ry popular among
the more faithful part of our sufferers, and was by them often employed
as one of their commissioners to their general meetings, which they had
erected some years before this, that they might the better understand
the mind of one another in carrying on a testimony in that broken state.

One thing very remarkable was--The Sabbath night (being that day eight
days before he was taken) as he and four more were travelling, it being
very dark, no wind, but a thick small rain: no moon, for that was not
her season; behold, suddenly the clouds clave asunder, toward east and
west, over their heads, and a light sprang out beyond that of the sun,
which lasted above the space of two minutes. They heard a noise, and
were much amazed, saying one to another, What may that mean? but he
spoke none, only uttering three deep groans, one of them asked him, What
it might mean? He said, "We know not well at present, but within a
little we shall know better: yet we have a _more sure word of prophecy_,
unto which we would do well to take heed:" And then he groaned again,
saying, "As for me, I am ready to live or to die for him, as he in his
providence shall call me to it, and bear me through in it; and although
I have suffered much from prelates and false friends these 21 years, yet
now I would not for a thousand worlds I had done otherwise; and if the
Lord spare me, I will be more zealous for his precious truths, and if
not, I am ready to seal his cause with my blood; for I have longed for
it these 16 years, and it may be I will ere long get it to do. Welcome
be his will, and if he will help me through with it, I shall praise him
to all eternity." Which made them all wonder, he being a very reserved
man; for although he was a strict observer of the Sabbath, a great
examiner of the scripture, and a great wrestler in prayer, yet he was so
reserved as to his own case and soul's concernment, that few knew how it
was with him as to that, until he came to prison.

All this and more could not escape the knowledge of the managers, as is
evident from Earlston's answers before the council 1683, and we find
that one of the articles that John Richmond suffered for, at the cross
of Glasgow, March 19th 1684, was his being in company with John Nisbet.
This made the search after him and other sufferers more desperate.
Whereupon in the month of November 1683, having retired amongst other
of his lurking places, unto a certain house called Midla