down, and raising me up again and again, look'd at a preparation for comforting others with the confolations wherewith I had been comforted, and fympathizing with them, as having had experience of a great variety of temptations, and I found that by thefe my little knowlege of the mystery of the gospel received fome improvement. 9. The minifters continued to follicite me, and prefs home their defire; but while I stood out against their follicitations, though not without fome fecret struggle and doubting, whether in fo doing I might not be declining duty, I began to obferve the Lord raising a storm against me: I began to fee the faares of the ftation I was in, the advantages my corruptions had by it against me; and in a word, the Lord made it out to me, That I behoved to change my ftation; but I was not hereby cleared to comply with their defire, yet I durft not flatly decline it. About this I was much toffed, May 20, 1698. The Lord was taking away fome that had been most helpful and encouraging, my inward perplexities grew, and I was not like to have peace in my own mind. 10. While I was in this cafe, Mr. Riddel did May 30, come to the Wemyss, and after much converfe, and many reafonings, charged me to try, and have my thoughts on my text, and then do, or stand off, as the Lord should clear duty, which I did con. fent to. II. But after this I still did shift and decline, and could not think of a compliance; and then December 28. Provost Ramfay wrote earnestly defiring me to take the charge of my lord Maitland. This put me to a stand a little, and I was inclin'd to embrace it at first; But on further confideration I was fully clear'd to reject that motion, and so I remain'd in my former ftrait, crying to the Lord frequently, that he might difcover duty. I was fully fatisfied that I behoved not to stay there, but yet was averfe from the miniftry, at leaft fo foon. But that which had well nigh turn'd me quite off, was an exprefs from my . friend and my father's, the worthy Mr. James Duncan, urging me in the most preffing terms to take the charge of my lord Duplin's Children, offering what encouragment I pleas'd; my father's deep obligation to that family, and feveral other things, carried my inclination ftrongly toward a compliance: But haying at Mr. Forrester's earneft defire, undertaken a homily in the new college, which I was to deliver next week, I took time to confider of it; and after that I had on February 28, 1699, delivered my dif courfe on Job xxviii. 28. I went to vifit my acquaintance worthy Mr. Sheils, who did urge me to enter on trials, with that gravity and concern, that had more weight on my fpirit, than all that had been spoken to me. Upon this, and other things that offered themselves to view, I was fully fatisfy'd it was duty to lay afide thoughts of Mr. Duncan's propofal. 11, The prefbytery of Kirkaldie March 16, anno 1699, urged me to try a common head, and if I was not after that clear to proceed, promis'd to leave me to my choice; whereupon I confented, and delivered it April 20, when I accepted of a text, and they offered me Pfalm cxix. 9. which I delivered May 10, and afterward the exercise and addition which I delivered before the fynod that met about Mr. Inglis's affair May 23, and thereon took a popular fermon being not a little encouraged by Mr. Sheils, who fpoke again feriously to me after fermon and exercife, which was on Rom. viii. 36. My popular fermon on Palm lxxiii. 24, which I delivered on June 22, and was licensed then, after I had gone through the ufual trials. 13. As the Lord did, by the formerly mentioned conduct of providence about me, remove my fcruples, and clear my mind; fo his countenancing me in my first appearances, not only by fupplying me for the work, but making it fuccefsful towards the awakning of fome, and comforting of others, did not a little confirm and encourage me. CHAP. L CHA P. II. On his entering on the Ministry at Ceres. Being thus licensed June 22, 1699, at Kirkaldie, I continued preaching as appointed or defired every Lord's day, for moft part, bleffed be God, not without fome countenance and success. November 23, the call of South-Leith came to me, where I had preach'd fome time before, Mr. Wishart the minifter, with feveral elders, came with it: and November 29, a call from the Eli, where I alfo had preached, was put in my hand; and much about the fame time the call of the parish of Ceres was put in my hand. I took them to confideration, and gave no manner of hopes to any; I found myfelf in a great ftrait between Leith and Ceres, and it was much the greater that both posts lay not within one province; and fo there was no judicature equally concerned in both, to whom I might fubmit; fo that I was neceffitated to make a choice myfelf. After fome endeavours with my own heart, to bring it to a willingness to clofe with either as God should clear up duty, I did fet myself to confider and ponder reafons on the one hand and the other; And for Leith the following reafons had weight. 1. The importance of the post, and confiderableness of the charge. 2. The unanimity of their call, after they had been long otherwife. 3. The Collegue was most desirable, and one from suhom I might learn much, both as to preaching and difcipline. 4. There was a confiderable number of Godly in the place. 3. I should have the advantage of living in the pres bytery bytery of Edinburgh where there is unquestionably the faireft occafion for improvement. 6. The Commiffion's interpofition on behalf of Leish by their letter of the date On the other hand, for Ceres it was of weight. 1. That the parish was confiderable, had been intirely without one of a long time, had been di'vided, and were now harmonious, whereas Leith was well fupplied of one. 2. That whereas Leith lying near Edinburgh, where they had the choice of young men, and had men of weight and activity, and interest to obtain, whom they had a mind to; it was otherwife with • Ceres. 3. Where collegues are most desirable, a collegiate life is not without fuch difficulties as should • incline one not to run into them without an evi⚫dent call. 4. I had not enjoy'd time for reading, and could not in a town, and that fo near Edinburgh, where the charge was fo great, have any time for improve. ment, which I might hope for in the country, at leaft in the winter feafon. 5. The charge was lefs than the half of Leith, and my body was but weak. 6. I found my temper foft and unmeet for managing the humours of town's people. 7. I found my best friends, whom I had reafon to respect, as defigning nothing but may good, firm of the opinion, That Ceres was the more fuitable charge.' Having weighed all, and laid the matter before the Lord as I could, I at length came to a refolution, to reject the call of Leith, and did, Fanuary 2, 1700, give it up, and close with that of Ceres, to the great difatisfaction of the minifter and people of Leith, who had been at more pains with me then I deferved. L & Being Being thus in fome measure, clear'd to accept of Ceres's call, that of the Eli making no competition, I did enter on trials, and delivered my common head de Communicatione Idiomatum, February 13. at Coupar and my exercise and addition on Galatians iii. 9. March 19, and April 16, I delivered my popular fermon on Revelation i. 6. and underwent the other parts of my private trials; and laft, on May 1, 1700, was ordain'd at Ceres, Mr. Alexander Pitcairn minifter at Kilmeny preached on Hebrews xiii. 17. and fabbath next I began my miniftry on Acts x. 29. May 5, 1700. CHA P. III: Of his management in the work of the ministry. Fter he was licensed to preach, and before he was cafions, he dedicated himself to the fervice of the Lord with earnest prayer for the fuitable endowments whereby he might be fitted for the discharge of that high truft, if it should pleafe God to call him to it. This occurs frequently in his diary whereof take an inftance or two in his own words. April 18, 1700, being the fast in order to Lefly's facrament, I rofe early in the morning; and after fome review of my former ways and ferious thoughtfulness of the defign of the prefent duty, I did in prayer pour out my foul to God, confeffing fins; and I dare not fay, but it was with fome tender fenfe of the dishonour done to God, and of the wretch'd unkindnefs that is in them to God. Original fin imputed and inherent were both heavy, and my particular evils. I did folemnly renew my engagements to the Lord, accepting of Chrift according to the gofpel-offer and terms, and did endeavour particularly to act faith on |