be companions in eternal glory! A thought which now hath a relish, that nothing can exceed, nothing can equal."

In a letter to one of his pupils, concerning the joy and triumph with which one of his friends had died, he saith; "O, what a gospel is this! I protest by our rejoicing in Christ Jesus, that I see and feel more and more of its excellency; that I esteem it the greatest madness in the world to oppose it, and next to that, to neglect it. Who would not rejoice in that gospel, which is such a cordial to the soul, when every thing else loseth its relish? Who would not delight to preach it, and adore that gracious hand, which imparts the consolations of it to our companions in the ways of religion, when their flesh and heart faileth? Thus, do I hope he will comfort us, when we are capable of labouring no longer for him; and convey us into a blissful eternity under his sensible smiles: but if not, we know whom we have believed, and the surprise of glory will be but so much the greater." At another time he thus writes; "Such things have lately befallen me in the death of some friends and the removal of others to a distance, that had I not been peculiarly supported, I know not how I should have borne them; but, through the undeserved goodness of a gracious God, I have found very great consolation. The divine presence hath made my work my joy amidst all its fatigues, and hath caused my soul to overflow with such unutterable delight, that I have hardly known how to quit it. Other things, that used to be pleasant, have been painful to me, as separating me from that delightful intercourse with God through Christ, which I have known in prayer, meditation and reading devotional pieces. It hath been like a fire glowing in my heart; so that I could scarce forbear speaking to every one I met with, about their souls and divine things; and have longed for opportunities, both in public and private, of imparting the fulness of what I felt within."

But there was no affliction which lay with greater weight upon his mind, than the death of his eldest daughter, who lived long enough to give him very agreeable hopes as to her pious disposition.** In the sermon he published on that occasion, the world hath seen how his heart was affected, and what considerations supported him under that affliction; and many mourning parents have been comforted and instructed by the arguments and consolations he hath suggested

* A very amiable and hopeful child of nearly five years of age.-K、 VOL. I.

S

in it. I wish such may reap a like advantage from viewing some of the workings of his heart in secret, which he recorded at once for his humiliation and thankfulness: And then my design will be answered; though others, who are strangers to the tender feelings of nature on such an occasion, may be unimpressed with his reflections. "I have been preaching from those words, It is well with the child? And she answered, It is well. But surely, there never was any dispensation of providence, in which I found it so difficult to say it. Indeed some hard thoughts of God were ready to arise; and the apprehension of his displeasure against me brought my mind into a painful situation. But it pleased God to quiet it, and lead me to a silent, cordial submission to his will. I see that I doted too much upon her; my heart was opened to her with a fond flattering delight. And now, O my soul, one of thy earthly delights is gone. Seek thy greatest delight in heaven, where I trust my child is; where I am sure my Saviour is; and where I trust, through grace, notwithstanding some irregularities of heart on this occasion, I shall shortly be. This circumstance I must record, that I recollected this day, at the Lord's table, that I had some time ago taken the cup at that ordinance with these words, Lord, I take this cup as a public, solemn token, that, having received so inestimable a blessing as this, I will refuse no other cup, which thou shalt put into my hands.' I mentioned this again to day, and publicly charged the thought on myself, and christian friends who were present. God hath taken me at my word, but I do not retract it. I repeat it again with regard to every future cup. Much sweetness is mingled with this bitter portion, chiefly in the views and hopes of the eternal world. May not this be the beauty of this providence, that instead of her living many years upon earth, God may have taken her away, that I may be better fitted for and reconciled to, my own dissolution, perhaps nearly approaching? Lord, thy will be done! May my life be used for thy service, while it is continued, and then, put thou a period to it, whenever thou pleasest."

The next evening, after the funeral, he adds, "I have

*The sermon which he preached on this event, and which was published in 1736-7, is entitled "Submission to the Divine Providence on the Death of Children recommended and enforced." It is an admirable discourse which displays in a very strong and striking light the united piety and tenderness of the author's mind. Few superior instances of pathetic eloquence are to be met with in the English language.-K.

now been laying the delight of my eyes in the dust, and it is for ever hid from them. We had a suitable sermon from those words, Dost thou well to be angry for the gourd? God knows, that I am not angry; but sorrowful he surely allows me to be. Blessed Lord, I trust thou hast received my child, and pardoned the infirmities of her short, childish, afflicted life. I love those, who were kind to her, and those that weep with me for her: Shall I not much more love thee, who art at this moment taking care of her, and opening her infant faculties for the business and blessedness of heaven? Lord, I would consider myself as a dying creature. My firstborn is laid in the dust; I shall shortly follow her, and we shall lie down together. But, O, how much pleasure doth it give me to hope, that my soul will rest with her, and rejoice in her for ever! But let me not centre my thoughts here: It is a rest with, and in, God, that is my ultimate hope. Lord, may thy grace secure it to me; and in the mean time give me a holy acquiescence of soul in thee; and now my gourd is withered, shelter me under the shadow of thy wings."

