"And now must we halt here a little, till the elect be gathered together;-during which time let us vent our meditation of the difference that will be betwixt the elect and reprobate; the reprobate saying, 'Oh alas! for ever,-yonder he is for the dishonour done to whom, we could never shed a tear; the elect saying, 'Well's me, yonder he is upon the account of the dishonour done to whom I have had many a sore heart, and have shed many a tear.' The reprobate says, 'Oh! he is yonder whom I could never either love or fear.' Says the elect, Blessed for ever be the sight, yonder he is who helped me both to love and fear him.' The reprobate says, 'Oh! for ever,-yonder he is whom I could never be persuaded either to believe, or patiently to wait for.' Says the elect, Rejoice, O my soul, for ever, yonder he is that helped me by his Spirit both to trust in and wait for him.' The reprobate says, 'Oh! and alas! yonder he is, towards the meeting of whom all the exhortations in time could never move me to make preparation.' Says the elect, 'Glory to his name for ever, he is there now, for meeting of whom he helped me many a day to be trimming my lamp.' Says the reprobate, "Oh, and undone for ever, yonder he is whom in his members I not only persecuted but murdered many a time.' Says the elect, Endless blessings on his ever glorious face, for whose sake he helped me to suffer persecution,' says one, and to be hanged on a gibbet, beheaded, or drowned,' say others, and so forth, of all the rest of the duties, the elect have been helped to perform, and against the performance whereof, the reprobate have been hardened, or rather have hardened themselves. Now, may we suppose the whole elect to be gathered together, and looking many a greedy look to be at him, then may we suppose our blessed Lord and Master by his omnipotent arm drawing them all up to him in the air: O glorious meeting a meeting without a parting, a meeting for joy inexpressible; then shall they be set down on the right hand to receive their sentence, as the reprobate have done already in our paper, in the order of God's appointment they shall be last, as you may see in that 25th chapter of Matthew, out of which we drew their sentence, and then shall the sentence of the elect be pronounced, as follows in the 34th verse of the said 25th chapter of Matthew: 'Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world.'

me,

"Now my dearest friends, to answering my former suits,-which, as they are both your mercies and duties, so are they attended with such unspeakable advantages, as we have a little hinted at: I shall desire you yet to add two more. The first is, that one and all of you may with with our whole souls, sing and say, and say and sing, 'Bless, O my soul, the Lord thy God, and all that in me is, be stirred up, his holy name to magnify and bless.' The second is, That all of us, with one soul, may cordially join in saying, Even so, come, blessed Lord Jesus Christ, come quickly. Amen.' Thus, with his whole soul, says JOHN DICK."

2. HIS LAST Words.

When he went upon the scaffold, he beckoned to the multitude, beginning at the north side thereof; and so turning himself round, with

1

a smiling countenance, and looking not only steadfastly but eagerly, and stretching forth his hands, he began thus:

"The great confluence that are gathered together here, manifestly declares to me, that many, if not the great part of this multitude, expect and look for something more than ordinary, but ye may be disappointed. I nothing doubt but all of this multitude, at least the most part, know and have heard that I have had near six months' respite, more than was allowed me by men; which time was granted me in the goodness and mercy of God through my escape,-which mercy, I mean this time that I have had since my escape, I look upon it to have been given me for these two ends, and in both these that God may be glorified. And, first, That having so much more time, I might have the liberty and privilege more fully to exhibit, and give in, my judgment. Secondly, That having so much more time, I might the better make ready, and prepare myself for that great work I have now in hand,—I mean death and eternity; neither of which is terrifying nor damping to me, for which and all his other favours and mercies which he in the abundance of his goodness and riches of his free grace, bestowed on me, even on me who, while in a natural state, was as evil and abominable in God's sight as any here at this time, I desire to bless, adore, admire, exalt, and praise the Lord, while in time; for I know I shall shortly praise him without interruption or intermission. I say it again, I bless him for all his mercies and favours conferred upon and not only this among the rest, but above all, next to that great one, that he made me his own by his purchase, and so became mine; and although I have not kept all right as to him, yet he has kept all right as to me, and betwixt him and me all is right; for besides his other mercies and favours he has condescended so much to dignify and honour me, as to crown all, in me, with martyrdom.

