The dying Teftimony of JOHN M'COLM, Weaver in the Parish of Darly, in the Sheriffdom of Galloway. who fuffered Martyrdom at the Grafs market of Edinburgh, Auguit 13. 1680.

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Defire the Audience of you, who are here fpectators and auditors, to hear fome words of a dying man, ready to offer up this tabernacle in your fight, who would have it among my last wishes, that you would confider your ways, and your doings, that are not good; and not harden your hearts, as in the provocation; for ye have to do with an holy God, who is quickly about to come in flaming fire, to take vengeance on all the ungodly profane perfons, who are living at cate in Zion, and rejoicing in the afflictions of the people of God. I would obteft you in the bowels of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that you would break off your pernicious ways, and make peace with God, while he would make peace with you; left ye be deftroyed in the overflowing flood of his wrath. There has been flockings and gatherings to fee others, who are gone before me, that have been wonderfully countenanced, and owned with the evident prefence of God, convincingly helping fome to go through the jaws of death, rejoicing and looking profane onlookers out of countenance; and have given their teftimonies against the abominations committed in the land. And I am come hither. who am the unworthieft of any, that has gone before me. Now before I come further, I would ask you. what you think of religion? What think ye can it be, that makes me go to death with fo great peace and sweetness? Ye have heard what malefactors have had to fay. Think ye not strange, that a rational man can enter in upon eternity leaving fuch a teftimony as ye have heard? And I hope the Lord will help me in lefs or more to be faithful and free in leav ing my teftimony in the fight and prefence of him, who is the fovereign judge of all the earth, before whom I must stand in a fhort time.

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The caufe of my coming here this day is, because I was found with that poor perfecuted handful, which is the people that was fingly adhering to the honour and glory of God; now wheu we is threatning to bring in his fore plagues upon this a pottate Church, that has played the harlot with many lovers, for which he will bring on indignation, wrath and pain upon many But this is ground of encouragements to the feekers of God, and he is keeping up a party in the land, that see it their duty to contend for his caule and intereft, and fhall "overcome * through the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their

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teftimony, who are not loving their lives unto the death," to contend for his cause and intereft. For he hath said, in the 7 of Ezek 16. ver. "But they that escape, of them (hall efcape, and be like the doves upon the mountains, mourning every one of them, for their iniquities." Now, I feeing and considering, upon the one hand, what treacherous dealings are hatched up upon Minifters and profeffors, in this poor Church, and on the other hand, confidering what the Lord hath done formerly, I thought, I was convinced in confcience, and from refpect to the honour of God, which I had before mine eyes, and the good of mine own foul; I was con ftrained by an influence of the fpirit, bearing in that word upon my heart, which we have Kings xviii. 21. "And Elijah 66 came unto all the people, and faid, how long halt you be"tween two opinions? if the Lord be God, then folow him; "but if Baal be God, then follow him." The Lord deter nined me to join myself with that party, and I do not repent it this day.

I count it my duty, and no fin nor rebellion. I think it my credit to ferve fuch a noble Mafter; and indeed I wonder ať. his condefcendency, that he fought fervice from fuch a wretched finner, as I have been; who lived a ftranger to him all my days; but wonderful love! OI wonder at the matchlefs acts of the Lord's condefcendency and incomprehenfible ways with me! that he has made choice of fuch a poor, weak, frail, pickle of duft, as I am; and has led me out and in, and has brought me to this place of execution, to give my teftimony to his work caufe and intereft, and has paffed by the eminent, wife and prudent in the land, and has made choice of fuch a feeklefs nothing as I am; but bleffed be his glorious Name, that will have his word made out, that "out of the mouth of "babes and fucklings he can perfect his praife." (2.) And this. likewife is a ground of hope to you that are weak, and cannot venture on fuffering, being fenfible of your own weakness; to "the weak he encreaseth ftrength." And this is another ground of hope, that he takes the blood and wounds of poor weak things to feal his truths. It cannot be expected that I fhall be very formal in what I fay, I being no Scholar, nor yet old in experience. And befides, after I had received my fentence I was taken out of a private room, and put in the icons among bad company, except two days before this The ground of my Indictment was, That I came against the King's forces, and fired upon them, under the command of Earifhall, I declare, I intended not to refift, but being put to it in defence of the gospel, and my own defence, I did refift them to my pow er. adiy, That I had been with that party in the months of

April, May, and June; I was but two days with them, intending no other thing, but to hear the gospel, and for this, I fuffer; I blefs the Lord not as an evil doer; but for my duty: for ye know we are all bound in covenant, both Kirk and State according to the Coronation-oath, the Covenants were owned and fworn, both by the fupreme Magiftrate, the Nobles, Gentry. and Cominons of all forts The Lord did wonderfully fhine upon this land, fo that it became the glory of the whole world; the fame of it went abroad, and was remowned through the nations. I have heard, that if a ftranger of another kingdom, had come into a church in this land; there was tuch a frame of fpirit among the people that the fanger would have thought that they had been all faints The Church was then fair as the moon clear as the fun and terri-' ble as an army with banners. But we have not been content' with thefe days: Then the fwearer was bound up from oaths, and the drunkard's throat ran drv. in quay topped her mouth, The Lord was with his people in thofe days; the gospel was fuccefstul. And yet I can fay, there have been as great days of the gospel, in the weft of Scotland, in the forefaid months," in the fields, as were in Scotland, fince it was Scotland. I am fare, the gofpel preached by Mr. Richard Cameron especially was backed with the power and prefence of Chrift, as much of Chrift and heaven were found, as finite creatures on earth were able to hold, yea, and more than they could hold; the ftreams of the living waters run through among his people at thefe meetings, like a flood upon the fouls of many who can witnefs if they were called to it, that they would not have been afraid of ten thousands. "The fhout of a King was heard "among them," the fruits of it, I am hopeful, thall appear after this; all the Troopers and Dragoons in the three kingdoms, will never get that fire of love that is kindled in the breafts of fome in that country quenched; it will never be quenched. It will not rott: the fathers will be telling the children of it, when they are old men, who are not taken a-* way from the wrath that is coming on, to avenge the quarrel of a broken covenant. They will be telling That in the year 1680_there were as great days as there are now; when there" were Prelates through thefe lands, upon the mountains up and down this weft; as it was then that I got on the zeal of God upon my foul. And they fhall fay, who were they that preached in moffes and mountains, and not in the kirks nor houses? Did not all the godly Minifters, when the apoftate Prelates were in the land, go out and witnefs and tettify against them, with their lives in their hands? And the fathers will fay, Know,' my children, they had run well for a lealon; but they weari

