Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do
humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions,
so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake. Remember to
read over these Resolutions once a week.
1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s
glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration,
without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many
uncertainty of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty
and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do
this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great
soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new
contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to
keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when
I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or
body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor
suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the
most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do,
if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if
nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or
had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the
knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and
prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of
the common circumstances, which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and
of hell.
11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved,
immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not
hinder.
12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or
vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and
liberality.
14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards
irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his
dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come
to die.
18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout
frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and
another world.
19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I
expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last
trump.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and
drinking.
21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I
should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the
more meanly of him.
22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the
other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and
vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert,
in any way that can be thought of.
23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most
unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the
original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be
for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it
back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully
endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might
against the original of it.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing
in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and
to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.
27. Resolved, never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be
for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.
28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and
frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in
the knowledge of the same.
29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a
prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I
cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I
cannot hope God will accept.
30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in
religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.
31. Resolved, never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it
is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of
love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own
faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have
said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the
test of this Resolution.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that,
in Proverbs 20:6, “A faithful man who can find?” may not be partly
fulfilled in me.
33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and
preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in
other respects.
34. Resolved, in narrations never to speak any thing but the pure and
simple verity.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as
that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how
the question was Resolved.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular
good call for it.
37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I
have been negligent, – what sin I have committed, -and wherein I have
denied myself; -also at the end of every week, month and year.
38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or
matter of laughter on the Lord’s Day.
39. Resolved, never to do any thing of which I so much question the
lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and
examine afterwords, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much
question the lawfulness of the omission.
40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have
acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and
drinking.
41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and
year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.
42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which
was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received
into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this
twelfth day of January, 1722-23.
43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any
way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s; agreeable to what is to be
found in Saturday, January 12.
44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at
all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least
circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, or any
affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance
relating to it, but what helps religion.
46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness
at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as
in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be
especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.
47. Resolved, to endeavor, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most
agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet,
peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and
meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and
even, patient, moderate, forgiving and sincere temper; and to do at all
times, what such a temper would lead me to; and to examine strictly, at
the end of every week, whether I have done so.
48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the
strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may
know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come
to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.
50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been
best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world.
51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall
wish I had done, if I should at last be damned.
52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if
they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just
so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.
53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and
happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus
Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him;
that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide
in my Redeemer.
54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I
think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it.
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do,
if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight
with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether
I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as
providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing
but my duty, and my sin.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness,
and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness
and benignity.
59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and
anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at
such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other
respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at
other times.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of
order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least
irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest
examination.
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find
unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion,
whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me
to do, is best to be done, etc.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Eph.
6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to
man: “knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he
receive of the Lord.”
63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in
the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all
respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true
luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under
whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I
strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time.
64. Resolved, when I find those “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom.
8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those “breakings of soul for the
longing it hath,” of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will
promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary of
earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such
earnestness.
65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long,
viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my
ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations,
difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every
circumstance.
66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and
air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it
should so happen that duty requires otherwise.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for
them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in
myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion,
also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see
others do it.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.
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