before me, from time to eternity, though in this manner it is unpleafant to natural fenfe? And he s calling for my mite of a l'eftimony, for his defpifed truth For it was by the hearing of the gospel, by his fuffering fervants, both here and in Holland, that I was brought to the love of God, and his only Son Jefus Chrift: Since which time he has engaged my heart to feek him in the fame way; I found him where he was most eminently holden forth, and witneffed for, and my fins, and the fins of the land holden forth to me; And it is for this, that I am accused and condemned of men; for my following the gofpel, preaching in the fields; because I was following that poor handful that fell at Arifmofs, where Mr. Richard Cameron had been preaching, and was to preach, and because, when the bloody foldiers came upon us, we offered to defend ourselves; whatever other caules they have to lay to my charge

And that ус be not mistaken with me, and the Lord's people and his way; though they alledge that we are of bloody principles as the indulged Minifters gave it out, that we are of Jefuitical and bloody principles; yet the Lord knows, and I declared, that I have defired to know his will, and walk in it: and I have been studying that which all the land are obliged to, which is to hear and keep up the gofpel, and defend my own life, and the lives of my brethren, who have been fo long hunted, and to defend the gofpel, which has been fo long borne down. So then, however I, and that fuffering remnant be mistaken, in that they give out in their declaration, that I faid I would kill the King, or any of the council; it is an untruth and forged calumny, to reproach the way of God, more like themfelves and their own principles, who have killed fo many of the people of God, both in the fields and upon fcaffolds, and us among the reft, to please their bloody tyrant Charles Stewart's brother, who has been thrifting for the blood of thefe three nations; and to make men believe, that we have been contriv ing a plot to murder them; though indeed, if they were brought to any trial of a juft law, according to the word of God, or the laws of the land, most of them have done, or confented to more than might take their lives, both against the people of the Lord and his born down truths, and against the common wealth, and laws of the land. But I never faid, that 1 would do it; and when I was before them, especially in the justiciary-court, upon trial of my life, they would hardly give me leave to fpeak for, or explain my felf; more like men defigned to catch advantage, and to cheat me out of my life, than just judges I know they muit antwer to their great jud for what they do.

And this being the teftimony of a dying man, they that fear the Lord, will believe my declaration before their proclamati on, which may be cafily cen to be a plot in them, and not in us, to blind the eyes of a fecure generation and make trangers approve of their pedecution, and believe they do it justly, and laugh at our calamity, until they can win to bring about that bloody Popish defigs against all that will not follow them in the three nations: although they now fpare fome men, and flatter them to take favoirs from them, whereby they engage them to ly by, till they deftroy his remnant, that dare not but witness against them, and the common fins of the land, for which I defire to moure, and pray the Lord's people to moun over them, and witnefs igainft them, as they defire to be marked with the mourners mak, when a holy God fhall come to take vengeance on all ranks, that have fo forfiken and betrayed his Christ, and fet upa man in his place, which will be found to be the great idol of jealoufy. betides the many other idols, that have drawn away the true and kind love and fear that the generation owes to God. And becaufe we defire to love and fear God, and to follow his fweet Chrift, we are reproached and ftaged with tongues of many, as thefe that are out of the way, and are of jefuitical principles. I declare, I have in fome meafure been defiring and intending to know, love, and follow the truth, both in obedience to his commands, and for the hope of glory, though I contefs, through much weakness and infirmity

I am a Prefbyterian in my judgment, though I be looked upon as otherwife, because of my declaring my thoughts freely before men: And I own, and adhere to that work of refor mation, the larger and thorter Catechifms, the National and Solemn League and Covenant, the Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties, the Caufe of God's wrath. Allo I own all the teftimonies of our worthy fufferers that have gone bétore us: As alfo, I own the Sanquhair declaration, and that excommunication at the Torwood. At the writing hereof, I prayed that the Lord would open their eyes, and let them fee their fins, and grant them repentance, all of them that are of the election of free grace; and they that are not. I pray that the Lord would ratify in heaven, what was done on earth by his faithful fervant, as it is according to his will; which has been all our defires.

Now I leave my teftimony against the curfed Prelates, and all their hirelings, who have been the inftigators and drivers, on of the council and bloody Soldiers, to all the tyranny, oppreffion, and blood which they have fhed. And I leave my teftimony against the woful indulgencies, and all that have been

either embracers of them, or any that have been ftrengthners of their hands, or their favourers: They have broken and divided the people of the Lord, more than a I the former perfecutions could ever do. I leave my teftimony against all lukewarm and unfaithful Minifters and Profeffors, that have turned their back upon Chrift and his caufe, and have fallen away fron: their firft love, and the doing of their firft works; for they are pulling down what they firit brilded. I leave my teftimony against the oppreffion, tyranny and "obbery done against the people of "God, either by one or other, and efpecially by thefe wretches, Glencairn and Halyards, whofe names thall be recorded for generations to come, as Robbers of the Widow and Fa therlefs, "who have lain in vait against the dwellings of "the righteous, and fpoiled his retting place." And have turned many a widow and orphan out of their dwellings

