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fully attended for ordinary the preaching of the word at Revelaw, where Mr Erfkine had his meeting-house, near about four miles from Dunfe. In the fummer-time, company could hardly be miffed; and with them fomething to be heard, efpecially in the returning, that was for edification, to which I listened; but in the winter, fometimes it was my lot to go alone, without fo much as the benefit of a horfe to carry me through Blackadder water, the wading whereof in tharp frofty weather I very well remember. But fuch things were then eafy, for the benefit of the word, which came with power.

The fchool-doctor's fon having, in his childish folly, put a pipe-stopple in each of his noftrils, I defigning to pull them out, happened fo to put them up that he bled. Whereupon his father, in great wrath, upbraided me; and particularly faid, Is that what you learned at Revelaw which cut me to the heart, finding religion to fuffer by me.

In thefe days I had a great glowing of affections in religion, even to a zeal for fuffering in the cause of it, which I am very fure was not according to knowledge; but I was ready to think, as Zebedee's children faid, Matth. xx. 22. "We are able." I was raw and unexperienced, had much weakness and ignorance, and much of a legal dif pofition and way, then, and for a good time after, undifcerned. Howbeit I would fain hope, there was, under a heap of rubbish of that kind, "fome good thing toward "the God of Ifrael" wrought in me. Sure I am, I was in good earneft concerned for a faving intereft in Jefus Chrift; my foul went out after him, and the place of his feet was glorious in mine eyes.

Having read of the fealing of the tribes, Rev. vii. Satan wove a fnare for me out of it, viz. That the whole number of the elect, or those who were to be faved, was already made up; and therefore there was no room for me. How that fnare was broken, I do not remember; but thereby one may fee, what eafy work Satan, brooding on ignorance, hath to hatch things which may perplex and keep the party from Chrift.

At that time there was another boy at the school, Thomas Trotter of Catchilraw, whofe heart the Lord had alfo touched and there came to the fchool a third, one Patrick Gillies, a ferious lad, and elder than either of us; but thefon of a father and mother, ignorant and carnal to a pitch i

pitch; which made the grace of God in him the more remarkable. Upon his motion, we three met frequently in a chamber in my father's houfe, for prayer, reading the fcriptures, and spiritual conference; whereby we had fome advantage, both in point of knowledge and tendernefs. It was remarkable concerning the faid Thomas, that being taken to the first Prefbyterian meeting that was in the country after the liberty; where I fuppofe, the worthy and famous Mr James Webfter, afterwards a minister in Edinburgh, preached; he, upon his return from it, giving an account in the school concerning his being there, ridiculed the Whigs; the which I, who nevertheless was not there, was very forry for, on no other account, I reckon, but that my father was one of that fort of people. But going afterward to the like meetings, he turned a very devout boy.

To bind myself to diligence in feeking the Lord, and to ftir me up thereto, I made a vow, to pray so many times a-day how many times, I cannot be pofitive; but it was at leaft thrice. It was the goodness of God to me, that it was made only for a certain definite space of time; but I found it fo far from being a help, that it was really a hinderance to my devotion, making me more heartless in, and averfe to duty, through the corruption of my nature. I got the time of it driven out accordingly: but I never durft make another of that nature fince, nor fo bind up myself, where God had left me at liberty. And it hath been of fome good ufe to me, in the courfe of my after life.

The fchool-houfe being within the church-yard, I was providentially made to fee there, within an open coffin, in an unripe grave opened, the confuming body juft brought to the confiftence of thin mortar, and blackith: the which made an impreflion on me, remaining to this day; whereby I perceive, what a loathfome thing my body muft at length become before it be reduced to duft; not to be beheld with the eye but with horror.

In the courfe of years spent at the grammar-fchool, I learned the Latin rudiments, Defpauter's grammar, and all the authors, in verfe or profe, then ufually read in schools; and profited above the reft of my own clafs, by means of whom my progrefs was the more flow. And before I left the fchool, I, generally, faw no Roman author, but what I found myfelf in fome capacity to turn

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into English but we were not put to be careful about proper English. Towards the end of that time, I was alfo taught Voffius's Elements of rhetoric; and May 15. 1689, began the Greek, learned fome parts of the New Teftament, to wit, fome part of John, of Luke, and of the Acts of the Apostles. And helping the above-mentioned Patrick Gillies, in the Roman authors, in our fpare hours, I learned from him, on the other hand, fome of the common rules of arithmetic, being but a forry writer. And this was the education I had at fchool, which I left in harvest 1689, being then aged thirteen years, and above five months.

PERIOD II.

From my leaving the grammar-fchool, to my laureation.

BEtween my leaving of the grammar-school, and my entering to the college, two years intervened. And here began more remarkably my bearing of the yoke of trial and affliction, the which laid on in my youth, has, in the wife difpofal of holy Providence, been from that time unto this day continued, as my ordinary lot; one fcene of trial opening after another.

