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And when we would have been in some of your companies, either coming or going, your talk did always smell of the world, and so is come of it. O! repent, and come out from among your lusts and idols, that you are so wedded to, and take hold of a Mediator, and seek the Lord with all your heart. O you, town of Stirling, and the shire, repent, for sentence is past against you for what you have done, although it be not put in execution yet; but it will be put in execution ere long, if you repent not. Though the Lord is seeing it fit to take us away from the evils which are coming on this land, for breach of covenant, and a slighted gospel; we tell you, it may be, you will find it when we are gone, it is better to endure all torments that devils and men can inflict on you here, than to endure one drop of the wrath of an angry God, that will be poured out without mixture on all ranks, that have not the work of the day upon their spirits, be they who they will, ministers or professors, indulged or not indulged; for if they be not taken up and concerned with the case of the church of God, this day, as it is stated, He will come and reckon with them all, and count them all turners aside, and will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity, when peace shall be on Israel.' Therefore we would desire you to have a care, and look well about you what you are doing, and beware of speaking against that party.

"There are some of you that say, they are of bloody principles. You should beware of speaking these things; for the contrary is known, that they are not murderers, nor have any such intentions, as some of yourselves know, although ye be speaking the contrary; for you never heard of their killing any, except it was in defence of the gospel, and their own defence.

"Likewise you say, that we are cursers and criers for vengeance on the land. Now, we must not stay to argue this out, we being this day to lay down our lives, but we think any that has tender love to the Son of God, and his cause, cannot but be grieved to see ministers and professors so avowedly betray the truth, that is sweet and dear to us, yea, dearer than our lives; and when we think on what ye have done to the sweet truths of God, we cannot but pray against your courses and as for any thing ye can do to us, we heartily forgive you; but the wrongs ye have done to a holy God, we cannot get them borne, for they are weighty to us. If it were our enemies, we would bear with it, but when it comes from the like of you, we cannot get it borne. Truly, Sirs, we think ye will embrace Popery ere it be long : your entertaining of that excommunicated Duke of York, a professed Papist, says, that you would do more yet. There was not one of you all in town, or shire, that moved your tongue against him, but, as if you had been all professed Papists, you let him come in among you, and kindly entertained him; we leave our testimony against your so doing.

"But we break off, having no more time, and request you to take these things to your consideration, and lay sin to heart, and mourn bitterly before the Lord, for what you have done. We here obtest you to come off these ways of yours, and make conscience of duty, as in the sight of a holy God, before whom you must shortly appear. Slight not time, for it is precious; wrath is at the door: O! make haste,

and lay these things to heart, and study to have a more tender respect to the honour of God. We desire to leave it on you now, when we are going into eternity, that you would mind your engagements and vows to God. And so we bid you farewell, and bid you mind the poor groaning kirk that we are to leave behind us, which was dear to us. Now, we bid farewell to poor desolate Zion, and pray the Lord may mind her case. Farewell all things in time, and welcome Father,

Son, and Holy Ghost.

"Subscribed at the Iron-house, a) WILLIAM GOUGAR.
little before we went out to the
scaffold, March 11, 1681.

CHRISTOPHER MILLAR.
ROBERT SANGSTER."

It is remarkable, that this martyr, William Gougar, had a little paper in his Bible, which he minded to throw over the scaffold; but when he was taken into the council-house with the other two, it was someway got by the murderers, who having read it, commanded the executioner to tie him straiter than ordinary, so that he could scarcely go up the ladder, and afterwards they stopped him from praying. When he was upon the ladder, he began to speak, and said, "I am come here for owning Christ to be Head and King in Zion," whereupon they caused to beat the drums, seeking to damp and astonish him, that they might trample upon his conscience; and when they offered him his life, upon condition he would own the king, he replied, "I will own none but Christ to be King in Zion." Then they said, "Will ye not retract any thing, Sir ?" He answered, "No, no; I own all, I adhere to all." Upon which they immediately called the executioner to throw him over, which he did incontinent, not allowing him to recommend his spirit to the Lord.*

