Twelve and a Half Miles in Heavy Rain

Monday, 10.--I set out for Inverness. I had sent Mr. McAllum before, on George Whitfield's horse, to give notice of my coming. Hereby I was obliged to take both George and Mrs. MeAllum with me in my chaise. To ease the horses, we walked forward from Nairn, ordering Richard to follow us, as soon as they were fed; he did so, but there were two roads. So, as we took one, and he the other, we walked about twelve miles and a half of the way, through heavy rain. We then found Richard waiting for us at a little alehouse, and drove on to Inverness. But, blessed be God, I was no more tired than when I set out from Nairn. I preached at seven to a far larger congregation than I had seen here since I preached in the kirk. And surely the labor was not in vain, for God sent a message to many hearts.

Tuesday, 11.--Notwithstanding the long discontinuance of morning preaching, we had a large congregation at five. I breakfasted at the first house I was invited to at Inverness, where good Mr. McKenzie then lived. His three daughters live in it now, one of whom inherits all the spirit of her father. In the afternoon we took a walk over the bridge, into one of the pleasantest countries I have seen. It runs along by the tide of the clear river and is well cultivated and well wooded. And here first we heard abundance of birds, welcoming the return of spring. The congregation was larger this evening than the last, and a great part of them attended in the morning. We had then a solemn parting, as we could hardly expect to meet again in the present world.