with Mr. M'Kail, were executed on December 22d, 1666. He seems to have been a person like the most of his companions in suffering, of plain good sense, belonging to some of the humbler ranks of life, and without much of what is properly denominated learning. This much may be gathered from the following testimony, which, however, contains a very clear and manly statement of the principles for which he suffered.]

"Good people and spectators,-I am here condemned to die upon alleged rebellion against the king and his authority, which God knoweth, I never intended. For in my judgment, a man's endeavouring to extirpate perjured prelates and abjured prelacy, according as he is bound by oath in a sworn covenant, may very well stand with a man's loyalty to king and country; for I am sure, the king and his subjects may be happy, yea, more happy in the extirpation of prelates and prelacy, than in their standing; yea, the throne shall never be estab◄ lished in peace, until that wicked plant be plucked up by the roots, which hath so much wasted and made desolate the Lord's vineyard: for my part, I pray that the Lord may bless our king with blessings from heaven, and make him a friend to the interests of Christ, as the best way for the standing of his throne to many generations: and I pray for all that are in authority under his majesty, that the Lord may not lay to their charge the innocent blood of his saints, which they have shed. But the ground of my sentence is truly, the renewing of the covenant with my God, and labouring to defend the same, according to my oath: and this I profess is and was my duty, and by the grace of God will not quit it; and in token hereof, I am here before you all to lay down my life in defence of the same, and require you all to be witnesses to this my testimony; I do declare, I am not ashamed, but count it my glory. I do likewise declare this before you all in the sight of God, the Judge of all hearts, that since the day I did first swear and subscribe this covenant for reformation, it hath been sweet unto me, for I am persuaded in my conscience of the warrantableness thereof. I did swear the covenant four times, and the last time at Lanark, which was the sweetest time to me of them all; for with my whole soul I renewed it, and gave up both my soul and body to him, to be at his disposal, which, I trust in God, I shall never rue. Hearty praise and thanks be to the blessed God, that ever it pleased him to give to this poor church that mercy to enter in covenant with himself, that he might be unto us a covenanted God, the richest mercy that can be bestowed on men !

I have lived a presbyterian in my judgment, according as I have aworn, and judge it to be the only way that God hath appointed in bis word, for the government of his church on earth; for under that government the power and practice of religion hath greatly flourished, and many a soul has been converted to the Lord, and found sweet fellowship with him in his ordinances, by the ministry of his honest and lawfully called servants. And blessed be the day that ever I heard a faithful sent minister preach the gospel! I do declare before heaven and earth, that my whole design in this rising in arms was only against abjured prelacy and prelates, the great oppressors of God's in

terests, and cruel persecutors of his people, both in their consciences and bodies; and I judge their government and way to be not conform to the word of God in the holy scriptures. I might cite many scriptures to this purpose, but I shall only name two, Luke xxii. 26. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.' And I Pet. v. 3. Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.' Yea, it may be seen from sad experience, that under their government, the power of godliness hath decayed, and avowed profanity and popery itself hath increased, both to the dishonour of the holy Lord, and great grief of the hearts of the godly. I am so persuaded of the truth of the covenant, and of the error of their way, and that Jesus Christ is the only King and Lord over his own house, and besides him there is none else, for he will not give his glory to another,' that I dare seal the truth thereof with my blood, and am come hither for the same end, without any fear or amazement; yea, if every hair of mine head were a man, I would have ventured all, according to the covenant which I made with my God; and although I be a poor polluted sinner, and my house not so with God,' as it became; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, well ordered in all things and sure, and this is all my salvation, and all my desire; and I hope the Lord will soon tread down all his enemies with shame, and the enemies of his covenant also. Therefore, let all that love the Lord Jesus Christ and his truth and covenant, take comfort and courage, notwithstanding all that which is come to pass; and let them not be ashamed to adhere thereunto, whatsoever sufferings they meet with therein, for he will make up that loss in himself, and avenge the wrongs done to himself and them, in his own due time: I assure you, Christ is a good Master to serve: if ye knew him rightly and his cross, it is sweet and easy to the believer; for he maketh death to be life, and bringeth light out of darkness. I desire to follow the blessed Captain of my salvation through weal and wo. I beseech you, my dear friends, whom now I am to part with, that ye stand to the defence of all the truths of God and of his word; and that ye receive the Lord Christ as he hath offered himself therein, ye who have not closed with him; and that ye who have closed with him, abide in him by a lively faith and love, bringing forth fruits, that you may put a credit on your profession, and keep off every thing that may shame your glorious and blessed Master before this evil and adulterous generation. And I give you all warning, and dehort you heartily as ye love your own souls, and as ye will answer to him, who shall judge the quick and dead, that ye stand fast in all the duties ye are sworn unto in the national and in the solemn league and covenant, both towards God, your king, and one another: and that ye beware of snares in taking of any oaths or declarations contrary, in the least, to the oath of God in these covenants. I leave my wife and little children upon Jesus Christ my Lord, who are now to be made a widow and fatherless for his sake, trusting, he will care for them; and I recommend them to the counsel and kindness of his people under him. I can forgive the wrong done to me in taking away my life for this

