to have been in the places constituted for worship, and would have been there, had bonds and engagements been conscientiously minded by all that were under them. O let not this perfidious generation think that they are loosed from the ties of these covenants; for as sure as God is in the heavens he will make them know another thing, even that it was not in their power to rescind these covenants, and by going about so to do, they have brought much wrath upon themselves and their posterity after them, if they repent not. But oh! do they not look like a generation of his wrath? and, not to pass the bounds of charity, I fear they will be the objects of his wrath; and it will be a dreadful day,-see it who will-when the wicked shall be as stubble and tow, and the wrath and vengeance of God shall seize upon them as fire, and burn them up, for they will not escape. And 6. Against the payers of the cess; for it was a sad thing in a people, that should have opposed all courses of that kind, instead of opposing, to contribute to the carrying on of that very course, that they ought to have opposed. O that they would consider, and lay it to heart, and set themselves to redeem time, misspent and abused time! 7. And against locality and fines paying, seeing that it contributes to the strengthening of the adversaries' hands; as for the locality, we may easily see it to be sinful, since they (the enemies) have imposed it for the maintenance of a party raised and kept up for no other use (as their daily practice declares) but to harass, rob, and spoil the poor people of God, for their close (O that it were closer) adhering to their sworn principles, and to kill them for not denying these principles. And as for the paying of fines, it should be considered, that these fines are imposed upon people for their duty; and fines imposed by right and justice, ought always to be for transgression; neither can a fine be imposed by right, but for a transgression: so that by paying of these fines so imposed, we must be said either to yield active obedience to an unjust course, which we ought always to oppose, or we may be said to make ourselves transgressors, and these duties (in which we ought to venture life and fortune) to be transgressions. I say, one of these will consequently follow, if not both: but alas! those things that are grievously sinful many ways, are become so habitual, that they are never noticed nor thought any thing of, nor will be, till God come in his power and great glory, to disclose the secrets of all hearts. 8. I leave my testimony against the people hearing curates,-basely leaving the way of truth, and following a course dishonouring to God, and destructive to themselves. Also, against the joining with the indulged and unfaithful ministers, vindicating themselves thus, That it is good to hear the word;' not considering, that these ministers have so far gone out of the way of God, in the free accepting of that indulgence, as that they ought to be testified against, and when they go on obstinately in that crooked way, ought to be withdrawn from. It may be, some will say, That this is ignorantly reasoned; but I fear, if they would search things narrowly by the Spirit of God, they would find, that God is not countenancing them in it. And also, that they ought to have given far other sort of testimony against that course, than to have joined and gone alongst with it, as far as their station would have

6

required; but now the obstinacy of this generation is so great (and we have many sad evidences of this) that I fear, there will nothing convince them but the judgments of God, which has made me the less careful to write any thing although I could, that might, being from the hand of a dying man, be any way convincing to them.

"But as becomes one laying down his life for his royal and princely Master, Jesus Christ,-I leave my testimony against joining with them; yea, against that which they call simple hearing, and this I have done to exonerate my conscience in the sight of a holy and jealous God; and do declare, that if mercy in Christ prevent not (which will not be found but in mercy's gate, which is believing and repentance) they shall smart under the heavy wrath of God for their complying with such crooked and God-provoking courses. And I as a man laying down my life for the interest of my sweet Lord, do warn all and every one of them, who have joined with these evil courses, to fly from the wrath to come, which will be on this generation inevitable; yea, I obtest you to flee from it, as ye tender the glory of God, and the good of your own souls. O flee from it by speedy repentance, and lay hold upon the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ to that effect, and study to have your names scraped out of the black catalogue of these soul-destroying despisers of that precious blood and righteousness, purchased for that end, to take away the sins of all that will come, and by faith lay hold upon it, and to reconcile them to a provoked God. God's wrath is burning against the children of disobedience, and he has said, 'That such as turn aside to crooked ways, he will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity;' and in another place he says, 'If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.' 9. I leave my testimony against the taking of that cursed Test, and the takers thereof, and I declare it to be a horrid wickedness, a God disowning, and a God-daring course. 10. Against compearing before their courts, and I declare it to be a thing inconsistent with a faithful testimony for truth at this time; it being (1.) An owning of that authority, founded upon that usurped supremacy over the prerogative royal of our Lord, which thing ought to be so far testified against, as not to own or answer to any court fenced in the name of Charles Stuart, because he hath quite forfeited his right to rule as king. (2.) It is a clear condemning of such as have suffered the loss of means upon that account, and these who have laid down their lives against the owning of that authority; and let none think me foolish in adjoining my testimony to the testimonies of these, nor in my disowning of that authority. 11. Against the lifting of militia, and the paying of militiamoney. 12. I testify against the proceedings of that abominable wretch John Gib, and these testimonies wrote by him in the name of others, as being a thing prejudicial to the interests of our Lord.

