1

and before that more than one or two of the Neighbours could run in unto her, and before that she could reach her own Chamber, and safely) she was delivered of a SON. There was a great Complication of Mercies, in all the Circumstances of this Matter. And now, the Gracious Lord, instead of taking one Son from me, has given another to me; whom I also humbly dedicate and consecrate unto Him.

It is a time of Exercise in my Family. An epidemical Feavour is raging in my Neighbourhood. Several of my Children, are threatned with the Beginnings of it; as well as one of them is but slowly, and at a languishing Rate, recovering from it. But thro' the Compassion of my heavenly Father, all goes over.

And this Week, the Lord employes me, and strengthens me, to do several public Services.

2

On the Wednesday, I preached a Sermon, at the Ordination of a Pastor, in Malden. On the Thursday, I preached the Lecture, to a great Assembly in Boston.. The Service of the Sick, is also very heavy. But the Lord mercifully carries me through all.

22 d. 3 m. Lord's-Day. After those Thoughts and Acts of Piety, which were proper for such an holy Occasion, I did this Day baptise my Son, and I call'd his Name NATHANAEL; as much for the Signification of the Name, as because I had a valuable Brother and Uncle of the Name.

3

In the ensuing Week, the Lord made use of me, at the Convention of the Ministers, both on Wednesday and on Thursday; to speak many Things, (especially in Prayer with them, on both of those Dayes) which may have a Tendency to serve the Interests of His Kingdome.

The Ministers, devoting the Time they were together

1 Nathanael.

2 David Parsons. See p. 6n, supra.

• Election was on May 25, the sermon being preached by Grindall Rawson, of Mendon. His text was Jer. XIII. 16.

on Thursday, unto Prayer; and I foreseeing, that I should meet with much Interruption on the Day following; I did not sett apart Friday, as I use to do.

In the Month of June, there did not occur much, that I had either Cause, or Time, to insert in these Memorials.1

1 “20 d. 4 m. [June.] Monday. Divers votes passed at a Church Meeting. "Whereas there are several Members of this Church, who on various pretences, do not attend on the Ordinances of the Lord, here dispensed; and their disorderly walking herein is offensive to the Church;

"It is desired, that the Elders of the Church speak or send unto them, to make them sensible of their Error and their Duty, and oblige them to take an orderly Dismission, where it is fitt they should have it, unto some other Church, walking in the Order of the Cospel. And the Elders of the Church are desired, in the Name of the Church, to sign a Dismission for them.

'And where any do refuse, one way or another, to do their duty, it is desired, that report may be made unto the Church, in order to further Proceeding.

"Whereas a Woman belonging to this Church, whose name is Miller, has been seduced unto something of Quakerism, but the Church is informed, that her Circumstances have peculiar Temptations in them: It is desired, that the Elders of the Church, and so many of the Brethren, as may in their Charity be moved unto it, use as many Methods as they can for her Recovery. And that, if in six Months' time, she be not brought out of her Entanglement, a Report be made unto the Church, that so our Duty towards her, may be further considered.

"One whose Name is William Perry, having long since pretended that another Brother, whose name is Benjamin Gypson, had defamed him; but the Difference was made up between them: nevertheless, after the Reconciliation, Perry took a fancy that an Apprehension expressed by some people of his being sometimes crazy-headed, had its original in something spoken by Gypson, or somebody before that Reconciliation, he withdrew from the Communion of the Church, and from so much as joining with the public Worship on the Lord's-Dayes in the Assembly. Continuing in this Course, he was more than once or twice privately dealt withal; but he treated all with much Inconsistency and Obstinacy. He now appeared before the Church, and was charged as guilty of,

"A most palpable Breach of Covenant with the Church of God;

"An implacable Spirit of Malice towards a Brother that has done him no Wrong;

“A slandering and belying the Officers of the Church and others, as not having done him Justice.

"His Behaviour before the Church was such, as gave much Dissatisfaction, and obliged as many as then expressed themselves, to declare that they look'd on him as distracted.

"It was desired, that the Elders of the Church, with the Deacons, and any others whom they may see Cause to consult on this Occasion, enquire further into the State of the said William Perry; and make Report unto the Church, that they may proceed accordingly. In the mean time, the Church declared him to be suspended from the Communion.

I procured the Reprinting of several Composures, for the præserving and promoting of Piety, both in our Army and our Navy now going against Canada. My, Souldier told what he shall do; and my, Golden Curb. These I disperse to as good Purpose as I can; and I study other Methods, to pursue the same Designs of Piety.

My public Prayers and Sermons are adapted unto the present great Occasion. And I enjoy a precious Presence of the Lord with me in them.

