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fmote himself with fore fickness, of which he died, and went to his place.

Immediately after he was thus perfecuted, that choice and pious gentleman, the fole heretor of the faid parifh, who was one among a thoufand in fuch an evil time, and afterward fuffered much for non-conformity, gave him a houfe to dwell in at Duplin, befide himfelf, was his ordinary hearer, and, while he lived, fhewed no fmall kindness to him, which deferves a thankful rememberance from his relations.

His father never repented his faithfulness in adhering to the covenanted work of reformation, but rejoiced that he had been honoured to fuffer on that account; and when he fell asleep in the Lord, in the year 1682, in the 55 year of his age, he died in the faith of this, that God would deliver this church from the then fore perfecution it was under.

His mother was daughter to Mr. Andrew Playfere, the first minifter of Aberdalgy parifh after the reformation from Popery, to whom her husband fucceeded a little before the restoration of Prelacy. She was allied to fome of the beft families in the kingdom, by the mother; of which here I fhall forbear a particular account: but, which was their far greater glory, both of them from their youth up, were truly religious.

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His mother excelled many of her own sex for knowlege of the principles of religion,

and

and an uncommon memory of the fcriptures; The would have exactly repeated many of: the choiceft chapters of the bible.

They had a numerous family, no less. than eleven children, and very fickly; all of them died young, except their eldest: daughter Janet, and this their fon Mr. Tho mas; but to fweeten these trials, they had peculiar comfort in the death of their chil dren; fome, even of the youngest of them, gave fingular evidences of their dying in the Lord, which fome yet alive well mind.

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When his father died, he was happy to be under the care of fuch a mother: the epifcopal perfecution for non-conformity daily growing, fhe, with her fon in-law, and daughter, were forced, for their fafety, to withdraw to Holland, took him along with them while he was very young: he quickly learn ed the Dutch, and went to Erafmus' fchool to learn the Latin: there they fojourned tilk Auguft 1687, at which time they returned home, narrowly efcaping fhipwrack.

At their return, he went to the fchool, and afterwards to the university, where he made great proficiency beyond many of his équals. When he had finifhed his courfe there, he entered chaplain to a noble family, where one that had been his fchool-fel; low, and had drunk in the principles of the Deifts, began to attack him on that fide, which obliged him, in the beginning of his a 3 ftudies,

ftudies, to read that controverfy carefully; and what progress he made in this, will ap pear from his book against the Dents. He could not attend leffons of divinity in any of our colleges, while in that family; and tho' he had read divinity only two years, the presbytery of Kirkaldic importuned him to enter on trials, and he was licensed by them to preach, June 22d, 1699.

He was fettled minifter in Ceres parish, May ift, 1700.

In 1701, he was married with Janet Watson, a virtuous and pious gentlewoman, daughter to Mr. David Watson, an heretor in the parish of St. Andrews, a zealous good man, and one that fuffered much in the late times for non-conformity. His relict furvived him, with fix children, one fon, and five daughters, beside two fons and a daughter that died.

Some few years after his fettlement at Ceres, his health broke, and his indifpofition daily increased, fo that he was hardly able to go through his ministerial work in that large parish.

In April 1710, having received a patent from her majesty, and an invitation from the presbytery, he was tranfported by the fynod of Fife, to be profeffor of divinity in the New College of St. Andrew's.

Being admitted profeffor, he enjoyed not much found health in the exercife of that office; for in the beginning of April 1711,

he

he was fuddenly feized with a dangerous ficknefs and pleurify, which obliged the phyfi cians, at feveral times, to take from him a bout 44 ounces of blood: he recovered and went abroad again, but his wafted body never attained the small strength he had before this sickness: fhortly after his arms and legs became a little benummed and infenfible, as alfo fwelled, which, at his death, increased greatly.

To his fucceffor in the parifh he was tranf ported from, he said, "I have this to fay, as to my congregation, That people were my choife with much peace and pleasure "I preached as I could, though not as I

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fhould, the gospel of Jefus Chrift; though "in all things I own myself to have finned "exceedingly before the Lord; yet I have peace, that I aimed, with concern, at leading them to the Lord Jefus; and another foundation can no man lay. I hope you "will build on that fame foundation: and

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as you will in that way fave your own "foul, fo it is the way to fave them that "hear you. From experience I can fay, "That the purfuing this fincerely is the

way to falvation. Signify to them, That "if it please the Lord to take me away, I die rejoicing in the faith and profeffion of "what I oft preached to them under a low ftate of body; and without this I could have no relief. I would have my folk

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"understand, That that gofpel which I re"commended to them, if it is not received, "it will be a witness against them." His fucceffor faid, "I am perfuaded you "have feals to your miniftry in that parish." He answered, "We are like our mafter, "fet for the fall and rifing again of many.

Though we can reach no more, if we are "faithful, they shall know that a prophet has "been among them."

When he was defired to ly quiet, and try if he could get reft, he answered, "No, no: "fhould I ly here altogether useless? should "not I fpend the last bit of my ftrength to

fhew forth his glory." He held up his hands and faid," Lame hands and lame legs, "but fee a lame man leaping and rejoicing."

Finding himself very low, he took farewel of his wife and children, faluting them all one by one, and fpoke particularly to each of them. Then he faid, "A kind and affectionate wife 66 you have been to me, the Lord bless you, " and he fhall blefs you. I am no more thine, "I am the Lord's. I remember on the day I "took you by the hand, I thought on parting with you; but, O! I wift not how to get my heart off you again, but now I

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got it done. Will not you give me to the "Lord, my dear?" Then feeing her very fad, he faid, My dear, do not weep; you

fhould rather rejoice: Rejoice with me,

"and let us exalt his name together. O wait

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