-^i^ 
 
 ^^^fef^- 
 
^, 
 
 I 
 
1^- 
 
 .- I ^ 
 
 ^mf^' 
 
'^■Mk. 
 
 t 
 
 \ 
 
 
 'M \ 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 Of the 
 
 LIVES, CHARACTERS and WRITINGS 
 
 OF THOSE TWO EMINENTLY PIOUS AND USEFUL 
 MINISTERS OF JeSUS CkRIST, 
 
 Dr, ISAAC V/ At T B 
 
 AH D 
 
 Dr. PHILIP DODDRIDGE, 
 
 \m 
 
 
 PRINTED AT BOSTON, 
 BY PETER EDES for DAFID WEST. 
 
 MDCCXCIII, 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 1 H E Life of Dr. Watts is compiled 
 from the accounts of him and his writ^ 
 ings publilhed by ye7inings^ Gibbo7iSy 
 yohnfo?!^ and Palmer ; and from manu- 
 fcript Letters in the poffeffion of the 
 Hiftorical Society in Bojlon. 
 
 An Appendix is added, containing 
 feveral of Dr. Watts's Effays in verfe and 
 profe, which have not before been print- 
 ed in America. And 
 
 An authentic account of his laft fen-- 
 timents on the do&ine of the Trinity^ 
 by Samuel Palmer. 
 
 The Life of Dr. Doddridge is writ-- 
 ten by Dr. Andrew Kippis. 
 
 A 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Life, Character, and Writing 
 
 OF 
 
 Dr. ISAAC IF A "t "T S. 
 
 1 H E life of Dr. Watts is more InftrudiVe 
 from the bnghtnefs of his example than enter- 
 taining from any variety of incidents. This de- 
 fed: is partly owing to the nature of his employ- 
 ment ; partly to a long continued infirmity of 
 body, which obliged him to hve retired from the 
 world, and partly to a refolution which he had 
 taken not to leave behind him any memorials 
 from which a narrative of his life might be com.- 
 piled. It was his choice that His cbarader might 
 ^ 3 appear 
 
6 Memoirs of Dr. Vv^'atts. 
 
 appear from his printed works, and not from any 
 private papers. His friends, to whom he com- 
 mitted the care of publifhinghis books, were ex~ 
 pre/sly prohibited from making a colledion of 
 his letters, which might eafily have been done 
 foon after his death. -''' The .materials from which 
 any account of his Hfe can he compofed are there- 
 fore few ; they exhibit a vigorous mind in a weak 
 body ; a character amiable and worthy of imita- 
 tion. 
 
 He was born at Southampton on the 17th of 
 July, 1674, and was the eldeft of nine children. 
 His father Isaac Watts, was a man of con- 
 fiderable learning, and was keeper of a boarding 
 fchool. His parents were eminent for religion, 
 and were fufferers for confcience fake in the per- 
 fccution raifed againil: the nonconformifts by 
 Charles IL 
 
 The uncommon genius of their fon appeared 
 early. He began to learn Latin at four years 
 old ', and made a fwift progrefs in that and the 
 Greek language, under the care of Mr. Pin- 
 horn e, a clergyman of the eftabli(hed church, 
 snd mafter of the free fchool at Southampton, to 
 v/hom the gratitude of his fcholar afterward in- 
 
 fcribed 
 
 * The propriety of this prohibition is evidenced by a colleflion of \nz 
 ,V///rj puWlilhed in 1779, with other pofihumous works j which, in the 
 ^\,\x\]on of the Monthly Reviewers, *' ought rather to have been committed 
 to the flames than (ent to the prels." 
 
 Many of them related to a controverfy between him and Mr. Thomas 
 Bradbury, » dilfenting minifier in London. Bradbury was a man of 
 wit and fpiecn. In liis n^erry nioments he would laugh at fome of 
 Watts's hymns ; and in his fplenetic and zealous liours would abufe his 
 principles and call in queltion his orthodoxy. Watts acknowledged the 
 rpiightlinefs of his antagonilt, buf thought his wit vain and licentious^ 
 and called in quedion his veracitv. Jt was a mere perfonal quarrel ot no 
 confequence to the public, ' Mon. Rcview;, 1779. p. 43^» 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. ^ 
 
 fcribed a Latin ode. It was written at the age 
 of twenty, and is inferted among his Lyric Po- 
 ems. 
 
 He was foon taken notice of for the fpright- 
 linefs of his wit, as well as for his proficiency in 
 his ftudles, and a fubfcription was propofed for 
 his education at one of the univerfities. But his 
 inclination to take his lot with the diffenters 
 made him decline this offer ; and in the year 
 1690, at the age of fixteen, he was fent to Lon- 
 don for academical education, under the care of 
 the Rev. Thomas Rowe, to whom alfo, he has 
 infcribed an ode among his Lyric verfes. Som.e 
 Latin effays, fuppofed to have been written as ex- 
 ercifes at this academy, fliow a degree of know- 
 ledge both philofophical and theological, to 
 which very few perfons attain by a much longer 
 courfe of fludy. 
 
 He was, as he hints in his mifcellanles, a 
 maker of verfes from the age of fifteen to fifty, 
 and in his youth he gave attention to Latin po- 
 etry. His verfes to his brother in the glyconic 
 meafure, written at fcventeen, are remarkably 
 eafy and elegant. Some of his other odes are 
 deformed by the Pindaric folly then prevailing, 
 and are written with fuch negligence of all me- 
 trical rules as is without example among the an- 
 cients ; but his diction J though not always ex- 
 actly pure, has fach copioufnefs and fplendor as 
 fhows that he was not far from excellence. 
 
 His method of ftudy was fometimes to imprefs 
 
 the contents of books upon his memory by 
 
 abridging them ; at other times to write remarks 
 
 'in the m.argin and blank knaves 3 to Hats his ob-^ 
 
 A 4. iedions . 
 
8 Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 
 
 jedions to what he thought exceptionable ; to 
 illuftrate and confirm what appeared juft, and to 
 infert his opinion of the whole performance. 
 This method he has recommended to ftudents 
 in his book of the Improvement of the Mind. 
 
 Having an early impreffion of the truth and 
 importance of religion on his mind, he was 
 guarded againft the follies of youth ; his condudt 
 whilft at the academy, was not only fo inoffen- 
 five that his tutor declared he never once had oc- 
 cafion to reprove him ; but it was fo exemplary 
 as to be frequently propofed to the other ftudents 
 for their imitation. Among thefe were John 
 Hughes, the poet, Dr. Josiah Hort, after- 
 wards archbifliop of Tuam in Ireland, to whom 
 one of his Lyric pieces is infcribed, and Samuel 
 Say, a diffenting clergyman of Weftminfter, 
 vvhofe poems were publifhed by Duncombe. 
 
 In his nineteenthyear(i693) he joined in com- 
 munion with the church, of which his tutor was 
 the worthy paftor. The next year, having fin- 
 ifted his academical courfe, he returned to his 
 father's houfe at Southampton ; where he fpent 
 two years more in ftudy and devotion, preparato- 
 ry to his entering on the work of the gofpel min- 
 iftry, to v;hich he was determined to devote his 
 life ; and of the importance of which he had a 
 deep fenfe on his mind. His father treated him 
 xvith the greateft tendernefs, and had the plea- 
 fure of living to fee him eminent for literature, 
 and venerable for piety and ufefulnefs. 
 
 In 1696 he was invited by the learned and pi- 
 ous Sir John Hartopp to refide in his family 
 as a tutor to his fon. Here he continued four 
 
 ye^rs, 
 
MEMOIRS OF Dr. Watts. 9 
 
 years, and his behaviour was fo engaging as to 
 win the afFedions of the family, and lay a found- 
 ation for that intimate friendfhip which fabfifted 
 between him and his pupil to the day of his death. 
 To this gentleman he dedicated two of his Lyric 
 odes, in one of which he recommends early rtjingy 
 as a neceifary means of diligence and ufefulnefs.^ 
 
 Whilft he affiiled the fludies of his pupil he 
 did not neglcfl his own ; but befides thofe 
 branches of fcience in which he inftrudled him^, 
 he diligently fludied the fcriptures in the origin- 
 al languages, and the bed commentators ancient 
 and modern. 
 
 He began to preach on the day which com- 
 pleted the twenty-fourth year of his age (1698) 
 and in the fame year he was chofen affiftant to 
 Dr. Isaac Chauncy,'!' then paftor of the dif- 
 ienting church in Eerryflreet, London. His 
 public labors met with general acceptance ; but 
 v/ere foon after interrupted by a threatening ill- 
 nefs of five months continuance, which was 
 brought on him by his clofe application to fludy, 
 and his fervor in preaching. This however did 
 not difcourage him from returning to his work 
 as foon as his health was reftored. 
 
 In January 170 1, he received a Call from that 
 church to fucceed Dr, Chauncy in the paftoral 
 
 office, 
 
 • ** Live my dear Hartopp, live to day, 
 Nor let tlie I'un look down and i'iy 
 
 Inglorious here he lies 5 
 Shake off your eafe and {zin\ your n^me 
 To immortnlity and fHme 
 By e-Vrj hour that ilies." 
 
 •f Ke waft-fon of Charles Chaut^icy, Prelldent of Harvaid ColUge 
 in Nc^jv. England, where i)e received h.s eduraiion, an<i grandt'uher o liiC 
 
 jAtf Di, Qn^^L^•i CiiauncV; p^dtvr of tii? nrit dunch ii; Bolion. 
 
lo Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 office, of which he fignified his acceptance ori 
 the day that King William died. This cir- 
 cumflance is particularly noted by Dr. Jen- 
 nings as an ad of chriftian heroifm, becaufe of 
 the difcouraging profpedt which that event gave 
 to men of his profeffion, and the fears with 
 which it filled the hearts of proteftant diflenters 
 at that time, when toleration was fo infecurely 
 eftabliflied that the exiftence of it depended on 
 mere cafualty. But he had *^ fet his hand to the 
 plough^ and would not look back." Accord- 
 ingly he was ordained on the i8th of Marchj 
 1702. 
 
 The joy of his church in their happy fettle- 
 ment was foon clouded by a fecond fevere illnefs 
 which liiid him by for fometime, and from which 
 he recovered by flow degrees. This made it ne- 
 cefTary for his church to provide an alTiftant, and 
 Mr Samuel Price ^" was chofen to that fervice 
 in July 1703.^ 
 
 Though relieved in part of his public labours^, 
 his health remained very fluduating and uncer- 
 tain for fevcral years ; but as it returned he re- 
 newed his diligence in fulfilling his miniftry. 
 His congregation was edified by his public dif- 
 courfcs, and by his entertaining and profitable 
 converfation in his private vifits. This was a 
 feafon of the befl health which he ever enjoyed j, 
 and during this time he formed a private foicety 
 of the younger perfons in his congregation, to 
 which he delivered the fubftance of that exccller^t 
 book which he afterward publiflied under th^ 
 title of ** A Guide to Prayer." 
 
 That 
 
 ♦ Uncle to ilic late Dr. Richard Pr.iCE, cf J|ackr.cr. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. h 
 
 That the utmoft harmony and affedion fub-^ 
 iifted between him and his congregation appears 
 from his own words in the dedication of the firft 
 volume of his fermons to them. *' I can pro- 
 nounce it, with the greatelT: fincerity, that there 
 is no place, nor company, nor employment, on 
 this fide heaven, which can give me fuch a re- 
 liih of delight, as when I ftand miniftring holy 
 things in the midft of you." *^ Your forward 
 kindnefs hath always forbidden my requefts, nor 
 do I remember that you ever gave me leave to 
 aflc any think for myfelf at your hands, by your 
 conftant anticipation of all that I could reafcna- 
 biy defire." 
 
 In the pulpit, though his low ftature, which 
 very little exceeded five feet, gave him no advan- 
 tage of appearance, yet the gravity and propriety 
 of his utterance rendered his difcourfes folemn 
 and afi^eccing. Dr. Johnson has faid that he 
 once mentioned the reputation which *' modeft 
 Foster'' had gained by his proper delivery, to 
 his friend Hawkes worth, who told him that 
 in the art of pronunciation he was far inferior to 
 Dr. Watts, Mr. Palmer, in his notes on 
 Johnfon, queftions the juPcice of this afl^ertion. 
 
 Such was his fiow of thought, and fuch the 
 promptitude of his language, that in his advan- 
 ced flage of life, he did not pre-compofe Iiis 
 common fermons ; but having adjufled the 
 heads, and iketched out fome particulars, he 
 trufled fcr the rcfi to his extemporaneous pow- 
 ers. 
 
 He did not endeavour to ailifl: his eloquence 
 by any eefticulations ; fora^^ no corporeal adlions 
 
 have 
 
12 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 have any correfpondence with theological truth, 
 he did not fee how it could be enforced by them. 
 
 At the conclufion of weighty fentences, both 
 in preaching and prayer, he gave time, by a fhort 
 paufe, for the proper impreffion. His prayers 
 were direft addrefles to the Deity, not in florid 
 expreflions or in long and involved fentences, 
 but in eafy language and fhort periods. They 
 comprehended every proper fabjedl, yet with 
 fuch brevity and pertinency of expreflion, that, 
 at the conclufion, it was difficult to conceive 
 what more or lefs could have been faid on each 
 fubjed. 
 
 He often prefled on his hearers the duties of 
 fobriety, juftice, and charity ; but the invv^ard 
 and fpiritual parts of religion, and the fecret com- 
 munion between God and the foul, took up a 
 much larger fhare of his difcourfes. He aimed 
 to refcue thefe exercifes from the charge of en- 
 thufiafm, and to place them in fuch a light as 
 might fhow their pcrfedt confiflency with reafoa 
 and common fenfe. 
 
 Though exempt in almoft every fenfe of the 
 term from mental infirmity, he v/as the contin- 
 ual vi(ftim of bodily weaknefs ; his beft fchemes 
 and moll favourite exercifes being perpetually in- 
 terrupted by it. In the m.onth of September-, 
 1712, he v/as feized with a violent fever which 
 ihook his conftitution exceedingly, and termina- 
 ted in fuch a v/eaknefs of the nerves as mads him 
 iuhjex^t to the hypochondria during the remainder 
 
 of h 
 
 is 
 
 life. 
 
 The 
 
 agit< 
 
 ation 
 
 of his 
 
 fpirits 
 
 during 
 
 this 
 
 
 cknef: 
 
 S the 
 
 ftate 
 
 of hi 
 
 s mind, 
 
 , and t 
 
 !ie cir~ 
 
 t uii: 
 
 il: 
 
 .inces 
 
 of his 
 
 rccc 
 
 very, 
 
 are adn 
 
 :iirabiy 
 
 deline- 
 ated 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 13 
 
 ated in a poetical effay which is fubjoined to 
 thefe memoirs. 
 
 One confequence of this ficknefs v/as, in the 
 opinion of Dr. Watts, a fufficient compenfation 
 for all the miferies which he endured. It was 
 the means of introducing him to the family of 
 an excellent perfon. Sir Thomas Abney, alder- 
 man of London, who, on a moft generous prin- 
 ciole, invited him to his houfe whilft in a low 
 and languifhing flate ; where, for thirty-fix years, 
 he was treated with all the tendernefs of friend- 
 fhip, and all the attention and refpedl which po- 
 litenefs, aided by an ample fortune, could didlate. 
 Sir Thomas died in about eight years after the 
 Dodlor's coming to refide in his family ; but he 
 continued with his lady and her daughters to 
 the end of his life, and the lady died in a year 
 after him. ^ An elegiac ode on the death of Sir 
 Thomas is in the appendix. 
 
 In that delightful retirement, without any care 
 of his own, he had every thing which could con- 
 tribute to the enjoyment of life, and favour the 
 purfuit of his ftudies. He had the privilege of 
 the country air and elegant gardens at Theobalds 
 in Hertfordfhire, twelve miles from London ^ 
 he faw company, or lived reclufe, as beft fuited 
 his inclination, and the delicacy of his nervous 
 fyftem. It was not till 06lober 1716 that he 
 was able, in any degree, to refume his public 
 miniftry ^ and in the mean time, his affiftant, 
 
 Mr. 
 
 * The laft branch of this amiable family, Elizabeth Abney, died 
 at Stoke Newington in 1782. Her cbarafler for piety, prudence and benev, 
 olence, was worthy of one who had enjoyed the inUiuftlons and cxampi* 
 of Dr. Watts, Falmf.r, 
 
14 Memoirs of Dk. Watts. 
 
 Mr. Price, was, at his defireand upon his re- 
 commendation, chofen by the church to be his 
 colleague, and was ordained on the 3d of March, 
 I J 12' '^^^ inviolable friendfliip which fubfifted 
 between them is evidenced by a claufe in the 
 Dodor's will, in which he ftyles him *' his faith- 
 ful friend and companion in the labours of the 
 miniflry," and leaves him a legacy ** as only a 
 fmall teftimony of his great afFedtion for him, 
 Qn account of his fervices of love during the ma- 
 ny harmonious years of their fellowship in the 
 work of the gofpel/' 
 
 From the time of his reception into the kind 
 and hofpitable family of Abney, his life was no 
 otherwife diverfified than by a fucceffion of valu- 
 able publications, and his attention to his mini- 
 fterial fundions when his health permitted.* 
 He conftantly devoted ontjifth -f* part of his in- 
 come to charitable purpofes -, and when by the 
 infirmities of his advanced age, he was no long- 
 er capable of public duty, he generoufly offered 
 to remit his falary, but his congregation, with 
 equal generofity, refufed to accept the offer. 
 
 In 1728, the univerfities of Edinburgh and 
 Aberdeen, in a moft refpedful manner, and with- 
 out his knowledge, conferred on him the degree 
 of Dodtor in Divinity. In 
 
 * ''As faft as my health Incrcafej, you may afTure yourfelves it is de» 
 voted to your edification. It otten grieves me to think how poor, feeble 
 and fliort, are my prefent labours among you j and yet what days of 
 faintnefs I generally feel after fuch an attempt. So that I am continu- 
 ally prevented in my defign of fucceflive vifits io you, by the want of 
 a6live fpirits, whilft I tarry in the city. And if I attempt to ftay but 
 a week or ten days there, I find a fenfible return of wcakncfs. So that 
 ^ I am conftrained to retire to the country air, in ordsr to recruit and 
 maintain this little capacity of fervice." 
 
 Pedicatlon to his ift. vol. of fcrmons. 
 
 t So faith Pn Jennings, but Da. Johnfon faith one third. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. V/atts. 15 
 
 In the fpring of 1739, he had a paralytic 
 fhock which feized one fide, and from which he 
 flowly recovered. For fome time before, and 
 always after this, his letters were dictated by 
 himfelf, but written by an amanuenfis. 
 
 His laft ficknefs w^as rather a decay of nature, 
 worn out with infirmity and labour, than any 
 particular diftemper. His weaknefs increafed 
 by degrees, and at length confined him to his 
 chamber and his bed, where gradually finking, 
 he at laft died without pain, on the 25th of No- 
 vember, 1748, in the 75th year of his age. 
 
 Toward the clofe of life the adlive and fpright- 
 ly powers of his mind failed ; yet his confidence 
 in God, through the mediation of Jefus Chrift, 
 remained unfhaken. He was heard to fay, ** I 
 blefs God, I can lie down with comfort at night, 
 not being folicitous whether I awake in this 
 world or another.'' — *' I fhould be glad to read 
 more, not to be more confirmed in the truth 
 of the Chriftian Religion or of its promifes ; for 
 I believe them enough to venture an eternity 
 upon them." When he was almoft broken 
 down by his infirmities, he obferved in conver- 
 fation with a friend, that " he remembered an 
 aged minifter who ufed to fay that the moft learn- 
 ed and eminent chriftians, when they come to 
 die, have only the fame plain promifes of the 
 gofpel for their fupport as the comm.on and un-. 
 learned. So, faid he, I find it. The plain 
 promifes of the gofpel are my fupport, and I 
 blefs God that they are plain promifes, that do 
 not require much labor and pains to underftand 
 them 3 for I can do nothing now but look into 
 
 mv 
 
t6 Memoirs of Dr. Watts* 
 
 my bible for fome promife to fupport me, and 
 live upon that/' 
 
 When he found his temper tending to impa- 
 tience and ready to complain, that he could lead 
 only a mere animal life, he would check him-^ 
 felf thus. — ** The bufinefs of a chriflian is to bear 
 the will of God as well as to do it. If I were 
 in health I could only be doing it ; and I 
 may bear it now. The beft thing in obedience is 
 a regard to the will of God ; and the way to that 
 is to get our inclinations and averfions as much 
 as poffible mortified." With fuch a calm and 
 peaceful mind, and with fuch a lively hope did 
 this faithful fervant wifli for the fummons, and 
 enter into the joy of his Lord. 
 
 As a man. Dr. Watts was certainly a nioft 
 amiable and excellent charadler. Could ap- 
 plaufe chcrifh the laurels which candor and piety 
 have placed on his brow, they would flourifli 
 with immortal verdure. Pure and undifl'embled 
 fiety was the fettled habit of his mind. Though 
 he loved and enjoyed much retirement, yet he 
 did not contradl any thing of an affedled flifFnefs 
 or monkiih aufterity ; but on the contrary, the 
 pleafure and fatisfad:ion which he found in com- 
 munion with God in folitude, made him the 
 more eafy and cheerful in his converfe with 
 men. 
 
 His hiimiUty was like a deep fliade to {tt oiF 
 his other virtues, and made them fhine with a 
 brighter luftre. Though by his natural temper 
 he was quick in refentment, yet by his fixed 
 habit he was gentle and inoffenfive. This ac- 
 quired habit had no fmall efFeft in forming his 
 
 fentimentSc 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watt§. 17 
 
 fentlments. For he thought he could not be 
 laid too low, as a creature or a fmner, that he 
 might do honor to the pei-fedions and grace of 
 God. From this principle, in a great meaiure, 
 rofc that high efteem which he had for the 
 chriftian difpenlatiort, fo apparently calculated 
 to exalt God and to humble man. Nor was 
 his humility lefs confpicuous in his outward be- 
 ha* ior towards others. Hence flowed that con- 
 deibciition, humanity and kindnefs, which could 
 not but endear him to all w^ho had the pleafure 
 oi converfing v/ith him, and which rendered him 
 truly venerable in a much higher degree, than all 
 the honors and applaufes which he received from 
 the world. 
 
 In clofe connexion with the grace of humili- 
 ty were to be ktn. his ca?idor and charity , for 
 which he was remarkably eminent. The love 
 which he bore to his Saviour induced him cor- 
 dially to embrace all whom he eftcemed his gen- 
 uine difciples. No party names, no variety of 
 fentiments in matters of doubtful difputation, nor 
 of praftice in mode of wordiip, could divide him 
 in aftedion from fuch as he had reafon to hope 
 loved Chrift in fincerity. He therefore main- 
 tained a free and friendly correfpondence with 
 chriftians of various parties and denominations.^ 
 
 B Though 
 
 * In one of his letters to Dr, Colman, after thanking him forhls pi^ure, 
 he fays, *' i have put it in a frame that it may hang in the fame rank 
 wi;h Dr. Increase and Dr. Cotton Mather, in the front of my (lud). 
 I have there ne^r eighty phiiofophers and divines furrounding me j their 
 fpirits are copied in their boolcs, and their faces adorn my beloved 
 place of retirement. There Heathens and Chriftians, Papift* and Profef- 
 ants, Calvinifts and Arniiniansj Prefbyterians and Epifcspalians, sli 
 meet in filence and peace. Were you to fee my cohabitants, you tvculi 
 fay I was a man of cathoJicifm. Moft of them I hope to meet in the 
 .'f;::on? of peace and love," Sept, i^? 1736, 
 
tZ MENfoiRs OF Dr. Watts. 
 
 Though he judged the principles of the mode-' 
 r^tc nonconformifts moft favorable to chriflian 
 liberty, and the rights of confcience, and their 
 forms of worfhip moft agreeable to the fimphcity 
 of the gofpel, yet he had a high veneration for 
 the perfons and writings of many miniilers and 
 chriftians of the eftablifhed church, as many of 
 them had for him and his works. 
 
 In the delineation of his character Dr. John- 
 fon has juftly obferved, *f ** fuch was he as eve- 
 ry chriftian church would rejoice to have adopt- 
 ed." To which he afterward fubjoins. ** Hap- 
 py will be that reader whofe mind is difpofed by 
 his verfes or his profe to imitate him in all but 
 his non-cojiformityy to copy his benevolence to 
 man and his reverence to God." 
 
 This is doubtlefs the higheft praife which it 
 was in the power of fuch a man as Dr. John- 
 fon to beflow ; being hirnfelf a pious and zealous 
 member of the epifcopal communion eftablifhed 
 by law in South Britain, he thought a conformity 
 to that church effential to chriftian perfedtion. 
 But to other good men v/ho do not fee perfec- 
 tion thro* that medium, the non -conformity of 
 Dr. Watts is fo far from being a blemi(h in his 
 charader, that it is really an evidence of his hero- 
 ic virtue. Born and educated among the diffent- 
 ers in a time which tried men's fouls, he had 
 early been taught to fuffer in the caufe of truth ; 
 and he could not think lefs favorably of the piety 
 and finccrity of his brethren for the hum.iliating 
 lelTons which they had learned in the fchool of 
 perfecution. Had he gone over to the cftablifli^ 
 
 mcnt 
 
 f Lives of tb€ Poefs. vol. m. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts; i^ 
 
 mcnt (efpecially about the time of his ordination), 
 he would have incurred the odium, not only of 
 feeking his perfonal fafety and worldly emolument 
 by deferting his brethren in a time of danger, 
 but of joining the party who had in their hands the 
 power of oppreffing them. Such views as thefe 
 his generous foul abhorred ; and therefore cir- 
 cumftanced as he was, a conformity to the eftab- 
 lifhment, inftead of adding lufire to his character 
 would have greatly detracted from it. Firm to 
 his principles, attached to his brethren, and fear- 
 lefs of perfonal danger ; he chofe rather to fuffer 
 afflidion with the people of God, than to bafk.- 
 in the funftiine of courtly favor and uand candi- 
 date for ecclefiaftical dignities. 
 
 But his choice was not merely the refult ol 
 prejudice or attachment. He had candidly and 
 thoroughly examined the controverfy, and was 
 perfuadedin his own mind, that a diffent from th(2 
 cllablifhed church w^as v/arrantable and fafe. His 
 ideas of religious liberty wxre generous, and his 
 candor toward other men extenfive ; but, for 
 himfelf, he preferred the original fimplicity of 
 gofpel inftitutions to tlie ornaments and inven- 
 tions of later ages. His ideas on this head can- 
 not be better explained than in a (I'lovt and elegant 
 effaypublifhed among his poflhumous works, in- 
 titled, ** The Diamond Painted/' which may be 
 ften in the appendix. 
 
 Though Dr. Watts pafTed his whole life in a 
 ftate of celibacy, yet it is evident, from feveral of 
 his poems, particularly thofeon Queen Mary and 
 Lady Sunderland, that he was far from being in- 
 leafibie to female charms ; and from his '[ In- 
 B 2 dun 
 
20 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 dfan Philofopher," that he had no averfibn to an 
 Union with the fex. His almolt continual ill 
 heahh may jiiftly be affigned as the principal caufe 
 of his not entering into the married flate. He 
 had a particular friendfhip for Mifs Singer, the 
 celebrated Philomela, whofe age was the fame 
 with his own. This connedtion is placed in a 
 ridiculous light by Dr. Young, in one of his 
 fatires, '^' which is the more ungenerous as Watts 
 has, in feveral parts of his writings, mentioned 
 Young and his compofitions w^ith refped:and ad- 
 miration. The late Dr. Colman of Bofton, 
 who was intimately acquainted both with Dr. 
 Watts and Mifs Singer, ufed to tell this ilory ; 
 that after long hefitation and delay, Dr. Watts 
 ventured to declare to Mifs Singer bis affeSion 
 for her and to aflc her hand ; to which he re- 
 ceived an anfwer which muft have mortified him 
 extremely ; that Ihe had long expefted his ad- 
 dreffes, but had on the preceding day given her 
 confent to the felicitation of Mr. Rowe. The 
 date of her marriage with this gentleman (1710) 
 currefponds with the time in which Dr. Watts 
 enjoyed his beit health. 
 
 Few men have left behind them fuch purity of 
 charadlcr, or fuch monuments of laborious piety. 
 He has provided inftrudlion for all ages ; from 
 
 thofc 
 
 • " Isaac, n broiher of the canting fliain. 
 
 When h.e has knoclcM ai bis own Iknll In vain, 
 To beauteous MaRCIA often will rrpair 
 With a ilnik. text, to Ij^Ju it at I'le (air. 
 O how !i)s piovis foul txults to fintl 
 Such Ifive for holy men in woman kind ! 
 ChannM with lier learning, with what rapture he 
 Han^.s on her 'oloom, like an imluflrious bee ; 
 Hums ro'ind about her, and with .ill his power 
 -£xtrads Ivvc^jt wildom from fo fair a flower." 
 
 Uuivcrfiil PaflloJ^ Sat. T. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 21 
 
 thofe who are lifplng their firft leffons to the 
 profound inquirers into moral philofophy. He 
 has left neither corporeal nor fpiritual nature un- 
 examined ; he has taught theartof reafoning and 
 the fcience of the ftars. For the benefit of chil- 
 dren he condefcended to lay afide the fcholar, the 
 philofopher and the wit, to write little poems of 
 devotion and fyftems* of inftrudion adapted to 
 their wants and capacities, from the dawn of 
 reafon through its gradations of advance in the 
 morning of life. Every man acquainted with 
 the common principles of human adlion, will 
 look with veneration on the writer who is at 
 one time combating Locke, and at another maic- 
 ing a catechifm for children in their fourth year, 
 A voluntary defcent from the dignity of fciencq 
 is perhaps the hardeft lefibn which humility caa 
 teach. 
 
 A^ bis mind was capacious, his curlofity ex- 
 curfivc', and his induftry continual, his writings 
 are very numerous, and his fubjeils various. His 
 charadter, as an author^ mufl therefore be form- 
 ed from, the multiplicity and diverfity of his at- 
 tainments, rather than from any fingle perform- 
 ance. It would not be Mc to claim for him the 
 higheft rank in any fingle denomination of lite- 
 rary dignity 3 yet perhaps there wa? nothing in 
 which he would not have excelled if he had not 
 divided his powers to different purfuits. 
 
 As a poef, had he been only a poet, he would 
 have flood high among authors of that clafs. 
 His judgment was exadl, and he noted beauties 
 and faults with very jiice difcernm.ent. His im- 
 agination was vigorous and adlive^ and the ftores 
 B -: ox 
 
22 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 of knowledge were large by which his imagina- 
 tion wTre fupplied. His ear was wxll tuned, and 
 his diction v/as elegant and copious. But his 
 devotional poetry is (in the opinion of Dr. John- 
 fon) unfatisfadtory. The paucity of its topics en- 
 forces perpetual repetition, and the fandlity of its 
 matter rejects the ornaments of figurative di6lion, 
 **It is fufRcient/' fays this critic, 'Hhat Watts 
 hath done better than others, what no man has 
 done well." 
 
 The propriety of thefe remarks has been con- 
 troverted. ''There is no fubjed,'* fays Mr. 
 Palmer, *' whofc topics are fo various as thofe 
 which religion fupplies, or which are better 
 adapted to admit of poetical images. Religion 
 comprehends all the perfedtions and w^orks of the 
 Deity, the wonders of nature and Providence^ 
 and the greater wonders of grace and redemption ; 
 the incarnation, life, miracles, fufFerings, death 
 and refurredion of the Son of God ; the^awful 
 icenes of mortality, the refurredion of the dead, 
 the folemnity of the future judgment and of eter- 
 nity, as well as the fublime virtues of piety and 
 benevolence. Thefe general fubjeds, with all 
 their fubordinates, fupply an infinite variety of 
 topics, and adm.it a figurative didion. Witnefs 
 the fublime compofures of the facred prophets, 
 in which the loftieft images and boldeft figures 
 are introduced in almoft every line." 
 
 His poems on other fubjedts feldom rife high- 
 er than might have been expeded from the amufe- 
 ments of a man of letters, and have different de- 
 grees of value as they are more or lefs labored, or 
 as the occafion was more or left favorable to in^ 
 vention. As 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 23 
 
 Ashe writes often without regular meafures, 
 and too often in blank verfe, the rhymes are not 
 always fufficiently corrcfpondent. His lines are 
 commonly fmooth and eafy, and his thoughts re- 
 ligioully pure. He is at leaft one of thofe few 
 poets v/ith whom the young and unlearned may 
 be fafely pleafed. 
 
 Of his pMofop/jIcal works, his logic as well as 
 his geography and aftronomy, have been received 
 into the univerfities both of Britain and America, 
 ?inQ therefore need no further recommendation. 
 If he owes any thing to Le Clerc, it m.ull be 
 confidered that no m.an who undertakes merely 
 to mcthodife or illuflratea fyflem, pretends to be 
 its author. 
 
 In his metaphyfical difquifitions, it was cbferv- 
 ed by the late learned Mr. Dyer, that he con- 
 founded the idea of^/^ff with \k\zt of empty fpace % 
 and did not confider that though fpace might be 
 without matter^, yet matter could not be without 
 fpace. 
 
 Few books have been perufed by the judicious 
 with greater pleafare or are more ufeful than his 
 *' Improvement of the Mind ;" of which the 
 radical principles m.ay indeed be found in Locke's 
 '' Ccndudt of the Underftanding ;" but they are 
 io expanded and ramified by V/atts as to confer 
 upon him the merit of a work in the higheft de- 
 gree uleful and pleafing. V/hoever has the care 
 of inftructing others, may be charged with de- 
 ficience in his duty if this book be not recom- 
 mended. 
 
 In his contro'^jerfial works, we cannot but ad-. 
 niire the mecknefs of his oppolition and the mild„ 
 B 4 neft 
 
24 Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 
 
 nefs of his eenfures. It was not only in his book, 
 but in his mind, that orthodoxy was united with 
 chofity. When he engaged in controverfy, 
 it was evidently with a view to heal and recon- 
 cile dilputes among chriftians, rather than to 
 make profelytes to any party : however any may 
 differ from him in judgment, all mufl allow, 
 that he wrote on fuch occalions with a fpirit of 
 moderation, meeknefs and love, which was truly 
 exemplary. This moderation hov/ever expofed 
 him to the feverity of the bigots of oppofitc par- 
 ties, who are generally difpofed to give no quar- 
 ter to the man who is of no party. Of this Dr. 
 V/atts was fufliciently fenfible, and it was fre- 
 quently remarked by him, that '* a moderate man 
 niuft expect a box on both ears." 
 
 Whatever fubjeft he took in hand was, by his 
 inceflant folicitude for fouls, converted to theolo- 
 gy. As piety predominated in his mind, it is 
 difFufed overall his writings; and it is impoiTiblc 
 to read a page in his works without learning, or 
 at leaft wiQiing to be better. 
 
 His own account of his fermons is this,^ "I 
 have not entertained you with ledfcures of philof- 
 ophy inftead of the gofpel of Chrift ; nor have I 
 affedled that eafy indolence of ftyle, which is the 
 cold and iniipid pleafure of men who pretend to 
 politenefs. You know it has always been the 
 bufinefs ©f my miniflry to convince and per- 
 fuade your fouls into pradical godlinefs, by the 
 cleareft and ftrongeft reafons derived from the 
 gofpel, and by all the mofl moving methods of 
 fpeech of which I was capable ; but ftill in a 
 
 humble 
 
 * Dedication of his ift vol. of fermoni to hi'j church. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 2^ 
 
 feiimble fubfervicncy to the promlfed infiaences 
 of the holy fpirit. I ever thought it my duty 
 to prefs the convidion with force on the con- 
 fci^nce, when light was firft let into the mind. 
 A ftatue hung round v/ith moral fentences, or a 
 marble pillar infcribed with divine truth, may 
 coldly preach to the underftanding, whilft devo- 
 tion freezes at the heart j but the prophets and 
 apoftles were burning and finning lights. They 
 v/ere taught by infpiration to make the words of 
 truth glitter like fun-beams, and to operate like 
 a two-edged fword. The movements of facred 
 pafiion may be the ridicule of an age which pre- 
 tends to nothing but calm reafoning. Life and 
 zeal in the miniftry of the word may be defpifed 
 by men of lukewarm and dying religion. Fer- 
 vency of fpirit in the fervice of the Lord, may 
 become the fcofr and jeft of the critic and the 
 profane ; but this very life and zeal, this facred 
 fervency will remain a bright character of achrif- 
 tian preacher, till the names of Paul and Apol- 
 Los perifh from the church, till the bible and 
 the heavens be no m.ore." 
 
 The fubftance of Dr. Watts*s character, as 
 drawn by Dr. Gibbons, is this : ** His truth and 
 fincerity were very confpicuous. There was no- 
 thing in him which could be ftyied art and de- 
 fign. He never difcovered in his behaviour or 
 converfation any thing like a high opinion of 
 himfelf, nor did he fnew a difpofition to traduce 
 or depreciate the charaders and abilities of otliers. 
 In meats and drinks he was very moderate. There 
 %vas nothing in him v\^hich betrayed a penurious 
 temper. He was very rich, but it was in good 
 
 works. 
 
26 Memoirs of Dr. V/atts. 
 
 works, for he defired not to lay up his treafure 
 on earth, but in heaven. 
 
 '' He never difcovered any thing like a furious 
 zeal or a narrow decifive fpirit ; but cordially em- 
 braced all whom he efteemed the genuine dilci- . 
 pies of his Lord. 
 
 ** His foul, which glowed with gratitude for 
 the favors he received, was alfo eminent for its 
 friendfhip. He was nobly avaricious of time, 
 end ever watchful to improve it." 
 
 But there was one diftinguiihing feature In his 
 charad:er which both Gibbons and Johnfpn have 
 entirely paffed over, and that was his love of truth, 
 and his freedom, impartiaUty, diligence and hu- 
 mility in his inquiries after it. It is indeed a 
 charadter feldom to be met with, though of . pe- 
 culiar importance in a chriflian minifter, and 
 therefore ought to be noticed with particular ap- 
 probation. In Dr. Watts it was confpicuous in 
 a very eminent degree. 
 
 '' In matters of the chriflian faith," faith he,^* 
 *' I would make the fcripture my guide and en- 
 ter into a calm conference with myfelf in a fur- 
 vey of the oracles of God, in order to a decifion 
 of the fenfe and meaning of them, not neglediing 
 the afiiftance of pious and learned authors, but 
 converfing very little with the angry and fuper- 
 cilious. I would with daily importunity addrefs 
 the Father of Lights to fhine upon his own v/ord, 
 and to difcover his own meaning. I would hum- 
 bly implore the fpirit of wifdom and revelation 
 to take the things of Chrifl, and ihew them to 
 my underftanding in a mod convincing light. 
 
 My 
 
 * Mifcellancous Thoi^ghti, No. xlix. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 27 
 
 My rcafon fhould be ufed as a neceflary inftru- 
 ment to compare the leveral parts of revelatioa 
 together, to difcover their mutual explication, as 
 well as to judge whether they run counter to any 
 dictates of natural light. But if an inquifitive 
 mind overleap the bounds of faith, and give the 
 reins to all our reafonings on divine themes, in fo 
 wide and open a field as that of poiTibles and pro- 
 bables, it is no eafy matter to guefs where they 
 will flop. I have made the experim.ent of this in 
 my own meditations, v/hen I have given my 
 thoughts a loofe and let them rove without con- 
 finement. Sometimes I feem to have carried rea- 
 fon with mc even to the camp of Socinus ; but 
 then St. John gives m^y foul a twitch, and St. 
 Paul bears m,e back again (if I miftai^e not his 
 meaning) almoft to the tents of john Calvin, 
 Nor even then do I leave my reafon behind me. 
 So difHcult a thing is it to determine by mere 
 reafoning, thofe points which can be learned by 
 icripture only." 
 
 In his advice to young ftudents he cautions 
 them '^ agalnft *' interefling their warm and re- 
 ligious zeal, in thofe matters which are not fuf- 
 ficiently evident in themfelves, or which are not 
 fully examined and proved. For this zeal, whe- 
 ther right or wrong, when it is once engaged, 
 will have a pov/erful influence to eftablifh the 
 mind in thofe doftrines which are really doubt- 
 ful, and to ftop up all the avenues of farther 
 light. This will bring upon the foul a fort of 
 facred av/e and dread of herefy, with a concern to 
 maintain v/hatever opinion we have efpoufed as 
 
 divine, 
 
 ♦ IniprQVfcJxient cf the MinJ, prj^e aS;.-3cl edit. 
 
iS Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 divine, though perhaps it hath been efpoufed 
 without any jufl evidence, and ought to be re- 
 nounced as falfe and pernicious. We ought to 
 be zealous for the moil important points of our 
 reHgion, and to contend earneftly for the faith 
 once delivered to the faints ; but we ought not 
 to employ this facred fervour of fpirit in the fer- 
 vice of any article, till we have feen it made out 
 with plain and ftrong convidlion to.be a necefla^ 
 ryand important point of faith or practice. Zeal 
 muft not reign over the powersof our underiliand- 
 iiig, but obey them. Even the moft fublime and 
 myfterious dodrines of revelation are not to be 
 believed without a reafon for it ; nor fliould our 
 pious afFedtions be engaged in defence of them, 
 till we have convincing proof that they are cer-^ 
 tainly revealed." 
 
 The man who w^as capable of giving fuch ad- 
 vice as this, for the inveiligatipn of truth, muft 
 himfelf be fuppofed to be a fmcere lover of truth, 
 and a diligent, humble, impartial inquirer after 
 it. It is well known that his condud: agreed 
 v/ith the advice which he gave. Few men have 
 more entirely divefted themfelves of the prejudi- 
 ces of education, or have difcovered greater im-» 
 partiality of inquiring and opennefs to convidion, 
 than Dr. Watts. Though not hafty in giving 
 up his early opinions, and very far from afFedling 
 a love of novelty in his religious fentiments, it 
 may truly be faid of him, tliat he fought for truth 
 as for hidden treafures. Pie was willing to re^ 
 ceive light from every quarter, and ready to em^ 
 brace whatever, upon free inquiry, appeared to be 
 the truth, hov/ever contrary to his former fenti- 
 ments, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 29 
 
 rtients, or to the prevailing opinion of thofc in the 
 higheft reputation for the foundnefs of their faith, 
 though expofed to cenfure from bigots of all par- 
 ties, or from thofc perfons whom he moft efteem^- 
 ed, and whofe good opinion he was moft folici- 
 tous to p refer ve. 
 
