perienced, and that he continues to speed your gofpel plough.

I have been at this place a week to day; and mean, if the Lord please, to overstay the 1ft Sunday in October: here is a very confiderable gathering of people to the standard of the crofs. I have found much union with them, and the unction of the Holy One has given me much comfort and enlargement among them hitherto, in our public approaches to God. By a letter from dear Mr. P, who is now at Chichester, I find that a new chapel at Petworth, and another at Guildford, are to be opened the 1st of October. May they receive that true confecration which arifes from the pretence and power of the Great Shepherd and Bishop of fouls. I truft God will enable me and the people here, who are now of the moft clearly enlightened, moft judicious, moft harmoniously united, and most lively congregations I ever was with, to pour out our fouls in prayer on that day, for a bleffing on your ladyfhip's labour of love in general, and on those two new encampments in particular.

I am informed, that lady M's zeal for God, has been confiderably bleft to many of her neighbours at or near Ealing. She has frequent preaching in her houfe; and it feems there is good hope, that lord Rhimself begins to have the hearing ear and the feeling heart.

Has your ladyfhip feen the corrected copy of dear Mr. R's Treatife on Pfalmody? If you have, you must have perceived that the very exceptionable paffages, which laid that great and good man open to fuch just reprehenfion, are happily expunged. I asked him for a copy, foon after my arrival in London. He anfwered, that in its prefent ftate, he did not acknowledge it for his but, I fhould have one as foon as published. He was as good as his word, and fhortly after gave me his book. I examined it very carefully; and find that the faulty

pages

pages have been cancelled. We now no longer, read of Watts's Hymns being Watts's whims, nor of the Holy Spirit's being always prefent where the Pfalms are fung, and never being prefent where hymns are fung. I am glad that my valuable friend was under a neceffity of ftriking out these and such like violent and unguarded pofitions. I never met with fo much as one fpiritual perfon who did not censure them most severely; but as he has been fo humble, and fo juft to truth, as to difplace them from his Effay, I hope he will meet with no farther flight and mortification on their account.

God go with your ladyfhip into Cornwall, and fhine on all your efforts for the glory of his name, and for the transfufion of his falvation into the hearts of finners. Open your trenches, and ply the gospel artillery. And may it prove mighty, through God, to the demolition of every thought and every error, and every work, which exalts itself against the knowledge, the love, and the obedience of Chrift!

Your affectionate fervant in him,

PERMIT

DERMIT me to condole with you, and with dear Mrs. on the lofs of our valuable and valued friend, Mrs. --: the oldeft, and one of the most esteemed acquaintance, I had on earth. I rejoice, however, that, through the precious blood and the imputed righteoufnefs of Chrift, fhe is exalted

to

to that place of glory and of reft, where the inhabitants fhall no more fay, I am fick.

Let me give you the true apology, for my having no fooner acknowledged the receipt of your obliging letter, which you will not wonder at, when I inform you, that I was five or fix weeks in travelling from Broad-Hembury to London, occafioned by the many interjacent friends I had to vifit: and by their condefcending importunities, which detained me much longer with each of them, than I expected or defigned.

On my arrival in town, I found your letter, and would have answered it while there, but for the multiplicity of engagements, in which the affection of my London friends involved me. I had not been long in the capital, when I received a preffing invitation to this place, where I have ftayed near a fortnight, and from whence I return to London next week.

May the late affecting breach, which Providence has made in your domestic connections, be fanctified to you both, and excite you to feek an interest in that Saviour, who is the certain and only deliverer of his people, from the wrath to come.

In him I remain, dear fir, your and Mrs. very fincere friend and fervant,

S,

A. M. Toplady.

IF

LETTER LXII.

To Mr. N

Brighthelmftone, Sept. 26, 1775.

of

F you fhould ever ftand in peculiar need of very violent exercife, come down hither, by way Ryegate and Cuckfield; and before the prefent

ftage

ftage coach is worn out. The road, from the former of thefe towns to this, is the rougheft; the country, the coarfeft, and the vehicle the uneafieft, that can well be imagined. I never yet had fo complete a fhaking and, though much ufed to travelling, was literally fore from head to foot, for twenty-four hours after my arrival here; occafioned by fuch a feries of concuffions, (I had almoft faid contufions), as I really thought it impoffible for any carriage to impart. But I have had ample amends, at my journey's end. For though, in my opinion, our western fea-ports have generally, many local charms, greatly fupérior to thofe of this; yet, the inhabitants here, feem to have received a much higher polifh, from their intercourfe with ftrangers. But, above all, the ferious people of Brighthelmftone, are, fo far as I can hitherto judge, peculiarly amiable and eftimable; extremely judicious, and well informed in things of God; and all alive to him. In fhort, I know of no congregation, any where, who feem to be more entirely after my own heart. Their union, likewife, and fellowship with each other, are uncommon, confidering their number. The great master of our affemblies, God the Holy Spirit, has given us fome comfortable opportunities in public; and deigned, I truft, feveral times, to be eminently prefent. To free and covenant grace, be all the praife.

I am as well, as I ufually find myself, when implunged in a fea air. The falts, I apprehend, with which thefe kind of atmospheres are charged; together with the large quantity of vapour, exhaled by fo great an expanfe of water; by confiderably increafing the weight of the element we breathe, make it, at once, more externally compreffive, and require a ftronger force of interior effort and refiftance, to refpire with due vigour.

Laft Wednesday we were faluted by a continued feries of lightening, from eight at night until one in the morning. Not a moment's interval obtained

between

between the flashes; which formed abfolute sheets of the most vivid flame, fucceeding each other with a rapidity I never was witness to before. As it played on the fea (for I spent the evening at a gentleman's, who lives on the Eaft Clift) it refembled a grand, regular cascade of fire, falling on a vast reflecting mirror. There was rain, during a fmall part of the time; and fome audible thunder. I have heard louder claps; but never fuch long extended peals. How happy is it, to feel, that the God of nature is alfo the God of all!

BE

ELIEVE me, when I affure you, that the liberty, which I now take, results neither from want of tendernefs, nor of refpect; but from an humble with of being serviceable to a perfon, who is recommended to me, as a very deferving individual; and whofe circumftances are, it feems, confiderably narrowed and embarraffed, through the unfufpecting confidence, which he repofed on your veracity, juftice, and honour.

The lady, to whom I allude, is Mrs. G, I need not ftate the merits of a cafe, with which you, fir, are fo thoroughly acquainted. Only, permit me to conjure you, by every facred and moral confideration, and by all your feelings, as a man of fenfibility, not to depart this world, without repaying as much of that iniquitous debt, as you poffibly can.