£94 MEMOIRS OF PERIOD XI, lain neareft my heart. May the Lord reward to him and his, that his labour of love, in thofe things wherein the honour of God, and my comfort, were fo much concerned. With him, dipping into the bufiuefs, along time was fpent, in preparing eleven leaves to be reprinted, nine of which, I think, Mr Wight- man's meddling had occafioned ; and on confidering the errata to be printed. Refolving not to be impofed upon more, I went to Mr Wightman, and modeftly dealt with him, to forbear the reprinting of the three firft fheets ; to let alone recommending themodifh ftyle ; and recovered my own title-page. I recovered alfoof the authentic copy from p. 315. thereof, which is to be found among my papers. I dropped one ofhis unhappy correc- tions to him, fpeaking a little on it, wih which he feemed to he Itunned. His preface new modelled he promifed to fend me ere it fhould be printed. We loon faw the beautiful condu6t of Providence, in carrying Mr Macewan to Glafgow at that time, and direóting to Mr Hogg ; for that matter could riot have been managed betwixt the former and us to the advantage it may be betwixt them two now. AndThe time of our coming in ap- peared to have been direóted by the wifdom of him who leads the blind in the way they knew not; the printers having, juft the day before, begun to fet for reprinting the forefaid three Theets, which if done had been a moft,unhappy ftep.. Sept. 7. This day I fpent force time in prayer, about my wife's cafe, the cafe of the book, and the affembly's àét con- demning the Marrow. As to the firft, I had recommended it to the concern of Mrs Balderftone, before the Lord. But as to the laft, I am afraid the Lord honour me not to bear teftimony for him in the caufe of his truth. [Nota, But bleffed bé Jehovah, I have been difàppointed in thefe fears.] The cafe of the book is an amazing and awful difpenfation. Mr Wightman had defired liberty to fmooth force expreflions in it, as, for horribly, to read too much : t gave it him freely, andwithal thathe might delete whole fentences. This was all that gaffed betwixt him and me on that head ; and indeed it was too much. But I never once dreamed, that he would have extended that liberty at the rate he has done. It was well he had not gone through the whole, but that a good deal in the former and latter part of the bookhad efcaped : but he had ufed fo much freedomwith it, from the head, Of mqn's utter inability, to that Of the refurrec'tion inclufive, as created me a deal of vexation,, and new labour. And, fo for as I yet underftand, thecaufe of the Lord's punithing me in this manner, was, my bafe cowardice, and having mens perfons in admiration ; fo as, after I had brought it by study and prayer to the cafe it was in, I let it fall into another ,hand, with fo little caution, as to allow any alterations to be made therein, without firft Peeing them, and beiag con- vinced of the ,neceffity or expediency of them. Thefe things were particularly engraven to me, pu that, whereas I had put
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