Page:Some remarkable passages of the life and death of Master Alexander Peden.pdf/20

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the poor lad that's gone our errand, seeking bread to support our lives, lose his? Direct the bullets by his head, however near, let them not touch him; good Lord, spare the lap of thy cloak, and cover the poor lad. And in this he was heard and answered, in that there was a dark cloud of mist parted him and them.

26. About this time there was an honest poor wife brought him and them some bread & milk; when seeking a blessing, he said, As the Gyse of the times, now in this bloody land, this poor woman has endangered her life, in bringing bread to support ours; we cannot pay her for it, but, Lord, it is for thy sake she has brought it; there's no need that she should be a loser at thy hand; thou givest plenty of bread to many that are not so worthy of it; giving does not impoverish thee, & witholding does not enrich thee; give this poor wife twenty bonnacks for these few. And the wife said several times afterwards, she got many bonnacks; for after that, she was never straitned for bread as before.

27. About this time, upon a sabbath night, he preached in a shield or sheep-house, in a desert place; a man standing at the door as he came in, he gripped him & said, Where are you going, sir, go home, you have neither art nor part with us; there will be a black account heard of you e'er long. Accordingly, very shortly thereafter, he went to Edinburgh, and took the black rest. That night he lectured upon the 7th chapter of Amos And I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people, the house of Israel. He cried out. Oh how few of the ministers of Scotland will answer this plumb-line? Lord send us a Welwood, a Cargil and a Cameron, & such as they, and make us quite of the rest. And I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. He said, I will tell you good news, our Lord will take a feather out of the Antichrist's wing, which shall bring down the duke of York, and banish him out of these kingdoms, & will romove the bloody sword from above the heads of his people; and there will never a man of the name of Stewart sit upon the throne of Britain after the duke of York, whose reign is now short for their lechery, treachery, tyranny, and shedding the precious blood of the Lord's people: but oh, black, black, black, will the day be that will come upon Ireland, that they shall travel forty miles & not see a reeking house, or hear a cock crow. At this he started up to his feet and clapt his hands, and with a ravishing voice cried aloud, Glory, glory to the Lord, that has accepted a bloody sacrifice,