150 MEMOIRS or PERIOD VIII. Selkirk, having. got a. more firm footing for the affair of Etterick than their prefbyterial call, appeared,' and gave in a petition to the fynod about it. And together with them appeared, and concurred, the Lairdof Ellifton, an heritorof that pariah ; Walter $ryden, an eider, tenant hi Crofslee ; and William Linton, tenant in Coflàríhill ; and thefe two latter, by commiffion from leveral inhabitants ofthe faid pariah. Likewife a petition for the laid pariah to the prefbytery, Ggned by five elders, and feveral ,mailers of families, craving the prefbytery would profecúte their call tome, teftifying theirconcurrence, and promilingail fubje6tiom to me in the Lord, was given in, and read. Hereupon the fynod ordered our prefbytery to deliver the call to me, and to tranfmit the reafons of tranfportation to me and the paìith of Simprin.; and appointed tbne of their own number to meet with our prefbytery, as afliítants in the affair,' on the fecond Tuefday of December. Lail fpring I was defired -fit Drummelzier's name to preach at Whittinghame, then. vacant ; but finelling the deign, I was averfe to it, and got it fhifted. On the 23d of September there . was an exprefs tent me, by his order, to preach there next Lord's day, being the Lord'sday immediately before the tàcrament here. This I was exceedingaverfe to ; but having Air Brown to preach for me, that made his agent the more preffing. I went to Dunfe to meet Drummelzier, to fee if poflible I might be excufed for that day ; but he was not there, as was ex'peeted : fo I returned, and went back on the Friday, not knowing whither I was going; but obferved that morning I was taught to pray that God might divert it. When I came to Dunfe, I was prefently told, that Drummelzier had tent word, that I needed not come that day. This I gladly received for I was ttraitened, on the one hand, that I was to give the facrament the day after, and, on the other, that Drummelzier had 'hid, he would fee that no other preached there that day. When, at the fait tynod, the day was fixed for the determinationof the bufinefs of Etterick, I thought it neceffary togo and fee the people beforehand, having never yet been in that place. The next week I am to go there. And being again invited to preachat Whittinghame,I had promifed to preach there to-morrow, and was refolved to go to Dunfe yefternight, but the badnefs of the weather hindered. This morning I attempted to go away, but found by one that I fent to Leek, that it was utter- ly impaffable. Thus Providence has twice flopt my preaching in that place. I think the Lord means fomething by it, which afterwards I may fee. The tint time I could not get a fermon for that place; but after many fruitleth endeavours; I fàw I would be obliged to take one preached before. The meaning of that was foon opened, as above faid. But this time I got my fermons for that place with a great deal of eafe and fatisfaétion ; and after ftudying them, I thought that I would not have a free dayfrommy coming fromWhittimgliame to my going to .Etterick;
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