Unfaithfulness


"But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill Him, and let us seize on his inheritance."—Matthew 21.38.
THIS that I have read unto you is Scotland's sin. This day, if our king and nobles had our Lord Jesus Christ amongst them at Edinburgh, what would they do with Him? They would even give Him a gibbet, or worse, if they could devise it. For which He shall deal with them ere long, with our king, nobles, and a part of unfaithful ministers that He will take vengeance on ere long, as well as on prelates and malignants. All shall go together ere it be long. Now
In the next place, there is fruit called for from these husbandmen. Ye will say, "What fruit is this?" Ye see it is fruit in season. This fruit is called for in thee, O Scotland, this day. This fruit, Sirs, is not such fruit as ye pay your rents with, as corn, hay, or the like, that your hearts love well. No, Sirs, it is fruit in season. I will tell you, Sirs, the duties that God would have taken off your hand thirty or forty years ago in Scotland, whether preaching, or praying, or any other spiritual duty, He will not take off your hand today in Scotland I say He will not take off your hand nor mine either, now when so much of the saints' blood hath gone to seal these truths which we are all bound to own in Scotland, and in all these covenanted lands.
Now, O ye people of God in Scotland, there are some of you looking me in the face today. I appeal to your consciences whether this be true or not? Well, what fruit is this that is called for? Why, it is faith and repentance, love to God, and obedience to His revealed will, which many of you, yea, the most part of you, are as great strangers to as if ye had never heard the everlasting gospel preached unto you. Now, people of God, what are you doing when such dreadful wrath is at hand in Scotland this day? He is not worth his room in Scotland this day, that prays not the half of his time to see if he can prevent the dreadful wrath that is at the door coming on our poor motherland. O Sirs, ye must pray ploughing, harrowing, shearing, and at all your other labour, yea, when ye are eating and drinking, going out and coming in, and at all your other employments. For there was never more need of them than now. Oh, that noble life we must have of communion with God! O Sirs, it is He that makes heaven pleasant! It is communion with God that makes heaven. Will ye long to be there, O people of God!

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