and with a Perfect Heart This was the Great Judicatory that they had in the Land It was made up with Priests and Law-men There was some Priests in it and some Civil-men and they judged together in the LORD's Matters The Matters of the LORD belonged to them to wit The Priests And the Kings Matters belonged to the others But all was to judge according to the Word of GOD. We shall say this one word more there is one Great Thing Folk stumbles at in that Paper that Kings ought to Rule or Judge according to the Judicial Law and that these Laws Kings ought to Rule by ought to be according to the Word of GOD And think ye this a Great Wrong The People of GOD was ruled Two Hundred Years and upwards by this Law only and can any be fitter to be a Law-Giver than GOD Have we Laws have we them from Men or of GOD If of Men then they had them of GOD. Then the GOD of Nature or the GOD that Created All is far better to Teach Laws than Man that is under GOD. We say stumble not that it is said the Laws of GOD ought to be the Laws of the Land For it will never be Well with you especially the Mein of the Land till the Laws of GOD be the Laws of the Land Then we will not be fashed with Great Ones to Oppress For when they have Laws to make they never do thing but Oppress the Poor But when the Law of GOD speaks it will give Right to the Poor as well as to the Great So the Law of GOD should be our Law Where the Law of GOD is received where Christians are Let Christians go to the Law which GOD has found out And let Heathens and Turks go to the Law that Nature finds out Now they Judge in the Matters of the LORD and in Controversies c. For Understanding this better There was a Great Court at Jerusalem and all the Difficult Matters came there There were Courts and Judicatories throw the Land and there was Judges of Hundreds and other Officers and Judges of Thousands throughout the Land But all Hard Matters they brought to Jerusalem And now he sets Judges to receive these Hard Matters that they could not Judge among themselves and they gave Judgement in these Matters Now the Last Thing and we will not go to speak any more is their Charge he gives them Verse 9. And he Charged them saying Thus shall ye do in the Fear of the LORD There is great Necessity to be Earnest with them that Kings commit Judgement too that they be Faithfull There is much need for it now For if Kings Laws be seen too there will be little Regard what come of the Law of GOD We know this by Experience All the Supplications of this Poor Land has been Rejected and the Laws of Man well seen too We thought to begin to speak to all these particularly But First A Word of his Delivery He comes in Peace to his House Why does the Holy Ghost Mark this If ye Observe the Chapter before he was in a Dangerous Battle where he had a Sore Assault They set upon him for the King of Israel and the LORD Delivered him out of that And so the Holy Ghost Marks this He came Home in Peace And the Holy Ghost will have us to Mark this of it that notwithstanding of this Sinfull Plight he was in in Associating with Achab yet GOD Graciously brought him off He Associated with Achab and GOD might have letten him fall with him Yet Achab fell and he is safe The Battle is Lost and he Returns in Peace We shall say this one Word Who ever hath gotten such special Deliverances from GOD especially when under Slips they wade consider Narrowly in their Hearts what they have been Doing Wherefore they have met with such Deliverances But ye will say to us We were not in a Sinfull Association We were not Associated with Sinfull Wicked and Prophane Men. But we shall say this one Word We were Associate in a Sinfull Vnion And so there was as Sinfull Association with an Evil Course Now that many Fell was it not Just and Holy Dealing in GOD that some were preserved in such a Fall as that O! Consider well wherefore it was that GOD has so Remarkably preserved you especially when He might have taken away your Life Now there are severals here that have had a part of such a Deliverance as this not only once but once and again O! Great Deliverances has He given to some even when they were Associate with a Sinfull Cause Then Mind now and Remember wherefore it is that GOD has preserved you It is to Repent of Sin Yet more it is that ye may be ready at a Good Turn again when He calls for it at your Hands But beware of this tho' He let you go in a Sinfull Action once beware of the next time by no more joining in Sinfull Associations For Sinfull Associations is ever Dangerous Whatever the Vngodly meet with in them yet certainly the Godly