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 city 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 plous churchmen, and tends to throw a disguise over the rea state of the dissenters, in relation to their religious tenets. But 1 must close, and am afraid I have already occupied too much of your valuable time. Mrs. Hall and my family are in tolerable health, and desire to unite with me in most affectionate regards to you and your family, and to your dear brother and his family, Mr. and his lady, &c. &c. I would just add, that I [derived] considerable benefit, in relation to the determination of blood to the lungs, [from] my visit to Cheltenham. I remain, my dear Sir, * This letter was written only four days before Mr. Hall's last illness, and sixteen before his death.-ED. SERMONS. I. THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE DIVINE NATURE. ISAIAH XXXI. 3.—The Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit.* [PREACHED AT CAMBRIDGE, APRIL 14, 1822, AND AT BRISTOL IN AUGUST, 1824.] AMONG the sins to which the ancient Israelites were addicted, one of the most prevailing was, a disposition, in seasons of invasion or calamity, to place confidence in the power of surrounding nations, and to seek the assistance of their sovereigns, instead of trusting in the living God. By this they frequently incurred Divine chastisement, and in some instances even Divine dereliction. Egypt, being the largest monarchy in their immediate neighbourhood, was frequently their refuge in times of distress and difficulty. Their guilt in thus departing from God was greatly aggravated, on account of the intimate relation to them which he sustained as their king and sovereign, by virtue of which he had engaged to protect them by his mighty power so long as they adhered to his service and allegiance; while the frequent manifestation of his uncontrollable dominion over the natural world displayed in the signal deliverances he had wrought for them, rendered the transfer of their confidence from him to "an arm of flesh" equally criminal and foolish. "Wo to them," saith the prophet, "that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!" Then in a strain of pointed irony he severely reproves their preference, by reminding them that God possessed those qualities of foresight and force which justified entire dependence; and that whatever grounds for confidence they fancied to exist in the character of the Egyptian potentate, were found in a degree infinitely greater in that of the Almighty-"Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and * Printed from the notes of Joshua Wilson, Esq. See p. 16-19, for Mr. Hall's brief notes of the same sermon. † Isaiah xxxi. 1. |