5. G. D. There is a sett of wretched, idle, gaming Fellowes in this Town, whose Families are starving in great miseries, while they are following vain Persons. I would move in the Societies, that some effectual Provision may be endeavoured, for the Chastising and Restraining of such wretched Fellowes.

6. G. D. There is a Family in my Neighbourhood, conflicting with much Poverty and Misery, and long Illness and sickness. I must make it an object of my peculiar Charity. (αλκιν.)

7. G. D. My pretty little Daughter Jerusha, on whom we have been so fond, as to make me fear whether we should not lose her, now lies very sick of a Fever. I would endeavour exceedingly to glorify God, by making a Sacrifice of the lovely Child; and be awakened unto a fresh Repentance of all the Miscarriages, for which I may fear a Chastisement is now threatned unto me.

1. [March 8.] G. D. This Week we give the Church a Meeting, that we may discourse on the critical Affayr of a New Church, as well as repairing our own old Meetinghouse. If the Lord enable me to treat the Church with Prudence and Patience, and a good Conduct on this occasion, He will be glorified, and the Church will be edified. I shall study it exceedingly; and, in order to it, send up ardent Cries unto Heaven, that I may be directed and assisted, and that the whole Affair may have an happy Issue given unto it.

2. G. D. I would make the sickness of my youngest Child, an occasion of Warning unto all the Children in the Family, to gett into a Condition of Safety for Death, and Eternity. And I would be awakened unto further Considerations, what more ought to be done for the Honour and Service of God, in the Sacrifice of my Family.

3. G. D. There are several Women, and aged Ones,

1 Alkin.

among my Relatives, to whom I would present my late Book, which inculcates the good works of a vertuous Woman.1

10 d. 1 m. Tuesday. Because our Church is to-morrow, to hold a Meeting about those two Points; the repairing and rendring more Commodious, our Meeting-house; and then that critical Point, of a great Number swarming into a new Meeting-house. And I am afraid, how far the Deevices of Satan may operate, on these Occasions; I sett apart this Day, for prayers with Fasting, before the Lord; that I might obtain the necessary and seasonable Favours of the Lord. I bewayled before the Holy One, the Sins by which I have exposed myself to His Displeasure, and particularly forfeited my Opportunities of preaching His Gospel to so vast an Auditory. And I was assured, that my Sins are pardoned. I entreated, that the Sins of the Flock might also be forgiven; for which I pleaded the great Sacrifice. I cried unto Heaven, that I might be furnished with Abundance of Prudence and Patience, for the critical Occasion that is before me; and that my aged Parent also may not be left unto any Word or Frame unsuitable.

I besought the Influences of the Holy Spirit, that the Evil Spirit may be chained up, and that the Minds of the Brethren may be kept in the Temper that is most of all to be desired. I offered up as a Sacrifice unto God, my Congregation, and all my Opportunities to do Good; and became willing to undergo any Condition, that the Divine Will, should appoint for me. I besought a comfortable Issue of the whole Matter now before us, and left it with the Lord, and cast the whole Burden of the Care thereof upon Him.

I also carried my sick little Daughter to the Lord.

4. G. D. I am giving a Peece of Land, unto a People between Wenham and Ipswyche, to build a new Meeting

1 His Tabitha Rediviva.

house upon; and I would lay hold on the Occasion, and improve the Interest which I may hereby have in the Hearts of the People there, to lay the People under Obligations, to do some special Services for the Gospel, which I may think upon.1

1

10. [11.] d. I. m. Wednesday. This Day, I received a gracious Answer to the Prayers of yesterday. We had a great Church-Meeting, of above one hundred Brethren, The Lord enabled me so to discourse on the two great Occasions we mett upon, and so to manage the Brethren, that the whole was carried thro' without one contentious Word: All done, without Murmurings, without Disputings.2

In

1 This probably was the church at Hamilton. On May 22, 1712, the town of Ipswich consented to a church in "the Hamlet, so called," and on October 14, 1713, by an act of the General Court a district precinct was established. the course of that year a church building was erected, and in the following year Samuel Wigglesworth (1689-1768) was chosen pastor. Cutler, A Century Discourse delivered in Hamilton, 1814. The donation of land by Mather receives no mention.

2 "At a meeting of the Church, Wednesday, 11 d. 1 m. 1713, these two votes had a general concurrence with them.

"Voted. That the Honoured Committee, which has been chosen by this church, to consider and regulate the temporal Affaires thereof, be desired and empowered to proceed according to their Discretion and Ability, as in all needfull Reparation of the Meeting-house so particularly in Arching and Ceiling of it, and bringing the Galleries of the second Range, into such a condition as may be most commodious for the Congregation in general, and for those that shall be seated in them.

