Page:Life and prophecies of Mr Donald Cargill.pdf/14

14 their frequently meeting together, and singing these tearful Psalms over, the mournful case of the church Psalms 74 79 80 83 137. Thus they continued from the beginning of the year until April; then all with one consent, that they might be free from all these foresaid things, left their houses, warm soft beds, covered tables; some of them their husbands, and children weeping upon them to stay with them; some women taking their sucking children in their arms to desart places, to be free from all snares and sins, and communion with all others, and mourn for their own sins the land's tyranny and defections, and there to be safe from the land's utter ruin and desolation by judgements; some of them going to Pentland-hills, with a resolution to sit there, to see the smoke and utter ruin of the sinful, bloody city of Edinburgh: but if they had fulfilled their resolution, they would have been sadly disappointed these 48 years, having but lately died; laying more weight and stress upon their duties of prayer, fasting and mourning, than upon Christ's satisfaction, obedience and intercession; which, alas! that legal and formal spirit is the plague and ruin of the greater part of preachers and prayers at this day, and is ruining all the churches. These were a part of the confession of some of these gracious women who came under the power of such delusions, voluntarily, before a great multitude of people, on the 3d day of March. 1681. at the back hill of Lesmahago and matter of mourning to this day.—Immediately after they came to these desart places they kept a day of fasting, and confessing of their sins one to another; yea, some of them confest sins the world had not heard of, and so not called to confess them to men.

In the meantime of their lying in this sad pickle in desart places, the man of God, blest Cargill, came down from England; a happy tryst to many godly, zealous souls, who had a gale of zeal upon their spirits and feared no danger on the right hand if they held off the left. Immediately he was called to preach in Darmade-muirs, by some who retained their former zeal and faithfulness. That Sabbath-morning, John Gibb David Jamie, Walter Ker, John Young, and twenty-six women were lying in the Deer-slunk, in midst of a great flow moss, betwixt