1694. 1flt THOMAS BOSTON. 15 tion, I borrowed 20 merks from one of my brothers, and fo went toEdinbugh for that end in the funnier. But the day fignified to me not being kept, I returned without my errand. This dif- appointment, with other difcouragements I had met with in pro- fecuting my ftudies, furnithed my evil heart, when going in a fecond time that feafon to the laureation, the `occafaon of that un- believing thought, that I would never believe I could obtain it till I faw it. For this thought I prefently fmarted, meeting fudden- ly on the back of it with a difpenfation which threatened to lay the grave-ftone upon all that 1 had hitherto attained ; for force officers took me up by the way to be a foldier : but the Lord de- livered me quickly. Thus holy wife Providence ordered my education at the col- lege ; the. charges whereof amounted in all but to L. 128: 15 8 Scots ; of the which I had 20 merks as aforefaid to pay after- wards. Out of that fum were paid the regents fees yearly, and the college-dues, and alto my maintenance was furnifhed out of it. By Means thereof, I had a competent underftanding of the logics, metaphyfics, ethics, and general phyfics ; always taking pains of what was before me, and pleating the regent : but I learned nothing elfe, Pave fhort-hand writing, which an acquaint- ance of mine taught me, namely, a well- inclined baker-lad. My defign in acquiring it was to write fermons ; but I made little ufe of it that way, finding it to mar the frame of my f pirit in hear- ing, which obliged me toquit that ufe of it. But kind was the defign of Providencein it notwithftanding ; forbefides its ferving me in recording things I defigned to keep fecret and otherwife, it has been exceeding ufeful to me of late years, in making the firft draughts of my writings therein. " Known unto God are all his works from the beginning." PERIOD III. From my laureation, to my being licenfed topreach the gofpel. THAT fummer the burfary of the prefbytery of Dunfe was conferred on me, as a ftudent of theology as was that of the prefbytery of Churnfide on my comrade John Cockburn, And after the laureation, fome timebefore the harveft, I entered on the fludy of theology ; Mr James Ramfay, minifter then at Eymouth, now at Kelfo, having put the book in my hand, viz. Pareus on Urfin's catechif'm ; the which I read over throe or four timesere I went to the fchool ofdivinity. Among the fi rft book* . of that kind which I had a particular fondnefs for, was Weems's Chriftian fynagogue. I went, on invitation, to F ----s, and fpent force weeks there, after the harveft, with his two funs, and James (after Mr James) Ridpath, ftudents in p ilofophy, to whom I was there belpful in their Itudies. And that I may reckon the only time of my life in which I had a tafte of the youthful divetfions ; B2
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