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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 forty-eight hours he died, January 28, 1686, being paſt ſixty 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, January 28, 1686,
And was raiſed, after Six Weeks, out of his Grave,
And buried here out of contempt.
After this, that troop of dragoous 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
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