Sermon Preached 13 January 1571

THE TEXT.

FROM the days of zour Fatheris, ze ar gone away from mine ordinances, and have not keipit thē: return unto me, & I will return unto zow, saith y ^e Lord of hosts: but ze said, whairin sal we return? Will a man spoil his Godis? Zit have ze spoiled me: But ze say, whairin have we spoiled thee? In teindis and offeringis. Ze ar cursed w ^t a curse: for ze have spoiled me, euin this whole Natioun.

Bring ze all the teindis into the stoirhous, that their may be meat in mine house, and prove me now heir with, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not oppin the windows of heaven unto zow, and pour zow out a blyssing without measure.

And I will rebuke the devourer for zour sakes, and he sall not destroy the fruit of zour ground nether sall zour wine be barren in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts.

And all Nation is sall call zow blessed: for ze shall be a plesand land saith the Lord of Hosts.

THE ARGUMENT.

LYKE as the wise and trusty Medecineris, or the faithful and true Chirurgianis do not luke sa mekle (in ministratioun of their Phisik or in applicatioun of their Salues and Plaisteris) unto the present pleasure or pane of their patientis, as unto their profit, sa intend I this day nouther sa mekle to avoid or seek ony of thir twa, as to profit the body of Christ (whilk is his Kirk) tuiching that maledie and sair, whilk in my Judgment, at this present mayest chiefly vexis and anoyis it, not that I count myself abill or sufficient sa to do, but that being called to occupy this place, in traveling to do it, I may show my gude will and frelie utter my mind, in this mater unto zow all, according to gods word, leuing the incres to him that wirkis all things to his glory and the commodity of thame that lufe him, and thairfoir that I may the mair cōmodiously perform my purpois I have chosin this Text of Scripture, now red in zour audience, preichit of auld be the Prophet Malachi unto the Kirk of God, in the like stait that we now ar in, the principal partis whairof ar thir, first he perswadis thē to repentance with [ 1] argumentis proper and convenient to mufe them thairunto, Secundly he cōfutis their [ 2] rebellious answeris, & schawis thē plainly whairin they chiefly did offend. Thirdly [ 3] he exhortis them mayest eirnestlie to amend the faultis that he laid to their charge, promysing unto thame gif they do sa, the benedictioun of God and abundance of all things. This is y ^e ground or order whilk our Prophet, I say, obseruis, whilk also I purpois presently to follow as God of his mercy will minister his graces unto me.

From the days of zour Fatheris, ze ar [ 1] gone away from myn ordinances. &c.

The purpois of our Prophet is, first of all (as I have said) to persuade his brethrē the Iewis to repentance and conuersioun to God, of whais grace and mercy only it was, that their name and natioun was to be found in eirth, vnrutit out and cōsumit, as they ar taucht in the verse precedant, but because it is but lost laubour to crave repentance of thame that think not thame selfs guilty, acknawledges na fault cōmittit, nor estemis that they have ony neid of amendment, Therefore he dost let thame understand their estait and that they of all other men, had mayest neid of repentance and amendment of life, because they wer not only transgressouris of Goddis Law thame selfs, but also, that baith they and their Fatheris before thame, had unto that day departit from the holy ordinances & Lawis of the Lord, sa that this was na uncouth or new thing that happinnit unto thē, but ane inueterat & auld evil whilk from age to age they wer inclynit and naturally geuin unto, in the whilk they did euin then still continue, following in that cace their progenitouris, whom they in their maneris na les viuely resemblit then gif they had remanit thame selfs alive unto that hour, forasmekle as in thē planelie appeirit that same stifneckitnes and vncircumcisioun of hartis and earis, where with their Fatheris (as says the constant Martyr Steuin) alwayis resistit the holy Gaist, we se then brethren that the Prophetis purpois is not only to convict thame of defectioun from God, but also to let thame understand that it was als natural for thame to rebel aganis God, as to be their fathers sonnis, for, as we use to say, they had it be kind and coft it not, and zit sa far absent wer they from acknawledgeing of this, y ^t they almaist, culled never be brocht to grant it, no not then, when it was euin bound, as it wer, on their backis. Of this we leirne, that lang custom to sin, is a thing mayest pernicious, for it makes that thing, whilk of the self, is mayest abhominable to appeir nothing to thame that ar hantit thairwith, specially if God defer punischment ony while, for then beginnis man to flatter himself, to abuse the patience of God, & to wrap himself in that cairles and mayest perrillous perswasioun, that God regairdis not his doingis, nor is thairwith sa heichly offendit as the Scripture beiris, and sa procedis to heap sin upon sin until y ^e day of wraith, zea, thairof cūmis it (as says Solomon) that the hartis of men, ar fully set in thame to do evil because sentence aganis ane evil wark is not spedelie execute, for this caus, the Prophet first trauellis to walkin up thir pepill from this wickit perswasioun that his exhortatioun to repentance micht take the better effect.