Thus did this good man observe the hand of God in all the afflictive events, in which he was concerned; and so careful was he to improve every such occurrence, in order to strengthen his submission to the divine will, to weaken his attachment to the world and to increase his value for the supports and consoaltions of religion. And how happy an effect this had to render his trials easy, and to make them subservient to his spiritual improvement, will be easily imagined by every pious reader.

SECT. VII.

His Temper and Behaviour under unjust and unkind Treatment.

THE state of the world must be much altered for the better, and the malice of the accuser of the brethren and his influence upon mankind, much lessened in modern times, if a person who discovered so much piety, and zeal for the happiness of men, as Dr. Doddridge did, should pass through life without persecution; at least by those milder methods, which alone the lenity of our laws allows, but which the law of Christ absolutely condems. He knew the history of man and the state of the world too well, to expect the esteem and good word of all, even for the most upright and friendly intentions and attempts. He thought that the observation of St. Paul, that all who will live godly in Christ

Jesus, shall suffer persecution, was not to be confined to the primitive age, but was verified in the best of men in every age. He expected his share of this kind of trouble, as many of his fathers and brethren had theirs; and he prepared himself to receive and improve it with a christian temper. The following extract from a letter to a friend, will shew what were his sentiments on this head. "I settle it as an established point with me, that the more diligently and faithfully I serve Christ, the greater reproach, and the more injury I must expect. I have drank deep of the cup of slander and reproach of late; but I am in no wise discouraged: No, nor by, what is much harder to bear, the unsuccessfulness of my endeavours to mend this bad world. I consider it as my great care, to let my dear master (who hath bought me with his precious blood) see, that I have a grateful sense of his benefits, and that his name and cause lie near my heart. If the labours of many years, whether they do or do not succeed, may secure this, it is well. Nay indeed, in this case, Labor ipse Voluptas. I shall not be surprised if more afflictions come upon me: I need them all; and the cup is in the hand of my wise and gracious father; for that God is such, I assuredly know. Let us give diligence to seize every opportunity we have of serving his interest, in that of his son, while we are here; and then nothing in life or death needs much to move us."-The ill treatment he met with might have been passed over in silence, were it not so commonly the lot of the most active, useful men, and an affliction, which perhaps they find it more difficult to bear than any other. Some account of his sufferings of this kind, his reflections upon them and behaviour under them, may properly be given; as they illustrate his character, shew his companions in the tribulation of Christ, that their case is not singular, and may suggest to them the proper behaviour under it.

No sooner was he settled at Northampton, with the pleasing prospect of great usefulness, by his relation to so large a congregation and the increase of his academy, than he met with injurious treatment from his neighbours. Not to mention some insults which he and his family suffered from the vulgar, through the influence of a party-spirit, a more formidable attack was made upon him from another quarter, whence he expected more candour and moderation. A prosecution was commenced against him in the ecclesiastical court, by some dignataries of the church of England for teaching an academy. Persons of the best sense among different partics were surprised at this step

and several gentlemen of the established church of considerable rank and in public characters, warmly declared their disapprobation of it. Nay, the very person, in whose name the prosecution was carried on, came to the Doctor to assure him of his abhorrence of it; and to know, before it commenced, whether he could with safety to himself, being then churchwarden, refuse to sign the presentment, or in any other way make the matter easy to him. But the clergy seemed determined to carry on the prosecution with vigour; notwithstanding many acknowledgments they made of his learning and moderation, and many compliments they personally paid him on that account. This gave him a painful alarm, lest his usefulness as a tutor should have been entirely prevented, or greatly lessened; or he should have been obliged to remove from his congregation to some other part of the kingdom, where he might have been out of the reach of his persecutors. But his loval, peaceable and moderate principles and character, being fairly represented to his late majesty, by some persons of rank and influence, who had access to him and were well acquainted with the Doctor, a stop was, by his express order, put to the prosecution; agreeably to the noble and generous maxim he had laid down, that, "During his reign, there should be no persecution for conscience sake."

He met with injurious treatment from some, who denied the truth of christianity; which he could no other way account for, than from the zeal he had shewn in its defence: while others, on the contrary, were offended at the respect with which he had treated some persons, who were thought to make light of the gospel or deny some of its distinguishing tenets, because he saw in them some amiable qualities, esteemed them valuable members of society, or had commended their writings, as containing many things excellent and calculated for usefulness. But strange as it may seem, the worst treatment he received, and which continued longest, was from some of his brethren in the ministry; which I believe arose partly from hence, that he set them a pattern of diligence and activity, which they were not disposed to imitate *; but principally from

"It hath been observed, that it is somewhat natural for clergymen, to be more easily irritable at such of their brethren, as rise above them, in apparent concern for religion and zeal for promoting it, than at those who fall below them. The first are a reproach to their own conduct and character; the other are a foil to it. So that every one, who espouses any bold or vigorous measure, may lay his account with a sensible coldness, even from such of his brethren as are in the next immediate degree below him," Dr. Witherspoon's Essays, v. ii. p. 254.