intimate to me, that I would certainly be transported by the commiffion. This damped me exceedingly, judging them to be fuch as might know the minds of the leading men there and this damp continued long with me at home.

July 13. This day having spent fome time in prayer about the affair of Closeburn, I found my heart was much quieted, in that I was confcious to myself, that, whatever my averfion thereto is, I would be ready to put the knife to the throat of my inclinations, if the Lord fhould difcover his mind in favour thereof, though no fuch thing as yet appears. I found alfo a serious concern in my fpirit to be guided of the Lord in it; even of him who leads the blind in the way they know not, and to whom all his works are known from the beginning; feeing myself in hazard of falling into fome piece of mifmanagement that afterwards may prove a fnare. And for this in particular I put myself in the Lord's hand.

On Thurfday Aug. 15. the affair of Clofeburn came before the commiffion, for final decifion. Much dealing there was with the members, by both parties. The fpeat ran high for he transportation, when we came to town; but by dealing with members it was fomewhat abated. Advocates were employed on both fides: but after reading of papers, and hearing of parties and their counfel on both fides, when we were to be removed, I did with great affection, being in deep concern, deliver before them, from a paper I had prepared, befides my answers to the reafons of tranfportations, a fpeech, the tenor whereof, as fetting my cafe and circumftances in due light, here follows.

<Moderator,

It is with the utmost concern I fee myself fifted before the Rev. Commiffion of the General Affembly, in a procefs for tranfporting me to the parish of Clofeburn; having fometimes hoped, that fuch an obfcure perfon as I might have finished his courfe and ministry, without being heard, in fuch a judicatory, at least on fuch an occafion. But fince, by an excefs of charity towards me, in the Honourable perfons and Rev. minifters concerned in the call of Clofeburn, whofe undeferved refpect I fhall always be fenfible of, this appearance is forced upon me; my hearty concern for the good of the parish of Etterick, which is very dear to me, for the true intereft of the parish of Clofe

burn,

burn, and for my own welfare, obliges me, freely to speak, before you, the thoughts of my heart, in this affair; refolving rather to run the risk of being accounted imprudent, than to mince the matter fo as the caufe may fuffer, wherein I judge the intereft of the gofpel, and my comfort, lie fo much at stake. And if any thing fhall, in my difcourfe, be fet in the light which otherwife fhould have been veiled with filence, I humbly beg the Rev. Commiffion, thofe of mine own parith, and the purfuers, will only impute it, as it ought to be, to the extreme neceffity I am reduced to, for my own defence, in which I am not indifferent, but in earnest.

Moderator, When I confider how hard my work has been, in the parish of Etterick, by reafon of the divifive temper which has prevailed in that place, it fills me with confufion and terror, to think I am in hazard of being thrown into a far hotter flame. I own God is just in it; but I hope for compaffion from him, to whom the quarrel is open and manifeft; and I expect it alfo from his fervants, to whom the cause of this is not certainly known. I enjoyed the fruits of peace, for fome years, elsewhere; otherwife perhaps the want of it had not been so bitter ta me: but fince that time, my eyes have seen but little of it. I have ftood as in a pafs, for the space of ten years; and poffibly if I had had lefs trouble, others had got more. Had I been fo happy as to have seen the breach in the parish of Etterick healed, there had been fome appearance of reason, in putting me on new work of that kind; for then would I have had hope of fuccefs. But it is not fo. I have faid in my anfwers, that the breaches in the parifh of Etterick are ftill as wide as they were that day I came first among them but, what is truth, now neceffary to be difcovered, they are indeed far wider. The Old Diffenters whom I found there at my coming, continue as they were, having loft none of their number, but one, who, being educated in that way, left it about a year ago. But I have loft many, who, breaking off from under my miniftry, have feparated themselves from the communion of this church. This deferting of my miniftry began, not long after I was fettled in that place and while I was grappling with these difficulties, it pleased the Lord, in his holy, wife providence, for my further trial, to remove by death, and othewife, several of the eldership. And though, for feveral years, I made attempts again and again, to get the fef

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fion fupplied; yet could I not prevail to get a competent number of elders, till about a year ago. And I am perfuaded I had not obtained it at that time neither, but that, no end of the deferting humour appearing, and finding the misled perfons, time after time, confirmed in their prejudices, by abfenting from the ordinances, a confider able fpace before I knew that they were led afide, I was like to fink under my burden; which I difcovered to fome; whofe hearts were at length moved with compaffion, and otherwise, to take part with me and the reft, in the Lord's work in the congregation; whereby my heart has been encouraged, and my hands ftrengthened. And now that I have obtained this, muft I fee I have obtained it, only to the end I might leave them? that I have tafted of the comfortable fruits thereof, only that by the plucking them from my mouth, my being condemned unto my former uncomfortable work might be made more bitter? Muft I be obliged to leave that congregation, just when, by the good hand of God upon me, I am put in a capacity to be more ferviceable among them than ever I was all the nine years preceding?

