tor, I thought to have been dissolved ere now. The minister said, weary not of the Lord's yoke, Jesus Christ is posting fast to be at you he is within a few miles. He answered, This is my infirmity. I will wait on, he is worth the on-waiting; though he be long in coming, yet I dare say he is coming, leaping over the mountains, and skipping over the hills. The minister said, Some have gotten their fill of Christ in this life, howbeit he is often under a mask to his own. Even his best saints, Job, David, Jeremiah, &c. were under desertions. My Lord said, But what are these examples to me? I am not in holiness near to them. The minister said, It is true, you cannot take so wide steps as they did, but you are in the same way with them. A young child followeth his father at the back, though he cannot take such wide steps as he. My Lord, your hunger overcometh your faith, only but believe his word; you are longing for Christ, only believe he is faithful, and will come quickly. To which he answered, I think it is time-Lord Jesus, come.

Then the minister said, My Lord our nature is anxious for our own deliverance; whereas God seeketh first to be glorified in our faith, patience, and hope. He answered, Good reason to be first served. Lord, give me to wait on; only, Lord, turn me not to dross.

Another said, Cast back your eyes, my Lord, on what you have received, and be thankful.-At the hearing of which he brake forth in praising of God; and finding himself now weak, and his speech failing more than an hour before his death, he desired the minister to pray. After prayer, the minister cried in his ear, "My Lord, can you now sunder with Christ?" To which he returned no answer, nor was it expected he would speak any more:-Yet in a little the minister asked, Have you any sense of the Lord's love?-He answered, I have. The minister said, Do you now enjoy? He answered, I do enjoy. Thereafter he asked him, Will ye not sunder with Christ?-He answered, By no means. This was his last word, not being able to speak any more.-The minister asked, if he should pray; and he turned his eyes towards him. In the time of the last prayer, he was observed joyfully smiling and looking upward. He departed this life about sun-setting, September 12, 1634, aged thirty-five years. It was observed, that he died at the same instant that the minister concluded his prayer.

Mr. Rutherford, in one of his letters to the Viscountess of Kenmuir, a little after the death of her husband, to comfort her, among other things, lets fall this expression, "In this late visitation, that hath befallen your Ladyship, ye have seen God's love and care in such a measure, that I thought our Lord brake the sharp point of the cross, and made us and your Ladyship see Christ take possession and infeftment upon earth, of him who is now reigning and triumphing with the hundred and forty and four thousand who stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion," &c.

Some may object, what did this nobleman for the cause of Christ, or Scotland's covenanted work of reformation, that he should be inserted among the Scots Worthies? To this it may be answered, What did the most eminent saint that ever was in Scotland, or any where else, until they were enabled by the grace of God? So it was with reference to him; for no sooner was he made partaker of this, than he gave a most ample and faithful testimony for his truths and interest; and, although the Lord did not see it proper, that he should serve him after this manner, in his day and generation; yet he no doubt accepted of the will for the deed; and why should we not enrol his name among these Worthies on earth, seeing he hath written his name among the living in Jerusalem.

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MR. ROBERT CUNNINGHAM.

AFTER Mr. Robert Cunnigham had received a good education, he be came chaplain to the Duke of Buccleugh's regiment in Holland, and was afterwards settled minister at Holywood in Ireland, some time before Mr. Blair was settled at Bangor, and with whom Mr. Blair, after his settlement in that place, contracted such an acquaintance as was comfortable to them both.

He applied himself close unto the work of the ministry, which no doubt to him was the most desirable of all employments, being in the pulpit in his own element, like a fish in the water, or bird in the air, always judging that therein a Christian might enjoy much fellowship with Christ, and have an opportunity of doing him the best of services, considering what Christ said to Peter, John xxi. 15, &c. Lovest thou me more than these?-feed my lambs-feed my sheep.

Here he continued to exercise his office as a faithful pastor over the flock to whom he was appointed overseer, until the time that several of his faithful brethren were deposed and ejected by the bishops; at which time the Bishop of Down threatened Mr. Blair with a prosecution against him, Mr. Cunnigham, and some others; to whom Mr. Blair said, "Ye may do with me and some others as you please; but if ever ye meddle with Mr. Cunningham, your cup will be full: and indeed he was longer spared than any of the rest; which was a great benefit to their flocks, for when they were deposed, he preached every week in one or other of their kirks. So with great pains, both at home and abroad, he wore out his body, which before was not very strong.