 Accordingly it is well known that he did, ia 
 various particulars, differ in judgment from thof^ 
 who have complimented themfelves with the ti- 
 tle of rationaL He thought for himfelf, and 
 called no man mailer upon earth : And he fhared 
 the common fate of thofe who do fo, by incuf^ 
 ring the cenfure of fome of the different parties 
 who would have gloried to have had him of their 
 own.* 
 
 In his laft letter to Dr. Colman, dated Februa- 
 ry 1 1, 1747, he fays, '^ I am glad my book of 
 Ufeful Queflions cam.e fafe to your hand. I think 
 I have faid every thing concerning the Son of 
 God, w^hich fcripture fays ; but I could not go 
 fo far as to fay with fome of our orthodox di- 
 vines, that the Son is equal with the Father ; 
 becaufe our Lord himfelf exprefsly fays, ** My 
 Father is greater than I." I hope there is no- 
 thing contained in my book of *• The Glory of 
 Chrift," which I nov/ fend you with a volume 
 of *' Evangelical Difcourfes," but what fcripture 
 is exprefs in determining, that Jefus Chrift, at 
 leaft his human foul, is the firft of the creation 
 of God. -f- 
 
 On receiving this letter Dr. Colman obferved 
 to a friend — ** My dear Watts has looked lb long 
 at the fan as to weaken his fight/' In 
 
 * Palmer, p. 40. 
 
 t Files of Kilton«l Society, 
 
30 Memoirs of Dr. Watt^. 
 
 In the abovementloned book of " Ufeful 
 Queflions/' he fums up the controverfy refpeft-. 
 ing the perfon of Chrift, in thefe words, which 
 ought to be confidered as expreffing his moft 
 mature judgment on the fubjedt. 
 
 " It is evident to me, that the holy fcrlpture 
 itfelf lays the ftrefs of our lalvation on a belief 
 that Chrift is the MelTiah, the appointed all- 
 fufEcient Saviour j a truft in the proper atone- 
 ment and facrifice of Chrift for the forgivenefs of 
 fins ; a dependence on his grace and fpirit for 
 light and holinefs, and a fubrniffion to his gov- 
 ernment, ?nuc.b more than it does on any precife 
 and exadt notion or hypothecs concerning his 
 divine and human nature, even though the union 
 of the divine and human nature in him is, in my 
 judgment, necellary to render his falvation com- 
 plete."* 
 
 Dr. ¥/atts was a firm and zealous friend to 
 New England, and kept up a ccrrefpondence 
 with fome of our principal characters, both ia 
 the civil and clerical lines. Among thefe were 
 Governors Shute and Belcher, Drs. Ma- 
 ther and CoLMAN, MelT. Prince and Fox- 
 croft, Prefidents WilliaiMs, Clap, and 
 Edwards. Almoft every gentleman who went 
 from this country to England was fond of being 
 recommended and introduced to him, and they 
 always met with a welcome and cordial recep- 
 tion. He frequently folicited benefactions, and 
 made donations, particularly of books, to the 
 colleges at Cambridge and New-Haven, and to 
 the Indian miffions on our eaftern and weftern 
 
 borders e 
 
 • 4-10 edit, ofhisworks; vcl, vi, p. 718, 
 
Memoirs or Dr. Watts. 31 
 
 borders. His memory has always been deferv- 
 edly famous and refpedted here. His pialms and 
 hymns, his divine fongs and catcchifms are high- 
 ly in vogue, and have perhaps been more condu- 
 cive to aflift the devotion of chriftians, and the 
 inftrudion of children, than any other writings,- 
 except the fcriptures. 
 
 His imitation of the pfahns of David in the 
 language of the New Teflament, is generally al- 
 lov/ed to be his capital produdion in poetry, 
 though it is not particularly noticed by Johnfon, 
 who has criticifed his poems in general. Thofe 
 congregations who ufe it, have advantages for 
 evangelical devotion iliperior to thofe who adhere 
 to the other verfions. Its local imperfedlions 
 have been remedied, and its deficiences fuppiied, 
 in an American edition publifhed by Mr. Bar- 
 low, which is now coming into general ufe. 
 
 Betides the pfalms. Dr. Watts compofed three 
 books of hymns and fpiritnal fongs, which con- 
 tain many fpecimens of fublime and devotional 
 poetry, calculated for the edification of chriftian 
 focieties, and recommended by the plainnefs of 
 the compofition and the fmoothnefs of the verfe. 
 If in fome infcances they may be thought lefs 
 judicious than the plalm.s, it ought to be conli* 
 dcred that moll: of them were written when the 
 author was very young, and feme when he was 
 but a fchool boy. It is much to be wifhed that 
 in his mature age he had corrected what was ju- 
 venile, and what he freely acknowledged to be 
 faulty in fome of thefe early compofures. The 
 late Mr. Henry Grove remarked to the Doc- 
 tor, that feveral of his hymns laid the ftrefs of 
 
 our 
 
32 Memoirs OF Dr. Watts. 
 
 our redemption on the compaffion of Chrift, ra- 
 ther than on the love of God,* and exprcffed 
 his wifli that he would alter them. The Dodtor 
 anfwered that he fliould be glad to do it, but it 
 was out of his power, for he had parted with the 
 copy, and the bookfeller would not fuffer any 
 fuch alteration. 
 
 It is remarkable that fo low was the author's 
 cxpediation with regard to the fuccefs ot this 
 work, that, it is faid, he received no more than 
 ten pounds fterling for the copy.-f' 
 
 It may not be improper in this place to take 
 notice of what has been publifbed to the world 
 by Mr. Benjamin Williams in the preface 
 to his colledion ofpfalms. He reprefents Dr. 
 Watts as *^ a perlon of the mofl exempla y meek- 
 iiefs and humility, perfc'flly good natured, and of 
 fuch unconfined charity, that lie wifhed to avoid 
 every word and fyilable which was likely to give 
 the fmalleft oiFence to ferious chriftians of any 
 denomination ; and when he found in the latter 
 part of his life, that he had not been fo fuccefs- 
 ful in this refpcdas he had aimed to be, he v^^ifh- 
 ed for nothing more ardently than fufficient 
 health and time to revife both his pfalms and 
 hymns, in order to render them wholly unexcep- 
 tionable to every chriftian profefTor. 
 
 '* This account, Mr, Williams obferves, was 
 received from Dr. Watts himfelf a few years be- 
 fore his death, by Dr. Amory, and by him giv- 
 en to one of his pupils, who communicated it to 
 
 the 
 
 * This remark may be particularly applied to ihc 36tb, 371b, ani5 
 108th hymns in thefecond book. 
 
 t Palmer, p. aS, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. ^k 
 
 die editor. The editor alfo fays he had good 
 reafon to add that *' the revifal fo fervently 
 vvilhed for, was undertaken and finifhed, and 
 would moft certainly have been publiilied, had 
 not the author's death unhappily prevented."* 
 
 On this Mr. Palmer remarks thus : '' With- 
 out impeaching this writer's veracity, the evi- 
 xicnce of the fadt is by no means fatisfadtory. 
 What became of the copy thus corredled ? Mr, 
 Parker, the Doctor's amanuenfis, knows of 
 no fuch thing, and never heard of the author's 
 having fuch a defign, which appears indeed high- 
 ly improbable. A man of Dr. Watts's know- 
 ledge of the w^orld could hardly exped: that he 
 fhould be able to make every thing in thefe compo- 
 fures univerfally unexceptionable, as the altera- 
 tions which w^ould have gratified one party, 
 would equally have offended another. -j^ 
 
 As the Lives of Dr. Watts and Dr. Dod- 
 dridge are united in this publication, it may 
 not be improper to take notice of the beginning 
 and progrefs of their connexion with each other. 
 Doddridge v/as about twenty-eight years young- 
 er than Watts, and had no acquaintance w^ith 
 him till it was introduced In the following manner. 
 Doddridge being a hopeful and rifmg young min- 
 ifter among the difTenters, was requefted by a Mr. 
 Ben YON, of Shrewfbury, to WTite his thoughts on 
 the bed method of condu6ting the preparatory ftu^ 
 dies ofyounggentlem.en intended for the miniftry^ 
 When he had juft finiflied the w^ork, his friend 
 died, and the treatife remained ia his own hands. 
 C Mr. 
 
 • Monthly Review, 17S3. p, 170. 
 
14 Memoirs of Dr. Watt^. 
 
 Mr. Saunders, of Kettering, happening to le^ 
 it in his ftudy, borrowed it and fliewed it to Dr« 
 Watts. He was much pleafed with the plan, 
 and having made fome remarks upon it, com-^ 
 municatcd it to feveral of his friends. They all 
 joined with him in folicitii^g Doddridge to carry 
 it into execution. This was the beginning of 
 that famous academy in w^hich Doddridge flionc 
 with the high-eft litftre as a tutor, and alfo of an 
 intimate friendlhip between him and Dr. Watts. 
 It had been for many years one of Dr. Watts 's 
 earn eft defires to compofe a treatrfe of practical 
 and experimental divinity ; but his growing in- 
 firmities prevented his executing it. He there- 
 fore ftrongly recommended the matter to Dod- 
 dridge as the iittef! perfon in his acquaintance to 
 perform it in the moft acceptable manner. It 
 was with much reludance that he undertook 
 fuch a work amonf^ his other ccnftant and weidi- 
 ty concerns. But Dr. \¥atts's heart w^as fa 
 much fet on the dclign, and he urged it with 
 fuch preflini^ imoortunity, that Doddridge could 
 not deny his requeft, after having been honored 
 with his friendlhip for fo many years, and re- 
 ceiving!: m^uch encourapement and affiftance from 
 him, in feveral of his undertakin^gs. Wnen it 
 w\is finiihed, Dr. Watts revifed as m.uch of it as 
 his health would permit, and it was firft pub- 
 liflied in 1745, unter the title of '^ The Rife and 
 Progrcfs of Religion in the Soul," with a dedi- 
 cation to Dv. V/atts.* 
 
 The opinion which Dr. V/atts had of Dod- 
 dridge appears from the following letter v/hich 
 
 he, 
 
 * Oftcr/e I-ifc of DQdd:;('^ej clrp. iit- nnd vtt-. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 35 
 
 lie wrote to Mr, Longueville, minliler of the 
 
 En^lifh church at Amfterdam. 
 <— > 
 
 *• It is a very agreeable employment to which 
 you call me, and a very fenfible honor you put 
 upon me when you deiire me to give you my 
 fentiments of that reverend and learned writer 
 Dr. Doddridge, to be prefixed to a tranilation of 
 any of his works into the Dutch tongue. I have 
 well known him many years, and have enjoyed 
 a conflant intimacy and friendihip with him ever 
 fince the providence of God called him to be a 
 profeffor of hitman fciences* and a teacher of fa- 
 cred theology to young men among us who are 
 trained up for the miniftry of the gofpel. I have 
 ho need to give you a large account of his know- 
 ledge in the fciences, in which I confefs him to 
 be greatly my fuperior ; and as to the dodtrines 
 of divinity and the gofpel of Chrift, I know not 
 any man of greater fKili than himfelf, and hardly 
 fufficient to be his fecond. As he hath a moil: 
 exa(fl acquaintance with the things of God and 
 our holy religion, io far as we are let into them 
 by the light of nature and the revelations of 
 fcriptures, fo he hath a moft happy manner of 
 teaching thofe who are younger. He hath a 
 moft fkilful and ccadefcending v/ay of inftruc- 
 tion, nor is there any perfon of my acquaintance 
 Avith whom I am more entirely agreed in all the 
 fentiments of the dodrine of Chrift. He is a 
 moft hearty believer of the great articles and im- 
 portant principles of the reformed church j a 
 moft aiFedionate preacher, and pathetic v/riter on 
 the pradtical parts of religion ; and, in one wordy 
 fince I am now advanced in age beyond my fe- 
 C ^ ^ veatietb 
 
 i 
 
.36 Memoirs of Dr. Watts> 
 
 ventleth year (1745) if there were any man to 
 whom Providence would fuffer me to commit a 
 fccond part of my life and ufefulnefs in the church 
 of Chrift, Dr. Doddridge fliould be the man. 
 If you have read that excellent performance of 
 his, intitled, '' Ihe Rife and Frogrefs,'" &:c. you 
 v/ill be of my mind. His dedication of it to 
 me is the only thing in the book I could hardly 
 permit myfelf to approve. Eefides all this, he 
 poffeffeth a fpirit of fo much charity, love, and 
 goodnefs toward his fellow chriftians, who may 
 fall into fome leiTer differences of opinion, as be- 
 cometh a follov/er of the bleffed Jefus, his maf- 
 ter and mine. In the pradical part of his la- 
 bors and miniflry, he hath fufficiently fliewn 
 himfelf moil happily furnifhed with all proper 
 gifts and talents, to lead perfons of all ranks 
 and ages to ferious piety and ftrid; religion. I 
 efteem it a confiderable honor which the provi- 
 dence of God hath done, when it makes ufe of 
 me as an inftrument in his hands, to promote 
 the ufefulnefs of this great man in any part of the 
 world ; and it is my hearty prayer, that our Lord 
 Jefus Chrift may blefs all his labors with moft 
 gloi-ious fuccefs." 
 
 So high an efteem had he of this valuable 
 friend, that by his laft will he left the care of 
 his manufcripts, and of republifliing his printed 
 works, to him, in conjundlion with Dr. David 
 Jennings. Doddridge died in 1752, and the 
 complete edition of Watts's works in fix quar- 
 to volumes, came out in 1753. Many of his 
 works have fince been reprinted feparately, and 
 it is probable that future editions of them will 
 be called for by the pious and learned of fuc- 
 ceedin gages. FIRST 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 37 
 
 FIRST APPENDIX, 
 
 No, L 
 
 fbe Jacred Concert cf Fraife. 
 
 I. 
 
 COME, pretty birds, fiy to this verdant fliade, 
 Here let our difierent notes in praife confpire : 
 *i was the fame hand your painted pjnions fpread. 
 That form'd my noble powers to raife his honours 
 
 [higher:. 
 IL 
 
 Fair fongflers, come i beneath the facred grove 
 We'll ^n and teach the woods our Maker's name % 
 Men have forgot his works, his power, his love, 
 Forgot the mighty arm that rear'd their wondrous 
 
 [frame. 
 III. 
 
 I fearch the crowded court, the bufy ?iv^ny 
 Run through the villages, trace every road : 
 In vaui I fearch ; for every heart I meet 
 Is laden with the world, and empty of its God. 
 
 IV. 
 
 How ill all I bear with men to fpend my days ? 
 Dear feathered innocents, you pleafe me bell : 
 My God has fram'd your voices for his praife, 
 His highdefigns are anfwer'd by your tuntful breafi: 
 C 3 Sweet 
 
 I 
 
38 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 V. 
 
 Sweet warblers, come, wake all yeiir cheerful tongue5| 
 We join with angels and their heavenly choirs j 
 Our humble airs may imitate their fongs, 
 Tho* bolder are their notes, and purer are their fires^ 
 
 VI. 
 
 Had I ten thoufand hearts, my God, my love^ 
 Had 1 ten thoufand voices all are thine : 
 Where love enflames the foul, the lips muil move. 
 Nor llialhhe fong be mortal v/here the theme's divine, 
 
 No. II. 
 Jn Hymn to Christ Jesus, the Eternal Lifi^ 
 
 WHERE fhall the tribes o{ Adam find 
 The fovereign good to fill the mind ? 
 Yc fona of moral wifdom, Ihow, 
 The fpring whence living waters flow. 
 
 II. 
 
 Say, will the Stoick'h flinty heart 
 Melt, and this cordial juice impart ? 
 Could Plato find thefe blifsful dreams, 
 Amongft his raptures and his dreams ? 
 
 III. 
 
 In vain I aflc ; for nature's power 
 
 Extends but to this mortal hour : 
 
 'Twas but a poor relief ihe gave 
 
 Againil the terrors of the grave. Jesu^ 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 39 
 IV, 
 
 Jesus, our kinfman, and our God, 
 Array 'd in majefly and blood. 
 Thou art our life ; our fouls in thcc 
 PoiTefs a full felicirv. 
 
 All our immortal hopes are laid 
 In Thee, our furety, and our head ; 
 Thy crofs, thy cradle, and thy throne^ 
 Are big with glories yet unknown-, 
 
 VI. 
 
 Let Atheifxs fcolF, and Jevjs blafpherae 
 Th' eternal life, and Jesus' name \ 
 A word of his almighty breath 
 Pooms the rebellious world to death, 
 
 VIL 
 
 But let my foul for ever lie 
 Beneath the blelTings of thine eye \ 
 *Tis heaven on earth, 'tis heaven above^ 
 To fee thy face, to tafle thy love. 
 
 No. III. 
 
 On the Sight of ^.een Mary, /;; the Tear 1694, 
 
 ISAVv" th' iiluflrious form, I faw 
 Beauty that gave the nations law : 
 Her eyes, like mercy "on a throne^ 
 la condefcending grandeur fnone. 
 
 C 4 That 
 
40 Memoirs of Dr. Watts.. 
 
 IL 
 
 That blooming face ! how lovely fair 
 Hath nature mix'd her wonders there ! 
 The rofy morn fuch luflire fliows 
 Glancing along the Scythian fnows. 
 
 III. 
 
 Her (hape, her motion, and her mein, 
 AH heavenly ; fuch ai^e angels feen. 
 When the bright vifion grows intenfe^ 
 And fancy aids our feebler fenfe. 
 
 IV. 
 
 parth's proudeft idols dare not vie 
 
 With fuch fuperior majefty : 
 
 A kindling vapour might as foon 
 
 Rife fron> the bogs, and mate the moon. 
 
 V. 
 
 I'll call no Raphael from his reft ; 
 Such charms can never be exprefs'd : 
 Pencil and paint were never made 
 To draw pure light without a fhade. 
 
 VI. 
 
 Britain beholds her queen with pride. 
 And mighty William at her fide 
 Gracing the throne; while at their feet 
 With 4iumble joy three nations nieet. 
 
 VIK 
 
 Secure of empire, fhe might lay 
 Her crown, her robes, and ftate away, 
 And 'midft ten thoufand nymphs be feen i 
 Her beauty would proclaim the queen. 
 
 Epanorthosis, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 41 
 
 Epanorthosis. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Her guardian angel heard my fong. 
 Fond man (he cry'd) forbear to wrong 
 My lovely charge. So vulgar eves 
 Gaze at the ftars^ and praife che Ikies. 
 
 IX. 
 
 Rudely they praife, v/ho dwell below. 
 And heaven's true glories never know, 
 Where (tars and planets are no more 
 Than pebbles fcatier'd on the floor, 
 
 X. 
 
 So, where celeflial virtues joined 
 
 Form an incomparable mind. 
 
 Crowns, fcepters, beauties, charms and aire. 
 
 Stand but as Ihining fervants there. 
 
 No. IV. 
 
 Ode fo Lady Sunderland. 
 
 I. 
 
 FAIR nymph, afcend to beauty's throne. 
 And rule that radiant world alone : 
 Let fav'rites take thy lower fphere,* 
 Not monarchs are thy rivals here. 
 
 II. 
 
 The court cf beauty, built fublime. 
 Defies all pov/er but heaven and time : 
 
 ^ Alluding to h=r rera^va! from the conn of Qi^een Anne* 
 
 En 
 
 vv, 
 
42 Memoirs of Dr. Watts^ 
 
 Envy, that clouds the heroes fky. 
 Aims but in vain her flight [o high, 
 
 III. 
 
 Not Blenheim's field, nor Ifter*s floods. 
 
 Nor liandaids dy'd in gallic blood. 
 
 Torn fronn the foe, add nobler grace 
 
 To Churchill's houfe than Spencer's f*icr^ 
 
 IV. 
 
 The warlike thunder of his arms 
 Is lefs commanding than her charms : 
 His lightnings ftrike with lefs furprife 
 Than fudden glances from her eyes. 
 
 His captives feel their limbs confin'd 
 In iron — Ch^ enflaves the mind : 
 We follow with a pleafing pain, 
 And blefs the conqueror and the chain^ 
 
 VI. 
 
 The mufe that dares in numbers do 
 What paint and pencil never knew. 
 Faints at her prefence in defpair. 
 And owns th' inimitable fair. 
 
 On the fight of this ode the following lines were written 
 hfOr. S\y AGiL,fucceJfor to Dr, Watts. 
 
 While numerous bards have founded Spencer's name. 
 And made her beauties heirs to lading fame. 
 Her mem'ry flill to their united lays 
 Stands lefs indebted, than to Vv'atts's praife. 
 What wond'rous charms muil to that fair be given 
 Who mov'd a mind that dwelt ^o near to heaven ! 
 — ^^«©<— . No. V. 
 
Memdiks of Dr. Watts, ^j 
 
 Na. V. 
 Sickness and E.ecovery. 
 
 IT was the cuftom of David, as appears by 
 feveral of his pfalms, and it was the prac- 
 tice of Hczekiah and Jonah, kings and prophets, 
 to rehearfe the agonies of their diftrefs, when 
 they offered to heaven their fongs of deHverance. 
 They recoiledled their hours and days of bitter- 
 nefs, and the workings of their foul amidil their 
 Iharp and grievous forrows, to make the remem- 
 brance of their falvation the fweeter, and fo kin- 
 dle the zeal of their gratitude to a higher fiame. 
 Is it a matter of bhme to imitate fuch exam^ 
 pies ? Doth not the reafon hold good in oijr age, 
 and to all generations ? Why fhould a Chrifcian 
 be any more afraid to tell the world of his af- 
 fiidions or diftreffes than a JeijD ? Or why Inould 
 he be afhamed to let them know, that amidfl 
 thofe finkings of life and nature, Chriftianity and 
 the Gcfpel were his fapport ? Amidft ail the vi- 
 olence of m*y diftemper, and the tirefome m.onths 
 of it, I thank God I never loft fight of reafoa 
 or religion," though fometimes I had much ado 
 to preferve the machine of animal nature in fuch 
 order as regularly to exercife either the man or 
 the chriftian, efpecially when I fhut my eyes to 
 feek fleep and repofe, and had not their aid to 
 fence again ft the diforderly ferments of natural 
 fpirits. But thefe conflids are defcrlbed in the 
 following lines. BlefTed be God for preferving 
 and healing mercy ! 
 
 THOUGHTS 
 
44 Memoirs of Dr. Watts/ 
 
 THOUGHTS a?2d MEDITATIONS 
 
 in a long Sickness, 1712 and 1713. 
 
 Tihe hurry of the fpirits, in a fever and n^rvous^ 
 dlforders. 
 
 MY frame of nature is a ruftlcd fc*a, 
 And my difeafe the temped. Nature feels 
 A (trange commotion to her inmofi; centre ; 
 The throne of reafon fliakes. '' Beftllly my thoughts %^ 
 *^ Peace and heJlilW \n vain my reafon gives 
 The -peaceful word, my fpirit drives in vain 
 To calm the tumult and command my thoughts. 
 This flefh, this circling blood, thefe brutal Powers 
 Made to obey, turn rebels to the mind, 
 Nor hear its laws. The engine rules the r/ian. 
 Unhappy change I when nature's meaner fprings, 
 Fir'd to impetuous ferments, break all order i 
 When little relUefs atoms rife and reign 
 Tyrants in fovereign uproar, and impofe 
 Ideas on the m/ind ; confusM ideas 
 Of non-exiftents and impoQibles, 
 Who can defcribethem t" Fragments of old dreams^ 
 Borrowed from midnight, torn from -fairy fields 
 And fairy flcies, and regions of the dead. 
 Abrupt, ill-forted. O 'tis all confufion ! 
 If I but clofe my eyes, ftrange images 
 In thoufand forms and thoufands colours rife, 
 Stars, rainbows, moons, green dragons, bears, and 
 An endlefs medley rufh upon the ftage, [ghoftsj. 
 
 And dance and riot wild in reafon's court 
 Above control. Tm in a raging dorm, 
 Where feas and flcies are blended, while my foul 
 Like fome light worthlefs chip of floating cork 
 Is tod from wave to wave : Now overvvhehn'd 
 With breaking floods, I drown, and feem to lofe 
 All being : Now high-mounted on the rjdge 
 
Memoes of Dr. Watts. 45* 
 
 Of a tall foaming furge, I'm all at once 
 Caught up into the ftornn, and ride the wind. 
 The whiftling wind ; unmanageable deed. 
 And feeble rider ! hurried many a league 
 Over the rifing hills of roaring brine, 
 l\hro' airy wilds unknown, with dreadful fpeed 
 And infinite furprife j till feme few minutes 
 Have fpent the blaft, and then perhaps I drop 
 Near to the peaceful coafl; fome friendly billow 
 Lodges me on the beach, and I find reft : 
 Shore reft I find ; for the next rolling wave 
 Snatches me back again ; then ebbing far 
 Sets me a drift, and I am borne oft to fea, 
 Helplefs, amidft the blufter of the winds. 
 Beyond the ken of (bore. 
 
 Ah, when will thefe tumultuous fcenes be gone i 
 ^Vhen fhall this weary fpirit, toft with tempefts, 
 Harrafs'd and broken, reach the pert ot reft. 
 And hold it firm ? When fhall this wayward fiefh 
 Wirh ail th' irregular fprin:s of vital movement 
 Ungovernable, return to facred order, 
 And pay their duties to the ruling mind ? 
 
 Peacs of Conscience and Prayer for Health. 
 
 YET, gracious God, amidft thefe ftorms of nature, 
 Thine eyes behold a fweer and facred calm 
 Reign thro' the realms of confcience : all within 
 Lies peaceful, aH compos'd. 'Tis wondrous grace 
 Keeps off thy terrors from this humble bofom, 
 Tho' ftain'd with fms and follies, yet ferene 
 In penitential peace and cheerful hope, 
 Sprinkled and guarded with atoning blood. 
 Thy vital fmiles amidft this defolation 
 Like heavenly fun-beams hid behind the cloudi;, 
 Break out in happy moments, with bright radiance 
 Cleavins; the^loom; the fair celeftial light 
 
 Softens 
 
46 Memoirs of Dr. Watt^^ 
 
 Sofrens and gilds the horrors of the (lorm. 
 And richeft cordials to the heart conveys. 
 
 O glorious folace of immeiife diflrefs, 
 Aconfcience and a God ! a friend at home. 
 And better friend on high ! This is my rock 
 Of firm fupport, my rtiield of fure defence 
 Againfl: infernal arrows. Rife, my foul, 
 Put on thy courage : Here's the living fpring 
 Of joys divinely fweet and ever nev/, 
 A peaceful confciencey and ajmiling heaven. 
 
 My God, permit a creeping worm to ^^y^ 
 ^hy [pint knows I love thee. Worth iefs wreech. 
 To dare to love a God ! But grace requires. 
 And grace accepts. Thou feefb my labouring foul i 
 "Weak as my zeal is, yet my zeal is true ; 
 It bears the trying furnace. Love divine 
 Conftrains me ; I am thine. Incarnate love 
 Has feiz'd and holds me in almighty arms : 
 Here's my falvation, my eternal hope, 
 Amidft the wreck of worlds and dying nature- 
 / am the Lord^s, and he for ever mine, 
 
 O thou all-powerful word, at whofe firfv call 
 Nature arofe j this earth, thefe fhining heavens, 
 Thefe (lars in all their ranks came forth, and faidj 
 We are thy Jervants : Didfi thou not create. 
 My frame, my breath, my being, and beftow 
 A mind immortal on thy feeble creature 
 Who faints before thy face ? Did not thy pity 
 Drefs thee in flefh to die, that I might live. 
 And with thy blood redeemi this captive foul 
 From guilt and death ? O thrice adored name, 
 My kino:, my faviour, my Emanuel, fay. 
 Have not thy eye-lids mark'd my painful toil. 
 The wild confufions of my fhattcr'd powers, 
 A-nd broken fiuttering thoughts ? Haft thou nor feen- 
 
 Each 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Watts, i^ 
 
 £ach redlefs atom that with vexing influence 
 Works thro' the mafs of man ? Each noxious juice^ 
 Each ferment that infccls the vital humours, 
 Thar heaves the veins with huge difquietude 
 And fpreads the tumult wide ? Do they not lie 
 Beneath thy view, and all within thy reach ? 
 Yes, ail at thy command, and mufl: obey 
 Thy fovereign touch : Thy touch is health and lifca 
 And harmony to nature's jarring firings. 
 
 When (liall my midnight fighs and m.orning eroans 
 Rife thro' the heights of heaven, and reach thy car 
 Propitious ? See, my fpirit's feeble powers 
 Exhal'd and breathing upv/ard to thy throne, 
 I^ike early incenfe climbing through the i]<:y 
 From the warm altar. When Ihall grace and peace 
 Defcend v,'ith bleffings, like an evening fhovver 
 On the parch*d defarr, and renew my bloom ? 
 Or m.ufl thy creature breathe his foul away 
 In fruitlefs groans, and die ? 
 Come, bled Phyfician, comie attend the moan 
 0[ a poor fuflFering VvTCtch, a plaintive worm, 
 Crufh'd in the dud and helplefs. O defcend. 
 Array 'd in power and love, and bid me rife, 
 Jncarnare goodnefs, fend thy influence down 
 To thefe low regions of mortality 
 Where thou had dv.'elt, and clad in flcflily weeds 
 Eearnt fympathetic forrows \ fend and heal 
 My long and forediftrefs. Ten thoufand praifes 
 Attend Thee : Davids harp is ready drnng 
 For the Me[Jiah\^ name : A winged flight 
 Offongs harmonious, and new honours v/ait 
 The deps of moving mercy. 
 
 Encouragd 
 
 * At this time my Imitation c^i David's pfalms in cbriftisn lariguig;^ 
 vvas not half done : As faft as 1 recovered ftrsngih y-fter this Jong iJJ- 
 liefs,.! : pplieU rn} Icli" by degress to foulh it. 
 
^8 Memoirs of Dr. Watts; 
 
 Encouraged to hope for Health in May. 
 December 1712. 
 
 CONFIN'D to fit in filence, here I vvaile 
 The golden hours of youth. If once I ftir. 
 And reach at a6live life, what fudden tremors 
 Shake my whole frame, and all the poor machine 
 l_.ies fluttering ! Whatftrange wild convulfive force 
 Overpowers at once the members and the will ! 
 Here am I bound in chains, a ufclefs load 
 Of breathing clay, a burden to the feat 
 That bears thefe limbs, a borderer on the grave. 
 Poor (late of worihlefs being ! While the lamp 
 Of glimmering life burns languifhing and dim> 
 The fiamejufl: hovering o'er the dying fnuff 
 "With doubtful alternations, half disjoined. 
 And ready to expire with every bla(t. 
 
 Yet m.y fond friends would fpeak a word of hope* 
 Love would forbid defpair : " Look our, they cry 
 *' Beyond thefe gioomiing damps, while winter hangs 
 *^ Heavy en nature^, and congeals her powers : 
 *' Look cheerful forward to the vital influence 
 " Of the returning fpringj" 1 rouze my thoughts 
 At friendfhip's facred voice, I fend my foul 
 To diftant expedlation, and fupporc 
 The painful interval with poor amufements. 
 
 My watch, the folitary kind companion 
 Of my imprifonmenr, my faithful watch 
 Hangs by 3 and with a fliort repeated found 
 Beats like the pulfe of time, and numbers off 
 My woes, a long fuccefiion ; while the finger 
 Slow-moving, points out the flow-moving minutes ; 
 The Qower hand, the hours. O thou dear engine. 
 Thou little brafs accomptant of my life. 
 Would but the mighty wheels of heaven and nature 
 
 Once 
 
Memoirs of Dr. V/atts; 49 
 
 Once iinitate thy movements, how my hand 
 Should drive thy dented pinions round their centres 
 With more than ten-fold flight, and whirl away 
 Thele clouded wintry luns, thefe tedious moons, 
 Thefe midnights ; every ftar Ihouid jpeed its race^ 
 And the flow Bears precipitate their way 
 Around the frozen pole : Then promib'd health 
 That rides witn rofy cheek and blooming grace 
 On a May fun- beam fhould attend me here 
 Before to-morrow fhedb i:s evening dew. 
 
 Ah foolifh ravines of a fruitlefs wiih 
 And fpirictoo impatient 1 Know'fl: thou not. 
 My foul, the power that made thee ? He alone 
 Who form'd the fpheres, rolls them in dcftin'd rounda 
 Unchangeable. Adore, and trult, and fear Him : 
 He is th^ Lord of life^ Addrefs his throne, 
 And wait before his foot, with awful hope 
 Submiffive 3 at his touch diftemper flies : 
 His eyelids lend beams of immortal youth 
 Thro' heaven*s bright regions. His all-powerful word 
 Can create health, and bid the blefTing come 
 A^mdd the wintry froil:, when nature feems 
 Congeard in death -, or with a fovereign frown 
 (Tho* nature blooms all round) he can forbid 
 The blefllng in the fpring, and chain thee down 
 To pains, and maladies, and grievous bondage 
 Thro' all the circling fcafons. 
 
 The "Ji' gar if cms IFeeks of Sickness, 
 1712, or 1713. 
 
 THUS pafs my days away. The cheerful fuh 
 Rolls round and gilds the world with lightfomr 
 AlaSj in vain to me ; cut off alike [beams^ 
 
 From the blefs'd labours, and the joys of life 3 
 While my fad minutes in their tirefome train 
 Serve but to number out mv heavy forrowi;. 
 
 D ' By 
 
|6 Memoirs of Dr. Watts* 
 
 By night I count the clock ; perhaps eleven. 
 Or twelve, or one ; then with a wilhful figh 
 Call on the lingering hours, come two, come five : 
 JVhen will the day-light come ? Make halte, ye mornings. 
 Ye evening fhadows halle ; vv'ear out thefe days, 
 Thefe tedious rounds of ficknefs, and conclude 
 
 The v/eary v^'eek for ever 
 
 Then the fvveet day of iacred reft returns, 
 
 Sweet day of reft*, devote to God and heaven. 
 
 And heavenly bulincfs, purpofes divine, 
 
 Angelic work ; but not to me returns 
 
 Reil v/ith the day : Ten thoufand hurrying thoughts 
 
 Bear me away tumultuous far from heaven 
 
 And heavenly v/ork. In vain I heave, and toil. 
 
 And vvreftle with my inward foes in vain, 
 
 O'erpcftver'd and vanquifn'd ftill: They drag me down 
 
 From things celefiial, and confine m.y fenfe 
 
 To prefent maladies. Unhappy (late, 
 
 Where the poor fpirit is fubdu'd to endure 
 
 Unholy idlencfs, a painful abfence 
 
 From God, and heaven, and angels blefied work. 
 
 And bound to bear the agonies and woes 
 
 That fickly fiefh and fliatter'd nerves impofe. 
 
 How long, O L.0RD, how long 1 
 
 A Hymn of Praise for Recovery. 
 
 T T APPY for man, that the flow circling moons 
 
 _|7j_ And long revolving feafons meafure out 
 
 The tirefome pains of nature 1 Prefent woes 
 
 Have their fweet periods. Eafe and cheerful health 
 
 With llow approach (fo Providence ordains) 
 
 Revifu their forfaken manfion here. 
 
 And days of ufeful life diffufe their dawn 
 
 O'er the dark cottage of my weary foul. 
 
 My vital powers refume their vigor novv, 
 
 My fpirit feels her freedom, fhakes her wings. 
 
 Exults and fpaiiates o'er a ihoufand fcenes, 
 
 Surveys 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 5^ 
 
 Surveys the world, and with fuiJ ftrctch of thought 
 
 Grafps her ideas ; while impatient zeal 
 
 Awakes my tongue ro praiie, \Vhac mortal voic^ 
 
 Or mortal hand can render to my God 
 
 The tribute due ^ What altars iliall I raife } 
 
 What grand infcription to proclaim his mercy 
 
 In living lines ? Where fhall I find a victim 
 
 Meet to be offered to his fovereign love. 
 
 And folemnize the worfhip and the joy ? 
 
 Search well, my foul, through all the dark rcccScs 
 Of nature and felf- love, the plies, the folds. 
 And hollow winding caverns of the heart, 
 Where flattery hides our fins ; fearch out the foea 
 Of thy Almighty f:iend; what lawlefs pafFions, 
 What vain defires, what vicious turns of thought 
 Lurk there unheeded : Bring them forth to view^ 
 And facrifice the rebels to his honour. 
 Well he deferves this worfhip at thy hands. 
 Who pardons tHy pad follies, v,'ho reftores 
 Thy mouldering fabric, and v/ithholds thy life 
 from the near borders of a gaping grave. 
 
 Almighty Power, I love thee, blifsful name^ 
 My Healer God \ and m^ay my inmoft heart 
 Love and adore for ever ! O 'tis good 
 To wail fubmiiOive at thy holy throne. 
 To leave petitions at thy feet, and bear 
 Thy frowns and filence with a patient foul. 
 The hand of micrcy is not fnort to fave. 
 Nor is the ear of heavenly pity deaf 
 To mortal cries. It notic'd all my groans, 
 And fighs, and long complaints, with wife delays, 
 Tho' painful to the fufferer, and thy hand 
 In proper m.cment brought deHr'd relief. 
 
 Rife from my couch, ye late enfeebled lim.bs, 
 Prove your new ftrength, and fhew th' effcdlive fKill 
 Of the Divine Phyfician ^ bear away 
 
 D 2 ' This 
 
52 Memoirs oP Dr. WatTs. 
 
 This tottering bodv to his facred threihold : 
 
 There laden with his honours, let me bow 
 
 Before his feet ; let me pronounce his grace. 
 
 Pronounce falvation thro' his dying Son, 
 
 And teach this finful world the Saviour's name. 
 
 Then rife, my hymning foul, on holy notes 
 
 Tow'rd his high throne j awake, my choiceft fongSj 
 
 Run echoing round the roof, and while you pay 
 
 The folemn vows of my diftrefsful hours, 
 
 A thoufand friendly lips fliall aid the praife. - 
 
 Jefus, great advocate, whole pitying eye 
 Saw my longanguifh, and with melting heart 
 And pov/erful intercefllon, fpread'ft my woes 
 With ail my groans before the Father-God, 
 Bear up my praifes now ; thy holy incenfe 
 Shall hallow all my facrifice of jov. 
 And bring thefe accents grateful co his ear. 
 My heart and life, my lips and every power 
 Snatch'd from* the grafp of death, 1 here devote 
 By thy blefs'd hands an offering to his name. 
 
 Amen^ Hallelujah. 
 
 ■>O^S0^O<~-- 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 53 
 
 No. VI. 
 
 An Elegiac Ode at the Death of Sir 
 Thomas Abney, Kfiight and Alder mim of 
 London, Feb. 6, 1721-2, /// the 83^ Tear of 
 his Age, Affi>:ed to forne Memoirs of kis Life, 
 and infcribed 
 
 T(? the Lady Abney. 
 madam, 
 
 Your grief is great and juft. It is not 
 in the power of verfe to charm it : Your com- 
 forts muft arife from a diviner fpring. My reii- 
 dence in your family hath made me a witnefs to 
 the luftre of Sir ThoIvIas Abney's character, 
 and to the years of your feUcity \ and I bear a 
 fenfible (hare in the forrows that are flied on his 
 tomb. 
 
 The nation mourns a good man loft from the 
 mldft of us, a public blefiing vanifh'd from the 
 earth. The a/y mourns the lofs of a moft ex- 
 cellent magiftrate, a fure friend to virtue, and a 
 guardian to the public peace. The Church of 
 Christ mourns a beautiful pillar taken from 
 the fupport and ornament of the tem.ple. All 
 thefe are public forrows ; hwt your lofs. Madam, 
 carries a pain in it, that muft be unknov. n to all 
 butfuch as knew the dom.cftic virtues of the de- 
 ceafed. 
 
 Thofe who have the honor of your Ladyfliip's 
 acquaintance, can tell whence vou derive your 
 daily cpnlolations ; even froiii that world where 
 D 7 , ^ vour 
 
3'4 ?rlEMoiRS OF Dr. Watts. 
 
 your departed relative drinks tliem at the foun- 
 tain head. O may thole ftrcams defcend in full 
 ineafure hourly, and refrefli yourfeif and your 
 mourning houfe ! 
 
 But if a verfe cannot give comfort to the liv- 
 ings yet it may do honor to the dead : and 'tis 
 for this reafon that your Ladyfhip defires a verfe 
 to attend thefe fev^ memorials of Sir Thomas 
 Aeney's life. His modefty hath concealed a 
 thouiand things from the world which might 
 have ftood as witnefles of his piety and goodnefs, 
 but he thought it fufficient that his record was 
 on high : 3'et your unfeigned lo've follows him 
 to the grave, and would do every thing that 
 might adorn his name and memory. Since you 
 have called me to this piece of fervice, the obli- 
 gations that your Ladyship hath laid upon me 
 are ftrong enough to fumm.on up my youthful 
 pov/ers and talents, even when I look upon them 
 as buried and almoft forgotten. 
 
 Befides, Madam, there are fome occurrences 
 that can of themfelves rouze the mufe from the 
 deepeil: ileep- Poefy is not always under the 
 command of the will. As there have been oc- 
 cafions heretofore when I have wifhed to write, 
 but the imagination has refufed to attend the 
 wiOi ; fo there are feafons when verfe comes al- 
 m.oft without a call, and the will might refift in 
 vain. A few fuch feafons have I met with ia 
 the courfe of m.y lifC;, and fome of them have 
 found me even in the chambers of death. When 
 I have (pent days in the midft of mourning, an4 
 the Vv'hole foul hath been turned to forrow, the 
 iarp hath founded of its own accord, and awak- 
 ened 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 55 
 
 cned all the doleful firings. Such was the hour 
 when your dear and honored brother Mr. Tho- 
 mas Guns TON departed this life ; and fuch is 
 theprefent providence. Uncommon worth for- 
 faking our world, itrikes all the powers of na- 
 ture with fentiments of honor and grief, aqd the 
 hand and the heart confent to raife a monument 
 of love and forrow. 
 
 Accept then, honored yiAJ^Aisi, thefe lines of 
 elegy, as a fincere pledge of the greateft venera- 
 tion which my heart pays to the memory of Sir 
 Thomas Abney. How far foever the verfe 
 may fall below the theme, yet now it miuft al- 
 ways live, fince it is joined to thefe 7nemorrs, and 
 attached to a character that cannot die. And 
 while fucgeedinc^ aees fliall read the honors due 
 to the deceafed, let them know alfo the gratitude 
 I pay to your Ladyfnlp, for the iignal benefits of 
 many years conferred on 
 
 Your Ladyship's 
 
 Moft obliged, and 
 
 Obedient Servant;^ 
 
 I, WATTS, 
 
 ^ 
 
 P4. 
 
