reverence, the lowest submission, and yet a marvelous boldness and
intimacy with God attended his engagements in this exercise. It might
truly be said of him as of Luther when he prayed. It was with so much
reverence as if he was praying to God, and with so much boldness as if
he had been speaking to his friend. And though the Lord did not bless
him with natural children, he gave him the powerful assurance of that
promise, Isa. lvi. 5. _I will give thee a name better than of sons and
daughters_, which he signally fulfilled to him in making him the
instrument of begetting many sons and daughters to the Lord.

_The Life of Mr. ROBERT FLEMING._

Mr. Robert Fleming was born at Bathens _anno_ 1630. He was son to Mr.
James Fleming minister of the gospel there, who, being a very godly and
religious man, took great care of his son's education; and for that
purpose sent him first to the college of Edinburgh, where he ran through
the course of philosophy with great applause, and made great progress in
the learned languages. Then being translated to St. Andrews, he passed
his course of theology in that university under the conduct of worthy
Mr. Rutherford.

His natural parts bring very great, his understanding quick and
penetrative, his judgment clear and profound, his fancy rich, his memory
strong, and expressions masculine, they did with such a grace take with
them who were not acquainted with his accents or idioms, and to all
these his acquired learning was answerable, the culture of which he,
through the divine blessing, improved with great diligence. History, the
eye of learning, he singularly affected, especially sacred history, the
right eye. But to him all history was sacred, seeing he considered God's
actions more than man's therein. Nor did he value any man, but for the
knowledge of God, wherewith he himself was so much acquainted; for his
conversion to God was very early.

Before he was full 23 years old, he was called to a pastoral charge, and
was settled therein at Cambuslang in the shire of Clydesdale, where he
served the Lord in the ministry, till after the restoration of Charles
II. when that storm arose that drove out so many, and particularly that
act (commonly called the Glasgow act) whereby near 400 faithful
ministers were ejected, of whom the world was not worthy.

He had taken to wife Christiana Hamilton, justly famed for her person,
gifts and graces. By her he had seven children, and with them an