their Pens. I will prosecute and cultivate this Point of their Education, with all possible Encouragement.

3. G. D. There is a Merchant in this Town, who has been wickedly, absurdly, sordidly abusive to me. It lies in my Power many Wayes to hurt him. I will totally abstain from doing the least Hurt unto him. I will earnestly pray unto God, for all Sorts of Blessings upon him; and particularly, that the Danger of his Breaking, and coming to nothing, may be prevented. And I will sett myself to invent wayes to do him good Offices.

No sooner had I written these Words, but there was a pretty Occurence in the Family, which carried with it a fine Picture and Emblem and Incentive of the Disposition, which I am endeavouring. My little Son Sammy, did not carry it so kindly to his little Sister Lizzy, as I would have had him. I chid him for his Crossness, and gave her a Peece of Pomecitron, but would give none to him, to punish him for his being so cross to her. I had no sooner turn'd my back, but the good-condition'd Creature fell into Tears, at this Punishment of her little Brother, and gave to him a Part of what I had bestowed upon her.

4. G. D. It would be a great Service to the Kingdome of God, if the Funerals, that are so frequent among us, were made greater Instances and Incentives of Religion. A Discourse on that CASE, What should be the Behaviour of a Christian at a Funeral? may be of good Use among us. At the Lecture, I may, if God please endeavour it.1

5. G. D. I propose to send for a principal Person or two, belonging to each of the religious Societies of young Men, and consult with them together, about the State of the Societies, and what may be done for the Growth of them, and for the best carrying on their Exercises.

6. G. D. There is an aged Gentleman, who has very

1 Two years later he printed an essay upon A Christian Funeral, and the conduct of a Christian at a funeral.

little to subsist him, (Pavλivs).1 I will study [to] make his Life comfortable to him, and have him at my Table every Week, and as often as he pleases.

7. G. D. The mysterious Nature and Working of Pride, and Self, in my depraved Soul, must be my most exquisite Study; and I must be restless until I find the Dispositions thereof mortified in me by a superiour and Coelestial Principle; and I must proceed, not only to a constant Rebuke of my Sin in all the Motions of it, but also to do those Actions wherein it shall be evident unto that Grace has had the Upperhand of Sin. How else can I be meet for the Inheritence of the Saints in Light?

me,

1. [February 25.] G. D. What if I should preach a Sermon, about the Errands upon which the Faithful should come unto the Table of the Lord, and Methods of bringing them? Our People need greatly to be instructed and quickened in this matter; and if they wisely did their Duty herein, it would greatly promote Piety among us! What if I should afterwards publish the Sermon, and scatter it into the Families of the Neighbourhood, and throughout the Countrey?

2. G. D. My Consort is now near her Time, I will order my Prayers for her and with her, and my Discourse and Carriage to her, after such a Manner, as may best suit her present Circumstances.

2

3. G. D. To an aged Gentlewoman, related unto my Wife, (Mrs. Taps) I will immediately write a Letter, that may assist her Preparation for the heavenly World; and send some agreeable Books unto her.

4. G. D. There are some Gentlemen, who are willing upon Funerals in their Families, to devote some of the Money, they save out of the needless Expences on such Occasions, unto the Service of our three Charity-Scholes, and the Education of poor Children. I would move, that

the three Gentlemen who are the Stewards for the Supporters of the said Scholes, may unite in calling on the Gentlemen proper to be address'd for their Bounty on such Occasions; and receive then the Direction of the several associated Supporters, concerning the Disposal thereof.

5. G. D. There is a bereaved Church in our Neighbourhood, running into Divisions and Confusions, by delaying to invite a worthy Minister among them. What if I should prevail with the neighbouring Ministers, to join with me, in writing a monitory Letter unto them, to prevent the Devices of Satan, which are operating on them?

6. G. D. A poor young Woman, the wife of a sober young Man, gone to sea for the Releef of his Poverty, (Mopore) is in the Straw, very Indigent. I will send in Releefs unto her.

