I5S MEMOIRS OE PERIOD X. to try the ftudy of the fermon again. Accordingly on the mor row I fludied the laft half of it anew, to more íatisfaction to :n,y_ ifelf. It was delivered with force meafure of folid ferioufbefs. But in the invitation I was ftraitened, and yet more in the prayer for confecration of the elements I laboured to improve thedeclaring of them no more common bread and wine, yet not with the detred etle&. But my fpirit opened a little ere the table was ended. I communicated as I preached. The work, from the beginning to the end, had a, favour of God upon it ; felt, I am perfuaded, in the fpirits of many : and his fervants were remarkably helped in their work. Having been at the communion in Maxton Aug. 12. and at the prefbytery for Mr B.'s buGñefs oh the 14th, I have to re- mark, 1. The Lord's hearing of the joint prayers of his people, and that in two inftances. One was, I had been led in the Sa= turday's fermon, which was on Exod. xxiv. 11. to befeech for and require the prayers of ferious Chriftians, for the private cafes of minifters, which I doubt not had influence on feveral of, that fort in the meeting ; and it went well with me at -that, commu- nion. I, think- I faw the lights fpoke of in that fermon, and be lieved. The other was, my wife, who minded to have been there, but was taken ill juft the night before I went away ; her cafe was remembered not only in private, but in the public prayers, as one kept from that occaton by the afllitaing hand of God. And,the Lord made it a good time to her foul. 2. The hearing of prayer, and the good fruit of dependence on the Lord in prefbyterial management, being fenfibly anted to a clear uptaking of matters in that difficult bufinefs. 3. The Lord's leading the blind by the way they knew not, being fweetly furprifed with a providential management ofmatters, in two particulars, to a better account than otherwife they could have been brought. As I carne by Clofeburn houfe, in my return home from the communion at Penpont in the end of May, the chaplain met me, and told me, that at fupper on the Sabbath night they were fpeaking of tranfporting me to that parifh. He had .no. orders that I know of to fpeak of it to me ; fo I gave a limitable return, without any fhadow of encouragement. When Mr Murray was at the facrament here in July, he propofed it to nie in earned; and I, with all the earneftnefs I was capable of, difèouraged the motion fo that I thought it might be laid afide. But forne time in harveft I received á letter from him, (hewing that the parifh of Clofeburn were to apply to their prefbytery for that effeét. This letter I judged meet neither to make public, nor yet to keep altogether fecret ; fb I imparted the purpofe of it to one of our elders. And about the 11th of September I wrote a molt pathetic return, to flop that procedure of that parifh. At the which time I was writing my colleótions on Silluk, in a folio book I had prepared for putting down my materials in.
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