Page:Life of the honourable Col. James Gardiner (1).pdf/21

 of the poor; and esteemed it an honour which Providence conferred upon him, that he should be made the Lord's almoner for the relief of such.

That heroic contempt of death, which had often discovered itself in the midst of former dangers, was manifested now in his discourse with several of his most intimate friends. And as he had, in former years, often expressed a desire, “that, if it were the will of God, he might have some honourable call to sacrifice his life in defence of religion and the liberties of his country;" so, when it appeared to him most probable that he might be called to it immediately, he met the summons with the greatest readiness. This appears from a letter which he wrote, only eight days before his death: “The rebels,” says he, “are advancing to cross the Frith; but I trust in the Almighty God, who doeth whatsoever he pleases in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth.”

These sentiments wrought in him, to the last, in the most effectual manner. But he was ordered to march, as fast as possible, to Dunbar; and that hasty retreat in concurrence with the news which they soon after received of the surrender of Edinburgh to the rebels, struck a visible panic into beth the regiments of Dragoons. This affected the Colonel so much, that, on the Thursday before the fatal action at Preston Pans, he intimated to an officer of considerable rank, that he expected the event would be as in fact it proved, and to a person who visited him, he said, “I cannot influence the conduct of others as I could wish, but I have one life to sacrifice to my country’s safety, and I shall not spare it.”

On Friday, Sept. 20, (the day before the battle which transmitted him to his immortal crown,) when the whole army was drawn up about noon, the Colonel rode through all the ranks of his own regiment, addressing them at once in the most respectful and animating manner, both as soldiers and as Christians, to engage them to exert themselves courageously in the service of their