"And now for any thing I know, I will be tortured, and my life taken, and so will get no more written. As to any that read it, I beg of them to shun all that is evil in my life, as they wish to shun hell; and if there be any thing in it that is for use, I request the Lord that he may bring it home upon them, when I am gone, and make it thus useful for them that read it.—So I bid you all farewel, desiring none of you may slight your time or duty as I have done; but shun the appearances of evil, cleave to that which is good, and spend much of your time with God: be not idle night nor day, and give not ever much sleep unto yourselves.—O sirs, if you would be prevailed with to spend time for God, it would be the sweetest and most desireable service ever you took in hand. O be persuaded to fall in love with him, who is, without compare, the chiefest among ten thousand, yea, altogether lovely.—Take him for your all, and bind yourselves hand and foot to his obedience. Let your ears be nailed to the posts of his doors, and be his servants for ever."
"And now seeing I get no more time allowed me here on earth, I close with my hearty farewel to all friends, and pray the Lord may guide them in all truth, and keep them from dreadful snares that are coming through this covenanted land of Scotland. So I bid you all farewel, and be faithful to the death. I know not certainly what may become of me after this; but I look and expect that my time in this world is now near an end, and so desire to welcome all that the Lord sends. Thinking presently to be called in before God's enemies, I subscribe it,
Sept. 28th, 1681 ROBERT GARNOCK."
And having now with pleasure heard somewhat of the life and exercises of Robert Garnock, we come now to notice somewhat anent his trial, death or martyrdom which now hastens apace. So, according to his own expectation, above narrated, he was brought before the council, October 1st, where he disowned the king's authority, refused them as his judges, and on the 7th was brought before the Justiciary, and indicted, "That he did before the council, on the 1st of October, decline the authority of the king and council, and called the king and council tyrant, murderers, perjured and mansworn, declaring it was lawful to rise in arms against them;—And gave in a most treasonable paper, termed, A protestation and testimony against parliamenters, wherein he terms the members of parliament, idolaters, usurpers of the Lord's inheritance; and protests against their procedure in their hell-hatched acts: which paper is signed by his hand, whereby he is guilty of the crime of treason; and further gave in a declaration to the council, wherein the said Robert Garnock disowns the king's authority and government, and protests against the council as tyrants: Therefore, &c." By such an explicit confession, his own papers being turned to an indictment without any matters of fact against him, there was no difficulty of probation, his own protest and declinature being produced before the justiciary and assize, to whom he was remitted. But before the assize were inclosed, Robert Garnock and other five who were indicted with him, delivered a paper to the inquest, containing a protestation and warning, wherein "They advise them to consider what they are doing, and upon what grounds they pass a sentence upon them. They declare they are no rebels: they disown no authority that is according to the word of God and the covenants the land is bound by.—They charge them to consider how deep a guilt covenant breaking is, and put them in mind they are to be answerable to the great Judge of all for what they do in this matter; and say they do this, since they are in hazard of their lives, and against them. It is a dangerous thing to pass a sentence on men merely because of their conscience and judgment; only because they cannot in conscience yield to the iniquous laws of men;—that they are free subjects never taken in any action contrary to the present laws; adding that these whom they once thought should or would rule for God have turned their authority for tyranny and inhumanity, and employ it both in destroying the laws of God, and murdering his people against and without law;—as we ourselves can prove and witness, when brought in before them. After two years imprisonment; one of them most cruelly and tyrant-like rose from the place of judgment, and drew a sword, and would have killed one of us[200], but Providence ordered it otherways: However the wound is yet to be shown. The like action was never heard or read of. After reminding them of David Finlay murdered at Newmills, Mr. Mitchel's case, and James Learmond's, who was murdered after he was three times freed by the assize. They add, that, after such murders as deserve death, they cannot see how they can own them as judges, charging them to notice what they do; assuring them their blood will be heavy upon them:—Concluding with Jer. xxvi. 15. And charging them not to take innocent blood on their heads." And subscribe at Edinburgh October 7th 1681.
