9e" rrtmonis OF Ì'ERIOD y , helped. Awhile after; defring tonote the progréfsof thatclay, fuch was the temper of my evil heart, in consideration whereof the itates of innocence and of glory were that night big in my eyes; that I was averfe to go to prayer beforehand but I, find- ing this, peremptorily refolved, that goI thould ; and,, durit not delay it, fearing, from former experience, the growing of that diftemper ; the which I alfa did accordingly. Ah for the power and prevalency ofunbelief! I think if there were no more in hea- ven but freedom from this mafter-devil, it were molt'defirable. That night I began the catechifing ofthe fervant : the which part of family-duty I continued in my family on the Sabbath nights, till of late years my ftrength decaying, I almoft confined it to the time of the year wherein we have but one fermon. On the morrow Ivilited the fick, and fpent the afternoon in catechising, and found great ignorance prevailing. 'On the Tuef- day, vifiting a tick woman grofsly ignorant, after I had laid out before her, her wretched ftate by nature, the told me she had be- lieved all her days. I thereupon fat as aftonifhed for a while, lifted up my eyes to the Lord, and addreffed myfelf to her again for her conviótion ; howbeit nothing but ftupidity appeared. Therefore I faw I had enough ado among my handful. I had another diet of catechifing on Wednefday afternoon ; and look- ing to the Lord for help, I got it : and I had force more comfort in them than before. Having inculcated almoft on each of them their wretched ftate by nature, and they frequently attending the means of inítru&ion, there were but few examined that day who did not thew forne knowledge of that point. But the difcovery I themade oftheir ignorance of God and of themfellves, made me e ore fatisfied with the fmallnefs of the charge. On the Thurfday, thinking to preach the weekly fermon on 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine yourfelves," &c. after prayer for light and direótion, I was -furprifed with that word flipping into gay mind, Hof. iv. 6. " My people are deftro ed for lack of " knowledge." And hereto I was, after prayer, rationally de- termined : and that was the firft particular fubjeét' I entered on in that exercife. At night the Lord was with me, and I had a pretty frequent auditory. That opportunity of ferving the Lord was big in my eyes, and my foul bleffed him for that he had put it in my heart. After this, with joy I faw myfelf in Simprin, as in my nett, under the covert ofChrift's wings. Reading divinity that night, I was caufed to lift mine eyes to the Lord, for light into histruths, feeing the emptinefs of book-learning without the Spirit. Next day I vifited one of my neighbouring brethren, with whom I found not the afle&tion I withed for. My preaching twice on the Lord's day in the winter wasreckonedunneighbour- ly, notwithstanding the fingular circumftances Of my charge, all in one little town, within a few paces from one end to the other; the which, ihewing no neceflity of making a difference betwixt
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