For fome time after he was ejected, he lived moftly at Edinburgh, and in Fife, till September 1673, when all the minifters in and about Edinburgh were called to appear before the council to hear their fentence, and to repair to the places of their confinement; but he and fome others not appearing; they were ordered to be apprehended wherever they could be found, Which made him fhift as well as he could for fome time, till he was at last apprehended and imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh, where he was during the time of Bothwel battle, However he was foon liberated and went to Holland; where, after the death of the famous and faithful Mr. Brown, he was admitted minifter of the Scots congrega tion at Rotterdam.

And here again his activity in the miniftry was fuch as indeed might be expected from a foul, comprehenfive of the interefts of GOD and his church, the prefent age, and future generations; a foul, inflamed with love, by which he was fweetly conftrained to fpend and be spent, not in the support of any party, but of true catholic chriftianity. What fort of a writer he was, his works fufficiently fhew. In preaching, he was both a Boanerges and a Barnabas; few knowing better how to use law and gofpel, without either oppofing or confounding them. For converfe and for all things ufeful to the edifying of the church of GOD, what might Cambuslang testify of him? what might Edinburgh and adjacent places, where after his ejection from Cambuslang, he lived and labored? what might Rotterdam fay, where, for fo many years he lived a burning and a fhining light. The fun (continues his biographer) ftood fill all the time, in which he had no defign for GOD's glory on foot. It is well known, the fun of his life fet upon an excellent defign, viz. "A Treatife concerning the way of the Holy "Ghoft's working on the fouls of men; efpecially, after "converfion, in communion between GOD and them." He was more than ordinaily fuccefsful in his minifterial labors, and had a numerous fpiritual progeny; among whom were his two furviving fons.

As he was truly religious, fo he was of a peaceable and friendly difpofition; often faying, "What a fervant "the bond of love is to the unity and purity of faith." Speaking of the differences of brethren in this city, [London] he thus expreffed himfelf; "I am amazed to "fee good men thus tear one another in the dark. Nor ❝ can I understand how they fhould have grave in due "exercife,

F 4

exercife, who value their particular defigns above the intereft of the catholic church, and who confine reli gion to their own notions and models." To one that complained of reproaches from pretended friends, his anfwer was; To me to be judged of man and of man's judgement is a fmall thing. I blefs GOD, I value not 86 my own name, but GOD's only. I do confefs, when men wound the credit of the gofpel through me; "then it is hard to bear up." Nor fhould it be forgotten what he said to his dear friend, and spiritual fon, of this city, Dr. D. H," I blefs GOD, in fifteen years time "I have not given any man's credit a thruft behind his "back: But when I had grounds to fpeak well of any man, "I have done fo with faithfulnefs; and when I wanted a fubject that way, I kept filence."

He was a man fo highly favored of GOD, and blessed with fo much of heaven upon earth, as is not often found in any one age. His life was one continued triumph over the law, fin, death, and hell; like Jacob and Ifrael, wrestling and prevailing with GOD; and like Mofes, to whom GOD fpake as it were face to face. In fhort, every day feemed an holy fabbath and communion-day, and day of fpiritual jubilee to him. And fome time before he died, he had feveral glorious manifeftations of GOD's love, one of which he said, he had not ftrength enough to have borne much longer.

His diary, the rich treafure of his experience (fays Mr. Burgess) is not at hand: And therefore cannot, as yet, be brought into public light. But from the few manufcripts which are here found, I fhall add fome hints that I judge to be very good directions and encouragements: I mean unto the faith of reliance and of affurance, in which he was fo eminent---unto the love of GOD and men, in which he was fo vigorous--and unto meditation and prayer and heavenly mindednefs, in which he was fo grand an exemplar. They are indeed but hints: And, if any difference, be, they < are the most ordinary of his memorials: The more fublime and extraordinary ones are kept back from a fufpicion that the generality of good and honeft Readers might be more amufed than edified by things fo ftupendous, and fo very much out of the common road of chriftian experience."

August 16, 1685, I found (fays he) fome fweet accefs to the Lord in the morning, and in the lively

actings

"actings of grace; and after I had this day fet down ❝ fome remarks of the day before, I had fome clear im"prefs of this. Since thou art careful to improve thy "talent of obfervation, more fhall be given; and the oil fhall not fail, whilft there are veffels to receive.

"And now, O the fweet evening of this fame day, "when in the outer-walk, (where I had found a fore "damp for fome time) the door was as it were cast open, "with fuch a clear imparting of thefe great confirma❝tions, that I hope with affured confidence, was the "voice of my beloved GOD and Mafter; yea, as in"deed it had been, with an audible voice faid: I will "do for thee even exceeding abundantly, &c. I will "furely give thee a deliverance, that fhall make thee glad "above all thy forrows paft. I do remember thy prayers

and groans oft in this walk; and though I was only a "witness of them then, yet now as I have feen in fecret, "fo will I reward thee openly. The time is now come, "and it fhall linger no more; rejoice and be glad, O my "prifoner of hope, for the time of thy releafe is come! "I remember thy kindnefs, and know thy love; be ftill "and know that I am GOD. I know thy diftrefs, and "that thy ftraits now draw near: But fear not, I will take "care of thee: And the greater thy extremity be, the 66 greater teftimony thou giveft to me, &c."