ed, and yielded up the Churches liberties to a tyrant King, of the names of Charles; and he fet up the Prelates, and they made the land full of Curates under them; and after that, fome that ftayed off a while, then turned council curates, and thefe council-curates beguiled the rest of them; and Eraftianifm was univerfal; but the moderate indulged in judgment, would have filenced Mr Richard Cameron from preaching; but the Lord had faid to him Go, and I will go with thee; and fo he was wonderfully helped. Indeed the Lord countenanced him after that; and deferted them, and he died a Martyr, and had his head fet up upon a port, befide other three of his brethren, and many of thefe that wrote against hin, and had bin in derifion, went away with a ftink; they will have this to fay, and tell to the young ones yet unborn; "The righteous man fhall "be had in everlasting remembrance." Indeed my friends, if any fuch be hearing me. I may fay, truly a great man in our Ifrael fell at Airfmofs, the 22d of July, 1680. And now, if I were fet at liberty, with a provifion that I were not found with Mr. Donald Cargil, whom I pray the Lord may keep from Gnning I would yet again join with that perfecuted party, altho' they fhould ufe me, as they did that eminently worthy Gentleman that fuffered before us. So I am not in the dark, how and for what I fuffer. I am clear that I was in my duty, and I have peace in it fince, and I grew ftill clearer in its glory to his name: for it is true that after I got my Indictment and received my sentence, I wanted the countenance of God; for I never knew that the Lord loved ne, but fince that time; but I was never in the dark about the righteoufnefs of the cause. I knew it would bear a fuffering unto blood and death. And now, I am clear of my intereft, and clear as to the grounds that I am laying down my life for this day. I could with that every hair of my head were a life for his fake, and his perfecuted caufe. I die in the faith of the true proteftant religion, in doctrine, difcipline, and worship, as it was receive ed in the year 1638. and in the year 1649. I join my adhe rence to the government of this Church, as it was reformed from Popery, Prelacy, Eraftianifm and Supremacy. And I join my cordial Teftimony to the Church's laws and ftatutes at that time, as he was governed by general affemblies fynods, prefbyteries, vifitations and feffions; and to days of humiliation for fin, folemn days of thanksgiving in receipt of mercies bestowed, and cenfures for trying out perfons of erroneous principles, either Minifters or private perfons. I adhere to the Confeffion of Faith, the larger and fhorter Catechifm the folemn Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties; the National and Solemn League and Covenant, and the pro

teftation at St. Johnftoun. I join my Teftimony to, and approbation of thefe Papers at Queensferry the third of June 1680 1 adhere to to that faithful Testimony at Rutherglen the 29 of May 1679. I join my Teftimony to that laft Feftimony or declaration, affixed upon the Market-crofs of Sanquair the 22d of June 1980. I witnefs my Teftimony, to the late appearance at Airfmofs the 22d of July 1686. where the Lord's worthies fell. Likewife I witnefs my Teftimony and fet to my feal against that horid murder of that eminently worthy and famous godly Gentleman, David Hackstoun of Rathillet. Like wife against all the blood-fhed in fields, fcaffolds, and the fea, thefe 19 years. And I enter my proteftations against Popery, Quakerifm, Supremacy, Eraftianifm, Indulgences first and last, and againft arbitrary power, over civil and ecclefiaftick matters, further than the bounds appointed in the word of God. Likewife I witnefs my Teftimony against the pleaders for Union, fiding, joining, halfing with ufurpers of Chrift's crown; filence in Watch-men, and all their contrivances, impofitions, inftruction, or limitations, they put upon the young men to be licentiate; prefcribing a rule to them, to order their ministry so and fo; their papers and pamphlets they have put out lately, to lead men over to that woful Indulgence, under the fair pretext of union; which is dreadful underhand dealing, to bring the people under the fhadow of the Lord's adverfaries. I enter my proteftation against that national declaration put forth in the year 1661, and all their declarations fince, and all their bonds and oaths impofed upon the Lord's people. Likewife, against the paying of the Cefs, and militia money; and against their imprisonments, ftigmatizing, booting, and burning with fire-matches, fining and confining, robbing and spoiling, ba nifhment, oppreffion, rigour of Mafters of Tolbooths: And because of that mistake, that they fay in my indictment, that Prefbyterians and I among the reft, had caft offall fear of God and are against all good order and civil law, I declare, I adhere to kingly government: but not to perjury, and tyranny, turning upfide down Church and ftate, contrary to the word of God, our Covenants, and the laws of the nation, and contrary to the declaration at Dumfermling, the Coronation-oath, and the acts of general affembly, and acts of parliament, ratifying prefbytery, and abjuring this prelatick hierarchy, which is now reeftablished, and Prefbytery refcinded: And I bear my Teftimony against thofe that have been and yet are pleading for the favour (as they call it) of the indemnity, after the murdering of Mr. King and Mr. Kid, who were execute on that day that the proclamation was read over the Crofs the 14 day of Auguft