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Query 4. But why are they faid to be fealed in their fore beads?

Anfw. The forehead, you know, is the upper part of the face, the most confpicuous part of a man's countenance; and I conceive the feal upon the forehead it may import two things.

1. Their vifible profeflion of Chrift, and their open owning of the Lord, and his way and caufe, in the time of the greateft oppofition, when error, and delufion, and perfecution, was most rampant in the vifible church. Sirs, it is not enough to be night-difciples, when Chrift is calling us to confefs him before men; no, we must come forth to the open field, when called up to the help of the Lord against the mighty. He did not hide his face from fhame and fpitting, but openly endured the cross, and defpifed the fhame; and yet fhall we be ashamed of him, or afraid to own him before the world? It is dangerous to come near the borders of denying him and his cause before men, left he should deny us before his Father, and before his angels. Chrift's plough, his caufe, and teftimony, drives heavily for many profeffors in Scotland at this day; and because they have been fo flack-handed this way, God is leaving fome, both minifters and people, to put hand to another fort of plough, which will produce a melancholy crop ere all be done.

2. Their being marked or fealed in the forehead implies, that, in the time of common calamity, God will make fuch a visible difference between his own faithful fervants and others, that he that runs may read, according to that, Mal. iii. 18. "Then fhall ye return and difcern between the righteous and the wicked; between him that ferveth God, and him that ferveth him not." The righteous and the wicked they live together now. (as I was faying); but ere it be long, God will put fuch a vilible mark of favour upon the one, and of vengeance upon the other, that all men and angels fhall know the one from the other, and at the end the feparation will be as wide as between heaven and hell.

IV. The fourth thing in the method was, to inquire into the reasons why Chrift, the Angel of the covenant, will have his Jervants marked in their foreheads, when the winds are to be let

blow?

Anfu. 1. In fo many words, he will have them fealed, becaufe they are his Father's gift, "Thine they were, and thou gaveft them me ;" and for the Father's fake that gave them, he will have them fealed.

2. Because he hath bought them at a dear rate, even with

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the price of his precious blood, not with filver, or gold, or fuch corruptible things, &c.

3. Because they are his fheep, his lambs that he carries in his bofom, If. xl. 11.

4. Because they are his fervants, the fervants of God, their ear he has bored, they love their Mafter, &c.

5. Because they are his peculiar friends, "I call you no more fervants, but friends," John xv. 14. 15.

6. Because they are his feed, If. liii. 10. Pfal. xxii. 30. “A feed fhall ferve him," &c.

7. Because they are his fpoufe and bride, he their Husband and Bridegroom, If. liv. 5. Hol. ii. 16. &c.

8. Because they are his members, and he their Head, they are his bone and fiefh, they "hold the head," &c.

9. He feals them, because they believe in him, Eph. i. 13. "After that ye believed, ye were fealed," &c.

10. He feals them, becaufe they love him, fo as to mourn for injury done him, Ezek. ix. 4.

11. He feals them, because they are his faithful witnesses, that confefs him, when others deny him.

12. He feals them, that they may not fuffer hurt by the deftroying winds that blow in the vifible church. They keep the commandments of God, and the teftimony of Jefus; and therefore he will keep them in the hour of temptation, according to the promise, Pfal. xci. 3. 7.

V. The fifth thing was the Application of the doctrine. And the firft ufe I fhall make of it, fhall be by way of Lamentation over the many hurtful winds that have blown, and are ftili blowing, in our land. God feems in our day to have given a commiffion unto his angels, the minifters of his wrath, who fulfil his pleasure, to let loose the winds, that the earth, the fea, and the trees, may be hurt thereby; and much hurt and damage have they done already in our valley of vifion.

Query, What are the hurtful winds that are blowing at this day, or in this period of the church? for fome tell us that the church of Chrift in this land, was never in a better condition. I answer, Whatever fome may imagine, yet I am of the mind, and many others with me, that the church of Christ was never in a more dangerous condition fince our reformation from Popery. God feems to have given a commiflion to the four angels to loose the four winds, to hurt the inhabitants of the land. And here I will tell you of feveral hurtful winds, which, like the peftilence, are walking through the land, and hurting many, both profeflors and others at this day.

1. The hurtful winds of Infidelity, or Deifm, is blowing,

which ftrikes at the roots, and denies all fupernatural revelation, or at least discards all the fupernatural myfteries of the Chrif tian religion, which depraved reafon is not able to comprehend, fuch as the doctrine of the incarnation of the Son of God, and of his fatisfaction to juftice, of the neceflity of regeneration, of juftification by his imputed righteousness, of fanc tification by his Spirit: thefe, and the like fupernatural doctrines of our holy religion, I fay, are exploded by many in our day, infomuch that through many places of Scotland, inftead of the gofpel of Chrift, nothing is to be heard, but the dry faplefs harangues of Heathenifh morality. And what must become of thofe poor fouls that are daily entertained with fuch food? Why, Solomon anfwers the queftion, when he tells us, "Where no vilion is, the people perish." The hurtful wind of Arian herefy has been travelling through the land, and appeared before the bar of the Affembly without any becoming cenfure. The doctrine of self-love also, whereby the creature is exalted above the glorious Creator. We have been long taught, that the chief end of man is, to glorify God, and that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we ought to do all to the glory of God. And, to be fure, that which is the chief end of man, ought alfo to be the leading and chief motive of all his moral and religious actions. But now it is a doctrine sustained by the National Affembly, that our own delight, pleasure, and fatisfaction in glorifying God, is the chief motive of all virtuous and religious actions; whereby the creature's happiness is preferred unto the glory of God, who made all things for himself. And I cannot fhun to observe, that God, in a way of righteous judgement, is answering many according to this idol of jealoufy fet up in the temple of God, by letting them adopt, and embrace a religion that lies all in internal feelings, pleafure, and fatisfaction to themfelves; while the declarative glory of God, and the honour of the Redeemer's crown and kingdom in the world, is none of their concern; yea, it torments them to hear of a testimony against the indignities done to him in the land wherein we live. I might here alfo infift on the injuries done to the doctrines of the grace of God, in the acts of Affembly, 1720 and 1722, with relation to the Marrow of Modern Divinity, whereby a bundle of precious truths are condemned, and lie under the rubbith ever fince, which I hope fhall yet be brought forth unto victory.

