True and genuine account of Murdoch Currie

TRUE AND GENUINE

ACCOUNT OF

MURDOCH CURRIE,

TAKEN FROM HIS OWN MOUTH,

At the place of Execution in Shorthand being a

PIOUS EXHORTATION

To people of all ranks to take Warning by his

UNTIMELY END.

He was Executed at Dumbarton

ON THE

14th day of June, 1754.

PRINTED THIS YEAR.

DECLARATION or EXHORTATION

OF

MURDOCH CURRIE

Late servant with Stonefield of Levenside,

Being sentenced to Death for the

Breaking of his master’s house.

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He was brought from the prison of ⟨Dumbarton⟩, about two o’clock, surrounded with a strong ⟨guard⟩ of armed men, he walked with more ⟨courage⟩ than ever any man was seen to do in his ⟨condition⟩, until he came to the place of punishment. ⟨He⟩ first sung the 23rd Psalm from beginning to ⟨end⟩, and after prayer was ended he addressed ⟨himself⟩ to the spectators in the following manner:⟨—⟩You all came here to-day to look on me a poor ⟨sinful⟩ boy, my time has been short indeed in this ⟨world⟩. Alas! it has been short, and spent in ⟨folly⟩ and madness: and now you look all upon my ⟨case⟩ as desperate, and this my untimely end to be ⟨without⟩ honor. But I bless the great God that ⟨created⟩ me, that it is my lot to die here this day, ⟨and⟩ that I did not die when going on in my sinful ⟨curse⟩ of wickedness, as many have done, and ⟨have⟩ not got so much as three minutes warning, ⟨before⟩ they were hurried into eternity. And now ⟨for⟩ a heart, O for an heart to bless the Lord for ⟨the⟩ time I have got since I received the ⟨sentence⟩ of death, O Lord reward my benefactors in ⟨this⟩ place for the charitable acts towards my soul ⟨and⟩ my body, during my imprisonment; O God forgive my enemies, this I heartily wish for, as ⟨I⟩ hope for mercy at thy hand through the merit of thy Dear Son Jesus Christ, on whom thou ⟨are⟩ well pleased; O be well pleased with my soul ⟨for⟩ his sake, for I have no righteousness but his, ⟨I⟩ have no trust but in him; and now if I perish ⟨let⟩ it be at the feet of my Redeemer where never ⟨one⟩ perished; O that sweet passage of God’s ⟨word.⟩ Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, I ⟨see⟩ my sins more greivous in mine own eyes, and ⟨I⟩ am heartily sorry for they are many, I abhor ⟨myself⟩ for my wickedness, for my ignorance and ⟨revengefulness⟩ of my proud haughty heart ⟨which⟩ caused me to return the second time to do ⟨wrong⟩ to my master, who always did justice to me ⟨which⟩ I own I did not do to him. All the ⟨reflections⟩ have against any, is that some person ⟨published⟩ that I carried false keys, which I solemnly ⟨declare⟩ I never did, the Lord forgive them for the ⟨falsehoods⟩ which they told concerning me. I own ⟨I⟩ have been a thief in taking away some ⟨trifling⟩ things; and what I did in breaking into the ⟨house⟩ of my master was to be revenged of the ⟨affront⟩ they put upon me in this place, I being ⟨whipped⟩ by the hangman. I warn all men and ⟨women⟩ never to give way to revenge, but rather apply ⟨to⟩ God who knows all things; For Revenge is ⟨mine⟩ saith the Lord, and I will repay it again. It ⟨is⟩ the folly and madness of many, and me also, ⟨when⟩ they have done so, and come to suffer; for ⟨when⟩ they are asked why they did so, they will answer the devil bade them: O! but this is a poor excuse; but in my opinion it is their own wicked heart which is in them, it is the devil’s nature, but not himself ill as he is. O! sirs never think of revenge. O good God bless Stonefield, his family, servants, tenants, and his relations, and this is what I never thought of saying before yesterday morning: now I can forgive all my enemies, and look upon them as my best friends. I will not be angry with the rod. I know that God is the smiter, whom he loves he corrects and chastens. O ever blessed be his holy name, that has brought me unto this, and he will give me strength to bear it. And now unto you who are Gentlemen’s servants, I advise you to leave off all your sinful practices, that almost all of you pride yourself in, cursing, swearing, whoring, and all manner of wickedness. O how heinous does that sin of taking God’s name in vain, appear unto me this day, The Lord will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his name in vain, and now if the Lord mark iniquity who can stand; I know I had no more than original sin, it was enough to condemn me; but the Lord has promised to cure my ignorance, and all my actual sins of ignorance, for suppose I read and heard I did not believe. And now O God strengthen thou my belief more and more: and as for many of you who are Gentlemen you keep no rule in your families, you give your servants no instruction in a goodly manner, ye consider not that the charge of their souls are upon your heads while they are in your service, and the charge of the stranger while he is within your gates; you ought also to make them remember the Sabbath. But alas! few of yourselves regard it. And it is my adviee to all servants whatever station you are in rather break your service than break the Lord’s day; O it is a wounding sin for the conscience of a dying man; if you were to look death in the face as I now do, you would find it so. What would I do if their was not a promise left for such as in my condition to fly to. Yet I can say O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory: I have no hope but in God’s word; I have no trust but in Jesus Christ. For righteousness of my own I have nothing but sin and iniquity; I have enough to damn me eternally If the precious blood of Jesus Christ prevented not; Glory to God in the highest. There is a fountain in the house of David for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for iniquity, and I hope to be washed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And now since time and eternity is come, I have little more to do but die.

