that is master of his subject; yet he writes always with the utmost modesty and caution: he does not impose his own experiences in religionas absolutely necessary to others, but allows a latitude for God's various ways of dealing with different persons. How carefully does he guard his reader against mistakes upon the several heads which he handles? He does not, as some have done, lay down crued and unguarded assertions in one place, and trust to the attention and judgment of his reader for correcting them by others laid down elsewhere: nay, he was sensible, that not to mislead is much better than to bring back those who have wandered; not to poison than to administer an antidote; and therefore under every head, he pointedly guards and circumscribes his subject.

He writes from his own experience: one may easily perceive the heart speaking out its own experience almost in every line, and the author feeling, as well as understanding his matter. At the same time he discovers the greatest judgment and solidity in distinguishing things doubtful from things certain; and things essential to the christian life from things extrinsic and circumstantial to it founding nothing upon christian experience but what has the countenance of holy scripture.

Thus we have in this little book, a treatise upon that subject, which, of all others, is of the greatest importance to a christian, written in such a manner as equally exalts free grace, and encourages gospel holiness; and guarded with the greatest exactness against the opposite extremes.

of presumption and despondency: a treatise written with the utmost plainness, and yet with great solidity and judgment, with all the depth of a knowing and judicious divine, and the feeling of an experienced christian. How happy had it been for the church, if none had undertaken to write practical treatises without these and the like qualities of this excellent author? how much for the growth of true religion in men's hearts and lives, if such a plain and useful treatise as this, were as warmly recommended and as carefully studied, as others of a different character? this treatise of practical christianity, as ancient as the scriptures, should be found more useful than many Marrows of Modern Divinity. It is in this edition attended with all the advantages that the publisher could think of to make it both useful and agreeable to the reader. The Lord himself grant it may further answer its noble end of converting and confirming souls, and in all respects yield much fruit to his honour.

The following account of the Reverend Mr. William Guthrie, is faithfully transcribed from that laborious and worthy divine, Mr. Robert Wodrow, in his history of the sufferings of the church of Scotland, and is as follows:

MR. WILLIAM GUTHRIE, minister at Finwick, in the shire of Air, used the greatest of freedom and sincerity in his sermons at this time. I am too nearly concerned in this great man to say much about him, and therefore choose to give this in the words of a worthy minister, his contemporary, in his character of him. "In his

doctrine Mr. William Guthrie was as full and free as any man in Scotland had ever been; which, together with the excellency of his preaching gift, did so recommend him to the affections of people, that they turned the cornfield of his glebe to a little town, and every one building a house for his family upon it, that they might live under the drop of his ordinances and ministry." Indeed the Lord gave him an opportunity to bear a longer testimony against the defections of this time than most of his brethren; till at length the malice of the archbishop of Glasgow, turned him out in the year 1664, as we may hear.

Congregational Fasts kept.

A great many ministers kept congregational fasts; and that was almost all they could do, since now there was scarce any opportunity of presbyterial or synodical appointments of this nature; and in some places where there was disaffected persons to delate them, ministers suffered not a little for this practice, and the plainness of their doctrine.

The other instance I promised as to the sufferings of old ministers this year, is that of the reverend and singularly useful Mr. William Guthrie, minister of the gospel at Finwick. This extraordinary person I have particular opportunities to have certain and distinct accounts of. I heartily wish some proper hand would give the public a just narrative of this great man's life which might, I persuade myself, be very useful. The broken hints we have, before the last edition of his excellent Saving Interest, at London 1705, are lame and indistinct, and were wrote without the knowledge of his remaining relations, who could have given more just and larger accounts: I shall therefore here give the more particular history of his sufferings at the time, and his being forced to part with his dear flock. He continues longer at his work than many others.

By the interest of several noblemen and others, to whom Mr. Guthrie was very dear, he. enjoyed a connivance, and was overlooked for a considerable time, when he continued at his Master's work, though in his sermons he was more than ordinarily free and plain.

When bishop Burnet comes to Glasgow, he and some other ministers are attacked.

But soon after Dr. Alexander Burnet was brought from the See of Aberdeen to that of Glasgow, he and the few remaining ministers about him were attacked; such as, Mr. Livingston, at Biggar, Mr. M'Kall, at Bothwell, Mr. Gabriel Maxwell, at Dundonald, Mr. Gabriel Cunningham, at Dunlop, and Mr. Andrew

Hutcheson, and Mr. William Castlelaw, ministers at Stewartoun; and perhaps the chancellor's death about this time helped to pave the way for the greater severity against these worthy per

sons.

Nothing prevails with the archbishop to spare Mr. Guthrie.

The archbishop had been addressed by some of the greatest in the kingdom in behalf of Mr. Guthrie, and treated them very indiscreetly by no importunity would he suffer himself to be prevailed upon to spare him any longer. When means and intercessions could not prevail, Mr. Guthrie was warned of the archbishop's design against him, and advised by persons of note, his friends, to suffer no resistance to be made to his dispossession of the church and manse; since his enemies wanted only this for a handle to prosecute him criminally for his zeal and faithfulness in the former times: such was their spite against this useful man of God.

Wednesday, July 20, kept as a Congregational Fast with his people.

Under the prospect of parting with his beloved people, Wednesday, the 20th of July this year, was set apart by him for fasting and prayer with his congregation. The text he preached from was, Hosea xiii. 9. "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself."-His sermon was afterwards printed very unfairly and indistinctly, from an incorrect copy. From that scripture, with great