bonds; we bless the Lord who hath kept us free from these things, and we hope to praise Him through all eternity: for since he called us to the hardest task, which is not hard at all through his help, but very refreshful, he has fully made out unto us, that he sends none a warfare upon their own charges;' and also that promise 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 uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.' So, my friends,' Cast not away your confidence, which hath a great recompense of reward; for ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye may receive the promise:' no more,—but we commit 'you to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up unto the day of redemption.' Ye will get our mind more fully in another paper elsewhere. Farewell time, and all earthly enjoyments; welcome blessed Christ; into thy hands we commit our spirits.

Sic Sub :

THOMAS BROWN, ANDREW SWORD, JAMES WOOD, JOHN CLYDE, JOHN WADDEL." ""*

XXX. THOMAS BROWN AND OTHERS.

SECT. IV. THEIR LAST WORDS.

[We have stated it as uncertain, whether the preceding speech was actually delivered by these Five sufferers. And though we have no decisive evidence on the point to the contrary, it seems most probable that it was not, particularly from the following title prefixed to the present article as given in Naphtali :-" A short sum of what was delivered upon the place of execution, by these five men who suffered at Magus Moor in Fife, being sentenced to die in that place, upon the account of the bishop of St. Andrews' death.". From the latter part of this announcement, it has frequently been supposed that these individuals were charged or chargeable with the death of the Primate. The contrary of this we have already shown to have been the case. It is pleasing to observe from the details which follow, that the same unshrinking resolution, decided principle, and stedfast confidence, which characterize their testimonies, were evident in their last and dying moments.]

1. THOMAS BROWN.

THOMAS BROWN was the first of the Five that was executed. After he was settled upon the ladder, he said, that Providence having ordered his coming there, to die in that place upon the account of the bishop's death: he behoved to declare unto the world, and before these witnesses, his innocence. "Some of you," said he, " may judge our dying and hanging here is upon the account of the

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bishop's death; and that I was accessory thereunto: but I must tell you as to that, that I was never in this country before this time; but the ground of my sentence is, because I will not call my being with that party that was in arms at Bothwell-bridge, rebellion: and because I will not take that bond so vigorously pressed by adversaries, and persuaded unto by friends: Therefore I am here to offer my life a sacrifice to God. And for my part, in rising in arms I intended no rebellion, but was there with that party in defence of the gospel, which I judged my duty, and I hope you yourselves cannot deny it, As for these favours offered to, and received by many preaching the gospel, entering through the indulgence first and last, I look upon them as the ruin of the Church of Scotland" And speaking of the work of reformation, he cited that scripture, Lev. xxvi. 25. That the Lord would arise, and avenge the quarrel of his broken covenant;' and that in Ezek. xvii. 15. Shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?' "And though that poor handful had no success, yet it hath been the lot of the people of God in former times, that the children of Ephraim turned their backs, though they lacked neither bow nor sword.' After he had prayed, he blessed the Lord, that if this day every hair of his head were a man, and every drop of his blood were a life, he would cordially and heartily lay them down for Christ and the cause for which he is now sentenced.*

2. ANDREW SWORD.

ANDREW SWORD sang the xxxiv. Psalm, and thereafter said, "The bishop of St. Andrews' death I am free of, having lived four or five score miles from this, and having never been in this place before : neither did I ever see a bishop in the face that I knew to be a bishop, My coming here is for refusing to take the bond at Edinburgh: I bless the Lord for keeping me from that snare: I bless the Lord for keeping me since I came to prison, both at Edinburgh and St. Andrews. I exhort you all to seek the Lord, and not to fear suffering, but to credit the Lord for through-bearing. I bear testimony against the wicked abominations of these times, named by him, that gone before me and I cannot but commend Christ and his cross to you. I would not exchange my lot for a thousand worlds. Farewell all created comforts." Then he prayed before he died.†

is

JAMES WOOD being upon the ladder, said, “As for our coming here upon the account of the bishop's death, for my own part, I was never in this part of the country before, nor ever saw I a bisnop in my life, that I could say there was the man. I am here this day to lay down my life that God hath given me, because I could not call my appearance in arms with those at Bothwell-bridge, rebellion; and because I would not take the bond. As for my own part, I am so far from calling or thinking it rebellion, that I bless God I was a man to be there with that party, though a man most unable for war, and

unskilful because of my infirm arm. And all the arms I had was a halbert upon my shoulder; and it was not for any thing I did or could do with it; but I behoved to be there, to show my good will to the work of God, and the respect I had to the interest of our Lord. For I got a command or charge from God, as though he had been a most strict Master, to go and join with that party, and venture my life, which I did most cheerfully and I bless God that gave me a life to lay down for his cause; and though in remarkable providence he took not my life in that day, yet for holy and good ends, he spared it to lay it down this day. And now, my friends, I am so far from rueing any thing, that I have done that day, in my appearing for Christ and his cause, that I would heartily (wish, if I were to live) to see as many men every year for the defence of the gospel gathered together, and I would count it my honour to be with them. It was my desire to the Lord, that he would let me die a martyr, and I sought it of him; and blessed be his name he hath answered me according to that scripture, Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desire of thy heart;' and now he hath granted me the desire of my heart on earth, and I shall have the desire of my heart throughout all eternity; and what would any of you have more, Sirs? And now, my friends, I am not a whit afraid to go up this ladder, and to lay down my life this day; for it is the best day that ever yet mine eyes saw; and I am as sure of my interest, as the word of God, and the Lord's Spirit by his word can make me;”—whereat he smiled. Afterwards he said, "I bless the Lord again for honouring me so highly, as to lay down my life for this cause.' And turning himself about to some friends, he said, “If I had another life to lay down to-morrow, it were something, but he will accept of this as the widow's mite, for I have no more." And being up almost to the top of the ladder, plucking up the napkin, he said, “Now I am going to lay down this life, and to step out of time into eternity, and if I had as many lives as there are hairs on mine head, and drops of blood in my body, I would willingly lay them down for Christ, and for you all that are here upon Christ's account. It is like, you may think this a frothy word, but it is the word of a dying man.' And turning to his friends, he said, "Seek him, for he is well worth the seeking; credit him, Sirs, give him meikle credit, for he is well worth the crediting, and blame yourselves if you want; for he wants but employment, and he likes well to be employed: and make the bargain sure. Take hills and mountains, or wood, or trees, or any thing that's near to you, to witness; and see if once ye can get a hair in his neck, for he will be as good as his promise; get once his promise, and I warrant you."