me,

"Now my dear friends in Christ, it is your assistance I crave in this exercise of praising, let me beseech you to join with me in singing to the praise of this, 'even my God and the God of my consolation and salvation, I say to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, let us sing praise from the beginning of the 2d Psalm;" So, having sung that Psalm through, which he sang with great cheerfulness, sometimes pointing with his hands to one airt, and sometimes to another, (especially, when he sang the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses, his countenance so shined, that it might easily appear, to judicious and pious spectators, that he was in an excellent frame, and in a special way to be helped, to sing praise to the Lord,) so having done with singing, he said, with a pleasant countenance, "I nothing doubt but amongst this great confluence of people, there are many that are nearer and dearer to our exalted and glorified Lord Jesus Christ,-therefore I shall address myself to two sorts, and shall speak a short word to each of these, as providence and time shall allow me; first I shall speak to friends, secondly, to enemies.

"As to you that are friends, I mean all such as are resolved to follow our blessed Lord fully through good report and bad report (cost what it will,) I say according to the rule that he hath given in his word. I have three words of good news to tell you, as the words

of a dying man. And, first, it shall be well with the righteous, yea verily, it shall be well with the righteous. Now, in speaking to this, I would say two things, but do not mistake me, for I am neither a minister nor a preacher, for I am not going to preach, but only to give my last advice to those here, which I shall do in a few words; for neither do I desire to weary you, nor to speak much more, the body being shortly to be caught up above the clouds, pointing with his hand up to heaven, I mean my soul, which shall be immediately there. And, 1st, That you my friends may understand me, -the righteousness of none can make you righteous but that of Christ, and that imputed to you for righteousness: so, I say, ye must have a borrowed righteousness, even the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to you, and this is the way that ye must be righteous. I say, it shall be well with the righteous, the Spirit of God hath said it in his word, and that is better than an angel had spoken it from heaven, for we have a more sure word of prophecy, 2 Peter, I. ch. and 16th verse. But, 2dly, To be righteous, is not to sit down, nor rest satisfied, with what ye have attained, but to press forward to the prize, and so to walk answerably, to what ye have received, and to what ye profess, -not being satisfied with what ye are or may appear to be, in the eyes of men; but study by a holy and onward way, and walking in the sight of God, and all men, to shew that ye are the persons that have this righteousness imputed to you, and so labour to have your light so to shine before men, that ye may glorify your heavenly Father. Such as are thus righteous, I say, it shall be well with them.

"Then a second word of good news I have to tell you, my friends, is this, that Jesus Christ is sitting at the helm of affairs, and whatever he will, he doth it, and there is none that is able to stop him when he worketh, and whatsoever his pleasure is, cometh to pass. This man thinketh he is working one piece of work, and a second man thinketh he is working another piece of work, and a third man thinketh he is working his piece of work, and it may be all are working contrary one to another, as they think, and yet for all that, they are all working and carrying on His work, even when they think they are doing that which, at least some of them, would have done the quite contrary, so, I say, in all these, they are all working and carrying on Christ's work. Now, my friends, I exhort all of you, yea, I obtest you for Christ's sake, weary not of God, but wait on him and keep his way, I mean, the way appointed in his word, and trust him with his own work; for, all that has been done, or shall ever be done by the actions of men to the contrary, yet his work is still carried on thereby; so lippen to God and ye shall not be disappointed. But a third word of good news that I have to tell you is this, that notwithstanding all the dark clouds that have been, and now are, I can assure you, that there are glori ous days coming to these covenanted lands, and I assure you, yea, I dare aver it, that they are nearer than you, at least a great part, even of the godly-do believe I say it again, sirs, there are glorious days coming to these lands, and even to poor and filthy Scotland, and I am certain she is both poor and filthy enough;-you and she are very near to one another, therefore, I entreat you, beware of unbelief and

impatience, and, as you would not keep back these days, beware of sin that may procure the rest.

"Now, my friends, I have these few advices to leave with you, and, first, I require you, to labour to make your foundation sure and right, I say, before you engage in profession. I entreat you, as a dying man, and take it amongst my last words, lay a foundation sure, for without this ye will never be able to do or suffer aright for Christ, when it comes to this with it, either sin or suffer; I say, ye will never be able to suffer acceptably, if ye have not the foundation laid sure. Will ye know why it is, and from whence it flows, that so many have made shipwreck of God, Christ, and a good conscience, in a day of trial? and why so many have broken down that which once they builded, or, at least, seemed to be builders of, and are denying that which once they professed, and fighting against that which once they fought with and for, and so are fled from their ground? here is the reason, because they stood and built upon a sandy foundation; therefore lay the foundation sure and right, if ye will stand it out in a day of trial: and that this may be thereby considered, remember sirs, ye may meet with harder trials than this is, that I am meeting with, I mean in your eyes, for it is not sharp to me; yea, the thoughts and fearful apprehensions of what trials others may meet with that I have, make me so much the more to be satisfied, and to rejoice in my lot. But, I say it again, sirs, lay the foundation right, and ye that will not lay it, nor make it your study to have it laid right, I say to you, wait with your perfection, and profess nothing but what you practise.

