July 29, 1750

1750 July 29 (Sunday).  Rain, Thunder and Lightning.  Read Exod. 31 and though I have prepar’d a sufficient Number of pages on the subject I have in Hand, viz. the Beginning of the Sabbath, yet not having compleated the whole of what I design upon that Argument I thought it best to defer delivering any part of it; and the Instances of suicide in this Country, a. and p.m. increasing (to my Knowledge and Observation) Mrs. Rice also still under very great Temptations and strange assaults, I preach’d from Luke 11.4, latter part, repeating mainly my Expositions of Mat. 6.13 former part with alterations and additions.  Read P.M. John 8 to number 25.  N.B. it rain’d so exceeding hard that my Wife and a Number of my Family besides tarried at the Meeting House.  But Esq. Baker invited Mr. Haven to dine with me at the House — which he did.  By the Evening there fell so much Rain that there was a great Flood.  But through the Merciful preservation of God no hurt done among us by the Lightning.