1727. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 333 prayer, which I had been preaching on. And I got á view of the carne of the children of God, andmy wife's particularly, under melancholy, viz. That our Lord, minding to thew the power of his grace in his children combating with Satan, he, by fuch a touch on their imagination in a particular point, gives Satan a; palpable advantage againft them, whereby his work may be more eafy, than if they were to encounter on even ground : and then he lets the battle go to, and through a fecret fupport and con- veyance of ftrength from himfelf to his child, Satan is baffled, and that more thainefully, than if he had wanted that Peen advantage of theground., Sept. 2. I had a letter from Mr Wilfon, whofe daughter Marion had beenprayed for at Gala(hiels, putting me in mind of the exprefl'ion in prayerthere ufed, viz. that the Lord would rebuke that fever ; and bearing, that, as he underftood, at that very hour the fever left her, and never recurred. This was a confirmation of the fubje& I was upon there. I remember I. was ftraitened in that prayer, yet therewere in that congregation who might be otherwife, and the Lord might help me as their mouth : and I queftion not but parts of prayer wherein there is ftráitening, may be accepted. Sept. i i. Being in hazard of faintng in my wife's cafe, it was feafonably fuggetted to me, that it was furely by the Spirit I was led to carry that meffage, Luke xviii. 8. to the Lord's children and the and I are the Lord's children too, having an intereft in it as well as others. And that paffage, Pfal. lxxi. 20, 21. be- came frelh to me, that I was made confidently to plead it, and expect from it ; the Bible being God's word to me inparticular, . as before remarked. Sept: 16. Some time ago I had another 'letter from Prof. Hamilton, bearing, that he would not difcourage, and (hewing areadinefs to perufe the fecond part of the effay on the accentua- tion. Mr Wilton had moved his writing to Jervifwood, or Mr Bradbury a London minitter, or to them both, for encouraging that effay. But on the 5th irritant, when I was refolved to go to the pretbytery, to concert there with hini..the application to be made to them for that end, the day proved fo exceeding ftormy, that it was impracticable. But havingmany experiences of the wife conduct of Providence in fuch difpeniations,, I was not uneafy. :Since the finifhingof that effay, I have revifed the Fourfold State, which colt me much labour, through what was done to it by Mr Wightman, and that the printers had deftroyed molt of the authentic copy. But, by kind Providence, Mr Wardrobe had taken a copy of it, to the end of the - third ttate, which, though not accurate, was ufeful to me in this cafe. I have alfa put the lift hand to fome fermons on Phil. iL `7. But made himfelf of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fer- vant, and was made in the lit enefs of. men :" and they are.
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