world, making Christ and his consolations sweet, whom before I cared not much for; I found it good to bear the yoke in my youth; I have thereby learned dependence on God, and have had much experience of his love in supporting me under afflictions, sanctifying them to me, and delivering me out of them, Lam. iii. 27; Psal. xciv. 12; Heb. xii. 11; Psal. cxix. 67, 71; Prov. xxix. 15; Hos. v. 15.

7. I have found quietness in spirit, moderation and calmness in speaking, and advisedness doing me good; and, while thus in silence I have waited on God, his Spirit hath breathed, Isa. vii. 4, and ix. 15; Exod. xiv. 13; 2 Chron. xx. 17; Phil. iv. 7; Lam. iii. 26; 1 Pet. v. 7.

8. I have found much good by the diligent practice of private duties, such as prayer, meditation, reading, self-examination, and such like. I have thereby been strengthened, quickened, and drawn near to God; they have been as meat and drink, Mat. vi. 6; Luke xxii. 46; Psalm i. 2, 3; Job viii. 5; Prov. xviii. 1.

9. I have found extraordinary duties of fasting, and improving other occasions over and above the morning and evening sacrifice, do me much good; much of the Lord's mind by these hath been revealed, Dan. x. 12, and strong lusts have by these extraordinary occasions received a dead stroke. I have been sensibly comforted at these occasions; these, after long sickness, have given me health, Psalm cxxvi. 6; Jer. 1. 5, 6; Isa. lviii. 7, 8; Mark ix. 29.

10. I have found the Lord kind to me since I left off hearing of the conformists; since that day the scales have been falling from my eyes: Whilst I heard, I was still kept in bondage, 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18; 1 Cor. v. 7.

11. I have found much good from and by the prayers of others; for since I did employ some for that effect, I have found much good. And I have observed, that those of us who do seek the benefit of other's prayers were the most thriving Christians; and those who neglect this to decay and wither, Job xlii. 8; James v. 16; Eph. vi. 19; Rom. xv. 30; 2 Thess. iii. 1, 2.

12. I have found very much good by doing good to others, by

instructing, exhorting, and teaching of them, and praying for them, especially the poor ignorant people. Yea, in the very time while I have been speaking to them, a glorious light hath shined upon my soul, and made me apprehend those things I have been declaring to them more clearly; yea, when full of confusions and sorrows going about this duty, my heart hath thereby been lightened, my talents improved, Isa. xxxii. 20; Eccl. xi. 1; Prov. xi. 25.

13. I have found the serious consideration of true Christian liberty, and of the easiness of Christ's yoke, and Christ's love in commands, in opposition to a slavish spirit and scrupulous fearful conscience, do me very much good, and make my heart engage in the service of God, 1 Kings xii. 4; Luke i. 74; Rom. vii. 1, 4, 6, and vi. 14; Neh. ix. 35; Deut. xxviii. 48, as likewise using considerations against discouragements, 1 Sam. xii. 19, 20.

14. I have found much profit and strength by considering of baptism, and what it sealeth; cases and scruples thereby cleared and removed, and faith of interest strengthened, and I thereby emboldened to draw near to God, Rom. vi., first twelve verses.

15. The Lord hath blessed the reading of practical writings to me, and thereby my heart hath been put into a frame, and much strength and light gotten; such as Isaac Ambrose, Goodwin, Mr Gray, and very much by Rutherford's above others, but most of all by Thomas Shepherd of New England his works; he hath by the Lord been made the "interpreter, one of a thousand;" so that, under Christ, I have been obliged to his writings as much and more than to any mean whatsomever for wakening, strengthening, and enlightening of my soul; the Lord made him a well of water to me in all my wilderness straits.

16. I have found it good to put a good construction on the Lord's ways, when they have been outwardly very sad, Exod. xx.

19.

17. I have found much good by speaking to the praise and commendation of God. When many times not so affectionately, yet sincerely out of the sense of duty, I have begun to praise him to others, I have found my tongue to have affected my heart, James

iii. 2; Psalm cv. 3, and cxlv. 5, 6, 11. The Lord hath sensibly rewarded me for this.

18. I have found much good by sore and long inward tentations, being "poured from vessel to vessel," changing and being changed, lifted up, and casten down; the greatest settlement is by these. Isa. xxxviii. 16, "By these" (saith Hezekiah) "shall men live.” These humbled me, and kept me waking, and ever crying to the Lord; and have given me much experience of the Lord's kindness, and acquainted me with the exercise of saints in the Scripture, James i. 2.