1

2 d. 1 m. [March.] 1711. Friday. This Day I sett apart, for Prayers with Alms, and Fasting before the Lord; that I might obtain His Favours on my Family and my Ministry; and Abundance of Grace; with the Pardon of all my Miscarriages.

I mett with many Hindrances (by Company coming in upon me) in the Duties of the Day; which made me fear that I had not sett about the Duties with a due Preparation and Application; for which this may be a Chastisement upon me; and I humbled myself accordingly.

7. G. D. When any Thing begins to raise any Ebullition of Anger in me, I would endeavour to allay it, by one or both of these Considerations. First, What provocations have I given to the Great God, like those, but infinitely greater than those, which I receive of them that are about me? And, What was the Meekness and Wisdome of my blessed Jesus, when He was provoked by the Contradiction of Sinners?

1 Morse.

1. [March 4.] G. D. Should not I do well, to take the Number of those who have died in our church; and make it a lively Argument and Incentive to quicken Piety in the Survivers?

4 d. 1 m. Lords-day. My great Errand unto the Lord at His Table, was, to renew my Hold of the everlasting Covenant. Methoughts, I now saw more clearly than ever, that the Covenant of Grace, is but the Covenant of Redemption between God the Father and our Saviour applied unto Us. And that my Saviour is He, who has engaged for me unto His eternal Father, that I shall beleeve and repent, and be holy in all Manner of Conversation, and be found in the sincere Discharge of the Duty which the Covenant has prescribed as the Way unto Salvation: and that what I have to do, is by His Assistence to consent, that the blessed Jesus be my Saviour, and that I be united unto Him as unto the Head of all His People, and that He shall by the efficacious Grace of His holy Spirit, bring me to my Duty, and help me in it, and make me prayerful, and watchful, and fruitful, and zealous of good Works; and anon raise me from the Dead. And I consented accordingly. then sealed it.

And

2. G. D. It is high Time for me, to draw up for my Daughter Katharin, the main Questions relating to the Experiences of Conversion and of Piety, and oblige her with her Pen to answer them: and so bring her forward unto the Covenant of God, and the Communion of His holy Table.

3. G. D. I can't call to mind any one Person in the World, who has injured me, and Abused me, but I have requited them Good. All I can think of this Morning is, to continue in this Disposition, with the Help of the divine Grace, and continually lay hold on all Occasions, as they may occur, to overcome Evil with Good.

4.

G. D. A remarkable Relation of a Distress under

gone and a Deliverance received by some sea-faring People, is putt into my Hands. I will endeavour the Publication of it in such a Manner, as may not only glorify the Power, and Wisdome, and Goodness of God; but also do good, especially among that sort of People.1

5. G. D. I would procure a strict Enquiry, about the late way of Admission into the particular Church-State, practised among our Christian Indians; lest it should (which I hear) degenerate into a very lax Proceedure.

I would also obtain it, that the Oppressions of some English upon those Indians, (which I hear a fresh complained of) may be exactly enquired into.

6. G. D. There is a poor Scotch young Woman, who is near her lying in, and is destitute of all Necessaries and Conveniencies. I will send her some Releef, and move my Wife (who is near her own lying in) to do so too; and stir up the Neighbours to join in releeving of her. There are some others in the like Circumstances, for whom I would be in the like Manner concerned.

7. G. D. I am afraid, lest while I am conversing with my Neighbours, (tho' it be alwayes with the Intentions of doing some Good unto them) I may, ere I am aware, be betray'd into some Degree of Slothfulness, which may be a Prejudice unto my greater Usefulness. Wherefore, when I am abroad among my Neighbours, I would often putt that Question to myself, Would it not be more pleasing unto my glorious Lord, that I should be in my Study at this Time? If I find myself in a Temper and Vigour to be carrying on greater Services in my Study, I would break off the most agreeable Conversation, and fly thither, with a Zeal of redeeming the Time, upon me.

1. [March 11.] G. D. Tho' I often encourage Liberality in Almsgiving, yett upon further Consideration I find, that I have not spoken enough. I propose therefore to 1 See p. 71, infra.