Page:Brief historical relation of the life of Mr. John Livingston Minister of the Gospel.pdf/31

( 31 ) a thouſand perſons all at once lifting up their hands, and the tears falling down from their eyes, ſo that through the whole land, except the profeſſed Papiſts, and ſome few who for baſe ends adhered to the Prelates, the people univerſally entred into the covenant of God, for reformation of religion, againſt Prelates and the ceremonies.

IV.

The fourth period of my life, I reckon from the time I entred in the miniſtry at Stranrarawer, till I was tranſported to Ancrum. In the end of May 1638. I got letters from the earl of Caſſils, to come to his houſe of Caſſils, in reference to a call to a pariſh, wherein he had ſome intereſt. When I came there, there came both at one time commiſſioners from the town of Stranrawer in Galloway, and from the pariſh of Straitoun in Carrick with a call to me: I deſired ſome time to adviſe; and becauſe both equally urged, I propounded, that we ſhould refer the matter to the determination of six miniſters, viz. Meſſrs. Robert Blair, David Dickſon, Andrew Cant, Alexander Henderſon, Samuel Rutherford, and my father, who by occaſion at another meeting were all to be at Edinburgh within a few days: my own mind inclined moſt to Straiton; becauſe it was a more obſcure place, and the people being landwart ſimple people, were the more likely to be wrought upon by the goſpel: But they all having heard both parties, adviſed me to hearken to the call of Stranrawer, being a thorow fair way within four miles of Portpatrick, and nearer for the advantage of out people in Ireland. So I was there received by the presbytery the 5th of July 1638. and ſhortly after tranſported my family thither, and I remained in the miniſtry of that place, until Harveſt, 1648. when by the ſentence of the General Aſſembly, I was tranſported to Ancrum in Tiviotdale. Becauſe I had ſome houſhold furniture to carry, and the way was ſo far, I put my family in a boat at Irvine, and put in a tolerable quantity of meat and drink. The wind being the firſt day very fair, we were like to be ſoon at out port; the boat’s company conſumed moſt of all our proviſion, ſo that by a calm, and a little contrary wind, being three days at ſea, the laſt day we had neither meat nor drink,