1728. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 349 to endure one another, I have been made to wonder, how the Lord endures any of us, being all of us fo loathfome. I have thought, that as much of the gratefulnefs of objeós` Peen and heard by us, arifes from this, that our eye-fight and hearing are not more acute or (harp ; even fo, much of the comfort of lociety we have in the world, arifes from our not being more ful- ly acquainted. We have had feveral inflames of perfons freely taken into our family, to lodge 'with us freely, föme for fhorter, fume for longer time ; but have met with a continued train of ingratitude,. one of them after another. There remained only one exception in that cafe and now that is gone with the reft. We have no fatisfa6tion in thefe things now, but in reflecting ou the principle which put us on thefe a&s of kindnefs, and the fervice they did to the parties in the time. This has been a piece of trial, which for molt of the time I have had.a family, fovereign pleafure has 'carved out for us. Sept. It. I returned, on -the 7th inilant, to my work on tho covenant of grace, interrupted by the facramental work in the parifh. That month I underftood, that a letter from my friend Mr Wilton, to Jervifwood at London, in favour of the effay on the accentuation, which lead been fent in the fpring unto him," together with the index of that'effày, had come to his hand ; and that he defigned to do fornething in it., /13ut unto this day there is nothing done effectually in it by him, fo far as I know._ Sept. 23. Having preached the action- fermon this 'year on John xiii. 8. " If I wash theenot, thou haft no part with me*, and been led, in my fubfequent fermons thereon, to thew how Chrift watheth finners, I have been much convinced, that the work offkn tifcation is a great myftery. Yefterday, the Lord's day, being under fame uneafinefs; that the doctrine would not 'be underftood, I was made to cry for the Lord's help to make known the myftery : and I hope not without fuccefs. Dec. 23. On the 15th I ended my fermons on John xiii. 8. " Peter faith unto him, Thou (halt never wath my feet. Jefus aufwered hitn, If I wàfh thee not, thou haft no part with me." In the progrefs whereof, as I was unexpeétedly led into the confederation of the way of Chrift's cleanfing finners, or washing them ; ('o I was in that point favoured with an un- ordinary an-lance from the Father of lights, to my own con- viótion. And though no doubt my deceitful heart could, not receive it, without making fome undue motions : yet t know I was all along afleamed of my praótical unacquaintednefs with the myftery ; and faw the difcovery was quite beyond my gift with an ordinary afflftance. I was helped by Owen on the * This fermon, with feveral others on the fame fubjed, in which the author fags he was privileged withuncommon affiftance, whichmuft'be apparent to everyexercifed Çhriftian, was publifhed in 1756, along with other fermons. Thefe fermons require adeliberate pérufal, with earneft pràyer to the Father of light, for understanding the 'important myftery there handled.,
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