Unto the exhortatioun to repentance, whairin the Lord desyris thē to return to him, is addit a promeis, to wit, that he will return unto thame, that they thairby may be assurit that their repentance sall not be unprofitable, for as it is, but lost laubour and a vane purpois, to persuade men to repent that acknawledgis na fault (as we have said before) sa na les vane is it to exhort to repentance, albeit the sin wer grātit, where their is na hope nor assurance of mercy, for where na certitude of forgiveness is, bot only a bair knowledge and horror of sin, the myndis of men ar rather thairby dreuin to disperatioun nor to repentance, as appeiris in Cain, Saull, Ahitophell, Judas and diueris vtheris. Therefore amangis the chief articklis of our faith that ar utterly necessar to be beleuit unto saluatioū this ane amang the rest is coūtit, namely, to believe, the remissioū of sinnis. Of this place then, we leirne what is richt and true repentance, to wit, conuersioun unto God, whilk as it is the richt definitioun of repentance, sa seruis it to confute y ^e conuersioun to creatures, and all the vain theatrical toyis prescribit in papistry to penitentis, where of I mind not at this present particularly to speak, seeing that it is a cōmoun place continually taucht unto zow in the Catechism, and also because I purpois to intreit ane other mater cōtenit in this Text mair at lenth.

Nouther is it to be pretermittit that the Prophet vpbraidis the pepill of his time with the wickitnes and rebellioun of their foir fatheris, whilk suppois it appeir at the first to be vncurteously & unjustly done, zit gif we consider what manner of men he had to do with, we fall se that he was justly mouit sa to do, for first the pepill y ^t he dealt with, wer Hypocrites that boistit and gloryit of the Richteousnes of their Fatheris, and under the pretence thairof leuit mayest licentiously and wickitly, thinking it aneuch that they wer discendit of holy and verteous Fatheris. Therefore he is compellit to lat thame se what manner of men their Fatheris wer, to the end that they micht the mair eirnestly prepair thē selfs to repentance, whill they suld se y ^e cloik takin away whilk they supposit yai had under the tytill of their foirbearis. And in this sense do not only the Prophetis in the auld Testament, frequentlie cast the faultis of the Fatheris, in the teith of the Iewis, bot also John y ^e Baptist, Christ and his Apostillis do the same in the New Testament as in their sermonis & doctrine evidently appeiris. Secundly, thir pepill followit the futesteppis of their Fatheris in doing of evil, or ellis the prophet wald not have dealt sa rigorously with them, for thocht a wickit man (as says Ezekiel) beget a sone, zit gif he fear and commit na sic wickitnes, his Fatheris impiety sall not be laid to his charge, bot gif he follow his Fatheris evil exampill then will the Lord visit the iniquity of the Father upon the sone. Therefore mayest justly (say I) ar thir pepilis wickit Fatheris castin in their teith because they ar found in y ^e like wickitnes.

Mairouer we have heirof to observe how vane a thing it is to boist of our progenitouris, seeing that their ar nane of all our Fatheris, whais lives being straitly examinit but that their shall be found in thame mater a neuch to their cōdempnatioun, & also occasioun a neuch to abate that pride whilk we ar wount fulischelie to consaue of their halynes, it teachis us also how far forth we may without danger follow thē y ^t have passit before us, to wit, sa far forth as they obey God and his word, vtherwayis their exampill will not serve to excuse us, because the langer that wickitnes continue, and the ma that do commit it, it is the mair abhominabill in Goddis sicht, and the neirer unto vengeance. And this mekle being spokin for the first part lat us proceid to the secund.

