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that through his righteousness made over unto me, he hath made me free, in which I shall stand for ever; and that within a few hours I shall see him in peace, as I am seen of him; and behold and wonder, and wonder and behold for evermore that most glorious excellency of his. And this yieldeth to me great consolation in all my extremities, were they never so great; this, I say, is my peace and consolation this day, even Christ my righteousness, who hath both accepted my person and cause: therefore I count it a small thing to be judged and condemned of men, for my testimony is on high, and my record in heaven.

"And now, my friends, I am condemned to die for adhering to my covenant made with God, for reformation of religion and conversation, to which all ranks of the land are bound as well as I, though many (alas too many) shaking off all fear of God, have despised the oath, not only by breaking the covenant, but by professing and declaring avowedly the bond thereof null, and not binding, either to their own or other men's consciences: and this mischief is framed by a law, which doth greatly heighten the sin; O! tell it not in Gath, and publish it not in Askelon.' Oh! that this should be heard of amongst papists and pagans, that professed reformed protestants should stand in so little awe of a solemn oath, and name of the great and living God.

"But I exhort and obtest you all, that so much the more as others have made void his covenant, you would esteem it the more precious, and closely follow the reformation vowed, in every article thereof, upon all occasions given you of the Lord; and that you abhor, detest, and refuse any engagement whatsoever, that may wrong your oath in the covenant directly or indirectly, as ye would escape the wrath of God that is coming on such breaking of covenant; but rather choose the greatest extremity of affliction, than the least sin of this sort; as Moses did, who refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, but chose rather to suffer reproach for Christ: and be not afraid of suffering for Christ, as though it were an evil thing, neither scar ye at his cross, for the Lord himself saith, My yoke is easy, and my burden light;' yea, it is lighter to us, than to many that stand by : believe it, faith maketh all burdens light to the believing sufferer.

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"And now I beseech you believers in Christ, abide in him, bring forth fruit unto holiness, and study tenderness in all manner of conversation, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord;' and let not this profane and mocking generation have any thing to reproach you with, but that whereof you would not be ashamed; that when you suffer, ye may not suffer as evil-doers, that whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. It is not knowledge, nor a bare profession, that glorifieth God, but tenderness, holiness, and righteousness, that do commend religion and his cause to all men, and shall convince your adversaries of their wickedness in wronging you, and make them the more inexcusable in that day when they shall be judged: yea, what know ye, but ye may win others, by your tender and good conversation?

"I recommend to you, that ye would be much and fervent in the

use of that precious duty of prayer, wherein most near communion with God upon earth is to be found: be much in prayer with and for others. Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is,' (I wish they may see the evil of it who neglect it) but exhort one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.-Earnestness and diligence will hasten the Lord's coming with relief unto you, and to the Lord's borne-down work; and your slackness in this, may make the wheels of his chariot to move the more slowly. For, the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much with God; it will do more than armies of men and weapons of war for your defence and deliverance.

"I beseech you also, my dear friends, that you acquaint yourselves with the word of God in the holy scripture, that yo' may have acquaintance with Jesus Christ, who is clearly set forth therein; that ye may know him in his excellency, and come to love and believe in him whom ye know; that ye may be acquainted with his revealed will therein, and may know what is true, and cleave fast thereto, from a sure persuasion that it hath the warrant of his word; and may be guarded against every error of the wicked, and that ye may fully know what is good and what is evil: and that ye may suffer with confidence, when ye are brought forth thereto as I am.

"Finally, my dear friends, be ye perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with

you.

JOHN WODROW."*

XVIII. RALPH SHIELDS.

[This person, as is evident from the tenor of the following testimony, was by birth an Englishman. Having come to Scotland in the prosecution of his worldly employment, he seems to have settled in Ayr, and to have practised the trade of a clothier. It is probable he joined the covenanters whilst in that neighbourhood; and it. must be obvious from his own words, that he did so from the most cordial acquiescence in their principles. He was one of the five who suffered along with Mr. M'Kail on the 22d of December, 1666. The following is the testimony which he declared on the occasion.]

"My Friends,-I am come here to die, and I thank God it is not for evil-doing, that I now suffer: although I be charged with rebellion against the king's authority, yet I declare before God and you all, that in all this matter, I never intended to wrong his majesty's just power and greatness, but for conscience' sake, did respect authority as the ordinance of God, appointed for the punishment of evil-doers, and that I wish his majesty all welfare both in this life, and the world to

Naphtali, pp. 356-362.

come; and that it may be his happiness to consider his obligations to God and perform the same, that so it may be well with him and his posterity to many generations; and I pray to God make him a friend to his cause, and the truly godly who own the same, though falsely called fanatics or turbulent persons.

"I declare I have such persuasion of the interest of religion reformed, and sworn unto in the covenant, that I dare venture not only to lay down my own life, but if every hair of my head were a man, they should all be put to venture for this cause: I would not have the world to stumble at the cause, because of my death after this manner; for I rejoice greatly in it: and I desire every good Christian, as they tender their own souls' good, that they would grip fast, lay hold on, and cleave to Jesus Christ and his way.

"My coming out at this time, I say, was not against his majesty, but for the covenant which is now trodden under foot; my intention was for the cause of Christ: I take God to witness, it was nothing else I came out for, and for that I am free to lay down my life.

"I bless God I am much encouraged in this, and not at all afraid to die for so good and clear a cause; and I hope, he will bring me through all my difficulties in this dark shadow of death: I hope I have the peace of a good conscience, and have had some glimpses from Jesus Christ, of his countenance and reconciled face, since I came into this prison; for which, I desire to bless his name with all my soul, heart, and spirit. And I rejoice that he has made use of me to suffer for his cause; and I think it too little, not only to lay down my body, but (if it were possible) even my very soul at the stake for that cause, and for Jesus Christ my good and kind Master, who hath loved me, and given himself for me. I give the Lord thanks that I had some of his presence since I came into this condition: and again I say, I am much encouraged and not afraid to die, and bless him that I die not as a murderer, or evil-doer, or rebel against authority, but for such a cause as this.

