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⟨end⟩; the ſchoolmaſter prevailed with my father, I being ⟨so⟩ young, and the maſte having hopes of my proficiency, ⟨that⟩ I ſhould ſtay yet one other year, and thus another boy ⟨and⟩ I atayed another year. We, for the moſt part read by ⟨ourſelves⟩ in a little chamber above the ſchool, the maſter ⟨furniſhing⟩ us books, where we went through moſt part of ⟨the⟩ choice Latin Writers, both Poets and others, and that ⟨year⟩ was to me the large mod profitable year I had at the ⟨ſchools⟩, only in my third year at the college of Glaſgow, ⟨I⟩ read more than I think I did any year ſince: I waſ then ⟨under⟩ the oversight of precious Mr. Robert Blair who for ⟨two⟩ years was my Regent: and having gotten ſome ⟨grounding⟩ in the logicks and metaphyſicks, and the ſubtilties of ⟨the⟩ ſchool-men, a vain desire to be above my equals, ⟨prompted⟩ me to more diligence. In many things whereunto ⟨my⟩ mind was very bent, the Lord often diſappointed me, ⟨and⟩ always to my greater advantage. After I had paſſed ⟨my⟩ degrees in the college, I had a great mind to the study of ⟨the⟩ claſſicks, and therefore was delirous to ſpend ſome time ⟨as⟩ a Regent in the college, and for that end, a place being ⟨vacant⟩ in the college of Glaſgow, I studied hard and ⟨prepared⟩ to diſpute for the place, but when the time came I ⟨heard⟩ that one without any diſpute was placed. Becauſe in ⟨the⟩ winter of my laſt year at the college, I had been long ⟨detained⟩ under phyficians or chirurgeons with a ſiſtula in my ⟨leg⟩, in which time Mr. Robert Boyd had taught the reſt in ⟨my⟩ claſs fome Hebrew; being grieved at that loſs, I began ⟨in⟩ my father’s houſe by my private ſtudy to attain to ſome ⟨knowledge⟩ of the Hebrew, which thereafter by time I ⟨somewhat⟩ encreaſed.
I do not remember the time or means particularly, ⟨whereby⟩ the Lord at first wrought upon my heart; when I ⟨was⟩ but very young I would sometimes pray with ſome ⟨feeling⟩, and read the word with delight; but thereafter ⟨did⟩ often intermit any ſuch exerciſe; I would have ſome ⟨challenges⟩ and begin, and again intermit. I remember the ⟨firſt⟩ time that ever I communicated at the Lord’s table ⟨was⟩ in Stirling, when I was at ſchool, where ſitting at the ⟨table⟩, and Mr. Patrick Simpſon exhorting before the
