joining with them in their sins, lest ye partake with them in their plagues, now when they have made it manifest, that they will have no king but Charles Stuart. Wherefore I think it is our duty to cleave to Christ; we must either quit Christ or Charles.

"Indeed, there are some folk who pretend to keep both; but I defy any, if they be called to a public testimony, but they must either quit Christ or Charles; for they will not have the civil law, without the ecclesiastic; so I cannot see how they can be owned in either. For by their Acts of Parliament, they have made them alike inherent to the crown and shall that authority be so owned by me, being a free born member of the Church of Scotland, which is Christ's mystical body, without being guilty of high rebellion against God. And further, he having broken all obligations, which was the tenor by which he entered into the government, and without which he could not have entered into the government; the Covenant being the coronation oath, which he hath not only broken, but made it death to all that speak of them. And further, having seated himself in the Mediator's chair of state, which is enough to denude him of authority, even in civil matters. If it shall be said, the land has given him that Supremacy, and so cannot take it from him again; to this I answer, every individual person in the land hath not given him that, and therefore is free to reject him upon that head, when they are called to it.

"But, oh! the sins of Scotland are great in departing away from God, for Scotland hath slidden back like a backsliding heifer, for they declare their sin like Sodom, they hide it not; the show of their countenance doth witness against them. But, however, it will be well with those that keep their garments clean; for ye will find enough ado when it cometh, although ye should live Christians twenty years; therefore, slight not time, when ye have it: for if death come upon you, it will not be easy; but well is that soul that can say upon good grounds, that Christ is all in all to them; but the worldly-mindedness and slavish fear of this generation make their practice declare to the world, that Christ is not worthy the suffering for, otherwise they durst not adventure to forsake Him, who is altogether lovely; for He will bid none go His errands upon their own charges.

"Now, as to the articles of my indictment, upon which my sentence of death is passed, they are chiefly these:

"1. My owning it as lawful, my rising in arms at Bothwell Bridge;

which I did with great cheerfulness and boldness, it being self-defence, and in the defence of the Gospel. For my own part, the only end I had before me there was, the glory of God, if I was not deceived; therefore I could not think it rebellion, or unlawful against God, although the laws of men be against it, who have set themselves in opposition to all the commands of God.

"2. My disowning the curates to be faithful ministers, which I did very boldly; and they said if I disowned the curates, I disowned all authority, which may testify that they have set themselves in Christ's stead.

"3. My owning Mr Donald Cargill, Mr John King, Mr John Kid, and Mr Richard Cameron, to be faithful ministers of Jesus Christ, which I did; and I bless the Lord that ever I heard them, and I set to my seal to the faithfulness of these men's doctrine.

"4. My not praying for the king, in his person and authority; which I durst not do, it being a perfect owning of him in all that he hath done. Some may object and say, that I am against the Scriptures in this, because, in several places in the Old Testament, we find that the kings of Israel were anointed to that office by the Lord, and obedience to them thereupon enjoined. But this was only done to lawful kings, and so could not be to ours, he having set up himself in the room of God incarnate. And we may justly say, as the children of Israel said, in 1 Sam. xii. 19, ' For we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king,' because we follow him in things contrary to the command of God. And should I pray for that man, to preserve him in his person and government, who hath thus ventured upon the thick bosses of the buckler of God Almighty? If one should object and say, these are small things; to this I answer, no truth is small; 'He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much, and he which is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much' (Luke xvi. 10).

"Now, I shall give an account of my principles, and I shall do it as in the sight of God. I am a true Christian, truly anti-Popish, anti-prelatic, anti-schismatic, anti-sectarian, anti-Erastian, a true Presbyterian; and whatever many have said of me, or may say, thus I have lived, and so now I die.

"1. I close with Christ in that way of redemption which He hath purchased, for the redemption of sinners. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy '(1 Tim. i. 15, 16).

"2. I give my testimony to the followers of the holy Scriptures, for they are the rule that men are to walk by, and they declare the revealed will of God to man, anent man's salvation.

"3. I give my testimony to the work of Reformation in the Church of Scotland; and I bless the Lord that I was born a member of that Church; and I leave my testimony against the errors of that Church, but chiefly against Popery, and Prelacy, and Quakerism, and Independency, and finally, from under all the errors of the Church.

"4. I give my testimony to the Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Sum of Saving Knowledge, Directory for Worship; the order of the Church of Scotland.

66

5. I give my testimony to the Divine worship, discipline and government of the Church of Scotland, both by Kirk-sessions, Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assemblies.

"6. I give my testimony to the Covenants, National, and Solemn League and Covenant.

"7. I give my testimony to the faithful actings of the Protesters, called Remonstrances, against malignants and malignant interests, which is the very thing this poor Church is contending for this day.

"8. I give my testimony to all the faithful testimonies of the people of God, that have been givenfor that noble work, whether on scaffolds, or in fields, or on the seas.

