The dying testimony of Mr. James Renwick, Minister of the Gospel, and to the Truths and Duties for which was judged, and other contraverted in our time, who suffered at the Grass-market in Edinburgh, February 17th, 1688. Emitted from his own hand, the days before his suffering, &c.
My Dear Friends in CHRIST,
It hath pleased the Lord to deliver me up into the hands of men, and I think fit to send you this Salutation, which I expect will be the last, when I pore my heart upon it, before God; I dare not desire to have escaped this lot, for no less could have been for his glory, and vindication of his cause on my behalf; And as I am free before him of the profanity, which some either naughty wicked, or strangers to me have reported that I have been sometimes guilty of; so he hath kept me from the womb, free of ordinary pollution of children, as these that hath been acquainted with me though the Tract of my life do know, and now my blood shall either more silence reproaches or more ripen them for judgement, but I hope it shall make some more, sparing to speak of those who shall come after me; and so I am the more willing to pay this cost, for their instruction, and my succeeders ease, since I came to prison; The Lord hath been wonderfully kind to me, he has made his Word to give me Light, Life, Joy, Courage, and Strength; Yea, it hath dropped with sweet smelling Myrrh unto me; particuarly these passages and promises, Gen:22: 12. Latter part of the verse. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not witheld thine only son. Neh. 8:10. Later part of the verse.Neither be you sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Job 3, 17. There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest. 18. There the prisoners rest together, they hear not the voice of the oppressor. Job 23: 10. But he knoweth the way that I take; when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as god. 11. My foot hath held his steps, his ways have I kept, and not declined. 12. Neither have I gone back from the Commandment, of his lips, I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my neccessary food. 13. But he is of one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth even that he doth. 14. For he performeth the things that he is appointed for me; and many such things are with him. Psalm 105. Latter part of the verse. The word of the Lord tried him. Luke 21:12. But before all these they shall lay their hands on your and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before Kings and Rules for my Name sake. 13. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 19. In your patience, posess ye your souls. The Gospel according to S. John. Heb. 12:13. To the General Assembly of the church of the First Born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the Spirits of just m en made perfect. Jam: 1. 12, Blessed is the Man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall recieve the Crown of Life, which the Lord hath promises to them that love Him. Peter 5:7. Casting your cares upon him, for he careth for you. 8. Be sober, be vigilant, because your Adversary the Devil, is a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Revl 3:8. I know thy works; behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it; for thou hast a little strength, and hath kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my Patience, I also will k eep thee from the hour of Temptation, which shall come upon all the World, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11. Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12. Him that over cometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the Name of the City if my God , which is new Jersalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new Name. Reve. 19. 20. And the Beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he decieved them that had recieved the marke of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast into the Lake of Fire burning with brimstone. 21. And the remnant were slain with the Sword of him that sat upon the horse. Which Sword proceedeth out of his mouth; and all the Fowlsl were filled with their flesh. And many other Scriptures.
O what can I say to the Lord's Praise! It was but little that I knew of him before I came to prison; I have found sensibly much of his divine strength, much of the joy of his spirit, and much assurance from his Word and Spirit, concerning my salvation, my sufferings are stated upon the Matter of my doctrine, for there was found with me, the sum of my last two sermons at Briads-Craigs, which I wrote after I preached them; The former thereof was upon Ps 46:10. Be still, and know that I am God; I will exalt among the heathen, I will be exalted in the Earth. And the latter upon Heb: 10:38. Now the just shall live by faith. but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in Him. And so I was examined upon the Application and made therein unto the sins of the time: All which I owned once and again, as it is to be seen in my Indictment, and I being tried, and an Assize set; I adhere to my former confession explicity, so my sentence of Death was drawn forth, upon these three heads;
First, Because I could not own James Vii, to be my lawful Sovereign.
Secondly, Because I taught the unlawfulness of paying the cost expressly extracted for supressing the faithful and free preaching of the Gospel.
Thirdly, Because I taught it was the peoples duty to carry arms, at the preaching of the Gospel, now when it is persecuted for defending themselves, and resisting unjust violence.
