Monday 4. This morning we experienced God’s providential care over us; for the chimney of the little parlour took fire, and might have done great mischief had it not been discovered in time. Thus the Lord took care of us ♦where we knew of no danger, and could not take care of ourselves.
♦ “when” replaced with “where” per Errata
Thursday 7. This day my uncle, and Miss H――――e sat out hastily for Bristol, ♦where my Aunt B――――ly was in great distress, Mr. B――――ly having died suddenly, and left her among strangers, with whom she was quite unacquainted till within three or four weeks. O how many unforeseen troubles are we liable to, which are all so many calls to us, to lay up our heart and treasure above.
♦ “were” replaced with “where”
Sunday 10. Mr. Rodda preached on _Matthew iii. 10_. The discourse, blessed be God, came with power to my soul. O Lord give me the hearing ear, the seeing eye, and the understanding heart.
Monday 11. This morning being to be taken measure off for our mourning, we were obliged to go out, which dissipated my thoughts very much. O what a little serves to draw our minds from God! But alas they are not so easily drawn off other things; such enemies are we to ourselves.
Tuesday 12. My thoughts were pretty much stayed this day, and I was enabled to resist a temptation not to go to prayer because the weather was cold, and I was unwilling to leave the fire.
Wednesday 13. In the evening I read Miss Cooper’s life and letters. Then we all joyned in prayer. My soul was blest and enlarged in that duty. When I was in bed, I took a review of my past life, and found reason to humble myself before God, for my unfaithfulness in not making a better use of his many mercies to me. But O may I now begin and serve and love him all my days.
Monday 18, Tuesday 19. My soul was in a serious and yet dead frame these days. O may I improve every state I am in; and make the very temptations of the enemy, serve ♦as weapons to fight against him with. Thus shall I by throwing his darts back upon his own head, force him to fly from me.
♦ duplicate word “as” removed
Thursday 21. I was in a comfortable frame of spirit this day. In the evening whilst I was conversing with my sisters and cousins upon religion, I found my soul greatly blest; and I was much enlarged afterwards in praying with them, blessed be God.
Sunday 24. I finished writing the life of that excellent man, Mr. Blackerby; O may I live his life, die his death, and be in the place where doubtless he now is. There I shall be free from all impurity, all sorrow, all sin, and be eternally out of the reach of death.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I was in a serious, tho’ dead frame. Lord, quicken, strengthen, and comfort me by thy word, and spirit.
*Thursday 28. Was my birth-day. I found a desire, and resolution, to be more devoted to God the ensuing year, than I was the foregoing. O may the Lord enable me to perform my resolutions. I also found serious reflections on the shortness of life, and thankfulness to God, for sparing me to see fourteen years. O may I let these reflections have their due weight, and influence on all my conduct for the time to come. And always consider that
“My life is a dream, My time as a stream, Glides swiftly away: And the fugitive moments for no one will stay.”
Lord, do thou give me _so to number my days, that I may apply my heart unto wisdom_.
Saturday, March 2. My uncle returned home, and with him my aunt B――――ly, whom I was much rejoiced to see.
Saturday 9. This evening poor Mrs. L――――, was taken extreamly ill. It brought many serious reflections to my mind. Well may we say, in the midst of life we are in death. O may I always consider this and never yield to levity, or any thing which is displeasing to a God of the strictest purity, who may strike me dead in a moment; and since I may die this day, let me spend this and every other as tho’ it were my last.
Sunday 17. At night as I sat by the fire-side, I found my soul blest, and many serious reflections brought to my mind, which continued till I went to bed.
Monday 18. I awoke in much the same state, and continued so all the day, blessed be God.
Tuesday 19. The text this evening was John v. 8. _Wilt thou be made whole?_ My heart seemed ♦to reply, Yea, Lord, I will if thou wilt: and of this I need not doubt; for thou art always more ready to give, than I am to receive. O that thou ♠would’st ever
“Make me willing to receive, All thy goodness waits to give.”
♦ duplicate word “to” removed
♠ “woud’st” replaced with “would’st”
Saturday 23. My soul was much blest, and my heart raised in thankfulness for the many mercies I have received at the hands of my merciful God: at the same time I was humbled under a sense of the ungrateful returns I have made him.
“When all the mercies of my God My rising soul surveys, Why, my cold heart, art thou not lost, In wonder, love, and praise.”