7. G. D. If I have an occasion to inflict a punishment of any sort upon an offender; and, very particularly, if I must dispense a blow unto an offending servant, I would make it an occasion for me exceedingly to find out, and confess, and bewail before the Lord,what offences in my own heart and life I can be led hereby to think upon, and seek the pardon of, through the blood of the great sacrifice, by whose stripes I am healed.

1. G. D.* The General Assembly has made a law to restrain abuses of the Lord's day evening. It might be a sensible and seasonable service unto my flock, if, on this occasion, I preach a, sermon unto them, not only about the motives, but about the methods, for spending that evening in the exercises of piety. I may excite other ministers to do the like.

2. G. D. The description, which I have newly given to the public, of the virtuous and gracious women, who have been the. ornaments of their country, I will oblige my three daughters to transcribe into their blank bocks, and to study it. And I will make it the subject of my conferences with them.

4. G. D. I have in my design several great works for the kingdom of my dear Savior. It would be no indiscretion for me to have my blank books prepared for each of them; that so I may occasionally, from time to time, lodge in them such materials, as may occur to me in my reading and thinking, and increase my stock to work upon, if I may live to proceed in the works with a closer application.

5. G. D. There has been a grievous confusion at Medford. There is a prospect of putting a period unto it, if a sum of twenty pounds can be advanced for the satisfaction of one obstreperous person there. I would not only bear my own part of the contribution, but also stir up others; that so that poor people may have the ordinances of the Gospel settled among them.t

6. G. D. There is an aged person in a necessitous condition and blind, whose necessities I would inquire into and have accom Bodated.

7. G. D. It is likely to be a dreadful time, not only in Great Britain, but here also; a time of sad changes and evils. I would apply my mind, with more than ordinary application unto the thoughts and the methods of piety, which I am to take, that I may be accounted worthy to escape the evils of this time.

1. G. D. I will urgently press upon my hearers the consider ation of these two questions; and would conclude my next sermon with pressing of them. 1. What have I left undone, the omission whereof would inake my death uneasy to me, if I were now to die immediately? 2. If I were immediately to appear before the judgment seat of God, what plea have 1, and what hope for the blessedness of the righteous to be bestowed upon me?. And I will, with all

The venerable writer appears generally to have omitted dates; and to have begun

a new series of good devices, whenever convenience required.

From a paragraph written at this time, it would appear, that vigorous exertions were making at Newbury to establish the interest of the Episcopal church there. Wa. mention it as a historical fact mercly.

possible cogency, oblige my children to think seriously on those two most awful questions.

3. G. D. In the family of my dear, courteous, hearty kinsman, Mr. C., where I am intimately acquainted, and frequently and splendidly entertained, there are many services, to be done for the souls of old and young. I need not insert here the particular services I may design; but I shall be perpetually contriving what I may do for them, according to their several circumstances-and never go near them, without some explicit contrivance to do good among them,

4. G, D. I would make the present aspect of the times an engine to serve the cause of piety. I would inculcate the maxims and methods of piety with powerful considerations, drawn from the times into which we are fallen. These considerations I would exhibit and inculcate, not only on the Lord's days, but in my lectures; and both in my prayers and my sermons, I may contribute much unto the goodness and the wisdom of this whole people, by my being awake on this occasion.

5. G. D. In the Society for the Suppression of Disorders, I would move some especial methods to preserve and strengthen the Reli gion of the Sabbath.

6. G. D. Some children in my neighborhood are falling into a way of wickedness, for which they must have speedy correction, and from which a speedy recovery. I must take some care about them.

7. G, D. Among the occasions for expressions of piety and thankfulness, I would most affectionately take notice of one that often occurs to me, in the mean employments wherein I see many other people occupied. When I see those whose business it is to dig in the earth, to cleanse the kennels, to sweep the chimneys, to drive the wheel-barrows, and to carry burdens, or the like things of a very low degree; I would have my heart raised in praises and wonders for the sovereign grace of God, which has distinguished me with much higher and nobler employments; indeed the best of all employments. I would also lift up a prayer for the neighbors, whom I see more meanly employed, that God would help them to do what they do out of obedience unto him, and also bestow upon them some suitable blessing, which I may be led, from the circumstances of what I see them doing, to think upon.

