ointed Mr. Patrick Gillespie to write a letter to Mr. Durham,
concerning Mr. Robert Ramsay's being professor of divinity in place of
the said Mr. James Durham, in the university of Glasgow. In consequence
of which, Mr. Durham came to Glasgow, for he is mentioned present in the
session in the beginning of April next. At the same time, Cromwel and
his army were in Glasgow, and on the Lord's day Cromwel heard Mr. Durham
preach, when he testified against his invasion to his face. Next day he
sent for Mr Durham, and told him, He always thought he had been a wiser
man, than to meddle with matters of public concern in his sermons.--To
which he answered, It was not his practice, but that he judged it both
wisdom and prudence to speak his mind on that head seeing he had the
opportunity to do it in his presence.----Cromwell dismissed him very
civilly, but desired him to forbear insisting on that subject in public;
and at the same time sundry ministers both in town and country met with
Cromwel and his officers, and represented in strong terms the injustice
of his invasion.

It would appear that Mr. Durham, some time after this, had withdrawn
from Glasgow, and therefore a letter was, in August next, ordered to be
sent to him to come and visit them and preach; and in September next,
there being a vacancy in the inner kirk by the death of Mr. Ramsay, the
common session gave an unanimous call (with which the town-council
agreed) to Mr Durham to be minister there. And some time after this he
was received minister in the inner kirk, Mr. John Carstairs his
brother-in-law being his colleague in that church.

In the whole of his ministry he was a burning and shining light, and
particularly he shined in humility and self-denial. An instance of which
was, Upon a day when Mr. Andrew Gray and he were to preach, being
walking together, Mr. Durham observing multitudes thronging to Mr.
Gray's church, and only a few into his, said to Mr. Gray, "Brother, you
are like to have a throng church to-day." To which Mr. Gray answered,
"Truly, brother, they are fools to leave you and come to me."--"Not so,
dear brother, replied Mr. Durham, for a minister can receive no such
honour and success in his ministry, except it be given him from heaven.
I rejoice that Christ is preached, though my esteem in people's hearts
should decrease and be diminished; for I am content to be any thing so
that Christ be all in all."

He was also a person of the utmost gravity,