way; I would have had him that married the wife, saying, My wife has
married me; and he that bought his oxen, saying, My oxen have bought me;
and he that went to his farm, saying, My farm has bought me. And if ye
will mark the words, ye will find them run this way. 1. Marriage is
lawful; but when a man beasts himself in his carnal pleasures, then the
wife marries the man; "therefore let them that have wives, be as though
they had them not, and them that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not."
2. Buying of farms is lawful, but when a man becomes a slave to his own
gain, it takes away the soul of him, the farm buys the man; likewise
husbandry is lawful, but when a man yokes his neck under the world, it
trails and turmoils him so, that he cannot take on the yoke of Jesus. 3.
Thus also the merchandise buys the man. Then, for Jesus Christ's sake,
cast away all excuses, and come away now, and marry Christ. 1. Away with
thy bastard pleasures. 2. Away with thy bastard cares, and come away to
Christ, and He shall season all thy cares. 3. Away with thy falsehood,
thy pride, vanity, &c. Away with thy corn, wine and oil, and come to
Christ, and He shall lift up His countenance upon thee. The Lord give
thee a blink of that, and then thou wilt come hopping with all thy
speed, like unto old Jacob, when he saw the angels ascending and
descending, then he ran fast, albeit he was tired, and had got a hard
bed, and a far harder bolster the night before, yet he got a glorious
sight, and his legs were soupled with consolation, which made him run.
Lord blink upon thy lazy soul with His amiable countenance, and then
thou shalt rise and run, and thy fainting heart will receive strength,
when the Lord puts in His hand by the key-hole of the door, and leaves
drops of myrrh behind Him, then a sleepy bride will rise and seek her
Beloved. But to our point.
Marriage is lawful, merchandise is lawful, husbandry is lawful, but
never one of these is lawful when they hinder thee from the Lord.
Neither credit, pleasure, preferment, houses nor lands are lawful, when
they hinder thee from the Lord's sweet presence. Jerome said well,
"Though my old father were hanging about my neck, and my sweet mother
had me in her arms, and all my dear children were sticking about me, yet
when my Lord Jesus called upon me, I would cast off my old father, and
throw my sweet mother under foot, and throw away all my dear children,
and run away to my Lord Jesus." Lord grant, my beloved, that what ye
have heard of Christ may sink in your souls: and when ye have seen poor
things running here and there, to get a prayer here, and a prayer there,
and ye wonder what they are seeking, they are seeking their Beloved; and
if ye ask, "What is their Beloved more than another?" They will answer,
my Beloved is the fairest and trimmest, and the highest and honourablest
in the world; He has the sweetest eyes, the sweetest cheeks, the
sweetest lips, and trimmest legs and arms, "yea He is altogether
lovely;" and then they will be made to cry out, "O thou fairest among
women, tell us whither is thy Beloved gone, that we may seek Him with
thee?" O if we knew Him! Lord work upon you the knowledge of Him. O what
a business would you make to be at Him! Lord grant that our ministry may
leave a stamp upon your hearts. Then had we gotten a rich purchase.
Would to God ye were like that marquis in Italy, who fled from thence to
Geneva, being persecuted by the Jesuits; and when they followed him, and
offered him sums of gold, he answered, "Let those perish forever who
part with an hour's fellowship with Christ, for all the gold under
heaven." And sundry of the martyrs being at the stake, having this and
that offered to them, they had still this word, None but Christ, none
but Christ: and when they were bidden, Have mind of your well favoured
wife, and your poor children; they answered, "If I had all the money and
gold in the world, I would give it to stay with my wife and poor
children, if it were but in a stinking prison; but sweet Christ is
dearer unto me than all." Then cast away all excuse. Would to God we
were like that woman, when going to the stake; "I have borne many
children, (says she) and yet notwithstanding of all these pains, I would
suffer them all over again, for one hour's fellowship with my Lord."
Then come away, come away, cast away all excuses, come away; as the
Saviour says, "The storm is past and over, the winter is away, the time
of singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our
land; arise, my fair one, and come away." God be thanked, there is a sad
winter over Scotland's head, and our figs are blossoming, and our trees
are budding, and bringing forth fruit, now is the turtle singing, and
his voice is heard in our land: now is Christ's voice heard, now is our
Bridegroom standing waiting on our way-coming; and here am I in His
name, crying unto you, Come away: here am I to honour my Master: all
honour be to Him for ever and ever. Come away then, for the winter is
going, the summer is approaching, our vines are blossoming, in token of
a fair summer: arise, arise, and come away.
