ing of all difficulties,

thy holy temple."

Yet will I look again toward

1. To you that never looked to Christ to this day; ye that never got faith.

(1.) I would have you to consider, that you have been viewing not God's glory, but vanity all your days. What are you looking to? to passing shadows, the vain profits and pleasures of time. Ye have been beholding nothing but vanity all your days.

(2.) What will ye do in the day of visitation? what will you look to, when death looks you in the face; and when ye must look upon death, judgment, and eternity? Where will you look for help?

(3.) Consider, ye that never looked to Christ, what at miserable case you will be in, when all things else leave you?

(4.) O bethink yourselves, what you are now called unto. Surely you are eternally undone, unless you give a look unto God's holy temple. Therefore, O sinner, I advise you to take the holy Spirit of God to anoint your eyes, with eye-salve, that you may see the Christ of God, and look to him: for there is no salvation in any other name, by which you can be saved, but by the name of Jesus. O come to him, who is the Rock of ages; rest not in the old ship, in a secure state, or in your own legal righteousness, under the covenant of works; there is no safety there. You must throw yourself out of that old ship, and swim unto the Rock of ages. When people are in great danger of sinking, or splitting upon a rock, they will be loth to come out of the ship, until their skilful mariner tell them, that they will sink and perish, unless they throw themselves out, and swim unto the rock: even so, sirs, ye that are sailing in the old ship, under the covenant of works, thinking yourselves good enough, and imagining that ye can believe wellenough; and thinking you have a good heart to God; and that God will be pleased with you, when you do as well as you can. O come out of that old ship, and swim to the Rock of ages.-O say you, I cannot swim. O sirs, your misery will not lie in this, that you are unable to come to Christ, but in that, that you are unwill

ing. If you cannot swim to Christ, look to him; "Look to me, and be saved." O sirs, he wants but a look: the rock is a living rock, and can come to you. Look to the rock, and the rock will draw you to him. I remember it was said by a little maid, who was servant to Naaman's wife," Would to God that my master would go to the prophet of Samaria; he would heal him of his leprosy :" So say I, Would to God ye would look to Christ, he would heal you; his name is, "JEHOVAH-ROPHI, I am the Lord that healeth you.'

2. A word to you that have looked to Christ, but dare not look again. Is unbelief saying, "I am cast out of thy sight?" So it was with Jonah; and yet he looked. Are ye under grevious guilt lying upon your conscience? So it was with Jonah; and yet he looked towards God's holy temple. O my dear friends, let nothing hinder you from looking to Christ. It is a very grievous trouble that exercises you, viz. an angry God: So it was with Jonah; and yet he looked. Is your sins the cause of the storm of wrath blowing at this day? So it was with Jonah; Jonah was the cause of the dreadful storm that blew upon the waters, and yet he looked again towards God's holy témple. Say not that ye dare not look again; I looked once, but now my case is such, I fear I will be welcome no more: why, what ails you poor soul, that you dare not look again? Is not Christ as good as ever he was? Whatever changes befals you, he is God and changes not. Therefore let nothing hinder you from coming to him.

3. A word unto these that are brought unto this resolution in the text, that though they have apprehended themselves to be cast out of God's sight, yet are resolved to look, and to look again towards God's holy temple. Is this your work? Is this your resolution? O then, the blessing of God will attend this work. look not to man, nor angels, nor creatures; look not to ministers; look not to your duties, nor your frames: look to God's holy temple. Look to it notwithstanding all the difficulties that may be in your way: pursue your resolutions: a firm resolution may do much. The mariner sets out at such a port; his resolution is

VOL. IX.

Ti

to go to such another port; his resolution carries him to the haven, although he meet with storms in the way; many storms that might have set him quite back: yet the man pursues his resolution: and at last comes to the desired haven. Has God wrought such a resolution in you, as to look to his temple? O pursue the resolution, and that will bring you to the desired haven at last. Looking to the Lord Jesus Christ, living on him, resting upon him. O look to the temple where God dwells: there is enough for you in God's holy temple. Although unbelief may have a great ascendant over you, and make you say, "I am cast out of thy sight;" yet, notwithstanding of this, faith acted upon the Lord Jesus Christ will be relief unto you, when your way is like that of Jonah's here. "Yet will I look again towards thy holy temple." Amen.

