1699. MR THOMAS BOSTON. 43 the Lord Jefus Chrift. I love the Lord, my foul loves him for his wonderful mercy towards me, fupporting me, hearing my prayers, and helping me to grip a promife., But how will I get through the world ? Happy are' they that are in heaven. I made much ufe, in that fadhour, of the covenant, namely, my engaging with him at Culrofs, Tulliallan, and under the tree in Kennet orchard. After this the language of my foul was, " My feet had almoft flipt, but thy mercy held me up ;" while I propofed the queftion again to my foul, How will I get through the world ? and that word came, Cant. viii. 5. " I raifed thee up under the " apple-tree ;" and that, Pfal. xxii. 8. " He trufted in the Lord, that he would deliver him ;" and I fang P1äl. lxxiii. 21. to the end, but witha weak body. That word was Tweet to me, " Go thy way, thy faith hath made theewhole." Satan fet again on me with the fame ; but I cried to the Lord, and he tied. When I went in to the morning-exercife, (which the landlord always performed), he gave out Pfal. cxxxviii. 6. which was very con- firming to my foul, efpecially ver. 8. : it anfwered my quettion forefaid. He read 2 Cor. vii. whereby I was inftruéted, com- forted, and edified, fo as I fawa fpecial hand of God in his read- ing that chapter, and finging that pfalm. When I came away, thefe words were to me fweeter than honey. I could have put the Bible in my heart, and was helped to believe, &c. On the 13th, arifing from prayer in a dead frame, and having endeavoured to defcend into myfelf, I thought I faw my heart likeaclear pool. I thought I knew there weremany things there to humble me, but I could not at all fee them. At lait I re- membered my mifcarriage this day, innot giving teftimony againtt one profaning the name of Chrift by a vain obfecration. Where- upon going to prayer, and reading the Lord's word, I recovered my frame. I remember, on this occafion, that being in company with Brea, a gentlemen faid to him, For God's fake do fo and fo; and he replied, Nay, I will do it for your fake. The day before I preached in Airth, and refleóting on the lait time I was there, that word came, " He will not chide continually," &c. and was fweetly verified in my after experience. On the 19th I preached at Dollar, where, on the Saturday's night, it was fliewn me, that fome there had little liking of me, becaufe ofmy fevere preaching ; and James Kirk, an elder, told me of Paul's catching men with guile ; fignifying, that fome of the heritors, when defined to fúbfcribe a commiffion as aforefaid, Paid they would hear me again before they did it ; and therefore hewifhed theymight not be angered any more, for that the elders had enough ado with them already. I told himmy refblution to (peak what God fhould give me, without feud or favour; and could not but obferve that fpecial Providence, which, after this conference, ordered our finging at family-worship the two lait verfes ofPfal. xxvii. and our reading Matth. x. where, in this cafe, I was iuftruéed, forewarned, and comforted. But there-
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