i MEMOIRS OP PERIOD VI. pecially in the borders of England, had taken it am.i6 that I was not tent to hire ; the deign whereof was to be his colleague, though tin re was no legal fund for it in the place. This offner than once had been moved ; but I could by no means lifìen. to it : but vir Coldendefired nie not to content to the call of Simprin till he fliould tÌreak with Mr Semple on the affair of Hownam the report of which conference 1 fhould have that day eiOht days. II being, before this propofal was made to me, resolved as afore- laid, had no fcrupfe in it ; but told him, that whatever might be the mine of that conference, I would not dare to determine the rejeCiing of the call of Simprin by myfelf: and I was refolved frill to follow 'on, in what appeared prefent duty, let the Lorddo with me as should feem good in his e.es. On the morrow,' Sept. Q. I received, letters, but no word a bout the affair of Dollar. In the twilight, weary with ftudy, I went to prayer, and, with confidence in the Lord, unbofomed myfeff unto him. And, O but a heavenly frame was fweet in my eyes! and I taw how pleafant a life ahabit thereof, if I conid reach it, would make. On the morrow after I preachedat Sim- prin. On Tuefday the 5th,' I did with more freedom than the former prefbyteryday deliver my popular fermon, and undergo all the refs of my trials, and was approved -. A t the prefbytery's defire I gave anfwer to the call, and that in the terms I had before re- folved. upon ; but with fubmiffion. They appointed the edi& to be lerved the following Lord's day, and my ordination to be on Thurlday the 21 ft. Sept. 7. I fet tome time apart for prayer, in order to get di- re&ioui in this affair. 1 tound no frnall averfenefs in my heart to that duty, After prayer, my thoughts being hard to be gather-, ed, that word carne, Exod. xxxiii. 15. " If thy prefencego not " with rire, carry us not up hence." I went to God; and poured our my, foul, wreftling againft the bad trame of fpirit, Wetted the Lord for what he had done for me finte I was a preacher, and cried for his countenance in this, meditated on the matter, but with little fuccefs. I went to God again ; and afterwards forne things came to me, clearing me further to accept. And as for my inward thoughts, they were filch, that I law I durft not but go on with it, f tiding, that the more ferious I am about light in it, it is the clearer. Afterwards i went to God` again,, and with much more life and .earneftnefs, the Lord helping,, I made-my re- quells, and in prayer I foundthat word, Pfal. xviii. 28. " Thou wilt light my candle : the Lord my God will enlighten my darknel's; which I fang the fìrit time I was in a pulpit; and that, Job xxii. ?8. " Thou (haltalfo decree a thing," &c. given me before 1 entered on my first trials ; and that, Pad. xxv. tt. [above quoted]' very ftrengthening to my foul, and molt ufefíl to me. _, Left I thouid have provoked God to withdraw the light I have, which It begun to fear upon mycrying still for light, I taw
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