e92 . MEMOIRS OP PERIOD XI, but complied with the motion thereto, after the project had been laid by others ; that at the earneft delire of foam who managed the bufìnefs, he wrote the preface ; that the Lord had bleffed the reading of the book to many excellent perfons of diverfe ranks ; and that he knew an eminent divine, then in glory; (whom I judge to have been Mr Frafer of Brae, minifter at Culrofsr, who left it in record, that the reading an old edition thereof, was the firft notable means bleffed of the Lord, for giving him foam clearnefs of impreflìon concerning the gofpel ; and that for his own part he owned; that he had received more light about fome important concerns of the glorious gofpel, by perufing that book, than by other human writings which Pro:. vidence had brought into his hands. This account of that matter I. have taken out of a MS. narrative of what paffed in that commitee, done byMr Hog himfelf. This run of affairs quickly iffued, in the general affembly's condemning of the Marrow of Modern Divinity, by their mi. of the date Mày 20. 1720. And three days before, viz. May 17. it pleafed the Lord, to call home to himfelf, by death, the great Mr James Webfter before mentioned ; a man eminent in. main- taining the purity of the doctrire of the gofpel, a nonjurant to the laft breath, and in or about the 'fait time he was in the judicatory, where the matter of the Marrow was confidered, expreffed his concern that they would beware of condemning it. My friend Mr Wilfon was a member ,of that affembly, but abhorred that their act, which he and others neverthelefs could not flop. Upon which occafion he forne time after wrote the letter, intitled, A letter to a gentleman at Edinburgh, a ruling elder of the church of Scotland, concerning the proceedings of the loft general dflembly, with reference unto doctrine chiefly: the which was publithed the year I llowing, and was wont to be called The London letter. June 12. The facrament being adminiftered here, I was in great fear as to my holding out, by reafon of bodily weaknefs: yet I was not only ftrengthened to preach an hour and a half, but to go through the reft of the work with competent ability, with a folid ferioufnefs all along; and, to my wonder, found nryfelf after all lets weary than I formerly ufed to be. My wife was under great weaknefs, and in a hazardous condition ; but was alfo carried through beyond expectation. It was a refreth- ing time to many of the peopleof God here gathered together, and a favoury work all along. While my fon John was at the table, I had fuck a concern for him, as ever a travailing woman for the bringing forth of he'r child. At the table I had feveral particular fuits, namely, about my wife's weaknefs, Jane's go- ing again to Edinburgh, the book in the preis, my ftudy of the accents, ,Mrs Bladerftone's fan abroad, and how to be carried through in defence of the truth of the gofpel, the doctrine of free grace, which had got a ftroke by the aforementioned act of a
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