1705. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 145 communions in the winter-féafon, many of the godly throughout the country were gathered about us ; which made thefe latter years of my miniftry in Simprin more especiallycomfortable : but thefe halcyon-days ofmy miniftry lafted hot Iong, but were icon at gm end. .. 01n Thurfday, Nov. 1. about the evening- twilight, my daugh- ter Jane was born, and fhe was baptized on the 8th, byMr John Dyfert minifter at. Coldinghame. I had gone away that morning unto Prefton, to join in à congregational faft there, where Mr Colden, and MrLaurence Johnfton minifter of Dunfe, preached t and coming home at night, I found the child was brought forth ; the only one, in bringing forthof whom I fhared not of the pangs, according to my capacity. By that child's birth at that time, Providence was laying in for the heavy days we have feen of late years, in my wife's cafe. Proceeding in my courMof le&uring, Dec. 23. unto the epiftle to the Galatians, I confidered it alfo as a j'ouptain of the great doctrine of jollification ;;and therefore was;it3particular concern for underftanding then bf :" Whereff)re, addreffing myíélf to the ftudy of it, I wrote a paraphrafe thereon, from the beginning to the end thereof; the which is to be found in the folio note-book aforefaid *. And this was all, I think, of that kind, which I did at Simprin. There it was, that, by the kind conduct of Providence, I was led to, 'and acquired, the French tongue. What time I began it, I do not remember: only I am fore I had not feen the grammar, till after I was removed into the new mánfe. But by this year 1705, I had read French books, and made fome things therein read my own in Englifh. From Mr Charles Murthland, governor to Morifton, I had got a paper of rules for reading that language; the which I tranfcribed into a note-book. And from thence it was that I learned the pronunciation. The grammar, and all the books of that kind whiçh l read, except an old one being borrowed, I was the more careful to traufcribe things out of them into my Adverfaria, or Common-place book the which al- fo was my manner with other books too, efpecially borrowed ones. About that timeI framed a part of the folio note-book aforefaid, for recording therein any remarkable expofition offcripture-texts, which fhould occur-to me in reading. My hands having, of later years, been otherwife providentially filled up, I made but fmall progrefs therein : butyI judge the purfuing of the defgn, to the filling up of the blanks;might be of verygood ufe. Jan. 9 1706. This night I was under great difcouragement, and temptation, to give over the weekly fermon, or at leaft not to be at fuch pains about it. The temptationarofe from the bad- nefs of the night, (for in the winter it was kept in the night in my o7n houfe, 'and in the fummer in the kirk in the day-time) ; This paraphratewas publithed in 1753, being annexed to the mifceillany guettions.
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