No 16. APPENDIX. 447 cefs of them according to his promifes thereanent ; and a&ually to go about them in dependenceon the Lord. Thus, while you ferved your lawful purpofes in the world, you would Verve the Lord Chrif ; the which I put you in remembrance of, albeit you know, and I oubt not aim at the fame. From the little experience t vehad of the management Of worldly afnirs, I can fay there is communion withGod to be had in the way of that management. Sweet leffons of dependence, experience of the accomplifhment of promifes, and even kind rebukes for heart-fins, fweeter than the world's fmiles. Efau's face with no traits ofmalice and revenge in it, was hut a worldly good thing; yet Jacob faw it as though he had fees the face of God ; for Jacob read the anj'wer of his prayers, and the fuccefs of his de- pendence on the Lord, upon the faceof that little-worth man. My wife kindly remembers you, and defires to be remembered by you, as doth V. D. Sir, yours, &c. Dec. 28. 1721. (3.) V. D. Sir, If that projeeî wherein my good friend would have had me concerned, (for my advantage I'm Cure), do mifcarry, it is but of a piece with other tokens of the Lord's anger againft us : and I know that when he was in greatest concern for advancing that and other projeéts, he ffül Chewed himfelf under apprehenfions of impending public judgments: and we are already under a fignally heavy one, in refpe& of the preféñt ftate of our church- affairs, which hath a very terrible afpe&. That burning'moun- tain caft into the fea, Rev. viii. 8. makes fometimes awful im- prefiions on my heart ; but I hope fill God will arife, and have mercy on our Zion yet, though lie may caufe us, in the firft place, to pafs under the rod. I. know fome would reckon them- felves not obliged to believe me in what I have táid of the burn- ing mountain, alledging I have contributed' to the fetting of it on fire : the truth is, Scotland's fins, and mine among the ref, have done it ; efpecially the fin of not improving the glorious gofpel we have fo many years enjoyed ; and I doubt not if the Lord were returned to us as in former days, he will write (haute on the faces of us altogether; and my heart cries, Why tarry the wheels of his chariot? But I reckon it in the mean time the fafeft courte to endeavour to hold at a diftance from caufes of farther declining. Grace be with you, and with your yoke- fellow, whom my wife kindly remembers. May you be helped to live as heirs of the grace of life, and as followers of thole who through faith and patience inherit the prQmifes. I am, with the greateft refpeét, Dr Sir, yours, &c. No. 10. .3 K
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