"Yes, infinitely. But cheefly on two Accounts.

"The Guilt of Sin on mee, is mountainous: none but Hee can remove it.

"The Power of Sin in mee, is marvellous: none but Hee can subdue it.

"But, am I willing to have the Lord Jesus Christ?

"There is a dreadful Necessity that the Maladies of my Soul should bee releeved.

"Hee, and none but Hee can releeve them.

"I cannot find any Thing unlovely in the Lord Jesus Christ. All His Offices and Benefits are desireable. "And therefore, Lord I am willing.

"Art Thou so! Then take Him; said the Lord; I give Him to Thee.

"And by this Time, the Bread is brought unto mee, to seal this Gift; which I take accordingly.

"And now, I proceed, the Lord Jesus Christ is mine; if I won't beleeve it, with Thomas, I may now see it, feel it, tast it. And Hee will engage for my Good, and perfect every Part of my Salvation.

"At the Administration of the Wine.

"The first Covenant being broken, and speaking nothing but Confusion to fallen Man, the gracious God enters into a New-Covenant, of Grace.

"In it, is tendered all manner of good, for Beleavers on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mediator of that Covenant.

"Am I willing thus to come under the Way of this Covenant?

"Yea, Lord, Thou hast made mee willing.

"Then, said the Lord, Here is the New Testament in my Blood.

"By this Time, the Wine comes, and I drink of it, and thereby I have all the good of the Covenant sealed unto mee.

"And now, I proceed, I shall have Repentance and

Remission of Sins. There are some Sins, wherefrom I shall bee certainly præserved, and at last I shall be wholly rescued from all. All my Changes in this World, will bee wellordered for mee; and I shall bee safely brought unto Glory at the Last."

With what Variety of Contrivance, may I now approache unto the Table of the Lord! 1

I foresee, I shall not have Liesure to write, the Devotions, which I have used in this one Way of suiting my Thoughts, to the Circumstances that pass at the Lord's Table. However, it may bee, I shall insert one or two Examples more, if I live till hereafter, for the Instruction my little Folks, for whom these Papers are intended.

of

About this Time, there was a Proposal made among many devout People, in this Countrey, to retire, each one, every Monday, between eleven and twelve a clock, for secret Prayer before the Lord, purely on the behalf of the Church abroad weltring under grievous Persecution, and our own Land now in many threatning Circumstances.2

1 In 1690 Mather published a little volume, A Companion for Communicants, composed of discourses upon the nature, the design and the subject of the Lord's Supper, with "Devout Methods of preparing for and approaching to that Blessed Ordinance." It was dedicated to the Church in the North Part of Boston, and especially to Sir William Phips, John Richards, Adam Winthrop, John Foster, and Dr. John Clark, who were instrumental in having the book printed. Sections were devoted to self-examination, embodying the later, developments on the lines indicated in the text.

2 The French King, Louis XIV, in June, 1681, issued an Edict unsurpassed in the history of religious persecution for its mixture of hypocrisy and cruelty. It declared that children of Protestant parents might declare themselves converted to Catholicism at the age of seven. The Edict, which at first sight seemed merely ridiculous, proved in its working a terrible weapon of religious coercion. Any trivial acts or words could be interpreted as implying adhesion to Catholicism; then came the invasion of Protestant households and the forcible abduction of children. All appeals to the king were in vain. He had perhaps not yet determined on the revocation of the Edict [of Nantes]; but he told Ruvigny, 'the deputygeneral of the Reformed churches,' that he was henceforth 'indispensably bound to effect the conversion of all his subjects and the extirpation of heresy."" Cambridge Modern History, v. 23. In England Charles had dissolved his last Parliament, and the effects of the so-called Popish Plot were still felt.

A practice of this Nature, had been agreed among many N[on] C[onformists] in Great Britain and Ireland; and from thence it came to bee recommended here. Now, tho' many good Men disliked it, as having somewhat of Superstition in it, yett I did very successfully promote it, among many Scores of pious People in this Country, as having in it, nothing but what was allowable, commendable, and what was agreeable to a pious and public Spirit.

Many good Men did afterwards highly bless God, for this Proposal; and I did myself a long while more or less attend it.1 1

2

In the Month of November, Messengers from the ancient and famous Church of Newhaven addressed themselves unto mee, to become their Pastor, but I did not comply with their Desires. Nevertheless, on this occasion, I sett myself to admire the most wonderful Grace of God, that so mean, and vile a Creature as I am, should bee at all acknowledged among His People.

