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fime, for it will be but short that ye will have it; and think not that ye will wait for better times and opportunities; wait not for that, for ye have time and opportunity now, that ye fhall not have afterwards; and if ye get not together presently, you fhall meet with fome thing fhortly, that will make you blyth to be together; and let thefe that think they are standing take heed left they fall. Now thefe that have gone out from us, by complying with the malignant party, and pleading for Baal's intereft, I mean, Charles Stewart's intereft, and taking fhelter under their wings, I have lefs hope of them than any. If ye can fet up your face to God, and fay, That ye never durft comply with thefe tyrants and ufurpers, to wrong the intereft of God, for the lofs of your life, or gear; then I will affure you of your foul for a prey. Though ye have loft all that ye have in the world, your children fhall fee brave days, and ye shall have all your wants made up, when ye fhall ger Chrift himself.

Now I can ftay no longer, nor take up my time no more; for my work is finifhed, and I have fought the good fight, and finished my courfe. Strong have been the affaults and trials that I have had from the devil, by all forts, both Ministers and Profeffors; but my God has helped me to withstand them, for which blefs his holy name, and defire to praife him while I am here. O let all the zealous godly in Scotland praise him, on my behalf, that he chufe the like of me, who has been a vile finner. Now, I am this day free of the blood of all men in the world. I defire to forgive all men the wrongs done to me, as I defire to be forgiven of my father, which is in heaven. But for thefe who have wrongfully taken away my life, fimply for adhering to truth, and for no matters of fact, for my part, I forgive them, but my God fhall refent it, with the reft of my dear brethren's blood, that has been fhed on fields,

and fcaffolds.

Now, farewel all creature-comforts in time. Farewel fweet focieties of the Lord's people, that were my only delight in the world. Farewel holy and fweet. Scriptures, which only were my comfort in all my ftraits. Farewel all friends and Christian acquaintances. Farewel mother, brother, and all relations in the world. Farewel fun, moon and stars. Welcome fcaffold, for my fweet Lord Jefus Chrift. Welcome gibbet, and welcome heaven. Welcome immediate prefence of God, and his Son Jefus Chrift, who only has redeemed me by his blood. Welcome angels, and the fpirits of juft men made perfect, where we fhall never part again. Now Father, into thy hands I commit my fpirit, that is thine. Now come Lord Cc

Jefus Chrift; come quickly, and receive me hence to my refta ing place, where my portion is.

ROBERT GRAY.

"Account of some of his last Words in the Council-house, and en the Scaffold.

HIS worthy Martyr coming out of the Tolbooth, to the

place of execution, was taken, (as the cuftom is) ficht into the town-council-houfe, where the town-council defired, that he would purge the city of his blood. And he told them, That judgment would overtake the city, for the innocent blood fhed therein, and bade them affure themfelves of it, for it was without doubt. They faid to him, That he had access to pray, if he would. He told them, That he had committed himfelf to God already. Then they faid, If he had not freedom, they were there, who would pray for him; but he looking round, fid, He faw none whom he would employ, but he had an advocate with the Father. Then, being brought from thence to his execution-place, after a little difcourfe to the pretended Magiftrates of the city, fome of them being prefent, he fung the lxxxiv Pfalm, and read the xv. chap of the gofpel according to John and after the reading thereof, he faid to the Magiftrates, firs, ye would remember, that that is the word of God, and not of man, and that we are to follow no man, further 'than he follows the word of God: And faid, If light had not 'come into Scotland, they had been more excufable, but now they have no cloke nor excuse for their fin, and their wrongs done to God, and becaufe of defpifed light, and the defpifed gospel, there is affuredly great wrath coming upon them. And then he prayed, and after prayer went up the ladder, and looking about to the multitude faid, firs, you are feeding your eyes upon me; but what fee ye upon me? Surely ye fee not the wrath of God upon me: But if ye would look up to the heavens, ye might fee the wrath of an angry God against your felves. And he faid, I am brought out of another nation to own that covenant, which ye have broken, and to feal it, and the glorious work of reformation with my blood. Which covenant ye have not only broken, but ye have given it under your hands, that ye fhall never own God any more, nor have any more of him. And he bleffed the Lord, faying, Glory, glory, glory be to his name, that ever he gave me a life to lay down for him, in witneffing against his enemies, and the wrongs done to my Lord and Mafter, Jefus Chrift. And faid, The Lord be Judge between me and you, who have taken away my life, which of us have been in the wrong to other; and

affure yourselves there is wrath, fad wrath hanging over this city for the innocent blood fhed therein. But as for you, who are the remnant of the Lord's people, I would fay this to you, keep your ground, and beware of truning afide to one hand or another, and I, will affure you, the lord will prepare ą Zoar for you: Cleave to truth, and cleave one to another, and as fure as God lives. ye thall fee yet glorious days in Scotland; for I die in the faith of it, that he is on his way. returning to the land; but wo, wo, wo will be to thofe who are enemies and (trangers' to him. then praying a little within himself, when fome bad put him over, and others cried out, Spare him a little; he cried, I am ready, I am ready, Whereupon the executioner threw him over.

The laft Teftimony of JAMES ROBERTSON who lived in the Parish of Stenhouse, and fuffer ea in the Grass-market of Edin burgh, December 15 1982.

Ais Interrogatious before the Council.

