And I have sometimes heard the worthy Mr. Shields say, when he spoke of his travels through the world, "That the ill of Scotland he found everywhere, but the good of Scotland he found nowhere."
When the sermon was ended and children baptized, there came up more children. Friends prest him to preach in the afternoon, contrary to his inclination; which he did, upon that text, "Weep not for me," when praying, there came a herd lad crying, 'The enemies are coming upon you' They had out no sentinels that day, which was not their ordinary; they were so surprized, that some that had been at Pentland, Bothwell, and Airdsmoss, and in other great dangers were so seized with fear, some of the women threw their children from them, and Mr. Cargill, in the confusion, was running straight upon the enemy. Gavin Wotherspoon and other friends griped him, and hal'd him into the moss to which the people fled; also the dragoons fired hard upon them, but there were none either killed or taken that day. The ball went thro' Patrick Foreman's hair, but his head was safe, his hour not being yet come, and that neither the time nor place he was to die.
About this time some spoke to him, that he preached and prayed short; who said, "O Sir, tis long betwixt meals, and we are in a starving condition: And it is good, sweet, and wholesome which ye deliver; but why do you straigten us so much for shortness?" He said, "ever since I bowed a knee in good earnest to pray, I never durst pray and preach with my gifts; and where my heart is not affected, and comes not up with my mouth, I always thought it time for me to quit it: What comes not from my heart, I have little hope that it will go to the heart of others." Then repeated these sentences of the li Psalm, "Then will I teach transgressors thy way, and sinners shall be concerted unto thee." When was this then? Just when he had the experience of the foresaid things If all this were studied and practised, there would be fewer
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