When Mr. Blair and Mr. Livingstone were summoned before the Bis hop to be deposed, they went the night before his appearance, to take their leave of Mr. Cunningham; but the next day, as they were going to the church of Parphilips, he came up to them; whereat being surprised, they asked, why he came thither? To which he answered, "All night I have been troubled with that place; at my first answer no man stood with me; therefore I am come to stand by you." But being the eye-sore of the devil, and the Prelatical clergy in that part of the country, he could not be suffered long to exercise his ministry; and in August 1636, he, with other of his faithful brethren, was thrust out and deposed. He continued mostly after this with the rest of his suffering brethren, until after the defeat of their enterprise to New England, that they were obliged to leave Ireland, and come over to Scotland; and not long after he took his last sickness in Irvine, whereof he soon after died.

During his sickness, besides many other gracious expressions, he said, "I see Christ standing over death's head, saying, Deal warily with my servant, loose thou this pin, then that pin, for his tabernacle must be set up again."

The day before his death, the members of the presbytery of Irvine made him a visit, whom he exhorted to be faithful to Christ and his cause; and to oppose the service-book, then pressed upon the church.

The Bishop," said he, "hath taken my ministry from me, and I may say, my life also, for my ministry is dearer to me than my life." A little before his departure, his wife sitting by his bed-side, with his hand in hers, he did by prayer recommend the whole church of Ireland, the parish of

Holywood, his suffering brethren in the ministry, and his children, to God; and withal added, "Lord, I recommend this gentlewoman to thee, who is no more my wife ;-and with that he softly loosed his hand from hers, and thrust it a little from him; at which she and several of the company fell a-weeping; he endeavoured to comfort them with scveral gracious expressions, and, with the Lord's servant of old, mentioned Acts xiii. 6. Having served his own generation, by the will of God he fell on sleep, March 27, 1637.

Mr. Cunningham was a man mostly under deep exercises of mind, and although in public preaching he was, to his own sense, sometimes not so assisted as ordinary, yet even then the matter he treated of was edifying and refreshing, being still carried through with a full gale, using more piercing expressions than many others. For meekness he was another Moses, and in patience another Job;-To my discerning, (says one of our Scots Worthies,*) he was the nan who most resembled the meekness of Jesus Christ in all his carriage, that ever I saw; and was so far reverenced of all, even by the wicked, that he was often troubled with that scripture, Wo to you when all men speak well of you."

MR. JAMES MITCHELL.

He was son to James Mitchell of Dykes, in the parish of Ardrossan, and was born about the year 1621. His father, being factor to the Earl of Eglington, and a very religious man himself, gave his son a most liberal and religious education. For being sent to the university of St. Andrews when very young, he profited to such a degree, that by the time he was eighteen years of age, he was made master of arts.

After this he returned home to his father's house, where he studied for near two years and a half, the Lord in a good measure blessing his pains and endeavours therein. Mr. Robert Bailie, then minister at Kilwinning, shewed him no small kindness, by the loan of his books, by his counsel, and by superintending his studies.

Thereafter, he was called by the Lady Houston, to attend her eldest son at the college, in which employment he continued other two years and a half; in the which time the Lord blessed his studies there exceedingly; and the great pains taken upon him by Mr. David Dickson, then professor of the university of Glasgow, Mr. Bailie, and others, had such a blessing from heaven, that he passed both his private and public trials, in order for the ministry, to their great contentment.

After he was licensed, he came west and preached in Kilwinning and Stevenson, to the satisfaction of all who heard him; so that they blessed God in his behalf, and were very hopeful of his great abilities.

But before Martinmas 1643, he went back to Glasgow, where he both attended his studies and his pupil. He preached some few times in Glasgow, wherewith all those who loved Christ, and his cause and gospel, were exceedingly well pleased. At this time, Mr. Dickson, Mr. Bailie, and Mr. Robert Ramsay, having great hopes of his gifts in preaching, told his father, that he had great reason to bless God for the gifte

Mr. Livingstone, in his Memorable Characteristics

and graces bestowed upon him, above all their expectation; for, besides these, the Lord had taken him truly by the heart, and wrought graciously with his soul. He had given himself entirely up to prayer, and the study of the word of God; and reading thereof, was now become his delight.

But, the Lord having other thoughts concerning him, in a short time all their great expectations of him in the ministry were frustrated: For, by his extreme abstinence, drinking of water, and indefatigabie pains, he contracted that sickness of which he died soon after. His body began to languish, his stomach to refuse all sort of meat, and his constitution to alter. Mr. Dickson laid his condition much to heart, (Mr. Bailie being at London,) and kept him fifteen days with him; thereafter he went to Houston, and staid as long there, where the Lady and her daughter shewed more love and kindness than can be expressed, and that not only for the care he had for her son; but also, for the rare gifts and graces God had bestowed on him. His father having sent for him, he returned home. The first night on his journey, he was with Ralston; and the Laird of Ducathall, being there occasionally, attended him all the rest of the way homeward; for not being able to ride two miles together, he behoved to go into a house to rest himself for an hour: such was his weakly condition.

