James Guthrie

“ I bless God, they are not matters of compliance with sectaries or designs, or practices, against his majesty’s person or government, or the person and government of his royal father; my heart, I bless God, is conscious to no disloyalty, nay, loyal I have been, and I commend it to you to be loyal, and obedient in the Lord. True piety is the foundation of true loyalty: a wicked man may be a flatterer, and a time-server, but he will never be a loyal subject. ”

“ Many of the Lord’s people do sadly complain of the fainting and silence of many watchmen, and it concerneth them to consider what God calleth for at their hands in such a day: silence now in a watchman, when he is so much called to speak, and give his testimony, upon the peril of his life, is doubtless a great sin. The Lord open the mouths of his servants, to speak his word with all boldness, that covenant-breaking may be discovered and reproved, and that the kingdom of Jesus Christ may not be supplanted, nor the souls of his people be destroyed without a witness. ”

“ I have but a few words more to add; all that are profane amongst you, I exhort them to repentance, for the day of the Lord’s vengeance hasteneth, and is near; but there is yet a door of mercy open for you, if you will not despise the day of salvation. All that are maligners, and reproachers, and persecuters of godliness, and of such as live godly, take heed what ye do; it will be hard for you to kick against the pricks; you make yourselves the butt of the Lord’s fury, and his flaming indignation, if you do not ceass from, and repent of all your hard speeches, and ungodly deeds. ”

“ The first ground of encouragement, is, that you have a good cause, I mean the cause of God, and the interest of Jesus Christ, speak against it who will, forsake it who will, reproach it who will, doubtless good is the cause, the cause is worth the contending for, worth the suffering any thing that can come for it. ”

“ A second way is, by corruption, when suffers suffer; evil instruments, not only to make an interruption, but to make a corruption, so to speak, and to mingle these with the purity of his ordinances and worship. God raises up ill instruments, to make the people lick up the vomit of these corruptions, which have been formerly cast out. ”

“ We would be careful to make friendship with Jesus Christ that blessed pilot, that we may get him in the ship with us, for we are not able to steer our ship in a storm.
3. We would be careful to keep a low sail, to have our spirits humble and low before the Lord, for the humble soul is most like to hold out, when the wind and storm blow.
4. We would be careful to get the knowledge of the cause that we profess; for indeed a dark night is ill to sail in, when the wind blows, and when there are quick-sands before us. ”

“ The first stumbling of the children of Israel that we read of, when storms were like to rise, they stumble so far as to speak of quitting the work of the Lord, and not marching on further to take possession of the promised land; and they speak of making a captain to return back again to Egypt: we would fear that that should be the stumbling of many in these times, that they shall take a resolution to quit all the work of God, and the work of reformation, and be content to be carried back again to these corruptions from whence they were, by the mercy of God, delivered. ”

“ I do from my soul wish, that my death may be profitable unto both: that the one may be confirmed and established in the straight ways of the Lord ; and that the other, if the Lord so will, may be convinced, and cease from these things that are not good, and do not edify but destroy. ”

“ A third instance ye will find, if ye will read the history of the reign of Hezekiah and Manasseh kings of Judah, as it is recorded in the second book of Chronicles; there was a great reformation in the days of Hezekiah, a covenant sworn by the king, princes, priests, and the whole body of the land ; all corruption cast out, the pure worship and ordinances of God set up, but there was a dreadful trial by the hand of Sennacherib; fearcely was Hezekiah well in his grave, till Manasseh succeeds in his room, and brings in corruption and persecution, both at once. ”

“ So that there is nothing more ordinary in the church, than after the Lord has communicate himself in a special way in his power and glory, than to exercise them with sad storms and tempests on the back of it. ”

“ Blessed is he that shall not be offended at Jesus Christ, and his poor servants and members, because of their being condemned as evil-doers by the world. God is my record, that in these things for which sentence of death hath passed against me, I have a good conscience. ”

