: ment of his lips. I have efteemed the words of his mouth more than my neceffary food. Ver, 13. But he is of one mind, and who can turn him? and what his foul defireth, even that ⚫ he doth. Ver. 14 For he performeth the thing that is ap pointed for me and many fuch things are with him. Pfal, cv. latter part of the 19. ver. The word of the Lord tried him. Luke xxi. 12. But before all thefe, they fhall lay their hands on you, and perfecute you, delivering you up to the fynagogues, and into prifons, being brought before kings for my name's fake. Ver. 13. And it fhall turn to you for a tefti mony, Ver. 19. In your patience poffefs ye your fouls. Heb. xiii. 23. To the general affembly and Church of the first, born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to Ble the fpirits of juft men made perfect. James i. 12. Bleffed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he fhall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Petv 7. Cafting all your care upon him, for he careth for you Ver. 8. Be fober, be vigilant; because your adverfary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, fecking whom he may devour. Rev. i 18. I know thy works: Behold, I have fet before thee an open door, and no man can fhut it: for thou haft a little strength, and haft kept my word, and haft not denied my name. Ver, 10. Because thou haft kept the word of my patience, I alfo will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which fhall come. upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Ver. Behold I come quickly: hold that fast which thou haft, that no man take thy crown. Ver. 12 Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he fhall go no more out: And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerufalem, which cometh down from heaven, from my God: And I will write upon him my new name. Rey xix. 20. And the beaft was taken, and with him the falle prophet, that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beaft, and them that wor fhipped his image: Thefe both were caft alive into a lake of fire burning with brimftone. Ver. 1. And the remnant were. fla with the word of him that fat upon the horse, which fword proceedeth out of his mouth And all the fowls were filled with their fleth. And many other Scriptures. O what can I fay to the Lord's praile! It was but little that I knew of him before I came to prifon; I have found fenfibly much of his divine Grength, much of the joy of his Spirit, and much affurance from his word and Spirit concerning my falvation; my fufferings are ftated upon the matters of my doctring w for there was found with me the fum of my last two Sermons at Braid's Craigs, which I wrote after I preached them: the for mer whereof was upon Pfal xlvi. 10. Be ftill and know that "Tam God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." And in the latter upon Heb. x. 38. "Now the juft fhall live by faith: But if any man draw back, my foul thall have no pleasure in him." And fo I was examined upon the application made therein upon the fins of the time; all which I owned once and again, as it is to be feen in, my indictment, and I being tried, and an affize fet; I adhered. to my former confeffion explicitely; fo my fentence of death was drawn forth upon these heads: Firft, Because I could not own James the VII. to be my law. ful fovereign. Secondly, Because I taught the unlawfulness of paying the cefs, exprefly exacted for fupprefling the faithful and free preaching of the gofpel Third Y Because I taught that it was the people's duty to carry arms at the preaching of the gofpel, now when it is per fecuted, for defending themfelves, and refifting of unjust violence, 1 I think fuch a teftimony is worth many lives, and I praife the Lord, for his enabling me to be plain and pofitive in all my confeflions: for therein I found peace, joy, ftrength and boldnefs; I have met with many affaults in prifon, fome from fome of the indulged party, and others from fome of the prelatick; but by the ftrength of God, I was enabled to stand, that they. could neither bow me nor break me: I was alfo affulted by fome of the Popish party, I fuppofe they were fome of the ecclefiaftic creatures, but they found none of their own stuff ia me; I told them after fundry debatings, That I had lived, and fhould die an enemy to their way: However fome that knew me not, reproached me with Jefuitifm: I was preffed by fundry to feek a reprive, and my aufwer was always, That I adher ed to my former confeffion, and if they pleafed to let that ap pointed time of my death ftand, let it ftand, and if they pleaf ed to protract it, let them protract it; for I was ready and wil ling both to live and die; Howbeit there came a reprive for eight days, but I had no hand in it: They ftill urged, would I but fay, That I defired time, for conference with fome perfons anent my principles. I anfwered, That my time was in the Lord's hand, and I was in no hesitation, or doubt about my principles mvfelf: I would not be forude as to decline confer ence with any, fo far as it might not be inconvenient for me in my prefent circumstances, but will feek it with none: I have ng no more to lay on this head, but my heart doth not finite me for any thing in the matters of my God, fince I came to prifón: And I can further fay to his praife, with confcioufnefs of inte grity, That I have walked in his way, and kept his charge, tho', with much weakness, and many infirmities, whereof ye have, been witneffes. Now my dear friends in precious Chrift, I think I need not tell you, that as I have lived fo I die in the fame perfwafion, with the true reformed and covenanted Prefbyterian Church of Scoland, that I adhere to the teftimony of the day, as it is held forth in our informatory vindication, and in the testimony against the prefent toleration; and that I own, and feal with my blood all the precious truths, even the controverted truths" that all the p that I have taught: So I every one of you, to would exhi make fure your perfonal reconciliation with God in Chrift; for I fear, many of you have that yet to do: and when ye come where I am, to look pale death in the face, ye will not be a little fhaken and terrified, if ye have not laid hold on eternal life. I would exhort you, to much diligence in the ufe of means, to be careful in keeping up your focieties, to be frequent and ferwent in fecret prayer, to read much the written word of God, and to examine yourselves by, it Do not weary to in your places and stations, the prefent teftimony; Chrift