360 MEMOIRS OF PERIOD XI. that not only my head íhook ; but my legs and whole body be- gan to !hake alfb. But death by that time was become fome- what familiar to me. However, at the writing hereof, near abouta year after, all that !baking is very moderate. Sept. 8. Often has it been my lot, but never more perhaps than yefterday, being the Lord's day, to cover the altar with tears, going to my work with a bowed-down back ; being like to fink in the pulpit, through heavinefs occalioned by one of my dorneftics. Wounded by thathànd thine days before, on Satur- day's night there was an addition that carried it much deeper. The pain of the toothach, whereof for force time I have had a touch everynight, tryfting with that vexation, I loft my raft that night. I fee the folly of it now, and that t mutt be refigned, laying all down at the Lord's feet ; that I muft let one gripe go after another, and gripe unto God as my God for all. 1 have often thought of that holy Providence which made Heman, who was a man of great affliétion, a finger in the temple-fervice ; and have obferved how the Lord hatte made up to me the want of public perfecution, by domeftic trials. Being minded to have gone to Leadhills, Aug. 19. with Mr Willbn, to wait on Mr Wightman, for concerting meafures about the publithing of the eflay on the 'accentuation, I inclined to have, for my health and refrefhment, taken a tour through the country for about ten days : but this laft I could not obtain with good-will, which proved a great temptation to me. The journeywas providentially balked for altogether, though Mr Wilfou came hither. Mean while, that week, I was feized with two fits of the gravel I returned on the Wednefday. from convoying Mr Willbn homeward again with a fevere one of them upon me ; took another of them on Saturday's night. The hand of the Lord was eminent in both ; the one being ow- ing to drink, the other to meat, unfit for my ftornach. Thus both my wife and I were reproved : I for my yielding to the temptation, and the having me at home with little comfort. Laft week, beginning to drive heavily in the work now on my hand, I again and again took my notes, laid them before the Lord, and: prayed over them. And it was not in vain. Sept. 15. I have lately had a notable help in three things in my cafe, from three fcriptures. One was Jer. I. 7. rightly read according to the pointing* : whence I' obferved, that it is, one of God's methods for his people's.correótion, that there (hall be no convincing of thofe who wrong them, fo as to own a fault. Theother was a certain paflàge in Job xiii. and the laic in Job xix. By the two 'laft I had a great deal of eafe laft week : and to this day, Nov. 29. I find a thorn taken out of my foot by them, which has often been very uneafy. For two nights pail, the toothach has ceafed : but the fhaking See this text accurately tranílated, and illuftrated, in the author's Sermons on the crook in the lot, edit. 1737, p. 38. and in .his Traftatus ,Stigmologicus, &c. p. 101.
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