ther from beyond feas; and things great and fmall were fet a-going, to prepare people for receiving what was ahatching. Sitting at meat in time of the fynod at Kelfo, in the house of a Prefbyterian filly woman, I was furprifed with, and filled with indignation at, the fight of the picture of Chrift on the crofs, hanging on the wall overagainst me. Lodging, in time of a communion, in a certain house of some distinction, I got a loam bafon to wash my hands in, with the Jefuits motto in the bottom thereof, J. H. S. And many other fuch arts were then used to catch the people, while 'the great artifices for compaffing the defign were going on fuccefsfully. Withal, there were mighty fears of an intended maffacre.

But national fasts were very rare, as they have been all along fince the Union unto this day. Wherefore on Feb. 17. 1714 we kept a congregational faft, upon the account of the afpect of affairs at that time, more particularly declared in our feffion's act thereanent, of the date Feb. 14. 1714. I preached that day on Pfal. lxxiv. 19. “O deli66 ver not the foul of thy turtle dove unto the multitude "of the wicked." Which fermon agreeable to the state of that time, being in retentis, may be confulted *.

On the Sabbath immediately following, I entered, in my catechetical ordinary, on the fecond command; upon which I did for fome time fet myself to difcover the evil of Popery, and of the English fervice. With respect to the former, I explained to the people the national covenant at large, judging the cafe of the time a fufficient call thereto. The latter I infifted on as particularly, and as much as I thought to be for edification, from the pulpit; yet not fo much as I fain would have done; which was the occafion of the blank left in that part of my notes on the commands; the which, it feems, I had fome thoughts of filling up afterwards, for my own fatisfaction; which yet was never done †.

The aforefaid copy of the Fourfold State having been revised by feveral minifters, I went in the fummer to Edinburgh, with my dear friend Dr Trotter, on purpose to fpeak with a printer on that head. And while I was

* This fermon was published in the author's Body of Divinity, vol. 2. by way of a note on the fecond command; and was alfo printed feparately, with an addition of part of another fermon, on account of the great increafe of Popery in Scotland.

↑ See the author's Body of Divinity, vol. 2. p. 512, 3, 4. notes.

there,

there, I was free, willing, and refolved to venture it inte the world. But a friend there, at that time a student, now a minister, advised to delay it upon the ground of the fear of the pretender's coming in. This being so feasible, I could not in modefty refufe the advice: but after that, my courage in the cafe abated and funk.

Aug. 24. This day the facrament was adminiftered, There were 103 tokens given out to parishioners, whereof 23 to new communicants; and there were never so many communicants of this parifh before. The work was begun on Thursday with a fermon on Amos vi. 1. which I believe drew the ftool from under most of us; furely it did fo to me. On the Saturday and Sabbath morning, the weather looked gloomy; but I had a moft quiet refigned frame of spirit, with refpect to it, leaving it on the Lord without anxiety. And it was a grey day, with fome pleafant blinks. A little ere I went out, I was ftung with the confcience of my neglect of felf examination, though I had folemnly done it on the Monday before, being our family-faft-day for this occafion. I had attempted it on Saturday's night, but was carried off. Let this be a leffon to me. In this cafe I took a fhort review of myself, as the time would allow; but that neglect ftuck with me. I preached on Hof. ii. 19. which I had entered on July 11. The reft of the minifters were well helped. I was not ftraitened for words in that fermon, and had fome folid feriousness as to the fuccefs of it; yet I thought the Lord caft a cloud over me, and that the people feemed unconcerned. So, in the midst of it I knew not what to do, fearing the people's wearinefs. I looked about, wishing in my heart that fome body would tell me whether to leave it or not yet I went on to the fecond general head, being loath to leave it altogether, and paffed only a twelfth part of the fermon; which was delivered after the action with more fatisfaction to myfelf. Having confecrated the elements, and faid, that they were no more to be looked on as common bread and `wine, but as fymbols of the body and blood of Chrift; immediately I felt a great change on my spirit to the better, which made me speak with an unufual concern on my foul; and my natural fpirits, that were low before, were raifed, fo that I had a new vigour for fpeaking. I blundered however in delivering the bread, faying, "This cup;" but I recovered myfelf, though not without difficulty, having much ado to fall upon the very

words

words of inftitution, "Take, eat," &c. This was ftinging and humbling, left it might be an occafion of triumph to the wicked. I communicated at the fourth table, and thought I had faith, love, &c. in exercife; and there, with myself, gave up my wife, my children, one by one, by name, my fervants, parish, &c. to the Lord. When I came in that day, the work being over, and began to look through what had paffed, my foul was humbled in me, and much broken; for upon the whole I thought there was never lefs of God's prefence with a communionwork here than that, except that recorded, p. 277. But God feasonably opened the mouths of fome to fpeak, for his own praise and for my comfort: particularly Mr O. defired me that night to thank God for the great things he had met with; adding, (to my wife, who told me), that he was scarcely able to contain himself, and came in to the house. And the telling this to a gentlewoman, that perfon replied, There were more fo than he; and that the heard an old profeffor fay, What's this we meet with ! that he had not feen fuch a thing for many years. This is not the first time God has done great things, and hid them from me in the time; for he is infinitely wife. The fermon I preached on this occafion, was afterwards publifhed, under the title of The everlasting efpoufals: Provi dence thus quickly beginning to move, towards bringing forth of that work forefaid, in its due time.

