ries me comfortably thro' the Services before me. The Man also by his Desire procures it, that I must be the Man, who must preach the last Sermon he shall hear, on the next Thursday just before his Execution; yea, and he assigns me a tremendous Text then to preach upon; even that, Matth. x. 28. Fear Him who can destroy both Body and Soul in Hell. Such Things as these, animate me more and more to study the Temper of Mind, which introduced them.

10. G. D. I hope, what I have preached yesterday, about improving a Space to Repent, is what the Flock will fare the better for.

II. G. D. What shall be done, for the raising of Sammy's Mind, above the debasing Meannesses of Play!

12. G. D. My Brother languishing at Roxbury, and my Nephew lying dangerously and dubiously sick, at Dedham, call for my most earnest Cries to Heaven, and other Cares on their behalf.

13. G. D. What a surprising Opportunity to do good unto many, have I thrown into my hands this day, by the Desire of a poor Man,1 who procures my preaching on a Text that he has chosen to hear handled before his Death, which is to be this Afternoon.

My Glorious Lord graciously carried me thro' the hard Service before me, in a very vast Assembly.

(V.) The Sermon is immediately desired and expected in the Way of the Press. I give it unto the Bookseller under this Title. The Valley of Hinnom. The Terrors of HELL demonstrated, and the Methods of Escaping the Terrible Miseries in the punishment of the Wicked there, declared; In a SERMON, preached in the Hearing and at the Request, of a Man under a Sentence of Death for a Murder; Just before the Execution of the sentence, and upon a Text by him

1

1 Jeremiah Fenwick, of Boston, who had in November, 1716, killed one Ralph Moxtershed, a ropemaker. Sewell gives the name Phenix.

self assigned for the Sermon to insist upon. At Boston, 13 d. IV m. 1717. To which there is his Dying Speech

annexed.1 1

14. G. D. Deeply engaged, in Writing many Letters to England, of a public Importance, I am Contriving many and special Services for the Public.

15. G. D. More Objects for Compassion in the Prison. 15 d. 4 m. Satureday. This Day, I sett apart for Prayer with Fasting in Secret before the Lord.

I had many Concerns to spread before the Lord in my Supplications.

Particularly the deplorable State of the new South Church in this Town.

But, what I most of all designed and pursued, was, the Accomplishment of Joel's Prophecy.

Whereof I have expressed my Sentiments, on, 18 d. 3 m., a month ago.

* 16. G. D. I would not only resolve the Frames and Acts, which belong to a Life of Piety, but still as I take up the Resolutions, I would pitch upon particular Times, wherein I will express those Frames and exert those Acts, and so make sure of obtaining my Purposes.

17. G. D. And I will mightily insist upon the like Advice to the Flock, that so the Exhortations to Piety may not be lost upon them.

18. G. D. Nancy's Health calls for a timous Consideration.

19. G. D. With what Solemnity must I call upon my Kinsman, T. W[alter] to make a right and a great Use, of his Deliverance from the Jawes of Death, which the God, who hears Prayer, has lately given?

20. G. D. The miserable Condition and Contention, of the People in the South-part of the Town, very much takes up of my Time and Thought for them.

1 1 Printed by J. Allen for Robert Starke, 1717.

21. G. D. Our excellent Governour who has delivered the Countrey from a Flood of Corruption, which was introduced by the selling Places, is to be encouraged, and a course must be taken, that he may be vindicated from the Aspersions of a cursed Crue in this Place, who traduce him as guilty of that Iniquity.

22. G. D.

be recovered.

Some in our Church, fallen into Sin, must

* 23. G. D. I am defective, I am not enough explicit and enlarged. In the Morning, to lay the Plan of the Work to be done in the Day for God; In the Evening, to reflect particularly, upon all the Passages of the Day. Mend.

24. G. D. By doing more about my Sermons, in the former part of the Week, I shall render myself more useful to the Flock, on many Accounts, as well as in the Study of my Sermons.

25. G. D. My Children must be obliged oftener to wait upon their two aged Grandfathers, with dutiful Visits. They may help to sweeten and prolong the Lives of their Grandfathers, and also receive efficacious Instructions from them.

