to forgive all men, even as I desire to be forgiven, and obtain mercy in that day; and if there be any at whose door my blood may more directly lie than others, I pray the Lord to forgive them; and now I wish it may be well with the land when I am gore. My conscience bears me witness, I ever studied the good of my country; I hope I shall be no loser that I have gone so young a man off the stage of this world, seeing I am to make so blest an exchange, as to receive eternal life, the crown of glory, the near and immediate fruition of the blessed Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in place of a short, frail, and miserable life here below. I bless his name he made me willing to take share with his persecuted people, for I hope I shall also share with them in their consolations, when he shall wipe all tears from their eyes, and they shall suffer no more, but reign with him in his kingdom.

"I am shortly to be clothed upon with my house from above, and that city that hath foundations; I shall sin no more. O desirable condition! when beyond all hazard of offending God any more, I shall be capable both of serving God, and enjoying him more: I shall wander and toil no more, having reached that harbour of eternal rest.

"I now contentedly take my leave of the world. Farewell all enjoyments, earthly pleasures, and contentments: Farewell friends and relations, in whom I had much satisfaction: Farewell my dear wife and children, dear indeed unto me, though not so dear as Christ, for whom I now willingly suffer the loss of all things, and yet am no loser! I leave them on the tender mercies of Christ. Now, welcome blessed Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; welcome innumerable company of angels, and spirits of just men made perfect: welcome celestial city; welcome endless joy! And now, O Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit, Lord Jesus receive my soul !

ALEXANDER HUME."*

XXIV. WILLIAM HARVEY.

[This man was a weaver in the town of Lanark. He was brought before the Justiciary on the 20th of February, 1682, accused of being at the late Rebellion, and present at publishing the treasonable declaration in Lanark, on the 29th of May, 1679. He was brought in guilty accordingly. The court, however, delayed to pronounce sentence till enjoined by an order of council. He was at length sentenced to be conducted to Lanark by a party of the guards, and there to be executed on the 3d of March + following. This sentence was carried into effect, and the following is the Testimony which he delivered from the scaffold.]

DEAR FRIENDS, I desire to show you in few words-And first I

Wodrow's History, pp. 268, 270.

This article, according to the date here quoted, should have been introduced at an earlier part of the work, but being omitted at the proper place, it is inserted here, so as to come in under the year 1682.

declare, I am a Presbyterian in my judgment, and I adhere to the whole Scripture Confession of Faith, Catechisms, larger and shorter. Also, I adhere to the National and Solemn League and Covenant. I adhere to the government and governors, in so far as they are a terror to evildoers, and an encouragement to those that do well; likewise I adhere to all the faithful Testimonies given by the people of God since the year 1660. Likewise I bear my testimony against popery and prelacy, profanity and ungodliness, and all abominations, and punishing of the godly, and letting blasphemy and wickedness go free; as for instance, a man who was imprisoned with me in the Canongate-tolbooth for drinking the devil's good health: and I seal my testimony against the dreadful test, and all the sinful engagements of them. As for my dear friends, I warn you all to flee under Christ's banner in this day of common calamity, for there is no shelter but under his wings, because he is the only shelter. And oh, what a refreshment is there to be found under him, and nowhere else! Therefore, I desire you, my loving wife, to seek God through Christ, and to own him in his way and truth, for which I suffer. Now, I recommend you and my child to the only wise Lord, who hath promised to be a husband to the widow, and a father to the fatherless. Likewise I forgive all men, as I desire God to forgive me; and now I bid farewell to all created comforts.