Ver. 9. "Go ye, therefore, out to the highways:" as if He would say,
Well, I see the Jews will not come in; "therefore go your ways and fetch
in the Gentiles." Yet I hope in God, there shall many of the Jews come
in shortly. They spake for you, when ye could not speak for yourselves;
they said, "We have a little sister, and she has no breasts; what shall
we do for her in the day she shall be spoken for?" Now pray ye for them.
Always they refused to come in, as ye heard; and not being worthy, they
would not come to Him, to make them worthy.--Always, says the Lord, go
out, and call in the Gentiles to My table, My Son may not want a wife:
He is too great a king to want a spouse, and My supper is too good cheer
to be lost; therefore go and fetch in the Gentiles. I thank the Lord
that ye are come in. I know not a town in the kingdom of Scotland that
is not come in, except one, and I am afraid for the wrath of God to
light on that shortly. Always God hath His own time. But trow ye, that
God will give that honour to every one? Nay. I protest in my own silly
judgment (howbeit I cannot scance upon kings crowns) that it were the
greatest honour that ever king Charles got, to subscribe the covenant.
But trow ye that every minister and every burgh will come in? Nay: if
you will read the history, 2 Chron. xxx. 10, you will see the contrary;
when Hezekiah was going to renew the covenant, and to keep the passover,
the holy text says, that numbers mocked, and thought themselves over
jelly to come in; but those whose hearts the Lord had touched, they came
in and kept the blyth day. Indeed I was afraid once, that Christ would
have left old Scotland, and gone to new Scotland, and that He would
have left old England, and gone to new England: and think ye not but He
can easily do this? Has He not a famous church in America, where He may
go? Indeed I know not a kingdom in all the world, but if their plots had
gone on, they had been at antichrist's shore ere now; but all his limbs
and liths, I hope shall be broken, and then shall our Lord be great:
therefore come away in with your wedding garment, and ye that have not
put it on, now put it on, and come away to the marriage: and I thank the
Lord, that ye are prevailed with, by God's assisting of our faithful
brethren to bring you in; the Lord grant that ye may come in with your
wedding garment. It is but a small matter for you to hold up your hand;
and yet, I suspect, some of you when it was in doing took a back-side. I
tell you that it is no matter of sport, to board with God: therefore
come away with your wedding garment; for the Master of the feast sees
you, and knows all that are come to the marriage feast. I know you not,
but my Master knows you every one: He knows who came in on Sabbath and
who came in yesterday, and who will come in to-day, and who are going to
put on their wedding garment, and cast away their duds. Away with your
duds of pride, your duds of greed and of malice; away with all these
duds, and be like the poor blind man in the gospel, who when he knew
that Christ called him, he cast his old cloak from him, and came away;
so do ye, cast aside all excuses, and come to the wedding. And now with
a word of the wedding garment I will end.
This wedding garment consists of three pieces: 1. There is one piece of
it looks to God, and that is holiness. 2. There is another piece of it
looks to ourselves, and that is sobriety. 3. Another piece of it looks
to our neighbour, and that is righteousness.
The first is holiness; I charge you to put it on: ye that are the
provost and bailies, I love you dearly, and all the members of the
town; gentlemen, and all gentlewomen, and all of you I love you dearly;
and therefore I charge you all before God, in my last farewell unto you,
to be holy, according as ye have sworn in your covenant.
2. Be sober. Howbeit I be a stranger, yet I like brotherly love and
Christian fellowship well; but drunkenness and gluttony, feasting and
carousing I hate, especially now when the kirk of Scotland is going in
dool-weed: therefore be sober. 1. Be sober in your apparel; I think
there is too much of gaudy apparel among you. 2. Be sober in your
conceits. 3. Be sober in your judgments. 4. Be sober in your
self-conceiting. 5. Be sober in your speaking. 6. Be sober in your
sleeping. 7. Be sober in your lawful recreations. 8. Be sober in your
lawful pleasures: and finally be sober in all respects; that it may be
seen ye are the people that have renewed your covenant.
3. Be righteous. I know not if ye have false weights and balances among
you; but whether there be or not, I give you all charge, who have sworn
the covenant, to be righteous.
In a word, this wedding garment is Jesus Christ; "Put ye on the Lord
Jesus Christ." I cannot give you a better counsel nor Christ gave to
Martha; forget the many things, and choose that one thing which is
needful; and with David, still desire that one thing, "To behold the
beauty of the Lord in His temple;" and with Paul, "Forget the things
that are behind, and press forward to the prize of the high-calling
thro' Jesus Christ." The Lord fill your hearts with the love of Christ.
