Page:Last publick sermon, being a faithful and free one, preached by Mr. Hugh Mackaile ... upon the Sabbath immediately preceeding that 8th of September 1662, the day affixed for the removing of the ministers of Edinburgh from their kirks.pdf/10

( 10 ) cleanneſs, blaſphemous Swearing? If the Conſideration of that Shame, and everlaſting Contempt that will certainly be poured out on all ſuch, do not move you, I believe, it would ſtrike a Terror into the Hearts of many Men, if that Proclamation of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. iii. 29. were iſſu- ed out. And herein, I think, he puts to Shame all the Chri- ſtian Princes on Earth, upon one Demonſtration of the Power of God; I make a Decree, faith he, that every People, Nation, Tongue and Language, which ſpeak any thing emiſs of the God of Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abednego, ſhall be cut in Pieces, and their Houſe made a Dunghill; for there is no God can deliver as he doth. o beware of turning aſide by the Flocks of fuch Companions; rather mourn over them. If the Unrighteous will be unrighteous ſtill, if the Filthy will be filthy ftill, ſhew ye at least as much Conſtancy in the Service of God, as they do in the Service of the Devil ; let him that is righteous be righteous ſtill, and he that is holy be holy ſtill. 2dly, The true Companions of Jeſus Chriſt are not to be followed in their Unwatchfulneſs. The Unwatchfulneſs of one Believer, eſpecially if he be more ſtrong, is a Temp- tation to another Believer, eſpecially if he be more weak, to fall into the fame Unwatchfulneſs; if he were as holy as Paul, follow him as he is a Follower of Chriſt, and no fur- ther. Would to God, there were not ſo much Cauſe as there is to complain, that there is too great Occaſion of ſtumbling given to one Chriſtian by another; and that Oc- cafion too readily taken. That Unwatchfulneſs in our mu- tual Converſation is ſo infectious, that our Deportment, one with another, is not only without Advantage, but even to Prejudice. How little Obedience is there to that Command ? Heb. x. 24. Let us confider one another, to provoke to Love and to good Works. Chriſtians, through Corruption, are far more apt to kindle their Corruptions at the Corrup- tions of another, than their Grace at the Grace of another. How