y heart, that ever he called me with h heavenly calling I blefs the Lord, that I have a life to lay down for his fake : Glory to the Lord, that I fhall have blood and wounds in his caufe

But to come more particularly to the purpofe in hand, the articles of my indictment were thefe Firit, they charged me of rebellion for joining with thefe they call rebels, and declared enemies to the king, and enemies to all good government; for my own part i never called them fo. I declare here where I ftand, before him who will be my judge within a little, my defign in coming forth with arms, was to hear the gospel preached truly and faithfully; and I know it was the defign of that poor handful to defend the gofpel, and to keep up a witnefs and teftimony againft the abounding corruptions that this land is filled with from end to end, and to plead with the Lord that he would not make a total removal therefrom; yea, I heard Mr. Richard Cameron fay, "My friends, we are not to compare purfelves with a Gideon's 300 men, no not at all; Our defign is to have you examined who you are, and what ye are to choose two or three of the foot, and two or three of the horse, that are found fitteft qualified for elders, to try your principles, to try your life and converfaon, and to have you being Chriftians. Our number was more the last, day, and we gave them free leave to go home "and only but a few handful to ftay; for we defign not to fall upon any party of the forces, except they be few in "number, and oppofe us in keeping up the gofpel in the field for I am perfwaded that one meeting in the fields, has been "more owned and countenanced by his prefence with his peo ple, than twenty houfe meetings, as they are now bought; and therefore make no itrile among yourselves about officers "because they but men; yea, I think there is not a man amongst you all meet for it; we are not meet to be a Mini❝fter to you; only we are to wait till the Lord provide berter, and ye that are not fatisfied to stay in defence of the gofpel, good morrow to you whatfoever ye be.' be. And to I thought it was rational and warrantable both from the word of God, and our folemn vows and covenants, which you and the whole land are engaged unto. Now ye fee what was my motive to join with that handful, and in this I have peace, and on this ground, I lay down my life. There is a fecond motive I had, for which I thought myfelf bound to own that perfecuted caufe and intereft of my bleffed Lord and matter, Jelus Chrift: I being about two years ago in Carrick, and hearing the precious gofpel of Jefus Chrift; in thefe glorious days the fining of the countenance of our Lord was difcernibly feen

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there, both upon his Minifters and people: I thought it my 'duty to mark it; the Lord did fo foften and animate my heart at that time, that I made it my work how I might win to clearnefs, how to ftate myself, being among the deceitful indulged Minifters, and finding feveral places of Scripture cafling me out from them, as that known Scripture, If the "Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal then follow him. "Come out from among them my people, and touch not the unclean thing, etc. Touch not, tatte not, handle not, "which are all to perifh with the using." I thought It was dreadful to be halting between two opinions. On the other hand, I had Some Scriptures concerning the Crofs, that "attends pure religion and undefiled. The Lord who has called me here to day, to feal thefe truths, wrought with an irrefiftible power on my heart, that good word of his in the, xviii Pfal. 46, 47, 48. verfes, The Lord liveth, and bleffe be my rock, etc." This makes me rejoice. The, Lord of hofts is upon my fide, The God of Jacob is my defence," etc. O fo ftrongly as this binds and obliges me to fuffer, and count all joy now to go up this Ladder! and I had occafion to be at feveral other meetings, I blefs the Lord for it, I blefs the Lord, that ever he made choice of me, who was a miferable finner, to lay down my life for his caufe: And fo I die not by constraint or force; but willingly at his command.

a

There is another caufe in my indictment, and fentence of death. They fay, "That I walked up and down the country, murdering, deftroying, and oppreffing the fubjects: But I fay, I did never mind the like. And fo they have (as they have done to many an one), affized and fentenced me wrongoufly; for I did never mind to murder or rob any man: Therefore I am clear to charge them guilty of my blood, and to give my Teftimony against them, as murderers of the ferwants and people of God, in their being about the fervice and worfhip of God as I was."

