to be sung. And as to professed Presbyterians,-to many of you for your unconcernedness, I am sure the Lord says,-Ye shall drink of another sort of a cup, that is brewing for you,-shun it as you will, by your compliance. As for our really concerned friends, I pray the Lord to protect you, and multiply his grace towards you. I am confident, when you are beneath the rod, ye shall find it an ease to your own smart, however great a lift you have taken of others' sufferings.

Next, I say to all that come under the rod, let no terrors of men, nor temptations of Satan anent eternity, come into your mind; but go to God with them, acknowledging your unworthiness of his protection and counsel, and you will find him faithful, not to suffer you to be tempted above what you are able.' It is no new thing to be assaulted with 'terrors without, and within with fears.' The Apostle, a most experienced Christian, wanted not this. I see a Christian to be a most passive creature in his own salvation; yet there must be an All of diligence, otherwise the roaring lion will soon get advantages. And you must know this, that the sufferers have a large allowance; and although, His own want not in their sufferings to the faith of adherence to him, yet ye must not think to sail that way in a bed of roses to heaven; but that ye must have fire in your trial;-I mean a desertingGod-as to apprehension: yet, wait patiently, and at length he will incline his ear, and you shall not want experience to say, 'For a moment lasts his wrath.'

"And now, I leave my dear wife, children, and sisters, upon the Lord, who gave me such sweet refreshing relations, and desire all the people of God to be kind to them; and I bless the Lord he has ena. bled me to quit them to him: and though the Lord has made every one of them so sweet and so pleasing to me, that I have been forced to curb my affection with the bridle of religion; yet herein I bless the Lord, he has given me heart to go through my cross, with forgetfulness of all; yea, to be most unconcerned to the tears and weeping of my relations.

"And now, I leave all God's people, and others, with this, That his cross is beautiful; yea, though I had had occasion of escaping prison since sentence, yet I durst not without a check of conscience have done it and though I did petition,-yet there was (to me) two necessary ends therein: first, they designing to make me odious, that I would not seek my life; and I desiring to make my suffering clear to their own consciences, to be unjust and next, if any thing ailed my wife, I might lay her blood at their door. But I would advise all to beware of them, for there must be frequent consulting with God, and a reasonable judgment, to discern their snares; it being their main design to ensnare. I advise any called to suffering, never to quit with the faith of adherence, and they shall not want the faith of assurance; for since ever I came to prison, I saw and believed God's design to me was love and having emptied me of all promises to sufferers, and of all my own righteousness, made me close with him, and take him for all, and believingly to rest on him, and to have recourse to him, for grace to supply necessity, and give me a believing of (though

to me incomprehensible) seeing him as he is,' and knowing him even 'as I am known of him.'

"Now I die, commending to all the people of God the duty of unity, conform to 2 Tim. ii. 22. Follow peace with them that call upon the Lord with a pure heart.' And that, 1 John i. 7. If we have fellowship one with another, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin.' I do not say this to make up an union or joining with these I testify against.

Sic sub.-JOHN WILSON."*

XXVII. DAVID MOMILLAN.

[With respect to this individual, history has transmitted no particulars. It appears that on the 4th of May, 1683, he was, with some others, brought before the Justiciary, after having been previously examined by the Council. He was found guilty of being in arms at Bothwell, and of judicially owning the lawfulness of joining with those who were there, and sentenced accordingly. He maintained his constancy even to the last, for the clerk of court, while reading the sentence, being stopped,—he was informed that after being read out, it could not be recalled, and offered the Test; but his answer was, "Go on ;"—and when it was finished, being asked what he thought of it now, he said, it was very welcome. He died in company with John Wilson, on the 16th of May, 1683, leaving in writing an account of his examination, and a Testimony, which are subjoined.]

