December. 3. This week my cold continued, but my aguish distemper at the latter end was somewhat abated: and my navel was well, and seemed perfectly sound, to god be the praise, the means used was washing it with plantain water and loose sugar, and keeping it clean, thus the lord in laying on one trouble did remove another, answering prayer and showing himself a god hearing even my infirmities, the lord in mercy sanctify both unto me, my cold did trouble me with coughing in the night, I hope it will clear and cleanse me, my dear wife was also very ill with her cold, hereby my studies were much hindered, and yet I got up my sermons, and ventured to preach god giving me strength, and he preserved me that my going out was not hurtful to me, my stomach was very bad, but god provided meat for me that I relished: a sickness is a strait and this difficulty we little remember when in health, the lord shined on my spirit, gave me inward peace and stayed my heart on him, oh fetch off my heart to a full compliance with and submittance to thy heavenly will oh my god.