in much assurance of heaven, often longing to be there,
rejoicing in the God of his salvation; and that under great impressions
of dreadful judgments to come on these covenanted sinning lands; and
when scarce able to speak, he cried three times over, A popish sword for
thee, O Scotland, England, and Ireland! &c.

_The Life of Mr. JAMES MITCHEL._

Mr. James Mitchel[152] was educated at the university of Edinburgh, and
was, with some other of his fellow-students, made master of arts _anno_
1656. Mr. Robert Leighton (afterwards bishop Leighton), being then
principal of that college, before the degree was conferred upon them,
tendered to them the national and solemn league and covenant; which
covenants, upon mature deliberation, he took, finding nothing in them
but a short compend of the moral law, binding to our duty towards God
and towards man in their several stations, and taking the king's
interest to be therein included, when others were taking the tender to
Oliver Cromwel, he subscribed the oath of allegiance to the king; but
how he was repaid for this, after the restoration, the following account
will more fully discover.

Mr. Mitchel, having received a licence to preach the gospel, very soon
after the restoration, was, with the rest of his faithful brethren,
reduced to many hardships and difficulties. I find (says a historian)
Mr. Trail minister at Edinburgh _anno_ 1661, recommending him to some
ministers in Galloway as a good youth, that had not much to subsist
upon, and as fit for a school, or teaching gentlemen's children[153].
There being no door of access then to the ministry for him, or any such,
when prelacy was on such an advance in Scotland.

But whether he employed himself in this manner, or if he preached on
some occasions, where he could have the best opportunity, we have no
certain account; only we find he joined with that faithful handful who
rose in 1666, but was not at the engagement at Pentland[154], being sent
in by captain Arnot to Edinburgh the day before, upon some necessary
business, on such an emergent occasion.--However, he was excepted from
the indemnity in the several lists for that purpose.

After Pentland affair, in the space of six weeks, Mr. Mitchel went
abroad, in the trading way, to Flanders, and was for some time upon the
borders of Germany, after which he, in the space of three quarters of a
year, returned home (with some Dutchmen of Amsterdam), having a cargo of
differ