shire? 8, Walter Cochran. 9, The money which we rest to the men of Campvere, how to be relieved?

To see the Acts, and borrow the book. 1, What he takes to be the causes of the Lord's departure? 2, What he takes to be the present signs of it? 3, What is incumbent, and the special duty of the time, (beside seeking of him) and what neglected duty is he calling us unto? 4, What corruptions in worship and ordinances does he observe? 5, What takes he to be the causes of the bitter differences and divisions which are sprung up among the godly in the land, nay, in both the lands?

a

20th July, 1652.-He heard the English had raised on the 20th of July, the General Assembly, and the Protesters within some few days after. He beseeches the Lord for light to understand that great providence, and believed in the name of the Lord Jesus for an advantage and good out of that matter; were it, by taking away the assembly and the protesting meeting, to make up a work of peace and union among his people. His heart was not duly affected with it; and, therefore, he sought the Lord for grace to understand this, and to have a right effect of it on his heart. Young Leathin' lost Mr. David Dick [son's] letter, which was sent to me; help me to know that. Lord, help him to some scripture-ground for every interpretation of thy providences.

с

August, 1652.-His soul desired to be humbled under the Lord's desertion, and under his procuring of it, by earthly-mindedness and too much care and seriousness in nourishing these worldly thoughts, and taking delight in them, and fancying a happiness in enjoying worldly greatness, and much of the creature, and considers not how much he is deceived and beguiled in that thought. For little matter of delight or comfort is in them, but vexation: 'tis his blessing only that adds no sorrow. Lord, mortify these thoughts, and guard the heart by thy grace against this violent prevailing temptation, which is so near to him, and hath at this time occasion to insnare and undo his soul. Let the heart and mind be kept free and unpolluted unto thee thro' Jesus Christ, and let the love be unto thee alone, and to no Creature. Oh that I could take up, in his

This paragraph has, no doubt, been misplaced, as it was the 20th of July, 1653, that the General Assembly was forcibly dissolved by Cromwell's orders. See Baillie's Letters and Journals, vol. iii. p. 225.

Brodie, younger of Lethen.

Mr. David Dick or Dickson, minister of Irvine, and Professor of Divinity, first at Glasgow, and then at Edinburgh.

strength, resolutions against this temptation from hence-forward! Lord, I desire to be humbled under my unsensibleness of thy anger against the land, and against thy Church and people that are under great darkness and distraction and divisions, and not taking up thy mind, nor the land's sin and guiltiness, which hath kindled this anger; nor do I take up my own or thy people's duty: but I am secure and at ease. Oh Lord, pity and help me to look in into this, and grant light and understanding according to thy word, to discern what thou art about, and what thou art calling us unto! Help him, Oh Lord, to be more exercised in and about these things, and less about other things! Grant him the spirit of his calling, that he may be rightly affected with the signs of thy anger against the land, and against us thy people, and against himself and his family, and these in whom he has near relation, in whom he is smitten and spoken

unto.

12th September.-This day many of the congregations of the land are humbling themselves before the Lord; and he desires to join with them, and that his soul may be throughly and duly humbled under his own and the land's guiltiness, and under his rods and judgments lying on himself and on the land. 1, Thy hand hath been, and is yet stretched out against people and rulers; and who among us doth lay it to heart? All are asleep and secure; nay, and every one laying the blame on others, and none taking with their own guilt as the cause of the provocation. 2, Much fainting, remissness, and falling off from seeking the Lord; formality, hypocrisy, spiritual pride and conceitedness; every one preferring themselves to others. 3, Much blindness and dulness, none taking up the voice of the rod. 4, Much incorrigibleness, slighting of the word, undervaluing the Gospel.

7th November, 1652.-Under the sense and apprehension of the Lord's desertion and departure from him, he desired to be humbled, and to seek his face again, and [that he] would return. Causes of this desertion. 1, Unmortified covetousness, earthliness, and inordinate desires after riches and estate in the world. 2, Other secret lusts nourished, such as selfconceit, pride, carnality, and following earthly wisdom, man-pleasing, grieving his Spirit thro' incautious walking. 3, For family-sins unmourned for, the sins of the land unmourned for, the sins of children, and the wrath of God on himself and others, not humbled for it. 4, Not

affected with the judgments on the land, nor of God's dishonour; seeking in these times of trial rather to save himself than to be innocent, and preserve himself from pollution, guiltiness, and snares. Oh that he could this day cry loud unto the Lord with strong cries and tears, and that he may be heard in that which he fears!

20th March, 1653.-I observed the Lord's crossing stopping providence, laying impediments in his way, hindering his south-going about youngespecially while they that grow up in their stead in the very instant are discovering to have the wrath removed, and to be put on work to search the cause, and to mourn for the sin more than for the punishment or the smart that the removing these seems to be from the evil to come; I say, to come upon us of this family, and upon this [land and people.]

There seems no less than in the removing of his dear wife, who was his chief earthly comfort, and did forerun much calamity and judgment and wo, which did befal on his father, children, and the family. Lord! help to consider the taking away of such.

