unfeigned repentance; for he that turns afide to crooked ways, hall be led forth with the workers of iniquity. O therefore turn in time, left repentance be hid from your eyes; O! as ye love the glory of God, the good of your own fouls, and the advantage of the Church, if fuch an one as I may be fo bold, as to invite you, now going out of time into eternity; as ye would not be partakers of the plagues that are to come upon fuch a generation, come off with fpeed. 3dly, You that are in good terms with God, and helped to keep by his way, break not your peace by turning afide to crooked ways, entertain love, keep and hold faft your integrity, in this day, when many have broken the bargain with him, now when the language of many is this, Thefe are hard fayings, who can bear them? And now, that this is his language to you, Will ye alfo leave me? O! let this be the language of every ingenuous foul, To whom fhall we go? For thou haft the ⚫ words of eternal life.' Make fure falvation to yourselves? thereby ye fhall be the more fit to follow him in this day, when he is cafting forth his red flag and marching: Many follow him, when the white flag of peace is flourishing; but they are ill worthy of the fweet, who will not take part with him in the bittereft and fharpeft fufferings; for what is the greatest of fufferings, that can come from man, coming upon his account, in regard to what he fuffered for us, even the heavy wrath of God, which would have preft us down to the pit through all eternity: And may not the confideration of this oblige you? I can fpeak it to his commendation, that he can make the crofs light and eafy, for he will bear it and you both: And fecing everlafting arms are underneath, have ye not ground to expect, that he will not let his own arm be crushed: He can ftraw the cross all with roses. I dare not fay, that ever I met with a cross; for when the ftrait hath been greatest, then he kythed his kindness moft. O the rich manifestations, that he giveth to the foul under the crofs! Yea, it is all paved with love who would not go through a fea of bloody fufferings with him, and for him: He is the rofe of Sharon and the lilly of the valleys; he is fair and ruddy, the chief among ten thoufand of thoufands; O! who can defcribe him? he is the only precious object, altogether lovely; If he were seen and known who would not love him? He is both lovely and loving: The foul may folace itself in him, under the greatest of ftraits. Now ye that have received him, walk worthy of him. Ol who knows what is in love? 1 John iv 17. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have bolnefs in the day of judgment; becaufe as he is, fo are we in this world.' Who is that? Though in the world, yet not of the world. Verfe 18. There is no fear in love, but perfect love cafteth out fears

becaufe fear hath torment: he that feareth, is not made perfect in love. Now the reafon of our love is, Ver. 19. We ⚫ love him because he first loved us.' Now dear Friends, ye that are helped to keep by him, think it not ftrange, though the world hate you, it hated himself: He was a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief; if ye were of the world, the world would love its own. Should we not be as pilgrims and ftrangers, travelling, feeking an heavenly country: There is a reft For the people of God, and to whom is this reft appointed, but the weary paffengers?

Now I am given out by the enemies and profeffors, as being prodigal of my life, and leading of my two brethren to the death: But they are both falfe charges; for I have found more ftraightness and ftedfaftness in them, than I can find in myself: As for the other, I have fo much of humanity, that I love my life; but cannot redeem it with the lofs of my integrity, and denial of any of his precious truths: I durft not make a fhift eto have any favour of the enemies, nor to touch, tafte, or han dle with them, for their dainties are deceitful meat. And there is one Scripture which at my firft coming to prifon confir med me, Philippians iv. 6. Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and fupplication with thanksgiving, let your requuests be made known unto God.'

Now, dear friends, encourage yourfelves in the Lord, and ftand faft in one spirit, ftriving together for the faith of Jefus; Let nothing damp your courage, zeal, tenderness and faithfulnefs for this fo lovely a Lord: And let brotherly love always continue: Beware of rocks, both on the right and left hand, we have beacons fet up for both, to our fad experience, in this poor Church; beware of peremptoriaefs, paffion and pride 5 -for there may be (and I fear, is) a spiritual pride, as well as a natural. Carry fuitably to thefe, who are without, and to them that are within. Endeavour to have an union in the Lord obtained, and entertained. Mix not the fire af true zeal with the wild fparks of carnal paffion; but let meekness of spirit with a christian, godly and faithful converfation, adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. The breakings of the remnant (I may warrantably fay) have lyen heavier upon my fpirit, than all that I have met with from the enemy. And if ye will not get together, wrath will be upon you! O! for that day, when - they thall be made one stick in his hand, when it fhall be as in Ifa. xi. 13. The envy of of Ephraim fhall depart, and the adverfaries of Judah fhall be cut off? Ephraim fhall not envy Judah nor Judah fhall not vex Ephraim. Ver. 14. But they 'thall flee upon the shoulders of the Philistines towards the west they fhall spoil them of the caft togethr,' etc. And that Scrip

Ee

ture, Suffer not fin upon thy brother's foul, but in any whe reprove him. Seek to reclaim them that are fallen. Ye that · are fpiritual, reftore fuch an one in the fpirit of meekness." Follow a gofpel method, beware of felf feeking, and let him • that thinketh he stands, take heed left he fall, etc.' I am not here fpeaking to thefe, that are going on, in homologating thefe God-provoking, Chrift dethroning, Church-ruining and land-defolating courfes; but the wrestling remnant.

Now death is not a whit terrible to me, i Cor. xv. 45. death! where is thy fting! O grave! where is thy victory? Vers 50 The fting of death is fin, and the ftrength of fin is the law. Ver. 57 But thanks be to God, that giveth us the the victory through our Lord Jefus Chrift.' I think this is his language to mee, Micah ii. 10 Arise ye, and depart;

for this is not your rest; because it is polluted, etc. 2 Corinthians V. I. For we know if our earthly houfe of this tabernacle were diffolved, we have a building of God, an houfe not made with hands, but eternal in the heavens.

