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"Ecftacy of Devotion therein contain'd, and if any "thing can be yet added to it. The amazing and "comprehensive View of Providence through all "the Periods of the World therein fet forth, do "all befpeak it to be of Divine Original. There "are indeed fome Difficulties in feveral Parts of "the Conftitution, which highly deserve to be "confidered and cleared: This however I need not "fcruple to affirm, that I who have read them more "with a practical than a curious Eye, have not found the tenth Part of the Difficulties in them, "either in Refpect of Faith or Practice, as I do when I read over the other uncontefted Books "of the New Testament with the like View: They "being indeed more confiftent with themselves,

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and with the other Books of the New Teftament, than the faid Books have ever appeared to me to be, especially if they are confidered without that great Light and Affiftance, which even the "Conftitutions now give us, both in explaining and "reconciling them to each other. &c.

Your Loving, and Affectionate Brother,
DAN. WHISTON.

"Pray inform me, what State Primitive Christianity is in, and whether, upon this great Turn "of Affairs, there are no Hopes of having its "Claim heard."

I come now to myself, and these Memoirs of my own Life: And to give the Reasons why I write it at all, and efpecially why I write it

now.

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now. The Occafions of which are as follows. About the Middle of laft May, 1746, came to me in London an Hanoverian Scholar, that had been three Quarters of a Year in England, and fpake English very well. His particular Business with me was to defire me to revife and improve a fhort Account of Mr. Humphrey Ditton, who, as they knew in Germany, had been my intimate Friend. This was defigned to be fet before his very excellent Work concerning our Saviour's Refurrection, which was, it seems, already translated into the German Tongue, and was going to be there published. When this fhort Account was fhewed me in English, I perufed it, and found no fmall Parts of it to be falfe; and fo I was forced to write it almost all new, with this Title, Mr. Whifton's Account of Mr. Humphrey Ditton, which I hear they will tranflate, and prefix to the German Edition of that Book. About a Week afterward came another Hanoverian Scholar to me, and defired me to write my own Life: For he faid, that alfo had been written in Germany; but, as was now found, with feveral Falfities likewife. My Anfwer was, that though I had been long ago put upon this, I had not hitherto inclined to do it; yet rather than go down to Pofterity with fuch Falfities, perhaps I might fet about it; as I did immediately.

Now I was from my Youth brought up with a religious Education, and under deep Impreffions of Piety; and in the diligent Study of the Scriptures, and was no other than my Father's Amanuenfis for fome Years. During which Time, in 1682, Sir John

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John Moor (who was born at my native Town of Norton, of Charles Moor, Hufbandman, and Cicely Us Wife, and baptized there June 11, 1620) was come Lord Mayor of London. Upon which my *ther thought it a very fit Thing for the Minifter 1990 Inhabitants of Norton to present an Addrefs of C, tratulation to his Lordship in his high Station; with AbDefire that he would, in fome Way or other, ve he pleased, remember the Place of his Nativity. Which Propofal, when the Inhabitants readily complied with, Mr. Swinfen, one of the fecluded Members of the Long Parliament, at my Father's Request, drew us up a Form of such an Addrefs; which I remember I copied out, and a Writing-Master of Tamworth engroffed fair for us; and Sir Edward Abney of Willefey, the Father of one of our present Barons of the Exchequer, prefented it to the Lord Mayor, who at first seemed to neglect it; but afterwards remember'd it effectually, when he built and liberally endowed that noble School at Appleby, but a Mile from Norton, whither his Relations were removed; and made Norton free of it, which will stand as a Memorial of my Father's Care of Norton, and of the Generofity of Sir John Moor, by that Donation, as the whole Country's great Benefactor.

In the Year 1684 I was fent by my Father to Tamworth, to that excellent Schoolmafter Mr. George Antrobus, one of whofe Daughters I afterward married; who, with Mr. Samuel Langley, the vigilant Pastor of that large Parish, were great Bleflings to the fame, and in intimate Friendship

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with one another. Whether it was my want of Exercife when I was my Father's Amanuenfis, and my long Attendance both Morning and Afternoon on my Father at home, while he learned the Chapters, &c. for the Lord's Days; or whether it arose from my original Stamina vita, I have been a Valetudinarian, and greatly fubject to the 10, us Hypochondriaci in various Shapes all my Long, although old Age, Temperance, Abfti e, and very great Exercise, have made it a great deal eafier to me now for many Years. My principal Comfort was from my Innocence, and was always this, that whenever it pleafes God to take me from this miferable and uneafy World, I verily hope and truft I fhall go into the Bofom of Abraham, into Paradife, and be happier there than I can expect to be in this World.

Now, to prove what was the State of my Indifpofition at that Time of my Life, take one Example. When I was become fo vipoured and timorous at home, that I was ready to faint away if I did but go a few Stones caft from our own Houfe, my Father obferved it; and fearing the Increase of that Diftemper, and its bad Confquences in my future Life, he forced me to walk with our Clerk, John Flavell, four Miles on a frofty Morning, to my Uncle Simmond's at Atherston; which Force was yet the kindest Thing he could do to me. Accordingly, when I found myself pretty well, both on my Journey and Return, I began to take a little more Courage; and that Degree of Melancholy wore off, though a leffer Degree of it always has, and

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I suppose always will, continue with me all the Days of my Life.

And now, finding in my Note-Book fome Account of the greatest Frost that has happened all my Life-time, A. D. 1683-4, I shall fet that Account down here, nearly in the Words I then wrote it, though fomewhat fhortened.

About November 26, 1683, began in good Earneft a very great Froft; but it began to be more fenfibly extraordinary about December 23. It was fomewhat more moderate a Day or two in Christmas, yet during the reft of those Days it was exceffive sharp, infomuch that in a single Night it froze two Inches and a Quarter or half. About January 9th or 10th, 1683-4, it began to thaw for a Day or two; but about the 13th or 14th it froze again a little for fome Days. But from about the 2 1ft to the 26th it froze exceeding hard; and, on the 30th [the folemn Fast, which my Father then kept for the Murder of King Charles] and 31ft it froze the hardest of all; in fome Places three Inches or more in one Night. [This Account, taken and written when I was but fixteen Years of Age, may be compared with others taken by those at riper Years.]

Now before my going to Tamworth School, 1684, I had learned of my Father at home fo far as he could well teach me without his Eyefight; fo that after a bare Year and three Quarters Stay there, I was about the Middle of the Year 1686, admitted of Clare-Hall in Cambridge, where I earnestly purfued my Studies, and particularly

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