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on with that work returned with that, that now I faw I behoved to be a fool for Chrift in the matter of the oath, and fo I might be in the matter of thefe fermons too. And withal, whereas I had foreseen a peculiar difficulty as to the managing of the fermons on the state of grace, it was given me to fee how to get over that difficulty, and that by cafting my thoughts into a fhorter and more matural method than before; which never came into my head before that day.

PERIOD X.

From the oath of abjuration refused, till the transportation to Clofeburn refufed by the commiffion.

ON

N the following Sabbath, being Nov. 2. I did, under a great preffure, from the confideration of the feverity of the law upon the one hand, and the temper of the parish upon the other, enter again on my work, at my peril. What I faid by way of preface that day, is also to be found in the notes aforefaid *: after which I went on as before, proceeding on the fame text in my ordinary, Phil. iii. And I blefs the Lord, who gave me counfel, not to intermit the exercise of my miniftry for ever fo fhort a time, on that trying occafion.

According to what befel me on the 28th of October, with refpect to proceeding in writing of the Fourfold State,

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• The preface here referred to is as follows.

"The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Ifrael he fhall know, if it be in rebellion against the government that I appear here this day, to preach unto you the gospel of Chrift. Contempt of magiftrares, and of their laws, is no part of my religion: but it lies upon my confcience to cleave to the laws of my Lord and Master Jefus Chrift, the only king and head of his church; from whom I have received the of fice of the miniftry, by the hands of church officers, and not by the hand of the magiftrate; even when these laws of his are crossed and contradicted by the laws of men, 2 Tim. iv. 1 1. The magiftrate has the fame power over minifters perfons and goods, as over other mens; and if he abuse it, it is his fin. But he has no power over our office: he has no power to deprive the minifters of the gospel of their minifterial office, nor yet of the exercise of it formally and directly. For the kingdom of Chrift is a kingdom within a kingdom; a spiritual kingdom, distinct from and independent on the magiftrate. I have now ferved the Lord in this work of the miniftry thirteen years: and though he needs none of my fervice, and his work might be well done without me; yet feeing he has not discharged me,

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I applied myself closely thereto again; I had perfected the following part thereof, viz. the state of grace, by the 23d of December.

Proceeding in writing of the Fourfold State, I finished it on the 9th of March. On the 25th of January I gave myfelf unto prayer, with new endeavours after perfonal holinefs. Then I went on; and, according to my natural difpofition when once engaged in a work, was too eager. Rifing to it long before day, on the Saturday morning thereafter, that day my body was fore weakened, my fpirits exhaufted, very little was done, and that little very unfatisfying. At length I was obliged to leave it, with that check," It is vain for you to rife up early," &c. Pfal. cxxvii. 2.; and I refolved through grace to do fo no more. And now do I blefs God, for that that eagernefs is removed, and it goes better with me. However, on the 9th of March the work was finished: and for the help of the Lord I had therein, I defire to be thankful. Whatever the Lord minds to do with them, I had worth my pains in the work, with respect to my own private eafe; for they made me many errands to the throne of grace, and helped me to keep up a fenfe of religion on my fpirit. Writing of heaven, I found it no eafy thing to believe the greatnefs of that glory which is to be revealed. The copy then written in octavo, which is in retentis, was not the copy from which it was afterwards printed.

On Friday, April 3. about eight minutes after one in the morning, my youngest fon Thomas was born; and was baptized on the 14th, by Mr William Macghie minister of Selkirk.

Coming in view of the facrament this year, the impreffion I had of the low ftate of practical religion in the place, led me to a new ordinary, viz. Hof. xiv. which chapter I began May 17. and proceeding therein to the last claufe of verf. 6. dwelt long on it.

I muft fay, as the fervant under the law, "I love my maker," and my children whom I have begotten in the gospel, or nourished up; and I defire not to go out, and would be content my ear were bored through with an awl to ferve him for ever. Our Lord has given us a plain and positive allowance, "When they perfecute you in one city, flee unto another." I cannot reckon this perfecution to be begun yet: therefore I must work the work of him that fent me while it is called to-day, not knowing how foon the violence of our enemies may bring on the night. What I defire of you is, that as the Ifraelites of old were to eat the paffover, you will eat your fpiritual food, in hafte, not knowing how foon your table may be drawn. Let us then go on as formerly."

I find, that, about this time, having feen Crofs's Taghmical Art, I was begun to have fome notion of the accentuation of the Hebrew Bible, according to the principles of that author. Having been with Mr Macghie forefaid in his clofet at a time, he happened to fpeak of his acquaintance with Mr Crofs at London, and of his giving him a copy of his book above mentioned, which I believe I had never heard of before. I defired thereupon to fee the book; and, finding it relate to the facred Hebrew, I borrowed it from him. This behoved to be, either in the fpring this year, or elfe in October 1712, what time I was affifting at the facrament there. Had I known then what was in the womb of that step of Providence, I had furely marked the day of my borrowing that book, as one of the happiest days of my life.

