204 141 mi0IR$ OF PERIOD IX. which was better, giving milk to my wife. As to the fourth, I thought it had been anfwered too ; but it failed, and I was fet tò wait on again. By this time the friendship betwixt the aforementioned Mr hVill'on and me had arrived at an uncommon height and ftrictnefs. That friend(hip hath indeed been one of the greateft comforts of my life : he being a manof great piety, tendernefs, and learning, with a vatt compafs of reading ; a painful minifter; a plain preacher, but deep in his thought, efpecially of later years, and growing remarkably unto this day in infìght into the holy fcrip- tures ; zealous and faithful to a pitch ; having more of the fpirit of the ofd Prefbyterians than any other minifter I know ; for the which caufe he has been, and is in the eyes of many, like a freckled bird ; but withal amolt aflbótionate, conftant and ufeful friend ; a feafbnableand, wife advifer in a pinch ; often employed of God Ggnally and feafònably, to comfort and bear me up, when I needed it extremely; infomuch that I have often been convinced, he could not have gone the length that way that he went, if it had not been through a particular difpoild ofprovidence indulging my weaknefs, particularly in this and the following period, wherein I was in a fpecial manner, from within and from with- out, at once fore bowed down. Whatever odds there was in i'i>rne refpe&s betwixt him and me; there was (till a certain caft of temper by which I found hint to be my other fell.; [and though we have palled, efpecially fince the year 17 [2,, through feveral íteps, at which many chief friends have been feparated yet, through the divine mercy, we.itiil ¡tuck clofe, fpeaking the fame thing ; the fenfe whereof has often obliged us to give thanks unto God exprel'sly on that account.] He was extremely. modeft; but, once touched with the weight Of a matter, very forward and keen, fearing the face of no man : on the other hand. I was flow and timorous. In the which mixture, whereby he ferved as a spur to me, and I as a bridle to him, I have often admired the wife conduct of Providence that matched us together. But now, alas! he is left alone for me, in public ftruggles, I being through frailty laid afide from appearingat fÿnods ; with which I was in- deed difgufted ere I left them ; and veryfeldom now appearing in the prethytery. Mr Davidfon minifter of Gala(hiels, who afterwards' came to he a third in this friend(hip, is now alto through his frailty laid afide frommuch of his helpfulnefs to .him in thelb cabs. However, the friendfhip remains inviolate, and will, I hope;, till death : Pfál. xciv. IL " The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity." April 9. The haft week. I was at the fynod ; and feeing all things like to go wrong with the church, I had great deliire to be kept ltraight in God's way. I was not fo well provided for my work this day as ordinary, but it went rather better than ordinary with tue. I was nnch alfeaed to think how I would get filent ahhutit3 fpertt, and What reflections fuch a cafe might produce. ,,.
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