1. HIS ANSWERS BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND JUSTICIARY. WHEN he was brought before a Committee of the Council, their queries and his answers were, "Do you keep the kirk? He answered he was taken out of it, not when hiding, but when retired to it for reading the Scriptures. Being asked who took him, and for what; he answered,-Claverhouse, for being at Bothwell. Then he was questioned, Do you not count Bothwell rebellion? No, answered he, it was in defence of the truth. Next he was asked, Do you acknowledge lawful authority? He answered, he is not a Christian that does not so. But, added they, Do you acknowledge the present authority? Ans. In so far as he hath kept his engagements according to the word of God. Then he was asked, Will you take on to be a soldier, and go over sea? for if you abide here you will be hanged. He answered, Being under your power now, I will not cut out mine own lot.”

Before the Justiciary his confession before the Council was adduced against him, upon which he alleged that it contained some things which he had not spoken, particularly about the Bishop's death. Well," said the Judge who presided, "What say you to that now?" He answered, he had no judgment to judge such heads. He adhered to what he had said as to Bothwell; and being asked if he had any thing of

Cloud of Witnesses.

say to the Assizers, he said, he knew none of them, "but betwixt you and them and God, be it." He was told there was yet room to renounce his ill principles that took him to Bothwell, by taking the Test. He answered, if he took it, it would not be willingly, and his heart would not come up, and so he thought it best to adhere to his right.*

2. HIS TESTIMONY.

"I bless the Lord that chose me to join with that persecuted party, with whom I joined for defence of the truth, and when many fled on horse,-I and my horse going away with the rest,-I shot him from me, and went back and joined with the standing foot, and there was pursued by some riders, to whom I cried for quarter, who said they should give me quarter, and so felled me down to the ground; and thereafter there came an Highland-man, and at about 30 feet distance, shot two balls at me out of a musket, which hit me on the breast, and fell down on the grass without hurting me,—which was so great a marvel to me, that I durst not doubt of his providence since; and then being far from friends, I was through His providence, cured of my wounds. And when I went home my friends said how will you live now, (having lost the power of my arms,) but blessed be He ever since, his providence has never left me without abundance. And I desire that godly love may continue amongst all the godly, notwithstanding matters of judgment. And I would desire every one to look first into his own sins as the great cause of this undoing of religion. I desire all seriously to consider what price was paid for the church. And for my own part, I think it an admiration that ever he has honoured me with his cross; and let none think ill of it. And I bless the Lord ever heard field-preachings, for thereby God convinced me of sin, and stirred up a love to Christ. And when it was desired I might deny my deed, I durst not for that word, 'Keep the truth, and the truth shall set you free.' And that of Isaiah, 'For we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hid ourselves, and the hail should sweep away the refuge of lies,' and that woe to the rebellious children, who take counsel, but not of God, and cover with a covering but not of his Spirit.' And I think, of the covenant that was made with Levi, of peace, because of the fear wherewith he feared God, That the rulers having no fear of God, nor intending peace, have no interest in that covenant.' And I durst not take man's counsel, because of that woe to the rebellious children that took counsel, but not of God. I desire every one to take heed when they stand, lest they fall; for if folk begin to consult with flesh and blood and fetch their steps, they will be fair to slip. And, labour to strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die. For my part, I durst not meddle with petitioning for fear of the sinful snare therein, for they labour to mark them either in the forehead or hand, that they part with. And that word comforted me, 'Thou hast a little strength, and hast not denied my name, and I have opened a door, and no man can shut it.' I could not argue for the truth as others, but I had

• Wodrow's History, Vol. II. p. 298.

1

never a look to go back, and never any wrong thoughts. Some said Bothwell was an ill contrived business; but I loathed all such constructions, of not only enemies, but also pretended friends,—which was a great grief always as I heard it. I see many that would have said, ' Am I a dog to do such a thing,' that run with the bulk, but let them mind that If any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.' You that are Christians should not be idle, when they are undoing religion at this rate. And yet I think some pretended friends are as great enemies as the church has. Labour to mourn for broken vows, promises, slighted offers and opportunities, and a broken covenant. For when I take a back-look, I wonder at the Lord's long-suffering patience, considering a despised gospel, and considering his dealing with other rations. O mourn while he may be in terms of agreement with you, and pray that the Lord may return to his covenanted land, though your carcasses should fall in the wilderness; and that he would be pleased to return to the following generation, who has not had the opportunity we have had. We have enough to account for, though we have not that posterity's blood on us. I have solid faith, though the world should turn upside down, it will be well with them that are at their duty. And I die in the faith that he will return again, for the Lord is most wise in his dealings; he can bring things about for his own glory and the good of his people; however difficult it may seem now. But I think, the Lord, for innocent blood, and other acts, shall sweep away the most part of the generation. I adhere to the Confession of Faith, to the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, to the National and Solemn League and Covenant; and I leave my testimony against hearing of Curates, paying cess, and against the indulgence. now I bless him who made me see the odiousness of my sin, and nakedness, and a white raiment from himself for a covering, and made me accept and close with him on his own terms. My soul shall bless him through all the ages of eternity.*

