time of it all the voyage to Saybrook. It was sweet to me to think of meeting dear christians in heaven, where we should never part more. At Saybrook we went ashore to lodge on Saturday, and there kept the Sabbath; where I had a sweet and refreshing season, walking alone in the fields. "After I came home to Windsor, I remained much in a like frame of mind, as when at New York; only sometimes I felt my heart ready to sink, with the thoughts of my friends at New York. My support was in contemplations on the heavenly state; as I find in my Diary of May 1, 1723. It was a comfort to think of that state, where there is fulness of joy; where reigns heavenly, calm, and delightful love, without alloy; where there are continually the dearest expressions of this love; where is the enjoyment of the persons loved, without ever parting; where those persons who appear so lovely in this world, will really be inexpressibly more lovely, and full of love to us. And how sweetly will the mutual lovers join together, to sing the praises of God and the Lamb! How will it fill us with joy to think, that this enjoyment, these sweet exercises, will never cease, but will last to all eternity." DURING his preparation for the ministry, his residence in New York, and his subsequent residence at his father's house, he formed a series of RESOLUTIONS, to the number of Seventy, intended obvionsly for himself alone, to regulate his own heart and life; but fitted also from their christian simplicity, and spiritnal-mindedness, to be eminently useful to others. Of these, the first thirty-four* were written before Dec. 18, 1722, the time in which his Diary, as it now exists, commences. The particular time and occasion of making many of the rest, will be found in that most interesting narrative; in which also are many other rules and resolutions intended for the regulation of his own affections, of perhaps equal excellence. It should be remembered that they were all written before he was twenty years of age.† As he was wholly averse to all profession and ostentation; and as these Resolutions themselves were plainly intended for no other eye than his own, except the eye that is omniscient; they may be justly considered as the basis of his conduct and character; the plan by which he governed the secret, as well as the public, actions of his life. As such they will deeply interest the reader, not only as they unfold the inmost mind of their author, but as they also show, in a manner most striking and convincing to the conscience, what is the true foundation of great and distinguished excellence. *The first twenty-one were written at once, with the same pen; as were the next ten, at a subsequent sitting. The rest were written occasionally. They are all on two detached pieces of paper. + The last was written in August, 1723. The whole series is published now for the first time. He was too well acquainted with human weakness and frailty, even where the intentions are most sincere, to enter on any Resolutions rashly, or from a reliance on his own strength. He, therefore, in the outset, looked to God for aid, who alone can afford success in the use of the best means, and in the intended accomplishment of the best purposes. This he places at the head of all his other important rules, that his whole dependence was on the grace of God, while he still proposes to recur to a frequent and serious perusal of them, in order that they might become the habitual directory of his life. RESOLUTIONS. "Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake. REMEMBER TO READ OVER THESE RESOLUTIONS ONCE A WEEK. 1. Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved, so to do, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever. 2. Resolved, To be continually endeavouring to find out some new contrivance, and invention, to promote the forementioned things. 3. Resolved, If ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again. 4. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God, nor be, nor suffer it, if I can possibly avoid it. 5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can. 6. Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live. 7. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life. 8. Resolved, To act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. Vid. July 30. 9. Resolved, To think much, on all occasions, of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death. 10. Resolved, When I feel pain, to think of the pains of Martyrdom, and of Hell. 11. Resolved, When I think of any Theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder. 12. Resolved, If I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by. 13. Resolved, To be endeavouring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality. 14. Resolved, Never to do any thing out of Revenge. 15. Resolved, Never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings. 16. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for some real good. 17. Resolved, That I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die. 18. Resolved, To live so, at all times, as I think is best in my most devout frames, and when I have the clearest notions of the things of the Gospel, and another world. 19. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump. 20. Resolved, To maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking. 21. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which, if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him. 22. Resolved, To endeavour to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigour, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or ean bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of. 23. Resolved, Frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God's glory, to repute it as a breach of the fourth Resolution. 24. Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavour to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it. 25. Resolved, To examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it. 26. Resolved, To cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance. 27. Resolved, Never wilfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions. 28. Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same. 29. Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept. 30. Resolved, To strive, every week, to be brought higher in Religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before. 31. Resolved, Never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of christian honour, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the Golden Rule; often, when I have said any thing against any one, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution. 32. Resolved, To be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Prov. xx, 6, A faithful man, who can find? may not be partly fulfilled in me. 33. Resolved, To do, always, what I can towards making, maintaining and preserving peace, when it can be done without an overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722. 34. Resolved, In narrations, never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity. 35. Resolved, Whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722. 36. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call to it. Dec. 19, 1722. 37. Resolved, To enquire every night, as I am going to bed, Wherein I have been negligent,-What sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself; also, at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722. 38. Resolved, Never to utter any thing that is sportive, or matter of laughter, on a Lord's day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722. 39. Resolved, Never to do any thing, of which I so much question the lawfulness, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission. 40. Resolved, To enquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723. 41. Resolved, To ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. Jan. 11, 1723. 42. Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism, which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church, and which I have solemnly re-made this 12th day of January, 1723. 43. Resolved, Never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's ; agreeably to what is to be found in Saturday, Jan. 12th. Jan. 12th, 1723. 44. Resolved,. That no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan. 12, 1723. 45. Resolved, Never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps Religion. Jan. 12 and 13, 1723. 46. Resolved, Never to allow the least measure of any fretting or uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved, To suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye; and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family. 47. Resolved, To endeavour, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving and sincere, temper; and to do, at all times, what such a temper would lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have so done. Sabbath Morning, May 5, 1723. 48. Resolved, Constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this, to repent of. May 26, 1723. 49. Resolved, That this never shall be, if I can help it. 50. Resolved, That I will act so, as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723. 51. Resolved, That I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723. 52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, That I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723. 53. Resolved, To improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate |