meanest character lower, by many degrees. If I live to see her again, I will rally her handfomely.

I muft agree with you, in feeling for the advancing miseries of our unhappy country. We are already become the jeft, and the contempt, of all Europe. Never, furely, was a great and important empire fo wantonly thrown away; and never was nation fo infatuated before! However, when we recollect who it is that prefides, invifibly, at the helm of all human affairs (fee Daniel iv. 32, 35.) we are reconciled to every appearance, melancholy as appearances may feem; and adore the infinite wifdom, which, fecretly, but irrefiftibly, over-rules even the vices, and follies, and the madness of men, to the accomplishment of its own designs.

I am happy, to hear that yourself and family are well; and, if you was not a very particular friend, I fhould almoft have grudged you the felicity you must have enjoyed, in your late excurfion to our much esteemed friends at Freshford.

More than compliments to you and your's, conclude me

your affectionate fervant,

Auguftus Toplady.

LETTER LXX.

To Mrs. A. G

Knightsbridge, Lord's-Day Evening, Nov. 2, 1777

MADAM,

Y places excellencies to my account, which I

OUR letter quite diftreffes me: because it

feel myself to be totally unpoffeffed of. Among all the weak and unworthy fervants of Chrift, I am the

unworthieft

unworthieft and the weakeft. If you knew me, as well as I know myfelf, you would be entirely of my mind.

For the Lord's fake, let us look to Jefus only, and learn to cease from man. Chrift is all in all. Every other perfon and thing are vile, and wretched, and hateful, but fo far as he deigns to fmile and blefs. "Lefs than nothing and vanity;" is the only motto that belongs to me. If he vouchfafe to wash me in his blood, and to fave me by his infinitely free and glorious redemption; a more worthlefs and helpless finner will never fing his praifes in the land of glory.

Instead of commending me, pray for me; that I may be kept from evil, and devote my few days (in humble and earnest attempt at least) to the honour of his name.

If I wished you to retain your exalted opinion of me, I should, in my own defence, wave the honour of your acquaintance, which you fo politely offer me. But, as I defire to undeceive you, and to appear just what I am; I fhall be extremely happy to fee you here, any day, in the forenoon, after the prefent week is elapfed'; which latter, viz. the remainder of the prefent week, I am to pass at the houfe of a friend, who lives nine miles from hence.

God have you in his keeping, and make you a partaker of the graces and confolations of his fpirit.I am, with much refpect,

Madam, &c.

Augustus Toplady.

LETTER

LETTER LXXI.

To Mr. E. K——.

Knightsbridge, Nov. 22, 1777

My Friend and Brother in Christ,

BY

Y a letter, which I have this moment received from Mr. Lake, I am informed, that you are apprehenfive of the fpeedy approach of death: and that you are particularly defirous of feeing me; or, if that cannot be, of at least hearing from me; before the great change comes.

As I am not certain of being able to wait on you, fo foon as I could wifh, confidering the long extent of way that interpofes between us; and being willing to lofe no time in affuring you how much I love you, and how carneftly I commend you to God; I feize the immediate opportunity of writing to you. Nor fhall I ceafe to remember you in my worthless addrefs at the throne of grace, both publicly and in private.

The time, however, is perhaps arrived, which eminently calls upon you to ceafe entirely from man. Forget me; forget even your family; forget all your earthly friends, fo far as to lofe fight of them: and look only to Jefus, the glorious author and faithful finisher of falvation. Repofe your confidence on his alone blood, righteoufnefs, and interceffion. He represented you, on the cross; he bears your name, on his breast, and on the palms of his hands, in heaven; he fympathizes with you, in all your pains and forrows; and will take care of you, unto death, through death, and to all eternity. May his comforting fpirit make thefe bieffings clear to your view, and powerfully feal upon your heart a fenfe and enjoyment of your perfonal intereft in them.

Leave Providence to take care of your wife and children. And leave the covenant-grace of Father, Son, and Spirit, to take charge of you. Nor do I doubt, that, whether we meet again, or not, in this valley of tears, we hall fing together, for ever, in the Jerufalem above. So believes, and fo prays, your old friend and ranfomed fellow-finner,

Auguftus Toplady.

P. S. I fhall hold myself greatly indebted to Mr. Lake, for informing me, from time to time, how the Lord deals with you.

LETTER LXXII.

To Mr. F-—.

DEAR SIR,

Knightsbridge, Nov. 27, 1777.

IF I rightly underflood you yesterday, the cafe of confcience, propofed by your friend, is this:

"He lives in a part of England, where the gofpel is not preached, by the clergy of the eftablished Church. But the gofpel is preached, in a neighbouring congregation of diffenters. He is compelled therefore, either not to hear the gofpel preached at all; or to hear it at a diffenting meeting-houfe.

Query: Is it his duty to communicate with the diffenters, as well as to hear them? Or may he with a fafe confcience, continue only to hear them, and ftill maintain his communion, with the Church of England ?"

For my own part, I am moft clearly of opinion, (1.) That, if he cannot hear the Church of England doctrines preached in a parish-church

(which is terribly the cafe in fome thousands of places ;) he is bound in confcience to hear thofe truths, where they can be heard was it in a barn, in a private house, in a field, or on a dung-hill.-But,

(2.) I am no lefs clearly convinced, that he is not under the fmalleft neceffity of breaking off from the communion of the Church established.

Some of my reafons are thefe:

1. Your friend's love to the Church-doctrines (i. e. to the gospel of grace,) is the very thing that forces him to forfake the Church-walls, as an hearer. But this need not force him from communicating there. It should rather bind him, more closely and firmly, to a Church whofe doctrines and facraments are holy, harınlefs, and undefiled; and alike remote from error, fuperftition, and licentioufnefs. '

2. Our bleffed Lord, himself, communicated with the established Church of Judea; though its ministers and people were as deeply degenerated from the purity and power of God's truths, as the prefent minifters and people of the Church of England are, for the moft part, now. That our Lord actually did thus communicate in the Jewish church (fallen as its profeffors were,) is evident, from his celebration of the Paffover, antecedently to his inftitution of the Holy Supper, in the evening of the very night wherein he was betrayed.

3. The goodness, or badness, of a parish minifter, neither adds nor detracts from, the virtue and value of the facraments he difpenfes. Judas appears to have preached the gospel, and to have wrote miracles. Was the golpel, or were thofe miracles, at all the worse on his account? No: in- no wife."But the minifter of my parish does not preach the gofpel." Be it fo.-You do right, therefore, in not hearing him. Nevertheless, though (in this refpect) he out-fins Judas himself; why fhould that unhap py circumftance make you quarrel with, and abfent yourfelf