Great was the ftumbling among the people through the fouth and weft, on the account of the abjuration-oath, taken, in the preceding year, by about two parts of three of the miniftry in Scotland: and I gained but little in our parish, by my refuting it; because I would not separate from, but ftill kept communion with, the jurors; meeting with them in prefbyteries and fynods. And now was beginning the fchifm made by Mr John Taylor minifter of Wamphray, on that account. I had been affifting to the said Mr Taylor at the facrament in the year 1711; and he to me in the 1712; as he was alfo this year, June 7. *, on the fame occafion. On that night, after the public work was over, finding him inclined to feparation upon the account of the oath, I earnestly argued against it from the holy fcripture: and he seemed not to be very peremptory, nor much to fet himfelf to answer my arguings. But immediately after this conference on that fubject, going to family-worship, whereat a great many were prefent, but perhaps all ftrangers, except my own family; he furprifed me with his difcourfe on Pfal. xxiii. delivered in a very homely manner, and just feeding the reeling, feparating humour among the people: the which I looked upon as a forry piece of fervice at beft, and unbecoming a man of fenfe and confideration, in these circumftances.

On the 12th of July, I was affifting to him again. And the work being begun before i got thither, on the Sa

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The action-fermon on Heb. xi. 28. was published in a volume in

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turday, I fat down on the brae-fide among the people; where, after fermons, I was furprised to hear him fhew their refolution to declare their adherence to the covenants, national and folemn league, for which they had made fome preparation on the faft-day; but withal leaving others to their liberty. The people, having got the call from him for that effect, rofe up on every fide of me; and by holding up their hands, as had been agreed on, teftified their adherence. I was not apprifed beforehand of this defign; and judging it a matter requiring due preparation, and not to be rafhly entered upon, fat ftill, and joined not. By all the accounts I had of it, I judged the management thereof not fuitable nor proportionable to the weight of the matter. Through the mercy of God, I found no ill effect of this piece of my conduct, at home, which I feared.

Some time after, being called to answer for himself before the prefbytery, in matters unquestionably fcandalous, whether right or wrong alledged against him, he did moft unwifely decline them, and feparate. But I think, that, even though his feparation had been warrantable, he ought, for the honour of God, and the caufe of religion, to have appeared, and purged himfelf of thefe things to their face, in the first place. Hearing how matters were like to go betwixt him and the prefbytery, I wrote to him, whom I always took for a good man; offering my beft offices and advice, if he would give me a view of the ftate of his matters. The letter he received, but made me no return; and I never faw him fince that time. A great many of the parish of Efkdale-moor joined him: the which, by reafon of the neighbourhood, was another fountain of trouble and uneafinefs to me, giving me another class of diffenters, fervants coming in from thence to our parish; though I remember none of our congrega. tion that went off to him, but one inconftant woman, who joined with his way for a time.

At first Mr John Hepburn, head of an old and confiderable party, Mr John Gilchrift minifter of Dunfcore, and he, joining together, formed a prefbytery; which lafted very fhort while. At length his own party broke among themselves, and many of them left him: fo that this day, though he still continues his fchifm, his affairs and repuration are in a forry fituation.

Amongst us who affifted in thofe days, as aforefaid, at Wamphray,

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Wamphray, was Mr Thomas Hoy minifter at Annan. Him alfo, fome time after, lodging a night in my house, I was at pains to convince of the unwarrantableness of the feparation on account of the oath; but prevailed not. Howbeit, fome time after, I heard with indignation, his taking of the oath itself: Such a propenfity there is in human nature to run to extremes, and fuch a need of walking by a fixed principle of church-communion, eftablifhed from the holy fcriptures.

On Aug. 30. continuing my ordinary, Hof. xiv. I did withal return to explain the catechifm; but began at the duty which God requireth of man. And judging the difcovery of the exceeding breadth of the command to be of great importance, I did infift on the ten commands very largely; fo that the fermons on them ended not till Auguft 28. 1715, two years after this. Which brings to mind an occafional encounter, before our prefbytery, with Mr John Gowdie above mentioned; who happening to tell us of his preaching catechetical doctrine, thewed, that he had curforily gone over the ten commands, as judging that beft for the cafe of the people: I found my felf obliged to declare before them all, that I was quite of another mind; the fulleft unfolding of the holy commandment being neceffary to discover the need of Christ, both to faints and finners. But I have always observed narrow thoughts of the doctrine of free grace, to be accompanied with narrow thoughts of the extent of the holy law.

About this time I fet myfelf to confider the mafs-book, and the English fervice-book; between which I found a furprising agreement, feveral particulars of which I marked on the fervice-book, which remains as yet among my other books. For the courfe of public affairs had taken fuch a turn, that from the year 1710 they had run ftraight towards the intereft of the pretender; and continued fo to do, till, being brought to the point of full ripeness, it pleafed the Lord, fuddenly and furprisingly to break the measures of the party, through the removal of Queen Anne by death Aug. 1. 1714; fo that King George had a peaceable acceffion to the throne, as much unexpected, as the Queen's death at the time forefaid. Mean while, at this time, matters had a formidable appearance, and a terrible cloud feemed to hang over the head of the nations, haftening to break. Papifts and Jefuits were flocking hi

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