:188 } EMOIRS OF PERIOD Ix. prayer for his'ca('e; but it went not well with me at all. Sitting down, I heavily thought with rnyfelf, This would not do. Pre_ featly h was called on, and he was very ill. I_ found at that time his cafe altered juft according to my frame. My 'wife being fcarce of milk, I endeavoured to get a surfe in the Merle; when I was at the facrament of Simprin the latter end of Aúgufl; butt got 'none ; but had hopes of one of two there. That week we Mould have fent hack for that end, was very ftormy ; fo we were diverted, and .0otOne near hand, aboutfeven days before he died. On the Monday before he died, I refolved to fpend Tome time in prayer about his cafe, which I did in the barn. At firft I was very dull, and it was like to go ill With-me ; but I protefted in my heart, that I would not quit it fo : and this refolutenefs was not without fuccefs ; for the Lord did indeed loofe my bands; and there I renewed my covenant with God, and did folemnly and explicitly covenant for Ebenezer, and in his name accept of the covenant, and of Chrift offered in the gofpel : and gave him away to the Lord, before angels, and the (tones of that houfe, as witneffes. I cried alto for bis life, that Ebenezer might live be. fore Trim, if it were his will. But when, after that esercife, I carne into the haute, i-found, that inftead of beingbetter, he was Wolfe. The lafi two days of his life, the Lord (truck himwith fore fìcknefs,'Which at length Made me lefs peremptory for his life. But in the day of diftrets the folenin covenant was Tweet, and my heart was thankful to the Lord that helped roe to it. At length the Lord called him away ; and while he was drawing his daft breaths, he fo fmiled, that the fight of it made my heart to loup. I have read of other inflanees of this, but never faw ano- ther. On.the Tuefday or Wednefday.before, his lifter fell lick of the meafles whereof he died, but the efcapped. I believe the Lord fent that, as for further trial, to to moderate our forrow in his cafe. That the nurfe -came was good providence ; for by her he was fuppotted in his ficknefs ; and that The was got fo 'near band, and not from the Merle, feemed a defign of mercy. When the child was laid in the coffin, his mother kiffedhisdull. I only lifted the Cloth off his face, lookedon it, and covered it again, in confadenee of Peeing that body rife a glorious body. When the nails were driving, I was moved for that I had not kiffed-that 'precious doll, which-I believed was united to Jefus Chrift, as if I had defpife4 it ; and I would fain have caufed draw the nail again, hut, becaufe of one that was pretest, I reftrained, and raiolented myfelf. So far as I remember, I was never fo much firaitened to know why the Lord contended with me, as in this. I could not fay, that I was fecure as to his life fnce he was born. I know many things in niy heart and life offenfive to the Lord; but to pitch on anyone thing, fo as to fay of it, This is the caufe, was what I could not get done. Often in that diltrefs, my foul has Paid to the Lord, ` Thou knóweft that I am not wicked.' I vexrtetnbeir -1 had a ròr-e than ordinary freedomwith God, to refufe
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