mirable talents with which God hath blessed you. I most heartily rejoice in your prosperity, health, and usefulness, and commend you to the continual care of Providence, and the daily influence of that Divine Spirit who, with the mediation of our dear Saviour, is the glory and distinction of the Christian dispensation.

Pray commend us, in the most affectionate manner, to Mrs. Doddridge and to your children.

I am, Dear Sir, most affectionately yours,

J. BARKER.

FROM THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON.

Bath, Nov. 8, 1747. I HOPE you will never care about the ceremony of time in your letters to me; they will always oblige me, but most when attended with the greatest ease to yourself: as we both agree in this sentiment, that the one thing worth living for must be the proclaiming the love of God to man in Christ Jesus; so all calls for that end will secure my approbation for your silence.

I am nothing—Christ is all: I both disclaim, as well as disdain, any righteousness but his. I not only rejoice that there is no wisdom for his people but that from above, but reject every pretension to any but what comes from himself. I want no holiness he does not give me; and I could not accept a heaven he did not prepare me for: I can wish for no liberty but what he likes for me, and I am satisfied with every misery he does not redeem me from; that in all things I may feel that without him I can do nothing. To sit at his feet and hearken to his sayings, is an honour worthy of Gabriel, who is always in the presence of God; to behold the glory of such a Saviour, even the seraphs might veil their faces :—such love and honour,

I say, as this, ought to make us breathe his praises from pole to pole.

Many are our enemies, and of these, not only our own sins, but the spirit of that world in which dwells nothing but wretchedness; but while it is through his love that we are to conquer, let the patience of his saints be seen in us; let our prayers and labours be useful (instrumentally) in obtaining crowns of pure gold to be placed on the heads of our most cruel foes; that the finite evil of the worst may serve only to raise our hearts to heaven for their infinite good. Did we enough take root downwards we should bear more of this fruit upwards: 'tis humility must make us ascend by the fiery chariot; that divine object (whom my soul most delights in) shows me my lesson in these few words, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly."

My family consists of two sons and as many daughters; for all of them I have nothing to do but to praise God. The children of so many prayers and tears, I doubt not, shall one day be blest, your prayers for us all helping. The hint you give me is great matter of joy to me. My soul longeth for grace. To preach Christ and his blessing, upon repentance, over the earth, is the commission, the event must be with him; all else is from man, and of man: He must gather and unite the faithful, since it is he alone who sits in Heaven that may instruct the heart for his purposes. At present the more the little leaven is hid in all, the more of the whole will be leavened. Parties and divisions have ever been the stumbling blocks of the weak. If we were all to gather with the Lord, as watchmen for him, calling day and night, in order only to prepare the materials we need not be fearful, for the New City would be established and prevail upon the earth; but this having always been attempted by man's power, and so little in grace, it hath come to nought. May the Lord give us all

such love, to live and die to him, and for him alone. I am, with most kind respects to Mrs. Doddridge,

Your most sincere, but weak and unworthy Friend,
S. HUNTINGDON.

P. S. As I write from my heart, and not from my head, you may more easily forgive incorrectness where you meet with it.

FROM THE REV. SAMUEL BATES.

DEAR AND REV. SIR,

Warminster, Nov. 18, 1747.

I THANK you for your kind remembrance of me who stand in so much need of it, and I can truly say there has not been a day since my last to you, but that I have had you, and all in your church and family, on my heart when at the throne of mercy: may you "see the travail of your soul," and have cause to rejoice, though you should not be fully satisfied, while some attempts are unsuccessful.

I perceive you have your trials and your fears; and who knows what mercy there may be in them? We ourselves, and all we have, are in the hands of an infinitely wise God, who ever proposes the best ends, takes the best means to accomplish them, and the fittest time. There is often so much good arising, even in this life, out of troubles, as may fill the heart with raptures of joy, and make the soul cry out "It was well for me that I was afflicted."

Had it not been for David's troubles, the church would never have been blessed with David's Psalms: and had it not been for Jacob's fears, we should never have had the noble story of his wrestling and prevailing with God, to encourage us in the same method, when under the like circumstances. There are many now alive, who have found

more benefit by their sorrows than their comforts; and what is the design of all this, but to keep us from being afraid of evil tidings, and to give us a heart fixed and trusting in the Lord! God loves to see his people live by Faith; and why should not we love it too, when it is the best life upon earth, and makes it as much like heaven as we can expect to find it while here below!

What a cloud of witnesses have we, in sacred writ, to the truth and power, the victory, triumph, and joy of Faith; and what a sacred ambition should we entertain to press after it, when we see how many have attained it; and what room we have to hope that we may do the same, especially under a gospel dispensation!

Let us then stir ourselves up to take hold of God in Christ; be daily storming heaven by our prayers, for ourselves and others, and then rest satisfied that all will do well in God's time and way. These are the desires and endeavours of,

Dear and Rev. Sir,

Yours, I hope in the bonds of an everlasting covenant,

SAMUEL BATES.

FROM THE REV. ISAAC WATTS, D. D.

DEAR SIR,

Stoke Newington, Nov. 21, 1747. I RECEIVED your last favour, and pay you my thanks for the friendly expressions you use therein towards me, and rejoice for the flourishing prospect of your Academy and Church.

Yesterday my Lady Hertford gave me the honour of a letter, wherein she expresses a very high esteem and respect for you, as the author of the Rise and Progress, and for your account of Col. Gardiner's Life, which pleased her very much, and she tells me that I should let you know it.

My lady and Mrs. Abney make you their compliments ; they are pretty well; I am much as usual, rather growing weaker than stronger: but with much esteem and affection,

Your humble Servant,

ISAAC WATTS.

FROM HENRY BAKER, F. R.S. ETC.*

DEAR SIR,

London, Nov. 24, 1747.

I AM extremely obliged to you for the honour you have lately done me; but should be unable to answer it, either to the public or to myself, were I to take up any portion of that time, which you so generously and assiduously devote to the service of mankind, in the support of religion and the enforcement of morality, did I not hope that your favours to me may prove a relaxation from more serious and im

A spirit of philosophical inquiry and of rational devotion were happily blended in the character of this eminent naturalist, whose life was spent in a delightful interchange of scientific investigation and of active philanthropy.

In early life, Mr. Baker sacrificed to the muses, and was the author of "Original Poems, Serious and Humorous,” in two Parts; "The Universe," a Poem; and “ An Invocation to Health." These productions, though not of signal excellence, show a grace of versification and command of language sufficient to evince that riper efforts might have obtained attention. They are very much in the style of Prior, and are coloured with the spirit of gallantry then in vogue.

The incident mentioned in this letter, and which, by the by, does not appear to have been known to any of the biographical writers who speak of Mr. Baker, turned his attention into another channel, and also inclined him to relinquish the bookselling business, to which he had been bred. His own remarks are sufficient to prove the great importance and success of his professional exertions, and I would observe that I had some time since an opportunity of perusing some highly interesting letters, addressed to him by deaf pupils who owed their social comforts and best hopes to his skilful care. These letters formed a portion of the valuable MSS. which Mr. Baker left, with his other property, to his grandson, and which, it may be hoped, will ultimately be placed before the public.