the Holy Spirit doth and shall assist you do and you ever will commit you to his Saving-Mercy and submit you to his ruling Authority in Christ Multiply Direct Acts if you would have the Comfort of Reflex say all our Divines This is the only way wherein a trembling Faith may be expected to be made a triumphing one Fifthly When you act holy Faith attend upon God in all holy Ordinances It is at Wisdom's Gates that the Hearts of the Poor and Sorrowful are made to sing for Joy Be you constantly found at every one of them for you know not whether your waiting at this or that shall best prosper But you may be certain your Neglect of any one will provoke God to send you away empty from all the other Sometimes it is in Reading and Hearing that Joy is infused Sometimes it is in Prayer that as Peter's Bonds ours be loosed Sometimes it is with Sacramental Wine that Hearts are cheered Sometimes it is the Conference of holy Friends that sharpneth a Man as Iron sharpneth Iron Many times singing of Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs doth together make glad the Heart of God and Man Try all and continue in them and fear not but you shall have Beauty given you for Ashes and the Oil of Joy for Mourning Sixthly When you attend on holy Ordinances cast away all your Transgressions As soon shall heavenly Joy enter Hell as a presumptuous Sinner's Heart It is only the Conqueror that is capable of Triumph the Conqueror of all wilful Sin he that being made free from all such hath now his Fruit unto Holiness We lie saith St. John if we say we have Fellowship with him and do not the Truth They who like Devils are ever in the Fire and be never refined be ever using holy things but are not made holy by them they are as certainly as Devils held in Chains of Darkness Old and New Testament say There is no Peace to the Wicked Allow then no Sin if you would attain any Peace Seventhly When you cast away all your Sins be ye Doers of all Christ's Word Negative Goodness is a very Chimera Christ loves and manifests himself to them only who have his Commands and keep them Though Duties be not the Merits they are the Means and commonly the Measures of Peace and Joy and of all Duties those arduous ones that do most cross the Grain of corrupt Nature and most thwart our secular Interest Would you have your Light to rise in Obscurity and your Darkness be made as Noon-day Draw out your Soul to the Hungry satisfy the Afflicted Would you be made appear to be the Children of God and Coheirs of Christ Love your Enemies bless them that curse you Would you have your Consciences and all the World be made to know that God is not ashamed to be called your God Be not you ashamed then of the Gospel of Christ at any time but couragiously own and confess Him and It in the midst of Gainsayers Would you be most certain you are not Reprobates Keep under your Bodies and bring them into Subjection By rare Duties you may rise up to as rare Joys Eightly When you are Doers of the Word give not way to such Scruples as have no bottom on the Word Unreasonable Fears are the Sins of our Hearts as truly as they be Thorns in our Sides they grieve the Holy Spirit and they together deny and impair and tend to destroy his Work in us Thieves they are that do waste the Candle of the Lord and Worms that eat up the hidden Manna As many as are liable to these Distempers would do well to take to heart these and like Antidotes God accepteth Mites though his Due be ten thousand Talents Else what would become of the richest in Faith and Works Holiness is less than Sinlesness The Field which hath Millions of Weeds in it is a Corn-field for all that There were none upon this Earth else Damning Sins be somewhat more than terrifying Falls Yea we receive the least Hurt by the Sins that put us into the greatest Fright He that exclaims I am dead expresseth a Conceit which he confuteth David's Fall and Peter's were terrible but were not mortal It is keeping under Water drowns a Man it is not his falling into it that kills him Smoaking Flax hath more Fire in it than is thought of No doubt but Heman was stored with God's Graces while he was distracted with his Terrors Travellers be not out of their way as oft as they be out of sight of the City they would be at No but they are as truly moving towards it when they are in the Vale and do but think of it as when they are on the top of a Hill and do pleasantly behold it The Way to Heaven is through great Changes and many Vicissitudes up-hill and down-hill But in the Deep as truly as on the Mount in Temptation as truly as out of it a Saint makes way