1706. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 147 how thole Iarge offers came, in the providence of God, to be fo feared. I remember, when I had been preaching againft the de- laying of repentance from ver. 19. God preached that over in bulk, and'in forne particulars, by his providence immediately af- ter. After the facrametat, that fell to be the ordinary, ver. 91. To him that overcotneth,'.' &c. on which verfe particularly we bad fèveral fweet days. The lecond Lord's day after the facra- ment, one of the belt of the parifh fell under fuels a trial as I had been warning them of, about two hours after fhe went home from the church that day. That day' I had refolved to preach fhort, but could not get it done ; thofe particular heads which came 'aft behoved to be delivered that day ; the defign whereof I quickly faw by that difpenfation, being called that night to fee that per- Ibn. On the Sabbath-night, after the public workwas over; Mr Col- den, my affiftant, gave me the news of a call to the parifh of Etterick for me. The Pane was fhortly after brought before our prefbytery ; who, finding it to be a mere prefbyterial call', tan- quamjure develuto,. without concurrence of the parifh, referred the affair of the tranfmittìng thereof unto the fynod, which was to meet in March. March 4. My health being broken, and thinking togo to Dunfe to fpeak with Dr Trotter about it after I had once and again gone toGod by prayer, to fee what was my duty, I did fee it was my duty to go that day. And being jail ready to go away, my wife, out of tendernefs to me, dealt with me to flay at home for that day, and I yielded. Then I fell on writing up the fynod- book, to be ready for the general affèmbly. Having written forge of it, I fell into two blunders, fuch as I never,fell into while I had:,,...; written that book. Beginning the third page, I fell into a worfe error ; fo that I was forced to lay it afide. At firfl I thought my indifpofition was the caufe of this ; but atilength I Paw as clearly as the light, that it was the punifhment of my mockingGod, in that I liad fought to know my duty, God had difcovered it, and after all I laid it afide. But after all I was made to biefs God for thefè, errors. And when I was helped to fie my fin, and take with the puni(hment of my iniquity, then, though not till then, law I how toget them amended. It was the Lord's goodnefs that they fell to be where they were. My health being broken as aforefaid, I took advise about it. And this was not the firft time that it had been lò with me, even fince mymarriage. Some former year I had gone to Berwick, to confult upon that account Dr Alexander Home, who, in the for- mer part of the time I was at Simpriu, was our ordinary : and Mewing him,, that I feared a confùmption, he freely toldme, that I had reafon for it ; and gave his advice. He was a plain man, good- natured, religioufly difpofed, ready to do good;, and fearing no pains for that end ; eary to all, and would never take a farthing from me. My wife having,, by his advice, cut out her hair, and
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