1711

THE XLIXTH YEAR OF MY LIFE

12 d. 12 m. [February.] 1710. Munday. Should the Chief of Sinners live to the End of this Year, I shall have seen a Jubilee of Years. It becomes me to begin the Year, with a Sort of Jubilation; and to spend this Day in Songs of Praise unto the God of my Life.

I began the Day, with Cries to Heaven, for Help to go thro' the heavenly Work of praising the glorious One.

I laboured all the Day long to multiply on all Occurrences and Occasions, the heavenward Ejaculations of a praising Soul.

I attended my usual Exercises in the Religion of the Morning. I then deeply humbled myself before the Lord, for the Sins of my past Life; and particularly, the more notable Sins of the last Year; most of all, my criminal Idleness and Barrenness; that I have done so little Good, in Comparison of what I might have done. I confessed myself worthy of all the Afflictions which I have suffered all this while; yea, of all the Afflictions, Distresses and punishments, which I can see any Sinners any where languishing under. I own'd the shining Displayes of sovereign and marvellous Grace in all the Favours that Heaven bestowes upon me.

I sang agreeable Psalms now and then in the Day.

I proceeded unto Meditations and Acknowledgments of the Mercies which my past Life has been brightened withal. Especially, in that having obtained Help from God I continue to this Day. And I am free from grievous and painful and horrible Diseases. And my Family is in comfortable Circumstances. And I have been fetch'd a foolish and filthy Creature from forlorn Wretchedness, and made a Preacher of the everlasting Gospel, and accommodated with an Utterance and a Library beyond most in the World. I have had precious Opportunities to preach the glorious Gospel; in very great Assemblies; my Auditory is alwayes one of the greatest that is ordinarily seen among the People of God. My Writings also, have

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been published, and accepted, (near two hundred several Times,) and serviceable to the best Interests. And tho' I have had cruel Enemies I have been strangely preserved from their Power and Malice; and victorious over it.

I then considered the more particular Blessings which crowned the last Year unto me. The Smiles I have had on my Family; and the Helps in my Ministry; the Triumphs of my continued Serviceableness over the Attempts of my Adversaries to hurt it. And the Strength added unto my Serviceableness, by the Civility I received from the University of Glasgow.1

I adored the Grace of God in these Things; and considered the Intercession of my Saviour as procuring of them for a Sinner, who is worthy of nothing but sore Plagues and of long Continuance.

Afterwards, considering how I am endebted unto my admirable Jesus, for all the Favours of Heaven, I perused with Deliberation, and suitable Meditations and Resolutions, my Proposals for living by the Faith of the Son of God. And then I did on my Knees before the Lord, express my Dispositions, to make my daily Flights unto my Jesus, as my Sacrifice and my Advocate; and rely upon His Providence to supply me, and protect me and comfort me; and sett His Exemple alwayes before me, and make my Conformity to Him, even in Sufferings and Abasements, my sweet Satisfaction; and be acted from a Principle of Obedience to Him in all Things; and be filled with continual Thoughts of Him. That I might arrive yett more perfectly to these Things, I resigned myself up to His holy Spirit, and requested Him to take Possession of me.

Anon, that I might glorify the great God, in each of His three Persons, I pondered the distinct Acknowledgments thereof, in my Treatise of, A Christian Conversing with the Greatest of Mysteries. And then I did in my Prayers distinctly make those Acknowledgments.

Besides these Things, I call'd to Mind, who had been special Instruments used by God, in doing of me Kindnesses, in the year now expired. I blessed God for them, and pray'd for a Blessing of God upon them. And then I gave Thanks for the Ministry of the holy Angels, and the good Offices which had been done for me, by those Ministers doing the Pleasure of the Lord.

Finally. I made this an Opportunity to bring my Petitions unto the God of my Praise: in some special and important Articles. More especially, that some, eminent and opulent Persons may be raised 1 The degree of Doctor of Divinity, conferred in 1710.

up; to forward the Publication of my Biblia Americana. And, that my Serviceableness may not be overwhelmed by the Floods of the ungodly whereof I am afraid; but some Token for Good be shown unto me, which may cause them that hate me to be ashamed.

And, that the Lord may be glorified in the Conversion of that poor Jew, for whom I was concerned now sixteen or seventeen Years ago; and towards whom the Dispensations of Heaven have been singular and wonderful.

I concluded with Prayers, that the Year upon which I am now entring may be filled with the Blessings of Goodness; that I may be comfortably carried along to the End of the Year. But, that if my Death come upon me this Year, it may prove happy, and easy, and joyful.