19. Resisting of strong tentations, and engaging with difficult duties, and coming over the belly of indispositions within, loss and contempt from the world without, and so taking up the cross; the Lord hath signally owned me in these, and the fruits of them have been very great; such as, praying under indispositions, reproving of acquaintances, forsaking of ways and thoughts very pleasing to the flesh, Jer. ii. 1, 2; Heb. xi. 6; Rom. ii. 7; Mat. v. 10, and xvi. 24.

20. I have found much good by studying and exercising the duty of humility and submission, James iv. 7. Duties are easy to an humble spirit; it eases the soul of disquietments, and makes burdens easy. Hell is not hell to an humble soul, saith Shepherd. I have ever found help when humbled.

21. The calling to mind and seriously meditating on the Lord's dealings with me as to soul and body, his manifold mercies, has done me very much good, cleared my case, confirmed my soul of God's love, and my interest in him, and made me love him. O what good hath the writing of this book done me! and what wells of water have mine eyes been opened to see which before were hid! Psalm cvii. 4, and xviii. 1, 2. Scarce any thing hath done me more good.

22. Making and renewing of vows and covenants with God, though gone about in much weakness, and but weakly performed, yet hath it begotten life, and kindly thoughts of God, and hath

been a mean to recover me out of decay, and to keep from further backsliding, Deut. xxix. 12, 13.

23. Meditation on the most common truths and general hath done me good, such as death, heaven, judgment, sin, God's being and providence, man's fall, and Christ's death, &c.

24. Speedy going about duties, without trifling or delaying. A duty done in time is worth twice so much delayed.

25. By writing on points of divinity; as on the Scriptures, on God's attributes, on Christian duties, sermons, cases, and the like; these, like fresh water, have kept my heart.

26. Serious and deliberate self-examination, and, while thus exercised, trying myself, looking to the qualifications of saints and hypocrites in Scripture, their sins and failings; studying the nature of true saving grace, the difference, according to the Scriptures, betwixt false and true grace; this hath contributed much to my settlement.

27. I have found much good by being abstracted from meddling in temporal or civil business. That I had not great meddling in affairs in the beginning of my Christian course, partly that others did not employ me, but took all to their own hand; partly that I was indifferent, and had no heart while I had so great things ado in reference to my soul. And although my affairs called for diligence, yet do I not now repent it; for I thereby got my heart wholly taken up with my soul's condition, and had no divertisement, Prov. xviii. 1.

SECTION X.

Declaring such things as have done me evil.

1. A legal spirit. When Satan presses duties violently and boastingly, with thunder and lightning overdriving me, laying more upon me than I am able to bear, putting new wine in old bottles, seeking such and such duties and so much, exacting them by

weight and measure. This weakens my hands, irritates me, makes me do nothing, seeing I cannot get what is enjoined done; makes me act slavishly, Gen. xxxiii. 13; Rom. vii. 11; Heb. x. 12, 13; Luke xix. 21.

2. The society of carnal unregenerate people, and graceless formal professors, especially if familiar with them, and not living very abstract and at distance from them, or not testifying against them or instructing them. They have, when near, dispersed their poison and infection, and turned my heart carnal; like some sicknesses, if ye lie not near the persons that have them, they smite not, 1 Cor. xv. 33, "Evil communication corrupteth good manners."

3. I have found the society of the godly hurtful, and drawing my heart from God, and rendering it carnal, when it hath not been spiritually improven; when the Lord hath not been sought to by mutual prayer, and no spiritual conference, and when I have stayed too long with them at once, Heb. iii. 13. When there is no exhorting one another there is hardening.

4. I have had my spirit turned out of frame, and quite distempered by loud, violent, hasty, and much talk, though of good purposes. I have found "the talking of the lips tend to penury," and "a breach made in the spirit," (as saith the wise man,) "by perverse speaking," James iii. 5, 6; Prov. xvii. 27; Mat. xv. 8.

5. I have found public occasions and going oft from home hurtful, and these like the devil's market-days. Let me prepare and pray as I will; yea, and watch, my spirit hath thereby been distracted and distempered, especially if I have gone on slight calls. Riding here and there is good neither for soul nor body.

6. I have found intemperance and excess in the use of meat, drink, and other recreations, very prejudicial, and to be the ordinary inlet of many evils; for the body thereby being distempered, the spirit hath been utterly indisposed to any good exercise, Luke xxi. 34; Prov. xxv. 27, and xxiii. 20, 21.

7. Omission of duties in private, or slight performance of them; when I have begun to be more remiss in such gracious exercises of