It pleased the Holy One, to take away to a better World, my dear Friend, Mr Jonathan Pierpont, the painful, faithful, useful and humble Minister of Reading. I was enlivened somewhat by his Death to pursue my Services, with yett more of Industry.2

His Flock had a Day of Prayer, after his Death; (on Jun. 22.) Then I served them; all the Exercises of the Afternoon were performed by me; wherein I enjoy'd a very great Assistance of the Lord, and in a very great Assembly. The spirit of the Holy One came upon the

Whereas the arrears of a Legacy piously bequeathed by Mr. Samuel Scarlett unto this Church have not been paid for very many years, it is desired and directed, that Messieurs Foster, Howard, Clark, Winthrop, Hutchinson, Ruck, Martyn, be joined with the Deacons, to inspect the State of that Affayr, and advise what is to be done, that it may be brought into some certain reasonable Issue. And that in case, a Composition be judged advisable, the Church be further informed of the Matter, before anything be concluded on." Cotton Mather's MS. Records of the Second Church, II.

1 Ye Soldier told what he shall do, was first issued in 1707. The title of the issue of 1709 had taught in place of told.

The Golden Curb; or, Sober Checks given to Rash Passions, formed part of Mather's Batteries upon the Kingdom of the Devil, printed in London, in 1695. In this new issue the title read A Golden Curb, for the Mouth, which with an Headstrong Folly, rushes into the Sins of Profane Swearing and Cursing. Boston, John Allen, 1709, p. 12. It has no separate title-page.

The manner in which Mather exerted his efforts to secure the publication of his sermons is well illustrated in his letter to John Winthrop, December 16, 1707 printed in 4 Proceedings VIII. 406, and to Dr. Penhallow, p. 169, infra.

2 He was the fourth minister of Reading, son of Robert and Sarah (Lynde) Pierpont of Roxbury. Some extracts from an early journal are given in Eaton, History of Reading, 104 n. Sewall says his death “ was a very great Loss!"

Chief of Sinners, and there was a memorable Solemnity in the Congregation.

I think, I may also say, I exercised some Faith in the ascended Jesus for them.

Inasmuch as I kept one Fast this Week already, (at Reading) I did not keep another, on the Friday following, as else in Course, I should have done.

I nevertheless enjoy'd a precious Communion with the Lord, at His holy Table.

I conversed with each of the three Persons in the Eternal Godhead. I addressed the three Prayers, unto the three glorious Persons. But still in the Beginning of each Prayer, acknowledged that Person to be the God, who is the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that so, I might not erroneously separate them, when I distinguish'd them. I wondered at this Grace, that when those three glorious Persons were from all Eternity conversing with one another, they would now bring such vile Creatures, as we are, into an heavenly Conversation with them. I celebrated the particular Things done by each Person, for His People. I glorified each Person, with such Praises, and such Desires, as were adapted unto our Consideration of the Deity subsisting in it. I was carried into the Suburbs and Earnests of Heaven, by this evangelical Action. Herein also, as in a thousand and a thousand other Things, the Lord is my Teacher.1 Oh! lett me love Him, who is thus ripening of me, for the heavenly World!

The Month of July, brings with it, as little as the former.

Only, on 22 d. 5 m. [July.] Friday.

I sett apart the Day, for Prayer with Fasting before the Lord, and had some sweet Conversation with Heaven in the Dây.

The Lord is again favoring me, with precious and mul

1 Two lines struck out in this place.

tiplied Opportunities, to bring forth Fruit, and serve Him, in the Way of the Press.

I shall have Opportunity, quickly to take Notice of several Essayes, which the Glorious Lord, allowes the Chief of Sinners, to make, for the Service of His Kingdome. One thing that I now do is this.

I am extremely concerned, that they who lay hold on the Covenant in our Churches, especially in my own, may be saved from the Snares of a wretched Formality, in what they do, and be made very sensible of the great Obligations which are laid upon them, to lead a life of serious Religion. I therefore preached a Sermon upon Sins against the everlasting Covenant; and then, I fitted it for the Press, and printed it. It is entituled, THE BONDS OF THE COVENANT. My Design is, to lodge it in the Hands of all that have offered themselves unto the Covenant in my own Church, or that shall do so. And also to send it into most of the Towns in the Countrey, with some Intimations, to have it lent, on that Occasion.

Moreover, having preached 2 a Sermon about, Communing with our own Hearts, there were devout Hearers, who desired that they might be furnished with Copies of it; and offered the Expence of the Impression. So I fitted this for the Press also; and entituled it, WORK WITHIN DOORS.3

20 d. 6 m. [August.] Friday. This Day I sett apart, as usually before the Celebration of the Eucharist; for Prayer with Fasting, in my Study.

But Nothing very remarkable occurr'd, relating to it. I enjoy'd something of Heaven. It left some heavenly Impressions upon me.

I am so full of Employments; and in such an happy way of continually every day, doing a Variety of Services,

1 This seems to refer to the sermon preached on July 17. See p. 31, infra. • Preached June 19. See p. 30, infra.

3 Printed by T. Green, 1709.