not,
both in public and private, to give full proof and evidence of his
hearty grief and sorrow for his former apostacy and compliances. Upon
the 22d he came to their general meeting, where he gave them full
satisfaction in espousing all and every part of their testimony and
likewise made a public confession of his own guilt; wherein he
acknowledged, (1.) That he had involved himself in the guilt of owning
the (so called) authority of James VII. shewing the sinfulness thereof,
taking shame to himself. (2.) He acknowledged his guilt in taking the
oath of abjuration and his relapsing into the same iniquity, the
sinfulness of which he held forth at great length, and spake so largely
to these particulars as discovering the heinousness of that sin as made
Mr. Renwick say, "I think none could have done it, unless they had known
the terrors of the Lord;" and added, "I thought it both singular and
promising to see a clergyman come forth with such a confession of his
own defections, when so few of that set are seen in our age to be
honoured with the like."

After this when Mr. Renwick and the united societies were necessitated
to publish their informatory vindication, Mr. Shields went over to
Holland to have the same printed about the beginning of the year 1687.;
but it appears he was necessitated to return home before that work was
finished.

After Mr. Renwick's death he continued for some time in the fields
preaching in Crawford muirs at Disinckorn-hill in Galston parish and
many other places, and about the end of the same year 1688. when
Kersland and the united societies, who had, in the inter-regnum of the
government, thrust out some of the curates, and demolished some of the
popish monuments of idolatry, were obliged to publish a vindication of
themselves in these proceedings; which they did at the cross of Douglas.
Mr. Shields being present did sing some verses in the beginning of the
76th psalm, _In Judah's land God is well known_, &c. making some notes
and while expatiating on the same, said, That this psalm was sweetly
sung by famous Mr. Robert Bruce at the cross of Edinburgh at the break
of the Spanish Armada the same time a hundred years ago.

Upon the 3d of March 1689. when Mr. Linning, he and Mr. Boyd renewed the
covenants at Borland-hill in Lismahago, Mr. Shields stood up again
before a vast confluence of people, and declared his unfeigned sorrow
for his former sin of compliances, &c. to the affecting of all th