of his slain Witnesses together with what our Lords slain Witnesses have asserted for the time to come concerning his reviving of his now languishing dying Work is very encouraging to exercise patience and not to faint while meeting with dark and tempestuous dispensations and first consider what our Lords first honourable slain Witness spake at his death viz. These times will be either times of great suffering or great sinning and they that will be free of sinning shall not escape suffering and they that will shun suffering shall not escape sinning there is a Dilemma in the matter sin or suffer And truly for my own part I may think it a mercy that I have been so hardly dealt with for if I had met with more favour as others have I might have sinned as others have done and as more will yet do if the Lord do not prevent And is not this sadly evidenced O what dreadful defection and apostatizing from the Truth since that day Have not many confirmed that Prophecy against themselves Psal. 2. 2 3. breaking the Lord's bonds and casting away his cords Have not many since that day notwithstanding the sealing of these Truths by the blood of his Witnesses declared that God's blessed Work was but a Rebellious Combination and this they have subscribed with their hands howbeit it was a precious mean of prospering the Father's pleasure in the hand of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his seeing the fruit of the sore travel of his soul to his great comfort Isa. 53. 10 11. If it had been but a combination of men could so many souls have been converted while it was on foot Nay blessed be our God he hath put it out of doubt among us by making his Son's Kingdom flourish more in its time than ever since the Apostles dayes Our Lord hath said Ioh. 5. The works that I do bear witness of me It 's dangerous calling the work of the holy Ghost a Combination of men and his operation upon souls the fruit of Rebellion it is the sin against the holy Ghost to say he casteth out Devils through Beelzebub Mat. 12.24 31. and calling the effects and fruits of Reformation the effects of an unlawful Combination comes near to this sin Now this work this blessed work is condemned and the Covenant that opened the door thereunto is abjured by many whereby they have renounced their share and interest in the Covenant and Work of Reformation and of what too-look they seemed to have unto the comforts attending or following upon the same which is a dreadful business for our Covenant is nothing else but a solemn express declaration of our being satisfied with the Covenant of Grace and that upon the conditions whereupon the Lord offers it unto us 2. our formal express national acceptation thereof upon these terms and 3. our promising and engaging by his grace to fulfill these conditions under the hazard of forfeiting and losing our interest in that Covenant and all its blessings priviledges and advantages And howbeit a chief and main Article in the Covenant of Grace by the Lord 's engaging to make us fulfill our part of that Covenant yet he never tenders mercy to us but upon condition of our taking and owning him for our God Head and Lord in Jesus Christ and that we will worship him according to his own appointment in his Word and if you compare our Covenant with the Duties God requires of his New-Testament Church ye shall find nothing whereunto we are obliged in it but that which God requires of us as the conditions upon which he is content to agree with us in the Covenant of Grace and therfore quaeritor which to me is no question whether to abjure the Covenant that binds us to fulfill the conditions of the Covenant of Grace be not indeed to abjure upon the matter the Covenant of Grace it self seing they say they will not fulfil the conditions thereof O horrid desperate work they have quitted their share of all the comforts attending this Covenant for time and eternity for this is no such breach as is committed through weakness ignorance c. this is a clear deliberate formal express up-giving with him and to make all sure they have given under their hands that they judge themselves obliged not to keep the same and have given him assurance that he needs expect no better at their hands hereafter for they declare they judge all such Promises and Engagements to serve him utterly unlawful and this is their last answer to him as the desperate result of all the pains he hath taken on them Now as this part of this honourable Witnesse's discourse is accomplished so I hope shall the rest in due time as to what he said for encouragement to the Lords People 2. Faithful Mr. Guthrie who had much of the Lord's mind in his lifetime gave very great ground of comfort to them that lament after the Lord he will yet again revive his Work in Britain and Ireland by the power of His Spirit for he hath not cast away his People c. and the Lord seemed to confirm this from Heaven 3. This blessed Witness gave also much ground of encouragement and it will be the more comfortable if we consider that he did it as a duty whereunto he was pressed in soul viz. to comfort the Lord's People in the assurance of his appearing for his Word his work his Câ—use his Covenant and that in such a way by such means and instruments with such antecedents concurrences and effects as shall wonderfully comfort his People c. see pag. 7. Now may not this threefold Witness together with the consideration of the Lord 's guiding the last â—ealing and Scaffold-discourses of his Witnesses encourage the Lord's People to exercise patience in waiting for him who will fulfill his Word for in Mount-Zion and in Ierusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said Ioel 2. 