will do me the justice to believe, is pure and

disinterested.

I remain, my dear Sir,

Yours affectionately,

ROBERT HALL.

Leicester, July 17, 1809. Be assured, I sympa

I duly received yours. thize with you in your spiritual trials, having had a large share of them myself. I wish I could adopt the language of Dido to the Trojans throughout— "Haud ignora mali miseris succurrere disco." The "haud ignora mali" is fully applicable to myself; but I am afraid I have not yet learned the art of suggesting what may be useful to others in similar circumstances. I want " the tongue of the learned, that I may be able to speak a word in season to him that is weary." I congratulate you on your retaining your religious sensibility: the most dangerous spiritual symptom is apathy, or a stupid indifference to our real situation. While we have feeling enough to complain, we give unequivocal indications of life; however disordered its functions, or languid its actions, may be. What advice, my dear sir, can I possibly give you, but what your own good sense will suggest that of giving all diligence, and following on? Then," says the prophet, shall ye know, know, if you follow on to know the Lord."

66

Set a firm resolution against the indulgence of sin in any form. I know you too well to suspect external irregularities; but we are both fully convinced "the commandment is exceeding broad," and that, if we would walk in the light of God's blessed countenance, we must keep the heart with all diligence, or, as the expression signifies, "above all keeping." You will doubtless find your account in the serious, punctual, undeviating attention to private prayer, and reading of the Scriptures.

I feel a pleasing confidence that you are too much impressed with the importance of religion, to suffer these exercises to be superseded by any worldly enjoyments, or to be attended to in a slight, perfunctory manner, resting in the opus operatum, instead of improving them as means of nearness to God, and growth in grace. Would it not be advisable for you to give yourself up publicly to the Lord? Might not your solemn engagement to be his, in the ties of a christian profession, have a happy influence on the train of your sentiments and conduct; not to say, that if you truly love the Lord Jesus Christ, you must necessarily feel a desire to keep his commandments? I am glad to hear you are happy with Mrs.

remember me affectionately to Mrs. family in all its branches, to Mr. inquiring friends.

I am, dear Sir,

Please to

to

's

,

and all

With great respect, yours, &c.

ROBERT HALL.

XXVI.

TO THE REV. JAMES PHILLIPS.

My dear Friend,

Leicester, Sept. 1, 1809.

Whether I owe you a letter, or you me, I cannot say; but this I know, that it seems a long time since I heard from you. My affection for you renders me uneasy under so long a silence, and makes me anxious to hear how you go on. The last letter you favoured me with gave me a pleasing account of your religious prosperity : your prospects, in this respect, are, I hope, brighter and brighter. Among the very elegant and polite

part of your audience, you are too well acquainted with human nature to flatter yourself with much success; but you have been honoured as the instrument of drawing a considerable number of the poor and of the middling classes to a place where they had no thought of attending before. Here you will, in all probability, find your most favourable soil. I am sure you will cultivate it with care; and hope you will, under the blessing of God, reap an abundant harvest. Were we but more strongly and abidingly impressed with the value of immortal souls, with what godly simplicity, what earnestness, and what irresistible pathos, should we address them! Perhaps the inequality of the effect produced by different preachers, is to be ascribed more to the different degrees of benevolent and devotional feeling, than

to any other cause.

Job Orton remarks, in his Letters, that he knew a good man of very slender abilities, who was eminently useful in the conversion of souls; which was, in his opinion, to be ascribed chiefly to the peculiarly solemn manner in which he was accustomed to speak of divine things.

I had hoped to have seen you during the summer, at Leicester, which would have been a very high gratification, as I know not when I shall reach London. I have no spirits for such an undertaking: my complicated afflictions have left me but half a man. The apprehension of mingled society, of being exposed to various sorts of company, is too formidable for me at present to surmount. I am severely and habitually afflicted with my old complaint: but have I any room to murmur?

I am happy in my domestic connexion, being blessed with an affectionate, amiable woman, and a lovely little girl, about five months old. My dear wife enjoys a better state of health than for some time past; and the dear infant is quite well. We have lately enlarged our place of worship, and have the prospect of its being well filled. I hope we experience some little of the presence of the Lord in the midst of us. I beg to be most respectfully remembered to Miss Wilkinson, and to thank her for her very kind good wishes on my marriage.

congratulations and Remember me also

most affectionately to dear Mrs. P, and to all inquiring friends; and pray let me hear from you very soon.

I am, dear Sir,

Your affectionate Friend and Brother,

XXVII.

ROBERT HALL.

TO EBENEZER FOSTER, ESQ. CAMBRIDGE.

Dear Sir,

Manchester, Nov. 4, 1809.

I write this from Manchester, to which your letter was sent from Leicester. I am obliged to. you for it. It gives me much pleasure to hear of the very flourishing state of the congregation; though I am concerned at the poor account you give me of Mr. Chase's health. I hope he will be speedily restored, and be continued as an extensive blessing among you. The prosperity of the kingdom of Christ is the most delightful object a real christian can contemplate. May he speedily take " upon himself his great power and reign.' I cannot but indulge the belief, that real christianity, is increasing in the world; and that what we perceive of this kind, at present, is but the dawn of a more glorious era, which will shortly arrive. The convulsed state of the world, and the limitation of popish power, announce the speedy accomplishment of prophecy, in the triumphant establishment of the kingdom of Christ. Wherever the gospel