"Voted. Whereas fourteen of the Brethren in this North Church, have in an Instrument signed by them, addressed the church for their Allowance of their proceeding in an orderly way, which they have in the said Instrument expressed their Intention for, to the Building of a New Meeting-house, and forming themselves into a Church-state, when things are come to a due Maturity for it. The Church does grant the Request of the said Brethren; advising therewithal, that for the Circumstances of their Proceedings, and also for the Choice of their Minister, they endeavour to follow the best Advice, and what may be most for satisfaction.

"A vote passed at a former Church-meeting, vizt. 11 d. 1 m. 1713. The church desires and betrust John Clark, Esq., Mr. Adam Winthrop, Mr. Thomas Hutchinson, Mr. Edward Hutchinson, Mr. John Ruck, Mr. Robert Howard, Mr. John Frizzel, to act as a committee on the behalf of the Church, in directing such affaires thereof, as may concern the Repairing and Ordering of the Meeting-house, the advising of the Deacons about occasional Expences, with a due regard unto

My sick little Daughter now also begins to recover.

5. G. D. Some Godly Indians, having uttered very edifying Passages in their last Hours; Master Japhet in particular;1 I would propose a convenient Collection of them, to be anon employ'd for many valuable Purposes.

6. G. D. A worthy Minister, who was of the same class with me in the Colledge, is fallen under some great Infirmities in his Health; I would as soon as I can, write and send unto this my Brother, such things, as may be most comfortable unto him, under his Affliction.

7. G. D. I ought to be exceedingly Thankful, and grow in my Thankfulness to the glorious Lord, in that I have had my Mind preserved from hypocondriac Maladies, which considering my Studies and Sorrowes, tis a Wonder, they have not utterly overwhelmed me. The View I have of some other men, unhinged and ruined that Way, very much awakens my Gratitude unto God my Saviour.

(II.) Near nineteen years ago, I preached a Lecture on the Wrongs done to our Saviour, by persons who little Imagine or Consider what they do. A Spirit who with a wondrous Lustre, made his Descent into my Study, declaring himself to be a good Angel of God, and expressing his Desire to have Act. IX. 5. preach'd upon, was the occasion of my preaching it. I then sent a Copy of it, unto London, to be published there; but it miscarried; and no Noise was made of the Occasion. A good Man in my Neighbourhood, lately asked me for the Notes of that Sermon, that he might repeat it unto a religious Meeting of the Neighbours. Hereupon, it came into my Mind, that I would augment and

the main Ends of the Church's Treasury; and inspecting their Accounts thereof, and the securing such Rents and Legacies as may belong unto it; and other such lesser Matters as may be judged needless for the whole Church to assemble upon. All which Trouble is imposed on the forementioned Gentlemen, but for the Space of one year ensuing; at the Expiration of which Term the Church propose to renew the Choice of their Committee, as they may judge convenient." Cotton Mather's MS. Records of the Second Church, II.

1 Of Martha's Vineyard. He left a widow, Sarah. See p. 133, supra.

enrich the Composure, with two considerable Paragraphs; The one, a Conviction of the Jewish Infidelity, with the Summ of those Demonstrations, wherewith Christianity triumphs over Judaism; the other, a confutation of the Arian Hæresies, which are horribly revived at this Day, and the Mystery of the Trinity in God, and the Godhead and Kingdome of our Saviour, opened for the Satisfaction of the Faithful. Having done this I proposed the Publication of the Composure; and all the Difficulties of it, are immediately and surprisingly conquered! I cannot but suspect that there will be some uncommon Effect of this Publication. I give it unto the Bookseller, under this Title; THINGS TO BE MORE THOUGHT UPON. A brief Treatise on the Injuries offered unto the glorious and only Saviour of the World; In many Instances wherein the Guilty are seldome Aware of their being so Injurious to the Eternal Son of God. With a more particular Conviction of the Jewish and Arian Infidelity.1

1. [March 15.] G. D. Having with much Patience and Candor, carried our swarming Brethren on to the Allowance of their Proceedings, which the Church has granted them, I would now wholly give myself up to the Methods of Supplication, and Resignation, and committ the Matter to the Lord, and watch against all the Devices of Satan, which may operate unto the Disturbance of the Neighbourhood on this Occasion.

2. G. D. It is of absolute Necessity, that my Family be reformed of their late Hours, in going to Bed; the Reformation will be attended with many happy Consequences.

3. G. D. The dark Dispensation of Providence, which detains my poor Kinswoman, in her Indian Captivity, calls upon me, to address her nearest Relatives, with the best Consolations I can study for them; as also to inculcate on my own Children, Admonitions of Piety and Thankfulness.

1 Printed by Thomas Fleet for Daniel Henchman, 1713.