¢ MEMOIRS of PERIOD V. after.I was baited with a temptation to, fainting in the matter, and my courage damped. And here lay my fñare, that being at this time in fear of a miffìon to the north, which I had a great averíon to, I was afraid the people of Dollar might be quite feared at my freedom in delivering the word, and fo that million might take place. This was a heavy exercife to me that night. ',prayed, read, meditated, ftruggled, urged my heart with thefe fcriptures, Matth. x. 39. Prov. xxviii. 21. Adis xvii. 26. hard put to it, but ftill in hope the Lord would not leave me to `° tranf- grefs fora piece of bread." But as I was putting off' my deaths for bed, my text I was to preach on came into my mind, John i. -11. " He came unto his own, and his own received him not." This enlivened my heart with zeal and courage to fpeak without Iparing in his cattle, But next morning the temptation was re- newed ; and I had never teen my own weaknefs in that point fo much.as I faw it then. Neverthelefs I was ftill in hope, that. God would not fuller meto yield, but would help to fpeak freely the word he fhould give me. After all this, asI was going down to the kirk, JohnBlackwood, another good man, and an elder, put me in mind, to be fure to hold off from reffe&ions as far as I could ; for the which I reprimanded him. In the iffue the Lord gave me freedom to preach his word., whatever was to become of me ; and my foul found caufe to blefs the Lord, that that ternpta; lion had not prevailed to render me unfaithful in his work. That Sabbath-night I catched cold in my head while I fat at family- worfhip, by an open window, which I apprehend I had not obferved. It iffued in a fuppuration in my left ear, and was for many days a grievous trouble to me. On the Saturday's night after, mypain being very violent, I had a weary night of it ; but being to preach in Clackmannan, I ventured in the morning to caufe ring the bell, the pain being fomewhat affuaged, and find- ing it would be a grievous affli&ion tome to have a filent Sabbath, the Lord's word being the joyand rejoicing of my heart:. In the iffue I felt no pain in preaching, but was ftren,thened both in body and fpirit for my work. But I had a weary night of it again. On the 22d thofe of the parifh of Dollar craved of the prefby- tery a minifter to moderate in a call ; but they delayed it till their next meeting at Alloa, March t. That day they delayed it again, till they fhould get an anfwer of a letter they were to write to Argyle; and Mr White told me, there was fbme mention of another young man whom that Noble perfon minded for Dollar. On the 15th, as I was going to the prefbytery, Mr Turnbull told me, thatArgyle had returned ananfwer to their letter, and there- in told them of the young nian he defigned for the parifh, but took no notice of me. By the prefbytery's minutes that day, I underftood theirletter had been to take off fome mifreprefentations made of me to him. 'The meeting of the commiliion of the general affemhly wad
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