Life and prophecies of Mr. Alexander Peden (1810)
THE
Life and Prophecies
OF
Mr. Alexander Peden,
Late Miniſter of the Gospel
At NEW GLENLUCE, in GALLOWAY.
In Two Parts.
TO WHICH IS ADDED,
His Remarkable Letter to the Prisoners in Dunnotar Castle, July 1685.
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FALKIRK:
PRINTED BY T. JOHNSTON.
1810.
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THE
LIFE AND PROPHECIES
OF
Mr. Alexander Peden.
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1.MR. ALEXANDER PEDEN was born in the pariſh of Sorn, in the Sheriffdom of Ayr. After that he paſt his course at the College, he was employed for ſome time to be School Maſter, Precentor, and Seſſion-Clerk, to Mr. John Guthrie, Miniſter of the Goſpel at Tarbolton. When he was about to enter on the Miniſtry, a young woman fell with child, in adultery, to a ſervant in the houſe where he ſtayed: when ſhe found herſelf to be ſo, he told the father of it; who ſaid, I'll run for it, and go to Ireland; father it on Mr. Peden, he has more to help you to bring it up (he having a ſmall heritage) than I have. The ſame day that he was to get his licence, ſhe came is before the Preſbytery and ſaid, I hear you are to licence Mr. Peden to be a Miniſter; but do it not, for I am with child to him. He being without at the time, was called in by the Moderator: and being queſtioned about it, be ſaid, I am ſurpriſed, I cannot ſpeak; but let none entertain an ill thought of me, for I am utterly free of it, and God will vindicate me in his own time and way He went home, and walked at a water-ſide upwards of 24 hours, and would neither eat nor drink, but ſaid, I have got what I ⟨was seeking⟩, and I will be vindicated, and that poor unhappy laſs will pay dear for it in her life, and will make a diſmal end; and for this ſurfeit of grief that ſhe hath given me, there ſhall never one of her ſex come into my boſom. And, accordingly, he never married. There are various reports of the way that he was vindicated: Some ſay, the time ſhe was in child birth, Mr. Guthrie charged her to give account who was the father of that child? and diſcharged the women to be helpful to her, until the did it. Some ſay that ſhe confeſſed; others, that the remained obſtinate. Some of the people, when I made enquiry about it is that countryſide, affirmed, that after the Preſbyterv had been at all pains about it, and could get no ſatisfaction, they appointed Mr. Guthrie to give a full relation of the whole before the congregation, which he did; and the ſame day the father of the child being preſent, when he heard. Mr. Guthrie begin to read, he ſtood up, and deſired him to halt, and ſaid, "I am the father of that child, and I deſired her to father it on Mr. Peden, which has been a great trouble of conſcience to me; and I could not get reſt, till I came home to declare it." However, it is certain, that after ſhe was married, everything went croſs to them; and they went from place to place, and were reduced to great poverty. At laſt ſhe came to that ſame ſpot of ground where he ſtayed upwards of 24 hours, and made away with herſelf.
2. After this he was three years ſettled miniſter at New Glenluce in Galloway; and when he was obliged, by the violence and tyranny of that time, to leave that pariſh, he lectured upon Acts xx. 17. to the end, and preached upon the 31ſt verſe in the forenoon, "Therefore watch, and remember, that for the force of the years, I ceaſed not to warn every one, night and day, with tears." Aſſerting that he had declared the whole counſel of God, and had kept nothing back; and proteſted that he was free of the blood of all ſouls. And, in the afternoon, he preached on the 32d verſe, "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them that are ſanctified." Which was a weeping day in that Kirk; the greatest part could not contain themſelves: He many times requeſted them to be ſilent; but they ſorrowed most of all, when he told them that they ſhould never ſee his face in that pulpit again. He continued until night, and when he cloſed the pulpit door, he knocked hard upon it, three times with his Bible, ſaying three times over, I arreſt in my Maſter's name, that never one enter there, but ſuch as come in by the door, as I did. Accordingly, neither curate nor indulged miniſter ever entered that pulpit, until after the Revolution, that a Preſbyterian, Miniſter opened it: I had the account from old perſons in that pariſh, who were witneſſes to it, worthy of all credit.
3. After this, he joined with that honeſt and zealous handful, in the year 1666, that was broken at Pentland hills, and came the length of Clyde with them, where he had a melancholy view of their end, and parted with them there. James Cubiſon, of Paluchbeaties, my informer, to whom he told this, he said to him, "Sir, you did well that parted with them; ſeeing you was perſuaded they would fall and flee before the enemy. Glory, glory to God, that be ſent me not to hell immediately! for I ſhould have ſtayed with them, though I should have been cut all in pieces."
4. That night the Lord's people fell, and fled before the enemy at Pentland hills, he was in a friend's houſe in Carrick, 60 miles from Edinburgh; his landlord ſeeing him mightily troubled; enquired how it was with him? He ſaid, Tomorrow I will ſpeak with you; and deſired ſome candle. That night he went to bed; the next morning calling early to his landlord, said, I have ſad news to tell you, our friends that were together in arms, appearing for Christ's interest, are now broken, killed, taken and fled every man. He ſaid, Why do you ſpeak ſo? There is a great part of our friends priſoners in Edinburgh. About forty-eight hours thereafter, they were fully confirmed in the truth of it.
5. In June 1673, he was taken by Major Cockburn, in the houſe of Hugh Ferguſon, of Knockdow, in Carrick, who conſtrained him to tarry all night. Mr. Peden told him, that it would be a dear night's quarters to them both. Accordingly, they were carried priſoners to Edinburgh. Hugh Ferguſon was fined in a thouſand merks, for reſetting, harbouring, and converſing with him. The Council ordered fifty pounds ſterling to be paid to the Major, out of the fines, and ordained him to divide 25 pounds ſter. among the party that apprehended him. Some time after examination, he was ſent priſoner to the Baſs, where, and at Edinburgh, he remained until December 1668, that he was baniſhed.
6. While priſoner in the Baſs, one Sabbath morning, being about the public worſhip of God, a young lass, about 13 or 14 years of age, came to the chamber door, mocking with loud laughter: He ſaid, Poor thing, then mocks and laughs at the worſhip of God, but, ere long, God ſhall write ſuch a ſudden and ſurprising judgment on thee, that shall ſtay thy laughing, and thou ſhalt not eſcape it. Shortly after, ſhe was walking upon the rock, and there came a blaſt of wind, which ſweeped her into the ſea, where ſhe periſhed. While priſoner there, one day walking upon the rock, ſome ſoldiers paſſing by him, one of them ſaid, Devil take him! Fy, Fy, poor man, ſaid he, thou knoweſt not what thou art ſaying; but thou wilt repent that. At which word the ſoldier ſtood aſtoniſhed! and went to the guard diſtracted, crying out aloud for Mr. Peden, ſaying, The devil would immediately take him away! He came to him again, and found him in his right mind, under deep convictions of great guilt. The guard being to change, they desired him to go to his arms; he refuſed, and ſaid, he would lift no arms againſt Jeſus Chriſt's cauſe, and perſecute his people, he had done that too long The governor threatened him with death next day by ten of the clock; he confidently ſaid, three times, though he ſhould tear all his body in pieces, he ſhould never lift arms that way. About three days after, the governor put him out of the garriſon, ſetting him aſhore. He having a wife and children, took a houſe in Eaſt Lothian, where he became a ſingular Chriſtian Mr Peden told theſe aſtoniſhing paſſages to the foreſaid John Cubiſon and others, who informed me.
7. When brought from the Baſs to Edinburgh, and ſentence of baniſhment paſſed upon him in Dec. 1678, and ſixty more fellow priſoners, for the ſame cauſe to go to America, never to be ſeen in Scotland again, under the pain of death; after this ſentence was paſt, he ſaid ſeveral times, that the ſhip was not yet built that ſhould take him and theſe priſoners to Virginia, or any other of the Engliſh plantations in America. One James Kay, a ſolid and grave Chriſtian, being one of them, who lives in or about the Water of Leith, told me, that Mr. Peden ſaid to him, James, when your wife comes in, let me ſee her; which he did. After ſome diſcourſe, he called for a drink; and when he ſought a bleſſing, he ſaid, Good Lord, let not James Kay's wife miſs her huſband, till thou return him to her in peace and ſafety; which we are ſure will be ſooner than either he or ſhe is looking for. Accordingly, the ſame day month that he parted with her at Leith, he came home to her at the Water of Leith."
8. When they were on ſhipboard at the Water of Leith, there was a report, that the enemies were to ſend down thumbkins to keep them from rebelling; at the report of this, they were diſcouraged: Mr Peden came above the deck and ſaid, Why are ye diſcouraged? You need not fear, there will neither thumbkins nor bootkins come here: Lift up your hearts and heads, for the day of your redemption draweth near; if we were once up London, we will be all ſet at liberty. And when, on the voyage, praying publicly, he ſaid, Lord, ſuch is the enemies' hatred at thee, and malice at us, for thy ſake, that they will not let us ſtay in thy land of Scotland, to ſerve thee, tho' some of us have nothing but the canopy of thy heavens above us, and the earth to tread upon; but, Lord, we bleſs thy name, that will cut ſhort our voyage, and fruſtrate thy enemies of their wicked deſign, that they will not get us where they intend; and ſome of us ſhall go richer home than we came from home. James Pride, who lived in Fife, an honeſt man, being one of them, he ſaid many times, he could aſſert the truth of this, for he came ſafely home; and beſide other things, he bought two cows, and before that, he never had one, I had theſe accounts both from the foreſaid James Kay, and Robert Punten, a known public man, worthy of all credit, who was alſo under the ſame ſentence, who lived in the pariſh of Dalmony, near Queensferry.
9. When they arrived at London the ſkipper who received them at Leith, was to carry them no farther; the ſkipper, who was to receive them there, and carry them to Virginia, came to ſee them, they being repreſented to him as thieves, robbers, and evil-doers; but when he found they were all grave Chriſtian men, baniſhed for Preſb terian principles, he ſaid he would ſail the ſea with none ſuch. So, as the one Skipper woul dnot receive them, and the other would keep them no longer, being very expenſive to maintain them, they were all ſet at liberty. Others reported, that both Skippers got compliments from friends at London; however, it is certain, they were ſafely ſet free, without any impoſition of bonds or oaths; and friends at London, and in their way homewards thro' England, ſhewed much kindneſs unto them.
10. That diſmal day, June 22d. 1679, at Bothwel-bridge, that the Lord's people fell, and fled before the enemy, he was 40 miles diſtant, near the border, and kept himſelf retired until the middle of the day, that ſome friends ſaid to him, "Sir, the people are for ſermon. He ſaid, Let the people go to their prayers: for me I neither can nor will preach any this day; for our friends are fallen, and fled before the enemy at Hamilton; and and they are hanging and haſhing them down, and their blood is running like water.
