1701 Diary: By way of lamentation and humiliation. “ I have reason to lament greatly the strength of my own corruptions, and weakness of my graces. By reason of the former, I am as smoking flax, by reason of the latter as a bruised reed.
I am still full of vain thoughts, and empty of good thoughts; many of my secret prayers are wretchedly disfigured and spoiled, by a multitude of distractions and diversions of mind; the flesh and the things of the flesh still minded, to the prejudice of the Spirit, and the neglect of the things of the Spirit.
“ I have lost a great deal of precious time, and not filled it up, or else I might have gone forwarder in my notes on the Evangelist John“ Sins easily beset me, and I do not the things that I would. “ I have very much reason to bewail my manifold defects in my ministerial work, my coldness in prayer, that I speak not of the things of God with more clearness and concern. 0, how many, how great are the iniquities of my holy things.
