I731. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 3919 23. I had accefs, with much thankfulnefs to my kind Father, to return to my beloved Rudy, which I had been broke off from by the arrival of the letters forefaid. On March 1. I went to Selkirk, where on the morrow I de- livered the difcourfeafòrefaid p an unexpe&edly frequent audi- tory. Lookingon this as proba the laft of the kind l might have occafion to deliver, I had been concerned, that the Lord would give it me with a relifh ; and the relifh that 1 fought, I got; ac- cording to his greatmercy, even to the filling of my heart with fatisfaótion, as in the Rudyof it. And, with thankfulnefs to my gracious Father, I returned in the Thurfday's night, with a humbling view of my unprofitahlenefs in converfation, and a conviótion, as ufual, that my obfcure and retired life, is really belt for me. Being through wearinefs unfit for ffudy on the morrow, I had no ed, having enoùgh provided beforehand. But while abroad,. of the remaining comforts of my life en- dured a (hock, that had force time before been a.working: the which was very affe&'tiug, Peeing how the Lord was drawingone comfort from me `after another. On the Monday and Tuefday after, I was obliged to ride to the utmoft corners of the parifh to vifit lick perfons ; and on the two following days applied myfelf, as I was able to my private bufinefs; but recovered not till Friday my Rudy-day. And hereby I perceived, how little I had to expeót from riding in the way of cure. Mean while, on the 17th, I had perfected the verfions and notes on Gen. xxi: ,and on the 20th began.to write it over in mundo. But that day laft named I was extremly in- difpofed and oppreffed, fo that I was obliged to betake 'myfelf to my bed. Howbeit that extremity continued not ; neither did my trouble this March arrive at the height it went to in the March preceding. . On the 28th I clofed my ordinary; of humi- liation, having been comfortably affifted `. About this time, in feveral inftances of mothers and children, moved to pray for them, I was gracioufly heard, and my foul filled with praife on that fcore. Moreover having, on occafion of the late occurren- ces relating to the MSS. obferved from time to time a certain run of temper prevailing I was let into this view of human na- ture, not much adverted to before, viz. That whereas there are The author took next for his ordinary, Matth. vii. 13. 14. concerning the way to life, and the way to deftrudlion, which he began April 4. and continued therein till Dec. 26. 1731 ; and the following Lord's day, being Jan. 2. 1732, he began to dif- courfe of the end of time, and the myftery of God finifhed with it, from Rev. x. 6. 7. on which fubjeót he continued till March 26. that year. All thefe fermons were printed in a volume in 1753. On the 2d ofApril followinghe took for a new ordinary, the neceffity of felf-examination, from 2 Cor. xüi. 5. which he preached or} that day and the following Sabbath, from a window in the manfe, to the people fta'ndingwith- out ; but his growing frailty hindered him from further work, till his divine Matter calledhim home to receive the reward of his labolirs on the 20th of May. What he had wrote on the lait-mentioned fubje6t is publifhed in his Body of Divinity, vol. S, p. 396. et fen No. y.,. 3 ID
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