^6 Memoirs qf Dk. Watts* 
 
 AT THE 
 
 Death of that excellent Man 
 Sir T H O xM a S A B N E Y, 
 
 A Soliloquy, or Mourning Meditatioin,. 
 
 ^is dejlderio Jit ptidor aut modus 
 "Tarn chari capitis ? prcecipe lugubres 
 CantiiSy Melpomene. 
 
 Ergone Abneium perpC'iuiis fopor 
 Urget ? Cui pudor & jn.fiiti(2 foror 
 Incorrupta fides, nudaqiie Veritas, 
 
 Sluando ullum invenient parem ? Hor » 
 
 PART. I. 
 
 Jlis private LifEo 
 
 I. 
 
 BNEY expires. A general groan 
 Sounds through the houfe. How mud a friend 
 
 [behave 
 
 Where death and grief have raised their throne, 
 And the fad chambers feem th' apartments of the 
 
 [grave? 
 
 n. 
 
 Shall I appear among the chief 
 Of mourners, wailing o'er the dear deceased ? 
 
 Or muft I feek to charm their grief. 
 And in diftrefs of foul to comfort the diflrefs'd ? 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Watts, %j 
 
 III. 
 
 I" mourn bv turns, and comrorc too : 
 He that can feel, can eafe another's fmarC ; 
 
 The drops of fympatnetic woe 
 Convey the heavenly cordial warnner to the heart, 
 
 lY. 
 
 We mourn a thoufand joys deceased. 
 We name the huJh^Jid mth z mournful tongue ; 
 
 He, when the powers of life decreased. 
 Felt the diviner flames of love forever younq. 
 
 Thrice happy man ! Thrice happy pair ! 
 If love could bid approaching death remove. 
 
 The painful name q( "jjidozv here 
 Had ever been unknown : Bun death is deaf to love* 
 
 VI. 
 
 * Aleina mourns, fhe mourns alone. 
 Her grief unrival'd in a houfe of tears. 
 
 The partner of her foul is gone, 
 Who doubled all her joys, and half fuftain'd her cares* 
 
 See the fair offspring of the dead, If^ 
 
 With their young ^riefs Albina ihey inclofe, 
 
 Befide \.\itfather\ dying bed ; 
 And as her woes increafc, their love and duty grows, 
 
 VIII. 
 
 The children feel the mother's^ pain, 
 Pov/n their pale cheeks the trickling forrows roll : 
 
 The 
 
 * The LaJv Abncy. 
 
^ Memoirs of Dr. Watts* 
 
 The mether fees and weeps again, 
 V/ith all the tender pafnons tlriiggling in her foul^ 
 
 IX. 
 
 The tender paffions reign and fprcad 
 Thro' the whole houfe, and to the courts defcend : 
 
 We naourn the ht^o( brothers dead ; 
 We mourn the kindell mafler, and the firmefl/nV;^^', 
 
 X. 
 
 We mourn ; but not as wretches do. 
 Where vicious lives all hope in death deflroy : 
 
 A falling tear is nature's due ; 
 Bui hope climbs highj and borders on celeilialjoy\ 
 
 , There fits the late departed/^/;// ; 
 There dwells the hujband, father ^ brother, friend .* 
 
 Then let us ceafe the fore complaint. 
 Or mingled with our groans let notes of praife afcend^ 
 
 XII. 
 
 Great God, to thee we raife our fong. 
 Thine were the graces that enriched his mind \ 
 
 We blefs thee, that he fhone fo long, 
 And left fo fair a track of pious life behind. 
 
 FART 
 
AIemoirs of Dr. Watts. ^^ 
 
 PART II. 
 
 His Fuhlic Character ci7id Death^ 
 I. 
 
 BUT can domedic forrow fhew 
 A nation's lofs ? Can private tears fuElce 
 To mourn ih^JairJ and 7ider too, 
 Great names, {o rarely joinM below the bliisful jlcies I' 
 
 IL 
 
 Could Abney in our world be born. 
 Could Abney live, and not Britannia fmlle ? 
 
 Or die, and not Britannia mourn, 
 Y/ben fuch ethereal worth left our degenerate ifle ? 
 
 • III. 
 
 'Twas heavenly wifdom, zeal divine. 
 Taught him the balance and the fword to hold : 
 
 His looks with facredjuftice (bine 
 Pcyond the fcarlet honors, or the wreathen gold. 
 
 ly. 
 
 Truth, freedom, courage, prudence fiood 
 Attending, when he iiU'd the folemn chair : 
 
 He knew no friendfhips, birth, nor blood. 
 Nor weaiih, nor gay attire, when criminals were there. 
 
 V. 
 
 He fign'd their doom with fleady hand ^ 
 Yet drops of pity from his eyelids roll : 
 
 H*:^ punifh'd to reform the land, 
 Vrith terror on his brow, and mercy in his foul. 
 
 yi. His 
 
(o Memoirs of Dr, Watts.: 
 
 VL 
 
 His tongue was much unfklird to chide • 
 Soft were his lips, and all his language fweet : 
 
 His foul difdain'd the airs of pride. 
 Yet love and reverence greet him thro* the crouded' 
 
 [ftreet, 
 VII. 
 
 Godlike he liv*d and aded here. 
 Moving unfeen, and ftill fublimely great; 
 
 Yet when his country claimed his care, 
 Defcending he appear'd, and bore the pomp of flate* 
 
 VIIL 
 
 He more than once obliged the throne. 
 And fav'd the nation -, yet he fhun'd the fame, 
 
 Carelefs to make his merit known. 
 The chrijlian hath enough, that heaven records his 
 
 [name. 
 IX. 
 
 His humble foul conversed on high ; 
 Heaven was his hope, his reft, his native home : 
 
 His treafures lay above the fky ; 
 Much he polTefs'd on earth, but more in v/orlds to 
 
 [come, 
 X. 
 
 With filent Heps he trac'd the wav 
 To the fair courts of light, his wifh'd abode ; 
 
 Nor would he alk a moment*s ftay, 
 Nor make the convoy wait, that call'd his foul to 
 
 [God. 
 XL 
 
 See the good man with head reclin'd. 
 
 And peaceful heart, rcfign his precious breath : 
 
 No 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts 
 
 6i 
 
 No guilty thoughts opprefs his mind ; 
 Cahn and ferene his life, ferene and calm his death; 
 
 XII. 
 
 Laden with honors and with years, 
 His vigorous virtue fhoc a youthful ray ; 
 
 And while he ends his race, appears. 
 Bright as the fetting fun of a long cloudlefs day. 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Spent with the toil of bufy hourSj 
 Nature retired, and life funk down to fleep : 
 
 Come, drefs the bed with fadelefs flowers. 
 Come, angels, round his tomb immortal vigils keep, 
 
 XIV. 
 
 The heart of every Briton rears 
 A monument to Abney's fpotlefs fame : 
 
 The pencil faints, the mufe defpairs ; 
 His country's grief and love muft eternize his name. 
 
 Su cecinit mcerens. 
 Inter mcerores domefticos^ 
 Et patriieju^e lu5lus^ 
 
 — JQi^^CX— ' 
 
 I. w. 
 
 No. VII. 
 
£z Memoirs of Dr. Watts^ 
 
 No. VII. 
 To Lucius, o?2 the Death £/" Serena. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 k^OME of thefe verfes attempted to footll 
 your forrows in a melancholy and diftreffing 
 hour : They were all finifhed near the fams 
 time, and united in this form., though they have 
 thus long lain in filence, nor ventured to prefent 
 themfelves to you. I am almoft in pain already, 
 left they fhould av^^ake your heart-ake, by a re- 
 colledion of fonie dear mournful images, and 
 vani&ed fcenes of grief. Let thefe lines rather 
 call your views upward to the better manfions of 
 your abfent kindred, and awaken you to aim 
 every ftep of life toward thofe regions of holinefs 
 and joy. Adieu, and be happy. 
 
 I am, Sir, 
 
 ' Your*s, &c. 
 
 Death and Heaven. 
 In Five Lyrick Odes. 
 
 ODE. I. 
 
 The Sprites Farcwel to the Body after long Sicknejs. 
 
 I. 
 
 HOW am I held a prifoner now. 
 Far from my God ! This mortal chain 
 Binds me to forrow : All below 
 Is fhort-liv'd eafc or tirefome pain. 
 
 II. Whe» 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 11. 
 
 When Oiall that wond'rous hour appear. 
 Which frees me from this dark abode. 
 
 To live at large in regions, where 
 
 Nor cloud nor veil Ihail hide my God ? 
 
 IIL 
 
 Farewel this flefh, thefe fears, thtfe eyes, 
 Thcfe fnares and fectcrs of ihe mind i 
 
 My God, nor let this frame arife 
 Till every dull; be well refin'd. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Jesus, who mak'fi our nature's whole. 
 Mould me a body like thy own : 
 
 Then fhall it better ferve my foul 
 
 In works cf praife and worlds unknown. 
 
 O D E 11. 
 
 K3 
 
 "The Departing Moment ; or, A^/ent from the Body. 
 
 I. 
 
 ABSENT from Pielli ! O blifsful thought ! 
 What unknown joys this moment brings ! 
 Treed from the mifchiefs fin hath wrought. 
 From pains, and tears, and all their iprings. 
 
 II. 
 
 Ahjent from fleJJj 1 illuftrious day ! 
 
 Surprifing fcene ! triumphant fcroke. 
 That rends the prifon of my clay. 
 
 And I can feel my fetters broke 1 
 
 III. Jhfen 
 
^4 Memoirs of Dr. Wattj,* 
 
 III, 
 
 Ahfcnt from flejh } Then rife, my foul. 
 Where feet or wings could never climb^ 
 
 Beyond the heavens where planers roll, 
 Meafuring the cares and joys of time» 
 
 IV. 
 
 I go where God and glory fliine ; 
 
 His preiencc makes eternal day* 
 Mv all that's mortal I refign, 
 
 For Uriel waits and points my way^ 
 
 ODE III. 
 
 -Entrance into Paradife ; or, Trcjent with the Lord* 
 
 L 
 
 AND IS this heaven ? And am I there f 
 How fhort the road 1 how Iwift the flight : 
 I am all life, all eye, all ear ; 
 
 Jesus is here, — my foul's delight. 
 
 11. 
 
 I Is this the heavenly friend who hung 
 
 In blood and anguifii on the tree. 
 Whom Fmd proclaim'd, whom David fung^, 
 '^' W^ho dy'dfor them, who dy'd for me I 
 
 III. 
 
 How fair thou offspring of my God ! 
 
 Thou firffc-born image of his face \ 
 Thy death procur'd this bled abode. 
 
 Thy viral beams adorn the place, 
 
 IV. I^, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 6^ 
 IV. 
 
 Loj he prefents me at the throne 
 
 All fpotlefs 5 there the Godhead reigns 
 
 Sublime and peaceful through the Son : 
 Awake, my voice, in heavenly drains. 
 
 O D E IV. 
 
 I'he Sight of God in Heaven^ 
 I. 
 
 CREATOR-GOD, eternal light. 
 Fountain of good, tremendous power, 
 Ocean of wonders, blifsful fight ! 
 Beauty and love unknown before! 
 
 II. 
 
 Thy grace, thy nature, all unknown 
 
 In yon dark region whence I camiC ; 
 Where languid glimpfes from thy throne 
 
 And feeble whifpers teach thy name. 
 
 III. 
 
 Tm in a world where all is new ; 
 
 Myfelf, my God ; O bled amaze ! 
 Not my beft hopes or v;ilhes knew 
 
 To form a (hadow cf this grace. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Fix'd on my God, my heart, adore : 
 
 My reftlefs thoughts, forbear to rove : 
 Ye meaner paflions, ftir no more ; 
 But all my powers be joy and love. 
 
 ODE Vo 
 E 
 
to Memoirs of Dr. Wa'tts* 
 
 O D E V. 
 
 ^ Funeral Ode at the Interment of the 5^^v, 
 Suppo/ed to he Jung hy the Mourners,, 
 
 I. 
 
 UNVEIL thy bofom, faiihful tomb -, 
 Take this new trcafure to thy truft^ 
 And give thefe (acred reiicks room 
 To feek a flun^ber in the duft. 
 
 II. 
 
 Nor pain, nor grief, nor anxious fear 
 Invade thy bounds. No mortal woes 
 
 Can reach the lovely deeper here. 
 And angels watch her fofc repofe. 
 
 III. 
 
 So Jesus flept : God's dying Son 
 
 Pafl thro' the grave, and blell: the bed. 
 
 Reft here, fair faint ; till from his throne 
 The morning break and pierce the iliade. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Break from his throne, illudrious morn ; 
 
 Attend, O earth, his fovereign word j 
 Rcftore thy truft, a glorious form ; ! 
 
 She muft afcend to meet her Lord. 
 
 No. VI 11, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 67 
 
 No. VIII. 
 
 On the Coronation of their Majefties Kiijg GeOxige 
 II. and ^ieenQpLKQhi^'E.y O^ober 11, 1727. 
 
 ne Coron'ation-Day. An Ode. 
 
 ISE, happy morn ; fair fun, arife ; 
 Shed radiant gold around the flcies, 
 !and rich in beams and blefTings Ihine 
 Profufe on George and CaPvOline. 
 
 II. 
 
 Illuftrious pair ! no tear to-day 
 
 Bedew the royal parents clay ! 
 
 'Tis George the bled remounts the throne^ 
 
 With double vigour in his fon. 
 
 III. 
 
 Lo, the majeftic form appears, 
 Sparkling in life and manly > ears : 
 The kingdom's pride, the nation's choice. 
 And heaven approves Britannia's voice. 
 
 IV, 
 
 Monarch, afTume thy powers, and fland 
 The guardian-hero of our land : 
 Let Albion's fons thy ftyle proclaim, 
 And dillant realms revere thy name. 
 
 V. 
 
 Bear on thy brows th' imperial crown j 
 Rebellion dies beneath thy frown : 
 A thoufand gems of luftre ilicd 
 Their lights and honours round thy head. 
 
 VI. \M 
 
68 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 VI. 
 
 IJft up thy rod of majefty,* 
 
 The foes of God and man fhall flee : 
 
 Vice with her execrable band 
 
 Shakes at the fword in George's hand. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Law, juftice, valour, mercy ride 
 In arms of triumph at his fide : 
 And each celeftial grace is fecn 
 In milder glories round the Queen. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Hail, royal fair ! divinely wife I 
 Not Aujirian crowns f could tempt thy eyes 
 To part with truth. 'Twas brave difdain. 
 When CiESAR figh'd, and lov'd in vain. 
 
 IX. 
 
 But heaven provides a rich reward : 
 George is thy lover and thy lord : 
 The Britijh lion bears thy fame. 
 Where Aujirian eagles have no name. 
 
 See the fair train of princes near : 
 Come, Frederick, royal youth, appear. 
 And grace the day. Shall foreign charms 
 Still hold thee from thy country's arms, 
 
 xi. 
 
 Britain, thy country ? Prince arife. 
 The morning ftar to gild our fliics 5 
 
 * The fceptre. ^ "^^^ 
 
 i Archducal and ImpeiiaL 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. ^9, 
 
 (O may no cloud thy luRre (lain !) 
 Come lead along the fliining train. 
 
 XII. 
 
 Each in parental virtues drefs'd. 
 
 Each born to make a nation blefh'd : 
 
 What kings, what heroes yet ungrown, 
 
 Shall coiirc the nymphs to grace their throne ! 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Mark that young branch* of rifing famCj 
 Proud of our great deliverer's name : 
 He promifes in infant bloom. 
 To fcourge fome tyrant power of E.cine, 
 
 XIV. 
 
 Bloom on, fair ftem ! Each flower that blows, 
 Adds new defpair to y1lhion\ foes, 
 And kills their hearts. O glorious view 
 Of joys for Albion^ ever new ! 
 
 XV. 
 
 Religion, duty, truth and love. 
 In ranks of honours fhine and move ; 
 Pale envy, flander, fraud and fpite, 
 Retire, and hide in caves of night. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 Europe, behold the amazing fcene : 
 Empire and Liberty convene 
 To join their joys and v/ifhes here. 
 While Rome and Hdl confent to fear. 
 
 E 3 XVII, Eternal 
 
 * Prince William. 
 
 K 
 
 ¥ 
 
70 Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 
 
 XVIL 
 
 Eternal God, whofe boiindlefs fway 
 Angels and ftarry worlds obey, 
 Conamand thy choiceft favours down. 
 Where thy own hands have fiix'd the crown, 
 
 XVIIL 
 
 Conne, light divine, and grace unknown^ . 
 Come, aid the labours of the throne : 
 Let Britain's golden ages run^, 
 In circles lading as the fun. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 Bid fome bright legion from the ficy 
 
 AHilt the glad folemnity : 
 
 Ye holts that wait on favorite kings. 
 
 Wave your broad fvvords, and clap your wings, 
 
 XX. 
 
 Then rife, and to your realms convey 
 The glorious tidings of the day : 
 Greac William fhali rejoice to know, 
 That George the ftcond reigns below. 
 
 No. IX. 
 
 Redemption, 
 
 I. 
 
 THE mighty frame of glorious grace. 
 That brighteft monument of praifc 
 Ihate'cr the God of love defjgn'd. 
 Employs and fills my labouring mind. 
 
 II. Begin 
 
. Memoirs of Dr. Watts. ^ 
 
 II. 
 
 Begin, my mufe, the heavenly Tong, 
 A burden for an angel's tongue : 
 "When Gabriel founds ihefe awful things. 
 He tunes and furTimons all his firings, 
 
 III. 
 
 proclaim inimitable love : 
 Jefus the Lord of worlds above, 
 PuLS oiT the beams of bright array. 
 And veils the God in mortal clay^ 
 
 IV. 
 
 What black reproach defil'd his name. 
 When with our fm betook our (hame I 
 The Power whom kneeling angels blelt 
 Is made the hnpious rabble's jeit. 
 
 He that diftributes crowns and thrones. 
 Hangs on a tree and bleeds and groans : 
 The P/ince of Life refigns his breath. 
 The King of Glory bows to death. 
 
 VI. 
 
 But fee the wonders of his power. 
 He triumphs in his dying hour. 
 And v/hilft by Satan's rage he fell^ 
 He dafht the rifing hopes of hell. 
 
 VII. 
 
 Thus v/cre the hofls of death fubdu'd. 
 And fin was drown'd in ye/us' blood 5 
 Then hv? arofe, and reigns above, 
 And conquers finners bv his love, 
 
 E 4 . - No. X. 
 
m 
 
 j2 Memoirs of Dr. Watts^ 
 No. X. 
 
 Complaint and Hope under great Pain, 173^, 
 L 
 
 LORD, I am pain'd ; but I refign 
 To thy fuperior will : 
 'Tis grace, 'tis wifdom all divine. 
 Appoints the pains I feel. 
 
 II. 
 
 Dark are thy ways of Providence, 
 
 While thofe that love thee groan s 
 Thy reafons lie concealed from fenfe, 
 
 Myftcrious and unknown. 
 
 III. 
 
 Yet nature may have leave to fpeak. 
 
 And plead before her God, 
 Left the t^'erburden'd heart Ihould break 
 
 Beneath thy heavy rod. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Will nothing but fuch daily pain 
 
 Secure my foul from hell ? 
 Canft thou not make my health attaiq 
 
 Thy kind ^efigns as well I 
 
 How fhall my tongue proclaim thy grace 
 While thus at home confined ? 
 
 What can I write, while painful ftelh 
 Hangs heavy on the mind ? 
 
 VI. Thefe 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 73 
 
 VI. 
 
 Thefe groans and fighs, and flowing tears, 
 
 Give my poor fpirit eafe, 
 While every groan my Faiher hears, 
 
 And every tear he iees. 
 
 VIL 
 
 Is not fome fmiling hour at hand 
 
 With peace upon it's win^^s ? 
 Give it, O God, thy fwift command, 
 
 With all the joys it brings. 
 
 No. XL 
 "The 'Diamo'nd painted. 
 
 HOW wide and unhappy a mifiake It is 
 when chriflians endeavour to adorn their 
 pure droine worjhip by the mixture of it with 
 ceremonies of human invention. The fymbolicai 
 ordinanances of the gofpel have a noble fimpli- 
 city in them : Their materials are ^u^ater, bread 
 and ^'ine, three of the mofl: neceffary and valu- 
 able things in humai} life ; and their myjlic fenfe 
 is plain, natural and eafy. By ^water we arc 
 cleanfed when we have been defiled ; fo by the 
 grace oi the holy Spirit w^e are purified from fin, |« 
 which pollutes our fouls in the fight of God. 
 By bread we are fed when v/e are hungry, o.nA 
 nouriflied into ftrength for fervice : By wine wc 
 are refreflied and revived when thirfiy and faint- 
 ing; fo from the body of Chrijt which v/as bro- 
 ken as an atoning facrince, and his blood which 
 was poured out for U3, wc deiive cur ipirltu:i! 
 
 hfo 
 
74 Memoirs of Dr. V/atts. 
 
 life and ftrength. The application of thefe fym« 
 bols is moft fimple, and natural alfo : We are 
 commanded to 'wajld with the water, to eat the 
 bread, and to drink the wine : moft proper re-. 
 prefentations of cur participation of thefe bene- 
 fits. 
 
 Thus much of fi2;ures and emblems did the 
 all-wife God think proper to appoint and con- 
 tinue in his church, when he brake the yoke of 
 Jewljh bondage, and aboliihed a multitude of 
 rites and ceremonies of his own ancient appoint- 
 ment. How plain, how natural, how glorious, 
 how divine arc thefe two cmijVian inftitutions, 
 Baptipn and the Lord's Supper, if farvcyed and 
 pradtjfed in their original iimplicity ! but they 
 are debafed by the addition of any fantaftic orna^ 
 ments. 
 
 Vvhat think ye of all the gaudy trappings and 
 golden finery that is mingled with the chrijlian 
 worihip by the imaginations of men in the 
 church of 'Rome ? Are they not like fo many 
 fpots and blemiflies call upon a fair jewel by fome 
 foolifli painter ? Let the colours be never fo 
 fprightly and glowing, and the luftre of the paint 
 never fo rich, yet if you place them on a dia- 
 mond they are fpots and blemilhes ftiik Is not 
 this a juft emblem to reprefent all the gay airs, 
 and rich and glittering accoutr(^ments wherewith 
 the church of Rome hath furrounded her devo- 
 tions and her public religion ? 
 
 The reformers of our worlliip in the church 
 cf E?2gla7id were much of this mind, for they 
 boldly pafs this cenfure on many of the Popijh 
 cercir.onies, that they entered into the church by 
 
 iindifcrect 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Vv'atts, 75 
 
 tindlfcreet devotion and zeal wit hoi: t knowledge : 
 "They blinded the people^ and obfcured the glory of 
 God, and arc worthy to be cut away and clean re^ 
 jeofed : That they did ?no?r confound and darken ^ 
 than declare and Jst forth Chriji's benefits unto nsy 
 cind reduced us again to a ceremonial law, like that 
 of MofeSj and to the bondage of figures and pa-- 
 dows : This is their ientence and judgment con- 
 cerning many of the Ro?nif:) rites, in the preface 
 to the book of common prayer, Happy had it 
 been for Great Britain if they had thought fo 
 concerning all of them, fince they had ail the 
 fame or a worfe original, and they all tend to the 
 fame unhappy end ! However, let others take 
 their liberty of colouring all their jewels w^ith 
 what greens and purples and fcarlets they pleafe ; 
 but for my own part I like a diam.ond beil that 
 }ias no paint upon it. 
 
 'yQ^m>^— 
 
 SECOND 
 
76 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 SECOND APPENDIX. 
 
 'From a Life of Br, Watts, by Samuel Palmer. 
 No. I. 
 
 A?2 authentic Account of Dr. Watts's lajj 
 avowed fentiments concerning the DoBrine of 
 the Trinity, the Deity of Christ , &c, 
 
 ,F all the controverfies which have been 
 agitated in the chriilian church, there is 
 fcarcely any one that has been more conftantly 
 kept up, or condu6led with greater w^armth, or 
 with a more intemperate and unchriftian zeal, 
 than that of the J'rm/ty, or the Divinity of the 
 Son and Spirit of God. It is unneceffary to re- 
 late the different opinions which have been held 
 on thefe fubjedts, or to mention the names of 
 their authors or principal abettors. 
 
 It is well known to moft readers hov/ the 
 Trinitarian controverfy was revived in Dr. IVatts's 
 time, both among the Clergy of the efhabliflied 
 church, and the Diffenting minifters, and to 
 what height matters were carried by the con- 
 tending parties. Some yet living well remem- 
 ber, what it miight be wifhed fliould for ever be 
 forgotten, the animofities which prevailed at the 
 meetinc^s of the London minifters at Walters 
 Ilall^ on the bufmefs of Subfcription to a Teft 
 propofed for afcertaining the orthodoxy of thofe 
 that belonged to that body, with refped to thefe 
 points of dodrine. Many 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Watts. 77 
 
 Many of thofe who had been always under- 
 ilood to beUeve them refufed to fubfcrlbe any 
 Teft whatever, and of this number was Dr. 
 TVattSy who, though he w^as in the main in the 
 orthodox faith, and had written in defence of it, 
 did not choofe to fet his hand to any human for- 
 mularies, which might be the occafion of in- 
 vidious diil:in6tions and unchriftian feparations 
 amono: brethren. 
 
 In this, as well as other difputable matters, 
 the natural mildnefs of his temper, and his en- 
 larged charity, which was the confequence of 
 his impartial in ve {ligation of fo difficult a fub- 
 jedt, led him to adl the part of a moderator. 
 
 In his book entitled Orthodoxy and Charity 
 unltedy he had a view to this dodlrine among 
 others, and inferted an Effay to fhew the room 
 there is for mutual forbearance and candor. 
 
 This moderation which the Dodor profeiied 
 
 and maintained, led fome party-zealots to fup- 
 
 pofe that he had departed from the faith, and 
 
 there were thofe who fcrupled not to call him 
 
 , an Arian . 
 
 \\ The truth of the matter was, that he no more 
 jjdeferved this opprobrious name than thofe who 
 I jftigmatized him with it ; tho' it muft be owned, 
 jthat his manner of conceiving and explaining 
 fome things relating to the Trinitarian dodtrine 
 ivas different from that of the generality of thofe 
 who were called orthodox. 
 
 In the younger part of life he feem.cd to em- 
 3race the dodrine as it had been commonly fla- 
 ed, and had no objedion to the ufual modes of 
 ■xprefiion in relation to it. But, as it was not 
 
 his 
 
y9 Memoirs of Dr. Watts* 
 
 his charad:er to take any thing upon truft, he 
 indulged a freedom of enquiry with refpefl: to 
 this fubjecfl of debate, as well as every other, 
 and the ccnfequence was, he faw reafon to alter 
 his views concerning it. 
 
 With what ferioufnefs and hunriility he con- 
 dud:ed his enquiries, and how earneftly he de- 
 lired to know the truth, appears from a piece 
 found among his manufcripts, entitled ^ Solemn 
 Addrefs to the great and ever-bleffed God, &c. 
 which is printed in the fourth volume of his 
 works, and of which we fhall hereafter give a 
 copy at length. 
 
 It has been confidently aflerted byfome Anti^ 
 trinitarians, that the Dodtor before his death was 
 come over to their party, and that he left fome 
 papers behind him., containing a recantation of 
 his former fentiments, v/hich his executors ; 
 thought it moil prudent to fapprefs. A report 
 of this kind was lately revived, with the men- 
 tion of fome remarkable circumftances in con- 
 firmation of it, in the Monthly Review, of which 
 we iliall take fome diilindt notice hereafter. 
 
 Some zealous patrons of the micft rigid ortho- 
 doxy, unwilling to have fo eminent a divine as 
 Dr. Watts numbered among the apoflates from 
 it, have zealcuily maintained fuch reports as the 
 above to be mere fictions ; others have allowed 
 that he might have expreffed himfelf unguarded- 
 ly, and that he had adopted fome modes of fpeech 
 inconfjftent with his fcrm.er views on the fub- 
 je6l \ but have endeavoured to exculpate him by 
 urging the decay of his faculties, through age 
 and intenfe application to lludy. And others 
 
 have 
 
Memoii^s of Dr. Watts. ^9 
 
 liave allov/ed that he had indeed for a time criven 
 into Anti-trinitarian fentiments, but that before 
 his death he was happily recovered to the right 
 faith. Asa proof of the reality of his conver- 
 llon one Mr. ^oplady^ in a periodical publica- 
 tion, was rafh enough to print a Hymn of the 
 Doclors on the Deity of Chriil:, which he fan- 
 cied bore the evident marks of the infirmities of 
 age. But unhappily for this w^'iter thefe were 
 in reality the infirmities of youth : for this 
 Hymn was actually inferted in the firft edition 
 of the Lyric PoemSy and by the author himfelf 
 left out of the fubiequent ones. This circum.- 
 ftance Dr. Gibbons has particularly mentioned, 
 with a fevere and juft cenfure of Mr. T'oplady^ 
 both for his temerity in publishing this hymn as 
 the production of the author's old age, and alfo 
 for his groundlefs affertions refpedling the decay 
 of his mental faculties. 
 
 Dr. Gibbons however has taken care to avoid 
 faying any thing which might lead to a difcove- 
 ry v/ith reference to any alteratiDU of Dr. Watts'^ 
 fentiments about the Trinity ; which occafioned 
 fome unknown v/riter to addrefs to him a letter 
 in the W'ejhninjler Magazine^ of which it may 
 not be amifs to infert a copy, which is as fol- 
 io Vvs. 
 
 ** Ti? the Rev. Dr, Gibbons. 
 
 *' REV. SIR, 
 
 N"" your *^ Memoirs" of the truly great 
 and excellent Dr. Waits, you certainly did right 
 in attempting to re.flify any miftakes into v/hich 
 
 the 
 
So MexMoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 the Public had been led, concerning him or his 
 writings, by any erroneous accounts iflbed from 
 the pens of ignorant or evil-defigning men. I 
 was glad to find that you had fo well refuted the 
 idle ftories which have been fo generally report- 
 ed and credited concerning the Dodlor's ** lois 
 of his intelledls" in the latter part of his life, and 
 *' his ftrange chimeras of fancy," which a late 
 Biographer (you fay Mr. T^oplady ) hath retailed 
 much to his difadvantage. I was alfo glad that 
 you had expofed a palpable *' miftake" (if not 
 pious fraud) of the fame writer refpecling a po- 
 etical piece of the Dodlor's '' on the Sufferings 
 and Glory of Christ," as one of the lateft of 
 his compofures, p. 313. 
 
 But I am greatly furprifed to find that you 
 have pafled over in total filence a matter of far 
 greater moment than either of thefe, which the 
 fame writer mentions, with equal confidence, in 
 the very fame paper ; and for the fake of which 
 .'ilone this Poem is introduced. *' He tells us, 
 '' that the Dodlor had fallen into erroneous no- 
 tions with refped to the Dodlrine of the Trinity 
 — but that God had mercy upon him before he 
 left the world, and recovered him to the ortho- 
 dox faith -y and as a proof of this he produces 
 the above Hymn, which he fays, ** to the beft 
 of his knowledge, had never before appeared in 
 print, and which feems, from the unfinifiied 
 ibte in which he left it, to have been one of the 
 lail: products of his poetical pen." Give me 
 leave. Sir, to fay, that it appears to me, and oth- 
 ers of your readers, very extraordinary that you 
 lliould have thought it worth your while to ani- 
 madvert 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Watts. 8i 
 
 madvert (and that with fome degree of ieverity) 
 upon a chronological error of fuch fmall ini- 
 portance in itfelf, and to ufe fo many words to 
 latisfy us that the Doctor VvTote this piece in ear- 
 ly life, and to account for its being omitted in 
 the later editions of his Poems ; and yet that you 
 fliould not have faid '' one word" refped:ing *' the 
 grand matter of fact" for the fupport of which 
 this piece is produced, and for which Only the 
 latenefs of its date is afferted. From your total 
 filcncc with regard to the fa6l itfelf, your read- 
 ers, who have fesn Mr. 'Toplady^ account, are 
 not merely left in a ftate of fufpenfe ; but, as 
 you have, by proving the early date of this Po- 
 em, removed his only argument that Dr. Watts 
 was recovered from his iuppofed errors before 
 his (L^ath, you have left us to conclude that he 
 die*: in them : and, moreover, by maintaining 
 '^ the foundnefs of his intellects," vou have de- 
 prived his friends and admirers of a plea Vv^hich 
 has often been '* charitably" urged in his favour. 
 Thus have you left the *^ SabelHans" to triumph, 
 as having the mature judgment, the dying fenti- 
 ments of the learned, the pious, the impartial 
 Watts on their fide ; for his later publications 
 feem moft to favour the ** Sabeliian" fcheme. 
 
 It has been pretty generally reported, that the 
 Doctor left feme papers to be publiflied after his 
 (ieath, containing his kft fentiments on that fub- 
 jed:, which had been the objed: of his laborious 
 and impartial enquiry through a great part of 
 his life j but his executors thought it mod: pru- 
 dent to fupprefs, if not defiroy theni. The 
 Public have a right to aik you. Sir, what was 
 F l]:e 
 
82 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 the real matter of fad ? You juflly obferve, that 
 ** peribns who attempt to communicate to the 
 pubhc the memoirs of deccafed perfcns, ought 
 to make themfelves acquainted with their wri- 
 tings, dates," &c. And furcly thofe who write 
 theHves of eminent Divines, ihould be acquaint- 
 ed with, and ready to communicate, what was 
 moft remarkable concerning their reli^^ious fen- 
 timents, and the refult of their enquiries after 
 TRUTH : an objed, let me fiy, of far greater 
 importance, and more worthy of being known, 
 than the higheft degree of ** poetical" merit. It 
 would not be a mere matter of *' curiofity" to 
 know the laft fentiments of fo great and good a 
 man as Dr. Wctts^ with regard to the Trinity ; 
 but it would have had a very important tenden- 
 cy to affift others in forming their judgment oa 
 fuch a capital article of Chriilian faith. It 
 would Jikewife tend to remove the prejudices, 
 and abate the cenfures, of many againfl thofe 
 who cannot affent to the popular opinions (or 
 rather the popular " phrafeology") to be inform- 
 ed (if indeed it be fo) that even Dr. JVatts him- 
 felf, who had been under ilrong and early pre- 
 judices in their favour, and had written in defence 
 of them, Vv^as obliged at length to give them up. 
 As, on the other hand, if it be true (as Mr. 
 ^oplady affirmis) that though this eminent Di- 
 vine had departed from the Catholic Dodrine 
 ibr a time, he was reclaimed before he died ; the 
 linowledge of it, together with the occafion oi 
 his fall, and the means of his recoveiy, might be 
 inftrumental to cmard others ap-ainll, and recover 
 them from, the fame erroneous opinions. 
 
 '' After 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts, £z 
 
 >> 
 
 *' After all that you have told us concerning 
 your great intimacy w*ith Dr. Watts, and your 
 minute acquaiiitance with the circumftances of 
 his death (even to the appearance of his corpfe 
 in the coffin) it cannot be fuppofed that you 
 /hould be a ftranger to this affair* And give me 
 leave to fay, that candor andjuilice call upon you 
 to declare what you know concerning it, Ycu 
 tell us of the Dodor what is much to his hon- 
 our (p. 136) ** that thofe prime and radical con- 
 ftituents of a truly good charadler, " Truth/* 
 and ^^ Sincerity/' were very confpicuous in him ^ 
 and that you never obferved him, in any of his 
 converfes, in the leaft degree affed: to conceal or 
 difguife any fentimental differences in religion 
 betv/een himfelf and others; but on the other 
 hand, he appeared quite open and free to a de-^ 
 claration of them, whenever an occaiion offered.'^ 
 Why then fliould his Biographer make any le- 
 cret of them ? Your " open and free dsclaiation" 
 refpeding the fubjed of this Letter is eiientially 
 neceifary to your fupporting the charader of 
 which you are juftly ambitious, the difciple and 
 the friend of Dr. Watts 3 which that you may. 
 is the wiili of. 
 
 Rev. Sir, 
 
 Your obedient fervaiit^ 
 
 W M S MS :-7. 
 
 W— M—R, Nov. 7, i7S<5. 
 
 F:^ To 
 
S4 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 To this letter the good Dodor did not think 
 proper to give any anlvver. Nor has he, nor 
 any one ehe, refuted the afiertions above referred 
 to. From hence many will be inclined to give 
 them credit. 
 
 Bat though it is undeniable that Dr. IVatts 
 did not continue in the fame view^s of the fubjedt 
 which he entertained in the early part of his life, 
 there is no decifive evidence that he materially 
 altered his fentiments concerning the Trinitarian 
 dodrine within any iliort fpace of his death, and 
 it is highly improbable that he fliould. Kc had 
 for many years made this point the fubjedt of his 
 laborious and im.partial fludy, and within about 
 two years of his diffolution he publiilied the re- 
 fjlt of his enquiries, from which it is fcarcely 
 credible that he fhould in fo ihort a time have 
 greatly deviated. 
 
 Dr. Watts died Nov. 25, 1748. His book 
 entitled U/cful and Import ant ^.ejiions concerning 
 Jefus Chrijt the Son of God, is dated 1746. And 
 the fame year (moft probably towards the clofe 
 of it) he printed another work, in which he fur- 
 ther illuftrates and defends his opinion concern- 
 ing the perfon of Chrift, entitled ^Ije Glory of 
 Chrijt as God-man difplaycd, 6cc. 
 
 Confidering how many years the Do6lor had 
 made this fubjcd his fludy, how deliberate he 
 w^as in forming his fentiments, and how cautious 
 he was of publiihing them to the world, it feems 
 moft natural to look for his lafl fentiments on 
 this much difputed point in theie two pieces ; 
 avid the rather as the book which was writtea 
 againft him oa the Arian fide by Mr. 7'omki?2s 
 
 (which 
 
Memoirs of Dr. V/atts. 8j 
 
 (which might be thought mod likely to have 
 made him a convert, if he had been one) was 
 printed previous to either of thefe.* 
 
 It is certain thefe pieces contain the lall au- 
 tlicntic account of his fentiments, as avowed by 
 himfdf, and therefore till fome deciiive proof be 
 brought of a fubfequent recantation, the view 
 which thefe bocks give of the matter, might 
 juftly be confidered as Dr. Watts's laft thoughts 
 on the fubjedl of the Trinity. 
 
 From thefe it is abundantly evident that he 
 had not given into the Avian or Socinian hypo- 
 ihcfs, for he exprefles himfelf ftrongly againil 
 bolh, and maintains poiitions inconfiitent with 
 c'th.r. But it muu at the fame time be allowed 
 that be evidently appears to have deviated from 
 \!\\Q moft commonly received opinions, concern- 
 ing the Son and Spirit of God, though he main- 
 tained the true Divinity of both, wliich he did 
 upon fach grounds as he thought beft fecured 
 every thing efiential to the dodlrine and moft ef- 
 fectually obviated the objections of its oppo- 
 nents. 
 
 It is true, fome both among the Orthodox and 
 the Heterodox conndered him as having in thefe 
 publications given up the point ; the former be- 
 caufe he diitered from them in his manner of 
 explaining it, and the latter becaufe he admitted 
 the force of fom.e of their objections to it, and 
 freely gave up what lie thought untenable, and 
 F 3 perhaps 
 
 ^ TIt? title of this work waj, A Sober Appeal to a Turk or cin Indian^ 
 concerning the plain fent'c of fciiptiire rel:^ting to the Frii-iity. Being an 
 Anfwer to Dr. I. W?.ttb's late book cntit!t<l The ChrilViar, l^cfliine cf 
 siie Trinity, &c. alTejted and proved by plain evidence oi Iciipturs v.'i:!;- 
 eut the aid or incutKbrsnce cf ijuroan ichen^es, 
 
S6 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 perhaps efpecially becaufe he excrcifed more 
 candour towards them than the defenders of the 
 Trinitarian dodlrine had ufually done. Bat it is 
 exceedingly ftrange that the friends of orthodoxy 
 fhoiiJd difown a man as a brother, and confider 
 him as an apoftate and an enemy, becaufe he re- 
 prefents things in a manner different from them- 
 felves, and maintains them on different grounds. 
 And it is equally ftrange, at leaft equally unwar- 
 rantable, that the patrons of herefy (as it has 
 commonly been called) fhould infift upon it that 
 a man is on their fide merely becaufe he does 
 not go all the lengths of their opponents, or 
 yields to the force of fome of their objedtions : 
 but more efpecially that they fliould draw fuch an 
 inference from the candour he exercifes to them : 
 but moft of all that they fnould take occafion 
 from the moderation of any one who profeffes 
 himfelf orthodox in the main, to infmuatc any 
 thing to his difadvantage in point of fmcerity. 
 Thus it was with refpedt to Dr. WattSy and 
 thus it has been with refpecl to others of the 
 like moderate principles.* 
 
 It is furpriiing that they who lay fo much 
 ftrefs upon candour, and are fo fevere againft big- 
 otry, fliould themfelves adl fo uncandid a part. 
 Nothing is mere common than for thofe who 
 call themfelves rational^ to condemn tlie bigotry 
 of the orthodox, for their ftrenuous adherence to 
 every iota in the orthodox fyftem, and their want 
 of charity towards thofe who differ, which they 
 ¥/ill jfay might be exercifcd confiftently with the 
 
 iirmeft 
 
 * Dr. Doddridv^s was In this preHiciment. See the nottce he f;;kes sf 
 \l j:i a Letter of which Mr. 0;tC!T has given a copy in his I.Ifc, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 87 
 
 firmed attachment to orthodoxy ; and yet if any 
 of the orthodox fiievv themfelves ready to make 
 fome abatements, and appear to exercife candour 
 towards thofe of different fentiments, thefe gen- 
 tlemen will have it that they mufl, in their 
 hearts, be on their fide, and impeach their nn- 
 cerity in not joining their party ; Vv'hich they are 
 v/iliing to attribute to a fordid attachment to 
 their fecular intercft, or to any thing rather than 
 to a real moderation in principle^ of which bigots 
 on both ndes feem to deny the exigence. 
 
 Whether there be \\\ renhty fiich a moderation, 
 by which hox}AOrthodoxy and Charity may be main- 
 tained,* and what that is, may poiTibly appear 
 from a reprcfentation of Dr. Watts's fentiments 
 as contained in his two kift publications now 
 mentioned; which through the intemperate 
 zeal of oppofite parties feem not to have met 
 with the attention they defcrved, and to be now 
 but little known. 
 