But ze said whairin sall we return? &c. [ 2] Albeit that thir pepill wer guilty, and had offendit God ma wayis then ane, as the crimes laid to their charge, be the Prophet in the Chapteris precedant, testifyis, zit because he dost specify, na particular crime now in this place, they begin to quarrel with him according to their accustomit manner, and to answer him as they had done at all other times, demanding whairin they suld return? Na vtherwise nor they had been giltles, & had been rebukit without a caus. Therefore that they may be na mair dissauit and blindit with sa gros ignorance, the Prophet declairis unto them that beside all the rest of their sinnis, whilk wer money, they wer fallin in a new offense (whilk their Fatheris for all their wickitnes never attemptit) namely sacrilege, in that they outher fraudulētly retenit that whilk was sanctify it and dedicatit to God and to his worschip, or elis conuertit and turnit the same to other vsis nor was appointit. Quhairin albeit they monyfauldlie offendit, zit dost y ^e Prophet comprehend all under the name of teindis and oblatiounis, because they specially wer evil payit and withaldin from Godis Ministeris the Priests and Leuitis, to whom the teindis, oblatiounis, and first frutis appertenit be the Law of God, beside all other things that the Lord appointit unto thame asweil for the Sacrifices, their a win sustentatioun, as for the relief of the pure. And thairfoir had they na other inheritance in Israel, then to defraud them thairof it was nane other thing bot to spuilze them of that whilk God had geuin them as ane heritage for their service qubairwith they seruit him in the Tabernackle of the Congregatioun, whairunto they had als gude richt as ony mā in Israel had to his field or Wynezaird.

Notwithstanding the pepill, vnmyndefull of their duty, after their returning out of Babylon, dealt sa vnmercyfullie with the pure and sa nigardlie and fraudulētlie with the Priests, that the pure wer compellit to lay their Winezairdis and their housis in wed for corn to eight in their necessity, and sum also maid bondmen and slaves of their sonnis and douchteris for money to pay the Kingis tribute, zea, and the Levites for laik of their portiounis left their offices, sa that the house of God was forsakin as it is written in the buik of Nehemiah. Of this fraud, negligence, and cauldnes, I dout not bot the pepill had their excusis, as the poverty that they wer brocht to in their banischment, the greit expensis maid in reedefying the town and Tempill, togidder with the continual warris, incursiounis and hostility y ^t they sustenit of their nichtbouris to their greit and importabill charges, zea, and that the 〈◊〉 to whom chiefly thir things did belang, wer unworthy of thame, being negligent in their offices and of corrupt conuersatiounis, as appeirit in their marriages with the Heathen and familiarity w ^t thame to the greit hindrance of y ^e wark of God. Thir excusis, I say, thocht the pepill micht have pretendit zit dost the Lord admit nane of thē, but mayest schairplie rebukis and conuictis thame of y ^e horribill crime of sacrilege, whilk also be dost aggravate be a comparisoun, whairin he cōferris himself with the Idolis of the Natiounis, and the ingrate behavior of Israel to him with the observance and fidelity of the Gentiles to their falls Godis. Will a man (says he) spoil his Godis? Zit ze have spoylit me: In this sense also dost y ^e Prophet Jeremiah, aggrage, the incōstancie and defectioū of their fatheris frō God, in thir words. Go ze to the Isles of Ch ••• im and behauld, and send unto Kedar and take diligent heid, and se whidder their be sie things. Hes ony Natioun chāgeit their Godis? whilk zit are na Godis, Bot my pepill have changeit their glory for that whilk dost na profit. &c. Sum thinkis that the word, Godis, signifyis in this place Iudgeis or Magistratis, unto whom the Lord compairis himself, ressoning with y ^e pepill after this sort. What man is sa schameles or sulehardie that dar be sa bauld as to spoil his Judge, King or Magistrate? whilk zit ar bot men (suppois, be ressoun of their office, I have communicate my Name to thame calling thē Godis and Children of the mayest heich) And zit sa greit is zour monstrous audacity, that ze dar spuilze me whilk am zour Lord Eternal and only true God. This interpretatioun is not altogidder to be reiectit, forasmekle as it hes na inconvenience nor absurdity in it, zit dost the first (in my Judgment) better express the prophetis mind, and mekle mair dost aggravate the pepillis crime. For was it not a horribill thing to se the Heathen Idolateris mair deuoit, reverent, and faithful to their Idolis and falls Godis nor the Jews wer, to him that only is the verray true God? And zit sa it was, for as their is na Natioun sa barbarous or beistly, that hes not this perswasioun, that their is a God, sa what sa ever they anis set up to thame selfs for God, that they obstinatlie hauld still in reverence and estimatioun, using nouther fraud nor gyle, nor zit spairing ony expēsis about y ^e things that they have dedicate to their honor, bot Israel that knew God or (as the Apostle says) rather wer knawin of God, and vnderstude their duty toward him be the reuelatioun of his will cōtenit in his word, defraudit him of his honor, and spuilzeit him of y ^e things appointit to his worschip. And because they wald not be estemit sic mē they quer ell still with the Prophet na les proudlie nor they had done before, demanding of him zit anis again what their offense was, Quhairin (say they) have we spoylit the? Therefore without ony parable he plainly pronunces thame guilty of sacrilege in y ^t they had spuilzeit the Lord in teindis and offeringis.

