Part 28 (2/2)

Upon the 13th of July, he was brought forth and in company with about 100 more prisoners under a strong guard of red coats taken from Stirling to Edinburgh, and put into Gray-friar's church-yard, amongst the Bothwel prisoners: there he was more vexed both by the enemy and his fellow-sufferers than ever. A specimen of which I shall give in his own words: ”Some of my neighbours desired the bond, so they put it to me; but I refused. However, the most part of them took it. Nay, there were some of them supplicated for any bond. This made some of us conclude it was our duty to testify against it; which piece of employment was put upon me, against which some of the prisoners obtested.--So I was rendered odious; but many a-day the Lord was kind to me in that yard, and kept me from many a fear and snare; his love was sweet unto me. The men complained of us to the commanders, who sent for me and examined me on the bond and other things: they said, I should be gagged, and every day I was vexed with them; until almost the whole prisoners pet.i.tioned for it--And there was as good as seventy ministers sent unto the ward to take it, and they said, it was not a head to suffer upon: when they had done, they sent in two gentlewomen with the commission; and they set upon me: I told them, if every one of them had as much of it as I had, they would not be so busy to press it: for before this, the b.l.o.o.d.y crew came to the yard, and called on me, and asked, If I would take the bond.

I said, No. They said, I would get no other sentence.--So I was sore put to it: I would often have been at the doing of something; but the Lord would not suffer me. So, in his strength, I fought on against my own heart and them all, and overcame. But O! the cross was sweet unto me and easy. There needs none fear to venture on suffering in his way and strength. O happy day, that ever I was trysted with such a thing. My bargaining with lovely Jesus was sweet unto me. It is true, affliction, for the present, seems not joyous but grievous; but afterwards _it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to those who are exercised thereby_. I never knew the treachery of ministers, and their dreadful hypocrisy and double dealing in the matters of G.o.d before that time, and I could never love them after that; for they made many a one to rack their conscience in taking that bond. I was brought out of the yard, Oct. 25th, with a guard of soldiers; when coming out, one Mr.

White asked, if I would take the bond? I, smiling, said, No. He, in way of jeer, said, I had a face to glorify G.o.d in the Salt market. So I bade farewel to all my neighbours who were sorry; and White bade me take goodnight with them, for I should never see them more. But I said, Lads, take good heart; for we may yet meet again for all this.--So I was brought before their council-court. They asked, if I would take the bond? I said, No.--Some of them said, May be he does not know it; but Halton said, he knows it well enough. So one of them read it. I asked, if they would have me subscribe a lie to take away my life; for I never was in rebellion, nor intended to be so. They said, they would make another bond for me. I answered they needed not trouble themselves; for I was not designed to subscribe any bond at this time.

”_Quest._ Will ye rise in rebellion against the king?

”_Answ._ I was not rising in rebellion against the king.

”_Q._ Will ye take the bond never to rise against the king and his authority?

”_A._ What is the thing ye call authority? They said, If they, the soldiers or any other subject, should kill me, I was bound not to resist. I answered, That I will never do.

”_Q._ Is the bishop's death murder?

”_A._ I am a prisoner; and so no judge.

”_Q._ Is Bothwel-bridge rebellion?

”_A._ I am not bound to give my judgment in that.

”Then one of them said, I told you what the rebel rascal would say: you will be hanged, Sir. I answered, you must first convict me of a crime.

They said, you did excommunicate prisoners for taking the bond. I said, that was not in my power; and moreover, I was now before them, and prove it if they were able. They said, they would hang me for rebellion. I said, you cannot: for if you walk according to your own laws, I should have my liberty. They said, Should we give a rebellious knave, like you, your liberty? you should be hanged immediately. I answered, That lies not yet in your power: so they caused quickly to take me away, and put me in the iron-house tolbooth. Much more pa.s.sed that I must not spend time to notice.

”So they brought me to the iron-house to fifteen of my dear companions in tribulation; and there we were a sweet company, being all of one judgment. There serving the Lord, day and night, in singleness of heart, his blessing was seen amongst us; for his love was better than life. We were all with one accord trysted sweetly together: and O it was sweet to be in this company, and pleasant to those who came in to see us, until the indictments came in amongst us. There were ten got their indictments. Six came off, and four got their sentence to die at Magus muir. There were fifteen brought out of the yard, and some of them got their liberty offered, if they would witness against me. But they refused, so they got all their indictments, but complied all, save one, who was sentenced to die with the other four at Magus muir.”

