The lukewarmness of a part, the genteeler part of congregations, with respect to vital religion, is matter of grief to me. Many have the form of religion, while they are in a great measure destitute of the power of it. With respect to the excuses that this class are ready to make for neglecting private meetings, it might not be amiss to urge them to inquire whence the indisposition to devote a small portion of their time to religious exercises arises. If it spring from a secret alienation of heart from devotional exercises, or from a preference to the world, it affords a most melancholy indication of the state of the mind. It is surely a most pitiful apology for declining such services, that they are not commanded by the letter of the New Testament. Whoever says this virtually declares that he would never give any time to religion unless he were compelled. The New Testament is sparing in its injunctions of external or instrumental duties. But does it not warn, in a most awful manner, against the love of the world; enjoin fervour of spirit, deadness to the present state, and the directing all our actions solely to the glory of God? How these dispositions and principles can consist with an habitual reluctance to all social exercises of religion, except such as are absolutely and universally enjoined, I am at a loss to determine. If the real source and spring of the neglect of devotional exercises, whether social or private, be an estrangement from God, and attachment to the world, the pretences by which it is attempted to be justified only enhance its guilt.

With respect to the doctrine of election, I would state it in Scripture terms, and obviate the antinomian interpretation, by remarking that man, as man, is said to be chosen to obedience, to be conformed to the image of his Son, &c., and not on a foresight of his faith or obedience; as also that the distinction between true believers and others is often expressly ascribed to God. "Thou hast hid these things."—"To you it is given not only to believe," &c.-"As many as were ordained to eternal life believed." As the doctrine of election, however, occupies but a small part of the New Testament revelation, it should not, in my opinion, be made a prominent point in the Christian ministry. It is well to reserve it for the contemplation of Christians, as matter of humiliation and of awful joy; but, in addressing an audience on the general topics of religion, it is best perhaps to speak in a general strain. The gospel affords ample encouragement to all its generous spirit and large invitations should not be cramped and fettered by the scrupulosity of system. The medium observed by Baxter and Howe is, in my opinion, far the most eligible on those points.

On the other subject you mention* I perceive no difficulty; none, I mcan, to embarrass the mind of a minister. On a subject so awful and mysterious, what remains for us but to use the language of Scripture, without attempting to enter into any metaphysical subtleties, or daring to lower what appears to be its natural import? A faithful exhibition of the Scripture declarations on this subject must be adapted, under a Divine blessing, to produce the most awful and salutary effects. With best wishes for your welfare,

I am, dear Sir,

Yours affectionately and sincerely,

ROBERT HALL.

XXII.

TO THE REV. DR. RYLAND.

Leicester, Dec. 28, 1808.

I hope you continue to enjoy much religious prosperity. The only comfortable reflection, in the present state of the world, is the apparent increase of the kingdom of Christ. His glory, his gospel, his grace, are, I hope, considerably advancing: and how little are all the revolutions of kingdoms when compared to this? We should rejoice in every event which seems to tend to that issue; and, on this account, I am more than reconciled to the recent intelligence from Spain. I long to see the strongholds demolished, and "every thing that exalteth" brought into subjection to Christ. How deep an infatuation blinds the counsels of Great Britain! How fatal may we fear the intimate alliance of this country with the papal power, which the vengeance of God has marked out for destruction! May the Lord bring good out of evil, and "fill the whole earth with his glory!" I am now removed to Leicester, and find my situation, on the whole, very comfortable. The people are a simple-hearted, affectionate, praying people, to whom I preach with more pleasure than to the more refined audience at Cambridge. We have had, through great mercy, some small addition, and hope for more. Our meetings in general, our prayer-meetings in particular, are well attended. For myself, my mind and body are both much out of order; awful doubt and darkness hanging on the former, and much affliction and pain in the latter: let me, dear brother, entreat an interest in your prayers.

I am, my dear Brother,

Yours affectionately,

ROBERT HALL.

P.S.-In gratitude to God, and to my dear companion, I must add, that marriage has added (a little to my cares), much to my comfort, and that I am indulged with one of the best of wives.

That of future punishment, I presume.-ED.

*

* Rogers I have not yet found time to read through. I thank you for it, and am much pleased with the piety and spirit of it, as far as I have gone. I have read Zeal without Inno vation with extreme disgust: it is written with shrewdness and ability; but is, in my esteem, a base, malicious, timeserving publication. It was lent me by Mr. Robinson, who, in common with all the serious clergy in these parts, disapproves it highly. I suppose the author wrote it to curry favour with such men as the. ... and

to procure a living. His poverty is to be pitied; but I hope I would rather starve in a workhouse than be the author of such a book. I am afraid there is a party rising among the evangelical clergy, that will ruin the reformation which has been going on in the established church during the last forty or fifty years.

XXIV.

TO A FRIEND IN PERPLEXITY AS TO HIS RELIGIOUS STATE

Leicester, April 20, 1809.

Dear Sir, I am much concerned to learn the unhappy state of your mind respecting religion. You may depend upon no one seeing the letter but myself; and I wish it were in my power to say any thing that might be of use. Of this I have very little hope; for the adage might, in too great a degree, be applied to me" Physician, heal thyself;" as I labour under much darkness and despondency respecting my religious prospects, through the prevalence of indwelling corruptions. Wha then, my dear sir, can I say to you, or to any other? I would recommend you, above all things, to have recourse to prayer-to fervent, importunate, persevering prayer. Take no denial: if you cannot pray long, pray often. Take the utmost pains in preparing your heart, and in the exercises of the closet; for surely an assurance of the forgiveness of sin, the light of God's Spirit, and the animating hope of glory are worth all the labour, and infinitely more than all, we are capable of using to attain them. They are heaven upon earth. From what I know by experience, though it is not with me now as in months past, the enjoyment of God throws every other enjoyment that

can be realized or conceived, at an infinite distance. Fix it in your mind, my dear friend, as a most certain truth, that there is nothing deserves to be pursued for a moment, but in subordination to God and for God; and then act accordingly, and you will probably soon find a strange change for the better. Exposed as you necessarily are to the society of many who have either no religion or feel but little of its vital power, you are in peculiar danger of forming slight ideas of its importance, of being taught to look upon it as a secondary thing, an occasional law, whose authority is to be interposed, like the law of the land, to regulate other things,-instead of looking upon it as a vital, prevailing principle of the heart and life. Many, it is to be feared, never attain the blessings of religion, because they never form that estimate of its dignity which is consonant with the oracles of God. Did it not seem like presumption, I should earnestly recommend the daily perusal, besides the Scriptures (which I take it for granted you cannot omit), of some practical and experimental divinity. We have great store of it: Doddridge's Rise and Progress, his and Watts's Sermons, and above all, if I may speak from my own experience, the wonderful Howe-particularly his Blessedness of the Righteous, his Living Temple (the latter part), his Treatise on Delighting in God. Perhaps you will say you have not time for this; but here the question recurs again, What is of the most importance for a creature that is to live for ever-to be rich in this world, or to be rich towards God? I hope you will pardon the liberty I have taken, from a regard to the motive, which, you will do me the justice to believe, is pure and disinterested.

I remain, my dear Sir, yours affectionately,

XXV.

ROBERT HALL.

I

TO THE SAME.

My dear Sir, Leicester, July 17, 1809. duly received yours. Be assured, I sympathize 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, if you follow or to know the Lord." 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. Please to remember me affectionately to Mrs. -'s family in all its branches, to Mr. and all inquiring friends.

to

I am, dear Sir,

With great respect, yours, &c.

XXVI.

ROBERT HALL.

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 (rod, reap an abundant harvest