the first and laft I readily yielded; but the fecond I could by no means comply with.

Being refolved to take my journey for the bounds of the prefbytery of Stirling, on the Tuesday after the October fynod, now at hand, I fent to the prefbytery-clerk for my licence accordingly: the which received; but so very informal, that it could not well be prefented to a prefbytery. Whereupon I was perfuaded to go to Kelfo to the fynod, that I might get it drawn there in due form; refolving to go ftraight from thence, without returning to Dunfe. But Providence had more work for me to do at home.

The prefbytery having appointed me no where, for the third Sabbath after I was licenfed, I was invited to preach that day in the parish of Abbay, one of the four kirks of Lammermoor; the which invitation I accepted, and ftudied a fermon for that end on Rev. iii. 20. which I believe was never delivered. But Mr Colden being on the Saturday called to a communion at Earlfton on the morrow, I was obliged to preach for him at Dunfe that Sabbath. The prefbytery would never fend me to the faid parish of Abbay till I was just going out of the country, as faid is; they having a defign to tranfport unto it the Laird of Abbay, minifter of Aiton, whom they looked on as unfit for that public poft. But he being both a weak and an untender man, was unacceptable to the parish of Abbay, as well as to his brethren. By their appointment forefaid, I preached there the Sabbath before the fynod, Oct. 17. There had been before that an inclination in that parish to me to be their minifter; the which was first moved to me by Abbay himself, and afterward by an elder with much affection. After being appointed to preach there, they fhewed themselves very cordial for my fettlement among them, very affectionate to me, and unwilling that I should go out of the country.

Having come to Kelfo as aforefaid, the drawing up of my licence in due form was shifted and put off. It was reprefented, that a lady had engaged to write to Lord Rofs in my favour: I was urged to fall from my intended departure; and Mr Colden, whom I particularly regarded, told me, he thought Providence lay crofs to it. So I behoved to return home again without my licence, unexpected, to my friends.

Being thus locked in at home for that feafon, I preach

ed feveral times at Abbay during the winter, lodging ordinarily in Blackertone; where, at family-prayer, Dec. 14. I fainted away, not having got the prayer formally closed, as they afterwards told me. There was an appearance of my fettling there; the people were knit to me; and that was the only parish, I think, that ever I was fond of. But I fmarted for the loofe I foolishly had given to my heart upon it. I propofed to myself to be very happy in fuch a fmall charge, being told that they would be but about fourfcore of people: but then there appeared to be an occafion of diffufive usefulness in that hill-country, the other three kirks thereof being still poffeffed by curates. The stipend was about 700 merks, the place retired among the hills, the manfe pleasantly fituate on Whitwater, and within three or four miles of Dunfe. But the prefbytery was still against settling me there.

1698. On Jan. 16. 1698, the elders, who twice before that had defired a minifter to moderate in a call there, but were repulfed, applied to them again for the fame end, and were repulfed as formerly; notwithstanding that the fame day there was read before them a letter from Lord Rofs, bearing, that fince I had not come to him, he had another in view for Foulden.

About the latter end of that month, Abbay being in Dunfe, told me, that fometime he had a mind for that parish himself, but now he had changed his resolution, and would join with the elders, in order to my settlement there. And about the 8th of February, the elders appearing again before the prefbytery, renewed their addrefs for a minister to moderate in a call there; and Abbay himself joining them accordingly, as an heritor, the prefbytery could no longer refufe it; but, in the mean time, they took a long day for it, purposely it would feem, and appointed the 10th of March for that effect. As we came out of the prefbytery, Abbay told me, according to his manner, he would preach my ordinationfermon.

Now the poor parith thought themfelves fecure; and things feeming to go according to my heart's wifh, I was much comforted in the thoughts thereof. But, behold, in a few days Abbay changed his mind, and all endeavours were used to turn about the call for him; which with the heritors was cafily obtained, none of them refiding within the parish. The point on which it feemed to turn was,

that

TT

that now or never was the occafion of confulting his intereft; which miffed, the prefbytery would by fome means get him turned out of Aiton. This, I was informed, fome minifters did put in the head of his friends, by whofe perfuafion he changed his mind and courfe again in that

matter.

Obferving the matter to be going thus, I fell under great difcouragement, by means of the difappointment, having foolishly judged that place the fitteft for me. Then it was my exercife, and a hard one, to get my heart brought to a fubmiffion to Providence in that point; the which fubmiffion I defired, if my heart deceived me not, more than the removal of the ftroke. Being fore broken by the difappointment, I took hold of an occafion to preach, for my own ease, a fermon on 1 Sam. iii. 18. on a week-day at Dunfe. After fermon, one of the hearers came to me, and thankfully acknowledged God's goodness in bringing her to that fermon, fo fuited to her cafe. She was a godly woman of Polwarth parifh, who fhortly before had loft her husband. This fermon was not without advantage to myself in the point I was aiming to reach. Howbeit, that difcouragement and the fpring-feafon trysting together, there was a notable breach made in my health, which continued for a long time after, the which I dated from the beginning of that month of March. When I had near studied that fermon, I was in hazard of fainting away; but being taken care of, and laid to bed, I recovered.

