Morning pleasant but far more according to the Season. The air was keen. I passed an hour in reading Lord Bolingbroke and found a pithy extract upon which I think I can base another number of Commentary. Mr. Davis tells me that my former papers on the state of the nation produced a great stir and inquiry for Lord Bolingbroke. I discontinued them from an idea that they fell dead upon the Community although I thought and think now that they were the best things I ever wrote. I shall resume them occasionally now that I know they tingled.

Attended divine service all day. An excellent Sermon from Mr. Frothingham. Matthew 7. 1. “Judge not that ye be not judged.” He alluded to the scruple of some founded on this text against impeachment of motives. He did not believe it was the purpose of the text to go so far and instanced the practise of the Saviour himself against it when calling the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites. He then endeavoured to limit the rules of judgment. He applied the text to hasty judg-251ments, to uncharitable judgments, to those which spring from the love of superiority and to those which are without mercy. Mr. Edes, the young man we heard at New Bedford preached in the afternoon, Job 22. 21. “Acquaint thyself now with God and be at peace.” This exhortation he explained to mean not merely acquaintance with the works of the Deity, but with the soul of man and the revelations expressly made of his divine will. A respectable performance.

I called with my Wife to see Mr. and Mrs. Sprague today. Read a Sermon from Barrow continuing the discourse of last Sunday. “Keep thy heart with all diligence” inculcating humility, patience under adversity, and moderation in prosperity, very sensible. Evening, a short visit with my Wife to see Edward Brooks. Mrs. Lyman was there, and shortly after Mrs. Whitwell and her daughter. Home at ten.