 The Preface to the firft of the above pieces 
 we fliall here tranfcribe at length. It is as fol- 
 lows. *^ It cannot be of much importance for 
 the reader to be informed who was the writer of 
 thefe papers : yet if it will be any fatisfadlion, 
 the author himfelf prefumes to fay, It is one Vvho 
 has fpent many years of his life in diligent en- 
 quiries into the ficred dodtrines of the gofpel, 
 by a conftant and laborious fearch of the holy 
 fcriptures ^ nor is he afliamcd to add, v/ith con- 
 tinual application to the God of all liglit and 
 grace for the inflruv^Lion of his Holy Spirit, that 
 he might better underftand the things difccvered 
 " F4 in 
 
 * Sec £ 1":?? abl? pe!fu:Tn?.nce, entitled ?rim\u-JS Candour, kc» 
 
88 Memoirs of Dr, Watts, 
 
 in his v/ord. He alfo takes the freedom to fay 
 thefe papers are the produ(5t of that part of his 
 ]ife when Jsis poivos of mind and body were in full 
 vigour. -f The author has fometimes been ready 
 to fuppofe, that ieveral of the Queftions here 
 propofcd may be very ufeful towards the further 
 explaining fome of thofe parts of fcripture which 
 have been lefs ftudied, efpecially concerning God 
 the Father^ and the Divine and human natures 
 of his Son fefiis Chrify whom to know, totruit 
 in, and to love, is eternal hfe : and he thinks 
 he can fafely appeal to God concerning the hon- 
 efty and fmcerity of his own endeavours, to give 
 a faithful anfwer to all thefe enquiries, according 
 to the cleared light he could find in the holy 
 fcriptures. 
 
 '^ He has one favour to beg of his readers, and 
 that is, that they Vv^ould not examine any of thefe 
 papers by the mere dictates of their own reafon- 
 ing powers, for the fubjed is a mere m.atter of 
 divine revelation ^ nor that they would take the \ 
 fentiments or fchemes of elder or later wTitcrs, ^ 
 whether Schoolm.en or Fathers, or Divines of 
 any party, for a perfedl tefl: of truth and ortho- 
 doxy in thefe facred fubjedts. 
 
 *' Yet hefi-eelyand delightfully confelTes thefe 
 following articles borrowed from the Athafiafian 
 Greedy viz. '^ We believe and confefs the Lord 
 •' Jefus Chriil: the Son of Gqd is both God and 
 ^* Man ; God of the fame fubftance with the 
 ^' Father, a Man of the fubftance of his mother. 
 
 , i: This is 3 fufficiont rnpA'cr to thofe vjIio wotiM exculpate the Dofior 
 for his dt;7!ation from the beaien track by uraing the decay of his facu!- 
 iissv 
 
• Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 89 
 
 *^ horn into ths world, perfect God and pcrfedc 
 ^' Man ; of a reafonabie foul, and human fiefh 
 *' fublifting together : Equal to the Father as 
 ^^ touching his Godhead, and yet inferior to the 
 ** Father, as touching his manhood : One, not 
 *' by converfion of the Godhead into the flein, 
 *^ but by taking of the manhood into GoD,y3 as 
 *^ to become one per fonal agent or one perfon : and 
 *' as the reafonabie foul and fiefii is one man, fo 
 *^ God and man are one Chrifl, who fuffered 
 ^^ for our falvation," &;c. 
 
 *' Though I freely and cheerfully acknow- 
 ledge all this, yet I take no human writings for 
 a teft cf the divinity or truth of my opinions : 
 And I could wi(l:i all my readers would lay afide 
 all other teachers, behdes the mere writers of 
 the holy fcriptures, in fuch enquiries, where the 
 light of thefe divine truths will alfo fl:iine bright- 
 eft, which are not to be known by the mere 
 light of nature, but are entirely to be learned by; 
 the revelation of God to his Son Jefjs ChriU, 
 and to his holy apoftles. 
 
 *^ And if this practice be fmcerely purfued, the 
 author humbly hopes thefe papers may find ac- 
 ceptance among the diligent and honeft enquir- 
 ers after truth, fo far at lea ft as to have his \v:i- 
 w^illing miftakes pitied and forgiven, and his 
 fmcere endeavours accepted, to make known the 
 fcriptures to hisfdlovz-chriftians in thofe import- 
 ant articles that relate to God the Father and his 
 6':;z jcfusChriJ} our Lordy v/hich are of fom.ucli 
 importance toward our faivation. 
 
 '' Yet finally to avoid all objections and dan- 
 gers of miitdke, I think it may be proper here 
 
 to 
 
90 Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 
 
 to take notice, that there have been generally two. 
 v/ays amon^: our Prot'idarit Divines allov^ed to 
 explain the Filiation or SonHiip of our Lord Je- 
 fus Chrift, in his Divine nature ; the one is, the, 
 real and fupernatura], vv^hich is granted to be ut- 
 terly incomprehennble, relating chiefly to the 
 -nature of the Father and the Son ; the other is 
 fcriptural and ceconomica!, relating chiefly to 
 their charaofers or qfjices in our falvation, which 
 is more eaf/ to be underftood. 
 
 *^ I mull: acknowledge I incline inoft to the 
 jecondy becaufe this allows the moil perfe6t equa- 
 lity, even Onenefs or Samenefs in the Godhead, 
 whether applied to the Father or the Sony and 
 thus it maintains the true Godliead itfelf to be 
 underived and felf-exiflent in both ^ and upon 
 this fuppcfition I believe the fccond of thefe 
 writers have been alvv^ays efteemed perfedly found 
 and orthodox as well as the firil/' 
 ^ In this preface, as there are the ftriking evi- 
 dences of the greatefl: humihty and candour,^ as 
 well as the moft ardent love of truth, fo the 
 intelligent reader, who is at all verfed in the Tri- 
 nitarian controverfy, Vv^ill eafily perceive that Dr» 
 Watts difiered from the iienerality of the ortho- 
 dox, who maintain '' that Chrift as God was 
 '* the Son of the Father, derived from him or 
 ^^ begotten by liim, and therefore really a dif- 
 '' tind perfon, or agent from the Father, but nev- 
 *' erthelefs equal to him in all Derfc*fl:ions ;" and 
 that his idea of the Divinity of Chrifl: was, ** that 
 the Godhead y the 'Deity itfcif, perfonally dijlinguijl:- 
 ed as the Fat i-i e r . ^was united to the man Chrifi 
 JrfiiSy ill confefnence of lohicb union y cr indwelling 
 
Memoirs of Dr. V/atts. 91 
 
 of the Godhead, he became properly Gody"^ kvA 
 it is evident from the lequel of this performance, 
 and from a fiibfequent publication, he conceived 
 this union to have fublifted before the Saviour's 
 appearance in the flefli, and that the kiman foul 
 of Chrtji exifted with the Father from before the 
 foundation of the world ; on which ground he 
 maintains the real defcent of Chrift from heaven 
 to earth, and the whole fcene of his humihation, 
 Vv^hich he thought incompatible with the com- 
 mon opinion concerning him. 
 
 As to the Holy Spirit the Dodor feems not to 
 have held the common notion of his real perfon- 
 ality, as diitind from the Father, fuppofmg it 
 to m.ean the divine power or influence, or Gob 
 himfelf as exerting his influence. But we have 
 now particularly to do with the perfon of Chrift , 
 which is the principal fubjed of the publications 
 now under confideration. 
 
 It is no part of our defign to condemn or con- 
 firm the Do<flor's opinions on this point, but 
 merely to reprefent them, and ihew wherein they 
 differed from the generality of other orthodox di- 
 vines, and to give a brief view of the ar2;uments 
 by which he fjpported them. 
 
 In his Important ^eftions corxerning Jefus 
 the Son of God, the Firji which he propoies is 
 this—'' What is the true meaning of the Name 
 ** Son of God, given to Chriil: in the New Tefta- 
 ^' mcnt ; and cfpecially where the belief of it is 
 ** made necelTarv to falvation?" 
 
 Ill 
 
 * ur. DoddriJge lecms to have heM the fante ftntlmert'^, which w-re 
 lately reviveu in a cansrovetTv occali M.ed by*3 pub!ic4Ucn oi ths late Mr. 
 Benjamin Fw.vcett, iuuticJ Cm*MJ lU '.,7L;is, cic. 
 
gi Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 In § L he mentions the various fenfes giver^ 
 to this term by different writers, and obfeives, 
 that the firil of them is patronized by rr.any, viz, 
 '* that it includes an eternal unconceivable gene-. 
 ** ration of the perfon of the Son by the perfoa 
 *' of the Father, in the famcnefs of the Divine 
 " effence, confubftantial, coequal, and coeternal 
 '' with the Father." 
 
 * But I am perfuaded (fays he) this can never 
 
 * be the fenfe of this name in thofe feveral texts 
 
 * before cited [where believing in the Son of 
 
 * God is faid to be necefiary to falvation] for 
 ' (i) If this be never fo true, yet it is confeiled 
 
 * to be unconceivable : and I do not think t;hq 
 ^ gracious God would put fuch a diiTicult tefl; 
 ^ upon the faith of young difciplcs, poor illiter- 
 ^ ate men and women. — (2) Nor is this clearly 
 ^ enough revealed for us to make it a fundamen- 
 
 * tal article in any age, and to damn all who dq 
 
 * net receive it. — (3) There have been fome pi- 
 
 * ous and learned men in feveral ages, who have 
 
 * acknowledged Chrifl's true Godhead, and yet 
 
 * have fuppofed that the Sonfliip of Chrift re- 
 
 * ferred rather to his human naturey or to his office 
 
 * of Mtiljiahy than to fuch an eternal generation. 
 ' There are fome fuch in our aee, and I will 
 
 * never pronounce an anathema upon thern.' 
 
 After having mentioned feveral other fenfes 
 in which the term Son of God h ufcd in fcrip- 
 ture, he fpeaks of this lafb, as v/bat he believes 
 to be its moll common acceptation, (p. 16) 
 efpecially' where the belief of it is made neceffary 
 to falvation. Having in § 2, urged feveral ar- 
 guments to confirm tliis fenfe, he Hates fome ob- 
 
 jedions 
 
Memoirs of Dr. \¥atts. 93 
 
 l^'flions § 1, and produces vr.rious paflages from 
 Icriptare in which * Chrift is called the Son 0/ 
 ^ God, and God is faid to be his Father, wherein 
 
 * we cannot luppole the Godhead of Chrift is or 
 
 * can be deiigned, v. g. 
 
 * John V. 18, 19. When the Jews had mads 
 
 * a ftrange inference, and charged Chrift with 
 
 * making himfelf equal to God, becaufc he cail- 
 ^ cd God his Father, he anfvvercd. Verily icrily 
 
 * I Jay unto you, the Son can do nothing nf hmifeif\ 
 
 * but IV hat he feeth the Father do, &c. This is 
 
 * not an exDrefiion w^hich reprefents the Son as 
 ^ the true and eternal God, or that erants their 
 
 * inference ; for it is plain that this expreffion 
 
 * reprefents him under a degree of impotence and 
 
 * dependence 5 that he could do nothing of himfelf . 
 ^ Nay this coatradidls their inference, and denies 
 'his equality with God rather than confirms or 
 
 * allows it. The fenfe of this expreflion may be 
 
 * learned from fohn viii. 38. Though there are 
 
 * Ibme cxpreilions in that paragraph to (ver. 30.) 
 
 * which feem fuperior to the charader of any 
 ^ mere creature, and which would hardly have 
 
 * been applied to Chrift the man, if not united 
 
 * to Godhead, yet Chrift confidered as the Son of 
 
 * God is throughout reprefented as dependent 
 ' on the Father for all, and receiving all from 
 
 * the Father, which is hardly confiftent with the 
 
 * idea of fupreme Godhead, if that v/ere included 
 *■ in Sonfliip. 
 
 * fohn V. 30. / can of my f elf do nothing, I 
 \feek not mine own will, (vi. -^8.^ I came do-ivn 
 ^ from heaven ?iot to do ?nine oivn will hut the will 
 
 * of hitv that fent me. This dees not found like 
 
 ' the 
 
94 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 * the Irtiigiiage of Godhead, which is fupreme and 
 
 * independent, and can do all things of itfelf, and 
 
 * by its own will. Ch. xiv. 28. My Father is 
 
 * greater than /. ver. 3 1 . ^j- the Father gave 
 
 * me commandment evenfo I do. Ch. xvii. 5. Fa-- 
 tf ^^^^ glorify nie, &cq. Mark xiii. 32. Of that 
 
 * day and hour knoweth — not the Son, hut the 
 
 * Father^ &c. &c. All this implies inferiority 
 ' and dependence, i. Cor. xv. 38. Then f/:a!l 
 
 * the Son alfo himfef be fuhje5i to him, that God 
 
 * may be all in alL This is a charadler of too 
 
 * much inferiority for Godhead. The argument 
 
 * flands thus : If the Son of God be true God, 
 
 * confidered as a Son, then he is originally and 
 
 * necelTarily Lord of all, and it muft be faid it is 
 
 * by his own voluntary condefcenfion that he is 
 ^ fo far depreiTed and humbled by the oeconomy 
 
 * as to become the Father's deputy and vicege- 
 
 * rent, and when that ceconomy ceafes, he is of 
 
 * courfe exalted to his equality with the Father, 
 
 * and to his eflential and natural Lordfliip over all. 
 
 * But the reprefentation of St. Paulh juflthecon- 
 
 * trary. In many parts of his writings, particularly 
 
 * Phil. ii. he fhews that the Son of God is not 
 
 * depreffcd but exalted by the ceconomy to the 
 ^ kingdom. And he tells us in this text that 
 ^ when the Son gives up this ceconomical king- 
 
 * dom, he comes again into fubjedlion : then (}:) all 
 ^' the Son himfelf be fubjeB to the Father ; which 
 
 * plainly fhews that, confidered as a Son, he is 
 
 * naturally fubje6l to the Father, and that at the 
 ' end of this ceconomical exaltation he fhall re- 
 
 * turn to his natural fubjedtion and ihall be fo 
 
 * for ever, when God appears all in all. 
 
 ^ This 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 95 
 
 * This text will not prove that Chrift is not 
 ^ God, for he is fo by personal union to 
 
 * the divine nature : he is GoJ manijejt in thefiejh. 
 ^ He is God and man in one complex perfon. 
 ' But this text, I think, does prove that his 5^?;^- 
 
 * Chip doth not include Godhead, In this ai^d 
 
 * many other texts his Sonfliip maybe better re- 
 
 * ferred to his inferior nature, or to his office?. 
 
 * And this will free us from thofe embarraiT-- 
 
 * ments to which we have been driven, to keep 
 
 * up the fublime idea of Godhead in tbefe fcrip- 
 ' tures which call him a Son, and at the fimc 
 
 * time carry fo much of dependence and infer!- 
 
 * ority in them/ 
 
 The Doiior's Third queilion (which leads to 
 the difcovery of his opinion concerning the pre- 
 exiflence of the human foul of Chrifl) is this, 
 *' Could the Son of God properly enter into a 
 ** Covenant with his Father, to do and fuffer 
 *^ what was neceffary to our redem.ption, with- 
 ^* out a human foul ?'' 
 
 * It is granted (fays he) that the generality of 
 ^ our chriftian writers believe that it was only 
 
 * the divine nature or Godheod of Chrift which 
 ' had an exiflence before he v;as conceived of "Caz 
 
 * Virgin Mary^ and became incarnate ; yet when- 
 
 * foever they v/ould reprefent the exceeding great 
 
 * love of the Father in fendins: his Son into our 
 
 * world, that he might falFer and die for us, and 
 
 * defcribe the tranfcendent love of Chrifr, in 
 
 * coming into the world and fubmitting to death 
 
 * for our fakes, they ufaally reprefent it in fiich 
 
 * lan.^uare as can never a^ree with his Di'vine 
 
 * naiurt\ in any propriety of fpeech, but only to 
 
 'the 
 
gb MjiMoiRs OF Dr. Watts* 
 
 * the prc-exiilent human foul of Chrifr, with 
 
 * its defcent into fleui and blood, and the fuffer- 
 
 * ings of this human foul for us. And it is evi- 
 
 * dent that the fcripture itfelf leads them plain- 
 ^ ly to fuch a reprefentation of things — fo that 
 
 * they are led by the force of truth into fuch ex- 
 
 * preffions as are hardly conliflent with their 
 
 * own profeiled opinions/ He here quotes fome 
 pafiageG from Mr. Fkivel and others, which 
 fpeak of the abafement of Chriil, and the hu- 
 miliating change which he palled through, which 
 are totally inapplicable to Godhead. 
 
 * Nov/ if we fuppofe (fays he) the human foul 
 
 * of Chrifl to have a pre-exiftent ftate of joy and 
 "' glory with the Father before the w^orld was 
 
 * created, thefe expreiiions are great and noble, 
 ^arejufland true, and have a happy propriety 
 
 * in them to fet forth the tranfcendent love of 
 ^ the Father in fending his Son, and of the Son 
 ^ of God in coming from heaven and leaving the 
 ^ joys and glories of his Father's immediate pre- 
 ^ fence, to take on him flefli and blood, and fuf- 
 ' fer iliaaie, forrovr, pain, angui fn of fie ill and 
 
 * fpirit, (liarp agonies and the pangs of death. 
 
 * And this love is exceedingly enhanced w^iile 
 
 * vve confider that this human foul of Chrift 
 
 * v/as perfonally united to the divine nature, fo 
 ^ that hereby God himfeif becomes manifeiled 
 ^ in the tlelh. 
 
 ^ But on the other hand, if we fuppofe noth- 
 
 * ing but the pure dhvie nature of Clirifc to exift 
 ^ before his incarnation, then all thefe expreiiions 
 
 * fcem to have very little juflice or propriety in 
 
 * them : for the divine nature of Chrifi: (how 
 
 ^ diftina 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 97 
 
 dij[l:in<fl foever it is fuppofed to be from God 
 the Father) yet can never leave the Father's 
 bofom, can never diveft itfelf of any one joy or 
 felicity that it was ever poffeffed of ; nor could 
 God the Father ever difmifs the divine nature 
 of his Son from his bofom. Godhead muft 
 have eternal and complete beatitude and glory, 
 and can never be difpoffeiTed of it. Godhead 
 can fuflain no real forrow or fufferings. — Nei- 
 ther could the hun:ian nature leave the bofom 
 of the Father if it had no prior exiftence.— 
 But now if we conceive the foul of Chrift, in 
 its pre-exiftent ftate, as the firfl borm cf evejy 
 creature y to come forth from the Father end 
 come into the world (John xvi. 28.) to part 
 with the glories and joys it poiTeffcd, to dwell 
 in a feeble maniion of flefli, of pain and forrow, 
 and fuflain the pangs of a curfed death, &c. 
 this is amazing love indeed ; this has a farpri- 
 fing and fenfible reality in it, and fliould av/ak- 
 en all the powers of our fouls to admire and 
 adore both God the Father for fending him, 
 and his Son for confenting to fjch abafement. 
 ^ There is another and a very remarkable in- 
 ftance, wherein our Proteitant divines, in a 
 very juft and afreding manner reprefent the 
 Covenant of Redemption, between the 
 Father and the Son, according to fcripture, 
 upon the fuppofition of the pre-exiftence of 
 Chrift's human foul : But according to the 
 com.mon or fcholaftic explication of the doc- 
 trine of Perfons in the Trinity, wx can have 
 no ideas under all their glorious and affe^ftion^ 
 ate reprefentations of this tranfadlion. 
 
 ' G <The 
 
cjS Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 * The common or fcholaftic explication of 
 
 * the Trinity, which has been long and univer- 
 ^ lally received and been called orthodox, is, 
 
 * That God is but one limple, infinite and eter- 
 
 * nal Spirit : Hence it follows, that the divine 
 
 * effence, powers, and effential properties of the 
 
 * Father, the Son, and the Spirit in the God- 
 
 * head are numerically the very fame. That it 
 
 * is the fame numerical confcioufnefs, under- 
 
 * {landing, v/ill and power, which belongs to 
 
 * the Father, that alfo belongs to the Son, and 
 
 * to the Holy Spirit : and that the facred three 
 ' are diilinguiflied only by the fuperadded rela- 
 
 * tive properties of paternity, filiation and pre- 
 
 * cefiion ; but their thoughts, ideas, volitions 
 
 * and agencies, according to this hypothefis, mull 
 
 * be the very lame numerical thoughts, &c. in 
 
 * all the three/ 
 
 The Dodtor then proceeds to give an extradt 
 from a fermon of Mr. F Lively w^hich he highly 
 approves, relating to the Covenant of Redemp- 
 tion, in which he reprefents ** the perfons tranf- 
 ** adin^ with each other : the bufinefs tranfa6l- 
 *^ ed ; the quality of the tranfidtion as foederal; 
 ** the Father promifing to fupport and rev/ard 
 *' the Son^ the Son promifing to obey the Fa- 
 *^ ther's call to fuffer, &c. and the articles to 
 *' which they agree, &c. Sec/' He further ob- 
 ferves, that the author reprefents this tranfadion 
 in a way of Dialogue^ and then remarks thus : 
 
 * In reading fuch accounts of ftipulations and 
 '^ contradl between the Father and the Son, be- 
 
 * fore the foundation of the world, what proper 
 
 * conceptions can we frame, or what clear ideas 
 
 * can 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 99 
 
 * can we poffibly have, while v/e fuppofe nothing 
 
 * but Chrift's divine nature tranfading this at- 
 ' fair with the Father, and while we believe the 
 
 * divine effence, perfedions, and powers, the 
 
 * underftanding, will, thought, and confciouf-- 
 
 * nefs of the Father and the Son^ to be numeri- 
 ' cally one and the fame ? fince in the Godhead 
 
 * they are but one and the fame infinite fpirit ? The 
 
 * mere perfonalities, paternity and filiation, can- 
 
 * not confult and tranfadl in a way of contrad:, 
 
 * propofal and confent : [which can only be 
 
 * done by] two diftind: confcioufneffes and wills, 
 
 * Further, one of thefc beings or perfons cov- 
 
 * enanting, feems to be inferior to the other, and 
 
 * to be capable of receiving orders, commiflion, 
 
 * fupport and recompenfe from the other : But 
 
 * if only the Deity of Chrift exifted, and his De- 
 
 * ity and the Father's have but one numerical 
 
 * confcioufnefs and volition, one power and glo- 
 
 * ry, what need of orders and commiffions, or of 
 
 * promifes of fupport and recompenfe ? How 
 
 * can pure Godhead be fupportcd or recompen- 
 
 * fed ? — What poffible difference can we con- 
 
 * ceive between the love of the Father in fendin.^ 
 
 * the Son, and the love of the Son in conlent- 
 
 * ing — And hov/ doth this abate our grand ideas 
 
 * of the diflind and condefcending love of our 
 
 * bleffed Saviour, in his confent to this covenant, 
 
 * fince that part of him which really fuffered, 
 
 * i. e. his inferior nature, had then no exiftence? 
 
 * But on the other hand, if we give ourfelves 
 
 * leave to conceive of the humtin foul of Chrift 
 
 * in its pre-exiftent ftatc, as the -sr/jiJIcToxof, thejirji 
 ^ form of every creature (Col. i, 15. Rev. iii. 14.) 
 
 G 2 * and 
 
loo Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 * and intimately united to the eternal God^ then 
 
 * here are proper fubjeds for thefe federal tranf- 
 
 * actions, and a moft glorious and divine cove- 
 
 * nant it was, between the Father and the Son, 
 
 * for the falvation of poor ruined man. — Thus 
 ^ Chrift, when he came forth from the Father 
 
 * and came into the world , really laid afide that 
 
 * glory which he had with the Father before the 
 
 * world was, and though he was rich, yet for our 
 ^ fakes became poor. — Every thing coincides ad- 
 ' mirably well in this fcheme, and anfwers the 
 
 * various expreflions of fcripture on this fubied^, 
 
 * without llraining the words by needlefs tropes 
 
 * and figures : It becomes fo plain that he that 
 ^ runs may read, and every private chrifcian may 
 
 * underftand thefe early grounds and foundations 
 ^ of his hope.' 
 
 The Fourth ^lejlion w^hich the Docflor pro- 
 pofcs is this : ''Is the Godhead of Chrift, and 
 " the Godhead of the Father, one and the 
 *' fame ?" ^* 
 
 He anfwers in the affirmative, and proves it 
 by the following arguments. * (i-) If the di- 
 
 * vine nature of Chrift be another diftin(!^ prin- 
 
 * ciple of felf-confcioufncfs and volition, another 
 
 * diftind: ipiritual being, or another fpirit, this 
 
 * approaches \h near the doctrine of another 
 
 * God, that it is very hard to diftinguifh it. For 
 
 * fo far as our ideas of arithmetic and reafon can 
 
 * reach, this fv::enis to be a plain truth, — If one 
 
 * infinite fpirit be one God, two or three infinite 
 ^ fpirits muft be two or three Gods, (2.) TJie 
 
 ' God 
 
 • Or, irs otlTir wor<U, ts (be Deity of Chrift, or the being to wham 
 the humanity of Chiift x\ linucd, GU ihe lather ? 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. ioi 
 
 * God of Abraham, Ifaae and Jacob, the God 
 *^ of Ifcel, the Almighty, Jehovah, is the pro- 
 
 * per ilyle and title by which God the Father 
 
 * was known under the Old Teftam.ent, and un- 
 
 * der thefe he often appeared to the Patriarchs ; 
 
 * yet it is agreed by all Trinitarians, that it was 
 ' Jefus Chriil: that appeared to them andaffumed 
 
 * thefe titles. (3.) Several paffages of the Old 
 
 * Teftament cited by the writers of the Nev/ 
 ' Teftament, and applied to Chrift, do evidently 
 ' refer to the great one God, the God of Ifrael, 
 
 * whom all before the days of Chrift muft fup- 
 
 * pofe to mean God the Father of all — Thefe 
 ^ texts are properly applied to Chrift, if we fup- 
 
 * pofe the Godhead of the Father and of Chrift 
 
 * to be the fame, and that the Man Christ 
 'Jesus was the SHEKINAHor HABITA- 
 * TioN OF the great GOD, intimately and 
 
 * perfonally united to him. In this fenie Chrift 
 
 * was Kmmamiel^ or GOD "with us, — But the 
 
 * application of thefe texts to Chrift will fcarcely 
 
 * prove the Godhead of Chrift, unlefs it be the 
 ^ fame with that of the Father. (4.) Vv^hea 
 
 * Chrift expreftes his own Godhead, it is by de- 
 
 * daring his cnenefs vnth the FATHER. / and 
 ' the FATHER */zrc' one, lie that hath feen me 
 ' hath feen the FATHER. / am in the FA- 
 ' THER, and the FATHER in me, Tbe FA-^ 
 ' THER IN ME doth the ^ork. It is not rea^ 
 
 * fonable to fa p pofe he would have always ufed 
 ' thete modes of fpeaking, if he himfelf had an- 
 ' other Godhead [or if he as man had been uni- 
 ' ted to a fecond perfon in the Godhead and not 
 ' to the FATHE'R. I ^ r.\ On this ftippofitioii 
 
 G : ' ' ^ I 
 
102 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 ? I do not fee how the Trinitarians can folve the 
 
 * difficulties which arife from thofe fcriptures 
 
 * where God the Father is rcprefented as the 
 
 * o?7fy true Gody and under that idea dillinguiflied 
 
 * from Jefus Chrift. 'John xvii. 3. i Cor. viii. 
 
 * 6. Eph. iv. 5, 6. IfaiahxYiv. 6, 8. xlv. 21, 
 
 * 22. (6.) When our Saviour foretold that his 
 
 * difciples fhould leave him alone, he adds, (John 
 
 * xvi. 32.) And yet I am not alone ^ becaufe THE 
 ' FATHER is with me. If his Godhead had 
 
 * been diftindl from that of the Father, he need- 
 
 * ed not the prefence of the Father for his fup- 
 
 * port ; his own Godhead would have been luffi-» 
 ^ cient. 
 
 * On the whole, whatever unknown diilinc-^ 
 
 * tions there may be in the divine nature, to lay 
 
 * a foundation for God's difcovery of himfelf 
 
 * under three perfonal characters, as the Father, 
 ^ the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, yet the God- 
 « head of the Father feems to be the fame one 
 
 * infinite and eternal Spirit, which under fome 
 < peculiar diftindion or relation, is united to the 
 
 * Man Chrift Jefus ; and hereby Jefus becomes 
 
 * one with God, &c. By this means the great 
 
 * and fundamental article of all religion, the 
 
 * UNITY of the true God is maintained invio- 
 
 * lable, and thus we moft effeClually preclude all 
 
 * the objedlions and cavils of the Jlrian and aS*^- 
 
 * cinian writers againft the dodrine of the blef- 
 
 * fed Trinity, and the Deity of Chrift, as though 
 
 * this doctrine introduced more Gods than one. 
 
 * For if we fuppofe the Man Jefus Chrift, in his 
 
 * foul and body, to be both an intelledual and cor- 
 \ poreal SHEKINAH, or habitation of the one 
 
 ' ' God, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. V/atts. 103 
 
 * Gqd, the God of Ifrael, we may juftly call 
 
 * Jefus Chrift God manifejl in the fleili ; a man 
 "^ in whom divells all the fulnefs of the Godhead 
 
 * bodily ; a man oj the feed of David, and yet God 
 ' over all hleffed for ever. Nor is there io much 
 
 * as the fhadow of our owning two or three 
 
 * Gods, which has been too often, with feme 
 ^ appearance of reafon, charged upon fome other 
 
 * modes of explaining this facrcd doctrine/ 
 
 From thefe extracts from Dr. JFatt/s own 
 writings, it is plain to every intelligent reader, 
 what his fentiments concerning the Deity of 
 Chrift were. It is evident that he did not give 
 into Arianifniy which makes Chrift to be another 
 and inferior God, diflincfl from the fapreme, 
 nor into Socinianifm, which denies the pre-exift- 
 cncc oi the Son of God. At the fame time it is 
 equally evident, that he had departed from what 
 are generally called the orthodox fentiments ; or 
 rather, perhaps it fhould be faid, from the com- 
 mon /^/^/j/^cT of explaining them ; by which how- 
 ever, he himfelf at leaft thought he maintained 
 genuine orthodoxy to the beft advantage. 
 
 This iirft publication clofes with An Essay 
 on the Importance oJ any human Schemes to ex- 
 plain the facred DoEtrine of the I'rinity, fiiewing, 
 - I. That no fuch fcheme of explication is ne- 
 ^ ceffary to falvation. IL That it may yet be 
 ^ of great ufe to the Chriitian Church. III. But 
 
 * all fuch explications ought to be propofed with 
 ' modeftv to the world, and never impofed on 
 
 * the confcience.* 
 
 At the end of this efiay are the follovv-ing re- 
 marks, which are lubmitted to the reader's im- 
 partial reflections, G4 ' -Theft 
 
I04 Memoirs of Dr. Watts 
 
 ■Thefe accidental inconveniences [arifing 
 
 ? from religious controvcrfies] are not a fufficient 
 
 * reafon for our fupine and perpetual content- 
 
 * ment with confufed fentiments and unintelli- 
 
 * gible fpeeches about the modus of facred truths, 
 
 * if clearer ideas are any way attainable. There 
 
 * are juft and ftrong motives that may excite us 
 
 * to fearch into the deep things of God, and to 
 
 * propofe our improvements in knowledge to the 
 
 * world and the church, though there are no 
 
 * reafons fufficient to impel us to impofe our im- 
 
 * proved notions on others, or to raife conten- 
 
 * tions and quarrels on the account of them. 
 
 * All our illuflrations or clearer conception of 
 
 * this fublime dodlrine, which God may have 
 
 * favoured us with, fhovild be propofed with 
 
 * great modeftv, with a humble knk of our fallible 
 
 * natures, — and with a zealous care to maintain 
 
 * all thoic practical regards to the Holy Trinity, 
 
 * which arc of fo much greater importance. 
 
 * And if it be unreafonable to diftate to our fel- 
 ^ low chriftians on thefe myfterious points, how 
 
 * much more culpable is it to eftabliili any fpecial 
 ^ form of human explication of this facred doc- 
 
 * trine, as a I'efl of Orthodoxy and Chrijiianity ! 
 ' and to forbid any the bleffings of fpecial com- 
 
 * municn in the gofpel, unlefs they teftify their 
 ^ aiTent to fuch a particular hypothefis, or fchemc 
 
 * of explication, which the impofers confefs to 
 
 * be human, and yet impofe it in their own pre- 
 f fcribed form of words. 
 
 * The perfons who are guilty of this uncha- 
 f ritable pradice, may confecrate their impoii- 
 f tions and excommunications with holy names, 
 
 ^ and 
 
Memoirs of Dr. V/atts. 105 
 
 * and call them pure Zeal for the Divinity of 
 
 * Chriji y but I fufpea it will be found in the 
 ' great day to deferve no better a character than 
 
 * a miftaken zeal for the honor of Chrifl, min- 
 
 * gled perhaps with zeal for the Divinity of their 
 
 * own notions, which they had incorporated with 
 "■ the plain and exprefs revelations of the God- 
 
 * headof Jefus Chrift our Lord. He that makes 
 
 * a private and particular explication of any doc- 
 
 * trine which is dark and doubtful in itfelf, and 
 *■ not clearly revealed in fcripture, as neceffary as 
 
 * the dodlrine itfelf, which is plain and clearly 
 
 * revealed, puts the matter oi faith and opinion on 
 
 * the fame foot, and intrudes too much upon the 
 
 * authority and kingdom of our Lord Jefus iri 
 
 * his church/ 
 
 — •>Q^m>QX' 
 
 I T was intended to have fubjoined an abftrad: 
 of Dr. Watts ^ fubfequent work on the fame fub- 
 jed:, which appears to have been the laft of his 
 publications, though the different parts of it 
 were drawn up at different times, and mofl of 
 it many years before it cam.e abroad. But as it 
 was feared this would fwell the pre fen t publica- 
 tion to an inconvenient fize, this deiign is laid 
 afide, and it fhall faffice to give a brief account 
 of the contents, v/ith a few extracls. 
 
 It is entitled, The Glory of Chrifi as GOD- 
 MAN difplayed in Three Dijcourjes. The P/y- 
 face contains a very modeft account of the au- 
 thor's delign, and befpeaks the candour and im- 
 partiality of the reader. The Contents are as 
 follows. 
 
 ' Disc. 
 
io6 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 * Disc. I. A Survey of the vifible Appearand 
 
 * ces of Chrift as God before his Incarnation. 
 
 * Disc. II. An Enquiry into the extenlive 
 
 * Powers of the human Nature of Chrift in its 
 
 * prefent gloriified ftate. §. i. The Introduc- 
 
 * tion. §.2. Scriptural Proofs oftheExalta- 
 
 * tion of the human Nature of Chrift, and the 
 
 * extenfive Capacities and Powers of his Soul in 
 
 * his glorified State. §.3. A Rational Account 
 
 * how the Man Jefus Chrift, united to God, 
 
 * may be vefted with fuch extenfive Powers. 
 
 * §. 4. Teftimonies from other Writers. 
 
 * Disc. III. An argument tracing the early 
 
 * exiftence of the human Soul of Chrift before 
 
 * the foundation of the world, §. i . Introduc- 
 
 * tion. §.2. Some Propofitions leading to the 
 
 * Proof of the Do(5lrine propofed. §.3. Argu- 
 
 * ments for the pre-exifl:ence of Chrift's human 
 
 * Soul drawn from various Confiderations of 
 ' fome Things inferior to Godhead, which are 
 
 * afcribed to him in Scripture, before and at his 
 
 * Incarnation. §. 4. Mifcellaneous Arguments 
 
 * to prove the fame Dodlrine. §. 5. A Con- 
 ' firmation of it by Arguments drawn from the 
 
 * happy Confequences thereof, and the various 
 
 * Advantages of it to the Chriftian Religion. 
 
 * §. 6. Objedlions anfwered. — The modern Au- 
 
 * thors who have profefled and defended it, viz. 
 
 * Dr. H. More, Dr. Edwaj-d Fo-jolery Bp. of 
 
 * Gloucejier, A Defence of his Difcourfe by a 
 
 * Preft)yter of the Church of England. Mr. 
 
 * Robert Flemming, Anonymous. Mr. Jofepb 
 
 * Hujfey, Dr. Francis GaJlrelU Bifliop oi Chef» 
 
 * ier. Mr. NelJon% learned Friend againft Dr. 
 
 * Clarke. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 107 
 
 * Clarke. Dr. Thomas Bennet. Dr. "Tho. Bur^ 
 ' net of Wefikington. Dr. Knight. Dr. Tho- 
 
 * mas Goodwin, 
 
 * Appendix. An Abridgment of a Difc. of 
 
 * Dr. T". Goodwin^ on the Glories and Royalties 
 
 * that belong to Jefus Chrift, confideredas God- 
 ^ man.' 
 
 As the pre-exiftence of Chrift's fpirir was the 
 grand point which the Dodtor laboured to eftab- 
 iifh, in order to avoid the difficujties of the com- 
 mon fcheme, which either makes Deity to 
 fuffer^ or makes the fuffering Saviour a mere man, 
 and thus coincides with Socinianifm, we fliall 
 here prefent the reader with a view of the Doc- 
 tor's manner of arguing to prove this point. 
 
 Disc. III. §.3. He firft argues ym;? vari- 
 ous conjiderations of fomething inferior to Godhead 
 afcribed to Jefus Chriji before and at his IncarJia-^ 
 tion. c. g. I. * Chrift is reprefented as his 
 
 * Father's meffenger, minifter or angel, that was 
 
 * a diftindl being from his Father, fent by him 
 
 * to perform fuch adtions and fervices for his 
 
 * people, long before his Incarnation, fome of 
 
 * which feem too lov/ for the dignity of pure 
 
 * Godhead.' 
 
 II. * Chriftwhen he came into this world, is 
 
 * faid to empty and diveft himfelf of fome glory 
 
 * which he had before his Incarnation. Now if 
 
 * nothing but his divine nature exifted before 
 
 * this time, this could not properly empty or di- 
 ^ veft itfelf of any glory ; therefore it muft be 
 
 * his inferior nature, or his human foul w]\ich 
 
 * did then exift.' Under this head the Doctor 
 confiders that much difputed pafiage, Phil. ii. 
 
 5 7- 
 
io8 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 5 — 7. which he interprets thus. * Here the 
 ' apoftle's defign is to fet Chrifc forth as a pat- 
 
 * tern of humility ; and this he doth by aggrandi- 
 
 * zing his former circumflances,and reprefenting 
 
 * how he emptied himfelf of them, and appeared 
 
 * on earth in a very mean and low eftate. W/jo 
 
 * tfemg m the form of God, thought it no robbery 
 
 * to be equal with God, i. e. his human foul, be- 
 
 * ing in union with his Godhead, was inveflcd 
 
 * with a God-like form and glory in all former 
 
 * ages ; thus he oftentimes appeared to the Pa- 
 
 * triarchs as the Angel of the Lord, and as God, 
 
 * or Jehovah, clothed with the divine Shekinah, 
 
 * and fpake and a6ied Hke God himfelf. This 
 ' feems to be they^r;;/ of God which the apoftle 
 
 * fpeaks of. Nor did he think it any robbery or 
 ^ prefumption fo to do, /. e. to appear and a<5t 
 
 * AS God, fince he was united to the divine na- 
 
 * tare, and was in that fenfe one with God. Yet 
 ' he emptied himfelf i. e. he diverted himfelf of 
 ^ this God-like form or appearance, this divine 
 ' Shekinab, and coming into the fleili he confent- 
 
 * ed to be'^iiade in the likenef <?/^other 7nen ; nay, 
 
 * he took upon him the form of a fervant, in- 
 
 * ftead of the form of God,' 
 
 III. ' That very being which came down 
 'from heaven, and was fent of God into the 
 
 * world, is reprefented as capable of having a 
 
 * will different from the will of God the Father, 
 
 * and therefore it mufl be inferior to Godhead : 
 
 * now this could be no other but the v/ill of his 
 ^ human foul. 
 
 IV. * Chrift reprefents his own coming into 
 ^ the world, and being fcnt e-ither by the Father, 
 
 ' in 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 109 
 
 * in fuch a manner as naturally leads one to fup- 
 '' pole he had a real and proper dwelling in an- 
 ' other place, and in another manner, before he 
 
 * came into the world, and that he then changed 
 
 * his place and company, :and manner of life; all 
 ^ which fcems more agreeable to a human {piYii 
 ' than to a divine perfon/ 
 
 The Dodlor then, § 4. mentions various mif- 
 cellaneous argU7nents to prove the fame doofrine^ e. g. 
 
 I. * It feem.s needful that the foul of Chriil 
 ^ fliould be pre-cxiftent, that it might have op- 
 ^ portunity to give its previous adlual confent to 
 
 * the great and painful undertaking of atonement 
 
 * for our fins. And indeed this voluntary con- 
 
 * fent of his to become incarnate and t;o fufier is 
 
 * plainly reprefented in feveral places of fcrip- 
 
 * ture/ Pf. xL 6, 7. HeL x. 5, &c. 
 
 II. * The Covenant between God the Father 
 
 * and his Son Jcfus Chrift, for the redemption 
 
 * of mankind, is reprefented in fcripture as being 
 
 * m.ade from or before the foundation of the 
 
 * wor-Id. [Mult v/e not then fuppofe] that both 
 ^ parties lliould be prcfent, and that this Tnould 
 
 * not be tranfaded merely within the divine ef- 
 
 * fence by fach perfonalities as have no diftindl 
 
 * rTiind and will ? The eilenceof God is general- 
 ^ ly agreed to be but one confcious mind or fpi- 
 
 * rit. Now C2.n ox\q iinde underfianding; and 
 
 * will make fuch a covenant r' 
 
 III. * Chrift's coming into the w^orld is al- 
 
 * ways expreffed in fome corporeal language^ 
 
 * fuch as denotes his taking on him animal na- 
 
 * ture, or body, or flefli, without the leail meu- 
 
 * ticn of raking a foul/ 
 
 IV. ' It 
 
up Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 IV. * It is certain, that among the learned of 
 
 * the Jewifh nation, there was a tradition of the 
 
 * pre-exiftence of the foul of the Meffiah/ 
 
 V. * Since it pleafed the Father to prepare a 
 
 * body for our Lord Jefus, by the overfliadowing 
 
 * of the Holy Ghoft, and by a pccuUar manner 
 
 * of conception, that he might be the Son of 
 
 * God in a fuperior fenfe, with regard to hisjiefiy 
 
 * fo it is not unreafonable to fuppofe that the 
 */ouI of Chrift alfo, which was to be united to 
 
 * Godhead, ihould have this peculiar prerogative, 
 
 * to be derived immediately from God, before 
 
 * any creature was made/ 
 
 § 5. Contains ^ confirmation of this doBrine 
 by arguments drawn from the various advantages 
 of it. After a full illuflration of thefe, he fums 
 them up thus : * There are many dark and dif- 
 
 * ficult texts of fcripture which have puzzled 
 
 * interpreters in feveral ages, and which have 
 
 * hung heavy upon the various fchemes that fup- 
 
 * port the dodrine of the Deity of Chrift. Now 
 
 * fuppofe there could be one fmgle clue found 
 
 * out, which leads us into fuch a folution of all 
 
 * thefe difficulties, and fuch an interpretation of 
 
 * thefe fcriptures, which has the following ad- 
 
 * vantages attending it, viz. — Which gives the 
 
 * moft natural and obvious and literal fenfe, fo 
 
 * that every common reader that had no pre- 
 
 * conceived notions or fchemes of thought, 
 
 * would readily run into at the very hearing of 
 
 * it : — Which puts learned men to no trouble 
 
 * of figures and metaphors, fuch as Prokpfes, i. e. 
 
