the Letter on Family Prayer, the whole was discharged. I renew the like resolution for this year; and desire to observe how God prospers me, that I may do in proportion to it. Too many of the complaints of last year continue. I have reason for humiliation. But adored be his goodness, it is intermingled with some causes of rejoicing. This memorandum, though written something late, I date

Monday, Dec. 31, 1750.

REFLECTIONS AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW YEAR, 1751.

THIS day have I very solemnly renewed my covenant engagements to God in secret, and spoken with great enlargement of his mercies from Psalm cxxxvi. 1. O that my life may speak my sense of them! In considerations of what I should do for God, it occurred to my mind, that I will still go on with my Family Expositor, the publication of which I shall look upon as the great work of some ensuing years, and shall be very happy if I can transcribe at least the paraphrase and improvements, as far as the end of the Second of Peter. Whether I shall be able to publish any of my Hymns, or whether my Letter to Count Zinzindorf should be published, I know not; but the Sermon on the death of my honoured friend, Dr. Clark, cannot be excused. I intend to finish the Translation of the Minor Prophets, and now and then to write out a Sacramental Meditation for the press, and perhaps to transcribe a few Hymns, but I can expect to do little of either, as I am extremely in debt as to letters to persons of importance, and here I must exert myself.

I thank God, my Diary has been useful this year, and my retirements in the vestry especially, so that I will pursue them; sometimes I will talk with servants, and pupils, whom I have much neglected as to conversation with them on religious topics. My own family prayer and exposition of the New Testament have been strangely

neglected, which I would endeavour to reform; and would study to make visits in the congregation more useful. I know not that I ever in my life felt a stronger resolution for God than I have felt this day. I pray God it may not be the occasion of showing my weakness, and the treachery of my own heart. Amen.

A SEASON OF RETIREMENT FOR PRAYER AT THE

VESTRY, JANUARY 5, 1751.

I WAS much perplexed with business before I came, and interrupted so, that I went through family duty very heavily, several of my young people being absent; the sermon, which I repeated, was from those words, "O taste and see that the Lord is good." I was then quite lethargic; but came hither soon after eleven. I was very earnest in the introductory prayer, and spent a good deal of time in reviewing the memorandums with which the preceding year was introduced, and in writing reflections on the past, and some meditations on the present season; struck with what I had noted of the breaches made on the congregation and church not being fully made up. I was very large and very earnest in intreating that God would revive it, and that he would give me some token for good very speedily; and indeed such was the unusual earnestness with which my heart was drawn out after God, that I could not but hope that it would be so. It was nearly two when these devotions were concluded. I then renewed delightfully the solemn dedication of my soul to God, with warm resolutions for his service; then interceded largely and particularly for the Academy, and the new school, in which every particular pupil, and lad, with his circumstances, was mentioned at large. All my select friends in the ministry and others had their share in my intercession; my works were also committed to God, and several thoughts started relative to future service; and of the consecration

to charity; of a tenth of my clear income from the congregation; pupils and books; estate in land or money; and the eighth of extraordinary presents in money. It also occurred to me to engage Messrs. Clark and Lucas to talk with their lads about religion; to endeavour to awaken the zeal of senior pupils; to think of a discourse upon zeal; to endeavour to animate poor Mr. to set up his standard for Christ; to preach on the atonement of Christ ere long as the justifier of him that believes; and to think of Cole's Inoculation. These thoughts occurring to me while I was thus praying, I set them down to be recollected this day month, if God should spare me so long. My afflicted friends were largely remembered; and on the whole my heart was so drawn out in prayer on public and private accounts, and so delighted with this approach to God that it was nearer four than three, when I left the place. Adored be the condescending God, who gave me such a meeting in it! Oh, when shall I come, and appear again before him.

There were two or three particulars which I forgot to insert. I purpose to have the next day of prayer particularly devoted for requesting the bringing in of members to communion; another for the conversion of the unconverted, and the restoration of the fallen. And I desire to engage the elders to spend some time each of them in secret prayer on these two accounts; but to conceal the latter till the former be dispatched.

RECOLLECTIONS OF A SEASON OF RETIREMENT AT THE VESTRY, MARCH 2, 1751.

THE last day of this sort I was confined by illness, which hindered me from coming out two Lord's days, and has indeed been a great impediment to various kinds of business and to devotion too; so that I have reason to fear, that I am gone considerably backward. I was extremely languid in the duties of the family this morning. I gave an unpre

pared, honest, but heavy devotional lecture from 2 Chron. xv. 2. "The Lord is with you, while you are with him," &c. It was past eleven before I got hither; I then implored the divine presence and assistance, and reviewed the memorandums of the last day of this kind, in which I found I had forgotten some articles, and particularly that I had omitted talking with Mr. Lucas and Clark, to endeavour to animate their zeal in addressing my pupils, especially the seniors, which I propose to endeavour to do in the evening. I then set myself till fifty-six minutes after eleven to deep humiliation, and had very abasing thoughts of myself. I did in some measure loath and abhor myself, and repent, as in dust and ashes, before God; arising from my knees, I continued till about a quarter past twelve, with solemn selfrenunciation; I then spent an hour in thanksgiving for a variety of mercies, among which, the chief particularly mentioned, were the extraordinary enjoyment of God which I had at the last sacrament; my recovery from that stubborn cough by which I had been so long confined; and the great goodness of God in sparing the dear and excellent Lady Huntingdon, and poor Miss Ekins. I acknowledged the Divine goodness also in adding seven to our communion since the last sacrament, as that in February was omitted; viz. Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Pitts, and Hodgskins, and now Mrs. Allistone and her son, Joseph Green, and Mr. Stafford from Leicester; besides which, Mr. Holland and Mr. Proctor are proposed. There is also a comfortable prospect as to.... which I thought myself obliged solemnly to acknowledge; as also the increase of my Academy and the subordinate school society by the addition of Messrs. Hunt, Mason, and Stafford. Two great mercies showed in the relief of Mrs. Allistone, who was in such great distress, the comfortable news from Virginia by Mr. Davies's letter, and the prospect of missionaries being sent into New York. And to this is added, the encouragement of the subscription for the

Family Expositor from the Lord Chancellor and several of the bishops and clergy, and the raising up some unexpected friends to it. These mercies of God engaged me to devote myself to him; and I was taken up till twenty minutes past one, including the time occupied in making the memorandums. I then devoted myself to God under all my characters; I laid all my comforts at his feet. Then, till nearly two, I recommended my flock, pupils, and children by name to God. I prayed for each of the children and their dear mother; interceding particularly for Polly, who is so weak and ill; I then recommended the affair of my subscription, which rises very heavily; and the augmentation of my temporal circumstances to the divine care, and intreated providential direction in the choice of a schoolmaster, and an assistant, having received repeated disappointments. And I would now leave all these cases with God, hoping for his merciful interposition; and that, before many of these days recur, I shall have cause of thankfulness on all these accounts. The rest of the time was spent in prayer for yet more general concerns; for our Country, the Protestant interest, the Jews, and Gentiles; and in conclusion, I adored God for the enjoyment of the day, registering the following purposes ;—of visiting in the congregation as much as I can, keeping some history of it; of talking on practical religion with as many of my pupils as I can in an evening, and with the servants; as also that I will more frequently pray before I write letters; that I will select some of the most important of those that have long been neglected and dispatch them by this day month; that I will endeavour to prepare by suitable memorandums for the next of these days, and for my devotional lecture, on being zealously affected in a good cause. My next devotional day shall have a particular reference to additions to the church in its members, and I will endeavour to collect some scripture promises relating to the increase of the church,