Background: Born in 1771, Samuel Law, Esq., a graduate of Yale University, came to Meredith (Delaware County, NY) in 1798.  He was a land agent for proprietors of the Franklin Patent.  He advertised, sold, and leased land.  In addition, he was a farmer and businessman. He build a large house on Meredith Square in 1806 which was considered one of the finest in the county.  His wife Sally was born in 1776.  He had four sons: William Lyon Law born in 1814, Samuel Andrew Law, born in 1816, Jonathan Albion Law, born in 1819, and Stephen Dodd Law, born in 1821.

January 1. 1840! Wednesday.
All hail! Unfolding Era, - ushering in another happy New Year! And may then progress & thine issue happy be!
The prospective, - wisely hidden! O may each morrow, as it becomes, - today, - bear witness and enable me, - to say, - “I’ve lived today!”- lived more & more as behooves to live; more & more devoted to duty & to preparation for that better world vouch-safe to such as seek it, thro Christ, this ever blessed Savior & Redeemer.
Have, this day had a call from Revd Mr. Blakeman & a grateful converse with him - occupied, in part, in the office - part, Reading the presidents long message:
My health, of favor, comfortable; Sally, better & Rest of us, so so.
Weather severe cold; coldest day of the winter! Clear & calm.
Sunrise 15 below 0
Noon 4 “ 0
Sunset 11 “ 0
9 P.M 13 “ 0

Sunday Jan. 12.
Into Meeting: Mr. Blakeman preached: a.m. - on onward Sanctification : p.m. On the house, - eternal, in the heavens. Heaven: Its Glories, Employments, Enjoyments & value!
Respectable assemblage: Day, cold; but calm, clear & beautiful. Eve - writing Samuel. My health so so - Sally, Ditto: but poor Franklin - very sick!

Sunday Jan. 19.
To meeting: Mr. Blakeman prchd. A.M. God is angry with the wicked, every day. p.m. Lay not up treasures on earth; but in heaven!
Weather - comfortable - tho full cold. My health, to day, not so well; yet so, - that into meeting: And, - Eve, - wrote - to Ias Brice & few lines to Samuel.

Sunday Jan. 26.
To meeting: Mr. Blakeman prchd. a.m. Text - Having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof : Forms - various Pharisees - had forms - the young Ruler - all who Rely on their own well doing &c.: The Power - faith - Repentance - love - benevolence - humility &c.
P.M. Now is the accepted time; Now is the day of salvation: now -not tomorrow - or a more convenient opportunity - put offs - the eternal Ruin of countless miriads!Evening - in my office - writing to Jared Olmstead - of the Choctaw Mission. (Editorial note from Dr. Frank M. Waterman: Jared Olmstead was a Missionary of the American Board among the Choctaw Indians. Delaware Gazette (5/12/1841).
Weather - still cold and Roads badly blocked up.

Sunday Feb. 2d.
to meeting - Mr. B. prchd a.m. On the omnipresent Omniscience of god: p.m. on the duty to be up & doing. Work out your salvation with fear & trembling. A pleasant day - yet but few - to meeting. Eve - wrote Stephen.

Mon. Mar. 9.
Mrs. Law, the day - till eve, much of yesterday - Eve - a very Restless paroxysm [intensification of symptoms]: not more fever, - but nervous and very weak and afrightened, - apparently as oftimes happens when illness & nervous irritability conjoin, - both being ails Requiring sympathy & utmost effort to Restore.
Calls of much business Co in & out - in and out: Mails in - Recvd letter from Sister Dodd. - Wrote Saml & Stephen , state of their Mother’s illness.
Care of Sally - thro last night, - but got some sleep - latter part the night - and - with her - mainly - to day: and, - to night, again, with & care of her, - till now, - toward midnight, and must take care of her, Rest the night: - tho - hope she may Rest quiet: - has just now calmed down & fallen asleep & sleeps, apparently, as in a sweet sleep.
My own health comfortable, for me: and so is oft my experience. When outward troubles thicken round me, - wither from the extra excitement, or because am proportionally strengthened, - am often permitted to say, -
Surely, as my Day is, so is my strength. O that I may cherish, and even be enabled to exercise, overflowing Gratitude to God, for his sustaining mercies, for all his unmented mercies, bestowed upon me. And O that he may spare & Restore my Wife & continue her, a blessing to me and my children!
On going to the clock - perceive, tis midnight: - thence, up till 1 a.m. - when, as Sally sleeps quiet, will go onto my bed, - in hopes may get some sleep, myself.

