Diary of Alexander Jaffray, provost of Aberdeen

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more for my advantage ; and while there, he will be
with me, — even in the fire and in the water — he is
with me; why then should I be dismayed? The ene-
my, that is buffeting me, will be better buffeted, be-
leaguered, yea, trampled upon shortly. It is, then, a
duty which I desire to essay, — to take courage, and
be still; and — as a dear friend said yesterday to me,
The best way to discourage and render a mad, furi-
ous enemy hopeless in his attempts, is to slight and
neglect him as absurd and vile, — yea, to abhor being
a servant of sin.
That day, finding some easier access to meet with
Mr. Robert Macquare, — (he having been kept close
prisoner, since his libel was found proved, and he
guilty of treason) — but, this day, having found access
to him, I was speaking something of my thoughts to
him, in relation to these times, and the guiltiness that
the Lord may be pursuing his people for, in this day.
And having, in some sort, made way for it, I told him,
at last, that I had a paper, which did more fully con-
tain my thoughts, both as to the matter of guilt and
of duty. This paper, I left with him to be read ; and
he promised, that neither the paper, nor what was in
it, should be communicated to any. He only told me,
that he could not promise so speedily to peruse it, see-
ing he ivas preparing some papers for the scaffold.
Whereupon, I was fearing, it may meet with the like
success with him, as with Mr. James Guthrie, to
whom another copy of it was sent for the same end.
But he, being advertised, that the Parliament was to
be about his sentence very shortly, had no time to
peruse the same ; [See Appendix, 00.] I was de-
siring, that it may be otherwise ordered with this good
man; and that he may receive what truth there is in