fought the good fight, as that eminent apoftie faid; yet I can fay (praifed be God)" He hath given me the victory through Jefus Chrift my Lord, over principalities; and hath confirmed me, that neither death, nor life, nor any creature, fhall feparate me from the love of my sweet Lord Jefus Chrift;" who is love worthy, praife worthy, worthy to be feared and honoured; who in his abfolute fovereignty, fet apart poor me to give a teftimony for his glorious and honourable work of reformation, who am lefs than the leaft of all faints; but he is an abfolute Lord, and fhews mercy to whom he will fhew mercy, and whom he will, he hardeneth: And he keeps the fouls of the faithful, and plentifully rewards the proud doer.

Therefore, being called to fuffer this day, in this place, for the following of my duty, and for that in particular, in giving a teftimony against the dreadful defections of thefe times, by the means of these backfliding ministers, who have left our fweet Lord Jefus, with his back at the wall, and his poor flock scattered upon the mountains, as theep having no fhepherd. But, dear friends, comfort yourselves in this, that in his own time he will fearch his fheep, and find them out; although, alas! I fear left they fhould be forer fcattered than yet they are: But wait on him; for he that fhall come, will come, and will not tarry. And his reward is with him, and his work is before him. And the Lord whom ye feek shall fuddenly come to his temple, even the meffenger of the covenant. But, O dear friends, labour to be fedfaft and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. And give all diligence to make your calling and election fure; and if you do these things, you fhall never fall. And commit the keeping of your fouls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator: for he is able to keep that which is committed to him against that day, and prefent it fpotlefs before the Father. Although, alas! I was loth to adventure, or to credit in his hand; but now he hath discovered to me, that he is the best hand that I can venture on; and has gained my confent, and has become the furety for me of a better covenant, well ordered in all things and fure.

Therefore, confidering my engagements to him, I leave my teftimony to the holy fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament, and the version of the Pfalms in metre,

and

and to the work of reformation, covenants national and folemn league, the folemn acknowledgement of fins and. engagement to duties, the caules of God's wrath, the confeflion of faith, as being conform to the fcriptures, and the catechifms larger and fhorter; I give my adherence to all the faithful teftimonies given by the worthies, to the maintenance of the work of reformation, from the year 1660, until this day, either by their appearances in the fields, or on fcaffolds, or in the feas; I adhere to the Sanquhar declaration, the Torwood excommunication, and the papers found at the Ferry, and to that joint teftimony given in the fhire of Fife, by that fociety, whereof I was a member, though a worthless one, and I adhere to all things contained therein, because they are according to the fcriptures. And I give my teftimony to the faithful preaching in the fields, and to the keeping up of focieties, and chriftian fellowships commanded in the word of God, not forfaking the affembling of yourfelves together, as the manner of fome is, and fo much the more as you fee the day approaching; efpecially now when his glory is at the ftake, which is/of more worth than our fouls: and when men are feeking to get his work razed, and the name of Ifrael blotted out, that it may be no more in remembrance.

Likewife I leave my teftimony against all these who have joined with the declared enemies of the Lord Jefus Chrift, both minifters and profeffors; and against all thefe who maintain any principle contrary to the word of God, especially thefe who deny the authority of the fcriptures, and all the work of reformation, and have razed the fundamentals of true christianity; fome of them the Lord has given up to ftrong delufions, to believe lies, and to deny Jefus Chrift to be the Son of God, and maintain new lights, in meddling with the decrees of God; which his word never approved, and against every one of their principles. Likewife, I leave my teftimony against all who brand us with an implicit faith, which one declared to myself in my hearing in the room below where I was a prifoner; which I queftioned, if he durft in confcience fay, that I lived by an implicit faith, or the example of others? So he faid, that there were fome in the room with me that had been murderers of others who had fuffered. And I told him, that the xv. Pfalm reached him a very fad reproof, for fpeaking

evil against his neighbour and alfo I faid, we speak what we do know, and teftify what we have heard. And I declared that I had feen no fuch thing of any that was in the room with me; but you have wronged (faid I). God and his caufe, by fhifting his crofs, and therefore you will not ftand to wrong your neighbour.