Wednesday March 11
A day of rebuke, agitation, anxiety and overwhelming affliction!
……For this day, alas, My Dear Wife & the Mother of my Children, - to us, unexpectedly & as it were, rather suddenly, died!
There is bereavement added to bereavement! O God, Father, Son & Spirit, sanctify, I beseech me, this, thy afresh bereaving providence, - to me & my spared sons, - for our spiritual & everlasting good!

Died 20 minutes before 5 this afternoon. A few minutes before she died, I asked her, - fearing & thinking she was dying, or near her end, - Do you - “Do you feel Resigned to God’s will & willing to commit Yourself to God & Christ,” - to which, tho’ with much difficulty able to speak, - She answered, audibly, “Yes, entirely”
Not many minutes after, She sunk under the severity of her decease and, without a sigh, or groan or struggle, - was gone!----------only about 26 hours after we were alarmed with the idea of her sickness being immediately dangerous!

Thursday Mar. 12.
...
But so it is ordered, - not by chance, - for a sparrow falls not to the ground, - without - the notice of our Heavenly Father, who has signified, - that we are of much more worth than many sparrows!
It is therefore, Heavenly Father, even so, because it hath seemed good, in thy sight: And, O Grant me, of they grace & mercy, to say, thy holy will be done! and enable me, thro the aid of the Holy spirit, to prepare to follow my departed companion!
Today, I have been privileged to Repair oft to the Remains of my deceased Wife & to gaze, upon, her pallid face - a seeming smile lingering upon it, & - all calling it, - a very pleasant corpse!
Tomorrow, I must be deprived of even that privilege. It must be buried! O that there the mercy of Christ, I may be prepared for heaven, and meet her there, a glorious spirit.

Friday, Mar 13.
At ¼ past 10 a.m. [probably p.m.] I open this Diary, to make a brief Entry: And what a day I have had!
I have committed to the Tomb, all that was left of my late Wife. O the lonesomeness of this night! A loneliness to continue onward!
I Rose early this morning; had much to do to complete the internment arrangements; completed them; and, about noon, people began to collect, for the Funeral.
Had prayer, at the house & at 1 o’Cl, had the corpse Removed to the meeting-house, - where a full house was assembled - a large assemblage, - perhaps as large or larger than ever before seen here, at a Funeral: suppose may have been 500 people assembled: and must have been many, a great many, in the town, not having got notice of the death, else doubt not very many more would have been present!
The Funeral Sermon preached by the Revd Crispus Wright, - from Luke 12.41. “Be Ye therefore Ready, also; for the Son of Man cometh, at an hour when Ye think not.”
Exordium.[?] On such occasions, discourses for the living, - not the dead. Yet, becoming to embalm the memory of the worthy.
Then sketched, in brief - the character of the deceased, mentioning the traits & tenor of her life, as indicatory of her preparedness for the coming of the Son of man, - meaning, as here used, - for the coming of death!
Referring, after, to the late decease of my Son William - with the solacing evidence of his being prepared.
Then Raised his Argument to the living, that the test, - a solemn exhortation, - to be ready, at a moments warning, - to exchange worlds.
And,
What we have to do, - to be prepared.
How we must do it
The great importance of its being done, - immediately.
The 3 heads illustrated & enforced: And the discourse closed, by an address to the Mourning: Myself & my Son Albion being the alone Relatives present.
Exercises closed, - a procession moved to the grave - and then deposited all that was mortal of my late bosom companion & of my Dear Sons endeared Mother.
And, my son & I Returned to our dwelling, solemn & sorrowful, - the chasm, the vacancy, in our domestic circle, hard pressing upon us!
O God support us & grant us grace to feel & say, the Lord gave & hath taken away: and bless be his holy name! Nor us only; but our absent sons & brothers, also, when the tidings of the Dear Mother’s decease shall have tingled, in their ears!
Now ½ past 12, and I will Retire: and, O God, uphold me, by thy holy Spirit & sustain me through thy mercy in Christ; and sanctify, I beseech thee, this bereavement to me, for my spiritual & everlasting good. And O impart the same blessings to my now motherless sons.

Sat. Mar. 14.
A lone, lone day; wave, succeeding to wave, of sorrow, pressing and pressing: the occasion, the vacant seat, every Room, everything, afresh, Reminding me of my loss. Some few in, and expressing sympathy: Devoted my self much as could, to thinking, preparatory, to an Obituary!

Sund. Mar. 15.
Day, inclement & some little snow and snow squalls. No meeting held at our meeting house: went into the Baptist meeting. a.m. Sermon - on the need of a Revival & a good sermon: p.m. Do - but ordinary, quite; sort of Rambling discourse, on the theme, - that pride will be abased & humility exalted.
Occupied, partly, drawing up an Obituary - till 3 o’Cl. in the night.
 

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