If thou askest, What will this garment do to thee? I answer, This
garment serves, 1. For necessity. 2. For ornament. 3. For distinction.
1. For necessity. And this is threefold. 1. To cover thy nakedness, and
hide thy shame. 2. To defend thy body from the cold of winter, and heat
of summer. 3. For necessity, to hold in the life of the body. So put on
Jesus Christ this wedding garment; and, 1. He shall cover the shame of
thy nakedness with the white linen of His righteousness. 2. He shall
defend thee when the wind of trial begins to blow rough and hard, and
when the blast of the terrible One is arising, to rain fire and
brimstone upon the world; "Then He shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in
the day time from the heat, and a place of refuge for a covert from
storm and from rain." "A refuge from the storm, and shadow from the
heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the
wall." When men are pursuing, He shall be a brazen wall about thee; and
when they pursue thee, He shall keep thee in His bosom.
2. A garment is for an ornament. Who is the best favoured body; and the
trimmest soul? Even the poor soul that has put on the bridegroom Jesus:
that soul is fair and white, and altogether lovely, "There is no spot in
it," because the Lord hath put upon it, "Broidered work, bracelets and
ornaments."
3. A garment is for distinction. There must be a distinction among you,
between you and the wicked world, because ye have renewed your covenant
with God: and this distinction must not only be outwardly (for an
hypocrite may seem indeed very fair) but it must be by inward
application. I desire you all that are hearing me, not only to put it
on, but to hold it on: put it on, and hold it on; for it is not like
another garment, neither in matter, nor shape, nor in use, nor in
durance. I may not insist to handle it, but it is not like other
garments, especially it is not like a bridegroom's garment, which he has
on to-day, and off to-morrow. Therefore I charge you all your days, to
hold it on. Ay, that which ye had on upon Sabbath last, and yesterday,
and which you have on this day, see that ye cast it not off to-morrow.
What heard you cried on Sabbath last, and yesterday, and this day?
Hosanna, hosanna. And wherefore cried ye yesterday and this day,
Hosanna, hosanna? Look that when we are away, and your ministers not
preaching to you, that ye cry not, "Crucify Him, crucify Him." I fear
that many who last Sabbath, yesterday and this day, have been crying
Hosanna, hosanna, shall, long ere the next Sabbath, cry, "Crucify Him,
and hang Him up." But I charge you, O sons of Zion, and ye daughters of
Jerusalem, that your tongues never cease in crying, Hosanna, till Christ
come and dwell in your soul.
Ye that are masters of this college, if ye count me worthy to speak to
you, I would have you keep your garments clean, and take heed that ye be
not spotted with uncovenanted spots. Ye that are scholars, take heed
what sort of learning and traditions ye drink in, and hold your garments
clean. We hear of too many colleges in the land, that are spotted; but
we hope in God that ye are yet clean: and young and old of you, take all
heed to your garments, that they be white, and clean, and beautiful.
For the Lord's sake, all ye that are hearing me, take heed to your
garments, but especially ye that have subscribed your covenant, take
heed to your garments; for blyth will your adversaries be, to see any
spot on them. And therefore, for the Lord's sake, study to be holy;
otherwise papists will rejoice at it, and the weak will stumble at it:
and so ye will wound and bore the sweet side of Christ. And therefore
put on your wedding garment, hold it on, and hold it clean; walk wisely
and before the world.
Now I commend you to Him Who is able to strengthen, stablish and settle
you: to Him be glory, honour and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.
[Illustration: Fac-simile of old Title page of following Sermon.]
_The Evil and Danger of_ Prelacy.
A
SERMON
PREACHED AT A
GENERAL MEETING,
IN THE
_Black-Fryar-Church_ of _Edinburgh_,
Upon the 13th Day of _June_, 1638,
AT
The Beginning of our last Reformation from _Prelacy_, after the
Renovation of the National Covenant.
By the Reverand Mr. Andrew Cant, sometime Minister of the Gospel at
Aberdeen.
1 Peter v 3, _Neither as being Lords over God's Heritage: but being
examples to the Flock._
GLASGOW,
Printed for George Paton, Book-seller in _Linlithgow_. MDCCXLI.
SERMON AT EDINBURGH.[5]
_BY ANDREW CANT._
"Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou
shalt become a plain, and he shall bring forth the head-stone
thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it."
--_Zech._ iv. 7.