 * fpeaking of things before they are done ; or 
 ' Catachrefes, i, e. calling the eternal God, with- 
 
 * out 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. hi 
 
 '^ out actual union to human nature, a man, or 
 
 * an angel, &c. — Which is moll: confident with 
 
 * and moft agreeable to all other parts of the word 
 
 < of God, both in the Old and New Teftament, 
 
 < renders the expofition of many other texts eafi- 
 
 * er and plainer than before, and fcts the feveral 
 
 * parts of fcripture in a beautiful harmony : — 
 
 * Which interferes with no particular fcheme of 
 
 * divinity, and thus does not widen the common 
 
 * differences of the feveral parties of Chriftians, 
 
 * but freely allows each of them their own fenti- 
 
 * ments : — And yet which affifts us to anfwer 
 
 * the objedions of our opponents againfl the di- 
 
 * vinity of our blelTed Saviour, and alfo allures 
 
 * them to embrace the truth : — Which aggran- 
 
 * dizes the perfonal glories of our Lord Jefus 
 ^ Chrift, and raifes his condefcenfion and love to 
 
 * moft amazing degrees : — Which fpreads a new 
 
 * iuftre over the whole gofpel of Chrift, and the 
 ' various tranfadions recorded in the word of 
 
 * God ; — I would humbly afk whether [fuch a 
 
 * fcheme] does not bid fair for the truth of the 
 
 * Gofpel, and the very meaning of the facred 
 ^ writers ? Such is the dodlrine of the pre-exifl- 
 
 * ence of the human foul of Chrift.' 
 
 From the foregoing extrads it is fuiiiciently 
 evident what Dr. Watts's fentiments were with- 
 in a year or two of his death. The reader, how- 
 ever, is not to fuppofe, that thefe publications 
 were the efFed of any fudden or recent change in 
 his views of thefe dodrines ; for it is well known, 
 that he had many years before publicly avovv^d 
 fome peculiarity in his manner of conceiving and 
 of expreffing himfelf w^ith rcfped to them, fo as 
 
 to 
 
112 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 to expofe himfelf to the cenfures of the more ri-- 
 gid Trinitarians as favouring hereiy. In his 
 Ckriftian DoBrine of the T^rinity^ printed io early 
 as the year 1722, he difcovered his inclination 
 to the IndweUing Scheme y on account of v/hich 
 Mr. T*. Bradbury y in a letter 1725, charged him 
 with making *' the Divinity of Chrift to evapo- 
 *' rate into a mere attribute/' and after jeering at 
 his profefled love of truth, writes to him thus : 
 *' It is pity after you have been more than thirty 
 ** years a teacher of others, you are yet to learn 
 ** the firfl principles of the oracles of God. 
 ** Was Dr. Owen\ church to be taught another 
 ** Jefus ? that the Son and Spirit were only two 
 ^ powers in the divine nature r" 
 
 The Do6lor replied with equal gentlenefs and 
 firmnefs, telling Mr. Bradbury, among other 
 things, *' That though the Dodrine of the Tri- 
 ** nity be a firft principle, he never knew that 
 *^ the particular mode of explaining it was fuch 
 ^^ a principle alfo." With refped to the charge 
 of deftroying a trinity oi per/on s^ the Dodlor an- 
 fwers tluis. '^ I have often freely declared, and 
 *' flill declare, that I allow the greateft diflinc- 
 *^ tion polTible between the iacred three in the 
 ** divine nature, which does not arife to three dif- 
 *^ tind: con fcious minds or fpirits. Make it as great 
 ** as you will fhort of this, and I acquiefce. But 
 ** then fince three diftin 61 confcious minds is the 
 *' true idea of three proper literal perfons, what- 
 ^^ ever falls fliort of this can be but an analogic- 
 *^ al perfonality ; yet if any man will call this 
 *' a proper divine perfonality, though it is but 
 ^' fitnilar to human perfonality, I will not con-- 
 *^ tend about words and names." The 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watt!^, 113 
 
 The Dodtor, unmoved by the injurious re- 
 fieclions and fierce opporulon of fuch of his bre- 
 thren who were Haves to human fyftems^ refo- 
 lately purfued his enquiries, and the refult was* 
 that he faw further reafon to be diffatisfied with- 
 the common modes of explaining the Trinity, 
 and he honeilly declared his different apprchen- 
 f]ons refpedting it. In the year 1721^ he pub- 
 hfhed his Sermons cji various SulyeSfs^ in which 
 there is one entitled, I' he Scale of Bkffed?2efs • cr 
 blejfed Saints y bleffed Saviour; and bkjfed ^Trinity, 
 On the review of this difcourfe in the year 1729* 
 he faw occafion to infert the following Note^- 
 (Edition 6th, vol, i. p, 260.) 
 
 ** This Difcourfe v/as delivered above twenty 
 ^^ years ago ; and the reader will obferve fomc 
 '' v/armer efforts of imagination than riper years 
 ** would indulge on a theme fo fublime and ab- 
 *' ilrufe. Since I have fearched mere ftudioudv 
 '* into this myfcery of late, I have learned more 
 " of mv own i.;?:norance : fo that Vv'hen I foeak 
 ^' of th^k u^7pjarc/jaMes; I abate much cf my 
 *' younger afTurance ; nor do my later thoughts 
 ** venture fo far into the particular 7?^cd^s of ex:- 
 *' plaining this facred diftindtion in the Godhead. 
 *^ There appears to me good reafon to doubt, 
 *^ whether there can be three diftind and differ- 
 " ent principles of confcioufnefs, and three dif- 
 '' tindt and different v/ills in the One Goo, the 
 *^ one infinite Spirit. I was afraid to alTert it 
 *' in this fermon heretofore, and I am more 
 '' afraid to affert it now. Reafon and fcripture 
 *' join to teach me, that there can be but one 
 *' God, and this God is a Spirit. What dif- 
 H *^ tindiions 
 
JI4 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 '* tinftions there may be ia this one Spirit, 
 *^ I know not. Yet fince I am fully ellab- 
 '' lifhed in the belief of the Deity of the blejfed 
 ** Three y (though I know not the manner cj' ex- 
 " plication) I dare let this difcourfe appear now 
 *' in the world, as being agreeable fo far to my 
 *' prefent fentiments on this fubje6l. A larger 
 " and more particular account of my moft ma- 
 ^' ture thoughts on the dodlrine of the Holy 
 *^ Trinity, may be feen in the laft fermoh of my 
 *^ third volume.'' 
 
 From the above note it is plain, that Dr. 
 Watts had in fome refpeds altered his views of 
 the fubjeft. But fome have taken occafion from 
 thence to propagate an idea, that he had entirely 
 given up the orthodox faith ; whereas nothing 
 more can be juftly inferred from it, than that he 
 had fomewhat altered his judgment with re- 
 fpeft to the manner of expreliing and m.aintain- 
 ing it. Nor does it appear that he materially 
 changed his fentiments afterwards. The more 
 he enquired into the matter, the more he was 
 confirmed in his opinion with refpedl to the 
 moft perfeft fimplicity of the divine nature, or 
 onenefs of the Godhead, and the pre-exiflence of 
 the derived nature of Chrift, and at different 
 times he wrote various ElTays on thefe fubjeds, 
 which he at length, in the two laft years of his 
 life, revifed and put together in the two publi- 
 cations of which we have given an account. 
 From thefe, as it is plain he v/as not an Athana- 
 fian, it is equally fo that he was not either an 
 Arian or a Socinian. It is poffible however, 
 though not probable, that he might change his 
 
 fentiments 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. lie 
 
 fentimcnts after the publication of the above 
 pieces. That this was actually the cafe has late- 
 ly been confidently afferted by a writer in the 
 Monthly Review y who mentions fonie refpedable 
 perfons as having been well acquainted with the 
 fad:. We ihall therefore produce the whole paf- 
 fage, and fubjoin fome remarks upon it. 
 
 This writer, in the review of Mr. Williams ^ 
 Colle^ion of Pfalms, having quoted a paffage in 
 the preface to that w^ork, before referred to, re-- 
 fpeding Dr. Watts, goes on to relate the follow- 
 ing anecdotes. "^^ 
 
 *^ That the Dodlor had altered his opinion 
 ** with refped: to fome points of what is called 
 '* Orthodoxy is undeniable. This is a fubjedl: 
 *^ t\\2itfome of his encomiafts fhrink from with 
 *' concealed mortification, and v/ould if pofiible 
 *^ coniign to oblivion, as it cannot be remember- 
 ** ed without bringing fom.e refiedion either on 
 *' the Dcdor himfelf, or their own darling caufe. 
 *' But it would be in vain to deny a fad known 
 *^ to ma7iy^\\Q were interefted in making it pub- 
 ** lie. It was well known to Dr. Lardner, and 
 ** by bim communicated to the late excellent 
 " Mr. Merrivaly oi Exeter^ from wh ofe mouth 
 ** the writer of the prefent article immediately 
 ** received, it. Dr. Watts's papers (many of 
 ** which contained the moft explicit renuncia- 
 *' tion of fome of his former fentim.ents with 
 ** refped to the dodrine of the Trinity) were 
 " mutilated, and publ>.hed in a very imperfed: 
 ** manner. Som.e were wholly fupprejfed^ and it 
 " was with difficulty that Dr. Doddridge could 
 H 2 *' refcue 
 
 * Month. Rev, Feb. lySa. Voh LXVI. p, xjo. 
 
2i5 Memoirs of Dn. Watts, 
 
 ** refcue from deftrudion a certain curious ps* 
 " per refped;ing the Trinitarian coatroverfy, pub- 
 ** lilTied among the pofthumous works, entitled 
 *^ A Solemn Addrefs to the Deity ^ &:c. The 
 *^ condudl of fome of Dr. Watts's friends in this 
 '^ cafe was fo difingenuous, that it called forth 
 *^ very loud complaints from thofe who were 
 *' acquainted with the fecret : and it was but a 
 *^ fhort time before Dr. Doddridge embarked for 
 *^ Lifbon that he complained to Mr. Merrival 
 *^ of unfair condud: both with refpecfl to Dr. 
 *^ Watts and himfelf, to whofe charge, in con- 
 *' junction with the late Dr. David Jennings, 
 *^ his papers were entrufeed ior publication." 
 
 There is no reafon to quefdon the veracity of 
 the writer of the above article, nor of the autho- 
 rities therein mentioned, but it is eafy to fuppofe 
 that reports made at fo great a diftance of time, 
 and which had pafied through feveral hands, 
 might undergo fome material alterations. That 
 Dr. Watts feft fome MSS. behind him to be 
 pubiifhed by Dr. Doddridge and Dr. Je?i?ii-ngs 
 is not denied. Some of thefe accordingly they 
 published, viz. Ttlje fecond part of the Improve- 
 ?nent of the Mind, A Itrcatifeon 'Education ^ and 
 'Remnants of Time employed in profe and verfe. 
 Thefe had no relation to any points of ortho- 
 doxy, and therefore nothing in thefe can be fup- 
 pofed to be ** mutilated."* But thefe were the 
 
 whole 
 
 * Probably fome articles among the pieces etnitled Remnants of Time 
 .':mployedi might be ru5>i>rcfrcd. But if it was lb, tlte executors wer» {uf- 
 ficiently warranted lijrein, whatever might be the Cubjedls of them, by the 
 following advcrtifement which was prefixed to theu! by the author him- 
 
 " Thefe 
 
Memoirs' or Dr, Watts. iiy 
 
 T^hole of what thefc gentlemen printed, except- 
 ing '' the Solemn Addrefs to the Deity/' which 
 it is not denied was printed entire. Some of his 
 papers were indeed *' fuppreffcd/' which related 
 to the dodtrine of the Trinity, but the charge of 
 *' difmgenuity" in this matter is groundlefs, be- 
 caufe the Dodor had by no means enjoined his 
 executors to publifli them, but left it to their 
 own difcretion. 
 
 The publifhers of his works made no fecret of 
 their having fuppreffcd thefe papers, but fay in 
 the Title to his y^ddrefs to the Deity, which was 
 prefixed to them, *' that it was not judged ne- 
 *•' ceffary to publifli them/' There is no proof 
 that they contained a *' renunciation of his for- 
 *' mer fentiments :" a gentlem.an of veracity who 
 had feen them affiired the writer of this, that 
 they appeared to him to contain nothing new^ 
 being only a further illuftration of his fenti- 
 ments concerning the Trinity Vs^hich he had be- 
 fore publiflied to the world, and therefore it 
 might well be thought by his executors *' un- 
 ^' neceilary to publiih" any thing more upon the 
 fubjcdt That this was the real matter of fa6t 
 appears to be highly credible, and indeed unde- 
 Xiiablc, from the piece already referred to, which 
 II 3 it 
 
 *' Thefc papers were written 3t Tccei-jl fcsfons and intervals of lelfure, 
 " nnd en various occahons ariiing tiiu^u^h the gr?atelt parr of my Wit. 
 *^ M.iny cf theiTi were defigned to be jiuhiillKd among the Reliquia: Ju- 
 ** 'V:-niles, but for iome rtai'on or othc!-, iioi wc-rth pieieni no;ice>, were 
 " laid by at thrit lime. Wheihtr I ftiall ever publilh thfm I know not, 
 *' thouiih ^ir the greater part o^ them have ftood long corrected among 
 **■ my manulcripts , nor do I ruppoie many of them inferior to thofe Ei- 
 *' C\)'% and Remarks or this kind which have before apt^taieil in the world 
 '* with fome acceptLmce. If tney sre not publiiTieu in my life-time, my 
 •♦ v/ofthy iiiends, who have the c.ire ot my pir^i?; MW L^A,VF QKn 
 •* AVH.-VT Tl-ISy PLEASE." 
 
n8 Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 
 
 it is fciid ** Dr. Doddridge with great difficulty 
 refcued from deflrudtion." This piece is evi- 
 dently of the fame complexion with what the 
 Dodor had before publiilied, and therefore mod 
 undoubtedly that was the cafe with the other 
 fapers which were Jiipprejjed^ to which this was 
 prefixed. 
 
 We fhall here tranfcribe it at length, as the 
 beft anfwer to the above aiTerticns of the Months 
 ly Reviewer^ and at the fame time as the moft 
 decifive proof v/hat the Dodtor's laft fentiments 
 were on this much difputed point of Divinity, as 
 well as a plcaiing evidence of his ferioufnefs, hu- 
 mility and impartiality in his fearch after truth. 
 
 It is publiihed in the Quarto Edition of Dr. 
 Watts's works, vol. iv. p. 640 — 643, at the end 
 of his Remnants of l^ime employed^ and is verba- 
 tim as follows. 
 
 — •>o<^>o< — 
 
 No. 11. 
 
 "l^he Author s Sqlemn Addrefs to the great and 
 ever-bleffed God, on a Review of what he had 
 written in the Trinitarian Controverfy^ prefixed 
 by him to fome Pieces on that SubjeB which it 
 was not judged necejfary to publijh. 
 
 IGHTEOUS art thou, O Lord, when 
 I plead with thee ; yet I may talk with 
 thee concerning thy judgments. Permit me, O 
 God and Father, to plead with thee concerning 
 the revelations of thy nature and thy grace, 
 which are made in thy gofpel : And let me do 
 
 "" ■ • it 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 119 
 
 > 
 
 it with all that humble reverence, and that holy 
 awe of thy majefty, v/hich becomes a creature in 
 the prefence ol his God. 
 
 '' Haft thou not, O Lord God Almighty, 
 -haft thou not tranla^fted thy divine and impor- 
 tant alFairs among men by thy Son Jeftis Chrtji^ 
 and by thy holy Spirit ? And haft thou not or- 
 dained that men fhould tranfaci: their higheft and 
 moft momentous concerns with thee, by thy 
 Son and by thy Spirit ? Haft thou not, by the 
 mouth of thy Son ^^efiis required all that profefs 
 his religion to be waChed v/ith water in the name 
 of the Father and the Son and the holy Ghoft ? 
 Is it not my duty then, to enquire, who or what 
 are thefe lacred names, and what they fignify ? 
 Muft I not know thee, the only true God, and 
 "Jefus Chrift thy Son, whom thou haft fent, that 
 I may fulfil all my refpe^live duties towards thy- 
 felf and thy Son, in hope of eternal life ? Hath 
 not thy Son himfelf appealed to thee in his laft 
 prayer, that eternal life depends upon this know- 
 ledge ? And fince thou haft made fo much ufe 
 of thy holy Spirit in our religion, m.uft I not 
 have fom.e knowledge of this thy Spirit alfo, that 
 I may pay thee all thofe honours thou requiredft 
 from this divine revelation ? 
 
 " Haft thou not afcribed divine names, and 
 titles, and charatfters to thy Son and thy holy 
 Spirit in thy word, as well as ailumed them ta 
 thyfelf ? And haft thou not appointed to thera 
 fuch glorious offices as cannot be executed with- 
 out fomething of divinity or true Godhead in 
 them ? And yet art not thou, and thou alone^ 
 the true God ? How ihall a poor weak creature 
 
 H A, be 
 
jjo Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 be able to adjafl and reconcile thefe clafhlng 
 ideas, and to underftand this myftery ? Or muft 
 1 believe and adt blindfold, without underfland- 
 ing ? 
 
 *^ Holy Father, thou knoweft, how firmly 
 I believe, with all my foul, whatfoever thou haft 
 plainly written and revealed in thy word. I be- 
 lieve Thee to be the only true God, the fu- 
 preme of beings, felf-fufficient for thine owa 
 exiftence, and for all thy infinite aff^airs and tranf- 
 adions among creatures. I believe thy only 
 Son Jefus Chrtji to be all-fufficient for the glo- 
 rious work of mediation between God and man, 
 to which thou haft appointed him. I believe 
 he is a man, in whom dwells all the fulnefs of 
 the Godhead bodily. I believe he is one with 
 God ; he is God manifefted in the fiefh ; and 
 that the man Jtjus is fo clofely and infeparately 
 united with the true and eternal Godhead, as to 
 become one perfon, even as the foul and body 
 make one man. I believe that this illuftrious 
 perfon is hereby poffeffed of divine dignity, fuf- 
 ficient to make full atonement for the fins of 
 men by his fufferings and death, even though 
 they be accounted an infinite evil ; and that he 
 hath all-fufficient power to raife himfelf from 
 the dead, to afcend to heaven, and fulfil the 
 bleffed works for which thou haft exalted him, 
 and to govern and judge the world in thine ap- 
 pointed time. 
 
 '* I believe alfo thy blefied Spirit hath almigh- 
 ty power and influence to do all thy will, to in- 
 j[lru6t men effectually in divine truths, to change 
 the hearts of fallen mankind from fin to holinels, 
 
 and 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. tzi 
 
 and to carry on thy work of illumination, fane- 
 tification;, and conlblation on the fouls of all thy 
 children, and to bring them fafe to the heavenly 
 world. I yield myfelf up joyfully and thank- 
 fully to this method of thy falvation, as it is re- 
 vealed in thy gofpel. But I acknowledge my 
 darkncfs ftill. I want to have this wonderful 
 dodrine of the all-furlicience of thy Son and 
 Spirit, for thefe divine works made a little plainer. 
 May not thy humble creature be permitted to 
 know what (hare they can have in thy deity ? Is 
 it a vain and finful curiofity to deflre to have this 
 article let in fuch a light, as may not diminifh 
 the eternal glory of the unity of the true God, 
 nor of the iupremacy of Thee the Father of ail. 
 '' Hadft thou informed me, gracious Father, 
 in any place of thy word, that this divine doc- 
 trine is not -to be underftood by men, and yet 
 they were required to believe, I would havefub- 
 dued all my curioiit/ to faith, and fubmitted my 
 wandering and doubtful im.nginations, as far as it 
 was pofliblc, to the holy and wife determinations 
 of thy word. But I cannot find thou haft any 
 where forbid me to underftand it or to maks 
 thefe enquiries. My confcience is the bed: na- 
 tural light thou haft put within me, and fines 
 thou haft given me the fcriptures, my own con- 
 fcience bids me fearch the fcriptures, to find out 
 truth and eternal life : It bids me try all things, 
 and hold faft that which is good. And thy owa 
 word by the fame expreffions, encourages this 
 holy pradlice. I have, therefore, been long 
 fearching into this divine dodrine, that I may 
 pay thee due honour with underftanding. Sure- 
 
122 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 ly I ought to know the God whom I worfhip, 
 whether he be one pure and fimple being, or 
 whether thou art a threefold deity, confifting of 
 the Father, the Son, and tlie holy Spirit. 
 
 ** Dear and blefled God, hadft thou been 
 pleafed, in any one plain fcripture, to have in- 
 formed me which of the different opinions about 
 the holy Trinity, among the contending parties 
 of chriflians, had been true, thou knoweft with 
 how much zeal, fatisfaffion, and joy my unbi- 
 ased heart would have opened itfelf to receive 
 and embrace the difcovery. Hadfl thou told 
 me plainly in any fmgle text, that the Father, 
 Son, and holy Spirit, are three real diftind per- 
 fpns in thy divine nature, I had never fuffered 
 myfelf to be bewildered in fo many doubts, nor 
 embarrafTed with fo many ftrong fears of affent- 
 ing to the mere inventions of men, inftead of di- 
 vine dodlrine ; but I fliould have humbly and 
 immediately accepted thy words, fo far as it was 
 pofiible for me to underftand them, as the only 
 rule of my faith. Or had 11: thou been pleafed 
 fo to exprefs and include this propofition in the 
 feveral fcattered parts of thy book, from whence 
 my reafon and confcience might with eafe find 
 out, and with certainty infer this dodlrine, I 
 Ihould have joyfully employed all my reafoning 
 powers, with their utmoft {k\l\ and adlivity, to 
 have found out this inference, and ingrafted it 
 into my foul. 
 
 *' Thou haft taught me, holy Father, by thy 
 prophets, that the way of holinefs in the times 
 of the gofpel,. or under the kingdom of the Mef- 
 fiah, fhall be a high-way, a plain and eafy path ;^ 
 
 fa 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 123 
 
 fo that the way-faring man , or the ftranger, though 
 a fool, fhall not err therein. And thou haft call- 
 ed the poor and the ignorant, the mean and fool- 
 iili things of this world, to the knowledge of 
 thyfelf and thy Son, and taught them to receive 
 and partake of the lalvation which thou haft 
 provided. But how can fuch weak creatures 
 ever take in fo ftrange, fo difficult, and fo abftrufe 
 a dovitrine as this • in the explication and de- 
 fence whereof, multitudes of men, even men of 
 learning and piety, have loft themfeives in infi- 
 nite fubtiltics of difpute, and endlefs mazes of 
 darknefs ? And can this ftrange and perplexing 
 notion of three real perfons going to makeup 
 one true God, be fo neceftary and fo important 
 a part of that chriftian doftrine, which, in the 
 Old Teftament and the New, is reprefented as 
 fo plain and fo eafy, even to the meaneft under- 
 ftandings ? 
 
 '' O thou Searcher of Hearts, who knoweft 
 all things, I appeal to thee concerning the iin- 
 cerityofmy enquiries into thefe difcoveries of 
 thy word. Thou knoweft me, thou haft fccn. 
 me, and haft tried my heart towards thee : If 
 there be any lurking hypocrify in my heart, any 
 lecret bias towards any thing but Truth, uncov- 
 er it, O Father of Lights, and banilh it from my 
 foul for ever. If thine eye difcovers the leaft 
 fpark of criminal prejudice in any corner of my 
 foul, extinguiih it utterly, that I m^ay not be led 
 aftray from the truth, in matters of fuch im- 
 portance, by the leaft glance of error or miftake. 
 
 '•' Thou art.witnefs, O tny God, with what 
 diligence, with what conftancy and care, J have 
 
 read 
 
124 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 read and fearched thy holy word, how early and 
 late, by night and by day, I have been making 
 thefe enquiries ; how fervently I have been 
 feeking thee on my bended knees, and directing 
 my humble addrefies to thee, to enlighten my 
 darkncfs, and to fliew me the meaning of thy 
 word, that I may learn what I mufV believe, and 
 what I muft pradtife with regard to this dodrine, 
 in order to pleafe thee, and obtain eternal life ! 
 
 <* Great God, who feeft all things, thou haft 
 beheld what bufy temptations have been often 
 fluttering about my heart, to call it off from 
 thefe laborious and difficult enquiries and to 
 give up thy word and thy gofpel as an unintelli- 
 gible book, and betake myfelf to the light of na- 
 ture and reafon : But thou haft been pleafed by 
 thy divine power to fcatter thefe temptations, 
 and to fix my heart and my hope again upon that 
 Saviour and that eternal life, which thou haft re- 
 vealed in thy word, and propofed therein to our 
 knowledge and acceptance. Bleffed be the name 
 of my God, that has not fuftered m^ to abandon 
 the gofpel of his Son ye/us ! and bleffed be that 
 holy Spirit that kept me attentive to the truth 
 delivered in thy gofpel, and inclined me to vv^ait 
 longer in my fearch of thefe divine truths under 
 the hope of thy gracious illumination. 
 
 ** I humbly call thee to witnefs, O my God, 
 what a holy jealoufy I ever wear about my heart^. 
 left I Aould do' the llighteft diftionor to thy fu- 
 preme Majefty, in any of my enquiries or deter- 
 minations. Thou feeft what a religious fear, 
 and what a tender folicitude I miaintain on my 
 foul, left I ihould think or ipeak any thing to 
 
 diminiih 
 
MEMOIRS OF Dr» Watts. 125 
 
 dirriinirti the grandeur and honour of thy Son 
 Jfjus, my dear Mediator, to whom I owe my 
 everbfling hopes. Thou knoweft how much I 
 am afraid of Ipeaking one word which may be 
 conftrued into a negledl of thy bleiled Spirit, 
 from whom I hope I am daily receiving happy 
 influences of light and ftrength. Guard all the 
 motions of my mind, O almighty God, againft 
 every thing that borders upon thefe dangers. 
 Forbid my thoughts to indulge, and forbid my 
 pen to write one word, that should fink thofe 
 grand ideas which belong to thyfelf, or thy Son, 
 or thy holy Spirit. Forbid it, O my God, that 
 ever I fhould be fo unhappy as to unglorify my 
 Father, my Saviour, or my Sandifier, in any of 
 my fentiments or expreiTions concerning them. 
 
 ^' Blefled and faithful God, haft thou not pro- 
 mifed that the meek thou wilt guide in judg- 
 ment, the meek thou wilt teach thy v/ay ? Haft 
 thou not told us by Ifaiah thy prophet, that 
 thou wilt bring the blind by a way which they 
 knew not, and wilt lead them in paths which 
 they have not known ? Haft thou not informed 
 us by thy prophet Hofea that if we follow on to 
 know the Lord, then we fhall know him ? Hath 
 not thy Son, our Saviour, afiured us, that our 
 heavenly Father will give his holy Spirit to 
 them who aik him ? And is he not appointed 
 to guide us into all truth ? Have I not fought 
 the gracious guidance of thy good Spirit contin- 
 ally ? Am I not truly fenfible of my own dark- 
 nefs and weaknefs, my dangerous prejudices on 
 every fide, and my utter infurficiency for my own 
 condud ? Wilt thou leave fuch a poor creature 
 
 bewildered 
 
726 Memoirs of Dh. Watts. 
 
 bewildered among a thoufand perplexities, v/hich 
 are railed by the various opinions and contrivan- 
 ces of men to explain thy divine truth ? 
 
 *' Help me, heavenly Father, for I am quite 
 tired and weary of thefe human explainings, fo 
 various and uncertain. When wilt thou explain 
 it to me thyfelf, O my God, by the fecrct and 
 certain dilates of thy Spirit, according to the 
 intimations of thy word ? nor let any pride of 
 reafon, nor any affe6tation of novelty, nor any 
 criminal bias whatfoever, turn my heart afide 
 from hearkening to thefe divine didates of thy 
 word and thy Spirit. Suffer not any of my na- 
 tive corruptions, nor the vanity of my imagina- 
 tion to caffc a mift over my eyes, while I am 
 fearching after the knowledge of thy mind and 
 will, for my eternal falvation. 
 
 ** I intreat, O moft merciful Father, that thou 
 wilt not fuffer the remnant of my fhort life to 
 be wafted in fach endlefs wanderings, in queft 
 of thee and thy Son yefus^ as a great part of my 
 paft days have been ; but let my iincere endea- 
 vours to know thee, in all the ways whereby thou 
 hafl: difcovered thyfelf in thy word, be crow^ned 
 with fuch fuccefs, that my foul being eftablifhed 
 in every needful truth by thy holy Spirit, I may 
 fpend my remaining life according to the rules 
 of thy gofpel, and may With all the holy and 
 happy creation afcribe glory and honour, wifdom 
 and p^wer to thee, who fitteft upon the throne, 
 and to the Lamb for ever and ever/' 
 
 No. III. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 127 
 
 No. III. 
 
 Two Letters between the Fuklijker of this 
 Work and a Vriendy conce^-ning Dr. Watts'j 
 Sentiments refpetling the Trinity, 
 
 L E T T E R I. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 1 HxWE read with attention the view which 
 you have given oi Dr. Watts's laft fentiments 
 concerning the Doctrine of the Trinity, and 
 think you have undeniably proved that the com- 
 mon reports of certain perfons, rcfpeding his re- 
 nunciation of the orthodox faith, are without 
 foundation. But I muft take the liberty to fay, 
 that in the extrads which you have given from 
 his two laft publications, you have led your 
 readers to entertain an idea that he was entirely 
 in Vv'hat has been called of late The Indii'elPmg- 
 Scheme ; that he did not maintain a diftindion of 
 perfons in the Godhead, but conceived of God, 
 as being only one perfon, who is called the Fa- 
 ther, and that it was this one perfon who dwelt 
 in the man Chrift Jefus, in confequence of which 
 union Chrift is God. Whereas I think you 
 rnuft have found, in examining his writings, that 
 he did not deny a three-fold diftindion in Deity, 
 and that Chrifl had an exiftence as God, previ- 
 ous tO- the nnion of the human nature to the 
 Godhead. For m.y ov/n part, though I Vv^ould 
 by no means condemn you and others, who are 
 
 in 
 
123 Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 
 
 in the Indwell ing-fcheme, as heretics, fince you 
 mean to fupport the Deity of Chrill; and I think 
 your fentiments widely different from Arianifni 
 or Socinianifm ; yet 1 muft confefs to you that I 
 do not believe this to be the fcripture reprefent- 
 ation of the dodtrine. And, thoug-h I atn clear- 
 ]y of opinion that our orthodox writers are not 
 to be juftified, who fpeak of the Father, Sgn, 
 and Spirit as three perfons fo diftmd: from each 
 other as to be three beings (which I cannot vin- 
 dicate from the charge of I'rithef/m ;) yet I do 
 apprehend that there is a three-fold diftindion 
 in Deity, which juftifies the term three perfons y 
 and that to each of thefe the effential attributes 
 of Deity belong. Herein I cannot but think 
 Dr. Watts's opinion coincided with my own, fo 
 that he was more orthodox than your view of 
 his fentiments would lead your authors to fup- 
 pofe. 
 
 I am, with finccre refpedt, &c, 
 
 L E T T E R II. 
 
 Ajifuoer to the foregoing. 
 
 My dear and worthy frienb, 
 
 JL thank you for the freedom of your re- 
 marks, and for the opportunity which you have 
 afforded me of exprefiing my ideas about Dr. 
 Watts's fentiments, and propoiing fome queries to 
 you concerning ycur own. 
 
 I 
 
Memoius of Dr. Watts.' 129 
 
 I nrmly believe that Dr. Watts was, in t?ie 
 latter part of his life at leaft, in the lentiments 
 which, upon the moft deliberate and impartial 
 enquiry, I have embraced, refpedting the Deity 
 of Chrift, &c. called the hidwellmg-fcheme. His 
 idea feems clearly to me to have been this : That 
 God is one infinite being, poiTefled of all per- 
 fedions : That this one God is he who is often 
 characterized as the Fathe?\ That Jefus Chrift 
 is another being, or perfon, in himfelf inferior to 
 the Father and derived from him : as vou and 
 all the orthodox will allow the man Chrift to 
 be :* Bat that he exifted with the Father before 
 all worlds ; (which you, with the Socinians, 
 deny :) And that the one God, the Being call- 
 ed the Father (with reference to Chrift the Son) 
 was fo united to him, and fo dwelt in him, that 
 he became one with God^ and in confequence of 
 this union he is properly God, fo that at his in- 
 carnation God was manifejled in thefiep^. 
 
 It is true, he does fometimes allude to the idea 
 of fome unknown dijliuBions in Deity ; but at 
 moft, I conceive, he only means to £iy, he does 
 not know what diftindtions the incomprehen- 
 fible nature of Godhead may admit of ; 
 nor do I. But I cannot find that it was any 
 article of his faith that there are fuch diftinclioiis 
 
 in 
 
 * Dr. Watts, in his fermons printed i7xr, has thefe expreflions : 
 ** The Son of God Is fpoken of in the New Tellament as a very glorl- 
 ** 0U3 perlbn, who was lomeway begotten ot the Faiiier, i. e. Jeri<-jfid tix-m 
 *' God the Farh.;r, Vol. II. p. 452. He is coniiituted near lo GoD \>y 
 ** an unlpeaksble union. Wh^t joys, what unknown delighrs pofTtfs 
 *< the holy fou! of the man Jefus ! for he is the neareft creaturs 10 the 
 *» bicff.-d God ; for he is one with Godhead." Vol. I. p. 250. 
 
130 Memoirs of D:i. Watts. 
 
 in the Godhead as you fpeak of ; on the contrary 
 he maintains that the perfon, or being, united to 
 the man Chrift Jefus, was not a part of Deity 
 (for fo I muft conceive of it if it was not the 
 whole Godhead) or an exiftence feparate from the 
 Father y but that it was the Father hhnfelf. So 
 that I cannot think that I have given a partial 
 reprefentation of his fcntiments. 
 
 And now, my good friend, as I am writing 
 to you on this fubjedt, I will embrace the oppor- 
 tunity which you have afforded me for enquir- 
 ing, iFhat is meant by that three-fold diJiin£lio7t 
 in Deity which you maintain ? I have put this 
 q'ueftion to many who ufe this phrafeology, but 
 could never get a fatisfadlory anfvvxr. When I 
 have propofed my difficulties, I have been told 
 *' the fubjedt is myfterious, and I muft not pry 
 *' too inquifitively into the deep things of God/' 
 Now I am willing to rem.ain ignorant of what 
 God has not thought fit to reveal. But furely 
 revealed truth, may beunderftood, and it cannot 
 be prefumptuous to fearch into the meaning of 
 it. Plov/ever, the enquiry in the prefent cafe is 
 not about the divine nature itfelf, but about a 
 mere human form of fpeech in refpecl to it. 
 And is there any prefumption in aflcing a fellow 
 creature, when he ufes language concerning God, 
 which I do not underftand, IVhat he 7neans by it ? 
 or in ftating the objedions I have to it ? With 
 as much propriety might I charge him with pre- 
 fumption in objeding to any phrafeology ofmine, 
 or defiring of me an explication of it. Do you 
 exped or wifh mc, good Sir, to adopt any modes 
 of fpeech, without having ideas to them ? Is 
 
 this 
 
Mi:MoiRs OF Dr. Watts. 13I 
 
 this a fijfficifnt teft of a perfon's being orthodox? 
 I have always thought orthodoxy to fignify, not 
 /peaking y h\xt thinking right. ' For any thing that 
 appears, I think the fame of God as you doo 
 You feem to maintain the Unity of God in as ab- 
 folute a fenfe as myfelf, inafmuch as you deny 
 God to be three beings. Wherein then do we 
 differ ? Were you to tell me freely what ideas 
 you have when you talk of three diltindions in 
 Godheadj poffibly it might appear that you be- 
 lieve no more than I dOj or I might readily fall 
 into your fentimentSo But till you tell me your 
 7neaning (which furely you can do if you have any) 
 I am incapable of making a comparifon betv/eea 
 your fentiments and my own* At prefent, the 
 mode of expreffion which you adopt appears to 
 me highly exceptionable. 
 
 I can form no idea of a three-fold diftindlion 
 in Deity but that of three bei/tgs^ or three com- 
 ponent parts, which is equally inconfiilent with 
 the unity, and would imply divifibility ; which 
 I am fure you would proteft agaiiift. I can eafily 
 conceive of a diftindion between -the attributes 
 of God. But do you make the Son and Spirit 
 to be only diftind attributes ? If fo, with what 
 propriety can they be reprefented, and addrelTed, 
 as perfons ? or how can they fuftain different of- 
 fices, and perform different works ? or indeed 
 any at all ? Belides, if the attributes of God be 
 allowed to be perfonified, it will follow that there 
 are as many perfons in God as there are attri- 
 butes. If the WifdomofGoD be called one 
 perfon, and his Powder another, his Holinefs may 
 be as juflly ftiled a third, his Goodnefs a fourth, 
 I 2 &c. 
 
132 Memoirs of Dr. Watts* 
 
 &c. The attributes of Deity are oAly the pro- 
 perties of his nature. Neither of thefe can be 
 properly called God, or fpoken of as equal ta 
 God, who is the being to whom they all belong. 
 Moreover, God himfelf you muft allow to be a 
 bei?ig, and God the Father you will admit is a 
 perfon^ in the proper fenfe of that term, i. e. arr 
 intelligent being : but if the Son and Spirit are 
 only attributes of God, then they are not equal 
 to him, and confequently this notion is contrary 
 to the orthodox faith. If you mean that the 
 one God fuftains three CharaBers or Relatmts^ 
 this is intelligible enough, but then it is not or- 
 thodox -, it is pure Sabellianijm, Befides Goi> 
 fuftains more characters and relations than three^ 
 confequently, according to this fcheme, there are 
 more diftinftions or perfons.* 
 
 I can think of no other fenfe in which the 
 terms can be ufed. Perhaps you will fay, that 
 *' fmce the nature of God is to us incompre- 
 ** henfible, there may, for ought we can tell, 
 *^ be fuch diftindlions in it as have been fup- 
 ** pofed/' I anfwer. There may be various 
 things in God of which we poor worms of the 
 earth have no conceptions, and it does not be- 
 come us to deny any thing concerning him, 
 however myfterious, which does not evidently 
 imply an imperfedion. But let me fay, it is 
 
 equally 
 
 * If Chrift a: Goi be a diftin^ perfon from the Father, does It not fol- 
 low that there ^<e t--vJO pe>-fons\T\ Jcfus Clirift ? for he was a prrlon as man. 
 This I know feme Triiiitarians deny, but it is oniy to ferve a t\irn» Mud 
 n not be a perfon who thinks, fpeaks, a(5\s, fuffers, and dies ? Are noJ 
 the perfonal prououns conftantly applied to Chiift as man ? Do not you 
 often {'c^tTik of him as afling and fufFering as man ? To me nothi^ng can 
 be plainer than th^t Chrift as mr.n was a ferjon \ conft-quenrly, unlcf* h» 
 be two perfons, he is not as God a perfon diftinfl from the Father. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 133 
 
 equally prefumptuous in us to affijvn any thing 
 concerning God which he himfelf has not clear- 
 ly revealed. And it is no argument that there is 
 this or that property or diftindtion in the divine 
 nature, merely that the qontrary cannot be clear- 
 ly proved. I befe-ech you to think whither this 
 would lead us. 
 
 Our faith, with refpedl to what God is, muft 
 be founded, 720t on what may be fuppofed pojji- 
 hky and cannot be proved /!-?//<?, but on what di- 
 vine Revelation clearly ailerts to be true. And 
 to believe any thing concerning the Deity of 
 which we can give no rational account, or to 
 ufe language refpedting him without ideas, is fo 
 far from giving him glory, that it is doing him 
 di(honour. At beft it is to darken counfel by 
 iJDords without knowledge. 
 
 If you can give me a rational and fcriptural 
 explanation of the above terms, by which the 
 Deity of the Father, Son, and Spirit can be 
 maintained to greater advantage than upon Dr. 
 Watts ^ plan, (which for want of a better I at 
 prefent adopt) you w^ill confer a great obligation 
 upon. 
 
 Dear, Sir, 
 
 Your friend and fervant. 
 
 -yo^(^.»o<— 
 
 I 3 No. IV, 
 
134 Memoirs of Dr. Watts,, 
 No, IV. 
 
 Contahiing an account of Dr. Watts's Manu-» 
 fcripts, and an AbJiraB of a Correfpond* 
 ence between him and the Rev. Martin Tom- 
 kins, on the Worjhip of the Holy Spirit^ and on 
 "Trinitarian Doxologies. 
 
 IN the foregoing papers it was attempted to 
 afcertain what were the laft fentiments of the 
 pious and amiable Dr. Watts on the fubjed: 
 of the Trinity. I there endeavoured to prove 
 that, though the Dodor had in fome refpeds 
 ahered his manner of explaining that dodlrine, 
 he had by no means given up the dodrine itfelf ; 
 that the reports which had been circulated, con- 
 cerning his explicit renunciation of his former 
 fentiments, in the manufcripts which he had left 
 behind hini for publication, v^re without found- 
 ation, and that the condud: of his executors, 
 which had been feverely reprehended, in the 
 fuppreffion of fome of thofe papers, was fully 
 yindicable. 
 
 Since the firft publication of the preceding 
 work, frefh evidence has arifen on the fubjed:, 
 by which my former fuppofition is corroborated ; 
 and it appears to be fo full and decifive as to de- 
 icrve to be now fubjoined to this work. 
 