32. And here I cannot pass by an expression of this Witness in a Letter formerly mentioned pag. 12. viz. Shall we not account the taking and renewing of the Covenant in the years 1580 81 90 and again 1638 and then again 1643 and 48 as good as a threefold Proclamation of the Lords even so I take her even so I take her into an indissolvable Match and this threefold Proclamation is sealed by a threefold witness who confirmed and subscrived the same with their blood venturing upon death and eternity with all chearfulness and tranquility of soul owning and avowing the same and truly they were known to have more of God's mind and had nearer access unto him than all their opposers Certainly this must be a very good Cause that giveth so much quiet peace and joy to the owners thereof at death for they are ravished and transported with inexpressible joy that ever they were made instrumental for God in carrying on that Work and helped of him to suffer for the same And upon the other hand the work that 's now carried on in the Church must be very bad for the owners of it dare not own it at death but are discouraged when they cannot mend their folly some of them have cryed out on death-bed O do you think there may be mercy for abjuring the Covenant for ten thousand worlds I would not endure that one hour which I endure night and day if I could shun it c. they would gladly die in Covenant with God though they will not live so Good Lord keep all his People and me also from owning that cause in our life which we dare not own at death yea and which the very owners thereof would disown at death and no wonder for they dare not look God in the face The good Lord give repentance speedily to any of them he minds to save that they may come out of that dangerous desperate and soul-destroying condition wherein they cannot expect to be saved FINIS Let the Reader take notice that these faithful Witnesses very heartily prayed for the Kings Maiesty his succession pressing also Loyalty upon us who still have held that to be our duty according to the Covenant our Confession of Faith is a sufficient proof of the Covenant parties esteem of Monarchical Government Yea that in the person of our dread Sovereign as Gods Ordinance and may sufficiently clear them of all false Calumnies cast on them by the Prelates who have still laboured to make themselves great by begetting a misunderstanding betwixt his Majesty and his best subjects ERRATA Page 8. line 24 read unfriends P. 16. l. 7. r. Mr. George c. P. 15. l. 21 r. but what
by the Ministry of the Prophets and so could not but come to pass Answâ— It is true Instances cannot prove such Assertions neither is it our intent to seem to make it infallibly out neither to bid the People of God lay such weight upon these sayings as they must lay upon the Prophecies which are written in the Scriptures being the ground of our Faith for though such sayings may be true Prophecies whereof we may in moderation look for the accomplishment as that of Mr. Iohn Wishart concerning Cardinal Beaton was a true Prophecy Yet we are not infallibly assured that these are Prophecies till they be accomplished all we attempt here is to give the People of God ground of expectation of good in the latter end whereunto the knowledge and consideration of his ordering his Servants discourse at their death very much conduceth and to give the Lord his own free latitude to do or forbear in these things as he in the depth of his Holy Wisdom sees expedient But 2. howbeit these were Prophecies directed from God and so could not fail yet we find also that the Assertions of slain dying Witnesses were frequently more speedily accomplished than most of other Prophecies as is clear in the forementioned Scripture 2 Chron. 24. 20,24 Howbeit I say this which ye will find clear yet I am not meaning that we should still look for a speedy accomplishment of Scaffold-discourses all I plead for from this is that the Lord hereby seemeth to give us ground to think that such discourses will be fulfilled in due time for other Prophecies were as true as that of Zachariah but his soonest fulfilled And if it be not lawful for us to conclude speedy outgates because of such discourses yet that he will fulfill these words we may in sobriety expect It is true also some other Prophecies were as soon fulfilled as Zachariahs as Isa. 37. 33,34 was fulfilled ver 36. But this and the like were Prophecies of Mercie and Deliverance to a humbled broken People and for the speedy fulfillment whereof these Reasons may be given 1. God delights much in Mercy and makes haste in fulfilling gracious Promises 2. There was a present necessity of the fulfilment thereof both in respect of the Lord's People who were humbled before God and immediatly to be ruined if he had not fulfilled his Word 3. The Promise or Prophecy was made as to that instant of time for if it had not been fulfilled at the instant whereunto it did relate it could have been no Prophecy for when a Prophecy comes of something to be done at such a time where no condition is expressed nor understood it must be fulfilled at that time else it could not be said to be a Prophecy such was Isaiah's Isa. 37. 