causes and reasons contained in the paper which is in my latron. After Leathen and Francis did, with some measure of tenderness, confess and bewail their particular guilt of covetousness, passion, pride, unrighteous dealing, and worldly mindedness, and youthful lusts of uncleaness, and promise-breaking to God of many duties which they had bound themselves unto; we were all affected with the work of God on their spirits, and besought the Lord on their behalf, that he would not let their wound close till it were thorowly healed; but would bring on his work on unto perfection, till he had quite finished it.

After some measure of assistance and countenance on the day, Mr. Joseph preached on Job xxii. 20, 21, &c., Mr John on Joel ii. We closed the exercise with a solemn engagement of ourselves to God, and did come under a new, firm, inviolable Covenant with God, that we should be his, and he should be ours. We gave up and surrendered our soul, body, estates, lands, rents, houses, families, wives, children, servants, wit, parts, endowments, friends, wealth, and all that we had, or ever should have or attain unto in this world, to be the Lord's for ever; that he might call for, make use and dispose of it, and mark it as his own. We besought the Lord to accept the free-will offering of our lips and of our hearts, and not to permit us to depart from him.

Mr. John acknowledged his predominant sins of worldliness and earthlymindedness, passion, pride, unfaithfulness in his calling; and entred his soul bound to endeavour to mortify these sins, and every sin, and to labour for more fidelity, watchfulness and carefulness in his ministerial calling, than ever: but, renouncing himself, desired to believe in the grace of God thro' Christ for this effect.

Mr. Joseph acknowledged and bewailed the same sins, unconscionableness in his calling, and doing duty for some outward respect of credit or honesty, and not from pure love to God in Christ; his excessive desires after the world, and retaining and holding in, when he ought to be enlarged and let forth; unruly passion and humour; unthankfulness for great mercies and deliverances. And now desired to give up himself to the Lord, and thro'

Latron, or letteron, a reading desk, also, as here, a cabinet or scrutoire for holding papers.

The two ministers, Joseph and John Brodies, who are here recorded as joining

the Laird of Brodie in solemn family humiliation, were his uncles, and were respectively ministers of Aldearn and Forres. They died in 1655 and 1656, as stated in this Diary, at p. 16.

him to endeavour to more holiness, mortification, walking after the Spirit, tenderness in his walking, conscionableness in his calling.

Old Leathin renewed his acknowledgments, and prayed the Lord for a willing honest heart, to make good what was in his heart; and desired to give up himself, and his wealth, family, children, wife, and his own life, to the Lord; that he may be glorified in them, and his life might not be to himself, and to the world, but to, in and for the Lord. This, beside particular bands and vows wherein he had been unfaithful.

Young Leathin professed his willingness to consecrate him and his to God, and that, as long as he had a house or family, it should be the Lord's; he alone should be worshipped in it, he should have no God but him; and this day gave his heart to the Lord.

Old Francis renewed his confession with tears; confessing the Lord to be just in casting him out of his family, and making it desolate; for he had not honoured him in that family, but polluted it, and polluted his body with unclean lusts of whoredom, covetousness, pride; and therefore the Lord was just In burning up his house and substance. He took the Lord and us his people witness [es] of his sincere and unfeigned acknowledgments, and of his purpose and desire to be turned to God. He gave up his body now to be a temple to the Lord; he desired to consecrate his substance and children to the Lord, to be his. He did set the Lord over all; and bound himself, soul, body, mind, will, affection[s], heart, strength, and all his power[s], to be the Lord's. Only desired to lay the weight of this day's vow and covenant, and the performance of it, upon the Lord Jesus, and his all-sufficient Grace.

Young Francis desired to consent, and to subscribe his name to the Lord for ever; and sought their prayers that were present, that he might never fall back. Both of them, father and son, promised not only for themselves, but for their families and servants, that they should be for examples, so far as weakness would permit, of holiness before them, and should labour that they might know and serve the Lord.

Joseph said, He had given himself sometime before to the Lord; but complained upon an [un]sound and unstedfast heart; yet was he willing with

Old Leathen' was Alexander Brodie of Lethen, in the parish of Ardclach, Nairnshire. He also was uncle of the Diarist,

being the second son of his grandfather, David Brodie of Brodie.

all his soul to renew the Covenant with God; desiring that above all things that he might be his servant, and the Lord be his God.

David disclaimed all strength in himself; and wish'd that the Lord would confirm it, and make good that which he was willing to subscribe and consent to, that the Lord shall be mine, and I shall be his, so long as I live.

Mr. James gave up himself to the Lord, and prayed for strength, that he should not be forsaken.

Janet expressed meikle distrust of herself; but desired to come under a new bond for the Lord, resolving upon more watchfulness against security, falling away, love of self-praise, and against all contempt of others; and to walk more humbly, and esteeming better of others, who might seem to have attained less; and to have the Lord ever in her eye.

