In memoriam Author:John Larkin Lincoln Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: EXTRACTS FROM PROFESSOR LINCOLN'S DIARY WHILE A STUDENT AT NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION, 1838-1839. He begins anew his diary at the beginning of his t... more »heological studies with thoughts as follows : — " Newton Theological Institution, June, 1838. " Have determined to recommence the practice of keeping a journal. I have felt ever since I relinquished it, at intervals, the need of it, both in respect to my progress in study and in piety. The practice induces habits of watchfulness and self-examination, as well as promotes system. I shall not make it strictly a religious diary, as I should greatly fear the effects upon myself of attempting such an object. I fear it would insidiously generate pride and a sort of self-deception. I will make it a repository of such things concerning my progress, not merely in religion, but in all other matters, which shall seem to myself sufficiently interesting and important for preservation. The last entry in my journal had reference to the fact of my leaving Washington in October, 1837, and entering the Institution here. I am now just commencing the summer term. Have commenced, I hope, with some increased enjoyment in religion, and with more ardent desires than I have ever before experienced for making large attainments in knowledge and mental discipline. God in his providence saw fit to afflict me four weeks before the close of the last term with a disease in my eyes, so that for the last three months I have been unable to study. I hope I have tried to discover and learn the lesson which He designed to teach me in this providence. My time was employed, I hope, in profitable reflection. I endeavored to look back upon the past to ascertain what progress I had made. In some respects, at least with reference to the nature and method of my stu...« less