e, I remember that I got into great confusion relating to my
sins and repentances, and knew neither where to begin nor how to
proceed, and often had great fears that I was wholly without Christ,
and that I would find God a consuming fire to me. I could not help
running into new sins continually; but then I was mercifully dealt
with, for I was often made to repent of them most heartily, by reason
of bodily chastisements received on these delinquencies being
discovered. I was particularly prone to lying, and I cannot but admire
the mercy that has freely forgiven me all these juvenile sins. Now that
I know them all to be blotted out, and that I am an accepted person, I
may the more freely confess them: the truth is, that one lie always
paved the way for another, from hour to hour, from day to day, and from
year to year; so that I found myself constantly involved in a labyrinth
of deceit, from which it was impossible to extricate myself. If I knew
a person to be a godly one, I could almost have kissed his feet; but,
against the carnal portion of mankind, I set my face continually. I
esteemed the true ministers of the gospel; but the prelatic party, and
the preachers up of good works I abhorred, and to this hour I account
them the worst and most heinous of all transgressors.

There was only one boy at Mr. Witch's class who kept always the upper
hand of me in every part of education. I strove against him from year
to year, but it was all in vain; for he was a very wicked boy, and I
was convinced he had dealings with the Devil. Indeed, it was believed
all over the country that his mother was a witch; and I was at length
convinced, that it was no human ingenuity that beat me with so much
ease in the Latin, after I had often sat up a whole night with my
reverend father, studying my lesson in all its bearings. I often read
as well and sometimes better than he; but, the moment Mr. Wilson began
to examine us, my opponent popped up above me. I determined (as I knew
him for a wicked person, and one of the Devil's handfasted children) to
be revenged on him, and to humble him by some means or other.
Accordingly I lost no opportunity of setting the master against him,
and succeeded several times in getting him severely beaten for faults
of which he was innocent. I can hardly describe the joy that it gave to
my heart to see a wicked creature suffering, for, though he deserved it
not for one thing, he richly deserved it for others. This ma