more."

After these got their liberty, he was accompanied with some other
prisoners, some of whom were kept in for debt. And then, he says, he
would have been up by four in the morning, and made exercise amongst
them three times a-day, and the Lord was kind to him during that time;
and he resolved never to make any compliance, and in this he was made to
_eat meat out of the eater, and sweet out of the strong_. But some
gentlemen, prisoners for religion where he was before, prevailed with
the goodman of the tolbooth to have him back to them about the beginning
of 1680. But here the old temptation to compliance and tampering with
the enemy was afresh renewed; for the ministers coming in to visit
these, when they could do no more, they brought ministers to the rooms
to preach, and would make him hear them; which he positively refused. At
last, they brought a minister, one of his acquaintance; him that should
have preached that day he was taken[199]. But hearing he had made some
compliance with the enemy, he would not go to the next room to hear him
make exercise, till he knew the certainty of the matter. After which, he
came to another room, where they had some conference. A short hint of it
I shall here subjoin as follows: "He asked after my welfare; and if I
was going out of the prison? I told him, I blessed the Lord for it, I
was well, and was not going out yet." After some conversation anent
field-preachings, particularly, one by worthy Mr. Cameron at Monkland,
which he condemned; "He asked, why I did not hear ministers? I answered,
I desired to hear none but what are faithful; for I am a prisoner, and
would gladly be in the right way, not to wrong myself.--He said, wherein
are they unfaithful? I said, in changing their head, quiting the Lord's
way, and taking on with covenant breakers, murderers of his people,
&c. He said, how would I prove that? I said, their own practice proves
it. He said, these were but failings, and these would not perjure a man;
And it is not for you to cast at ministers: you know not what you are
doing.--Answer, I do not cast them off: they cast off themselves by
quiting the holding of their ministry of Christ. _Quest._ How prove you
that? _Answ._ The 10th of John proves it; for they come not in by the
door.--You may put me wrong; but I think that in Gal. i. 6. _I marvel
that ye are so soon removed from him that called you_, &c. you may read
that at your leisure, how Paul had not his gospel fro