bear my witneſs unto the national covenant of Scotland, England and Ireland; theſe ⟨ſacred⟩, ſolemn, public oaths of God, I believe cannot ⟨be looſed⟩, nor diſpenſed with, by any perſon, or ⟨party⟩ or power upon earth; but are ſtill binding upon ⟨the⟩ kingdoms, and will be forever hereafter; and ⟨are ratified⟩ and ſealed by the converſion of many ⟨thouſand⟩ ſouls, ſince our entering thereunto. I bear my ⟨witneſs⟩ to the proteſtation againſt the contraverted ⟨aſſemblies⟩, and the public reſolutions, to the teſtimonies ⟨given⟩ againſt the ſectaries, againſt the courſe of ⟨backsliding⟩ and defection that is now on foot in the land, ⟨and⟩ all the branches and parts thereof, under ⟨whatſoever⟩ party, perſon. And in the laſt place, I bear my witneſs the croſs of Jeſus Christ, and that I never had cauſe, have cauſe this day to repent, becauſe of any thing I've ſuffered, or can now ſuffer for his name: I ⟨take⟩ God to record upon my ſoul, I would not ⟨exchange⟩ this ſcaffold with the palace or mitre of the ⟨greateſt⟩ prelate in Britain, Bleſſed be God, who ſhewed mercy to ſuch a wretch, and hath revealed ⟨his⟩ Son in me, and hath made me a miniſter of the ⟨everlaſting⟩ gospel, and that he hath deigned, in the ⟨midſt⟩ of ſuch contradiction, from Satan and the world, ⟨to ſeal⟩ my miniſtry upon the hearts of not a few of his ⟨people⟩ and eſpecially in the ſtation wherein I was laſt, ⟨I mean⟩ the congregation and preſbytery of Stirling; ⟨and I⟩ hope the Lord will viſit that congregation and preſbytery once more, with faithful paſtors. God ⟨forgive⟩ the poor empty man, that did there intrude upon ⟨my labours⟩, and hath made a prey of many poor ſouls, ⟨and expoſed⟩ others to reproach and oppreſſion, and a ⟨femine⟩ of the word of the Lord. God forgive the ⟨miſleaders⟩ of that part of the poor people, who ⟨tempted⟩ to reject their own paſtor, and to admit of ⟨intruders⟩; and the Father of mercies pity that poor ⟨miſled⟩ people; and the Lord viſit the congregation preſbytery of Stirling once more with faithful paſtors,
