in process of time, with considerable enlargement at the place, and making the leg shorter and weaker than the other, thus causing lameness for life.
I inherited something of the family beauty of face, and resembled my father more than any of my brothers and sisters, and I was of a very lively and inventive turn. When I was only four years old, I was so taken with hearing my father read the Scriptures and pray with the family, that I had a fancy to imitate him, and I called together the servants and my sisters, and made them kneel down while I prayed. They gave my father such an account of my proceedings, that he and my mother became curious to hear me. I would not proceed until they also knelt down with the rest. My father was much affected by the earnestness of my manner, and he thought he could discover a germ of piety and talent, which he prayed to God to nourish and strengthen so as to produce fruit in due season.
I was seven years younger than any of my brothers and sisters, and I was consequently left much to myself, and used to reflect a great deal upon all that I saw and heard; and some of the meditations of my childhood were rather unusual, and perhaps worth relating.
You must bear in mind that all my knowledge was derived from what I could see for myself, and learn from the Holy Scriptures, which I heard my father read in the family daily. I beheld the glorious sun arise each morning, rejoicing our hearts by the light and warmth which he imparted; and when he disappeared, the vault above our heads was enamelled with thousands of stars. I watched another beautiful luminary, which appeared to change its shape day by day; now it was perfectly round, but each night it became
