ers solicited him to stay, but in vain. But
when the horse was drawn, and he just going to begin his journey, being
in the house of Mr. Durham, when he had saluted several of his christian
friends that came to see him take horse, as he was taking farewel of a
certain godly woman, she said to him, "Sir, you have promised to preach
on Thursday, and have you appointed a meal to a poor starving people,
and will ye go away and not give it? if you do, the curse of God will go
with you." This so moved him, that he durst not go away as he intended;
but sitting down desired her and others to pray for him. So he remained
and was settled in that parish, where he continued to exercise his
ministry with great success, to the unspeakable satisfaction both of his
own parish, and all the godly that heard and knew him, until that by the
unhappy restoration of Charles II. prelacy was again restored.

Upon the 26th of May following, the day consecrated in commemoration of
the said restoration, he had occasion to preach in his own church (it
being his ordinary week-day's preaching) when he saw an unusual throng
of people come to hear him, thinking he had preached in compliance with
that solemnity. Upon entering the pulpit, he said, "We are not come here
to keep this day upon the account for which others keep it. We thought
once to have blessed the day, wherein the king came home again, but now
we think we shall have reason to curse it, and if any of you be come
here in order to the solemnizing of this day we desire you to remove."
And enlarging upon these words in the 9th of Hosea, _Rejoice not, O
Israel_, &c. he said, This is the first step of our going a-whoring from
God; and whoever of the Lord's people this day are rejoicing, their joy
will be like the crackling of thorns under a pot, it will soon be turned
to mourning; he (meaning the king) will be the wofullest sight that ever
the poor church of Scotland saw; wo, wo, wo unto him, his name shall
stink while the world stands, for treachery, tyranny and lechery.

This did extremely enrage the malignant party against him, so that being
hotly pursued, he was obliged to abscond, remaining sometime in private
houses, and sometime lying all night without, among broom near the city,
yet never omitting any proper occasion of private preaching, catechizing
and visiting of families and other ministerial duties. But at length
when the churches were all vacated of presbyterians by an act of council