C86 MEMOIRS OF PERIOD Ix. as in its old íhape but the combinationamong the minifters was now become ftrong, and the few recufants were treated as aliens by their brethren. The people being in a fermenï!, there was defired a meeting of ourprefbytery with the presbytery of Jedburgh,at Hawick, to confer with the people, in order to bring them to peace, and to hear the word from thofe with whom they were offended. To this meeting I went, with a fincere defire to contribute my endeavours towards the defired peace. But ap- pearing,among them, they, to my.great furprife, did by their vote force me into the chair, contrary to all right and reafbn ; the moderator of the presbytery of Jedburgh being ex ocio moderator of that meeting, fince it was a _meeting of that prefbytery within their own bounds, to which our prefbytery had been invited. But the defign, proceeding from their jea- loufy, was that I might not have accefs to fpeak much in the af- fair : and indeed they made the feat moft tineafy tome ; and carrying things with a high hand, nothingwas done for healing of the breach betwixt them and thepeople. But they appointed a commitee of their number, to meet at-Lilliefleaf in our bounds, fora new conference with the people. When they met there, they tacked about, and without any ceremony fet another in the chair, though I, as moderator of their cónftituent judicatory, was their moderator ex gficio. But I made not the leaft hint to reclaim. They minded then, that I fhouid have accefs to fpeak: and out of confcience towards God, I did all.I could towards ac- commodating the matter betwixt them and the,people and the heft was made of it that circumftances would allow, a peace being patched up. After all was over, I told their leading men the fenfe I had of their manner of treating me at both meetings; but that I had refolved to be what they pleated, for reaching the end : upon which they owned, I had a&l,ed as a good man and a Chriftian. Mean while, in the harveft-feafón, orders came from court to profecute the nonjurors : but the execution was put off. When I think on my refuting to fign the addrefs for the oath, which the addrefle-rs got granted them, accompanied with bar- ring all young men from being licenfed or ordained without tak- ing it, 1 am thankful from the heart, I was kept from putting my hand to that unhallowed bulinefs. About the beginning'of Auguft, I began and tranfcribed what remained ofthe Eternal State, and ended all Oa. 9,4. This was the fecond time I had wrote over that book. And about the middle of November, thirteen of the printed Meets came to my hand, the prefs having advanced to the head of regeneration. I fpent therefore the 24th of November in prayer, for a bleffing to be entailed on that book, not or.iy 'in the time of my life, but after my death ; as alíó for the divineafliftance in my ftudy of the accentuation, which I was then to fail upon again ; for the café of the church, my'family, and particularly the children at
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