1699. MR THOMAS BOSTON. GD tee of the pret1ytery, with the call ofSimprin ; which did Tome. what damp and difconrage me. Hereby the Lord feenred to trywhether I was really in earneft with thefé things or not. When the man went away, I poured out my foul to the Lord for light, afterwards thought on the bufinefs, got my heart contented, and I thought the Lord ftrengthened me with ftrength in my foul, to wait on and follow the condu& of Providence. G. The light I have attained in this bufinefs bridles my corruptions of worldly- mindednefs, &c. and my own inclinations. And 1 have attained to a more deep impreflion of the weight of the work of the mini- .flry than before; which, I find, contributes to my clearnefs as to the accepting of that call. The confideration of íhete things af- ter prayer, makes it fotne more than probable to me that this matter is of God, and fully determine, me togo on in my trials, leaving the more full determination of the main thing till after- Wards. Secondly, The grounds of my averfion to it. I. The rarity of the godly in this country. This I found to be but a dit- couragement. 2. The very tinallnefs of the charge. When I was confidering the weight of the work of the ininiftry, 1 got a filencing anfwer to that. 3. The finallnefs of the ftipend. This 'Teems to be a temptation. The light I had from the Lord this day bath downweighed this: 4. I taped 1 am more ufeful for God in my vagrant flate, than I would be if minifter of Simprin. It may be otherwife. The Lord is to make ute of me as he pleafeth. I truly fear it is the pride of my heart that is the fource of this. This however I found could be no juft ground of fcrupling, though a difcouragement : and I further confidered, that I knew not what honourable ufe the Lord might have for me there. I had formerly taken fome thoughts of my call to the preaching of the gofpel in general, which are noted in the above mentioned foliloquy, p. 29. 30. {of the printed copy.] And there remained no doubt thereof with me : and my clearnefs in that point had been a good fupport to nie, under the ditcourage- ments I met with. Having thus confidered thefe things, I went to God again, poured out my foul, and laid all out before him : and had that word, Matth. vi. 33. " Seek ye fìrlt the kingdom of God, and his righteoufbefs ; and all thefe things (hail be " added unto you." Afterward I wrote a line for tome books neceffiity for me on my.trials : and in the mean time carne in to nie the above-mentioned Patrick Gillis, one of my two praying fchool-fellows. Him fovereign Providence had entirely laid aide from his defign of purfuing learning : and with him I converted a while, and prayed. After he went away, I went to prayer a- gain, with confidence in the Lord, having firth clearnefs, as laid is. By this time the fun was down : then having given thanks to the Lord, for his affillance through the day, and for what light I had attained unto, and fought ftrength for carrying me on in the work immediately before me, viz, my trials, I went forth. No.
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