What I have said to one I have said to all; I have nothing to say either to Judge nor Jury, the Lord forgive them, if they have done wrong; but they could not do more than what God has decreed. Therefore let no reflection be upon them concerning me. Where could I run from the presence of an all-seeing God, for Judge, Jury, Executioner, and all that surround me this day, are but instruments in his Almighty hand let him do what he will. I will look for mercy and he is a God of mercy, and he gives liberally to them that ask him. And again I desire not to die, till I see that man who catched me in the street of Dumbarton this day eight-days, when I thought to have made my escape from dying on the ⟨tree⟩. He being called for came in through the crowd, being in great fear and perplexity, but he most lovingly took him by the hand, and said Robert, do not be ⟨troubled⟩ ⟨for⟩ your taking hold of me for the Lord sent you there as a trap to hold me, I forgive you from the bottom of my heart, and I hope that the Lord will never impute it to you, his providence brought you in my way. But try to get a sure hold of Christ, and keep him as fast as you did me in the Vennel Street of Dumbarton and in taking leave of him he kissed him three times, with so mild a countenance that the most of the spectators wept and mourned; and turning round to the multitude, he desired that none of them would upbraid that man for what he had done, for I from my heart forgive him, and all those that act his part in the least, they were but helping me on in my journey; therefore I look on them as friends and not enemies. As for the keeper of the prison, I heard that he is looked on as unfaithful to his trust, because he was in prison when I broke out. I desired him to read a certain portion of scripture out of a book, his back was to me while looking on, because of the ⟨advantage⟩ of the light of the window; and then I ⟨broke⟩ off unknown to him; therefore he is ⟨blameless⟩, and knew not of it in the least. And now ⟨my⟩ petition is, that my body may get leave to be ⟨in⟩ the place appointed for the bones to rest, and ⟨that⟩ the good people in this place may take care ⟨of⟩ my grave, that it be not lifted. Which being ⟨promised⟩ him, he threw off his great-coat, went and took the last farewell of his sister and other acquaintances that were standing by the tree, he mounted the ladder with great courage, till he came to the top, then he turned his face to the spectators, who were mostly in a weeping condition, and said, Sirs, do not mourn for my body but pray for my soul, for now is the fatal moment to go to well or woe.

Then he caused the 180th Psalm to be sung, and after that he prayed a little with great fervency and many tears. He looked down on his sister who wept bitterly at the bottom of the ladder and lifted up his head and said, The Lord will be thy comforter and my mother also, whose heart will be broken for what has happened me this day. He then loosed the napkin from his neck; the Executioner was ordered to feel his neck if any thing was about it; when he understood that, he opened the neck of his shirt, and put the rope on his naked neck, then saying, Since time is no more here, farewell world and all that is therein, then pulling the cap over his face, he went over with these words in his mouth, Into thy hands I commit my soul Almighty God. June 14th, 1754, between the hours of 2 and 3 o’clock afternoon.

The like was never known in the Annals of History. And for it Dumbarton lost its Circuit rights since that time.

FINIS.