Quae sacris dominus dari ministris Mandauit dubitas anne nostro Solui tempore debeant requiris Hunc vnum legito rogo libellum Istam qui eloquio pio sacroque Rem totam aperiet tibique pandet ANE SERMON PREICHIT BEFOIR THE Regent and Nobilitie vpon a part of the thrid Chapter of the Prophet Malachi in the Kirk of Leith at the tyme of the Generall Assemblie on Sonday the 13. of Ianuarie Anno. 1571. Be Dauid Fergussone Minister of of the Euangell at Dunfermlyne ¶ 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 y e 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 w t 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 y e 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 al 's 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 y t 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 y e 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 y e 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 y t 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 y e 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 y e 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
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 cuÌ„mis altogidder to our a win profite he speiks al 's 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 y t 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 y e Prophet Hosea to produce all thingis aboundantly vnto thame Hosea 2. bot also quhen thay ar producit he sall preserue them froÌ„ 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 maÌ„nis 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 maÌ„nis laubour loist from nane of thir thingis then procedis maÌ„nis happynes bot from God only in quhais hand is the brydill y t 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 coÌ„trarie quheÌ„ 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 froÌ„ vs for he will honour thame that honour him and powre contempt vpon thame y t 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 preÌ„t thir thingis in zour myndis to zour profite to suffer the wordis of exhortatiouÌ„ patiently Hâ—â—os 13. and tak in gude worth y t 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 plesaÌ„t God grant that the wordis quhilk ze haue hard w t zour outward eiris may be sa fixit in zour hartis y t the frute thairof may heir efter appeir to the glorie of God and y e coÌ„moditie of his Kirk quhilk he hes redemit to him self be y e precious blude of his only weilbelovit Sone Iesus Christ our Lord only Sauiour to quhoÌ„e 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 y e asseÌ„blie 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