Letters, &c. &c. LETTER I. MY DEAR SIR, THE interviews I had with you in London, though short and few, were sufficient to make me willing, very willing, to accept your obliging invitation to S. But at that time and from that time, till within this week, such a visit appeared to me rather desirable than prcaticable. My business lies at home, and I am not, or would not be hasty to move till I can see the Cloud and Pillar moving before me. I think something of a Providential call, or leading, or opening, makes a journey or a visit much more pleasant. Some such openings seem to point out my way to Lymington, particularly the desire of my honoured friend Mr. T. Thornton, who wishes me to be some time with him there, and at the Isle of Wight. This desire ought to have with me the force of a command, when it is in my power to comply. We have a dear girl about thirteen, who has a hectic, and other complaints,* and just about the time that Mr. * Miss Cunningham, a niece of Mrs. Newton's. T. mentioned his intended journey, the physician wished she might go to the salt-water. Previous to all this, some months ago, a gentleman who lives at or near this very Lymington, a person whom I had never seen, or had any knowledge of, called on me at Charles'-Square, to invite me and mine to his house, having somehow heard, as he said, that some one in the family had occasion to use the salt-water. Had an excursion from London to the salt-water been the only point in view, I should have thought of no place so soon, and with so much pleasure as S.; but there are some other circumstances, besides what I owe to Mr. T. which make me think the path of duty will lead me to L. But I can assure you, my heart has jumped at the thought that I should have opportunity of paying my respects to you and Mrs. T. by the way; provided you are at home, and that it is convenient to you to receive us at this time, of which I shall hope for the favour of a line from you to inform me before I set out. If the time fixed should suit you to receive us, I promise myself much pleasure in waiting upon you; I have likewise another reason for wishing to see S. I was there so long ago as the year 36, in the shape of a little sailor boy. My father was master of a ship, and took in a lading of corn for Spain. It was my first voyage to sea. I love to revisit the spots where I spent a part of my early life; it revives the ideas of things and events long passed, and I hope the contrast between my situation then, and what it is now, will strike me when I return to the same place, with some profitable impressions-for, alas! at the best I am too faintly affected with a review of the wonderful way by which the Lord has led me thus far through the wilderness. The turns of my life have been extraordinary, and perhaps have appeared more so to you and to many, than I fear they do to myself. I saw our good friend Mr. S. the other day; he is pretty well, and talks of writing to you by me. The Lord, all-sufficient, has graciously supported him under his late trials and changes. The removal of dear Mrs. S. was a heavy loss to her family, and sensibly felt by many of her friends. Mrs. Newton and I had a share in it; we loved and respected her greatly; but the Lord does all things well, and it will never be quite well with any of us, till we follow her to the land of light, and join with her, and with the innumerable company before the throne, in songs of praise to Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood. We join in love and respects to you and Mrs. T. I am, dear sir, Your affectionate and obliged, JOHN NEWTON. Charles'-Square, Hoxton, July 20th, 1784. MY DEAR SIR, LETTER II. and APPEARANCES are so against me, that if you Mrs. T. have thought me ungrateful, I cannot won der. The truth is,my time slips away so pleasantly and insensibly here, that it was not till last night I found out that I had passed five whole days since I saw you without writing to you. I almost started at the thought, like a person suddenly awaked from a sound sleep. I now beg your pardon, and would promise to behave better upon the like occasion hereafter, if I did not know myself a little too well to venture to promise much in future. However, I do hope I may thus far engage, that neither I, nor Mrs. Newton, nor Eliza, can easily forget the kindness we received at S. We performed our journey hither without any inconvenience, except what we felt from sympathy with poor William, and a little likewise we sympathized with your horses. I think neither your coachman nor your horses ever travelled so many miles in worse weather. I ought to have written the very next day, in hopes of hearing that William got no cold, nor your horses any damage by us. I cannot yet inform you how long I shall stay here. When I was with you I felt myself so comfortably at home, that I could have been well content to have made your house the end of my journey. I shall find the like reluctance, for the like reasons, to leave Mr. E.'s house. But it was necessary I should leave you to come hither; and it will be necessary for me to leave Mr. E. to return to you, and then I must leave you again to return home. It is well I am to go home, for I could have no good heart to go any where else after visiting Hampshire. But home (as they say) is home. There is my church, my people, the appointed sphere of my service; and after |