toward Heaven The Will and Work of his God he very profitably suffers when he knows not what he does And on he goes toward Heaven as Sinners do toward Hell not knowing whither they go Trees do grow downward when they have scarce Sap enough to show that they be alive upward Wondrously gainful are many spiritual Losses themselves Good Words and Works are a Christian's Leaves and Fruits Self-denial and Faith in Christ are his Root By the Winter-Season which doth deaden him to those former he is enlivened and strengthned in these lattter And the Temptations and temporary Desertions which take from him his Activity do make him amends by notable Additions unto his Humility even all Days of his Life Most true are judicious Hooker's Words Happier a great deal is he whose Soul by inward Desolation is humbled than he whose Heart through abundance of spiritual Delight is lifted up above-measure Remember troubled Soul remember it well bitterly humbling Winters do make sweet and fruitful Summers And know thou If the Corn upon the Ground be good it matters not how little deep the Plough went Do not torment thy self as the manner of some is with Fears that thou art not of the good Ground upon a Surmise that God hath not broken thee up with Convictions and Humiliations sufficiently deep Examine more thy Corn and be less concerned about the Plough If thy Reliance on Christ's Righteousness be entire and thy Imitation of his Holiness be constant and cordial the Plough hath done its Part upon thee Consider on the other Hand too that There are valuable things kept in Brine as well as in Sugar Dream not that because thy Life is made sorrowful God intends not ever to advance thee to his Fulness of Joy The Fruits which are preserved in Sweetness that exceedeth Honey be not more intended for the Table of the Lord than the Meats that are buried in Salt and Bitterness All the Fruits of Christ's Garden be not of a size not equally Ratheripe Conclude
c. 4. That I of all my Father's Sons being four should be spared when the other three were so promising and desireable above me and should thus come to be the only Male-heir surviving of such a Stock 5. That solemn and memorable Day of the Communion at the Gray-Friars in the Entry of the Year 1648. where I had so extraordinary a Sense of the Lord's Presence yea whence I can date the first sealing Evidence of my Conversion now 40 Years past 6. The Lord 's gracious and signal Preservation and Deliverance given me at Dunbar-Fight 7. Those solemn Times and near Approaches of the Lord to my Soul the first at the Elve when I went there and the other a little after my Eather's Death in the High-study 8. That Scripture Acts 12. was by an observable Providence given to be my first Text and how I was unexpectedly and by a surprizal engaged therein 9. Those two great Deliverances at Sea in going to Dundee the first time in Company with the Duke of Lauderdale the other time in Company with Mr. Andrew Grey of Glasgow 10. That extraordinary Dream and marvellous Vision I had twice repeated with the unexpressible Joy after the same 11. Those memorable Impressions and Presages about my Health when it seemed hopeless at my first Entry upon the Ministry and the strange Expression of Mr. Simpson to that purpose at New-mills 12. The Lord 's immediate and wonderful Appearance for me in my first Entry upon the Ministry with that extraordinary Storm on the Day of my Ordination and the amazing Assault which followed the same in what befel wherein Satan's immediate Appearance against me was so visible 13. The great and conspicuous Seal given to my Ministry from the Lord in the Conversion of several Persons with that marvellous Power which then accompanied the Word on the Hearts of the People 14. That signal Appearance of the Lord and his marvellous Condescendence in my Marriage-lot and in the whole Conduct of the same 15. My Deliverance from so eminent Hazard of my Life in my Fall from my Horse at Kilmarnock 16. The Lord 's marvellous Assistance and Countenance at the two Communions of Cathcart and Dillop with that great Enlargement I had at the last of these Places at the last Table 17. That as my Entry to my Charge was with so bright a Sun-shine so no less did the Lord appear at my parting from that Place wherein all things did meet in a remarkable Juncture to make the same both honourable and comforting 18. The Lord 's special Providence as to my outward Lot after my Removal thence in many Instances that way 19. His gracious sparing my dear Wife so long when her Life was in such Hazard in the Years 65 and 72. 