(s MEMOIRS Ol'. PERIOD VII. day following; and on the Thurfday's night had advantage by the fermon. On Friday the 12th, at night, the wind was fo boifterous, and my houfe in fo ill café, that I was obliged to rife out of my bed for help in the cafe. Lying down again, I obferved how that many leek not a fhelter for their lids till the florin of wrath is come, and they cannot have it. After all I was obliged to quit ply bed, and go to my father's, left the houfe íhould have fallen on me. On the morrow t hudied my fermons with fotne dittinót- nefs and clearnefs ; but lanching forth into thoughts of Come difficulties as yet not removed, -my heart, was fo entangled there- with, that the edge of my fpirit was much blunted. On the Lord's day, the 14th, I was' in heavy cafe, being very dead in the forenoon. Betwixt fermons I began to pity the people I was fet over, and thought I would never ftand in an evil day. Then he- gan 1 bitterly to reflect on the caufes of the Lord's withdrawing, and taw my being too much taken up with the world the caufe t!:'_it, and my carriage in the interval of.Sabbaths ; mourned over thefe things, and cried for his prefence ; and I found in the after- noon a concern for their fouls good, and my own foul encouraged and itrengtheued by the fermon. At the family- exercife, reading Aóts xvi. how cruelly Paul and Silas were treated, my falfe heart began to ftand at that, that it íhould be one of the articles of the covenant ", finding a ferret unwillinguefs to undergo ütch things for Chrift, which was fad to me. 'Then turning to our ordinary in Pinging, (for then I read ordinarily before we Lung) . àud that was Pfal. xxii. 2,7. ad finem, which was fweet and feafonable to my foul. The Lord helped me to look on thefe prowifes as pro- inifes to Chrift in the covenant of redemption, whereby the elect's falvation, and their being brought up to the terms of the cove- nant, are fecured. The feveral /Mall's there, (hall remember, ¡hall wor'hip, &c. O how fweet were they ! 1 was content God íhould exercife that fovereign power in me, and make me willing; and my foul rejoiced in the prornife. I endeavoured on the Monday, not without fome fuccefs, to keep my heart in a heavenly drfpofitión ; fpent the morning in my chamber, the forenoon in catechifing, the afternoon in bufinefs, and vifiting a tickman at night, with help from the Lord. There- after earnefily plyingmy books, I found my heart much bettered, my confidence in the Lord more strengthened, the world lets valuable in my eyes, and my foul free of the temptations that otherwife I was liable to. And on the Tuefday morning, when I arofe, my foul began to foar aloft in thoughts of the morning of the refurrection. And after earnett prayer, I betook myfelf tó my ftudies again., as foon as I could. Experience of this kind hathbeen one thing, which all along, andefpècially in later years, hath recommended clofe ftudy to me, and in.,a manner bound it N. B. For many -years after this, my knowledge of thecovenant was very in.diftin
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