the days of Jael, when the highways were unoccupied, and no peace to honest people when they went out or when they came in. Being obliged, then, to go by the mountains, there came on a frightful mist and fog, so that we wandered in a desert and pathless way, and knew not whither we were going. I told my guide that we were surely wandering, and therefore I would sit down and pray, as I usually did and do when in such a case. Before I prayed I sung some verses of the 107th Psalm, about the redeemed of the Lord, their wandering in a pathless way, and how they cried to God, and were by him brought to a city of habitation; having sung some verses I went to prayer, and was so burthened with Zion's distress, that I forgot to beg of God to remove the mist, and lead us in a right way. I considered that the Church of glorious Christ in this land was like sheep without a faithful shepherd, and scattered on the mountains in the dark and cloudy day; for our pastors who were careful of the flock of Christ, many of them were banished, others of them executed, and the rest durst not be seen. All this made me hang my harp upon the willows, when I remembered Edom's children, that were crying out, Raze, raze Zion to the foundations. I was much enlarged both in my mourning and supplications for Zion, which was now afflicted and not comforted, and helped to wrestle with Zion's God, that now when of all the sons that Zion had brought forth, there were few shut up or left, or like to take Zion by the hand, therefore the Lord himself would yet build up Zion, and that he would not forget the prayer of the destitute, nor let the expectation of the poor fail for evermore. Before I had done, the Lord had carried off the mist, so that we saw we had wandered, and afterwards were directed into the right way; and as the Hearer of prayer did prepare my heart to lift up a prayer for the remnant that was left, so he inclined his ear also to hear, for not long after the Lord brought back our captivity, and Zion again was built up by the mighty God, and since our happy Revolution, I have seen Jerusalem a quiet habitation, because the Lord has regarded the prayer of the destitute, and not despised their prayer. "This shall be written for the generation

to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord."

way

About a year and four months after this, I carried my daughter Elizabeth to Craigdarroch, my wife being dry nurse there; the lady had desired me to bring my child to stay in her house, and be company to her child, which was about the same age-my child was then about two years old and a quarter. I got a horse and a woman to carry the child, and came to the same mountain, where I wandered by the mist before; it is commonly known by the name of Kells-rhins: when we came to go up the mountain, there came on a great rain, which as we thought was the occasion of the child's weeping, and she wept so bitterly, that all we could do could not divert her from it, so that she was ready to burst. When we got to the top of the mountain, where the Lord had been formerly kind to my soul in prayer, and showed me the where I was to go, I looked round me for a stone, and espying one, I went and brought it. When the woman with me saw me set down the stone, she smiled, and asked what I was going to do with it. I told her I was going to set it up as my Ebenezer, because hitherto and in that place the Lord had formerly helped, and I hoped would yet help. The rain still continuing, and the child weeping bitterly, I went to prayer, and no sooner did I cry to God, but the child gave over weeping, and when we got up from prayer, the rain was pouring down on every side, but in the way where we were to go there fell not one drop, the place not rained on was as big as an ordinary avenue; and so we went on our way rejoicing, the child well pleased, and we wondering at the goodness of God, who kept us and the child dry, whilst it continued for a considerable time to pour down on each side of the way.

After this some time, whilst I was kept hid in Craigdarroch, my ordinary was to go out some nights to walk in the fields, to get fresh air, and having been there a considerable time, my shoes failed me in a strange part of the land; my wife and I durst not let this be known to any, lest it had made a discovery of me, not knowing there who were our friends or who our foes, and we could

not tell the case well to the lady, who knew I was about the house, lest she might think I was expecting them from her; therefore not being able to want shoes when frequently wandering out in the night, I at length betook myself to prayer, and begged humbly of God he would direct as to this, and that he would order my being provided for with shoes in a way that would not endanger either me or the family that was so kind to me. After three days I got a pair of shoes sent to me from my wife's brother, who lived at that time about thirty miles from the place where I was, and knew nothing of my wanting shoes; when I had occasion some months after to see him, I inquired what moved him to send me a pair of new shoes; he told me, that being in Ayr one day, he was strongly impressed to do it, and therefore bought them, and in providence got one going to the country where I was, which he knew not of when he bought them, and therefore had sent them to my wife, who could give them to me with safety. I inquired at him when he was thus moved to buy them; he said it was the very day on which I had prayed for them, as I understood when he told me the day he bought them, yea, he was moved to this about the very time when I had been in prayer to God, who hath said, “Be careful in nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication make your request known to God, with thanksgiving."

