1715. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 239 the work, efpecially the invitation, (where influences began to rife higher), the prayer for confecration of the elements, and the difcourfe at the table. In the fermon I had not the defired feeling. The elements after confecration being declared to be no more. common bread and wine, but fa.cred fymbols of the body and, blood of Chrift, I felt in my fpirit a fenfible change accordingly I difcerned the facramental union of the figns and the thing figniticd, and was thereby let into a view of the myftical union. I law it, I believed it, and I do believe it this day. I do not remember rnyfelf ever to have been fo diftin& in the view and faith of this glorioírs myttery and that with application, for I do believe that Chrift dwells in, me by his Spirit; and I in hip by faith. And the obje&ion, How can this be ? is filenced. I feel the facrament of the tipper to be a divine ordinance; I fee it, and believe it. This is the tecond time I have molt remarkably felt that change on my fpirit, upon the declaring as above Paid. May I never ,mils to declare, as faid is, in the adminiftratiou of that ordinance. In partaking I was helped to the exercife of faith, took God for my God in Chrift, claimed hill' as my God, and laboured to improve the claimed intereft, by believing the promifes of the covenant, which was the fcope of the a&ion-fermon. My wife with the child in her belly, and the other children by name, I gàde away to the Lord with rnyfelf. And having been in fear about my wife's deafly in the bringing forth of that child, I had there, in that folernn approach, 'a concern on my fpirit about that cafe ; but could not fee it dangerous, whatever it may turn to after. This made me to hope, that a ftolen dint (with profoundeft reverence be it fpoken) would not be taken of me. But yefter- day, praying in thefe terms, in that cafe, that the Lord would not take a ftolen dint; I durft not abide by that petition ; think- ing with rnyfelf, what if God keep the tormenting impreffions of her death from off my fpirit, is that unkind ? So I.knew not what to make othat petition, but left it to the Lord, to do as he faw belt. My wife partedwith the minifters the fáme day as never, to fee them more. At parting with Mr Colden, he defired there might be no-difcouragement in her cafe. I told him, I could not fee the danger and he told me, it was fo with him too, with refpec`t to that'cafe. The fermonwas more than two hours long, which I think was too much. A certain gentleman faid, it was above his capacity ; upon which a rninifter (Mr Golden) obferving the need profeffors have to be bettet informed in the dotriue of the gofpel, moved, that I fhould write pra&ically on the do&rive of juftification; which inclined me fornewhat to publifh the fermons on Phil. iii. 3. A godly countryman told me, that he had not fo much of that, fermon to carry away as ordinary. I refolved to be fhorter ; and learn- ed from thefe things, that however,my gift teems to be plain, I have need of dependence on the Lord, even for plainnefs in No. 5. G g
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