446 MEMOIRS OF MR BOSTON. lafl, when I had confidered, I found my heart difpofed to biefs the Lord, who had given you couufel wifely to manage this im- portant affair. I had got the contrary paper before, which had come alfo from your hand ; by the reading of which I was much confirmed in what we have done; but withal perceiving fo little regard to truth, (I mean not only gofpel truths, butktruth and ingenuity in converfation), I am made to think they can have little hope from that airth,:whofe lot it is to fall into fuch hands. But I (hould account myfelf happy to get garments kept clean, whatever the Lord may fee meet otherwife to do and I hope that through the fupply of the Spirit, and the prayers of the god- ly, whofe eyes are opened in this matter, it may be our mercy to find pity in the eyes of the Lord, tube carried cleanly through, which the Lord knows is that which I mainly defire. I heard nothing of the meeting you fpeak of, till I read it in yours; but I think I cannotbe at it, nor do I think Mr Wilfbn will, and perhaps not Mr D. neither, who is now in Nithfdale. As mat- ters appear to me now, (whatever I might by conference be brought to), I do not think it proper, that any thing which is not to be publicly owned as the common deed of the whole, should undergo fo folemn a trial ; and if it was mine own cafe, I would expeét more of a half, if not of a fourth' part, their perufing the fame privately in their clofets, than of the whole men together. As for myfelf, I hope our Dr B. to whom the Lord has given a quick wit, and a clear apprehenfrori, needs not be very folicitous about the matter of getting our thoughts of it. I long to fee it, buts fuch a manner as will be common to all ; and heartily with that no time may be loft, *hat can be gained. You are ftill remembered by me in my molt folemrr addreffes; and the true reafon why I have not written to you for fome time is, that my ftrength I find to be much abated ; but work is laid to my hand, upon which all I have is laid out. So that when an occafion of conveying letters does offer, I am much out of cafe for writing ; that time being to me the Saturday's night readily, becaufe of our occafions on the Monday. I muft now have tome breathing -time wherein to do nothing, otherwife I muft be quite laid afide; and any little thing I have to do coils me much application ; but I biefs the Lord for any thing he . gives me upon diligence and application, and defire tobe thank-, ful to my bountiful God, who gives me for digging what others would find as it were lying above the ground. The heft way that I know for keeping up religion in a hurry of bulinefs, is, to look on the bufrnefs as a duty of the eight command of our Sove- reign Lord, Creator, and Redeemer ; and fo going about it in compliance with his will, who has allotted to every man their fiation, and determined the duties of it; to make application to him ordinarily in your Elated addreffes tó the throne ofgrace, for wifdonn to guide your affairs with difcretion, and for the fue.
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