1691. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 13 him four dollars, as was done yearly thereafter, paying alfo all other dues. Thus the Lord, in my fetting out in the world, dealt with me, obliging me to have recourfe to himfelf for this thing, to do it for me. He brought it through many difficulties, tried me with various difappointments, at length carried it to the utmoft point of hopeleffnefs, feemed to be laying the grave-ftone upon it at the tithe of my mother's death ; and yet after all he brought it to pars; and that has been the ufual method of Providence with me all along in matters of the greateftweight. The wifdom appear- ing, in leading the blind by a way they knew not, fhined in the puttingoff that matter to this time, notwithftaudingall endeavours to compafs it fooner ; for I am perfe&ly convinced I was abund- antly {bon put to the college, being then but in the fifteenthyear of my age; and the manner of it was kindly ordered, in that I was thereby beholden to none for that my education ; and it made way for force things which Providence faw needful for me. During the whole timer was at the college, I dieted myfelf, being lodged in a private houfe, to which I was led by kind Pro- vidence, as fit for my circumftances. 1G92. The firft year, being fomewhat child,ith, but knowing with what difficulty I had reached what I had obtained, I lived fparingly, and perhaps more fó than was needful of reafbnable. Being deje&ted and melancholy, I went but little out of my chamber, fave to the clafs ; and thus my improvement was con- fined ina manner to my leffons. 1G93. The fecond year I attended the college, I had an entire comradefhip with Andrew (afterwards Mr Andrew) Elliot, a minifter'sfon, andnowminifterofAuchtertool1inFife, which feveral ways contributed to my advantage, and laftedduring the reti of the time we were at the college. Mean while I Rill lived fparingly. In the fpring that year began a breach of my health, whereby I became liable to fwoonings, which continued for feveral years after. It was, I think, in the month of April, when being on My knees at fecret prayer, myheart began to fail, and I rofe up, and fell on my back on the floor, and laya while in a fwoon. Recovering, I called the landlady : then I went to bed, but fainted a fecond time, in which the took care of me. Afterwards fhe unwarily fuggefted to me, that it might be the falling-ficknefs, which occafioned me feveral thoughts of heart. Wherefore, as I came home in the middle of May, I confulted it ; and was deli- vered of there fears, which were groundlefs ; but being at home, Iwas, on the 2d of June, overtaken with another fainting-fit, in which beckoning with my hand I fainted away ; and while they were lifting me into the bed, I heard my fitter fay, that I was gone. In a little I recovered, and my father went to prayer at my bed-fide. The firft or fecond winter I was at the college, being in corn. No. 1. B
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