1710, MR THOMAS BOSTQ . 9.05 I think I can faynow, that the thing which was once fo hard for me to fubmit unto, the Lord bath been pleafed to make more eafy, and give me force vi&ory over it now, more than thefe two months: ` Bleared be the Lord, who teacheth my hands towar, and my fingers to fight." I proceeded on the fubje t of the nature and neceflìtyof hot-- nefs,from the time aforefaid, and therewith ended the ordinary above mentioned, on May 28. this year. After which I addreflèd myfelf to preach fermons preparatory for the face cement of the fupper, [from .1' Cor. xi. 23. and Jer. 1. 4. 5.] And on July 16. I adminiftertd that ordinance. This was the firft time I adminiftered it in Etterick : but from that time it has been clone yearly, for ordinary, all along, the few interruptions thereof hitherto made [viz. 1717, 1726', and 1729], being .occafioned by the aflli&ion of my family of late years, and other incidents.. I thought myfeif obliged tó, deal with every coin- municant.peribnally, but had little encouragement to' the work from the parith ; but I behoved to- try all means. I was very much difcouraged while I fét to that work ; but the nearer it came, I was the more carried above difcouragement. While I vifited the parith, I found I had not been altogether tablet's here, and particularly that the fermons ou the fourfold ítate of than had done force good. Seldom do delays prove advantageous. God. had mere of his own, fo far as I could difcern, to feed here, the Taft 'year, than, this, threeof the rnoft comfortable families.in it having removed at Whitfunday late. The fern-ions on the Lord's day before; feemed to have weight, and I found my,foul preflèd particularly to follow that day's work with prayer. As for the. work itfelf, it was much.more comfortable than I expected, and there feemed to he force blowings of the Spirit with it. I -never faw a congregation more remarkably fixed and grave than they were on the Lord's day. On the Thurfday was eight days be- fore, in the family-fart, the Lord helped us to pray, and feek his pretence. I had palpableof uftance. in ftudving the aól.ion-fermoa on Luke xiv. 23. " Compel them to come in ;" and though be- ing much hurried on the Saturday, I found myfclf quite out of cafe, and had little hope of it when going to the work, yet verily the Lord was with me in that fermon. It .vas'once my regret, that the national'faft and our congregational one fhould have fallen both -on one day; and I had expeaations of two minifters help that day, but got none at all. God, ordered both well to my conviction. However it was, forite communicated with us, who had eithernever or not thefe twenty years communicated ; and I had force ground to think that by that fermon the bands of tome were loofed. In all there were but about lefty-fever perlons pf our'own parith .communicants ; few indeed, but yet more than I expeóted amongft them. T1reSaturdaywas very rainy, which put us in con£ufron. for the following day. ; but God difappointed my . fears, and gave a pleatant day till towards the end of the
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