 In a collection of Letters to and Jrom Dr. 
 Doddridge, lately publiflied by the Rev. Thomas 
 Stedman, there are feveral written by the late 
 Mr. Nealy an eminent Attorney, who was one 
 of Dr. Watts\ executors. In one of thefe let- 
 ters, written juft after the Doftor's death, dated 
 
 Ts^ovember 
 
Memoiels of Dr. Watts. 135 
 
 November 29, 1748, is the following acccAint 
 of his Will and his MSS. — ** As I know your 
 hieh efleem and veneration for Dr. Watts, who 
 has taken his laft farewel of the abodes of mor- 
 tality, — I could not in friendfhip avoid writing 
 you a line to inform , you, that the Do6lor has 
 made his brother Enoch and myfelf executors of 
 his Will" which bears date July 23, 174'^), and 
 contains the following claufe : — *^ And as to my 
 ^^ manufcripts of every kind, I give the fame to 
 *^ Mr. David "Jennings and Dr. Philip Doddridge, 
 ^' in order that they may publifh fuch of them, 
 *^' as I fhall by any paper or memorandum figni- 
 ^* fy my defire lliould be publi(l:ied ; and as to 
 ^' the remainder, either to publifh or fupprefs 
 '' as they fliall judge beil." Mr. Neal adds — 
 •^^ I queilion whether there arc any left which he 
 ^' has ordered to be publiihed." 
 
 At the beginning of January following, ?vTr. 
 Jennings wrote to Dr. Doddridge on the fame 
 fubjedl:. — '^ I have waited from day to day in 
 hope oi being able to fend you a catalogue of 
 Dr. JVattss, manufcripts — but I find Mr. Neal 
 does not chufe to meddle with them juft at pref- 
 ent. When he does you fhali have immediate 
 notice. I believe we fliali not have near fo much 
 trouble in pubiifi^iing the Doctor's manufcripts 
 as I expedied, when he acquainted me with his 
 defign of committing them in part to my care, 
 which was three or four years ago ; for fince 
 then he has publiihed moft of the pvISS he de- 
 figned for the prefs, fo that, as I learn from Mr. 
 Parker,"* there is little if any thing more remain- 
 I 4 i^S 
 
136 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 ing of that fort, than the fecond part of the Im- 
 provement of the Mind.*' 
 
 Mr. Jennifigs (who foon after this received a 
 Doctor's Diploma) adds the following paflage : 
 *' If I fhould be engaged in drawing up the 
 Do6lor's character, I am much obliged to you 
 for the judicious hints you have furnilhed me 
 with fbr that purpofe." Mr. 'Jennings (who 
 had preached and printed a funeral fermon for 
 Dr. Watts ^ in which he had drawn a charaEicr 
 of him) feems here to mean, writing his Life -, 
 which it appears from another letter in this col- 
 ledion he declined, for want of fufficient mate- 
 rials. We find, however, that Dr. Doddridge 
 had fome intention of undertaking this work. 
 Why he did not execute it does not appear, tho* 
 it was probably for the fame reafon. 
 
 What were the fubjects of Dr. JVatts\ man- 
 ufcripts, which he committed to thefe gentle- 
 men, (about w^hich fo much has been faid) we 
 have now the iatisfailion of being fully inform- 
 ed, from the 123d Letter in the fame colledion, 
 written by Mr. Ned to Dr, 'Doddridge, dated 
 February 8, in v/hich he fends him a compleat 
 catalogue of them, of which the following is a 
 copy : 
 
 Liji of the MSS of Dr. Isaac Watts, w/jici 
 are difpcfed of in covers or cafes, under the fol-^ 
 lowing l^itlcs, viz. 
 
 No. I. Pfalmody. II. Of the Trinity, a mo- 
 deft defence of enquiries into truth. III. Two 
 EiTays on the Lord's Prayer. IV. EfFays and 
 Remarks on texts of fcripture. The words in 
 
 which 
 
MemoiPsS of Dr. Watts. 137 
 
 which we iliould confefs our faith. The Dia- 
 mond painted. Of Catechifms. A Cafe of Con- 
 fcience. Figure of a Cherub. 
 
 V. Efiays relating to the Trinity*, viz. An 
 Enquiry into the fcriptural reprefentation of the 
 Father, the Word, and the Spirit. 2. Of the 
 proper Athanafian fcheme of the Trinity. 3. The 
 Holy Spirit the true God. 4. The ill efteds 
 of incorporating the divine dodlrine of the Trin- 
 ity with the human explications of it. 
 
 VI. Remnants of Time employed in profeand 
 vcrfe, or (hovt compofures, on various fubjeds, 
 viz. I. Of human knowledge, and the various 
 kinds of it. 2. The Rake reformed in the 
 houfe of mourning. 3. An apology for enlarg- 
 ing Dr. Young's defcription of the Peacock. 
 4. Juftice and Grace. 5. Bills of Exchange. 
 6. The ever-bleiTed God. 7. Vanity infcribed 
 on all things. 8. The day of grace. 9. God and 
 nature unfearchable. 10. Therepeal. 11. The 
 Saints unknown in this world. 12. Com- 
 plaint and hope, a Poem. 13. Heathen poefy 
 chriftianized. 14. General fong of praife to 
 God. 15. To Amyntas, an ode to Lady Sun- 
 derland. 16. ToPhilanthropus. 17. TheV/ind 
 Mills. 18. The finner tempted to delj^air. 
 19. Redemption, a Poem. 20. Of confinement 
 to fet forms of worfliip. 21. Appendix to the 
 foregoing effay. 
 
 VIL A 
 
 * Th.Q fjlemn Addref: to the rryeat and e^jcr hlejjed God, printed In ths 
 foregoing Tracl, p. loi, is not here mentioned, l)ut in the Tills to ir, 
 primed in his Woilcs, is laid to have been ^* p^-efxed hy the Do6>or to 
 •' feme pieces on tlie Tiinlty, which it was dci judged ncceirarj to pub- 
 *« lifh." 
 
X38 Memoirs of Dr. Vvatts. 
 
 VII. A faithful enquiry after the ancient ori- 
 ginal dodtrine of the Trinity, taught by Chrifl: 
 and his Apoftles. In two parts. The firft part 
 enquires fo far as is necefiary to falvation. The 
 fecond part fo far as may improve our christian 
 knowledge, and eftablifli our faith : and the ob- 
 jedlions of both are anfwered in a plain and eafy 
 manner, derived only from the word of God. 
 
 VIII. The Improvement of the Mind, fe- 
 cond part. 
 
 From this view of the contents of Dr. 
 IVattsz MSS the impartial reader might 
 be left to judge how far the reports, of the 
 foregoing tradl, are deferving of credit. It may 
 not, however, be amifs to remark ( i ) that none 
 of thefe papers were ordered to be publiilied : 
 (2) that there is nothing in the titles of any of 
 them from whence it appears, with certainty, 
 that the Do6tor had materially altered his fenti- 
 ments fince the publication of his two laft pieces, 
 which was within two years of his death. (3) It 
 does not appear that he had written any Treatife 
 fmce the time that he made his Will, which was 
 in July, 1746. It may be further obferved — ■ 
 (4) if the Dod:or had in any of his laft papers 
 made ^* an explicit renunciation of his former 
 ** fentiments concerning the Trinity, 8cc." with 
 which he was defirous the public might be ac- 
 quainted after his deceafe, it is incredible that he 
 fliould not have left an exprefs order that fuch 
 papers fhould be publiilied ; in which cafe his 
 friends, with whom he had entrufted themj, 
 would doubtlefs have brought them to light. 
 
 What 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts, 139 
 
 What became of his MSS does not appear. 
 It is much to be v/ilhed that they had been pre- 
 ferved, for the fatisfadion of thofe who might 
 defire to infpe6t them, though they fliould not 
 have been thought worthy of pubhcation. The 
 attentive reader, however, who is acquainted 
 with the Dodor's other pieces, may eafily fup- 
 pofe, from the foregoing vievi/- of his papers, and 
 the phrafeoiogy therein ufed, that they contained 
 much the fame explanations of the Deity of 
 Chrifl: and the Spirit, with thofe given in the 
 pieces which he himfelf laft puhUihed. The 
 fum of which is, that Chrift is a divine perfoa ia 
 confequence of the in-dwelling of the Father, 
 and that the holy Spirit is God, as being the 
 power, or adlive energy of the Deity. 
 
 That Dr. Watts was firmly in this laft fenti- 
 ment, and that on this ground he afcribed glory 
 to the Spirit, with the Father and the Son, at 
 the end of his prayers, appears abundantly evi- 
 dent, from a priv^ate crcrefpondence carried on 
 between him and the Rev. Mr. Martin 'To?nkins ; 
 of which I will, at prefent, content myfelf with 
 giving a brief account, with a few extracts. 
 
 ^^Kt=y— . 
 
 ^^J^hSx 
 
 No. V 
 
140 Memoirs of Dr. Watts/ 
 
 No. V. 
 
 Dr. WattsV Sentiments concerning the Deity 
 of the Holy Spirit, as colleBed from a Corref- 
 fondence between him and the Rev. Mr, Mar- 
 tin 'Tomkins^, on the Propriety of ivorjhipping 
 the Spirit by Doxologies, 
 
 IN the year 1738 Mr. Tomkins publifhed a 
 pamphlet, entitled, A calm Enquiry whether 
 we have any warranty from Scripture /for addref- 
 Jing ourfelvesy in a way of Fray er or Praife, di- 
 rectly to the Holy Spirit : Hu?nbly offered to 
 the Conf deration of all Chrijiians, particularly of 
 Protejlant Dijfenters. To this is prefixed, A 
 Letter to the Rev. Mr. Barker, then minifter at 
 Hackney y where Mr. 'Tomkins refided, expoftula- 
 ting with him on the impropriety of the unfcrip- 
 tural Doxologies which he then commonly ufed, 
 and particularly thofe of Dr. Watts in his Book 
 of Hymns. 
 
 In the courfe of the above tra(fl, Mr. I'omkins 
 frequently refers to Dr. Watts\ publications, 
 and quotes the conceffions which he has made — ■ 
 viz. *' that there is in fcripture no exprefs pre- 
 ** cept for addrelTing fuch worfliip to the Spirit, 
 '^ nor any example of it, and that therefore this 
 " ought not to be confideied as a neceffary part 
 *' of chriftian worftiip ; though he thought it 
 *' lawful, becaufe the Spirit or Power of God 
 ** is truly divine ; and expedient, becaufe the 
 ** omiflion of Doxologies to the Spirit would be 
 
 '' highly 
 
 • He had been Minifter of the DifTenting Congregation at Stole NeiV' 
 ingion, from whence he was difmiffed for his deviation from the Triniu- 
 riun duarir.e, Hepub'.ilhed his cafe. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 141 
 
 *"' highly offcnfive to ferious chriftians who had 
 *^ been accuftomed to them, and injurious to 
 *^ their edification.'' Mr. T^omkins endeavours 
 to prove, '^ that addrcffes to the Spirit, in prayer 
 *' or praife, are unlawful and improper, chiefly 
 *' becaule we have no warrant for them in the 
 *^ holy fcripture, which is our only ruleof wor- 
 *^ ihip, and that no other confiderations ought 
 •* to influence us to the pradice." Pie further 
 endeavours to prove, that, " according to Dr. 
 ^' Watts % avowed fentiment concerning the Spi- 
 '' rit, as not a real perfon, but the power of the 
 ** Father, afcriptions of praife to the Spirit are 
 ** highly unjufliifiable." 
 
 The copy of Mr. T^07nkins\ traft, now in my 
 poireffion, contains Dr. Watts '$> remarks upon it 
 in the margin, fairly written with his own hand. 
 The following pafTage is extracted as a fpecimen. 
 
 T>r, Y/atts's Sentiments about the Holy Spirit. 
 
 '^ TO repeat in brief my fenfe of this matter, 
 '* it ftands thus. The Spirit of any being, in 
 *' fcripture- phrafe, is fometimes ufed for being 
 *' itfelf, or it denotes its adtive and operative 
 *' power. So an unclean or evil fpiritis the de- 
 *' vil, Luke vii. 21. A6ls xix. 15. Matt. x. i. 
 *' and is called the fpirit of an unclean devil, 
 *' Luke iv. 33. So the Spirit of God fometimes 
 *^ means God himfelf. And further, as the fpir- 
 ** it of a man and the fpirit of a beaft denote, in 
 *' fcripture language, the principle of adive pow- 
 *' er in man and beafl:, why may not the Spirit 
 *' of God have the fame fignification ? 
 
 '' And 
 
142 Memoirs of Dr. Watts; 
 
 ^' And though God the Father and his Spif-- 
 «Mt be the fame one true God, yet they are 
 *' fometimes diflinguifned and fometimes joined. 
 *' Ifai. xlviii. 16. T/je Lord God and his Spirit 
 *^ hasfent me. Even the attributes of God are 
 ^* diflinguilhed from him and yet coupled with 
 *^ him in fcripture. Is it not foretold by Hofea 
 ** concerning the latter days, that men fliould 
 *\fear the Lord and his Goodncfs, Hof. iii. 5. 
 *' Does not Ezekiel fay, blejfed be the Glory of the 
 *^ Lordy Ezek. iii. 12. Does not Pfal. cv. 4. 
 ** diredt us to feek the Lord and his Strength^ 
 *^ feek his face evermore ? Are not we called up- 
 ** on to truft in his Mercy ^ as well as in God 
 ^* himfelf ? Why may we not then praife the 
 ''- Lord and his goodnefs, or bkfs the Lord and 
 ** his ftrejigth ? &c. Why fliould thefe expref- 
 '* lions ^' found fo oddly" in the ears of chrif- 
 '^ tians, who read thofe in their bible fo nearly 
 ^' like them ? And v/hy may we not fay, Blejfed 
 ** ie the Lord and his Eternal Spirit ? efpecially 
 *' fuppofing the Spirit of God to be fomething 
 *' in God of greater diftinffion than a mere at- 
 *' tribute, and to be often repref^nted in fcrip- 
 *^ ture in a perfonal manner r" 
 
 The Dodor having read to Mr. I'omkins his 
 remarks, without giving him a copy of them, 
 Mr. I'omJzins wrote a reply at length, from his 
 memory, which makes nearly two fheets of pa- 
 per, in a fmall hand, which I have nov/ before 
 me. It is dated April 21, 1738. In this let- 
 ter Mr. ^o?nkinSy with great freedom and clear- 
 nefs, ftates his objedicns to what the Dodor had 
 :idvanced in favour of his practice in doxologiz- 
 
 mg 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 145 
 
 ing the Spirit, and endeavours to fhew, that his 
 motive for it, upon which he lays fo much ftrefs, 
 (viz. the avoiding of offence to many ferious 
 chriftians) was infafficient, and that by his con- 
 duct in this matter, he led them to conceive of 
 his fentiments concerning the Spirit to be differ- 
 ent from what they were, and encouraged them 
 in worihipping the Spirit as a real perfon diftindl 
 from the Father. 
 
 At the clofe of the letter Mr. T^omkins expref- 
 
 fes his mind with freedom about Dr. Watts ^ 
 
 Doxologies in his Book of Hymns. I fnall quote 
 
 this pailage for the fake of gratifying the reader 
 
 with the Doctor's reply, which will ferve to il- 
 
 luili-ate and confirm what I had before obferved, 
 
 with refpedt to a report of the Dodor's having 
 
 left a corrected copy of his Hymn-book, defign- 
 
 ed for publication. '^ My chief aim (fays Mr. 
 
 *' T^Gmkins) in all I do upon this fubjedt is, the 
 
 *^ refioring the chriftian worfhip to its primitive 
 
 *^ purity, and freeing it from what I cannot but 
 
 ^' look upon as an unv/arran table innovation. 
 
 *' And for this purpofe I would make bold to 
 
 *' proceed one ftep farther, and afk, v^hetheryoa 
 
 *' nOvV approve of what you have faid concern- 
 
 ** iag the Gloria Fatriy in your Book of Hymns ; 
 
 *• and whether, upon your prefent notion of the 
 
 ** Spirit, you can eftcem fome of thofe Doxolo- 
 
 *' gies you have given us there, I will not fay, 
 
 *' as fome of the nohkjl parts of chrijiian worjhip,'' 
 
 *^ [the Doctor's words] but as proper chriftian 
 
 *' worfhip ? And if not, v/hether you m-ay not 
 
 *' think it becoming you, as a lover of truth, 
 
 *^ and as a chriftian minifter, to declare as much 
 
 '' to 
 
^44 Memoirs of Dr. WattsJ 
 
 ** to the world ; and not fuffer fuch forms of 
 *' worihip to be recommended by your name and 
 *^ authority, to the ufe of the chriftian church 
 *' in theprcfent time and in future generations ?" 
 
 In the margin of this long epiille of Mr. T'om^ 
 kins, are contained Dr. Watts % remarks, which 
 are upwards of twenty. Oppofite to this laft 
 paragraph the Dodor writes thus : ** I freely 
 *' anfwer, I wifli fome things were correctled. 
 *^ But the queflion with me is this : as I wrote 
 " them in fmcerity at that time, is it not more 
 *' for the edification of chriftians, and the glory 
 ** of God, to let them ftand, than to ruin the 
 ** ufefulnefs of the whole book, by correding 
 '' them now, and perhaps bring further and falfe 
 *^ fufpicions on my prefent opinions ? Befidcs, I 
 ^* might tell you, that of all the books I have 
 ** written, that particular copy is not mine. I 
 *^ fold it for a trifle to Mr. Lawrence near thir- 
 " ty years ago, and his poflerity make money of 
 *Mt to this day, and I can fcarce claim a right 
 *' to make any alteration in the book which 
 ** would injure the fale of it." 
 
 It appears that Dr. Watts communicated to 
 Mr. 'Tomkins his remarks upon his letter, which 
 produced another from him, dated, Hackneyy 
 July 5, 1738, on which there is only this one 
 marginal note of the Dodtor's. '' Mr. 'To?nki72is 
 *' confeflion of my Doxology to the H. S. to be 
 *' lawful, yet not neceifary." In this letter, 
 v^hich contains nearly a fheet in fmall writing, 
 Mr. T^omkins^ though he grants that the Doxo- 
 logy which Dr. Watts ufed, was not in itfelf 
 unlawful, ftrongly objeds to the propriety of it, 
 
 and 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts- 145 
 
 and to the principle on which the Doctor plead- 
 ed for it, that of complying with the prejudices 
 of many ferious people. 
 
 ** I do flill alfo differ from you as to the mat- 
 " ter of offence — nor can I recoileci: any thing^ 
 ** in the pradice or diredions of the apodles that 
 '* gives the leaft countenance to fuch a proceed- 
 *' ino:.'* With reeard to the Gloria Patri, in 
 the Doctor's Hymns, he adds, " I can by no 
 ** means approve of your excufe for letting thofe 
 ** Doxologies in your Book of Hymns (which 
 ** you own you do not now approve of, as pro- 
 *Vper chriftian worfhip) ftand recommended by 
 ** your name and authority, to the ufe of the 
 ** prefent church and of future generations^ 
 " May not chriftians edify by what is fcriptural 
 ** in that book, notv/ithftanding your renoun-- 
 *^ cing or retracing what you now apprehend 
 " to be unfcriptural ? Or if iovc^.^^ weak perfonr. 
 ** might, by that means, be prevented from 
 ** reaping the advantage v/hich otherwife they 
 *' might do by your Hymns, will you, for the 
 ** fake of that, recommend to the church the 
 *' making ufe of what you yourfelf judge to be, 
 ** at beft, unintelligible founds, in their folemn: 
 ** ads of vvorfliip 5 recommend it to them as o?-" 
 ** of the noblejl parts of chrijlian U'Orfip ? Let u? 
 ** not do evil that good may come of it.'* 
 
 After faying fomething on the different opin- 
 ions of different peribns concerning his Calm En- 
 quiry ^ he concludes the correfpondence thus. 
 .** And truly we fooukl not be much concerned 
 ** about the opinion of any particular perfon, 
 *' when v/e are engaged in the caufc of God, 
 K " and 
 
14^ MEMOIRS 01^ Dr. WATts. 
 
 " and the chriftian religion. If we may hope 
 *^ that our great Lord and Mafter approves* of 
 '' what we do, it is enough. Whether you or I 
 ** are in the right ; whether your condudl in 
 ** this affair, or mine, is beft approved of him, 
 *' who is the infallible judge, Dies ultimus in- 
 *' dicabit. However that may be, as it is my 
 ** prayer that we may, fo I blefs God, I can fay, 
 '^ it is my hope, that both you and I fliall find 
 ** mercy of the Lord in that day. 
 
 *' I am. Rev. Sir, notwithllanding any dif- 
 " ference of opinion, 
 
 " your fincere friend, 
 
 *^ and humble fervant, 
 
 M. T. 
 
 — >o<^o< — 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 ON a review of this publication fo far as it re- 
 fpeds Dr. Watts\ notion of the Trinity, (which 
 I confefs it was a leading objed: with me to 
 bring forward) I can eafily imagine that fome in- 
 telligent readers will be dilTatisfied, and will think 
 his (cheme liable to equal objedlions with other 
 fchemes. I do not apprehend that it is incum- 
 bent on me to defend it, nor am I fanguine in my 
 opinion that it is the true one ; though I confefs 
 that in the main it appears to me at prefent to 
 be nearer the truth than that commonly received 
 
 as 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 147 
 
 as orthodox, which maintains three real perfons^ 
 or diftindl intelligent beings, in the Godhead, 
 If I am miftaken I ihould be truly glad to be 
 better informed. E^y^are pojjum^ Hareticus ejfe 
 nolo. As I can have no intereft to ferve in op- 
 pofing any article of found dodtrine, neither have 
 I any pleafure in diffenting from popular opin- 
 ions, or modes of fpeech. I am fully perfuaded, 
 however, that the mode of explication here 
 brought to view is not fo effentially different 
 from fome others which have been ufuaU 
 ly allowed to be orthodox, as fome perfons ima- 
 gine. All that I here intend is to offer a few 
 obfervations in proof of this for the fatisfadion of 
 ferious chriftians, who have imbibed an early 
 prejudice in favour of long eftablifhed fyftems, 
 and certain human modes of fpeech, and who 
 may be alarmed under a fufpicion (which certain 
 perfons of better information have taken pains 
 to promote) that my defign is, to promote Sod- 
 nianifm or Arianif?n : terms of reproach w^hich 
 too many (and fome without underftanding their 
 meaning) are ever ready to apply to fuch as ven- 
 ture to think for themfelves, and to adopt lan- 
 guage different from that which human creeds 
 have ftamped as facred, though the mod remiOte 
 from the language of the Bible, If fuch will 
 be attentive in reading, and candid in judging, I 
 hope to convince them, w^hether they fall in 
 with my mode of explanation or not, that I have 
 dG72e nothing ciga'mji the truth) hut for the truth. 
 According to Dr. Watts' s view of the prefent 
 fuhjedt — " The Father, the Word, and the Holy 
 ** Ghoft, are the one living and true God." To 
 
 K 2 this 
 
148 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 this propofition I give my ready affent. And 
 whoever does fo, whatever be his pecuHar mode 
 of expHcation, I will maintain has as juft a claim 
 to the chara<fter of ORTHODOX, as they who 
 do i't in the Athanajian {^n(z. And for any^ 
 who adopt that or any other mode of explication, 
 to monopolize ORTHODOXY to themfelves, 
 is a degree of prefamption unbecoming fallible 
 creatures, efpecialiy thofe who allow that the 
 MODE of fubfiftence in the Sacred Three is 
 not afcertained in fcripture ; and, indeed, it is 
 inconfiflent with the avowed Catholicifm of the 
 ableft and beft writers who are the mod partial 
 to the general Calviniftic fyftem. 
 
 With refped: to the idea of PERSONAL- 
 ITY, as applicable to the Father, Son, and Spi- 
 rit, Dr. Watts differed from many Trinitarians, 
 as he denied (and I think with very fufficient 
 reafon) *' that there are in Deity three infinite- 
 '*' Spirits, or really diftindt perfons, in the cong- 
 *^ mon fenfe of that term, each having a diftindl 
 " intelligence, volition, power, &c." Think- 
 ing fach a fuppofitlon inconfiftent with the pro- 
 per UNITY of the Godhead ; which is doubt- 
 iefs one of the mod obvious and fundamental 
 dodlrines of revelation. 
 
 But it is to be remembered, that with regard 
 to the definition of pej^fwality, Trinittarians wide- 
 ly differ among themfelves. While fome fup- 
 pofe it to be real, others think it only mod at ^ 
 or nominal, and others fomewhat between both. 
 Some of the two latter claffes bave charged the 
 former with ^ritheljm ; and %o me it feems dif- 
 ficult to clear the dotlrine Ut>m the imputation. 
 
 Noc 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 149 
 
 Nor can I conceive what Tritheifm is, if this 
 hypotheiis does not come under the defcription. 
 To affert a mere unity of essence or na- 
 ture will not obviate the difficulty : for three 
 divine perfons, or beings, though of the fame 
 nature, or in other words — all of them exact- 
 ly ALIKE, (which feems to be the meaning of 
 the term, and is the popular idea) would be as 
 really three Gods, as three human perfons of 
 the fame nature, v/ere they in all refpeds alike, 
 would be three men. Such a fcntiment, I think, 
 ought to be zealoufly oppofed as heretical. 
 
 I grant, however, fmce they v;ho maintain 
 this dodlrine do not fee the confequence, but ut- 
 terly difclaim it, and profefs to believe in only 
 ONE God, whom they worfhip as one infinite 
 being, through one mediator ; it w^ould be un- 
 candid and unjuft to pronounce them ^ritheijis^ 
 and in my idea it would be fchifmatical, for this 
 reafon alone, to feparate from their v/orfhip and 
 communion. Many fuch, whom I have known, 
 I venerate as the excellent of the earth. And 
 whatever peculiar modes of fpeech they may 
 adopt in controverfy^ their language, and apparent 
 ^ideas, when engaged in divine 'u;o?Jhip, are fuch, 
 that in uniting v/ith them I literally comply 
 with the apoftolic injunction, Rom. xv. 6. With one 
 mind and one mouth to glorify Gody even the Fath^ 
 er of our Lord J ejus Chrijl. 
 
 But then on the fame principles I mufl: cen- 
 fure thofe Trinitarians as violating the laws of 
 chriftian candour, who upbraid fuch as hold the 
 fame general dodrine, Vv'ith the oppofite herefy, 
 and refufe to hold communion with them, he- 
 K 3 caufe 
 
150 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 caufe on fuch a controverted matter as that of 
 perfonality^ they exprefs themfelves differently, 
 and chufe to adhere to the fimplicity of fcripture 
 language. This is particularly unbecoming in 
 thofe who adopt the modal fcheme, fmce the dif- 
 ference between them and the followers of Watts 
 can be but fmall. 
 
 As to thofe who think perfonality in the God- 
 head to hcfomewhat between a perfon and a mode^ 
 if there be any rational idea included in the term, 
 they who confider ** the manifeji Wifdom, and the 
 ^^ ABive E?2ergy of Deity, as the WORD and 
 '' the HOLY GHOST," may with good ap- 
 pearance of reafon be admitted as coming within 
 the fame defcription. — And they who talk of 
 three diJllnBions in Deity, without any .definition 
 of the term, have little reafon to cenfure fuch as 
 in fa6l equally maintain three difti nations, but 
 with a determinate meaning. 
 
 As to thofe who ufe the common Trinitarian 
 language in the Sabellian fenfe (which upon 
 a clofe enquiry I have found to be the cafe with 
 fome, and have reafon to think it fo with many) 
 they have little reafon to cry out " herefy** at 
 the mode of interpretation for which I am here 
 apologizing. 
 
 That it ihould, by any, be ftigmatized with 
 the name either of Socinianism or Arian- 
 ISM, appears to me peculiarly uncandid and 
 unjuft. The Anti-Nicene Fathers evidently 
 adopted this hypothefis. And if I underftand 
 the great reformer Calvin aright, he in like man- 
 ner conceived of the Word and Spirit of 
 God as the Wisdom and Power of Deity 
 
 personifiep^ 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 151 
 
 PERSONIFIED. The pious Mr. Baxter adopt- 
 ed a like perfonification, and feverely reproves 
 thofe orthodox men who anathematize them that 
 efpoLife fuch a mode of explaining the Trinity.* 
 Certain it is that Socinians rejed: fuch kind of 
 lanr^-uap-e, and difavow the notion of a Trinity in 
 any form ; not now to fay any thing of the 
 citone??iej7ty which they univerfally deny, but 
 Avhich thofe I am defending as flrenuoufly main- 
 tain. 
 
 As to Arlansy properly fo called, if I have 
 any idea of their fentiments, they confider the 
 Logos ^xiA. ih^Holy Spirit as created beings,^ 
 which I think, with Dr. Watts^ is an error, moft 
 jnanifeftly repugnant to fcripture-doftrine. 
 
 It is true. Dr. Watts maintained the Ma7i 
 Chrijl Jefus to have been a created being. But 
 if on that account his followers are juftly char- 
 ged with herefy, I know not who will be ex- 
 empt ; for I fuppofe all will allow that Chrift 
 was properly man, and as fuch created. Some, 
 K 4 indeed, 
 
 • See Baxfer^s works, vol. ii. p. 132. Where, though he fays th^t he 
 •• accounts the do6>rii.e of the Trinity the fum and kerne! of the Chriftian 
 religion, and the Aihanafian Creed the beft explication of it," he pleads 
 '* for the notion of *« three effcntial principles j'* ard after iliuftrating the 
 matter by various obje6^s in nature, he obfervs that ** the Icripture often 
 calls Chrifl the WifJom of God, and Aoyoq {Logos) is both Ratio (reafon) 
 and Oraiio (fpeech). And that fome think the Hcly Ghofi given to be- 
 lievers means Lo've to God, Sec, He then adds ihe following pafHige : 
 •' Abundance of Heretics have troubled the church with their felf-devifed 
 *' opwiious about the Trinity, and the perfon and n'lture of Chrift. And 
 *' I am loth to fay, how much many of the orthodox have troubled it alfo, 
 *' with iheir felf-conceited, mifguided, uncharitable zeal, againft thoie 
 ** whom they judged Heretics. — I would ?dvife the reader to be none of 
 •• them that fnall charge with herefv all thofe who fay lliat the three perforg 
 *« are Deus feipfum wtellige^is. Deus afeipfo intellc^us, etXDetts a je\pf9 
 «• amatui (tho I am not one) nor yet thofe holy men whom I have ci- 
 *' tfd,— and many others, who extuefslv fay, that Poientla, Siuptentia, et 
 ^' Amor^ (Power, Wifdom, and Love) are ^he Father, Son, and Holy 
 «' Ghoft." 
 
1^2 Memoirs of Dr. Watts. 
 
 indeed, maintain that he was a human person, 
 as really as any other man is fo ; and on this 
 ground deny that his Divinity was a real perfon^ 
 diftind: from that of the Father (for othervvife 
 there would be TWO persons in Chrift ;) while 
 others flrangely and arbitrarily fuppofe (to avoid 
 this laft abfurdity) that the method of Chrift was 
 merely a created nature. But both allow 
 *' the Deity of Chrift to confift in the union of 
 ** the Godhead, and the manhood, in the perfon 
 *' of Bjinanuely fo that in him GOD was inaiiifefi 
 in thefieJhJ' This general agreement I look up- 
 on as all that is effential to true orthodoxy, and 
 ^ fufficient bond of union. How much farther 
 chriftian charity may fafely extend, it is not my 
 prefent bufinefs to enquire. I will only obferve, 
 that they who have inveftigated fubjedts of doc- 
 trinal controverfy with the greateft care and im- 
 partiality, will be the moft ready to confefs, that 
 there are difficulties on all fides, where the fcrip- 
 ture has not explicitly decided ; and will fee the 
 greateft reafon for diffidence of themfelves, and 
 candour towards one another. Thefe are two 
 principal leflbns which I have learned from the 
 ftudy of more than thirty years, and thefe I am 
 principally felicitous to inculcate upon others. 
 If this publication fliould in any degree contri- 
 bute to anfwer this end, I fhall be thankful, even 
 though it fiiould expofe me to the cenfures of 
 fome good men to whofe efteem I am by no 
 means indifferent, though their charity is much 
 more confined than my own ; and whom, what- 
 ever they may think or fay of me, I will love 
 and honour. 
 
MEMOIRS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Life, Character, and Writings 
 
 O F 
 
 Dr. PHILIP DODDRIDGE. 
 
 T 
 
 HE family from which Dr. Doddridge 
 defcended appears to have been originally fettled 
 in Devon (hire. No memoirs of it, however, 
 are capable of being traced farther back than to 
 his great grandfather, whofe name was Richard, 
 and who was an eminent merchant at Barnfta- 
 ple, in that county. Of his great grandfather 
 we are not told whether he was a gentleman who 
 lived upon his eftate, or whether he was of any 
 particular profeflion. That the family was an« 
 cient, is evinced by its arms ; and that it was of 
 fome confequence, is apparent from the liberal 
 education, and the refpcdable fituations, of fuch 
 of the members of it as have not been configned 
 
 to 
 
154 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 to oblivion. John Doddridge, brother of the 
 Dodor's great grandfather, was of no fmall dif- 
 tindion in the Jaw ; pafled through feveral em- 
 inent ftages of it, in the reign of King James 
 the Firft; received the honour of knighthood ; 
 and at length rofe to be one of the Judges of the 
 Court of King's Bench. An account of him 
 will be given below.* 
 
 Another 
 
 * This John Doddridge, one of the fons of the Richard Doddridge 
 above mentioned, was born at Barnftaplc, in the year 1555. In 1572 he 
 was entered of Exeter College, Oxford, where he ftudied tour years, afrer 
 which he was removed to the Middle Temple, London, where be becama 
 a great proficient in the law, and a noted couniellor. In the forty- fifth 
 year of the reign of Q^^een Elizabeth, he was Lent Reader of that houle ; 
 and on the twentieth of January 1603-4, he was called to the degree of 
 Serjeant at Law. At the fame time he had the honour of being appointed 
 Serjeant to Henry Prince of Wales. From this employment he was raif- 
 ed, in the fucceeding year, to be Soliicitor-General to the King ; though 
 his name does not occur, under that capacity, in Mr. B "atfon's Polifical 
 Index, ©n the twenty-fifth of June, 1607, he wrts conftituted his Ma* 
 jefty's Principal Serjeant at Law, and was knighted on the fifth of July 
 following. In February 1612-13, he was created Matter of Arts, at his 
 chambers in Serjeants' Inn, by the Vice Chancellor, the two PiuClors, 
 and five other members of the Univerfity of Oxford. This peculiar honor 
 was conferred upon him in gratitude for the great (ervice he had done to 
 the Univerfity, in feveral law-fuits depending between the city of Oxford 
 and the faid Univerfity. On the twenty-fecond of April, 1613, Sir John 
 Doddridge was appointed one of the Judges of the Court of King's Bench, 
 in which office he continued till his death. In this ftaiion he appears to 
 have conduced himfelf with great integrity as well as ability. How- 
 ever, in April, 1628, he and the other Judges of the court were called 
 upon to afllgn their reafons in the Houfe of Lords, for having given judg- 
 ment againlf admitting five gentlemen. to bail, who had been imprifoned 
 for refufing the loan which had lately been demanded by the crown. Sir 
 Nicholas Hyde, Lord Chief Juftice, Sir John Doddridge, Mr. Juftice 
 Jones, and Mr. Juftice Whitiocke, each of them fpoke upon the occafion, 
 and made the belt defence which the nature of the cafe would admit. If 
 they were guilty of a miftake, which cannot now reafonabiy be doubted, 
 they feemto have been led into it in the fincerity of their hearts, from the 
 high notions they entertained of regal power. Sir John Doddridge, in 
 his fpeech, aflferts the purity of his own ch3ra6ler in the following terms : 
 ** It is no more fit for a Judge to decline to give an account of his doings, 
 ** than for a Chrifiian of his faith. GOD knoweth I have endeavoured 
 *' always to keep a good confcience i for a troubled one who c.in bear ? 
 *' I have now fat in this coyrt fifteen years, and I fhould know fomething. 
 *♦ Surely, if I had gone In a mill fo long, duft vvouid cleave to my clothes.. 
 
 *^Iaai 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 155 
 
 Another John Doddridge (whether a fon, or 
 only a near relation of the Judge, cannot now be 
 afcertained) was likewife brought up to the fame 
 profeflion 3 and became a Counfellor of the Mid- 
 dle 
 
 ** I am old, and have one foot in the grave ; therefore I will look to the 
 *' better part as near as I can. But omnia habere in 7ne?noria, ei in nnllo 
 ^^ err are ^ di'vinum poiius eft quam hmnanum.'''' Sir John Doddridge de- 
 parted this life on the thirteenth day of September, 1628, in the feventy- 
 third year of his age, and was buried in ihe ambulatory before the door 
 of the library formerly called Lady Mary's Chapel, in the cathedral church 
 of Exeter. Within that library is a very furrptuous monument ereiSled to 
 his memory, containing his figure and that of hi$ wife, cut in alabarter, 
 Xinder a ftately arch fupported by raarble pillais. This learned Judge, 
 by his happy education, accompanied with excellent natural parts and un- 
 remitted induftry, became fo general a fcholar, that it was faid of him, 
 that it was difficult to determine whether he were the better Arti!l, Divine, 
 civil or common Lawyer. Among his other ftudies, he was a great lover 
 of antiquities, and attained to fuch an eminence of knowledge and fkill 
 in that department of literature, that he was regarded as one of the ableft 
 members of the f:.mous Society of Antiquaries, which may be faid to 
 have begun in 1571, but which more parncuiarly flouriflr.d from 1590 to 
 1614. The following works were written by Sir John Doddridge, i. 
 ** The Lawyer's Light, or due Direilion for the biudy of the Law." 
 London, 1629, quarto, z. *' A complete Parfon, or a Defcription of 
 Advowfons and Church Livings, delivered in fevera! Readings, in an Inn 
 of Chancery called the New Inn." Printed 1602, 1603, 1630, quarto. 
 
 3. *♦ The Uiftoryof the Ancient and Modern Eltate of the Principality 
 of Wales, Duchy of Cornwall, and Earldom of Cheftcr." 1630, quarto. 
 
 4. *' TheEnglilh Lawyer, aTreatifcdefcribing a Method forthemanagifig 
 of the Laws of this Lsnd, and exprelTing the belt Qr^alities requifite in the 
 Student, Pra6lifer, Judge'^, &c." London, 163 f, quarto. 5. " Opinion 
 touching the Antiquity, Power, Order, btate. Manner, Pcrfons, and 
 Proceedings, of the High Courts of Pariianient in England." London, 
 3658, octavo. 6. " A Treaiife of particular Ertates." London, 1677, 
 duodecimo. Printed at the end of the fourth edition of William Noy's 
 Works, entitled, <' The Ground and Maxims of the Law." 7. «' A 
 true Reprefentation of fore-pafied Parliaments to the View of the prefent 
 Times and Polterity." This Hill remains in manuicript. Sir John Dod- 
 dridge alfo enlarg'ed a book called the '•' Magazine of Honour j" Lon- 
 don, 164.2. The fame bo.k was afterwards publifhed imder his name by 
 the Title of'* The Law of Nobility and Peerage j" London, 1657, 1658, 
 cilavo. In the CoJledtion ofcuiious Difcouries written by eminent An- 
 tiquaries, are two Difiertations by our Judge j one of which is on the Di- 
 menfions of the Land cf England, and die other on the Office and Duty 
 of Heralds in the couniry.f 
 
 f CoileSIion of curious Difcoiirfes nvritten by pminrnt Arttqvaries, Fol. 
 U. p. 432,433. Ibid. Vol. I. ;).4»— 42. 163—167. mod's Athena 
 OxoniFtifs, Vol. 1. Col. 519, 520. Beatfbns PclzticAl hidsx, Fd. I. p. 405, 
 Parliiu?i(ntary Hiforj^ f'ol, HI J. p. i~i. 
 
156 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 die Temple, Recorder of Barnftaple, and a mem- 
 ber of the long Parliament. From a circum- 
 ftance related concerning him, of his being 
 fecluded from the houfe, with fome otlier mem- 
 bers, in December 164.8, becaufe certain matters 
 were to be debated concerning them, there is 
 reafon to believe that he might be obnoxious to 
 the then ruling party, on account of his not be- 
 ing willing to concur with them in all their 
 meafures."^ Philip Doddridge, an uncle of the 
 Doctor's, was alfo bred to the law, and difcharg- 
 ed, for many years, the important truft of Stcw- 
 -ard to the noble and wealthy family of Ruffel, 
 under William the fifth Earl, and firll Duke of 
 Bedford. Our author's grandfather, whofe name 
 was John, was educated for the church, in the 
 Univerfity of Oxford^ and was pofTeffed of the 
 reftoryof Sheperton, in the county of Middlefex, 
 from which he wasejededon the twenty-fourth 
 ofAuguft, 1662, in confequence of the ad of 
 uniformity. At that time he had ten children 
 unprovided for ; notwithftanding which, he 
 quitted a benefice that was worth two hundred 
 pounds a year, rather than he would violate his 
 confcience, by fubmltting to the fubfcriptions 
 and declarations required, and the ufages impo- 
 fed by that a6t. Dr. Calamy has recorded con- 
 cerning him., that he was an ingenious man, a 
 fcholar, an acceptable preacher, and a very peace- 
 able divine. From his funeral fermon, it ap- 
 pears that he had preached, in the latter part of 
 
 his 
 
 • Collection of curioTis Difcnurfes written by eminent Antiquaries, 
 Vol. H. }>. 431. Wo'jd's Attieiias Oxonienlcs, Vol. I. Col. 519, 
 WhitcJock's Memorials, p. 360. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 157 
 
 his life, to a con;2:regation at or near Brentford, 
 and that he died fuddenly, in 1689, much re- 
 lpe<fted and beloved by his people. "^ 
 
 Daniel Doddridge, the Dodtor^s father, was 
 brought up to trade, and fettled as an oilman, 
 in the city of London. Being the eldeft fur- 
 viving branch of the family, he was heir at law 
 to the lar^e eftate of the Tuds^e (about two thou - 
 fand pounds a year) and was often urged by his 
 friends to purfue the recovery of it, but he chofc 
 to decline doing it, from an appreheniion of the 
 liazard and expenfe that would attend the at- 
 tempt. He had a great number of children, all 
 of whom died young, excepting one daughter, 
 and our author. The Dodor was the laft and 
 twentieth child of his fuher*s marriage. His 
 mother was the daughter of the Reverend Mr. 
 John Bauman, of Prague in Bohemia ^ who, in 
 confequence of the troubles which followed the 
 ex'puliion of Frederic, Elector Palatine, left his 
 native country about the year 1626. Such was 
 his adherence to the Proteftant religion, that, 
 for the lake of enjoying the free excrcife of it, he 
 quitted all his friends, and the polTeiricn of a 
 confiderable eftate. He withdrew, on foot, in 
 the habit of apeafant, carrying with him nothing 
 but a hundred broad pieces of gold, plaited in a 
 leathern girdle,'|' and a Bible of Luther's tranf- 
 
 lation. 
 