Although I cannot own this change in the state of the parith of Etterick to be owing to the ftruggle made for this tranfportation, fince it was begun ere the leaft motion was made in that affair; yet it is evident, the congregation of Etterick in the communion of this church, have all along, in the progrefs of that bufinefs, cordially adhered to me, and exerted their utmost endeavours for my continuance among them; and that there is no removing of me out of that parifh, but by renting me from them which I hope may be admitted as an evidence, that my labours have not been altogether in vain there. I beg the Very Reverend Commiffion to confider, what will be the confequences of renting me, by this transportation, from that congregation. The defolating of that parish, which lies at fuch a diftance from neighbour-kirks, as has been reprefented; and that in a mountainous country, which it is hard to travel to or from in the winter-feafon, as appears from their not having one fermon in their church for eight or nine Sabbaths fucceffively, in time of their laft vacancy; the defolating, I fay, of that parish in fuch circumftances, would challenge the ferious regard of our Reverend judges, though both they and I were indifferent in the matter of this tranfportation. But fince it is far o

therwife

therwise, on their part, as well as on mine, how can I think on their cafe, as left irritated, both heritors and people?

Moderator, I was planted in that parifh under a great disadvantage, with refpect to most of the Honourable perfons, heritors of it; yet now it is quite againft their mind that I be removed. And I doubt they think themselves but harshly treated by the judicatories of this church, if my removal from, and my fettlement in, that parish, be fo much of a piece as this tranfportation will make them. And as there is very little hope, that they and the people will agree in the choice of another minifter, fo it is hardly to be expected, but that the manner of my fettlement in that parish will be remembered, on another fuch occafion, to the prejudice of the intereft of the gospel there, and I fear (not without ground) to a more public prejudice. What fhall become of the irritated people, bereaved of their paftor, to whofe ministry, by the good hand of God, they have adhered, notwithstanding of their manifold temptations to defert it, and the communion of this church? How will the fcorn of their deferting neighbours work on their paffions? Can any who know the circumftances of that country, obtain it of themfelves to think, that fuch a fair occafion for promoting the fchifm there will be neglected? Will not thofe who have kept their meetings feveral times within the bounds of the parifh fince I was fettled there, return again to the church-yard, where they have met in the time of the laft vacancy? The parish of Etterick is almoft quite furrounded with neighbouring parithes, notably broken, as well as they are themselves; in one of which, Efkdalemoor, feparatifts of different factions have their diftinct parties, and their meetings one after another and fome of my congregation are almost as near to a church, which the prefbytery has feldom, if ever, accefs to, viz. Wamphray, as they are to their own church. I am loth to be more particular on this head; I with the Reverend Commiffion may in due time inquire further into the state of that country. But from what is faid it appears, that the parish of Etterick, lying in the center, is, by this tranfportation, threatened to be made the very feat of feparation in that country.

Moderator, The parish of Clofeburn is fo confiderable, numerous, and divided, that it is a burden quite too heavy for me, and requires a minifter endued with quali fications

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fications I cannot pretend to, and withal of another fpirit than I am; being very unfit, on many accounts, to appear in the world in any fuch poft, even though it were an unanimous parish. But as it is a parifh notably divided, I am ftill the more unfit for it. I have had too much acquaintance with myfelf, in the management of the parith of Etterick, to think I am fit to undertake the charge of the parish of Clofeburn, wherein (I am perfuaded) the work of the gospel would egregiously fuffer in my hands. I know, that little ftrefs is fometimes put upon profeflions, of this nature; but I do ingenuoufly declare, that, in my moft retired thoughts of this tranfportation, the difadvantages I find I labour under from myfelf, in managing my work in the congregation I am fet over, do fo ftare me in the face, that I cannot encourage this defign, without a witness against me in my own bofom, teftifying I fhould be injurious to the parish of Clofeburn, in accepting their call, which I plainly perceive has proceeded on a mistake concerning me. For though it has pleafed the Lord fometimes to make my preaching-gift acceptable to his people; yet it is well known to thofe of my acquaintaince, i labour under fome uncommon difadvantages, which render me unfit for fuch a post.

Befides, Moderator, I have ferioufly confidered the matter of this transportation again and again, and I can have no other apprehenfion of it, but that it will be a renting of me from a congregation whofe hearts are pierced with the thoughts of my removal from them, and a throwing me undefired into another. I am convinced, that upon whatever views that parith made choice of me to be their minifter, when they figned their call to me, matters are now fo far altered, that had fome things, with relation to the parish of Etterick and to myfelf, which in the progrefs of this affair have manifeftly appeared, to the conviction of all unbiaffed perfons, been believed before this procefs was commenced, they had not proceeded therein. And whatever reason the purfuers may have to go on, fince they have begun, I hope our Very Reverend Judges will find themfelves obliged to determine as the prefent ftate of affairs requires. Several perfons, commiflioners from the parish of Clofeburn, at different times, have had the trouble of feveral long journies in this affair, which I am heartily forry for. And I freely own, that Sir Thomas Kirkpatrick, and another of that parith,

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have