ANDREW DALZIEL, a cocker or fowler, but a debauchee. While Mr. Cameron was preaching in a house in a stormy day near Cumnock, cried out, "Sir, we neither know you nor your God." To whom Mr. Cameron said, "You and all who know not my God in mercy, shall know him in his judgments, which shall be sudden, and surprising upon you, &c." Accordingly in a few days being in perfect health, he vomited his very heart's blood in the vessel wherein he had taken his breakfast plentifully, and so expired in a most frightful manner.—Walk. remarks.
JOHN SPIER a wicked wretch inlisted himself under major Balfour; and, amongst other pieces of his persecuting work, he apprehended Mr. Boyd (then a student) in Glasgow. A little after being ordered to stand centinel at the Stable-green Port, he must needs to be sure, get up upon the battlement of the Port, upon which he fell over, and broke his neck bone and so ended his wretched life.—Wodrow.
JOHN ANDERSON, indweller in Glasgow, in the year 1684, was amongst others prevailed upon to take that hell-hatched test upon his knee. Not long after he took a running issue in his left hand and knee. And though we are not to be too peremptory in drawing conclusions of this kind, yet we may relate what this poor man's apprehensions of the causes of this disease were. The disease still increasing, he still cried out, "This is the hand I lifted up, and this is the knee I bowed to take the test." And in a few days after he died in great horror of conscience.—Wodrow.
WILLIAM MUIRHEAD vintner there, on his taking said test, rising from his knees said to the administrator, "Now you have forced me to take the test on my knees, and I have not bowed my knee to God in my family these seven years." And though a rude wicked man, yet his conscience got up, and next Sabbath he was suddenly seized with bodily illness, and in that condition died.—Wodrow.
WILLIAM SPALDIE in Glasgow, a third, who there took and subscribed the test, in a little after fell under great remorse of conscience for taking that self contradictory test. At length he sickened. Some people having come to visit him, endeavoured to comfort him; but he utterly refused every thing of this nature; and when desired to consider the extensive greatness of the mercy of God in Christ, he said, "Speak not of mercy to me. I have appealed to God and attested him to judge me, and he will do it. I have sealed and signed my condemnation with mine own hand, &c." And so he died in great distress.—Wodrow.
JOHN FRAM in Loudon parish, was once a most zealous professor and in fellowship with John Richmond the martyr, yet to save his life, foully apostatized not only from the cause of Christ, but also was one of these who witnessed him to death. After which he became a bankrupt, and fled to Ireland; where it was said that he (who would not hang for religion) was there hanged for stealing of horses.
JOHN PATERSON, another of the same society, who witnessed him also to death, went from one thing to another, till he took the clap or French-pox, and died at Edinburgh miserable.
JOHN LOUDON and John Connel of the same society, and who acted the same part, were reduced to beggary afterwards.—Cloud &c.
PATRICK INGLES, son to Captain Ingles, with a party in May 1685, surprized ten or twelve men at a night meeting for prayer at Little Blackwood, (Kilmarnock parish) took ten prisoners, and shot James White, cut off his head with an ax, and carried it to New-milns, where one of them played with it for a foot-ball. Ingles procured a warrant to shoot the rest, had they not in the mean time been relieved by the country. Whether it was Patrick himself or one of the dragoons I cannot say, but it is said, he who used the martyrs head thus, being got up unto the top of the garrison house there, a little after when easing him over the battlement, fell backward over the wall, and broke his neck, which ended a wicked life by a miserable ignominious death.—Crookshanks, Appendix, A—d, R—n.
WILLIAM SMITH in Moor-mailing, (Shots parish) with his brother when returning home from Pentland, William stepped aside to a neighbour's house when near home upon a certain errand; but not coming out soon, his brother went to see for him. But when going past the window, he had a glance of two men and a woman standing round his brother, and a spit run through his throat: this made him flee for his life. William was not to be found, and as things then went, his brother durst make no inquiry after him. Near thirty years after, sometime after the revolution, he was found in a clift of a moss, standing as if he had been put down wanting the head. His brother came upon the first notice, and not minding the situation, grasped him in his arms: upon which he crumbled all down to dust. Which remains they gathered up and buried, upon which a stone was erected with a motto, which is to be seen to this day.—But let us hear what became of these murderers. One of the men, it is said, died in great horror of conscience, and would have discovered the fact, had not his brother and sister accomplices thrust a napkin into his mouth, and so he expired. Some time after, the other brother being abroad, was got lying dead upon the way in drink as was supposed. Last of all, the woman hanged herself, and was buried in two or three laird's grounds clandestinely, but still raised by orders of the proprietors; till being wearied, the buriers threw her carcase into an old coal-pit, and so the tragical story ended.—A—d R—n.