cow that calved two calves at one calving; Mrs Byres, the same year,
had twins, male and female; and there was such a crop on his fields,
testifying that the Lord never sends a mouth into the world without
providing meat for it. But what was thought a very daunting sign of
something, happened on the Sacrament Sabbath at the conclusion of
the action sermon, when I had made a very suitable discourse. The
day was tempestuous, and the wind blew with such a pith and birr,
that I thought it would have twirled the trees in the kirkyard out
by the roots, and, blowing in this manner, it tirled the thack from
the rigging of the manse stable; and the same blast that did that,
took down the lead that was on the kirk-roof, which hurled off, as I
was saying, at the conclusion of the action sermon, with such a
dreadful sound, as the like was never heard, and all the
congregation thought that it betokened a mutation to me. However,
nothing particular happened to me; but the smallpox came in among
the weans of the parish, and the smashing that it made of the poor
bits o' bairns was indeed woeful.

One Sabbath, when the pestilence was raging, I preached a sermon
about Rachel weeping for her children, which Thomas Thorl, who was
surely a great judge of good preaching, said, "was a monument of
divinity whilk searched the heart of many a parent that day;" a
thing I was well pleased to hear, for Thomas, as I have related at
length, was the most zealous champion against my getting the parish;
but, from this time, I set him down in my mind for the next vacancy
among the elders. Worthy man! it was not permitted him to arrive at
that honour. In the fall of that year he took an income in his
legs, and couldna go about, and was laid up for the remainder of his
days, a perfect Lazarus, by the fire-side. But he was well
supported in his affliction. In due season, when it pleased Him