2. G. D. My children, that have begun to handle their pens, I will oblige to write in answer to that question: What should be the conduct of baptized children? What is the duty their baptism does oblige them to? From their own written answer to this question, I will take occasion in the most lively manner to inculcate the admonitions of piety upon them.

3. G. D. To my aged mother I must present my sweken, ing Thoughts on the Sleep of Death, and the description of virtuous aged women, which is in the preface: and accompany the same with agrecable passages of conversation.

4. G. D. I would wade as far as I can, in the matter of gathering a church at Rhode-Island, and forward it, if it be possible. 5. G. D. Some very pious, generous, liberal people in my neighborhood have lately received a mercy in their family by the safe return of an only son from sea. I would put them upon doing some special service for Christ, as an expression of their gratitude for such a mercy.

6. G. D. I think I may do well to take a list of souls in my flock, whom I know, or hear, or fear, to be remarkably ensnared in evil courses, and suitably and solemnly apply myself, or procure convenient applications of others to be made unto them, that they may, if possible, be recovered.

[April 25, 1712. The writer describes a day of fasting, which he kept. the account of which is too long to be inserted here. Besides the usual rea sons for fasting he had "some special errands" to the throne of grace. One was in reference to a difficulty in his congregation, in consequence of altering their meeting-house; a thing, which is a frequent occasion of parish troubles in these days. Another was, to pray for a certain unprincipled man, who had made Mr. M. and his intimate friend Mr. Bromfield, objects of malice and slander. In this part of the exercises Mr. B. united, in obedience to our Savior's direction: If two of you agree, &c. "We first forgave him," says the writer, "and renounced with abhorrence all thoughts of a personal revenge upon him. We asked the Lord also to forgive him, and make him a new creature, and bring him to the temper and actions of goodness."] 7. G. D. I still find, that notwithstanding the thoughtful provision I have made of methods to employ the little interstices of my time unto the best of purposes, yet I am still unhappy with many minutes, wherein my mind lies wholly fallow, and is not employed in any acknowledgment of God, and of his glorious truths. I would therefore become furnished with proper subjects, and make it my practice, when I find myself in danger of idle minutes, to form a meditation on one or other of the subjects, in such a method as I anciently prescribed for carrying on the exercise of meditation.

1. G. D. A pious young man, belonging to our church, and my brother-in-law, (Peter Oliver,) died this morning. A few hours before he died, he once and again importuned me, that I would earnestly exhort the young people of the place to maintain the religion of the closet, unto which, he said, through the favor of God he had not been himself a stranger; but had found unspeakable advantage and comfort in it. For me to take this advantage may be a great service to the interests of piety in the neighborhood; and I propose, with the help of heaven, on the next Lord's day, to do it.

Ap. 27. Lord's day. Besides the other intentions of my being at the table of the Lord, I pursued more particularly the two following errands.

The first was, that with every other grace of the Holy Spirit, I may especially receive that grace of a heart very attentive to the worship of God, when I am to be engaged in it.

The second was, that if there be any one discriminating point, which may keep up in me the character of a tare in the field of the Lord, he would discover it unto me, and deliver me from it.

2. G. D. My children are sensibly affected with the death of their uncle, in whose house, which was near mine, they were daily conversant. His dying desire to have the prayer of the closet recommended unto young people gave me a notable engine to inculcate this grand exercise of religion, and vehicle of all good, upon them. I will improve it accordingly.

3. G. D. To my aged aunt, at Northampton, I would send my character of the virtuous and excellent women in the preface to the book more than once already mentioned; and some other engines of piety to ripen her for the heavenly world.

4. G. D. I would write unto the distressed church at Woodbridge my directions about supplying themselves with a desirable minister.

