Cool morning with probably a slight frost. I persevere in taking the shower bath although it is now pretty trying. Went to Boston alone as Mr. Brooks was going to Salem.

I had intended to have devoted my time to the investigation of title of the Boylston Estate but my father came in with bad accounts of my Mother’s condition and with commissions which kept me pretty busy the remainder of my morning. He saw me only for a minute, then disappeared with a promise to see me again, but he did not and when I went to look after the Carriage, an alarm of fire in the Stable had put every thing in such confusion as to render it impossible for me to find out any thing positively but that the Carriage was safe, and gone.1

Home to dinner. Quiet afternoon finished the fourth volume of Madame de Maintenon, and the third book of the Epistles from Pontus. He says in the beginning of his fourth book that his correspondents complain of uniformity, and I think justly enough. Evening, German.

Fine day. I passed the morning in reading German. Attended divine service and heard a young man Mr. Briggs just commencing his profession.1 In the morning from John 14. 21. “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and manifest myself in him.” The nature and force of love, as explained by the Saviour. In the afternoon Hebrews 13. 18. “For we trust we have a good conscience.” The intricate question of conscience is rather trying to a young beginner. However he managed it judiciously insisted only upon the necessity of enlarging it’s power by knowledge and especially by religion and of listening to it as the dictate of a judge not of a reasoner. He has considerable power. A degree of eloquence in his manner, and a fervor of style which might (I should think) raise him quite high in public estimation.

At home, read a Sermon of Warburton, upon the love of God. 1 John 4. 20. “If a man say, I love God and hateth his brother, he is a Liar, for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” He traces Religion up to Love, 386Love up to benevolence and benevolence to selfishness. This appearing to be the origin with him of the moral sense. Benevolence being the general Law which prompts to Love, it extends both to that for God and man and cannot easily be found where both of these its natural consequences do not exist. I do not at present entirely assent to this derivation of our moral sense, and of our virtues. The Sermon has nevertheless some merit.

In the evening, I read to Mr. Brooks at his request a Sermon of Sterne’s upon the text of this afternoon. It is a mixture half facetious, half profound with occasional touches of nature, like every thing else of that author. German. A new story in which I do not succeed so well.