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gion, as well as by motives of the truest friendship, as far as concerns myself; and you will not fail to [reap] the satisfaction which arises from the possession of such sentiments. For the trouble you have been at in making the necessary arrangements, you will be so good as to accept my sincere acknowledgments.

With truest affection and esteem,

I remain, dear Sir,

Yours constantly,

ROBERT HALL.

XXXV.

TO THE REV. JAMES PHILLIPS.

My dear Phillips,

Leicester, April 16, 1812. I was extremely gratified to hear once from you again; and if you knew how much pleasure it yields me to receive a letter from you, I flatter myself you would indulge me oftener. I have little to communicate that will be interesting to you, but could not let so affectionate an epistle lie by long unanswered. My state of health, I need not tell you, has long been extremely ill it appears to me as if my constitution was breaking up; and I have little doubt, unless my malady takes a favourable turn, it will, ere it be long, reduce me to the dust.. I am not better than my fathers: I am deeply conscious I am corrected less, yea, infinitely less, than my iniquities deserve. I hope I am more anxious to see my heavy affliction sanctified than removed. Whether it would be best for it to be removed may well be doubted: of the admirable benefits arising from sanctification, both in time and eternity, there can be no doubt. I presume the Lord sees I require more hammering and hewing than almost any other stone that was ever selected for his spiritual building, and that is the secret reason of his dealings with me. Let me be broken into a thousand pieces, if I may but be made up again, and formed by his hand for purposes of his mercy. I see more and more of the unspeakable blessedness of being made like God, and of becoming partaker of his holiness. I see it, I say, but I do not attain; or, at least, in so unspeakably small a degree, that I have every moment reason to be abased, and "repent in dust and ashes." My ministry continues, through mercy, to be considerably blessed in awakening sinners. I cannot but hope the church and congregation are in a very promising state. We are in perfect harmony, and we have frequent additions. Last Lord's-day se'nnight I baptized thirteen, and others stand ready. Blessed be the Lord! My strain of preaching is considerably altered; much less elegant, but more intended for conviction, for awakening the conscience, and carrying home truths with power to the heart. Our congregation is plain and serious, with a sprinkling of genteel people; but none in the church: and, indeed, if

any saving fruit has been reaped from my ministry, it has been almost entirely among the middling and lower classes.

Yesterday we had our second jubilee anniversary of the Bible Society for Leicestershire, a happy harmonious meeting, with one little exception; on the church side, several clergymen spoke; but no dissenter. I augur the most glorious and important consequences from the Bible Society. I have just finished the perusal of Mr. Scott's answer to Bishop Tomline. He has demolished the bishop entirely. I find but little in Mr. Scott's views against which I can object. It is somewhat loosely written, but full of argument, instruction, and piety. There is a trait of egotism in the good man which had better been avoided. He quotes almost entirely from his own works. It is well for the bishop his rank excuses him from replying to it. He would make a miserable figure. I thank you for your favourable opinion of my discourse. It is flat; but if it be in the least adapted to do good, I ought to rest satisfied. I am much rejoiced to hear of your intention of visiting Leicester. You must spend a Sabbath with me. I heard Mr. twice, [as he passed] through Leicester: he is a young man of some talents, of a good deal of brilliancy, but miserably defective in simplicity. I am afraid a vicious taste is gaining ground, both among preachers and hearers: all glare and point, little to the understanding, and nothing to the heart. But my paper admonishes me to close, with my best respects to Mrs. Phillips, Miss W—, Mr. and Mrs. Beddome, &c., in which Mrs. H. joins me.

I remain, my dear Sir,

Your affectionate and constant Friend,

XXXVI.

ROBERT HALL.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO MRS. ANGAS, NEWCASTLE

Dear Madam,

UPON-TYNE.

Leicester, May 8, 1812. Though I have nothing particular to communicate, I knew not how to let Mrs. O. proceed to Newcastle without dropping a line to acknowledge your kind letter, and present my gratitude for the interest you are pleased to take in my welfare. The esteem of the pious and excellent of the earth I always consider as a very distinguished privilege; though the possession of it is not unmingled with mortification at the consideration of my deserving it so little, and my perfect conviction, that did they know me more they would esteem me less. It ought to humble most persons to reflect, that for a large portion of the respect in which they are held, they are indebted to ignorance; to the necessary unacquaintance with each other's hearts. The Great Supreme is the only being from whom nothing is to be feared on this head; the only

one who may be safely trusted with the worst secrets of our hearts. "His mercy endureth for ever." He also is able, and only he, to correct the obliquities he discovers. The Leicester news you probably hear from other quarters. I go so little into society, that the report must be strong and loud which reaches me.

XXXVII.

TO MR. NEWTON BOSWORTH, CAMBRIDGE.