"And now as to the articles of my indictment, they are all of them such things as cannot be made criminal. As to the first, viz. My making my escape out of the tolbooth,-I was doing it most innocently, doing hurt to no person, neither did I ever hear that it was criminal. As to the second, viz. That I had confessed that I was at Bothwellbridge, I cannot see how that can be made criminal, if I got but the

lash of their own law, (if it be not abuse of language to call it law) and no further; for all that were onlookers that day, could not be said to be in the action. As to the third, viz. My conversing with Gavin Wotherspoon* since Bothwell, whom they call a notorious rebel, but cannot prove him so; neither can they show me that law founded on the word of God, which makes conversing with him criminal: and since they cannot upon sufficient grounds call him a rebel, what they say and do without ground, I do not see myself obliged to answer it; for that rebellion that the law strikes against, is that which can be proved rebellion against powers acting for God, and so consequently rebellion against God. And sure I am, while a man followeth his duty (for it is merely for following his duty that they call him a rebel) he can never be said to be in rebellion against God. As to the fourth article, that I refused to call Bothwell-bridge rebellion, I would see the law that makes a man's silence, when interrogated, criminal. And also, as to the thing itself, who knows not, that it was mere defence? And who can make it out to be rebellion against powers acting for God? For as is before said, this, and no other, is the rebellion that the law of God, and the law of our nation, strikes against. And the fifth, viz That I said, the owning of the covenants were lawful. Who knows not that these covenants were once approved of as lawful, and solemnly sworn by the whole nation, and the Confession of Faith taken, and sworn unto as fundamentals of our religion? And I deny (although by an act of a pretended parliament, they may pretend to rescind the same) that it was in their power to rescind or overturn such a constitution, until they had made the unsoundness of it appear; and made it appear wherein another was better, and till they had been in case to set up a better in the room thereof. So that their so doing, was not a walking according to the will of God, but according to their own will contrary to the will of God, for the satisfaction of their own base lusts, and no ways showing themselves to be studying either the glory of God, or the good of his people; so that these covenants remain binding to this day, and, I hope, shall be when they are gone, who so wickedly set themselves against them. As to the sixth article, That I would not answer if it was lawful, yea or not, to obey Charles Stuart? It is only silence, which no law nor reason can make criminal. And as to my disowning his authority, as they say, they had only my silence also, which can never in law take away a man's life. As to my not asserting that the death of the late king was murder, I find they would have every one saying and attesting what they say and assert, whether they know it to be so or not. I leave my testimony, as a dying man, against all such implicit walking; and especially I testify against any laying hold implicitly upon the bare assertions or dictates of the enemies of God. And as to the prelate's death, I declare, as a dying man, that I think none can certainly judge that

This was a very eminent and zealous sufferer, who being forfeited of his land and possession, for adherence to the truth, suffered many hardships of persecution but was brought through without compliance, being stedfast in the way of the Lord till his death, which was about two years since.

action, if it was murder, or not murder. And who sees not what these enemies to God, and his Son Jesus Christ are driving at, when they would compel men to assert things only for their pleasures, that no human understanding can judge of,-themselves who were the actors only excepted. And now it is notour to all persons of any capacity, and who will but use the light of nature, that there is no manner of just sentence past against, or put in execution upon us; but that we were murdered only for the satisfaction of men, who are worse than heathens.

