from that Communion; the Importunity wherewith such a Communion is to be desired; and the Voice of God communing with each sort of People from the Mercy-seat in the Sanctuary.

2. G. D. I must keep a strict Eye on my Servant Onesimus; especially with regard unto his Company. But I must particularly endeavour to bring him unto Repentance, for some Actions of a thievish Aspect. Herein I must endeavour that there be no old Theft of his unrepented of, and left without Restitution.

But then, upon every observable Miscarriage of any Person in my Family, I must make my Flight unto the Blood of my Saviour, as a Family-Sacrifice; that so the Wrath of God may be turned away from my Family.

3. There is an horrid and very wicked Blade, a Finished Rake, who a year ago, (and ever since) has treated me with all the Malignities and Indignities, that Hell could inspire him withal, and now in a long Journey made it his business to load me with his lying Calumnies, wherever he has come. I have begg'd of my glorious Lord, that He would pitty and pardon this poor Man, and give him a new Heart, but graciously stop him in his Career of Wickedness. I have entirely left him in the Hand of the Glorious One. Last night, I understand, that God has broken the Arm of the wicked Wretch; by a Fall he has received in his Journey. I thought it now a Time to pray for him, (which I did before I slept,) that God will be merciful to him, and sanctify to him his Affliction, and bring him to Repentance. And I now renew my purpose to do so; and mightily to keep under the Awe of that Word, Rejoice not when thine Enemy falleth.

This Day I had a surprising Experiment. I have been for some while Afflicted with grievous Pains in my Head, that seem to have a gouty Aspect upon them. A neighbour-Minister last Night asked me, whether the Dragon

might not be (by the wise Permission of Heaven) taking some Revenge upon me, for some notable Mischief, which my Head may have lately done unto His Kingdome? The Consideration of a Peece of Work, which I am now upon, harmonizes well enough, with such a pleasant Fancy. But I am now passing from the evil Angels to the good ones. All Methods and Medicines for my Cure, fail me. I have used Unguents, and Plaisters, and Cataplasms, and Epispaspicks, and Sinapisms, and Catharticks, and what not! But all to no purpose. My Physicians are of no value. My Pains this Morning are more violent than they use to be. I ly down like a Stag in a Nett, with a very despairing Discouragement. However, I thought, I would make one Experiment more. But before I made it, I fell down before the Lord. I acknowledged the Power of my Enthroned Saviour, over the World, and over Diseases; and His Empire over the mighty Angels. I bewailed before His holy Majesty, my Foolishness and Filthiness, and my Unworthiness of His Favours. I begg'd the Removal of my Malady, that I might go on with His desired Service; and that the Pains which He suffered might be the Price of my Deliverance. I pleaded with Him, that His good Angels were able, at His Order, to do marvellous Kindnesses for the Children of men, in releeving of their Weaknesses, and those kind and sweet Spirits took Delight in helping us, especially if they might look on us as their Fellow-Servants. I besought Him to send one of His Angels, to touch my Head with His healing Hand; which I knew would immediately releeve me. Behold, I had no Occasion for any further Application. My Pains immediately went off. And as yett (I write the Day following,) I have no Return of them. This Occurrence has a very sanctifying Effect upon my Mind. It causes me to resolve, Oh lett me now be more Industrious than ever; in the Service of my Glorious Lord! Oh! lett me be more solli

citious to avoid every Thing that may be offensive to the Angels of the holy Lord."

4. G. D. My Book of, The true way to shake off a Viper is published in London, and this week arrived here. I would sett myself, in the Dispersion thereof, to consider how it may be most serviceable unto the great Interests of Religion.

5. G. D. I would write unto Sir Richard Blackmore, my Desires, that His incomparable Pen may make its furthest Efforts, in paying an Homage to our admirable JESUS; in celebrating His Beauties, before which those of the whole Creation languish and vanish; in uttering the awakened Songs of His Love to the Children of Men; in describing the illustrious Exemple of all Goodness, which He has given us; in asserting His Government over the Works of God; and Painting out the Grandeurs wherein He shall come to raise the Dead and judge the World, and the Delights of the new Heavens and the new Earth, which shall succeed the Resurrection.

