1727. MR THOMAS BOSTON. S31. Aug. 12. Saturday afterfermonsat Galafhiels I received a letter fromProf. Gordon aforefaid, bearing á narrative of his conference with Prof. Hamilton, Dr Crawford, and Mr Matthew Crawford, on that fubjeét. It was comfortable but withal (hewed, that thofe three Rill were of the mind, it wouldnot be for the interest of religion, to publifh any thing on the f'ut-jeét till it were better underftood in Britian. I preached this day on Like xviii. 8. " I tell you, he will avenge them fpeedily *," I had, when at Maxton, had an eye to that text for this occafion ; but after- wards laid afide thoughts of it. Yet when the time drew near, I was driven back to it. And this ftrengthed my hopes of my wife's deliverance, as did alfo my late deliverance. On the Sabbath morning, minding to read If. lid. the 63d chapter turned up, and I was moved to read it : and the 4th verfe thereof, " The day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come," fo harmonizing with my text, fweetly furprifed me, and raifed my hopes very full, as to the deliverance aforefaid drawing near. At the table I had a view of Chrift himfelfas ALL to me ; and going to view par- ticular benefits, as pardon, &c. I was led back to behold him- felf as containing all.whatfoever. In concern for my children, that word came, " I will be thy God, and the God of thy feed." Mr Wilton on the Saturday, and at the tables, infifted on believ- ing the gofpel ; and on Monday again, to good purpofe. But that day I had Writhed in my heart he had handled tome other fubjeót. Mr Hunter preached after him on thefe words, " He is faithful that has promifed ;" whereby I was checked, and caufed to fay in my heart, The foolithnefs of God is wifer than men.; feeing how God did. confirm what I did not fo much approve. I was fo refrethed with that fermon of Mr Hunter's, that I found my very body in good condition when'the work was 'over. But after all this, coming home, I found my wife was extra- ordinary ill, and fawher not for.fome time. And when I faw her, the told nie, that it had been extraordinary ill with her, and that the had tatted of the bitternéfs of death, what she had not known before. However, this made me not to stagger, as to my hope of her deliverance. In prayer at parting with her, it had been kept, quite out of my head, to delire' of. the Lord a comfortable meeting with her. Adverting to this ere I got out of the room, I flood a little aftonithed, and thought it not meet to tell her of it at that time. But now from this my hopes were confirmed, in that I thought the Lord's having kept from feek- ing what he minded not to give, was a ground of hope, that he would give the reft which he helped to feek of him. When we went to family-worthip, Joth. xxi. being the ordinary, was -read, and verf. ult. ,. There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had fpoken unto the houfe of Ifrael : all came Four fermonson this fubject were published ina volume in 1753.
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