treasonable, because I said, none of the people of God would say other wise. And in plain terms, and direct words, I deny them to have any power to rule either in civil or ecclesiastic matters. Also these avowed enemies who are thirsting for my blood, charged me with going up and down the country, plundering, and murdering, and so by their law made liable to punishment, even to the loss of my life; but I declare, who am within a little to appear before the righteous Judge, that I never intended to wrong any man. And so it is evident they take away my life upon the account of adhering to truth, and I bless the Lord, that ever he gave me a life to lay down for him, and that ever he counted me worthy to lay down my life for his persecuted truth. O matchless free grace, that is making choice of the like of me, and poor weak things to confound the strong, and the poor foolish things to confound the wise.

"Now, there are three sorts of folk that I would speak a word to. The first is, these that have begun in the way of the Lord, and seemingly have gone a good length, and when the storm of persecution arose, for fear of the rough sea of trouble, have drawn back. O mind that word in Heb. x. 38. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.' And Rom. viii. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword,' &c. and many more places of Scripture. A second sort, are these who are going on in rebellion against God openly and avowedly; as ye may see in Psal. ii. Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? he that sitteth in heaven shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision, then shall he speak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.' O poor Scotland, that was once married to the Lord, but now has provoked him to depart and leave it, and give a bill of divorcement, as it were! O Scotland has sinned dreadfully,what by covenant-breaking, bloodshed, lying, and swearing. Now a third sort are these who desire to keep their garments clean and undefiled, with the abounding sins of this generation. Go on in the way of the Lord, and fear not what man can do, for he has said, 'Fear not them that kill the body, and after that can do more: but fear him who after he hath killed the body, hath power to cast into hell,' &c. I can set to my seal to it, that Christ is a good Master, and well worthy the suffering for. And now I can freely and heartily forgive all men what they have done to me, as I desire to be forgiven of my Father who is in heaven; but what they have done against a holy God, and his image in me, that is not mine to forgive them, but I leave that to him to dispose on as he sees fit, and as he may most glorify himself. Now I am to take my leave of all created comforts here; and I bid farewell to the sweet Scriptures; farewell reading and praying; farewell sinning and suffering; farewell sighing and sorrowing, mourning and weeping; and farewell all Christian friends, and' relations; farewell brethren, and sisters, and all things in time. And welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; welcome heaven, and everlasting joy and praise, and innumerable company of angels and spirits

of just men made perfect. Now into thy hands I commit my spirit, for it is thine. Sic sub. JAMES NISBET."

"This martyr was so inhumanly treated, and constantly watched, that it was with much difficulty he got any thing written, and that only now and then a line, and hence some few repetitions which were in the manuscript were left out, which it is hoped will be liable to no misinterpretation." C. W.

XLII. ARTHUR TACQUET.

[The case of this martyr was, to a certain degree, peculiar. He was by profession, a tailor, in the town of Hamilton, and having joined the insurgents at Bothwell, with difficulty escaped from the disastrous result of that unfortunate enterprise, and with many others was proscribed for the share he had taken in it. He was apprehended about the 18th of July, 1684, on his way from hearing a sermon by the famous Mr. Renwick. Having refused to tell who it was that preached on the occasion, and who were present hearing, he was ordained to be examined by the torture of the boot, and was with difficulty saved from it by a strong representation on the part of the surgeon in attendance, as to his inability to bear it without danger to his life. The thumbkins were then resorted to, and this species of torture he bore without making any discovery. He was condemned in terms of the sentence formerly passed against him, to be executed at the Grassmarket of Edinburgh, on the 30th of July 1684, and suffered accordingly. "He died," says Wodrow, "most Christianly, forgiving his enemies, and owning all magistrates superior and inferior, in as far as they are conform to the word of God, and the covenants; and are a terror to them that do evil, and a praise to them that do well." His testimony follows.]

