24: This day was the last of my 35. year. in which the lord was good to me in keeping my family when the smallpox was so much in the town in blessing my estate. but especially in bringing us that desire to fear his name into fellowship, and communion and a comfortable enjoyment of him in his ordinances: keeping my heart in his fear and nourishing up his grace in me keeping down corruptions, giving me a continued apprehension of him my portion, and setting my heart very much to look after those great things he is about to do both against antichrist and all the enemies of his church, and for his people both Jews and Gentiles, I trust he will never fail me nor forsake me as he has promised; my soul admires the lord in his love, and ascribes the Lord in his love, and ascribes all praise to the Lamb who has redeemed me by his own blood, and my desire is to love him and do him service all my days.
all the threats of our enemies ended in the ruin of the Scotch design at Worcester, and the flight of their King into France, all Scotland even reduced, by force, and disbanded on treaty, our forces also prospered in Ireland where the sword, famine and pestilence has made a great waste. we are not on good terms with Holland, the new hopes of the enemies are that these 2 states will fall out to eithers ruin and make way for the Spaniard and Stuart to recover their own again in both.
France is likely to fall into flames by her own divisions, this summer she has done nothing abroad. The Spaniard has almost reduced Barcelona the chief city of Catalonia and so that kingdom the issue of that affair we wait. Poland is free from war with the Cossacks but fears them. Dane and Swede are both in quiet, and so is Germany, yet the peace at Munster is not fully executed: the turk has done no great matter on the Venetian, nor been so fortunate and martial as formerly, as if that people were at their height and declining rather.
the Isles of Silly. Jersey. and Guernsey. Man. and all the proper possessions of England now reduced, and no great fear of any power within, god prevent breaches among ourselves(,) our fleets are strong at sea;
there have been great inundations in Spain at Bilboa, and in Italy. letters from Silly mention an earthquake there on December. 25. past.
Arise oh Lord. Come Lord Jesus. oh thou saviour and hope of Israel. be not far from us, judge all thy enemies.
Jan. 25: 1651. y. 36 of my age.
This was the lords day, and I was sensible, that it ended my 35. and began my 36: year: I was joyful to be employed in gods work, I hope the whole year my heart shall more savour of god that formerly, and he will rejoice to use me in his works and services. god was very good to me in his word, and in my utterance, he in mercy bless me in his own service to his own people.