78 MEMOIRS OP- P ItIOD VIi " received of the Lord Jefus, to teftify the gofpel of the grace of " God." After fermon I was ordained and fet apart to the holy miniftry, by prayer madeover me, with the laying on of the bands of the prefbytery. I thought the text was ordained of God for me, and my heart defired to go along with the do&rine, that minifters fhould prefer the faithful difcharge of their miniftry to all their other concerns in the world. While I anfwered the ,queftions, which I did at fome length, being fenfible in fome meafure of myweaknefs and unworthinefs to be a door-keeper in the houfe of my God, my heart being great, I had much ado to contain myfelf ; and in that time there were many wet cheeks among the people. So I was ordained ; and while the words of ordination were faid, Ifreely refìgn myfelf wholly to the Lord, my foul in effea Paying, Even fo, Lord. After the ordination, I received the right hand of fellowfhip from the brethren : but had no heritor, nor reprefentative of an heritor, to take me by the hand ; and I think there were but two elders in the place at that time. Then I received fome exhortations from the minifter aforefaid, aótor in the work ; and the work was clofed as ordi- 2rary. . In this period of my life the difpenfations of God towards me have been very wonderful, as in the former. I muft fay, upon the whole, " The Lord'sways are not our ways, &c. His paths are in the deep waters." My foul is well fatisfied with the de, termination. He hath enured me to hardnefs by the oppofition I met with while a preacher. He fruftrated all defigns for my féttlement, till the time before appointed, and the bounds of my habitation determined by himwere come to, Aas xvii. 26. This was an ufeful word to mein my vagrant{late, fupported myheart often, and kept me from tranfgreflìng for a piece of bread. My itching defires he would not grant ; but by this he hath tried me how I would deny myfelf, and what I would make ofmy own inclinations. Bletfed be my God that has helped me to trample on them, and made me content with my lot. It is the Lord's way with me, to {hakemeout of rnyfelf, and to make me renounce my own wifdom, or rather folly. When I came home from Kennet, I little thought of palling trials here, yet I behoved to do it. When I had done it, I had no will to flay ; yet the Lord would. Afterwards, when I left the country, I had ill will to leave it, but God had faid it. When I was in Stirling prefbytery, Iwould have gladly ftaid there ; but the Lord would not. When I came home, I had no good will to this bufinefs; but God had Paid it, and it behoved to be done. When my head was away, he put his bridle in my mouth, and turned me again. _" How unfearchable are his judgments, and his ways part finding out!" And now I have undertaken this work, in confidence of füpport by the everlafting arms. My itching defires after a féttlement have been, and are grievous to me now : but the Lord is my Pod, who blotteth out mine iniquities as a thick cloud. To
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