 • Orton's Memoirs of the Life, Chara^er, and Writings, of the late 
 Kcverend Phihp Doddridge, D. D. p. i — 4, fecond edition. Calamy's 
 Abridoment, Vol. II. p. 466. 
 
 f Mr. Baumnn, the firft night affer he commenced his journey, left 
 his girdle behind h<m at the inn in which he 'ay ; and not being ufed tn 
 fuch a cinc>ure, he did not mifs it tiii he came to another inn the next 
 ;v5nin2. Upoo this he immediuuiy svent back lo his former lodgings, 
 
 with 
 
158 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 lation. Having fpent Tome time at Saxe-Gotba, 
 and in. other parts of Germany, he came to Eng- 
 land, in what year is uncertain, with ample tef- 
 timonials from many of the principal German 
 divines. Being thus ftrongly recommended, he 
 was made Mafler of the Free School at King- 
 fton-upon-Tames, at which place he died, leav- 
 ing behind him one only child, the daughter be- 
 fore mentioned, then very young. 
 
 Dr. Philip Doddridge was born in London, 
 on the twenty-fixth of June, 1702. So defti- 
 tute was he, at his birth, of the figns of life, 
 that he was throv/n afide as dead. One, how- 
 ever, of the attendants, thinking that fhe per- 
 ceived fome motion or breath in him, cheriihed 
 with fuch affiduous care the almoft expiring 
 flame of exiftence, that it was happily preferved, 
 for the benefit of the world. From his infancy 
 young Doddridge had an infirm conftitution, and 
 a thin confumptive habit, which rendered both 
 himfelf and his fiiends apprehenfiye that his life 
 would be jfiiort. He frequently was accuftomed 
 therefore, efpecially on the returns of his birth- 
 day, 
 
 with the united painful apprehenGon of being met by purfuers, and of not 
 
 having the good fortune to tecovtr his fuhftsnce. When he arrived at the inn, 
 he enquired of the chambermaid if fhe had feen a girdle which he had Icfc 
 in his chamber. Slie informed him that fhe had feen it, but that, imagin- 
 ing it to be of no v^lue, fhe had thrown it away, and could not recol- 
 Jeik where. After having told her thu he h^d a great value for his old 
 bell, that it would be very iifeful to him in the long journey he had be- 
 fore him, and that he would handfumely reward her for finding it, flie 
 fearched diligently, and at length found it in a hole under the (lairs, 
 where the family ufcd to throw their worn out ufelefs furniture. The 
 good man received his g;ird!c with great joy, and purfued his journey with 
 thankfiilnefs to Providence for the recovery. This event he often fpuke 
 of to his friends, as an cxtraordinajy and feafonable mercy. f 
 
 t Ortons Memoirs of the Lifct Character, and Writings of ibs ReveT' 
 endrhilip Doddridge, I). D, p, 4. 5, vote^fecandeditign. 
 
Memcirs of Dr. Doddridge. 159 
 
 dav, to exprefs his v/onder and gratiude that his 
 years were io long continued. His parents, 
 whofe character was w^orthy of their birth and 
 education, brought him up in the early know- 
 ledge of religion. Before he could read, his 
 mother taught him the hiftory of the Old and 
 New Teilament, by the afiiftance of fome Dutch 
 tiles in the chimney of the room where they 
 ufually fat -, and accompanied her inftrucftions 
 with fuch wife and pious reflediions, as made 
 ftrong and lafting impreiTions upon his heart. 
 His firfl: initiation in the learned languages was 
 under Mr. Scott, a minifler, who kept a private 
 fchool in London. In 171 2, when he was tea 
 years of age, he was removed to Kingfton-upon- 
 Thames, and placed at the fchool which had 
 been taught by his grandfather Bauman. Here 
 he continued till 171 5, and diftinguifoed him- 
 felf by his piety and his diligent application to 
 literature. On the fcventeenth of July, in the 
 fame year, he had the unhappinefs of lofing his 
 father ; and he had been deprived of his mother 
 fometime before. This circumftance, of his be- 
 ing left an orphan, excited in him very ferious 
 reflections, which, however, were not vvdiolly of 
 a gloomy nature j for he expreffed a devout, and 
 even a cheerful truft in the protedllon of the 
 God of Mercies, the univerial Parent of man- 
 kind. 
 
 About the time of his father's death, Mr. 
 Doddridge quitted Kingfton, and was removed 
 to a private fchool at St. Alban's, under ths care 
 of a v/orthy and learned mafter, Pvlr. Nathaniel 
 Wood. At this town he had not only the ad- 
 
 vantage 
 
i6o Memoirs oi^ Dr. Doddridgs. 
 
 vantage of receiving excellent inftrudion, but 
 was peculiarly happy in forming an acquaintance 
 with a gentleman to whom he owed the higheil 
 obligations, and who behaved to him with the 
 kindnefs of a parent. The gentleman we fpeak 
 of was Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Samuel Clark, the 
 diflenting minifler of the place. What rendered 
 Mr. Clark's regard and protection particularly 
 feafonable, was a calamity that befell Mr. Dod- 
 dridge with refpedt to his private fortune. By 
 the mifmanagement of the perfon into whofe 
 hands the care of his affairs had been entrufted 
 after his father's death, he loft the whole of his 
 fubftance. In this melancholy iituation, he 
 found a ready beneta(ftor in Mr. Clark ; and had 
 not Providence raikd him up fuch a generous 
 friend, he could not have proceeded in the courfe 
 of his ftudies. 
 
 During Mr. Doddridge's refidence at St. Al- 
 ban's, he began to keep a diary of his life ; from 
 which it appears how diligently he improved his 
 time, and how anxious he was to be daily advan- 
 cing in knowledge, piety, virtue, and ufefulnefs. 
 As he had the chriftian miniftry in view, bcfides 
 his application to the languages, he read, every 
 morning and evening, portions of fcripture, with 
 fome commentary upon them ; and it was very 
 feJdom indeed, that he permitted either his fchool 
 bufinefs, or any avocations or amufements, to 
 divert him from this courfe. He recorded the 
 fubftance and deiien of the fermons he heard, to- 
 gether with the impreffions which they made 
 upon him, and particularly noted what was xnoik 
 Worthy of imitation in the preacher. In thefe 
 
 important 
 
MSMOIKS O? Vt. Doi>DIlIDG2. t6| 
 
 important concerns hz had the fingular felicity 
 of enjoying the diredtion of fo kind and experi- 
 enced a friend as Mr. Clark. Under the inftruc- 
 tions, and by the encouragement of the fame 
 gentleman, he was admitted to the Lord's Sup- 
 per ; and his own reliedtions on the occafion^ 
 preferved in his diary^ amply fhew the feriouf- 
 nefs of his fpirit in that early part of life. 
 
 In the year 171 8, Mr. Doddridge left the 
 fchool at St. Alban's, and retired for a timcj to 
 his fifter's houfe^* with a view of cbnfidering 
 his future profefTion. Strong a^ the bent of his 
 inclination was to the miniftry, he had little prof- 
 ped:, from the narrownefs of his circumilances, 
 of being able to carry his w^ifhes into execution „ 
 Whilft he was in this ftate of fufpence, theDuch- 
 efs of Bedford, who had a regard for his family,, 
 hearing of his fituation and charadter, and of his 
 warm inclination to ftudy, made him an offer, 
 that, if he chofe to be educated for the church of 
 England, and would go to either of the Univer- 
 fities, fhe would fupport the expenfes df his edu- 
 cation, and afterwards provide for him, if fhe 
 fhould live, till he had taken orders. This pro- 
 pofal he received with the higheft gratitude, but 
 declined it in the moft refpedtful manner^ as he 
 could not fatisfy his confcience in complying 
 with the terms of minifterial conformity, Iii 
 L the 
 
 • His fifter was mnrried to Mr. John Nettiefcni a diftentlng minliler a* 
 Ongir, in ElTcx. She was a lady diltinoiniJied by her goud knie and 
 piety, and by the patience ar.d tranq-jiliity witH which Hie i)o>e forne heavy 
 afiiidlons. Her brcther alw:^ys bcliaved to her with the utm )!t teudernefs | 
 and even while at the acadfniy, ant! in hisfir-V fett'oussnt, generoully con- 
 tributed all that he could Ipare out of his i'maU ftbck. for her s.fliIUnc€.-*- 
 
 f Orfortf uH/uj^ra, p. 4, note. 
 
ii62 Memoirs of Dk. Doddridge. 
 
 mc diftrefs of his mind, from an appt*ehenfion 
 that he fhould not be able to accomplilh what 
 was fo near to his heart, he waited upon Dr. Ed- 
 mund Calamy, a divine of great eminence among 
 the diffenters at that period, and entreated his 
 advice and affiftance towards his being brought 
 up for the miniftry. But in this application he 
 met with no encouragement. The Doctor en- 
 deavoured to diffuade him from his defign, and 
 xirged him to betake himfelf to fome other pro- 
 feflion. Diflieartened by fo many obftrudions 
 and difficulties, he at length entertained thoughts 
 of entering upon the ftudy of the law, in which 
 defign he was encouraged by Mr. Horfeman, a 
 celebrated conveyancer, who recommended him 
 to Mr. Eyre, a counfellor, from whom he re- 
 ceived fuch good propofals, that he was on the 
 point of complying with them. However, pre- 
 vioufly to his final determination, he devoted one 
 morning folemnly to feek to God for direftion ; 
 and whilft he was actually engaged in this pious 
 exercife, the poftman knocked at the door with 
 a letter from Mr. Clark, containing an offer to 
 take him under his care, if he chofe the minif- 
 try upon Chriftian principles. With what 
 thankful nefs he embraced the offer, will appear 
 from his own words in his diary. '* This,*' 
 fays he, ^' I look upon almoft as an anfwer from 
 *' heaven 5 and, while I live, fhall always adore 
 *^ fo feafonable an interpofition of divine Provi- 
 ** dence. I have fought God's diredlion in all 
 *' this matter, and I hope I have had it. My 
 ^' only view in my choice hath been that of 
 ** more extenfive fervice ; and I beg God would. 
 
 *' make 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 163 
 
 *' make me an inftrument of doing much good 
 *' in the world."* 
 
 Mr. Doddridge returned to St. Alban's, in 
 confequence of Mr. Clark's propolal, and con- 
 tinued fome months at the houfe of that gene- 
 rous friend, who direded him in his fludies, 
 furnlfhed him with proper books, and laboured 
 to cherifli religious difpofitions and views in his 
 heart. In October, 1719, he was placed under 
 the tuition of the Reverend John Jennings, who 
 kept an academy at Kib worth, in Leicefterfliire, 
 and was a gentleman of great learning, piety, and 
 ufefulnefs. Mr. Jennings was the author of 
 *^ Two Difcourfes on Preaching Chrift, and 
 particular and experimental Preaching," firfl 
 printed in 1723, which were fo much efleemed 
 that they were recommended by two Bifl^.ops at 
 their vilitations of their clergy, and tranflated in- 
 to the German language, by order of Dr. Franks 
 Profeilor of Divinity at Hall, in Saxony. A fe- 
 cond edition of them appeared in 1736, under 
 the care of Mr. Jennings's brother j Dr. David Jen- 
 nings, who was for many years an eminent min- 
 ifter and tutor in London. Mr. John Jennings 
 publifhed likewife, *' A genealogical table of the 
 Kings of England, Scotland, and France, for the 
 fpace of nine hundred years." Under the tuition 
 of this gentleman, for whom Mr. Doddridge had 
 the higheft veneration and refpedl, he profecuted 
 his ftudies with thegreateft ardour and diligence. 
 Befides attendino- and ftudvino: the academical 
 ledlures, and reading the particular parts of the 
 authors to whom his tutor referred his pupils 
 L 2 for 
 
 • Orton, ubi fupra, p. 4— j*» 
 
j6^ Memoirs of Dr. Doddridgi^- 
 
 for the farther illuftrntioii of the fubjeds treated 
 upon, he had in one half year read fixty books-, 
 and about as many more afterwards in the fame 
 proportion of time. Some of thefe were large 
 volumes, fuch as Patrick's Commentaries, Til- 
 lotfon's Works, and mod of the fermons that 
 had been preached at Boyle's Led:ure. All the 
 reft were learned or ufeful treatifes. Nor was it 
 in a hafty or defultory manner that thefe books 
 were read by him, but with great attention and 
 clofe ftudy. Several of them he abridged ; and 
 from others he made extracts, which were in- 
 ferted in his common-place book ; and when he 
 found, in any of the works perufed by him, a 
 remarkable interpretation or illuftration of a text 
 of fcripture, he transferred it into his interleaved 
 Teftament or Bible."* 
 
 It was of eminent advantage to Mr. Dod- 
 dridge, that, during the whole of his academical 
 courfe, he enjoyed the correfpondence of Mr. 
 Clark. From fuch of this gentleman's letters 
 as have ftill been preferved, it appears that his 
 advices to his young friend, whether regarding 
 his religious or literary improvements, were fig- 
 iially wife and judicious -j- It was probably in 
 conformity with the exhortations of Mr. Clark, 
 that Mr. Doddridge made it his bufmcfs to in- 
 creafe his acquaintance with clafTical learning. 
 The more immediate objeds of his attention were 
 the Greek writers. Thefe he not only read with 
 care, but wrote obfcrvations upon them, for the il- 
 luftration of theauthors themfelvcs, or of the fcrip- 
 
 tares ; 
 
 * Oiton, nbi fnpra, 12 — 14.. 
 
 t Letters to and Troro ihe Rev. Philip Doddridge, D. D. p. i — 14- 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. i6r 
 
 tures; andhefele6ted fuchpr.lTagcsasmightbefer- 
 viceable to him in his preparations for the puj-^ 
 pit. His remarks upon Homer, in particular, 
 were fo numerous, that they would muke a con- 
 fiderable volume.* This part of Mr, Dod- 
 dridge's condud is juftly entitled to commenda- 
 tion. By forming his tafte upon the great mor 
 dels of antiquity, to which he added an acquaint- 
 ance with the polite writers of his own country, 
 he acquired an eafe and elegance of ftile which 
 he would not otherwife have attained. His me- 
 rit was the greater in this refped:, as few of the 
 diffenters had hitherto cultivated the graces of 
 compofition, and perhaps not many of them had 
 excelled even in the perfpicuity and corredlnefs 
 of their language. It is delirable that the caufe 
 of truth, piety, and virtue, fhouid come recom- 
 mended with every poffible advantage. 
 
 While Mr. Doddridge was thus laying up a 
 large ftore of folid and ornamental knowledge, 
 he was equally intent upon cultivating the ex- 
 cellencies of the chriftian charadter. For this 
 purpofe he drew up fome rules for the regula- 
 tion of his temper and condudt, which he in- 
 fer ted in the beginning of his interleaved New 
 Teftament, that, by a frequent review of them, 
 they might have the greater influence on the 
 whole of his behaviour. They are very ftrict ; 
 and perhaps more ftri<fl than can ordinarily and 
 univerfally be put into practice ; but the effcdt 
 of them was happy on himfelf, and an attcntior; 
 to them might be fignally ufeful to others, who 
 L 3 have 
 
 f Often, ubi fcipra-, p. i^.. 
 
i66 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge^ 
 
 have the fame views in life.* In the year 1722, 
 Mr. Jennings removed, w^ith his pupils, from 
 Kibworth to Hinckley, at which place Mr. 
 Doddridge, after having been previoufly examin- 
 ed by a committee of minifters, and received an 
 ample teftimonial to his qualifications, preached 
 his firft fermon. This was on the twenty- 
 fecond of July in that year. As he was but lit- 
 tle more than twenty years of age, his friend Mr. 
 Clark feemed rather apprehenfive that he had be- 
 gun to preach too foon ; but he acquiefced in 
 the judgment of his tutor, grounded on the ma^ 
 t'lrity of Mr. Doddridge's abilities. f From his 
 firft appearance in the pulpit, he was remarkably 
 acceptable in the places where he exercifed his 
 talents. After continuing to purfue his ftudies 
 another year, he accepted of an invitation from 
 the congregation of DifTenters at Kibworth. At 
 the fame time he had an application from the 
 city of Coventry, to be Affiftant to Mr. Warren, 
 Mr. Clark gave the preference to the laft offer, 
 for feveral judicious reafons ; notwithftanding 
 which, Mr. Doddridge, upon mature delibera- 
 tion, made choice of the former fituation. His 
 principal motives for fo doing were his youth, 
 and the opportunity of purfuing his ftudies with 
 little interruption. It Was in June 1723, that 
 he fettled at Kibworth. As the congregation 
 was fmall, and he lived in an obfcure village, he 
 could devote almoft his whole time to the farther 
 acquifition of knowledge and learning ; and thi; 
 
 m after hi 
 fettlement 
 
 he did with indefatigable zeal. Soon after his 
 
 * They may be fern in Ortcn's Memoirs, p. i5— i^. 
 t Orton, ubi fupra, p. 20. Doddridge's Letter?, p. 7. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 167 
 
 fettlement at Kibworth, one of his fellow-pupils 
 having condoled with him, in a letter, on his 
 being buried alive, he returned the following fen* 
 fible and fpirited anfwer : " Here I ftick clofe 
 ** to thofe delightful iludies which a favourable 
 ^* Providence has made the bufinefs of my life. 
 ''One day pafleth av/ay after another, and I only 
 *' know that it paffetli pleafantly with me. As 
 *' for the world about me, I have very little con- 
 *' cern with it. I live almoil like a tortoife, 
 ^* fhut up in its fhell, almoft always in the fame 
 ** town, the fame houfe, the fame chamber. 
 ** Yet. I live like a prince ; not indeed in the 
 ^* pomp of greatnefs, but the pride of liberty ; 
 *' mafter of my booksp mafter of my time, and, 
 *' I hope I may add, mafter of myfelf. I can- 
 ** willingly give up the charms of London, the 
 *' luxury, the company, and the popularity of it, 
 *' for the fecret pleafures of rational employm.ent 
 *• and felf-approbation ; retired from applaufe 
 *' and reproach, from envy and contempt, and 
 *' the deftrudive baits of avarice and ambition. 
 ** So that, inftead of lamenting it as my misfor- 
 *' tune, you (hould congratulate me upon it as 
 ** my happinefs, that I am confined to an ob- 
 ** fcure village ; feeing it gives me fo many val- 
 ** uable advantages, to the moft important pur- 
 *' pofes of devotion and philofophy ; and I hope 
 ** I may add ufefulnefs too/'* It is with pe- 
 culiar pleafure that the writer of the prefent nar- 
 rative has tranfcribed this paiTagc ; as he thinks 
 that he has reafon to refled, with fome degree of 
 fatisfadtiqn, that the fpending of a number of 
 L 4 years 
 
 9 Orton, ubi fupra, p. iq-^iz. DoddiIdgi»'$ Letters, p. lo, rx. 
 
j68 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 years in retired fituations may be favourable to 
 the increafe of knowledge, and the habits of 
 ftudy. 
 
 Whilft Mr. Doddridge lived at Kibworth, 
 and during the earh'er years of his miniflry, he 
 was very exadl and careful in his preparations for 
 the pulpit. Both his fermons and expofitions 
 were the refult of deep attention and ftudy ; and 
 they were drav^n up with exa(51:nefs of method, 
 and corre<£tnefs and elegance of ftile. By this 
 means he con trailed a habit of delivering his fen- 
 timents ufually with judgment, and always with 
 cafe and freedom of language, when, afterwards, 
 he was obliged, from the multiplicity of his du- 
 ties and engagements, principally to have re- 
 courfe to extempore fpeaking. Indeed, except- 
 ing when he was called out on particular occa- 
 fions, the period I have now fpecified was the 
 time in which Mr. Doddridge more efpecially 
 excelled as a preacher. When I was a ftudent 
 under him, he ufed frequently, on a Saturday 
 evening, to read in the academy, the fermons he 
 had made in his younger years ; and they were 
 much admired by his pupils, as containing mo- 
 dels for their imitation, far fuperior to thofe 
 which he could then have leifure to give in his 
 ufual Sunday difcourfes. One thing v^'hich plea- 
 fed moil: of us was, that thefe fer-mons had lefs 
 of the Calviniftical drefs of expreflion than was 
 adopted by him after his fettlement at North- 
 ampton. 
 
 Befides the pains which Mr. Doddridge took 
 to acquaint himfelf with controverfial and criti- 
 cal theology, he was in the continual habit of 
 
 reading 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 169 
 
 rcraling deeply and ferioufly the writers of prac- 
 tical divinity. Aniong thefe, his peculiar fa- 
 vorites were Tillotfon, Howe, and Baxter ;* and 
 undoubtedly they are authors from whom the 
 clergy of every denomination may derive the 
 richeft ftores of private improvement and pubHc 
 utility. I remember to have heard him fpeak of 
 Barrow w^ith great energy of commendation. 
 Many of the divines of the latter part of the laft 
 century (among whom theChurch of England 
 claims the larger number) were incomparably 
 excellent for the high fpirit of devotion, the ful- 
 nefs of fentiment, and the energy and copioufnefs 
 of ftile ; and the negledl of them has been of no 
 advantage to m.odern times. 
 
 In the midft of Mr. Doddridge's ferious pur- 
 fuits, he did not difcontinue his regard to polite 
 literature. Having been early acquainted with 
 the French tongue, he was frequent in the peru- 
 fal of the elegant writers of that nation. He 
 thought that many of them were poffeiTed of 
 very great genius, and he applauded them as in- 
 timately acquainted with the ancients, thofe 
 prime mafters of eloquence and poetry. Of all 
 their dramatic poets he met with none whom 
 he admired fo much as Racine. He was charm- 
 ed with the pomp, elegance, and harmony of his 
 language, as well as with the majefty, tendernefs, 
 and propriety of his fentiments. His pieces, in 
 general, for the ftage, he approved, as conducted 
 with a wonderful mixture of erandeur and fim- 
 plicity, which fufficiently diftinguiili him from 
 the dulnefs of fome tragedians, and the bombaft 
 
 of 
 
 ^ Orton, ubi, fupra, p. S2. 
 
170 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 of others. Another of Mr. Doddridge's favour- 
 ite authors was Fenelon, Archbiihop of Cam- 
 bray. That writer's Refledlions upon Eloquence, 
 in particular, he looked upon as one of the moft 
 judicious performances he had ever feen. Mr. 
 Doddridge was not equally an admirer of the 
 French fermons. Thefe he judged to be far in- 
 ferior to thofe of our Englifli divines. Bourda- 
 loue's, notwithftanding the high eftimation they 
 have been held in, appeared to him to be little 
 better than empty harangues. Many of Cham- 
 inais' he efteemed to be good 5 but of all which 
 he had then feen, he gave the preference to the 
 difcourfes of Mr. Superville, the Proteftant di- 
 vine at Rotterdam. '' He efpecially excels," 
 faid Mr. Doddridge, in a letter to an ingenious 
 young friend, ** in the beauty of his imagery, 
 '' descriptions, and fimiles, and fome of the moil 
 *' pathetic expoftulations I ever faw. In fhort, 
 ** I believe he is perfectly to your tafte : only 
 ** there is one thing which will difpleafe you as, 
 *^ much as it did me ; which is, that many of his 
 ^^ arguments are very inconclufive, though gen- 
 *' erally as good as high Calvinifm will bear."* 
 It is certain that Mr. Doddridge was afterward^ 
 particularly pleafed with Saurin's fermons, and 
 ftrongly recommended them to his pupils. 
 Whether he was acquainted with Maflillon is 
 not recolledled. 
 
 While Mr. Doddridge was thus folicitous to 
 enrich his mind with various knowledge, and 
 to qualify himfelf for appearing with every ad- 
 vantage in the pulpit, he was diligently atten- 
 tive 
 
 • Letters to znd frc;m the Rev* Dr, Dodtlridge, p. s6, 27. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 171 
 
 tive to the private duties of his ftation. He 
 would often leave his ftudy, to vifit and inftrudt 
 the people under his care. In his manner of 
 converfation he was careful to adapt himfelf to 
 the capacities of his congregation, which confift- 
 ed chiefly of perfons in the lower ranks of life. 
 This objed, likewife, he fcriouily regarded in his 
 public difcourfes, which, while they were judi- 
 cious, and frequently elegant, were, at the fame 
 time, plain and eafy to be underftood. In this 
 happy art he was probably not a little affifted by 
 his intimate acquaintance with the works of the 
 excellent Tillotfon, which, however they may 
 now be ncgledled by a faftidious age, will al- 
 ways deferve to be mentioned with honour, as 
 having eminently contributed to the introdudion 
 of a rational and ufeful method of preaching in 
 England. Hov/ anxious our young divine was, 
 to difcharge every part of his duty as a chriftiaa 
 minifler, whether in or out of the pulpit, with 
 the greateft fidelity and zeal, is evident fr@m the 
 copious extradts which Mr. Or ton has given from 
 his diary. ^ 
 
 In Odober, 1725, Mr. Doddridge removed 
 his abode to Market- Harborough, in doing which 
 he did not difcontinue his relation to the people 
 at Kib worth. He preached to them as before, 
 excepting on facrament days, when his place was 
 fupplied by Mr. Some of Harborough, w^ho had 
 taken upon him the pafloral care of the fmall 
 fociety at Kibv/orth, in conjundion with his 
 owa. This change in Mr. Doddridge's refi- 
 dence was very advantageous to him, as it gave 
 
 hi:u 
 
 • Qiton, ubi fopra, p. 23—32. 
 
172 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge- 
 
 him an opportunity of nearer converfe and inti^ 
 macy with a gentleman, to whom he had been 
 under early obligations, and who, next to Mr. 
 Clark, was, perhaps, the bcft friend he had ever 
 experienced. Mr. Some was a perfon of uncom- 
 mon piety, zeal, prudence, and fagacity. In- 
 deed he appears to have been the prime ornament 
 among the diflen ting minifters in that part of the 
 kingdom. For the memory of this excellent 
 rnan, who died on the twenty-ninth of May, 
 1737, Mr. Doddridge always maintained the 
 mofi: afFedtionate regard, which he ftrongly tefli- 
 fied on feveral occalions. He publifhed, in par- 
 ticular, fome years after Mr. Some's deceafe, a 
 judicious tradt that had been written by him on 
 the fubjedt of inoculation, for the purpofe of re- 
 moving the religious difficulties with which ma- 
 ny worthy minds had been embarraffed, in refpe^fl 
 to that pradlice. In this view the pamphlet has 
 been of very confiderable utility. I do not find 
 that IVftr. Some ever printed more than two fer- 
 mons ; one in the year 1729, concerning the 
 proper '' Methods to be taken by Minifters for 
 the Revival of Religion ;" and another in 1736, 
 preached at the funeral of the Reverend Thomas 
 Saunders of Kettering. ^f- 
 
 The abilities and talents of Mr. Doddridge 
 occafioned him to be fought for by much more 
 numerous congregations than that in which he 
 iirft fettled. Even fo early as in the year 1723, 
 when he had but lately finished his academical 
 ftudies, he received an invitation to undertake 
 
 the 
 
 t Orton, ubi, fuDia, p. 32, 33, 34.. Cooke's Hiftoilcal Regifter, vol.. 
 ii. p. 332. 
 
Memoirs of Dr, 1/odd{iidge. 173 
 
 the paftoral charge of a large foclety of dliTcnt- 
 ers la the city of London. But he thought 
 hinilelf unequal to fo great a burden. Befides 
 this, he Was difcouraged by the unhappy differ- 
 ences which at that time fubfifted between the 
 non-conformiil minifters of the metropolis and 
 its neighborhood, about fubfcribing or not fub- 
 fcribing to articles of faith, in the words of 
 human device/ as a tcft of orthodoxy. In his 
 anfwer to the gentleman who tranfmitted the 
 invitation to him, he difplayed the liberality of 
 his own mind ; for after mentioning fome other 
 objedions to the propofai, he added as follows : 
 *' I might alfo have been required to fubfcribe ; 
 *' which I am refolved never to do. We have 
 '' no difputes on that matter in thefe parts. A 
 ^* neighbouring gentleman once endeavoured to 
 ^' introduce a fubfcription ; but it was efFedual- 
 ** ly overruled by Mr. Some of Harborough, 
 '* Mr. Norris of Welford, and Mr. Jennings, 
 *^ my tutor. I fliall content myfelf here, with 
 " being a benevolent well-wiflier to the interefts 
 ** of liberty and peace. "-f- 
 
 In 1726-7, Mr. Doddridge was recommend- 
 ed by his friend Mr. Clark to a vacant congre- 
 gation at Hertford j the confequence of which 
 was, that tvv^o perfons were fent to Kibworth, 
 to hear him. The refult of this matter, which 
 ftrongly difplays the ridiculoully narrow fpirit of 
 fome of the dilTenters at that period, is thus hu- 
 mouroufly related by Mr. Clark in one of his 
 letters. *' Not having any other opportunity, 
 ** I thought it neceflary to fend you without 
 
 ** delay 
 
 t Oiton, ;ibi fupr?., p. 40, , 
 
Wfw' 
 
 174 Memoirs of pR. Doddridgc. 
 
 " delay by the poft, to complain of your keep- 
 ♦' ing in your place of worfhip fuch ftumbling- 
 *' blocks and fuperftitious cuftoms, as are very 
 *^ ofFenfive to your chriftian brethren. It is no 
 *' wonder you are thought a legal preacher, 
 *^ when you have the ten commandments paint- 
 *' ed upon the walls of your chapel. Befides, 
 ^^ you have a clerk, it feems, fo impertinent as 
 *Vto fay, AmeUy with an audible voice. O tem- 
 ^' pora ! O rpores ! that fuch a rag of popery 
 *^ fliould ever be tolerated in a congregation of 
 *' Proteftant diffenters ; and, to complete allj 
 *^ you, the minifter, conclude your prayers with 
 *' a form called the Lord's prayer. Do you 
 *^ know what mifchief you have done ? What a 
 ** blot you have brought upon yourfelf by fuch 
 ** offenfive pradices ? It may be, you are 
 ** furprifed at what this means. In a few words 
 *' then, Mr. Chandler of Bedford, being on his 
 '* return home at Mr. Eccles's, delired him up- 
 ** on my motion to write to Hertford,, to re- 
 ** commend you to them in his name, as a very 
 *' fit man to be their minifter. Upon this, two 
 ^^ members of that congregation went over the 
 *' other day to hear you preach. But no fooner 
 '^ did they come into the place, but they found 
 *^ themfelves dilappointed ; and what they heard 
 *^ at the clofe, confirmed them fo much in their 
 ^* prejudices, that they thought it needlefs to 
 *^ fay any thing of their intention to you. Go- 
 ^' ing to preach laft Sunday at Ware, I heard all 
 ^^ this there, and afterwards at Hertford. I can- 
 *' not but pity them for their weaknefs ; and do 
 ** not knov/ but it is happy for you not to en- 
 
 *^ counter 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Doddridge. 17^ 
 
 *^ counter fuch odd humours. "-f* It was indeed 
 happy for Mr. Doddridge, that he had not to 
 encounter with people of fuch a rigid and capri- 
 cious difpofition. However, it ought to be re- 
 membered, that fome of the diflenters at Hert- 
 ford had fenfe enough to be angry that two per- 
 fons ihould take upon them to judge for the 
 w^hole fociety. 
 
 Mr. Doddridge, in the year 1728, received a 
 prefiing invitation from one of the diffenting 
 congregations at Nottingham, and a few months 
 after, from the other. There were many cir- 
 cumftances that tended to recommend both the 
 invitations. The focieties were large and re- 
 fpedtable, the falary confiderable, the town pop- 
 ulous and flourifhing, its fituation delightful, 
 the converfation agreeable, and the profpedt of 
 ufefulnefs very extenfive. Neverthelefs, after 
 mature deliberation, Mr. Doddridge determined 
 to adhere to the plan of continuing to purfue 
 his fchemes of improvement in a more private 
 refidence. In this determination he did not ad: 
 without confulting his wifeft friends, and feek- 
 ing for divine diredion. In 1729, he was cho- 
 fsn afiiftant to Mr. Some at Harborough ; the 
 congregation at that place being defirous to en- 
 joy his labours more frequently than before : the 
 refult of which choice was, that he preached 
 there and at Kib worth alternately. At this 
 time of his life, though he was but little more 
 than twenty-feven years of age, the fame of his 
 abilities and worth was fo much fpread abroad, 
 that his fettlement among them was fought for 
 
 by 
 
 t Letters ^o and from iheRev. Dr. Doddridge, p. 14, i^. 
 
$7^ Memoirs oP Dti. Doddridge; 
 
 by various large focieties befides thcfe already" 
 mentioned. But his regard to Mr. Some, his 
 love for the people at Kib worth, and his folici- 
 tude to have greater leifure for ftudy than he 
 could enjoy in a populous town and extenfive 
 connecfrions, ftill retained their influence in lead- 
 ing him to decline the different propofals that 
 were made to him for a removal.* 
 
 When Mr. Doddridge left the academy, Mr« 
 Jennings, a few weeks before his death, which 
 happened in the prime of his days, on the eighth 
 of July, 1723, earneftly preffed his pupil to keep 
 in view the improvement of the courfe he had 
 gone through of academical lectures, and to ftu- 
 dy that courfe in fuch a manner as to refer what 
 occurred to him, to the compendiums his tutor 
 had drawn up, that they might be illuftrated and 
 enriched. Our young divine did not then fuf- 
 pe6l what was the motive of Mr. Jennings in 
 i<ivin^ him this advice. But he afterwards was 
 informed, that his tutor had declared it to be 
 his opinion, that if it fliould pleafe God to re- 
 move him early in life, Mr. Doddridge was the 
 moft likely of any of his pupils to purfue the 
 fchemes which he had formed ; and which, in- 
 deed, were, very far from being complete, as he 
 died about eight years after he had undertaken 
 the condu(fl: of a theological academy. Agreea- 
 bly to Mr. Jennings's advice, Mr. Doddridge, 
 during his fettlement at Kibworth, reviewed his 
 courfe of ledures with care. About this time, 
 an ingenious young gentleman, Mr. Thomas 
 Benyon, fon of Dr. Samuel Benyon, a celebrated 
 
 minifter 
 
 • Orton, ubi, fupra, p. 39—410 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 17^ 
 
 tninifler and tutor at Shrewfbury, who died in 
 1708, had entertained thoughts of reviving the 
 Icheme of his father. Converfing one day with 
 Mr. Doddridge, the difcourfe turned upori the 
 beft method of conducting the preparatory ftud- 
 ies of youth intended for the miniftry; In con- 
 clufion, Mr. Benyon earneltly requefted of his 
 friend, that he would write down his fentiments 
 upon the fubjecft. Mr. Doddridge confented. 
 and drew up his thoughts in the form of a let- 
 ter, which grew into a confiderable volume. 
 But when he had juft finifhed the work, Mr. 
 Benyon, for v/hofe ufe it was defigned, died, and 
 the treatife remained in the writer's ov^n hands. 
 Mr. Saunders of Kettering, happening to fee it 
 in his ftudy, defired to have the perufal of it ; 
 after which he fhewed it to Dr. Watts, with 
 whom Mr. Doddridge had then no perfonal ac- 
 quaintance. The Doftor, who was much plea- 
 led with the plan, made fome remarks upon it, 
 and communicated it to feveral of his friends, 
 \vho all concurred in opinion, that the perfon 
 who had drawn it up was beft qualified to carry 
 it into execution* Accordingly, application was 
 made to him for that purpofe ; and Mr. Some 
 was the gentleman principally employed in ma- 
 naging the affair. He knew that Mr. Dod- 
 dridge had every important and defirable qualifi- 
 cation for the inftrud:ion of youth ; and there- 
 fore he not only propofed his undertaking it, 
 but preffed the matter upon him in the ftrongeft 
 terms. Nor would he by any means allow the 
 validity of his plea of incapacity, but urged that, 
 fuppofing him Icfs capable than his friendjs be- 
 M * lieved, 
 
I7S Memoirs of Dr. Doppridgit* 
 
 lieved, he might improve his time in his retire-^ 
 ment, vvhexT. engaged in luch a work with a few* 
 pupils, to greater advantage than without them'. 
 This was a very proper confideration : for every 
 man who has iuilained the charadler of a pre- 
 ceptor, if he has difcharged his duty with a fuit- 
 able degree of attention and fidelity, muft be fen- 
 fible that the employment has highly contributed 
 to the accuracy and increafe of his own know- 
 ledge. Mr. Some had likewife, unknown to 
 Mr. Doddridge, obtained from the relations of 
 fome young men, . the promife of putting them 
 under his care, by which another objedtion that 
 might have arifen was precluded ; and Mr. Saun- 
 ders offered his brother to be the firft pupil of 
 the intended academy. It was with great humi- 
 liry and diffidence that Mr. Doddridge hearken- 
 ed to thefe folicitations. He was deeply con- 
 vinced of the importance and difficulty of the 
 undertaking, and devoutly implored the diredion 
 and affiflance of the Supreme Being. Whilfl 
 he was ftill in doubt with regard to his final de- 
 termination, he efteemed it a kind providence 
 that the difienting minifters m the neighbour- 
 hood had agreed to meet at Lutterworth, on the 
 tenth of April, 1729, to fpend a day in humilia- 
 tion and prayer for the revival of religion. To 
 this allembly Mr. Some propofed the fcheme that 
 had been concerted for the eftablidiment of an 
 academy at Harborough, under the care of his 
 young friend ; and it met with the entire appro- 
 bation of the gentlemen prefent. They unani- 
 moufly concurred in their fentiments of the pro- 
 jpriety and ufefulnefs of the defign, and Mr. 
 
 Doddridge^s 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 1^9 
 
 Doddridge's qualifications for conducing it ; and 
 they promifed him all the affiftancc and encour- 
 agement that were in their power. This had 
 great weight in forming his refolution. Ncver- 
 thelefs, before the matter was abfolutely deter- 
 mined, he thought proper to confult fome of his 
 brethren and friends at a diftance, and efpecially 
 Mr. Clark ; who at firft hefitatcd on the fub- 
 jed:, and, on account of Mr. Doddridge's admir- 
 able talents for the pulpit, feemed rather to wifh 
 that he might have a fettlement in London. 
 However, lie foon approved of the fcheme, as 
 did ^he reli of the perfons v/hofe advice had been 
 folicited. Mr. Doddridge confented, therefore, 
 to the execution of a plan v/hich, oa every fide, 
 was fo zealouily and earneftly recommended. 
 What much encouraged hin> to enter upon the 
 office of an academical tutor, was the circum- 
 flance of his retreat at Harbcrough ; the pafto- 
 ral care of the congregation there, and at Kib- 
 worth, being fulfilled by Mr. Some ; fo that he 
 had little to do as a minifter, excepting to make 
 one fermon a Vvxek, which confidering the vigour 
 and celerity of his mind, Vv^as an eafy tafk. 
 
 Mr. Doddridge having, at length, refoived to 
 comply with the wifhes of his friends, he imme- 
 diately reviewed his plans of Academical Studies, 
 v/ith Dr. Watts's remarks, and correfponded 
 with that eminent divine on the fubjedt. He 
 read, likewife, every valuable book which he 
 could meet v/ith on the education of youth, ^nd 
 made fuch extradls as he thought might be con- 
 ducive to the execution of his defign. Befides 
 this, he wrote many letters to the minifters of 
 M 2 different 
 
i8o Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 different denominations, with whom he was ac- 
 quainted, requefting their advice in his great un- 
 dertaking. One gentleman whom he particu- 
 larly confulted was the Rev. Dr. Samuel Wright, 
 of London, who favoured him with his fenti- 
 ments at large, efpecially on the head of divinity 
 ledlures. Mr. Clark communicated to him va- 
 rious tranfcripts from the ledures of Mr. Jones, 
 who had been a tutor of diftinguiflied ability and 
 learning, at Tewkfbury in Glocefterrtiire. With 
 all thefe preparations, Mr. Doddridge thought 
 it his wifdom to make a trial firft in a private 
 way, with only two or three ftudents, declining 
 to receive others that offered. At Midfummer, 
 1729^ he opened his academy. The fubjed: or 
 his firft ledure to his pupils was of a religious 
 kind, fliewing the nature, reafonablenefs, and ad- 
 vantages, of their acknowledging God in .their 
 ftudies. In the fecond, he gave diredions for 
 their behaviour to him, to each other, to thb 
 family, and all around them ; with proper mo- 
 tives to excite their attention to a right condu6t 
 in thefe refpects. After this he proceeded to 
 his ordinary courfe.* Thus was he led to a fi- 
 tuation of life which formed the moft diftin- 
 guiflied fcene of his ufefulnefs. The late Rev. 
 Hugh Farmer, fo w^ell known among the dif- 
 fenters as a nioft excellent preacher, and by the 
 literary world in general for his extenfive learning 
 and valuable publications, was one of Mr. Dod- 
 dridge's earliell: ftudents. 
 
