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/53

( 53 ) him at the greateſt Hazard, and to as much Willingneſs to die for him, as to live that they may glorify him. And, for the Encouragement of you all in this Matter, I do de- clare, that, ever ſince the Day of my coming into Priſon, God hath-kept my Soul free from all Amazement of Fear of Death; that, ſince my Indictment and Sentence, God hath ſo manifeſted himſelf at ſeveral Times, that he haſh lifted up my Soul above Prelates, Principalities and Powers, Death and Hell, ſo rejoice and be glad in his Salvation, and from my soul to account him worthy, for whom, this his Cauſe, I ſhould undergo the greateſt Shame or Pain, and to the aſſured Hopes of eternal Communion with him in Heaven ; and that nothing hath more brangled my Peace, than ſhifting an open and free Teſtimony, before my Examinators, to the Work that I was engaged in. I do freely pardon all that have Acceſſion to my Blood, and willy that it be not laid to the Charge of this finful Land, but that God would grant Repentance to our Ru- lers, that they may obtain the fame Reconciliation with him whereof I myſelf do partake. Truly, I believe many of them, if not inſtigated by the cruel Prelates, (at whole Door our Blood doth principally ly) would have uſed mode Mitigation : But that Reluctancy of Mind, to ſhed Blood, will be ſo far from vindicating of them, that, upon the contrary, it will be a Witneſs againſt them in the Day of the Lord. I heartily ſubmit myſelf to Death, as that which Go! bath appointed to all Men becauſe of Sin, and to this par- ticular Way of it, as deſerved by my particular Sins. I praiſe God for this fatherly Chastisement, whereby he hath made me in Part, and will make me perfectly, Partaker of his Holineſs. I glorify him that called me forth to ſuf- fer for his Name and Ordinances, and the ſolemn Engage- ments of the Land to him, and that he hath taken this Way to take me away from the Evil to come. The Lord bleſs all his poor afflicted groaning People that are behind. E 3 Here.