Lo, I am with you always

Old men, and youths and simple maids.. 53. 1. 5. " One morning, between five and six hours, John Brown, having performed the worship of God in his family, was going with a spade in his hand to make ready some peat- ground. The mist being very dark, he knew not until cruel and bloody Claverhouse compassed him with three troops of horse, brought him to his house, and there exa rnined him ; who, though he was a man of stammering speech, yet answered him distinctly and solidly ; which made Claverhouse to examine those whom he had taken to be his guide through the muirs, if they had heard him preach ? They answered, ' No, no, he never was a preacher.' He said, ' If he has never preached, meikle has he prayed in his time.' He said to John, ' Go to your prayers, for you shall immediately die.' When he was praying, Claverhouse interrupted him three times : one time that he stopped him, he was pleading that the Lord would spare a remnant, and not make a full end In the day of his anger. Claverhouse said, ' I gave you time to pray, and you have begun to preach;' he turned upon his knees, and said, * Sir, you know neither the nature of praying nor preaching, that calls this preaching ;' then continued without confusion. When ended, Claverhouse said, * Take goodnight of your wife and children.' His wife standing by with her child in her arms that she had brought forth to him, and another child of his first wife's, he came to her, and said, ' Now, Marion, the day is come that I told you would come, when I spake first to you of marrying me.' She said, * Indeed, John, I can willingly part with you.' Then he said, * This is all I desire, I have no more to do but die.* He kissed his wife and bairns, and wished purchased and promised blessings to be multiplied upon them, and his blessing.
Claverhouse ordered six men to shoot him : the most part of the bullets came upon his head, which scattered his brains upon the ground. Claverhouse said to his wife, ' What thinkest thou of thy husband now, woman ?' She said, ' I thought ever much of him, and now as much as ever.' He said, * It were justice to lay thee beside him.' She said, * If ye were permitted, I doubt not but your cruelty would go that length : but how will you make answer for this morning's work ?' He said, ' To man I can be answerable ; and for God, I will take him in mine own hand.' Claverhouse mounted his horse, and marched, and left her with the corpse of her dead husband lying there. She set the bairn on the ground, and tied up his head, and straighted his body, and covered him in her plaid, and sat down, and wept over him.