20. The Preservation I had in going over to Fife in the Year 72 with the solemn Times I got there 21. That Dream at Bonssy wherein I got such express Warning as to my Wife's Removal with the Lord 's marvellous Appearance and Presence with me the Thursday after at St. Johnstown 22. That extraordinary Warning I got again of my dear Wife's Death and of the Manner of it at London in the Year 1674. 23. Those two remarkable Scripture-places given me at Westnisbet in my return from London 1674 viz. that in Rom. 4. in the Forenoon and that in 115 Psalm in the Afternoon 24. Those great and signal Confirmations given me at my Wife's Death And that extraordinary Voice so distinct and clear which I had a few Nights after her Death 25. Those special Confirmations given me at my first leaving my Country at Westnisbet Ridsdale Stanton and the first at Sea from the Sheils 26. Those solemn Passages to confirm my Faith from Heb. 11. and Exod. 33. and at other times at London and the last Night there before I went away 27. Those extraordinary and signal Times I had at my first entry at Rotterdam 28. Those two observeable Providences which did occur to me at Woerden and about the Business of William Mader 29. The marvellous Sign given me of the State of my Family in what happened as to sudden withering of the Tree and its extraordinary reviving again at my first entry into my first House in Rotterdam 30. The great Deliverance from Fire in the High-street 31. The special Providence in preserving my Son from perishing in the Water 32. The good Providence in returning my Diary after it had been long lost 33. That surprising Relief when cited by the Council of Scotland to appear with that sweet Resignation to the Lord which I had then under so pungent a Trial. 34. The remarkable Event of a Warning I was forced to give that some present should be called away by Death before the next Lord's-day 35. The Lord 's immediate supporting under a long Series of pungent Trials in this Place by a Series of Wonders I may truly say for which I am obliged in a singular Way to set up my Ebenezer that hitherto hath the Lord helped 36. The remarkable Appearance of the Lord with me which I omitted in its place in that strange Providence relating to Mr. Moneyenny's Death at Preston-pans 37. That most solemn Providence and Wonder of my Life my Fall under the York Coach in Aug. 1674. when the great Wheel went over my Leg so as I could feel it pressing me without hurting far less breaking my Leg as if it had been carried thus over in a just Poize to let me see how Providence watched over me c. 38. The Comfort God gave me in my Children and those extraordinary Confirmations I got from God upon the Death of those sweet Children whom God removed from me to himself Now go Reader go and do thou likewise For Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Mat. 24.26 〈…〉 to the Memory 〈…〉 Reverend and Worthy Mr … E RT FLEMING who de … sed July 25 1694. By a Friend My Pen must be like to an Angel's Quill And my weak Parts must equalize my Will Should I presume him fully to set forth Though in rude Characters or draw his Worth Extol him as you please yet still you shall Remaining find behind This is not All. Renowned Men and righteous are this Day O sad Prognostick quickly pluckt away Rehold how fast he 's gone as if he griev'd Enjoying of his Life whilst here he liv'd Rare Fruit's soon pluckt and Souls to Ripeness grown Too good for Earth are snatcht up to the Throne Free and unbiass'd for the Truth he stood Liv'd all he knew knew all that 's understood Each Vertue in him did so equal dwell Men hardly could perceive which did excel In endless Bliss he 's now whilst mournful I Nothing can think but how he pierc'd the Sky G'ot into Heaven and seem'd amaz'd to cry Reviewing O Behold Eternity's Rich Throne From Living Earthly Mounted I'm Now Gone Vivacem nolo Dolorem Sed memor aeterno tempore vivat Amor FINIS
