If guilt and sin afford a plea,

And may obtain a place,

Surely the Lord will welcome me,
And I shall see his face 10

And his hymn of Jehovah Jesus concludes with the triumphant ejaculation,

Salvation's sure, and must be mine11.

In common cases these variations would have been nothing more than what Mr. Newton daily was told of by those persons who conversed with and consulted him as their spiritual director. But Cowper's was not a common case. His malady in its latter stage had been what is termed religious madness; and if his recovery was not supposed by himself, and by Mr. Newton also, to have been directly miraculous, it had been occasioned or accompanied by impressions, which, though favourable in their consequences at that crisis, indicated a frame of mind to which any extraordinary degree of devotional excitement must be dangerous. The ministerial offices in which his friend engaged him were highly so; and in composing the Olney Hymns he was led to brood over his own sensations in a way which rendered him peculiarly liable to be deluded by them. Whether any course of life could wholly have averted the recurrence of his disease may be doubtful; but that the course into which he was led accelerated it, there is the strongest reason to conclude.

Another cause, however, has been assigned for it. It has been said that he proposed marriage to Mrs. Unwin, that the proposal was accepted and the time fixed; that prudential considerations were then thought to preponderate against it, and that his mind was overthrown by the anxieties consequent upon such an engagement. This I believe to be utterly unfounded; for that no such engagement was either known or suspected by Mr. Newton I am enabled to assert, and who can suppose that it would have been concealed from him?

It is said that from the time of his brother's death, the increasing gloom which pressed upon his spirits, gave but too much ground for the most painful apprehensions. But Dr. Cotton was not consulted till it was too late. In January, 1773, it had become a case of decided insanity. He was then unwilling even to enter Mr. Newton's door; but having 10 Olney Coll. Book ii. Hymn 53. 11 Ib. Hymn 38.

one day been prevailed upon to visit him and remain one night there, he suddenly determined to stay. This was in March, and it appears that the case was not thought to require Dr. Cotton's advice till he had remained there five months, when Mr. Newton wrote thus to Mr. Thornton 12: "I was at St. Alban's on Monday, to consult Dr. Cotton concerning Mr. Cowper. He desired that he might, if possible, be bled; and that the apothecary would give him an accurate account of the state of his blood, and what other observations he can make. He has been bled accordingly, and I hope we shall be able to give him every information which may be needful by to-morrow's post; and we shall then expect soon to receive his judgment and advice. From what I told him, he seemed to think it a difficult case. It may be so according to medical rules; but I still hope that the Great Physician will cure him, either by giving a blessing to means, or immediately by His own hand. I know not how to indulge a fear that the Lord, who has hitherto done such great things for him, and made him such a bright example of grace and submission, will suffer him to be always overwhelmed with this cloud; or refuse to give an answer to the many prayers which are put up for him."

About a fortnight afterwards, Mr. Newton says, "Mr. Cowper has taken Dr. Cotton's medicines about twelve days. They agree well with him; he eats better and sleeps no worse. He seems better in some respects; has employed himself a little of late in his favourite amusement, gardening, and has pruned several of our fruit trees, which I think he could not possibly have done when you were here. But the distress of his mind seems but little, if at all, abated. It gives me great satisfaction that he is under a course of medicine; and I am still in good spirits about his recovery The next communication says, there has been little or no alteration in Mr. Cowper since my last. But the medicine evidently agrees with him. He says but little, but goes on in pruning our trees; and we are glad to find him capable of taking any amusement, and hope for the rest in the Lord's good time 14",

13

After another interval of three weeks, Mr. Newton says 15, "Dr. Cotton's medicine has greatly strengthened his body; but the repeated use seemed at length to have an inconvenient effect upon his spirits. He said they made him worse, and for 12 Aug. 17, 1773. 13 Sept. 2, 1773. 14 Sept. 9. 15 Sept. 29.

several days when the hour of taking them returned, it put him in an agony. Upon his earnest and urgent entreaties, he has left them off for a season, and has been better since,-I mean more quiet and composed. We have evident proof that the Lord is with him, supporting him, and answering prayer in his behalf: but deliverance is not yet come."

16

Up to this time Cowper, though he suffered greatly in mind, had not been "troubled with thoughts" of suicide; and that Mr. Newton considered a great mercy; but a fearful change in this respect then took place, and at a time when both Mr. and Mrs. Newton were in a distant part of the country The following extracts show the state of his mind. Mr. Newton says, "I wish I could inform you that I found dear Mr. Cowper much better when I returned; but his deliverance is yet to come; though in his case likewise there are such evident proofs of the Lord's care and goodness as encourage us still to hope for a happy issue "." The next week's letter says, "Dear Mr. Cowper has been more restless and impatient than formerly. I believe the medicines he took, though they seemed to agree with his health, rather inflamed his complaint. I was with Dr. Cotton again on Monday, who approved of our having discontinued them. I thank God those disagreeable appearances have gone off, and he is now quiet and gentle again, though his distress is very great 18. After an interval of some six weeks, and another absence from Olney, his friend writes, "Mr. Cowper is no worse than when I left him, nor can I say that he is much better. Sometimes the Lord visits him in his sleep, so that his dreams are gracious and comfortable, and his heart drawn forth in prayer; but when he awakes his distress returns 19" This is a remarkable passage, as it seems to show that when his madness was at the height, the mind recovered its natural tone during sleep, and his dreams were sometimes sane.

