"weakness." I made my way thither on the Friday, but with much difficulty; not from pain or fickness, but mere weakness to fit the horfe. Howbeit I had abundant ftrength given me for my work there, preached Saturday and Sabbath afternoon, and ferved five tables: and the Lord was with me in my public, and private work in my chamber; and at the table helped me to believe in him as my God. On the Saturday, there was, I think, fome thunder before we went out: but between two and three o'clock, when I had begun my fermon, it returned, and went to a great pitch. Upon the back of the second or third clap, I faid to the people, The God of glory thundereth; he will give his people ftrength, and bless them with peace.' So I went on undisturbed, the fire every now and then flashing in my eyes. The people fat gravely and decently, without any disturbance difcerned by me, perceiving nothing of that nature among them, more than the drawing of their cloaths about them, as in the cafe of rain. In time of the prayer after fermon, the thunder went to a prodigious height, that I could not mifs the imagination of being ftruck down in a moment; but through grace was kept undisturbed in my work. In time of finging the pfalms, while I looked for Mr Davidfon to come up, to fpeak to the people, as ufual, I was told he could not come : fo I addreffed myself to officiate for him. But whereas there had been but little rain before, there came fuch a mighty pouring out of rain, that I was obliged to difpatch quickly. Then we diftributed the tokens, the papers mean while being damnified with the rain, while they were produced and read. Having done the work without, when I came into the house, Mr Davidfon was lying groveling and groaning on his chamber-floor, under a most exquifite fit of the gravel: and after fitting fome time with him, who in his extremity declared himfelf under a Father's hand, I left him as I found him. The pain going off, he was fick through the night, and rofe not foon. So I had laid my account to officiate for him before the action; but faid nothing, waiting to fee how Providence would move. But, after all, he went out betwixt nine and ten, preached a fweet fermon, and did his other work, without the leaft veftige of his illness The fermons on this fubject were published in 1753, along with others. about about him, in it; fpeaking with as much vigour as ever, 1 think, I heard him at any time when at his best: so that the multitude feemed in no uneafinefs at all to hear. This was a wonderful stroke of Providence, carrying matters to fuch an extremity, and then bringing to fuch a comfortable iffue. But that was the full-fea mark as to him, fince which time to the day of the writing hereof, more than a quarter of a year after, fo far as I know, he has not had a return of his ufual pains, but a turn to the better, and feems to be in a way of recovery. On the Sabbath morning we heard of two perfons, in the neighbouring parish of Stow, flain by the thunder; and afterwards of a third the which made it the more fignal mercy, that there was no breach made on the multitude, either in the place, or going to their places of abode. Long was the roll of the fick and diftreffed which was read. In prayer I found fenfible help of the Lord, to go through the feveral kinds, and petitions for them laid to my hand. This was the prayer after the afternoon-fermon, on the Lord's day. : I faw at Galashiels a letter from Sir Richard Ellys to Mr Hogg, approving and encouraging the defign of printing the MS, on the covenant; and a poftfcript by Mr G. bearing, that it should be returned as soon as might be but no word of the other MSS. There also I had a letter from a young minifter, fhewing fome difficulty in conceiving about the covenant of grace, and defiring my thoughts on that fubject. I took it for a providential hint, towards publishing of the faid MS. And afterwards I wrote him my thoughts at large, willingly embracing that occafion of ferving the interest of truth, whatever use should be made of it. Having been of a confiderable time, again and again urged with a project in favour of a certain perfon, in the which I had no clearness to be active, but only to yield and give way to it; the cafe fome time in Auguft became heavy to a degree, fo that I fet myself to feek of the Lord a right way in it: and after frequent addreffes to the throne of grace on that head, I was at length fully cleared to be active in the matter, confidering it as it flood circumftanced. But upon my declaring and offering to be active in carrying it on, the party to my furprise declined it fo it behoved to be dropt. Some time after, ftanding without, and feeing a tree toffed toffed with a violent wind, which caufed the withering leaves to fall off, that otherwife in a little would have dropt off of themselves; I received instruction as to heavy trials tryfting with a declining state. From fome time after my return from Galafhiels, till towards the latter end of September, I was on the study Gen. xxiii. the two former being tranfcribed. That study proved fo difficult and flow, that it feemed to me, I was not in cafe for fuch work, by reafon of the state of my body; and I often thought Providence would oblige me to give it over, and so take away that remaining comfort of my life. But in that time I was twice remarkably piz tied, after ferious application to God by prayer, on that head. On the 3d of September, I had, by a letter, an account of an apparent beginning of Mr Davidfon's deliverance and recovery. And being on the 5th to begin lecturing on the Song of Solomon, confidering the growing infidelity and profanenefs of the day, I was moved to preach on the first verfe thereof, to vindicate the divine authority and fpirituality of it, &c. before I fhould enter on explaining it. I was much fatisfied in the divine conduct in that matter, feveral perfons of some distinction