God. How your letter affected my heart in public your friends are witness; but what I felt for my dear brother, and the Ministers and Churches of Christ, God and myself only know.

Do not

I will not now say, Why did you not spare yourself a little sooner? I will rather heartily thank you, that you use all the means you can to repair your frame, and restore and prolong your usefulness. It is the kindest thing you can do, and the highest instance of friendship you can now show us; and I acknowledge your goodness to us in this point with tears of joy. Consent and choose to stay with us a while longer, my dear friend, if it please God. This is not only needful to Northampton, and its adjacent towns and villages, but desirable to us all, and beneficial to our whole interest. Stay, Doddridge, Oh, stay, and strengthen our hands, whose shadows grow long. Fifty is but the height of vigour, usefulness, and honour. take leave abruptly. Providence hath not yet directed thee on whom to drop thy mantle, Who shall instruct our Youth, fill our vacant Churches, animate our Associations, and diffuse a spirit of piety, moderation, candour, and charity through our villages and churches, and a spirit of prayer and supplication into our towns and cities, when thou art removed from us? especially, who shall unfold the sacred oracles, teach us the meaning and use of our Bibles, rescue us from the bondage of systems, partyopinions, empty, useless speculations, and fashionable forms and phrases, and point out the simple, intelligible, consistent religion of our Lord and Saviour? who shall—but I am silenced by the voice of Him who says, "Shall I not do what I will with my own ?-Is it not my prerogative to take and leave, as seemeth me good?—I demand the liberty of disposing of my own servants at my own pleasure. He hath laboured more abundantly. His times are in my hand. He hath not slept as do others. He hath risen to

nobler heights than things below. He hopes to inherit glory. He hath laboured for that which endureth to eternal life; labour, which the more it abounds, the more it exalts and magnifies, and the more effectually answers and secures its end.-It is yours to wait and trust, mine to dispose and govern.-On me be the care of ministers and of churches.-With me is the residue of the Spirit.Both the vineyard and the labourers are mine.—I set them to work, and, when I please, I call them and give them their hire." With these thoughts my passions subside, my mind is softened and satisfied,—I resign thee, myself, and all, to God, saying, "Thy will be done!"

But now for the wings of faith and contemplation. Let me take thy hand, my dear brother, and walk a turn or two in yonder spacious regions. Yes, it is so we read it in the book of God, that word of truth and gospel of our salvation, "that as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." The one ruined his posterity by sin, the other raised his seed to immortality! The first poisoned the dart and inflamed the wound of death; but Jesus Christ redeemed us from this captivity. See, thou Christian minister, thou friend of my bosom and faithful servant of God, see the important period, when the surprising signs and descending inhabitants of heaven proclaim the second coming of our divine Saviour! the heavens open and disclose his radiant glory.-Hear the awakening trump. See, the dead in Christ arise glorious and immortal;-leave corruption, weakness, and dishonour behind them, and behold their Lord, and head, seated on his throne of judgment, attended and surrounded with the ministers of his power, and shining in all the fulness of celestial glory;— and not only see, but share his victory, and partake of his image and influence. And behold the demolished fabric reared again, stately, illustrious, and permanent, to demonstrate how entirely Death is vanquished, its ruins repaired,

VOL. V.

P

and what was once meat for worms become the companion of angels: for when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal immortality, every eye will be fastened on the mighty Conqueror, and every voice and harp be tuned for that transporting song, Oh, Death, where is thy sting? Oh, Grave, where is thy victory? Yes, Doddridge, it is so. The fruit of our Redeemer's sufferings and victory is the entire, the eternal destruction of Sin and Death. And is it not a glorious destruction? a blessed ruin? No enemy so formidable, no tyranny so bitter, no fetters so heavy and galling, no prison so dark and dismal; but they are vanquished and disarmed: the unerring dart is blunted and broken, the prison pulled down, and our Lord is risen as the first fruits of them that slept!

How glad should I be to hear that God is pleased to prolong your life on earth to declare these glorious truths, and teach us to improve them! In this your friends, with you and many more in every place, join, and make it their common petition to the Great Disposer of all events. Use every means you can for the recovery of your health, for the sake of your friends, among whom is

Your faithful and affectionate

J. BARKER.

FROM NATHANIEL NEAL, ESQ.

DEAR SIR,

August 6, 1751. I DID not receive your favour till Saturday, when it met me at Clapham. The next morning, being Sunday, I communicated the contents, as far as they related to the state of your health and spirits, to Mr. Barker, before he went into the pulpit. You may be sure that we are all greatly

affected with the danger that threatens a life so universally desirable, and to us so peculiarly endeared; and our invaluable friend dissolved not only us, but great part of his numerous audience into tears, by the almost inspired eloquence with which he offered up strong pleas and cries for your support and revival to Him who is able to deliver from death! God grant our supplications may be effectual, as they are unfeigned and continual: and if the mercy be delayed, may divine consolations in the meantime descend upon you. I trust in God they may be heard, and that many years will yet be added to so important a life. To this end, my dear friend, I beseech you not to think of returning to Northampton, even though you should receive all imaginable benefit at Shrewsbury in the ensuing fortnight, till you have visited Bristol; and in preparing for that expedition, I conceive no time should be lost, as the season for the waters, as well as of the year, is so far advanced. I should tremble for your return to Northampton at present, notwithstanding some encouraging symptoms; for a relapse could hardly fail being fatal, and in such a circumstance would be almost certain, considering your various engagements and active temper. The examination is not worth a thought, and, if my advice might be offered, I should wish it turned into a day of prayer for your recovery. However that may be, Mr. Clark, I am persuaded, is able to do what is fully sufficient; and I should much rather hear the Academy was disbanded, than that you should read a single lecture between this and Michaelmas. In one word, your whole duty to God, and man, is comprehended in the care of your health.

The cheerfulness of your mind will afford great satisfaction to your friends, and do honour to religion; and I consider Mrs. Doddridge's confirmed health, whereby she is capable of ministering unto you under your infirmities, as a matter of great thankfulness. May she receive the best

direction and support! I rejoice that she has with her so faithful and able a friend as Mr. Orton, to whom I beg the tender of my best respects.

We all salute you with the tenderest affection, considering ourselves also as on the borders of eternity, and referring it to divine wisdom, whether we are to learn to die by the gentler lessons of your repeated instruction, or, once for all, by your great example.

I am, reverend and dear Sir,

With the tenderest sympathy, Mrs. Doddridge's and yours,

N. NEAL.

FROM THE REV. THOMAS YEOMAN.*

Northampton, August 7, 1751.

MY DEAR, HONOURED, AND REV. FRIEND,

I RECEIVED your letter with sorrow of heart, and assisted your people in an evening of prayer upon your account last night; and, indeed, it was a sorrowful assembly. I hope the presence of God was with us; and you may depend upon an interest in the prayers of all your dear friends here, so long as there is hope, and that is as long as there is life; for the Lord killeth and maketh alive, and he often baffles all human means that he may have the glory of the salvation. I humbly hope that this will be the case with

"While he continued at Bristol," says Mr. Orton, "some of the principal persons of his congregation came to visit him, with an affection not to be expressed: they brought him an assurance of the highest esteem and tender sympathy of his people, and informed him that prayer was made for him by that church three evenings in every week, and that some cther churches were engaged in the same work on his account. This afforded him great satisfaction and refreshment. He knew their prayers would not be, upon the whole, in vain, though he considered his own