Life and diary of Lieut. Col. J. Blackader

CHAP. XVI» CAMPAIGN NINTH. 397
me again to the tabernacles of thy grace ; and let me
see the beauty of the Lord, as I have seen thee in thy
sanctuary. In meditating upon the present state of
affairs, I found my temper too ready to fret and grow
melancholy, by seeing our army, which we have rea-
son to esteem the best ever was in this country, stopped
from making progress, by an- enemy which we flat-
tered ourselves could not well make head against us ;
and that now we are obliged to turn away from them,
and march another way. But in reading the Scrip-
tures in my ordinary, I got both reproof and instruc-
tion. The first was 1 Chron. xiii. 10. to teach me
not to be solicitously or sinfully anxious about the ark
of God : He will take care of his own ark; The
second was in the 14th chapter, 14th verse, where we
may see that God sometimes takes a plain direct way
as in the 10th verse ; and sometimes works by con-
trary and improbable means. Providence is never at
a loss, though we may be ignorant and in the dark as
to its operations. We are patiently to follow and not
to limit, or prescribe rules.
July 3. This day we were reviewed, all going
well; and to-morrow we march from the army I
know not whither*
July 6. Our order for marching is countermanded,
so we stay still.
July 15. Hearing from my wife that she is not
well. I went to Courtray, where my fears were pre-
vented, for we had a comfortable meeting.
July 21. There is a report that both armies are
marched in prospect of a battle. I was somewhat
uneasy that I should be here at Courtray absent from
my post.