A SERMON Prerched by Mr. James Row, sometime Minister at Strowan, in St. Geilles Kirk at Edinburgh, which has been commonly known by the Name of Pockmanty Preaching.  Jeremiah Chap. 30. Verse 17. For I will restore health to thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD, because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion whom no Man seeketh after. 
I Need not trouble you much who is meant by Zion here, ye all ken it, it is the poor Kirk of Scotland, for the Kirk of Scotland is wounde● 〈◊〉 her Head, in her Hands, in her Feet, and in her Heart.  
First in her Head in the Government. 2dly. In her Hands, in the Discipline. 3dly. In her Heart, as in the Doctrine. 4thly. In her Feet, as in the Worship.  
First, The Kirk of Scotland is wounded in her Head, she has gotten sick a Clash in her Head, as has gart all her Harns jaap, and her Senses, that is, her Sense of Seeing; for the Kirk of Scotland walled a seen als well as any Christian Kirk in the wyd World, but now she cannot distinguish between whit and black; For bring but Pepery before her, and she cannot discern between that and the true Religion.  
Secondly, She is wounded in her Hearing: The Kirk of Scotland could a Herd and Distinguished, out sen the Organs were brought in, she has grown as Deaff as a Door-Nail.  
Thirdly, The Kirk of Scotland could a sin … as well as any Kirk in the World, but the 〈◊〉 is of Rome smelled so strangely, that she could a ta●● you, she smelled of the Whore of Babel; Bu● now bring the stinkenest Pepery to the Kirk 〈◊〉 Scotland, and it will smell to her as sweet as a● Apple: Now poor Spectacle! ye have seen he● Hands, and her sare Legs; A woeful Object pity her if ye will: What say ye to the Cureing of her Senses; but some will tell, she is in as good a Case as ever she was. I'll tell you how sae,  
First, The Kirk of Scotland sees better than ever she did before; the Kirk of Scotland say her Ministers in good little short Cloaks, wi●● black Velvet Necks, and their little Cloak turned mae saul's to God, nor ever the Ia●●… Gowns did; but ye shall see the Prydful Prelates harled up and down the Town in Co … s, as in as many muck Carts; that is a bram sight indeed.  
Secondly, The Kirk of Scotland Tastes better than ever she did, and how sae? I'll tell you, a good Minister walled a been content of a Dish of plain Milk and Bread, humble Meat indeed, but our Prelates now, will have a Lick of the best o● it: So ye see the Kirk of Scotland Tastes better than ever she did, and I have done with h●● Senses.  
Now, I'll tell you, how she is wounded in he● Hands, and that I call the Discipline of the Kirk. For,  
First, They fflichtered the Kirk of Scotland ye ken well they use to flighter Theives and Runaways; the Kirk of Scotland was baith.  
1st. She was a Runaway, and that was the Glorious time of Reformation, when she came ●lear away fra Rome, and hard did they follow ●er, and fain walled they been at her, but and they had gotten their will, she walled a been sure of her Ladetties, or to speak more plainly of her Dichells, but God be thanked they did not o'ertake her.  
2dly. The Kirk of Scotland is a Thief, alas she has gane to Rome, and has stown away the Trash and Trumpery, as the Books of Common Prayer and Cannons, wallawa! But what trou ye she is flichterd with, but with a Silken Thread and a Canonical Obedience to their Ordinary, and wow but we have taken great delight to be bound: We had once a bonny Kirk, but after they got us fast, they made the silken Thread a Cable-Tow, with which they girded us so fast that we could not sae much as fidge, but either we must run into the Danger of blind Obedience on the one side, to accept of all Idolatry and Superstitious Ceremonies they imposed on us, or on the the other hand, be Mensworn Men; Na, the Kirk of Scotland is sae wounded in her Hands, that their Twenty Years bygane, she could not make her Hummock in a called day, for the Kirk of Scotland their Twenty Years bygane, could not have a Meeting in a Lawful Assembly; and so I have done with her Hands: Now I come to tell you how, how she is wounded in her Feet; and that I call the Worship of the Kirk of Scotland.  