goes forth to defeat Antichrift, with that name written on his vesture, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS He will make it glorious in the earth: And ye can but tranfmit it to the pofterity, ye may count it a great generation work: But beware of the Minifters, that have accepted of this toleration, and all others that bend that way, and follow them not, for the fun hath gone down upon them. Do not fear, that the Lord will caft off Scotland; for he will certainly return again, and fhew himself glorious in our land; But watch and pray, for he is bringing on a fad overthrowing ftroke, which fhall make many fay, That they have eafily got through, that have got a fcaffold for Chrift, and do not regard the prefent fufferings of this world, for they are not worthy to be compar ed to the glory that shall be revealed. I may fay to his praife, that I have found his cross sweet and lovely unto me, for I have had many joyful hours, and not a fearful thought fince I came to prifon, he hath ftrengthned me to outbrave man, and out face death; and I am now longing for the joyful hour of my diffolution; and there is nothing in the world that I am forry to leave but you; but I go to better company, and fo I muft take my leave of you all. Farewel beloved fufferers, and followers of the Lamb. Farewel Chriftian' intimates. Farewel Christian and comfortable mother and fiftTMTM as. Farewel sweet societies. Farewel defirable general-meet ings. Farewel night-wanderings in cold and weariness for Chrift. Farewel fweet Bible, and preaching of the gofpel. Farewel fun, moon and ftars, with all fublunary things. Farewel conflicts with a body of fin and death. Welcome feaffold for precious Chrift. Welcome heavenly Jerufalem, Welcome innumerable company of angels. Welcome general affembly, and Church of the firft born. Welcome crown of glory, white robés, aud fongs of Mofes and the Lamb. And above all welcome, O thou bleffed trinity and one God! O eternal One! I commit my foul into thy eternal reft. JAMES RENWICK Letter to His Chriftian Friends, writ in the time of his re 1.. My dear Friends in Chrift, I prival See now what hath been the language of my reprive, it hath been, that I might be further tempted and tried, and I praise the Lord, he hath affifted me, to give further proofs of ftedfaftnefs; I have been often affaulted by fome popish Priests; but the last time they came, I told them I would debate no more with fuch as they were, and that I had lived and would die a Prefbyterian, Proteftant, and teftifie against the idolatries, herefies, fuperftitions and errors of that antichriftian way. But yefterday I was caft into a deep exercife, and made to dwell under an impreffion of the dreadfulness of every thing, that might grieve the Spirit of God I found fin to be more bitter than death, and one hours hiding of God's face more infupportable And then at night, I was called before a part of the council, and the Chancellor produced the informatory vindication, and atked, If I knew it? I answered, I know it; and being interrogate, I confeffed that I had a great hand in writing of it; they preffed me to tell my affiftances, I told them they were those whom they perfecuted, but would fatisfic them no further: they alfo urged me upon pain of torture, to tell where our focieties were; who kept our general correfpondences and where they were kept. I anfwered, though they fhould torture me, which was contrary to all law, after fentence of death, I would give them no further notice than the books gave. I was moreover threatned to tell my haunts and quarters, but I refused to make known to them any fuch thing; fo I was returned to: prifon. Such exercise as I had, was very needful for fuch a trial; And I would rather endure what they could do unto me, than have difhonoured Chrift, offended you, and brought you under trouble.-But I hope within lefs than three days, to be without the reach of all temptations. Now I have no more to fay, Farewel again in our bleffed Lord Jefus.. A bort Account of his last Words upon the Scaffold. EFORE he went out of the tolbooth, he was at dinner with his mother and fifters, and fome Chriftian friends, when the drum beat the first warning to his execution; which fo foon as he heard, he leapt up in ravishment of heavenly joy, faying, "Let us be glad and rejoice, for the marriage of the Lamb is "come;" and I can fay, in fome meafure, "The bride, the Lamb's wife, hath made herself ready." And till dinner was over, he enlarged upon the parallel of a marriage, and invited all of them to come to the wedding, meaning his execution: When he was come to the scaffold, the drums being beat all the while, none of the diftant fpectators could hear any thing that he faid, only fome very few, that were close by him, did hear it, whereof one has collected the following account: He delivered himself to this effect. Spectators, or, (if there be any of you) auditors, I must tell you I am come here this day to lay down my life, for adhering to the truths of Chrift, for which I am neither afraid nor afhamed to fuffer, nay, I blefs the Lord, that ever he counted me worthy, or enabled me to fuffer any thing for him; and I defire to praise his grace, that he hath not only kept me free from the grofs pollutions of the time: But alfo from many ordinary pollutions of children; and fuch as I have been stained with, he hath wafhen me from them in his own blood. I am this day to lay down my life for thefe three things. (1) For difowning the ufurpations and tyranny of James duke of York (2.) For preaching, That it was unlawful to pay the cefs, exprefly exacted for bearing down the gofpel. (3) For preaching that it was lawful for people to carry arms, for defending themselves in their meetings, for the perfecuted gofpel-ordinances. I think * teftimony for thefe is worth many lives, and if I had an hundred, I would think it little enough to lay them all down for the fame. Dear Friends, fpectators, and (if any of you be) auditors, muft tell you, That I die a Prefbyterian Proteftant. I own the confeffion of faith, larger and fhorter catechifms, fum of faving knowledge, directory for worthip, etc. covenants, national and folemn league, acts of general affemblies, and all the faithful contendings that have been for the work of reformation. I leave my teftimony approving the preaching of the gofpel in the fields, and the defending the fame by arms. I join my teftimony to all that hath been fealed by blood, fhed either on fcaffolds, fields, |