herish his wife's hope, and please
the children, and at last got them to bed, but she continued to mourn
heavily. He exhorted her to wait patiently upon God, who was now trying
them, but would undoubtedly provide for them, and added, that if the
Lord should rain down bread from heaven, they should not want. This
confidence was the more remarkable, because they had neither friend nor
acquaintance in that place to whom they could make their case known. And
yet before morning, a man brought them a sackful of provision, and went
off without telling them from whence it came, though entreated to do it.
When Mr. Duncan opened the sack, he found in it a bag with twenty pounds
Scots, two loaves of bread, a bag of flour, another of barley and
such-like provisions; and having brought the whole to his wife, he said,
"See what a good master I serve." After this she hired a servant again,
but was soon reduced to a new extremity; the pains of child-bearing came
upon her, before she could make any provision for her delivery, but
providence interposed on their behalf at this time also: While she
travailed in the night-season, and the good man knew not where to apply
for a midwife, a gentlewoman came early in the morning riding to the
door, and having sent her servant back with the horse, with orders when
to return. She went in, and asked the maid of the house, How her
mistress was, and desired access to her, which she obtained; she first
ordered a good fire to be made, and ordered Mrs. Duncan to rise, and
without any other assistance than the house afforded, she delivered her,
and afterwards accommodated Mrs. Duncan and the child with abundance of
very fine linen, which she had brought along with her. She gave her
likewise a box, containing some necessary cordials and five pieces of
gold, bidding them both be of good comfort, for they should not want.
After which, she went away on the horse, which was by this time
returned for her, but would not tell her name, nor from whence she
came.

Thus did God take his own servant under his immediate care and
providence, when men had wrongfully excluded him from enjoying his
worldly comforts. He continued zealous and stedfast in the such, and, to
the end of his life, his conduct was uniform with the circumstances of
this narrative.

_The Life of Mr. JOHN SCRIMZEOR._

He was settled minister at Kinghorn, in the shire of Fyfe, and went as
chaplain with King James in the year 1590, to Denm