BEING appointed to die in the Grassmarket, I thought it was a duty lying upon my conscience before the Lord, to leave this short word of testimony behind me, in testification of my close adherence to all these controverted truths, as they are all agreeable and conform to the written word of God. And now I desire to bless his name with my whole heart and soul for this, that ever he made choice of the like of me, such a poor, weak, feckless, insignificant thing as I am, in counting me worthy to suffer for his noble cause and controverted truths, his name, interest and covenant, now controverted and brought in debate by this God-daring, Christ-dethroning, and God-contemning, adulterous and bloody generation, wherein my lot is fallen. And this I can say, through his grace, I am well satisfied and heartily content with my lot, that God in his infinite wisdom has seen fit to carve out

nato me: and through his grace I am well helped to great quietness, calmness and serenity of mind before the Lord, and a holy submission to what is his will towards me in this; that if every hair in my head, and every drop of my blood were a life, I would willingly lay them down for my lovely Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Some will possibly say, that this is an untruth, and so cannot be believed by them, notwithstanding of all this. But whether it be believed or not, it is true: for I am not dying by constraint and unwillingness; for this I dare say in his sight (my conscience bearing me witness) that I am a thousand times more willing to die this day for my lovely Lord and Master's noble cause, and controverted truths, than ever I was to live and the truths of God that are so much controverted, are become more precious and clearer unto me at death, than ever they were heretofore in my life; as David says, Psal. xxiii. 4. Though I walk through the valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.' This I have been made really sensible of by my experience in all that I have met with, that the cross of Christ has been all paved over with love, that it has been made to become like unto a bed of roses unto me; and all that ever I have met with, first and last, has been made sweet and easy unto me, and no trouble in the least; and that he has been a loving and a kind Lord unto me, and he has been as good as his word. This I can say to his commendation, and to the commendation of the cross of Christ, that he has borne always the heavy end of the cross himself, that to me it was no trouble in the least. O praise, praise to the riches of his free grace, for his matchless and unexpressible love that I have met with since I was brought to prison, and when I was sorest put at, and threatened with torture by these cruel and bloody tyrants, the more of his love and kindness I did meet with. This I have been made really sensible of, when I was hardest dealt with, as David says, Psal. xxviii. 6. Blessed be the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.' Ver. 7. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; for I have been well helped and owned of the Lord, and that in a very singular manner, that his presence has made my soul to sing and rejoice, through the greatest of difficulties and trials that ever I was trysted with; and this is a sweet promise and noble encouragement for me, in Isa. xli. 10. Fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness,' Ver. 11. Behold, all they that are. incensed against thee, shall be ashamed, and confounded: they sha II be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall perish.' Ver. 12 Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contend with thee: and they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.' Ver. 13. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee.' Which has been well made out unto me in all things that I have met with. For since I was brought to prison I have been well helped of the Lord, that the fear of hell, death and the grave, and the fear of all

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things is taken away fully from me, that I am not afraid to venture upon a gibbet for my lovely Lord and Master's noble cause, and for his controverted truths; and this I am really persuaded of, that the truths of God were never so much controverted as now. But I am sure of it, that the truths of God, when they are most controverted, ought to be most zealously owned by his people. I may well acquiesce and assent unto Psal. lxxiii. 23-25. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.' This I dare say, as in his sight, (my conscience bearing me witness) that there is nothing in heaven or in earth so desirable unto my soul as precious Christ: for I am confident and persuaded, that this is his language to me, Arise and depart, for this is not your rest, because it is polluted: As Paul says, 2 Cor. v. 1. 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,' &c. And as Paul says, 1 Cor. xv. 50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.' I can clearly say by experience, that through Jesus Christ, whom I desire to take for my King, Priest, and Prophet, and my only Lord and Lawgiver, I have been made more than a conqueror over death, hell and the grave, and all things in this

life.