Heirof then Brethren we observe that God countis himself spuilzeit of y ^t whilk was with haldin frō the Priests & Leuitis, not that their cūmis ony utility unto him thairof (for he neidis na thing of ouris, nouther eitis he the flesche nor drinkis y ^e blood of Bullis nor Goatis as says the Psalmest) bot because the Lord had ordanit that the Priests and the pure suld live of the teindis, and that the first frutis of all things suld be offerit unto him in remembrance that all things wer ressauit of him, thairfoir justly callis he the teindis and oblatioūis his, specially being now sanctifyit unto him and appointit to his worschip, of the whilk also he is spuilzeit, whensaeuer yai ar with haldin or applyit to ony other use. Nouther culled thir pepill excuse their fraud be the unworthiness of the Priests, for gif they had only thairwith been offēdit, doutles they wald have eirnestly socht for reformatioun, whilk thing they did not, whairof it appeiris that all this abuse procedit of their a win private, auaritious, and corrupt affectiounis, whilk maid thē in this ane sin monyfauldlie to trāsgres. For first, they schew thame selfs to have [ 1] been prophaine and proud contempneris of the grace of God and all external Religioun, in that they wer cauld, slaw, and negligent to mak ony coist to mantene those things whereby God seillit up his presence and habitatioun amang thame. Secūdly, they manifestly brak Godis Law [ 2] whairin they ar straitly commandit, faith fully to pay thir things to the preistis and Leuitis. Thirdly, they wer ingrate and unthankful [ 3] unto God, in denying unto him a part of the incres of their substance of whom they had ressauit all. Fourtly, their auaritious impiety is evident in this, [ 4] that they sufferit the Leuitis for want of their leuingis to fall away from the service of God. Fyftlie, they wer iniust that with [ 5] held the wageis from Godis seruandis, y ^t was dew unto thame for their laubour, whairunto also they addit inhumanity & [ 6] vnmercyfulnes, defrauding the pure of their sustentatioun appointit unto thame of God.