11. After this, he was preaching in Galloway. In the forenoon he prayed earneſtly for the priſoners taken at and about Bothwell; but in the afternoon, when he began to pray for them, he halted and ſaid, Sirs, our friends at Edinburgh, the priſoners, have done ſomething to ſave their lives that ſhall not do with them, for the ſea-billows ſhall be many of their winding-ſheets; and the few of them that eſcape, ſhall not be uſeful to God in their generation. Which was ſadly verified thereafter. That which the greateſt part of theſe priſoners did, was the taking of that bond, commonly called the Black Bond, after Bothwel, wherein they acknowledged their appearance in arms for the defence of the gospel and their own lives, to be rebellion; and engaged themſelves never to make any more oppoſition: upon the doing of which, theſe perfidious enemies promiſed them life and liberty. This, with the curſed and ſubtil arguments and advices of miniſters; who went into the New Yard, where they were priſoners, particularly Mr. Hugh Kenedy, Mr. William Crighton, Mr. Edward Jamieſon, and Mr. George Johnſton; theſe took their turn in the yard, where the priſoners were, together with a letter that was ſent from that Eraſtian meeting of Miniſters, met at Edinburgh in Auguſt 1679, for the acceptance of a third indulgence, with a cautionary bend. Notwithſtanding of the enemies' promiſe, and the unhappy advice of miniſters not indulged, after they were enſnared in this foul compliance, they baniſhed 255, whereof 205 periſhed in the Orkney-ſea. This foul ſtep, as ſome of them told, both in their life, and when dying, lay heavy upon them all their days; and, that theſe unhappy arguments and advices of miniſters, prevailed more with them, than the enemies' promiſe of life and liberty. In August 1679, Fifteen of the Bothwel priſoners got indictments of death. Mr. Edward Jamieſon, a worthy Preſbyterian miniſter, as Mr. Woodrow calls him, was ſent from that Eraſtian meeting of Miniſters, into the Tolbooth to theſe fifteen, who, urged the lawfulneſs of taking the Bond to ſave their lives; and the refuſal of it would be a reflection to religion, and the cauſe they had appeared for; and a throwing away their lives, for which their friends would not be able to vindicate them. He prevailed with thirteen of them, which ſoured in the ſtomachs of ſome of theſe 13, and lay heavy upon then both in their life and death. The priſoners taken at and about the time of Bothwel, were reckoned about 1500. The faithful Mr. John Blackader did write to theſe priſoners, diſſuading them from that foul compliance; and ſome worthy perſons of theſe priſoners, whom he wrote to, ſaid to me with tears, that they ſlighted his advice, and ſwallowed the unhappy advices of theſe Miniſters who were making peace with the enemies of God, and followed their foul ſteps, for which they would go mourning to their graves I heard the ſame Mr. Blackader preach his laſt public ſermon, before his falling into the enemies' hands, in the night-time, in the fields, in the parish of Livingſtone, upon the ſide of the Muir, at Newhouſe, on the 23d. of March, after Bothwel, where he lectured upon Micah iv. from the 9th verſe, where he aſſerted, That the nearer the delivery, our pains and ſhowers would come thicker and ſorer upon us; and that we had been long in the fields, but ere we were delivered, we would go down to Babylon: That either Popery would overſpread this land, or be at the breaking in upon us, like an inundation of water. And preached upon that text, "Let no man be moved with theſe afflictions; for ye yourſelves know, that ye are appointed thereunto." Where he inſiſted on what moving and ſhaking diſpenſations the Lord had exerciſed his people with in former ages, eſpecially that man of God, that went to Jeroboam at Bethel, and delivered his commiſſion faithfully, and yet was turned out of the way by an old lying prophet: how moving the manner of his death was to all Iſrael! And earneſtly requeſted us, to take good heed to what miniſters we heard, and what advice we followed When he prayed, he bleſſed the Lord that he was free of both band and rope: and that he was as clearly willing to hold up the public bleſt ſtandard of the Goſpel as ever: And ſaid, The Lord rebuke, give repentance and forgiveneſs to theſe Miniſters that perſuaded theſe priſoners to take that bond. For their periſhing by ſea, was more moving and ſhocking to him, than if thouſands of them had been ſlain in the field. He was thereafter taken, the 6th. of April, by Major Johnſton, in Edinburgh, and detained priſoner in the Baſs, where he died. As the intereſt of Chriſt lay near his heart through his life, amongſt his laſt words he ſaid, The Lord would defend his own cauſe.
12 After the public murdering of theſe two worthy women-martyrs, Iſabel Alliſon and Marion Harvie, in the Graſsmarket of Edinburgh, January 1681, he was in Galloway; a profeſſor of ſome note, who had more carnal wit and policy, than to ſuffer him to be honeſt and faithful, after reaſoning upon the grounds of their ſufferings, affirmed that they would never be reckoned among the number of the martyrs. Mr Peden ſaid, after muſing a little, Let alone, you will never be honoured with ſuch a death: And for what you have ſaid againſt theſe two worthy laſſes, your death will be both ſudden and ſurprising. Which came to paſs very ſhortly hereafter; the man ſtanding before the fire, ſmocking his pipe, dropt down dead, and that without ſpeaking more.
13. In the month of June 1682, he was in the houſe of James Brown, in Paddockholm, above Douglas; John Wilſon in Lanark was with him, who ſuffered martyrdom in the Graſsmarket of Edinburgh the next year, May 1683. He lectured at night upon Amos viii. and repeated theſe words in the 9th verſe three times, "And I will riſe againſt the houſe of Jeroboam with the ſword." He laid his hand on the ſaid John, and ſaid, Encourage yourſelf in the Lord, and hold him faſt, John, for you will win up yonder ſhortly, and get on your braws. That night he went to the fields; and to-morrow, about ſix o'clock, John went to ſeek him, and found him coming to the houſe. He ſaid, John, let us go from this houſe, for the devil is about it, and will take his prey with him. John ſaid, We will take breakfaſt ere we go, it is a queſtion when we will get the offer again. He anſwered, No, no, I will not eat bread in this place, our landlord is an unhappy man, the devil will get him ſhortly, for he will hang himſelf. Which very shortly came to paſs; for his daughter, Jean Brown, was the firſt that got him in her arms, hanging in the ſtable. She was reckoned by all, to be a grave Chriſtian laſs; but from that day never had her health, and died of a decay at laſt, after ſhe had been ſome time in priſon for her principles. This paſſage the ſame John Wilſon reported ſeveral times to many, and ſome alive can bear witneſs to the truth of it.
14. In the year 1680, after the murdering of Mr. Cameron, and theſe worthies with him, at Airdſmoſs, he was near Machline, in the ſhire of Ayr; one Robert Brown, of Croſshouſe, who lived near Newmills, and one Hugh Pinaneve, factor to the Earl of Lothian, ſtabled their horſes in that houſe where he was, and went to a fair in Machline; and, in the afternoon, when they came to take away their horſes, they got a drink, and in the time of pit, the ſaid Hugh, a wicked wretch, both in principle and practice, broke out in a railing againſt ſufferers, particularly againſt Mr. Cameron: Mr. Peden being in another room over hearing all, was ſo grieved, that he came to the chamber door, and ſaid to the ſaid Hugh, Sir, hold your peace, ere twelve o'clock, thou ſhalt know what for a man Mr. Cameron was; God ſhall puniſh that blaſphemous mouth and curſed tongue of yours in ſuch a manner as ſhall be aſtonishing to all that ſhall ſee you, and ſhall ſet you up as a beacon to all railing Rabſhakehs. Robert Brown knowing Mr. Peden, haſted to his horſe, being perſuaded that Mr. Peden's words would not fall to the ground, and fearing that ſome miſchief might befal him for being in the ſaid Hugh's company, he rode hard home. Robert went to his own houſe; and Hugh to the Earl's houſe, and caſting off his boots, he was ſtruck with ſuch a ſickneſs and pain through his body, with his mouth ſo wide, and his tongue hanging ſo far out, in a fearful manner, that they ſent for the ſaid Robert. Being uſed to draw blood, he drew ſome from him, but all in vain, he died before midnight. The ſaid Robert, an old man, told me this paſſage when in priſon together.
15. In the year 1682, he was in Kyle, and preached upon that text, "The plower's plowed upon my back, and drew long their furrows." Where he ſaid, Would ye know who firſt yoked this plow? It was curſed Cain, when he drew his furrows ſo long and deep, that he let out the heart-blood of his brother Abel; and his curſed ſeed has, and will gang ſummer and winter, froſt and freſh weather, till the world's end; and at the ſound of the laſt trumpet, when all are in a flame, their theets will burn, and their ſwingletrees will fall to the ground; the plowmen will loſe their grips of the plow, and the gadmen will throw away their gads; and then, O the yelling and ſhrieking that will be among all this curſed ſeed, clapping their hands, and crying to the hills and mountains to cover them from the face of the Lamb, and of him that ſits upon the throne, for their hatred of him, and malice at his people. After ſermon, when marrying a pair of folks, when the mau had the woman by the hand, he ſaid, Indeed, man, you have a bonny bride by the hand, I ſee a covetous devil in her; ſhe is both a thief and a whore, let her go, you will be aſhamed of her. The man keeping faſt her hand, he ſaid, You will not take my advice, but it will tend to thy diſgrace. After marriage, when praying, he ſaid, Good Lord, many a plow hath been yoked on the back of the Church in Scotland, Pagans yoked theirs, Antichriſt yoked his, and Prelacy hers, and now the plagued Eraſtian indulged, they have yoked theirs, and it ill becomes them; good Lord cut their theets, that the ſwingle trees may fall to the ground." Enſign John Kirkland was witneſs to this ſermon and marriage; he was my dear acquaintance, who told me ſeveral times of this, and more of that ſermon.
16. About the ſame time, he was marrying two pair of folks, he ſaid to the one, Stand by, I will not marry you this day. The bridegroom was anxious to know the reaſon; after enquiring privately, he ſaid, You will thank me for this afterwards, and think yourſelf well quat of her, for ſhe is with child to another wife's huſband: Which was matter of fact, as time afterwards diſcovered.
17. Shortly after that ſad ſtroke at Bothwel, he went to Ireland, but did not ſtay long at that time; in his travels through Galloway, he came to a houſe, and looking in the goodman's face, he ſaid, They call you an honeſt man, but if you be ſo you look not like it; you will not long keep that name, but will diſcover yourſelf to be what you are. And ſhortly after, he was made to flee for ſheep-ſtealing. In that ſhort time he was in Ireland, the Governor required of all Preſbyterian Miniſters that were in Ireland, that they ſhould give it under their hand, that they had no acceſſion to the late rebellion at Bothwel bridge, in Scotland, and that they did not approve of it: which the moſt part did, and ſent Mr. Thomas Gowans, a Scotſman, and one Mr. Paton from the north of Ireland to Dublin, to preſent it to the Lord Lieutenant; the which, when Mr. Peden heard, he ſaid, Mr. Gowans and his brother Mr. Paton are ſent and gone the devil's errand, but God will arreſt them by the gate. Accordingly Mr. Gowans by the way was ſtruck with a ſore ſickneſs, and Mr. Paton fell from his horſe, and broke or cruſhed his leg, and both of them were detained beyond expectation. I had this account from ſome worthy Chriſtians when I was in Ireland.
18. In the year 1682, he married John Brown in Kyle, at his own houſe in Prieſthall, that ſingular Chriſtian, upon Marion Weir; after marriage he ſaid to the bride, Marion, you have got a good man to be your huſband, but you will not enjoy him long; prize his company, and keep linen by you for his winding ſheet, for you will need it, when you are not looking for it, and his death will be a bloody one. This came ſadly to paſs in the beginning of May 1685, as afterwards ſhall appear.
19. After this in the year 1682, he went to Ireland again, and came to the houſe of William Steel in Glenwharry, in the county of Antrim, he enquired at Mrs. Steel, if ſhe wanted a ſervant for threſhing victual? She ſaid they did, and enquired what his wages were a-day, or a-week. He ſaid, the common rate was a common rule; to which ſhe aſſented. At night he was put to the barn to bed, with the ſervant lad in the morning, the lad ſaid to his miſtreſs, This man ſleeps none, but groans and prays all night; I get no ſleep for him. He threſhes very well, and is not ſparing of himſelf, though I think he has not been uſed with it; for he can do nothing to the botteling and ordering of the barn; and when I put the barn in order, he goes to ſuch a place, and there he prays for the afflicted Church of Scotland, and names ſo many people in the furnace. He wrought the ſecond day, and his miſtreſs watched and overheard him praying, as the lad had ſaid. At night ſhe deſired her huſband to enquire if he was a Miniſter, which he did, and desired him to be free with him, and he ſhould not only be no enemy to him, but a friend to him. Mr. Peden ſaid, he was not aſhamed of his office; and gave an account of his circumſtances. He was no more ſet to work, nor to lie with the lad, and he ſtaid a conſiderable time in that place, and was a bleſſed inſtrument in the converſion of ſome, and civilizing of others, though that pace was noted for a wild, rude people, and the fruit of his labour appears unto this day. There was a ſervant-laſs in that houſe, that he could not look upon but with frowns; and ſometimes when at family-worſhip he ſaid, pointing to her with a frowning countenance, You come from the barn and from the byre, reeking in your luſts, and ſits down ⟨among⟩ us, we do not want you nor none ſuch." At laſt ⟨he⟩ ſaid to William Steel and his wife, "Put that unhappy ⟨laſs⟩ from your houſe, for ſhe will be a ſtain to your family, ⟨for⟩ ſhe is with child and will murder it, and will be ⟨puniſhed⟩ for the ſame. Which accordingly came to paſs; ⟨and⟩ ſhe was burnt at Craig-Fergus, which is the uſual ⟨puniſhment⟩ of murderers of children there. I had this ⟨account⟩ from John Muirhead who ſtaid much in that ⟨houſe⟩, and other Chriſtian people when I was in Ireland.
