thirty fouls, before I could diftinctly read any one chapter in the Bible. You are a living witness of this truth; the whole congregation to which you belong, are all (two or three excepted), the feals of my ministry; therefore it is evident, my want of human learning has been no impediment in the way of usefulness. Natural and acquired abilities have a tendency to lift fuch as you and me up; and wherever felf is concerned in the building of mercy, it is at the expence of Chrift's honour.

If we are deficient in the excellency of speech, it is that the cross of Chrift may appear the more effectual, and to convince our hearers, that their faith is not to ftand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. An experimental preacher is no more than a golden pipe, through which the divine olive-tree conveys the golden oil; or an inftrument by which men believe, but have no dominion over their faith; because planting and watering are all in vain, unless God gives the increase : therefore the Holy Ghoft tells us, Paul and Apollos are nothing; then furely we must be double diminutives, less than the leaft of all faints.

Our journey from D. to H. was a very pleasant one, and our converfation was fweet together, until you mentioned your thoughts of a college. I told you my thoughts in a measure; but the the next day, as I went from H. to Richmond, I pondered it over in my mind: Alas! faid I, how shall I endure to fee my fon, whom I love in the truth, who is by occupation no more than a poor S. or master C. up in a pulpit, with robes and bands,

bands. How fhall I, with any degree of patience; look on my fon, without being disgusted. 1 can love and revere thy grace, but not thy pride; and if pride should obscure thy grace, how shall I find a feature of Chrift to fix my affections on? Gofpel love can never fix, but on fome feature of the Saviour; humbling grace is the image of him, pride the image of the devil.

Thou knoweft at this time that I am as good, if not a better scholar, than any of my flock at G. and if my pride has at any time prompted me to exprefs a great fwelling word, haft thou not feen how they have looked up at me? as much as to fay, What doth our barbarian paftor mean by that?But my fon's humour may object, and say, Suppose I should be called to preach in London, as you are? Well, fuppofe you fhould; thou needeft not become a collegian on that account; because the Lord's army, in London, is marfhalled in three ranks. There are fome profeffing nobility and gentry; these being learned, God fends gentlemen of eminent learning to preach to them. The fecond rank confists chiefly of mechanics, of good education; and God fends fuch mechanics to preach to them. The third battalion confifts of fervants, journeymen, a great number of old chairwomen, together with some scavengers, lamp-lighters, and hod-men. Now you and I must be standard-bearers to this battalion of light infantry; and we are protected by the fame laws, fight under the fame banner, and no lefs beloved of the King than the others.

C 4

Thou

others. You will fay, that our temporal pay is lefs; true, but our fpiritual pay is more. wilt fay, country people are not fo bitter against a gownfman. Neither fhun the cross, nor court it. But carnal wisdom may plead the usefulness of the gown to draw people; to which I answer, all nets manufactured by human wisdom are too weak to hold a finner. Caft the Lord's net with the hand of faith, and pray for the wind to blow, and doubtlefs you will have a draught. Strive not to please a few light, bigotted Pharifees, with a gown and band; their applaufe will puff thee up, and pride may blind thine eyes, until thou mayeft appear in thine own fight almost a master of arts; but every difcerning Chriftian will fee thee in another light. Go on as thou art; bring no carnal props to fupport the ark of God; an unpolished preacher is lefs capable of deceiving. Many appear in gowns and bands, with refined language, which are no more than mere inftruments, without spiritual life, deceiving the people with an empty found; and, although they are called gofpel minifters, yet it is to be feared they neither know Chrift, nor themfelves better judges than I fay the fame.

Not long ago I went to hear one of these gentlemen, in his robes, who had no more right to them than I have; he preached a very found-worded difcourse. I admired his fpeech, ingenuity, and fluency; in fhort, there was nothing wanting but unction. Soon after this, a gentleman lent me a book (which I had never seen before), called Ben

jamin

jamin Keach's Metaphors. I had not read in it long, before I faw, word for word, all the ingenious discourse which I had lately heard; and how that divine appeared in my eyes afterwards I fhall leave you to guess. I told a friend who went with me, that if these gentlemen were kept from hearing gofpel ministers, and without money to buy commentators, they would be forced to act the part of a journeyman fhoe-maker, when he has spent all his cash on St. Monday; I mean, stand still for the want of stuff.

I know fome learned gospel minifters in London, who have come down in their style of speech to the weakest capacity; while others (fome of whom were as low and mean as myself), are climbing up in pride to that pinnacle from which the others defcended. Do not mistake me, I am not against any fervant of Chrift confulting the judgment of a found author, or quoting from him; but I fay, all who run unfent of God, let them get their matter and manner from Benjamin Keach, or elsewhere. God has quartered them at the fign of the den of thieves; and fooner or later, they will turn back in the day of battle; for God is against them that fteal his word, every one of his neighbour, Jer, xxiii. 30, 31, 32.

It is better, my fon, to feel and enjoy what we cannot find language to exprefs, than to exprefs what we never felt or enjoyed; therefore aim more at life than language. If we must be grammarians, let us get it by the dint of hard study and obferva

tion; and let us preach as much scripture as poffible, for the Bible is excellent language. Learned minifters, if under the influence of grace, will not defpife us in our proper fphere; a nobleman's butler does not defpife an under-groom in his stable; but, if he will be meddling with the fide-board, he cannot be faid to abide in the place wherein he was called:--you know how to apply it.

However, if you are determined to appear in the character of a dignified clergyman, I hope you will go to fome place where thou art not known; and to be fure never to drop a hint that thou waft once a profeffor of the craft of St. Crifpin. Take what I have written in good part, as it is intended for thy good. You fhall have my opinion of ministerial abilities in the next. Remember I have long ftyled thee my own fon in the faith, and hope thou will be like minded with me. Neglect not the gift that is in thee; let not every wind of error, nor the north wind of the law, deter thee :-He that obferv eth the winds fhall not fow; and those zealously affected by falfe clouds shall not reap much, Ecclef.

xi. 4.

T

Ever thine in gospel love,

W. H.

LETTER