Gift so suted to a Creature 's Need as Believer's Victory is Herein being in themselves dead in Christ they are made alive Being blind they receive their sight Being weak they are made strong Being miserable they are made blessed Being mutable they are eternally established Joh. 6.57 As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me shall live by me They must therefore die for Joy who joy too much for their Victory And scarcely could that it self be called too much Fourthly So Sumptuous an One All the World rates high what is bought dear But was there ever such a Purchase as the Believer's Conquest It astonished the Angels Our Saviour mentions it not without Wonder Joh. 3.16 The Price was the very Blood of God And only the Mind of God can comprehend the Worth of the Blood of God Wherefore of the most triumphant Joy herein it is boldly to be asked Is there not a Cause Fifthly So Rare a Blessing Rarity doth extremely enhanse Value Diamonds would be no Idols if they were no Rarities Yea what would Crowns be if every Head wore one It is what few attain that all do admire Now of Believers Victory who knows not how little there is of Commonness to take away from the Comfort Alas of the Many called to it how Few are chosen how Few will come to Christ for it And of the lapsed Angels not so much as One recovered his Fall Believers highest Joy is then surely unblamable if Rarity makes good things delectable and adds Sweetness to Hony it self Sixthly So Present an One It is most true absent Good is the Object but of Desire it must be present before it can be embraced with Delight Infidels ask therefore of Believers Are they not mad Mad to pretend their Souls filled with the Marrow and Fatness of things far from them But they are to be told Believers are not drunken as they suppose It is in things present that they exult Present though to the World invisible And real though every where spoken against as very Chimera's The Glories of their Victory are present in the Eye of Faith seeing them in the Hand of Faith receiving them in the Mouth of Faith tasting them Or to speak more to the Capacities of Infidel Objectors it must be said that the Blessing wherein they rejoice is in their Minds in daily Contemplation is in their Hearts in constant Expectation is in their whole-Man in sweet Fruition And how are the things in which they themselves do triumph any more or otherways present to them Do natural things incur their natural Senses As truly do spiritual Ones incur the spiritual Senses of Believers Whose spiritual Sight and Taste do therefore make their Exultations as just No more Candles shall be lighted in this Sun I proceed to evince that the Souls so joyful and thankful are holy that §. 3. Believers do triumph Holily over Death Their Laughter is not Madness If it be asked of their Mirth what doth it it must be answered It doth on Earth what Saints and Angels Mirth doth in Heaven It gives Praise and Thanks to God and to the Lamb For O Death where is thy Sting never goes before but Thanks be to God follows fast after Thankful Repentance thankful Faith Hope and Love thankful New-Obedience Blind Seers are the Romanists and others who teach otherwise And would bear us in hand that Assurance of Victory over Death is a Wine too strong for the Head of any Viator any living Believer Such whose Mirth would be Madness and the Joy of it turn the Grace of God into Wantonness Dispose us to nothing but Sloth and Security Pride and Presumption But what do the Arguings of Men so sensual and void of the Spirit of Faith avail It is true there are Wretches of slight and frothy Spirits who will be boasting of a false Gift a Cloud without Water Proclaim their wondrous Joy and speak swelling words though their Cloven-feet do manifestly confute their flaming Tongues And not walking in the Fear of the Lord it is sure they do not walk in the Joy of the Holy Ghost No small stumbling Block this hath been to Men of Senses not exercised to discern But these following Particulars will convince or confound all Gain-sayers First The Efficient Worker of the Joy and Triumph we speak of is the Holy Ghost Expresly it is named his Whose Operations no doubt are holy and make for Holiness His comforting Work tending as much to sanctify as his sanctifying Work tendeth to comfort us A contrary Thought would be Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and plainly make him a Minister of Sin Secondly The Law of this Joy is the Holy Gospel Believers Joy is as surely by the Gospel's Warrant as by the Spirit 's Work For he never speaketh of his own never as a Judg speaks Life and Joy to any but those to whom the Gospel as the Law of Grace and Peace doth assign it There is a perfect Consent between Christ's Spirit and his Word The Joy given by one is given by both And to think that the Joy by them given is a Servant of Sin were fearfully to blaspheme both belying them with a Brow of Brass Thirdly The End of this Joy is holy Conversation Whereby is our heavenly Father glorified but by our bringing forth much Good Fruit Or what doth he either constitute in his Word or dispense by his Spirit but for the End that he may thereby be glorified If we imagine that this Joy of Believers so constituted and so dispensed for this End is no apt