20 On the ſecond of Auguſt, 1684, he was in a ⟨Chriſtian⟩ Scots woman's house, called Margaret Lumbernor; that day there was an extraordinary ſhower of big ⟨hail⟩, ſuch as he had never ſeen the like. She ſaid, what ⟨can⟩ be the meaning of this extraordinary hail? He ſaid, Within a few years there will be an extraordinary ſtorm ⟨and⟩ ſhower of judgment poured out upon Ireland: but Margaret, you ſhall not live to ſee it. And accordingly ⟨ſhe⟩ died before that rebellion; and the reſt had a ſad ⟨accompliſhment⟩ at Derry, and the water of Boyn.
21. On the ſecond of February, 1685, he was in the ⟨houſe⟩ of one Mr. Vernor, at night he and John Kilpatrick, ⟨Mrs. Vernor's⟩ father, a very old worthy Chriſtian, he ſaid ⟨to⟩ him, "John the world may well want you and me," ⟨John⟩ ſaid, Sir, I have been very fruitleſs and uſeleſs all ⟨my⟩ days, and the world may well want me; but your ⟨death⟩ will be a great loſs. Well John, ſaid he, you and I ſhall be both in heaven ſhortly; but though you be much older than I, my ſoul will get the foreſtart of yours, for I will be firſt in heaven; but your body will get the advantage of mine, for ye will get reſt in your grave until the reſurrection; but for me, I muſt go to the bloody land (this was his ordinary way of ſpeaking, bloody or ſinful land, when he ſpake of Scotland) and die there; and the enemies out of their great wickedneſs, will lift my corpſe into another place; but I am very indifferent John, for I know my body ſhall lie among the duſt of the martyrs; and though they ſhould take my old bones and make whiſtles of them, they will all be gathered together, in the morning of the reſurrection; and then, John, you and I, and all that will be found having on Chriſt's righteouſneſs, will get day-about with them, and give our hearty aſſent to their eternal ſentence of damnation. The ſame night after this diſcourſe, while about family worſhip, about ten or eleven o'clock, explaining the portion of Scripture he read, he ſuddenly halted and hearkened, and ſaid three times over, What's this I hear? and hearkened again a little, and clapt his hands and ſaid, I hear a dead ſhot at the throne of Britain, let him go yonder, he has been a black fight to theſe lands, eſpecially to poor Scotland; we are all quit of him; there has been many a waſted prayer wared on him. And it was concluded by all, the ſame night, that unhappy man Charles II. died. I had this account from John Muirhead and others who were preſent, and confirmed in the truth of it, by ſome worthy Chriſtians when I was in Ireland.
22. Upon the 4th of February 1685, he preached at a woodſide near the ſaid Mr. Vernor's houſe; he read the whole of the 49th Pſalm; after reading, he charged his hearers, that none of them open their mouths to ſing but thoſe that could do it knowingly and believingly; for ſome few lines few opened their mouths; but as John Muirhead and John Waddel, who were preſent, (two solid Christians and great sufferers, who lived and died in the pariſhes of Cambuſnethen and Shots,) ſaid to me, they and ſome others, could not contain and forbear ſinging, but broke out with their whole hearts and whole ſtrength, ſo that they were never witneſs to ſuch loud ſinging, through the whole pſalm After the ſinging, in prefacing, he cried out, "Pack and let us go to Scotland, let us flee from one devouring ſword and go to another; the poor honeſt lads in Scotland, are running upon the hills, and have little of either meat or drink but cold and hunger; and the bloody enemy are purſuing and murdering them, wherever they find them, their blood is running like water upon ſcaffolds and fields; riſe, go and take part with them, for we fear they bar us out of heaven. Oh! ſecure Ireland, a dreadful day is coming upon thee within a few years, that they ſhall ride many miles, and ſhall not ſee a reeking houſe in thee; Oh! hunger, Derry, many a pale face shall be in thee; and fire, fire upon a town, whoſe name I have forgot, which was all burnt to aſhes. This had an exact accompliſhment four years thereafter. And for the profanity of England, the formality and ſecurity of Ireland, for the loathing and contempt of the goſpel, covenant breaking and innocent blood-ſhed in Scotland, none of theſe lands ſhall eſcape, ere all be done. But notwithſtanding of all this, Ill tell you good news, keep in mind this year, month and day, and remember that I told you that the enemies have got a ſhot beneath their right wing, and they may riſe and fly like a ſhot-bird, but ere this day ſeven years, the ſtrongeſt of them all ſhall fall." Then upon the ſixth, he was in that wood all day; and at night he came to the ſaid Mr. Vernor's houſe, where ſeveral of our Scots ſufferers were, he ſaid, Why are ye ſo diſcouraged? I know ye have got ill news of the dreadful murder of our friends in Scotland; but I will tell you good news, that unhappy, treacherous, lecherous man, who has made the Lord's people in Scotland tremble theſe ſeveral years bygone, has got his laſt glut in a lordly diſh from his brother, and he is lying with his tongue cold in his mouth. The news of this came not to Ireland for 24 hours thereafter. The foreſaid John Muirhead and John Waddel, and others of our Scots ſufferers, who had heard him preach the Sabbath day before, concluded this was the ſhot beneath the right wing that he ſpoke of, Charles II. dying the Friday's night before.
23 After this he longed to be out of Ireland, what through the fearful apprehenſions of that diſmal day of rebellion in Ireland that came upon it four years thereafter, and that he might take part with the ſufferers of Scotland. Coming near the coaſt one morning, John Muirhead came to him lying within a hedge: He ſaid, Have ye any news, John? John ſaid, There is great fear of the Iriſh riſing. He ſaid, No no, John; the time of their riſing is not yet; but they will riſe and dreadful will it be at laſt. He was long detained waiting for a lark, not daring to go to public ports, but to ſome remote creek of the ſea. Alexander Gordon of Kinſtuir, in Galloway, had agreed with one, but Mr. Peden would not ſail the ſea with him, having ſome foreſight of what he did prove afterwards. In the beginning of Auguſt before this, Kinſtuir was relieved at Enterken path, going from Dumfries to Edinburgh priſoner: When the news of it came to Ireland, our Scots ſufferers their acquaintance were glad of the news eſpecially that Kinſtuir had eſcaped. He ſaid, What mean all this Kinſtuiring? There is ſome of them relieved there, that one of them is worth many of him; for all will be aſhamed of him ere all be done. Being in this ſtrait, he ſaid to Robert Wark, an old worthy Chriſtian, worthy of credit, Robert, go and take ſuch a man with you, and the firſt bark ye can find, compel them, for they will be like the dogs in Egypt, not one of them will move their tongue againſt you. Accordingly, Robert and his comrade found it out ſo, and brought her to that ſecret place where he was. When Robert and his comrade came and told him, he was glad, and very kind and free; but he ſeemed under a cloud at that time. He ſaid, Lads, I have loſt my proſpect, wherewith I was wont to look over to the bloody land, and tell you and others, what enemies and friends were doing: the devil and I puddles and rides time about upon one another; but it I were uppermoſt again, ſhall ride hard, and ſpur-gaw well: I have been praying for a ſwift paſſage over to the ſinful land, come of us what will. And now Alexander Gordon is away with my prayer wind; but it were good for the remnant in Scotland, he never ſaw it; for as the Lord lives, he ſhall wound that intereſt ere he go off the ſtage. This ſadly came to paſs in his life, and was a reproach to it at his death. A little before they came off, he baptiſed a child to John Maxwell, a Glaſgow-man, who was fled over from the perſecution: In his diſcourſe before baptiſm, he burſt out into a rapture, foretelling that black day that was to come upon Ireland, and ſad days to Scotland, and after all this was to come good days. Mrs. Maxwell or Mary Elphingſton, the mother of the child, yet alive in Glasgow, told me this, that in the time he was aſſerting theſe things, ſhe was thinking and wondering what ground of aſſurance he had for them, he cried aloud, ſhaking his hand at her, and ſaid, Woman, thou art thinking and wondering within thyſelf, whether I be ſpeaking thoſe things out of the viſions of my own head, or if I be taught by the Spirit of God; I tell thee woman, thou ſhalt live and ſee that I am not miſtaken. She told me, that ſhe was very lately delivereſt, and out of her great deſire to have her child baptized before he came off, that ſhe took travail too ſoon; and being weak, and ſo ſurpriſed with telling her the thoughts of her heart, that ſhe was in danger of falling off the chair. At this exerciſe alſo he told them, that he could not win off till he got this done, and this was all the drink-money he had left in Ireland, and to the family, (pointing to the landlord) for all the kindneſs he had met with from them. After baptiſm, they got breakfaſt; and there was plenty of bread upon the table: At ſeeking a bleſſing, he put his hand beneath the bread, holding it up with much affection and tears, ſaid, Lord, here is a well covered table, and plenty of bread; but what comes of the poor young kindly honeſt lad Renwick, that ſhames us all, in ſtaying and holding up his fainting mother's head, when of all the children ſhe has brought forth, there is none will avowedly take her by the hand, and the poor, cold hungry lads upon the hills? For the honour of thine own cauſe, let them not ſtarve; thou cauſed a ravenous bird, greedy of fleſh itſelf, to feed Elijah; and thou fed thy people in the wilderneſs with angels' food; and bleſſed a few loaves and ſmall fiſhes, and made them ſufficient for many; and had experience of want, wearineſs, cold and hunger, and enemies daily hunting for thy life, while in the world: look to them, and provide for them. We will get the black ſtone for leaving him and them. The Waiters being advertiſed of the bark being in that place, they and other people came upon them, which obliged them that were to come off, to ſecure the Waiters and people altogether, for fear of the garriſon of Carrickfergus apprehending them, being near to it, which obliged them to come off immediately, however it might be with them. After that he and 26 of our Scots ſufferers came aboard, he ſtood on the deck and prayed, there being not the leaſt wind, where he made a rehearſal of times and places, when and where the Lord had heard and anſwered them in the day of their diſtreſs, and now they were in a great ſtrait. Waving his hand to the weſt, from whence he deſired the wind, he ſaid, Lord give us a loof-full of wind: Fill the ſails, Lord, and give us a freſh gale, and let us have a ſwift paſſage over to the bloody land, come of us what will. John Muirhead, Robert Wark, and others who were preſent, told me, that when he began to pray, the ſails were all hanging ſtraight down; but ere he ended, they were all like blown bladders. They put out the waiters and other people, and got a very ſwift and ſafe paſſage. The 26 Scots ſufferers that were with him, having provided themſelves with arms, and being deſigned to return to Scotland, there being then ſuch a noiſe of killing; and indeed the din was no greater than the deed, it being then in the heat of killing time, in the end of February, 1685, when at exerciſe in the Bark, he ſaid, Lord thou knoweſt theſe lads are hot ſpirited, lay an arreſt upon them, that they may not appear; their time is not yet; though Monmouth and Argyle be coming, they will work no deliverance. At that time there was no report of their coming, for they came not for ten weeks thereafter. In the morning after they landed; he lectured before they parted, ſitting upon a braeſide, where he had fearful threatnings againſt Scotland, ſaying, The time was coming, that they might travel many miles in Galloway and Nithſdale, Ayr and Clydeſdale, and not ſee a recking houſe, nor hear a cock crow. And further ſaid, that his ſoul trembled to think, what would become of the indulged, backſlidden and upſitten miniſters of Scotland; as the Lord lives, none of them ſhall ever be honoured to put a right pin in the Lord's tabernacle, nor aſſert Chriſt's kingly prerogative, as head and king of his church. To the ſame purpoſe, ſaid the never-to-be-forgotten Mr. Donald Cargill, within eight hours of his martyrdom, that he feared though there were not another miniſtry in all the earth, he would make no more uſe of them in a national reformation; but ſend dreadful judgments upon themſelves, and a long curſe upon their posterity. And Mr. Rutherford ſaid, in his day, 1656, That ſad and heavy were the judgments and indignation from the Lord, that was abiding the unfaithful watchmen of Scotland: meaning the unhappy Reſolutioners. When ended, he prayed earneſtly for many things, particularly, that all the ſins they had committed in Ireland, might be buried in that place, and might not ſpread with them through the ſinful land.
24 When the greater part took their farewell of him, he ſaid to the reſt, To what houſe or place ſhall we go? One Hugh Kennedy ſaid, We will go to ſuch a houſe. He ſaid, Hewie, we will not get in our noſe there; for the devil and his bairns are there. Notwithſtanding, Hugh went, and found the houſe full of the enemies, and that night a woman in the houſe made away with herſelf. Hugh came quickly back and told him. He ſaid, we will go to ſuch a houſe, I have an errand there. When they went, the goodwife was dying, under great doubts and fears, where he was a bleſſed inſtrument of comfort to her. He ſaid to Hugh, Hewie, this is my errand here.
