having mett with sad Things; and my own Family being in great Affliction. And I administred the Eucharist.)

12 d. 9 m. Thursday. A Day of general Thanksgiving, I preached both Parts of the Day, on Psal. 138. 7. The People of God walking in the Midst of Trouble, but meeting with Revivals in it; which they should be thankful for.

15 d. 9 m. I preached on Luk. 9. 23. The Christian a Crossbearer. (A funeral Sermon for my dear Consort.)

22 d. 9 m. I preached on, 1. Cor. 15. 31. Dying daily. (Having in less than two Weeks had five Deaths in my Family.)

26 d. 9 m. Thursday. I preached the Lecture, on Prov. 24. 10. Not Fainting in a Day of Adversity; and gave the Reverse of it, in the Description of an unfainting Beleever under Affliction. (The Occasions obvious.)

29 d. 9 m. I preached on Heb. 5. 8. Our Saviours learning Obedience by the Things which He suffered, and our Imitation of Him. 6 d. 10 m. [December.] I preached on, 1. Pet. 1. 15. Holiness in all Manner of Conversation; what it is, and what our Obligations to it.

13 d. 10 m. I preached on, Job. 21. 17. A Distribution of Sorrows, made by God, among the Children of Men, and unto the wicked, in His Anger.

17 d. 10 m. Thursday. A Fast kept by the Churches of Boston, because of our Calamity in the Malady of the Measles, and a growing Scarcity. I preached on Exod. 15. 26. Our Saviour to be glorified, as the Healer of our Disease.

20 d. 10 m. I preached on, Psal. 116. 5. The Glorious God a most righteous God.

24 d. 10 m. Thursday. I preached the Lecture, on Mic. 6. 13. People smitten of God for their Sins in their Sufferings; especially when smitten with Sickness. (To suit the present Case of the Town with a seasonable Word.)

27 d. 10 m. I preached, in the Forenoon, on 1. Chron. 29. 15. No Continuance in this World, or Expectation from it.

In the Afternoon, on Psal. 116. 5, and finished in agreeable Flames [Frames], my Discourse on the punitive Justice of God.

3 d. 11 m. [January, 1713-14.] I preached on, 1. Chron. 29. 3. An Affection placed on the House of God. (And I administred the

Eucharist.)

Io d. 11 m. I preached on Psal. 116. 5. The Justice of God, in Rewarding of our Piety, and in Fulfilling of His Covenant.

14 d. 11 m. Thursday. A general Fast. I preached on Ezek. 15. 7. People delivered from one Calamity, but for their Misbehaviours quickly thrown into another, and a more devouring one.

17 d. 11 m. I preached on Ps. 116. 5. The Goodness of God as operating, first in His Love unto His Creatures.

21 d. 11 m. Thursday. I preached the Lecture, on, Joh. 5. 14, calling upon the Town, whereof there was now a vast Auditory, to make a due Improvement, of the late Calamity and Deliverances. Reserving the rest of my Discourse for the next Opportunity; which will [not] now be, till six Weeks hence; A sixth Lecturer coming in to settle this Period.

24 d. 11 m. I preached on, Psal. 116. 5. The Goodness of God, shining in His Mercy.

31 d. 11 m. I preached on, Psal. 116. 5. The Goodness of God, shining in His Grace, and in His Patience.

7 d. 12 m. [February.] I preached, on Psal. 116. 6. The simple preserved, and the People of God helped in a low Condition.

[On the last sheet is recorded:]

Abigail, William, [Katharine,] Mary, Joseph, Abigail, Mehetabel, Hannah, Increase, Samuel, Elizabeth, Samuel Nathanael, Jerusha, Eleazar, Martha.

Of 15, Dead 9, Living 6.

Quos nubi Indignissimo Deus dedit Filii Filiaeque.

TO SAMUEL PENHALLOW.

M.H.S.

BOSTON, 21 d. 8 m. [October.] 1713.

SIR, -Tis more than Time for me, to return my own and my Consort's, thanks to you and yours, for the Hyblaean Present wherewith you lately obliged us. This I now do, with my hearty Prayers, that you may be satisfied with that out of the Rock!

I wish my Pen were able to entertain you with any thing like what the Poet saies dropt from the Lip of Nestor; whose Greek Verse I have turned into this English Hexameter;

His Lip dropt Language, than Sweet Honey, Sweeter abundance. But such as it is, I pray your Acceptance of my last Publication. Our Friend,1 for whose Arrival, we made so many smokes above a weeke ago, has now exhibited his Commissions, and Instructions; in which, Nihil invenio bonis moribus contrarium, or that has any hurtful Aspect on these Colonies or Churches.

1 Francis Nicholson.

The next Day after his Arrival, he (with an Army of the same Religion) was present at an Ordination in Charlestown where, among other Things, a Speech was made, that asserted the Validity of our Ordination, and the legitimate Vocation and Investiture of our Ministry, with great Freedome and Assurance; and affirmed, that all the Churches of God on the Continent of Europe do subsist on an Ordination received from an Order not superiour to that of our Pastors.1 Nevertheless he declared afterwards, not without Appearance of some Impression, that he had never seen such a Spectacle before; and it was a solemn, serious affecting Transaction.

His Commission relating to these Provinces, is, I suppose only to examine Accounts; which, I hope, you Gentlemen Treasurers, etc. are not afraid of.

I was going on with my Intelligence; but at this moment your lovely Children stop at my Gate, calling for my Letter.

So that I am under a necessity to break off here; Purposing a very speedy Appendix. I am, Sir, Yours alwayes

C. MATHER.

The Measles is gott into my Family and is like to prove an heavy Calamity to all the Town.

