344 MEMOIRS OP PERIOD XL before the Lord, and pleading for light from the Father of lights, through the Son, by his Spirit, I did, on Wednefday April 10. begin that work and found the efie& of the application on my body ; my head, which long fince had begun to (hake, being thereby made fenfibly to hhake more to a degree. Since that time I have not had time and ftrength both together, to do any more in it : but . I defire to be found fo doing as the Lord (hall `enable. My wife returned on Saturday to the little room ; which is, in my view, the inner prifon. The matter of the re- firaint on me, as to altering the fettlement of my affairs, begins to open. I had little comfort in the gathering of that money : and Providence, has now blown upon it being gathered. My great comfort now with refpe& to it is, I had no anxiety to gather it together. And I hope the Lord is teachingme to live by faith, with refpeót to my chitdrens provifion, and will provide , for them another way than I meant. April 22. Laft week the Lord was pleafed to give fl.rength to make a comfortable progrefs in my work. My wife allb had an intermiffìon of her melancholy, wherein it was removed for the fpace of one night. And this is the fecond time, or at molt the third, that has, fallen out in the courfe of fo many years. This gives fome hope. Mean while it becomes miglíly, the floods lift up their voice. May 7. On Sabbath laft, being very weak, and on a very weighty fubjeót, I put up a requeft to the Lord, to get it delivered, and was gracioufly heard. ,I have had feveral experiences of this kind. May 21. Having been minded to go to Galafhiels on the 7th, to concert about the facrament here, I was the night before dif- allled by a bruite got by a fall from my horfe : and laft week being recovered, I went thither, and faw I had miffed the one half of my errand if Providence had not given me' that flop. About the endof April, I received a letter in Latin, from Mr John Flint, above defigned, concerning the effay on the ac- centuation, by him alto revifed : unto the. which, tending to dif- courage, I made a return .quickly in the fame language. The facrament was delayed. till Auguft, in regard of Mr David- foe's weaknefs, and my wife's cafe. And I think it was of the Lord. My next ordinary fubjeót was, the flow procedure of Pro- vidence againtt the wicked, from Eccl. viii. 11. " Becaufe fentence againtt ari evil work is, not fpeedily executed, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully fet in them todo evil ." This was occafioned by the cafe of the unhappy J. A. , of whofe guilt of adultery, he being now married, there were ftrong grounds offúfpicion ; but there was no bringing of the flume to light, notwithftanding all endeavours made that way. * The fermons on this fubjeót were publilhed in a volume in 1756.
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