Sic Sub.-WILLIAM HARVEY "*

"After he had prayed fervently upon the scaffold, he went up the ladder and spoke to the people a little, pressed them to make their peace with God sure, and serve God, and obey the king so far as the word alloweth, and no farther. He prayed again on the ladder, and committed himself to the Lord's mercy, declared his willingness to die, and his forgiving all who had a share in his death; and died with a great deal of composure. In short, he seems to have been made a sacrifice to the managers' resentment, for the last declaration at Lanark ; though I cannot find he was concerned in that, but only in proclaiming the West country Declaration before Bothwell engagement."+

XXV. JOHN NISBET.

[John Nisbet the Younger, (so called to distinguish him from his namesake of Hardhill,) was a native of Loudon-parish, in Ayrshire. Being apprehended by Major White, who at the time governed in that district, he was carried to Kilmarnock, and there, in consequence of a Justiciary warrant to that effect, was, by him, with the assistance of the sheriff-depute, tried, condemned and executed. The grounds of his condemnation were.-as usual, his owning the lawful

For this short testimony, the Editor is indebted to one of the Wodrow MSS., which was communicated to him by the kindness of a friend, to whom he has to acknowledge other favours of a similar kind.

Wodrow, vol. ii. p. 361.

ness of the rising at Bothwell, his hearing Mr. Cargill, and his refus ing to pray for the king's person and government. But these the reader will find more fully explained in the following papers, which constitute his Testimony. He was sentenced to be hanged on the 14th of April, 1683, a sentence which was executed accordingly.]

1. HIS EXAMINATION.

"DEAR FRIENDS,―The manner of my examination (as I remember) was this:-Q. When saw ye John Nisbet ?* A. I did not see him this good while. Q. But when did you see him, and where did you see him? A. Although I could, I would not answer, to discover my neighbours. [The Major said, he would make me tell, or he would make me sit three hours in hell.] I answered, That was not in his power. Q. Are ye under an oath that ye will not tell of the rest of you? A. I am under no oath but what the Covenant binds us to. Q. Took ye ever the communion? A. No. Q. Did ye ever preach, or expound the scriptures? A. I could never read the Rudiments. Yet (said they) there were men who did preach, that were not learned. I told them I knew none but the Quakers, whose principles I disown. Then said they, say, 'God save the king.' I answered, It was not in my power to save, or condemn him. Q. Would you not say, 'God save your beast,' if it were fallen into a hole? A. No; because it is a taking of His name in vain. Q. Was you at Bothwell at the rebellion ? A. Seeing you count it rebellion, it is criminal,-witness of it. Q. Is the bishop's death murder? A. I am not a judge to cognosce upon it. And being asked again my opinion of it, I answered, I had said all that I could say of it already. Q. Was Bothwell rebellion? I answered, It was self-defence, which was lawful. Q. How prove ye that? A. By that confession which ye build your test upon. they said jeeringly, I was a grammarian. Q. Own ye a law? A. Yes. Q. Own ye the law as it is now established? A. Since ye make your questions matters of life and death, ye ought to give time to consider upon them. Q. Own ye the king in all matters civil and ecclesiastic, and to be head of the church? A. I will acknowledge none to be head of the church but Christ. Q. Who is lawgiver? A. Christ. Q. Is the king, the king, or not? A. He was once a covenanted king. Q. Is he the king now? A. I refer it to his obligations in his coronation oath, to be considered. Q. Is he your king, or not? I told them, I would not answer any more such questions at this time. This is all that past, for the most part, except a number of senseless questions. No more at present, but have my love remembered to all friends in Christ. I am very well borne through, blessed be the Lord for it.

Then

Sic sub. JOHN NISBET."

2. HIS TESTIMONY.

"Dear friends, and true lovers of Zion's righteous cause,—if I

This was John Nisbet of Hardhill, one of the most eminent among the covenanters of his day, for whose Life, see The Scots Worthies, New Ed. p. 475.