4. JOHN Waddel.

JOHN WADDEL, being on the ladder, said, "As for my accession to the bishop's death, wherefore we are sentenced to die in this place, I declare I was never over the water of Forth, in this country, before this time. I have only two words to say to you, my friends, for I

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says

shall not trouble you with much speaking, because I am not expert in it, but only to let you know, that I am not come here to die as a fool, for I am sentenced to die here, because I would not call it rebellion-my being with my friends at Bothwell-bridge, and because I would not take that bond, binding me hereafter, never to lift arms against the king nor his authority; which thing in conscience I could not do: for whatever others think of it, to me it says, that it is a denying of all appearances for Christ and his cause, that hath formerly been: and likewise it to me, that we shall never any more lift arms for the defence of Christ's gospel against any party whatsoever that seems to oppose it, which is far from the word of God- If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him,'-and the Covenants, National and Solemn League, which was publicly burnt in our nation (for which God in his own time will yet arise) which we are bound to maintain." And turning to his friends, he said, "1. I am here this day to lay down my life, in opposition to, and to be a witness against all those wrongs done to our Lord and his interests, and to testify against popery, prelacy, and malignancy, and indulgence first and last, and against all things contrary to sound doctrine whatsoever. And I bear my testimony unto, and own our Covenants, National and Solemn League-adhering to our Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms. 2. I have this day to say, that because we and the rest of the people of God, that desire to own him, and adhere to his ways, are branded with Quakerism and Jesuitism,-I therefore leave my testimony against all these errors; and more particularly I do, because they are the only party now in Scotland that cleave to him and his ways, that are branded with it. And so, as a dying man this day, (smiling) I enter my testimony against all those that are contrary to the word of God and sound doctrine; and declare before him whom I must shortly appear before, and before you all, we own no such thing." Next he said, "I here protest against that abominable cess for the down-bearing of the work of God, and for the managing and strengthening the hands of evil-doers, I shall be a standing witness against all that have paid, or shall persist or go on in paying it hereafter, unless they repent. Yea, I shall be a hanging witness against them; and although my body will rot, yet the witness shall stand sure." And going to prayer, he said, "Now, Sirs, I am not a whit discouraged to see my three brethren hanging before mine eyes, nor before all this multitude to pray." And then he praye‹l.*

5. JOHN CLYDE.

JOHN CLYDE, after he had gone to the ladder, said, “I think our being fetched here is like that which we have, in scripture, about Herodias' suit to Herod anent John the Baptist's head, to gratify the insatiableness of that lewd woman: nothing would satisfy the lust of our persecutors but our blood, and in this manner and place, to gratify the bishop's friends. But the ground of my being sentenced is, because I was found in arms with that poor handful at Bothwell

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bridge, and would not call it rebellion, and because I would not take that bond,-which thing I had in my offer, and my life upon the taking of it, and was threatened by some to take it, and allured and persuaded by others, but which I could not in conscience do, because it binds me hereafter that I should not appear for Christ and his cause. And I durst not do it, Sirs, for I was not sure of my life, no not one moment; and likewise, I durst not procure the wrath of God at such a rate; for I judge the loss of my soul to be more hazardful than the loss of the life of my body, and likewise more hazard in offending of God, than in gaining the greatest advantage in the world. I could not stay at home, but judged it my duty to come forth, for I could not see how I could evite that curse, Curse ye, Meroz, curse ye bitterly, those that would not come out to the help of the Lord, against the mighty.' And I bless the Lord for keeping me straight ;-I desire to speak it to the commendation of free grace;—and this I am speaking from my own experience that there are none who will lippen to God and depend upon him for direction, but they shall be kept straight and right; but to be promised to be kept from tribulation, that is not the bargain, for he hath said, that through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom; for he deals not with us as Satan does, for Satan lets us see the bonniest side of the tentation, but our Lord Jesus lets us see the roughest side and the blackest,—after that the sweetest thing comes; and he tells us the worst thing that will happen to us. he hath not promised to keep us from trouble, but he hath promised to be with us in it, and what needs more? I bless the Lord for keeping me to this very hour; for little would I have thought a twelvemonth since, that the Lord would have taken a poor ploughman lad, and have honoured me so highly, as to have made me first appear for him, and then keep me straight, and now hath kept me to this very hour, to lay down my life for him." At the ladder foot he said to his brother, "Weep not for me, brother, but weep for yourself, and the poor land, and seek God and make him sure for yourself, and he shall be better to you than ten brethren. Now, farewell all friends and relations, farewell brother, sister, and mother; and welcome Lord Jesus; into thy hands I commit my spirit!" And lifting up the napkin off his face he said, "Dear friends, be not discouraged because of the cross, nor at this ye have seen this day, for I hope you have seen no discouragement in me, and you shall see no more!"*

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For