Bot ane micht think, what neidis all thir words wha knawis not y ^t the teindis and oblatiounis wer ordanit be God to sustene the Priests and Leuitis in the auld Testament, and that thir pepill wer worthily rebukit of the Prophet for withhalding of thame, bot what belangis that to us? I answer, that as we subscriue the Prophetis doctrine and with him this day cōdepne thir pepil, sa gif we will examine our selfs, we sal find their schooe (as we use to say) meit aneuch for our fute, and our trāsgressioun in this point to be nothing inferior unto thairis. For suppois the Levitical Preistheid be abrogatit zit hes y ^e Lord a Kirk for whais edificatioun he hes ordanit Ministeris, Pastouris, and Teicheris, wha aucht, be the ordinance of Christ himself to have their reward for their labor, whairunto the Apostle wrytand to the Corinthianis aggreis, affirming, 〈◊〉 Lord hes ordanit, that they whilk preich the Gospel suld live of the Gospel. And as for the pure, baith Moses & our Master do witness that we fall never want thame, whom also we ar bound to sustene and charitabillie to provide for. How cairfullie, the Primatiue and first Kirk under the Gospel, prouydit for their Ministeris and the pure, the Actis of y ^e Apostillis & paulis Epistillis do testify, whairin we se every Congregatioun not only cairful for their a win pure, bot also reddy to relief y ^e necessity of the pure sanctis that dwellit far frō thame. Thair Ministeris also with their famileis wer honorabilly sustenit in all things necessary, thocht sum of zow have spokin in derisioun, that suppois ze be bound to sustene the Minister, what to do have ze with his wife and children? Brethren for my part I wald ze had Angels to zour Ministeris gif ze wer worthy of thame, or that it wer the will of God, bot seeing that God willis not so, bot that ze shall be seruit be the Ministry of men, it behouis zow to take thame as they ar, with all things y ^t of necessity belangis unto thame or lawfully dependis on thame, sie as are wyfes, childrē and family, whilk not only must be honestly reulit and the children haldin under obedience with all honesty (as Paul teichis) bot also must be prouydit for hospitality, whilk all men knawis requyris baith foirsicht and expensis. Ze se then that the Ministeris of the primative Kirk (that leuit before Princes wer Christians and nurischers of the Kirk as it was Prophesyit) wer na beggeris, suppois they wer no Lordis y ^t aboūdit in superfluous wealth as the Papis Bishoppis did, bot had sufficient, as well for the necessity of their a win famileis, as for the help of other Christians, that now and then, as occasiounis seruit repairit to their housis. Efterward when the time come foirspokin be David that Kingis and Empreouris and their Kingdoms suld serve the Lord and bring giftis unto him, they prouydit for y ^e kirk. Not as the Heathē Idolateris did for their Priests, bot as the Eternal God of auld under the law prouydit for his Ministeris, to wit, that they suld be mantenit with y ^t teindis, sa following his exampil that only is wise, they ordanit be their authority y ^t the Teindis sulde serve to the same use in the time of the Gospel, adding also of their a win substance diueris vtheris rentis and possessiounis, making thame y ^t taucht thame in the word of God, (according to the doctrine of the Apostle) pertakeris of all their gudis. Efter this sort I say did the godly and christiane Empreouris & Kingis provide for the preicheris of the Evangel, the scuilis, the pure, the Kirkis, & whatsaeuer ellis belangit to the external worschip and service of God, whairupon all the substance before mentionit alwayis was spēdit sa lang as outher purity of doctrine, or the ancient severity of discipline remanit in the visibill Kirk. Bot how sone that ever superstitioun enterit in and the discipline 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 y ^e bottomless pit, whais Impiety albeit god hes reuelit, and banischit be the preiching of his word from amang us, zit is not that substance whilk they abusit restoirit again to the richt use, bot als profanely and wickitly spendit this day in Scotland as ever it was.