never Thrives in such Associations Now this is the Thing that we wade say Let every Man that has a part in such Remarkable Deliverances say Wherefore has Thou preserved me Wherefore is it that I have Life Is it a Blessing But I think not so much of it as I should that I have it so wonderfully Is it not for some End even that I may Imploy it some Way for GODs Glory Go back and ask Wherefore it is so Remarkable He gave you your Life when in Danger and while ye were in a backsliding Course and while ye were associated in a Sinfull Way and when ye were involved in a Course with the Deadly and Destroying Enemies Consider this therefore Wherefore has GOD given you this Life Say Wherefore has Thou preserved this Life Is it that I may be for Thee and Imploy it for Thee The next Thing to be considered is The Prophet's Reproof He is an Misleard Prophet Wade any Body think that he should speak so to a King Ay but we must be Faithfull in Reproving Kings as well as others Modesty is Ruine here Modesty in such a Case is Ruine to Rulers For if we had â—one and told them their Sins they had not gone on in â—uch a Course as they did Silence or Modesty here it is â—ot a Vertue but a Vice It is but Unfaithfulness to GOD â—…d Man might he not have letten him come Home Nay â—…hy Will he make him Sad Why will he make him Sader â—…d Sader There is a most be Why are you Sad If it be Affliction you are Sad for ye must not be so that is not the thing â—…e ought to be Sad for There is Sin you must be Sad for So ye would think Folk should be spared that is in Affliction Nay but spare them not for then they will best hear Reproofs when under Affliction never better nor then Now the thing â—…e says
and Customes nor for Judgement Now undoubtedly as he was a Holy Man himself so he set Holy and Good Judges in every City For every King will choose out such Judges as himself is Officers and Judges will tell you what a Nature the Kings are of Souldiers and Curats shews what 's the Disposition their Prince is of Then we may know what is the Nature of the King and Court A Holy King will have Holy Judges that will give Justice and Equity to all But now we need not look for Equity and Justice if they would let us alone with their Injuries Now I say that is the second part of Reformation viz. in the Civil or State he gives Holy Judges and he has a particular Exhortation to them when he puts them in their Office Verse 6. And 1. It is Remarkable that he says to them in the Entry of their Office Any Body wade have thought that he wade have said See well to my Prerogatives and Priviledges let not them be Wronged Let not the Royal-Rents be Decreased See that the Crown-Rights be no Way Diminished These and the like ordinarly Kings Recommend at first But what says he He said to the Judges Take heed what Ye do for Ye judge not for Man but for GOD the LORD Who is with You in Judgement Remember this I commit Judgement to You but the Judgement is not mine it is the LORDs and Remember what ye do is for GOD Then do it as if GOD Himself would do it Do it as if He were Sitting there Now where is there any Judges that does this Way And where is there a King that Desires them to do so or to do this Way Says Kings now Ye man Judge for Me ye have your Office of Me and therefore Judge for Me. But says he I give you Authority of Judging but Remember ye must Answer to GOD for your Judgement for GOD is with you in Judgement That is to say He is present with you to Help you if ye do Right and to be Displeased with you if ye Judge Wrong He is Present to Protect you if ye do Right But to be a Witness to Punish you if ye do Wrong That 's the Thing he Commends unto them Now I have given you Power and set you in a Capacity to Judge Matters Rightly Then see ye well to it For the Judgement is not Mine but the LORDs And if ye Judge Rightly GOD will be with you in it GOD he will Preserve you and Protect you But if otherways no. But there is one word in the Exhortation before we proceed to the Third Thing Wherefore let the Fear of GOD be on you for there is no Respect of Persons with GOD c. O but this were Necessary if every King when he puts a Judge upon the Bench wade give him such an Exhortation as this when he Sits down saying Take heed to your Selves let the Fear of GOD be upon you It is even but in Vain to speak to Men if there be not some thing of the Fear of GOD on them to make them do Rightly and Well So if there be a Principle of the Fear of GOD in them then an Exhortation may be Usefull and Profitable But let the Fear of the LORD prevail and if that make you not do Right