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not, took occasion, from this extravagance, to reproach him with profanity and flagitiousness, which his nature ever abhorred, and disdained the very suspicion thereof. When his time at the college drew near an end, he demonstrated such a tenderness of offending God, &c., that upon his refusal of the oath of allegiance then tendered, he was denied his share of ⟨the⟩ public solemnity of laureation with the rest of ⟨the⟩ candidates, but received it privately at Edinburgh. After which he continued his studies, attending o. the then privately persecuted meetings for ⟨gospel⟩ ordinances for a time.
But upon a deplorable discovery of the unfaithfulness of the generality, even of non-conformist ministers, he was again for some time plunged into ⟨the⟩ depths of darkness, doubting what should be the end of such backsliding courses, until, upon a more inquisitive search after such ministers as were most ⟨free⟩ from these defections, he found more light, and ⟨his⟩ knowledge of the iniquity of these courses was augmented, and his zeal increased. And being ⟨more⟩ confirmed, when he beheld how signally the ⟨faithful⟩ ministers were owned of the Lord, and carried ⟨on⟩ the stage with great stedfastness, faith, and patience especially that faithful minister and martyr, ⟨Mr⟩ Donald Cargill, at whose execution he was present, July 27th, 1681, he was so moved, that he determined to embark with these witnesses in that cause for ⟨which⟩ they suffered; and he was afterwards so ⟨strengthened⟩ and established in this resolution, getting instruction about things in and from the word, so sealed with ⟨a⟩ strong hand upon his soul, that all the temptations, tribulations, oppositions, and contradictions he ⟨met⟩ with from all hands to the day of his death, ⟨could⟩ never shake his mind to doubt the least concerning them.
Accordingly, in this persuasion, formed upon grounds of scripture and reason, he, in October 1681, came to a meeting with some of these ⟨faithful⟩