The Kirk of Scotland was a bonny trotting Naig, but then she ttotted sae hard, that never a Man durst rid her, but the Bishops, wha after they got on on her Back, Corss langed her and Hapshackled her, and when she became a bonny pacing Beast, they took great pleasure to Ride on her, but their Cadging her up and down from Edinburgh to London, and it may be from Rome too, gave her sick a her Coat, that we have these Twelve months' began been stirring her up and down to keep her faae foundying; Yea, tha● made not only a Horse but an Ass of the Kirk 〈◊〉 Scotland: How sae quo ye? what mean ye b● this? I'll tell you how, they made Balaams' A● of her, ye ken well enough, Balaam was go●● an unlucky gait, and first the Angel met 〈◊〉 in a broad way, and then the Ass bogled 〈◊〉 startled, but Balaam got by the Angel, and 〈◊〉 her and Battand her sufficiently, that was wh● Episcopacy came in, and then they gave th● Kirk of Scotland her Paiks; Afterward Bala●● met the Angel in a straight gait, and then she startled more than before; but Balaam till her 〈◊〉 gain and whaked her sound, that, was whe● the five Articles of Perth were brought in 〈◊〉▪ The third time the Angel met Balaam in fa● straight a gait, that the Ass could not win by; and than it pleased the LORD to open blind Balaams Eyes, and that is this happy days wark: Now GOD has opened all our Eyes, we were like blind Balaam, ganging an unlucky gait and Riding post to Rome, and what was gotten behind him upon the Ass, what ye? I'll tell you, there was a Pockmanty; And what was in it trou ye? but the Book of Cannons and of Common Prayer, and the High Commission; But as soon as the Ass sees the Angel, she falls a flinging and a plunging, and oregangs the Pockmanty, and it hangs by the string on the one side, and aff-gaes blind Balaam, and he hangs by the Hough on the other side; and fain walled the Carl been on the Saddle again, and been content to leave his Pockmanty. But Beloved, let not the false Swingour get on again, for if he get on against he will be sure to get on his Pock manty also.  
The 4th Wound the Kirk of Scotland got was in her Heart, and that I tald you was the Doctrine of the Kirk of Scotland, and that is Peperie and Arinianism, whilk is sae rife in our Schools and Kirks; neigh, are there not some of you that are sitting here and hears me, wha walled not a wished yourselves a Hundred times to a been out of the Kirk, when ye heard the Peltrie Stuff that came frae them. Ye have heard many times Brethren (Compared together) the Kirk and our Lord Jesus, for he is the Head, and the Kirk is the Body, and that our Saviour ere he entered the Ministry he was carried by Luciter (God save us) to the Wilderness where he was Tempted of the Meikle Devil, than he was Rejected and let light of by all; But as soon as he began to work his Miracles, he was carried up to Jerusalem in Triumph, there was nothing in their Mouths then, but Hosannas, Blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord, but the next News that they heard, in they came with Halbarts and Jothard Stalves frac the High Priest to apprehend him; just sae is it with the Poor Kirk of Scotland, for this year bygain she has sitten Desolate and in the Wilderness cotemned, nothing cared for by man, and now is the Glorious Day, she is Rydding in Triumph to Jerusalem, now there is nothing in all Mouths but Hosannas, but take heed when they come with Swords and Stalves frae the Height Priest, that some do not with Peter shaw a pair of Heels and forsake her.  
