It was a Day, in which I received some inexpressible Satisfactions from Heaven, that my Sins are all pardoned.

I also felt the sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit upon me; which furnishes me with a Witness in myself, to the Truths of Christianity.

In this way, I kept waiting for what Advice may be coming to me from England; and for my Defence against my Enemies; and for a Blessing on my Family and my Ministry.

The Glorious Lord, goes on, in a marvellous Manner, to employ me in glorifying of Him, and to testify His Acceptance of me, in my bearing Testimonies for Him.

I preached a Sermon at the Lecture,' in the Audience of the General Assembly, on the Street or Market-place of the City of God, being Pure Gold; and I bore due Testimonies against the Corruptions of the Market-place. I fill'd the Sermon with Testimonies for God and Right, and against the Sins of Dishonesty, and the Snares of Intemperance; and added my Hopes for a City of God, yett to be seen in America. I thought it might serve the Interests of Piety and Equity, to spread these Testimonies, into every Part of the Countrey. Providence favoured my Intentions; and the Discourse was published; under the Title of, THEOPOLIS AMERICANA. An Essay, on the Golden Street of the Holy City; publishing a Testimony against the Corruptions of the Market-place; with some good Hopes of Better Things to be yett seen in the American World. After the Publication, there was care taken to disperse the Book, into every Town of all these Colonies; and into some other Parts of America. 11 d. 9 m. [November.] Friday. I sett apart this Day, for Prayers (in Secret,) with Alms, before the Lord.

II

2

As the Intentions of the Day, had nothing in them 1 November 3. See p. 32, infra.

It was published by B. Green, in 1710. Sewall notes on November 25: Theopolis Americana is finished, the last half-sheet printed off. I stitched me up a Book, and sent the Revd. author one to compleat his."

Remarkable, to distinguish them, from the other Dayes, which I have kept of later Time, so neither had the Employments or Enjoyments of the Day. But in this way, I kept waiting for the Mercies of the Lord, unto me, and mine, and unto all His People.

24 d. 9 m. Thursday. A Week ago, my little Son Nathanael, was taken very sick of a Feavour, with a grievous Oppression, (as it seem'd on his Breast and Stomach,) but after some time, he seemed somewhat releeved and revived; the Physicians concluded, he would live. I had a strange and sinful Stupidity on my mind. I did not pray for his Life, with such Agony, as I have used for my spared Children. I did not sett apart a Day of Prayer for his Life, as I could, and should have done. In the Night, and as the Dawn of this Day approached, the Child began to have the evident Symptoms of Death upon it. I rose, and with several successive Prayers, resign'd it unto the Lord.

This Day, was a public Thanksgiving for the Mercies of Heaven to the Province in the Year, that is past. I laid aside the Subject I intended; and in the Morning I composed a Sermon on, 1. Sam. 1. 7. She wept, and she did not eat, i.e. of the Thank-offering: prosecuting that Observation, that a sense of Affliction was oftentimes an Hinderance to the work of Thanksgiving; but that it ought not to be so. My Son died about Noon. My Sermon in the Afternoon proved very acceptable, and seasonable, and serviceable.

The Lord helped me on this Occasion to glorify Him with Resignation, and with many studies how to make the Death in my Family, profitable unto myself, and unto my Family.

I attended the Funeral on the Day following; and there were many merciful Circumstances accompanying of it.

Wanting a Book, to be lodg'd and left, with such as are in sorrowful Circumstances of Affliction; inasmuch as all the Impressions of my former Essayes that way, are disposed of; I gave to the Bookseller, a Lecture, which is fitted

up

into an agreeable Book, for such Persons; and I design immediately to purchase forty-shillings worth of them, (and afterwards, if I live, many more,) to be dispersed among the Afflicted. It is entituled, THE CURE OF SORROW.1

About this time, a nameless and unknown Gentleman, sent me his Desire, (with what was needful to defray the Charge of it,) that a paragraph in my Theopolis Americana, relating to the Abuse and Excess of Rum, should be printed by itself, and sent into every Part of the Countrey. I ordered, that there should be annexed unto it, certain Proposals, relating unto that Matter, to be considered by religious and ingenious Men, in every Part of the Land. The paper is entituled, PROPOSALS OF SOME CONSEQUENCE; humbly offered to the publick, from a private Hand.

9 d. 10 m. [December.] Friday. I sett apart this Day, for Prayers (and Alms) as I use to do. One special Intention of the Day, was that I might obtain Mercy for my Family, and spiritual and eternal Advantage unto all the Souls in it, from the Death which has lately been sent into it; and a prospering Direction, and Assistence of Heaven, for the good Education of my surviving Children.