Prelacy being abolished by act, of parliament, July 22. 1689, and the Presbyterian government fettled, June 7. 1690, and the curate of Dunfe having died about that time, the Prefbyterians took poffeffion of the kirk, by the worthy Mr Henry Erfkine's preaching in it on a Wednefday, being the weekly market-day; the foldiers being active in carrying on the project, and protecting against the Jacobite party. The purity of the gofpel being new to many, it had much fuccefs in thefe days, comparatively fpeaking; and in the harvest that year, my mother fell under exercife about her foul's cafe, and much lamented her mil-fpent time; and there was a remarkable change then made upon her.

My father, as well as myself, inclined that I fhould proceed in learning; but apprehending the expence unequal to his worldly circumftances, was unwilling to bear the charges of my education at the college: whereupon he tried feveral means for effectuating the defign otherwife, particularly in the year 1690; but prevailed not,

Hereby

Hereby I was discouraged, and had fome thoughts of be taking myfelf to a trade; the which being intimated to him, he flighted, as being refolved not fo to give it over : and I entertained them not, but as the circumstances seemed to force them on me.

In the end of that year he took me to Edinburgh, and effayed to put me into the fervice of Dr Rule, principal of the college, not without hope of accomplishing it; but one who had promised to recommend me to the Doctor, having forgot his promife, that effay was made in vain; and I returned home, having got that notable difappointment on the back of feveral others.

Mean while the difficulties I had to grapple with, in the way of my purpose, put me to cry to the Lord in prayer on that head, that he himself would find means to bring it about. And I well remember the place where I was wont to addrefs the throne of grace for it, having several times thereafter had occafion to mind it, in giving thanks for that he had heard the prayers there put up for that effect.

About, or before this time, was the melancholy event of Mr J. B's falling into adultery. He was born in Dunfe, and fo an acquaintance of my father's; and he was minifter of the meeting-house at Merfington, and not young. This dreadful ftumbling-block, laid especially at fuch a critical juncture as the Revolution, filled the mouths of the ungodly with reproach against the way of religion, and faddened the hearts of the godly to a pitch. I well know, that many a heavy heart it made to me, and remember the place where I was wont heavily to lament it before the Lord in fecret prayer.

On the ift day of February 1691, it pleafed the Lord to remove my mother by death, not having lain long fick. To the best of my knowledge, fhe was not above fifty-fix years of age, my father and the having lived together, in the ftate of marriage, from their youth, about thirty years. While the died in one room, my father was lying in another sick, as was fuppofed, unto death; and heavily received the tidings of her departure. Returning from bidding fome friends in the country to her burial, I met on the street one whom I asked concerning my father, that told me, in all probability he would never recover. This fo pierced me, that getting home, I went to the foot of the garden, and caft myself down on the ground, where,

where, according to the vehemency of my paffion, I lay grovelling and bemoaning my heavy ftroke in the lofs of my parents, looking on myself as an abfolute orphan, and all hopes of obtaining my purpofe now gone. Thus I lay, I think, till my eldest brother, a judicious man, came and spoke to me, and raised me up. But it pleased the Lord that I was comforted in the recovery of my father fome time after. About this time, I fuppofe, I myself was fick about eight days.

Some time after, my father, in purfuance of what had paffed betwixt him and the town-clerk, fent me, at his defire, to write with him. But whatever way they had concerted their bufinefs, he drew back, took no trial of me in the matter, and I returned. And that project was blown up.

But being, it would feem, put in hopes by my father of proceeding in learning, towards the middle of June I betook myself to my books again, which I had almost given over; and I applied myfelf to the reading of Juftin at that time, the malt-loft being my clofet: but beginning thus to get up my head, my corruption began to fet up its head too; fo necefiary was it for me to bear the yoke.

Mean while I was, that year, frequently employed to write with Mr Alexander Cockburn, a notary. The favourable defign of Providence therein, then unknown to me, I now fee, fince it could not be but of fome ufe to help me to the ftyle of papers; the which, fince that time, I have had confiderable ufe for. And thus kind Providence early laid in for it.

But here I was led into a fnare by Satan and my own corruption. Mr Cockburn being in debt to me on the forefaid account, I faw Dickfon on Matthew lying neglected in his chamber; and finding I could not get the money due to me out of his hand, I prefumed to take away the book without his knowledge, thinking I might very well do it on the forefaid account. I kept it for a time; but confcience being better informed, I faw my fin in that matter, and could no more peaceably enjoy it, though he never paid me; fo I reftored it fecretly, none knowing how it was taken away, nor how returned; and hereby the fcandal was prevented. This, I think, contributed to imprefs me with a fpecial care of exact juftice, and the neceflity of reftitution in the cafe of things

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