my

was still a possibility of their being slain. Wherefore, I humbly told the great God I would entirely depend on him as my covering in the day of battle. Accordingly, when our forces fled from before the enemy, and all took what way to go they judged most proper for their safety, I rode not through Hamilton with the rest, but went about the town, and having got over a glen, when I got to the other side of it, I espied a party of the enemy just below me, and in the very way by which I behoved to ride. I could not turn back without alarming them, and therefore rode on. My comrade was riding just before me, with his head-piece and other pieces of armour which he had provided for his safety. I saw him dismayed, and that he could not well sit his horse through slavish fear; on which, I whispered to him to go on composedly; and I went before him with my carbine over my arm, and my sword drawn in hand. The enemy came so close up to the way, and all standing under arms, that I could not ride past without touching clothes with them; on which their commander, in a threatening way, asked me the word. I had resolved not to speak, whatever they asked of this nature, because I knew not their word, and thought it would irritate them the more if I told them what was not their word. As I spoke nothing, but rode on, depending entirely on the God whom I had chosen for my covering in the day of battle, I got past them unmolested; but whenever my comrade came up, I heard the officer ask him, The word, dog; on which, through fear, he told him what was not their word, which so provoked the commander, that he struck him over the head with his broad-sword, which, by reason of my comrade's head-piece, broke in two. This so enraged the commander, that he ordered some of his men to fire, which they did, and killed him on the spot. I still stepped on without the least hurry or confusion, and they never in the least molested me. Just as I passed them, I saw Colonel Burns lying in his blood, whom they had shot a little before, so that I must own the Lord was my safety, and the covering of my head in the day of battle: he hid me as in the hollow of his hand, and set remarkable bounds to the remainder of the wrath of the enemy,

so the snare was broken, "and I escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler;" and my sure and all-sufficient help was in Jehovah's name, who made the heavens and the earth.

From this time till our happy Revolution, I was obliged, for the space of nine years, to retire and hide myself as much as possible from the rage of my persecutors; and I knowing the wrath of the enemy, and fearing, if I were taken by them, I should be tempted, through my weakness, to any sinful oaths which they contrived to ensnare souls, or be exposed to the greatest sufferings, I set apart time for prayer, and pleaded with God, that he would make out graciously to me what he had promised to do for his Church and people in days of fiery trial; and particularly would accomplish to me his great promise in 3d of the Revelation, and 10th verse: "Because thou hast keeped the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come on all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth." I pleaded the outmaking of this; and I must own, he remembered the word on which he caused me to hope, and preserved me remarkably from the enemy, as you may hear afterwards.

Some time after this, a troop of the enemy was quartered about Daily, and five of them were quartered upon my father, in Camragen. As they came to my father's house, they were informed that I was that morning come to the house, (for there were many informers in the country, who sold themselves to betray innocent blood, and that for a piece of bread.) They had told the soldiers what sort of a man I was, what clothes I had on, and what sort of hair and it was so that I had come from my hiding-place just into the house to get some refreshment. I had not sat down, neither did I resolve to sit down, when, all of a sudden, my sister and I heard a great noise before the door. We ran to the door to see what was the matter, and found three of the five dragoons, who asked, if I were the goodman of the house, or if I belonged to the family? I answered, I was not the head of the family, but I belonged to it. I expected the next question would have been, Are you his son? but the Lord restrained them from it, for his

wise ends and my safety. They told me they were to quarter with us, and dismounted, and were in a great rage. The Lord ordered it so, that neither my sister nor I were the least daunted before them. I spoke civilly to them, and told them to be calm and easy, and they should get for themselves and horses in great plenty. I offered them either straw, hay, or corn, for their horses, and took them into the garden, and made up a bundle for each of them of what they desired. I made up also one for myself. I let them take up their bundles first, and return to the stable, and I just followed; but when they entered the stable door, I skipped back and got over the garden ditch, and so escaped from them. They afterwards were in great rage at the disappointment; and when they met with my father, threatened to have him ruined for entertaining such a person as I in his house. But my father turned the chase on them, and threatened to tell their commander that they had let me go after they had me in their custody; upon which they held themselves quiet and the Lord kept me from that hour of temptation, as I had begged, and as he made me hope.

