1717. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 285 it on his own expences, and to give me a hundred copies : and for encouragement of the undertaker forefaid, he generoufly ad- vanced to him a confiderable fum of money for a time. After the facrament was over, I laid the matter before the Lord, as it had been in the letter aforefaid propofed to me ; and having confidered it, could not fee how I could with fafety of my con- fcience refufe compliance with this fair offer, and to let it go out into the world. Accordingly I fignified my compliance therewith. My being threatened with Glencing on the account of the oath again, as anew expofed now to the lath of the law, had great weight herein with me ; as alto the providential bringing about the matter in a manner I expe&ed not, when the apparent inftruments of it were carried off one after another ; and that this point it was brought to when I had again given over thoughts of it. Mean while I had by this time for Come years found my ftrength decaying. And the proceeding winter's ftudy had much weakened me ; having in March 1718 completed my fixth feptenary, being then forty-two years ofage. Now being thus again called to lay my account with fufl'ering on the account of the oath aforefaid, I wrote a paper, entitled, Reafonsfor refing the abjuration-oath in its lateflform, 1719 ; the which is in retentis, together with a printed copy thereof incorreótly done. This, a confiderable time after, came furprif ingly to my hand, not knowing how it carne to be publithed. As to the facrament in June, I have little to remark for com- fort in my own cafe. My furnace was hot, partly by reafon of the bufinefs of the abjuration-oath again, which carne on like a thunder-clap ; and partly, by the affliótion ofone of mine. The Lord was pleated to withdraw from mein my ftudies, fo that for the two days, Tuefday and Wednefday, I could do nothing therein fatisfyingly : but I behoved to go forward as I could itt the explication of the text, on Wednefday's night ; and on Friday hammered out a fermon on it, with no guft at All. How- beit I got forne guft of it in meditating on it afterwards ; and that was increafed in the delivery of it. A. madman was fo unruly, that I was much confounded in fencing of the tables I recovered foinewhat at the table : but when I had done, I was much difturbed and call down. This, however, the Lord was pleated to make'nfe of, to the further difcovery of my finfulnefs and eniptinefs, iffuing in a melting of heart, under a fettle of my own naughtinefs, and the goodnefs of God, which was the frame of my fpirit in communicating. It was a melancholy time at the facrament 1712, the firft year of the oath ; and this in tome meafure kept pace with it, tho' not fo ill. The retleóting on that made me wonder the lefs at this. Surely it is to keep crie humble and depending. . Great was the ftumbling and offence of the people in the Foreft. and.. Teviotdale, on the account of the oath, in its new as well
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