Page:Letter to the Reverend Mr. Michael Potter, minister of the gospel at Kippen, as an answer of his letter to the Reverend Mr. Ebenezer Erskine.pdf/12

 gainſt the ſhepherds, and will require the flock at their hands.

It is the great duty of miniſters of the gospel of the bleſſed JESUS, to ſet the trumpet to their mouth, when they ſee wrath coming upon a land, and warn them of their danger, xlviii. 1. Cry aloud and ſpare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, here my people thy tranſgreſſions, and the houſe of Jacob their ſin tell the great as well as the ſmall, tell them their Sabbath-breaking, tell them of their contempt of the ordinances of the goſpel, and neglecting of family and ſecret prayer, tell them of their prophane balls and clubs, and their abominable night aſſemblies; tell them of the precious time that they ſpend in exceſſive drinking; tell them of their horrid curſing and ſwearing and profaning the holy name of GOD, le you bring the blood of their ſouls upon your heads: Better warn them in time, however ill they may take it than to hear them curſing you in hell, when it is too late, and there can be no recovery for them.

For my part, whatever be the reproaches that you or any others caſt at thoſe men, whom you ſo much bear down; call them what you will, it is evidently to be ſeen that the LORD hath ſent them forth with more than an ordinary meaſure of the ſpirit to this poor church at this day, however their hearts may be with GOD that is what only belongs to the ſearcher of all hearts, who will ere long bring the ſecrets of all hearts to light before angels and men at the great day: But ſure it is to the eyes of every one that knows the conſtitutions and laws of our reformed church, which we in this land have wick