of his last advices to him, and so parted with him, saying, “Lord be with you my dear father." He then turned to his brother, who was also by him upon the scaffold, and after the same manner embraced him, and so parted with him in words to the same purpose as to his father, and with an exhortation, that he should amend his life, and forbear his idle company, but especially his ways with several others of that nature,-telling him the hazard thereof and encouraging him if he would follow his last advices. Then he turned to two gentlemen, who were also with him, and after the same manner, embraced, saluted, and parted with them. He then made another bow to the whole multitude, and so went up the ladder, and turning his face to the north-east, he cried out, saying, "I am come here to-day, to lay down my life, which I do willingly and cheerfully, and am neither surprised nor terrified with death, or the manner of it: and here I do declare I would not exchange my lot with what the greatest king, prince, or emperor's enjoyments could afford me, and what I speak once, I say it again, I lay down my life willingly and cheerfully for Christ and his truth, blessing him that ever I had a life to lay down for him; yea, I am now no more troubled with or for death, than if I were to lie down in the finest bed that the earth could afford, with the most dear and intimate friend that the world could allow me, and here I do declare, that I do heartily and freely forgive all men, whatsoever they have done to, or against me, and pray that the Lord would forgive them. I forgive them that sentenced me to die here, first and last; and I forgive all that apprehended me, first and last, or was any way accessory thereto; and I forgive all that have brought me here, and are guarding me here; and I forgive this poor man, pointing with his hand behind him to the hangman, who is to be my executioner. Now, I desire you all, especially you who pretend to be righteous, study to be sincere in the way of God, and in working out your salvation; for, there are many who pretend to be godly, that know little of the life and power thereof; therefore, I entreat you,-labour to know what is the power and life of godliness; for there are many, if not the most part, who pretend to be righteous, that know least of it. I say, -be not satisfied with the shell, but labour for the kernel and marrow of religion. Now, my friends, remember, I tell you here upon the ladder, and as a dying man stepping out of time into eternity, that notwithstanding all the dark clouds that have been, and now are, yet there is a thicker and darker coming, and it is not far off, yea, it is at hand. But, I say, trust in God, trust in God, and he will not disappoint you, I say, trust in God whatever afflictions befall you, yet trust in God, and give him credit." At the hearing of these words, the bailie calls to beat the drums, and so they were beat a little, at which he looked down to the bailie, and said, "What, sir, do ye beat drums, because 1 desire the people to trust in God?" and so the drums were silenced. Then he cried out again, "Trust in God, and ye shall be borne through, if once ye get in him, and keep in him. He then said, "I will sing a part of the 25th Psalm, from the 16th verse to the close, for it has been many a time very sweet to me, and so I will sing it as my last song in time, I shall be immediately where my heart shall be so tuned, pointing

with his hand to his breast, that I shall never be able to stop the melody and harmony thereof." Then having sung these verses, he prayed, in which, among other things, he had this expression, "Lord, take a course with thine enemies, and those of them whom thou has a purpose of love to; Lord bring them in, and let them see the evil of their ways; and those that are thine incorrigible enemies make the wheels of thy chariots go over their backs: and now, Lord, leave my not, and leave not thine to the evil of the enemies, hasten and retuTM" to thine heritage that is now in reproach, turn to thy church and people, for thy glorious name's sake. Thou knowest I dare say before thee and in thy sight, that I preferred thy work and interest to my very life, which, as I am a rational creature, is as sweet to me as another man's is; yet I durst not purchase at any rate, to the prejudice of thy truth, and so I lay it down freely and willingly." So, having called his father to him, "A word with you, sir ;" and so, having spoken what he had to say to him, he again took his leave of him, delivering him a book to be given to another, and so parted with him: and perceiving his brother, (who was on the ladder with him,) trembling, he said to him smiling, and clapping him on the cheek, "What, sir, are you trembling? for what, sir, are you afraid?" The executioner having now put a napkin upon his head, and it being tied, and his brother offering to pull it over his face, he, (putting away his hand,) said, "Let it alone, I will draw it down myself;" so, he put his hands into his pocket, and took out the cover of his Bible, and putting the same therein he gave it to his brother, charging him, straitly to give it to his sister. Then he looked round about him, saying, farewell all my friends in Christ,"-pointing with his hand to some that he knew, both in windows and on the street. Το one, (fixing his eyes upon him,) he said, "My dear Billie, the Lord be with you, the Lord be with you; and having fixed himself upon a step of the ladder he said," I remember a passage of Abraham, who was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac, he having, in obedience to the command, brought his son to offer him up a sacrifice, reared up an altar, and Isaac said to him, “ Here is the altar, and there is the wood, but where is the sacrifice;" and then he said, (pointing to the gibbet,) "here is the altar," and then, pointing to the ladder on which he sat, "here is the wood," and then (laying his hands on his breast,) he said, “and, blessed be God, here is a free-will offering, and I will give it willingly and cheerfully, yea, I can say it here, even upon the brink of eternity, that these several years I have preferred the glory of God, the welfare and prosperity of the work and interest of Christ, and his people, to my own private and particular interest; and I might have shunned such a death as this, but, God knows, I durst not do it. "And now, I know, yea, I am firmly persuaded, that my dear Lord, even my exalted and glorified Lord Jesus Christ, will carry me safely through this dark valley and shadow of death, and will receive my soul immediately after I go off this ladder into glory, where I shall ever be with him. Then he said again, (crying with a loud voice,)" now, when I can hardly get speaking for the rope about my neck, farewell all friends and followers of Christ, and again, I say, fare

