Peculiar glory of the gospel : and I am very well affured that with regard to his fentiments, he is better qualified to receive the affiftance of the funds than fome to whom it is given. Upon these accounts, Sir, I hope you will use your endeavours to obtain it for him, and I hope it will be granted, if not he must be obliged to remove, and in fuch cafe, as the circumstances of the congregation now are, there is very great danger of its ruin."

Thus far my friend Simon; I have nothing farther to add on this fubject, being entirely a ftranger to the gentleman in queftion. How far it may be proper to infist on the confeffion required I pretend not to judge. I hope all wife and christian methods will be taken to prevent the growth of error, without laying a fnare for the confciences of men, or depriving the church of the fervices it fo much needs, merely on account of a different idea affixed to fome human phrases. I leave you and my worthy fathers and brethren to act as God fhall direct you, and conclude with telling you that Newport and Welford are just now agreed in giving Mr. Webb, a very plain spiritual preacher, whom I am now fending, on a unanimous invitation, to both their places; I fuppofe he will prefer the latter, and what will then be done for Newport I know not. I fear these repeated disappointments will fhock the intereft there.

However,

However, to prevent its ruin I have ventured, in a very critical conjuncture of affairs, to buy the place, and hope to be able when I fee you to give you fuch an account of the reason of doing it, as shall not only engage your approbation but alfo your affiftance in making up the deficiency of what they can do towards paying for it. Excufe the length of , my letter, I have taken fome fcrap of time in a vifit to Mrs. Scawen, from whose house I write to difpatch it, and add her very affectionate fervices (as he is, indeed, an excellent woman,) with thofe of Col. Gardiner (whofe indifpofition prevented his meeting me here according to appointment,) and of, reverend and dear Sir, your greatly obliged and most respectful brother and fervant, P. DODDRIDGE.

P. S. We rejoice abundantly in your health and carnestly pray it may long continue.

Hearing that Dr. Watts, your brother, (to whom my humble service) had thoughts of quitting business and retiring from London to a greater distance, I have fent to tempt him into Northamptonshire. If you have not yet read Count Zenzendorf's fermons I beg you would do it, and give me your thoughts upon them, there are many christian notions in them, and a multitude of expreffions which aftonish rather than edify me, Į hope

may

in part

hope it be owing to the unfkilfulness of the tranflator; my great veneration for the au thor makes this very grievous to me.

Could you, dear Sir, tell me how and where I might procure charity for a worthy family in great diftrefs? I beg if you have access to any fuch you would direct me where to lodge a memorial in their favour, it will fecure many prayers in favour of all concerned in obtaining it.

The report of Carter is too true. He has refided in town a year, feldom coming near me. He is a pupil of Meffrs. Emly, Taylor, Fofter, &c. and has been their profeffor here for fome time. Hinc ille lachryma! How fad a lofs of one of the best furnished lads I ever bred. But love and melancholy did the bufinefs, and gave him up bound into the Philiftines hands. I am thankful however that, though he be fomething blinded, he has not yet attempted to pull down any temple, He is really a valuable, upright, devout man, prays incomparably, writes finely, has a charm. ing voice, an admirable method, and wants nothing but orthodoxy and wisdom.

LETTER

REV. AND VERY DEAR SIR, Northampton, O&. 29, 1741.

To pray for you is fo great a duty to the church in our parts of the world, that I hope multitudes practise it more than you will ever know while you live. I humbly hope, difabled as this fine inftrument of service at prefent is, he that made it will repair it again, and ufe it for much honourable work in his temple on earth; at leaft, what lies beyond the grave is certain and joyful. I continue to recommend fo great and fo good a friend to the prayers of thofe I value moft, and cannot be unmindful of you in my own moft joyful moments. Your are, however, dear Sir, doing more good every day, than moft men living in weeks and months. It was but laft week that a moft pious and valuable friend of mine died almoft with these words in her mouth, "Jefus can make a dying bed feel foft as downy pillows are." "Yes, fays fhe, bleffed be God, fo I find it." And I have fince received a written experience from one propofed to her communion, in which the afcribes her converfion to that hymn, 66 Long have I fat beneath the found." And, for my own part, I generally read fome of your pfalms or hymns every morning at leaft, as a part of private devotion,

and

and they are always new to me, and generally imprefs me more than any other uninspired book without any exception, fo far as I can now recollect. For this, Sir, blefs God with me; it is, perhaps, with too much pleasure that at such time I think the author is as yet on this fide heaven.

me.

Never did I fee fo much of the triumphs of religion in dying chriftians as this year has fhewed Two excellent chriftians died within ten days of each other a little while ago. One (her I mentioned before) who told me the found her heart fo full of the prefence of God and love of Chrift that it grieved her to be forced to fleep. She would have had a dying bed all wakeful with praise and love. And another expired with these words, "Bleffed Jefus, I am thine, and thou art all in all to me, and to thee I come;" and, having fo faid, fhe fell asleep. One writes flowly while relating fuch fats, because many tears and pauses will interrupt. But I could fill my paper with circumftances of this kind that have occurred, most of them fince I had the pleasure of feeing you.

I would fain tell you more particularly how things go on in the congregation and academy, and in feveral places where my dear pupils are fettled, but I muft only fay, in one word, I never had more joy or more hope. Mr. Brabant is a very ferious, humble, worthy man, found in

his