I perceive that God will have His temple built, which had been long
neglected; partly by the worldliness of the people, who had greater care
of their own houses, than of the house of God; as appears by the prophet
Haggai, chap. i. 3,4. He reproves them for this fault, that they cared
more for their own houses than for the house of God; partly, because of
the great impediments and difficulties they apprehended in the work. Yet
God, having a purpose to have it builded, sends His prophets to stir
them up to the building of it. As for impediments He promises to remove
them all, and assures them of this by Haggai and Zechariah; yea, He
shews to Zerubbabel and the people, that although impediments were as
mountains, yet they should be removed.
I need not stand upon introductions and connections: this verse I have
read, shows the scope of the prophet; viz. God will have His work going
on, and all impediments removed. These times require that I should
rather insist upon application to the present work of reformation in
hand, than to stand upon the temple of Jerusalem, which we know well
enough was a type of Christ's kirk, which in this land was once built,
but now hath been defaced by the enemies of Christ: we have long
neglected the re-edifying of it; partly, men being given more to build
their own houses, nor the house of Christ; and partly, because of the
great impediments that have discouraged God's people to meddle with it.
Now, it hath pleased God to stir up prophets, noblemen, and people of
the land, to put their hands to this work. And I think God saith to you
in this text, "Who art thou, O great mountain? thou shalt become a
plain."
There are two parts in this text; 1. An impediment removed, under the
name of a mountain, "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel,
thou shalt become a plain." 2. In the second part of the text, the work
goeth up, and is finished, the impediment being removed, "He shall bring
forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace be
unto it."
But that ye may take up all that is to be said in order and method;
there are six steps in the text, three in the mountain, impeding the
work, and three in the work itself. The three in the mountain are these;
1. It is a mountain seen, "O great mountain!" 2. A mountain reproved,
"Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel." 3. A mountain
removed, "Thou shalt become a plain." The three in the work are; 1. A
work growing and going up. 2. A work finished, "He shall bring forth the
head-stone thereof." 3. A work praised, "He shall bring forth the
head-stone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace be unto it." I
shall speak of all these, God willing, and apply them to the time.
As for the three in the mountain. 1. It is a mountain seen; it is
called a _great mountain_; under this are comprehended all impediments
and difficulties impeding the building; all being taken together make up
a great mountain, which is unpassable; the enemies who impede this work
were this mountain: look and ye will see the adversaries of Judah become
a great mountain in the way of that work.
That ye may take up this mountain the better, I find that kings are
called mountains in Scripture; and good kings are so called, for these
three, 1. For their sublimity; as mountains are high above the valleys,
so are kings lifted up in majesty above their subjects: some apply that
place to kings, "Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy, and ye
strong foundations of the earth." 2. They are called mountains for their
strength to guard their people. David saith, "God hath made my mountain
strong." 3. Good kings are called mountains, by reason of their
influence for peace to the people: "The mountains shall bring peace to
the people, and the little hills by righteousness." I find also, that
the strong enemies of the church are called mountains, because of the
great impediments to the kirk's building that are made by them, as ye
may see in Psalm cxliv.
This mountain (that I may speak more plainly) is Prelacy, which hath
ever been the mountain in the way of our reformation. It may be, some of
you that hear me, are not of my judgment concerning episcopacy; for my
judgment, I ever condemned it, as having no warrant for it to be in
Christ's house; yet I am sure, that all of you that are here this day,
will agree with me in this, that prelacy being antichristian, is
intolerable: but such is the prelacy of this kirk, it is antichristian.
I may easily prove, that amongst many marks of antichrist, these two are
most evident, false doctrine and tyranny in government: where antichrist
is, there is tyrannical government, imposing laws upon the consciences
of God's people; where antichrist is, there is idolatry, superstition
and error; these two are clearly in our prelacy: their idolatry,
superstition, and error may be seen in their service-book, their tyranny
may be seen in their book of canons. I think there are none here, but
they may see this mountain: no greater tyranny hath ever been used by
antichrist, than hath been used by our prelates, and exercised upon this
kirk.
This mountain being seen by you all; I would have you take a view of the
quality of it. I find in Scripture, that the enemies of the kirk being
called mountains, are so called, because of these three qualities: the
first is in Psalm lxxvi. 4. they are called "mountains of prey;" so
called, because from them the robbers rush down to the vallies, and prey
upon the passengers. The second is in Jer. li. 25, Babylon, a great
enemy to God's kirk, is called a "destroying mountain;" the word in its
own language, is called a _pestiferous_ mountain, (so called) because
the pest destroys. The third is in Isa. ii. 14, they are called
"mountains of pride;" compared with the twelfth verse, you will find
these mountains called "mountains of pride."
