1706. MR THOMAS BOSTON. I51 therefore I begun to Rudy for Etterick ; but by no endeavours could I get a text, fo that I was forced togive it óver, till I thould have preached at Whittinghame, which I will not now fee. The Smatter being thus brought clofe home on me, I, .con-" fidering myfelf to be an utter ftranger to that place and people, having never feed them, judged it altogether neceffary to vifit them, as is raid above, before the faid diet of'the`pretbytery, with the affittants. Accordingly I went to Etterick, accompanied by my dear friend Dr Trotter. I preached there on a Lord's day, Nov. 3. but in bonds, though the Doótor faid he obferved no fuch thing. Even in fecret prayer, from the time I left the Merle, I was fadly dried up, at left till the work was over on the Lord's day; excepta little on the Lord's day morning. In fine, I judged I met with no fuch entertainment from the people, as could fignify any earneft delire in them to have me tobe their minifter. So we left them on Monday morning. On Tuefday about ten o'clock we came to Charterhall, where I was furprifed with the news of a faft through the two prefbyteries. Not knowing well what to do, Providence led me ftráight home, having fome, thoughts of takinganother day for our congregation. As I was coming by the end of Swinton .loch, that word Ezra viii. 11. "Then I proclaimed a tàft there, at the river Ahava," &c. came into my mind ; and [ had lbnie thoughts on it, as a text for the faft, which was about the Union, the parliament being then fit- ting upon it. When I came home, contrary to my expeftation, thepeople were in the church, Mr Mair preaching. So I went immediately into the church, and preachedon the aforementioned text in the afternoon, wonderinghow the Lord had led, me in the way 1 knew not. I was never fo willing to be tranfported to any place as to Etterick; particularly 1< apprehended it might be bet- ter with me as to my own foul's cafe there than at Simprin. But mens thoughts are vanity. I am now afraid of that tranf- portation. My foul trembles to think of it, and my freedom in prayer about it is, to proteft againft it before the Lord, unlefs he command me to go ; which does not yet appear. Our préfbytery forgot to tranfntit the call and reafons, and to fummon us, in due time, to the diet appointed by the fynod ; but recovering thernfelves,,they apponted a new diet, viz. Dec. it.- 'On the 10th and 11th of that month, came on filch a violent formoffnow, that I concluded there would no purfuers be pre fent.. And comparing this occurrence with the courfe of Pro- vidence all along in the affair, I began to think (but too !niftily making a judgment therein), that God had thereby Pealed his defign, that I was not to be minifter of Etterick, Wherefore, , before I went to the prefbytery that day, looking on the affair as , in a fort already determined, I could not be very ferious for light therein ; but comingup to the place, I found myfelf difappointed ; two minifters, and two elders of the patifh, purfuers, being T 2
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