172$. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 341 the latter end of tall week, the Lord renewed his comforts - to my wife's foul, and made her to fay, Ile bath well corn- penfated all her feven years trouble, her foul being carried out with full bent to Jefus Chrift in the promife ; fhe Taw the Lord her dwelling-place, and tafted the fweetnefs of his relations, particularly that of a hufband : in which cafe beginning to fay, Might the not look for a deliverance ? it was laid on her fpirit, that the flood more in need of patience and refignation and therewith a {iveet calm went through her foul : particularly the gave tae an account, which I have here let down in her naine, as follows. I have often aimed at embracing the everlafting covenant held forth in the gofpel, and faw my welcome thereto ; was willing alfo to betake mvfelf to it, with my whole heart, and often et. `lived it. My defeót (till lay in the want of that confidence of faith, that the covenant fhould be made forthcoming to me, ac- cording to my needs, for time and eternity ; fear Rill prevailing, and keeping me as it were flooding on loofe ground. But ou. March 21. betwixt two and four o'clock in the morning, on my bed of afflicîion, it pleafed the Lord to ftir me up, and help me to efiay it again, and to get that gape in fume nîeafure filled up. Beingdeeplyconvinced of the finofmynature, and judging it to be thefource ofmyun fixed nefs, I did in the fì rfl place, makecoufellion of the finof mynature, life, and pra&tice, being asparticular there- in as I could reach; efpecially confetfingmy predominant fin, and . laying my heart open to the. omnifcient God,to fearch and try it, in the mutt retired corners thereof ; that if there was any lull or idol that I knew not of, I might be made feufible of the fame : and I judged and condemned.myft:lf, as deferving nothing but the utmoit of God's indignation. Then I looked to the way of ftivation' held forth in the word of the gofpel ; beheld J'efus Chriii, a Saviour every way fiiited to toy needs, my loll and un- done condition. I faw, an abfolute need of him, in all his of- fices ; and a glorious fitnefs in them, and each of them, for my cafe. So I did, with the whole bent ofmy foul embrace the everlafting covenant held fortis to me in the word of the gofpel of grace ; cat{I myfelf over on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and receive him in all his offices ; take God for my God in him ; and, with my whole heart, gave up rnyfelf, foul and body, to be the Lord's for ever : my foul going out after Chrift in his kingly office, as much as in the refs, for the fáuéification of my nature, and fub- cluing of my Itrong corruptions, without referve ; efpecially my predominant, which I faw -head and [boulders above the reft being fincerely defirous in the fight of God, never to entertain peaceably, but, through his covenant-grace, to war againft every lull whatfoever, though a right hand, or right eye. And I was in a good meafure brought to a confident perfuafion, that this foundation of the everlafting covenant, on which I had bottomed my foul for time and eternity, had all things in it needful for,
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