33,34 c. But that which we speak of is as relating to the threatnings uttered by dying Witnesses and such as could have been suspended as well as others without any apparent hurt to the truth of Prophecy yet is quickly fulfilled yea sooner than other Prophecies of the same nature yea and possibly for this very end to put a tincture of respect beyond ordinary upon the words of dying Witnesses for as we have said consider the prophetical denunciations of wrath by Znchariah a dying slain Witness and the prophetical denunciations of wrath by Ieremiah Ezekiel c. and why comes Zachariah's Prophecy sooner to pass than Ieremiah's this not being limited to a certain time and therefore might have been suspended as well as Ieremiahs without prejudice to the Prophecy I know none but this 1. It was the Lord's pleasure and 2. to shew his respect to dying Witnesses that he would have what they say taken especial notice of 2. Likewise this Consideration may be confirmed by the Lord 's accomplishing the last words of his Servants both in the primitive and latter times we shall only mention one instance more and that is the prophetical discourse of godly famous Mr. Geo. Wishart who as he had much of God's mind in his lifetime as is clear in the history of his life in Mr. Clarks Martyrology so was his last words well ordered by the Lord for when he was burning in the fire at St. Andrews in Scotland and seeing the Cardinal looking out at a window feeding upon the sight of this sad tragedy prophesied that he should be thrown out at the same window ere long and as he said so the Lord brought it quickly to pass to the great joy and comfort of his People 3. This may help to confirm what we say in this Consideration anent his ordering and directing the last discourses of his suffering Servants viz. It very much tendeth to the clearing of their Cause as being his when he fulfilleth their Scaffold Discourses and as they are tender of his Glory laying down their lives for his sake so is he tender both of his own and their credit that they may not bring the imputation of deceived witnesses upon themselves at death and as it was formerly asserted if ever the accomplishment of that promise can be expected or is fulfilled at any time in this world Mat. 10. 19. It shall be given you at that same hour what ye ought to speak it may be expected by and is fulfilled unto his dying Witnesses on the Scaffold For when I pray you is it to be expected if not then and how often hath he made the truth of that appear which he addeth for it is not ye but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you and who can say that ever the Lord suffered his suffering testifying sealing confirming and dying Witnesses to be mistaken in their last discourse yea which may confirm it yet more let me see the man in all the world friend or foe that can bring an instance of one dying witnessing Martyr who spake that at his death which the Lord did not in due time some way or other accomplish yea I defy to bring me one faithful slain Witness that was suffered to be in a mistake at his death and in his last testimony even from Abels dayes to our own time and let them that judge this a rash impertinent expression see how they will clear themselves of denying that promise of our Lord it shall be given you in that same hour what ye ought to speak and so I leave it to the Lord to defend Now by all this it may appear that he reveals secrets to dying Witnesses which he keeps up from many others who are also dear unto him so that howbeit their words be not to be esteemed of equal weight with the written and infallible Scriptures a surer Word than if a voice were speaking from Heaven 2 Pet. 1. 9. yet their sayings while dying for and in the Lord do give good encouragement unto them that remain alive and so to be much esteemed by them And truly the consideration hereof together with his fulfilling or at least having ever hitherto fulfilled the words
I can wish no better to my self 9. I do most humbly and earnestly begg the Fervent Prayers of all His Praying Children Servants and Instruments wheresoever they be whether absent or present to be put up in behalf of His Name Cause Covenant Work and People and also in behalf of my Wife and Children and their Posterity and that the Lord would Glorifie Himself Edifie his Church Encourage his Saints further and accomplish his Good Work by all his Doings and Dealings in Substances towards all his own 10. Whereas I heard that some of my own Friends have Slandered and defamed my Name as if I had been accessary to his late Majesties death and to the making the change of the Government thereupon I am free as I shall now answer before his Tribunal from any accession by counsel or contrivance or any other way to his late Majesties death or to their making that change of the Government and the Lord judge between Me and mine Accusers And I pray the Lord to preserve our present King his Majesty and to pour his best Blessings upon him and his Royal Posterity and the Lord give unto them good and faithful Counsellors Holy and Wise Councils and prosperous Successors to God's Glory and the Good of his Interest and People and to their own Honour and Happiness 11. I do here submit and commit my Soul and Body VVife and Children and their Childrens Children from Generation to Generation for ever with all others our Lord's Friends and Followers and all his doing suffering witnessing and sympathizing Ones in the present and subsequent Generations unto the Lord 's choicest Mercies Graces Favours Services Imployments Impowerments Injoyments Improvements and Inheritments in Earth and in Heaven in Time and Eternity All which suits with all others which he hath at any time by his Spirit moved and assisted me to make and put up according to his Will I leave before the Throne and upon the Father's merciful Bowels and the Sons mediating Merits and the holy Spirits compassionating groans for now and for evermore Amen When he had delivered this Discourse