The morning was cloudy and mild but it grew clear and cold until it became one of the severest days we ever have. By sunset the Thermometer had fallen to zero. I attended divine service all day.

Mr. Frothingham in the morning. Ecclesiasticus 43. 17.18. “As birds flying he scattereth the snow. The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.” Mr. Frothingham quotes Apocrypha and preaches occasional Sermons half the time. If he does the one he ought to do the other for neither doctrine nor moral of the Christian religion can well be drawn from spurious books. But I confess I hold my doubts of the expediency of either in the degree he does them. The fact is that he 36has met with more attention and success in addressing his people upon subjects in connexion with some forcible external impression acting upon their minds at the moment and has therefore indulged in that which was thus shown to be to their taste. After all however, his discourses are rather beautiful Essays upon some little incidental topic than religious or moral Christian discourses for the improvement of the mind and the affections.

In the afternoon Mr. Motte from 2 Kings 5. 12 “Are not Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.” A singular text but he managed it with some adroitness and though his manner does not recommend him, he fixes the attention. The simplicity of Christianity a motive in many minds for its rejection. The often repeated theory of the religion of nature like Abana and Pharpar has been maintained to be better than the waters of Israel. Yet these alone can cure the leprosy of sin.

After my return I was about to proceed in my usual occupations, when first Mr. and Mrs. Kirk and afterwards the arrival of Mr. Brooks and Miss Gray disarranged them. They very fortunately for themselves decided to return before the Sunday and thus have avoided the great severity of this night together with the possible inconvenience of a land journey. They look well and seem much gratified with their Journey. I did however before going to bed read a Sermon of Barrow’s as usual. Text from 1 Timothy 4. 8. “But Godliness is profitable for all things.” He divides his discourse into heads, each showing some particular advantage of religion. But he quibbles a little upon the word profitable, commencing by a long sentence upon the avidity of man in quest of profit meaning by that money, and then running up a series of items in which he urges the pursuit of other profit, that is the advantages by him enumerated which make godliness or piety desirable. He is nervous in detached paragraphs both in thought and style.