er of his life: "I know the rich are only

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ftewards for the poor, and must give an ac

count of every penny; therefore the less I "have, the more easy will it be to render a "faithful account of it." And, to add no more from these letters at present, in conclufion of one of them, he has these comprehenfive and folemn words: "Now that he who is the ease "of the afflicted, the fupport of the weak, the "wealth of the poor, the teacher of the ignor 66 ant, the anchor of the fearful, and the in"finite reward of all faithful fouls, may pour ❝out upon you all his richest bleffings, shall "always be the prayer of him who is entirely yours," &c.

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$47. To this account of his correfpondence with his excellent mother, I fhould be glad to add a large view of another, to which the introduced him, with that reverend and valuable perfon, under whofe paftoral care fhe was placed, I mean the justly celebrated Dr. Edmund Calamy, to whom she could not but early communicate the joyful news of her fon's conver fion. I am not fo happy as to be poffeffed of the letters which paffed between them, which I have reason to believe would make a curious and valuable collection: But I have had the pleasure of receiving, from my worthy and

amiable friend, the Reverend Mr. Edmund Calamy, one of the letters which the Doctor his father wrote to the Major on this wonderful occafion. I perceive by the contents of it, that it was the first; and indeed it is dated as early as the third of August 1719, which must be but a few days after his own account, dated Auguft 4th, N.S., could reach England. There is fo much true religion and good fenfe in this paper, and the counsel it fuggefts may be so seasonable to other perfons in circumftances which bear any resemblance to his, that I make no apology to my reader for inferting a large extract from it.

DEAR SIR,

I Conceive it will not much furprise you to underftand that your good mother communicated to me your letter to her, dated Aug. 4. N.S., which brought her the news you conceive would be so acceptable to her. I who have often been a witnefs of her concern for you on a fpiritual account, can atteft with what joy this news was received by her, and imparted to me as a special friend, who she knew would bear a part with her on such anoccafion. And indeed, if, as our Saviour intimates, Luke xv. 7, 10, there is in fuch cases joy in heaven and among the angels of God, it may well be supposed, that of a pious mothet, who has spent fo many prayers and tears upon you, and has, as it were, "travailed in birth with you again, till Chrift was formed in you," could not be fmall. You may believe me if I add, that I alfo, as a

common friend of hers and yours, and, which is much more, of the Prince of Light whom you now declare you heartily fall in with, in oppofition to that of the dark kingdom, could not but be tenderly affected with an account of it under your own hand. My joy on this account was the greater, confidering the importance of your capacity, interefts, and prospects, which, in such an age as this, may promife most happy confequences, on your heartily appearing on God's fide, and embarking in the intereft of our dear Redeemer. If I have hitherto at all remembered you at the throne of Grace, at your mother's defire (which you are pleased to take notice of with so much refpect); I can affure you I fhall henceforth be led to do it with more concern and particularity, both by duty and inclination. And if I were capable of giving you any little affiftance in the noble defign you are engaging in, by correfponding with you by letter, while you are at fuch a distance, I fhould do it most cheerfully. And perhaps fuch a motion may not be altogether unacceptable: for I am inclined to believe, that when fome whom you converfe with, obferve your beha viour fo different from what it was, and banter you on it as mad and fanciful, it may be fome little relief to correfpond with one who will take a pleasure in heartening and encouraging you. And when a great many things frequently offer, in which confcience may be concerned where duty may not always be plain, nor fuitable perfons to advise with at hand, it may be fome fatisfaction to you to correfpond with one, with whom you may use a friendly freedom in all fuch matters, and on whofe fidelity you may depend. You may therefore command me in any of these respects, and I shall take a pleasure in ferv. ing you. One piece of advice I shall venture to give you,

though your own good fenfe will make my enlarging up. on it lefs needful; I mean, that you would, from your first fetting out, carefully diftinguish between the effentials of real religion, and those things which are com monly reckoned by its profeffors to belong to it. The want of this diftinction has had very unhappy confequen. ces from one age to another, and perhaps in none more than the prefent. But your daily converse with your Bible, which you mention, may herein give you great affiftance. I move alfo, that fince infidelity fo much abounds, you would, not only by close and serious confideration, endeavour to fettle yourself well in the fundamen. tal principles of religion, but also that, as opportunity offers, you would converse with those books which treat moft judiciously on the divine original of Chriftianity, fuch as, Grotius, Abadie, Baxter, Bates, Du Pleffis, &c. which may establish you against the cavils that occur in almost all conversations, and furnish you with arguments, which, when properly offered, may be of use to make fome impreffions on others. But being too much straitened to enlarge at prefent, I can only add, that if your hearty falling in with ferious religion should prove any hinderance to your advancement in the world, (which I pray God it may not, unless fuch advancement would be a real fnare to you), I hope you will trust our Saviour's word, that it shall be no disadvantage to you in the final iffue: He has given you his word for it, Matth, xix. 29. upon which you may fafely depend; and I am fatisfied, none that ever did fo, at laft repented of it. May you go on and profper, and the God of all grace and peace be with you!

49. I think it is very evident from the contents of this letter, that the Major had not

imparted to his mother the most fingular cir cumftances attending his converfion: And, indeed, there was fomething fo peculiar in them, that I did not wonder he was always cautious in fpeaking of them, and, especially, that he was at firft much on the referve. We may al. fo naturally reflect, that there feems to have been fomething very providential in this letter, confidering the debate in which our illuftrious convert was fo foon engaged; for it was written about three weeks before his conference with the lady above mentioned, in the defence of Chriftianity; or, at leaft, before the appointment of it. And as fome of the books recommended by Dr. Calamy, particularly Abadie and Dupleffis, were undoubtedly within his reach. (if our English advocates were not), this might, by the divine bleffing, contribute very confiderably. towards arming him for that combat, in which he came off with fuch happy fuccefs. And as in this inftance, fo in many others, they who will obferve the coincidence and concurrence of things, may be engaged to adore the wife conduct of Providence in events which, when taken fingly and by themselves, have nothing very remarkable in them.