After his arrival at home, he put on his clothes every day, for fifteen days, and after that lay bedfast for ten weeks, until the day of his death; during which time the Lord was very merciful and gracious to him, both in an external and internal way. For his body, by degrees daily languished, till he became like a skeleton; and yet his face remained ever pleasant, beautiful, and well coloured, even to his last.

The last five or six weeks he lived, there were always three or four and sometimes more, waiting on him; yet they never had occasion to weary of him; but were rather refreshed with every day's continuance, by the many wise, sweet, and gracious discourses, which proceeded out of his mouth.

In the time of his sickness, the Lord was graciously pleased to guard his mind and heart from the malice of Satan, so that his peace and confidence in God was not much disturbed; or if the Lord was pleas ed to suffer any little assault, it soon evanished. His feeling and sense was not frequent nor great, but his faith and confidence in God, through Jesus Christ, was ever strong, which he told his father divers times was more sure and solid than the other. He said, that the Lord, before his sickness, had made fast work with him about the matters of his soul, and that before that he had been under sore exercises of mind, by the sense of his own guiltiness for a long time, before ever he had solid clear confidence; and often said, "Unworthy I, and naughty I, am free. ly beloved of the Lord, and the Lord knows, my soul dearly loves him back again." And the Lord knew his weakness to encounter with a temptation, and so out of tender compassion thus pitied him.

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He was also possessed of all manner of patience and submission under all his sore trouble, and never was heard to murmur in the least, but often thought his Master's time well worth the waiting on, and was frequently much refreshed with the seeing and hearing of honest and gracious neighbours, who came to visit him: so that he had little reason, with Heman, to complain, Psal. lxxxviii. 18. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

Among other of his gracious discoveries, he declaimed much against

imprudent speaking, wishing it might be amended, especially in young scholars and young ministers, as being but the froth and vanity of the foolish mind. Among other things, he lamented the pride of many young preachers and students, by usurping priority of place, &c. which became them not; and exclaimed frequently against himself for his own practice; yet he said he was in the strength of God brought to mortify the same. He frequently exhorted his parents to carry themselves to one another as the word of God required, and above all things to fear God, and delight in his word; and often said, that he dearly loved the book of God, and sought them to be earnest in prayer, shewing that it was an unknown thing, and a thing of another world, and that the influence of prayer behoved to come out of heaven; therefore the spirit of supplication must be wrestled for, or else all prayer would be but lifeless and natural; and said, that being once with Lady Houston and some country gendemen at Bagles, the spirit of prayer and supplication was poured upon him, in such a powerful and lively manner, two several days before they went to dinner, that all present were much affected, and shed tears in abundance; and yet at night he found himself so emptied and dead, that he durst not adventure to pray any at all these two nights, but went to bed, and was much vexed and cast down, none knowing the reason.— By this he was from that time convinced, that the dispensation and influence of spirtual and lively prayer came only from heaven, and from -no natural abilities that were in man.

The Laird of Cunningham coming to visit him, as he did frequently, he enumerated all the remarkable passages of God's goodness and providence to him, especially since he contracted sickness, as in shewing infinite mercies to his soul, tender compassion towards his body and natural spirits, patience and submission to his will without grudging, calmness of spirit without passion, solid and constant peace within and without, &c. This is far beyond the Lord's manner of dealing with many of his dear saints, &c. "Now, Sir, think ye not but I stand greatly indebted to the goodness and kindness of God, that deals thus graciously and warmly with me every way;" and then he burst out in praise to God in a sweet and lively manner.

At another time, the Laird being present, May 26, looking out of his bed to the sun shining brightly on the opposite side of the house, he said, "O what a splendour and glory will all the elect and redeemed saints have one day; and O! how much more will the glory of the Creator be, who shall communicate that glory to all his own, but the shallow thoughts of silly men are not able to conceive the excellency thereof," &c.

Again, Mr. Macqueen being present, his father inquired at him, wherein our communion with God stood? He said, in reconciliation and peace with him, which is the first effect of our justification; then there was access and love to God, patience and submission to his will, &c.; then the Lord's manifestation of himself to us, as Christ says, John xiv. 21. See the 20th verse, which he instanced.

He said one morning to Hugh Macgaven and his father, "I am not afraid of death, for I rest on infinite mercy, procured by the blood of the Lamb." Then he spake as to himself, "Fear not, little flock, it is the Father's good will to give you the kingdom." Then he said, "What are these who are of this little flock? Even sinners. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." But what kind of sinners? Only those who are sensible of sin and wrath, and see themselves to be