In the next place, I believe that all the Scriptures of the old and new Teftament are the word of the eternal and ever-living God, given by divine infpiration; and that every duty commanded therein ought to be obeyed and performed upon the greateft peril and hazard and that every crooked and falfe way fhould be avoided and guarded againft, whatever be the feeming advantages, which may accompany the embracing of with the workers of ini

it, under the pain of being led forth his Ifrael. 2dly, I

quity, when he fhall pronounce peace on

give my witnefs, and join my adherents to the Confeffion of Faith, the larger and fhorter Catechifms, National and Solema League and Covenant, with our Solemn acknowledgement of

fins, and engagement to Duties 3dly, I adhere to the Churh government by general Affemblies, Synods, Prefbyteries, and Kirk Seffions, according as it was established in the year 1648. 4thly, I give my Teftimony to that faithful declaration at Ru therglen, the 29th of May 1679. 5thly, I adhere and give my Teftimony to the declaration at Sanquhair, June 22. 1680. together with the paper gotten at the Ferry upon Henrie Hall, June 3 1680 6thly, I give my Testimony, and fet to my feal, to all the former Teftimonies fealed by the blood of them who have been murdered on fcaffolds, in the fields, and in the fea, from the year 1660. to this day; and by all their imprifonments, and banishment of exiled and wandring ones, and by all the fpoilings and robbings, oppreffion, ftigmatizing, fcourging, and booting, and other horrid cruelties, which have been committed by the enemies of our Lord Jefus

Chrift

On the other hand, I enter my proteftation before the judge of all, both living and the dead, before whom I am to appear, within a little time, against all the encroachments made upon the Prerogatives of our Lord Jefus Chrift, particularly against Popery, Quakerifin and Prelacy, and all their underlings, and the joiners with them; and against all fupremacy, which is con trary to the word of God; and against all Ecaftianifm, and againft both the indictments frit and laft, and all the joiners with, contrivers at, and fupporters of it; and against the filence in watchmen at this day, in not giving faithful warning, according to that in Ifa. Iviii. ." Cry aloud, and fpare not, lift ་ up thy voice like a trumpet, fhew Ifrael their uns, and the "houfe of Jacob their tranfgreffions." And against their ambiguous and dark applications, fo that the fin of the time is not touched, left they irritate the Magiftrates, and bring themfelves in hazard of our Lord's crofs; which was an evil creeping in long ago, which the Affembly condemned in the Minifters; and ordered them to be fufpended, if they did not amend, and seeing no humiliation for fuch a great fin, they were to be depofed, 2dly, I enter my protestation against all those who have declared themfelves oppofite to our Lord Jefus Christ, and have difplayed a banner for Satan; not only tolerating, but acting and committing all manner of abomi nations, and horrid cruelties in things civil and ecclefiaftical. 3dly, I enter my proteftation against all declarations, proclamations, bonds, cefs, and militia money, for keeping ftanding forces with a displayed banner against our Lord; and 3gainst all profanity, loofenefs, and lukewarmnefs and all the backflidings of the Church of Scotland, fince our entring into Covenant with God, to this day.

Κ

Now, Sirs, I have given you but a fhort hint of my faith and principles, and alfo of the motives, which moved me to Join with the ferious feekers of God, and alfo the grounds of my indictment, and fentence of death; alfo fome little glance at the corruptions of the times. I have here joined my teftimony to the fufferings of the people of God, and I have entred my proteftation against fome open fins, which are obvi"ous to all who have not willingly yielded themselves to work wickednefs. O! It is but little that I can fay; it would take a long fummer day to rank them up, and not win at them all: for my part, I am but ignorant, my capacity can but reach hittle thing. It may be, ye will take but little notice of what the like of me fays, but I cannot help it. Now, as a dying man, I leave all these things to your confideration, if this prelatick and indulged party, be the party to be meddled with and owned, pleaded for and defended, what think ye of them that have gone before us? What think ye of Argyle, and Mr. Guthry, that were men of understanding? What think ye of Mr. Kid, and Mr. King, and that Gentleman that fuffered laft at the Crofs? Nay, what think ye of Religion and the cost of it? What think ye of Heaven and glory, that is at the back of the crofs? The hope of this makes me look upon pale death, as a lovely Meffenger to me. I blefs the Lord, for my lot this day.