2. The hurtful wind of church tyranny and abufed difcipline, has been for a long time blowing in the church of Scotland, whereby the erroneous have been fcreened, and minifters of Chrift caft out of minifterial communion, and depofed

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for bearing teftimony to the truth, in oppofition unto the pre fent current of apoftafy and backfliding. And how has the boar of ecclefiaftical tyranny laid wafte, and fcattered the flock of Chrift up and down the land, through violent intrufions that have been made upon Chriftian congregations, impofing men upon them, contrary to that liberty wherewith Chrift has made them free?

3. I might, among other pernicious winds, take notice of the public affront done to the Mediator's crown as the alone King of Zion, when, by reading of the act anent Porteous, minifters changed their holding of Chrift, and prostitute his fovereignty, and dipt their hands in that innocent bloodshed at the execution of Wilfon, by not teftifying against him as a bloody murderer condemned in law, when they read that act.

4. How has the wind of profanity and open impiety blown upon all ranks in the land, and hurt many, both in foul, and bodily eftate? What heaven-daring impiety abounds, infomuch that the land groans under our provocations against the holy One of Ifrael? The very abominations of the Heathen are perpetrate among us Chriftians, like thefe, Rom. i. at the close.

5. There is another wind that God is fuffering to blow at this day, whereby both many minifters and people are ftaggered, and caft down, and that is the noify wind that the known. foreigner of the Prelatic communion of the church of England has brought along with him unto this land. I know indeed that fome deny any connection beween him, and that work which we have now among us; but it is in vain to deny this, when it vifibly follows him through the world, wherever he goes, and is received into communion as a minister of Jefus Christ.

Query, How doth it appear that this is one of the hurtful winds that God has, by the miniftry of angels, whether good or bad, loofed upon the church of Scotland? for many call it, and are very confident of it, that it is a heavenly wind. Anfw. I cannot stay upon it at prefent; only, notwithstanding of all the fine things I have read and heard about it, I cannot help thinking, that it is one of the most hurtful winds that ever blew in this covenanted land, and that for thefe reafons. It appears to me, and many others, to be a hurtful and pernicious wind, by obferving, (1.) Whence it comes; (2.) Whither it blows; (3.) What are its effects.

1, Let us notice whence it comes. It comes from the Prelatic fuperftitious church of England; and he that has brought it, owns himself to be ftill of the communion of that church, abjured by this church in her national covenant, and by the

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three nations in the folemn league; one who has sworn the oath of fupremacy, and fo renounced the alone headship of Chrift in his church, and, in confequence of this, denies the binding obligation of our folemn covenants. And his own account of his conversion appears to be an evident delusion of the devil.

2dly, Let us alfo obferve, whither, and for what, this noisy wind blows. It is evident, that it blows up every where through the world, and particularly in this land, for filthy lucre, worldly gain and advantage; the cry of it every where is, Who will fhew us any of this world's good? Another airth toward which it blows, is, toleration of all fects, plainly founded upon the principle of Catholic love and communion, fo much applauded by that foreigner, and all that patronize him and his work. And hence the natural tendency of it is, to overthrow the hedge of government, and to caft down the walls and fortifications of Zion, against which the gates of hell fhall never prevail.

3dly, Let us notice what are the fruits and effects of this noify wind. I know indeed that some talk of great and good effects of it, in the conviction, converfion, and confolation of many; but I much doubt if this will stand the trial of the word, which is the light by which all fpirits, and works, must be tried: "To the law and to the teftimony: if they speak not according to thefe, it is because there is no light in them." An imaginary conviction produceth an imaginary conversion, and an imaginary converfion produceth but an imaginary confolation. I will only tell you of two or three fruits of it, that I know, and can document.

(1.) A ftated enmity and bitterness of fpirit against a covenanted work of reformation, and all that bear up or own a teftimony for it at this day, notwithstanding of their Catholic

love.

(2.) A ftriking men blind, and deaf, and dumb, as to all the public affronts done to Chrift, or injuries done to his mystical body. I dare appeal to themfelves, if at their moft folemn occafions, where they fay there was moft of the Lord, any thing was fpoken for God's declarative glory, in oppofition unto the bloodshed, perjury, covenant-breaking, or the violent intrufions and rapes committed upon the fpoufe of Chrift, or the profaning of Christ's crown, his fabbaths, and the minifterial character, by reading of Porteons's act. Nay, fo far from this that that fpirit goes along with intruders, act readers, and the like, as well as others; but not one word of their profefling repentance for their evil deeds.

(3.) Another fruit of this work, is the palliating of all the public

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