On the morrow, a godly minifter and I converfing about the work, he told me there were two expreffions used by me at ferving of the table that were offenfive to fome. The one was mifreprefented and miftaken, being that of figning the wrong paper, which fee in the authentic MS. fermons on Hof. ii. 19. p. 26. which fome had turned to figning a compact with the devil. But I had not expreffed it fo fully as in the notes; which I fhould have done, there being fome there that had not heard it from me before. The other was mifapplied, having no ground at all, but the jealousy of the perfon offended. However thefe, efpecially the laft, caft me down very fore, who before was lying very low. From these, and the blunder, I got a plain leffon, to beware of mixing my own fpirit with the Lord's Spirit. In thefe damps I unbofomed myself to my friend Mr Wilfon, (for whom I blefs the Lord), and he was useful to me. Let me learn to be humble, watchful, and dependent, while I think it goes well with me.

perfuaded

perfuaded they have great need to take heed to their feet that are let in within the vail; for he is a jealous God.

On the Tuesday having convoyed the minifter fome miles, Mr Colden, at parting (as before alfo) had fo expreffed what he had felt in that (to me) overclouded fermon, that I was made to believe the Lord had owned it. And then my heart was opened to give him the due thanks. And the effects of my believing it I found to be, 1. That I was thankful; 2. It humbled me, feeing it as a great debt upon me; 3. It kindled in my heart more defire after holinefs. So retiring, by the way I poured out my foul before God, according to thefe impreffions.

Wednesday. But this day the glory of that work was quite out of my eyes again, and I could not be thankful; but was confounded and funk, when I looked back on it. I wondered at Mr Colden's fpeaking as he did, on Monday's night, before all the company, concerning that work and me. I thought that whatever had been my mind of another, I could not have spoken fo, before the perfon himself and I have often wondered on fuch occafions. But now I fee how needful these things are for me, and how by them the Lord indulgeth weak me, when I cannot fee the thing, to be thankful for it, notwithstanding all these helps and props. One thing comforts me, that the Saturday's work had fuch influence on me, that it occafioned my uttering these words to the congregation,' I would fain hope God will do great things here to-mor· row; he can do wonders with little noife,' &c.

Dec. 16. One having a while ago defired a copy of my action-fermon on Hof. ii. 19. that he might publish it, and he having taken advice about it at Edinburgh, I set fometime apart this day for light from the Lord in that mat

I laboured fome time in confeffing of fin before the Lord, in renewing my covenant and renunciation. And two things were wondrous in my eyes. 1. The unalterableness of the covenant. I had a fweet view of it as a covenant which after many flips might be renewed. There is no renewing of the covenant of works, once broken; but this covenant will not break: one is welcome to renew it after backflidings. 2. That I had this opportunity without disturbance; whereas I had attempted it twice before, and by my unwatchfulness had marred it; whereby, though fomething was done, as on Tuefday laft, yet the bufinefs was not carried through. Then I fet myself

to

to feek light from the Lord in prayer, and thought on the bufinefs and confidering that I was urged by a repeated call from that perfon, and that this is a fair way to try what acceptance the book may meet with if published, I refolved to attempt it. I had a difcouragement in this matter from the fame quarter from whence I had the temptation at my entering on writing the fermons aforefaid. It was comfortable to me to think, that whatever have been the tranfgreffions of my private walk, God has been very gracious to me in the public fteps of my life. And fo I ftepped over that discouragement, which I could not get removed.

Jan. 3. 1715. Having finifhed the fermon, I took up Dempfter's Antiquities, to refrefh myself, where I read fomething de expofitione infantum, that feemed to give light into Ezek. xvi.; and purfuing the thing, feveral thoughts offered themfelves, which I caft into a paper with much fatisfaction, and fome defign to infert them in the fermon. (N. B. They are inferted in the printed fermon). So this morning I was very eafy as to the publifhing of the fermon. But at night there came one whom I refpect and value, and would have employed in the bufinefs; but in the holy providence of God he carried fo ftrangely, with respect to the book, and this fermon too, that I was confounded, and quite difcouraged in the defign. However, I fent it to Mr Wilfon, feeing I had written it. He approved the motion of printing it; but withal told me, that the printers would hardly take fuch an interlined copy. Whereupon, though, by the forefaid difcouragement ftill remaining with me, I had no heart for publishing it; yet I refolved, come what will, that I would tranfcribe it over again.

Jan. 13. I began to tranfcribe it; but on the 15th at night, while I was bufy with it, there came an express to me, calling me to go to Dunfe, to my brother a-dying. So I laid it afide, wondering at this next dafh. I took it with me, and fhewed it to Mr Brown; who did encourage me to publish it; and I think, if I had not met with him, I had not recovered that damp to the defign given by the perfon aforefaid. So Providence made ufe of that my being called away from the work, to forward it, which it is likely had lain if that had not come.

I went off Sabbath afternoon, Jan. 16. after fermon, and

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