Then the same accusatiounis and complaintis that God vsit, of auld, be his Prophet aganis the Jews, serve this day aganis thame that ar like the Jews in transgressioun, zea, they serve aganis us: For this day Christ is spuilzeit amang us, while y ^t whilk aucht to mantene the Ministry of the Kirk and the pure, is geuin to profane men, flattereris in Court, Ruffianes and Hyrelingis. The pure in the mean time oppressit with hounger, the Kirkis and Tempilis decaying for laik of Ministeris and vphalding, and the schuilis utterly neglectit and ouersene. Ar not thir things so? Behald the wayis and streitis & ze sall se thame (to the greit dishonor of Christ and decay of the common wealth) replenischit with beggeris and vnbrydilit zouth, albeit na man amang us, that may not, nor cannot sustene thame selfs, suld be sufferit to laik. Our zouth also aucht to be nurischit and mantenit at the schuilis, that thairoutof efterward micht spring preicheris, counsellouris, Phisiciounis and all other kinds of leirnit men that we have neid of. For the schuillis at the seid of the Kirk and common-wealth, and our Children ar the hope of the posterity, whilk being neglectit their can nothing be luikit for▪ bot that barbarous ignorance sall overflow all, for suppois God hes wonderously, at this time steirit up preicheris amang us, euin when darkness and ignorance had the upper hand, he will not do sa heirefter seeing we have the ordinary mean to provide them, whilk gif we cōtempne, in vane sall we luke for extraordinary prouisioun. Israel was miraculussie fed in the wilderness with MANNA, bot how sone they did eight of the corn of the land of Canaā the MANNA ceissit, nouther had they it ony moir, bot leuit efterward on the fruit of the ground ordinarlie laubourit with their handis. I speak to prudent men that may understand & judge what I say: Bot now to speak of zour Tēpilis where the word of god suld be preichit and the Sacramentis Ministerit all mē seis to what miserabill rewyne and decay they ar cum, zea, they ar sa prophanit, that in my conscience, gif I had been brocht up in Germany or in ony other country, where Christ is trewly preichit, and all things done decently and in order according to Goddis word, and had hard of that purity of Religioun that is amang zow, and for the lufe thairof, had takin travel to visit this land, and then suld have seen the foul deformity and desolatioun of zour Kirkis and Tempilis, whilk ar mair like to scheip cottis then the housis of God. I culled not have iudgeit that their had been ony feir of God or richt Religioun in the mayest part of this realm? And as for the ministers of the word they ar utterly neglectit and cū in manifest cotempt amang zow, ze Raill upon thame at zour pleasure, of their doctrine (gif it serve not zour turn and aggre not with zour appetytis) ze ar becum impatient, & to be schort, we ar now maid zour Tabill talk whom ze mock in zour mirrines, & threatin in zour anger. I am compellit to speak this, thocht I be als plane as pleasant, and appeir to zow as the greitest fule of y ^t rest to stand up heir to utter that whilk other men thinkis, weil, let me be coūzit a fule for speiking the truth, I regaird not, nouther may I spair to speak it, thocht I suld be Iudgeit, in our awin caus, to be carry it away with particular affectioū, following heirin the exampil of our Prophet Malachi, wha (gif credit may be geuin to Jerome) was Ezra the Priest, the staits of whais time, gif we mark his buik diligently, properly aggreis with this prophesy. And zit thocht he was a priest, he sparit not, freely, at the commandment of god, to rebuik thame that defraudit the preistis of the teindis & oblatioūis appointit unto thame. This is it that muisis me, let men judge as they liest, to lay out before zour eyis the miserabill estait of the pure Kirk of Scotland, that thairby ze may be prouokit to pity it, and to restoir the things, that iniustly ze spuilzie it of, leist the Lord require at zour handis the blood of thame that perische in default of the richt dispensatioun of thir things. I speak not this to provoke ony private man to retene in his hand that whilk he is bound to pay to the possessouris of the beneficis, because they misspend it, no, bot rather exhortis thame faithfully to pay their dewteis, and commit the punischement of the abuse to God that behaldis the doingis of all men, and will rewaird every man according to his warkis, as appeiris in the words of the Text whilk follow.