They have not only made an Ass of the Kirk of Scotland but they have betrayed her, ye h●●● wha betrayed our Saviour, they betrayed hi● that were silent in sae good a Cause, they betrayed him that accused him, that Judged him they betrayed him that forsook him; but whe● will ye find the false Judas all the while? an● now I'll tell you a Tale, I dar not say it is tru● but ye shall have it as I have it; When I w●● 〈◊〉 little Boy at the School, there was a Hop … Theologue, wha is now na small Man in 〈◊〉 Land, and being to Preach the very same Wor● of Judas, What will ye give me and I will betr●● him? The young Man Learned his Text sae w●●● that he could a tald it baith in Latin and Sc●●● Quid mihi dabitis & ego Tradum illum? what w●●● ye give me and I will betray him? There was 〈◊〉 Goodman Sitting at the Foot of the Poupit, was standing up looking in his Face, said, Marry 〈◊〉 give you a good Fat Bishopric, and then I assure ye will betray him, say ye sae; Wha ha● Betrayed the Kirk of Scotland? I need not te●● you, but the Kirk of Scotland was once an Bonny Kirk and a Bonnie Gramar School, and well 〈◊〉 wat, she had Skill in Regimen & Concordenti● and could a made a piece of Bonnie Latin, an● for every thing she was forced to damn Regula●● and when she offended she was sure of pan● Manum; But afterwards when she went to the College she had mair Liberty, and first of all she began to Rhetoric, but instead of proper speaking she Learned nothing but Hyperboles and Allegories, than she came into the Logic, and in stead of true Demonstrations she Learned nothing but Homonimaes and Captious syllogisms, afterwards she came to Aethicks, but she did not trouble herself meikle with them, but Studied the Politics, and that sae well, that she turned all Religion into Mere flat Policy: for Metaphysics she ken they are Ens, and that must be unum, verum, bonum, and that all these three must be in true Religious, but this was too high a Theme for her, wherefore she studied more the Physics and turned all into Materia prima, and made itself Capable of any Form they pleased to Impose upon us.  
After he had done with Sermon and Prayer, than stood he up to give the Blessing, and thereafter said as follows. 
 I ken well enough it is not the Fashion of this place to Speak any thing after Prayer, but because I had meikle to say, and one thing dang another out of my ●ead, wherefore I must beg Leave to add a Word or twa.  
AND first of all, I will speak to you who are the Members of the College of Justice, and why I pray you, will not ye Subscrive the Covenant? ye will say to me, ye are Employed by His Majesty in some special Affairs, and you cannot with your Honour Subscrive the Covenant; This is a bram Answer indeed, there is not the Meanest Man that gathers up Twenty Marks for the King per Annum, but may have this Hole to go out at, than we shall have a bram Subscriving, yea, yea, there is but one Man between God and you, get by that Man, and get to God.  
And in the second place, Why do not ye Noblemen Subscrive the Covenant? ye will say noli me tangere, Howsoever I'll give you a Touch, It may be you will be put to it, ye will faith, we must Ride in Parliament Order, the meanest man must go foremost and Subscrive the Covenant, and then we will come after, that i● bram Answer indeed, you have a Fashion in t●● S●uth part of Scotland, that wh●n ye come to 〈◊〉 Ford, the Jackman must venture over first ●pon his weak weary Naig, and if he can go an● come back again, then up comes the Laird mounted on his Stately Steed and over goes 〈◊〉 this is no Right, But we that are Highlanders have a better Fashion, for we usually come ●n Foot, and when we come to the Ford we ar● loath to leave a Man; therefore we join Oxst●● to Oxster, and Arm to Arm, and Loups altogether in the Ford, and if one Drown all Drowns even so here, set your Hands to the Covenant, and if an perish, let all perish.  
Now, I'll speak a word to you of the Town of Edinburgh; and albeit I see two of your Chief Chayrs empty, yet have at you; And why do you not subscrive the Covenant? It may be you will say, ye are in Office now, stay till the next Year till your Office be out, than ye will subscrive the Covenant; That is a bram Answer indeed, it may be God will get this wark done ere the next Year: What will your Thanks be then? get your Clerk Register and look over your Rolls, and see if ever the Town of Edinburg suffered for joining with the Kirk of Scotland.  
Last of all, I have a mind to Speak a Word to you who are Strangers, and then Turning himself about to the place where the Proveist and Bailies of Aberdeen Sat; And what is the reason ye subscrive not the Covenant? It may be ye will say, ●e came here about your Civil Affairs; and when ye came out ●e resolved not to Subscrive the Covenant, will re take my Advice. I say Aburdeens-men will you take your Word again, and go home and Drink the Cup of Bon ●ccord, and join to the Kirk of S●otland and subscrive the Covenant, and so farewell.  
FINIS.