In the ensuing March, "Mr. Cowper still in the depths. Sometimes I have hope that his deliverance is at hand; at others I am almost at a stand. Yet I seldom am shaken in my persuasion that the issue, in the Lord's time, will be glorious." Since

16 "After what happened to dear Mr. Cowper while we were in Warwickshire, we have made it a point not to be both from home long together, without an absolute necessity, while his distress continues." Subsequent extracts show that the change occurred in October, and in that month Mr. Newton returned home. 17 Oct. 16. 18 Oct. 23. 19 Dec. 2.

the autumn his state had become more fearful, and had required a constant watchfulness on the part of his friends, which nothing but the most devoted attachment could have induced them to undertake, or enabled them to undergo. Mrs. Unwin was his unwearied attendant at this time, day and night, equally regardless of her own health, and of the uncharitable construction of censorious and malicious tongues. The character which his madness had assumed rendered this perpetual vigilance necessary. "In the beginning of his disorder," says Mr. Newton, "when he was more capable of conversing than he was sometimes afterwards, how often have I heard him adore and submit to the sovereignty of God, and declare, though in the most agonizing and inconceivable distress, he was so perfectly satisfied of the wisdom and rectitude of the Lord's appointments, that if he was sure of relieving himself only by stretching out his hand, he would not do it, unless he was equally sure it was agreeable to His will that he should do it. I hope I shall never have so striking a proof of the integrity of any other friend, because I hope I never shall see any other in so dreadful a state of trial 20."

66

In the new character which his delirium had assumed, the same perfect spirit of submission was manifested. Mr. Newton says, even that attempt he made in October was a proof of it; for it was solely owing to the power the enemy had of impressing upon his disturbed imagination that it was the will of God, he should, after the example of Abraham, perform an expensive act of obedience, and offer not a son, but himself". This was the peculiar impression which fastened upon him at that time, and from which he never seems to have been perfectly relieved, even in his longest and best intervals. He believed that when the will of Heaven was made known to him, power to accomplish the act of obedience had at the same time been given; but having failed to use it, he had been sentenced to a state of desertion and perpetual misery, of a kind peculiar to himself. A persuasion that the opportunity had gone by, seems at this time to have withheld him from any second attempt; but such a persuasion afforded no security to his friends, and their anxiety and vigilance were unintermitted. He had sunk into a state of utter hopelessness, "an unalterable persuasion," says Mr. Greatheed, that the Lord, after having renewed him in 20 May 26, 1774. 21 May 26, 1774.

holiness, had doomed him to everlasting perdition. The doctrines in which he had been established directly opposed such a conclusion, and he remained still equally convinced of this general truth; but he supposed himself to be the only person that ever believed with the heart unto righteousness, and was notwithstanding excluded from salvation. In this state of mind, with a deplorable consistency, he ceased not only from attendance upon public and domestic worship, but likewise from every attempt at private prayer; apprehending that for him to implore mercy, would be opposing the determinate counsel of God."

Meantime the inconvenience to Mr. Newton was sorely felt, though he performed every duty of friendship to the utmost. Writing to his benefactor, Mr. Thornton, he says, "though I receive no person but upon the principle you allow and encourage for the Lord's sake, and in the hope of usefulness, it gives me a little pain sometimes, that our expenses, which are chiefly enhanced by company, were so high, and especially this year, having Mr. Cowper and Mrs. Unwin with us. The charge upon their account is not so great as if Mrs. Unwin had no house of her own; yet it is considerable. But I do not see how it can be avoided. When he came to us, I had no thoughts of his staying more than one night; but he has been so attached to this house, that it would be impossible to hint at his leaving it without aggravating his distress. Now there is something in me, (I hope it is not pride), which makes me quite unwilling to receive any inmates upon the footing of boarders 23.'

In a subsequent letter he says, "Mr. Cowper's long stay at the vicarage in his present uncomfortable state, has been upon many accounts inconvenient and trying. His choice of being here was quite unexpected; and his continuance is unavoidable, unless he was to be removed by force. Mrs. Unwin has often tried to persuade him to return to their own house, but he cannot bear to hear of it. He sometimes begs, and weeps,

and pleads to stay with such earnestness that it must be submitted to. I make myself easy by reflecting that the Lord's hand is concerned; and I am hoping weekly for his deliverance. His health is better: he works almost incessantly in the garden, and while employed is tolerably easy; but as soon as he leaves off he is instantly swallowed up by the most 22 1774. The letter is without date. 23 May 2, 1774.