Page:Life and prophecies of that faithful minister of God's word, Mr. Donald Cargill.pdf/25

Rh 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 outlived 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-cloſs 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 wbich pariſh 300 of goo examinable perſons died,) who at that time was reckoned worth 6000 merks of money and goods that had very little