deposed. The effect of this arbitrary and cruel measure was, to induce him and a number of his friends, to think seriously of emigrating to New England. A vessel was built for the purpose; and they actually set sail for America: but encountering from the moment of their departure, violent adverse winds, and being driven back at last, after a lapse of nearly two months, to the port whence they had loosed, the design was altogether abandoned. In 1638, he settled in a place called Stranrawer, in Scotland; and for ten years he exercised his ministry here with great comfort, and some measure of success. He had not been long in this place, before some of his parishioners expressed a wish to be present at his morning family exercises. To gratify them, as his house could not conveniently accommodate all who might desire to attend, he assembled them every morning, in the Church, by the ringing of the bell, and spent about half an hour with them in singing, expounding the word of God, and prayers.

While he retained this interesting charge, he was several times sent by the General Assembly of the church of Scotland to visit some vacant parishes in the North of Ireland. Each missionary tour occupied three months; and, "for the most part of all these three months," he says, "I preached

every day once, and twice on the Sabbath: the destitute parishes were many: the hunger of the people was become great ; and the Lord was pleased to furnish otherwise than usually I was wont to get at home. I came ordinarily the night before to the place where I was to preach, and commonly lodged in some religious person's house, where we were often well refreshed at family exercise : usually I desired no more before I went to bed, but to make sure the place of Scripture I was to preach on the next day. And rising in the morning, I had four or five hours myself alone, either in a chamber or in the fields; after that we went to church and then dined, and then rode some five or six miles more or less to another parish."

From Stranrawer he removed in 1648, to Ancrum, in Tiviotdale. With the people of this place, he continued, a number of years, beloved and useful ; but that intolerant spirit of the time, which could brook no mode of worship-no ministerial services, not conformed to prelatical rule, at length, procured his banishment, with that of several other eminent ministers, from the kingdom of Great Britain.

In April 1663, he fled to Holland, and settled in Rotterdam. His wife and two of the children followed him toward the close of the year, but five children remained in Scotland.

Having now considerable leisure, though he preached frequently to the Scots' congregation in this city, he diligently cultivated the study of the Hebrew language, and attempted to prepare for publication, a volume containing the original text of the Bible, in one column, and the several vulgar translations in another. The design was approved by Voetius, Essenius, Nethenus, and Leusden : and having spent much time in comparing Pagnin's version with the original text, and with other later translations such as Munster's, Junius,' Diodati's, the English, but especially the Dutch, the latest, and esteemed the most accurate translation, he sent his manuscripts to Dr. Leusden, in compliance with a request of that learned professor, expecting they would be printed and published in Utrecht. It is not known what became of the work ;-but shortly after it was put out of his hands, he rested from his labours on earth, and entered into the joy of his Lord. He died August 9th, 1672, aged 69 years, having resided in Rotterdam a little over nine years.

This man of God, the principal events of whose life have been thus rapidly traced, was, as before observed, the common ancestor of the Livingstons in this country: and to be descended from a person of such piety, and zeal, and distinguished

usefulness in the church of God, is assuredly a greater honour than to inherit a princely alliance: -at least, the time will come, and the writer hopes, is not far off, when even the world will so regard it.-Let him not be misunderstood. He did not intend, by the remark just made, to convey an intimation, that saving grace descends by inheritance; but simply to express his conviction, that the day is not very distant, when religion will be, as it ought now to be, the chief concern of all men ; -when piety, though dwelling in the humblest cottage, and clothed in rags, will be universally held in higher estimation, than ungodliness, though encircled with all the splendors of royalty; and consequently, that the respect which has been paid, time out of mind, to a connexion by birth or otherwise, with the worldly rich and worldly great, will be transferred to a kindred with those whom the word of God denominates THE EXCELLENT OF

THE EARTH.

But, if it be granted that, at present, little honour is by some attached to such descent, and that, it by no means secures the possession of saving grace; yet still it may be averred, that it is not altogether unaccompanied both with honour and profit.

A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's

children: * and a history of many of the descendants of Mr. Livingston would afford a fine illustration of the truth of Solomon's declaration. In the history of New-York, by an author of some reputation, the following notice is taken of him and his family, as that was, at the time, known in this country" Mr. John Livingston, one of the commissioners from Scotland, to king Charles II. while he was an exile at Breda. He was a clergyman distinguished by his zeal and industry, and for his opposition to episcopacy became so obnoxious, after the restoration, to the English court, that he left Scotland, and took the pastoral charge of an English presbyterian church in Rotterdam. His descendants are very numerous in this province, and the family in the first rank for their wealth, morals, and education. The original diary in the handwriting of their common ancestor is still among them, and contains a history of his life.” †

The work from which this quotation is made, was published in 1756;—and up to this day, they have maintained, as a family, the same elevated station in society: the name of Livingston has been, generally speaking, associated with all that is respectable in character-honourably connected

* Prov. 13. 22.

Smith's Hist. of N. Y.

page 150.