464 MEMOIRS OF MR BOSTON. But O how piercing was that, that the commonPaying on that melancholy occalon was, ' there is no help in God for him,' (fay the Jews) who flole the ewe and killed the fhepherd (Bath- iheb'a and Uriah) ! the very thing God was purfuing him for. I was fo affeáed with your friend's manner of entertaining your trial, that I was obliged to give God thanks for it; and finte that time my heart blefles that perfori as acting like a Chriftian ; and doubt not, but if that mind continue, as I hope it will, it will have a plentiful reward of free grace : but will own myfelf quite miftaken, ifever the change on that head prove a gainful one at balancing accounts. The news of Mr Archibald Stewart's death and burial was Thinning. It is an awful difpenfation of a wrathful afpe& to this generation. Oh! what does it fpeak, that fuch a promitng inftrument is laid alide at this time a-day, But the Lord's ways are not ours, nor his thoughts as our thoughts. We muft be filent to him. That the 'late of your own affairs did not keep you from pro- ceeding in mine, is a rare.token of a rare kind offriendlhip. It will not be unacceptable to me to hear of the matter's being d'etermined, with the joint advice of Mr W.: and yourfelf, with- out hearing further from me. My infirmity increafes apace. The leg, fl,ill painful, is now almoft ufelefs; fo that I know not if I get down flairs again, without being carried, till I be pro- vided with two hilts. My wife, I hear, is fomewhat feverifh to-day. The prefence of him who dwelt in the bufh while it burned, be with you! I am, in the ftraiteft bonds, my V. D. Sir, yours afieétionately, &c. (23.) My V. D. Sir, The ufe of the providential difirefs in your affairs, and its influence relative to your other bufìnefs, I doubt not, you will fee in due time to be an event, both in the kind of it, and the timing of it, becoming the divine wifdoin and goodnefs, and that God aets like himfelf. Efau and his pofterity who had their lot by common Providence, were foon and eafily fettled in the land of Edom ; but Jacob and his, whofe lot was to be brought about in the way of accomplilhing ofa promife of the covenant, met with many rubs in their way, and force of them fuch as feemed to render it quite hopelefs. Your prefent cir- cumftances puts you in much need of direction from the Lord, as you remark. But, dear Sir, is it riot a great privilege to be allowed to come to the great Counfellor in all our fcraits ? and you may go to him with your greater and your fmaller matters ;;e" for all is comprehended in the word Prov. iii. 6. ; both theil precept and promife takes in all. You are neither to look for 'k March 23. 1732.
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