It has been known, we believe, that the timid and hesitating Christian has caught alarm from this volume, and been led, in the perusal of it, to pronounce upon himself a severer sentence than his short-comings required. It is every way likely, however, that the cases are few in which such mistakes have done any permanent injury; and to guard against them, it is only necessary to mark the difference between the infirmities, or imbecilities, which are incident to one Christian, and the altitudes of attainment which are arrived at by another. The allowances made for this diversity, are more frequently too great than too small. But the man whose piety is languishing, because he is remiss in fostering its growth, or suffers it to be broken in upon by frequent immersion in secular pursuits, will find, in the following pages, a most seasonable and powerful caveat. If he look at all with an eye of candour, in traversing the scene through which it leads him, he cannot fail to be struck with the contrast between what he is, and what he ought to be; and when this contrast stands out before him, as a ministration of reproof, let him make use of it, also, as a stimulant of exertion; for there is nothing more destructive of Christian piety, or more fertile in discomfort to the Christian himself, than a slow and imperceptible encroachment on its sacredness by the concerns of this world. "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Perth, May, 1824. D. Y. AN ACCOUNT OF THE RISE, PROGRESS, INTERRUPTIONS REVIVALS, AND ISSUES, OF THE LORD'S STRIVINGS WITH CHAP. I. An Account of the first rise of my Concern about Religion, its Results, Revivals, and other occur- rences relating thereto, for the first two years of this time, CHAP II. An Account of the Revival of Convictions, their Effects, Progress, Issues, and Interruptions, from ib. CHAP. III. An Account of the Increase of my Convic- tions, during my stay at Edinburgh, from harvest 1690, or 1691, till May 1693, and the vain Refuges to which I CHAP. IV. An Account of the Progress of the Lord's Work, the Straits I was reduced to, and the Courses I AN ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESS OF THE Lord's work, FOR THE SPACE OF ABOUT THREE YEARS ENSUING, FROM AUGUST 1696, TO JUNE 1699; THE DREADFUL STRAIT TO WHICH I WAS AT LAST BROUGHT, WITH MY DELIVER- ANCE, AND THE STATE OF MATTERS WITH ME FOR SOME CHAP. I. An Account of the Progress of my Convictions, Temptations, and vain Reliefs, from the time I went to the Wemyss, till I was at the last brought to this utmost extremity, CHAP. II. An Account of the Relief I got about the close of January 1698, and the state of matters thereon, CHAP. III. An Account of the Pleasure of my Case at this time, the Mistakes I was still under, the sad Effects of them, and the way of their Discovery, CHAP. IV. An Account of my Strugglings with Indwell- ing Sin, its Victories, the Causes of them on my part, and God's Goodness with respect to this Trial, CHAP. V. An Account of my Exercise about the Guilt of CHAP. VI. My Exercises about the Being of God, and showing the way of my Relief from this Temptation, CHAP. VII. An Account how I came to be satisfied that the Scriptures are the Word of God, and how Temptations, in reference to them, were repelled, Page 211 220 CHAP. VIII. A short Account of the Issue of some other Temptations with which I had been exercised, and the Relief I obtained, with respect to them, from the Lord, 229 PART IV. SOME ACCOUNT OF HIS ORDINATION TO THE HOLY MINIS- 243 CHAP. I. Of his being licensed to preach the Gospel, გს. CHAP. II. On his entering on the Ministry at Ceres, 247 CHAP. III. Of his Management in the Work of the Ministry, 250 CHAP. IV. His Judgment concerning several Cases, especially with respect to his own Exercise and Practice, CHAP. V. Of his Marriage and conduct in his Family, 258 275 CHAP. VI. Of his entering on the Profession of Divinity, 292 PART V. AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OF HIS LAST WORDS, ON HIS DEATH- 297 |