Aberdeen, befor the circuit, for baptizing his child by an deposd minister. I desird to sympathiz with him, and to hold his cace up to God. I heard he was in strait, and I desird to be instructed by it, and to bear burthen with him. May 7.-Die Dom. I desird to remember thes that are suffering in this plac, and the next shyrs about: That God would over rul ther sufferings, and turn them to his glori, and ther good and comfort, and the good of his church. 11.-Torwoodlie cam heir. . . . I was glad, and desird that his coming, and our societi, may be sanctified. 12.-I purposd to meit the judges at Forres, this day, and to invit them to din.: 13. I did goe to Forres, and waited on the Lords, who cam heir and dind, and mani of the gentlmen with them. Ther was plenti of outward things;. but our lyf consists not in them; yet, oh! what snares in thes things, and apt am I to be puft up with vain glori. 14. Die Dom. . . . I heard of the death of the good Lord Riuuen, and desird to be instructed and affected rightli by it, that good men ar taken away; and is it not from the euil to com? Shall we not lay it to hart? How few is ther left in this generation! I considerd how mani wer taken away by death of the most eminent and upright, and that seuerals wer exercisd by distemper of mind, as I heard, of Col. Straquhan, Col. Kerr, Wariston, Mr. Dav. Douglas, Mr. Ramsey, now the L. Rivuen, Wm. Gordon of Lunan, Christian Russel. How mani taken away, by delusion and error, of the most chois Christians, especiali at Aberdeen! I desir to consider this, and to be sober... 17.—I heard that Torwoodlie was sickli of an excess. I did visit him at Leathin. He and Mr. Rt. Martin, and his wyf cam heir with me at night. 18.-I heard of the poor men that wer fynd at Invernes, for not hearing the present ministers. Whateuer be ther errour or darknes, they hav mor affection, simpliciti, and honesti than I. I desir to bear burthen with them. Oh Lord! ouer rul, and lead them out. Thomas Lord Ruthven of Freeland, died 6th May, 1673. b Excess, exies, from the French acces, a fit of the ague. 19.-The lords of the circuit came to Darnway. Mr. Monipennia cam heir. Torwoodlie took a litl fit of the exces at night. I desir to be instructed by it, and to recommend him to God. 22.-Mr. Tho. Ross was with me. I heard and saw his lot, and desird to understand and be instructed; grac in a great measur, with mean natural gifts, straitnd, over-reachd with debt. I cannot enough consider this; keep me from stumbling. ... I heard of the abomination committed by Ross of Invercharran, with his oun daughter; that he hang'd a man; livd in adulteri. I desired to be affected duli with this, and to be learnd how to lay it to heart, and be exercisd under it. 23. A poor man did meit me, which fel doun on his knees. The dislyk of the postur did mak me hast from him, and quhen I returned, he was gon. I was chalendgd for not supplying him. 24.-I was cald to Leathin, to see Torwoodlie. I appointed Thursday to meit with Grang, at Forres again, if the Lord thoght fitt. I knew not what to doe with Park anent the patronag. Lord! be my light and strength. I did visit Torwoodlie, at Leathin, and found the distemper continu, and he was disturbd about. 25.-I was cald to Forres anent the inventaring of Grang his wryts, and som thing was don in it. Mr. Th. Urqt was, last night, with me. I heard by him of Col. Innes' straits. I desir to be instructed by it. . . . Mr. Tho. told me of his busines with Mr. Ja. Park, and that he was to serv inhib. [inhibitions] against him. I desir to be helpd to examin this, and to judg aright. how thes things of the world affects the best of men. Even 26.— . . . Ther was a poor woman taken for theft. I desir to know what is the Lord's will in this; to pursu her to death or not, being incorigibl, and markd for the sam crims befor. 27.—I did, at night, goe to Leathin, to see Torwoodlie. 31 Mr. Tho. Ross cam heir. I did somthing in maiters concerning him. He said, he as confidentli beleevd that thes mins should be thrust out as the light shind. I laid up this, and desird to be instructed. James Monypenny of Pitmilly. Brodie's brother Joseph had married, at the close of the year 1664, for his second wife, Isabel, widow of William Downie, noticed He said, he could before p. 87, note eldest daughter of George Dundas of Duddingson, by his wife Katharine, who was Monypenny's sister. not defin a tym. I durst not say soe; but I remit it to God. He said, he approvd al that was don in the year 1649; yet could not I. Lord! piti me.. I movd two great difficulties I met with in religion. 1. To construct and interpret God's providences aright. 2. What use wit, and natural reason, and parts may be of in the mysteri of God; and when, and how, and quhairin, in what caces, and how far, it is to be made use of. We spok of the apostl Paul, the natural gifts, as weil as the supernatural, quhairwith he was indud, the fortitud, stedfastnes, clearnes, confidenc, patienc. June 1.-Innes, Sandsyd, Moortoun, and others, dind heir. I did tak ouer great liberti in eating and drinking. Oh! what neid hav I to watch! And the Word's unsauori. I heard of the death of Ladi Castelmain : that the hous of Northumberland was extinguishd, and the estat and honour conferd on that woman, and -b I desir to see and remark the Lord in it, and to be instructed. That Barclay was recald from Irland; Sir Arthur Forbes and the Bishop of Dublin had commission in his plac. I heard of other mutations up and down; that the King of Franc had gotten Antwerp. I desir to ador God in his gouerning the world. 