My dear Sir, Leicester, April 23, 1813. I am ashamed of not having earlier answered the kind letter I received from Mrs. B., for which I beg you will present my hearty acknowledgments. I must also thank you for your book on the Accidents of Life. It is a most entertaining production, and will, I hope, be extensively useful in preventing or remedying a large portion of human calamity. It is plainly dictated by the same spirit that breathed in a Howard and a Hanway, and will entitle you to a portion of their reward.

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As I hope to see Cambridge in the course of this summer, you will not expect from me a very long letter. I recollect, with fervent gratitude, the kindness I there met with; mixed with much shame, to think it should have been lavished on such an undeserving object. When I recollect the course of my ministry at Cambridge, I feel continual matter of condemnation. Do you preach better now, then?" you will perhaps say. In one respect I do not preach half so well:-I do not bestow near so much attention on my composition: but I trust I do insist on more interesting and evangelical topics. A greater savour of Jesus Christ does, I trust, breathe through my ministry, in which it was formerly greatly deficient.

But why do I speak so much of myself?-We last Monday held our annual [meeting of the] Bible Society. It was more numerously attended than ever, and delightful to see clergymen and dissenting ministers sit on the same seat, and ardently engaged in promoting the same object, with perfect unanimity. We cannot say of the past times that they were better than the present. I think the age is greatly improving it must improve in proportion as the grand catholicon is more universally applied.

It would have given me great pleasure to have seen you this summer at Leicester: I am sorry your letter indicates no intention of that sort.

*

I am much delighted with reading a new translation of Mosheim's Commentaries on the Affairs of the Christians before Constantine. It appears to me one of the most instructive theological publications that

has appeared for a multitude of years. Mrs. B. and all inquiring friends..

With kind remembrances to

I remain, my dear Sir,
Your affectionate Friend,

ROBERT HALL.

P.S.-We have had an irreparable loss in the removal of dear Mr. Robinson. It has been a most affecting event, and has left a chasm which can never be filled up. Last Wednesday I endeavoured to improve the event by a suitable discourse.

XXXVIII.

[When Mr. Hall visited Cambridge, in the summer of 1813, he preached a sermon to the young persons belonging to the congregation there with which he had formerly been connected. The next day they assembled, and addressed to him a letter of thanks, to which the following is his reply:-]

To my young Friends of Mr. Edmond's congregation:

My dear young Friends,

I feel greatly obliged to you for your very affectionate testimony of your esteem, and rejoice to find my feeble attempts to impress religious sentiments were not altogether without effect. Your letter breathes a spirit of unaffected piety, which it is impossible to witness without emotion. I hope the Lord will enable you to persevere, and that, "being planted in the house of the Lord, you will flourish in the courts of your God, and bring forth fruit even to old age." Be sober, be vigilant; watch closely over your own hearts, and be much in earnest supplication to the Fountain of grace. Bless God, for having inclined your hearts to seek him; and doubt not that he will most graciously afford all the succour necessary to enable you to finish your course with joy.

That you may very greatly profit by the means of grace with which you are favoured, and become the joy of your parents, the hope of your minister, and great examples of pure and undefiled religion, is the earnest prayer of,

My dear young Friends,

Your affectionate Brother,
ROBERT HALL.

XXXIX.

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER TO THE REV. W. BUTTON.

Leicester, Oct. 25, 1813.

Dear Sir, I have taken into consideration the proposal you have made. I know not what to say to it. If I shall part with the copyright of the little tracts, it may be, possibly, an injury to my family, and put it out of their power to publish a complete edition. Your proposal is very handsome; but this is one of my objections to it. Another is, it is so long since the tracts made their appearance, and several so short, and their subjects so miscellaneous, that I am afraid it will have an ostentatious appearance. I hate the appearance of vanity: I have so much of it in my heart, that I am ashamed it should display itself to the eyes of the world. As to my sermon, I am doing something to it at intervals. I have, indeed, nearly written it out in the rough, but I am so much disgusted with it, as usual, that I can by no means let it appear, unless it is in my power greatly to improve it."

XL.

TO THE REV. JAMES PHILLIPS, CLAPHAM.

ON OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF HIS OWN SON.

My dear Friend, Leicester, Feb. 28, 1814. I am greatly obliged to you for your kind and consolatory letter, replete with those topics whence alone true consolation can be deduced. The stroke has been very severely felt by us both, but certainly most by dear Mrs. Hall. She was dotingly fond of our lovely boy. For my own part, I was not at all aware my affection for him was so strong until he was removed from us; my anguish was then great. It seemed to me as if I felt more on this occasion than I should at the loss of either of my others. This feeling, I suspect, was delusive, and arises from our being incapable of estimating the strength of our attachment to any object till it is removed. I was disappointed in his being a boy; for, [recollecting] my own extreme and portentous wickedness, I fancied there was something in the constitution of boys peculiarly tending to vice, and adverse to their spiritual interests. I had also remarked that females seemed much more susceptible of religious impressions than

The sermon here alluded to was never published.

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