“ We would consider what grounds of consolation we shall have for strengthening our hearts, if we bide fast by the cause of Jesus Christ for the bideing out of a storm, if so be, God be pleased to bring it on us. ”

“ God forgive the poor empty man, that did there intrude upon my labours, and hath made a prey of many poor souls, and exposed others to reproach and oppression, and a femine of the word of the Lord. God forgive the misleaders of that part of the poor people, who tempted to reject their own pastor, and to admit of intruders; and the Father of mercies pity that poor misled people ”

“ A third reason wherefore the Lord brings sad storms, on the back of glorious manifestations of himself, is for discovering and bringing forth the hypocrites, and such as are unfound, Daniel xi. 34. Many cleave to the Lord’s people by flattery; especially, it is so, when the Lord is eminently appearing; and revealing himself gloriously in his word and works; many then undertake a profession, in whose hearts there is no sincerity and truth; many then cleave to the cause and work of God by flattery, which his soul cannot endure ”

“ First, The Lord makes such a changing of his dealing with his church, for the chastising of their sin, and correcting of their iniquity. A people to whom he manifests himself in his power and glory, glory, and mercy and truth, do not always behave themselves as they ought to do, but even while he is dealing kindly with them, they do many ways provoke him to wrath. ”

“ God hath not cast away his people, nor work, in Britain and Ireland, I hope it shall once more revive by the power of his Spirit, and take root downward, and bear fruit upward, and of this I am now confident. ”

“ For they considered not the miracle of the loaves, for their hearts were hardened, Albeit, the Lord Jesus Christ had revealed much of his power and glory in the miracle of the loaves; yet his disciples did not duly consider thereof: therefore he would needs exercise them with a storm, and a tempest at sea, that they might both be taught in the knowledge of their own weakness, and also might be better schooled in the faith of his power and glory. The reason why he sent the multitude away, is set down in the gospel written by John chap. ”

“ A fourth thing that says that there is a storm a storm coming, is, because that there is among us a huge multitude of hollow-hearted men, joined in the covenant with treacherous hearts, the Lord hath brought forth many of these already, but it is like, there will be more visible discoveries, that will make men disown and disavow the covenant of God.
5th Reason. Another thing that says ye would look for a storm, is, because that it is already begun; the wind of the Lord’s fan is beginning to blow; severals who were eminent in the work of the Lord are imprisoned ”

“ A most dreadful idolatry, and sacrificing to the creature, we have changed the glory of the incorruptable God, into the image of corruptible man, in whom many have placed almost all their salvation and desire, and have turned that which might have been blessing unto us, (being kept in a due line of subordination under God) into an idol of jealousy, by preferring it before him. God is also wroth with a generation of carnal, corrupt, time-serving ministers ”

“ All All that are neutral, and indifferent, and lukewarm professors, be zealous and repent, lest the Lord 'spue you out of his mouth.' You that lament after the Lord, and mourn for all the abominations that are done in this city, and in the land, and take pleasure in the stones and dust of Zion, cast not away your confidence, but be comforted, and encouraged in the Lord ”

“ By that deluge of profanity that overfloweth all the land, and hath reins loosed unto it every where, in so far that many have lost, not only all use and exercise of religion, but even of morality, and that common civility which is to be found amongst the heathen. ”

“ I know, and bear testimony, that in the church of Scotland, there is a true and faithful ministry: blessed be God, we have yet many who study their duty, and desire to be found faithful to their Lord and Master ”

“ MEN and brethren, I fear many of you are come hither to gaze, rather than to be edified by the carriage and last words of a dying man; but if any have an ear to hear, as I hope some of thsis great confluence have, I desire your audience in a few words. ”

“ The second use is, as we would look for a storm, so we would not stumble at it when it comes, because it is the work of our God, it is the ordinary path-road that the Lord uses to take or give in his dispensations to his church and people, all of them we would beware of. ”