X. LAURENCE HAY.

[This Martyr was one of three who were executed on the 13th of July 1681. He was by trade a weaver, and belonged to the shire of Fife. He was charged with no act of rebellion. But having, with his two companions, joined a society which had been instituted for prayer and conference-they were indicted for having signed and published a paper agreed upon by that society, and entitled, "A Testimony against the Evils of the Times." In this paper they disowned the king and all the ministers of the Church, except Mr. Cargill. Being found guilty of treason, they were condemned accordingly; and the following Testimony is said to have been left by the above named individual.]

"MEN and Brethren,-Having by serious consideration, joined in giving a testimony against the enemies of God, and all that have joined with them in any thing which tended to the overthrow of the

• Cloud of Witnesses, pp. 149-161.

work of reformation;-for which, I am come, in your sight, to lay down this life of mine, which I engaged to do in that testimony, through His strength, if he called me to it,-because it was according to the word of God, and the covenanted reformation; and seeing, I engaged in the strength of the Lord to seal it with my blood, and now he in His holy and wise providence has put me to seal it; although I be the fecklessest and unworthiest of all that society,-I here in your presence, with all my heart, set to my seal to it with my blood, as was promised at the end of the paper. And, if all the hairs of my head were men, having lives, I would think them all little enough, to seal the cause of my dearest and sweetest Lord Jesus, who has been sweet and kind to me, in carrying me through every step of the work, which he put into my hand. O love him, Sirs! O but he is worth the loving! O but he has been kind to me since I was apprehended! For, he told me then, that Satan would cast some in prison, that they might be tried; and he bade me be faithful to the death,' and he promised me a crown of life;' and he hath helped me since to fulfil the conditions, and hath also given me a right to the promise. And this was all my desire, That the trial of my faith might be found precious, to the praise of his sweet name:' that his cause might not be wronged, nor his ark get a wrong touch by me. And herein, he hath heard my desire, according to that scripture, He will hear the desires of the humble, and the expectation of the poor will not be lost.' For, he keeps the covenant with thousands of them that love him, and keep his commandments:' and his commandments are not grievous, but his yoke is easy, and his burden light.' And he has said, He that forsaketh wife, or children, houses or lands, for my name's sake and the gospel's shall receive in this life an hundred fold, and in the world to come, life everlasting. And he that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me.'

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contend for his borne him and his enemies

“Therefore, dear friends, give not over to down truths, that this day are in debate betwixt in covenanted Scotland, according to that scripture,-' Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.' O contend, contend, and give not over; for he will arise for the oppression of the poor, and for the sighings of the needy; for he will have an opportunity to be about with all his enemies, and he is weary with forbearing. Therefore, trust in the Lord, trust in him at all times :' for they that trust in him shall not be ashamed; for they shall stand in the gate unashamed to speak unto their foes.' O Sirs! give him much credit; for he hath disappointed me of my fears, in that wherein I feared appearing before men, and helped me to stand before them; so that I had no terror or amazement, more than they had been the meanest of creatures; although I cannot say, that I have fought the good fight,' as that eminent apostle said; yet I can say (praised be God) He hath given me the victory through Jesus Christ my Lord,' over principalities; and hath confirmed me, that 'neither death nor life, nor any creature, shall separate me from the love of my sweet Lord Jesus Christ; who is love-worthy, praise

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worthy, worthy to be feared and honoured; who in his absolute sovereignty, set apart poor me, to give a testimony for his glorious and honourable work of reformation, who am less than the least of all saints,' but he is an absolute Lord, and shows mercy to whom he will show mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth; and he keeps the souls of the faithful and plentifully rewards the proud doer.'

