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/40

( 40 ) own Hand, ſo even the Authors thereof do bear him Wit- neſs of his poſitive, fixed, and often declared Reſolution, not to ſubſcribe it, at the higheſt Rate : Likeas, upon ſome Surmiſes to the contrary, he thought it neceſſary, for his own Vindication, to leave it under his Hand, that the above-mentioned Reſolution was, from his own proper Knowledge and Motive, without the Aſſiſtance of the leaſt Diſſuaſive from any other Perſon. During his Abode in Priſon, the Lord was very graciouſ- ly preſent with him, both to ſuſtain him againſt the Fear of Death, and to diſpel all theſe Over-cloudings of Ter- ror, unto which the Frailty of Fleſh and Blood had ſome- time expoſed the beſt of Men; and alſo in aſſiſting him in Prayer and Praiſes, to the Admiration of all his Hear- ers, eſpecially on the Thurſday's Night, December 20th, whereon, being ſet at Supper with his Fellow Priſoners and his Father, and one or two beſides, he requeſted his Fel- low Priſoners, ſaying merrily, “Eat to the full, and che- "riſh your Bodies, that we may be a ſat Chriſtmas Pie to " the Prelates." After Supper, in Thankſgiving, he burſt forth in bleſſing God that had made him ſuch a Fool as to come to that Priſon ; and, after many gracious Words, continued ſaying: “Many Croſſes have come in our " Way, and wrought but weakly upon us, but here is a “ Croſs that hath done more good than all the many that “ beſel us before." Then, lamenting the Condition of the Church of God with much Earneſtneſs, he uſed that Ex- clamation in the laſt of Daniel, What, Lord, ſhall be the End of theſe Wonders ? The laſt Night of his Life, being Friday December 21, he proponed and anſwered himſelf ſeveral Queſtions, to the ſtrengthening of his Fellow Priſoners, and great Re- freſhing of all his Hearers. As if he inquired; " How "ſhould he, going from the Tolbooth through a Multitude " of gazing People, and Guards of Soldiers, to a Scaffold " and