320 MEMOIRS or PERIOD XI, Jehovah, who comforteth us in all our tribulations I have been perplexed, but not in defpair. Mr Gordon returning to Edinburgh unto the winter-feffion, and having read the efiày on the accentuation, defired an inter- view: Whereupon I made a ftretch, and went thither on the 23d of November. I was very apprehenfîve, that I would meet with difcouragernent from him. Tarrying there about eight days, I had in that time feveral meetings with him : and we went through his remarks on the effay. He not having given his judgment on the thing in grofs, norlike to do it at all, I, ere vve fhould part, was obliged to put on a brow, and downright to afk his judgment of the performance, as to the main. To which he aníwered, That as to the main we were agreed. I afked him again, Whether he could have freedom to give it his public approbation ? and he replied, He not only had freedom to do it, but thought it his duty to do it. Hereupon I was Iwallowed up in joy and comfort, that the Lori had fo tar pitied and com- forted me. But in that time, and after, I found the borrower to be fervant to the lender. At the fame time, my Lord Grange, Of his own accord, offer- ed me encouragement in it ; and told me, that Mr Gordon faid to him about it, that it looked almoft as if it had been done by infpiration. But meeting all three together in his lodging, by appointment, they both agreed, that the effay, or at katt an abstract thereof, behoved yet to be done in Latin ; and offered nothing for publithing it in Englith. Their reafbns were, that it could not be done in Scotland, nor yet in Holland, correétly, unlets it was in Latin ; that the thing being fo little known iri this ifland, it could not be thought to find buyers in it, being publifhed in Englith. This new work laid upon me, now when toy ftrength was exhaufted, was an occafion of heavy thoughts to me : fo after my lifting up, I was call down again. Thus the weight of apprehended difcouragernent from Mr Gordon, which I took from home with me, layon me all the time I was in town, till the day or fó before 1 came away, that I interrogated him as aforefàid, that it was lightened; and then the weight returned again while 1 was thinking to return-home, and the matter began to move flow again., Nighting at Cardrona, on my way -home, on the morrow there was a great ftorm of fnow driving ; and I was importuned to flay. I went to the Lord as my Father, for his pity ; and had confidence in him, that he who knew how unable I was to Rand before the cold; and what need there was for me to be at home, would pity. So we carne away, and ftill the fnow drove on : but by the time we entered in among the hills, it ceáfed ; fo that I never in my life rode that way with greater eafe. Howbeit, when we were come over all the hills, and were within two miles of home, it began to drive on again fo vehemently, that we could hardly get looked up to difcerri our way. This wasmoft acceptable and pleafant to me, as an
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