des 
während 
Jahrh 
345 
seinem Kirchspiel Widersetzlichkeit und gerieth in Geld- und 
andere Verlegenheiten. Er wandte sich um Hülfe an einen Kauf- 
mann, der war wohlhabend und musste ihm nach seiner Ansicht 
beistehen. Der Kaufmann war jedoch anderer Ansicht und weigerte 
sich. Darauf erklärte der Prediger, Gott werde ihn mit seiner 
Strafe heimsuchen. Und wirklich gingen nicht nur seine Geschäfte 
rückwärts, sondern er wurde auch geistesschwach und starb im 
Wahnsinn. Er hatte zwei Söhne und zwei Töchter. Beide Söhne 
wurden geisteskrank. Eine Tochter verlor ebenfalls den Verstand. 
Die andere Tochter war verheirathet, ihr Mann verarmte und die 
Kinder aus dieser Ehe wurden Bettler, damit das entsetzliche Ver- 
brechen heimgesucht werde bis ins dritte Glied") 
47) „He (Mr. Fordyce, in Aberdeen) tells me this following aecompt, which he 
had from personall observation: When he IiVed near Frazerburge, in the North, there 
was a Minister setled there j'ure devoluta, the toun being biggotted against Presbytery 
to a. pitch, und only two or three that harl any seeming liking that way. After the 
Minister is setled, he expected much enconragment from one Ougstoun, I think his 
name was, who had professed mnch respect for him and that way. A while after, 
in some difücnlty, the Minister came to him, and desired his contenance and assistanee 
in the difficulfy. He at ürst put the Minister oif with delay; and. within a. litle 
plainly mocked him, and wonld rloe nothing. The Minister came from him to my 
informer, who lived a iitle from the place, and gave him ane acconnt (of) what had 
befallen him, und said, 'I expected mnch from that man, and reaconed upon his help 
and assistance, in soe comfortless a setlement as I have ventnred on; and he has not 
only disappointed me, but mocked me!' And the Minister was like to sink under the 
thonghts of this carriage; and after some silenceyhe said, very peremptorly, 'I am 
mnch mistaken, yea, 1'le say it, God hath sent me, and spoken by me. God will 
visite that man, and something more than ordinary will befall him und hisV My 
informer was very much stnnned und greived at such a peremptory declaration. 
However, it was accomplished, to my informefs personell knowledge. The man was 
a trader, who was very rich, worth near fonr or five thousand pounds sterling in 
stock. He had two sons and two daughters. Within some litle time, one of hie sons 
tnrned distracted, und I think continoues soe still. The other son, in some distemper, 
tnrned silly, and litle better, and dyed. His danghters, one was maryed, a'nd her 
hnsband lost all his stock et sea, twice or thrice; his good-father stocked him once 
or twice, and all was still lost, und they and their children aije miserable. The other 
daughter fell into a distemper, wherein ehe lost her reason. The man hirnself, after 
that time, never throve; bis means wasted away insensibly; und throu all things, he 
fell nnder melaneholy, and turned silly, und dyed stupide. A11 this fell ont in some 
fey years after what passed above; and my relutor kneu all this particularly, und 113d 
occasion to be upon the man's bnssiness and affairs." WodrowÄv Analecta, II, 175, 176. 
Siehe auch in einem anderen Werke dieses berühmten Schottischen Theologen einen 
Bericht daniber, was geschah als „a rash yonng man" Namens Boyd einem Prediger 
sein Eigenthnm zerstört hatte: „it was observed that that family did never tiu-ive