And

He fpent his days and years after this manner. in order to have the year rightly carried on, it was (as was before obferved) his cuftom from the fifteenth or fixteenth year of his age, to his laft, to fet apart the first day of every year, in a new felf-furrender and dedication of himfelf to GOD. We cannot give a particular account of the manner of his doing this, for the firft years of his life; but we may guess what they have been, by the inftance following: viz.

1691. In the entry of this new year (as I have "now done for many years paft moft folemnly) I defire again to renew my perfonal engaging of myfelf to the "Lord my GOD, and for him, and with my whole heart and defire to enter myfelf into his fervice, and take on his bleffed yoke, and humbly to lay claim, take and embrace him (O him!) to be my GOD, my all, my light and my falvation, my fhield and "exceeding great reward. Whom have I in heaven,

but thee, O Lord, or in the earth whom I do defire befides thee. And now under thy bleffed hand my foul

defires,

defires, and does here teftify my trufting myself and fecuring my whole intereft, my credit, my conduct, my comfort, my affiftance, my thorow-bearing, and my poor children, and to leave myfelf herein on thy "gracious hand, my deareft Lord, whilft in time, as I write this the 2d day of January 1691.

R. FLEMING." my foul, never

At another time he writes thus: forget this folemn Wedenfday night, nor the laft Monday night; what folemn vifits I had from my Lord, after fo ferious a work of trial about the warrant of "my hope, and petition for the heightening of my faith, and fealing teftimony of his Spirit: In how wonderful a way did my deareft Lord, I hope, bear evidence to the great affurance he had formerly given me! &c. "O let my foul blefs and adore the Lord for this sweet and gracious vifit this Monday night, which my deareft "Lord, I hope, hath given his poor fervant, when fo "near finking; and hope faid to my foul, fear not,

I forget you not, for I have graven you on the palms of my hands, &c. I look on thee with delight, and "the time is come when I will give thee an account of

thy prayers and tears, of thy many groans and long "on-waiting. Have I fpoken, and will I not do it? .&c. O thou afflicted, toffed with tempefts,---in an acceptable time have I heard thee! Truft thou in the Lord, for I will make thee a fign to this generation, "&c. I am leading thee right, and thy ftrength is to fit ftill. Is the Lord's hand fhortened, that it cannot * fave? &c.

"O how fhall I entertain this gracious day, and appearance of my dearest Lord to his poor fervant! O wonderful condefcenfion this morning, after fo "sweet an evening before, that he fhould pleafe to give fo near an approach of himfelf! O, I hope, it was his voice! I am come, I am furely come, my fervant, "in the fourth watch of the night, to bring forth my "prifoner and fet him at liberty, who hath ftayed fo "long for me, &c.---I embrace you as a conqueror;

rejoice for great is your reward in heaven. I am now "entering thee on a day of rejoicing: Be not doubtful, "it is I that comfort thee, &. And when I faid, "O how fhall I manage fuch a wonderful engage"ment? How difcernibly was it returned, I hope from himfelf, I will manage for thee: Thou haft ftayed for me; but thou haft got the victory, and the day

"fhall

fhall be thine, and thou fhalt know what I have been "doing with thee and for thee,

"Olet me never forget the 25th of December, at "night; when after fixty years, under the Lord's fpecial "conduct, he gave me fo fweet and remarkable a vifit, "never to be forgotten! O what a night was it, when "I went home preffed to fing the hundred and third "Pfalm."

But now drawing near his end in the year 1694, upon his first arreft, "O friends," (faid he) to fuch as were about him, "ficknefs and death are ferious things;" but till the fpark of his fever was rifen to a flame, he was not aware, that that fickness was to be unto death. Yet, before his expiration, he was apprehenfive of its approach: Calling to him a friend, he afked, “What "freedom do you find in prayer for me? feems GOD "to beckon to your petitions, or does he bind you up "and leave dark impreffions on your mind? this way, "faid he, I have often known the mind of the Lord." His friend telling him he was under darkness in the cafe, he replied, "Well, I know your mind: Trouble "not yourself for me; I think I may fay, I have been "long above the fear of death."

All the while his groans and ftruggling argued him to be under no small pains: But his anfwers to enquiring friends certified that the diftrefs did not enter his foul. Always he would fay, "I am very well," or, "I was "never better," or, "I feel no ficknefs." Thus would he fay, while he seemed to be fenfible of every thing befides pain. But the malignant diftemper wafting his natural fpirits, he could fpeak but little; but what he spake was all of it like himself. Having felt himself indifpofed for his wonted meditation and prayer, he thus faid to some near him; "I have not been able in a manner "to form one ferious thought fince I was fick, or to ap"ply myself unto GOD; but he has applied himself to

me, and one of his manifeftations was fuch as I could have borne no more." Opening his eyes after a long fleep, one of his fons afked how he did? He answered, "Never better." Do you know me? faid his fon. Unto which with a sweet fmile he answered, "Yes, yes, dear "fon, I know you." This was about two hours before he died. About an hour afterwards he cried earnestly, "Help, help, for the Lord's fake!" and then breathed weaker and weaker till he gave up the ghoft; and after he had feen the falvation of GOD he departed in peace on the fifteenth of July, 1694, in the 64th year of his age.

Thus