And while I was, with much Amazement of Soul, considering the incureable Corruptions, of my Heart, that as it were, defy'd all the Means of Mortification, yea, and even my best Endeavours to putt my Heart into the Hands of the Lord Jesus Christ for cure, I yett wrote the following Thoughts.

"I think, first, the Lord will not utterly destroy mee. Hee has wrought those Works in mee, that, I hope, Hee will never disown or forsake. If Hee do, I shall bee the direfullest exemple of a deluded and an exalted Hypocrite, that ever was! Lord, lett my Soul tremble!

"But, Secondly, the Lord will bring my Soul down into

1 Written in the margin.

* For ten years after the death, in 1674, of Rev. Nicholas Street, the colleague and successor of John Davenport, the church of New Haven was without a regularly constituted pastor. At this time John Harriman was serving, and there were differences of opinion in the church, of which little is known. Bacon's Historical Discourses, 159. See letter from the New Haven church to Increase Mather, April 17, 1682, in 4 Collections, vIII. 692, 308.

the Dust, and under all Enlargements and Attainments, cause mee to abhor myself. And I have infinite Reason so to do. If ever I am lift[ed] up with Pride, I shall bee, (Lord! I here own it under my Hand!) a most unreasonable Wretch. I must walk softly and sorrowfully as long as I breathe on Earth. Shame is to bee my Garment, Grief my meat, Tears my Drink, and Sighs my Language, as long as I am related unto this vile Body!

"And, thirdly, Strength against Sin, is a Mercy so glorious, that the Lord will have mee stirr up myself and wrestle and struggle to purpose, before I shall attain it. Wherefore, Lord, I here make my Vow, that I will never give Thee, or my own Soul rest, until my dearest Lust, become as bitter as Death, as hateful as Hell unto mee."

24 d. 9 m. A public Thanksgiving, being celebrated in the Countrey,1 I did on that Occasion, thus recapitulate, the Favours of God unto mee; following the Method of Jacob, in the thirty second Chapter of Genesis.

1. The Lord hath shown mee, very much of His Goodness and His Truth. How many are His Mercies! (Psal. 119. 156.) And how mighty! (Psal. 126. 3.) The least of them worthy of an Hallelujah.

1. Common Mercies; Life, and the Comforts of it, I enjoy, in more than a common Manner.

2. Special Mercies. Whereof, I single out these, for my present Observation.

1 Mass. Col. Records, v. 324. The manuscript resolution, in the writing of Cotton Mather, is in the Mass. Archives, XI. 21. It was adopted October 21. "The Court being sensible of the Goodness of the Lord in remembring Mercy towards his people inhabiting this Wilderness, in the midst of Judgment which wee have had Experience of; since in the Time of the late Drought Hee did graciously incline His Ear to the Prayers of his People, in sending down seasonable showrs of blessing from Heaven, so as that the Harvest this year hath not wholly failed, as once there was cause to fear it might have done; Being also sensible of the Divine favour as yet continued to us in respect of our Libertyes both civil and sacred, and the public Peace and Health, which God hath this last Year blessed this Land with, and that Thankfulness for such invaluable mercys is the way still to enjoy them."

1. Within my own Soul.

1. I hope the Spirit of God, has brought mee home unto the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. I am sure the Lord hath powerfully inclined mee, to live unto Himself, and made mee above all Things desirous, to bee unto the Praise of the Glory of His Grace.

2. Among others.

1. The Lord has improved mee, in the Ministry of His Blessed Son. To mee, who am less than the least of all Saints, is this Grace given.

2. Therein Hee hath given mee the Happiness to hold forth Something of Himself.

1. Hee hath made my poor Endeavours, both public and private successful unto Good.

2. Hee hath done those things, for mee, which give others to see and hear, and magnify His own great Name, which is the Heaven of Heaven itself.

II. I am less than the least of all this. For,

1. Had I been the most upright, and fruitful, and useful Man in the World, yett I could have merited Nothing, at the Hands of God.

2. Whereas, I have done just Nothing at all, for the Lord; no Service, no Honour, has Hee had of mee.

3. Yea, I have done very much against the Lord, and been a viler Creature, than I know any one in all my Generation.

Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within mee!

TION,

26 d. 9 m. In a Self-EXAMINATION, præparatory to a Communion. I find

I. Not only my Understanding sees, but my Will chooses the Great God, as my best Good, and my last End.

1. My Interest in Him, is my greatest Wish and Joy. According to Psal. 4. 6. Psal. 73. 25. Psal. 16. 5, 6. Lam. 3. 25. Isa. 26.13.