Means for it but for the contrary how foolishly must we charge him who is only wise Fourthly The Means whereby this Joy is wrought are holy Ordinances and vigorous Exercise of Grace therein The holy Spirit useth not to lift Souls out of the Hell of their Fears much less to lift them up to the Heaven of triumphant Joys but in this Way And is it likely that the Effect should be an Enemy to its Causes That the Believer's Joy like a Viper should be Death to its Parents That Communion with God should beget such a Delight in him as should make us by and by weary of him Fifthly The Subjects of this Joy are holy Souls others are uncapable of it nor need we say what Use they would make of it who make the worst use of all the Grace objective and subjective that they do receive Most sure it is the holy Spirit first worketh Grace then witnesseth it to be in a Man and so comforteth him and causeth him to triumph in his State of Grace Christ is formed in the Soul before the Soul rejoiceth in Christ and it is then a prepared Subject for Joy is it not And who can believe that then like a Dunghil it will be made the fuller of Stench and noisom Fumes by the Shines of Heaven on it and not like a Garden have its Spices flow forth the more
of these great Confirmations that I hope with assured Confidence was the Voice of my beloved God and Master yea as indeed it had been with an audible Voice said I will do for thee even exceeding abundantly c. I will surely give thee a Deliverance that shall make thee glad above all thy Sorrows past I do remember thy Prayers and Groans oft in this Walk and though I was only a Witness of them then yet now as I have seen in secret so will I reward thee openly The time is now come and it shall linger no more rejoice and be glad O my Prisoner of Hope for the Time of thy Release is come I remember thy Kindness and know thy Love be still and know that I am God I know thy Distress and that thy Straits now draw near but fear not I will take care of thee and the greater the Extremity be the greater Testimony thou givest to me c. This Thursday Evening the 17th of Aug. when I came in with some Challenges I got first great Access to my dear God in Confession and the sense of his Peace which was so lively and sweet as is unexpressible After I found some sweet renewing of former Confirmations with Power impressed on me thus 1. As your latter Works have exceeded your former so shall your latter Days also 2. As you have not made haste until my time so this is the time I have watched for when you are now so low to make my Power known 3. And do you fear to trust me Are the Consolations of God small or have they ever failed you 4. You know not my Child what I am to do for you and how near it is c. After I went down this last Night what Confirmation had I from God further And now this Morning Aug. 18. I had some lively Exercise of the same nature as before c. And now this Saturday Aug. 19. how clear an Evidence did God himself give me of the Evidence of the Work of Grace in my Soul in some most lively Actings thereof so as to rejoice in him as my alone Portion so as to say He only is my Salvation and my Defence my All in whom I desire to triumph and boast And therewith what a sweet Inbreaking followed from himself when he said thus to my Soul I will deliver you in a Way you know not and when all Means fail then is the Time I chuse I know thou hast none to look to but me It is not yours to see now But blessed are they that believe for there shall be a Performance of things promised Dost thou see the Pledges I have given you and the Conveyance of them with such Sealings and Embracements of my Love Remember the Text that Hope makes not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in thy Heart Thou hast been long trading with the Talent of the Cross for some Fruit unto me But now I will also give thee a Talent of Comfort and put it in trust under thy Hand c. And O how remarkable hath this Evening been and Close of this Week which I may call a most solemn Confirming Week And now in its close had I most near and sweet Access to my dear God in Prayer And I hope I may own these immediate Confirmations from himself As 1. What shall be done to the Man whom the King delighteth to honour to whom my Honour and Service hath been dear 2. Have I said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee and can I leave thee now when thou hast most need of me and when all Refuge faileth 3. I know thou art at the hardest Part of that Lesson to believe in Hope against Hope but fear not I am with thee which in an extraordinary Way