166 MEMOIRS OF PERIOD vIiI. Lord's day after it, on this hutnefq, has for fome time appeared to me, and not to me only, determining. I remember how yefîerday I had a lamentable account ; how the devil had fet up his trophies againft the facrament in Dunfe market on Wednefday Taft, one of this parifh (W. T.), and he a communicant, being fo drunk, that he 'could not hold his feet, but fell, and broke his face, in the open ftreet. This created me thoughts of"heart, even with refpeó to this bulnefs, and made me ftagger not a little ; but examining, whether it might be confiftent with the Lord's defign of removing me, and my fub- mitting to this tranfportation, 1 was cleared by that paffage, Acts xx. 29, 30. - At length I came to this conclufaon, That feeing all the dif- penfations feeming to crofs the defign of Etterick (excepting one) may he in fome meafure accounted for, And appear not in- confiftent with the Lord's defign of fending me there, and that themolt remarkable of thefe made plainly for it ; feeing that by a train ofcrofs providences, Providence made it grow darker and darker, and then ftiddenly and unexpectedly ruade filch a turn . in it; Peeing it bath been brought this length through feveral difficulties, and the .Lord Teemed to open two doors for my re- moval at one time, and then (hut one of them again, and with that J defigned for the one fent me to the other ; feeing the dif- penfations of Providence, and the frame of my own, and that of the hearts of others with refpeàt to that matter before the pref. bytery, Dec. 12. did in tome fort keep pace with the event of that day, and both being now altered, go in another courfe ; fee- ing the Lord chafed me away to hirntelf to feek counfel, kept me from confulting with men, andhas fo gracioufly condefcended to give me feafonable clearing of particular cafes in that affair ; and the way I have been directed" to in my preaching here fince the prefbytery-day, for ordinary changing a text every day or two, which was not my ufual way, and the work at the facra- ment, and particularly that on the Lord's day thereafter, feem tohave fuch a determiningafpec ` t ; feeing the Lord hath removed the hinderance arifing from the confideration of the hate of my health, partly by making it better, and partly, yea chiefly, by Viewing me that I ought not to lay fo much ftrefs on it, as is above narrated ; and feeing, upon the whole, I am convinced, that if I had no charge, I would by thefe things be determined to embrace that call ; therefore I am refolved rebus ftantibus ut nunc) to'fubmit to the fynod, and leave it to their determina- tion. And forafmuch as thefe difpenfations of Providence, as obferved and applied, look fcripture-tike, and this refolution hath not been eafilyobtained by me, having had manyups and downs in this bu(i- nefs feeing the Lord !hewed me on the 9th of January, that he that believeth maketh no hatte, and I was content to wait, and was quieted in prayer, and helped to depend on the Lord, while as
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