cross of Christ, though that the afflictions and bondage of his poor peo ple shall be lengthened out, for I say, yet again the Lord shall come, and shall not tarry, to make good his promise, for the relief of his poor Church, for the Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering, waiting for the outcoming of his people, and their separating themselves from the people of these abominations; and not only public abominations, but his people must be separate from every heart-idol, and every private sin-walking as in the sight of a holy God, in all holy conversation, as the sons and daughters of the living God :—and also be encouraged to wait upon him, till he finish his own work; look that of the vii. of Mic. 8th ver. * Rejoice not against me, O my enemy, though I fall I shall arise, when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me,' and in the 9th verse, 'I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me, and he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.' So the poor church comforts herself under all the indignation and correction she was under, that the Lord would plead her cause, and execute judgment for her; and then in the 13th verse,- Notwithstanding, the land shall be desolate for the fruit of their doings, therefore my dear friends wait upon the Lord, and weary not until he work his own work, for it is very likely that this land must be laid desolate, before he comfort his people, and restore his church to her wonted privileges:' yea, and I say as a dying witness of Christ, that God's judgment shall be poured out upon Scotland, till it be laid desolate.

"Now I shall say no more upon this head; my dear friends, hold fast till he come and be upon your watch-tower, and have oil in your lamps, that your light may be shining and your lamps burning, for the Bridegroom will come in an hour, when ye are not aware, and in a way that ye are not looking for. Now I leave my testimony against those called our Judges, and against those Assizers, both those that sat upon my brethren, and upon myself;-my blood and my brethren's blood shall be required at their hands; and my blood shall be charged upon John Balfour, who took me, for he declared to me, that he knew me by my garb that I was one of the persecuted men, and so it was the ground he apprehended me uponbecause I was a sufferer for the name of Christ. Now, as I am of myself I can freely forgive them and all others for what they have done to me, and do freely forgive them, but as they have done it against the image of God in me, and in spite against his work, cause and interest, of Jesus Christ, that is not mine to forgive; I leave that to himself. And now, dear friends, I have little time-my sentence being passed upon the 17th day of March, at eight o'clock at night-to die the 19th day of the same, at two in the afternoon. And now this day I am to suffer martyrdom, and my head to be struck off, and to be fixed upon the Tolbooth, for the name of Jesus. Now scare not at the cross of Christ, for O! if ye knew what I have mét with since I came to prison-what love, what matchless love, from my sweet and lovely Lord-ye would long to be with him, and ye would count it nought to go through a sea of blood for him: O! I invite you.

dear friends, to stick by the truths of God, and abide by him—that the name of Israel may not be rooted out; but this I desire, to live and to die in the faith of it-that the blood shed and spilt in Scotland, shall have a glorious crop and vintage. And now as for the generality of this generation, or these backslidden and backsliding professors-I know not what to say of them;-but this is the language to me of their way, and I leave it as a dying witness for Christ-that these let, and will let, till they be taken out of the way. Now I leave my wife and my baby unto him who gave them unto me, I fully quit with them and leave them to my Lord and Master-who can make us meet above the clouds. Now, I take my farewell of you and all created comforts, and I am also willing, and more willing ten thousand times to lay them down at his call, than ever I was to enjoy them. Now farewell all

friends in Christ, farewell all relations, farewell days and nights, farewell sun and moon, and stars, farewe. suffering, farewell irons on feet and hands, farewell holy and sweet Scripture, which was the savour of life unto life, to me. And welcome heaven and eternal life, welcome the company and souls of just men made perfect, through the blood of the Lamb! Welcome, welcome, and never enough welcom❜d my lovely Lord, my Father and my Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost, into whose hands I commit my Spirit, for it is thine.

Sic Sub.-JOHN RICHMOND."*

XXXVIII. JAMES JOHNSTON.

[This was another of the Five individuals who were tried, found guilty, and condemned by the special commission at Glasgow. He belonged to the parish of Cadder, or, according to a different account, to that of Old Monkland. Little else is known with respect to him. He appears from his Testimony to have been condemned on the usual charges of having been at Bothwell, refusing to call it rebellion, disowning the King's authority, and denying the Archbishop's death to be murder. With his compan'ons in suffering, he died in much peace and comfort, on the 19th of March, 1684.]

