ar him. And though they searched strictly for him here, yet
providence so ordered it, that he was either casually or purposely
absent; for the Lord was often so gracious to him, that he left him not
without some notice of approaching hazard. Thus, one sabbath, as he was
going to Woodside to preach, as he was about to mount the horse, having
one foot in the stirrup, he turned about to his man, and said, I must
not go yonder to-day.--And in a little, a party of the enemy came there
in quest of him, but missing the mark they aimed at, they fell upon the
people, by apprehending and imprisoning severals of them.

Another of his remarkable escapes was at a search made for him in the
city, where they came to his chamber and found him not, being
providentially in another house that night. But what is most remarkable,
being one day preaching privately in the house of one Mr. Calender, they
came and beset the house; the people put him and another into a window,
closing the window up with books. The search was so strict, that they
searched the very cieling of the house, until one of them fell through
the lower loft. Had they removed but one of the books, they would
certainly have found him. But the Lord so ordered that they did it not;
for as one of the soldiers was about to take up one of them, the maid
cried to the commander, That he was going to take her master's books,
and he was ordered to let them be. Thus narrowly he escaped this danger.

Thus he continued until the 23d of November 1668. that the council, upon
information of a breach of his confinement, cited him to appear before
them on the 11th of January thereafter. But when he was apprehended and
compeared before the council, and strictly examined (wherein he was most
singularly strengthened to bear a faithful testimony to his Master's
honour and his persecuted cause and truths), yet by the interposition of
some persons of quality, his own friends, and his wife's relations, he
was dismissed and presently returned to Glasgow, and there performed all
the ministerial duties, as when in his own church, notwithstanding the
diligence of persecutors in searching for him again.

Some time before Bothwel, notwithstanding all the searches that were
made for him by the enemy, which were both strict and frequent, he
preached publicly for eighteen Sabbath-days to multitudes, consisting of
several thousands, within a little more than a quarter of a mile of the
city of Glasgow; yea,