818 MEMOIRS OF PERIOD xI. fhort-hand .chara&ers, and therefore ufelefs to any but myfelf. And after Peeking the Lord, I began on the 9th of February, to write all over in mundo, in long hand, defiring to believe that he will give power to the faint, and' o them that have no might, he will increafe ftrength. The notes on the Marrow had now for fome time been in a friend's hand at Edinburgh. And in the latter end of that month there was a propofid made me, for publithing the Marrow with them. Mr William Wardrobe apothecay there, above mention- ed, was the chief undertaker in this. Hereupon I revifed the -notes again : and having fpént fome time in prayer for light in that matter, April 6. and again on the 13th, laid it before the Lord I was cleared, and determined to give up the copy of the Marrow, as.corre&ed and new- modelled by me, together with the notes thereon, into his hand, to do therein as he should find hiìnfelfcondu&ed by Providence ; and`this.in confideration that matters are still growing worfe in this generation, and the declining is on the increafe ; for the fake of truth, and of the prefent and rifing generation'. In this month of April, began my wife's entire barring from public ordinances, which lafteth unto this day. About the middle of May, my fon Thomas, who had got about two years domeftic teaching in the Latin tongue, efpecially by my own and my other fón's means, was fent to the grammar- fcbool at Hawick. Now, after infifting for come time this year on the hiding of the Lord's face, Pfal. xxx. 7. I entered on " the Son ofman's coming to, feek and fave the loft," Luke xix. 10. and dwelt thereon_till the fermons preparatory for the facrament of the fupper. It was adminiftered June 6. not without appreheutions, 'that it might be the laft I fhould have occafion to adminifter. By that time I had carried on the work forefaid'to Gen. iii. 22. MS. in folio, p. 44. I enteredon it, and proceeded therein, with a view of death at my back ; and was much eafed in my mind when I had brought it that length ; judging that the church of God might thereby difcern what it was I aimed at, in cafe I fhould never have had accefs to have carried it -on further. Mean whilegreat were my trials about this communion. My wife Teemed to be in a dying condition for about two weeks be- fore : on the Tuefday immediately before the /communion, the furgeon told me, he thought The could not now laft long. The want of my teeth made fpeaking difficult ; and' I had lef. +ftrength to fpeak with, than forne time before i and the remain- ing teeth were become blackifh. But the Lord pitied, amidft thefe and other trying incidents. Mr Gordon aforefaid corning to Edinburgh to the fummer. feffions the effay on the accentuationwas, according to our con- cert, put into his hand about this time. I preached the aótion-fermonon the " bruiting of the ferpent's
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