25. They went eaſtward ſomewhat contrary to his inclination: when they came to the top of an hill, upwards of two miles diſtant from the place they deſigned, he halted and ſaid, I will not go one foot further this way; there is undoubtedly danger before us. A herd lad being there, he gave him a groat, and deſired him to go to that houſe, and fetch him meat and news. When the lad came to the houſe, the good wife haſted and gave him meat to them, ſaying, Lad, run hard, and tell them, that the enemies are ſpread; and we are looking for them here every minute. As the lad was going from the houſe, eighteen of the enemies foot appeared, who cried to him, Stand dog! But the lad ran, and ſix of them purſued half a mile, and fired hard upon him; the ball went cloſe by his head: All that time Mr. Peden continued in prayer for him alone, and with the reſt, being twelve men. When praying with them, he ſaid, Lord ſhall the poor lad that is gone our errand, ſeeking bread to ſupport our lives, loſe his? Direct the bullets by his head; however near, let them not touch him; Good Lord, ſpread the lap of thy cloak and cover the poor lad. And in this he was heard and anſwered, in that there was a dark miſty cloud parted him and them.
26. About this time there was an honeſt poor wife brought him and them ſome bread and milk; When ſeeking a bleſſing, he ſaid, Now, in this bloody land, this poor Woman has endangered her life in bringing bread to ſupport ours; we cannot pay her for it, but Lord, it is for thy ſake ſhe has brought it; and there is no need that ſhe ſhould be a looſer at thy hand: Thou giveſt plenty of bread to many that are not ſo worthy of it. Giving does not impoveriſh thee; and withholding does not enrich thee: Give this poor Wife twenty bonnacks for theſe few. This Woman ſaid ſeveral times, ſhe was never afterwards ſo ſtraitened for bread as before.
27. At this time, upon a Sabbath night, he preached in a ſhield or sheep-houſe, in a deſart place; a man ſtanding at the door as he came in, he gripped him, and ſaid, Where are you going, ſir? Go home, you have neither art nor part with us; there will be a black account heard of you ere long. Accordingly, very ſhortly thereafter he went to Edinburgh, and took the black Teſt. That night he lectured upon Amos vii. "And I will ſet a plumb line in the midſt of my people Iſrael." He cried out, Oh! how few of the miniſters of Scotland will anſwer the plumb-line? Lord, ſend us a Welwood, a Cargill, and a Cameron, and ſuch as they, and make us quit of the reſt. "And I will riſe againſt the houſe of Jeroboam with the ſword." He ſaid, I will tell you good news, our Lord will take a feather out of Antichriſt's wing, which ſhall bring down the Duke of York, and baniſh him out of theſe kingdoms, and will remove the bloody ſword from above the heads of his people; And there will never a man of the name of Stewart ſit upon the throne of Britain after the Duke of York, whoſe reign is now ſhort, for their lechery, treachery, tyranny, and ſhedding the precious blood of the Lord's people: But, oh! black, black, black will the day be that will come upon Ireland! ſo that one may travail 40 miles, and not ſee a reeking houſe, nor hear a cock crow. At this he ſtarted up to his feet, and clapt his hands, and with a raviſhing voice cried aloud, Glory, glory, to the Lord, that has accepted a bloody ſacrifice of a ſealed teſtimony off Scotland's hand! We have a bloody clout to hold up, the lads that got the bullets through their heads the laſt day at Glentrol; their blood has made the clout redder. When our Lord looks upon the bloody clout, he will keep the ſword of his avenging juſtice in the ſheath for a time, but if Scotland ſhall not conſider the merciful day of their viſitation, nor his long ſuffering, patience, and forbearance lead them to repentance, as we fear it will not, but harden them in their ſin, and the greater part turn goſpel-proof and judgment-proof, and wax worſe and worſe, then will the Lord accompliſh all that he has threatened; his well-deſerved, foreſeen, and foretold day of vengeance: "When he begins, he will make an end;" eſpecially againſt the houſe of Eli, for the iniquity which they cannot but know. When ended, he, and thoſe that were with him, lay down in the ſheep houſe, and got ſome ſleep: He roſe early, and went up to the burn-ſide, and ſtayed long s when he came in to then, he gave out the 32d. Pſalm, from the 7th verſe to the end; when ending, he repeated the 7th verſe.
Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt
from trouble keep me free:
Thou, with ſongs of deliverance,
about ſhalt compaſs me.
Saying, Theſe and the following are ſweet lines, which I got at the burn ſide this morning, and we'll get more to-morrow, and ſo we will get daily proviſion: He was never behind with any that put their truſt in him; and he will not be in cur common, nor none who needily depends on him, and ſo we will go on in his ſtrength, making mention of his righteouſneſs, and of his only. The foreſaid James Cubiſon went eight miles with him; when he took good night, he ſaid, Sir, I think I'll never ſee you again. He anſwered, James, you and I will never meet again in time. And two ſeveral times he went to Ireland before, when they parted, he told them that they would meet again. The ſaid James, John Muirhead, and others of our ſufferers, who were preſent, gave me theſe accounts.
28. Shortly after they landed from Ireland in Galloway, the enemy got notice, they being then in garriſons, foot and horſe, and it being killing time, the alarm came to them in a morning, that foot and horſe were coming upon them, the foreſaid John Muirhead being ſtruck with a violent pain in his forehead, they ſtarted up to run for it: He ſaid, Stay, ſtay, lads! let us pray for old John ere we go. He ſtood up and ſaid, Lord, we hear tell that thy enemies and ours are coming upon us, and thou haſt laid thy hand of affliction on old John; have pity upon him, for thy enemies will have none; his blood will run where he lies! ſpare him at this time, we know not if he be ready to die. And, as John told he, with tears in his eyes, the pain in his head, and the indiſpoſition of his body quite left him, and he ſtarted up and ran with the reſt. The enemies ſeeing them, purſued them hard, ſometimes the horſe, and ſometimes the foot being near them; moſſy, boggiſh ground did caſt about the horſes. After they had run ſome conſiderable way, they got upon a little height between the enemy and them; Mr. Peden ſtood ſtill and ſaid, Let us pray here; for, if the Lord hear not our prayers, and ſave us, we are dead men, and our blood will run like water: If we die, let the enemy kill us, let our blood fill up their cup, that the day of vengeance that is coming on them may be haſtened. Then he began, and ſaid, Lord, it is thy enemies' day, hour and power; they may not be idle, but haſt thou no other work for them, but to ſend them after us? Send them after them, to whom thou wilt give ſtrength to flee, for our ſtrength is gone; twine them about the hill, Lord, and caſt the lap of thy cloak over auld Sandy, and thir poor things, and ſave us this one time, and we will keep it in remembrance, and tell it to the commendation of thy goodineſs, pity and compaſſion, what thou didſt for us at ſuch a time. In the mean time, there was a dark cloud of miſt came betwixt them. After prayer, he ordered two of them to give notice of the enemy's motion, and the reſt to go alone, and cry mightily to the Lord for deliverance. In the meantime that they were thus exerciſed, there came poſts to the enemy, for them to go and purſue after Mr. Renwick, and a great company with him. After the enemies were gone, he called them together, and ſaid, "Let us not forget to return thanks to the Lord, for hearing and anſwering us in the day of our diſtreſs." And charged the whole creation to praiSe the Lord; and alſo adjured the clouds to praiſe him. Then he ſat down at the ſide of a well, and enquired if they had any crumbs of bread? Some of them had ſome crumbs; and when ſeeking a bleſſing, he ſaid, Lord, thou who bleſſed the few loaves and fiſhes, and made them ſufficient for many, bleſs this water and theſe crumbs to us; for we thought we ſhould never have needed any more of theſe creature-comforts.
29. A few days after this, the aforeſaid John Muirhead head was in a houſe alone, at a diſtance from the reſt, and in the morning was a dark miſt, and he knew not whether to go, or where to find them only he heard him ſpeak of the name of a place where he was to baptize ſome children; he gave a ſixpence to a lad to conduct him to that place, which was ſix miles diſtant: When he came, he was praying. After baptism, he came to John, and ſaid, Poor ſtraying ſheep, how came you to ſtray from the rest? I had a troubled morning for you. Do not thus again, otherwiſe it will fare the worſe with you.
30. About this time, he and John Clark, who ordinarily was called Little John, were in a cave in Galloway, and had wanted meat and drink long: He ſaid, John, better be thrust through with the ſword, than pine away with hunger; the earth and the fulness thereof, belongs to my Master, and I have a right to as much of it as will keep me from fainting under his ſervice; go to ſuch a house, and tell them plainly that I have wanted meat ſo long, and they will willingly give it. Said John, Sir, I am not willing to leave you in this place alone, for ſome have been frighted by the devil in this cave. No, no, John, ſaid he, you need not fear that, I will take my venture of him for a time, John went, and the people willingly gave him ſome meat. When he came back, he ſaid, "John, it is very hard living in this world, incarnate devils above the earth, and devils beneath the earth! the devil has been here ſince you went away; I have ſent him off in haſte, we will be no more troubled with him this night."
31. A little time after this, he being yet in Galloway, John Muirhead, and ſome others being with him, John ſaid to him, This is a very melancholy weary time; it being killing time. He replied, There are more dark weary days to come, when your pulpits will be full of Presbyterian ministers, and it will turn that dark upon you, that many ſhall not know what to do, whether to hear or forbear; and they ſhall then be reckoned happy that wan well through at Pentland, Bothwel, and Airdmoſs, and wan fairly off the ſtage, and got martyrdom for Chriſt: for the miniſters will cut off many of the moſt ſerious and zealous godly at the web's end; but I will be hid in a grave. They enquired what would become of the teſtimony of the Church of Scotland? Then he plucked the bonnet off his head, and threw it from him, ſaying, See ye how my bonnet lies? The ſworn to, and ſealed teſtimony of the Church of Scotland will fall from among the hands of all parties, and will lie as cloſe upon the ground as ye ſee my bonnet lies How lamentably is this accomplished, to the observation of all who ſee with half an eye!
32. At this time it was ſeldom that Mr. Peden could be prevailed with to preach, frequently anſwering and advising people to pray meikle, ſaying, It was praying folk that would win through the ſtorm: and that they would get preaching both meikle and good, but not meikle good of it, until judgments be poured out, to make the land deſolate. And at other tines, We needed not to look for a great or good day of the goſpel, until the ſword of the Frenches were amongſt us, to make a dreadful ſlaughter; and after that, braw good days. He, and Mr. Donald Cargill ſaw as it had been with one eye, and ſpake with one breath; and, frequently, when they preſſed him to preach, he had the ſame expreſſions in his anſwers.
33. There were three lads murdered at Wigtown, and at the ſame time he was praying at Craigmyne, many miles diſtant: He cried out, There is a bloody ſacrifice put up this day at Wigtown. Theſe were the lads of Kirkelly: And thoſe who lived near, knew not of it, till it was paſt. I had this account from William M'Dougal, an old man in Ferrytown, near Wigtown, worthy of credit, who was preſent.
34 After this, in Auchengroech muirs, in Nithſdale, Captain John Matthiſon and others, being with him, they were alarmed that the enemies were coming fast upon them: They deſigned to put him into ſome hole, and cover him with heather, he not being able to run hard, by reason of his age; He desired them to forbear a little until he prayed, where he ſaid, Lord, we are ever needing at thy hand; and if we had not thy command to call on thee in the day of our distress, we wot not what would become of us: If thou hast any more work for us in the world, allow us the lap of thy cloak this day again: And if this be the day of our going off the ſtage, let us win comfortably through, and honeſtly off, and our ſouls will ſing forth thy praiſes thro' eternity, for what thou haſt done to us and for us. When ended, he ran alone a little, and came quickly back, ſaying, Lads, the bitterneſs of this blaſt is over; we will be no more troubled with them to-day. Foot and horſe came the length of Andrew Clark's, in Achengrooch, where they were covered with a dark mist: When they ſaw it, they roared like fleshly devils, and cried out, There is the confounded miſt again! we cannot get theſe damned whigs purſued for it. I had this account from the ſaid Captain John Matthison.
