The Life of Mr. William Guthrie.
Mr. William Guthrie was born at Pitfrothy anno 1620. He was eldest son of the laird of Pitfrothy in the shire of Angus; and by the mother's side, descended from the ancient house of easter Ogle, of which she was a daughter. God blessed his parents with a numerous offspring, for he had three sisters german and four brothers, who all, except one, dedicated themselves to the service of the gospel of God and his son; namely, Mr. Robert, who was licensed to preach, but was never ordained to the charge of any parish, his tender constitution and numerous infirmities rendered him unfit, and soon brought him to the end of his days; Mr. Alexander was a minister in the presbytery of Brichen, about the year 1645, where he continued a pious and useful labourer in the work of the gospel, till the introduction of prelacy, which unhappy change affected him in the tenderest manner, and was thought to have shortened his days; for he died anno 1661. And Mr. John, the youngest, was minister at Tarbolton in the shire of Ayr, in which place he continued till the restoration anno 1662, when the council met at Glasgow, (commonly called the drunken meeting) on the first of October. By this infamous act of Glasgow, above a third part of the ministers in Scotland were thrust from their charges, amounting to near 400. Mr. John Guthrie had his share of the hardships that many faithful ministers of Jesus Christ at that time were brought under. The next year, being 1663, the council, at the instigation of the bishop of Glasgow, summoned him and other nine to appear before them on the 23d of July, under the pain of rebellion; but he and other six did not appear. Anno 1666, he joined with that party, who, on the 26th of November, renewed the covenants at Lanerk; after a sermon preached by him, he tendered the covenants, which were read; to every article of which, with their hands lifted up to heaven, they engaged[136] with great solemnity and devotion. After their defeat at Pentland, he, no doubt, had his share of the violence and cruelty that then reigned, till anno 1668, he was removed to a better world.
Mr. William soon gave proofs of his capacity and genius, by very considerable progress made in the Latin and Greek languages. Then he was sent to the university of St. Andrews, where he studied philosophy under the memorable Mr. James Guthrie his cousin, who was afterwards minister at Stirling, "and who (says Mr. Trail) I saw die in, and for the Lord, at Edinburgh, June 1, 1661."
As the master and scholar were near relations, Mr. Guthrie was his peculiar care, and lodged, when at the college, in the same chamber with him, and therefore had the principles of learning infused into him with more accuracy than his class-fellows.
Having taken the degree of master of arts, he applied himself, for some years, to the study of divinity, under the direction of Mr. Samuel Rutherford. Mr. Trail says, "Then and there it pleased the Lord, who separated him from his mother's womb, to call him, by his grace, by the ministry of excellent Mr. Samuel Rutherford, and this young gentleman became one of the first fruits of his ministry at St. Andrews. His conversion was begun with great terror of God in his soul, and completed with that joy and peace in believing that accompanied him through his life. After this blessed change wrought upon him, he resolved to obey the call of God to serve him in the ministry of his gospel, which was given him by the Lord's calling him effectually to grace and glory. He did for this end so dispose of his outward estate, (to which he was born heir) as not to be intangled with the affairs of this life." He gave his estate to the only brother of the five who was not engaged in the sacred office, that thereby he might be perfectly disintangled from the affairs of this life, and entirely employed in these of the eternal world.
Soon after he was licensed to preach, he left St. Andrews, with high esteem and approbation from the professors of that university, which they gave proof of, by their ample recommendations. After this he became tutor to lord Mauchlin, eldest son to the earl of Loudon; in which situation he continued for some time, till he entered upon a parochial charge.
The parish of Kilmarnock, in the shire of Ayr, being large, and many of the people, belonging to the said parish, being no less than six or seven miles distant from their own kirk; for which and other reasons the heritors and others procured a disjunction, and called the new parish Fen wick or new Kilmarnock.
Mr. Guthrie was employed to preach at Galston, on a preparation-day before the celebration of the Lord's supper; and several members of the new-erected parish, were present at that occasion, who, being greatly edified by his sermons, conceived such a value for him, that they immediately resolved to make choice of him for their minister; and in consequence thereof gave him a very harmonious call, which he complied with. It is said, that he, along with the people, made choice of the place of ground for building the church upon, and preached within the walls of the house before it was completed; which bears the date of being built anno 1643; and he was ordained unto the sacred office Nov. 7, 1644.