"Now, to come to show you the only head that my sentence of death is founded upon by men, it is mainly for my being in arms at Bothwell; which was merely in defence of ourselves, and in defence of the gospel preached, and standing to the defence of the covenant of God, which the whole of the land was solemnly sworn and engaged to, with hands lifted up to the Most High God, and so bound to stand to the defence thereof; for which I am unjustly sentenced to death by men, of which sentence I am not ashamed this day, but counts it my only glory, honour, and dignity, whilst he passed by such tall cedars, which is a matter of wonder and admiration to me. But as he has said in his word, 'In nothing be ye terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition; but to you of salvation, and that of God; for it is not only given you to believe, but also to suffer for his sake;' so suffering is a gift not given to every one; and I desire to bless his name, with my whole heart and soul, that he has counted such a poor thing as I am worthy of the gift of suffering.

"Now, this is to let you all know, worthy and dear Christian friends, that are desiring to keep the way of the Lord, that there was not one word, of all they interrogate me upon, in the sentence of death that these bloody tyrants past against me, but only for being in arms at Bothwell-bridge. And let none think that I am sentenced to death upon the head, for which I was so cruelly threatened with torture by these bloody tyrants, which was, for being at the Blackloch,—and because I would not declare who was the minister, and what persons I knew. And though men have, by a permissive and limited power, passed a

sentence of death against me, to take away my natural life, this I know, and am persuaded of, that there is a Judge above, who has passed a sentence of life in heaven unto my soul this day, which shall never be recalled or reversed again, which is my only encouragement; and this he has promised to as many as believe in him, to give them everlasting life: these that suffer with him, shall reign with him; and these that be dead with him, shall live with him also: as Paul says, in Rom. x. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart, that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' ver. 10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed;' which is my only comfort, and a noble sweet encouragement for me. And this he hath promised in his word, that he shall feed his flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. I have found by my experience, that the Lord my God has sweetly and gently led me through the greatest difficulties that I have been trysted with since he made choice of me to suffer for his noble cause. O if ye knew what of his love I have met with, and what sweet ingredients of the Lord's matchless love has been intermixed and put in my cup, ye would not be afraid to venture upon the sweet cross of Christ, which has been made sweet and easy unto me.**

XLIII. THOMAS HARKNESS AND OTHERS.

Thomas Harkness was one of three individuals who were executed together on the 15th of August, 1684. Being a resident of Lockerbane, in Dumfriesshire; he with his two companions, Andrew Clarkfrom the parish of Crawford, and Samuel M'Ewen, from Glencairn, belonged to a district of Scotland which has yielded many martyrs to the Scaffold. They were apprehended by Claverhouse and his party, in the parish of Closeburn, when sleeping in the fields, a few

Because the heads of truth this martyr gives his testimony to, and the defections he witnessed against, are much the same with the preceding testimonies; therefore to avoid all impertinent repetition they are omitted. He is both full and accurate, passing by nothing of the heads of sin and duty, which at that time were controverted particularly (which hath not been met with in any of the former) he gives his hearty testimony to that faithful and called minister of Jesus Christ, Mr. James Renwick, for his holding up the fallen down banner of our Lord, and jeoparding his life in the open fields; although some are pleased to say, that he is not lawfully called and ordained to the ministry, but that he was admitted by the Erastian ministers of Holland; such as Cocceians and Labadeans: but it is faithfully witnessed, that he was admitted without them, and by the purest of the ministers of the church of Holland, according to the church of Scotland's discipline and government, Covenants and Confession of Faith. And he dies with a spirit of meekness, declaring that he forgives his enemies all the wrongs they had done him, personally considered; though witnessing against the indignities which they had done to Christ, and him as a member of that body whereof Christ is the head. And whereas he was branded with disowning magistrates, he declares before God and the world, that he owns and allows of all magistrates, superior or inferior, as they are conform to the written word of God, and our solemn covenants, and as they are a terror to vil-doers, and a praise to them that do well.'-C. W.