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could speak or write any thing to the commendation of the covenanted God of the church and kingdom of Scotland, surely I have many things to do it for. 1st, That he hath trysted my lot to be in a nation where he hath set up his pure worship, discipline, and government; whereas he might justly have ordered it to have been among those that are worshipping antichrist, that whore of Rome, that monstrous beast that sitteth upon many waters, whose sentence may be read, Rev. xiv. 9. And the third angel sounded, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,' ver. 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, that is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of his holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb' ver. 11. And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.' 2dly, He might have ordered it to have been among the corrupt protestant churches abroad, Lutherans, and other corruptions, and abounding errors; but in the reformed church of Scotland, which was fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.' The day was, when we could have sung that song, Isa. xxvi. 1. We have a strong city, salvation will the Lord appoint for walls and bulwarks.' 3dly, I bless the holy name of my God, that I am not this day carrying arms against Him, his work and interest; for there is no more in me, as of myself, than in these that are deeply imbruing their hands in the blood of the saints. 4thly, I bless and magnify his holy name, that ever he brought me out of the state of nature, and brought me into a state of grace and salvation, through the virtue of the blood of Christ; and exalted be his holy name, that he hath given me a sight of my own weakness, and also a sight of the deceitfulness of my own evil heart, and the mystery of iniquity abounding there; and also a sight of the remedy of the blood of Christ, with his Spirit engaging me to himself, and letting me see himself altogether lovely and precious; so that, I may safely say, that there is none in heaven, or in earth that I desire besides Him,' Psalm lxxii. 25. And, 5thly, I bless and magnify the holy name of my God, who hath given me a sight of his controverted truths, now when it is come in question, whether Christ be head of his own house or not, whereas there is no truth clearer in all the Scripture; yet it must not be spoken of, if ye resolve not to suffer for it. 6thly, I bless his name, that ever he counted me worthy to suffer for him, counting it not my shame, but an high privilege, and dignifying of me, when many famous in their generation have been denied of it, and are endeavouring by their practice, to render the cross of Christ of no effect. 7thly, I bless and magnify his holy name, that he hath kept me from denying his name, in his titles and attributes; for, that is the thing which the enemy and usurpers of my lovely Lord's crown are seeking to have me to deny allegiance to him, who is given of the Father to be a leader and commander of his people; Isa. xxviii. 16. Thus saith the Lord, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation,

a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation, he that believeth shall not make haste.' Ver. 17. Judgment will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters shall overflow the hiding place.' But this may be our complaint, Lam. iv. 4. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the root of his mouth for thirst, the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.' Ver. 3.'The daughter of my people is become cruel as the ostriches in the wilderness.' Mal. ii. 8. But ye are departed out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble at the law: ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.' Ver. 9. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, and have been partial in the law. For now it is with the land as it is in Ezek. xxiv. 7. For her blood is in the midst of her, she set it upon the top of a rock, she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust.' Ver. 8. That it might cause fury to come up, to take vengeance: I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.' Ver. 9. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Woe to the bloody city, I will even make the pile for fire, great.' For the iniquities of a land, many are the judgments thereof; therefore we had need to mourn, for we will all be found guilty of the sins of the land, in less or more. It makes me to tremble, to think of Scotland's unfaithfulness in all ranks, for as it is with the people, so with the priests, for all have wandered out of the way, and followed their idols, especially the sins of the corrupt rulers; Micah vi. 16. For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels, that I should go far from my sanctuary; therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.' Lam. iv. 11. The Lord hath accomplished his fury, he hath poured out his fierce anger, he hath kindled a fire in Zion, it hath devoured the foundations thereof.' Ver. 14. They have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.' Now his glory is trampled under-foot; but he hath said, Isa. xlii. 8. 'I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.'

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"Now, is it not his declarative glory, which that usurper hath taken to himself? Yea, but he that leadeth captivity captive, and giveth gifts unto men, will reclaim his own glory, for the government is laid upon his shoulders,' Isa. ix. 6. Eph. i. 22. And He hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head of all things to his church.' Now, I being a free-born member of the church and kingdom of Scotland, and joining with all the fundamental laws thereof, and they refusing to judge and sentence me according to that law,-that must without doubt be murder: and further, they refuse to judge according to the scriptures,-which is an higher wickedness. O what will come upon Scotland, for the high abominations committed therein? Surely, it cannot but meet with odious judgments. Isa. xxxiv. 5. 'For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse to judgment.' For I see nothing appearing in this land but defection from the way of truth ;