35. About this time he was in a houſe in the ſhire of Ayr (James Niſbet, yet living in the Caſtle of Edinburgh, can bear witneſs to the truth of this) and one night he was ſtanding before the fire, where he uttered ſome imprecations upon the curſed intelligencers, who had told the enemy that he was come out of Ireland. When James took him to the place where he was to reſt a little, James ſaid, The ſervants took notice of your imprecations upon the intelligencers. He ſaid, Ye will know to-morrow, about nine o'clock, what ground I have for it: I wish thy head may be preserved, for it will be in danger for me. I will take my own time, and be gone from this house. Some time that night, he went to a desart place, and darned himself in a moss-hag; the next morning, James was going at the harrows, and about eight of the clock there was a troop of the enemies ſurrounding the house; when James ſaw them, he ran for it, and they pursued him hard, till he wan to a moss, where they could pursue him no farther with horses: Then they fired upon him, and he having knots upon his hair, on each ſide of his head, one of their bullets took away one of the knots. He ran where Mr. Peden was, who ſaid, Oh! Jamie, Jamie, I am glad your head is ſafe, for I knew it would be in danger. He took his knife, and cut away the other knot.
36 About this time, he and James Wilson in Douglas, a ſingularly known man to many, was at Airdsmoſs; and being together ſome time, without ſpeaking, as Mr. Peden's ordinary was, when there was any extraordinary thing in his head, they came to Mr Cameron's grave, where he and other eight were buried. After sitting ſome time on the grave, he gave James a clap on the ſhoulder with his heavy hand, and ſaid, I am going to tell you a ſtrange tale! James ſaid, I am willing to hear it. He ſaid, This is a ſtrange day, both of ſinning and ſuffering! (as indeed it was, it being killing time, wherein many fainted, and could not endure the ſcorching heat of the perſecution! but to ſome the Lord, in his love, gave gourds of ſtrength, ſupport and comfort, that keeped them from fainting.) But, ſaid he, tho' it be a dreadful day, it will not last long; this perſecution will be stopt within these few years, but I will not ſee it; and ye are all longing and praying for that day, but when it comes, ye will not crack ſo much of it as ye trow. And ye are a vain man, James, and many others, with your bits of paper and drops of blood! But when that day comes, there will be a bike of indulged, lukewarm miniſters from Holland, England, and Ireland, together with a bike of them at home, and ſome young things that know nothing; and they will all hyve together in a General Assembly; and the red hands with blood, and the black hands of defection, will be joined, and the hand given them by our Ministers; and ye will not ken who has been the persecutor, complier, or ſufferer; and your bits of paper and drops of blood will be ſhut to the door, and never a word more of them; and ye and the like of you, will get their backſide. He gave him another ſore clap upon the ſhoulder, ſaying, Keep mind of this, James Wilſon! for, as the Lord lives, it will ſurely come to pass. James Wilſon told me this, ſhortly thereafter, and repeated it again the first General Assembly, when he and I, and many others, ſaw the accomplishment of this, in every particular, to our great grief.
37 In the beginning of May, 1685, he came to the house of John Brown and Marion Weir, whom he married before he went to Ireland, where he ſtayed all night; and in the morning, when he took farewel, he came out at the door, ſaying to himſelf, Poor woman, a fearful morning! twice over: A dark miſty morning! The next morning, betwixt five and ſix, the ſaid John Brown, having gone about the worſhip of God in his family, was going with a ſpade in his hand, to make ready ſome peat-ground; the mist being very dark, he knew not until cruel and bloody Claverhouse compassed him with three troops of horse, and brought him to his house, and there examined him; who, though he was a man of a ſtammering ſpeech, yet answered him distinctly and ſolidly; which made Claverhouse to ask those whom he had taken to be his guides through the muirs, if ever they heard him preach? They answered, No, no, he was never a preacher. He ſaid, If he has never preached meikle, he has prayed in his time. He ſaid to John, "Go to your prayers, for you ſhall immediately die." When he was praying, Claverhouse interrupted him three times: One time that he ſtopped him, he was pleading that the Lord would ſpare a remnant, and not make a full end in the day of his anger; Claverhouse ſaid, I gave you time to pray, and ye are begun to preach: He turned about upon his knees and ſaid, Sir, you know neither the nature of praying nor preaching, that calls this preaching! Then continued without confusion. When ended, Claverhouse ſaid, Take good-night of your Wife and children. His Wife ſtanding by, with her child in her arms, that ſhe had brought forth to him, and another child of his first wife's, he came to her and ſaid, Now, Marion, the day is come that I told you would come, when I ſpake first to you of marrying me. She ſaid, Indeed, John, I can willingly part with you. Then he ſaid, That is all I desire, I have no more to do but die." Then he kissed his Wife and bairns, and wished purchased and promised blessings to be multiplied upon them, and gave them his blessing. Claverhouse ordered ſix ſoldiers to ſhoot, and the most part of the bullets came upon his head, and ſcattered his brains upon the ground Claverhouse ſaid to his Wife, What thinkest thou of thy huſband now, Woman? She said, I thought ever much of him, and now as much as ever. He ſaid, It were juſtice to lay thee beſide him. She ſaid, If ye were permitted, I doubt not but your cruelty would go that length. But how will ye answer for this morning's work? He ſaid, To man I can be answerable, and for God, I will take him in my own hand! Claverhouse mounted his horse and marched, and left her with the dead corpse of her huſband lying there. She set the bairn on the ground, and gathered his brains, and tied up his head, and ſtraighted his body, and covered him with her plaid, and ſat down and wept over him. It being a very deſart place, where never victual grew, and far from neighbours, it was ſome time before any of their friends came to her: The first that came, was a very fit hand, that old ſingular woman in the Cummerhead, named Elizabeth Menzies, three miles distant, who had been tried with the violent death of her husband at Pentland, afterwards of two worthy ſons, Thomas Weir, who was killed at Drumclog, and David Steel, who was ſuddenly ſhot afterwards when taken. The ſaid Marion Weir, ſitting upon her husband's grave, told me, that before that, ſhe could ſee no blood but ſhe was in danger to faint, and yet ſhe was helped to be a witness to all this, without either fainting or confusion, except when the ſhots were let off, her eyes dazzled. His corpse were buried at the end of his house, where ſhe was ſlain, with this inscription on his grave stone,
In earth's cold bed, the dusty part here lies,
Of one who did the earth us dust despise!
Here in this place, from earth he took departure;
Now he has got the garland of a Martyr.
This murder was committed between ſix and ſeven in the morning: Mr. Peden was about ten miles distant, having been in the fields all night; he came to the house about eight, and desired to call in the family, that he might pray amongst them. When praying, he ſaid, "Lord, when wilt thou avenge Brown's blood? Oh! let Brown's blood be precious in thy sight! and hasten the day when thou wilt avenge it, with Cameron's, Cargil's, and many others of our Martyrs' names: And oh! for that day, when the Lord will avenge all their blood." When ended, John Muirhead enquired, what he meant by Brown's blood? He ſaid twice over, What do I mean! Claverhouse has been at the Preshill this morning, and has cruelly murdered John Brown! his corpse is lying at the end of his house, and his poor wife sitting weeping beside them, and not a soul to speak comfortably to her. This morning, after the sun-rising, I saw a strange apparition in the firmament, the appearance of a very bright clear-shining star, fall from heaven to the earth; and, indeed there is a clear-shining light fallen this day, the greatest Christian that ever I conversed with.
39. After this, two days before Argyle was broken and taken, he was near Wigtown in Galloway; a considerable number of men were gathered together in arms, to go for his assistance; they pressed him to preach, but he positively refused, and said, he would only pray with them: where he continued long, and spent some part of that time in praying for Ireland, pleading that the Lord would spare a remnant, and not make a full end in the day of his anger; and would put it in the hearts of his own to flee over to this bloody land, where they would find safety for a time. After prayer they got some meat, and he gave every one of his old parishoners, who were there, a piece out of his own hand, calling them his bairns. Then he advised all to go no further: But, said he, for you that are my bairns, I discharge you to go your foot-length, for, before you can travel that length, he will be broke: and though it were not so, God will honour neither him nor Monmouth to be instruments of a good turn to his church, they have dipt their hands so far in the persecution. And that same day that Argyle was taken, Mr. George Barclay was preaching, and persuading men in that country to go to Argyle's assistance: After Sermon, he said to Mr. George, Now Argyle is in the enemy's hand, and gone! Tho' he was many miles distant. I had this account from some of these his bairns, who were present; and the last from Mr. Barclay's self.
39. After this he was to preach at night, at Pengaroch in Carrick: but the mistress of the house was too open-minded to a woman, who went and told the enemy, and came back to the house, that the might not be suspected: Mr. Peden being in the fields, came in haste to the door, and called the mistress, and said, Ye have played a bonny sport to yourself, by being too loose tongued; now the enemy is informed that I was to drop a word this night in this house, and the person who has done it, is in the house just now, and you will repent it; for to-morrow morning the enemy will be here. Farewel, I will stay no longer in this place. To-morrow morning both foot and horse were about the house.
40. In the same year, within the bounds of Carrick, John Clark, in Muirbrock, being with him, said, Sir, what think ye of this present time? Is it mot a dark, melancholy day? And can there be a more discouraging time than this? He said, Yes John, this is indeed a dark, discouraging time; but there will be a darker time than this: These silly, graceless, wretched creatures the Curates, shall go down; and after them shall arise a party called Presbyterians, having no more than the name; and these shall as really crucify Christ, as ever he was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem, on Mount Calvary, bodily; I say, they shall as really crucify Christ in his cause and interest in Scotland; and shall lay him in his grave, and his friends shall give him his winding sheet; and he shall ly, as one buried, for a considerable time. O then, John, there will be darkness and dark days, such as the poor Church of Scotland never saw the like of them, nor shall see, if once they were over! Yea, John, they shall be so dark, that if a poor thing would go between the East sea bank and the West sea bank, seeking a minister, to whom they would communicate their case, or tell them the mind of the Lord, concerning the times, she shall not find one. John asked where the testimony should be then? He answered, In the hands of a few, who shall be despised and undervalued by all, but especially by these ministers who buried Christ! But after that, he shall get up on them; and, at the crack of his winding-sheet, as many of them as are alive, who were at his burial, shall be distracted and mad for fear, not knowing what to do. Then, John, there shall be brave days, such as the Church of Scotland never saw the like! But I shall not see them, but you may."
41. In the same year 1685, he was preaching in the night-time in a barn at Carrick, on that text, Psal. lxviii. 1. "Let God arise! and let his enemies be scattered! Let them that hate him flee before him! As smoke is driven, so drive thou them! So insisting how the enemies and haters of God and goodness were tossed and driven as smoke or chaff by the wind of God's vengeance, while on earth; and that wind would blow them all to hell in the end. Stooping down, there being chaff among his feet, he took a handful of it, and said The Duke of York, and now King of Britain, a known enemy of God and goodness, it was by the vengeance of God that he ever got that name; but, as you see me throw away that chaff, so the wind of that vengeance shall blow and drive him off that throne; and he nor any of that name, shall ever come on it again.
42. About this time, preaching in Carrick, in the parish of Girvan, in the day-time, in the fields, David Mason, then a professor, came in haste, trampling on the people to be near him; he said, There comes the devil's rattling-bag, we do not want him here. After this, the eaid David became officer in that bounds, and an informer, running thro' rattling his bag, and summoning the people to their unhappy courts, for their non conformity for that, he and his, got the name of the devil's rattle bag to this day. Since the Revolution, he complained to his minister, that he and his got that name; the minister said, Ye well deserve it, and he was an honest man that gave it you; you and your's must enjoy it, there is no help for it.