March 6. Preaching in Dunfe, fuch an indifpofition of body and faintnefs was on me, that I thought either to have swooned in the pulpit, or to have been obliged to go out abruptly but, by good Providence, there was oppofite to the pulpit an aile wanting fome of the roof, by which came a refreshing gale that fupported me, and the Lord carried me through, giving me a taste of his goodnefs, of which I was preaching. The fame day eight days, after preaching in the fame place, the indifpofition recurred; and as I was going into the kirk very pentive, and thinking of the hazard of fwooning in the pulpit, and how it would be matter of reproach, I heard the precentor reading, and found them finging Pfal. Ivii. 3. «From "heaven he fhall fend down, and me from his reproach defend," &c. which was fweetly feasonable to my foul. Having been for fome time very indifpofed, I was under fome apprehenfions of death, but very unwilling and

afraid to die in which cafe I had occafion to ride by that fpot of ground where I was formerly fo content to die, (fee p. 25.), which let me fee a vaft difference in the frame of my fpirit now from what it was then.

March 10. The call was drawn up for Abbay himself, my Lord Merfington, a good-natured, well-inclined man, being the main agent in the affair; at whose door the poor people, among whom there were wet cheeks on that occafion, laid the blood of their fouls; but it prevailed not with him. One of the elders, Abbay's own tenant, was brought to fubscribe the call. It was brought before the prefbytery on the 15th; and Merfington having a commiflion from Abbay, had figned it for him in his name as an heritor. Two elders and a parishioner appeared that day before the prefbytery, and reclaimed, earnestly intreating them to confider, that they behoved to anfwer to God for what they did. But the prefbytery fuftained the call. Mr Colden would fay nothing in the matter, but went out in the time. They appointed him to write to Lord Rofs, and to the minifter of Paisley, to deal with my Lord on my account with refpect to Foulden. This was the ungofpel-like way that even then much prevailed in the cafe of planting of churches; a way which I ever abhorred. I had been named by the commiffion of the affembly to go to Caithness, a few days before the moderating of that call: but Mr Colden telling them, that, on the Thurfday after, a call was to be moderated for me, it was dropped. So-by it Providence diverted that miffion of me, which would have been very heavy.

On the 29th, the writing of the letters aforefaid having been forgot, a letter from Mr Wilkie, bailie of Foulden, was read coram, bearing, that he would cordially concur for my fettlement in Foulden; but thought reafon and good-breeding required that I fhould go to Lord Rofs. Whereupon they peremptorily enjoined me to go to him: and Mr Colden told me, I would be out of my duty if I went not. Nevertheless, having no clearnefs for it in my own confcience, I continued unmoved in my refolution; though it troubled me that they fhould have appointed

me:

At the April fynod I was invited to the presbytery of Kelfo; but being advised to wait till the following prefbytery-day, I preached at Foulden: and, May 1. hearing there that my Lord Rofs was to fend them another man,

I refolved forthwith to go to the prefbytery of Stirling, having given over thoughts of Kelfo.

Accordingly having got up the extract of my licence, and testimonials, on the 10th, I went away on the 15th; and having come to my quarters at Edinburgh, I was overtaken with a fainting-fit. On the 17th I arrived in the bounds of the prefbytery of Stirling.

Providence having thus tried me in my native country, especially in the affair of Abbay, I was fo taught, that no place did ever after get fo much of my fond affection. But, notwithstanding all the buftle made for the Laird's' tranfportation to that place, it did not at this time take effect: but, after I was gone, Mr George Home minister of Selkirk was planted in it, he having been uneasy in that public poft. And afterward, when I was a member of the prefbytery of Churnfide, a procefs of drunkenness was commenced against Abbay, which yet proved ineffectual for his removal out of Aiton. But Mr Home being dead, he was at length, I think before I came to Ettrick, tranfported thither; the people by that time being taught more tamely to bear the yoke.

PERIOD V.

From my removal into the bounds of the presbytery of Stirling, to my return unto the Merse.

HAving come into the bounds aforefaid, I took up my

lodging with Thomas Brown of Barhill in Ferritown, with whom I had contracted a particular friendship when I was at Kennet, he being a good man. I was once and agaia' invited to Kennet's family to lodge there, but declined it; a plain evidence of no real inclination to fettle in Clackmannan parish. I continued with Thomas Brown while I remained in that country, which was near about a year : and in these days that text had weight with me, "Go not "from houfe to houfe;" judging that courfe unworthy of the facred character.

The parishes which I preached mostly in, while in that country, were Clackmannan and Airth, and after fome time Dollar, all of them being then vacant. The Lord was with me in my work there, and did fome good by me, especially in Airth and Dollar. The minifter I converfed moft with was Mr Turnbull in Alloa, a fteady friend.

Mr