God is merciful to our land in giving us fine refreshing showers, which have put a new face on this dry part of the country. But they affect my feeble conftitution, and I have been very languid and low, though every place and being around me, fince this change of weather, fmiles and rejoices. May I grow more fit for the world of everlasting fpring and health, holiness and joy! Continue your prayers for me. I am

Your affectionate and faithful

friend, and humble servant,

JOB ORTON.

P. S. Bishop

notion the fcripture gives us of these things as confiftent with the dictates of reafon and natural religion." See the prefent Bifhop of LLANDAFF's catalogue of books in divinity, at the conclufion of the fixth volume of his Theological Tracts. See alfo a Letter from a clergyman to one of his parishioners, on the doctrine of the Atonement printed by Meffrs. EDDOWES of Shrewsbury, in 1790.

P. S. Bishop NORTH preached a fermon for our charity-fchool, laft Sunday. I did not hear him; for I cannot bear crowds, and have not itching ears. I am told it was a pertinent and useful difcourfe.

LETTER

LETTER XXIII.

DEAR SIR,TM

July 5, 1777.

I COULD not open your last letter without tearing away at the fame time a part of the writing contained in it, which is bad, efpecially when written in fhort hand: therefore it is beft, when you have gotten down to the bottom of the firft page of your paper, to turn to the next, that is, the back of that, and not to go on obliquely, as you have done in this letter. Always take care to leave that part of the paper, where the feal is to be, blank, that the writing may not be torn. I had a letter from a friend lately, who defired me to tranfact a little bufinefs for him, which was the chief purport of his letter; but he had unfortunately put

VOL. I.

the

the wafer on the most material part of the commiffion, fo that I could not know what he had defired me to do for him. This, you will fay, is an odd kind of an introduction to a letter : but I have heard worse, and lefs pertinent introductions to many fermons. I have often admired the character, which a great lady in France, once gave to one of the officers of that court" that he was excellent at little things." There is more in this than most people are aware of.

I have fent you CHANDLER'S Paraphrafe on the Epiftles to the Galatiians, Ephefians, &c. which I wifh you to read carefully, as it will enlarge your mind and ideas. He has fome valuable criticisms, but they are not all equally fatisfactory. I would not have you preach in his ftyle and manner, but you will do well to imitate his ftrong fenfe and good reasoning in plainer language; and there are

fome

fome very excellent and ftriking remarks in his practical reflections.

I have read Mifs MORE's Effays to Young Ladies, with which I am very much pleafed; as containing excellent prudential cautions, and admirable religious maxims. She writes fo well, fo usefully and with fuch a strong tincture of rational and manly piety, that I would have every reader enter fully into her fentiments and advices, which are adapted to do much good.

BLAIR'S Sermons are indeed judicious, lively, elegant, and evangelical s but not fufficiently plain, I think, for common readers. I hope they will bet of much fervice among the judicious and polite, who will probably be inclined to read them.

I had a letter lately from Dr. STONHOUSE: a part of my anfwer to which was as follows. "I have rode out feveral times this week, as I hope you have done. It is good for