nvinced and converted, and few who lived in
his day, were more instrumental in this work than he, so that people,
under exercise and soul-concern, came from every quarter about Irvine,
and attended his sermons; and the most eminent christians, from all
corners of the church, came and joined with him at the communion, which
were then times of refreshing, from the presence of the Lord. Yea, not
a few came from distant places, and settled at Irvine, that they might
be under the drop of his ministry, yet he himself observed, that the
vintage of Irvine was not equal to the gleanings of Ayr in Mr. Welch's
time; where indeed the gospel had wonderful success in conviction,
conversion and confirmation. Here he commonly had his week-days sermon
upon Monday, which was the market-day then at Irvine. Upon the Sabbath
evenings, many persons under soul-distress used to resort to his house
after sermon, when usually he spent an hour or two in answering their
cases, and directing and comforting those who were cast down.--In all
which he had an extraordinary talent; indeed he had the tongue of the
learned, and knew how to speak a word in season to the weary soul. In a
large hall, which was in his own house, there would sometimes have been
scores of serious Christians waiting for him after he came from church.
These, with the people round the town, who came into the market, made
the church as throng (if not thronger) on the Mondays, as on the Lord's
day. By these week-day sermons, the famous Stuarton sickness (as it was
called) was begun about the year 1630, and spread from house to house
for many miles in the valley, where Stuarton water runs. Satan indeed
endeavoured to bring a reproach upon such serious persons, as were at
this time under the convincing work of the Spirit, by running some,
seemingly under serious concern, to excess, both in time of sermon, and
in families. But the Lord enabled Mr. Dickson, and other ministers who
dealt with them, to act so prudent a part, that Satan's design was much
disappointed, and solid serious practical religion flourished mightily
in the west of Scotland about this time, under the hardships of prelacy.

About the years 1630 and 1631, some of our Scots ministers, Messrs.
Livingston, Blair and others, were settled among the Scots in the north
of Ireland, where they were remarkably owned of the Lord in their
ministry and communions about the six-mile water, for reviving religion
and the power and pra