Diary of Alexander Jaffray, provost of Aberdeen

143
little was I I'iglitly acquainted with the way of being
about duty, and leaving- events to God, or making
a difference between what was necessary and what
was superfluous, [so as to be] about these necessary
things, in the way of God, without distraction ; as,
doubtless, the believer may attain to, when he goes
about them upon spiritual considerations and for
spiritual ends.
A main consideration in my present case, and fre-
quently obvious to my thoughts, [was this :] — that I
was eminently called of God, to better ordering of my
whole conversation, in walking with him all the day
long, — watching unto prayer, — observing every mo-
tion and outgoing of the heart, and admitting or re-
jecting them, according as they were conformable, or
not, with the rule : — as also in prayer, when [it is]
to be gone about, either apart or together with others,
to observe the motions of God's Spirit to enlarge-
ment ; — and, though I durst not conclude upon this,
asarule, — namely, not to ^ra?/, but when enlargement
and inclination was thereto beforehand given, seeing
it many times comes at the time, and not before ven-
turing on the duty ; — yet, so to walk in every par-
ticular, in doing and saying, as that nothing may
escape, which may he feared to obstruct enlargement
in prayer : — and, on the other hand, so to observe
every passage in my whole conversation throughout
the day, and every motion of the Spirit, as thereby the
mind may be stored with good matter ; — and so may
enlargement be warrantably waited for. Thus, to be
in the fear of the Lord all the day long, Prov.
xxiii. 17, is the highway to it ; for so it is promised,
Isai. Ix. 5, " Thy heart shall /ear and be enlarged."
Without this, whatever fits or flashes of enlargement