at the North-side of the Scaffold he went about to the South-side where he delivered it again with the like admirable courage to the astonishment of all Then did he pray most fervently as his manner had alwayes been with much faith and humility calling upon God as a childe upon his tender-hearted father beginning his supplications according to the Rule appointed by Christ for direction in Prayer thus Abba Abba Father Father accept this thy poor sinful Servant coming unto thee through the Merits of Iesus Christ c. and when speaking of himself spake most humbly as if he had been the chief of sinners forgetting the many honourable pieces of Service the Lord had put upon him wherein he made him eminently instrumental for promoting of his Kingdom in the world Thereafter he stood very patiently till the Napkin was tyed about his head Now said this meek Lamb you will take it up till I be up the Ladder Yea my Lord that shall be done Then said he How will I get it drawn down upon my face My Lord it shall be done for you do not trouble your self Then coming to the foot of the Ladder he prayed as formerly resigning God's Interests and his own soul into the hands of his heavenly Father Then said one who had tyed the Cloth about his head There is no missing of Ministers here this day Christ hath made good that blessed word Phil. 4. 19. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Iesus And as tribulation hath abounded for Christ's sake so hath comfort been encreased by Christ 2 Cor. 1. 5. For howbeit he had often supplicated for some Ministers to be with him there yet they would grant a liberty to none unless he would have accepted of those that had broken in upon the Labours of other faithful Ministers whom he refused neither would he have any that approve of or seem to connive at the present defection so that no Minister was upon the Scaffold Then came the Executioner desiring him to forgive him to whom he answered The Lord forgive thee poor man which I also do and giving to him some money in a cloth bad him do his work aright After this one desired the Executioner to go up to the head of the Ladder said he I must go up with him else he cannot get up Nay said he again Go you up and do not offer to touch him till it come to your own work for we shall get him helped up so the Executioner went up Then he was conveyed by some in side-mourning to the head of the Ladder who staid with him and spake with him all the time he was upon the same As he ascended he said Your prayers your prayers I desire your prayers in the Name of the Lord so great had alwayes his esteem been of Prayer As the Cord was going about his precious neck being told that many precious Friends were looking on which seemed to refresh him for he answered and said Is there indeed and considering that his chearfulness did much tend to the credit of the Work of God for which he suffered he cryed out with a very loud and chearful voice I beseech you all who are the Lords People not to scar at suffering for the Interests of Christ because of any thing you see fall out in these dayes as to the Sufferings of his Servants but be encouraged to do and endure in suffering for him and his Interests for I assure you in the Name of the Lord he will bear all your charges The Cord being about his neck he spake to the same purpose again I pray you that are the Lord's People be encouraged to do and suffer for the Interests of Christ yea even for the smallest point of Truth in your several stations for he may revive his Work by a very unexpected mean And I do again assure you in his Name he will furnish all your expences and bear all your charges and he hath graciously comforted me Then he enquired if the Executioner was ready Yes if your Lordship be then said he to the man Do your Office and so cryed out again Your prayers your prayers c. and with unspeakable composedness and tranquility of mind chearfully committing himself into the hands of his tender-hearted heavenly Father the Executioner turned him off the Ladder at which sight there arose a very lamentable Cry of many thousand Spectators Immediately thereafter he lifted up his two precious hands to Heaven as they had been often lifted up in prayer not only in the day-time but also in the silent watches of the night and without the least motion trembling or shaking of body which is most ordinary in that condition peaceably sleeped away to glory One of his Sons standing on the Scaffold weeping one present took him by the hand and said Sir be encouraged for
you are very highly honoured this day Within a little thereafter he was taken down by Friends that received his body as the Cord was cut The Executioner came to take off his Head and being timerous and seeming as somewhat afraid he was desired to put away fear and do his work cleanly so this precious Head was taken off at one stroak which was afterward set upon the Nether-Bow Port where it standeth by the blessed Head of that precious and cleanly Martyr and slain yet witnessing Witness of our Lord Jesus Christ Mr. Iames Guthry sometime Minister of the Gospel at Sterling upon the South or right-hand of which doth the Head of this latter Martyr stand so that these two Worthies who in their life-time had alwayes been together as to those actings that tended to the carrying on of the Work of Reformation wherein they so sweetly agreed in their death were not divided but the Heads of these two Worthies who had witnessed for Christ while living stand there together confirming the same when dead and ought to put all the People of God in mind of the Truths they held while living and walking