it will not be all the Exhortations of Men will do it otherways or if that be not ye will slip evermore when ye have the Opportunity and ye will never be Sicker in Good But now let the Fear of the LORD be on you for there is no Iniquity in GOD He will do no Iniquity himself and the Unjust Counsel he will not allow of So this is one Thing that every one wade Remember and look to There is no Iniquity in our GOD and ye need not think that when ye do Wrong in Judgement that he will allow of it For all Processes and Judgements that have been given out by Men will be seen by GOD at the long run For He is like a Great King that must Survey every Thing It 's true Kings now never looks to the Judgements that Inferiour Officers does if they be according to Law So then he says to them see to it GOD will be with you in Judgement It will be seen by GOD how ye have judged and according to the Judgement that ye have given GOD will give you Judgement Now GOD is no Accepter of Persons What is that Give every one his Due for GOD will give every one his Due Think you GOD will spare a King more nor a Beggar No for all are his Creatures he hath set up a King there Therefore Kings are more bound to him than others Said Christ who ought to Love most It was answered He to whom GOD has given most So he that has gotten most Tokens of GODs Love he should be most Holy And they to whom less has been given less is expected of And so they should be most Holy who Command others For with GGD there is no Respect of Persons and so there ought to be no Respect of Persons with Judges Folk thinks that Kings are above Laws But let any Man shew us that Kings are above Laws either from Scripture or Reason GOD hath said it that with him there is no Respect of Persons So this will bring a King in under Law as well as others Then he who Judges for GOD must say that if he say Rightly Even this with us there ought to be no Respect of Persons Indeed we will add this one Word which is necessary to be added in this Case There is no Body that Rules but they will be lyable to Failings in Ruling And therefore if all Faults of Rulers should be exactly looked to there would be none who would Rule a Day to an end but we might find Faults in them for which to Depose them ere Night But we will say this it is one thing to be a Failing in Infirmity and another thing to be in a constant Course of Wickedness and Enmity against GOD. The first may be spared but not the last Then look where we are now But whatever ye think of this it is the Truth of GOD which we are Declaring unto you at this time But Thirdly The Third Thing in the Reformation is anent the Priest-hood So that in effect he takes up the whole Land 1. The Body of the People 2. The State or Civil-Magistrate 3. The Priest-hood or the Ministry And so a Perfect Reformation should go on throw the Three altogether Let every one bring it to his own Heart Kings and Rulers must Reform without in the Land under or in a time of Reformation But will ye not Reform your Selves Verse 8. He appointed Levits and Priests in every City and the Chief of the Fathers for the Judgement of the LORD and for Controversies when they Returned to Jerusalem Verse 9. He Charged them saying Thus shall ye do in the Fear of the LORD Faithfully
to him is this Shouldest thou Help the Vngodly and Love them that Hate the LORD How fit is this to be applyed to our Times See hence who ever Helps the Vngodly is in the Fault They now talk Good Men are upon both Parties Whom shall we Condemn or Follow We shall say this one word be they Good or Evil if they Love them that Hate the LORD and Help the Vngodly they are to be reproved See who does such are on the Wrong Side and to be reproved Shouldest thou Help the Vngodly and Love them that Hate the LORD Should ye Help them Higher for all the Little Good they have done with their Power which they have gotten already They have too much of it already O! that all the Vngodly in the World were many steps Lower nor they are What will they do then when ye have set them up They will set up Wickedness with it O! Help GOD and the Godly But beware to Help up the Vngodly They are High enough already and there is none who will Help to Raise or Hold them up But GOD will Reprove them for they can do Nothing when they are raised up but Wickedness This Scripture speaks plainly Shouldest thou Help the Vngodly We shall say no more of it but this Whoever has Helped the Vngodly at this Time are worthy of a Reproof We are in Two Parties now There is one Party the LORD and the Godly And the other Party the Vngodly See what Party