Now dear friends, being ftraitened for want of time, I am forced to draw to a clofe; only defiring you to be earnest in contending fer the broken-down work of reformation, that this day is brought very low but be not difcouraged, although his ark be toffed this day upon the waters, and the poor fhip in the midft of the fea, and the poor difciples afraid left they fhould fink, and the mafter afleep (as it were) upon a pillow: yet go to him and cry, Mafter, Mafter, fave us, elfe we perifh; for he is easy to be intreated, and he likes well to have his poor peoplecoming to him in the time of their diftrefs; for he is a prefent help in the time of need, a God rich in mercy, and near to all that call upon him in truth. But, O dear friends, beware of backdrawing, for he hath faid, If any man draw back, my foul fhall have no pleasure in him; and he that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh back, is not fit for the kingdom of heaven; but he that endureth to the end, the fame fhall be faved. Be not ashamed of him, for if any man be ashamed of him, or his words, of him alfo will he be afhamed before the Father and the holy angels. O dear friends, the more that ye fee a perverfe generation crying him down, be ye the more at the work of crying him up; for he is well worth the commendation of all that can commend him. O dear friends, in all things let him have the preeminence, and count all things lofs and dung that ye may win Chrift: and prefs towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jefus ; looking unto Jefus who is the author and finifher of our faith; who for the joy that was fet before him, endured the crofs, defpifing the fhame, and is fet down at the right hand of the throne of God. Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate; for many fhall feek to enter in, and fhall not be able. Now friends, beware of finning, and beware of fnares; for they are at this day very thick and many; but our God has promised that he will not fuffer his poorpeople to be tempted above what they are able, but will with the temptation make a way that they may efcaper

Se

So I bid you all farewel; defiring you to be kind to my wife and children when I am gone. Farewel fweet Bible by his bleffing; farewel fun, moon and ítars; farewel all created comforts and enjoyments, wherewith I have been abundantly fupplied; farewel my dear wife and children, the Lord be better to you than ten husbands when I am gone; farewel mother, brethren and filters; farewel fweet focieties, and preached gofpel, whereby I have been begotten by the feed of the word; farewel fweet prifon and reproaches for fweet Chrift and his caufe. And welcome Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft; welcome, everlafting life, and the spirits of juft men made perfect. Lord, into thy hands I commit my fpirit. At the Iron houfe, July 13. 1681.

LAURENCE HAY.

The Teftimony of Andrew Pittilloch land-labourer in the parish of Largo in Fife, who fuffered at the Grafs market of Edinburgh, July 13. 1681.

Men and brethren,

W

HEREFORE are you come here this day? will you tell me, if that be your intention, to be edified by the words of a poor thing, witnefling for my lovely Lord Jefus Chrift? And if that be your intention in your coming hither, it is well: Now when I am going off time, to bid farewel to you all, O that I could commend my lovely Lord Jefus and his fweet crofs to you. O Sirs, will you come tafte and fee that God is good. You will never do better, nor come and fee; for fince the Lord honoured me to be his prifoner, he has letten me know nothing but love; he has made my prifon no prifon. O Sirs, All his ways are ways of pleafantnefs, and his paths are peace. And his crofs is. fweet and cafy; although worthlefs I cannot commend it to you. But O Sirs, fear not at the fweet crofs of royal and sweet Jefus; but contend for him and his noble caufe, for I can affure you I had never fuch a fweet life as I have had fince he brought me to the like of their trials.

O friends! what is the reafon that you will not take him, who is the chief among ten thoufands, that is altogether lovely, and without compare? There is no spot in him. O prefer him to your chief joy! There are many of you who have preferred other things to him.

O fear and tremble for wrath will be upon you very fuddenly! O be afraid, for our Lord has faid, If ye will not quit all for him, you cannot be his difciple. And fo you have neither part nor lot in our fweet Lord,' you may read the x. of Matth. from the 16. verfe to the end. O Sirs, go not with the indulged, nor yet fide with them; cleave to the Lord with all your heart, and be not put off with any but himself. O he is fweet to be with, O his way is fweet to keep, but I cannot commend him to you, his sweetness is without compare. O take him, and be reftlefs till ye get him to your mother's house, and to the chamber of her that bare you. Pray much for your mother-church, that minifters and others have wronged; I witness and teftify against them, for their unrighteoufnefs, both first and last.

First, For leaving of their kirks, without a public testimony against enemies, at the incoming of Prelacy. 2dly, For their conniving at one anothers fins. 3dly, For their leaving the fields when there was fo much need of preaching to poor things; when wrath and judgment were coming on the land, they did not fet the trumpet to their mouth, and give the people a faithful warning. They fay, we have caft them off, but they are mistaken, for they have caft themfelves off, by changing their head; and the fcriptures have caft them off, and I cannot join with them. I would with all my heart have a ministry; but I would have it according to the word of God. Men that will preach in feafon, and out of feafon, whether people will hear, or whether they will forbear; that will be faithful in preaching against fin of all forts, and will hide nothing of the mind of the Lord; but they do play faft and loofe in the matters of a holy God, and will not witness against enemies; I own none of thefe, but I leave my teftimony against them for their unfaithfulness. They will preach to poor things to ftand for God and his truths, and not yield a hair, for the faving of their lives; and yet they yield and comply themselves: and when they come before enemies, never a word of a teftimony before them, but pafs the fworn covenant and work of reformation in filence, and for fear of their lives will not hit them on the fore. Indeed they will wale their words fo as they may not give their enemies offence. You condemn us, because we do that, that once a day you would have accounted it your honour to do; and fay,

that