1730. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 371 ungodly ; but being hurried in the time, I had no eafe with refpe& to them when done, fearing they were not duly con- fidered and balanced. Wherefore at night I juft cut out that part of my notes; and began anew. I have always reckoned that to be one of the molt difficult parts of preaching how to feer an even courfe in thefe things, fo as to guard duly on both fides. Jan. 1. 1730, being Thurfday, I (pent fome time in prayer with fafting, for the work aforefaid, that went on heavily, and for my wife's cafe. I adhered to the folemn tranfac&ion above men- tioned, and with force confidence pleaded the witneffes taken thereto ; and made fupplication for bodily firength, as well as for light, finding the want of' the former as well as the latter. And whereas I had before put my loft teeth in a box for con- fervation, I put another into it that fame day. T was for force days thereafter much tried with indifpofition, and confufion ; whereby an embargo was laid upon me with refpe6t to the work aforefáid : but it pleafed the Lord to take off that embargo on Friday the 9th ; fo that I then became capable to proceed in that work. So Both the Lord, in all things, thewme my own emptinefs; and that without him I can do nothing. Jan, 3. I found myfelf fail mightily, in managing the diets of catechifing this featon ; efpecially the two laft diets. Con- fidering the lofs fuftained by the people, through my inability to fpeak, and apply to it ; it has been very heavy to me. But this day the Lord pitied, and helped me therein again, the which is the more welcome, that now I begin this work alfo the catechifing of thofe of the younger fort, which is carried on to- gether with the public catechifing of the patifh : not daring as yet to eafe myfelf of that acceffory piece of my work. It was but about this time that I had notice of the publication of the fecond edition of the Fourfold State ; and on the morrow after a copy thereof came to my hand, I took and fpread it be- fore. the Lord, praying for a bleffing to be entailed on it; for the conviétion and converfion of finners and edification of faints, for the time I am in life, and after I (hall be in the duff. Mean while there was no motion nor appearance in favour of the effay on the accentuation, from Edinburgh nor from Aber- deen : but that matter lay then dormant. But on the 7th of February-came to my hand letters directed to Mr W. H. mer- chant in Edinburgh, my correfpondent there : one from Prof. Gordon at Aberdeen, into whole hands I had put the effay, in or- der to his prefacing it, to have been returned in November, as above faid ; advifing, that, in refpea: of family or perfonal- dif- trefs, fince- the end of Augutt, he had thought very little on the matter: and that he could not tell when he might be able to read or confider any thing requiring clofe application : but the other from Mr G. at London, advzhng, that he had put the title and index of the effay fent him as aforementioned, into the
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