Our mountain of prelacy hath all these three bad qualities: 1. It is a
mountain from which they have, like robbers, made a prey of the kirk of
Christ. Tell me, I pray you, and I appeal to your own consciences, who
are my brethren, if there be any privilege or liberty that ever Christ
gave us, but they have taken it from us, and made a prey of it. 2. This
mountain is a pestiferous mountain; it hath been the mountain that hath
been as a pest, to infect the kirk of Christ with superstition, heresy
and error; and withal, it hath been a destroying mountain; for they have
destroyed the fair carved work of our first reformation. 3. They are
mountains of pride; for greater pride cannot be, than there is upon this
mountain; they rule as tyrants over their brethren, and as lords over
God's inheritance.
Ye that are noblemen are the natural mountains of this kingdom,
descended of noble predecessors who have been as mountains indeed,
defending both kirk and commonwealth. These men were but low vallies,
and now are artificial mountains, made up by the art of man; at first,
as low as their brethren sitting there; but piece and piece, they have
mounted up; at first, commissioners for the kirk, and then obtained vote
in parliament, and then they usurped all the liberties of the kirk
benefices, and then constant moderators to make up this mountain; and at
last, the high commission is given to make the mountain strong; it is
like to Daniel's tree. "The tree grew, and was strong;" and from it, we
that are ministers of Christ have our wreck.
And let me speak to you noblemen, these artificial and stooted mountains
have over-topped you who are the natural mountains; and if they have not
done so, What means the great seal then? and if way could have made for
it, they should have carried the white wand and privy-seal also: and
this is just with God, that they have over-topped you; for every one of
you came with your own shovel-ful, to make up this mountain. It was
thought expedient to rear up this mountain, to command and bear down
poor ministers. Albeit, it is true, we have been borne down by them; yet
ye that are the high mountains, have not been free from their hurt: it
is very like to Jotham's parable, "The trees of the forest will have a
king over them; they come to the olive-tree, and say, Be thou king over
us: the olive saith, I will not leave my fatness to be king: they came
to the fig-tree, and said, Be thou our king; the fig-tree saith, I will
not leave my sweetness to be king: they come likewise to the vine, and
say, Be thou our king; the vine saith, I will not leave my strength to
be king: they come to the bramble and said, Be thou our king; then said
the bramble to the trees, If indeed ye anoint me king over you, then
come and put your trust under my shadow; and if not, let fire come
forth of the bramble, and devour the tall cedars of Lebanon." The
olive-trees of the ministry would not leave the fatness of God's grace,
wherewith they were endued, to rule over the kirk: the fig-trees of the
ministry would not leave the sweet fruits of their ministry, to bear
rule in the kirk: the vines of the ministry would not leave the strong
consolations of God, whereby many souls were comforted, to bear rule in
the kirk: yet the brambles have taken this, and ye helped to exalt them,
upon condition to trust under their shadow; and if fire hath not come
forth from these brambles upon the tall cedars of this land, I leave to
your own thoughts to judge. Always this is the mountain which ye see all
reared up this day, and standing in the way of our reformation.
2. The second thing in this great mountain is this, It is a mountain
reproved: "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel." When he
saith of Zerubbabel, it is not only meant of Zerubbabel, but of the rest
of God's people. There, Zerubbabel, Joshua, and the rest of God's people
obeyed the voice of the Lord; and in the 14th verse, all these are said
to work in the house of the Lord: so under Zerubbabel, all the rest of
the people are comprehended; even so in this work of ours, all that are
joined to this work, for the building of this work, are to be accounted
workers; and for them also is this mountain reproved, "Who art thou, O
great mountain?" Who art thou, who will impede this work, or shall be
able to impede it, seeing God will have it forward. It is impossible for
thee to impede it, in these three respects: 1. In respect of the work
itself. 2. In respect of the workers. 3. In respect of the impeders.
1. In respect of the work itself. It is God's work; for the house is
His, and He is in it. The Lord saith, "Be thou strong, Zerubbabel, and
Joshua, and the remnant of the people and work, for I am with you, saith
the Lord of hosts." If God be with a work, who is he that will let or
impede it? God is with this work of reformation, as ye yourselves can
witness; and by all our expectations this mountain is shaken, and (God
be praised) the difficulties are not so unpassable as they were.