ye will take now Shouldest thou Love them that Hate the LORD and Help the Vngodly Be what he will to you Jehosophat was joined in Affinity with Achab and so came of it But be who he will Father or Mother or your King should ye Love and Help him that Hates the LORD We shall only say this word and take heed to it for it is the Word of Truth Enmity and Hatred against GOD cuts off all Obligation Indeed we will say that tho' we were in the nearest Obligation that is to say even in that Relation betwixt a Father and a Son Yet in this Case it is cut off The Holy Ghost says That his Father and Mother shall thrust him throw while he is Prophesying We say this then Hatred of GOD takes away all near and far off Obligation for if they go on to Hate the LORD and to Blaspheme the Name of GOD afrontedly and Oppose the Truths of GOD and with Malice and Hostility Oppress the Work of GOD We may not Help and Join with them If any Man can give better Doctrine nor this he may But he cannot But Remember he brings it not from the Scriptures of GOD if he give you that which is contrare to this but we shall leave it Amen A SERMON BY Mr. Donald Gargill Isaiah 10. Chapter 3. Verse And what will ye do in the Day of Visitation and the Desolation that shall come from far to whom will ye Flee for Help and where will you Leave your Glory WE see here the Feast is done and the Reckoning is come The most part of us that 's here has gotten already that which Sin can give us I say the Feast is Small and there is no Body but they will say so when it 's over O! but I have gotten Little There are some Wofull Creatures that thinks they shall have their Penny-worths of Sin But there was never a Man yet that got a Penny-worth at the Devils Hand and so it is in his Hand now Have ye gotten your Wills out There are some Folk who must have out their Wills cost what it will Well it shall cost you Dear enough Has the Great Ones gotten their Wills out Nay They have not gotten it out yet They have gotten out some of it and some of it no yet They will be keeped always short of it For when they shall be raised and reckoned with they will begin and say then I have not gotten my Will And ye got your Will the Earth would be made like a Hell Now we must consider whom he is speaking this of Whom is he speaking it of He speaks it of Men like ours that had made many a Sinfull Act. We call them ours We desire in the Sight of GOD to retract that word But he speaks to Men that had done many Sinfull Acts. In the first Verse it is said Wo to them that Decree Vnrighteous Decrees and that Write Grievousness that they have prescribed And if they have not Decreed Unrighteous Decrees and prescribed Grievousness let their Act of Council and Parliament Testifie The Generation afterwards will Wonder that ever Men made such Acts. It may be thought there has been as Ill Acts made before There was an Abominable Act made by a King in Scotland that all the World counted Abominable But they have over-passed that Filthy Law of King Kenneth For their Laws are more Abominable nor if they should have Enacted Publick Whoredoms and Stew-Houses We shall say that one word The first of Sinfull Laws lights on the Subjects But the last and the heaviest lights upon the Makers I say the last and the heaviest Now it has been heavy and sad to us to Obey But it has been sader and heavier for us to Suffer That was the first But what will come of the last and the heaviest And what will come of you when you come to Reckon for your Laws and Grievances Shortly thir words shews that Great Law-Makers on Earth will be put to thir Questions Yet Kings must come down off their Thrones and stand at the Bar of the Tribunal of GOD and their Laws Which they have made will be laid down before them and it will be said to them Will ye own them Own them we must He that will own them must Disown GOD that Intaills him to the Wrath of GOD and they own their Laws before GOD as they own them now it will be a strange thing But this is the thing that we are saying and which we see here that the Greatest upon Earth upon the account of thir Laws which they have made will be put to thir Questions before GOD and there are Three Questions in thir words O! that every one of us where at a Point and could give an Answer and Solution to them The first Question is What will ye do in the Day of Visitation What you is this Even you that made Laws What more these nor other Folk Because they made Evil Laws How so Ye did set up a direct contrary Judicatory to GOD. When Laws is directly a conrrare Judicatory to GOD it says Ye take upon you to give out Laws and Laws that are contrare to GODs Laws Now what will ye do O! but this Question will put to Silence and Amazement the great part of Men. What we have nothing to do with their Sinfull Laws we never made the Laws Well nevertheless ye did give Obedience to their Laws It will be here the Law Maker and the Law
