his brother-in-law, the Captain Macadam, whom, I should now mention,
was raised in the end of this year, as we read in the newspapers, to

be a major. I thought her in this somewhat unreasonable, for she
would not be persuaded to let me write to the captain; but when I

reflected on the good that Willie Malcolm might in time do as a
preacher, I said nothing more to her, but indited a letter to the

Lord Eaglesham, setting forth the lad's parts, telling who he was
and all about his mother's scruples; and, by the retour of the post

from London his lordship sent me an order on his steward, to pay me
twenty pounds towards equipping my protegee, as he called Willie,

with a promise to pay for his education, which was such a great
thing for his lordship to do off-hand on my recommendation, that it

won much affection throughout the country side; and folks began to
wonder, rehearsing the great things, as was said, that I had gotten

my lord at different times, and on divers occasions, to do, which
had a vast of influence among my brethren of the presbytery, and

they grew into a state of greater cordiality with me, looking on me
as a man having authority; but I was none thereat lifted up, for not

being gifted with the power of a kirk-filling eloquence, I was but
little sought for at sacraments, and fasts, and solemn days, which

was doubtless well ordained; for I had no motive to seek fame in
foreign pulpits, but was left to walk in the paths of simplicity

within my own parish. To eschew evil myself, and to teach others to
do the same, I thought the main duties of the pastoral office, and

with a sincere heart endeavoured what in me lay to perform them with
meekness, sobriety, and a spirit wakeful to the inroads of sin and

Satan. But oh, the sordiness of human nature!--The kindness of the
Lord Eaglesham's own disposition was ascribed to my influence, and

many a dry answer I was obliged to give to applicants that would
have me trouble his lordship, as if I had a claim upon him. In the

ensuing year, the notion of my cordiality with him came to a great
head, and brought about an event, that could not have been

forethought by me as a thing within the compass of possibility to
bring to pass.

CHAPTER XX YEAR 1779
I was named in this year for the General Assembly, and Mrs

Balwhidder, by her continualthrift, having made our purse able to
stand a shake against the wind, we resolved to go into Edinburgh in

a creditable manner. Accordingly, in conjunct with Mrs Dalrymple,
the lady of a major of that name, we hired the Irville chaise, and

we put up in Glasgow, at the Black Boy, where we stayed all night.
Next morning, by seven o'clock, we got into a fly-coach for the

capital of Scotland, which we reached after a heavy journey about
the same hour in the evening, and put up at the public where it

stopped till the next day; for really both me and Mrs Balwhidder
were worn out with the taking" target="_blank" title="n.任务；事业；计划">undertaking, and found a cup of tea a vast

refreshment.
Betimes, in the morning, having taken our breakfast, we got a caddy

to guide us and our wallise to Widow M'Vicar's, at the head of the
Covenanters' Close. She was a relation to my first wife, Betty

Lanshaw, my own full cousin that was, and we had advised her, by
course of post, of our coming, and intendment to lodge with her as

uncos and strangers. But Mrs M'Vicar kept a cloth shop, and sold
plaidings and flannels, besides Yorkshire superfines, and was used

to the sudden incoming of strangers, especially visitants, both from
the West and the North Highlands, and was withal a gawsy furthy

woman, taking great pleasure in hospitality, and every sort of
kindliness and discretion. She would not allow of such a thing as

our being lodgers in her house, but was so cagey to see us, and to
have it in her power to be civil to a minister, as she was pleased

to say, of such repute, that nothing less would content her but that
we must live upon her, and partake of all the best that could be

gotten for us within the walls of "the gude town."
When we found ourselves so comfortable, Mrs Balwhidder and me waited

on my patron's family that was, the young ladies, and the laird, who
had been my pupil, but was now an advocate high in the law. They

likewise were kind also. In short, every body in Edinburgh were in
a manner wearisome kind, and we could scarcely find time to see the

Castle and the palace of Holyrood-house, and that more sanctified
place, where the Maccabeus of the Kirk of Scotland, John Knox, was

wont to live.
Upon my introduction to his grace the Commissioner, I was delighted

and surprised to find the Lord Eaglesham at the levee, and his
lordship was so glad on seeing me, that he made me more kenspeckle

than I could have wished to have been in his grace's presence; for,
owing to the same, I was required to preach before his grace, upon a

jocose recommendation of his lordship; the which gave me great
concern, and daunted me so that in the interim I was almost bereft

of all peace and studious composure of mind. Fain would I have
eschewed the honour that was thus thrust upon me; but both my wife

and Mrs M'Vicar were just lifted out of themselves with the thought.
When the day came, I thought all things in this world were loosened

from their hold, and that the sure and steadfast earth itself was
grown coggly beneath my feet, as I mounted the pulpit. With what

sincerity I prayed for help that day! and never stood man more in
need of it; for through all my prayer the congregation was so

watchful and still, doubtless to note if my doctrine was orthodox,
that the beating of my heart might have been heard to the uttermost

corners of the kirk.
I had chosen as my text, from Second Samuel, xixth chapter and 35th

verse, these words--"Can I hear any more the voice of singing men
and singing women? Wherefore, then, should thy servant be yet a

burden to the king?" And hardly had I with a trembling voice read
the words, when I perceived an awful stir in the congregation; for

all applied the words to the state of the church, and the
appointment of his grace the Commissioner. Having paused after

giving out the text, the same fearful and critical silence again
ensued, and every eye was so fixed upon me, that I was for a time

deprived of courage to look about; but heaven was pleased to
compassionate my infirmity, and as I proceeded, I began to warm as

in my own pulpit. I described the gorgeous Babylonian harlot riding
forth in her chariots of gold and silver, with trampling steeds and

a hurricane of followers, drunk with the cup of abominations, all
shouting with revelry, and glorying in her triumph, treading down in

their career those precious pearls, the saints and martyrs, into the
mire beneath their swinish feet. "Before her you may behold

Wantonness playing the tinkling cymbal, Insolence beating the drum,
and Pride blowing the trumpet. Every vice is there with his

emblems; and the seller of pardons, with his crucifix and triple
crown, is distributing his largess of perdition. The voices of men

shout to set wide the gates, to give entrance to the queen of
nations, and the gates are set wide, and they all enter. The

avenging gates close on them--they are all shut up in hell."
There was a sough in the kirk as I said these words; for the vision

I described seemed to be passing before me as I spoke, and I felt as
if I had witnessed the everlastingdestruction of Antichrist, and

the worshippers of the Beast. But soon recovering myself, I said in
a soft and gentle manner, "Look at yon lovely creature in virgin-

raiment, with the Bible in her hand. See how mildly she walks
along, giving alms to the poor as she passes on towards the door of

that lowly dwelling--Let us follow her in--She takes her seat in the
chair at the bedside of the poor old dying sinner; and as he tosses

in the height of penitence and despair, she reads to him the promise
of the Saviour--'This night thou shalt be with me in Paradise;' and

he embraces her with transports, and, falling back on his pillow,
calmly closes his eyes in peace. She is the true religion; and when

I see what she can do even in the last moments of the guilty, well
may we exclaim, when we think of the symbols and pageantry of the

departed superstition, Can I hear any more the voice of singing men
and singing women? No; let us cling to the simplicity of the Truth

that is now established in our native land."
At the conclusion of this clause of my discourse, the congregation,

which had been all so still and so solemn, never coughing, as was
often the case among my people, gave a great rustle, changing their

positions, by which I was almost overcome; however, I took heart and