1699 MR THOMAS BOSTON. 71 confidence, that his purpofe would be found for good to me, what way foever things fhould go. And on the morrow, after reading for my chronologic trials, I was inclined to pray, and did fo, rolling all over on God. On Wednefday the 30th, Mr Colden chewed me, he was for-. ry I had fo far accepted the call of Simprin, in regard a call to Hownam might have been procured. I toldhim, 1 durft not do otherwife than I had done ; and ¡hewed him a providential ftep pointing that way ; the weight whereof he owned. On the mor- row, having perfeóted my popular ferrnon, I was edified and fa- tisfied therewith. At night I began to think of the near approach of the prefbytery, when I might be required to give an anfwer to the call. The profiled of this was very heavy to me. I con- fidered it a while with a fad heart : Dollar was defirable tome Simprin was not fo. When I thought how God owned me elfe- where, and what converfe I had with the godly in that country, my heart was much caft down, being to he doled up in fuch a part of the country as is molt dead and lifelefs. I have little my- felf of life or heat, and I fear I may lofe what I have or have had. I faw then my fin in itching after a fettlement, when the Lord did countenance me fo much in my vagrant ftate. So I poured out my foul before the Lord, mainly with refpe& to the.prefent exigence. That word, Pfál. xxv. 9. came into my mind. Wherefore my foul delires to lay down itfelfat his feet. Let him, do with me as he will ; I am his own. Sept. 1. Being confcious to myfelfof mydelire to followGod's call, the above- mentioned word, Pfal. xxv. 9. " The meek will " he guide injudgment, and the meek will he teach his way," was tweet. I began to think, about clofing with the call of Sim- prin. I think Providence feems to determine to it ; but I cannot yet think of giving a pofitive anfwer againft Tuefday next, but would fain have forme days after to think on it, when I am free of other bufinefs : not that I think to get free of it but that in the ufe ofmeans I would wait for fuch light as may make me go on more cheerfully in it, and deliberately, for a foundation for the time to come. So I went to prayer ; and thereafter began to think on it ; but could not attain fuch ferious thoughts of it as I would have had : fo that I have nothing to mark as the pro- duót of it, fave the deceitfulnefs of my own heart, which is more ready to clofe with any thing than what is prefent duty. On this day, I refolved to crave of the_prefbytery the following week further to advife, propofing to give my anfwer to him who fhould be ord red to ferve the edict, and might at according to my an- fwer : for I found not myfelf in cafe to do otherwife. After this, in the afternoon of the fame day, Mr Colden told me, it was fill againft his will I fhould fettle in Simprin ; and that he under- flood, that Mr Gabriel Semple, rnirrifter ofJedburgh, one of the old fuf erers, who in the time of the perfecution was eminently countenanced of God, with fiaccefs in the work of the ;gofpel, ef-
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