I think such a Testimony, is worth many lives, and I praise the Lord for his enabling me to be plain and positive in all my Confessions; for therein I found peace, joy, strength and boldness. I have met with many assaults in prison, some from some of the indulged party, and some from some of the prelaticks; but by the strength of God I was enabled to stand, that they could neither bow me nor break me; I was also assaulted by some of the popish party, I suppose they were some of the Ecclesiastical creatures; but they sound none of their own Stuff in me, I told them after sundry Debatings, That I had lived and die and enemy to their way: howsoever I was pressed by sundry to seek a reprieve, and my answer was always that I adhered to my former confession, and if they pleaed to set the appointed time of my death let it stand, and if they pleased to protract it. Let them protract it, for I was ready and willing to beoth live and to die, howbeit their came a reprieve for eight days but I had no hand in it; They still urged, would I say that I desired time for conference iwth some persons anent my principles: I answered, That my time was in the Lord's hands, and I was in no hesitation or doubt about my principles myself, I was not be so rude as to decline conference with any, so far as it might be incovenient for me in my present circumstnaces, but I will seek it with none. I have no more to say upon this head, but my heart doth not smite me for anything in the matters of my God since I came to prison; And I can further say to his praise with some conseientiousness of integrity that I have walked his way and kept his charge though with much weakness and many infirmities whereof ye have been witnesses. Now my dear Friends in precious Christ, I think I need not tell you; that as I have l ived, so I die in the same persuasion, with the true Reformed and Covenanted Presbyterian church of Scotland, that I adhere to the testimony of the day, as it is held forth in our informaty vindication and in the testimony against the present toleration; and that I own, and seal with my blood all the precious truth, eve the contraverted turths that I have taught; So I would exhort every one of you, to make sure your personal reconcilaition with God in Christ; for I fear many of you have that yet to do, and when ye come where I am to look pale death in the face, ye will not be a little shaken and terrified, if ye have not laid hold of eternal life. I would exhort you to much diligence in the use of the means, to be careful in keeping up your societies, to be frequent and ferverent in secret prayer, to read much the wtitten Word of God, and to examine yourselves by it; do not weary to maintain in yoru places and stations the present testimony; for when Christ goes forth to defeat Antichrist; with that Name written on his Thigh, and on Versture King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he will make it glorious in the earth, and if ye can be transmit it to the posterity, ye may count it a great generations work, But beware of the ministers, that have accepted of this toleration, and all others than bend that way, and follow them not, for the sun hath gone down upon them. Do not fear that the Lord will cast off Scotland, for he will certainly return again, and shew himself glorious in our land, but watch and pray, for he is bringing on a sad overthrowing stroke, which shall make many say, That they have eaisly got through that hath got a scaffold for Christ, and do not regard their present sufferings of this world, for they are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed, I amy say to his praise, that I have found his cross sweet and lovely unto me; for I have had many joyful hours, and not a fearful thought since I came to prison; He hath strengthened me, for to outbreath man, and ourface death. And I am now longing for the joyful hour of my dissolution, and there is nothing in the world that I am sorry to leave but you, But I go to a better company and so I must take my leave of you all. Farewell my beloved, sufferers and followers of the Lamb; Farewell Christian intimates; Farwell Christian and comfortable Mother and Sisters/ Forewell sweet societies; Farewell desireable General meetings; Farwell night wanderings in the cold and weariness for Christ; Farewell sweet Bible, and preaching of the Gospel; Farwell sun, Moon and stars and all sublumary things; Farewell conflicts with a body of sin and Death--Welcome scaffold, for precious Christ; Welcome heavenly Jerusalem; welcome innumerable company of angels; welcome General assembly, and church of the First Born; welcome Crown of Glory, white robes and songs of Moses and the Lamb; And above all, welcome o thou blessed Trinity and one God! O Eternal One! I commit my soul unto thy eternal rest.
JAMES RENWICK. fEB. 13TH, 1688
MY DEAR FRIENDS IN CHRIST,
I see now what hath been the language of my Reprieve, it hath been, that I might be further tempted and tried, and I praise the Lord he hath assisted me, to give further proofs of steadfastness; I have often been assaulted by some popish priests, but the last time they came, I told I would debate no more with such as they were, and that I have lived and would die a Presbyterian, Protestant and testify against the Idolatrous, heresies and superstition, and errors of that Anti-Christian way; but yesterday, I was cast into deep exercise, and made to dwell under an impression of the dreadfulness of everything, that might grieve the spirit of God. I found sin to be more bitter than death, and one hours hiding of God's face, more insupportable. And then at night, I was called before a part of the Council, and the Chancellor produced the informatory vindication, and asked if I knew it; I answered, I knew it; And being interrogated, I confessed that I had a great hand in writing of it, they pressed me to tell my assistances, I told them they were those whom they persecuted, but would satisfy them no further; they also urged me upon pain of torture; to tell where our Societies were, who kept our General Correspondences, and where they were kept. I answered, though they should torture me, which was contrary to all Laws after sentence of death, I would give them no further notice than the books gave, I was moreover threatened to tell of my haunts and quarters, but I refused to make known to them any such thing; so I was returned to prison. such exercise as I had, was very needful for such a trial; and I would rather endure what they could do unto me; Than have dishonoured Christ, offended you, and brought you into trouble:--But I hope within less than three days, to be without the reach of all temptations.
Now, I have no more to say, Farewell again, in our Blessed LORD JESUS.
Feb 15th 1688. James Renwick
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