Obeyer What will ye do in the Day of Visitation If ye Consented to their Laws Is there Nothing that you Fear Dare you boldly come before GOD Mind this but till you get the Book of Items it Concerns you all that you can give an Answer to this Question What will you do in the Day of Visitation GOD will be through you all He will be through us all and ere long the Lowest of us all will give an Account of his Doings Now What will ye do in the Day of Visitation Says some I have done ells What have ye done ells I have Compted I have Payed I am Discharged That 's well if you can say these Three I have Reckoned I have Judged my Self I have Payed not by my Self but by another viz. The Cautioner came in told down for me and GOD Reckoned it up in my behalf Have you Payed then I have Reckoned I have Payed Thirdly I am Discharged Where is it We have it in a Common Proverb such a Man is evident that is to say it is not Subscribed that is a Fools Evidence Many says they have the Evidences but they want the Subscription O to have the Seal of the Living GOD to every Discharge There was Wrestling before I got it and I have laid it up and keeped it well and when I take it out at the Great Day He will acknowledge that it is His own Hand Now see to it Then Wo to him that Ventures upon the Tribunal of GOD unless he have these Three I have Reckoned I have Payed I am Discharged But now What will ye do in the Day of Visitation Consider it It will put you sore to it Sin will seek out and find you out Justice will Pursue you And if ye let it come to that Remember this they that come to the Judgement of God Unpardoned never goes without Condemnation They use to say of some Prisoners they that Enter by such a Gate comes out to the Scaffold again So they that Venture upon the Tribunal of GOD Unpardoned What will come of them They never come out Uncondemned What will you do then Even this if you answer rightly I must go to Hell And what have I for that A Second Question is this To whom will ye Flee for Help That Imports this Is there any in the World can Shelter you against GOD Ye have GOD your Pursuer remember that Where will ye get a Sheltet Where will ye Flee to Is any Stronger nor GOD Can any Hide you from GOD Can any come between you GOD and take off your Reproof from of your Hand and say here I am to Answer for him I bade him do so Nay nay ye will have enough to do to Answer for your own Your bidding is sinfull and his obeying is sinfull and both shall Suffer We shall say this one word Let every Man look to what Obedience he gives to Powers to Rulers to Tyrrants They are no Rulers but Tyrrants It 's true they are Powers but not Powers ordained of GOD that is a Terrour to Evil Works and a Praise to Good Well let every Man look to what Obedience he gives to Wicked Laws It will not be that it is the King's Law It will not be Kings-Courts nor Councils or Parliament They must be looked over if they have not the Character of Justice and Equity there must none of them be Obeyed They will speak of a Sacred Character on them There is no Sacred Character on any There must be another kind of a Stamp But Laws must be Stamped with this with Justice and Equity and so they have the Authority of Heaven as well as the Authority of Men And if ye Obey them without considering whether or no they have this Mark in Obeying of them ye Disobey GOD and Remember this stand to it Now ye see the many Orders that hath gone forth so that ye cannot do so much as give a Souldier Provenent for his Beast but ye Displease GOD. Let them take what they will and be answerable to GOD for it but my Hand shall not give it There are many who thinks nothing of it Wofull Creatures think you nothing to Uphold Souldiers all whose Works is to Fight against GOD and Religion Now see if ever there was an other Turn in their Hand But before we proceed to the next Question we shall speak a few words To whom will ye Flee Who will Shelter you against GOD There was never a Man so Great but there was ay some fleeing from him and there was some Power to which we might have joined our selves that would be able to Defend us from him But where will you Flee GOD is the Pursuer Who can be the Defender We shall say that one word There would not be such ready Obedience to the Sinfull