LXXXIV.

TO EBENEZER FOSTER, ESQ.

My dear Sir, Bristol, Jan. 29, 1829. I safely received your favour of the 20th instant. It gives me great pleasure to infer from your letter, that the health of your family, and particularly of your elder brother, is in a tolerable state.

The death of Mrs. must have been felt very severely by your excellent consort, to whom I beg to express a deep and sincere sympathy. I was greatly affected when I heard of it, and shall ever carry with me a grateful and affectionate sense of the uniform kindness with which she treated me, as well as of the many amiable and interesting traits of her character. It would have given me pleasure to have been informed what were her views and feelings in the prospect of eternity: I hope she exhibited that state of mind, on the approach of that awful crisis, which must prevent surviving friends from "sorrowing as those who have no hope." I have lately heard with much concern of the alarming illness of my dear friend;-but have rejoiced to learn subsequently that considerable hopes are entertained of his recovery. While events of this nature present a striking commentary on the solemn declaration that "all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the field," it is consoling to remember that "the word of the Lord endureth for ever;" and that, by the preaching of the gospel, it is more extensively promulgated than ever.

The intelligence you have just given me of the rapid extension of evangelical religion in Cambridge is highly gratifying; nor can I entertain any serious apprehension of ultimate injury resulting from thence to the dissenting interest. If something like competition should have the effect of giving increased momentum to the exertions of both parties, the public may be benefited, and both improved.

With respect to my health, I can say little that I could wish to say. Some small abatement of the violence and frequency of my old complaint has, I think, of late been experienced: but it is very inconsiderable; and the last night it prevented me getting a wink of sleep until after seven o'clock this morning. On this account, I can speak with no sort of confidence of my intended visit to Cambridge, further than this, that I feel a most anxious desire of enjoying it, and that nothing but absolute necessity will prevent me from making the attempt; and, as travelling on the outside is much the easiest to me, it will not be prudent to undertake it till the summer is tolerably advanced. I have little intelligence to communicate worthy of your attention. I continue to be very happy with my people, from whom I daily receive every demonstration of affection and respect. Our attendance is as good as I could wish; and we have added to the Baptist church,*

*To render this phrase intelligible to some readers, it may be proper to observe, that in the congregation at Broadmead there are two classes of persons who are associated in church-fellowship: one consists of those only who have been baptized in adult age, on a confession of faith; while the other consists jointly of such and of Pedobaptists. The former are "strict communion Baptists," and constitute the Baptist church: the latter furnish an example of "mixed communion."-ED. VOL. III.-T

during the last year, twenty-seven, and six are standing candidates for baptism. For these tokens of Divine presence I desire to be thankful. Mrs. Hall and my family are, through mercy, as well as usual; and join with me in most affectionate regards to every branch of your family, and to the Cambridge circle of friends in general. I beg to be most affectionately remembered to dear Mr. and to assure him

of my deep sympathy with him under his heavy and irreparable loss. It is my fervent and sincere prayer it may be sanctified.

I remain, my dear Sir,

Your obliged and affectionate Friend,

ROBERT HALL.

LXXXV.

TO JAMES NUTTER, ESQ., SHELFORD, NEAR CAMBRIDGE.

My very dear Friend,

Bristol, Feb. 16, 1829.

I heard with much concern of your late alarming illness, and, with a proportionate degree of joy of your partial recovery, and of the pleasing prospect presented of your yet surviving for years, to be a blessing to your family and connexions. It grieves me much to learn from Mr. Price, that you have experienced something like a relapse, and that your situation is considered still critical and precarious. However the Lord may dispose of you (though it is my earnest prayer that your days may be prolonged to a distant period), I cannot adequately express my satisfaction at finding you are favoured with such an experience of the consolations of religion, as to enable you to comfort your sorrowing friends, and to bear so glorious a testimony to the power and grace of the Redeemer. O, my dear friend, how precious is a merciful Saviour in the eyes of a dying sinner! When the heart and flesh fail, he can adopt the triumphant language of Simeon, and say, "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." You will never, my dear friend, to all eternity, be able sufficiently to magnify the riches of Divine grace, in adopting you into the family of the Redeemer, and making you "an heir of glory."

I earnestly hope the spectacle they have witnessed will have a most beneficial effect upon the younger branches of your family, in confirming pious resolutions, and convincing of the emptiness, the nothingness, of all which the world admires, compared to an interest in Christ, and a preparation for heaven. In the prospect of life there are many things which are adapted to animate and support; in the near approach of death, there is but" the hope of glory." It is my earnest prayer that this hope may shed its brightest beams on the mind of my dear and highly esteemed friend. As to myself, my health is in such a state that I can say nothing of the future: but your wishes will be with me

so far a law, that if my complaint will permit me during the early part of the summer, I shall accede to Mr. Price's request, by officiating at the opening of his meeting-house.

Earnestly praying that every blessing may be communicated to you which a covenant God has to bestow, I remain

Your most affectionate Friend and Brother,

I have little or no intelligence to communicate, further than that our city is much agitated by political discussion and the strife of parties. A meeting was lately held of the friends of reform, to petition on its behalf; but it was most stormy and tempestuous. Though all concurred in the general object, violent disputes arose on minor points, which distracted the discussion, and rendered it a scene of tumult and uproar. Such, of late, has been the general character of public meetings at Bristol. For my part, I never attend them. Indeed, the complaint in my back renders it impossible for me to stand; and to lie down would neither be decent or practicable.

Conversation is almost entirely occupied by the all-absorbing theme of politics; nor is it to be wondered at, when we consider the equivocal and anomalous state of this and of almost all other countries. Some great crisis appears to be approaching, which will probably shake Europe to its centre, and produce some entire new order of things. Shall we ultimately escape a war? I have great confidence in the pacific views of our present ministry, but less in their continuing in power; nor do I perceive what measures they can adopt that will materially alleviate the distress of the lower orders; and, unless this can be done, a [great convulsion] is, I fear, inevitable. At all events, one great source of consolation remains: "the Lord reigneth; and blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

By-the-way, it gives me pleasure to find that attempts are making in London to dissolve the union between the orthodox and the Socinian [dissenters.] I most heartily wish them success. It is a most unnatural and preposterous union, and tends, above any thing else, to give an imposing air of importance to the Socinian [party,] which, but for this coalition, would sink into insignificance. It is odious in the eyes of

* This letter did not reach Shelford until the day after the death of the excellent individual to whom it was addressed.-ED.

pious churchmen, and tends to throw a disguise over the real state of the dissenters, in relation to their religious tenets. But I must close, and am afraid I have already occupied too much of your valuable time.

Mrs. Hall and my family are in tolerable health, and desire to unite with me in most affectionate regards to you and your family, and to your dear brother and his family, Mr. and his lady, &c. &c. I would just add, that I [derived] considerable benefit, in relation to the determination of blood to the lungs, [from] my visit to Cheltenham. I remain, my dear Sir,

Your most affectionate and obliged Friend,

ROBERT HALL.*

This letter was written only four days before Mr. Hall's last illness, and sixteen before his death.-ED.

SERMONS.