Queft. I.. IS S the king your lawful prince, yea, or not? Anfw Since you have made your questions mat ters of life and death, ye ought to give time to deliberate upon them, But feeing I am put to it, I anfwer, As he is a terror to evil doers, and a praife to them that do well, he is, or he is not. Queft 2. Were Pentland and Bothwel acts of traitory? Anfw. They being in their own defence, and the defence of the gospel, they are not acts of traitory or rebellion, self-defence being always lawful; which I prove by the Confeffion of Faith, in that article whereon you ground yourfelves; which is That lubjects may refift unjust violence and tyranny. Q.3. But wherein lies his tyranny? Anfw If robbing the privile ges of the church be not an act of tyranny, I refer it to be judg ed. Q4 Is the king a tyrant? Anfw. I refer it to his obligation in the coronation oath, and his prefent actings and practices, in robbing the privileges of the gofpel, with the ufurpation of the church's liberties, and the prerogatives royal of Jefus Chrift, the anointed of the Father, in making himself fupreme: and I refer it to perfons at home, and nations a broad. Q5 Was you at Bothwel-bridge? Anfw. Ye count an act of traitory, and alfo rebellion, which is criminal: Bear witnefs of it, and fo make it evident, They faid, Purge your felf by oath, and fo we will fet you at liberty. I answered, I will lay no more of it, for when I told the truth to fome of you it was not believed. One of them faid, Now I will try if

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be a man of great parts. Q.7. There was an act of parliament when the Confeffion of Faith was made, declaring, That the king was fupreme, and it is owned by the Prefbyterians of that time. Anfw. How could that be owned, feeing the Confeffion was owned, And I called for the act, but it was not brought. Q8. Was the Bishop's death murder? Anfw. When I am judge fet on the bench, I fhall pafs fentence thereupon. Being queftioned further anent it, I faid, I have anfwered that already, I will fay no more to it. Q 9. Own your Lanerk and Sanquhair declarations? Answ. I cannot own any thing, till I fee and confider it. Q 10. Keep you your parifh Kirk? Anfw. If the Minifter have ought to challenge me with, he may do it. Q. 11. Now as a teft of your loyal. ty, will you fay, God fave the king? Anfw. Prayer ought to be gone about with compofure and deliberation, and I am not in a compofure for it. Q. 12. Would ye not feek a bleffing at meat? Anfw. If ye were prefent ye would fee. One of them faid, Thefe principles will condemn you. I anfwered, If I be abfolved af God, it is the lefs matter, though men condemn me.

The last Testimony of JAMES ROBERTSON.

Dear Friends, true Lovers of Zion's righteous caufe.

I'

F I could fpeak or write any thing to the commendation of the covenanted God of the church and Kingdom of Scotland: I have certainly many things to do it for. First, That he trifted my lot to be in a nation where he hath set up his pure worship, whereas he might have letten my lot be among the Pagans and heathen nations, that know nothing of the true Gad Or 2dly, He might have ordered it to be among these that are worshipping Antichrift, "That whore of Rome, that "monftrous beaft, that fitteth upon many waters," whofe fentence may be read, Rev xiv 9." And the third Angel fol"lowed them, faying with a loud voice, If any man worship "the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead "or in his right hand, ver 10 The fame fhall drink of the "wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without "mixture, into the cup of his indignation, and he fhall be tor"mented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy "angels, and in the prefence of the Lamb. ver 11. The "fmoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever and ever, and "they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast " and his image, and whofe ever receiveth the mark of his "nan e, etc." So that it is as ure, as God is God, and the

holy Scriptures are his Word, according to which all men that

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have heard or feen it, fhall be judged, having the sentence of abfolution or condemnation past according thereto, Rom. ii. 12. "For as many as have finned without law, fhall alfo periha "without law; and as many as have finned in the law, fhall "be judged by the law :" So that it is clear, that the first will furely perish, viz. All infidels, Atheists, and Pagans, that know not the true God, nor his law. And as many as have "finned in the law, fhall be judged by the law" etc. So that whatever vain hopes Papifts may have of being faved, living and dying Papifts, or whatever charity loofe Proteftants have upon that account to give them, they are as far from being faved in that unconverted condition, as devils, which are. eternally caft out of his prefence.

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3dly, I have him to blefs for this, that my lot is not in, and among the corrupt proteftant churches abroad, Lutheranifa, and other corruptions and abounding errors, both in doctrine, worship, difcipline, and government; Sectarian, Episcopal, or Eraftian but in the reformed Church of Scotland, where all these things have been caft over the hedge, as not plants of his planting, and where Chrift hath been owned in all his three offices, King, Priest, and Prophet: though (alas) he may fay of us, in a great measure, as to the church of Ifrael of old, "I have planted her a noble vine, but how is the become a de generate plant of a ftrange vine unto me?" In that day of planting we could have fung that fong, Ifa. xxvi. 1. We have a strong city, falvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks, etc' Lam. iv. 11. The Lord hath accomplished his fury, he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations • thereof. Ver. 2. The kings of the earth, and all the inha❤ bitants of the world, would not have believed that the adverfary and the enemy fhould have entered into the gates of Jerufalem. Ver. 13. For the fins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priefts, that have fhed the blood of the just in the midft of her. Ver. 14. They wandred like blind men in the streets, they have polluted themfelves with blood fo that men could not touch their garments, etc' This may be our regrete before God, as it is in the 7th verfe here in this chap Her Nazarites were purer than fnow, they were whiter than 'milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their pothing was of faphire. Ver. 8. Their vifage is blacker than a coal, they are not known in the ftreets; their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a 'ftick, etc.' And O! how unnatural like were it for the mother to let the child, the fon of her womb, perifh for lack of the breafts, were the free of the child s blood, it perifhing for want