died, before eight of the clock, that the doors were opened, and he was to suffer that day.
He and these worthies murdered with him, got their sentences of death the day before, wherein these admirable and very rare sentences are to be found, viz. That that day was the most joyful day in all his life; and that he had not been without an assurance of his interest in Christ, these thirty years, nor long out of his presence; and, that he never durst undertake to preach Christ and salvation to others, until he was sure of his own. Oh! if all our ministers had taken this course, there had been less detection among us; and, that it was long since he durst have ventured upon death and eternity, but death remained somewhat terrible, but now the terror of that was taken away, and by virtue of the mercies of God, and merits of Christ, he had a conscience as quiet and calm as if he had never sinned.
When he came to the scaffold and foot of the ladder, he blessed the Lord with uplifted hands, that he was thus near the crown; and when setting his foot upon the ladder to go up to embrace the bloody rope, he said, The Lord knows, I go up this ladder with less fear, confusion, or perturbation of mind, than ever I entered a pulpit to preach. He was first turned over, Mr Smith did cleave to him in love and unity of life, so he died with his face upon his breast: Next Mr Boig, then William Cuthill, and William Thomson: These five worthies hung all on one gibbet, at the cross of Edinburgh, on that never to be forgotten bloody day, the 27th of July 1681 The enemies got this great glut of blood, the day before the down-sitting of the parliament, wherein the duke of York did preside as commissioner. The hangman washed and hagged off all their heads with an axe. Mr. Cargill's, Mr. Smith's, and Mr Boig's heads were fixed upon the Netherbow-port, William Culthill's and William Thomson's upon the West-port.
The wicked, cursed of God, and hated of all