cause, and wish God to be merciful to those that have condemned me, or have had any band in my death: but blessed be God, that brought and hath kept me on His side of this cause, and honoured me to be a public witness for him and his blessed truth and cause; for which I shall praise him in the world to come, whither I now go: yea, I will praise him on the borders of death and eternity. To his blessed name, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be praise for now and ever. saith your dying friend, for Christ :

JOHN WILSON."*

So

XX. JOHN LIVINGSTONE.

[Mr. Livingstone was born at Kilsyth, in 1603, and was the son of the minister of that parish. He studied at Glasgow, and, having passed Master of Arts in 1621, was in about four years after, licensed to preach the gospel. After some disappointments with regard to a settlement, he was induced to accept of a call to Killinchie, in Ireland, where he remained till about 1638. Having then returned to Scotland, he shortly after became minister of Stranraer, in Galloway. From this station he was, ten years after, translated to Ancrum, in Teviotdale, and henceforth began to take a part in the public affairs of the church. In 1650, he was sent as one of the commissioners to the king, at Breda. In 1654, he repaired to London, on a conference with Cromwell; and some time after, was appointed by the General Assembly to wait upon the committee of Estates, then with the protector's army. He also took some interest in the disputes with respect to the public resolutions, and joined the Protestors. And with many of that party, after the restoration, having refused to subscribe the oath of allegiance, he was banished from the king's dominions. He went to Rotterdam, and continued there till his death, which happened on the 9th of August, 1672. Previous to his last words, we insert a letter which about a year before, he wrote to his flock at Ancrum, as a parting memorial of his fidelity and affection.]

1. HIS PASTORAL LETTER.

"Notwithstanding, all the sad things that have fallen out of late, I would put you in mind of the many good days we have seen together, both of Sabbath-days and solemn communion-days, wherein we saw the Lord's power and grace in the sanctuary, that in remembrance thereof we may exalt his name together; for my part, I have challenges, besides many others, that in my ministry I did not so stir up or improve the gift that the Lord had given me, nor so carry myself like a spiritual, grave, diligent, and faithful servant of Christ, as I ought to have done; that in my ministry among you, I was not more frequent in visiting families and dealing with persons in particular, to bring them

Naphtali, pp. 367-370.

