36G MEMOIRS OF PERIOD XI. prayer, I flood, and lifting up my eyes to the Lord, I filently read tie ehim the acceptance I had written, and fubfcribed it with rrand*F. By this time I found myfeif fo near exhaufled, that I refólved not to attempt to proceed to the remaining part of the work for the time. But.refleéìing on what had paffed, I defiderated fatisfying impreffions of ib totem a work upon my heart ; and therefore begged of God, that he would thew me a token for good, as to:his accepting of it. In this cafe, two things' were lomewhat relieving to me. One was, that God knew the ac- ceptance of his covenant, as above expreffed, was the habitual bent of my heart and foul ; and apprehending, the the failing of the natural fpirits had had tome influence in that matter, I was hopeful, I might afterwards come to judge better of that foiernn tranfaétion. Another was that fcripture brought to my remembrance, Judg. xi. [1. " And Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh." So I clofed the work be- twixt three and four o'clock in the afternoon. And it was matter of force wonder and thankfulnefs to God, that I had been enabled to continue fo long in that exercife, though in the-time I had taken a few pottage with frnall drink. But the uneafinefs continued, and occcafioned Tome bitternefs of fpirit; which my merciful Father did afterwards pity, as a father doth his fretting child. That night I burnt the bundle of papers laid by for that end in March 1727, mentioned above, p. 403. adding foment others to them : but I had taken out from among them two manufcripts, being yet in doubt what to do with them. I con- tinued to feek a token for good, and on the morrow was abroad at a diet of catechifing. I confulted God as to the burning of thefe papers, and was fo clear in it, that I had no freedom to let them furvive that night. On Thurfday'riung early in the morning, to purfue the work I had begun, I fpent that day in it. After my ordinary devo- tions, addreffing myfeif to that work, I fpread the fubfcribed acceptance of the covenant before the Lord, and (having return- ed the confeffion of my fins) I folemnly adhered to it, and renew- ed it. And in that confeffron, I got filch a view, of each period of my life, by itfelf, that every one of them fingly was humbling to the duff; caufing admiration ofthedivine goodnefs and long- : ; fuffering, that I was not cut oft' ere I had reached another : not excepting that of childhood, remembering force early fproutings of corrupt nature in me in that period, together with the vanity of the whole ; though I was none Of thofe whom men call either vitious or roguifh boys. Then proceeding towards the cove- * The form dated Aug. 14. 1699, is annexed to the author's Body of Divinity, vol. 3. and that of Dec. 2. 1729, which is ingroffed in the paffages of his life, is fubjoined alfo to that volume ; fo that the latter is omitted in thefe Memoirs. That ofMarch 25. 1700 is inferted in a note, above, p. 153. They were both printed from the author's figned originals. The latter is almolt verbatim the fame with that co the forefaid Memorial.
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