408 MEMOIRS OP PERIOD XII. heavy circumftances that week, the Lord comforted me more ways than one. On the Monday there had come to my door a begging cripple, who feeing me without, begged of me a book of my own com- pofing. 1 told him I had none but fingle copies, except of the Fourfold State, value 4s. Sterling : and he infifted not for one of them. I gave him fomething out of my pocket ; but he told me, he would rather have had a book. Syrprifed with this unufual requeft from fuch a fort of perfon, aftee he was was gone away I called him back, and told him, I would think of a book for him, bidding him call force other time. Thinking on this matter, and taking it for a call from theLord himfelf, I refolved to give him a copy of the Fourfold State, not knowing but God might have fomething to do with it, by that means, among the vagrant poor. Soon Monday, O61. 18. while .I was fitting with my fore leg in my clofet, he came back ; and calling him up to me, I gave him the book, taking himengaged not to thew from whom he had it, but to read it occafonally among his fellows, and was concerned for a blefl'ing on it. This afforded me a fa- tisfaótion far beyond what money could have done : and before that, on occafion of giving of them away, I had a fatisfying view of that as the very bell I could make of them, having got two dozen of them, and fold one half-dozen of them, few being then left. From the time I read the aforementioned paper, I was fo ta- ken with it, that I cried earneftly again and again unto the Lord, that he would vouchfafe to put the honour on me to be inftrumental, in the way defired, towards its public ufefulnefs ; andon the Wednefday and Thurfday, while I fat in my bed, by reafon of my leg, the Lord gave me fomething by, way of recommendationof it. Herein my foul rejoiced. And by the time that I was near the clofe of it, on the Thurfday, the fur- geon came. And I was the more comforted, in that I faw the Lord had fent him, having got the contrary word, as above faid. He opened the fide of the callous fubftance with the point of his fcitfars; then pulled it up with pincers, which I was helped to bear; and what was raifed of it, he clipped a- way : but near a third part of it remained, which he appre- hended was not then ripe. And thus I was more comforted. The hand of God was eminent in bringing this trial on me. I was not feeking cure of my knee by medicine, or any fuch way, having, from a continued tracî of experience, little or no hope at all that way ; but I was put upon it by thole concerned for my welfare. Providence, by a repeated incident, frowned on it from the beginning ; which I faw, and created me thoughts of heart. There was hardly a flep of the management of the pea, wherein there was not an error committed, after- ward difcerned by the effeóts. This not being fairly acknow- p ledged, and duly regretted, while my leg appeared' to be in
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