2. I spok betwix Duncan Grant and Park. But neither in that could I effectuat ani agreement. I was burthened with the wilfulnes of men, and reverencd God's providenc. . . . Park feard that his sister, Balnafairis wyf, might fall to be distempered. I desird to sympathiz with her. He spok to me of the patronag, and to get ani part of Penick he pleasd, and as if he adheard to the litl minut, notwithstanding that he past from it. I said I perceavd he was picking a quarrel with me. I spread this exerceis, his hart and ways, and myn, befor the Lord. 3.-Park writ to me to meit him at Penick on Monday, and that he would propound ouertours for keiping friendship betwix us. I returnd answer, that nothing but our corruptions neided hinder our friendship. The inheritanc abov was larg enough to suffic us al. Ther would be noe enui, nor use of thes accomodations which disturbd us heir; that we had noe less caus to long for the one, then to weari of the other. That my friendship and lov to him should outwear houses and enjoyments heir, and the rocks. Lord! I speak this in the singlnes of my heart Thou knows. This is a mistake. Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleaveland in her own right, married Roger Palmer, Earl of Castlemaine. This profligate woman was mistress of Charles the Second, by whom she had The residence of the Deans of Murray. 4. Die Dom. I read somthing of the quakers' opinions, and desir to be cast doun under it. This is a sore trial among others. Oh! for the spirit of discerning, to cleav to truth, and to be deliverd from error, and corupt reasoning, and blindnes. . . . The objections I met with in Barclay's book I spread befor God. Giv me what to answer, and let the seid of God be in me to know errour from truth.. ..a The 5. I did meit with Park, at Penick. I did see infirmities in best want not ther failings. He took exception at that which I writ, that nothing but our corruptions neided interupt our freindship. He movd to haue that he might hav the land beneth the way; yet he had past from it. This man is an exercis to me. ... I see it difficil, and almost impossibl to retain this man; yet I desir that nothing may separat me from him in the Lord. I did visit Torwoodlie, at Leathin, who was yet under sicknes. I had scarc a word of God to him. 8.-I desird grac to know the wil of God to me in the patronag; for som one or other must be presented. I am to meet about the militia of the parish. 10.-Grang declind to present to Aldern. I desir light and counsel in this maiter, for I am full of darknes. 13.-Grang did present Mr. Jhon Cuming to Aldern. I wes content to be frie of it, and that I had noe hand in it. 14.-I was al night at Kind. Next . . . day, Mr. Wm. Ros cam over, and was inclind to accept the Deanrie. I desird to se God's providenc, that he cam not til the other was presented. I gave him no incouradgment to com to Aldern, and movd the digniti, which was abjurd. But he had noe bands, but was readi to com over that, I desird to consider this and to be humbld, becaus of him and myself. Oh! how does self lov, or a bait, commoditi, interest, desir, affection, blind.... I cannot but piti him, and remember that I find al the evel that's in him in myself. Oh! so unstedfast as man is. Oh! is it possibl ther can be such gifts and such infirmities in one person? Hav I not caus to fear? I movd to Mr. Wm. if he had not clearnes in Aldern, to tak Edinkelie. ... I cam lat home. 15. This day was appointed for a mustering of the men at Lanmoor. Ther I did desir to observ what this work would tend to; for it is not Short-hand in MS. The Deanry of Auldearn, to which Cumming was translated from the parish of Edenkillie, 14th February, 1672. intended for good. . . . I did after visit Torwoodlie, at Leathin, and returnd at night. 16. Mr. Wil. Ros cam heir, and declind to tak the deaneri. I reverened the Lord's providenc, both towards him and me, that we were not a snar to one another. Efternoon, I went to Kinloss for thes arms which wer at Findorn, and visited my uncl; but, alac! so carnal and earthli as I fond him, and so litl savouring of God or the things above. a 22.-I spok with Mr. Hugh Ross anent the corruptions of the church, and corrupt naughti men admitted to the ministeri, nobiliti corrupt and degenerat, and general ignoranc and negligenc reigning, and Poperi, implacablnes of good men to one another, decay of godlines and pieti, and growth of profannes and errour. Thes are tokens of God's wrath. I met with Both, and he spok to me anent Mr. John Cuming to be Dean. I said, I would mak no impediment, and I would giv him my friendship, if he caried weil, but would not persuad him, and if he had scrupls I would not labour to remov them. 26-I did visit Torwoodlie, at Leathin; but, alac! so litl useful or comfortabl as my visit was, and unsavrie. . . . I cam in by Granghil, and reprovd him for compelling others to drink. July 8-I visited Torwoodlie and Ladi Leathin. Both wer sick. I spok a word to him to enquir what the Lord said by this providenc, and this unlookd for affliction. 12. I heard of the Ladi Cassil's purpos to go out of Scotland, and to mari a privat man. . . . The L. of Calder's daughter, Ann, died. 13.-I heard of som slaughter fallen out betwix the L. M'Donald's friends and the Clan Cameron. 15 —I found som stolen trees with Pat. Th. in Dyk, and had caus to suspect W. Lard lykwys. I desird to punish ther fault. 19 My grandchild, Elizabeth, was very sick. I desird to consider the Lord's hand on her, and, in her, on us and the famili, and to be instructed. Oh! let the Lord sanctifi this rod to me and to the child. 20. I did send Jhon Anderson to buy picks. I did see matter to be humbld in the militia. 1. Men violentlie set it up. 2. Quhat oppression, Mr. Hugh Rose, minister of Nairn, and author of "A Genealogical Deduction of the Family of Rose of Kilravock," printed for the Spalding Club. |