together which they sealed with their blood as true at their death according to that saying of worthy and eminent Mr. Guthrie at his return to the Prison after the receiving of his Sentence having told that his Head was to be set upon the Nether-Bow and being enquired by his nearest friend what should it do there he answered Even to Preach and indeed these Heads do preach there and this was very comfortable to him when he heard in his Sentence that his Head was to be set up by the Head of that faithful true and stedfast Witness His Body was carried to the Grey-Fryar Kirk-yard accompanied by many cloathed in deep Mourning but by many more Heart-Mourners to the number of some thousands and was buried in the Iohnstouns Yle where it rests and sleeps sweetly united unto Christ as in a secret cabinet and retired chamber whereof our Lord Jesus keepeth the key till the Resurrection at which time it shall be raised a glorious shining Body being changed and made like unto his glorious Body Phil. 3. 20 21. Thus a Prince and Great man in Israel did fall that day so that Sampson whose hair had been cut and his strength as concerning his natural abilities much wasted was there restored and whereas he was brought forth that they might have a day of spott of him imagining that he would be afraid to dye having pulled out his eyes in that his Memory after the letting of his blood and giving him the poison was so much wasted that he knew not whether he was English-man or Scots-man French man or Dutch-man nor whether Genesis or Revelation did begin the Bible nor whether he had or wanted Wife and Children and so did not remember even when in Prison what the behaviour of one should be upon a Scaffold but as he was told which he presently did forget again as also he did forget any thing else was told him though often repeated in one quarter of an hour yet that day and about the time of his suffering he was so fully restored as that there was no missing of what had formerly been taken from him and the Lord the high Supream of Heaven and Earth shewed his Power from on high and by commanding and giving strength out of Zion made his precious Servant prove a Sampson indeed by a most glorious undaunted chearful heartsom Carriage and faithful Testimony as one undervaluing all that man could do unto him behaving himself at his death like good old faithful valourous Warestoun who being so full of magnanimity gave as sore a dash and stroke to the Prelatical Interest yea even to the conviction of the owners thereof and did as much confirm strengthen chear up and admirably inhearten them that desire to abide in the Truth as ever he had done by his former Testimonies Sealing all with his own blood that formerly he had owned and professed yea and this was a return of a desire of his own written in a Letter to a Friend many years before speaking of a particular Testimony for the Covenant and having shewed how the Lord had keeped possession in Scotland by the Testimonies of his People against Defection from generation to generation he addeth O that my blood at the Cross of Edinburgh might seal this Testimony in prosecution of all the former meaning those Testimonies that had been formerly given from time to time against Defection in the preceding ages which he had mentioned in the Epistle foresaid Thus the Lord in his own time and way did graciously fulfill that his desire and by his so strengthening him making thereby the hearts of strangers sad and reviving the spirits of his fainting People did give therein a most signal evident and rich return of the many supplications which had been put up to the Lord for him during the whole time of his trouble and imprisonment which is a great encouragement to pray for it is not in vain yea it 's not in vain for the house of Iacob to seek his face who is able to comfort the most dejected heartless mourners in Zion as also this dealing of the Lord with his suffering Servants whom he so wonderfully encourageth is an excellent encouragement to the Godly in such a day as this to obey the Exhortation which is in the close of the first particular in the foregoing Discourse for guarding against temptation The good Lord bless these bloody preachings to his People to make them walk in his way whatever difficulties appear therein that the Cloud of Witnesses may not be a standing Witness against us Amen Advertisement to the Reader concerning this and the two Discourses of the former honourable and precious Witnesses formerly printed THe last words of dying men being much set by of their affectionate Relations surely the last words of dying Witnesses for the Testimony of our Lord Iesus Christ should be had in very singular account and that especially upon these three Considerations Cons. 1. Dying sober men and more especially dying Christians but most of all dying testifying sealing confirming Witnesses for Christ must be most sober and know well upon what grounds they do express their minds being immediately thereafter to give in their last accounts and for that cause must take good heed how they put that last crowning Master-piece of Work wherein his Glory is so much concerned well and cleanly off their hand that they may hope through Grace to be accepted of him and even as to that last discourse to have him say unto them Well done good and faithful Servant c. Cons. 2. Our Lord Jesus Christ that non-such faithful tender-hearted and in the worst of times worthy to be followed Master having staged them before so many Witnesses for his sake doth for the glory and honour of his Majesty and for the commendation of the hardest pieces of his