upon the land, and families, and persons. . . . This night Dumfreis was with me most part of the night. We soght God for ourselvs, and for the land, and for this familie.

I was in strait becaus of the Marquis's letter, whither to goe to Inverari or to return. In this I cannot say ther is sin, albeit witlesnes, on my part; becaus I am engadgd to the meeting with Cassils on Friday.

22.--I cam from Rosneith to K. Kunthull. [Kirkintulloch,] and lodgd in an honest man's hous cald Arch. Caithnie. He worshipd God in his hous ... As I was purposing in my hart to give myself to humiliation and supplication in a part of the day following, behold I heard of a solemn fast in the Presb. of Renfrew. Therein I worshipd and acknowledgd the Lord's providenc, and resolvd to join with them.

I heard of the Petition of som that Cromwel should tak the nam and titl[e] of a King upon him. This was matter of exercys to my spirit. I desird to enquir soberli and to [be] instructed and guided.

23.-At Renfrew I desired to be humbld in spirit. . . Now with thes privat causes I desird to join the publick. 1. The cace off the saints and suffering people, and members in Savoy, and beyond sea, and to hold up ther distres, and the insolencie, cruelti, and contempt of the blasphemous enemies to God. . . . Mr. Pat. Simson b preachd 26 Is., 7, 8, 9, and lectured on Amos 6. Many profitable instructions had we.

24.-Friday. At Pasley, I heard Mr. J. Mercer. Spent the day with Bailie Jhon Kelso, and Mr. Alr. Dunlop, and Mr. Ja. Stirling, and Wm. Thomson. I did exhort them to lay the matter of Savoy mor to harts, and look on it as an alarum to all that loves the nam of Jesus. Thes sam things ar determind against them; yet this is the root that is springing up in our land.

William, seventh Lord Crighton of Sanquhar, and first Earl of Dumfries, to which last dignity he was advanced by Charles the First, in June, 1633.

b Mr. Patrick Simson was ordained minister of Renfrew, November 11, 1653; was ejected for non-conformity in 1662; was restored to his former parish after the Revolution; and died there, at the age of 87, October 24, 1715. (Wodrow's Analecta, vol. iii., p. 115, &c.)

Mr. Alexander Dunlop was ordained one of the ministers of Paisley, in 1643 or 1644; was ejected for non-conformity in 1662; and died at Borrowstounness in 1667, aged about forty-seven years. (Wodrow's Analecta, vol. iii., pp. 16–19.)

• Mr. James Stirling was ordained one of the ministers of Paisley in 1654; was ejected in 1662; and died in the Isle of Bombay, East Indies, in 1671 or 1672. (Wodrow's Analecta, vol. iii., p. 23.)

Jhon Kelso told me of an honest godli man in Irland that prayd long for changing the King's hart, and in the exercys he was presented to him with his arm ful of blood.

25.-This night I cam to Pollock.

26. Die Dom. Mr. Alexander Dunlop lecturd on Math. xii. 43, and on Zach. 7, concerning ther enquiring if they should continue ther fast. Preachd on Amos iii. 3, "Can two walk together except they be agreed;" and again preachd on 1 Cor. i. 9, "God is faithful by whom we are cald unto the felowship of Jesus Christ our Lord."

27.-I found kindlines in this familie [Pollock]; and spok with my Lord Cochran at Pasley, where I found my folli in discovering an inclination that I had to goe to London, in cace I could not eschew it, and that E. Lothian requird it me peremptorli. Let not this be a snare to me, nor this, that ther I might have gotten my business don if I had gone. He told me, the buisiness off public burdens was refferd to the Counsel. I considerd whither that did not som way hinder my voyage and my journeying up and doun, and wearying my hors and so disabld. I reffer thes considerations to God, and desire to be upholden that I stumbl[e] not.

I found som promising answers anent my sister's son, and I commended that effair to God. Sir Geo. Maxwel spok to me anent New Work's b [Newark's] sone to get a room in Ila. I desird to acknowledg the Lord, and to be guided in that matter, so that the yong man be noe stumbling block or obstruction to the work of God in that plac, or to the welfair of that people, for I feard, and doe from my hart seek direction and

grace.

I cam to New Work and from thence to Rosneith. Prayd and read with Raulstoun on thes words, 51 Ps., "Creat in me a clean hart, and renew a right spirit in me: tak not away thy Holi Spirit from me."

28.-Being Tuesday, I considerd the E. of Cassils letters, whither I should go to Cassilis or not, but desird unfeinedli the Lord's direction, for I am witles, foolish, and short-sighted.

a Sir William Cochrane of Cowdon, who was created Lord Cochrane of Dundonald by Charles the First, by patent, dated December 27, 1647. In May, 1669, he was elevated by Charles the Second to the

U

dignity of Earl of Dundonald. (Doug las's Peerage, vol. i., p. 471.)

b Sir Patrick Maxwell of Newark. (Crawford's Renfrew, 1st edit., p. 76.)

• William Ralstoun of that ilk.

came.

This day Mr. Ja. Durham .. Oh the bitternes betwixt the father and his son which I observd. I desired the Lord to piti them. We did exhort and warn, as the Lord assisted, both the M. and the 2 ladies.

29. I was detained unwilingly from Cassilis. The M. shew[ed] me that he had writen for Cassilis, to see what might please thes honest men. I mightli feard a snare, and desird the Lord to guid my spirit, and to give me understanding what to ansuer.

I desird Mr. James to commend my cace to God, and to seek direction from the Lord to me. He told me, the safest cours in cace of doubt was to eschew the snare, and to lay count with the inconvenienc of loss. This we examind, and considerd'som cautions fit to be had therin.

