My record of Sunday is now little else than that of my religious exercises. A few years since I could hardly have expected that I should so easily have fallen into the performance of a regular train of duties. Mr. Frothingham preached, though a fall of snow very seriously prevented attendance. Mark 7. 11. “Ye say, if a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he shall be free.” The unrighteous reservations which are for special purposes to the neglect of the familiar charities of life—A practice somewhat common in these days of ostentatious generosity. There is great justice in censure of this. Yet the heart must not be allowed to swing back to selfishness.

1 Timothy 2. 4. “Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” I will not undertake to state the 253substance of this discourse. The reason why is that if I understood the starting proposition, I doubt it’s foundation. If not I do nothing but misrepresent.

Read a Sermon of Atterbury’s upon a Fast declared for some national losses. Psalms 3. v.6,7, and 8. “In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong, thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled. I cried to thee, O Lord, and unto the Lord I made supplication.” The subject was the intoxicating effect of prosperity and the moral to be drawn from reverses. I can not say that I think the Sermon worth discussing—Mere performances of specified duty. Atterbury had too many other and worldly schemes in his head. Quiet evening.