I observed the taking away of Mr. William Strachan,a that good man, and a vehement promoter of the Assembly, and opposer of Independency. Oh Lord, order this to good; not that evil or error should break in the more, or formality prevail; but that it be an advantage, and no hinderance to the truth and godliness. And observed some strengthening confirming providences and comfort, after my refusal of employment from the English.

The Earl of Murray died 4th March, 1653, when he had sold and bargained for a great part of his estate. Time his son did fall sick, and could not come to his burial, which was on the 22nd March.

I observed the death of the Prince of Orange, and it seemed to be as the cutting off the King's right-hand; and the ruin of his affairs in Scotland and England did immediately follow thereupon. It seemed to hold forth something in reference to the king's family, that a princess brought forth a posthumous son, and gave some ground of expectation in process of time.

" Mr. William Strachan, minister of Methlic, presbytery of Ellon, and afterwards of Old Aberdeen.

William of Nassau, Prince of Orange, (who married Mary, eldest daughter of King Charles the First.) died 6th November, 1650, aged 24. His only son, William

Henry, was a posthumous child, born nine days after his father's premature death. This young Prince of Orange, by his marriage, in 1677, with Mary, eldest daughter of James, Duke of York, at the revolution, ascended the English Throne as King William the Third.

That prince was removed in the midst of his days, full of great hopes,and they frustrate.

I have called to mind the sad desolate condition of Germany, and the churches there, both of old and at present, which seems to represent much of our condition in these lands. It will be no marvel that he scatter, humble, and abase us, as he hath done those who professed the truth in that land; their covenant was laid aside also.

21st March. The Lady Duffus died, being married on the 13th of January; so she lived two months and little more in wedlock. This was a new impediment in my journey; at the Earl's burial we got advertisement to go to hers.

b

2d March, 1653. A public day of Humiliation, wherein all the congregations of the land desired to mourn and lament after him, who hides his face from us, and lets out his wrath; as appears not only in our sufferings, but in our darkness and differences, and unconvincedness of the causes of his anger. That the land hath rested in a bare profession of religion, not walking answerably to it, but dishonouring our profession by the overflowing of profanity, ungodliness, pride, violence, formality, unhumbledness, contempt and lothing of the gospel, hypocrisy, faction, partiality, oppressiont unjustice, deceit. To seek his peace to the land, and to ourselves; and tha, he would turn away his anger, and dispel our cloud and darkness; and, albeit he humble and smite, yet that he would not do it in wrath, nor take away his love and kindness from us. That he would sanctify our troubles, until we see an issue, and make known his mind; that we may not perversely go away from him when he smites us, but be convinced and brought home. That he would behold our confusions, and order them to good; teach us how to walk under them, and not start aside [even] albeit it might get us deliverance; that we may not study to preserve ourselves, or please men, but the Lord. That he would establish the beauty and order of his house, without formality, or spiritual tyranny, or confusion, or jangling ; that error may be restrained, born down, and driven out of the land. That he would raise up faithful magistrates; we may [be] kept from setting up rulers by ourselves, without him; and that, in his setting up, he do it not

a

Lady Duffus: Alexander Sutherland of Duffus, who was raised to the peerage by the title of Lord Duffus, 8th December, 1650, was three times married. His second wife

here mentioned was the youngest daughter of Sir Robert Innes of Innes, and consequently sister-in-law to the Laird of Brodie. James, Earl of Murray: see p. 25.

in wrath, but there may be mercy to his people in these revolutions and changes.

This day his soul desired, as to be humbled under the land's sin, guiltiness, and danger, to seek the Lord in their belief; so to be humbled under his own unclearness, unstableness, and unthankfulness, and carnality, and earthliness; and to beseech the Lord to sanctify his rods, for purging and taking away sin, and for preventing him also. Oh Lord, rid out of snares, especially presumption, covetousness, undertaking, stumbling at the Lord's dealing, unsoundness, earthly cares, affections, delights; and would turn away the wrath that appears in these rods which the Lord is shaking, both in taking away and removing his sifters from evil to come on the Land and us.

17th April, 1653.-"Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his grace or might put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, &c." Resolve in the Lord's strength from this day forward to seek him for himself. That he never lost by it; believing was never out of his way: by this thou wouldst seem to be alluring him. O Lord, then how inexcusable is he! but if thou hadst made every act of believing to produce an affliction and a cross, yet believing had been his duty, and the least; but meikle more when thou seemest to hire him, and to pay him for it. Lord, help me to examine if this be sound! Thy word says, thou shall not be confounded; and for thy own cause thou wilt not have any do an act of service to thee for nought, nor wilt thou be in their common. Oh help me to try more, and confirm me in believing, albeit I should not see a present making good of promises, or a reward.

A. Lord, teach me try how long my obedience or tenderness will last, even when cross and strait and hazard is over, that he may seem to be out of their reach.

D. People may attain to a great deal of outward performance of duties, and flourishing profession; and yet the heart not be right in God's sight.

Oh Lord, this doctrine discovers the appearance of the devil in his heart! Meikle unsoundness indeed is there under his fair large profession. This is