1702. till THOMAS BOSTON. Q95 on the title-page of the book, as the very language of my heart, 1 Cor. iv. 10. " We are .fools for Chrift's fake," he without any ceremony had blotted it out ; and I being urged to fet my name to the book, which' really from the beginning I defigned not to do, could not then do it, for a new reafón, namely, That they had fo mangled it: and from my own convi&tion I, dropped that fcripture, forafniuch as I fLw I had declined to be a fool for Chrift's fake, in that. point ; and therefore the Lord had made me a greater fool than I needed to have been. [Nota, But O the wifdom and foreknowledge of God ! This has been of good ufe to me fince that time, to cure me of thefe weakneffes, and to refolve to fee with my own eyes in fuch matters, what- ever be other mens charaeler'for piety, or learning, or both. And I hope thro' grace it (hall be ufeful tome, in thefe matters, while I live. I have feen more into men, and how much they are to be ceafed from, fince that time, than ever I was able to tee allmy life before. And cbnfidering what a fcene of life the Lord has led me out to, fince that time, and is continuing with me to this day, Sept. 5. 1727, I do with profound reverence adore' that infinite wifdorn and goodnefs which laid. on me that heavy trial, and on the trendedknees of my foul return him thanks for every ftep or part of it, even the blackeft. Amen.] Con- tinuing in this exercifeonly, from fix to about eleven, my fpirits were exhaufted. The ac`t of affemblycondemning the Marrow was, by concert, brought before our prefbytery, Mr George Byres minifter of Lelfudden, a,judicious, plain, good man, being, as I remember, employed to move it. And it was by our prefbytery laid be- fore the Odtober fynod, that they might confider of it. It was put on me to thewwhat was offenfive therein ; to which was joined alfo what was oflénfive in their aét for preaching catechetical doctrine. I felt the confideration of the affembly's authority a great weight on me ; and I had almoft no help at all, but by Mr Wilfon. So, inftead of getting the fynod to feek redrefs of thefe things from the atlembly, we were borne down. And the truth is, the caufe was but weakly managed : I. fear the Lord has not yet given a fpirit for contending with this declining generation. My uneafinefs on the account of the management of that affair, deprived me of much of that night's rett. Wherefore, on the morrow, catching the occafion of bringing in that-affair again, I exonered my confcience with lets ceremonyand more freedom, than had been ufed the day before. I cannot but notice the difpenfation of Providence, in that I was called to make this invidious appearance, at the very time . my book was coming forth : but I retied on that holy Pro- videnée, which, doubtlefs on a becoming defìgn, had kept in that'book, till that time of darkening the doctrine of free grace, and would not allow it to appear before. ARmy two friends and I were on our Way returning from No. 7. 0 o
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=