was then spoken and though thou see not what thy Outgate shall be leave that to me 4. And what a marvellous and sweet Confirmation did the Lord give to his poor Servant as I came down Return unto thy Rest and be still Which did so deeply surprise and astonish as answering so directly to what that Day had been my Exercise what he would do with my Hope which seemed to be against Hope This was the giving me a new Text to answer what I had long been upon c. He spent his Days and Years after this Manner And in order to have the Year rightly carried on it was we find his Custom from the 15th or 16th Year of his Age to his last to set a-part the first Day of every Year in renewing his Covenant with God in a new Self-surrender and Dedication of himself to him or if interrupted the first Day then to take the first convenient Day following We cannot give any Account of the Manner of his doing this for the first Years of his Life but we may guess what they have been by the few Instances following 1691. It is in the Entry of this new Year as I have done now for many Years past most solemnly that I desire to renew again my personal Engaging of my self to the Lord my God and for him and with my whole Heart and Desire to enter my self into his Service and take on his blessed Yoke and humbly to lay claim embrace and take him O Him to be my God alone my All my Light and my Salvation my Shield and exceeding great Reward Whom have I in Heaven but thee O Lord or in the Earth whom do I desire besides thee And now under thy blessed Hand my Soul desires and does here testify my Trusting my self and securing my whole Interest my Credit my Conduct my Comfort my Assistance my Thorow-bearing and my poor Children and to leave my self herein on the gracious Hand of my dearest Lord whilst I am within time As I write this the 2d Day of Jan. 1691. R. Fleming 1692. It is in the Entry and first Day of this new Year that I desire here as formerly to enter in this hidden Record a new Surrender and Offering of my self to my dearest Lord and Master who hath been wonderfully tender and gracious to me and hath brought me by his immediate Conduct through the Days and Years of my Pilgrimage past hath still cared for his poor Thing and given more singular Mercies and Evidences of Respect than to many else and now as still formerly hath taken me through this last Year with singular Evidences of his Presence and Assistance And as I trusted my self to my Lord so hath he graciously answered for which and his special Grace hitherto I desire to insert this Witness of my Soul's blessing the Lord my God And now I do here with my full and joyful Consent testify my giving up my self again to the Lord and to his Work and Service here and where-ever he shall call me with desire to consecrate my old Age to my God and the Guide of my Youth I love my Master and his Service and let my Ears be nailed to the Posts
of his Door as one that would not go free from that blessed Yoke and Service and lays in Hope the whole Assistance hereof on his Grace and Help And how in so extraordinary a Case as is alone to my Lord I desire to witness and renew the same here with my humble and intire Reliance on him who is my Trust from my Youth to this day my Shield and exceeding great Reward To him I commit my Self my Ways my Work and Service which with my Soul's Desire I offer to my Lord In whose Hand I desire to secure my Credit for the Gospel's sake my Comfort and Enlargement in this Day of deep Trouble and Anguish together with my poor Children and the whole Interest of my Family and Concerns desiring to put my self with humble Confidence and all that is dear to me under his Care and Conduct O my Soul bless thou the Lord This I write the 1st of Jan. 1692. R. Fleming My Lord and my God 1694. It is in the first Day and Monday of this new Year 1694. that as I have formerly through most of my Life past so now do desire to renew my Dedication and Engagements to the Lord my God and to join in the same Witness with what herein hath been formerly with my whole Heart and Desire and to offer unto my dearest Lord Praise in remembrance of what he hath been through the Year past and in the whole of my Life whose gracious tender Conduct hath been so wonderful and well hast thou my Lord dealt with thy Servant according to thy Word in all hath befallen me And as my Soul does now move and betake my self alone to him as my own God my Father my Redeemer and blessed Comforter and my only All so do I hereby witness the settling of my Trust my Hope and Reliances alone upon him for this new Year or what Time of my