aflictions in this life, but I had rather to injoy thy favour then any earthly filicity. and my most feare was least I should heare I should* die that that might be an offence unto thee to whom I have prayed that thou wouldest keepe mee from offending thee and deale with mee as pleaeth thee best. I further was jealious of my selfe least knowing my good fortune I should relie upon that and not wholy to thy providence which is they that know thy Name will put there trust in thee for thou Lord hast not failed them that seeke thee psal 9.10 best of all yea I alwayes found it the comfort in my troubles being assured that thou wouldest healpe mee because I \had/ trusted in thee. and woe had I bene if I had not. I desired no \other/ better then to be thine (and \now/ to do those things that pleaseth thee) which though then I desired. yet now I find \it/ to be so good, which then I could not so fully immagin when I did desire it,

my mother \being/ ill againe I made an end of my cutworke and now did dranworke and after tenstich this midsomer Mr Naper [comanly] called Sandy) was commemed to her for his good skill in physick, but my mother heard that by some whereby she feared \that/ he used inderict meanes she therefore and my father desired Mr Baxter (our minister, who was ready to doe any good office) to goe to him for her that he might see by the lawfull waye of physicke she might have helpe: *hee sent her cordialls to preserve or comfort nature. and with all that wee should pray for her. thereby intimating I suppose that she was past his care. yet she recovered so well that she lived till this yeere went about. or yeres followingIn these dayes my father kept a simple fellow though he had many strange and idle fancies yet he would come to us that we might here or learn him his prares 3 a day and he hoped to be saved by Jesus Christ for he died for him he would say in whom my mother much delighted in and admired. because of his Devotion and understanding in good. beyond some that were more worldly wise. my mother asked devines if they thought he might be saved, but some seemed to doubt of it because they thought he could not deserne the Trinitie. yet my mother had such a charitable opinion of him that she thought he might have a childs place in heaven because of his good inclinenation and harmolesnesse, for he would often call himselfe an innocent.

in these dayes my mother was tenderly touched with the times. lamenting much the wickednesse of this Land and fearing the wrath that might come thereon, this vertue is in too few now adayes for the good are taken away from the evill to come*, and wee considder it not for though wee feare yet wee have not that affection to pray one for another as the good have done. for now wee find the Apostle Pauls saying true that in the last dayes men shalbe lovers of there owne selves. and because iniquitie shall abound the love of many shall wax cold. \Mat 24.12/ for wee are the 16 yere not affectioned towards one another our sences are stupified and our harts hardened. that wee cannot concieve good. much lesse doe it. Lord thou promitest to thy Israll that thou wouldest take away there stony hart and give them a hart of flesh. that thou wouldest write thy law in there \[illeg]/ harts O Grant the same unto us for then shall wee both serve thee and love one anothe\r/ that we may cast our eyes from beholding or narrowly spying out of others faults and set our owne only in sight saying as the profet Daved did it is I that have sinned by beseeching thee to - being sorriy when any thing is found or don amiss even In our enemies. then shall wee not onely pray for, but praise thee for one another; acknowledgeing thy good gifts in us. and be still pleased to grant unto us unitie. peace. and godly agreement.

Hetherto I praise thee my God for the good and peaceable yeeres wee have had under thy servant James our gracious King. Let not our unworthynesse hinder thy favor and mercie towards us. in still Blessing us in his offspring and grant that they may be blessed in us. that so if it be thy will they may long raigne over us. to thy glory and our comfort; even as long as the Sun and Moone endureth. In these yeeres for as my knowledge increased I was so pleased with the devine truth. that to injoy it with the more freenesse I thought of the Chap of S paul. to the cor: and I t[hought] it might be best in this latter age of the world if trouble some times should be. that I might be prepared the better both for the worse of times and best of ends I desired not to marry: and though my father was now solicited for mee and my mother by those our Neighbours of good account, to which she semed to be willing. yet she desired my father that he would not be hastie in marrieing of me. nor force mee to any against my owne likeing. for she thought