This day Judg Smyth and Moseley cam to visit me. . . . I told them how I had taken the oath of Justice of Peac.

14.-L. of Grang and Francis returnd from Edinburgh. I heard Mr. Jhon Duri was removd by death. I heard what succes they had; and they gave Balcombi a testimoni of justic. He renewd the necessiti of my south going; but withal added, if I wer not ther ere the President went away, it would be to noe purpos.

15.-I took journey to Edinburgh this day, and was in Forres all night.

20. I cam to Edinburgh.

21-I spok with the President in our buisines: he told me he would not hau been free to [hau] giuen us our releef.

22-I visited Wil. Dounie's wyf, and the Lord Loudon, and herd ther was 22 confind and imprisond in England, and that the Council had determind and enclind to favour thes of the Assembli. Waristoun was desird to goe to London. I was casten doun, and desird the Lord to guid and direct him. I am feard for his undertaking.

The E. of Lothian dind with us; by quhom I heard something of the effairs in England, and that the exercys of our profession was forbidden in Swed[en]. I heard of the disgraces which the M. of Argyl had met with at London; and I wonderd.

28. I cam to Waristoun. Then quhen I saw ther gouernment I rememberd and was taght that true saying: "They that gatherd most had nothing over, and they that gatherd least had noe lack.” . . .

I did tak further confirmations of the lou of God to that man W. [Warriston], and durst not censur him or judg him, albeit I cam not up to him in his neglect of the world, abstractednes from worldli employment, zeal, fervencie of spirit. I desird to partak with him in al his cares, distreses, or burthens; and that in the unfeined desir of my hart. I heard his ouertour for setling the differs with the Assembli, and commended them to God, and lookd to God so farr as I was concernd in them I heard of the President's profession to him: the secret agreement betwix thes of the

Assembli, and the President: and I spok with Mr David Dick anent the admitting of the deposd ministers b: he told me that non should be perpetualli deposd except it be for flagitious crimes. This I bewaild. He seemd to defend the letting in of gross ministers: shall I not mourn for this?

29.-I spok with Sir Jhon Cheislie anent the Lord's work among them: he told me he was put of the Presbytrie.

с

30. We wer at Inglstoun Bridge: Cassils, Sir Jhon Cheisli, and Staire. 31.-Die Dom. We heard Mr. Ja. Donaldson at Dolphintoun kirk. . . . We spok of several purposes suiting the day. Erl Cassils prayd after

sermons.

...

2 September. Cam to Edr. and found the stops in our buisiness. The Provost prayd that morning, and commended our mater to God. I found he prayed; I was straitnd al day, and could not; onli in the evening the Lord did visit my soul. Swintoun cam up to us. I perceaud the il reportt betuix L. Cochran and Traquair: the fervencie in my Ld. Cochran to undertak this commission to the Parliament. I considerd, and desird to be instructed. Lothian desird to thank Cockpen, our Collectour-Generall. I sought help and counsel, and committed al to the Lord.

3. The Councel this day recommended our releef to the Session; and we obserud difficulties with the factors, with the shyres, with others that we wer liabl to, with our selus. Oh heer lies the great gulf! . . .

Why should the prouidene of this day tryst with the day of Dumbar?...

7.-Die Dom. I desird to be duli exercysd . . . under the sad estat of His people that ar on fire, one against the other, as I perceavd by the discours I had with Mr. Douglas and Waristoun.

a Mr. David Dick or Dickson, was at this time, professor of divinity in the University of Edinburgh. See p. 23, note".

The deposed ministers referred to here, and at page 179, were Mr. George Hannay, minister of Alves, Mr. Richard Maitland, minister of Aberchirder, and Mr. Alexander Innes, minister of Rothiemay. They had been deposed by the Synod of Moray, among other reasons, for refusing to subscribe the Covenant and Confession of

Faith. (Gordon's History of Scots Affairs, vol. iii., p. 207.)

Donaldson's name appears in the list of the ministers ejected for nonconformity in 1662. (Wodrow's History, vol. i., p. 325.)

d Sir James Stewart of Kirkfield and Coltness, a zealous Presbyterian and Covenanters. He died March 31, 1681, in the

73rd year of his age. (Coltness Collections, pp. 14-45.)

17.-Being Weddensday I cam hom.

18. My son slept at morning prayer, and I was wroth, and cald him a dogg. I desir to be humbld for my own vehemenci, and carnal heat, and slighting of God.

I wryt south to Monk, to permit us to keep our arms. I had strugling in it, and besought the Lord that it might be noe snare.

20. My grandchild Florenc, Granghil's second daughter, was born about 5 of the clock morning: she had speedie travelling, and was deliuer[ed] err ani of the woemen cam which wer sent for. I was on my knees praying to God quhen both the second and the eldest wer born. Having yesternight read the purification of Marie, I was taght how unclean were we in our birth, and wer the parents, and wer the children. Therfor, I did from my hart beseech the Lord for this poor yong one. It was in its blood, noe ey pitied or could loue it, so lothsom is it; yet then He loues, pities, and chooses, quhen non other wil.

8 October.-At Invernes. Heer I heard of the armies preparing to invad us for the King of French, Spanish papists. 2. I heard of the secluding 120 members of Parliament, and appearance of troubl. 3. Som imprisond; som confind. . . . All thes things did mak it appear to me that the Lord's anger from thes lands was not turnd away.

a

10. I heard that Erle Seaforth and Glengarie wer taken and confind. Al this confirmd me in the aprehension of the Lord's anger, and of sor trials coming on upon the land.

