tI4 MEMOIRS OP PERIOD IX.. tial carrying of there fermons to Dunfe, at that time ; at the fynod Mr Wilfon's declaring to me, that he minded to have propofed it, and my being freed of the clerk's office ; and Mr B.'s letter meeting me when I came home. Further, Nov. 20. Though there Iteps of Providence feemed to have fomething in them, yet I could never get the matter clofely laid to heart ; nor did it go beyond far-off thoughts of it till Saturday 'aft ; though I had a prellìng letter to purfue the motion, from him who firft made it. That day I had done ftudying my fer- mons for the Lord's day, and had been well helped of the Lord therein ; and then that bufinefs came clofe home on my fpirit, fo as the matter was laid before the Lord with weight and deep con- cern. At night I got three very preífing letters, in purfuance of the propofal ; and, the Do&or's particularly- did nail my heart ; fo that, confideriug the weight of the enterprife, his way of pref- fing it, my own unfitnefs for it, and my unholinefs in a fpecial manner, it made my heart to quake, and my legs to tremble. Nov. 23. When molt carpal, I have found myfelf molt averfe to that work ; when molt ferious and fpiritual, molt pliable to it. The fermons in which I have faid I had been well helped, were on Phil: iii. 3. I had begun that chapter Tome time before; and when I viewed the importance of that verfe in particular, I was minded not lightly to pats it over for that caufe I purchafed a book of Manton's fermons, where he had force on that text. Thusprovided, l.'fet to workon the first claufe ; Worfhippigg,' God in fpirit ;" but I was miferably ftraitened and confuted in it. I therefore fent the book away, glad to be quit of it : and it came well to hand withme after that ; as will appearbyinfpeóting of the papers, and comparing inference 2. from thedoótrine from that claufe, and downwards, with what goes before. And that help continued through the whole of the fermons on that verfe from that time forward, though fometimes lefs than at other times :. fo that I judge them to be the belt body of fermons I ever ftudied before or fince. Sept. IS. 1714 *. The help I had in them had anencouraging influence on me to that work, they being trytted with it, and begun October 21. 1711, and ended March 23: 17 12. Jan. 13. 1712. Having a month or five weeks ago fpent force time in prayer for light in this matter, I confidered thofe things, before noted which teemed to me to look favourably towards the defi.gn : but the only ftep I was cleared to take at that time was, to fend the papers to Mr Colden and Mr Wilfon, for their advice, and help of their prayers and this -day they were re-' turned to me, with letters. In the mean time I received a letter, December 15. from one concerned, wherein he feemed to me to The date of tranfcribing this paffage into the book of the paffages of his life Thefe fermons were públifhed in 1756, and juftlfanfwer thecharaóter the author gives of them.
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