"I BEING called by the good providence of God, to lay down my life for the trampled on interest, have thought it my duty to leave this short word of Testimony behind me, desiring that all persons forbear to accuse or reproach me, by saying that I die as a fool; for I die not as a fool (for which I bless God), for I should never have ventured upon the cross, especially upon death itself, if he had not kept me to

it.

And I assert, it is a thing provoking to God to reproach any of his suffering people in such a manner, and let every one remember that God will avenge the wrongs of his poor people. 'And will not God avenge the wrongs of his elect, who cry to him day and night?'

Yes he will do it; for they cry unto him day and night. Sometimes

* This Testimony has been copied from a I amphlet published in 1722, entitled The Last Testimony of John Richmond," &c.

when they sleep their cry goes near before him. Bloodshed, oppression, and cruelty, done to them, cry to him in their behalf, as if it were the cry of their own mouth.

"Now I leave my testimony for the pure word of God contained in the Old and New Testaments. Also I feel it my duty to leave my testimony to the Confession of Faith, the Shorter and Larger Catechisms, and the Sum of Saving Knowledge. I leave my testimony to the Solemn League and Covenant, and National Covenant, the Acknowledgment of Sins, and Engagement to Duties. I leave my testimony to the work of Reformation, as being a reformation from popery, and from every thing contrary to sound doctrine. I leave my testimony for the faithful preaching of the word in houses and in fields. I leave my testimony to preaching against the sins of the time, the present course, and particularly the needless evil. I leave my testimony to Mr. Donald Cargill and Mr. Richard Cameron, and to their preaching in the fields, when the rest had forsaken their work. I leave my testimony to the people of God appearing in arms at Pentland and Bothwell-bridge. I leave my testimony to the people of God in Scotland, while disowning the testimonies written by Gib, in name of others. I leave my testimony to the remonstrance of the protestors, when testifying against the malignant party, who seek only their own things, and not the things of God. I leave my testimony to the lifting of arms as lawful, if called for; it behoves all men to distinguish when it is lawful, and when not; and all the distinction I shall give of it, is only that the close adherence made at Pentland and Bothwell bridge was both lawful and necessary.

"In the second place, I come to show you what I witness against, at my death. I leave my testimony against popery, prelacy, and Erastianism of every kind, as contrary to the sound doctrine of the word of God, and the sworn-to testimony of the Church of Scotland. I leave my testimony against the indulgence first and last, and against ministers who approved of that liberty at Bothwell-bridge. I leave my testimony against the divisions which they thus created, by treating with the malignant party, and joining their interest. I leave my testimony

against the people for hardening them in their unlawful measures, by joining with and approving them. I leave my testimony against the people for hearing curates, and joining with the indulged, declaring the indulgence to be disapproved by a holy God, and implying apostasy from God. I testify my adherence to the testimony given publicly and in an hostile manner, at Rutherglen, Sanquhar, and Lanark. I testify to the people of God bearing arms in self-defence, and defence of the gospel at several field-meetings, when they were assaulted by their enemies. I leave my testimony against the declaration published at Hamilton, mainly for taking in the interest of Charles Stewart, who is a declared enemy to God, to his Son, and to the interest and kingdom of his Son. I leave my testimony against the owning of that authority (so called) founded upon the supremacy. I know this matter is dark to some folk, but I know also that for several ends many folks have brought such matters to be debated, and so have brought themselves into the dark about many things, and these God will not own to be sins of ignorance, but sins against the clearest light.

