dence, is ready to fay, as one of her members of old, All these things are against me, Gen. xlii. 36.It is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be faved out of it, Jer. xxx. 7. Dark as our horizon is, the ftar of the promise itill shines fair. Through the melancholy gloom it darts it's chearing rays. When the enemy hall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord fhall lift up a standard against him.

Shewing what is meant by the Spirit lifting up a Standard.

TH

HE third general head of difcourfe, was to fhow what is meant by the Spirit lifting up a ftandard against the enemy. I would obferve, ift, That it implies two things, a public oppofition, and a fuccessful.

1. It implies a public oppofition; for a ftandard is lifted up. This military phrafe fignifies that the Spirit fhall proclaim war against the enemy. As his coming in like a flood speaks the most open attack; fo the Spirit's lifting up a fstandard is expreffive of the most public defence. A ftandard does not use to be lifted up, or a banner to be difplayed, in a corner: no; but in some public place, that thousands may flock around it. Thus faith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles,

and fet my standard to the people: and they shall bring their arms, and thy daughters shall be S

thy fans

on the decline, or lofing ground.

Proteftant 'diffenters are gone, and are going more and more • into doctrines and practices which naturally verge ⚫ and lead to Popery.-I am very much of opinion, that these things will at last iffue in Popery.

Now, in all that I have faid,-I do not pretend to any extraordinary impulse from God, or to any "prophetic fpirit; but I ground all upon the word ' of God *.' Thus far he.

His apprehenfions feem to be fulfilling apace.The night, into which he thought we entered about thirty years ago, is growing darker and darker. Mean while, let us caft anchor, and wifh for the day. Let us encourage ourselves, that black and dark as the night may prove, the morning cometh. I can never forget what a worthy minifter †, now in glory, wrote me, in the year 1770. • Public

calamities, faid he, are not only deferved and threatened, but feem to be now actually commencing; perhaps fhall be fo grievous, they ' will exceed all outward expreffions and figns of forrow, and fwallow up all concern, by perfonal particular loses and croffes, and demonstration of

it.' Have not fuch fears been too well founded? All that has taken place fincertain date, has been the beginning of forrows. Judgments are now no longer abroad only; they are come as to our very doors and who can fay when, or what fhall be the end? The church, looking at the afpect of provi

Gill's Tracts, Vol. I. Serm. II. p. 27,-31.Had the Author lived but seven years longer, his apprenfions concerning the progrefs of Popery would have been greatly ftrengthened. He died October 14th, 1771.

The late Rev. Mr. Gillefpie of Dunfermline.

dence, is ready to fay, as one of her members of old, All these things are against me, Gen. xlii. 36. It is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be faved out of it, Jer. xxx. 7. Dark as our horizon is, the ftar of the promise itill fhines fair. Through the melancholy gloom it darts it's chearing rays. When the enemy fhall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord fhall lift up a standard against him.

Shewing what is meant by the Spirit lifting up a Standard.

T

HE third general head of discourse, was to fhow what is meant by the Spirit lifting up a ftandard against the enemy. I would obferve, ift, That it implies two things, a public oppofition, and a fuccessful.

As

1. It implies a public oppofition; for a standard is lifted up. This military phrase signifies that the Spirit fhall proclaim war against the enemy. his coming in like a flood speaks the moft open attack; fo the Spirit's lifting up a standard is expreffive of the most public defence. A ftandard does not use to be lifted up, or a banner to be difplayed, in a corner: no; but in fome public place, that thousands may flock around it. Thus faith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and fet my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy fans their arms, and thy daughters Shall be

S

der which blinded Britons think they are laid. -Hence there is caufe to fear, that when their hour and their power cometh, they will break their oaths with as much ease, as Samfon did the withs and ropes wherewith he was bound. If Britain continue to embrace the very outcafts of Popish countries, I tremble for the confequences. If the throw open her gates to the Trojan horse, what but armed enemies can iffue from it's womb, to deftroy the Proteftant interest?

4. All these things, maturely considered, we may fay in the words of the church of old, Let thy tender mercies fpeedily prevent us, for we are brought very low, Pfal. lxxix. 8. We are low in every refpect: low as a church, and low as a nation. in Chriftian knowledge, and low in holiness. cup of national iniquity has long long been filling up, and now it feems to be almoft to the brim.

Low

The

hence the utmost mifery and desolation covered the district of Montauban.

From the acceffion of the late emprefs queen of Hungary, to the year 1749, the Proteftants there, were deprived of one hundred and five churches. A court commiffioned by her Majefty, 1751, to enquire into the growth of Lutheranifm, announced to fome who were lying in irons, for the profeffion of that religion, that the queen would rather that the land fhould bear thorns and thistles, than be ploughed by Lutherans. So late as the year 1762, Mr. Rochette, a Protestant minister, together with three of the French nobleffe, fufpected of Protestanifin, were openly and barbarously murdered at Thouloufe in France. -See confiderations on the spirit of Popery, by the learned and worthy Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh, warning against Popery by the affociate, the Burgher, fynod. Addrefs to the Proteftant intereft in Scotland.

The waters of apoftacy have rifen like thofe mentioned, Ezek. xlvii. 4, 5. from the ankles to the knees, from the knees to the loins; and now they are become an impaffible river. Popery has long walked among us as in vail; and now fhe profeffes her intention to throw off every mask. The prevailing doctrine for these many years has had a ftrong tendency this way. What elfe could be the fruits of legalifm, which, like a flood, has overflowed our land? Juftification by works of righ teousness which we have done, is Popery, and the foul of Popery. And who knows not that fomething like this, has long been the modifh doctrine? Virtue has been palmed upon us, inftead of that heavenly robe which the Redeemer wove, as out of his own bowels. A baftard-covenant of works has often often been the unhallowed found from

the high-places of the fanctuary. What marvel, if therefore now enemies rore in the midst of congregations, and fet up their enfigns for figns? A flood of legal doctrine has, as ufual, been followed with another flood of Antinomian practice. These have run through the breadth and the length of our land. Men and minifters of the Prefbyterian name, have exercised tyranny over the heritage of God; witness the law of patronage: a law as much without foundation as any of the Popish tenets t

It has been wittily obferved, that the Arian has fomething to fay, My Father is greater than I; the Papist something, This is my body; the Arminian fomething, Work out your own falva tion; but the oppreffive Patron has nothing to say: nothing from the law of the Lord, whatever he may from that of the lands

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