us spouse understand and improve the divine chastisement; she
then saw how easily God could put an end to his life, which she was too
apprehensive about, and brought herself to a resolution never to oppose
her inclination to his entering upon any employment, whereby he might
honour his Maker, though never so much hazard should attend it.

While he was with the army, upon the defeat of a party he was then with,
he was preserved in a very extraordinary manner; which made him ever
after retain a greater sense of the divine goodness; and after his
return to his parish, was animated to a more vigorous diligence in the
work of the ministry, and propagating the kingdom of the Son of God,
both among his people and all round about him; his public preaching,
especially at the administration of the Lord's Supper, and his private
conversation conspiring together for these noble purposes.

After this, Mr. Guthrie had occasion again to be with the army, when the
English sectaries prevailed under Oliver Cromwel. After the defeat at
Dunbar Sept. 3d, 1650, when the army was at Stirling, that godly man Mr.
Rutherford writes a letter to him; wherein, by way of caution, near the
end, he says, "But let me obtest all the serious seekers of his face,
his secret sealed ones, by the strongest consolations of the Spirit, by
the gentleness of Jesus Christ, that Plant of renown, by your last
accounts, and by your appearing before God, when the white throne shall
be up, be not deceived with these fair words: though my spirit be
astonished at the cunning distinctions, which are found out in the
matters of the covenant, that help may be had against this man; yet my
heart trembleth to entertain the least thought of joining with these
deceivers[137]." Accordingly he joined the remonstrators, and was chosen
moderator at that synod at Edinburgh after the public resolutioners went
out and left them.

The author of his memoirs saith, "His pleasant and facetious
conversation procured him an universal respect from the English
officers, and made them fond of his company; while at the same time his
courage and constancy did not fail him in the cause of his great Master,
and was often useful to curb the extravagancies of the sectaries, and
maintain order and regularity." One instance of which happened, at the
sacrament of the Lord's Supper, at Glasgow, celebrated by Mr. Andrew
Gray.----Several of the English officers had formed a design to put in
execution th