"My second advice to you is this, that having laid the foundation sure and right, ye would be still building and carrying on Christ's work, until it be perfected;-I mean, till your conversation in all things be suitable to the gospel, and answerable to that foundation built up, and rooted in your most holy faith; and in all your building, let faith, patience, and all other of the graces, be lively in exercise, that so your building may go right on.

"My third advice to you, my friends, is this,-labour to love one another. I say, to all the people of God here and elsewhere, love one another, yea, labour to love one another more and more, and to bear with one another, and beware of needless and groundless sinful breaking and divisions, I do not say that ye will join with any in sin, and combine against God and his Christ in sinful ways and courses, but labour to bear with one another, and strengthen, edify, exhort, confirm, and comfort one another, and this is the way to gain one another, and I am persuaded, that the needless, groundless, and sinful division, and breakings, that have been in the land, have more wronged the cause, interest, work, and people of God, than all that devils and men could have done. And has not the devil had a special hand in the breakings and divisions of the Lord's people, that thereby he might rout the same? therefore, in consideration and commemoration of these things, study unity and honesty in the Lord.

"My fourth advice is this, labour to be rightly exercised and affected with, and in the consideration of what has procured the

depriving of what sometimes ye possest, especially because thereby God was offended, Christ wounded, and the Spirit grieved, and God the Father in Christ affronted by you, in not receiving his Son's offers in the gospel, and not walking answerable to the mercies received, and that you enjoy, and, notwithstanding, I would have you think little of what you have, but rather, and so much the more, that ye did so ill improve it when ye had it, improve what ye now possess; I say it again, improve what mercies and privileges ye have, and labour to improve every opportunity, either of doing or getting good, remember that time is precious, and ye must give an account how ye spend and improve all other mercies that ye enjoy.

"My fifth advice to you is,-labour to be of a sympathizing spirit, and be more concerned with the glory of God, and with a suffering Christ in his members, and do not think you sympathize with him and yet be unconcerned in them,—I mean Christ's members; for, a sympathizing with them shall be looked upon with and by him as a concernedness with and in him, and what ye do for, or give to one of them it shall be rewarded by him,-as if ye had done it to or for him, if ye be in him, and so walk in this and all other duties suitable to your being in him. Now, my friends, my last advice to you is this, labour, O labour, to be at the height of sincerity in all these and other duties, and so ye shall have peace in your latter end; and now, my friends, that ye, and all the people of God, may be helped to this (let us pray to God, even my God,) yea, I say without vanity, he is my God, and so to him let us pray." Not being permitted to speak to the second sort, viz. the enemies,-he after having prayed, read the ninth chapter of Ezekiel. As he read he now and then looked up to the windows on both sides, but especially on the north side, where he espied many faces he knew,-making demonstrations with his hands and eyes, as he read, to the persons to whom these scriptures seemed most to be applied;-and he then sang a part of the thirty-seventh Psalm, from the 29th verse. In his prayer, there was one passage much remembered beyond the rest, which was this, "O Lord, since thou hast honoured me to come here, to lay down my life for thy cause and interest, I pray thee, even be pleased to go up this ladder with me, and to lead me through the dark valley of the shadow of death, that is unknown to all naturally, and I know that thou wilt keep my soul in the down-coming thereof."

"After that prayer, he calls for a drink of water, which was immediately brought to him, and he taking it in his hand, with a more pleasant countenance than he seemed to have before, says, "Make way, that I may win forward," pointing with his nand to the ladder. Then turning himself to Captain Graham, he said to him, "Sir, do me the favour to call in that gentleman," and also, "suffer him to come up to me, upon the scaffold," which was granted; so, desiring such as were not concerned might be put off the scaffold, he with a smiling countenance turned to the people, and bowed to them all, as he did when he went first up the scaffold,—and then to his father, who was also upon the scaffold with him; and embracing him very cheerfully, he gave him several kisses rounded some