S32 MEMOIRS OP PERIOD xI, to pats," was fweet, and pat to my prefent circumftances in that matter. And on the morrow, having been carried out in fecret prayer to plead with God in the fame cafe, I was anew furprifed and comforted, reading in my ordinary in the Hebrew Bible, Gen. xxv. 21. And Ifaac intreated the Lord for his wife, and the Lord was intreated of hitn." Aug. 22. Tuefday. Saturday's night I was raifed out of bed to fee my wife in great extremity. Sabbath morning com- forting her, and (hewing, that, notwithftanding of all this, the deliverance might be not a whit the fartheroff, the bid me (peak to her as a dying .perfon. Thereafter in fecret being fomewhat fhaken, and expreffing my fears before the Lord, that word given at Eíkdaletnoor, " Thou wilt comfort me on every fide," was brought to me, and was flaying. Monday the waà better : but this morning I found the had been very iilall this night. Even thus in great meafiare hath it been for many years: Mean while I am called to wait on, and not to faint. This aflli&ion has been very heavy to me, bowed me down, and contributed to the bringing me to the low cafe I am nów reduced to : and by it I have been under a providential confinement at home, for forne years ; which however, in the wifdom of Providence, hath tended to the carrying on of my work in my clofet. Three things I fee clearly defigned in it. Í. My correction wherein God is jufl,, very juft, as I very well know. 2. My humiliation ; this being as a weight hung at me, to balance the honour the Lord has put on me in the matter of the accentuation of the Hebrew Bible. S. The good of his people ; in clearing and comforting them by my public work, occafioned by the Lord's dealing thus with me, according to 2 Cor. iv. .15. and i. 6. Aug. 24. I defired the Lord would clear up this day, `being foul, that I might get to Mr Robert .Scot's burial, as a token he would hear in that forefaid. Singing at family-worfhip Md. cxxi. this view of the Bible was given me, namely; that what- ever were the particular occafions of the writing it, or any part thereof, I am to look upon it as written for me, as much as if there were not another perfon in the world : and fo is every body elfe to whole hand it comes. The day continued bad ; but I thought, What, (hall I not believe the promifeof prote6tion I have been finging ? So I went away, hoping it might clear afterwards. But it did not.: and it was very bad inour return: Neverthelefs; I was nothing worfied by the journey. Thus I got the main thing defired, getting to the burial ; but not with the eafe, and in the way, I would have had it. And perhaps it-may even be fo, in that weighty cafe I have fo muchat heart. Aug. 26. My wife being under an irnpreffion that her diflolu- tion was near, going to the Lord in the café, that word was feafonably given me, " He is faithful that hath promifed." Aug. 27. Coming in from preaching on Rom. viii. 26: in fecret prayer, I_had an experience of the . help of the Spirit in
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