43. A little before his death, he was in Auchincloich, where he was born, in the house of John Richman, there being two beds in the room, one for him, and one for Andrew ———, who dwelt in and about the New-Milns; when Andrew was going to his bed, he heard him very importunate with the Lord, to have pity upon the West of Scotland, and spare a remnant, and not make a full end in the day of his anger: And when he was off his knees, he walked up and down the chamber, crying out, Oh! the monzies, the French monzies! See how they run! How long will they run? Lord, cut their houghs and stay their running. Thus he continued all night, some times on his knees, and some times walking: In the morning they enquired what he meant by the monzies? He said, O sirs! ye will have a dreadful day by the French monzies, and a set of wicked men in these land, who will take part with them: The West of Scotland will pay dear for it! They will run thicker on the water of Ayr and Clyde, than ever the Highlandmen did. I lay in that chamber about three years ago, and the said John Richman and his wife told me that theſe were his words. At other times, to the same purpose, saying, O! the monzies, the monzies will be through the breadth and length of the South and West of Scotland! O! I think I see them at our fire-sides, slaying man, wife and children. The remnant will get a breathing; but they will be driven to the wilderness again, and their sharpest hours will be last. To the same purpose spoke the two following ministers, Mr. Thomas Lundie; a godly minister in the North of Rotray. His sister, a lady in that country, who died in the year 1683, gave the following account: That the said Mr. Lundie, after some sickness and seeming recovery again, which comforted them, one morning staying longer than ordinary in his chamber, the foresaid lady knocked at his chamber-door; on opening it, found him more than ordinary weighted: Che asked him the reason, seeing he was now better? Whereupon, smiling, he said, Within a few hours I will be taken from you! But, alas! for the day that I see coming upon Scotland; the Lord has letten me see the Frenches marching with their armies through the breadth and length of the land, marching to their bridle-reins in the blood of all ranks, and that for a broken, burnt and buried covenant! But neither ye nor I will live to see it. As also, one Mr. Douglas, a godly minister in Galloway, a little before his death, seeming as slumbering in his bed, his wife and other friends standing by, when he awakened, he seemed more than ordinary weighted, nad groaned heavily, saying, Sad days for Scotland. His wife asked him, What will be the instruments? He said, The swords of foreign enemies: They will be heavy and sharp, but not long; but they will not be yet, but not long to them. But O the glorious days on the back of them, to poor wasted Scotland! The late worthy Mr. Richard Cameron, spoke to the same purpose, when preaching at the Grass-water-side, South from Cumnock, July 20th, 1680, about eighteen days before his death, viz. There are three or four things that I have to tell you this day, which I must not omit, because I will be but a breakfast, some hour or another, to the enemy; and my work and time will be finished. First, As for King Charles, who is now upon the throne, after his death there shall not be a crowned king of the name of Steuart in Scotland. Secondly, There shall not be an old Covenanter's head above the ground in Scotland, that swore these covenants with up-lifted hands, ere ye get the reformation set up. Thirdly, A man shall ride a summer-day's journey within the shire of Ayr, and shall not see a house reek, or a cock crow, ere ye get reformation; and several other shires in Scotland shall be as ill. Fourthly, The rod that the Lord will make instruments of, shall be the French and the French king, together with a party in this land joining with them: But ye that stand to the testimony in that day, be not discouraged at the fewness of your number; when Christ comes to set up his work in Scotland, he will not want men anew to work for him; yea, he will chap upon the greatest man in all Scotland, and he will be the greatest malignant in it, and he will say, Sir, let alone this Babel-building, for I have another piece of work to put in your hand; and he will gar him work whether he will or not; it may be he will convert the man, and give him his soul for a prey: and there are many of you that are my hearers this day, that shall live to see these things accomplished: And after these desolations are over, ye shall see the noblemen and gentlemen's houses so ruined that the nettles shall be growing out of their bed chambers, or ye die; and their memory and poſterity shall perish from the earth."
44. The following are some notes of Mr. Peden's last Sermon in the Colom-wood at the Water of Ayr, a little before his death. My Master is the rider, and I am the horse: I never love to ride, but when I find the spurs. I know not what I have to do amongst you this night; I wish it may be for your good, for it will be the last. It is long since it was our desire to God, to have you taken off our hand, and now he is granting us our desire. There are four or five things I have to tell you this night. First, A bloody sword, a bloody sword for thee, O Scotland, that shall tear the hearts of many. Secondly Many miles shall you travel, and shall see nothing but desolations and ruinous wastes in thee, O Scotland! Thirdly, The fertilest places in Scotland shall be as waste and desolate as the mountains. Fourthly, The women with child, shall be ript up, and dashed to pieces. Fifthly, Many a conventicle has God had in thee, O Scotland! but, ere long, God will have a conventicle that will make Scotland to tremble. Many a preaching has God wared upon thee, but ere long God's judgments shall be as frequent as these precious meetings were, wherein he sent forth his faithful servants, to give faithful warning of the bazard of thy apostacy from God, in breaking, burning and burying his Covenant; persecuting, slighting and contemning the gospel; shedding the precious blood of his saints and servants! God sent forth a Welwood, a Kid, and a King, a Cameron, and a Cargil, and others, to preach to thee; but, ere long, God shall preach to thee by fire and a bloody sword! God will let none of these men's words fall to the ground, that he sent forth with a commission to preach these things in his name: He will not let one sentence fall to the ground, but they will have a sad accomplishment, to the sad experience of many. In his prayer after sermon, he said, Lord, thou hast been both good and kind to auld Sandy, thro' a long tract of time, and given him many years in thy service, which has been but as so many months; but now he is tired of thy world, and hath done all the good in it that he will do; let him win away with the honesty he has, for he will gather no more.
45. When the day of his death drew near, and not being able to travel, he came to his brother's house, in the parish of Sorn, where he was born; and caused dig a cave, with a saughen bush covering the mouth of it, near to his brother's house: and the enemies came and searched the house narrowly many times. In the time that he was in this cave, he said to some friends, 1. That God shall make Scotland a desolation. 2. There shall be a remnant in the land, whom God should spare and hide. 3. They should lie in holes and caves of the earth, and be supplied with meat and drink: And when they come out of their holes, they shall not have freedom to walk, for stumbling on the dead corpses! 4. A stone cut out of a mountain, should come down, and God shall be avenged on the great ones of the earth, and the inhabitants of the land, for their wickedness; and then the church should come forth with a bonny bairn time of young ones at her back. He wished that the Lord's people might ly hid in their caves, as if they were not in the world; for nothing would do it, until God appeared with his judgments, and they that wan through the bitter and sharp, short storm, by the sword of the Frenches, and a set of unhappy men, taking part with them, then there would be a spring-tide day of plenty, purity and power of the gospel; giving them that for a sign, If he were but once buried, they might be in doubts; but if he were oftener buried than once, they might be persuaded that all he had said would come to pass: And earnestly desired them to take his corpse out to Airdsmoss, and bury them beside Richy (meaning Mr. Cameron) that he might get reſt in his grave, for he had gotten little through his life; but he said, he knew they would not do it. He told them, that bury him where they would, he would be lifted again; but the man that put first his hand, to lift his corpse, four things should befal him: 1. He should get a great fall from a horse. 2. He should fall in adultery. 3. Into theft; and for this, he should leave the land. 4. Make a melancholy end abroad for murder. Which accordingly came to pass. There was one Murdoch, a mason to his trade, but then in the military service, who first put hands to his corpse. A little before his death he said, Ye shall be angry where I shall be buried at last, but I discharge you all to lift my corpse again. At last, one morning early, he came to the door, and left his cave; his brother's wife said, Where are you going? the enemy will be here. He said, I know that. Alas! Sir, said she, what will become of you? You must go back to the cave again. He said, I have done with that, for it is discovered: but there is no matter, for within forty-eight hours I will be beyond the reach of all the devil's temptations, and his instruments, in hell or on the earth; and they shall trouble me no more. About three hours after he entered the house, the enemy came and found him not in the cave; then they searched the barn narrowly, casting the unthreshen corn; and searched the house, stabbing the beds, but entered not into the place where he lay. Within 48 hours he died, Jan 28, 1686, being past 60 years; and was buried in the Laird of Afflect's Isle. The enemies got notice of his death and burial, and sent a troop of dragoons, and lifted his corpse and carried him to Cumnock gallows-foot, and buried him there (after being forty days in the grave) beside others. His friends, thereafter, laid a grave-stone above him, with this inscription:
HERE LIES
Mr. ALEXANDER PEDEN,
A faithful Minister of the Gospel at GLENLUCE,
Who departed this Life, Jan. 28, 1686,
And was raised, after Six Weeks, out of his Grave,
And buried here out of contempt.
After this, that troop of dragoons came to quarter in the parish of Cambusnethen: Two of them were quartered in the house of James Gray, my acquaintance; they being frighted in their sleep, started up, and clapped their hands, crying, Peden, Peden! These two dragoons affirmed, that out of their curiosity they opened his coffin, to see his corpse, and yet he had no smell, tho' he had been forty days dead. All the foregoing articles I was assured of, except the 40th, which is said he spoke to John Clark in Muirbrock, within the bounds of Carrick, in the year 1685, and has been passing from hand to hand in writ. I sent a friend 20 mile to him, for the certainty of it; and althO' he was my old acquaintance, he delayed to give it. But I am informed, that some other friends, enquired at the said John, who owned that the 40th passage was all one, for substance, with what Mr. Peden said to him. There are other two passages I have often heard, and doubt nothing of the truth of them, though the times and places be not mentioned, viz. One day preaching in the fields, in his prayer he prayed earnestly for the preservation of the people: and again and again he prayed for that man that was to lose his life. The enemies came upon them the same day, and fired upon the people, and there was none of then either wounded or killed, save one man, and he was shot dead. Another time he was preaching, and giving a very large offer of Christ, in the gospel terms; an old woman being sitting before him, he laid his hands on each side of her head, and rocked her from side to side, and said, Thou witch-wife, thou witch-wife, thou witch-wife, I offer Christ to thee! Quit the devil's service, thou hast a bad master; thou wilt never, make thy plack a babee of him: But if thou wilt break off and renounce the devil's service, I promise thee, in my Master's name, that he will give thee salvations After this, there was a discernable change in her practice; and when she was a-dying, she confessed that she was either engaged in the devil's service, or was engaging; and expressed her thankfulness that she had the happiness to hear Mr. Peden at that time.
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PART II.
Containing Thirty new additional Passages.
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I.IN the year 1666, when the Lord's persecuted and oppressed people were gathered together for their own defence, who were broken at Pentland-hills, he, with Mr. Welch and the laird of Glorover, in the parish of Balentrea, were riding together in the same parish, and met upon the way a party of the enemy's horse, and no eviting of them, the Laird fainted, fearing they would all be taken. Mr Peden seeing this, said, "Keep up your courage and confidence, for God hath laid an arrest upon these men, that they shall not harm us." When they met, they were courteous, and asked the way: Mr Peden went off the way, and shewed them the ford of the water of Tit. When he returned, the Laird said, "Why did you go with them? You might have sent the lad with them." He said, "No, no, it was more safe for me; for they might have asked questions at the lad; and he might have fainted and discovered us. For myself, I knew they would be like the Egyptian dogs, they would not move a tongue against me; for my hour of falling into their hands, and the day of trial is not come that is abiding me." There is an old Christian gentlewoman yet alive in Edinburgh, a daughter of the said Laird's, who told me of late, that she had several times heard her father give an account of this. She also told me, that since Bothwel-bridge fight, she heard him preach in the fields, in the foresaid parish; and a woman sitting before the tent, looking up to him, he said, "How have you the confidence to look up? Look down to hell, where you are going; the devil has a fast grip of you, and will not lose it." That woman lived and died under the mala fama of a witch, and presumptions of the same.
2. About the year 1670, he was in Armagh in Ireland. One John Goodale with his wife, two serious zealous Christians living in Armagh, who had gone from Scotland, who was a wheel-wright to his employment; his zeal was such against the superstitious worship, and keeping so many holidays, that when the people were going and coming by his shop-door, he wrought most hard; for which he was excommunicated: When he told Mr Peden, he said, "Rejoice John, that you are cast out of the devil's count-book." After this, he was preaching privately in John's house; in his preface he said, "Our Lord has been taking great pains on you in Ireland, to get you to learn your lesson per quire; and few of you have been brought to say your lesson off the book. He has got a goodly company in Scotland, that he is learning to say their lesson off the book; and they are brave scholars: But ere long he will try some of you with it also. He will say, Come out thou man in Armah, and thou man in Benburb, and say your lesson off the book." The Bishop of Armah (whereof the great Mr. Usher was formerly Bishop) and his underling was so enraged against the said John that he rode twenty miles to Dublin, to get an order of Caption from the Lord Lieutenant there, for apprehending the said John, and also George Fleeming in Benburb, which he easily obtained; and came quickly back, and was in such haste to deliver his order, that upon horseback he called for the chief magistrate: When delivering his commission, his horse cast up his head and gave him such a stroke on the breast, that he died on the 4th. or 5th. day thereafter. George Fleeming went out of the way, who was father to the late Mrs Fleeming, that Christian motherly woman, who kept a school in the Castle-hill, and died there. The aforesaid John was immediately put in prison: His wife and other friends came to visit him; his wife said, "Now, my dear, learn to say your lesson off the book." He answered, "I am much obliged to you for your kindness, that minds me of that note." The Jaylor at night, said, "John, you are called an honest man, if you will promis to return to morrow, I will let you home to your bed." John said, "That I will not do." The Keeper said, "Will you run for it?" He said, "No, no; I have done no ill thing that needs make me either afraid nor ashamed. Well, said the Keeper, go home to your bed, and I will send a servant for you the morrow's morning. When he went home, at family-worship he ſang these lines in the 109th Psalm,
Few be his days, and in his room
His charge another take, &c.