Some time after this, whilst I stayed at Craigdarroch, they had a child about three quarters old to whom my wife gave suck, who fell into a violent fever, which threatened to take away his life in every one's apprehension that saw him; upon which the lady desired I might see him, and this could not be done lest I should be discovered, till all in the family were in bed, excepting an old Christian woman a neighbour, and my wife, who were to sit up with the child; wherefore I came about midnight and looked a little on the child, who was in great trouble, that mine eyes might affect my heart. Having thus viewed him for some time, I went out to the garden to beg his life from God; I went to the upper end of a long walk where there was a summer-house or seat with a hedge about it, and there I choose to call upon God. When I had for some

time earnestly pleaded for the child's life, the terror of Satan fell upon me in such a way, that I immediately concluded the enemy was at hand, and wanted to fright me from my prayers, (for I was not ignorant of his devices;) wherefore I resolved I would continue in the duty; on my doing so, I heard a voice just before me on the other side of the hedge, and it seemed to be like the groaning of an aged man; it continued so some time. I knew no man could be there, for on the other side of the hedge where I heard the groaning was a great stank or pool. I nothing doubted but it was Satan, and I guessed his design, but still I went on to beg the child's life. At length he roared and made a noise like a bull, and that very loud; from all this I concluded that I had been provoking God some way or other in the duty, and that he was angry with me, and had let the enemy loose on me, and might give him leave to tear me in pieces; this made me entreat of God to show me wherefore he contended, and begged he would rebuke Satan. The enemy continued to make a noise like a bull, and seemed to be coming about the hedge towards the door of the summer-seat, bellowing as he came along; upon which I got up from my knees, and turned my face towards the way I thought the enemy was coming, and looked to God still that he might rebuke him; after that he made a noise just like a mastiff dog in great trouble, this was not so terrible to me as the other. I got some courage, and having my stick in my hand, I resolved to stand still to see if he appeared to me in any shape, but instead of that he went past into a place hard by full of nettles, and there groaned as formerly. I heard him very distinctly and composedly, yet I thought I would go in and think what could be the meaning of this dispensation. Accordingly, I came in and whispered to my wife, that I had been somewhat affrighted; the old Christian woman that sat by overhearing, drew a bow at a venture, and pierced between the joints of the harness, telling me to take care lest I had provoked God by the want of submission, and being too much set upon the child's being spared. No sooner had she spoke thus, but I was convinced of my fault, yet could not think of the child's dying. I

inclined once more to venture out, yea, tried it a second time, but Satan, I then thought, was just ready to devour me, so that I saw God would go on to contend if I would not learn submission as to the child's life. Upon which I looked up to God, and begged he would rebuke Satan, and allow me to go and pray for the child's eternal salvation, and I would not any more beg his life, but leave that to his sovereign pleasure. No sooner had I done this than I went out with a holy boldness, and had not the least trouble from Satan any more at that time.

That which made it so difficult to me to submit to his death was the thoughts of the comfortable accommodation we had in the family, my wife being the child's nurse, which we might come to want if the child had died. Thus my carnal reasonings and distrusting that Providence which had wonderfully appeared for us formerly did much provoke God, so as to let loose the enemy, but whenever I got thorough submission, as I said, I went to the summer-seat where I had been before, and there I begged for eternal salvation to the child, and was wonderfully enlarged and persuaded that he should share in the great salvation, and as I had promised, so I sought not his life, but left it entirely to God's will. When I had spent a considerable time in prayer, I came away rejoicing that I had got such good hope concerning the child's eternal happiness. When I came in, I went to see how the child was, and he was as ill as ever, but immediately he gave a sneeze, and purged, and in a minute was as free of a fever as ever he was; his recovery being so sudden was very surprising, and much of God I saw in the dispensation, whilst I mainly set on the child's life, he sent the enemy to chase me as it were from the throne of grace, but whenever the Lord let me see my sin, and helped to due submission, then I got to the throne of grace, and was brought near to his seat, and had my mouth filled with arguments, and was allowed to plead with God as a man does with his friend; yea, I was only set on the child's eternal salvation, [and] he not only persuaded me he would grant it, but he gave his natural life over and above, and he yet lives in Craigdarroch, and may he still live so as to find mercy in the day