he was a local rhymster or one hired we cannot tell.
On the
south side of of the stone is an
EPITAPH
on JAMES WARROCK, Esq.
Here, reader, rests a worthy man,
Whose life was spent in virtue's cause,
Who zealously pursued the plan
That's crowned with real self-applause.
The bounty heaven on him bestowed
He justly viewed as lent,
And from his hand it freely flowed
To aid the helpless indigent.
Of him it truly may be told,
His equal rarely can be found,
His deeds more precious were than gold,
And now they are with glory crowned.
On the north side of the same stone he once more breaks
forth without sign of fear or trembling in an
EPITAPH
on CATHERINE PAXTON,
Spouse of John Warrock.
Here lies entombed within this mould,
The refined dust, though not the gold,
Of Catherine Paxton, who from youth
Served God with heart—loved Him in truth—
Obedient lived, and so did die,
With God omniscient in her eye;
Averse to sin, willing to yield
Her mortal frame, she quit the field,
Threw off her dross which did her cloy,
And much retard her heavenly joy.
CURIOUS POETICAL EPITAPH.
William Mathieson here lies,
Whose age was forty-one,
February seventeenth he dies,
Went Isbell Mitchell from,
Who was his married wife,
The fourth part of his life.
The soul it cannot die,
Tho' the body be turned to clay,
Yet meet again they must,
At the last day.
Trumpets shall sound, archangels cry—
"Come forth Isbell Mitchell and meet
Will Mathieson in the sky. "
The above is copied from an old gazetteer. The original is
said to be in Prestonpans Churchyard, but we fail to find
it.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE FREE CHURCH AND OTHER RELIGIOUS BODIES.
The Free Church—Formation here—First Minister—Sir George G.
Suttie—The Minister—Old and New Elders—Extracts From F. C.
Presbytery—W. B. Cunningham—No Conscience—Pickled Ministers—J.
F. Hislop—Rev. Dr. Patrick R. M'Kay—Rev. D. Iverach—Union
of the Churches—Methodists—Mormons—Curious Notes—The Four
M'Neills— Revivalists.
THE Rev. William Bruce Cunningham, first minister of the Free
Church here, was born in 1806. He studied at the Universities
of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Was presented in 1833 to the living
at Prestonpans by Sir George Grant Suttie of Balgone and Prestongrange,
and was married shortly afterwards to Ethel Douglass, elder
daughter of Lord Reston—a Lord of Session—and first cousin
to Adam Smith, the Political Economist.
Mr Cunningham belonged to what was known as the "Evangelical
party " in the Establishment, and he early came into
collision with the "Moderates. " He played a conspicuous
part during most of the " ten years' conflict, "
and in that position during these years came several times
almost into violent contact with his patron, whose sympathies
were wholly with the " Moderates. "
While the " conflict " continued, and ere yet the
" crisis " was near, Mr. Cunningham took every opportunity
of indicating the path he intended to pursue when the "
Disruption " came. Sir George was ever a most exemplary
attender at church, but the discourses of his aforetime favourite
divine he had now no pleasure in listening to, and one Sunday
forenoon during his discourse Sir George felt so aggrieved
with his " Anti-Erastian" utterances that he hurriedly
left his seat, hastened to the Session House, and returning
with paper, pen, and ink, began to take down the rest of his
discourse. The |