26. G. D. I have a very wicked Brother-in-Law, whom tis high time for me to think of more effectual Methods for the reclaiming of.

27. G. D. Diverse ungospellized Plantations, destitute of Ministers, must be exceedingly cared for.

28. G. D. Some Care must be taken that the Loss of Time at Funerals in this Town, may be prevented and redressed. I will present a Memorial to the select Men, on this Affair.

29. G. D. Some in great Affliction to be visited.

30. G. D. My SAVIOUR sais, a Corn of Wheat, if it dy, it bringeth forth much Fruit. In all my Essays to do Good, I still find a Sentence of Death written upon what

I have undertaken, before it comes to any Thing. Wherefore, when I see a Sentence of Death on any of my Essays, I would entertain it, without froward and sinful Discouragements, and have a lively Faith awakened and exercised in my Soul, for a good Issue of all.

How strangely does the glorious Lord continue to make use of me! I gave to the Bookseller my Essay upon, The valley of Hinnom. I was desirous at the same time, to have had him taken another Discourse for the Cure of Ungoverned Anger. He declined it, and I was easy; my Discourse must ly by under a Sentence of Death; my Labour be buried.

(VI.) But in five Dayes time, the Bookseller sells off an Impression of near a thousand which he printed of the former Essay; and now he comes to me for the Latter. So it comes abroad, for the service of Piety under this Title. FEBRIFUGIUM. An Essay for the Cure of ungoverned Anger, In a Sermon preached at the Proposal, and on the Occasion of a Man under a Sentence of Death, for a Murder committed by him in his Anger, At Boston, 23 d. III m. 1717.1

July. 1. G. D. A severe Expostulation, with such of the Flock, as by neglecting to approach the Table of the Lord, plainly declare themselves yett Minors in Christianity. 2. G. D. My dear Nibby, draws near her Time.

3. G. D. I have a Kinsman, to be advised against the prevailing of Slothfulness, and the Neglecting of his Business, which threatens to grow upon him.

3 d. v m. Wednesday. This Day, being the Commencement, as they call it; a Time of much Resort unto Cambridge, and sorrily enough thrown away, I chose to spend this Time at home, and I sett apart a good Part of it, for Prayer with Fasting before the Lord.

And besides the usual Matter of Supplications, there were especially three Errands, which I now went unto Heaven upon.

1 Printed by J. Allen, 1717.

One, that the Spirit of God may be poured out upon all Flesh, according to His Promise; and the Kingdome of God introduced with a fresh and large Rain of the Gifts which refreshed the Heritage of the Lord in the primitive Times.

For this, I have now besought the Lord thrice.

Another, that our Colledge, which is on many Accounts in a very neglected and unhappy Condition, and has been betray'd by vile Practices, may be restored unto better Circumstances, and be such a Nursery of Industry, and Piety, and all Erudition, as that our Churches may therein see the Compassion of the Lord unto them.

A Third; that my dear Nibby, may be carried well to and thro' her Time, and see a gracious Deliverance.

4. G. D. Care to be taken for the Recommendation of some fitt Persons to the Governour, for public Places, who may be likely to be Blessings in their Stations.

5. G. D. This Day, I prosecute several Designs among the Commissioners for the Indian Affairs, that may be for the public Interest.

6. G. D. A poor man in our Church, must be recommended unto Charity.

* 7. G. D. I propose a sensible Improvement in Piety, by my Perusal of Mons'r. Placettes, La Morale Chrétienne abregée.1

8. G. D. A Sermon upon Secret Sorrows, may be of marvellous use unto the Flock.

9. G. D. My two youngest Children, of their own Accord, incline to learning the French Tongue; and visit a master for it. I would cherish the Inclination.

10. G. D. A Kinsman, of whom I have hitherto taken little Cognisance, appears to me, capable of Service in our Eastern Plantations. I would propose and pursue the Matter.

II. G. D. I have in view, a sensible Service for the Kingdome of God; by forming for some Students, who have taken their Degree, a Method of Studies which may 1 Jean La Placette (1639-1718).