I found the difference during the Night, in sleeping in a cold room without any fire. Arose and after warming myself as well as I could went to the Office. Was busy there in writing a part of my Paper upon the Treasury Report. But I could not finish it at all today. No material occurrence took place. Received an answer from Mrs. Adams just such as I expected to receive—Expressing no decided answer but wavering and talking.1 These people do not deserve kindness. Took a short walk and returned to dine at home.

Afternoon passed in reading the first book De Divinatione which contains all the wonderful predictions that took place in Antiquity. Yet no one can suppose they were any thing but the effect of accident 199or good judgment in the Officer. In such cases Posterity has for a judgment only the prophecies which came true, while those that did not are left out of sight.

Evening, continued Gibbon and reached the famous Chapters, upon the Christian Religion. Read the tenth book of the Iliad, and two numbers of the Spectator. This Volume is certainly the most valuable.

Morning Cloudy and cold. I went to the Office and worked hard at my first Article on the Treasury Report so as to finish and send it to the Patriot today.1 This required pretty constant diligence for I was interrupted by Jos. H. Adams who came about his Commission. After a little conversation with him I thought it would be best to make him finish the business and sign the Papers. He accordingly took the Oath, and I despatched him to Quincy after dining with me, and the Papers to Washington.

Afternoon. Read the rest of the first book De Divinatione containing all that can be said in favour of the art of predicting from natural or unnatural signs. It is ingenious but not conclusive. The Stoic doctrine was a strange compound of superstition, firmness, virtue, sophistry and Nonsense. But such is the character of man wherever you find him. I read a part of the fifteenth Chapter of Gibbon but not much, as considerable time was consumed in reflecting upon the matter for my second number relative to the finances. These are labours of love, without any thanks. The night was excessively gusty at times, making me fearful for my windows. Closed the evening as usual with two numbers of the Spectator.

The cold which has been very great since the month came in was today greater than ever. And I felt it sharp enough in attending divine service through the day. Heard Mr. Frothingham preach in the morning from Luke 16. 25. “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life-time received thy good things and likewise Lazarus 200evil things: but now he is comforted and thou art tormented.” The whole of the parable he considered to mean nothing more nor less than the justice of God which made compensation in the future for the sufferings of this life. The circumstances he thought were totally allegorical and meant to put the case more strongly before the minds of the People, who had previously been habituated to ideas of Heaven and Hell according to the Pagan Mythology. But this business of allegorizing the Scriptures is next to conjectural criticism upon the Text, the most easy handle for every change. Afternoon. Text Matthew 5. 16. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” The object seemed to be to direct to action, to the performance of virtue to the extent of ability and situation. How sensible I am of the urgency of the call upon me. But perhaps the time with me has not yet gone by for preparation.

Read a Sermon of Massillon’s upon Prayer, on the same Text as that last Sunday. A division more practical as I think, for it advised Prayer in the first place for what was proper, in the second, in a proper manner. This is the real difficulty of all Prayer. Even Massillon occasionally errs in his conjectures upon it. At one moment he talks of appeasing an angry God, at another of doing violence to him in order to obtain a desired object through importunity. How low such ideas place the attributes of a Deity.

The remainder of my time was taken up in writing out my second Number upon the Treasury Report and in the evening, reading Barrow’s second Sermon upon the profitableness of Godliness, recommending Piety as the best policy, as well as the most worthy quality. After it the Spectator.