and part, as far as I did understand it, was injudicious, and bordering on enthusiasm. I certainly was extremely struck with the indications of exalted piety and love exhibited by his whole deportment, and particularly his countenance. I must confess there was something in his looks that reminded me more of the ideal picture I have formed of the Saviour, than I ever saw before in any human being: and as I am too prone to express myself in the style of hyperbole, it is to that part of his character that the expression your letter quoted must be understood to allude. Though I am certain I never used some of the words imputed to me, particularly those in which I am represented as saying, "All other men were brutes and beasts compared to him." I am equally a stranger to the words and the ideas, you may depend on it. I never acknowledged the little success of my sermons arose from my ministry not being accompanied with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He observed that my printed discourses (of these only he spoke) wanted simplicity: nor was I at all concerned or surprised at that; for he found much fault with Maclaurin's, on "Glorying in the Cross of Christ," which he accused of the same defect, observing that it exhibited the truth, but did not exhibit his Master; a remark which appeared to me (as I observed to him) very unintelligible. I never gave thanks aloud that Dr. Malan was brought to Bristol; nothing of the kind ever passed from me. I probably did (indeed I know I did) express myself much gratified in having an opportunity of a personal interview; and I parted from him with much esteem and affection on my part. I thought him, on the whole, a very extraordinary man; though much more to be admired for his ardent piety and lively imagination than for judgment or profundity. Even on his favourite topic of assurance he seemed sometimes to retract all that he had asserted. I did not hear him [preach ;] but I learned afterward that his hearers generally went away with the impression of their having heard very new doctrine. If Dr. Malan has given the statement you have copied, I am heartily sorry for it, because it is extremely inaccurate, and must necessarily diminish the high regard in which I held him. Thus I have given you, my dear sir, a brief outline of what passed; and most carnestly wish you every degree of success in your labours to maintain the truth as it is in Jesus.

I am, dear and Rev. Sir,

With very high esteem, your affectionate Friend,

ROBERT HALL.

N. B.---Permit me to return my most sincere thanks for your admirable defence of the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ against Belsham: it will benefit the church, I trust, as long as the English language lasts.

LXXXIII.

TO W. B. GURNEY, ESQ.

ON THE DEATH OF MRS. GURNEY.

My dear Friend, Bristol, August 25, 1827. It is a very few days since I heard the very melancholy intelligence of the removal of dear Mrs. Gurney; and I was not willing to obtrude on the sacred privacy of grief till its first agitation was in some measure subsided. Most deeply is this stroke felt, and long will continue to be so, by that very large circle of which she was the ornament and delight; but how much more severe the stroke on him who was united to her by the tenderest of earthly ties ! To me the information was like a thunderclap: it was so sudden, and so unexpected, that I could scarcely persuade myself it was a reality; it seems now like one of those frightful visions of the night which vanish at the return of dawn.

Alas! how fresh in my mind is the figure of the dear deceased, presiding in the social circle with that inimitable ease, elegance, and grace which captivated every heart :-changed now, and clouded for ever with the shades of death! Never was a victim snatched by the great destroyer more beloved, or more lamented.

But why should I dwell on what is so distressing to remember, rather than advert to the brighter side of this melancholy picture? You, my dear friend, have lost the richest of earthly blessings in a most admirable and amiable wife; but grace has completed its triumph in adding to the celestial choir one more spirit of "the just made perfect." Bright as she shone in her earthly sphere, her light was dim and obscure compared to that which now invests her. Her pure and celestial spirit has ascended to its native seat, where she "bears the name of her God on her forehead, and serves him day and night in his temple." Your loss, my dear friend, is her unspeakable gain; and your mind is too generous in your calmest moments to wish her hurled from her celestial elevation. Let a few more months and years revolve, and you will be reunited to part no more; the days of your mourning will be ended; the Lord will be to you (as he is already to the dear deceased) "your everlasting light, and your God your glory." I hope you will not suffer the excess of grief so to absorb your mind as to shut out the consolations of piety, or the claims of duty. It is my earnest prayer that God himself may comfort you, and that he may be pleased so to sanctify this most heavy trial, that though "faint," you may be "still pursuing ;" and that, though you "sow in tears," you may reap in joy."

66

I beg to be most affectionately remembered to every branch of your family, as well as to all inquiring friends; and remain, with deep concern, Your affectionate and sympathizing Friend,

ROBERT HALL.

LXXXIV.

TO EBENEZER FOSTER, ESQ.

My dear Sir, Bristol, Jan. 29, 1829. I safely received your favour of the 20th instant. It gives me great pleasure to infer from your letter, that the health of your family, and particularly of your elder brother, is in a tolerable state.

The death of Mrs. must have been felt very severely by your excellent consort, to whom I beg to express a deep and sincere sympathy I was greatly affected when I heard of it, and shall ever carry with me a grateful and affectionate sense of the uniform kindness with which she treated me, as well as of the many amiable and interesting traits of her character. It would have given me pleasure to have been informed what were her views and feelings in the prospect of eternity: I hope she exhibited that state of mind, on the approach of that awful crisis, which must prevent surviving friends from " rowing as those who have no hope." I have lately heard with much concern of the alarming illness of my dear friend;-but have rejoiced to learn subsequently that considerable hopes are entertained of his recovery. While events of this nature present a striking commentary on the solemn declaration that "all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the field," it is consoling to remember that "the word of the Lord endureth for ever;" and that, by the preach ing of the gospel, it is more extensively promulgated than ever.

sor

The intelligence you have just given me of the rapid extension of evangelical religion in Cambridge is highly gratifying; nor can I entertain any serious apprehension of ultimate injury resulting from thence to the dissenting interest. If something like competition should have the effect of giving increased momentum to the exertions of both parties, the public may be benefited, and both improved.