well and adieu all earthly enjoyments;-and so (having specified to the hangman a sign when he would be ready,) he prayed a little within himself, and when he had done, gave the sign, and at the giving thereof drew the napkin over his face, and cried out," Farewell all friends in Christ, and into thy hands, O Lord, do I commit my soul." So he was turned over. And so ends the life of this faithful and now glorified martyr for Christ; and to God the Father, Son, and blessed Spirit, be eternal praise and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.*

XXXVI. JOHN MAIN.

[This was one of Five men who were tried, condemned, and executed at Glasgow. He belonged to the parish of Old, or as it is sometimes called, West Monkland; but besides this, we have scarcely another fact transmitted with regard to him. With his four companions in suffering, he was, on the 17th of March, 1684, sisted before a Special Commission appointed to conduct such processes in the West, and after a trial,-which though embracing the same grounds with those belonging to that period,-was certainly remarkable for the gross and flagrant injustice which it exhibited, and the total want of proof to support the indictment,―he was with the rest of them sentenced to suffer death at the cross of Glasgow, two days after, viz. on the 19th of said month. This sentence was executed accordingly, but as is well shown in the following testimony, perhaps a more unjust one was never passed.] "It cannot be expected, every thing considered, that ye should have such a testimony under my hand, as ye have had from the hands of many that have gone before me: but seeing God in his infinite wisdom hath seen it fit to bring me upon the stage for truth, I thought myself bound and obliged in his sight, to testify before the world, my close adherence to his written word, and what is conform thereto. And 1st, I testify my adherence to the Bible, the Old and New Testament, as the only and alone rule of faith and obedience, I know, it stands not in need of my approbation; but to let the world know, I die not as a fool, I think it my duty to assert my adherence unto it, declaring, that I take it for my only rule, rejecting the traditions of men as not canonical. 2. I testify my adherence to the Confession of Faith, (saying nothing to that fourth article of the 23d chapter, but only that it is misconstructed, and made use of for another end than ever the honest and faithful ministers of Jesus Christ had before them, when they gave their approbation of the same,) and Catechisms Larger and Shorter, our Covenants National and Solemn League, Acknowledgment

• This article, as already stated, has been extracted from a quarto pamphlet, published so early as the year 1722. The testimony contained in it was thought much too long to be inserted as a whole into the present work. The above, ever, seemed to be the most important and useful passages, and will give the r a pretty correct idea of the general line of argument pursued in it.

of Sins and Engagement to Duties, the Sum and Practical Use of Saving Knowledge. 3. To the work of reformation, as it was reformed from popery, prelacy, and malignancy; even to that work, as it is a direct opposition to every sin, and a motive to every duty; and particularly to the remonstrances, protestations, and testimonies against the malignant party and malignant actions,-they being found out to be inconsistent with, and contrary to the written word of God, and the sworn principles of the church of Scotland, and being found to be hurtful to Christian society, not only by the effects of them, but as to the nature and quality of them, even simply considered in themselves, besides the bad effects aggravating them in the sight of the truly godly, and rightly zealous ministers and professors of this church. 4. To the faithful preaching of the gospel, upon muirs and mountains, and high places of the fields, and particularly the preaching down the sins of the time, and up duty. 5. I leave my testimony to the lifting arms for personal defence, and for defence of the gospel: for seeing that other means were failed, and an occasion offering for that, the law both of God and nature does warrant and allow the same. I need not go