The Lady Leathin dar'd promise little of herself, being conscious to her own heart; but professed of all that were there, she was most bound, both to take with guilt and the cause of his anger above any others, altho' they had taken it on themselves; and now that none had so great cause to engage their hearts to the Lord as she had; and therefore, in the faith of the Lord Jesus and his might, she did and would give up herself to the Lord, and all hers; and promised to sanctify the Lord's name so far as she could, with husband, servants, and family, to the uttermost of their power.

John Brodie, Woodhead, acknowledged much guilt, and great need of this day's work. He was lying under some bonds to God already, to enquire into the evil of his own heart and ways; and this should add to the former bonds. He prayed for Grace to this effect, and promised, as to walk more conscionably, and to seek more knowledge of the Lord's name, so he should labour to have the Lord's name set up in his family, to bring his wife, and children and servants, to know and serve the Lord.

John of Main engaged for an humble and unfeigned endeavour, as to honour God in his own spirit, so to be an instrument God-ward for his wife, children and family, that they also and he might be the Lord's.

Mr. Robert Donaldson desired of God to discover if there were any iniquity in his way, or in his heart, for which he was spared, while others were smitten. He promised to search his own heart; and this day professed the

James was his only son and successor, b Janet Brodie, his sister, see p. 57. see p. 17.

desire and joy of his heart to enter in a sure, perpetual, soul-covenant with God; and desired our prayers for him.

Katherine his wife burst forth in the complaint of her woful, sad, deserted case; but, if he would accept, there was not any thing in all the earth which should so content and satisfy her, as that the Lord would condescend to that bargain, to become her God, and to take her, and accept of her as his for ever. It was replied, The bargain was sure enough, if she were willing for her part; for he is glader of the offer, and is readier to accept it, than we are to give it; and we hoped her sorrow and sadness were but to let in and make way for durable and lasting comfort.

Jean Symington, albeit a stranger among us, yet desired to be upholden by his Grace, and strengthened in her resolution and purpose to walk more tenderly and more exactly than ever; and, not for herself only, but as far as her good word might go, she should declare and publish his name to others, and perswade [and] invite them to fall in love with him whom her soul loved; and should stir up these that she conversed with to this effect. John Brodie, my boy, professed an unfeigned desire to know the Lord more, and to cleave to him more, and to be for him, and to his glory, all his days.

John Tweedie absent at the time. All of us, for ourselves, and for our little ones, and for our wives, that have them, and families and interests, do stand before the Lord this day, making supplication and confession on their and our behalfs; and do take burden on us, according to our several callings and stations, as aforesaid, that the Lord shall be our God, and we shall be his people, on the bare condition of the new Covenant, that he will give us another heart, and write his law within us.

On the first February this was written, and letters of exhortation to every one of them for putting them in remembrance. My soul this morning desired, for its own part, to rejoice before the Lord in trembling, and to consent unto this new oblation and Covenant; and besought his Majesty for a blessing on it, and on all their souls that had consented to or were concerned in it.

[Here ends the Diary.]

IN

N the beginning there are excerpts from Edwards against Toleration," and Rutherfoord on Acts xxiv. 16, &c., on the same subject. There is likewise a leaf against the Engagement and Incorporation [probably that sent by Waristoun: vide Diary.] but imperfect. It is as follows:

AGAINST THE ENGAGEMENT AND INCORPORATION.

All the arguments which were before against association and incorporation with Malignants, do make against incorporation and association with Sectaries; because, by their principles, they are no less enemies to religion than they.

Our oaths in the National Covenant to maintain the doctrine [and] discipline of this Church.

In an Engagement and Incorporation, we tie ourselves to the Commonwealth of England, before and without any tie from them to us, to maintain religion or our liberties; whereas it was mutual between our Kings and us. Incorporating civilly, incorporates our religion and liberty also. The narrative and the several articles of the solemn Charge.

To preserve the Religion in Scotland, as it is reformed, in doctrine, discipline, and government; and to extirpate heresy and error, alike as profanity and Popery. Now, how inconsistent and contrary to this is it to chuse heretical Magistrates, and these who would extirpate our government, and tolerate all errors and schisms, and to incorporate with such? &c.

The third article. Both are bound to preserve the liberties of Parliament and privileges. Now, to conquer, usurp over other, is most [contrary] to preserving.

Fourth article. Against these that shall hinder reformation of Religion, or labour to divide the King from his people, or the one Kingdom from the other.

Shall not suffer ourselves to be divided from this Union by any fear, terror, or perswasion; then not by sequestration, plundering, &c.

a

A Treatise against Toleration and Pretended Liberty of Conscience, Part I. Lond. 1647, 4to., by Thomas Edwards, a Presbyterian writer, and a great opposer of the Independents in England.

A Free Disputation against Pretended Liberty of Conscience, by Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews. Lond. 1649, 4to,

• Vide supra p. 66.