The diary is concerned primarily with Issac Archer's student life and his next twenty years as a clergyman. There is a wide range of subject matter, but the focus is on family relationships, ministerial duties, and Archer's spiritual concerns, particularly his decision to conform to the Anglican Church against the wishes of his father. There are 228 numbered pages, of which 95 pages cover Archer's parochial ministry, but only 16 describe the last 12 years of his life. The volume was not started until 1659, and may be a later version of earlier drafts. Many events are described some time after they took place. There is a family tree inside the back cover, notes relating to Archer's children, and a valediction to his grandfather. Only around half the entries are dated clearly and the number of date entries decreases after 1688.