"And now this my testimony I seal with my blood, dying in the faith of the protestant religion, adhering to the presbyterian government of the church of Scotland, and witnessing against every thing that tends to the hurt thereof; exhorting every one who desires to be found of God in love, to settle and fix here. And let none fear to venture upon the cross of Christ: for I can say from experience, (glory be to him for it) that he has borne the cross and me both, or otherwise I could never have undergone it with so small difficulty. And the great reason of many fainting under the cross, is their laying so little weight on Jesus Christ, and so much upon themselves, and upon any bit of attainment they think themselves to have. O let every one study that holy art of independency upon all things besides him, and depend only upon himself. And now, I bid farewell to the poor remnant of the church of Scotland, and I leave them to God, and his good hand; I bid farewell to friends and acquaintances; I bid farewell to my mother, and commit her to God, who only can provide for her, things necessary both for soul and body; I bid farewell to my two sisters, and commit them to God, who can be instead of all things to them, and can soon make up the want of a brother to them,-which want I think may be easily borne as the time now goes; farewell praying and believing, reading and meditating: I bid farewell to all temporal things, mercies and crosses. Welcome gallows for the interest of my sweet Lord; welcome heaven and everlasting glory; welcome spirits of just men made perfect: welcome angels; welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, into whose hands I commit my spirit. Sic Sub.-JOHN MAIN."

XXXVII. JOHN RICHMOND.

In

[This was another of the Five persons who were executed at Glasgow, on the 19th of March, 1684.-His case was peculiarly severe. conformity with the lawless mode of procedure then adopted, he was seized by the military on mere suspicion of his being a covenanter, while quietly walking along the streets of Glasgow, and upon his endeavouring to escape, he was pursued, overtaken, and most cruelly treated-though as yet they knew not even who he He was immediately carried to the Guard-house, his hands and feet bound together, and left for some hours lying upon the ground, bleeding of his wounds. Next day, he was committed to

was.

prison, where, with the other four, he continued till served with an Indictment. He was accused of having been at Airsmoss; but in proof of this, only one witness alleged that he saw him there; and when cross-questioned, that witness acknowledged he was half-a-mile distant. Yet this, contrary to common sense, as well as law, was held as evidence!-verifying the statement of Wodrow, that he and his companions were condemned " on as slender a probation as ever was sustained in any case."-He left behind him the following testimony.]

"Now I am brought here this day to lay down my life, for the testimony of Jesus Christ, and the hope of Israel, which hope I am not ashamed of; and for owning that Christ is king, and head of his own church, for which I do this day willingly lay down my life, and not by constraint; for if I would have acknowledged a mortal man to be supreme, I might have redeemed my life, viz. Charles Stewart-to be supreme over all causes civil and ecclesiastical, which belongs to no mortal man upon earth, but to our blessed Lord and Saviour, who is given of the Father, to be Head and King of his own church, which I prove by his own word, Col. i. and 18th verse; And he is the Head of the body of the church;' Ephes. i. and 22d verse; ' And he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head of all things to the church;' and also the 2d Psalm.

་

"Now, I say, it is for the hope of Israel and as a witness of Jesus Christ, of whom I am not ashamed, but desire with heart and soul to praise him, (and my soul shall praise him throughout the ages of eternity,) and desire to invite all the creation to praise him, for he has taken me as a brand plucked from the fire, who was an heir of hell and wrath, and who also confirmed that heirship to myself by my actual transgressions but now, my sweet and lovely Lord and Redeemer, through his blood and sufferings, has redeemed me from the devil, the world, and the flesh, and has sealed to me by his Spirit bearing witness with my spirit, and confirming me by his precious word-which word is truth and the true word of God-that he has redeemed me; and I shall be clothed with his righteousness, which is spotless and clean, and will make my soul as clean as if I had never sinned.

"Now, I shall give you a short hint as the Lord shall assist me, of my principles;-what I am to adhere to, and also what I am clear to disown and testify against-as a dying witness of Christ.

"1st, I sweetly set to my seal to the covenant of free grace, made betwixt the Father and the Son, before the foundation of the world; for the redemption of poor lost mankind;-I say, of these who are elected, called, and chosen, sanctified and justified :-for which my soul blesses the Lord, that ever I heard tell of the same, and of a Redeemer. 2dly, I leave my testimony to the sacred word of God, viz. the Old and New Testaments, that they are the true word of God, and that there is life everlasting to be had in perusing thereof, with the whole desire of the soul through a Redeemer:-and without perusing and sincerely endeavouring to make it your rule, life, and manners, there is no life; for our blessed Lord says, he came not to destroy the law but to fulfil it. 3dly, I leave my testimony to the work of reforma