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places, when the Covenant was read and sworn unto; and, excepting at the Kirk of Shots, already noticed, he, as himself says, never saw such motions from the Spirit of God, all the people so generally and willingly concurring, yea, thousands of persons all at once lifting up their hands, and the tears falling from their eyes; so that, through the whole land, the people (a few Papists, and others who adhered to the Prelates, excepted) universally entered into the Covenant of God, for the reformation of religion against Prelates and their ceremonies.
After this, in the year 1638, he got a call both from Stranrawer in Galloway, and Straiton in Carrick, but he referred the matter to Messrs. Blair, Dickson, Cant, Henderson, Rutherford and his father, who, having beard both parties, advised him to Stranrawer; and he was received there by the Presbytery upon the 5th of July 1638. Here he remained, in the faithful discharge of the ministry, until harvest 1648, that he was, by the sentence of the General Assembly, transported to Ancrum in Teviotdale. When he came to Ancrum, he found the people very tractable, but very ignorant, and some of them very loose in their carriage, and it was a long time be-fore