Commandments of Men if the Greatness of GOD were Considered It is a Dreadfull Thing to fall into the Hands of the Living GOD. I put my self in the Hands of Justice by giving Obedience to Sinfull Laws I Homologate their Deed and my Obedience is as if I Consented to their Deed So they come to every Mans Door obey or not obey He who obeys Consents to their Laws and he that disobeys Dissents and Protests But the Thing that is evidently held out for we will not return again is this in all the World against Justice and the Stroaks of GOD Where will ye Flee to whom will ye Flee for Help Go your way and do as ye will But Remember this you shall have the Justice of GOD to pursue you Next and to whom will you Flee But now the next and last Question is this And where will ye leave your Glory What means he by this They would hide their Glory that it should not be Stained Nay there is more in it nor that There Glory shall be as it were a Sting How are ye therein It will be said to Kings and Rulers How got ye that Glory Then they would gladly be quite of all their Ill-gotten Glory lest the Just Judgement of GOD come on them when they are upon their Thrones because they got them Ill and used them VVorse Now where will ye leave your Glory VVell then Remember that the Day is coming when these Things that Men boast of they would gladly hide them because it will be their Ruine when GOD is Judge Verse 4. Without me they shall bow down under the Prisoners and shall fall under the Slain c. VVe shall say this one word from it It is enough to want GOD but it is more to have GOD. One Enemy without me if Judgement come ye shall fall under them tho' they were Prisoners and Slain-Men they shall be enough to Slay you without me ye cannot bide nor bear Judgements but much less can ye able to bear when I am not only absent from you but turned to be your Enemy VVe shall now hasten to an end The first Thing Observable is this There is a time of Visitation coming and all has need to Prepare for it For it will put all Sore to it VVhat Sin have ye VVhat Debt have ye Payed VVhat Discharge have ye There is a Twofold Visitation to wit Of Mercy and Judgement First Of Visitation in Mercy These words are spoken VVe heard that GOD had Visited his People by giving them Bread But Secondly There is another Visitation of Judgement The Justice of GOD will go about and hold his Court It will go about and through all the Land and keep its Court and Arraign all Subjects all Kings and Rulers are as well Subjects here as the Meanest Beggar O but it is wonderfull to hear tell that the Ministers of the Gospel should Talk at such a Rate VVhere was ever such a Thing as that heard VVhat Scripture can you get say they for to Excommunicat Kings Are they not Creatures and Subjects to GOD And are they not bound to be Holy as well as the Meanest This word we shall say Unworthy are they that ever they should be Cloathed with Authority that follows not GOD with it VVill not GOD Judge Kings And should not the Ministers of the Gospel Excommunicate Kings But the Scripture that says Kings ought to be Excommunicat says put away the Wicked Person from amongst you And if a King be a Wicked Person it says put him away But the Ministers of Scotland has wofully perverted the Power which GOD has given them For they have Excommunicat Godly and Holy-Men and the Excommunication of Godly and VVorthy and Valiant Strachan is lying upon the Church of Scotland and they have neglected the Excommunication of the most Vile and Profligate Persons Are Kings excemed then There â—… a Visitation of Judgement we say and it is of Two or Threâ—… Kinds There is a Temporal Visitation GOD sits a whilâ—… in one Land as it were and a while in another Land anâ—… He Judges and executes Judgement and makes the Pestilence sometimes to be the Rope sometimes the Sword sometimes the Famine So that all these are Visitations of Judgement Scotland has been long Unvisited now the Longâ—… the Sorer it will have a Sore Visitation O! for Wisdom O! for Tenderness to Tremble For Wisdom to Foresee anâ—… for Grace to Prepare against the Day of Visitation and a Severe GOD. But next There is a Great Visitation of the whole when all the World shall be Visited and this is such a Narrow Net that None will go throw Ye may Escape Visitations on Earth and win by the sides of that Net one Way oâ—… another by Providence But there is a Net coming that wiâ—… Catch all What will ye do Tho' ye should win by all Things â—…ye will never win by the Judgement of GOD and the Tribunal of GOD. What will ye do then when you come there Let us Pray