12. Die Dom. Having yesternight put the famili in mind of ther dutie, and stirrd them up to prepar for a solemn Fast again[st] this day, and having laid ther guiltiness, and danger, and the Lord's anger and wrath befor ther eys, and persuaded them to a serious turning to God by unfeined repentanc, and to prepar themselvs to meet the Lord, we separated ourselves to the dutie.

1. We haue and do acknouledg evri man's particular guiltines, and the evel of our ways, and wickednes of our hart, and coversation, and mor particularli that we had provoked Him by profanues, lying, cursing,

Kenneth, third Earl of Seaforth, was excepted in Cromwell's act of grace, 1654, and his estate forfeited. He was imprisoned till the Restoration.

b Æneas Macdonell of Glengary, who was forfeited by Cromwell in 1651. He was created Lord Macdonald and Arras after the Restoration.

whordoms, loosnes in words and conversation; by drunkenness, despising and wearying of religion, and al the exercises of it, hypocrisie, and deceitfulnes; not caling on the nam of God, ignoranc, and want of delight or desir to know the Lord and be instructed; refuising to be heald or converted, living our own ways, and hating the good ways of the Lord; making the nam of the Lord to be il spoken of by our wicked conversation, impenitenci, and hearts that cannot repent. Al of us did tak with our sin befor the Lord, and cried for forgivnes, and for repentanc. Let judgment begin at us and at this hous, but let not sin begin at it.

2. I did mor particularli acknowledg my sin for which the Lord had been provoked, my covetousness, unevennes, self love, envi, pryd, self conceit, forgeting my engagments, carlesnes to honour God in and with my famili and children, unwatchfulnes, and declining, falling away from God. 3. For my sin had thes outbreakings been in Wm. a and the rest of the whordoms.

4. Former judgments in the family not receavd and made good use of, when my sisters and brother was left to commit whordom, and his judgment of madnes, and shame lying on them befor my eys to this day. 5. Not laying God's dishonour more to hart.

6. We observed the stopp and obstruction which the Gospel met with. Non reaceavd it, or card to reaceave it. Sathan with his baits cam speed, and manie wer entied to giv themsels to him; but litl speed cam the Lord Jesus, and al his invitations and offers. Oh who reaceavs him! 7. We aknowledgd secret sins and wickednes which had not com to our knowledg; and if the Lord should destroy He wer just, if his fyr should burn up.

8. We made supplication to God for forgivnes, and for mercie; and prayd for thes that had noe conviction or repentanc; and besoght him to pour out a spirit of sound repentanc, and to clens, and tak away our sins. for his nam, and purg our harts and the familie from thes abominations, both from the infection and from the guiltines of them.

9. That the Lord would dwel and set up his tabernacl yet among us, and pour out a spirit of holines and reformation, and for our provocations would not abhor nor depart from us, and would lead evri one of us to know and to quit the wickednes of ther hart and way.

Name illegible, apparently a servant.

10. That the Lord would turn away his anger from us, and from the land, and would not proceed to execut al the wrath that seems to be gon out against us, and against his people.

11. That he would have merci on the poor land, and on his Church in thes lands, and forgive late and old provocations of al ranks of people, and that he would not defil his sanctuari, but would prepar us for trial, and furnish us with the patienc, courage, strenth, fortitud, and wisdom that's needful, that we miscari not, or be ashamd in the evel day.

12. That His kingdom may com, and tak mor rooting in our harts, in al the corners of the land, then hitherto; and he would overturn the kingdom of Sathan and Poprie. Let not ther devices against us prosper. Thogh we be in trouble we disclaim ther help; but "our help shal be in the nam of the Lord our God;" or els let our troubl remain ere we sin, and mak that which we desird be broken. "Lord break ther arm !”

our arm,

may

We also purposed each of us to engadg our selvs this day against our particular sins, and to serve the Lord, and choos him for al our lyf tyme. Oh that ther wer such a hart in us!

First, That I shal presentli tak car, so far as may be, to prevent further sin and dishonour to God heer. 2. That I shal tak mor pains to get faithful servants fre of scandal, and shall lay out myself mor for this. 3. Striv against sinful projects and designs of encreasing my estat, and so straitning myself, obstructing occasions of chariti, nourishing lusts of ambition, envi, earthlines, self lov, pryd, distrust, with love of the world, and myself. 3. I shall desir strenth to be mor diligent and faithful and serious in exhorting, admonishing, teaching, warning, reclaiming others. 4. I shall set up joggs, stocks, and penalties to restrain the lyke, if the Lord will be with us. 5. I shal frequentli enquir if ani such enormiti fal out to the effect it may be duli and tymli punishd.

Janet Fraser, that blaspheming, drunken, unclean wretch, did profess repentance and apprehension of God's wrath, and desird forgiuness in Christ; and vowd amendment in the Lord's strenth, and to resist the deuel, withstand temptations which hau ouertaken her befor, and to walk in a new cours of lyf al her days with mor watchfulnes ouer the hart, words, and ways then euer, and to tak reproofs in good part. Sicklyk Jhon Due, aganst his leudnes, drunkennes, profanes, and desird to renounc his former ways, and engadgd his soul to the Lord for tym to com.