1717. MR TILOMAS BOSTON. e63 ininiftry, came to the kirk, being zealous for my continuance in the place. He gave due attendance all along thereafter while he lived : but in a few years he died. Meanwhile, though that heritor had thus laid afide his oppo- fition to me, Satan had beforehand ftirred up another adverfary to fill up his room and who was far heavier to me than ever he had been. This was He had been educated under my miniflry, profited in knowledge, and gave hopeful fignsof his ferioufnefs fo that he was admitted to the Lord's table : but he was fnared with youthful lulls, and firft conviéted of fornication on Dec. 14., 1716. But not being duly humbled -on that occafion, but mak- ing great difficulty in fatisfying the difcipline, he fell into one mire of filthinefs after another, fome being legally difcovered, fome fpurning all means of legal difcovery : fo that I had almoft a continual fight with him for many years after. And to this day he,continues an adverfary ; only he never deferted the or- dinances : and I ftill think he hath forne good thing about him, that may at length prevail againft this .profanenefs, pride, and vanity. Leóturing on Ezekiel, and by means of the accentuation making fuch'difcoveries as I was loath to lofe, I tranflated a part thereof', and wrote forne notes on the tranflation ; the which retarded me in my main work. Thisperformance, which is in retentis, goes from the beginning of that prophecy to chap. xxi. 23. confifting of about feventeen fheets. It bears the marks ofthe lame notion ofthe accentuation. I was then arrived . at ; and muff: be judged according to the more perfect account of the accents, now long ago written in Latin : but it may be ufeful. The affair of Clofeburn not leaving time neceffary for it, obliged me to lay it afide. April 27. In the end ofMarch my wife and I fpent Tome time in prayer on the affair of Cloléburn, Laft week the fynod fuf- tained the commiffion rejeóted by the prefbytery, appointed the prefbytery to meet on this affair on the firit Tuefday of June, allowing the purfuers to appeal to the fynod, to meet on the third Wednefday of June ; and this, that there might be no ground of complaining of them to the general affembly. How- beit, the purfuers appealed to the general affembly, ,Yefterday I fpent fome time in prayer, laying the call of Clofeburn before the Lord ; having received it at the fynod, but never opened it till before the Lord in that exercife. I obferve, 1. Whereas three minifters preached at the fait in the congregation, the firft was remarkably carried out in prayer for averting of this ftroke ; the fecond touched it but little the third, leaft. Both the tir"nes aforefaid, in fecret, I was remarkably carried out for my own private cafe, but lefs when I came to that bufinefs. The firft of thefe times, the ftream of influences'rap, in wreftling with °od for grace towards perfonal holinefs; yefterday, in embracing No. G. K k perfonalfy
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