1698.. MR TtIOMAS BOSTON. 37 be obferved afterwards. That fameday, thefaftof Jan. 4. 1699, being appointed, the landftill groaning under dearth and fcarci- ty, year after year, the faid Mr Forrefler moved, that it fhould be recommended to the brethren to deal prudently in their preach- ing with re1'pe& to the caufes of the faft, and hinted at lbme af- feting finguiarity, which I knew very well to be dire&edagainft me ; but fince he named me not, I faid nothing on the head. That month alfo it was obferved, that one Alard Fithie in Pow- fide of Clackmannan, who being enraged with my fermons at Clackmannan, Sept. 11. was wont to go out of the parifh after, when I preached in it, was then broken, and obliged to leave the parifh, it not being known whither he had fled. On the z9th, I found that my friend Katharine Brown, who force time before had given a favourable anfwer to my propofal, had afterwards been much troubled about it, that it was not e- nough deliberate. Had I taken that way in my own cafe; which I ought to have done as afbrefaid, it is likely I would have put her on the fame method, whereby this might have been prevent- ed. But one error in condu& makes way for another. For about fourteen months afterthis I kept a large diary, moved thereto by converfe with Mr Mair. In that time I filled up the book I had then begun, and a whole fecond book, though I wrote in fhort-hand chara&ers, till July 7. 1699. Several of the paf- fagesof that time are from thence tranfcribed into this account of any life. Jan. 1. 1699, I had more than an ordinary meafure of God's pretence and help in preaching. In the morning in fecret I was earneft with God for it, but had a temptation to think that God would leave me, which did perplex me fore. When I was com- ing home from the fermons, Satan fell to afrefh again, the con- trary way, tempting me to pride. It carne three times remarka- bly on me, and was as often repelled by that word, " What " haft thou that thou haft not received?" During the remaining time that I continued at Ferrytown, I wrote a fbliloquy on the art of man- fifhing, which was never fi- nifhed, but is in retentis ". The occafion thereof was this, Jan. 6. 1699, reading in fectet, my heart was touched with Matth. v. 19. " Follow me, and I will make you fifhers of men." My foul cried out for accomplithing of that to me, and I was very defirous to know how I might follow Chrift, fo as to become a fifher of men ; and for my own in(iru&ion in that point, 1 ad- dreífed myfelf to the confideration ofit in that manner. And indeed it was much on my heart in thefe days, not to preach the wifdom of mine own heart, or produce of my own gifts ; but to depend on the Lord for light, that I might, if I could have reached it, been able to fay of every word, " Thus faith the. * This foliloquy was publifhed in 1773, beingprefixed toa colledtion of the author's fermons, intitled, The elytingnifbing cbaraaerr of true believers, &c. No. I. L
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