Life may yet remain with earnest Desire to enter yet again and continue in his Service even in that delightful Service of my dearest Lord and Master And now I do again by a new Surrender witness my entire Commitment of my self my poor Children my Credit for the Gospel my Conduct and Comfort in so extraordinary a Juncture to my dearest Lord to his gracious and compassionate Care and Providence together with my Works and any small Design to serve him and my Generation And I do intreat new Supplies of his Grace and Strength to secure and make his poor Servant if it were his blessed Will yet more abundantly forth-coming to him And with hope of Acceptance I write this Jan. 1 1694. R. Fleming Post tenebras spero Lucem At another time thus floweth his sacred Pen O my Soul never forget this solemn Wednesday Night nor the last Monday Night what solemn Visits I had from my Lord after so serious a Work of Trial about the Warrant of my Hope and Petition for the heightning of my Faith and sealing Testimony of his Spirit In how marvellous a Way did my dearest Lord I hope bear Evidence to the great Assurance he had formerly given me c. O let my Soul bless and adore the Lord for this sweet and marvellous Visit this Monday Night which my dearest Lord I hope hath given his poor Servant when so near sinking and I hope said to my Soul Fear not I forget you not for I have graven you on the Palms of my Hands c. I look on thee with Delight and the Time is come when I will give thee an Account of thy Prayers and Tears of thy many Groans and long On-waiting Have I spoken and will I not do it c. O thou afflicted tossed with Tempests in an acceptable Time have I heard thee Trust thou in the Lord for I will make thee a Sign to this Generation c. I am leading thee right and thy Strength is to sit still Is the Lord's Hand shortned that it cannot save c. O how shall I entertain this marvellous Day and Appearance of my dearest Lord to his poor Servant O wonderful Condescension this Morning after so sweet an Evening before that he should please to give so near an Approach of himself O I hope it was his Voice I am come I am surely come my Servant in the fourth Watch of the Night to bring forth my Prisoner and set him at liberty who hath stay'd so long for me c. I embrace you as an Over-comer rejoice for great is your Reward in Heaven I am now entering thee on a Day of rejoycing Be not doubtful it is I who comforts thee c. And when I said O how shall I manage such a wonderful Enlargement how discernably was it returned I hope from himself I will manage it for thee Thou hast stayed for me but thou hast got the Victory and the Day shall be thine and thou shalt know what I have been doing with thee and for thee O let me never forget the 25th of Decemb. at Night when after 60 Years under the Lord 's special Conduct he gave me so sweet and remarkable a Visit never to be forgotten O what a Night was it when I went home pressed to sing the 103d Psalm c. But it were endless to name Passages of this nature since almost every Day was a Communion-day between God and him And how remarkably God hath answered his Prayers may easily be inferred from hence One Instance to this Purpose we may see in his Epistolary Discourse Page 68. of a Minister who had a violent Collick immediately taken off upon his praying to God for that End It is known to be himself he speaks of there though he expresses it Modestly in the Third Person I shall now present a few Things which he sets down in Writing by themselves under this Title A short Index of some of the great Appearances of the Lord in the Dispensations of his Providence to his poor Servant c. And although the Brevity and Obscurity of the Hints must needs leave us in the dark as to the full Meaning of most of them as being written only for his own Memory as the Title shews yet they will serve to shew us the particular Care of his Great Master over this his faithful and eminent Servant They are the Remarks which he calls the Appearances of the Lord towards him in his own Words 1. How near I was brought to Death in my Infancy given over yea and esteem'd a Burden to my Friends so as my Death was made desirable to them I being as the Refuse of my Father's Children yet even then I was God's Choice and in a most singular way restored 2. That remarkable Deliverance on receiving a Blow by a Club when a Child which was so near my Eye as endangered both my Sight and Life 3. That strange and extraordinary Impression I had of an audible Voice in the Church at Night when being a Child I had got up to the Pulpit calling to me to make haste