174 prEmonis PERIOD VIII. ing the houre for the lad. Two lads I had an eye on for fervants, I am difappointed of, one after another. I have been diftrelled fore in my body with the limmorrhoids ; fo that yefterday I was forced to give over my ftudies, and take my bed ; and this day to ftudy in my bed. Yet in wrath God has remembered mercy. The lad being at Nifbet mill on the Monday, they watched to catch him by the way as he was coming home. But he was providentially carried off the eaftern, which is the ordinary road, and came theweftern way. The purfuers, by a iniftake, were fent firft to Langton ; fo- that ere they carne hither, he was gone out of the horde ; and one of them fpoke -to him, but knew him not. As for my bodi ly trouble, it hindered me not from my public work, though it recurred after. [Nota, I have preached the gofpel now about twelve years and a half, and have had but a tender body ; yet the Lord has been fo gracious to me, that (fo far as I can remem- ber) my indifpofition never kept me from my public work of preaching on the Lord's day, but, one wayor another, I have got it done ; as once, when under a flux at Simprin, I preached in the horde wrapped up in a blanket under my gown, and feve- ral Lord's days, while fcarce able to fpeak above my breath. Only about a year before I came out of Simprin, I was obliged to give over the Sabbath-night's leóture, by reafon of bodily weak- nefs, which would not allow me to undertake it.] Since I began c=. the epiftle to the Hebrews, I was never fo unprepared to lec&uire, and never lectured on it with fo much fatísfaction to myfelf. That trouble on Tuefday came upon me in that very moment whenmy- heart was exceffively carried away from- God towards the creature. The inftrument of that trouble I faw on Wednef- day, and he was afhamed of it. - I found it was a pique founded on an imprudent a&tion of the lad. That very fame day he was (as I was informed) fined inL. 50 Scots for ftriking of aman till he fell down as dead. April t. Having been at prayers in my clofet, and helped to pray that God would turn the hearts of the heritors of Etterick to vie, I`came down,, and prefentlyreceived a letter, which gave an account of Sir Francis Scot's dif'pofìtion towards me, whereia was nothing difcouraging. April 10. Having beenat Edinburgh, Sir 'Francis Scot told me, that he was relbIved to proteft againft my call. This day I (pent fame time in 'prayer with fatting, for my wife's fafe delivery, and concerning the bufinefs of Etterick. I found I was for either of thefe two, to wit, that either God would divert the heritors from oppofing, or give'rne grace to bear up under it, and countenance me in my work; fo I ;laid'hold on thefe promifes, Prov. xvi. 7. 2" Cor. xii. 9. Pfal. xxxvii. 5. I found I was very unfit to manage-matters there, and under the dil'advantage of being far from neighbourswith whom I mightadvife. But it has alwaysbeen my fupport in that.cafe, that I had God togo to
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