a Southerland's death, and desird to be humbld under it, and to wait. I was informd of Mr H. Forbes his scarciti of money, and was displeasd with myself for not giving him som. I heard of the furtherance and acceptanc which he reaceavd from the lait Col. and the major, and that som litle good was begining in Ross, and I desird to bless the Lord for that. b 27.—This day I reaceavd several pressing letters from the South, that I should goe to London anent my own buisines with the factour's, and the E. of Murray and L. Duffus; and from Traquair anent my nephew. I found a hart indisposd to pray, or to seek the Lord. 2. I found conflict within myself from fear of snares befor me, and what may befal my familie behind me, and suspicion of myself, and that I could not clearli gather the Lord's mind; and that without him my pains could doe noe good, nay, nor would I goe without his allowance, and his blessing, which withheld, it would be to noe purpos. 29.-Die Dom. . . . I did upon the Session table subscriue my nam and submit my wil unto the Lord in the matter of my going South, and uncomfortabl was the hop of my undertaking, and I prayed to be ridd of it, if it might seem good to him. My submission and resignation of my wil to him, and my subscription on the table is, and shalbe to Him, as if it wer on brass, or with a diomand upon glass. 30.- . On my bed this morning it was sugested that my going to London was not a sin against ani express command of God; onli it might expos me to snares, being infirm, and weak, and unstable. I committed my hart to God to trie wherfor this thoght came. It was not for noght that Sir Jhon Cheisli and Cassils doe warn and diswad in som sort. Therfor, I fear. I spread this befor the Lord, that as yet light might break forth more; and I beleeue upon him that it shal... This day the E. of M., L. Duff, L. In., and Mort. met at the Bridge. I perceavd much of a strict, punctual spirit in him in his own particulars. I desird to be loosd and to have a free spirit. Much mor of this corruption is in me then in him. a Anne, eldest daughter of Hugh, eighth Lord Lovat, who was married to John, thirteenth Earl of Sutherland, January 24, 1639. John Stewart, first Earl of Traquair. He died in September, 1659. (Douglas's The Earl of Murray, Lord Duffus, and the Lairds of Innes and Mortoun or Muirton. Mr. Wil. Falconar yeelded to goe to Cathness; and for that I acknowledg the Lord. I did expostulat sharpli with the Erl for not giving me notice of the Lord Lorn's busines. Efter much debate anent my going either to London, to Rosneith, or to Edinburgh, I did then resolve, if my daughter wer broght to bedd in tyme, and weil, and efter my affairs of Calder wer exped, to undertak to goe to Rosneith or Edinburgh, and confer anent my Lord's fynn, and with possibiliti to effectuat anie thing for him. His distress mov'd me, albeit I saw not that in him that I desird. I laid forth God's judgment on his familie, and wishd him to lay it to hart. 1 August.-On Weddensday, Jhon Brodie, son to my deceas'd uncle, Mr. Jhon Brodie, was born in Auldern, and that sam day namd efter his father, and baptized. 5.-Die Dom. . . . Oh for grace, grace! as I see a clear solution. But soin am I driuen from purposes and resolutions. Alac! I find it. Witnes quhen I went to Holland, I engagd not to be familiar with Latherdale, Duk and others, yet I was almost stollen of my feet; and if the Lord had not been mercifull and pardond, I might have perished. Alac! my hart was not so fixd against familiaritie with thes men and complying as Mr. Jafray, Cassils, Livingstone, and Hutcheson, and others. I did this evening warn Cathr. Stracqhuan to bewarr of wantones, whordom, lightnes, and approaching evil. Lord! sanctifie the warning and exhortation to her. I heard of the foul contention that fell out betwixt Mr. Tho. Law and Mr. Murdoch anent praying for the King; one bearing in hypocrisi, the other apostacie, on the other. This I desir'd to observ and to be humbld for it. 6.—I reaceavd letter from Mr. Rutherfoord encouradging me to dispos of Mr. Will. Ros to Ila. I worshiped and ador'd the Lord in it, seing how tristed that exhortation to me, with my purpose, and the call of that people to him, and resolvd to table it the day following. Mr. Rutherfoord exhorted me in his letter that my right hand might not know what the left hand did. Oh! for that self-denial, sinceritie, and secrecie in evri dutie! Mr. Rutherford said he knows not but the Lord may divorc the Mother, but be a sanctuarie to the Litle Ones. Oh! that it wer soe, thogh our glori grew not! I heard of the bitter differs at Turreff betwix thos of Deer Presbytery and them anent Mr. Arthur Michel. I heard of Mr. Menzies his words, that er long he should be in Craigstoun 2 or 3 nights, and for evri night put out an minister. Oh! Lord overule! Thes things ar high, and my hart trembl's becaus of thes confusions and shakings. 7. This morning Archibald Campbell, and I prest and tabld the call from Ila upon Mr. Will. Ross. I observd and laid forth all the Lord's providences. 1. Ther tristing upon one day to Murray, and soe opportunli to this place. 2. Mr. Rutherford's letter desiring me to deni myself, and to present him yet to Ila. 3. He broght this letter himself, not knowing. 4. His band to the Presbytri of Ila, that he should follow anie call hither, becaus he was broght up a quhil by them. 8. I heard the Lord Duffus did tak journey without me to Rosneith and I was therwith wel content. My daughter inclind not to put out her child. I reverenc'd the Lord's providenc. 