Ze ar Cursit with a Curse: for ze have spoylit me, euin this haill Natioun. Becaus thir pepill acknawledgeit nor felt not the gravity of their sin as they aucht. The prophet puttis thame in mind of the punischement that hidderto they had sustenit thairfoir, namely, that they wer cursit with a curse, signifying that they wer all manner of wayis miserabill and unhappy, and why? because not a few of thame, bot that haill Natioun had spuilzeit the Lord. How miserabill thir pepill wer after their returning from Babel, the bukis and prophesies of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggay and Zechariah do witness, to wit, that they wer only hatit and inuyit, of all the Natiounis adiacent, wha continually socht their distructioū baith be secreit dissaitis & oppin Hostilitie, bot also wer oppressit with Famine, derth and scarcity of all things, whilk maid thame to complane, grudge, & murmur aganis God, as thocht y ^e cause of their infelicity had procedit of him. Quhairunto the Lord heir answeris, as it wer in thir words, ze complane of zour misery bot ze persaue not the cause, I grant that ze ar miserabill, zea, that ze ar cursit and unhappy ma wayis then ane, bot the caus is in zour selfs that hes spuilzeit me of that whilk was dedicat to my honor, and thairfoir ze cannot be blyssit whylo ze defraud me of y ^t whilk is mine. That thir pepill wer justly plaguit we all cōfes, bot wald God that we culled consider our a win estait, apply this to our selfs & mak our fruit thairof: For thocht all men meruell at the cruel weiris, unfruitful seasounis, strange diseasis, derth, famine, and other incommoditeis whairwith y ^e world is oppressit. Zit they consider not, that the mayest part of men ar sa inobedient and unthankful unto God, that they deserve to be na better intreatit bot rather vorse. And to pas by other Natiounis let us try our selfs, we profess Religioun, zit ar we barrane of the frutis thairof: for euin they things without the whilk Religioun cannot stand ar scarce to be found amang us, sic as ar faith, innocence, purity of life, charity and Inuocatioū of Goddis name. And as for the teindis and rentis of the Kirk, the almous of the pure, and sic things as we ar bound to bestow upon y ^e mantenance of Goddis honor and richt Religioun (thocht we be prodigal in other things) zit in thame ar we negligent, called, fraudulent, gredie and nigard. For as sometime Kingis, Prencis, Lordis & other potent mē liberally inrichit the Kirk, sa now be the contrair all their travel is to satiate their gredynes with the spuilze thairof. Can the world then luik for ony prosperity, happiness, tranquility, or benedictioū from God, while they thus neglect his honor? Na surely, Ze meruel, I dout not, why ze have not preuailit aganis zone throtcutteris and unnatural murthereris within the Town and Castell of Edinburgh, specially ze having a mayest just action, being ma in number and mair vailzeant men, and nothing inferior to thame in wisdom, circumspectioun, or ony gude qualiteis outher of body or of mind, bot ceis to meruell: for the caus why that ze have not preuailit aganis thame lang or now, amāg money other zour sinnis where with ze ar defylit, is this, that the spuilze of the pure is in zour housis, ze inuaid the possessioun of that whilk appertenis not unto zow, and that whilk our foirbearis gave of gudezeill to Goddis honor and the commoū wealth of the Kirk, ze spuilze to zour a win private vsis without outher ryme or ressoun, nouther will ze be controllit. This, this, I say, is the chief caus y ^t nothing prosperis in zour hādis, gif thairfoir ze wald y ^t ever God suld decoir zow with that honor to be his instrumentis to clenge this land from the innocent blood whairwith it is pollutit, and the fylthie murthereris whairwith it is infamit and defylit: Clenge then zour handis of all impiety, specially of sacrilege whereby ze spuilze the pure, the schuilis, the Tempilis, and Ministeris of Goddis word, zea, Christ himself, I grant that our Fatheris of Immoderat zeill (beside the teindis & necessary rentis of the Kirk) gave thairunto superfluously, and mair nor aneuch, What then is to be done? Bot that the Preicheris of Goddis word be ressonabillie sustenit, seeing that their is aneuch and over mekle to do it, the schuillis and the pure be well prouydit as they aucht, and the Tempilis honestly and reverently repairit, that the pepill without injury of wynd or wedder may sit and heir Goddis word, and participat of his holy Sacramētis. And gif their restis ony thing vnspendit when this is done (as na dout their will) in the name of God let it be bestowit on the next necessary affairis of the common wealth, and not to ony man's private commodity. Except ze • o this God will not be with zow, nouther can ze have ony prosperity, bot the end of a cummer shall be the beginning of ane other, bot gif ze will be obedient to his voice he will be with zow, and blys all the warkis of zour handis, as he hes promysit in his word, whairof we fall have better occasioun to speak in the thread heid of our Text unto the whilk let us now proceid: weary not I pray zow, suppois the time be almaist spendit for I sall not be lang.

[ 3] Bring ze all the teindis into the stoirhous, &c. Efter that the Prophet hes cōfutit the unjust querrellingis and responsis of the pepill and also had prouit thame criminal, he schawis thame the remedy and how they may recover again the benedictioun and favor of God, to wit, gif they will deill vprichtly with him in time cūming, whairunto he mayest ernistly exhortis thame, promysing (gif they will amend the former faultis) Goddis blyssingis and favor in all things. Bring ze (says he) all the teindis into the stoirhous, or treasure of the Tempill, he craifis all, that they may knaw that he will have nane fraudulently withdraw in as they wer before, when for the fossoun they gave a part, as thocht they had benezealous of Religioun, and retenit the rest to satisfy their auaritious affectioūis. The caus why that the Lord commandis all the teindis faithfully to be geuin without ony fraud, he says, y ^t their may be meit in his house to sustene the Priests and the Leuitis that waitit on his service, and that their may be sufficient also for all other things that he had appointit in his Law to be done, whairof we have spokin at lenth afoir. This is it that the Lord requyris of thir pepill, and exhortis thame to prove him heir withal. Quhidder gif he will not oppin unto them the wyndois of heaven. &c. Behald deir Brethren the bountifulness & familiarity of our God toward us, y ^t this way subiectis his fidelity to our trial, binding himself be promeis to recōpance and that largely, whatsaeuer is bestow it on his service, thocht he be detter to no man, nor zit hes ony commodity of our oblatioūis (as we have said afoir) for nouther dwellis he in Tempilis maid with hādis, nor zit hes he ony neid that our gudis be spendit on him, bot all the external worschipping is ordanit be him for the nurischement of our faith, wha be eirthlie things mon be taucht piece and piece to understand heuinly things that thairunto be thame, we may be led, as it wer, be the hand. For us then, I say, is the external exercise of Religioun, and all the expensis that is maid thairupon ordanit, and not for him, and zit notwithstanding in exhorting us to be liberal in that whilk cūmis altogidder to our a win profit, he speiks als submissiuely as it wer a borower making requeist to a lenner, that wald say, len me, I pray zow, sic a sum of money or samekle victual to sic a day and prove my credit thairwith, whidder gif I will not thankfully pay zow again and y ^t with profit. O the meruellous and vnspeikabill cair that the Lord hes over us and our Saluatioun.