When ended, he said to his wife, I never found such a gale upon my spirit as in the singing of these lines. She said it was so with her also. Well, said he, let us commit our case and cause to the Lord, and wait on him, and we shall know the meaning of this afterwards. The unhappy man fell immediately ill, and said, that all this mischief had come upon him, for what he had done against John Goodale; and caused write, and signed a discharge and sent it to the said John, that he might not be troubled for the expence he had been at in the getting of that caption. He died under great horror of conscience! Notwithstanding John was detained three years prisoner, working at his employment in the Tolbooth, in the day-time, and went home to his bed at night. The said John and his wife returned to Scotland, and died since the Revolution. His wife when dying at Leith gave this relation.
3. When Mr. Peden was prisoner in Edinburgh, under sentence of banishment, James Millar, merchant in Kirkcaldy, was under the same sentence, and his wife came to visit him: Mr. Peden said to her, It is no wonder you be troubled with your husband's going to the plantations; but if any of us go there at this time, the Lord never spake by me.
4. In their voyage to London, they had the opportunity to command the Ship and make their escape, but would not adventure upon it without his advice. He said, Let alone, for the Lord will set us all at liberty in a way more for his own glory and our safety.
5. About this time, on their voyage, on the Sabbath the prisoners pressed him to preach, the wind blowing very hard: in that Sermon he said, Up your hearts lads and be not discouraged, for this man thought he had got a prize when he got the gift of us from the wicked bloody Council; but in a few days he shall be as glad to be quit of us, as ever he was to get us. A little time ago I had a long scroll of many accounts about Mr. Peden, from an old Christian English gentleman, who was much in his company, and gave me many Notes of his Sermons; and asserted the truth of many things I have said about him that he was witness to, and some other persons of great integrity. He assured me, the only instrument the Lord raised up for the relief of Mr. Peden, and these six prisoners with him was Lord Shaftesbury, who was always friendly to Presbyterians: He went to Charles II. and upon his knees begged the release of these prisoners but could not prevail. Then he went to the master of the Ship, and told him, that if he did not set these prisoners at liberty he should never sail in English seas. At length he came down to Gravesend and set them at liberty. After that the Scots and English shewed more than ordinary kindness to them, which should be kept in remembrance, with thanksgiving to the Lord, for favouring our outcasts.
6. After they were set at liberty, he stayed at London, and through England until June 1679. Upon the 21ſt of June, he was come to the south of Scotland, being Saturday, the day before the Lord's people fell and fled before the enemy at Bothwel bridge. In his exercise in a family he cried out, I will tell you, sirs, our deliverance will never come by the sword: many thought when the Bishops were first set up that they would not continue seven years, but I was never of that mind; it is now near three sevens, but they will not see the fourth seven, but I fear they will come near to it. Which sadly came to pass.
7. He went that night to the fields, and came in on the Sabbath-morning about the sun rising, weeping and wringing his hands! One John Simpson, a godly man, enquired what the matter was that made him weep? He said, I have been wrestling all night with God, for our friends that are in the West but cannot prevail———I gave an account in the former passages, about the middle of that day many people were waiting for Sermon; when some told him he said, Let the people go to their prayers for I can preach none; our friends are all fled and fallen before the enemy, and they are hagging and hashing them down, and their blood is running like water! At night he was called to supper, having tasted nothing that day, several friends being present: in seeking a blessing he broke out in a rapture of weeping and lamentations for that sad stroke upon the bodies of the Lord's people; but much more for the dead stroke the greatest part had got upon their spirits, that few of the ministers and professors of Scotland should ever recover; which sadly held true, as I formerly mentioned the scrapes of writings of that blast of east withering wind. He also insisted in prayer for the wounded, who were wallowing to death in their blood; and for the many prisoners. When ended, he went off and all others without tasting of their supper, tho' it was upon the table. At this time he was forty or fifty miles distant from Bothwel-bridge.
8 About this time he was preaching in the south on that text, 'But they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph'. He had many edifying remarks upon the preceding verses, especially upon that; 'Wo unto them that are at ease in Zion.' He insisted upon the true nature of grieving; and lamented that there was so little grieving for the present great afflictions of the Church of Scotland. One woman standing amongst the people, pointing to her he said, Some of you will grieve and greet more for the drowning of a bit of a calf or stirk than ever ye did for all the tyranny and defections of Scotland. The woman had a calf drowned a few days before, for which she made a great noise. She challenged his landlady for telling the minister that she grat for her, calf: she replied, I could not tell him that which I knew not, and as little did he. At the same time he ſaw some of the people turning weary; he said, Ye are not taking notice; some of you are thinking upon one thing and some upon another. The Lady Hundelsop sitting near him, but knew her not, he turned to her, and said; And ye are thinking on greeting Jock at she fire-side. This was a son of her's called John, that she had left very weak of a decay at the fire-side upon a couch. She told several afterwards, that the very time there was a drow of anxiety overwhelmed her about him.
9. In the year 1682, he went to Ireland. Peter Aird who lived in the parish of Galstoun, who was taken with me, and imprisoned together, told me, that he followed him some good piece of the way to detain him, until he got his child baptized: He said, I resolve to come back shortly, and I hope the Lord will preserve your child. Which accordingly he did: And after baptism he said to Peter, If the man of the parish (Mr. James Veitch, one of the actually indulged) had baptised your child, you would have got your horned beasts kept and now you will lose them. Which came to pass in a few days after. The enemy came and took away his cattle every hoof, but he fled with his horses.
10. In the same year 1682, he married John Kirkland and Janet Lindsay, both my very dear acquaintances, who told me, that when they were standing before him, he sighed deeply, and said, First one husband killed, and then another, and must have a third! if it must be so let her say, Good is the will of the Lord! Which did come to pass. Her husband, Thomas Weir, in Cumberhead, was deadly wounded at Drumclog, by Claverhouse, the first day of June 1679, being the Sabbath day and died the fifth day; and Ensign John Kirkland was killed in Flanders. Kersland Fullerton and he were all buried in one grave; and since, William Spence, Baillie in Coulter, who also was my intimate acquaintance, married her. They are both now in their graves.
11. In the year 1684 he was in Ireland, in the house of John Slowan, in the parish of Conert, in the county of Antrim. About ten o'clock at night, ſitting at the fire side, discoursing with some people, he started to his feet and said, Flee auld Sandie and hide yourself, for Colonel ——— is coming to this house to apprehend you; and I advise you all to do the like, for they will be here within an hour. Which came to pass. And when they had made a very narrow search within and without the house, and went round the thorn-bush under which he was lying praying, they went off without their prey. He came in and said, And has this gentleman (designing him by his name) given poor Sandie and thir poor things ſuch a fright? For this night's work God shall give him ſuch a blow within a few days, that all the physicians on earth shall not be able to cure it. Which came to pass; for he died in great misery, vermin flowing from all the parts of his body, with such a noisome stink, that few could enter the room where he lay.
12. About the same time, he was in the same parish and county. One Mr. David Cunningham, minister there, in the meeting house on a Sabbath day, broke out in very great reflections on Mr Peden, and those that heard him. One Mr. Vernor, one of Mr. Cunninghan's elders, was very much offended at the same. He told Mr. Peden on Monday what Mr. Cunningham had said. Mr. Peden, walking in his garden, took a turn about and came back and charged him to go and tell Mr. Cunningham from him that before Saturday's night he should be as free of a meeting-house as he was; which came to pass, for he was charged that same week not to enter his meeting-house, under the pain of death. This account, by one John M'George, in the parish of Orr in Galoway, who was there present.
13. About the same time he was in the house of the foresaid John Slowan, who was a great friend to our Scots sufferers who fled there from the persecution here, as I have heard John Muirhead and others give account. His son John Slowan, gave me this and several other distinct accounts. The foresaid Mr. Cunningham carried over many of the Reviews of the History of the Indulgence, to spread in Ireland, in defence of the Indulgence here: When Mr. Peden heard of them, he said to some friends, Be not discouraged, for these Books will do no hurt in this country; for I saw the sale of them spilt this last night. And so it came to pass, for the most of them was returned to Scotland.
14. He was preaching on a Sabbath-right in the said ohn Slowan's house, and a great number both within and without hearing him; where he insisted on the great need and usefulness of seeking and getting spiritual riches. He brought in an example, That if any man was going to Belfast or Bellimony, he would be looking his pockets for what he had to bear his charges. One man standing without, said quietly, Lord help me, for I have nothing to bear mine. Mr. Peden said immediately, pointing to the door, Poor man do not fear, for I have it from heaven as with an audible voice, thy charges shall be borne, and that in a remarkable manner. That man has been mercifully and remarkably supported ever since, and that in the way of his duty.
15. In the same place, in a Sabbath morning's family-worship, he sang the Psalm xl. II. He said Sirs, I charge you to sing this Psalm in faith, for we will have a room-throne belive, some one hath given him a deadly blow, though poor Monmouth hath no hand in it. A fowler, when he shoots a bird, it may rise and flee, but not far, for there is some of the shot in it. Within ten days after, the news of Charles 2d's death was confirmed.
16. About the same time, he said to James Slowan, We muſt go to another house this night, for I am mistaken if there be not a very narrow search made this night. They went to William Craig's, and James went with them to the house, and returned to his own bed. When he awaked, the house was full of people, constables and others, making search for prisoners, who broke prison and were fled, but found none.
17 Mrs. Maxwel, or Mary Elphingston, yet alive, whom I mentioned in the former passages, whose heart's thoughts Mr. Peden told, when her child was baptized; that child is now a married woman, and has children of her own, whom I spoke with about three months ago. She came far (from Kilmarnock) to public occasions, about fifty miles distance. Mrs. Maxwel told me since, when last in Glasgow, that when the told me that, she forgot to tell me also, that when the child was in her father's arms, Mr. Peden said, That child's coming here at this time, is a testimony against the unfaithfulness of the ministers of Ireland. Ireland thinks that Carolina in America will be a refuge for them; but, as the Lord lives; it shall be no shelter them. And these of them, designing to go there at this time, many of them shall lose their lives, and the rest of them shall come home in great distress. And at that time there were two Ships setting out from Ireland to Carolina; one of them was cast away near Carolina, and seven score of people in her; the one half of them was lost. Mr James Brown, one of the ministers of Glasgow, since the Revolution, was one of the seventy who were preserved. The other Ship was driven back to Ireland, shattered and disabled, and the people greatly distressed.
18. One time travelling himself alone in Ireland, the night came on, and a dark mist, which obliged him to go into a house belonging to a Quaker: Mr. Peden said, I must beg the favour of the roof of your house all night. The Quaker said, Thou art a stranger, thou art very welcome, and shalt be kindly entertained; but I cannot wait upon thee, for I am going to the meeting. Mr Peden said, I will go along with you. The Quaker said, Thou may, it thou please; but thou must not trouble us. He said, I will be civil. When they came to the meeting, as their ordinary is, they sat for some time silent, some with their faces to the wall, and others covered. There being a void in the loft above them, there came down the appearance of a raven, and sat upon one man's head, who started up immediately, and spoke with such vehemence, that the froth flew from his mouth: It went to a second, and he did the same; and to a third, who did as the former two. Mr. Peden sitting near to his landlord, said, Do you not see that? You will not deny it afterwards? When they dismissed, going home, Mr. Peden said to his landlord, I always thought there was devilry among you, but never thought that never thought he did appear visibly among you till now that I have seen it. O! for the Lord's sake quite this way, and flee to the Lord Jesus, in whom there is redemption, through his blood, even the forgiveness of all your iniquities. The poor man fell a weeping, and said, I perceive that God hath sent you to my house, and put it in your heart to go along with me, and permitted the devil to appear visibly among us this night! I never saw the like before. Let me have the help of your prayers, for I resolve, thro' the Lord's grace, to follow this way no longer. After this he became a singular Christian; and, when he was dying, blessed the Lord that in mercy sent the man of God to his house.