"O that it were the happiness of my nation of England, once to subject themselves unto the sweet yoke of Christ's reformed government, under which this nation of Scotland hath enjoyed so much of the power and life of the gospel, by a faithful ministry, according to the covenant sworn by them both!

"And now, my dear friends in Christ, and fellow-covenanters, though I be a stranger in this land, being an Englishman, but trysted by providence in the prosecution of my calling, to have my residence. for a time here in Scotland, (which I look upon, as a singular evidence of God's special love to me) though I be a stranger, I say, to many of you, yet I must be bold, as a dying friend, to beseech you, by the mercy of God, and by your appearance before Jesus Christ, when we shall have to do with none but him as our Judge, that ye be faithful and stedfast in the cause of God, and the covenant which ye have sworn with hands lifted up to the most high God, which no power on earth can loose you from, and that ye keep you from snares unto the contrary, and not suffer yourselves to fall into a detestable neutrality and indifferency in the cause of God; especially that ye keep yourselves

free of any engagements by word or writ, that may wrong your oath of the covenant. I commit my wife and children to his care, who careth for them that put their trust in him before the sons of men, not doubting but they shall be eyed with good will and favour by the godly, after I am gone. And now I render up my spirit to him who gave it me, and for whose sake I now lay down my life. To this God, my covenanted God, be glory, blessing, and praise, for now and ever! Amen.

"That this is my mind and testimony, which I leave behind me, I witness by my ordinary subscription

R. SHIELDS."*

XIX. HUMPHREY COLQUHOUN.

[This was another of the five individuals who were executed along with Mr. M'Kail. He seems to have been a plain unlettered man, belonging, it is probable, to the lower ranks of life. The following notice by Wodrow of his behaviour at death, is the only informa tion which history has transmitted respecting him: "Humphrey Colquhoun, when he died, spoke not on the scaffold and ladder like ar ordinary townsman, but, like one in the suburbs of heaven, related his Christian experience, called for his Bible from one of his friends, and laid it on his wounded arm, and read some most apposite passages, and spoke to the admiration of all who heard him:" His testimony is as follows.]

Dear friends and spectators,-I am come here this day, to this place to die this death, for crimes for which (I thank God) my conscience doth not condemn me. My crime, as is alleged, is for disloyalty against the king's majesty; yet I thank God that my appearing lately with the Lord's people was from my sense of my obligation in the covenant, and the sense of the wrongs done in the land, and the crying oppressions committed therein. This was the end of my appearing for the Lord against his enemies, to bear witness against the same the which obligation of the oath of God, I judge that none on earth can loose the conscience from. I bless the Lord again and again, I die for this oath and covenant; and I thank God also, that I have by the great mercy of the Almighty God in Christ Jesus, obtained mercy and forgiveness for all my transgressions both against the first and second table of the law: and that through that ocean of grace which is in the Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that I am justified and sanctified, and believe now to be glorified with him, by that blessed blood of his, which hath purchased this salvation to me, through faith in the same, made application of, according to the good covenant of grace. He hath performed this, out of his wonderful and incomparable free grace: and this is my joy and exceeding great rejoicing and consola

Naphtali, pp. 362-364.

tion, and all my salvation, for which I am grace's debtor throughout all eternity! I die with this my testimony, and my adherence to the national covenant, to the solemn league and covenant, to the work of reformation a great length carried on, and now overthrown most sinfully by ungodly men, who have established their apostasy by law, a hich no just power on earth could ever do. Also I adhere to the presbyterial government, the Confession of Faith, Catechisms Larg er and Shorter, and to the solemn acknowledgment of the church of Scotland, and public testimonies thereof, against the sins of the time. This day I rejoice that He hath counted me worthy to lay down my life for him, as one that beareth witness against the breach of all the sacred oaths and ties that were established in this land, yea, by the just laws both of God and man, which never could have been repeal ed lawfully, as this wicked generation hath done.

"Dear friends, I hope ye will stand fast in this obligation, and in the solemn oaths and ties ye are under, and all the body of the land also will be stedfast in the same, upon the greatest hazard ye can meet with; and that ye will study perfect holiness and nearness with God, which will help to keep you straight in this day of persecution aud sharp trial that is now raging in this land: I bless the Lord, I die not a fool, though some men have thought so of me by their speeches to me, since my imprisonment : neither durst I ever be the man to buy my liberty at such a dear rate as perjury, and to shake off these blessed bonds I did willingly come under; and I thank God, I never yet to this moment rued or repented it; and sure I am, it is better for me to suffer the worst of deaths, than to preserve my life by breaking the oaths of God. I also give my testimony against prelacy and that wicked hierarchy now established in this land, as that which the church of Christ could never bear until this day, it being such a grand enemy to the purity of the gospel, and power of godliness; yea, a yoke which the church of God groaneth under. I have no more to say, but commend all you the lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ to God himself, and to the good word of his grace, which is able to build you up until the day of his appearance, and to give you all an inheritance with them that are sanctified through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ: And subscribe myself an expectant and apparent heir of the grace of Christ,

UMPHREY COLQUHOUN, .

XX. JOHN WILSON.

[John Wilson was from the parish of Kilmaurs, in Ayrshire, but his occupation or rank in life has not been mentioned. With the exception of "Mungo Kaipo from Evandale" whose testimony, if he gave one, has not been transmitted, he is the last of the five who,

* Naphtali, pp. 365–367.

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