Bot let us heir with what benefitis he promysis to recompance thame gif they will do their duty. First, he promysis to oppin the wyndowis of heaven unto them, he says not that he will oppin a wyndow, bot in the plural number wyndowis, signifying, that he will caus all things that they have neid of thairoutof to flow unto thame in all abundance. Secundly, that the blyssingis whilk he will pour out of heaven upon thame, sall produce and bring forth fruit out of the eirth (not simply to satisfy their neid) bot mekle mair, zea, it shall be bezond measure. Thirdly, he promysis that not only sall the heaven and the eirth mutually aggre togidder, (as says y ^e Prophet Hosea) to produce all things abundantly unto thame, bot also when they ar producit he sall preserve them frō all things that may hynder thame from cumming to maturity and perfectioun, whidder it be noysum beistis or vnseasonabill wedder. Finally, he promysis sa to deill with thame that the profane and godless Natiounis shall be compellit to acknawledge thame for a happy and a blyssit pepill in whom Goddis liberal blyssingis and benefitis sa sall abound, that the plesandnes, fertility & fruitfulness of their land sall allure all men to lufe it and to desire to dwell in it.

Of this we note from whence cummis abundance of victual, incres of frutis, & all other prosperity to man, certainly not from the elementis abuse, nor from the earth beneth, nor zit from mannis laubour, (for the heuinis as says Jeremiah can give na schouris, and then of force it mon follow that the earth shall be barrane & mannis laubour loist) from nane of thir things then procedis mannis happiness, bot from God only in whais hand is the brydill y ^t moderatis all things, wha also (when man is obedient to him) makes all his creaturis to serve him, zea, the stanis of the field (as says Job) to be in league with him, and the beistis of the field to be at peace with him. And be the contrary whē men ar inobedient to God they ar cursit in all that ever they put their hand unto, and all the creaturis of God ar enemeis unto thame, zea, the heaven geuis thame nouther dew nor rain, nor the earth ony fruit mair nor they wer maid of Iron and brass. Let us then brethren feir God, reverence and worsship him as he hes commandit and be zealous to mantene his honor with all our poweris and substance, and sa sal he prosper our interprysis to his glory and our comfort, bot gif we be disobedient to him, cairles and negligent of his honor, his plagues cannot depart frō us, for he will honor thame that honor him, and pour contempt upon thame y ^t lichtly him. Langer at this present, seeing that the time faillis me I will not hald zow, bot beseikis zow all, and principally zow mayest Nobill and worthy Personages to prēt thir things in zour myndis to zour profit, to suffer the words of exhortatioū patiently, and take in gude worth y ^t whilk is spokin, albeit it have been somewhat rudely and schairply vtterit, considdering that it procedit from the heart of him that luifis and fauouris baith zow & zour caus, remembering the saying of Solomon, oppin rebuke is better then secreit lufe, and the woundis of a lufer mair faithful then the kissis of ane enemy thocht they be plesāt. God grant that the words whilk ze have hard w ^t zour outward eiris may be sa fixit in zour hartis, y ^t the fruit thairof may heir after appeir to the glory of God, and y ^e commodity of his Kirk, whilk he hes redemit to himself be y ^e precious blood of his only & weilbelovit Sone Jesus Christ our Lord & only Savior, to whome with the father & the holy Gaist be perpetual praise, glory, & honor baith now & forever. Amen

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

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