falling to hear that day, beyond what was ordinary with us, it being the firft Sabbath after Tufhilaw's return from his travels. Having had fome expectation, that, as in fome former years, I would become fomewhat better in health about the autumnal equinox; instead thereof, I became fenfibly worfe: the knee particularly fwelled more, and the leg became weaker; fo that I was fain to betake myself to my staff again, as in the beginning of that trouble. This turn as to my body, gave me a rational view of what might be expected from the fpring-fhock added thereto, in cafe of my feeing the fpring: and I had fome comfortable profpect of the weary's getting to reft. William Blaik's family, who had a train of trials fince the facrament, was told in a fea of trouble for a long time from the beginning of Auguft, he, his wife, and three children, all fixed to fick-beds together. They were attended by a neighbour, a weak woman, who declared the had not or long time had fo much health as was afforded in e during the time of her attendance. After a long trial et feveral turns, the Hearer of prayer brought all fafe through: and at length, at their defire, thanks thanks were returned in the congregation for their recovery, as prayers had been put up there for them. Confidering the continued filence as to the MSS. relating to the Hebrew, and thence perceiving that they do not take at London, this did sometimes put me almost out of conceit with them myself; but yet the value for them revived again with me, when I caft my eyes on the difcoveries made by that study. However, I came to be in good measure weaned in the matter, only had fome difficulty, as to the calling them home peremptorily, being afraid of not allowing Providence full scope in the bufinefs; and wanting only to be cleared as to my duty in that point. But the MS. on the covenant was again written for. The facrament of the Lord's fupper was administered at Maxton, Oct. 3. Looking on it as poffibly the last such occafion I might have there, I was determined to John i. 29. "Behold the Lamb of God," &c. that I might make another offer of Chrift to finners; my fermons of that nature abroad' having for fome time been fitted to the cafe of serious perfons exercifed. Being to go off on Thurfday, that by reafon of my weaknefs i might take two days for the journey, I began my ftudy of that text on the Monday. But on the Tuefday I quite ftuck therein, and could not proceed; which made it a heavy day. Having carneftly begged of the Lord, that he would give me a meffage, whether old or new, as he faw mect; lying abed at night, that word came to me, Prov. ix. 12. "If "thou be wife, thou fhalt be wife for thyfelf," &c. an old text. Finding the agreeablenefs hereof to the public circumstances of the land, and to my own private circumftances, as a concluding word, I was that night much eafed, and on the morrow fully determined thereto; as I was alfo to Gen. vi. 9. "Noah was - perfect in his "generations;" recommending integrity in a declining generation unto all, and particularly to the younger fort. I was earneft for the blowings of the Spirit; and the Lord was with me in delivering these two words, which in my own eyes, and in the eyes, I believe, of fome others too, looked like farewell-fermons, whatever be the iffue. Thefe two difcourfes are both printed; the former in the author's Body of Divinity, vol. 3 the latter in the fecond volume of a collection of his fermons published in 1753. But But day-light failing on the Lord's day at night, and not being able to command the lines of the pfalm I was minded to have given out, there was no pfalm fung; the which I heartily was forry for afterward. During that time I was pitied alfo in my private work. How As we were coming away homeward from Maxton, Mr Wilfon put into my hand a printed paper of the commiffion of the general affembly 1650, intitled, The great fin and chief guiltinefs of Scotland, in the contempt of the gofpel, defigned to be reprinted; defiring me to write a preface to it. This I utterly refused, and that in earnest; knowing nothing particularly about the matter, and judging him more fit to manage things of that nature. ever, he obliged me to keep it, to read it at my leifure, and thew what I obferved in it. Getting home on Wednesday, as I lay a-bed that night, I read the paper above mentioned; and I was thereby, through the bleffing of God on it, convinced, inftructed, directed, comforted, and recovered; and particularly helped towards a right usemaking of facraments received. And the impreffion it made was, through grace, lasting. On the morrow, finding I had feveral occafional things laid to my hand to do, and knowing myfelf liable to an unfitnefs for action after travel, I chofe to tranfcribe in mundo fomething of what was written on Gen. xxiii. that being the thing which the bent of my spirit lying mainly toward, I judged beft to bring me in cafe for applying to work in my closet. But holy Providence had defigned a piece of new trial for me, that I was not aware of. When I came home from Maxton, I was told, that one had advised bliftering, and putting a pea in my leg, for my fore knee, and had left me a blistering-plaister for that end. The plaister was, applied on the Friday's night. On the Sabbath night the pea was put in; and through pain I flept none that night. The pain continuing, the pea was taken out again on the Tuefday; and on the morrow after, I had my first diet of catechifing at Chapelhop. After taking away the pea, the hole quickly clofed; but there grew upon it a hard callous fubftance, and withal the leg was inflamed. This created thoughts of heart, and the fore knee was forgotten. On the Monday after I wrote for a furgeon; who returned me anfwer, that he apprehended no danger, and fent me an ointment to apply. Expecting fome benefit by the ointment, I wrote him on the morrow, that he needed not |