1714. MR .THOMAS BOSTON. 235 and died between the water and the weflern park of the glebe. Thus coming to the church, he came to the church-yard : he came heartily and cleverly to his grave, inftead of being borne. Lord, teach me fo to count my days, as I may apply nay heart to wifdom. Reflecting on my being fo lately alarmed, and obliged to ride on the Lord's day, and this day again brought out,of the pulpit, on the occafion of death, I thought it had a language to me, fearing the next might be a more home ftroke. Feb. 10. Having received letters defiring me to come to the prefbytery, I went, contrary to my inclination ; but out of con- fcience towards God, left his cattle by my'abfence fhould fuller any detriment, upon which account I durit not fit at home. The Lord made it a comfortable and happy journey : for not only was the bufinets (the affair bf Mr J. D.) kept from going farther wrong ; but the Lord honoured me to be the inftrument of peace iñ the prefbytery, (which had been"fplit the day before by proteftations and counter- proteftations), and brought that bufinefs to the defired iffue, with refpe& to the pretbytery's management of it. 1 have often found it good, to follow duty over the belly of inclination. The aforementioned alarming difpenfation led me, on the fol- lowing Lord's day, to a new ordinary, 2 Cor. v. 1. For we know, that if our earthly houfeof this tabernacle were diffolved," &c. on which I dwelt till May 22. that, for the facrament, I entered on Heb. x. 22. " Let us draw near with a true heart, in full afurance of faith," &c. prefl'ing the confidence of faith. On the fame text was the a&ion-fermon, as were alfo fame ter. moos after the facrament.. A godly minifter, then a nonjuror, and one ofmy affiftants at the facrament, [Mr Coldeni, as I was convoying him and the reft away, on the '1'uefday'after ; upon occafion of'difeourfe about the aétion-fermon, particularly, that a pious gentleman had faid it was above his capacity ; moved me to write praátically on the do&xine ofjufi.ifìcation : the which I had, fòme years after, frequent occafion of calling to mind - when hehaving taken theabjuration -oath in the year 17 W, proved thereafter a too keen party-man againft the doétrine of the Mar- row, and the defenders thereof. So doth one falfe ftep make way for another. Feb. 15. In anfwer to the-former calls of Providence, I fpent this day in fatting, prayer, and meditation, with refpect to my leaving of the world. I endeavoured to antedate my reckoning withmy judge, acknowledging my fins, and applying to the Lord through Chrilt's blood, for pardon. I made . a comfortable re- view of my evidences for heaven. I neither could nor durit name what. fort of death I would deflre to die ; but renewed niy covenant with the Lord, with a view to eternity, leaning on that bed (my clofet-bed) which perhaps may be my death-bed, taking thefeveralivarters of it witneffes, that I had gone in under the covert of blood, the covert of the covenant, for death. I laid over
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