I leave my teftimony against thofe tyrants that have for feited all the rights that they now lay claim to, and ufurp over the people of the Lord, and the whole land, and all their unjuft laws but efpecially that accurfed fupremacy by which they fet up a miferable, adulterous wretched man in Chrift's room, who thinks to wrong our Lord and carry his crown; but it will be too heavy for him, though all the wicked Lords, Prelates, Malignants, and indulged be joining hand in hand to hold it on, down it fhall come, and whofoever wears that crown And it is, because of his wearing my lovely Lord and King's crown, and wronging him, that I am contending; and as he and they have proclaimed me a rebel and traitor to man, fo I difown him and them, and declare him and them traitors and rebels to God, and his Chrift, my defireable and holy Lord and King,

f

But let me entreat you, that defire merey, to forfake your wicked ways, and fall in love with Chrift, and feck peace with God through him, who is the only peace maker; for there are fad judgments coming on the land, and all your peace with thefe wicked men, will not keep you from the dreadful wrath of God coming on the land, because of flighting of the gospel, when it was to be had in God's own way, and the perjury, covenant-breaking, idolatry, and profanenefs, Cacherous backliding, apoftacy and other abominations, that all ranks of the land are guilty of; and becaufe of their receiving and entertaining of this bloody Popifh Duke who must be welcomed with a draught of our blood now, as he was the last time with the blood of our brethren."

4

I blefs the Lord, I have great fatisfaction in my owning this. defpifed way of God, for which I lay down my life; and alfo, that the Lord has drawn my heart after him, and made me

heartily willing to be at his difpofal; and I have fweet peace in what I have done; and would entreat all to more tendernefs, and to watch over all their ways: For there are many looking on us, and waiting for our hilting in the way of God. O that the Lord would help you to wait on him. "Until the

day break, and the thadows, and all these clouds fly away!" For this is a heavy day upon the Church of God: O! to be Labouring to ly in the duft, and o hide ourselves, and shut our mouths, and be filent; for the Lord hath rubbed (hame on all faces, becaufe of many backlidings and upfitting in dury, and that both publick and private which I think the Lord is Contending for this day. O dear friends, all ye that defire to keep the way of God, and be carried faithfully through amidst all thefe tribulations and aftonishing difpenfations, forfake not your Chriftian fellowships, wherein fo much of the power and prefence of God hath been found, among thofe that meet together out of love and zeal for God, to pour out their hearts before him, and converfe one with another. I think the forf king and up-fitting of Chriftian meetings, is as fad a token of God's leaving the land, as any that I fee; and therefore, I not only exhort you to this duty'; but as a dying man, I charge you, as you will anfwer at the great day, to fet about that duty with fear, love, and zeal to God, having his glory before your eyes: And let love to Chrift be the principle and motive to draw you to this, and all other duties fumbled at the way of Chrift,, for what we are fuffering, (if I durft call it fuffering) for all the fteps of the way are cafy to me, through faith in a flain Mediator: For it is thofe that keep the word of his patience, that he will keep in the hour of temptation O! labour to keep up thefe lovely field-meetings, wherewith my foul has been refrethed. And let it be your work to keep patience, whatever fuffering ye meet with from enemies, or reproaches from pretended friends, who I fear, will be found fecret and heart-enemies to God. This I leave to you as my Jaft advice.

Let none be

And now I blefs God for all that he hath done for my foul, and for this way that he hath taken with me, in carrying me to the land of praife, where I fhall fing that fweet fong throughout the ages of eternity, which fhall never have an end. O! long to be with him: for if ye knew what I have got of his love and prefence, ye would whiles be giving a look to time, and bidding it be gone. Now even let it be gone, that I may enjoy my best beloved. Now I take my farewel of all friends and relations, and all earthly comforts and all created glo

ry; and welcome fweet Lord Jefus, into thy hands I commit my fpirit.

Sic fubfcribitur

ARCHBALD STEWART.

P. S. Upon the fcaffold he fung the fecond Pfalm, and read, the the third of Malachy; but they would not fuffer him to pray publickly; for when he began to fpeak, faying, "0 "Lord, what wilt thou do with this generation? what wilt "thou do with bloody Charles Stewart:" incontinent the drums were beaten and his mouth ftopped, that he got no more faid.

The Teftimony of JOHN POTTER a Farmer, who lived in the Paris of Uphall in Weft Lothian, and fuffered at the Crofs of Edinburgh, December 1. 1680.

LL you fpectators and auditors, I defire your attention to a few words, and I fhall be brief: And before I begin, I must tell you, you must not not expect fuch a teftimony from me, as ye have had from some of them that went before me, I not being a learned man, as fome of them have been; however, I defire to look to God who not only can give me what to fpeak, but can also bless what I fpeak; fo as it may be for his glory, and the good of them that love him, and wait for his coming, which is the defire of my foul. Now being to ftep out of time into eternity, I hope you will not think that I fhall fay any thing now, but what my confcience binds me to fay.

In the firft place, I must tell you, for what I am come here this day, to lay down my life; it is for owning and adhering to my fworn principles. I am a prefbyterian; and herein I do rejoice, that I am to fuffer for his caufe only; for adhering to the word of God: and our Confeffion of Faith, larger and fhorter, Catechifms, our Covenants national and folemn League, together with our folemn Acknowledgement of fins, and engagements to duties wherein all Scotland were once en gaged, and thought it their duty and honour to be fo: And this is the reafon for which I am fentenced to death by men but God, to whom vengeance doth belong, will avenge himfelf for all the wrongs done to his glory, caufe, intreft, and people. I was born under the pure light of the gospel, and was taught to own Chrift, as king in Zion only, and head of his own Church; and this I own to be my duty; but Tam