to quote scripture for the probation of it, since the whole scope of it runs in this strain; and also ye may read several places of scripture, particularly and expressly allowing, yea, commanding the same, and many imitable scripture examples, where the people of God lifted arms against kings, as the people's resisting Saul. I testify to the lawfulness of that hostile defence at Pentland and Bothwell-bridge, and several field-meetings, where they were put to it by the violent and bloody assaults of their enemies. 6. In a word (for I study brevity, being necessitated) to all the faithful testimonies of the godly, given on scaffolds, and some other testimonies given in hostile manner, viz. The testimony given at Rutherglen, May 29th, 1679, and the declarations published at Lanark, in the years 1680, and 1682. I disown and testify against the declaration published at Hamilton, in the year 1679, particularly, because it takes in the interest of Charles Stuart; for though he was once a king, he is now a tyrant, by his cutting the neck of the noble government established in this land, and overturning the main and fundamental conditions, whereupon he was constituted; and it is notour to all in this kingdom, and I believe to part of our neighbour nations also, that he carries on a course contrary to the word of God, and light of nature, and destructive to all Christian and human society; yea, a course that very heathens would abhor, even the thing itself, abstract from its aggravations.

"I come now in short, (desiring ye may pardon escapes) to let you know what I testify against. And 1. (not to go further back) I leave my testimony against many ministers, for their leaving their Master's work, at the simple command of usurpers, as if they had been only the servants of men; and I declare my disapprobation, yea, my testimony against the sinful silence of ministers, after they have left the vineyard where their Master had placed them to labour, and their not acknowledging publicly their unfaithfulness; for which (together with their other grievous failings) the Lord is this day contending with them. I know not what plagues are so sad as to be plagued by the hand of

;

God, by being laid aside from his work; I say, their unfaithfulness, in not standing in the way of the people, when they were so generally drawn away to hear curates. Mistake me not, thinking that I look upon the people as innocent, when I speak of the sins of the ministers for I see it my duty to testify against both, and there will not one of them excuse another: but remember that the ministers must account for the people who perish through their default. 2. Against ministers' tampering with that woful and hell-hatched indulgence, and more particularly, their accepting thereof. I testify against the actual accepters of it, and against a woful connivance in the non-accepters of the same; and whereas there ought to have been an open testifying and protecting against it. I shall study to say but little; but I die in the faith of it, That God shall send a clear discovery of matters, and these that have betrayed their trust, and have not been as they should and ought to have been, shall see and be ashamed; but Lord grant that many may see the evil of their doings in time, and may mourn for the same, or otherwise it will be sad for them; but every one shall see first or last. But remember Esau, 'who found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.' 3. Against the ministers' woful yielding unto and joining with the malignant party and interest at Bothwell-bridge, and their woful yielding unto the usurpation made upon the prerogatives royal of our wronged Lord and Prince Jesus Christ, by their acceptance of liberty granted after Bothwell-bridge, and taking occasion to preach in houses according unto the liberty granted, refusing to preach without doors, notwithstanding the great necessity sometimes requiring the same, and many of them refusing to preach when any of the people stood without doors; this was notourly known at the time, and I think it be not yet forgot, and however it may be forgot by us, yet I assure you, it is not forgot by a holy God. I testify against their sinful silence, and not jeoparding their lives for their wronged Lord and provoked Master, especially at a time when Mr. R. C. and Mr. D. C. went to the fields. I testify against their condemning of these two worthies in discourse and preaching, and also in their practice. In short, against every thing in ministers and professors contrary unto, or inconsistent with the presbyterian principles of the church of Scotland. 4. I leave my testimony against Popery, Prelacy, and Erastianism, and every thing contrary to the word of God, and particularly against quakerism, anabaptism, independency, and all sectarians, and whatsoever is not warranted by the Holy Scriptures. 5. Against the imposing of that cursed cess; not that I call cess-lifting in itself unlawful; but I call that cess unlawful, which was imposed by a corrupt convention of estates who met at Edinburgh, in the year 1673. For some things that are in themselves lawful, are sometimes so circumstanced, as that they become unlawful; as sometimes the end of an action makes the action unlawful: I may give the cess for an instance of this: for the end of imposing it (as themselves declare) was mainly to bear down field meetings, and other innocent associations of the people of God, disdainfully and wickedly called by them, rendezvouses of rebellionwhich meetings all Scotland was bound to maintain; but they ought