of
corruptions and profanity, which continued in Scotland a number of
years.

One time, says Mr. Livingston, I went to Edinburgh to see him, in the
company of the tutor of Bonington. When we called on him at eight
o'clock in the morning, he told us, He was not for any company, and when
we urged him to tell us the cause, he answered, That when he went to bed
he had a good measure of the Lord's presence, and that he had wrestled
with him about an hour or two before we came in, and had not yet got
access; and so we left him. At another time I went to his house, but saw
him not till very late; when he came out of his closet, his face was
foul with weeping, and he told me, That, that day, he had been thinking
on what torture and hardships Dr. Leighton our country-man had been put
to at London[53]; and added, If I had been faithful, I might have had
the pillory, and some of my blood shed for Christ as well as he; but he
hath got the crown from us all. I heard him once say, faith be, I would
desire no more at my first appeal from king James, but one hour's
converse with him: I know he hath a conscience; I made him once weep
bitterly at Holyrood-house. About the year----, I heard him say, I
wonder how I am kept so long here; I have lived two years already in
violence; meaning that he was then much beyond seventy years of age[54].

When the time of his death drew near (which was in the month of August
1631), through age and infirmity he was mostly confined to his chamber,
where he was frequently visited by his friends and acquaintances; and
being on a certain time asked by one of them, How matters stood betwixt
God and his soul? He made this return, "When I was young, I was
diligent, and lived by faith on the Son of God; but now I am old, and am
not able to do so much, yet he condescends to feed me with lumps of
sense." And that morning before he was removed, his sickness being
mostly a weakness through age, he came to breakfast and having as usual
eaten an egg, he said to his daughters "I think I am yet hungry, ye may
bring me another egg." But instantly thereafter, falling into deep
meditation, and after having mused a little he said, "Hold, daughter, my
Master calls me." With these words his sight failed him; and called for
his family bible, but finding his sight had failed him, he said, "Cast
up to me the eight chapter of the epistle to the Romans, and set my
fingers on these words, _I am persuaded that neither death nor l