1774 January 1 (Saturday). How could I have imagined that So poor, weakly, and especially that So Sinful and unworthy a Creature would be Spared to this Day! That I am indulged with another New-Year’s Day Still! The divine Compassions, the divine Faithfulness and Truth do never fail. I desire with all my Heart, with all my Powers, to bless and praise His glorious Name. I endeavored to present Thanksgivings to God most gracious and merciful for His Goodness throughout my Life, a Life so wonderfully protracted! For the Favours of the Year past in Special. That there is so abundant Reason to bless that to such old Age I enjoy Such Health of Body, free use of my Limbs; though many Years ago I was very Subject to the Rheumatism, yet now have Ease, except Sometimes the Cramps ‘o Nights, and once in a while a Spasmatick turn of Pain, which has been very excruciating, but through the infinite Goodness of God is not lasting. I bless God for Relative Favour for His Goodness in restoring Mrs. P________ from sickness — and reviving to Such a Degree, my Daughter Baldwin; delivering and recovering my Daughter Cushing, when she bore a Second Son. And for public — What an invaluable Favour of our most gracious God that no less than 15 have been added to the Church this Year! And Thanks are due that the people have been so Succeeded in enlarging, repairing and decorating the place of public Worship. That we enjoy So many of our invaluable Rights and Libertys, Civil and Religious, notwithstanding the Grievances we are under, and it is a Day of awful Frown of God upon us for our great Sins against Him. Spent the Day in other Acts of Religion as I could consistent with my Duty in my Circumstances, and of preparing for the Sabbath which I turned into this Channel. Read Bennets Christian Oratory on Thanksgiving, renewed my Covenant with God imploring forgiveness of all my Sins, especially of the last year — by prayer committed my Self and all mine, all the accidents and Changes before me, whether I live a longer or shorter time, to an infinitely kind, faithful God. But O that I might be more deeply affected with the Shortness of my Time. Ah! How extreme Short, and how uncertain! O that God would please, of His infinite Mercy, to enable me to prepare for the awful Hour, which approches apace! That Death may not terrifie, but be welcome and joyfull to me! Jonathan Maynard having lived with me Eight months, and according to another Agreement after the first was out, left me this Morning; (having paid him upward of Sixty Pounds old Tenor). Mr. Nathan Kenny here to desire me to defer propounding his Wife, as he had thoughts to come in a little time himself. At Evening came my son William and brought with him his own little son; to our Joy.