5. G. D. I must renew my proposal for some good men to walk the streets at evenings, where the children are at play, and observe the language of the children, and take a proper notice of the children, who use any wicked language; and, if it be possible, reform their wickedness. It grows at such a rate, that it is high time something were done for the suppression of it.

6. G. D. There is a poor person in my neighborhood, whom I would assist by sending in something to furnish her for the beginning of house-keeping. I suppose the great quantity of wine made by our Savior for the new married couple at Cana, was, that they might sell some of it, for the assistance of their expenses, at their beginning of house-keeping.

1. G. D. I have in my view several hopeful essays to bespeak and promote early piety among the young people of the flock; and I would, with much supplication to heaven for directions and assistance therein, apply myself unto them.

2. G. D. There are some exercises of religion in my family which my wife is capable of upholding and cherishing; especially on the Saturday evenings, and the Lord's day noons and evenings; and I would prevail with her to do her part in carrying my family to God by such pious exercises.

3. G. D. I have some kindred at New-Haven, of whom I would this day take a particular notice, with sending books of piety unto them.

4. G. D. It may have a tendency further to advance piety in the country, if I give the public, in the way of the press, the sermon I have newly preached, at the desire of my deceased brotherin-law.

6. G. D. There is a hopeful young man, proposed for an usher in the grammar-school in this town; for whom it would be a considerable kindness, if I could prevail with some family of good fashion to give him his board and entertain him for the exercises of religion with which he would accommodate them.

7. G. D. For the recovery of my impaired health I must now and then take a horse, and ride a few miles out of town. I would make this an opportunity of acknowledging my dear Savior, as the Lord of my health and of all the creatures that serve me; and of

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enriching the minds of the gentlemen, who accompany me on these little excursions, with as many admonitions of piety, and useful conversation, as may be.

[The writer mentions the publication of his treatise, entitled Pastoral

Desires, which he had projected some time before, and records his intention of sending it, 'as fast as he could, into every town in the country.']

4. G. D. It may be a service to the interests of religion, and a thing well-becoming a minister of God, if I should give the town a lecture, to encourage that good work of building, which they are now much upon; and direct and bespeak the acknowledgments wherewith God is to be glorified in it.

5. G. D. I would not only preach to the societies of young people, the reason they have to beware of being another generation; but I would also very particularly and importunately set before them the points of their danger. And, if I can get opportunity, I would extend these admonitions farther throughout the country.

7. G. D. I would exceedingly improve in two points of piety, relating to the government of my thoughts: The one is, that, as often as I find any ill thought shaping in my mind, I will rebuke it, and destroy it with a good one; and this as much as may be directly opposed to the ill thought which would have ensnared me. The other is, that I will frequently reflect on the condition and employment of my mind; and if I perceive no tendency to a good thought in the operations of it, I will be angry with myself, and labor to form some good thoughts immediately. The apprehension of having my heart always under the view of the glorious God, and the thoughts thereof afar off known unto Him, exceedingly quickens me in these exercises of piety. And the thoughts, which I therein fly unto, shall ordinarily be put into the form of an address unto the Lord, who considers my meditation.

2. G. D. Among the returns, which I would make to the glorious Lord, for his blessings on my family, I would set myself, with more than ordinary cogency, to have all domestic incumbrances and avocations over, every Saturday evening long before it be dark, that so the whole family may have nothing to do, but apply themselves to devotional exercises, and that the Lord's day may be duly prepared for.

4. G. D. The time draws near for the anniversary convention of our ministers. I would set myself to contrive the most edifying entertainment for them. I would entertain them with such subjects of discourse, as may be for the general advantage. I would set forward such things among them as all the country may fare the better for.

One thing that I propose to exhibit unto them is, a catalogue of evil customs, which begin to appear in the country, and proper methods to discourage them. I would ask them to concur in exhibiting it unto the country; and to complete it by their own communications for that purpose.

5. G. D. Fresh occasions occur for me to animate a minister in the vicinity to write a brief treatise, which he has been disposed and preparing to write, in the defence of our ordination.

VOL. XIIL

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