ROBERT GARNOCK, D. FARRIE, JA. STEWART,
ALEX. RUSSEL, PAT. FORMAN, and G. LAPSLY.
Notwithstanding all this, they were brought in guilty and sentenced to be executed at the Gallowlee betwixt Leith and Edinburgh, upon the 10th instant; Forman's hand to be cut off before, and the heads and hands of the rest after death, and to be set up upon the Pleasance port.
What his deportment and exercises were at the place of execution we are at a loss to describe: but from what is already related, we may safely conclude that, through divine grace, his demeanour was truly noble and Christian. But that the reader may guess somewhat of his exercises, temper and disposition about that time, I shall extract a few sentences of his own words from his last speech and dying testimony.
"I bless the Lord, that ever he honoured the like of me with a bloody gibbet and bloody windy sheet for his noble, honourable and sweet cause. O will ye love him, sirs? O he is well worth the loving and quitting all for. O for many lives to seal the sweet cause with: if I had as many lives as there are hairs on my head, I would think them all little to be martyrs for truth. I bless the Lord, I do not suffer unwillingly nor by constraint, but heartily and cheerfully.—I have been a long time prisoner, and have been altered of my prison. I was amongst and in the company of the most part who suffered since Bothwell, and was in company with many ensnaring persons; though I do not question their being godly folk; and yet the Lord kept me from harkening to their counsel. Glory, glory to his holy and sweet name.—It is many times my wonder how I have done such and such things; but it is he that has done it: he hath done all things in me and for me: holy is his name.—I bless the Lord I am this day to step out of time into eternity, and I am no more troubled than if I were to take a match by marriage on earth, and not so much. I bless the Lord I have much peace of conscience in what I have done. O but I think it a very weighty piece of business to be within twelve hours of eternity, and not troubled. Indeed the Lord is kind, and has trained me up for this day, and now I can want him no longer. I shall be filled with his love this night; for I will be with him in paradise, and get a new song put in my mouth, the song of Moses and the Lamb; I will be in amongst the general assembly of the first born, and enjoy the sweet presence of God and his Son Jesus Christ, and the spirits of just men made perfect: I am sure of it.
"Now my Lord is bringing me to conformity with himself, and honouring me with my worthy pastor Mr. James Guthrie: although I knew nothing when he was alive, yet the Lord hath honoured me to protest against popery, and to seal it with my blood: and he hath honoured me to protest against prelacy and to seal it with blood. The Lord has kept me in prison to this day for that end. His head is on one port of Edinburgh, and mine must go on another. Glory, glory to the Lord's sweet name for what he hath done for me.
"Now I bless the Lord, I am not as many suspect me, thinking to won heaven by my suffering. No, there is no attaining of it but through the precious blood of the Son of God.—Now, ye that are the true seeker of God, and the butt of the world's malice, O be diligent, and run fast. Time is precious: O make use of it, and act for God: contend for truth: stand for God against all his enemies: fear not the wrath of man: love one another; wrestle with God: mutually in societies confess your faults one to another; pray one with another: reprove, exhort and rebuke one another in love. Slight no commanded duty: Be faithful in your stations as you will be answerable at the great day: seek not counsel from men: follow none further than they hold by truth.
"Now, farewell, sweet reproaches for my lovely Lord Jesus, though once they were not joyous but grievous, yet now they are sweet. And I bless the Lord for it, I heartily forgive all men for any thing they have said of me; and I pray it may not be laid unto their charge in the day of accounts: and for what they have done to God and his cause, I leave that to God and their own conscience. Farewell, all Christian acquaintance, father, mother, &c. Farewell, sweet prison for my royal Lord Jesus Christ, now at an end. Farewell, all crosses of one sort or another: and so farewell, every thing in time, reading, praying and believing. Welcome eternal life, and the spirits of just men made perfect: Welcome, Father, Son and Holy Ghost: into thy hands I commit my Spirit."—Sic Subscribitur,