12. Die Dom. This day 15 year, on the 12 of August, 1640, my deir wyf was removd from me by death: Oh the manie vaneties and tossings that I haue past throgh since that day! I haue caus from this both to lament humblie, and to be thankful. . . After prayer, I inquird the estat of the soul efter death, and found that the souls of the just wer immediatlie admitted to the fruition of glorie; and the souls of the damd could be in noe better cace then devels. Jude 6. 13. This morning I soght the Lord's blessing on the undertaking, and the voyages, and affairs at home and abroad before me. . . . I desird this day to prepar som words of exhortation to my familie against the next day, ere I went away. 1. To exhort them all to follow on to know the Lord, and to use all means of knowledge, conferences, prayer, reading, ilk one. 2. To be careful in attending on famili ordinances, and to be attentive, reverent, and setld in waiting on and joining in the exercyses. 3. To exhort against wantonnes, profannes, idle words, lightness, gading, or runing from hom, idlnes, sloth, stuborness. 4. To watch over ilk one themselves, and to watch over one another, and to admonish reproue, and warn one another to tak heed to themselves: that ilk one be frequent in giuing, and willing to tak, reprooffs. 5. Be obedient to thes that ar over them, to my mother, and to my sone, and my brother; ilk one in ther station, that ther be no murmuring, quarelling, stifnes, or stubornes, among them. 6. Be diligent, as, in the first place, in duties towards God, so next, in the duties of ther calling, and faithful and vigilant, "not as eye servants, but as seruing the Lord." 14. I heard of the stirrs and combustions in Church effairs, and Mr. J.. Guthrie depos'd: I spread this befor the Lord, and desirs to mourn under it. This night I was all night in Leathin on my journey to Rosneith. I was interupted from the famili exhortation which on the 13 day I intended; and this was hinderd by Innes coming to me even when we wer going about it. Desir of escheuing observation did sway with me to omit it; yet in this I dar not justify myself, but seek pardon. 15. I went from Leathin . . This night I was with the Tutour of Inverarie. 16. We cam to Mullon in Atholl. Ther did we acknowledg the Lord's protection and providence in bringing us over thes hills, and we prayd for that place, where we saw much ignoranc of God, and unkindness, and inhumaniti to ourselves. Oh the Gospel's comming in, and being reaceavd, would reform and chang ther natur! 17. Was much rain. We cam al night to Aber-Riuen, having staid a quhil at Dunkel; where I heard that the Protector had placd a minister; but the L. Athol and the people had rejected him. The yong man submitted and dimited the place; and so the Protesters disclaim him. Oh! how sad ar thes differs! 18. We cam by Dumblean and Down to the Kirk of Drumin d in Lenox. All thes days of my travelling I did meet with few or noe thoghts or visits from the Lord to my spirit; nay, and I did as litle visit him. This I desird to be humbld under. 19. Die Dom. I resolvd to stay al this day at Drumin, both the mor freeli to consider my ways, and that the Lord might order my hart. a Mr. James Guthrie, minister of Stirling, was one of the three leading Protesters who were deposed by the General Assembly, held at Dundee in July, 1651. Moulin, a parish in the northern part of Perthshire. • Aber-ruthven, in the parish of Auchterarder. d Drymen is a parish in Stirlingshire, on the south-eastern shore of Lochlomond. 20.- . . . I cam to Rosneth this day; and 1. I saw the uncurable wounds that wer in the famili by difference, implacablness, unsubmissiunes, humor, asperiti, &c., and by other burthens. 2. I receavd new invitations to London, and heard that the Marques was to goe to London now this was noe encouradgement but a fear and a stumbling to me. I desired from my soul to be kept from ther ways. : I see the judgments, sins, confusions of this Land, and of the great Families in it. Oh Lord! keep me from partaking theroff. a To my Ladi Argyl, I did express my unsatisfiednes with her sone's unsubmissiunes, and that he should tak with it; also her husband's deep recenting of, and keeping in his mind injuries, and offences, and prejudices. . . . I had befor me the meeting with Cassils and Pollock, and committed my way to God. As a mean to prevent and keep from the snares of the tym, the Lord did put it in my hart to examin the snares of the tym and the euels which ar to be lamented, mourned for, and repented of. 1. God's great wrath and anger against thes lands manifested in his ouerturning judicatours, families, houses, government. 2. The sin of ambition, tym seruing, men pleasing, has been one caus of God's anger, and the temptation and provocation of manie. 3. Noe privat benefit or advantadg to myself should draw me to approv of euel. 4. In the present gouernment I cannot but judge that ther is usurpation, arbitrari ruling: that by mani experiences it is safest for me not to medl[e] or haue to doe with them. 5. The swarming off errours, mor then at ani tym; euen poperi in our own land; the corrupt and dangerous principl[e] of toleration and liberti; the broken estate of the ordinance of ministers in England; our loosnes and confusion in Scotland: thes things ought to be laid to hart. Did ani bodi see what confusion and darknes wer upon the churches in England, it might mak our hart to bleed. 21.-Wil. Stewart and I spok of public confusions, and the wrath of God Lady Margaret Douglas, second daughter of William, second Earl of Morton, wife of Archibald, Marquis of Argyle. b Sir George Maxwell of Nether Pollock, in the parish of Eastwood. (Crawford's History of the Shire of Renfrew.) |