6. G. D. I hear of a very poor Woman in my Neighbourhood, perishing in three woful Circumstances; Wickedness, Poverty, and a Consumption. I would sett myself to do all that I am able for her. (πEppie.) 1 (περριε.)

After two or three Dayes of unaccountable Repose, I suffered some Return of my Pain; upon which I made my Renewed Supplications unto the Lord, as before. And I putt on an Epispastic, which suddenly and mightily releeved me.

7. G. D. It has long been my Custome, when I write a Letter, tho' it be but a short one, to think, What honourable Mention can I make of my dear Saviour here? What Occasion can I make to insinuate Something of His Glory? But I would more than ever carry on my Consideration, to this further Point: What Service may I do for the King

1 Perry.

dome of my dear Saviour, on this Cpportunity? What Good may I putt my Friend upon the doing of?

And now, taking my Correspondencies into Consideration, I would add these three Resolutions more. First; when I am sealing a Letter and sending it away, I would with an Act of Resignation putt it over into the Hand of the divine Providence, for the Safety and Success of it. Secondly, when I am going to open any Letter that arrives with a Direction to me, I would lift up my Heart unto God, that He would præpare me for whatever Matter, grievous or joyful, I am therein to encounter withal. Thirdly, in my last Prayer in my Study, before I go to my Rest, I would call to Mind, from whom I have received any Letter this Day, and make a particular Mention of that Person, unto the Lord, with Supplications for suitable Mercies to him.

1. [December 16.] G. D. There are two Persons of some Fashion and Interest, whom I may with a little of my Advice bring into our Communion. It may be a Service, not unto them alone, but also unto the whole Flock; and therefore I would endeavour it.

2. G. D. By the gracious Providence of God, it is come to pass, that the religious, ingenious, and sweetspirited Isaac Watts, hath sent me the new Edition of his Hymns; wherein the Interest of Piety are most admirably suited. I receive them as a Recruit and a Supply sent in from Heaven for the Devotions of my Family. There I will sing them, and endeavour to bring my Family in Love with them. I would also procure our Booksellers to send for a Number of them; and perswade my well-disposed Neighbours to furnish themselves with them; and in this way promote Piety among them.

3. G. D. Great Service may be done for the Church of God, and some for my Brother himself, by giving my Excitations and Assistences to my Brother Samuel, for the

Work he is upon; the abridging and publishing our ChurchHistory. I am now, for that Purpose writing to him.

4. G. D. In my Letters to Britain, I would call upon the Non Conformists, to institute an Enquiry into the Reproaches and Calumnies, with which their Enemies do load them, and the Prejudices against them, with which their Enemies Endeavour to leaven the Minds of them who do not know them; and consider hereupon, what is the Voice of God unto them in all these things; what Lessons they have to learn from the Abuses of their Adversaries; what should be their Studies that they may effectually confute the Ignorance of them that speak Evil of them; Wherein they may have given any Shadow of Occasion unto disaffected Men to be so; or, what other Miscarriages in them the Holy God may design to chastise in the Abuses of unreasonable Men; and, in fine, what Improvement in the Things that are excellent, they should make under the Discipline of the disadvantageous Character, which foolish and factious Men endeavour to putt upon them; and, thus to gain Wisdome from their Enemies.

5. G. D. Would it not be a thing of good Consequence, if I should write unto some of the Ministers employ'd in the evangelical Service among the Indians, that they would procure as soon as may be, a Consultation with the Rest of their Brethren; about the Mischiefs which most threaten the Christian Indians, and the Methods of preventing those Mischiefs; and be more in earnest than ever to advance the Kingdome of God and of His Christ among them; and with a true evangelical Spirit give Demonstration, that the little Pension received by them, is the least Thing they aim at?

6. G. D. I have now gott by me, a pretty large Summ of Money, to be dispersed among the poor. I will first cry to the glorious Lord for His Direction. I will then look out for Objects of Piety, both at home and abroad. And