ours of recreation were dedicated to this purpose;
which was so indeared to him, that he knew how to make his diversions
subservient to the nobler ends of his ministry. He made them the
occasion of familiarizing his people to him, and introducing himself to
their affections, and in the disguise of a sportsman he gained some to a
religious life, whom he could have little influence upon in a ministers
gown, of which there happened several memorable examples."

His person was stately and well-set; his features comely and handsome;
he had a strong clear voice, joined to a good ear, which gave him a
great pleasure in music, and he failed not to employ that talent for the
noblest use, the praising of his Maker and Saviour, in which part of
divine worship his soul and body acted with united and unwearied vigour.

He was happily married to one Agness Campbel, daughter to David Campbel
of Sheldon in the shire of Ayr, a remote branch of the family of Loudon.
August 1645, his family affairs were both easy and comfortable. His wife
was a gentlewoman endued with all the qualities that could render her a
blessing to her husband, joined to handsome and comely features, good
sense and good breeding sweetened by a modest cheerfulness of temper,
and, what was most comfortable to Mr. Guthrie, she was sincerely pious,
so that they lived a little more than twenty years in the most complete
friendship, and with a constant mutual satisfaction founded on the
noblest principles; one faith, one hope, one baptism, and a sovereign
love to Jesus Christ, which zealously inspired them both. By her he had
six children; two of whom only out-lived himself; both of them
daughters, who endeavoured to follow the example of their excellent
parents; one of them was married to Miller of Glenlee, a gentleman in
the shire of Ayr, and the other to Mr. Peter Warner _anno_ 1681.; after
the revolution, Mr. Warner was settled at Irvine. He had two children,
William of Ardrie in Ayr-shire, and Margaret Warner, married to Mr.
Wodrow minister at Eastwood, who wrote the history of the sufferings of
the church of Scotland betwixt the years 1660 and 1688, inclusive.--But
to return.

When Mr. Guthrie was but young and new married, he was appointed by the
general assembly to attend the army. When he was preparing for his
departure, a violent fit of the gravel (unto which he was often subject)
reduced him to the greatest extremity of pain and danger; which made his
religio