"9. I give my testimony to the faithful actings of the last martyr, although this generation is calling sin a duty, and duty a sin, because of hazard; for if this generation get leave to go on in their pernicious ways, they will not believe that there is a God in heaven, to punish such sinners, and sins as are committed in the land. 'Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation' (Mal. iii. 9).

'Now:

"1. I witness my testimony against the Public Resolutioners for bringing in the malignant party to places of power and trust, for which this poor land is smarting, and bearing the weight of their hands to this day.

"2. I leave my testimony against that Act of Supremacy, and the Act Rescissory, by which two they have overturned the whole work of Reformation, both in Kirk and State.

"3. I leave my testimony against the unfaithfulness of ministers, both indulged and others, who are sheltering themselves under the wings of those who have declared themselves enemies to all godliness;

and I wonder how they can say they are evendown [i.e., sincere] for God; yet never one of them is troubled, be troubled who will; for, before my face, one of these ministers said (to wit, Mr Anthony Shaw by name), he prayed, God save him from the man that would not pray for the king in his person and government; to whom I said, magistrates ought to punish evil doers. Indeed, so he doth,' said he.

"4. I leave my testimony against all the wrongers of my lovely Lord's crown, all in general.

"5. I leave my testimony against the hearers of these perjured curates throughout the land; but especially in that corner of the land, to wit, Kilmarnock; for their going to kirks, subscribing of bonds, paying of fines; which includeth in it the acknowledgment of a fault, which I deny we have done, but they have done it to us, and that never a watcnman to testify against it.

"6. I leave my testimony against the Cess, or any other thing that may strengthen the hands of evil doers. For ye are they that prepare a table to that troop, and furnish a drink-offering to that number' (Isa. lxv. 11).

"Now, I will speak a word to three sorts of folk.

"1. To you that are strangers, enemies to my lovely Lord; let your estrangedness be done away; fly to Him, ere He break out in fury against you. Oh! consider how near you are to the destroyer, if ye fly not unto Him, and if you fly in unto Him He will abundantly pardon; therefore, I entreat you, that ye would turn from your evil ways, and leave off your persecution, and fly to Him, for there is mercy with Him, that He may be feared; and if ye will not turn, wrath will be upon you to all eternity.

"A second sort are these that formerly have known God, and now are fallen from their first love. Oh! consider your former ways, and turn again to your first husband, lest there be no space to repent; for all the ways that ye have taken to win by trouble [i.e., escape] will not hide you from Him, who is the great sin-revenging God, and He will bring all your sins and all your compliance to stand and witness against you; therefore delay not repentance, for ye will find death [to] have enough ado with itself.

"A third sort are these who desire to walk in His way, and to keep themselves from the crying wickedness of these times. Oh! stand fast in the faith, for there is no other burden laid upon you, but to hold fast till He come. Oh! for that day, when ye shall be made one

stick in His hand; and have fervent charity among yourselves, and let him that standeth take heed lest he fall, for ye will find enough ado with it when death comes. Therefore, let the main thing be your study, and get once that made sure, that cannot be taken from you, for ye have many enemies to fight with if ye win [i.e., get] through, for the way to heaven is very straight. For it is no wonder Satan seeks to tempt poor Christians, when he assayed to tempt our blessed Lord and Master. Let none of you think it strange concerning what hath befallen me; for it is in His holy wisdom; He hath carved out my lot such, and I have been made to bless Him for my lot. Oh! study to wrestle against your own corruptions, which are very heavy to me sometimes, but His love hath been great in bringing me out of the estate of nature, and hath brought me to see my own weakness, and also hath given me a sight of the remedy, for which my soul shall be made to praise Him throughout all eternity.

"Now, my dear friends in Christ, study to walk blameless in all manner of conversation, as becometh the Gospel. Let your light so shine before the world, that they may be ashamed that shall accuse your good conversation in Christ; for now ye need not think, if ye keep the way of God, but ye will have many enemies, both within and without; therefore seek strength from Him who is able to give it. Ye need not think that all the stock of grace that a man hath will be sufficient when the trial comes, if there be not fresh supply given in the time of need. Oh! wrestle with Him, that ye may be hid in the day of His wrath, that seems to be poured out on this generation, for their great treachery and departure from God, the breach of His laws, and subjecting to the laws of men ; but my eyes shall be closed, that I shall not see it; and I am well content; seeing I get my soul for a prey, then I shall have no loss.

"Now, as for His way with His church, it is mysterious to me. But this, I think, is a token for good, that He is taking some to witness for His despised and trampled upon truths, and He will keep some witnessing still, until He return again; but, indeed, I think it seems it is but very few that will see Him return again in this generation. Now, death is called the king of terrors, but I think it is not so with me. 'O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?' (1 Cor. xv. 55). 'For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens' (2 Cor. v.