to, and keep them in the ways of God. As for you, I may reckon you all in three ranks: and I fear the far greater number is of those who, although in general professors of Christianity, yet, so far as could be observed, never laid religion to heart, and some of these for gross ignorance and looseness were always debarred from the Lord's supper; others, although having some knowledge and civil walk, yet upon good grounds were always suspected to be void of the love and fear of God, continuing in their natural unrenewed condition, neglecting the worship of God in their families and alone, and showing by all their carriage, that their thoughts and designs were never beyond the world: these, no doubt, are glad of the change now come, that they may cast off Christ's yoke, and be free of the word and discipline which terrified and tormented them, and may now both swear terrible oaths and drink themselves drunk, which by some will be expounded as an evidence of their loyalty; they may now, after the example of many great ones, walk in the lust of uncleanness, mind nothing but how, justly or unjustly, to get the world, and then how to spend it on their lusts; and hate, and to the utmost of their power persecute all, who will not run with them to the same excess of riot. Now, as I have often in public, with as great earnestness and tenderness as I could, warned these to flee from the wrath to come, so I would yet desire them to stand still before they go to the pit, and hear from a truly loving friend, a few words, which I am confident in the day of the great reckoning, shall be found a message from the living God. Do you believe that there is a God, or heaven or hell? Or can you, with all your will and strength, 'scape the thoughts of these out of your sleeping consciences? Or do ye in such sort hate God, that because ye are his creatures ye will in so far be avenged, as to sell yourselves to his enemy, the devil, for nought—to be tormented in all eternity? I am most sure, none of you all can be sure, that you are reprobates; and I can give you assurance, greater than the stability of heaven and earth, even the sworn word of him that liveth and reigneth for ever, that, if you will betake yourselves to the only Saviour of the world, of lost sinners, and forsake your sins, ye are no reprobates. O! what advantage have ye when ye have gained all the world, all the pleasures, all the riches, and all the favours of it, and have lost your precious and immortal souls? It is utterly impossible but that sometimes your heart tells you there will be bitterness in the end. Doth not whoredom and drunkenness waste the body, take away the judgment, and leave a sting in the conscience? Can any avoid the curse that goods gotten by falsehood and oppression bring upon the man, and all he hath, yea, on his posterity? Is it not sad that Satan can prompt man to swear, curse, and blaspheme, and utter that which he dare not utter himself? Though ye were free of all outbreakings, doth not an unrenewed state, the neglect of commanded duties, Sabbath-breaking, and such like evils, bind you over to the wrath of him who is coming there in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel? Ye may possibly think ye are so far gone on, that there is no retreat, and the

ways of the Lord are such as your disposition can never agree with ; but how can your disposition agree to burn and consume, and yet never consume, in everlasting flames, where each of all your sins shall have their own particular torment? How can you agree to dwell with infernal furies? Or will ye add to your other wickedness-despair, and despising all the Lord's loving, loud, and long-continued invitations? What shall you answer, if the Lord shall say to some of you, at the judgment, I would have given thee both grace and glory if thou hadst sought it; thou wouldest not give one, two, or three knocks at my door; thou wouldest not open when I knocked often and long at thy door, by so doing thou hast subscribed thine own condemnation !

"O let me obtain this much, of all and every one of you, for all the pains I have taken among you in preaching, for all my nine years' banishment from you, for all the prayers I have put up for you, for all the love which He who knoweth all things, knoweth that I bear to you, yea, let your own souls, and the love ye have to your own welfare here and hereafter, obtain it, or rather let him who for sinners shed his most precious blood at Jerusalem, obtain this of you, that you will take one day, each of you, from morn to even, forbearing both meat and drink, and go apart either into some quiet room in a house, or unto some part of the fields, where, you may be most quiet, and having beforehand marked in the Bible, such places as are fit to be read at such a time, as also having somewhat searched your way toward God, and his ways toward you, there set yourselves in his sight, spending the time in confession of sin, and prayer for pardon and grace to serve him, and save your own souls: and if (which is not readily to be supposed) ye get no access on such a day, yet, continue thereafter, in such exercise and suits; for, deliverance from hell, enjoyment of heaven, and the favour of God, are worth more pains than you can take all your life. Now, if this so easy and necessary advice shall be rejected, without prescribing time and place, or measure and manner, I take instruments before sun and moon, and all the creatures, that I have left this warning as an endorsed summons fixed on the door of your consciences, to be called and judged before Him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead at his appearance, in his glory, when besides the witnessing of your own conscience, and of all the creatures, I also, as your lawful minister, sent to bring about your reconciliation to God, shall appear to witness, that ye got fair warning, but did reject the same and would choose death. Therefore, while it is called To-day, take a trial of Christ's yoke, do but put him to it, and see whether or not he will open the windows of heaven and rain blessings and righteousness upon you; come and see, and taste the goodness of the Lord, you shall be made to say, He is a rich and loving Master; once engage your heart to him and ye may defy Satan and all the allurements and terrors of the world to draw you from Him. Glad would my heart be before I go to the grave, that some of you have begun a new course, and if ye begin indeed, ye will not get it suppressed; it will be heard. I shall, as I can pray for it, and desire others here to