171e. MR THOMAS BOSTON: e29 riving me another clafs of diffenters, ' fervants coming in from thence to our parifh ; though I remember none of our congrega- tion that went otf to him, but one inconftañt woman, whojoined with his wá.ÿ for a time. Atrft Mr John Hepburn, head of an old and confderable páity, Mr John'Gilchrift minifter of Dunfcore, and he, joining together, formed a prefbytery ; which lafted very íhort while. At length his own party broke among themfelves, and many of them, left him fo that this day, though he hill continues his lchifái, his affairs and reputation are in a fbrry fituation. Amongít us who affifted in thofe days, as aforefàid, at Warn- phray, was Mr Thomas Hoy mirnifter at. Annán. Him alfo, forne thine after, lodging a night in my houfe, I was it pains to convince of the unwarrantablenefs of the feparation on account of the oath ; but prevailed riot. Howbeit, forne time after, I heard with indignation, his taking ofthe oath itfelf: Such a pro- penfity there is in human nature to run to extremes, and fuch a need of walking by a fixed principle of church-communion, elta- blifhed from the holy fcriptures. On Aug. 30. continuing my ordinary, Hof. xiv. I did withal return to explain the catechifm ; but began at the duty which God requireth of man. And judging the difcovery ofthe exceed- ing breadth of the command to be of great importance, I did ìnfìft on the ten commands very largely ; fo that the fermons on them ended not till Auguft 28. 1715, two years after this. Which brings to mind an occafional encounter, before our prefbytery, with Mr John owdie above mentioned ; who happening to ted us of his preaching catechetical doctrine, (hewed,. that he had curforily gone over the ten commands, as judging that heft for the cafe of the people : I found rpyfelf obliged to declare before them,all, that I was quite of another mind ;, the fulleft unfolding of the holy commandment being neceffary to difcover the need of Chrift, both to faints and fanners. But I Ifave alwaysobferved narrow thoughts of the doctrine of freegrace, to be accompanied with narrow thoughts of the extent of the holy law. About this time I fetmyfelf to confider the mats-book, and the Englifh ferviée-book ; between which I found a furprifing agree_ -ment, feveral particulars of which I marked on the fervice-book, which remains as yet amongmy other books. For thecourfe of public affairs had taken fuch a turn,' that from the year 1710 they had-on ftraight towards the intereft of the pretender; and con- tinued-1h to do, till, being brought to the point of full ripenefs, it pleated the Lord, fuddenly and furprifingly to break the tneafures of the party, through the removal of Queen Anne by death Aug. L. 1714; tb that King George had a peaceable acceífion to the throne, as much unexpected, as the Queen's death' at the time foretold. Aeon while, at this time, Matters had a formidable appearance, and a terrible cloud feemed'to hang over the.head of the nations, haftening to break. Fapifts and Jefuits were
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