The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

The first night he lay within the Town, with David Forrest, now called the General, a man that long professed the truth, and upon whom many in that time depended. The second night he lay in Lethington, the Laird whereof was ever civill, albeit not persuaded in Religion. The day following, before the said M. George past to the Sermon, there came to him a boy, with a Letter from the Westland; which received and read, he called for John Knox, who had waited upon him carefully from the time he came to Lothian, with whom he began to enter into purpose, That he wearied of ⟨p. 53⟩the world, for he perceiveth that men began to be weary of God. The cause of his complaint was; The Gentlemen of the West had written unto him, That they could not keep the meeting at Edinburgh. The said Jo. Knox wondering that he desired to keep any purpose before Sermon (for that was not his accustomed use before) said, Sir, the time of Sermon approacheth, I will leave you for the present to your meditation. And so he took the Bill containing the purpose aforesaid, and left him: the said Master George walked up and down behind the high Altar more than half an hour. His weary countenance and visage declared the grief and alteration of his mind. At last he passeth to the Pulpit; but the Auditory was small, he should have begun to have treated of the second Table of the Law: but thereof in that Sermon spake he very little. He began on this manner: O Lord, How long shall it be that thy holy Word shall be despised, and men shall not regard their own salvation? I have heard of thee, Hadington, That in thee would have been, at any vain Clarke Play, two or three thousand people; and now to hear the Messenger of the Eternal God, of all the Town or Parish, cannot be numbered one hundred persons: Sore and fearful shall the plagues be, that shall ensue upon of this thy contempt, with fire and sword shalt thou be plagued: Yea, thou Hadington in special, ¹strangers shall possess thee, and you the present inhabitants shall either in bondage serve your enemies, or else ye shall be chased from your own habitations; and that because ye have not known, nor will not know the time of Gods merciful visitation. In such vehemency and threatening continued that servant of God, near an hour and an half; in the which he declared all the plagues that ensued as plainly, as after our eyes saw them performed.

The first night he lay within the Towne, with David Forrest, now called the Generall, a man that long professed the truth, and upon whom many in that time depended. The second night he lay in Lethington, the Laird whereof was ever civill, albeit not perswaded in Religion. The day following, before the said M. George past to the Sermon, there came to him a boy, with a Letter from the Westland; which received and read, he called for Iohn Knox, who had waited upon him carefully from the time he came to Louthaine, with whom he began to enter into purpose, That he wearied of