count of his sufferings, yet we are
assured he endured a series of hardships.--In the year 1667, he was
turned out of his house and all; and the said house made a garrison for
Bannantine that wicked wretch and his party; after which, almost every
year produced him new troubles, until the 22d or 23rd of January, 1679,
that he emerged out of all his troubles, and arrived at the haven of
rest, and obtained his glorious reward in the following manner--

Having some affairs to settle (perhaps on a view never to return) he
could not join that suffering handful who were then in arms near
Bothwel: he sent his son who was in the action. He himself hastening
forward as soon as possible to their assistance, and not knowing of
their disaster, was met near the place by a party of English dragoons
who were in quest of the sufferers, and, like another valiant champion
of Christ, he refused to surrender or comply with their demand, and so
they killed him straight out upon the spot[165]; his son being out of
the way, and his friends not obtaining that his body should be urned
amongst the bones of his ancestors; he was interred in the church-yard
of Glassford: and though a pillar or monument was erected over his
grave, yet no inscription was got inscribed because of the severity of
these times.

Thus fell a renowned Gordon, one whose character at present I am in no
capacity to describe: only, I may venture to say, that he was a
gentleman of good parts and endowments; a man devoted unto religion and
godliness; and a prime supporter of the Presbyterian interest in that
part of the country wherein he lived.--The Gordons have all along made
no small figure in our Scottish history;--but here was a patriot, a good
Christian, a confessor and (I may add) a martyr of Jesus Christ.

_The Lives of Messrs. JOHN KID and JOHN KING._

Messrs. John Kid and John King suffered many hardships during the
persecuting period, namely, from the year 1670, to the time of their
martyrdom 1679. Mr. King was sometime chaplain to lord Cardross; and it
appears, he was apprehended and imprisoned in the year 1674. but got out
on a bond and surety for 5000 merks, to appear when called. Next year he
was again, by a party of the persecutors, apprehended in the said lord
Cardross's, but was immediately rescued from their hands by some country
people, who had profited much by his ministry. After this, he was taken
a third time by bloody Claverhouse near Hamilton,