With respect to my health, I can say little that I could wish to say. Some small abatement of the violence and frequency of my old complaint has, I think, of late been experienced: but it is very inconsiderable; and the last night it prevented me getting a wink of sleep until after seven o'clock this morning. On this account, I can speak with no sort of confidence of my intended visit to Cambridge, further than this, that I feel a most anxious desire of enjoying it, and that nothing but absolute necessity will prevent me from making the attempt; and, as travelling on the outside is much the easiest to me, it will not be prudent to undertake it till the summer is tolerably advanced. I have little intelligence to communicate worthy of your attention. I continue to be very happy with my people, from whom I daily receive every demonstration of affection and respect. Our attendance is as good as I could wish; and we have added to the Baptist church,*

*To render this phrase intelligible to some readers, it may be proper to observe, that in the congre gation at Broadmead there are two classes of persons who are associated in church fellowship: one consists of those only who have been baptized in adult age, on a confession of faith; while the other consists jointly of such and of Pedobaptists. The former are "strict communion Baptists," and constitute the Baptist church: the latter furnish an example of "mixed communion.”—ED VOL. III.-T

during the last year, twenty-seven, and six are standing candidates for baptism. For these tokens of Divine presence I desire to be thankful. Mrs. Hall and my family are, through mercy, as well as usual; and join with me in most affectionate regards to every branch of your family, and to the Cambridge circle of friends in general. I beg to be most affectionately remembered to dear Mr. — and to assure him of my deep sympathy with him under his heavy and irreparable loss It is my fervent and sincere prayer it may be sanctified.

I remain, my dear Sir,

Your obliged and affectionate Friend,
ROBERT HALL.

LXXXV.

TO JAMES NUTTER, ESQ., SHELFORD, NEAR CAMBRIDGE

My very dear Friend,

Bristol, Feb. 16, 1829.

I heard with much concern of your late alarming illness, and, with a proportionate degree of joy of your partial recovery, and of the pleasing prospect presented of your yet surviving for years, to be a blessing to your family and connexions. It grieves me much to learn from Mr. Price, that you have experienced something like a relapse, and that your situation is considered still critical and precarious. However the Lord may dispose of you (though it is my earnest prayer that your days may be prolonged to a distant period), I cannot adequately express my satisfaction at finding you are favoured with such an experience of the consolations of religion, as to enable you to comfort your sorrowing friends, and to bear so glorious a testimony to the power and grace of the Redeemer. O, my dear friend, how precious is a merciful Saviour in the eyes of a dying sinner! When the heart and flesh fail, he can adopt the triumphant language of Simeon, and say, "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." You will never, my dear friend, to all eternity, be able sufficiently to magnify the riches of Divine grace, in adopting you into the family of the Redeemer, and making you "an heir of glory."

I earnestly hope the spectacle they have witnessed will have a most beneficial effect upon the younger branches of your family, in confirming pious resolutions, and convincing of the emptiness, the nothingness, of all which the world admires, compared to an interest in Christ, and a preparation for heaven. In the prospect of life there are many things which are adapted to animate and support; in the near approach of death, there is but "the hope of glory." It is my earnest prayer that this hope may shed its brightest beams on the mind of my dear and highly esteemed friend. As to myself, my health is in such a state that I can say nothing of the future but your wishes will be with me

so far a law, that if my complaint will permit me during the early part of the summer, I shall accede to Mr. Price's request, by officiating at the opening of his meeting-house.

Earnestly praying that every blessing may be communicated to you which a covenant God has to bestow, I remain

Your most affectionate Friend and Brother,

I have little or no intelligence to communicate, further than that ou ty is much agitated by political discussion and the strife of parties. A meeting was lately held of the friends of reform, to petition on its behalf; but it was most stormy and tempestuous. Though all concurred in the general object, violent disputes arose on minor points, which distracted the discussion, and rendered it a scene of tumult and uproar. Such, of late, has been the general character of public meetings at Bristol. For my part, I never attend them. Indeed, the complaint in my back renders it impossible for me to stand; and to lie down would neither be decent or practicable.

Conversation is almost entirely occupied by the all-absorbing theme of politics; nor is it to be wondered at, when we consider the equivocal and anomalous state of this and of almost all other countries. Some great crisis appears to be approaching, which will probably shake Europe to its centre, and produce some entire new order of things. Shall we ultimately escape a war? I have great confidence in the pacific views of our present ministry, but less in their continuing in power; nor do I perceive what measures they can adopt that will materially alleviate the distress of the lower orders; and, unless this can be done, a [great convulsion] is, I fear, inevitable. At all events, one great source of consolation remains: "the Lord reigneth; and blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

By-the-way, it gives me pleasure to find that attempts are making in London to dissolve the union between the orthodox and the Socinian [dissenters.] I most heartily wish them success. It is a most unnatural and preposterous union, and tends, above any thing else, to give an imposing air of importance to the Socinian [party,] which, but for this coalition, would sink into insignificance. It is odious in the eyes of

This letter did not reach Shelford until the day after the death of the excellent individual to whom it was addressed.-ED