Now as, to his way with his Church, it is myfterious; his way is in the deep, his paths in the mighty waters; but the thoughts of this I cannot put off my fpirit, but that he hath thoughts of good and not of evil; to give this poor Church an expected end But I am perfwaded of this, that he hath fome other work ado before that be accomplished, for falling from her firft love, and the great ingratitude for the great and high priviledges formerly enjoyed: But be not difcouraged, nor finful anxious, neither about the Church nor the remnant, but wait on God in his own way, and commit all to him, and be thail bring it to pafs: It may come in a way leaft expected (have no doubt about it) that his power, infiniteness and sovereignty may yet more appear.

Now, I declare I am free of the blood of all men, and though man had never publick scandal ro charge me with, yet I am one or, the chief of faved finners; And in refpect of original, actual sand ommiffional fin, there hath been as much guiltinefs in me as might and would have weighted down to the pit the whole world; but my lovely Lord hath fhewed me warm blinks of his love. O for love to give to this lovely Lord Jefus, according to that Scripture Come, and will tel you what the Lord hath done for my foul.' Upon the day before I receiv ed fentence, I met with a great measure and a full gale of the fpirit, wherein my heart was both melted and enlarged, winning near to him, both alone and with the reft; but a little thereatter going to him alone, I found him hiding, and being fenfible of it, my heart in fome measure panted after him, ye

abfent; fo going to the word, was directed to John v. 14. This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any. thing according to his will, he heareth us. ver. 15. If we know that he heareth us, whatfover we afk, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him :' Which did in no fmall meafure, fettle and comfort my fpirit; fo meditating a little, and confidering how these two could confift together was answered thus, Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God And fince, I bless his holy name, I have had great composure of spirit.

Now according to my bleffed Lord's command, I am not prepoffeft with malice; or a fpirit of revenge, but can bless when curfed as for these men that are unjustly taking away my life, not only contrary to the law of God, and the ancient and fundamental laws of the land, but even contrary to their own law for what they are doing against me as I am in myfelf, I can freely forgive them and all others; but as they do it against the image of God in me, and upon his truth's ac◄ count, and fo against himself, that is not mine to forgive, but I leave it to him to whom vengeance belongeth, to deal with them as he may best glorify himfelf. Now I rejoice in me lot, for it hath tallen to me in pleafant places, and I have a goodly inheritance; I would not exchange it with the greatest monarch upon the earth. Olet heaven and earth praife him, fun and moon praise him: O! all the creation praise him, an gels and glorified faints paaise him though all the ages of eternity.

Now farewel all things in time, farewel holy Scriptures farewel prayer, meditation, faith, hope, farewel all true friends Welcome heaven, welcome Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Wel come angels and the spirits of just men made perfect; Wel come praises for eveamore.

Sic fubfcribitur

JAMES ROBERTSON,

The laft Speech and Teftimony of JOHN FINLAY, whe hived in the Muirfide, in the Parish of Kilmarnock, and fuffered in the Grass-market of Edinburgh, December 15, 1682.

Men and Brethren,

SH

Hewing you, that I am condemned unjustly by a generation of bloody men, who is thiriting after the blood of the tainga

of God, and upon no other account, but for my being found in the way of my duty in the fight of God; glory to his holy" name for it, though gone about with many failings, much im perfections, for adhering to Chrift and all his offices, as Prophets, Prieft and King. And for my following him in all his perfecuted gospel truths. The articles of my indictment, was for, firft, My keeping company with the perfecuted people of God, Minifters and others, for which with my whole fout I bless him that ever he honoured me with fuch company, and in token of his countenance he hath kept me in that company 2dly, For my being in company and converfe with Mr. Donald Cargil; for which with my whole foul I defire to blefs and magnifie the riches of his grace, that ever he conferred fuch company upon fuch a finful wretch, and Mr, Donald Cargil, Mr. King, Mr. Richard Cameron, Mr. Kid, in particular. 2dly, My refufing to call the Bifhop's death murder, which I durft not do, it being God's righteous judgment upon him. 4thly, My not calling Bothwel bridge, rebellion; it being in defence of themselves and of the gofpel, which is lawful in God's fight; and therefore I durft not call it rebellion. sthly, My giving meat, drink, and comfort to the perfecuted people of God; that which I'did willingly and with my whole heart; herein I have fweet peace this day in that x of Matth ver. 43. ⚫ And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of thefe little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I fay unto you, he fhall in no wife lofe his reward;? which he hath made out to me adundantly to the full. 6thy, For my being commanded to fay, "God fave the king," which I durft not do for my foul; their bidding us do it in test of our loyalty, to fave him in his perfon, and government, and authority, which is a perfect owning of him in all that he hath done, in his ufurpation upon Chrift's prerogatives and privi ledges, they having made him fupreme head in all matters and caufes, civil and ecclefiaftic; which if I had done, it had been a flat denying of Chrift, and a joining with him and them, I mean Charles Stewart, in all that they have done in overturning of the glorious work of reformation in these lands, and all the wrongs done to the gospel and people of God in this day, which would have made me odious in the fight of God, and before the world; for which I blets him, he hath kept from; as the Scripture faith, He that is not faithful in the little, will not be faithful in that which is much. 7thly, Being afked, If I would not pray for the king? I faid, Yes. Do it then? I faid, according to the Scripture. They faid, He will pray for him as he is a man; but not as he is king which is high treaton and rebellion. Now my friends, I being confcientious