12 The LIFE of the Y. LB. T. got the Bridleas aforefaid, and fet on running; and in the midit of his running unexpectedly turned alide, and leapt over the top of the Hedge into that deep Lane : I was fomewhat before him at the Ground, andas the Mire faved me front the hurt beneath, fo it pleated God that the Horfe nevertouched me, but he light with two feet on one fide of me, and two on the other ; though the place made it marvellous, how his feet could fall befides me. §r ;. While I lookback to this, it maketh me remember how God at that time did cure my inclination to Gaming : About Seventeen years of Age beingat Lud- lowCattle, where many idle Gentlemen had little elfè to do, I had amind to learn to play at Tables ; and the bell Gamefter in the Houfe undertook to teach me As 'I remember, the firlt or fecond Game, when he had fo much the better that it was an hundred to one, befides the difference ofour skills, the ftanders by laugh'd at me, as well as he, for not giving it up, and told me the Game was loft : I knew no more but that it was not loft till all my Table-men were loft, and would not give it over sill then. He told me, that he would lay me an hundred toone of it, and in good earneft laid me down ten fhillings to my fix pence : As foon as ever the Money was down,whereas he told me that therewas no poffibilityof my Game, but by one Call often, I had everyCaftthe fame I wifhed, and he had every one according to my defire, fo that by that time onecould go fouror five times about , the Koons his Game was gone, which put him in fo great an admiration, that I took the hint, and believed that the Devil lead the ruling of the Dice, and did it to entice me onto be a Gamefter.And fo I gave him his Ten fhillings again, and re- folved I would never more playat Tables whilftI lived. I t,4. But to return to the place where I left,: When I came home from London, I found my Mother in extremityof Pain, and fpent that Winter in the hearing of her Heart piercing Groans, ( That up in the great Snow , which many that went abroad did perils in) till on May the loth fhe died. At Kidermir, je the Townbeing inwant of fire, went all to fhovel the. way over the Heath toStone- bridge, from whence their Coals come ; and fogreat and fudden a fform of Snow fell, as overwhelmed them; fo that fome perilhed in it, and others raved their Lives by getting intoa little Cote that ftandeth onche Heath, and others fcaped home withmuch ado. § r ç. Above a year after the Death ofmy Mother, my Father married a Wo- man ofgreat Sincerity in the Fear of God, Mary the Daughter of Sir The. Hunker: whole Holinefs, ivlortification, Contempt of the World, and fervent Prayer (in which file (pent a great part of her Life) have been fo exceeding Exemplary, as made her a Special Blelrng to our Family, an Honour to Religion, and an honou- rable Pattern to thole that knew her. She lived to be 96 yearsold. § i6. Fiom the Age of zr till near a ;, my Weaknelswas lo great, that I expe- ded not to live above a year and my own Soul being under the f rions appre- henfioncf the Matters ofanotherWorld, I was exceeding defirous to Communi- cate thole Apprehenfions to fuch ignorant, prefumptuoas, carelefs Sinners as the . World aboundeth with. But l was in a very great perplexity between my En- couragements and my Difcouragements: I was confcióus of my perfonal infutfici- ency, for want of that mealùre of Learning and Experience, which fa great and higha Work required. I knew that the want of Academical Honours and De- grees waslike to snake me Contemptible with the molt, and confequently hinder she Succeis of my Endeavours. But yet expeding to be fo quickly in another World, the great Concernments of miferable Souls, did prevail with me against ail shell Impediments ; and being confcióus of a thirlty defire of Mens Converfi- ,m and Salvation, and of fume competent perfwading Faculty ofExpreffîon,which ervent Affections might help to actuate, I refolved that if One or two Souls only mightbeh+:on to God, it would eauly recompenceall the difhonotirwhich for want of Tides I might undergo from Men ! And indeed I had fùch clear Convictions my felf of the madnefs of fecure pre - fmptuous Sinners, and the unquelionable Reafons which fhould induce men to a :icily Life, and of the untpeakable greamefs of that Work, which in this batty inch of Time, we have all to do, that I thought that Man that could be ungod -- tv , if he did but hear thefethings, was fitter for Bedlam, than for the. Reputation of a fiber rational Man : And I was fofoolifh as to think, -that T bad fo much to fay, and of fuch Convincing Evidence for a Godly Life , that Men were fcarce a- ble towithffand it ; not conlidering what a blind and fenflef Rock the Heart of an obdurate Sinner is ; and that old Adam is too ftrong for young Luther (as he laid). But these Apprebentïons determined my choice. f t7. Till
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