Page:Life and prophecies of Mr. Alexander Peden (3).pdf/55

This page has been validated.

( 55 )

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 12. 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,