In this situation he continued till Nov. 13, that he was, by the intercession of some friends, brought to the west galleries on the other side of the tolbooth, where he continued sometime, till called again before some of the council; after which he was again committed to close prison for a time, till one night being called forth by one of the keepers, one Mr. John Blair, being present, accosted him thus, Wherefore do ye refuse the bond? He answered, I have no time now for that matter.

But out of that place, said Blair, you shall not go, for the covenants and the xiii. of the Romans bind you to it. I answered, No; they just bound me to the contrary. What if popery should come to the land, should we bind ourselves never to defend the true religion? He said, we were loosed then. I said, No; Presbyterians were taken by their word, and they should abide by it: and ere all were done, it should be a dear bond unto them:--as for my part, I would rather go to the Gra.s.s-market, and seal it with my blood, &c. After he came down, the goodman of the tolbooth abused him in a very indiscreet manner, saying, that, if there were no more men, he should be hanged; and that he was an ignorant fool; ministers nor men could not convince him; and bade take him off again to close prison, where he was again as much vexed with a company of bonders as ever: for they were not only become lax in principle but in duty also, for he roundly told them, ”You are far from what you were in the iron-house before you took the bond: then you would have been up at duty by two or three in the morning; now you lie in bed till eight or nine in the day.--They said, it was true enough; but said no more.”

After these got their liberty, he was accompanied with some other prisoners, some of whom were kept in for debt. And then, he says, he would have been up by four in the morning, and made exercise amongst them three times a-day, and the Lord was kind to him during that time; and he resolved never to make any compliance, and in this he was made to _eat meat out of the eater, and sweet out of the strong_. But some gentlemen, prisoners for religion where he was before, prevailed with the goodman of the tolbooth to have him back to them about the beginning of 1680. But here the old temptation to compliance and tampering with the enemy was afresh renewed; for the ministers coming in to visit these, when they could do no more, they brought ministers to the rooms to preach, and would make him hear them; which he positively refused. At last, they brought a minister, one of his acquaintance; him that should have preached that day he was taken[199]. But hearing he had made some compliance with the enemy, he would not go to the next room to hear him make exercise, till he knew the certainty of the matter. After which, he came to another room, where they had some conference. A short hint of it I shall here subjoin as follows: ”He asked after my welfare; and if I was going out of the prison? I told him, I blessed the Lord for it, I was well, and was not going out yet.” After some conversation anent field-preachings, particularly, one by worthy Mr. Cameron at Monkland, which he condemned; ”He asked, why I did not hear ministers? I answered, I desired to hear none but what are faithful; for I am a prisoner, and would gladly be in the right way, not to wrong myself.--He said, wherein are they unfaithful? I said, in changing their head, quiting the Lord's way, and taking on with covenant breakers, murderers of his people, &c. He said, how would I prove that? I said, their own practice proves it. He said, these were but failings, and these would not perjure a man; And it is not for you to cast at ministers: you know not what you are doing.--Answer, I do not cast them off: they cast off themselves by quiting the holding of their ministry of Christ. _Quest._ How prove you that? _Answ._ The 10th of John proves it; for they come not in by the door.--You may put me wrong; but I think that in Gal. i. 6. _I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you_, &c. you may read that at your leisure, how Paul had not his gospel from men, nor by the will of men. He said, lay by these: but what is the reason you will not hear others? I said, I desire to hear none of these gaping for the indulgence, and not faithful in preaching against it.”

After some conference anent Messrs. Cameron and Cargil, in which he said Mr. Cameron was no minister; and Mr. Cargil was once one, and had quitted it; that they received their doctrines from men, their hearers, who said, you must preach such and such doctrines, and we will hear you.

To all which the martyr gave pertinent answers. He said, ”Robert, do not think I am angry that you come not to hear me; for I desire not you, nor any of your faction to come and hear me; for I cannot preach to all your humours. I said, it was all the worse for that. He said, none of these faults would cast off a minister. They were but failings, not principles. I said I could not debate, but I should let any Christian judge, if it was no principle for a minister to hold Christ head of the church. I told him, there was once a day I would have ventured my life at his back for the defence of Christ's gospel; but not now; and I was more willing to lay down my life now for his sweet and dear truths than ever I was. He said, the Lord pity and help me. I said, I had much need of it. And so he went away, and rendered me odious. This, amongst other things, made me go to G.o.d and to engage in covenant with his Son never to hear any of those who betrayed his cause, till I saw evidences of their repentance. And I would have been willing to have quitted all for that chiefest among ten thousands.”

