plagues, was, many were cast down, but few humbled; great murmuring but little mourning, many groaning under the effects of wrath, but few had sight or sense of the causes of wrath in turning to the Lord; And as soon as these judgements were removed, many were lift up, but few thankful; even those who were as low as any, that out-lived these scarce times, did as lightly esteem bread, as if they had never known the worth of it nor the want of it. The great part turned more and more gospel proof, and judgement proof; and the success of the gospel took a stand at that time in many places of the land.
King William's kindness is not to be forgotten, who not only relieved us from tyranny, but had such a sympathy for Scotland, when in distress of famine, that he offered all who would transport victual to Scotland, that they might do it custom-free, and have twenty-pence off each boll.
I cannot pass this occasion of giving remarks upon some observable providences that followed these strange judgements upon persons who dwelt upon low-lying fertile places, who laid themselves out to raise markets when at such a height, and had little sympathy with the poor, or those who lived in cold muirish places, who thought those who lived in those fertile places, had a little heaven: But soon thereafter their little heavens were turned into little hells by unexpected providences. Some wrote sixteen remarks upon that terrible fire which fell out on the 2d or 3d of February 1700, in the Parliament close in Edinburgh; one was, that most of those people who dwelt there, were rich and lived sumptuously, and had little sympathy with the distressed case of the land, that their fine houses, which were eleven years in building, were in a few hours turned to a burnt ruinous heap: But more especially, there was a farmer in the parish of West Calder, (in which parish 300 of 900 exam noble persons died,) who at that time was reckoned worth 6000 merks of money and goods that had very little
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