after him, as well as by the favourable representation Mr. Lyttelton was pleased to give you of him. I have only to add my best wishes of health and prosperity to you and your family, being, with great regard, Sir, your much obliged and faithful humble Servant, FROM MR. PARKER.* M. HARDWICKE. REV. SIR, Stoke Newington, Nov. 22d, 1748. I RECEIVED yours yesterday, in the afternoon, when I had actually finished a letter to you, except the filling up a blank, which I left to insert the hour and the manner of my Master's dissolution, apprehending he could not survive many hours, for I concluded from the intimacy and cordial affection that has for so many years subsisted between you, that it might not be improper to inform you (heavy and melancholy as the tidings would be) of his death. And I did not know what capacity I might have of doing it immediately after so solemn an event. Several of the last weeks of his life were intermingled with much pain of body, and he was reduced to a state of great feebleness, and has been confined to his chamber almost three weeks, but has been able for the most part every day to sit up three or four hours. He wanted much * Mr. Parker was, for a long period, the amanuensis and confidential attendant of Dr. Watts. It may be remarked that the collectors of autographs have been frequently led into a mistake from the first circumstance, as almost all the letters of Dr. Watts were written as immediately from him by Mr. Parker. Of the letters in my possession, only one is in the hand of the Doctor; and that has a note on the back, by Dr. Doddridge to that effect. The writing is feeble, disjointed, and tremulous, as might be expected from a person suffering from nervous debility. It may be added, that the signature of Dr. Watts is very closely imitated by Mr. Parker. to get up yesterday morning, and accordingly we gratified him, but one hour tired him, and we put him to bed again for the last time. Dr. Clark, his physician, was with him about two hours ago, and told us he was going off apace. Through the goodness of God he lay tolerably easy, and fell into a doze, in which he spent the night; would not receive any cordial, but half a spoonful once or twice; took no notice of any body, yet answered rationally when any question was asked. I fulfilled your request last night at five o'clock; he took notice of it, but in such broken language that I cannot inform you in what manner. I never knew his mind any other than calm and peaceful, and so it will remain, I trust, to the time of his departure, which we think must take place in a few hours, at least before it is possible this can reach your hands. And I doubt not he will have a triumphant entrance into the heavenly kingdom of his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, after almost fifty years of painful, yet delightful and successful labour for the gospel of Christ, and in the seventy-fifth of his age. I can say no more, only I would request a letter from you to my Lady, who cannot but be much affected, as we all are, upon this melancholy occasion. I should be thankful if you would put up one petition for me who am so soon to be bereaved of one of the best of masters and kindest of friends, whom I have served upwards of twenty-one years, and have it now to bewail that I have improved no more by such an uncommon favour of Providence. Lady Abney pays you and Mrs. Doddridge her compliments. I am, honoured Sir, Your afflicted Servant, JOSEPH PARKER. P.S. I will give you a line by the next post. VOL. V. G REV. SIR, FROM MR. PARKER. Stoke Newington, Nov. 24, 1748. I WROTE you by last post, that we apprehended my master very near his end, and that we thought it not possible he should hold out till the letter reached your hands, and it greatly surprises us that he is yet in the land of the living. Last Monday he was up for an hour, and we thought he would have expired before we could get him to bed. Monday night he took two or three spoonfulls of panada. On Tuesday morning we began to make use of the teaspoon; and perhaps he has taken since, at different times, by two or three spoonfulls at a time, the quantity of two tea cups of liquid. He is quite sensible, and his mind in a state of great serenity. I told him this morning that he had taught us how to live, and was now teaching us how to die. He replied, "Yes." I told him I hoped he experienced the comfort of those words, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." He answered in these words, "I do so." It was his desire, since this last confinement to his chamber, that he might behave so as to teach us all to die, and God has granted his request. His animal powers have been for a good while gradually impairing, and he says comparatively but little now to what he has said in times past, when he has dropped such expressions as these: "I would be waiting to see what God will do with me; it is good to say, as Mr. Baxter, 'what, when, and where God pleases.' The business of a Christian is to do and bear the will of God, and if I was in health I could but be doing that, and that I may be now. If God should raise me up again, I may finish some more of my papers, or God can make use of me to save a soul, and that will be worth living for. If God has no more service for me to do, through grace, I am ready. It is a great mercy to me that I have no manner of fear or dread of death; I could, if God please, lay my head back and die without terror this afternoon or night." At another time " My chief supports are from my view of eternal things, and the interest I have in them. I trust all my sins are pardoned through the blood of Christ. I have no fear of dying; it would be my greatest comfort to lie down and sleep and wake no more." I was willing to communicate these few sentences out of many more, which were minuted down soon after they dropped from his lips. I am going to transcribe them all into long hand; probably some of them may be made use of hereafter. My Lady is mercifully supported; she desires her compliments to you and Mrs. Doddridge. I know you will not think it troublesome or impertinent if I write you another letter by the next post, which I purpose to do when his warfare is fully accomplished. God grant him a peaceful passage to happier realms than these. Methinks we hear him say, "Ye shall seek me in the morning, but I shall not be." But God only knows, by whose power he is upheld in life, and for wise purposes no doubt. I am, Sir, your afflicted Servant, JOSEPH PARKER. FROM NATHANIEL NEAL, ESQ. DEAR SIR, Million Bank, Nov. 29, 1748. As I knew your high esteem and veneration for Dr. Watts, who has taken his last farewell of the abodes of mortality, and am apprehensive that you may be wishing for certain information concerning some particulars that necessarily ensue on his decease, I thought I could not, in friendship, avoid writing you a line, to inform you that the Doctor has made his brother Enoch and myself executors of his will, having left the bulk of his estate to his brother Enoch and sister Brackstone and her children. The will bears date the 23d of July, 1746, and contains the following clause: "And as to all my Manuscripts of every kind, I give the same to Mr. David Jennings and Dr. Philip Doddridge, in order that they may publish such of them as I shall, by any paper or memorandum, signify my desire should be published; and as to the remainder, either to publish or suppress them, as they shall judge best. But I desire that such as shall be published may have the attestation of their names prefixed, to satisfy the world they are genuine and I empower my executors to make them such acknowledgment and recompense out of my estate for their trouble in revising and publishing such manuscripts as they shall think proper." I question whether there are any left which he has ordered to be published. He has desired to be buried in Bunhill Fields, deep in the earth, amongst the relics of many of his pious fathers and brethren, with whom he desires to be found in the resurrection; but with as little show as possible: and has expressly directed that no rings shall be given, and that his funeral be attended by two Independent ministers, two Presbyterian, and two Baptist. The Doctor having no where directed who should preach his funeral sermon, and Mr. Price* having declined it, from the strong affection he bears to the Doctor's memory, which renders him incapable of it, I have, this day, with his and Lady Abney's approbation, desired Mr. Jennings to do it, as the only man on the spot, proper to be asked, and he has undertaken it; but, as the funeral will not be *The Doctor's assistant. |