1 fhall come fhortly to a clofe, only I beg leave to speak a word or two to three forts of folks; and, I think, all may be comprehended under these three. I entreat you take heed; I with I may not be a ftumbling-block to any that is looking on me this day "Bleffed is he (fays Chrift) that shall not be "offended in me," and my followers. The firft fort is, The feekers of God. I have a word to you: ye have kirk and ftate upon your top; ye get leave to weep a long night, and have none to comfort you. And if you cry, Watchman, what of the night? the watchmen are drunk and fast asleep. they cannot tell. "Can thefe dry boneš live? Lord thou knowest.” Ye are feeing the godly cut off, one way and another; ye are hearing them that have the root of the matter in them, crying up a finful union, and Minifters will not tell you what is your duty, or danger. O my dear friends, caft not away your confidence; ye muft come through many tribulations: but there is a begun heaven for you at night. Seek ye the Lord, ye meek of the earth: ye thall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. There is no perfecution in heaven, where our 1ord's enemies fhall never come: I fhall not take upon me to fay, Who of them will not come to heaven: but this I may fay, if they come, it will be more than ordinary humiliation they must have: As it is faid of Manaffch; That "he humbled

himfelf greatly before the Lord God of his fathers " Friends, give our Lord credit; he is always good: but Of he is good in a day of trial, and he will be fweet company through the ages of eternity 86 There is none like the God "of Jefurum, that rides upon the heaven in thy help, and in "his excellency on the fky And underneath are everlast, ❝ing arms, and he will fave his people." And idly, I have word to fay to you that are godly, but (alas) you have wronged the caufe For which I fear you have loft the counte nance of God, and will not get it again in hafte; ye have waxed far and kicked. Ye have flung at God, (fo to fpeak ye have laid a confederacy with enemies, for a falle peace; ye have been crying peace and union with the indulged, because they are godly men. I fay before the Lord Thar ye and these godly men have moft bafely betrayed the kirk of scotland: ye hall go to heaven in a fiery chariot ye fhall hardly get leave to fufer, but go away in a ftink for your complying and fhunning the Cross idly, A word to the ungodly. O ye Atheists and ungodly Magiftrates, full of perjury, and bloodfhed, ye have nourished your hearts as in day of flaughter. The blood of the Lord's Martyes, that has been thed thefe eighteen or nineteen years within this city, will be charged home upon you, as well as upon the affizers Ye Councellors your work will be rewarded: Ye crimina! Lords, remember

the faints fhall judge the earth" and fhall thortly be in equal terms with you; and they shall stand upon mount Zion with the Lamb, and give their confents against you; and thall hortly cry, Hallelujah, Hillelujah, to your condemnation. And therefore I obteft you in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Chrift that ye will defit from your wicked courfes, and ly in the duft, and mourn for all your abominations, "except ye re "pent, ye thall all likewise perith " Yet ignorant and profane drunkards, fwearers and fabbath brakers, repent, or elfe ye fhall likewife perifh. And now I take my farewel of all the ferious feekers of God, for a fhort time; and you that are calm, prudent profeffors. I leave you under process, till you repent, for cafting off Christ, and his Crofs, and for bringing up an evil report on the good land, and for your wronging of the cause. And ye rulers farewel for ever more, without repentance, and deep humiliation, for wronging of Chrift, and his people Return my foul, unto thy quiet reft, Farewel all created comforts, in time; and welcome Father, Son and hoGhoft. into thy hand, I commit my Spirit.

"Sic fubfcribitur. ARCHBALD ALISON,"