BOSTON, 24 d. 10 m. [December.] 1713. SIR,To the Letters and Packetts, which I have this Week already directed for you, I have nothing to add; but only pray your communicating of these two printed Letters of Charity, as Providence may afford Occasion.

Yes;

there is one Thing more. In your Conversation with my aged Parent, when you were last in this Town, you mentioned a surprising Curiosity, of two very sympathizing Sisters at Hampton.2 We both of us, pray the Favour, that you would obtain for us, a particular and a well-attested Relation of that Curiosity. There is a Society in the World, who, I perceive, expect from me, what may be curious, in these American Regions.

The Letters of Charity, I now send you, may no doubt be censured, as every Thing of mine is, by some of your Neighbours, whose Envy (and Folly) uses to be at least a equal to their Learning. But the Imitation of our dear, dear Saviour, in helping the sick and miserable

1 Sewall, Diary, II. 401.

* Bridget and Jane Moulton.

yeelds a Consolation, which will weigh down against all their Impertinencies. I am, Sir, Your hearty Friend and Serv't.

Co. MATHER.1

TO SIR WILLIAM ASHURST.

A.A.S.

BOSTON, N. E. 12 d. 8 m. [October.] 1714.

SIR, Your grand Revolution on the first of August, has affected these Plantations in a very uncommon Manner; and we comfort ourselves with Hopes, that our King, will extend his benign Rayes, to his American Colonies, where he has diverse hundreds of thousands of Subjects; but none more loyal and faithful than those of N. E. Our Governour, with whom I have of late Months lived in Good Correspondence, commands me to give you his Service.

2

Many (whereof your Servant who now writes was one,) were of the Opinion, in the Reign of the late Ministry that we should be much easier and happier in him, notwithstanding some Dissatisfactions,

1" 22 d. 1 m. [March.] 1713-14. The Committee who served the Church the last Year this Day received the Thanks of the Church for their faithful Service, and were desired and empowered by the Vote of the Church, to act another Year in the same Capacity.

"This Vote was also passed: There having been passed in the Year 1676 a Vote of this Church, That in case any that should build Pewes in the Meetinghouse, should see cause afterwards to leave them, the Pewes' should be disposed of, not by them, but as the Church should see cause: which Vote has not been regarded and executed, as it ought to have been; by reason whereof many Inconveniences have arisen to the Church:

"For Prevention thereof for the time to come, is now Voted and agreed, that the former Vote be confirmed, and henceforth putt in Execution; and that in Explanation thereof, when any Owner or Owners of Pewes shall remove out of this, to inhabit in another Town, or shall desire and obtain a Dismission from this to another Church; or shall absent themselves (except on a Voyage at Sea, with a Prospect of their Return) from their Attendance here, and neither by themselves nor some of their Family generally or frequently contribute towards the Maintenance of the Ministry, and the Charges of the Church. In such cases, they shall be deemed to leave their Pewes, and the Church, or their Committee for the time being, may at their Discretion offer and return to them ten Pounds in Money, out of the Church-stock in satisfaction for their Pewes, and in convenient Time after such a Tender made to them, shall be authorised to dispose of said Pew or Pews to some other suitable Person; the former Owners being at Liberty to accept of their Money, either before or after such Disposal."

"2 d. 3 m. [May.] 1714. Nath: Henny dismissed to join with the fourteen Brethren, that are forming a new Church in the Neighborhood.

"16 d. 3 m. John-Lately Gee, dismissed unto the new Church in our Neighborhood." Cotton Mather's MS. Records of the Second Church, II.

than in any such disbanded, boisterous, terrible Flanderkin, as we fear'd might come into the Succession; and therefore heartily desired his Continuance in the Government; and so much the rather, because all agree him to be a Gentleman of fine Accomplishments. I perceive, that some are even still of the Opinion, that we had better still have him for our Governour, than some that may be Strangers to us; or not of our Nation.

And I myself cannot well shake off a certain Principle which obliges me, to wish him all the good that may be obtained for him; and particularly as much quiet as may be, when his, Quietus est, shall be granted him.

Nor have I forgotten what Chrysostom did for Eutropious.

While I was in the midst of these Contemplations, I was entertained with the comfortable Advice of the safe Arrival of our former Friend Sir Ch. H [obby] yea; and a fresh Prospect which he might now have of a Succession to our Government.

As my whole Conduct in relation to the Friend of ours, has for many Years, been a perpetual Series of Civilities to him, and Wishes and Essayes for his Prosperity; nor can any one living tax me with one Act or Word inconsistent with the Friendship I have ever treated him withal: (tho' some things have sometimes happened that look'd a little discouraging, — especially when the Publication of my Letters to him, did so extremely expose me to the Revenges of our Governor).1 So, I am still full of all due Regards unto him. And, Syr, you will not be the less so, for my informing you, that I never knew him take more Delight in speaking of any Person, than of Sr. W. A [shurst] which he very often has done to me, and alwayes with an uncommon Veneration.

If the Divine Providence bring into the Hands of that Gentleman, the Royal Commission for our Government, I hope, the many and severe Afflictions wherewith God has exercised him, will have a Tendency only to render him the more Serviceable in the World, and the more capable and the more disposed to be a generous Benefactor unto the People that shall be comitted unto him. I hope, likewise that all old personal Animosities between him, and our present Governor will be so laid aside, that nothing shall be done in any Point, but what public Welfare shall call for. Behold the most unlikely and improper Person in the World, interposing as a most unexpected Mediator.

I have broken my præscribed Measures, in writing you a Letter without one Indian Curiosity. But the Occasion must be my Apology. 1 1 Joseph Dudley.