"Therefore, being called to suffer this day, in this place, for the following of my duty, and for that in particular,―in giving a testimony against the dreadful, defections of these times, by the means of these backsliding ministers, who have left our sweet Lord Jesus, with his back at the wall, and his poor flock scattered upon the mountains, as sheep having no shepherd.' But, dear friends, comfort yourselves in this, that in his own time, he will search his sheep, aud find them out; although, alas.! I fear lest they shall be sorer scattered than yet they are but wait on him; for he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. And, his reward is with him, and his work is before him. And, the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant.' But, O dear friends, labour to be 'stedfast and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. And, give all diligence to make your calling and election sure; and if you do these things, you shall never fall. And, commit the keeping of your souls 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 present it spotless before the Father;'although, alas! I was loath 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 consent, and has become the surety for me of a better covenant, well ordered in all things and sure.'

"Therefore, considering my engagements to him, I leave my testimony to the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and the version of the Psalms in metre, and to the work of reformation, Covenants National and Solemn League, the Solemn Acknowledgment of Sins and Engagement to Duties, the Causes of God's Wrath, the Confession of Faith, as being conform to the Scriptures, and the Catechisms Larger and Shorter; I give my adherence to all the faithful testimonies 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 scaffolds, or in the seas; I adhere to the Sanquhar Declaration, the Torwood Excommunication, and the papers found at the Ferry, and to that joint Testimony given in the shire of Fife, by that society, whereof I was a member, though a worthless one, and I adhere to all things contained therein, because they are according to the Scriptures. And, I give my testimony to the faithful preaching in the fields, and to the keeping up of societies, and Christian fellowships, commanded in the word of God; not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is, and so much the more as you see the day approaching;' especially now when his glory is at stake, which is of more worth than our souls; and when men are seeking to get his work razed, and the name of Israel blotted out, that it may be no more in remembrance.

"Likewise, I leave my testimony against all those, who have joined with the declared enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ, both ministers and professors; and against all those, who maintain any principle contrary to the word of God, especially those who deny the authority of the Scriptures, and all the work of reformation, and have razed the fundamentals of true Christianity; some of them the Lord has given up to strong delusions, to believe lies, and to deny Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, and to maintain new lights, in meddling with the decrees of God, which his word never approved ; -and against every one of their principles. Likewise, I leave my testimony 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 prisoner; whom I questioned, if he durst in conscience say, that I lived by an implicit faith, or the example of others? So he said, that there were some in the room with me that had been murderers of others who had suffered. And I told him, that the xv. Psalm reached him a very sad reproof, 'for speaking evil against his neighbour' and also I said, We speak what we do know, and testify what we have heard.' And I declared, that I had seen no such thing of any that was in the room with me; but you have wronged (said I) God and his cause, by shifting his cross, and therefore you will not stand to wrong your neighbour.

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"And as for our being branded, that we hold our principles of men, and are dying to please men,—I altogether abhor such aspersions, for I hold my principles of none but of God and his word; and that which carries the sway with me, is the controverted truths of Jesus Christ; they are at this day in debate betwixt him and his enemies ; especially his kingly office, on which I dare venture life and liberty, and my salvation also, because the Father hath declared him to be King on his holy hill of Zion by an unalterable decree; and there to reign till all his enemies be brought under his feet.' Therefore, as I have left my testimony against all who cast such aspersions on me, or any other who have suffered in this manner; I leave my blood also, to witness against them, who will adventure to do it, whether enemies or pretended friends. Likewise, I leave my testimony against the encroachments made upon the rights of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the privileges of his church, by that usurper Charles Stuart, and all the bloody crew under him. Likewise, I leave my testimony against that excommunicated traitor the duke of Monmouth, for his appearance against the work of God and his people, joined for the defence of the gospel and interest of Jesus Christ, and all that joined with him. Likewise I leave my testimony against that avowed Papist, York. Also, I leave my testimony against that designed parliament to put power in his hand. Also, I leave my testimony against those abominable wretches that sat in these associations and falsely accused and sentenced me to death, and against these fifteen assizers who gave me my sentence, and against that wretch called the clerk, and Andrew Cunningham who gave me my doom. Likewise, I leave my testimony against all who have joined with the declared enemies, whether ministers or professors, especially

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