1684. MR THOMAS BOSTON. Bruck in mymind, flood muting a little between the doors, durfi not go forward, but came ftealing away again. Thus the unfeen Counfellor preferved me from thatfnare. I remember Tome things which I was, by hearing or feeing, in perfons come to years, witnefs to, in thefe days, leaving an im- preflron on me to ;their difadvantage. Wherefore care fhould be taken, that nothing lhould be done or faid, finful or indecent, before children ; for their memory may retain the fame, till they are capable to form a right judgment of it, to the ftaining of the £haraóter of the party with them afterward. By means --.of my education, and natural difpoftion, I was of a lober and harmlefs deportment, and preferved from the common vices of children in towns.. I was at no time.what they call a vitious or a reguifh boy ; neither was I fo, addi&ed to playas to forget my bufinefs ; though I wasadexterous playerat fuck games as required art and nimblenefs : and towards the latterend of this period, having had frequent occafron to fee foldiers exercifed, I liad apeculiar facultyat muttering and exercifingmyfchool- fellows accordingly, by the feveral words and motions of the exercife of the inufket ; they being formed into a body, under a captain. Thewhich exercife I have managed, to as much wearinefs and pain of my breaft, as fometi.mes I have preached. During the firft years of my being at the gra amar-fehoot, I kept the kirk punótually, where I heard : thofe of the Epifcépal way ; that being then the national eftablithment : but I knew nothing of the matter, fave to give fuitand prefence within the walls of thehoule living without Godin theworld, unconcerned about the !late of myfoul, till the year 1687. Toward the latter end of fummer that year, the liberty of confcience being then newly giving by King James, my father took me away with him to a Prefbyterian meeting, in. the Newton of Whitforne. There I heard the worthy Mr Henry Erfkine *, rninifter of Cornhill be- fore the reftoration, mentioned inCalamy's Account oftheejec ied rninifters, vol. 2. p. 518. and in the Continuationof that Account, vol. 2. p. 678. etfegq ; by whofe means it pleafed the Lord to awaken me, and bring me under exercife about my foul's Rate ; being then going in the twelfth year of my age. After that, I went back to the kirk no more, till the Epithopalians were turned out : and it was the common obfervation in thefe days, That whenever one turned ferions about his foul's fiate and cafe, he left them. The which ,experience in my own cafe; founded my averfion to that way, whichbath continued with me all along to this day. But'how hlamelefs and harmlefs foever my life was before the world during my childhood, and while I was a boy, whether be- fore or after I was enlightened, the corruption of my nature be- gan very early to thew and fpread forth itfelf in me, as the genuine * This Mr Henry Erikine was father to the late IVleü; Ebenezerand Ralph Erfltines whofe praife is in all the churches. A2
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