And

DAVID M'MILLAN.”

XXVIII. JOHN WHARRY.

[The case of this and the following Witness is somewhat singular for the injustice and cruelty displayed in it, even in the persecuting period to which it belongs. With respect to their personal history, not even a hint has come down to us. It appears, however, that about the beginning of June, 1683, they had been journeying together, (each having a walking staff,) and had sat down to rest themselves near Inchbelly-bridge, a few miles to the north-east of Glasgow, when they were discovered by some soldiers, who were in quest of a band of country people, by whom a prisoner had been violently

For this short Testimony, (which he believes has never before been published) the Editor is indebted to one of the Wodrow manuscripts in the Advocates' Library, from which it was copied expressly for this work. The title of the MS. is, Jac. V. i. 25, No.49

rescued from them, on the previous part of the day. They were immediately apprehended as having been of the said party-brought to Glasgow-tried-and without the least evidence as to the identity of their persons,-on the mere presumption arising from their being in the neighbourhood,-condemned as guilty of relieving the prisoner, and executed on the 13th of the said month. John Wharry's testimony is contained in the following letter, addressed to his near relatives, shortly before his death.]

"DEAR MOTHER, Brother and Sisters,-I beseech you, in the name of my sweet and altogether lovely, incomprehensible, matchless, precious, beautiful, and glorious Redeemer, captain and conqueror over all his enemies, be not discouraged; for, through his free love cast on me in black nature, who was born an heir of sin and wrath, I am now, by his blessed purchase, made free, by the laying down of his sweet life for poor sinners, of which I was one of the chiefest in the world, that I might get life eternal,-which is his own gift bestowed on me : and now, through his blessed hand of providence, has made choice of poor unworthy me to be his prisoner; who ordereth all things well to those whom he sets his love on; and those whom he loves, he loves unto the end.' I do not question his all-sufficiency: dear mother, do not you question it, but that he is sufficient to make me conqueror over my inward and outward enemies. O mother, bless the Lord that ever he gave you a son, and flesh and bones, to be honoured to be a sufferer for his precious name, truths, and interest, cause, covenant, and concerns, according to his own rule in his blessed word, which is contained in the Old and New Testaments, agreeable to all truths contained therein. O mother, will ye be entreated for his love's sake, to give me back again to him in a free-will offering! O I am persuaded, that it would please my matchless Lord, and then it would fare better with me, and you both. O if ye knew what of the kisses of love and kindness I got, since I was brought to carts, stocks, and irons! O unworthy I, that should be honoured with this! O mother, I beseech you for his love's sake, that you do not repine, and thereby provoke the Lord to anger. O bless him, for making all things pleasant and delightsome, refreshful and comfortable to my soul, and my brother's. I cannot express what love I have met with, since they apprehended me, and my brother. O bless him for dealing so with me. I beseech you, mother, be serious with the Lord, that what he hath begun, he may also perfect in us to his own glory, and for his own work in the souls of all that are within the compass of the decree of election of free grace. I cannot describe him, he is incomprehensible, and he is without compare. O he is beautiful and glorious, strong and almighty,powerful to break through difficulties, and to bring through his own elect all which is necessary, and nothing less, that his own being cast in the furnace for the trial of their faith and patience, may be helped to endure; for he knows well enough to purge away the dross and the scum of his own elect. O! but some souls he plunges over and over; to others he limits and permits their winnowing by Satan. O! but true faith, believing and casting all the weight upon the promises,