19 There is an old Christian woman living at the Water of Leith, that in the beginning of 1685, went to Ireland, to the foresaid parish of Conert (being big with child) to an aunt's house, who lived there: Shortly after, she was safely delivered, and Mr Peden baptized her child. After she was recovered, she went on a Sabbath-morning to the foresaid John Slowan's house (where Mr Peden was) expecting Sermon: being snow, she and others sat down in the kitchen, at the fire-side; then Mr. Peden came and called for water to wash his hands: When he saw them, he said, For what do you come here, without you had been advertised? for I have nothing prepared for you. They said, O Sir, you must not send us away empty, for we are in a starving condition. He said, I cannot promise you; but if I can get any thing, ye shall not want it. A little while thereafter, he called and said, Let not these people away, for I will come to them shortly. Which he did, and preached upon that text, "The day being far spent, they constrained him to tarry all night." Where he broke out in strange raptures, expressing his fears of the Lord's departure from these lands. He said, England for superstition and profanity, Ireland for security and formality, great shall thy stroke be! For in a few years, ye may travel forty miles in Ireland, and not get a light to your pipe! Which came to pass four years thereafter, in the last rebellion. He said also, O Scotland! many, long and great shall thy judgments be, of all kinds, especially the West and South, for loathing and contempt of the gospel, covenant breaking, burning and burying, and shedding of innocent, precious, dear blood! O! all ye that can pray, tell all the Lord's people to try, by mourning and prayer, to teagle him. O! see if we can teagle him, teagle him, teagle him, especially in Scotland; for we fear he will depart from it. When ended, he said, Take ye that among you, and make a good use of it; for I have gotten it new and fresh out of heaven, having nothing of it this morning. The foresaid John Muirhead, and the said old woman, and others, told me, they were never witnesses to such a day, for many tears, both from preachers and hearers.
20. After this, this old woman longed to be home to Scotland, her husband (whose name was Paton) being in danger, and hearing of such a killing in Scotland, being the year 1685, one of the bloody years, upon scaffolds and in the fields (and indeed the din was no greater than the deed) a bark being to go off with passengers, she resolving to go along, went to take her leave of Mr. Peden, and found him in a wood with John Muirhead, and others of our Scots sufferers. She told him her design, and he mused a little, and then said, Go not away till I speak with you. He took a turn through the wood, and when he came back, he said, Janet, go back to your aunt's, for you will not see Scotland these five months; there will strange things go through Scotland ere you go to it, you will see a remarkable providence in your being stopt. The bark went off, and was cast away, and 17 passengers' corpse were cast out at the place where they took ship; John Muirhead gave me this account also.
21. After he came to Scotland, in the beginning of March 1685, flying from the enemy on horseback, and they pursuing, he was forced to ride a water, where he was in great danger of being lost: When he got out, he cried, Lads follow not me, for I assure you ye want my boat, and so will certainly drown. Consider where your landing will be! ye are fighting for hell, and running post to it. Which affrighted them to enter the water.
22. At another time, being hard pursued, he was forced to take a dangerous bog and a moss before him: One of the Dragoons, more forward than the rest, run himself into the bog, and he and his horse were never seen more.
23. Lying sick in a village near Cumnock, he told his landlord, who was afraid to keep him in his house, the soldiers being to travel thro' that town the next day, Ye need not fear to let me stay in your house, for some of these soldiers shall keep centry at the door, but shall not come in. Which came to pass. His landlord being digging stones at the end of that village, told the officers that he was afraid the soldiers would plunder his cottage. They said, Poor man, you deserve encouragement for your virtue; be not afraid of your house, we will order two soldiers to stand at your door, that no man enter to wrong you. Which they did.
24 He lying sick about the same time, his landlord was afraid to keep him in his house. The enemy being in search of hiding people, he was obliged to make a bed for him among the standing corn; at which time there was a great rising of the water, but not one drop to be observed within ten foot of his bed.
25. About this time he came to Garfield, in the parish of Mauchlin, to the house of Matthew Hog, a smith. He went to his barn, but thought himself not safe, foot and horse of the enemy being searching for wanderers, as they were then called. He desired the favour of his loft, which Matthew refused: He said, Well, well, poor man, you will not let me have the shelter of your roof; but that house shall be your judgment and ruin. Some time after, the gavel of that house fell, and killed both him and his son! Their bodies were severely crushed.
26. About the same time, he came to Andrew Normand's house, in the parish of Alloway, shire of Ayr, being to preach at night in his barn. After he came in, he halted a little, leaning on a chair-back, with his face covered. When he lif ed up his head, he said, They are in this house that I have not one word of salvation unto! He halted a little again, saying, This is strange that the devil will not go out, that we may begin our work! Then there was a woman went out, ill looked upon for a witch. John Muirhead (formerly mentioned) told me, that when he came from Ireland to Galloway, he was at family-worship, and giving some notes upon the scripture read, there was a very ill-looking man came in, and sat down within the door. He halted and said, There is some unhappy body just now come into this house, I charge him to go out, and not stop my mouth. The man went off, and he insisted; but he saw him neither come in, nor go out.
27. In that bloody year 1685, he came to a house in the shire of Ayr; Captain John Matthison and other twelve of our wanderers being in the house, he said, Lads, ye must go to the fields and seek your beds, for the enemy will be here this night, and I'll go to my cave. They said, Some of us will stay with you, for you will weary alone. No, said he, I will not weary. For a sign that the enemy will be here this night, a godly eminent Christian man, whom I have often heard of, but never saw, will come and lie with me this night. All which came to pass; for the men fled, and he entered the cave, and fell asleep; and a little thereafter the said man coming to the family, asked for Mr. Peden, and desired access to the cave to lie with him When in bed, he found Mr. Peden slumbering, but in a little he awoke, and, naming the man asked how he did? The soldiers came that night, but missed their prey. The next morning, when these said men returned, he said, Lads, it was well I came to this house yesternight, otherwise ye had been among their bloody hands this day.
28. In the said year 1685, he came to Welwood, to Captain John Campbell's, he having escaped out of Canongate-Tolbooth, in the month of August 1684. Being in danger every day, he resolved to go to America, and took farewel of his friends, and went aboard of a ship. Mr. Peden said to his mother, Mistress, what is become of John? She said, He is gone to America. He said, No, no! he is not gone, send for him, for he will never see America. Accordingly it was so; a storm arose, where he was in great danger, but was preserved, and yet alive.
29. Since the publishing, of the former passages of Mr Peden's life and death, I received two letters from Sir Alexander Gordon of Earlstoun, in the year 1725 and 1726, since gone to his grave, shewing that he was not only fully satisfied, but much refreshed, with the passages, requesting me not to delay the publishing of all that I proposed; and that he longed to see them before he went off the stage; knowing that my day is far spent, being long since I was his fellow-prisoner, and taught him from my own experience, how to manage the great weight of irons that was upon his legs; and wishing that all the Lord's people, who have any zeal for the sworn-to and sealed testimony, and savoury remembrance of the names of Christ's slain witnesses for the same, and of the Lord's signal manifestations of his faithfulness and all-sufficiency to them, in their life and death, would give me all encouragement in such a piece of good and great generation work, which may be useful and edifying, when he and I would be mouldering in the dust, For himself, he willing would, and sometime a-day could, but now being 74 years of age, and 7 years in imprisonment, and often-times in irons, and many other troubles thro' his life, his memory and judgment were much broke, and therefore he could make me little help. Only he remembered, he was once sent from the Societies in Galloway to Carrick, to call Mr. Peden to preach: When he told him for what end he was come, Mr. Peden went for some time alone; and when he came back, he said, I am sorry, Earlstoun, you are come so far in vain, for I cannot answer your desire; I can get nothing to say to your people: Nothing will convince this generation but judgments, and a surprising lump of them upon the West of Scotland. Earlstoun said, Sir, you was once legally ordained and authorised to preach the goſpel, and the Lord's people's call is sufficient; I think you are under temptation of enthuſiaſm. Mr Peden ſaid, he ſometimes feared that; but ſince he was driven from his people at Glenluce, his Master, in mercy and goodneſs, gave him more encouragement; and gave one inſtance, That one time he was called, and reſolved, and prepared to go, as he thought; but, when his horſe was drawn, he went into the barn once more, where he was ſtript bare of all his thoughts, and a darkening, damping cloud overwhelmed him, which ſtopt him. And he afterwards ſaw a remarkable providence in it, and need be for it. And, further, he ſaid, The laſt time he ſaw Mr. Peden, it was with Mr Cargil, where they continued a long time comparing notes; ſeeing with one eye, thinking with one mind and ſpeaking with one breath of all things paſt, preſent, and what was to befal this church and nation.
30. In his laſt ſermon, which, as I ſaid before, was in the Colm-wood, he ſaid, That in a few years after his death, there would be a wonderful alteration of affairs in Britain and Ireland, and the perſecution in Scotland ſhould ceaſe; upon which every body ſhould believe the deliverance was come, and conſequently would fall fatally ſecure "But I tell you, ſaid he, you will be all very much miſtaken; for both England and Scotland will be ſcourged by foreigners, and a ſet of unhappy men in theſe lands taking part with them, before any of you can pretend to be happy, or get a thorough deliverance, which will be a more ſevere chaſtiſement than any other they have met with, or can come under, if that were once over.
* - - - - -- - - -- - - *
A
LETTER,
FROM
MR. ALEXANDER PEDEN,
To the PRISONERS in DUNNOTAR-CASTLE,
July 1685.
Dear Friends, I Long to hear from you, how you ſpend your time, and how the grace of God grows in your hearts. I know ye, and other of the Lord's people, by reaſon of the preſent trial, have got up a faſhion of complaining upon Chriſt; but I defy you to ſpeak an ill word of him, unleſs ye wrong him. Speak as you can, and ſpare not; only I requeſt that your expreſſions of Chriſt be ſuitable to your experience of him. If ye think Chriſt's houſe be bare and ill-provided, and harder than ye looked for, aſſure yourſelves Chriſt minds only to diet you, and not to hunger you: Our Steward kens when to spend, and when to ſpare. Christ knows well, whether heaping or ſtraiking agrees beſt with our narrow veſſels, for both are alike to him: Sparing will not enrich him, nor will ſpending impoveriſh him. He thinks it ill-won that is holden off his people. Grace and glory comes out of Chriſt's lucky hand. Our veſſels are but feckleſs, and contain little: His fulneſs is moſt ſtraitned when it wants a vent. It is eaſy for Chriſt to be holden buſy in dividing the fulneſs of his Father's houſe to his poor friends: He delights not to keep mercy over-night. He is the eaſieſt merchant ever the people of God yoked with: If ye be pleaſed with the wares, what of his graces makes beſt for you, he and you will ſoon ſort on the price; he will ſell goods cheap, that ye may ſpier for his ſhop again; and he draws all the ſale to himſelf. I counſel you go no farther than Chriſt. And now when it is come to your door, either to ſin or ſuffer, I counſel you to lay your account with ſuffering; for an out-gate coming from any other airth, will be prejudicial to your ſoul's intereſt. And for your encouragement, remember he ſends none a warfare on their own charges. And bleſt is the man that gives Chriſt all his money. It will be beſt with you to block with him, when you want hand money. And the leſs you have, he has the more heart to truſt you. And ſo it is beſt with you to keep in with your old acquaintance Chriſt. New acquaintance with ſtrange lords, is the ready way to make a wound in grace's ſide, which will not heal in haſte; the ſore may cloſe before the wound dry up, for grace is a tender place, and is very eaſily diſtempered with the backſlidings of our present time. And if the wheels of it be once broken with ſin, all the money in the world will not make it go about, until it be put in Chriſt's hand. I hope I have ſaid more on this matter than is needful, for I have ſeen the marks of tenderneſs deeply drawn on your carriage: The ſafeſt way to ſhift the ſhower, is to hold out of God's gate, and keep within his doors, until the violence of the ſtorm begin to ebb, which is not yet full tide. Chriſt deals tenderly with his young plants, and waters them oft, leſt they go back; be painful, and not loſe life for the ſeeking. Grace, mercy and peace be with you.
EPITAPH
Upon the Martyrs' MONUMENT in the Grey Friars Church-yard in Edinburgh.
Also the following Lines.
Halt, passengers, take heed what you do see,
This Tomb doth shew for what some men did die;
Here lies interr'd the dust of those who stood
'Gainst perjury, resisting unto blood;
Adhering to the Covenants, and Laws
Establishing the same; which was the cause
Their lives were sacrific'd unto the lust
Of Prelatists abjur'd.--Tho' here their dust
Lies mix'd with murderers, and other crew,
Whom Justice did to death pursue;
But as for these, no cause in them was found
Worthy of death, but only they were found,
Constant and stedfast, zealous, witnessing
For the prerogatives of Christ their King:
Which Truths were seal'd by famous Guthrie's head,
And all along to Mr Renwick's blood.
They did endure the wrath of enemies,
Reproaches, torments, deaths and injuries;
But yet thev're eheee who from such trouble came,
And now triumph in Glory with the Lamb.
THE END.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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