1736 September 13 (Monday). Being in great Concern about Brother Elias’s Family, his wife and only son especially, whom I left dangerously ill (See Sept. 4) and hearing nothing but by Jesse Maynard which was that Elias was not Dead, but that he was nigh or altogether as bad as ever, I took my Horse and rode to Marlborough to see if there was any Letter at the Colonel’s for me, or any News from College or Boston by Mr. Caleb Rice or by Marlborough preacher; but hearing nothing of them to relieve my oppressed Mind (except what I met with from Deacon [Feveryear?[1]] and Cous. Langdon[2] whom I met at Sudbury) I proceeded to Cambridge (not without some Desire also (I confess) to see somebody else). From Cambridge I proceeded still, to Boston where my Brother received Me with great Joy and Thanks for my tender Sympathy and Concern for them in their Distressing Troubles. Through the Wondrous Goodness of God My Mother was about again —Sister was much revived, her Cough abated etc. And Elias not only alive, but relieved and able to set up, though very weak and feeble yet: John Tyley far recovered. Glory to our Almighty Healer! O that this might prove especially to my Nephew devoted to public service an happy Seasoning etc. And then what a vast and incomparable Benefit shall both He and we reap by this Dispensation. God grant it may be so! I Spent the latter part of the Evening with Mrs. H.B. till about 11, and then returned and lodged at Brother Elias’s. N.B. both the state of my mind as I was riding this Journey, and what befell me upon it. And First, whilst upon my Journey; when I Could, I employed my Mind not only upon the Troubles of my Brother, but upon my own, and upon that weighty Affair which I was left in the greatest Suspence about, when I left Mrs. H.B. last: And I very earnestly and importunately besought God, the Great Ruler of the World, and Disposer of all our Circumstances And in whose Hands are the Hearts of all Persons whosoever, that it would please Him to vouchsafe me Guidance and Direction, and would succeed and prosper me, as He did Jacob[3] when he went forth from Home upon such an Errand as this; that it might please God to behold the Desolate Condition I am in, and the broken State of My Family; and that if it might be his Will to grant Me another Partner, he would be pleased to furnish Such an one for me, conduct me to Her, and grant me Success — and that if the Person I was designing to visit Should be such an one as might be a Blessing to me and to my bereaved Family, and to the Flock of God in Westborough and Should prove a Fellow-Helper and my Companion in the Kingdom and Patience of Jesus Christ, that then it might please God to remove the Difficultys <and discouragements> in my Way and give me prosperity; and incline her to Me, and enable her to overcome her Discouragements. And if God Should please, whether with this person or with whomsoever, to make my Life Comfortable again So as that I may again attend to my Ministerial Duty with some freeness and Delight — Then I would humbly, but solemnly engage that, by his Grace assisting me, all that Comfort and pleasure, all that Delight and Satisfaction, and all the Advantages I may reap by such Success granted Me by God, shall be improved to His Glory, and to the Benefit of his people to the Spiritual and Eternal Welfare of my own soul, and to the highest Good of my Family — In short, that, as Jacobs Vow ran, Then the Lord shall be my God[4] — that is, I shall look upon my self as under a New and peculiar Obligation to acknowledge Him as Such. Now after this I remark Secondly, What befell me upon This. 1.) That Evening I was much puzzled and perplexed by what means I Should keep from endangering my whole Design this Evening which would be likely to be lost if I Should meet with Company at Mr. P__ t’s and be obliged to engage with them I Should be disappointed in my Design of improving my few Minutes left me — for fatigued with my Journey I could not sit up late after they were gone — But God favoured me in bringing Mrs. H________ her Self to the Door, who immediately conducted me up into our Chamber. Several Circumstances of this Event, made it appear to me a Special Favour of Divine Providence. 2.) Although I had no greater Encouragement this Evening if so much, as when I left Mrs. H________ the last Journey — And I was almost ready to resolve that these retired and Special visits and Addresses must be concluded. Yet the Next Day,
[1]Grafton Feveryeare of Boston’s Second or “Old North Church”; Worthley, Inventory, 58.
[2]Edward Langdon.
[3]Genesis 28.
[4]Genesis 28:20-21.