Some time after this, some of the dragoons being quartered in my father's, I was lying out by night and by day on a neighbouring hill, to which I had my meat sent me for ordinary. It fell out that the several troops which lay at Girvan and Daily were all to rendezvous, upon which, they which quartered in my father's went to meet with the rest at Girvan. I seeing them go off, came down from the hill where I used to lurk, and came with a design to get some refreshment. Whilst I was taking it, my father came in and told me he saw some dragoons coming back in great haste, and that they were just at hand, and desired me to fly for my life, and he would divert them at the entry, till I could hide me in the garden. I told him I would lie on the other side of the garden, in a blackberry-bush, till he had got them settled, and when he had done so, he might bring me an account, and I would go off. Accordingly, I went out and hid me in the bush, whilst my father helped them to lay off their furniture, for they were the dragoons which used to stay with him, and had been sent back in haste.

Before the dragoons would go into the house, they would see their horses put to the grass; and notwithstanding of all that my father could do to divert them, they would put their horses to grass that night to the place where I lay hid. Whereupon one of the dragoons seeing the blackberries, came to eat blackberries off the very bush at the root of which I lay. My father seeing him at the bush where I was, cried to him that he would poison himself, for now in harvest these berries were full of worms, and desired him to bring him a berry, in order to get him from the bush, and he would show him a worm in it. The dragoon went to him accordingly, and showed him a berry, and my father opened it, and showed him a worm in it, which is ordinary in many of them at such a time of the year; and thus he was persuaded to go into the house with the rest, and to take meat. Whenever they were set down, my father came out, as if he had been to take care the horses should not break in upon the corn, and he told me they were settled, and so I stepped off to my ordinary lurking-place upon the hills. And here again it is evident that I dwelt under the shadow of the Most High, and lay in the secret places of the Almighty, when my enemy was so nigh, and did not discover me: and I may say, that "in the mount the Lord was seen;" and may call the name of that bush, Jehovah-Jireh, for there he was seen to appear for me; for not only did he put a covering on my head in the day of battle, but now again when in great danger, he did not enclose me in the enemy's hand.

Some time after this, having entered into a married state, my father had made a secret place in his haystack, where I stayed a whole winter by night, and some part of the seed-time, when my wife was not with me; sometimes a friend in like circumstances with myself would come and stay a night, for there was room under the stack for two, and this was my secret chamber for the time above-mentioned, and a very cold one too, notwithstanding of all the hay that was about us. One morning, when my wife was with me, she got up and went out at the little hole we had to get out at, and she stapped [stuffed] the bundle of hay in which was our door; as

she stood in the garden, all of a sudden she observed four men hard at hand; she stepped back, and stooped as if she had been drawing hay, and whispered to me that I should keep close, for she saw some of the enemy: within a little one of them struck her on the back with the side of his sword, and told her she was their prisoner, on which they took my wife and sister to prison, for no other reason alleged against them but that they would not hear the curate, which they had no freedom in their conscience to do, considering they came not in by the door, but were blind guides forced upon us by the prelates, and very immoral for the most part too. For this they were carried to Maybole and put in prison, where they lay some days, till a party of friends got them out by night. As for the four men who took them, three of the men were as common beggars served by my wife afterwards at her door, and the fourth man's wife, also, when we lived to see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, and lived to see our spoilers in straits, and we were provided for in plenty, and so able and ready to feed our enemies. Now here I also remark the kindness of God that suffered not these men who took my wife to see her just coming out of the stack, for had they done so, I had either been apprehended, or been obliged to shed their blood, in which I had no pleasure.

Some time after this, the kind providence of God had provided a nursing for my wife in Craigdarroch, Ferguson, in Nithsdale, where she stayed till the Revolution, and by this the Lord opened a door for my safety and comfort, for I was for the most part well entertained there, though I was kept hid in the house, none knowing I was there but the good lady and my wife; for so dangerous were these times, that kindness could not be shown to one in my circumstances without endangering the family that did it, in case it were known. So enraged were the prelates against those who would not comply with the inventions of men. Now my wife hav

ing gone to nurse there, some months after I left Carrick to go and see my wife, but not knowing the way, I got a lad who had been in that country to be my guide. Accordingly we set off, but durst not keep the common road for fear of the enemy, it being now like