I6 mtmoras Or PERIOD vIII. Colden thould have flaid the Monday night after the facrament, that I might confult him in that affair ; but he went. away. Only he told me, that he thought it God's goodnets that I was fent to Simprin ; but that he was now clearer than ever that I fhould go away : but he fpoke not of Etterick to me, but Ayton and Jed- burgh. Many a time has God inhibited that man to help me; but if he had not been more ufeful to me than others, I had riot been fo ready to idolize and make an oracle of him, whom my heart will ever love. The lait Lord's day another went away, and ¡poke not with me ; but I reverenced the providence of God , drying up the ftrearbs, to lead me to the fountain. 7. What afpeót the Lord's countenance at the facrament, the exhortation on the Monday, and the lait Lord's day's work, have on this áffair, the event . will make certain. As to the laft of there, it was laid by Chriftian Wood, who was with us that day, that it Teemed to her from that work, that either I was near ah end of preaching for altogether, or near the end of my preaching in"Sim= prin. S. I think it a ftrange conjun6ture, that at this time fo great offence is taken at me by my two neareft neighbours, and other two in whom l trufted, without any juft ground that I know of One of them, Mr P. I ufed to boaft of; that what- ever different fentiments we were fornetimes of, we ftill kept from taking offence at one another : but I was furprifed, a day or two ago, to hear that it is not fo now. 9. About two years ago, when there was no 'word of any tranfportatiòn for me, fo far as I remember, I had a dream, that I was tranfported fomewhere; and in my dream I was under great remorfe of confcience.; for that I thought the love of the world had prevailed with me in it. When 1 awoke, I thought myfelf thrice happy, that it was but a dream, and that I was ftill at Simprin. The rife I made of it then was, that it might be a warning to me, to take heed to my- felf, if ever a tranfportation íhould offer. 10. That day I went to Etterick I leótured here on Pfàl. cxxii. infffing moftly on the latter part, ver.-6-9. That day I came home, that word carne into my mind, Ezra viii. 21. and I preached on it, though I little thought to have preached,any that -day. 11. What may be the event, I know not : but it has feat me oftener to God than other- wife I would have gone, and my own cafe has been thereby bet- tered. C. Wood told me, that when,the bufinefs was firft fet on foot, being very much concerned about it, the was brought at length to lay her hand on her mouth, and thought The had this anfwer, that if I went there, it íhould be for thegood ofa young generation. But the laid the bufinefs grew darker to her after- wards, yet the ¡till thought I behoved to go there. Theíé things the told me after I came home from Etterick. Feb. 16. Laft night lying down to reft on my bed, I poled my confcience with that queftion, Whether or not, after all I have thought and'feen, I durit peremptorily refufe to go to Etterick? And I thought I durit not. This did much quiet my heart,
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