He prayed secretly five times a day, spoke much of religion to other boys, and organized prayer meetings with them. "My mind was much engaged in it," he recalled, "and had much self-righteous pleasure;
and it was my delight to abound in religious duties." He and his schoolmates "built a booth in a swamp, in a very secret and retired place, for a place of prayer." He also had his own secret places in the woods where he would retire "and used to be from time to time much affected." Eventually, the nine-year-old lad "entirely lost all those affections and delights" and "returned like a dog to his
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