easily perceive, a subject of the last importance. O that, in handling it, I might be "a workman that need not be ashamed." Pardon my scraps of answers, to your large and valuable letters. I hardly know how to get a moment's leisure, so very intent am I now on the publication of my book. I have not been able, for want of time, to read over this transcript: I hope the copier has not made any great mistakes. Be so good, dear sir, as to favour me with your remarks on this manuscript as soon as you possibly can: you need not return it, only send me your remarks. But you will please to preserve this, for fear of an accident happening to the other copy.—I am, dear sir, yours most affectionately, &c.

LETTER CXXX.

Thursday, noon. MY DEAR FRIEND, I AM glad Dr C got time, and took the trouble of overlooking the manuscripts. He has the judgment of a critic, and the freedom of a friend. Moses Browne is persuaded by the bookseller to print his poem on the Universe, and his Sunday Thoughts, in one volume, and intends to entitle it, The Works and Rest of Creation; with the addition of some more particular explicatory and subordinate title. I objected to this general title; made a query, whether it was strictly proper? or, if proper, whether sufficiently significant? Instead of it, I proposed, The Works of Creation, and Rest of the Sabbath.

Dr Gill shall tell you my sentiments, in relation to Wesley, on the perseverance of the saints. Both their pamphlets on this subject I send you. Whether his replies and interpretations in the first part are sound and satisfactory, judge you; the considerations suggested in the latter part, I think, are full of weight, rich with consolation, and worthy of a place in our memories and in our heart. May our own

meditation fix them in the one, and the Spirit of our God implant them in the other!

I am entirely of your opinion with regard to Staynoe on Salvation by Jesus Christ; generally very prolix, and somewhat tiresome to the reader; yet his style is good, nervous, and beautiful. Prolixity, I find, is an epidemical fault among writers; the censure I pass on him rebounds on myself: save me from this misconduct, by lopping off my redundancies. I have not looked into Staynoe for a great while; when I revise him again, you shall have my sentiments concerning his doctrine; which, though excellent in the main, is not, I apprehend, perfectly consistent, nor evangelical throughout. I have seen Mr's verses on Dr's character; I am apprehensive (inter nos) that it will rather depreciate than exalt the Rev. Doctor's credit among readers of a gospel spirit. There are indeed the sales Attici, but where are the sales evangelici? What says our lively friend? I think he is the Caleb of our fraternity. Caleb signifies all heart. His name and nature correspond. Did he not warm you with his zeal? Oh that we may glow with love to Him, who bled for love of us! I have received a letter from our dear friend on the American continent. He mentions you in particular, and your late guest. Love, cordial love he transmits to you both. We believe him, when he makes a profession of kindness; and why are we so backward to believe the more repeated,, more solemn, and infinitely more faithful assurances, which the Scripture gives us of our Redeemer's love? Let us blush and be confounded for our unbelief; and may the Lord of all power and grace help our unbelief!-Ever yours, &c.

P.S.-Certainly our friend judges right in not acting as a justice of peace, unless he would submit to the fatigue of acquainting himself with our national laws: A study which is, if I rightly judge; which, I am sure, would be to my taste of all others the most jejune and irksome. Not so the Scriptures !

God has, in tender indulgence to our disposition, strewed them with flowers, dignified them with wonders; enriched them with all that may delight the man of genius, and make the man of God perfect. May we, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word; and grow, grow thereby in knowledge, grow in faith, grow in love, in holiness, in every amiable and happy accomplishment. Do not you practise that excellent rule, of selecting for meditation each day a text of Scripture? As to publishing the first volume of Theron and Aspasio before the others are ready, I really know not how to act. May the God of unerring wisdom vouchsafe to direct, for his dear Son our glorious Intercessor's sake!

LETTER CXXXI.

Weston, Aug. 12. 1754. REVEREND AND DEAR SIR,-I RECEIVED your favour from Islington, and acknowledge myself indebted to you for a preceding one from Scotland. I am, both to you and to other of my worthy correspondents, quite an insolvent; yet trust, my many infirmities, in concurrence with your candour, will plead my excuse.

I called myself an insolvent; but I shall, ere long, make one public effort to pay from the press all my debts of an epistolary nature: the payment, I confess, will not be in the very same specie, but it will bear the same image and superscription, not Cæsar's but Christ's. This will recommend it to my correspondents, and not only bespeak their kind acceptance of it, but engage their cordial prayers in its behalf. Do, my dear sir, remember my poor enterprise, when you call upon him who is omnipotent; he can bid the wounded come against the fortress, and the lame take the prey. Unless he succour, unless he support, what can impotence itself expect, but to miscarry in the attempt, and be a laughing-stock

to the enemy? But I read, and this encourages me, "It is not by might, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord."

I did not know, till yours informed me, that Mr

was gone to his long, and I trust to his happy home. O that we who survive may have our affections fixed there, where our God and Saviour resides, whither our friends and relations are removed!

I wish you and your spouse much joy in each other, but much more in Christ Jesus. As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so may the Lord your God rejoice over you both. Let me beg of you to present my affectionate salutations to good Mr G Assure him, that my silence did not proceed from any indifference to his friendship, or disesteem for his work; but I was much indisposed. I had nothing to communicate, and to have written in such circumstances, would been burdensome to me, and unserviceable to him. My respectful compliments attend Mrs O, your spouse, and yourself; and I entreat your united prayers for, dear sir, your sincere friend and brother in Christ, &c.

P.S.-The enclosed collection of scriptural promises, are a little present which I make to my people. They are intended to be pasted, one at the beginning, the other at the end, of religious books. Perhaps some of your friends may not disdain this spiritual nosegay, because, though little, it is culled from the garden of God.

LETTER CXXXII

Wednesday morning. DEAR SIR,-I was lately favoured at Weston with a visit from the Reverend Mr Walker of Truro, who is indeed a most excellent man, much of a gentleman, and seems well to deserve the character he bears there is something in him very engaging, yet very venerable. During our conversation, I felt a kind of reverential awe on my mind, blended, with

more than fraternal affection. How old is he? By his looks he appears to be past forty. What a reproach is it to our men in power, nay, to the nation itself, that so valuable a person should at this time of life be no more than a country curate? But he, good man! disregards the things of this world. That time which too many of his brethren spend, to the disgrace of their function, in worldly compliances, and hunting after church preferments, he employs as a faithful labourer in the vineyard of Christ; and pays all due obedience to the apostle's important injunction, "Redeem time!" How would some of the primitive bishops have sought after a man of his exemplary piety, and have given him every mark of their real esteem! Sed tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis.

I am much pleased with the account of the religious society at Truro, of which Mr Walker is the founder and present director. It is an admirable plan! I would have endeavoured (had my health permitted my attendance) to have formed one of the same kind at Northampton. I heartily wish so useful an institution was more known, and well established in all the principal towns in this kingdom; as I am persuaded such a society must be productive of great good, and in some degree revive the drooping interest of Christianity, wherever it was prudently managed. We had in this neighbourhood a religious assembly, of which I myself was a member; but no one could be admitted who did not understand Greek, as the chief design of that meeting was to improve each other in scriptural knowledge, and consequently could be of little use comparatively with Mr Walker's plan.t

I have lately read Mr. Warton's edition of Virgil, and much approve the printing the Latin on one side, and his poetical translation on the other: he is a

*The Rules and Orders of the Assembly here mentioned, are inserted in Vol. V.

For the Rules and Orders of the Truro Society, see Vol. V.