1731. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 411. being frighted from it by the effeéts it had on me in my youth, having unwarily mixed milk with it in my ftonrach : and this, as to my diet, till of late years, that I began notably to decline. I do not remember rnyfelf ever to have been fenfibly the better of medicine, except the wormwood mentioned p. 41. I have now much given over the ufe of it ; and do not bind up mylëlf fo ftrait, even in point of diet, as for force time after the notable breach in my health. My eyes do yet ferve me pretty well only I have, about a year or two, read my chapters in the morning with preferves : for many years I have tiled to wafh my eyes, opening them in the water, which I conceive may have been profitable. But it is now long lince I had teeth, wherewith duly to get my meat chewed ; and there are at this time fifteen of them, and a piece of one, laid up in a box, for confervation till the due time of difpoling of them otherwife. Many years ago, I found the fpring-featún weakening to me, even when I was in Simprin. But the laft fpring [1730] was the heavieft that ever I faw. As the fummer went on, I became more eafy : but HI a lownefs of fpirits feized me, and I ran out like a watch, after fix o'clock at night; whereby it came to pats, that I had much ado, oft- fifties, to be in cafe for the evening-worfhip in the family. Since the autumnal equinox, [1730], I think I have been better, even in that point. I had alfo a great difficulty in puffing urine ; but that alfo of latefeemed'tobecome more ealy. I have fleet well fence the time I fell ill in March lait [1730]. In October I was brought to the gates ofdeath, in Galafhiels, by a fudden illnefs feizing me there in the night, as narrated above, p. 377. At prefent, I am, by the mercy of God, pretty well; having force hope, I may yet; through his favour, have force accefs to return to my beloved study of the frcred Hebrew text. That caft of temper, whereby I was naturally flow, timorous, and diffident, but eager in purfuit when once engaged ; as it early difcovered itfelf, fo, I think, it hath fpread itfeif all along, through the whole of my courfe. It hath been a fpring ofmuch uneafinefs to me, in the courfe of my life; in that I was there- by naturally fond, where i loved. Yet I cannot but ob- ferve, that my God hath made a valuable ufe of it; efpecially in my ftudies, combating fpecial difficulties therein, till fur- mounted byhis favour. Agreeable unto it, I was not ofa quick apprehenfion ; but had a gift of application : and things being once difcovered, I was no more wavering.in them. I was ad- diáted to filence, rather than to talking. I was no good fpokef- man, but very unready even in common converfátion; and in .difputes efpecially at a lofs, when engaged with perfons'ofgreat atiùrance.: the difadvantage of which lait I often found in Et- terick, where an uncommon affurance reigned. The touching of my fpirit, fo as to fet me above fear,-the moving of my affec- tions, and being once well dipped into the matter, were necel=
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