A

MINISTERIAL TESTIMONY,
WARNING AND DECLARATION;

WITH RELATION TO

The INVASION attempted on Mr ERSKINE'S Pulpit and Ministry, by Mr HENRY HARDIE, Minister in Culross, and by appointment of the Presbytery of Dunfermline, Sabbath, June 6th, 1742. Read publicly to the Congregation.

WHEREAS I understand, that the pretended Presbytery of Dunfermline did, on Wednesday last, appoint that my pulpit should be henceforth occupied by other ministers and preachers than myself: and that, in prosecution of that appointment, Mr Henry Hardie, minister in Culross, has adventured to take possession thereof, in order to the excluding of me from the exercise of my ministry therein; and in regard that I judge there are many who are not aware of the iniquity that is involved in this invasion made upon my pulpit, and intrusion made upon this congregation: Therefore 1 reckon myself obliged, by virtue of my ministerial of fice, as a watchman set upon the walls of the city of

God here, to give warning to the people of this congregation of the sin and danger that attends this incroachment upon my ministerial labours; that they may not involve themselves in the guilt of supporting, owning, or countenancing the said intrusion and invasion; and, in order to this, I shall briefly notice the rise and spring of this violent obtrusion.

The pretended General Assembly, that met in the year 1740, having passed a sentence against eight ministers, whereby they pretended to depose them, in the manner expressed in their act; and this not for any error in their doctrine, nor immorality in their practice, nor negligence in their ministy, the said Assembly themselves being judges; but merely because they were endeavouring to fulfil that ministry which they had received of the Lord, by bearing a judicial testimony to Scotland's covenanted reformation, in doctrine, worship, discipline, and Presbyterial church-government, against that stream of defection and backsliding that was running through the land, and particularly among the ministers and judicatories of the present establishment; the said Presbytery of Dunfermline have now thought fit to sustain themselves executioners of this unjust sentence, by appointing my charge to be supplied, and my pulpit to be invaded; I do therefore give my testimony, in the name and authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, against this deed of the Presbytery. of Dunfermline.-And this I do, for the following grounds and reasons.

I. Because this deed of the said Presbytery of Dunfermline carries in it an approbation of the unjust and sinful sentence of the foresaid Assembly against these eight ministers, and me among the rest; It is their setting their seal to that sentence that God never set his seal to by his approbation. That this procedure of the pretended Presbytery doth involve them in this guilt, is evident to all that have any understanding; because it proceeds upon a supposition, that this congregation is totally vacant, which it can be no other way, while I am yet living and officiating in my ministry here, than by the said sinful sentence of Assembly, of which they are now the sinful executioners.

II. Because this deed is an evident robbing of this congregation of their present lawful pastor, and an intruding of ministers upon them, without their consent, and without their being lawfully called or convened to inquire if they wanted two ministers in the place. Insomuch that this deed is a manifest robbing the people of this congregation of their Christian liberty, and falls in among the common intrusions made in the land: in regard I know not of seven or eight persons, among all the seven or eight thousand examinable persons of this congregation, but seem to be still satisfied to subject themselves to my ministry in the place. This procedure, therefore, infers also an approbation, or a practical homologating of all the violence done to God's heritage by the judicatories for many years bygone.

III. Because this deed carries in it a strong attempt to involve this congregation in the sinful breach of a solemn engagement between them and me, before the great God. For here I must observe, that, in every orderly settlement of a minister among a people, there is a mutual covenant between the minister and the people, which is binding before God, the principal party in all covenants between man and man. By which covenant, I become bound and obliged to the duties of my pastoral office and calling amongst the people of this congregation and, in like manner, they did bind and oblige themselves to give due respect to me, as one of Christ's ministers to them, and obedience and submission to my ministry in the Lord: and to do what in them lay to strengthen my hands, and encourage me in the great work of the ministry, as becomes a dutiful people to their lawful pastor. Heritors, Elders, Magistrates, Town-Counsellors, and Heads of Families, did all concur in the above solemn engagement, in their call given to me about one and thirty years ago. And though I am very conscious to myself of much sinful weakness, and many failures in the discharge of my pastoral duties; yet I can appeal to the consciences of the people of this congregation, if I have not, according to the measure of ability and grace given me, endeavoured to discharge the duties of my office amongst them, particularly by preaching the unsearchable riches