om the office of the holy ministry.

After this, no redress could be had; whereupon Mr. Blair resolved on a
journey to court to represent their petitions and grievances to the
king; but, after his arrival at London, he could have no access for some
time to his majesty, and so laboured under many difficulties with little
hopes of redress, until one day, having gone to Greenwich park, where,
being wearied with waiting on the court, and while at prayer, the Lord
assured him that he would hunt the violent man to destroy him. And while
thus in earnest with the Lord for a favourite return, he adventured to
propose a sign, that if the Lord would make the reeds, growing hard by,
which were so moved with the wind, as he was tossed in mind, to cease
from shaking, he would take it as an assurance of the dispatch of his
business; unto which the Lord condescended; for in a little time it
became so calm, that not one of them moved; and in a short time he got a
dispatch to his mind, wherein the king did not only sign his petition,
but with his own hand wrote on the margin (directed to the depute)
Indulge these men, for they are Scotchmen.

It was while in England, that he had from Ezekiel xxiv. 16. a strange
discovery of his wife's death, and the very bed whereon she was lying,
and particular acquaintances attending her; and although she was in good
health at his return home, yet, in a little, all this exactly came to
pass.

And yet, after his return, the king's letter being slighted by the
depute, who was newly returned from England, he was forced to have
recourse to arch-bishop Usher; which drew tears from his eyes, that he
could not help them, and yet, by the interposition of lord Castle-Stuart
with the king, they got six months liberty; but upon the luck of this in
Nov. 1634, he was again conveened before the bishop, and the sentence of
excommunication pronounced against him, by Ecklin bishop of Down.--After
the sentence was pronounced, Mr. Blair rose up and publicly cited the
bishop to appear before the tribunal of Jesus Christ, to answer for that
wicked deed; whereupon he did appeal from the justice of God to his
mercy; but Mr. Blair replied, Your appeal is like to be rejected,
because you act against the light of your own conscience. In a few
months after he fell sick, and the physician inquiring of his sickness,
after some time's silence, he, with great difficulty, said, It is my
conscience, man--To which the doctor replied,