r-houses near St Roque's Chapel, outside
the East or Cowgate Port of the town. Wishart chose as his pulpit the
top of that port, which, in memory of the martyr-preacher, has been, it
is said, carefully preserved, though--like Temple Bar, so long tolerated
in London--it is now in the heart of the town, and an obstruction to its
traffic.[66] The sick and suspected were assembled outside the port, and
the healthy inside. The preacher took for the text of his first sermon
the words of Psalm cvii. 20: "He sent His word and healed them;" and,
starting on the key-note that it was neither herb nor plaster, but God's
Word which healeth all, "He maist comfortablie did intreat [_i.e._ treat
of] the dignitie and utilitie of Goddis Woord; the punishment that cumis
for the contempt of the same; the promptitude of Goddis mercy to such as
trewlye turne to Him; yea, the great happynes of thame whome God tackis
from this miserie evin in His awin gentill visitatioun, which the malice
of man cane neyther eak nor paire."[67] By this sermon, Knox tells us,
he so raised up the hearts of all who heard him, that they regarded not
death, but judged those more happy that should depart than those that
should remain behind, considering that they knew not whether they should
have such a comforter with them at all times.

No doubt John Wedderburn, as well as the others who had been suspected
of heresy and had fled from the town in the persecution of 1539, had
before this time returned, and were co-operating with Wishart in his
work; and then, in all probability, was prepared that beautiful funeral
hymn which passed from the Bohemians to the Germans, and from the
Germans to the Scotch; and which, in addition to the original stanzas,
contains in the Scottish version certain new verses having unmistakable
reference to the circumstances in which they originated--in a
plague-stricken town which had just before been occupied by the soldiers
of the cardinal and the regent, and might well dread a similar
visitation for its determined adherence to the new evangelist.

"Thocht _pest or sword_ wald vs preuene,
Befoir our hour, to slay vs clene,
Thay can nocht pluk ane lytill hair
Furth of our heid, nor do vs deir.

Quhen fra this warld to Christ we wend,
Our wratchit schort lyfe man haif end
Changeit fra paine, and miserie,
To lestand gloir Eternallie.

End sall our dayis schort, and vaine,
And sin, quhilk we culd n