1715. MR' THOMAS BOSTON. 2.13 Being invited to affift at the facrament in Morbattle and Paxton, the one immediately after the other, which áppeared inconvenient for me ; the which Mr Wilfon confidered ; but I wrote to him, that I was content the Lord thould lead, and I follow ; and therefore that he íhoukt not incommode the work forme. And I thw in end, that he guided better than I could, if I had had my will. So I went from home Aug., 5. and returned not till Aug. IS. When I was going away, and to leave my wife lately delivered, and my family, I was helped to apply the promife made to the Ifraelites going up to the folemn feasts with refpeét to the fáfety'of their families left behind and it ftuck with me while I was abroad. And indeed it was accornplihed to me far beyond my expeCtation ; being, upon my retúrn, quite furprifed with the cafe of my wife's health, which had advanced to the degree I could not have looked for ; there being fbme- thing preternatural in her cafe when I left her, which I judged could not rnifs to weaken her exceedingly ; but the event was quite otherwifer That day I rode to Morbattle, I met with a man providentially, and the water being great beyond expedtation, I got a:`fright by it, as it was ; but had Ibeen alone, the event might have been dangerous. I preached at Morbattle on Saturday the 6th, and Sabbath the 7th of Auguft, from Rev. xxi.. 22. And I faw no temple there. On theMonday two of the elders there defìred a copy of the fermons tranfcribéd, infinuating their defign to print them ; which I took to confideration. On Wednefday thereafter I preached in Oxnatn parith ; on the Thurfday, Saturday,andLord'sdayafternoon, at Max.ton; on the two laft days from the textjuft mentioned,^Rev. xxi. 22. and for forne time, had thoughts of preparing the whole for the prefs ". I hope the Lord owned all thefe fermons, but that on the Saturdayat Maxton feemed to nie moll countenanced of God. For my private cafe, I had not guided well at Morbattle. So on the Thurfday thereafter, in Mr Wilfon's prayer and confeffron, I got a broad view of the corruption of my nature ; which after- ward in fecret proceeded to that, that I thought it needlets (fo to fpeak) to confefs particulars, being .ready to cry, Guilty, to whatfoever the broad law of God forbiddeth. But after that, my running iffue, (as Mr Wilfon termed it in his action-fermon) broke out, fo that on the Lord's day morning at Muirhoufeiaw I was in a dreadful café, in the fields there. At which time, in the great bitternefs of my fpirit, that word came, -1 Cor. Ni. p. 10. 11. " Know ye not that the unrighteous -Shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? be not deceived : Neither fornicators, nor idolatòrs, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor, abufers of themfelves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunk- ards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, (hall inherit the kingdom of God. And fuch were forne of you : but ye are waffled, but ye * Thefe four fermons were tranfcribed from the author's original copy, he not having tranfcribed themhimfelf, and were pubfiíhed in a pamphlet with two others in 1772.
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