expression, a "mother in Israel," a woman full of faith and of good works, and one who had great pleasure in religious ordinances, to enjoy which she frequently travelled considerable distances from her home, and was a constant attendant on the sacramental occasions, under the ministry of the godly John Semple of Carsfairn. This pious pair were warmly attached to the principles of the Reformation, and the door of their dwelling was readily opened to the wanderers who, for conscience' sake, were banished from their homes to traverse the mountains and the wildernesses around them. This devout and affectionate couple were blessed with several children, whom the great Disposer of events was pleased to remove in infancy; and Andrew Renwick, whose mind was always disposed to bend in the lowliest resignation to the Divine will, used to comfort his wife, whose motherly heart, on the occasion of the death of her sweet babes, was crushed with grief, by saying, that he was well pleased to have children to be heirs of glory, whether they died young or old.

As this good woman had hitherto been deprived of her children in the early morning of their existence, she besought of the Lord a child who might not only be an heir of glory, but who might also live to serve him in his generation. This request, like the prayer of Hannah, was granted, and James Renwick was born on the 15th February 1662, a little after the commencement of that long and grievous persecution for righteousness' sake, in which he was destined to be so conspicuous a sufferer. We may easily conceive how this worthy matron would, with grateful heart, devote this

"son of her vows" solemnly and in faith to Him from whom she had received him. Nor was this devotement in vain; He accepted the offering, and testified his acceptance by the communication of his grace to the child even in his infancy. The spiritual disposition of the boy was observable when he was no more than two years of age, for at this early period he was seen to aim at prayer even in his cradle. The remarkable appearances of a gracious dealing with their sweet infant, excited no ordinary emotions in the hearts of the parents. And what parent, who is at all interested in divine things himself, does not rejoice to witness the symptomatic workings of heavenly grace in his children? The dawning of spiritual light in the heart, though faint and feeble at first, is nevertheless the precursor of a brighter day, when the true light shall shine in full radiance on the soul. From the early work of grace in her son, Elizabeth Corsan concluded that it was the design of Providence to sanctify him for some great work in the Church, or to prepare him, it might be, for great sufferings in bearing witness to the truth. It is said that his mother never lost her confidence in God respecting him, even in the midst of the greatest trials of persecution to which he was exposed in after life, firmly believing that he would be carried honourably through, to the glory of God and the edification of many souls.

When he was six years of age, and could read the Bible, he was much exercised in his mind respecting the Maker of all things, and how the world was created, and for what end. The idea of a multiplicity of worlds, which, in that age, was

very rarely entertained by the common people, seems to have arrested his attention in a manner unusual among children. His mind was absorbed in musing on this amazing subject for the space of nearly two years together, till at length he came to the solid conviction that Almighty power was competent to all things, and that the worlds were framed by the word of God. These thoughts in a mere child show the workings of a mind above the ordinary capacity. By these cogitations he attained, at an early period, to a rational belief in the existence of a God, his creative power, and superintending providence. After this, however, and when he had reached more maturity both in years and in understanding, we find him attacked by temptations, which assailed the fundamental principles of all religion; and so powerful and bitter were these assaults, that one day, when walking in the fields, and gazing on the mountains by which he was surrounded, he exclaimed in the earnestness of his spirit," Though all these lofty mountains were devouring furnaces of fire and brimstone, I would be content to go through them all, if by this means I could arrive at the unwavering conviction that there is a God." Out of this difficulty, however, he eventually emerged, and came not only to the entire belief of the Divine existence, but also to a comfortable view of his personal interest in that God, as his God and Father in Christ. During his childhood his manner of life furnished the most unequivocal evidence of genuine religion. There were three things for which he was remarkable secret prayer, the reading of the Bible, and obedience to his parents. What a contrast does the

conduct of this pious youth present to that of the most of children, who live without prayer, forget the Word of God, and disobey their parents. Such children do not seem to remember, that though young in years, they are accountable to God, and that their habitual disregard of religion will, in the end, destroy the soul.

So complete was his submission to the will of his parents, that though he desired, above all things, to prosecute an education for the ministry, he never objected, nor showed the slightest symptoms of murmuring, when they proposed that he should follow some secular trade, by which to earn an honest livelihood. When he had nearly reached the fourteenth year of his age, he sustained a heavy loss in the decease of his honoured father, who died in the full hope of the heavenly blessedness. On his death-bed he expressed his full persuasion that his beloved son would have but a short time to live in the world, but that the Lord would make an eminent use of him as an instrument for the promotion of His cause. He was thus left with his mother in poor circumstances, but yet depending on the Providence that cares for all. He had now made considerable progress in that learning which was necessary to fit him for the object he had in view, so far as the means of education in a secluded part of the country could furnish. But if he was making progress in the school of literature, he was also making progress in the school of Christ, and was daily growing in grace and in the knowledge of divine doctrine. He was a help to his worthy mother, and much esteemed by the people in the neighbourhood.

At length the Lord, who is the breaker up of the way of those who trust in him, provided for him the means of prosecuting his studies in the city of Edinburgh, where he attended the schools, and, finally, the university. A number of good people, to whom he was introduced, took a warm interest in him, and exerted themselves in his behalf. When ready for the university, he superintended the education of a number of young gentlemen, which both procured him the means of subsistence, and promoted his own learning. It was when thus employed that he engaged somewhat freely with these young men in sundry games and recreations, which were deemed unsuitable to his religious character and prospects, and the circumstance was made use of by his enemies to injure his reputation; but those who knew him best were ready to prove how unfounded these aspersions were, and they bore their unqualified testimony to the blamelessness of his deportment. His elevation from a state of poverty to comparatively easy circumstances, and his being introduced into genteel society, might at first produce an unfavourable effect on the ardent mind of young Renwick; and hence the necessity of circumspection on the part of young men of religious habits, when they happen to be transferred to a different sphere from that in which they were formerly placed.

When the period of his studies in the university drew to a close, he refused the oath of allegiance, which was then tendered to every student of divinity, on which account he was denied his laureation, but afterwards he obtained it privately, with other two students in Edinburgh. Mr Renwick now