Thus he continued, till, he says, he got bad counsel from some of his friends to supplicate for his liberty; and they prevailed so far as to draw up a supplication and brought him to subscribe. But when they had got him to take the pen in his hand. ”The Lord bade me hold, (says he) and one came and bade me take heed. So I did it not, for which I bless his holy name. But this lets me see, there is no standing in me. Had it not been his free love, I had gone the blackest way ever one did, &c.”

The night before gallant Hackston was executed, being down stairs, and hearing of the way and manner he was to be executed, he went up stairs, (though it was treason to speak to him) and told him of it; which he could scarcely believe: But the keepers hearing came up to persuade him to the contrary, and to put Robert in the irons. However they got eight gray coats who watched Mr. Hackston all night, persuading him to the contrary. So that he did not know till at the place of execution.

It would appear, he was not put in the irons then until some time after, that a young woman, who was taken at the Ferry when Hall-head was killed, who having liberty to come into the lady Gilkerclugh then in prison, was conveyed out in a gentleman's habit, of which he and another got the blame, though entirely innocent; for which they were laid in irons: the other got his liberty, but Robert continued his alone sometime, till they intended to send him off with some soldiers to Tanguirs. But the Lord having other ways determined, they could not get as many of the council conveened, as to get an order made out: and so he was continued in prison, during which time he endured sore conflict with those his fellow prisoners, who still complied and got off, and others came in their place who set upon him afresh: So that he and any one who was of his own judgment, could scarcely get liberty to wors.h.i.+p G.o.d in the room without disturbance, calling him a devil, &c. And those who were faithful and a comfort to him, were still taken from him and executed, while he was retained (his time not being yet come) in prison where he was sometime with one John Scarlet, who, he says, was one of the basest of creatures.

To relate all the trials and difficulties he underwent, during the time of his imprisonment near the s.p.a.ce of two years and a half, with his various exercises, with the remarkable goodness of G.o.d towards him all that time, will be more than can conveniently be accomplished at present. I shall only notice one or two very strange occurrences of divine providence towards him; which he observes, with a few of his own expressions concerning himself and exercise, and his condition toward the end of his narrative and life also, which follows in his own words.

”I have no reason (says he) but to go through with cheerfulness, whatever he puts me to for owning of his cause: for if it had not been his sweet love to me, I might have been a sufferer for the worst of crimes: for there is in me what is in the worst of creatures: a remarkable instance of which I was tristed with long since;--which, while I live, I will not forget. Being at home working with my father, and having mended a chest-lock to an honest woman, I went home with it to put it on: the woman not being at leisure, there was a gun standing besides me: and I oftimes having guns amongst my hands to dress, took it up, and (not adverting that it was loaded) thinking her not good, tried to fire her; whereupon she went off, and the ball went up through a loft above, and had almost killed a woman and a child; and had not providence directed that shot, I had suffered as a murderer: And am I not obliged to follow and suffer for the _chiefest among ten thousands_, that has so honoured me a poor wretch? for many other things have escaped me; but I may not stay to mention what the Lord has done for me both at field preachings and other places.

”I have had a continued warfare, and my predominants grew mightily on my hand, which made my life sometimes heavy; but, amongst the many sweet nights and days I have had, was that 23d in the evening and 24th in the morning of August, 1681. The Lord was kind to me; that was the beginning of mornings indeed, whereon I got some of the Lord's love, and whereon I got an open door, and got a little within the court, and there was allowed to give in what I had to say either as to my own souls case or the case of the church which is low at this day. I have indeed had some sweet days since, but I have misguided them, and could not keep in with him; for my corruptions are so mighty, that sometimes I have been made to cry out, Woes me that ever I was born a man of strife and contention to many. _O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from me from the body of this death?_ But the Lord maketh up all again with his love; so that I have many ups and downs in my case.--I have forgotten some things particularly worthy remark: Such as, one night I was set upon by a French captain when out of town; but the Lord remarkably delivered me and brought me back again. So the Lord has let me see, I might have been staged for worse actions. So that I have no ground but to be for G.o.d while I live, and bless his name that ever honoured me with this dignity of suffering for his name and honourable cause.

”What will become of me is yet uncertain; but upon some considerations, what the land was doing in bringing in of popery--the love I bear to the Lord and his righteous cause, made me give in my protestation against the parliament, which this present year 1681 has made laws for the strengthening of popery: and I could do no less; for the glory of G.o.d was dearer to me than my life.

”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 h.e.l.l; 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 G.o.d: 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 G.o.d, 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.”

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