Thus I went on for the Rest of this Month, after my poor Manner, endeavouring to serve Christ and to do good. Nothing very observable occurred in the Actions, or Accidents of the Month; except perhaps, what may be hinted, in the daily Memorials of my Purposes.

Indeed, I added one thing unto the Devotions of my Family. For, whereas we catechise, and read, and sing, and pray, usually in the Beginning of the Evening; I now add this; that we sing a short Psalm, or Hymn, together, the last thing we do, before our going to Bed.2

1 Printed by B. Green in 1709.

2 “Susanna Fling, having fallen into scandal, by an unlawful conversation with the man, whom five months after she married, she this day offered those public and open expressions of Repentance, which were accepted." Cotton Mather's MS. Records of the Second Church, II.

6 d. 11 m. [January.] Friday. I sett apart this Day for Prayers (with Fasting) and abundant Alms; on such Occasions as use to bring me thus before the Lord. I was ill; and in Hazard of a Feavour, from a Cold contracted by my Visits to the Sick, in very bad Weather. But I sang the Beginning of the forty first Psalm. And my Malady vanished beyond Expectation.

I enjoy'd a mighty Presence of the Lord with me, in one Action after this. Having intimated in a Sermon about the Sins of Youth, my Purpose the next Lord's-day 1 to deal faithfully with the Neighbours, about the Sins and Snares of our young People, and as one who knowes the Terror of the Lord; a vast Assembly came together from all Quarters of the Town. The Spirit of the Glorious Lord came upon me, with His precious and powerful Influences. I preached a long Sermon, and it was heard with much Attention, with much Affection. And tho' I expected much Malice and Mocking from some of the Hearers, I was happily disappointed of my Expectation. The Things delivered, had a great Impression on the Hearers, and good Effects of Religion and Reformation followed.2

3 d. 12 m. [February.] Friday. I sett apart this Day also, for Prayers (with Fasting) and abundant Alms. Particularly, (as usually) to prepare for Interviews with

1 January 22. See p. 33, infra.

2 "At a Church-Meeting held 10 d. 11 m. 1709, Tuesday, this vote was passed, Nemine contradicente.

"The Church, considering the Encumbrance of a course of Law, to recover their just Right in Mr. Scarlett's pious Legacy to them, and being willing to sett an Exemple of all Christian and possible Moderation and Compassion to an Orphan, do consent that the Committee, already employ'd about this Affayr, namely Messieurs Foster, Howard, Clark, Winthrop, Hutchinson, Ruck, Martyn, with the three Deacons, shall be entrusted and empowered by the Church, to proceed and finish that matter, and make all the legal Provision that shall be necessary; so that the Church may have clear of all Encumbrance, at least the summ of one hundred and fifty pounds in money, or province Bills.

"At this Meeting, Eliza Renmore offered her pœnitent Acknowledgement of her Offence in striking a Neighbour. Which the Church accepted." Cotton Mather's MS. Records of the Second Church, II.

Heaven, on the Lord's-Day (and the Lord's Supper,) approaching.

Which I enjoy'd unto some Satisfaction.

That this year might prove with me, a pretty bearing Year, I concluded it, with two Publications more by the way of the Press.

The Designs of them, will be sufficiently apprehended from the Titles of them.

The one is entituled; THE HEAVENLY CONVERSATION. An Essay upon the Methods of Conversing with a Glorious CHRIST in every Step of our Life. With Directions upon that CASE, How may the Consideration of CHRIST, be brought into all the Life of a Christian.1

The other is entituled; DUST AND ASHES. An Essay upon, Repentance to the Last; Advising a watchful Christian upon that CASE; How to keep alive the Daily Exercise of REPENTANCE, to the End of his Life! 2

My Intention was to lodge these Treatises in the Hands of many of the Ministers, throughout the Countrey.

I represented, the Methods of Piety proposed in these Essayes, as being the true American Pietism. I considered that the People who are shortly to be the Stone cutt out of the Mountain, will be a People of these Principles and Practices. And I was willing, to contribute unto the Shaping of that People; and furnish them with Instruments of Piety, that may be of Use among them. I shall also endeavour to send these things unto Dr. Franckius, in Saxony.

What remains is, to make some Recapitulation, of my Proceedings, on the Devices of Good which I form and write in the Morning of each Day in the Week, on the Quæstion for the Day. I shall not here transcribe all the particular Devices and Purposes, thus produced; but only touch on a few, that may give some Intimation how my Year has rolled along.

1 These works were issued without author's name.

* Published by B. Green in 1710.