Arriving to the Question, What shall I render to the Lord? I considered, that I should be answering this Question, every Day of my life; the Morning of every Day would bring an explicit Answer to it. And whereas I have heretofore noted every Day my Contrivances to do good, in other papers, and then transferred the Principal of them unto the End of these Memorials at the End of the Year, I would for the future, save that Labour, and note them, in the Midst of these Papers, and in the Order that I think upon them. There is no need of my repeting here, the Questions assigned for each Day of the Week. My Answer to each of them, will be a GOOD DEVISED, for which a G. D. will be the Distinction in these Memorials.

2.1 G. D. Unto the Sacrifices of the Lord's-Day Evening in my Family, I would often add this; take a Book of Piety, and make each of the capable Children read some short pungent Passage in the hearing of all that are present, and then apply it, firstly to the Readers, and also to all the Hearers; that they may be taught the way of Life, with a most awakened Attention unto it.

3. G. D. I have a little Nephew, for whom I have not hitherto done all that I have to do, towards his Conversion and Salvation. His Name is J. C.2 my wife's

1 In carrying this plan of a daily entry into effect, Mather uses the day of the week, and thus begins to number again with every seven. To assist the reader in fixing the exact day, the Sunday's entries are fully dated by month and day of the month. 2 Clark.

Brother's Son. I will send for him; and bestow on him the little Book of the Religion of the Morning; with the Life of little Von Extor, and suitable Admonitions and Encouragements.

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4. G. D. By a Vessel now going for Carolina, and thence for Scotland, I would send some Instruments of Piety, especially my Bonifacius and my Religion of the Morning, and my Sister's Memorials of Early Piety, unto those Hands thro' whom they may, if God please, do good unto many others.

5. G. D. One of our Societies for the Suppression of Disorders, have thro' I know not what Feebleness, disbanded. I would, by the means of an active Person or two, try to revive it.

G. D. When any good Thing is agreed and resolved in a Society, where I happen to be present, I would alwayes take special Care that there be some or other alwayes appointed for to execute the Resolutions. Many good Things miscarry, because there are not particular Hands, to whom there is assign'd the Execution of them.

6. G. D. An aged and pious Man, fallen into great Penury, (KovaνT).2 I will procure needful Garments for him.

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A Godly young Man, a Ship-carpenter, having been long languishing in a Consumption, (Iyyepsoλλ)3 I will stir up some good Men of his profession; to releeve his Necessities. There is a poor Woman, (Taλкeр) to be taken care of.

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7. G. D. When I visit a sick Person, I would use to fetch an Admonition, relating to the moral Distempers in my own Heart and Life, analogous to something that I may see in the Circumstances of the Sickness, upon the Person, whom I go unto. I would think; What Thing 1 Christlieb Leberecht von Extor, son of the physician to the King of Prussia. See Mather, Man eating the Food of Angels, 1710. 2 Conant. 3 Ingersoll.

4 Walker.

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amiss in my own Soul and Walk, should I be led now to deprecate? I would make this Deprecation, an Article of my Prayers to God. And why not an Article of my Prayers with the visited Person; and of my Discourses also, my Addresses to the Person? The Diseases that Sin has brought on our Spirits, worse than any on our Bodies; and the Releef we may find in our admirable Saviour.

17-18 d. 12 m. I kept something of a Vigil, to obtain with Prayers and Psalms, in, and after the middle of the Night, certain special Favours of the Lord. Most especially, that my Serviceableness may be rescued from the Mischiefs my Adversaries intend unto it, and that my glorious Lord would appear with some comfortable Testimonies for me. I pleaded, that I durst not make any Essayes for my own Defence, much less for my own Revenge, lest I should in any measure take my Cause out of His Hands, where I desired entirely to leave it.

1. [February 18.] G. D. I would renew my ancient Care of the Flock in this one Point. I will have the Catalogue of the Communicants in our Church, Yea, and of all that have entred into the Covenant; lying before me. And I will take my proper Times, to spread the Names of them all successively before the Lord; and ask for them the Blessings of Goodness, and such Blessings as may appear to me most suitable for them. This will give me an Opportunity for much Exercise of Goodness; and lead me also to find out the Condition of the Flock.

G. D. Being to baptize two Negro's;1 I would make it an occasion to glorify the great Saviour of all men, in

several Instances; especially in such Admonitions to that

black Part of the Flock, as may be needful for them.

2. G. D. It will be a great Service and Honour unto my little Daughters to have them very good Mistresses of

1James and Ruth are the names given in the MS. Records of the Second Church, but no further information is given.