faster. Yet I had other, and more worthy considerations, moving me to consent, which I spare here to mention; but the Lord ordered it well, &c. [SEE APPENDIX, K.]

In the year 1647, the pestilence raged in Aberdeen for the space of five or six months. All this time, my family was preserved; which was the more observable, as I was every day among the sick people, being a magistrate: for the time, I removed to Kingswells. [SEE APPENDIX, L.]

In the year, 1649, I being then a member of Parliament for the town of Aberdeen, was sent unto Holland, with the Earl of Cassles, Lord Brodie, and Lord Libertone, for to treat with and bring home our young King. I shall spare to mention many things, for shortness only, by the way, I must observe this, that having gone there in the simplicity of our hearts, minding what we conceived to be duty, it pleased the Lord to bring us safely off without any snare or entanglement. But, being again sent there by the Parliament, in the year 1650, for that same business, we did sinfully both entangle and engage the nation and ourselves, and that poor young prince to whom we were sent; making him sign and swear a covenant, which we knew, from clear and demonstrable reasons, that he hated in his heart. Yet, finding that upon these terms only, he could be admitted to rule over us, (all other means having then failed him,) he sinfully complied with what we most sinfully pressed upon him-where, I must confess, to my apprehension, our sin was more than his

[Here, one leaf of the MS. is evidently torn out, containing nearly as much as one page of this letter-press.] and knew well, that what he was doing, was

but through plain force and constraint. In this, he was not so constant to his principles as his father, in yielding to this act of so gross dissembling: but his strait and our guiltiness was the greater, especially [that of] some of us,-I mean especially by myself, who had so clear convictions of this to be wrong, that I spoke of it to the King himself, desiring him not to subscribe the Covenant, if in his conscience he was not satisfied, and yet went on to close the treaty with him, who, I knew so well, had for his own ends done it against his heart. But I may say,-so did I desire him to do it against mine,-so weak and inconstant was I; being overcome with the example and advice of others, gracious and holy men, that were there, whom in this I too simply and implicitly followed,-choosing rather to suspect myself in my judgment to be wrong, than theirs. But the Lord taught me, in this, and in things of that nature, not so implicitly to depend on men.

What the sad effects and bitter fruits of that business hath been,-I shall spare to mention,-that not being the business I intend here. Only, I think, the Lord hath very justly reproved us, and the whole nation, especially the leading men of church and state,—for so much prevarication; in pretending to be for his glory, in carrying on his work; while, it may be evident as the light, what the design of that second message was,-in sending for and closing with him, whom we knew, to be no less opposite to the carrying on of any work for God's glory, than ever his father was. But the English, having disappointed so far our expectation, in carrying on the work of union and uniformity in the three nations, conformably to the model and design of Scotland,

D

so cunningly plotted and contrived in the League and Covenant,-were likely, in establishing both civil and ecclesiastical affairs, to carry it plain contrary another way than was intended and hoped for;— wherein the Kirk, (as we call it,) was likely to suffer not a little. For, instead of Presbytery being established, in the way of the Kirk of Scotland, whereby they might rule all, there was likely to be set up a lawless liberty and toleration of all religions; whereby they would be altogether disappointed, and rendered incapable to rule in any thing, either in church or state, but merely such, in church affairs, as willingly should submit to them. To prevent this deluge and overflowing scourge, as it was then thought to be,-the prevailing of the Sectarian army,—no means was thought to be so fit, as to bring home our King; otherwise, it was conceived inevitably to follow, that both Monarchy and Presbytery would be ruined. And so, the leading men both of church and state, however otherwise divided among themselves, are unanimously joined in this. Most of the royal party and Presbyterians in England, being in this no less concerned, their concurrence was confidently looked for,-as in the issue it did. appear.

But, how has the Lord overturned all these contrivances and devices of men's wits, for upholding their own devices and inventions! his work, and the glory of it, being, as of another kind, so to be brought about in another manner:-this we might have seen, had our eyes been opened-dear-bought and precious experience gives us now to know it. Having said enough [on the subject,] it was my purpose to leave it; but that I find myself obliged to remember

one passage relating to this business, wherein the Lord's goodness and sincerity did both so eminently appear to me, that I desire my heart may be ever kept in memory of it while I live. [SEE APPENDIX, M.]

CHAPTER IV.

1650: AT THE BATTLE OF DUNBAR, ALEXANDER JAFFRAY RECEIVES FOUR WOUNDS, AND IS TAKEN PRISONER-HIS COURTEOUS TREATMENT, AND LIBERATION; AND THE FREQUENT INTERVIEWS HE HAS WITH CROMWELL, FLEETWOOD, AND DR. OWEN-WRITES A PAPER ON "THE CAUSES OF THE LORD'S CONTROVERSY WITH THE LAND," AND ON THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, &c.-1651: HE HAS CONFERENCES AT EDINBURGH WITH A MEETING OF MINISTERS AND PROFESSORS: HIS REFLECTIONS THEREON-SOME INDIVIDUALS AT ABERDEEN, IN COMMON WITH HIMSELF, ENTERTAIN SCRUPLES AS TO THE MODE OF ADMINISTERING "THE ORDINANCES"-CONFERENCES ARE HELD ON THIS SUBJECT, BOTH AT EDINBURGH AND ABERDEEN, WITH RUTHERFORD, GUTHRIE, GILLESPIE, CARSTAIRS, AND OTHERS.

THE King being come home, we were not well landed, when England was on our border with an army, to succour themselves against our invading them. It is not my purpose here to speak to that business, or the unwarrantableness of it, or of our defence and the lawfulness of it; but the thing I aim at is,-to remember (and, O that I could do it with a heart rightly thankful!) the just severity and yet merciful dispensation of my blessed Lord, who, by a very sad blow at that battle of Dunbar, the 3d day of September, 1650, brought me to the very gates of death;— my horse being shot under me, and I having received two wounds in my head, one in my right hand, and another in my back. So good was the Lord unto me, that, albeit for my manifold guiltinesses, and particularly for my accession to and compliance in that matter of our acting about our King, he might have left me there,-and for ever to his wrath in