( 4 )
dying. October 1617. I was ſent to the College of Glasgow where I ſtayed four years; I paſſed Mr. of Arts July 1621. After that I ſtayed in my father’s in Lanerk till I began to preach. During this time I obſerved the Lord's great goodneſs, that I was born of ſuch parents, who taught me ſomewhat of God ſo ſoon as I was capable to underſtand any thing; I had great fears about my ſalvation when I was but very young; I had the advantage of the acquaintance and example of many gracious Chriſtians. who uſed to reſort to my father's houſe, eſpecially at communion-occaſions: ſuch as Mr. Robert Bruce, and ſeveral other godly miniſters, the rare Counteſs of Wigown, lady Lillias Graham, who alſo at my baptiſm deſired my name, becauſe her father, her husband and eldeſt ſon were all of that name; the lady Culroſs, the lady Barnton, and ſundry others. It is remarkable, that Mr. William Wallace came but a ſhort while to Stirling before I was ſent thither to ſchool, and the year after I left the ſchool, he alſo left that charge: Like wife worthy Mr. Robert Boyd of Threebridge, was but lately come front Somer in France, to be Principal in the College of Glasgow when I went thither, and went from the College the year after I left it. The while I was in Stirling, Mr. Patrick Simpſon was miniſter there, a man learned, godly and very faithful in the cauſe of God; and in Glaſgow, I heard Mr. John Bell a grave ſerious man, and Mr. Robert Scot, who alſo was once depoſed for oppoſing the corruptions of the time. The firſt year I went to Stirling ſchool I profited not much, and was often beaten by the Schoolmaſter, and it happened that one day, when he had beaten me on the check with a ſtick, ſo that, it ſwelled, that ſame day my Father came occaſionally to town, and ſeeing my face ſwoln chode with the maſter that he had a chief hand to bring him to that place, and ſhould he uſe me ſo? the maſter promiſed to forbear beating of me, and I profited a great deal more in my learning after that; and when about September 1616. I with the reſt of my equals, had gone through all the Latin and Greek that was taught in the ſchool, and ſo were ready to go to the college, and my father came to bring me home for that
