DEAR SIR,

LETTER V.

June 10, 1772.

THE death of the old incumbent of Great-Cheverel, is an affecting leffon to the laity, but especially to the clergy; which I pray God they may lay seriously to heart. I wish you may be continued in the curacy, provided the new rector fhould not choose to refide. Fellows of colleges, who have been many years immured in their colleges, are not always the most fit perfons to be parish priests; not knowing well how to preach, or converfe, or behave to common people; except they have a heart truly serious, and that will make up every other defect in country places.

I am glad you are pleafed with the two volumes of CLUBBE'S* Tracts, which I defigned for your fervice, and beg your acceptance of them. His fermon before the Sons of the Clergy at lpfwich, and the Letter to a Young Clergyman, are very excellent. His tract on Infant Baptifm is fenfible and clear, and the others are entertaining, and indeed useful; for they expose the folly of many writers, efpecially on fubjects of antiquity, and indeed of fome of the clergy, who fpend too much of their time in fuch ftudies.

I know not what Hiftory of England to recommend to you. Some are fo large, fome fo fhort, and fome. fo partial, it is hard to fay which is beft, or which is good. A general acquaintance with our hiftory is very defirable. But it is of great importance to be acquainted with fome pe

D 4

Reator of Whatfield, in Suffolk.

riods

riods of it, particularly the reformation, civil wars, and revolution. I know none better than BURNET's Abridgment of the Reformation; and his Hiftory of his own Times. WELWOOD's Memoirs is a good abridgment of our history from James I. to King William. I have heard a good character of GOLDSMITH'S Hiftory, but have not feen it. But I would principally recommend to you to get fome books of biography; especially the British Biography, which is very full and cheap, and the best thing of the kind I have seen. This will give you a good acquaintance with our history in general, with particular persons and their writings, and above all, will furnish you with many little anecdotes and ftories to infert in your fermons, which will entertain and edify your hearers. There is a book which I would recommend to you, as extremely useful in this view, called

"The

"The Triumphs of Faith," printed for Dilly. Price half a crown.

I am reading again BENNET'S Christian Oratory, I fuppofe for about the tenth time. I hope you have got. that book. I know not a better for any chriftian, especially divines; as it contains fo much devotion, piety, good. fenfe, chriftian experience, and great. candour, carrying nothing to an ex

treme.

I am your faithful friend,

JOB ORTON.

P.S. Dr. ADAMS fpent two hours with me lately in his way home from London and Oxford. His behaviour was perfectly candid and obliging. He left your tutor Mr. GRIFFITH, well at Pembroke College.

LETTER

DEAR SIR,

LETTER VI.

August 19, 1772.

I

SHOULD have written to you long ago, had not my great weaknefs prevented me, owing to which, I was obliged to drop all correfpondence, but what I could carry on in shorthand.

I thank you for your very kind and friendly letter, and all the encouragement and confolation it suggests. It is not only a proof of your friendship to me, but an evidence, that "the Lord hath given you the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in feafon to them that are weary ;"* and in that view it gave me peculiar pleasure! The long continued dry and hot weather we have had, tho' so favourable to

*Ifaiah 1. 4.

the