N01265:47
Memorials of early piety. Occurring in the holy life & joyful death of Mrs.…
Memorials of early piety. Occurring in the holy life & joyful death of Mrs. Jerusha Oliver. : With some account of her Christian experiences, extracted from her reserved papers: and published, for the service of Christianity; but especially to serve the intentions of early religion. : [Four lines of Scripture texts]
printed by T. Green, 1711
Title page typeset from the transcription.
MEMOIRS OF Mrs. Jerusha Oliver, Who Died, 30. d. 10. m. 1710.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§ 7. ONE main Intention of her Diary, seems to have been, that she might note the principal Desires, which her Soul was on each Day, under the power of; which in the Supplications of the Closet she principally insisted on. Austin would say, The Life of Christianity, was chiefly made up of Holy Desires. The Holy Desires, and the Daily ones, of this Young Woman, were the Things that filled Hundreds of ⟨p. 31⟩Pages in her Memorials. From the thousands of her Pious Anhelations after Spiritual Blessings, I will only single out a few, that may carry more particular Instructions in them, and such as I would wish the Persons of her Age and Sex may take a proper Notice of. Tis not the Commending of the Dead, but the Instructing of the Living, that I am aiming at. These which follow were some of her Holy Desires.
The Lord Enable me to count the Cost of walking in the Narrow way, & Enable me to Resolve to walk in that way, whatever it Cost me; and Enable me to make sure, that I be entered in that way before it be too late. The Lord Enable me to hate Idleness. Grant that I may Live more Profitably! Pardon my Daily Unprofitableness; and Enable me every Day to Redeem the Time, as I ought to do. Enable me to make Religion my main Business; That I may be sure to spend my Time well, and set Holy Examples before me; but above all the Example of CHRIST, for my Imitation. ⟨p. 32⟩I have too Vain an Heart. The Lord Enable me to Mourn as I ought to do, for the Vanity of my Heart▪ And the Lord Pardon the Vanity of my Heart; And give me a Sincere, and a Serious, and an Humble, and a Thankful Heart. The Lord Grant, that I may not Content my self with mere Morality: But that I may Sincerely give my self unto the Lord JESUS CHRIST. — The Lord Enable me, to give my very Heart and Soul to Christ, and Enable me to Love Christ more than any thing in this world. The Lord Pardon my not Mourning for the Sins of others, as I ought to have done; and Enable me to Mourn both for my own Sins, and for the Sins of others, as I ought to do; And the Lord be my God. It is now a Cold Season. And my Heart is too Cold. The Lord Pardon the Coldness of my Heart, and Pardon my Praying after too Cold, and too Careless a manner; and give me a New & an Heavenly Heart; and grant that I may be Fervent in spirit, serving