e had never before
been seen in that place.

When he was afterward urged by the rest of his brethren to receive, in
the ordinary way, the imposition of hands, he refused it, because he
wanted not the material part of ordination, _viz._ the call of the
people and the approbation of the ministry, and besides he had already
celebrated the sacrament of the supper, which was not, by a new
ordination to be made void.----So having made trial of the work, and
found the blessing of God upon his labours, he accepted the charge, and
was from that time forth principal actor in the affairs of the church,
and a constant and strenuous maintainer of the established doctrine and
discipline thereof.

While he was minister at Edinburgh he shined as a great light through
all these parts of the land, the power and efficacious energy of the
Spirit accompanying the word preached by him in a most sensible manner,
so that he was a terror to evil doers, the authority of God appearing
with him, in so much that he forced fear and respect even from the
greatest in the land. Even king James himself and his court had such
high thoughts of him, that when he went to bring home his queen _anno_
1590, at his departure, he expressly desired Mr. Bruce to acquaint
himself with the affairs of the country and the proceedings of the
council, professing that he reposed more in him than the rest of his
brethren, or even all his nobles; and indeed in this his hopes were not
disappointed, for the country was more quiet during his absence than
either before or afterward: In gratitude for which Mr. Bruce received a
congratulatory letter dated February 19th, 1590, wherein the king
acknowledgeth, "He would be obligated to him all his life for the pains
he had taken in his absence to keep his subjects in good order." Yea, it
is well known that the king had that esteem for Mr. Bruce, that, upon a
certain time before many witnesses, he gave him this testimony, That he
judged him worthy of the half of his kingdom; but he proved in this, as
in others of his fair promises, no slave to his word, for not many
year's after he obliged this good man, for his faithfulness, to depart
and leave the kingdom.

Mr. Bruce being a man of public spirit and heroic mind, was always on
that account pitched upon to deal in matters of high moment, and amongst
other things, upon the 19th of November 1596, he, Messrs. Andrew Melvil
and John Davidson, were directed by the counsel of the breth