to the west of Scotland, and for some time preached successfully. But in the town of Ayr, he found the church preoccupied by the bishop of Glasgow; in consequence of which he proceeded to the market-cross, "where," says Knox, "he made so notable a sermon, that the very enemies themselves were confounded." He also preached frequently at Galston and Bar. At Mauchline he was prevented from officiating, by the sheriff of Ayr "causing to man the church, for preservation of a tabernacle that was there beautiful to the eye." Wishart, refusing to yield to the solicitations of some who urged him to enter forcibly, exclaimed, "Christ Jesus is as mighty upon the fields as in the church; and I find that he himself, after he preached in the desert, at the sea-side, and other places judged profane then, he did so in the temple of Jerusalem. It is the word of peace that God sends by me—the blood of no man shall be shed this day for the preaching of it." Thereafter he preached in the neighbourhood, so as to produce a wonderful reformation on a gentleman of abandoned character. But while engaged in this part of Scotland, he heard that the plague was raging in Dundee. The devoted preacher hastened thither. In the midst of the disease and misery of the people, he preached so as to be heard both within and without the town, many of the sick being beyond the gate, on these appropriate words, "He sent his sword and healed them;" adding, "It is neither herb nor plaster, O Lord, but thy word healeth aLl." This discourse produced a very general and powerful impression. He continued to preach and visit the sick with singular benevolence; and, besides the infection of the disease, to which he was constantly exposed, he was, on one occasion, liable to danger from a priest, who had been commissioned to assassinate him. The people, on discovering the dagger which he held in his hand at the conclusion of one of Wishart's sermons, were inflamed with passion, but the latter embraced him, with these friendly words, "whosoever troubles him shall trouble me, for he hath hurt me in nothing; but he hath done great comfort to you and me, to wit, he hath let us to understand what we may fear: in times to come we will watch better." The truth appears to be, that Beaton, being fully apprized of the designs of Wishart's friends against his own life, had thought proper to form similar designs against that of a preacher who was perpetually in the company, and in all probability in the confidence of his own enemies, and whose eloquence was threatening his church with destruction. Whether this was the case or not, there can be no doubt that the cardinal now made all possible efforts to apprehend Wishart. The preacher, therefore, never moved in any direction without a tried adherent, who bore a two-handed sword before him; nor did he ever preach except under a strong guard of friendly barons and their retainers. Knox at one time officiated in the character of sword-bearer to his friend.
From Dundee he returned to Montrose, where he spent some time, occupied partly in preaching, "but most part in secret meditation." At Dundee, which he now revisited, he uttered a memorable prediction of future glory to the reformed church in Scotland. "This realm," said he, "shall be illuminated with the light of Christ's gospel as clearly as ever any realm since the days of the apostles. The house of God shall be builded in it; yet it shall not lack, whatsoever the enemy may imagine in the contrary, the very kepstone." For this and other anticipations of the future, Wishart received the credit of a prophet among his followers; nor have writers been wanting in the present age to maintain that he really possessed this ideal accomplishment. It is impossible, however, for a reasonable mind to see anything in the above prediction, beside the sanguine expectations of a partisan respecting his own favourite objects. As for the rest of Wishart's predictions, which generally consisted in