"With regard to the articles of my judgment, they are as follows, viz.-Being interrogated if I was at Bothwell-bridge, I answered, only with a good design, which thing was never found criminal by law; and as to my witnessing, I got not justice. I declare to the world that they spoke not according to equity, neither was there any one sentence passed according to it. They witnessed against truth as will be made out at the great day of judgment, though it should never come to light till then. As to the second thing against me, my refusing to own the king's authority-What authority should I own but an authority according to the word of God? Moreover, 1 said nothing of it. I disowned Charles Stewart to be lawful king, but I assert that I owned that authority which was according to the word of God. Now this is clearly evident that I am murdered for not giving my assent to the owning of an authority not consistent with, nor according to the word of God; notwithstanding all that they said against me; for it is only opinion, which in law cannot be made use of, for taking away a man's life. Moreover, the thing itself is so far debated that when they themselves essayed to debate what I assert, they never were able to debate as to the king. I refused to call the late king's death murder. If I had answered any thing to it I would have been implicated in it, for I know not the nature of the action. Moreover, who knows not that kings are subject to the laws, and not the laws subject to the king? As to the fifth point, that I refused to call Bothwell-bridge rebellion, I was only silent also. And it is known to all, who will not shut their eyes and ears to the truth, that it was only the defence of religion, and the glory of God. As to the sixth, that I asserted the Covenants to be lawful,—it is of verity, and well known, that these covenants are national laws not yet rescinded, and such, as I, (for the satisfaction of my conscience,) and not only I, but the whole nation, are bound to assert. As to the seventh point, that I refused to say that the late bishop of St. Andrews' death was murder, I know not how any can judge of that action, nor do I know how you can make it criminal,-I only being silent, and refusing to assert either one thing or another. With respect to all the other questions I remained silent, except the last, viz. that I asserted that it was lawful for me to defend myself against the king. Now suppose a king fall upon a person with a set of soldiers to kill him, would it be the duty of that person to let himself be murdered; or may a king do what he will, without control? I refused these heads of my judgment according to the law of the nation founded upon the word of God, and I am sure every one will say that I am falsely murdered on account of them; and for other grievous sins God will shortly be avenged upon them. As for any thing that they have done to me, I freely forgive them, from the highest to the lowest. But as to what is done agains holy God, I leave it to himself to judge in his own due time. evertheless, let it be considered that my blood lies at many of their doors. It lies at the door of all that are conformed to the present government, and particularly it lies at Charles Stewart's door, and the prelates and the members of the court called the Justiciary-at their door. Now, I bid you farewell, sweet cross, for Christ; farewell my dear wife and children, farewell relations and acquaintance, farewell

But

praying, reading, and believing, farewell all toil and trouble, and external exercise; farewell all created comforts, farewell sun, moon, and stars, welcome heaven, with all its glorious companions, welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, into whose hands I commit my spirit. Sic Sub.-JAMES JOHNSTON."*

XXXIX. ARCHIBALD STEWART.

[This young man, another of the Five who were executed at Glasgow, on the 16th of March, 1684, (of whom we have already given some account,) was scarcely nineteen years of age, when called to lay down his life for the covenanting interest. It appears he belonged to Lesmahagoe, a district which yielded, as we have seen, several victims to the intolerance and tyranny of the period in question. His Christian magnanimity when on the scaffold was observed by many. Among other moving expressions, he said, "I die not by constraint but willingly; and, this I can say, I am more willing to die for my lovely Lord Jesus Christ, and his work and truths, than ever I was to live." "In short, all of them," says Wodrow, "died in a forgiv ing temper, praying earnestly for pardon to their persecutors, and yet warning them of their hazard, if they continued in those courses without repentance. The Five lie buried with other sufferers, in the High church-yard, Glasgow."-The testimony of Archibald Stewart is imbodied in the following letter to his Christian friends.]

"My dear and loving friends and acquaintances,-You and I must take good night of one another for a while; but I hope it shall not be long; for you know that the time that we have on earth lasts but for a moment; and we are but as a flower that grows up in the night, and is cut down in the morning; like the shadow that flees away, and is no more seen upon earth again; even like Jonah's gourd, that grew up in a night, and perished in a night. Now you and I must part, and takė good night, you of me, and I of you, as willingly, and with as great satisfaction, contentment, and submission to the will of our God, as if we were going to our sweet and comfortable fellowship-meetings, where our souls many times have been refreshed, with the fresh gales of the Spirit of our God, which indeed was the life of our meetings; for had it not been the love that we bare to God and his ways, he would never have made our meetings so sweet to us; so that the longer we continued, and the oftener we met, the Lord made more of himself known to us, in giving us new confirmations of his love, and

This Testimony has not, so far as the Editor is aware, been published before. He copied it, with some difficulty, from an Old Manuscript, communicated to him by a descendant of one of the Four who died along with Johnston. He has no doubt of its authenticity and genuineness but he fears, from its mutilated state that in some instances he may have copied it incorrectly as tó language, though he thinks that, in general, he has expressed the meaning.