30. In the morning I joind in the worship with Mr. J. Durham, and put up, as privat and particular suits, so som publick, for discouvring and judging Rom's idolatri; visiting and trying the cace of thos in Savoy, and carying on the gospel ther, and over the rest of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Saracens in America.

I found in the afternoon much hastines, and heat, and vehemencie, in my reasoning for my nephew, especialie with Geo. Campbell sherif deput, and desird to be cast doun under my infirmities, and besoght the Lord for grace against thes evels. . . . I desird to be ridd of this place, for I feard snares; and to be guided.

I yet further observd the Lord Lorn's declining to come home, and that I could not meet with him heer. I adord the Lord, and desird to condol ther cace in the familie.

31. The M. told me of the E. Lothian and Dysart their tampering with the Protector, and inclinations to tak employment. I desir to consider and feare before the Lord, and to examin my own hart, and to hav it guarded against sinful aims, motions, courses, or undertakings that may be a snare or entanglment to my soul, and that other folk's exampl may be no stumbling block to me.

I was much exercysd with the differs betwix us and the tutor, and desird the Lord from my hart to ridd me of that temptation, if possible.

a Mr. James Durham was ordained minister of Blackfriars Church, Glasgow, in November, 1647; and in September, 1651, he was translated to the Inner High Church there.

In the MS. three lines which follow, relating to Lord Lorn, are illegible from the fading of the ink.

In speaking with the M. anent his son, and with my Ladie Lorne, I desird to examin what unsoundness or pride was [in] my own hart, and to ponder my ways, that in simpliciti I may follow the Lord.

1 Sept.-This day the tutour and we subscribed the submission, quherin I desird to examin, whither my yeelding to mak the Marq. judg in it was a snar, and from my facilitie, or was it from the Lord, as my dutie? . . I found George Campbel verie opposite.

2. Die Dominica. I was at Newwork in the morning, having com thither yesternight.

b

3. I cam from Howstoun to Glasgow. I heard in Glasgow that Mr. Geo. Hutcheson was struck with universal palsie (except the tongue.) I desird from my hart to bewail this befor the Lord, and held up, as the person, so the loss of this Church by that man's strok; and besoght the Lord for him, and that our ascriveing ouer micle to him might not mak him unusfull to us, or depriv us of him.

I heard, 1. That the Sacrament was ministered in this place with unanimous approbation. 2. That ther verie malignant magistrats countenancd worship, and reformed the outsyd. 3 That honest men would be content to lie out of employment, and affected not the government. The Lord can rule and keep up his Church, thogh we doe not intrud ourselvs into places of credit and employment. . . Al this was the ground of prais and thankfulness, encouradgment, and exhortation, and stirring up of others, as I shall, God willing, doe.

с

Mr. Jhon Kilstairs spok on Rev. 3, "I wil mak him that overcoms a pillar in the hous of my God."

4. I heard Mr. Durham preach on Acts xxiv. 16, "I exercys myself alway in keeping a good conscience both towards God, and towards men." Manie marks, properties, and other truths did he deliver anent conscienc. The Marquis spok with Mr. Durham and Kilstairs anent his journeye. We knew not what to saye in the point of advice, so dark wer we. In the evening I prayd with Jhon Kelso.

a

Archibald, afterwards Earl of Argyle, and eldest son of the Marquess.

Mr. George Hutchinson, one of the ministers of Edinburgh, a man of distinguished abilities. He was ejected for nonconformity in 1662, and afterwards became

indulged minister at Irvine, where he died of apoplexy in 1674.

Mr. John Carstairs, first minister at Cathcart, and at this time colleague to Mr. James Durham in the Inner High Church, Glasgow.

5.-I found the buisiness of the Feu duties of Ila going crocelie, and that they expected great matters. I desird to commend the matter to God, and in managing of it to be directed by the Lord without sinful, carnal counsel or deceit.

a

I visited Mr. Bailie, and exhorted him to entertain christian fellowship with others, and to countenanc and foster pietie. I movd him to pray, wherin he [did] succeed litle of privat condition, but bewaild public losses and calamities, as unsupportable.

I spent som tym in visiting Swintoun, and closd with an exhortation to him to look to himself and to watch; to enquir into his own soul's estat, and to ponder how it faires with him now: show[ed] his loss, if his estat grew great, and if, in spiritual things, he decreasd and decayd. The mor wer his snares and temptations, the mor should he tak heed and watch.

I reaceavd letters from Lothian desiring me to com, but yet was uncleer, and heard not the Lord's voice, which behovd to be my warrant.

. . . I heard that the Protesters wer on a Couenant renewing, and to leaue out civil things. I desird to have som sympathy of ther estat, and desir direction and light to them, and that they may be kept from snares.

6-This day I was made Burges of Glasgow, and saw som plentie of God's creaturs, and the fynest, and the strongest, and the sweitest. Oh so litl as meat profyts! "The meat for the belli, and the belli for meat, and both for destruction."

Much tym spent in discourses of litl value with Swintoun this day.

7.-I ended that communing anent my Nephew. I observd it was not sure, onli an opinion; and this the Lord does, to exercise me, and that I be not too much affected with it.

Mr. Ja. Durham prayd at our parting from Glasgow. . . We heard off ther purpos to renew the Couenant and leau out civil things. This burthend and perplexed the whole of them in Glasgow; and I desird to be humbld under the motion, and to seek mor light to myself and to others from whom it came. I see evri motion that may aim at pietie and good is not to be presentli closd with, as seasonabl, convenient, and

a Mr. Robert Baillie, afterwards Principal of the University of Glasgow, author of The Letters and Journals."

Sir John Swinton of Swinton. He

was made one of the Lords of Session by Cromwell, and became a Quaker. He narrowly escaped the fate of the Marquis of Argyle after the Restoration.