382 MEMOIRS OP PERIOD XI. vifited three fidt perfons at Chapelhop ; and on the Thurfday went to Adam Linton's burial. This awful difpenfation of Providence towards the poor parifh, was the more weighty to nie, that I faw I was now toward the end of my ordinary fub- je&, viz. the do&rine of the other world ;' and perceived the voice of Providence thus join the voice of the word. I found myfelf worfled by this unordinary lots : but I took it kindly at the hand of my gracious God and Father ; admiring the divine condefcenfìon and goodnefs,that kept it off in the fpring, when I myfelf was very ill, till that time wherein I was in better con- dition : for by that time, I think, I had laid afide my flafl. Having, from forne time after writing the aforefaid to London in June, been expeéing time after time to hear from thence, but fill difappointed ; which occafioned various thoughts of heart; I received a packet on the 4th of September. Before I opened it, I went to God to get my heart difpofed for whatever might be found the iffue ; but opening the fame I found there was a deep filence flit!, both from Aberdeen and from London. Hereupon I went to God again, and killed the rod, accepting the trying difpenfition, as the way he deals with his own ; bringing their matters through many difficulties, and caufing them to wait on. And being fomewhat afraid of unfair dealing, in the cafe of MSS. I found ref to my heart in the Lord, as having the hearts of all in his hand. But whereas, about the middle of March lall, I had written to Mr Alexander Colden a letter of love and friendfhip, to teftify my love and regard to him, and to remove fbme drynefs, that, by means of our differ- ences about theabjuration-oath, and the do&riveof the Marrow, had crept in betwixt that worthy man and me, fpeciaily. through a mighty jealoufy in his temper ; and withal had fent him a copy of the fecond edition of the Fourfold State ; but had never heard from him finte ; in which cafe I rejoiced that I had writ that letter, which I knew he foon received : I did on the Lord's day after, being Sept. 6. receive a kind return from him. And this I defired to take as a pledge of a comfortable iffue of the other cafe, viz. the hearing from London ; which, of a con- fiderable time, had been a matter of fore exercife to me, con- fidering the fudden ftop of that affair, after fuch a notable run it appeared to be on. That fame day I clofed my ordinary of the other world; and on the Sabbath after, being the 13th, entered on a new one, viz. the crook in the lot, from Eccl. vi. 13. " Confider the work of God : for who can make that ftraight which he bath made crooked ?" To this I was led, by my own -cafe, and the cafe of feveral in the parifh ; and was confirmed in that's being the Lord's meffage to them, by the providential occurrences of that day. Having, on the 10th, advanced in the account of my life unto_ the time when I began writing for it, I did thereafter carry on
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