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/49

( 49 ) that with this Aggravation, that theſe Scribes and Phari fees came never the Length of profeſſing Chriſt, and ſub- mitting themſelves to him and his Ways. But we are condemned to Death upon the Account of this Covenant, for adhering to the Duties therein ſworn to, by ſuch as once did as much themſelves as we have done, and ſome of them more than ſome of us. Which Con- ſiderations have moved me to great Fears of God's Wrath againſt the Land, according to the Curſe that we are bound under, if we ſhould break that Covenant, and, in the Fear of it, many times to pour out my Soul before the Lord. And as ſoon as I heard of a Party up in Arms in behalf of the Covenant, (all other Doors being ſhut, whereby the Redreſs of the manifeſt Violations of it might be obtained, and theſe, by manifeſt and unheard of Violence, obtruded upon others ) to go along with them, being bound by that Covenant againſt deteſtable Indifferency and Neutrality in this Matter, and to eſteem every Injury done to any en- gaged in this Covenant, upon account of it, as done to my- ſelf: Very Conſcience of Duty urged me to this, againſt ſome Reluctancy of Fear of what might follow. Upon the fame Reaſons, at Lanerk, with the reſt, I declared my Ad- herence to the Covenant, by my lifting up of my Hand, after the Articles thereof were read. And here I cannot but, with Grief of Heart, acknowledge my fainting in a Day of Trial, that, being engaged with them upon ſuch Accounts, I many times in Fear deſigned to withdraw, and at length did; which as it was the Oc- cation of my falling into the Hands of the Enemy, ſo I think, among other things, it was the Canſe why God de- livered me into their Hands. Upon the fame Fear, all my Examinations, I have denied my Engagement with them, and endeavoured to vindicate myſelf, by aſſerting the real Deſigns I had to part from them, and have utterly caſt away the Glory of a Teſtimony, which my very being in their Company, as a Favourer of the Ends of the Co- E venant,