Wednesday 2i)th. In the morning, many persons being
present, I lectured from a portion of Scripure, which was
pointed out by a member of the family. I then set out for
Woodhouse, a distance of about thirty miles, and found much
difficulty in passing, with the cutter, some of the streams which
were swollen by the thaw, and the ice so weakened as not to
support the horse. How uncertain are all things in this life !
when I hoped that I had overcome all my difficulties, and to
reach the end of my journey, I was upset ; the ice broke in one
place, upon which the horse became so much frightened, that in
endeavouring to free himself, he became so hampered with the
sleigh and harness, that he was dragged under the ice by the
stream ; in my own efforts to extricate the poor animal, my life
was in imminent danger, and I was struck down twice by his
l>lunges amid the broken ice and water. After some danger and
much difficulty, I succeeded in raising his head above the water,
and resting it upon a piece of broken ice, so as to prevent his
being smothered ; and after some delay, I procured the assis-
tance of an old man, who was living at no great distance from
the place. With liis help I contrived at last to free the horse ;
but had he remained only a few minutes longer in the water, he
must have died from the extreme cold. I w^ apprehensive
that my own legs were frozen ; but happily, through the care
and keeping of the Most High, I suffered no further inconve-
nience than what I endured at the time. May I show forth my
gratitude for this preservation, by a life devoted to the honour
and glory of God my saviour.
