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27.<br />
information, and food for the mind, which I<br />
thought was only to be acquired by reading a vari=<br />
=ety of books; that I have been led to murmur a=<br />
=gainst providence, that <emotion>such a strong desire was<br />
implanted within me,</emotion> and the means of gratifying<br />
it <sic>witheld</sic>&nbsp; <corr>withheld</corr>! Now, many books were put into my<br />
hands, of which I knew nothing before, some of<br />
which I read with pleasure and satisfaction: they<br />
left no taint on the mind. But a certain de=<br />
=scription of books, particular those pernicious<br />
ones, called Novels, were not only offered to<br />
me, but every arguments used, that could be<br />
thought of, to induce me to read them. In<br />
time past I should not have hesitated much,<br />
<abbr>yea</abbr>, perhaps might have perused them with ea=<br />
=gerness; but now I felt such an inward<br />
check that I durst not touch them, <emotion>fearing<br />
that if I once began, I should not know<br />
where to stop, but should fall deeper and deep=<br />
=er into error.</emotion> What can I ascribe this cir=<br />
=cumstance to, but alone to the power of re=<br />
=straining and preventing grace?<br />
<gap></gap>From the time of my dear Fathers decease,<br />
I was convinced that the business we were<br />
left to conduct would never answer, and <emotion>was<br />
very uneasy about it,</emotion> but could not resolve<br />
to make my mind known to our guardian.<br />
My youngest Brother was now <abbr>apprentic&#39;d</abbr>,<br />
but the eldest, with whom I lived, was<br />
unprovided for, and must in a case of