Life and diary of Lieut. Col. J. Blackader

CHAP. XX. MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS. 493
one of the great Ebenezer's of my life, — the siege of
Lisle. God delivered and honoured me ; he wounded
and healed me. He gave his angels charge over mo
in that night — a night much to be remembered by me,
when heaven and earth seemed to mix, — thunder and
lightning from above, — cannons, bombs, and fire-
arms round about. But my mind was staid on this
promise, Isaiah xliii. 2. When thou ivalkest through the
fire thou shalt not be burnt, fyc.
December 19. I was called to a meeting of the Ses-
sion, Council, Deacons, &c. about calling a minister.
As I had reason to think there had been some under-
hand work, I thought it my duty to discharge my
conscience, and spoke to this effect : —
My Lord, (the Provost being preses,) while we have
this matter entire before us, and before we be much
dipt into it, I would beg, as a well-wisher to the town
of Stirling, to give my humble opinion and advice in
a general way. All of us that are concerned in it,
ought to lay by all prejudice, — all wrong bias and ill
humour, and cordially join together in calling a faith-
ful Gospel Minister, who may feed us in the integrity
of his heart, — a man of a peaceable temper, free of all
party-spirit, — a man who has no other design upon us,
but to lead us to Christ. And it is much the interest
of this town, at this time when people are so ready to
be led into parties, to have a man of a healing quiet
temper, in a word, a man that can say, This is our re-
joicing, even the testimony of our conscience, that in sim-
plicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but
by the grace of God, we have had our conversation among
you. I shall venture to say that the gospel never did
thrive, and never will, in the hands of a party minister.
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