- Flint Jacob Rev
d
Short visit to my Garden and Nursery. Heard Mr Flint of Cohasset,
morning, from Psalm 66.13— I will pay thee my vows, 14. Which my lips
have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble— Afternoon
from Proverbs 22.6. “Train up a Child in the way he should go; and when
he is old, he will not depart from it.” Two most impressive texts—the
latter so often handled as to have become a common place— The former
seldom noticed, but containing a moral lesson, not less important— The
obligation of Christians to perform the promises and fulfil the
Resolutions made when in trouble is a copious subject for introduction
and reproof. Mr Flint treated it with plain
good sense, but his elocution is so languid and drawling that it does
great injustice to his composition. His afternoon discourse, upon the
education of children might have been improved by the perusal of
Tillotson’s Sermons on the
same Subject. Mr Flint dined with us. After
the second Service, I rode with Mrs
Adams over Milton Hill into Dorchester, returning by the
upper bridge over the Neponset— I could not write in my chamber; and
read in the dining room below, where we had a fire. I finished reading
the second Book de Divinatione— It is occupied entirely by Marcus Cicero himself, who declares
his total disbelief in Divination: and refutes the Arguments and
ridicules the authorities, and examples cited by Quintus in favour of it— He
cautiously disclaimed any intention to interfere with the Religion of
the Country— He therefore agrees and urges that the Auguries and
Aruspications should be continued; for the preservation and prosperity
of the Republic— But he says as they are alone, and as the principles of
the Academic philosophy which he approved were rather to raise than
absolve doubts; he assures him that he believes nothing in Divination—
He takes the whole discourse of Quintus to pieces, rejects with scorn
the idea, that the entrails of beasts the flight of birds or the feeding
of chickens should have any connection whatever with the Fortunes of
individuals, 547and argues with great acuteness and
irresistible cogency against the possibility of any positive foresight
of Events— He leaves nothing for human reason to reply— In the 30th. Section he gives an extract of about 30
lines from Homers Iliad, in Latin
Hexameter verse of his own composition— They are from the second Book of
the Iliad V. 299–333. and in Pope’s Translation V. 364–397.— In the 56th. Section he cites the double meaning
Oracles, delivered to Croesus, and to
Pyrrhus: and in the 58th. he remarks that there is no absurdity so
great but it has been affirmed by some philosopher— I read also three
Sections of the Book de Fato—