 Our voun^^ tutor had been emoloyed in his 
 preceptorial capacity but a few months, when 
 
 he 
 
 * Orton, ubi fupr?, p. 41—47. Djcldrrdge's Letters, p. 19, 20. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. i8r 
 
 he was diredted by Providence to a fituation of 
 greater ufefulnefs as a chriitian ii^inifter. There 
 being a vacancy in the diffenting congregation at 
 Caftle-Hill, in Northampton, in confequence of 
 the removal of Mr. Tingey to London, Mr. 
 Doddridge preached occafionally to them, as did 
 others of his brethren. In doing this, his fer- 
 vices were fo acceptable to the people, that he 
 was invited and ftrongly urged by them to be- 
 come their paftor. Some of his friends, and par- 
 ticularly Mr. Some, advifed his continuance at 
 Harborough. The arguments alledged by theni 
 were, that he would have more tim.e to apply to 
 his work as a tutor, than if he had the fole care 
 of a large fociety ; and that there was another 
 minifter, who, it was thought, might well fup- 
 ply the vacancy, though, perhaps, not in everv 
 reipcdl equally to the latisfadtion of the con!^re- 
 o^ation. Thefe confiderations had fuch weipht 
 with him, that he determined to continue in his 
 prefent ftation. In purfuance of this view of 
 the cafe, Mr. Some went to Northampton, to 
 perfuade the people to wave their application. 
 But when he came there, and favv their zeal and 
 afFedlion in the affair, and heard the motives by 
 which they adted, and the circumftances in 
 w^iich they ftood, he was, as he expreffed it, 
 like Saul among the proohets, and im.mediately 
 wrote to Mr. Doddridge to prefs his acceptance 
 of the invitation. The fame thing v/ns ftrong- 
 ly urged by his friend Mr. Clark. Still, how- 
 ever, he was averfe, on many accounts, to a 
 change in his fituation. But, being defirous of 
 tcftifying his gratitude and regard to the congre-- 
 M -^ _!T;ation, 
 
jSi Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 gation, he made them a vifit, on purpofe to ex-.^" 
 plain in perfon his reafons for declining their 
 propofal. Whilft he was on this vifit, fcveral 
 events occurred, which ftrongly tended to pre- 
 vail upon him to alter his refolution. One or 
 two of them, perhaps, may be deemed, by fome 
 of thofe who may read Mr. Orton's account of 
 them, to have a tindture of enthufiaftic weaknefs ; 
 but there was an argument prefented to him, 
 which muft be allowed to have had very great 
 w^eight. Before he returned to Harborough, 
 the young perfons of the fociety came to him in 
 a body -, earneflly entreated his fettlement among 
 them ; and promifed to fubmit to all fuch meth- 
 ods of inftrudion as he fliould think proper. 
 This laft circumftance was the confideration that 
 turned the fcales for his going to Northampton, 
 after they had long hovered in uncertainty. 
 
 On the twenty-fourth of December, 1729, 
 Mr, Doddridge removed, with his academy, from 
 Harborough to Northampton, and in the fpace 
 of two or three weeks commenced houfekeeping. 
 This important change in his fituation was not 
 fuffered to pafs without his entering into a fevere 
 examination of his own mind, and forming the 
 .mofh pious and facred refolution s with refpedt to 
 his condu'S, both as a mafler of a family and a 
 minifler of the gofpel. That be might be the 
 better prepared for the large pafloral work now 
 devolved upon him, he employed part of the 
 time between his fettlement and his ordination 
 in reading the beft treatifes on the qualifications 
 and duties of the m.iniflerial office. The books 
 piirticularly ftudied by him were Chryfoftom on 
 
 the 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Doddridge. 183 
 
 the Priefthood, Bowles's Paftor Evangel iciis, 
 Burnet on the Paftoral Care, and Baxter's Gildas 
 Salvianus. He read, likewile, the lives of fome 
 pious and adlive minifters, among which that of 
 die Rev. Mr. Philip Henry afforded hini much 
 inftrudicn and encouragement. Befides this, 
 lie feledled, from the works w^hich he perufed, 
 the moft important advices, reflections, and mo- 
 tives • and made a collection of thofe maxims of 
 prudence and' difcretion, an attention to which 
 he thought would be calculated to fecure efteem 
 and ufefulnefe. 
 
 . About two months after Mr. Doddridge's 
 kttlement at Northampton, he was feized v/ith 
 a dangerous illnefs, which gave many painful 
 fears to his friends, left a life of fuch diftin- 
 guiflied excellence, and fuch promifmg utility, 
 fhould be fpeedily cut off. But, through a 
 merciful Providence, he recovered from the dif- 
 order, and, in due time, his health was complete- 
 iy reftored. While he was yet in a very weak 
 iiate, the day arrived, which had been fixed up- 
 on for his ordination ; and it was a day to him of 
 great folemnity and importance, and which ex- 
 ercifcd his moft devout meditations. This event 
 took place on the nineteenth of March, 1729-30. 
 It is but an ad: of juftice to record the names of 
 the worthy minifteis who were engaged in fetting 
 apart for the paftoral .oiiice fo eminent an inftru- 
 ment of fervicc to the church and the world 
 Mr. Goodrich of Oundle began with prayer and 
 reading the fcriptures. Mr. Dav/fonof Plinck - 
 ley prayed before fermon. Th<"n Mr, Watfoa 
 of Leicefter preached a difcourfe fiom i Timo- 
 
1^4 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 thy iii. i . ^' This Is a true faying, if a man de- 
 fire the office of a bifliop, he defireth a good work/' 
 After this, the call of the church was read by Mr. 
 Norris of Welford ; and when Mr. Doddridge 
 had declared his acceptance of it, he delivered 
 his confeffion of faith, which was followed by 
 what is ufually called the ordination prayer. The 
 charge to Mr. Doddridge was given by Mr. Clark 
 of St, Alban's and the exhortation to the people 
 by Mr. Saunders of Kettering -, and the whole 
 folemnity was concluded with a prayer by Mr. 
 Mattock of Daventry.* It is rather furprifing 
 that we do not meet with the name of Mr. Some 
 on this occafion. Some particular incident, now 
 not known, perhaps a fudden illnefs, might have 
 deprived Mr. Doddridge of the affiftance of fo 
 valuable and intimate a friend. That the caufe 
 fliould not have been mentioned by Mr. Orton in 
 his Memoirs, or by Mr. Doddridge in his Diary, 
 is an omiffion that could fcarccly have been ex- 
 pelled. 
 
 It would carry us beyond the limits that muft 
 be affigned to the prefent narrative, to defcribe, 
 at large, the diligence, zeal, and fervour, with 
 which Mr. Doddridge difcharged his paftoral 
 duty. This matter is fully infifted upon by 
 Mr. Orton, to whom we muft refer for a more 
 minute detail of particulars. However, we fhall 
 infift upon a few leading circumftances. Mr. 
 Doddridee's firft care was to know the eftate of 
 his flock ; for which purpofe he made diligent 
 enquiry into the members and flated hearers of 
 which it confiiled, and entered in a book their 
 
 names^ 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, icy^ 
 
 names, families, places of abode, connedtions and 
 charaders. By this he was better enabled to 
 adapt his vifits and advices to their refpedtive 
 fituations, and their religious improvement. With 
 regard to the compoiition of fermons, his work 
 as a tutor, and the paftoral infpedtion of a very 
 numerous congregation, rendered it next to im- 
 poffible that his difcourfes for the pulpit flioald 
 be fo exadl and accurate as they v/ere in the for- 
 mer part of his miniftry. '•' Nor was it," fays 
 Mr. brton, *' needful. Having habituated him- 
 *' felf, for feveral years, to correct compofitions, 
 '^ having laid up fuch a fund of knowledge, 
 " efpecially of the fcriptures, which was daily 
 ** increafing by his ftudies and ledlures, he fome- 
 *' times only wrote down the heads and leading 
 ** thoughts of his fermons, and the principal 
 ** texts of fcripture he defigned to introduce. 
 *^ But he was fo thoroughly mailer of his fub- 
 ** je'll, and had fuch a ready utterance and fo 
 ** warm a heart, that perhaps few minifters can 
 ** compofe better difcourfes than he delivered 
 ** from thefe fhort hints."* This encomium 
 is, I think, to be admitted with fome flight de- 
 gree of abatement. The fermons of Dr. Dod- 
 dridge were different, as he was differently cir- 
 cumftanced. When he had leifure to draw out 
 his plan, and the hints of what he prooofed to 
 fiy, to a confiderable extent, his difcourfes v/ere 
 often excellent in a hiA dc-^ree. But, at other 
 times, when he could but jail lay down his 
 fcheme, with only a very few thoughts under it, 
 his fermons, efpecially if he was not in a full 
 
 flow ■ 
 
 • Qirton, ubi, fv.py^, p. 57.. 5%, 
 
i86 Memoirs of Dr. DoddridgeJ 
 
 flow of fpirits, were lefs valuable. Once, dur^ 
 ing my refidence with him, a number of pupils 
 complained, through the medium of Mr. Or- 
 ton, that, though their revered tutor's academi- 
 cal ledlures were admirable, they had not in him 
 a fufficiently cor reft model of pulpit compofi- 
 tion. The confequence of the information was, 
 that his fermons became far fuperior to what they 
 had ibmetimes formerly been ; for he was the 
 moft candid of all men to the voice of gentle 
 admonition. When, however, he took tha 
 leaft pains, he was always perfpicuous in his 
 method, and natural and orderly in the ar- 
 rangement of his fentiments ; and hence he 
 furniflied an example, from which many of 
 the young men educated under him deriv- 
 ed no fmall benefit in their future labours. 
 I remember a remarkable inftance of his power 
 in extemporaneous fpeaking. Akenfide the poet, 
 who in early life was fettled, for a ihort time, at 
 Northampton, being vifited by fome relations 
 from Newcaftle upon Tyne, who were dillent- 
 ^rs/came with them, unexpedledly, one Sunday 
 morning, to Dr. Doddridge's meeting. The fub- 
 yeOi he preached upon was a common orthodox 
 topic, for which he had fcarcely made any pre- 
 paration. But he roufed his faculties on the 
 occafion, and fpoke Vvith fuch energy, variety, 
 and eloquence, as excited my warmeft admira- 
 tion, and muft have impreiled Dr. Akenfide with 
 a high opinion of his abilities. The ingenious 
 poet and the learned divine were in the habits ot 
 confiderable intimacy while the former refided at 
 Northnmpton. A matter of contioverfy be- 
 tween 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. i2y 
 
 tween them was, how far the ancient heathen 
 philolbphers were acquainted with, and had in- 
 culcated, the dcdtrine of inrmnortiiity. Aken- 
 fide contended for the honour ot the phiiofo- 
 phers, and Doddridge for that of the chrilliaa 
 revelation. The fubje6t was purfued, in e:iprefs 
 conferences, for two or three evenings ; and 
 both the gentlemen exerted their talents, and 
 colleded their literature on the different hdes of 
 the queftion. Dr. Doddridge^ who loved to in- 
 form his pupils of whatever he met with which 
 he thought would contribute to their inftru6lioii 
 and pleafure, related to us, on the fucceeding 
 mornings, the arguments that had been produ- 
 ced, and the relult of the debate. 
 
 Without entering into a particular detail of 
 many things which might be faid of Dr. Dod- 
 dridge as a preacher, I cannot help taking notice 
 that he was always warm and affectionate in the 
 applications of his fermons. His fentiments on 
 this head he has thus exprefied : ** It is indeed 
 *' unworthy the character of a man and a chrif- 
 ** tian, to endeavour to tranfport men's paflions, 
 " while the underftandinc^ is left uninformed, 
 *' and the reafon unconvinced. But, fo far as 
 *' is confiflent with a proper regard to this lead- 
 ** ing povv^er of our nature, I would fpeak and 
 ** write of divine truth with a holy fervency, 
 ^* Nor can I imagine that it would bode well to 
 *^ the interefl of renjion to endeavour to lay all 
 " thofe pai'nons afieep, w^hich fiirely God im- 
 ♦' planted in our hearts to ferve the religious as 
 ^' well as the civil life, and which, after ail, will 
 *' probably be employed to lome ve-v excellent 
 
 '' or 
 
i88 Memoirs of Dr. D.oddridg£^ 
 
 ** or very pernicious purpofes /'••'* This Is the 
 language of wifdom. True eloquence confifts 
 in an union of the rational, the forcible and the 
 pathetic ; and to addrefs to the afledlions as v/ell 
 as to the reafon, of mankind, is the didtate of the 
 foundeft philofophy. The cold and feeble con- 
 clufions of many difcourfes from the pulpit, 
 are as difgufting to a juft tafte, as they are un- 
 profitable with regard to religious improvement. 
 Itmnftnotbe omitted, that Mr. Doddridge 
 thought it a part of minifteria! prudence to take 
 public notice of remarkable providential occur- 
 rences. He endeavoured, in his fermons, to de- 
 duce leffons of wifdom and piety from import- 
 ant tranfadions, affecting the nation, town, or 
 any confiderable number of his hearers. Nor 
 did he negledt uncommon appearances of nature, 
 or other events, that were the fubjefts of gener- 
 al converfation ; to which may be added the fea- 
 fons of the year, and efpecially the mercies of 
 harveft. From an attention to thefe different 
 circumflances, his difcourfes were accompanied 
 v/ith a greater extent of variety and ufeful nefs. 
 He v/as a friend to funeral fermons, which, if 
 they be not too frequently exercifed or convert- 
 ed to the purpofes of adulation, conftitute an 
 inftrudlive and an aff^ding part of compofitions 
 for the pulpit. In his manner of fpeaking he 
 had an earneflnefs and pathos which tended great- 
 ly to affed his hearers. By fome perfons his 
 pronunciation and adion were judged to be too 
 ftrong and vehement ; but to thofe who Vv^ere 
 acquainted v/ith the vivacity of his temper, and 
 
 his 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 189 
 
 Ms ufual mode of converfatlon, it appeared quite 
 natural and unafFeded. 
 
 With refpedt to his condud:, as a minifler, 
 out of the pulpit, it muft fuffice briefly to ob- 
 ferve, that he was very exadl in the exercile 
 of chriftian difcipHne, and in feparating thofe 
 from the church who were a reproach to their 
 religious profefTion ; that he had a deep concern 
 and aftedioriate regard for the riling generation ; 
 and that, in the midft of his numerous duties 
 and engagements, it was matter of furprife that 
 he could fpare fo much time, as he did, for paf- 
 toral vifits. It was a grief to him to find that 
 the children of fome of his hearers, through the 
 ignorance and poverty of their parents, had nev- 
 er been taught to read ; and therefore he per- 
 fiiaded his people, in 1738, to concur w^ith hirk 
 in eftabl idling a charity fchool. In this bene- 
 volent deiign he met with fo much encourage- 
 ment, that a foundation was laid for inftruding 
 and clothing twenty boys, who were put under 
 the care of a pious and flcilful mafter. The 
 Doftor himfelf often viiited the fchool and ex- 
 amined and exhorted the children ; accompany- 
 ing his exhortations with affedionate prayers for 
 their improvement and welfare. With fuch 
 diftinguiflied abilities of the mind, and with fuch 
 excellent virtues of the heart, It will not be 
 deemed furprifing that he pofieffed, in a very 
 high degree, the efteem and love of his congre- 
 gation. In his laft will he bore this teftimony 
 to their character, '' That he had fpent the moit 
 ** delightful hours of his life in aflerting the 
 ^'^ devotions of as ferious, as grateful, and as de- 
 
 ^^ ferving 
 
tgo MexMoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 '' ferving a people, as perhaps any minifter ever 
 *' had the happinefs to ferve/'* This charac- 
 ter was no doubt generally, and indeed almoft 
 univerfally, true. Neverthelefs, he was not 
 without his calls for the exercife of patience. 
 There were perfons belonging to his fociety who 
 were narrow bigots, and weak enthufiafts ; and 
 thefe fometimes entruded upon him in a foolifli 
 and troublefome manner. He behaved, how- 
 ever to them with a condefcenfion and tender- 
 nefs which they fcarcely deferved, and of which 
 few minifters of the gofpel would be able to fet 
 an equally ftriking example. 
 
 In 1730, Mr. Doddridge entered into the 
 matrimonial relation with Mrs. Mercy Maris, a 
 native of Worcefter, and a lady in whom he 
 found every qualification that could render mar- 
 riage defirable. She was, indeed, a religious, pru- 
 dent and affectionate companion . Her conilitution 
 was delicate, and her health, at times precari« 
 cus, which often gave her hufband no fmall 
 caufe of alarm 3 but (he was happily continued 
 to him through his whole life, and furvived him 
 a great number of year?:..' p Of his affedtion and 
 tendernefs for her much might be laid, were it 
 neceilary to enlarge on the fubjecl:. A better 
 proof of this cannot be afforded than by a copy 
 of verfes which he once wrote to her, from 
 London, when abfent on a journey. They are 
 as follows : 
 
 Tedious 
 
 • Orton, ubi foprr, .62— -73. 
 t Orton, ubi fupra^p. X29, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 19I 
 
 Tedious moments ! Ipecd your flying, 
 
 Bring Cordelia to my arms ! 
 Abfcnt, all in vain I'm trying 
 
 Not to languifh for her charms. 
 
 Bufy crowds in vain farround me, 
 
 Bilghteft beauties ihine in vain ; 
 Other pleafures but confound me, 
 
 PleaUires but renew m.y pain. 
 
 What though three whole years are ended 
 Since the pried has joined our hands. 
 
 Every rolling year has tended 
 Only to endear our bands. 
 
 Let the v/anton wits deride it, 
 
 Hiijband is a charming name ; 
 None can fay, but who has try'd it. 
 
 How enjoyment feeds the flame. 
 
 Wives our better angels are, 
 
 Angels in their lovelied drefs. 
 Gentle foothers of our care. 
 
 Smiling guardians of our peace. 
 
 Happy ftate of miortal treafures. 
 
 Circling maze of noble love : 
 Where the fenfe's higheft pleafures 
 
 But the meaneil bkfling prove. 
 
 Dear Cordelia I hither flying. 
 
 Fold thy hufband in thy arms ; 
 While thus t' amufe myfelf Tm trying. 
 
 More I languifli for thy charms. 
 
 Mr. Doddridge, in younger life, afforded va- 
 rious proofs of a poetical turn, moft of v/hich 
 are in the poffeffion of the prefent biographer. 
 The excellent lines which he wrote on the motto 
 
 to 
 
192 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 to the arms of his family, *^ Dum vivimus 
 vivamus/' have appeared in feveral publications. 
 Dr. Johnfon's opinion of thefe lines was, that 
 they conflituted one of the fineft epigrams in 
 the Englifli language.* Though they are fo 
 well known, they cannot be omitted in any me- 
 moirs of the author'§ life. 
 
 '* Live, while vou live,'* the epicure would fay, 
 ^^ And Teize the plcafures of the prelent day.*' 
 " Live, while you live," the facred preacher cries, 
 *^ And give to God each moment as it flies/' 
 Lord, in my views let both united be ; 
 I live in pleafure when I live to Thee. . 
 
 Mr. Doddridge had a talent at fatyrical epi- 
 grams ; an inflance of which is the following, 
 written on one of his pupils, a weak young 
 man, who thought that he had invented a me- 
 thod of flying to the moon. 
 
 And will Volatio leave this world fo foon^^ 
 To fl-y to his own native fear, the moon ? 
 'Twill ftand, however, in fome little flead 
 That he fets out with fuch an empty head. 
 
 When Mr. Doddridge removed toNorthamp« 
 ton, his academy was only in its infancy ; but 
 it foon grew into great reputation, and the 
 number of ftudents increafed every year. In 
 1734, he found it neceifary to have a flated 
 affiftant, to whom he affigned part of the ju- 
 nior pupils, and the fuperintendence of the 
 whole of them when he happened to be^ abfent. 
 
 He 
 
 ♦ Bofwell's Journal, p. 334. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 19? 
 
 He was felicitous to maintain the reputation and 
 efteem of the gentlemen who fifcceffively fuf- 
 taincd this charadlerj by his own behaviour to- 
 wards them, and the refpedt which he requiced 
 from the (Indents to them ; ** and they thought 
 ** themfelves happy in his friendihip^ and the 
 ** opportunities they had, by his converfe, in- 
 *' ilruv!^ions, and example, to improve them- 
 ** felves, while they were affifting in the educa- 
 ** tion of others.*'* In thcfe words, which are 
 Mr, Orton's, he fpoke from his own experi- 
 ence ; and every one who adted in the fame ca- 
 pacity might adopt limilar language. Such of 
 them as I have been acquainted with, were very, 
 re^^pedtable for their knowledge ; and in the 
 choice of them a particular regard was paid to 
 fheir ikill in the Greek and Latin claffics, as 
 Avell as to their ability for inftrufting the young 
 men in certain departments of mathematical and 
 philofophical fcience. Among Dr. Doddridge's 
 alTiftants, befides Mr. .Orton, may be named the 
 late Rev. Dr. Aikin, and the Rev* Mr. James 
 Robertfon, who has been for many years Profef- 
 for of Oriental Literature in the Univerfity of 
 Edinburgh. Dr. Aikin was afterwards, firft^ 
 claffical, and then theological tutor at Warring- 
 ton J and perhaps, as a lecturer, he v/as nevef 
 exceeded. This is the teftimony that has been 
 uniformly given of him by all who had the ad- 
 vantage of being his pupils. What he was as a 
 parental inftrudtor, will be judged of from the 
 excellent and elegant produdlions of his fon and 
 daughter. Dr. John Aikin and Mrs. Barbauld. 
 N Sines 
 
 • Orton; ubi fupra. 
 
194 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 , Since Dr. Doddridge's office as a tutor v/as 
 the moft important ftation in which he appeared, 
 it is an effential part of a life written of him, lo 
 relate, fomevvhat minutely, how he condudled 
 himfelf in that capacity. He chofe to have as 
 many pupils, as poflible in his own family, that 
 they might be more immediately under his owfi 
 eye and government ; and latterly, he had a houfe 
 large and commodious enough to contain all of 
 them, two or three excepted. The orders of 
 the feminary were fuch as fuited ftudents of a 
 certain age ; being a due medium between the 
 rigour of fchool difcipline and an unlimited in- 
 dulgence. It was an eftabliflied law, that every 
 pupil fhould rile at fix o'clock in the fumrnsr, 
 i>nd at leven in the winter. Each young man, 
 in his turn, fuftained the weekly office of moni- 
 tor, part of whofe bufinefs was to call up the 
 reft every morning ; and they were to. appear in 
 the public room, foon after the fixed hour. 
 Thole who did not attend were fa bjeit to a pe- 
 cuniary penalty ; but if any repeatedly indulged 
 to a habit of floth, they were obliged to prepare 
 an additional academical exercife. The punifh- 
 ,ment of the monitor's neglcdt, which I never re- 
 colled: to have happened, was a double fine. 
 -Their tutor fet, them an example of diligence by 
 -being almoft univerfally prefent with them at 
 thefe early rifings. After a prayer, which fel- 
 dom lafled more tiian two or three minutes, the 
 young gentlemen retired to their refpe6tive de- 
 fers till the time of family worlhip. That fer^ 
 vice was begun by the Dodtor with a ffiort pe- 
 tition for the divine prefenccand blefling. Some 
 
 of 
 
Memoirs o^. Dr. Doddridge. 195 
 
 of the ftudents then read a chapter of the Old 
 Teftament from Plebrew into EiigHfll, which 
 he critically expounded, and pradlically improv- 
 ed. After this a pfalm was fung, and he con- 
 cluded with a longer prayer than at the begin- 
 ning. On Sunday mornings fomething entirely 
 devotional and pradlical was fubllitued in the 
 room of the ufual expoiition. In the evening 
 the v/o.rfliip was condudted in the fame method, 
 with only this difference; that a chapter of the 
 New Teftament was read by the pupils from 
 Greek into Englifh, and the fenior ftudents pray- 
 ed in rotation. The Doftor, Vv'hen prefent,. 
 which was generally the cafe, expounded the 
 New Teftc-ment in the fame manner as he did 
 the Old.''- It would give me pleafure, if I could 
 fay, that fome of the young men never flily pla- 
 ced an Englifli Bible by the fide of the Hebrew 
 one. Sucii of the pupils as were boarded out of 
 the boufe were obliged to attend and take their 
 parts in the domeftic devotions ; and thofe, whe- 
 ther in or out of the family, who were not pre- 
 fent, were f.ibje6L to a fine, or, if their abfence 
 was frequent, to public reprehenfion. By the 
 method which Dr. Doddridge purfued, the ita- 
 dcnts had an opportunity of hearing him ex- 
 pound moil of the Old Teftament, and the whole 
 of the New, more than once. The more dili- 
 gent among them took hints of what v/as deliv^ 
 ered. One piece of advice given them by the; 
 Doctor was, to get the Old Teftament, and 
 Wetftein's Greek Teftament interleaved, in quar- 
 to, in order to write in them the moft coniider- 
 N z sbk 
 
 * Oiton, ubi fupra, p. 75, 76- 
 
196 Memoirs of Dr. DoDf5RiDGi£. 
 
 able remarks for the illuftration of the fcrip*^ 
 tares, which either occurred in their tutor's ex- 
 pofitions, or were derived from their own read- 
 ing, converfation, and reflections. 
 
 Soon after breakfaft. Dr. Doddridge proceed- 
 ed to the difcharge of his academical duty. The 
 feveral clafTes were taken by him in their proper 
 order, and he ledured to each of them about the 
 fpace of an hour. His affiftant was at the fame 
 time engaged in a fimilar manner. Rich's fhort- 
 hand was one of the firft things which he cx- 
 pedted his pupils to learn, that he might be able 
 to tranfcribe his own ledlures, and make extrads 
 from the books they read and con ful ted, with 
 greater eafe and celerity. Indeed, this vvas a cir- 
 cumftance from which they might derive great 
 advantage in future life, as the experience of the 
 prefent writer can teftify. Care was taken, in 
 the firfi: year of the young men's courfe, that they 
 ihould retain and improve that knowledge of 
 Greek and Latin which they had acquired at 
 fchool. With regard to the Hebrew language, 
 they were either initiated into it, or, if they had 
 learned it before, were carried on to greater im- 
 provement. Ufualiy the attention to clalTical 
 literature was extended through the fecond year 
 of the courfe. Of late, the difienting academies 
 have exerted a far fuperior zeal with refpedt to 
 this very important objed:. Whilft I was'onc 
 of the tutors at Hoxton, ciafncal inftrudion was 
 continued at leaft for three years ; and at the new 
 college. Hackney, it makes a part of the whole 
 courfe. Belides what was done in a morning, 
 the Greek and Latin lecftures, at Dr, Dod- 
 
 dridire's. 
 
Memoirs or Dk. Doddridge. 197 
 
 dridge's, were read every evening, ufually by the 
 afliftant, though fometimes by himfelf. If any 
 of the pupils were deficient in the knowledge of 
 the Greek, fuch of the feniors as were {killed in 
 that language were appointed to be their in- 
 flrudlors, at feparate hours. Thofe who chofe 
 it were taught the French tongue. The longer 
 Dr. Doddridge lived, the more was he convin- 
 ced of the great importance of a learned, as well 
 as a pious education, for the chriftian miniftry. 
 Having found that fome who came under his 
 care were not competently acquainted with the 
 claffics, he formed a fcheme for afiifting youths, 
 of a promifing genius and a ferious temper, in 
 their preparations for academical lludies ; and 
 he met with good encouragement in the fcheme 
 from the contributions of many of his friends. 
 As it commenced only two years before his 
 death, much progrefs could not be made in it ; 
 but a fimilar plan has fince been adopted by 
 Mr. Coward's truftees, with fingular utility^ 
 Dr. Doddridge was not, in every inflance, fo at- 
 tentive to the claffical preparation of the ftudents 
 received into his feminary, as could have been 
 wifhed. Sometimes he admitted ferious young 
 men, of perhaps three or four and twenty years 
 of age, who had had very little of that prepara- 
 tion, and who never diftinguifhed themfelves, in 
 this refpedl, by their fubfequent improvement. 
 He thought, however,- that they might be ufe- 
 ful in plain country congregations ; which was 
 undoubtedly the cafe. Several of them, though 
 not abounding in learning, fuftained the minlf- 
 terial charader with a decent reputation. The 
 N ^ Do'ftcr, 
 
198 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 Dodor, I believe, towards the clofe of his ]ife> 
 was of opinion that he had gone far enough in 
 this matter. 
 
 Other things which were read to the flu- 
 dents, during the firft year of their courfe, were 
 fyflems of logic, rhetoric, geography, and meta- 
 phylics. The logic was Dr. Watts's, which 
 was very fully purfued. On rhetoric the lec- 
 tures were flender and imperfed:, being only a 
 flight enlargement of a fmall compendium that 
 had been drawn up by Mr. Jennings. Geogra- 
 phy was better taught ; but of metaphyfics there 
 was only given at this time a brief epitome, as 
 the great objeds it prefents were afterwards more 
 amply confidered. Under thefe feveral heads 
 the pupils were referred to particular paflages in 
 fuch authors as treated upon them. This part 
 of the courfe was accompanied with lecSures on 
 the principles of geometry arfd algebra, which, 
 befides their intrinfic excellence, were happily 
 calculated to form in the young men a iixednefs 
 of attention, and a habit of rightly difcrimina- 
 ting, and properly arranging their conceptions. 
 When thefe branches of fcience were iinifhed, 
 the ftudents were introduced to the knowledge 
 of trigonometry, conic-fedtions, and celeftial 
 mechanics ; under which laft term was included 
 '4 coUedion of important propolitions, taken 
 chiefly from Sir I faac Newton, and relating ef^ 
 pecially, though not folely, centripetal and cen- 
 trifugal forces. A fyftem of natural and expe- 
 rimental philofophy, comprehending mechan- 
 ics, fliatics, hydrofcaticsi optics, pneumatics^ 
 and 'ailronorny;^ was likewife read;j with refer- 
 ee ijces 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 197 
 
 ences to the bsft authors on thefe' fubjedls, 
 Mufchenbroek was made life of in my time 
 as a text book, and afterwards Rowning, 
 For the particular objedls to which they 
 relate, recourfe was had to Clare on Fluids, 
 and Keill's Aftronomy. The fyfiem of na- 
 tural philofophy was illuftrated by a neat 
 and pretty large apparatus. As the pupils pro- 
 ceeded in their courfe, fome other articles w^ere 
 alfo touched upon. Mr. Orton mentions par- 
 ticularly natural and civil hiftory ; but thefe 
 two objedl's do not fall under my recolledtion. 
 At m. oft, they were fcarcely enough conlidered 
 to defer ve a diftindl fpecification. Such a view 
 was given of the anatomy of the human body as 
 was entitled to applaufe, and well calculated to 
 ir.fpire the young men with the fentiments of 
 veneration and love for the fupreme Artificer, 
 In the latter years of their courfe, a large fyftem, 
 drav^^n by Dr. Doddridge him.felf, Vv^as read of 
 Jewifli antiquities, with references to the princi- 
 pal writers on the fubjed: ; in order to illuflrate 
 numberlefs pafiages of fcripture, which could 
 not other wife be fo well underftood. In eccle- 
 fiaftical hiftory theDoc^lor ledured from Lampe's 
 Epitome. On the various fedls and dodrines of 
 the ancient philofophers he occafionally gave 
 fome inftrudion from Budd?Dus's Compendium ; 
 but this matter was never purfued to any confi- 
 derabie extent. 
 
 All thefe branches of ftudy, though of no 
 
 fmall confequence, were, however, fubordinate 
 
 to what was the grand object of the attention of 
 
 the young men, during three years of their courfe j 
 
 N 4. " \Yhich 
 
200 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 which was Dr, Doddridge's Syftem of Divinity, 
 in the largeft fenfe of the word ; including what 
 is moft material in pneumatology and ethics. 
 In this work were contained, in as few words as 
 perfpicuity would admit, the principal things 
 which had occurred to the author's obiervation» 
 relating to the conftitution and properties of the 
 human mind, the proofs of the exiftence and at- 
 tributes of God, the nature of moral virtue, the 
 various parts of it, the means fubfervient to it, 
 and the fanftions by which its precepts, confider- 
 cd as the natural law of the fupreme Being, 
 are enforced. Under this head the arguments 
 for a future life, deducible from the light of rea- 
 fon, were particularly examined. A furvey was 
 added, of what is, and generally has been, the 
 ftate of virtue in the world ; whence a tranfition 
 was eafy to the neceflity of a revelation, the en- 
 couragement to hope for it, and the kind of evi- 
 dence with which it might probably be attend- 
 ed. Hence the work proceeded to the aftual 
 evidence that may be produced in favour of that 
 revelation which is contained in the fcriptures. 
 The genuinenefs, credibility, and infpiration of 
 the facred books were then treated upon at large, 
 and vindicated from the moft material objedions 
 that have been urged againft them by fceptical 
 writers. This part of Dr. Doddridge's lectures 
 was, perhaps of all others, the moft important 
 and ufeful. Having laid a firm foundation in fo 
 ample a ftatement of the evidences of chriftiani- 
 ty, he entered into a copious detail of what were, 
 or, at leaft, what appeared to him to be^ the 
 doctrines of fcripture. In fo doing, though he 
 
 ftated 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 2ox 
 
 flated and maintained his own opinions, which in a 
 coniiderable degree were Calviniftical, he never 
 affumed the charader of a dogmatift. He re- 
 prefented the arguments, and referred to the au- 
 thorities on both fides. The ftudents were left 
 to judge for themfelves ; and they did judge for 
 themfelves, with his perfect concurrence and ap- 
 probation ; though no doubt, it was natural for 
 him to be pleafed when their fentiments coin- 
 cided with his own. Where this was not the 
 cafe, it made no alteration in his affedlion and 
 kind treatment, as the writer of the prefent nar- 
 rative can gratefully witnefs. What feemed 
 moft evident to Dr. Doddridge on the fubjeds 
 confidered by him was digefted into the form of 
 proportions, fome of which were problemati- 
 cal ; and the chief controverfies relative to each 
 head were thrown into fcholia. For the illuf- 
 tration of all of them, a large coUeftion was 
 made of references, in which the fentiments and 
 reafonings of the principal authors on the points 
 in queftion might be feen in their own words. 
 It was the bufinefs of the pupils to read and 
 abridge thefe references in the intervals between 
 the ledlures. Dr. Doddridge's Syftem of Divin- 
 ity was his capital work, as a tutor. Much la- 
 bour was fpent by him upon it -, and he was 
 continually enriching it with his remark on any 
 new prududtions upon the various fubjedls to 
 which it extended. It was tranfcribed by the 
 generality of the ftudents ; and it mr.y be truly 
 obferved concerning it, that it was well calcula- 
 ted to lead them gradually on, from the firft prin- 
 ciples, to the moft important and diiiicult parts 
 cf theological knowledge. Befides 
 
::o2 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 Befides Dr. Doddridge's expofitions in the 
 family, critical leflares on the New Teftament 
 were delivered once a week, which the young 
 men were permitted and encouraged to tranfcribe. 
 In thefe were contained his obfervations on the 
 language, meaning, and defign of the facred 
 writings, and the interpretations and criticifms 
 of the moft eminent commentators. Many of 
 thefe obfervations occur in his F'amilyExpoiitor. 
 As a fet of ledtures, they never attained to a very 
 tuU and perfedt form. 
 
 ' Polite literature^ if not coploully infifled upon, 
 was npt, however, by any means neglected . No 
 inconfiderable advantage was derived from the 
 Dodor's being himfelf a man of tafte, and a 
 mafter of elegant compofition. Without much 
 dired: inftruftion, the remarks which he occa- 
 fionally and frequently made on the beft writers, 
 ancient and modern, were of great utiHty. The 
 iludent^, too, efpecially thofe of a clafTical turn/ 
 cherifhed in each other, by their difcuiTions and 
 d.rbates, the principles of difcernment with re- 
 gard to the beauties of authors, v;hether in profe 
 or verfe. 
 
 In the laft year of Dr. Doddridge's courfe a 
 fet of ledures was given on preaching and the 
 palloral care. Thefe contained diredlions con- 
 cerning the method to be taken by the pupils to 
 lit them for appearing with credit in the pulpit ; 
 the charadter of the chief practical divines and 
 commentators ; particular rules for the compo- 
 fition, ftyle, arrangement, and delivery of fer- 
 rnons ; and inftrudions relating to public prayer, 
 expofition^ catcchifing, the adminiftration of the 
 
 ficramentSj, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 20j 
 
 iacramcnts, and viliting. To thefc were. added 
 many general maxims for their converlati'on and 
 conduct as mlnifiers, and a variety of prudential 
 hints for their behaviour in the particular cir- 
 cumfiances and connections in which they might 
 be placed. A regard to truth obhges me to ob- 
 ferve, that in thefe ledures, the Doflor carried 
 his ideas of condefcenfion to the weaknefs, and 
 accomm.odation to the prejudices, of mankind, 
 farther than fome perfons will entirely approve. 
 Bat in fo doing he acted, I doubt not, with the 
 mofl: upright views, and from a fincere defire to 
 be ufefal. His fentiments on this head had been 
 early flated by him in his *' Free Thoughts on 
 the mod probable Means of reviving the Dif- 
 fen ting Interefc." 
 
 '•While the iludcnts," fays Mr. Orton, '' were 
 ** purfuing thefe important ftudies, fome lecftures 
 '* were given them on civil law, the hierogly- 
 *' phics and mythology of the ancients, the Eng- 
 *' lilh hiftory, particularly the hiftory of non- 
 '* conformity, and the principles on which a fep- 
 *' aration from the church of England is found- 
 ^* ed." Such ledturcs might, I doubt not, be 
 occahonally read -, but they made no ftated and 
 regular part of the academical courfe. None of 
 them, excepting thofe on nonconformity, v/ere 
 delivered during my refidence at Northampton, 
 I fpeak vv^ith the p-reater confidence on the fub- 
 je6V, as I was never abfent from a fingle ledlure 
 till the laft m.onth of miV courfe, v/hen I was 
 prevented from attending on tvvo or three Mon- 
 days, in confcqaeace of hivin.]; b^en engaged at 
 a diitance as an occationa! o;eacher, The health 
 
 which 
 
204 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 which enabled me, and the diligence that led mc 
 to maintain this conftant attendance, I have rea- 
 fon to refledt upon with thank fulneis and plea- 
 fure. 
 
 One day in every week was fct apart for pub- 
 lic exercifes ; at which times the tranflations and 
 orations of the junior pupils were read and ex- 
 amined. Such of the young men as had entered 
 on the ftudy of pneumatology and ethics, pro- 
 duced in their turns thefes on the feveral fub- 
 je<5ls affigned them, which were mutually oppo- 
 led and defended.* Thefenior ftudents brought 
 analyfes of fcripture, the fchemes of fermons, 
 and afterwards the fermons themfelves, which 
 they fubmitted to the Dodor's examination and 
 corredtion ; and in this part of his work he was 
 very exadt, careful, and friendly 5 for he efteemed 
 his remarks on their difcourfes more ufeful to 
 the young preachers than any general rules of 
 compofition which could be offered them by 
 thofe who were themfelves mofl eminent in the 
 profeflion . 
 
 It was Dr. Doddridge's care, that his pupils, 
 through the Vv^hole feries of their ftudies, might 
 have fuch a variety of ledures weekly, as, with- 
 out diftradting them, would entertain and en- 
 gage their minds. While they were attending 
 and ftudying objedls of the greateft importance, 
 fome of fmaller moment, though beneficial in 
 themfelves, were fet before them at proper inter- 
 vals. 
 
 ♦ " Thofe," fays Mr. Orton, '* who had finiflied ethics delivered ho- 
 ** milifs (as they were called, to dt(line:uiih ihem from fermons) on iba 
 " natora! and moral perfections of God, and the feveral branches of 
 ** moral virtue.'* But no fuch homilies, as diftin6> from orations and 
 thefes, occur to my recol left ion. Indeed, I am convinced that the dif- 
 sirttion did not take place in wy limt* 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 20^ 
 
 Tals. It was contrived that they (hould have 
 as much to read, between each ledture, as might 
 keep them well employed ; due time being al- 
 lowed for neceffary relaxations, and the reading 
 of pradical writers. The habitual perufal of 
 fuch writers was recommended by their tutor 
 with peculiar energy, and Angular propriety ; 
 for few things can more efFedtually contribute 
 to improve the underftanding and mend the 
 heart, and to lit a young man for minifterial du- 
 ty and ufefulnefs, than a large acquaintance with 
 that moft valuable part of literature, the great 
 body of Englifh fermons, and of compofitions 
 which have a fimilar nature and tendency. Dr. 
 Doddridge often examined what books the ftu- 
 dents read, beiides thcfe to which they were re- 
 ferred in their ledtures, and diredted them to fuch 
 as were beft fuited to their age, charafter, and 
 intended profeffion. In this rcfpeft they were 
 very advantageoufly fituated, as they enjoyed the 
 ufe of a valuable library, confifting of feveral 
 thoufand volumes. To this library, under fome 
 prudent regulations, they had accefs at all times. 
 As their tutor was fenlible that a numerous collec- 
 tion of books might be a fnare, rather than a 
 benefit, to the fludents, unlefs they had an ex- 
 perienced friend to direfl: them in the choice of 
 them, and in the proper period for their being 
 perufed, he was particularly folicitous that they 
 might have fuitable advice on the fubjeft. With 
 this view, he fometimes gave to his pupils lec- 
 tures on the books in the library ; going over 
 the feveral flielves in order, and informing them 
 of the charafter of each work,, and its author, 
 
 io 
 
zo6 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridgit,' 
 
 (o fiir as he was known. His obfervations were 
 not only inftrii6live but pleafant ; being often in- 
 termixed with anecdotes of the writers who were 
 mentioned. It may be truly faid of the lecftures 
 on the library, that they.difplayed the farprifi ng 
 extent of the Do6lor's reading: and knowledo-s, 
 and that they v/erc ufeful in a variety of refpects. 
 My mind ilill retains, v/ith advantage and plea-, 
 fure, the imprefnon of many of his remarks. 
 . Dr. Doddridge's manner of ledluring was well 
 adapted to engage the attention and love of his 
 pupils, and to promote their diligent ftudy of 
 the fubjects upon which he treated. He ex- 
 pedled from theni, when they afiembled in their 
 refpedive clafl'cs, an account or the reafonings, 
 demionftrations, fcriptures, or fads confidered in 
 the former ledures and references ;. and he al- 
 lowed and encouraged them to propofe any ob- 
 jeciions, which might arife in their cv/n mdnd?, 
 or had occurred in the authors they perufed. If, 
 at any time, their chjedions were, petulant or 
 impertinent, he patiently heard and "mildly an- 
 fwered tlicm ; for he put on no magifterial airs, 
 but always addrefied them v/ith the freedom and 
 tendernefs of a f^uher. He frequently and warm- 
 ly urged them not to take their fyfiem of divini- 
 ty from any man or body of men, but from the 
 Bible, It was the Bible that he always referred 
 and appealed io, upon every point in queftion, to 
 which it could be fuppofcd to give any light, 
 '.rhe appearances of bigotry and uncharitableuefs 
 were reiblutely checked by him ; and he endea- 
 vored tocure thofe v/ho difcovered any fymptoms 
 of this kind, bv flievv'ing; them what mi2:ht be 
 
 faid 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge.. 257 
 
 faid in fnpport of the principles they ciiiliked, 
 and difplaying the great learning and excellent 
 chara£iers of many by whom they were efpoufed. 
 It was Dr. Doddridge's great aim to give his 
 pupils juft and fublime views of the chriftiari 
 jTiiniflry, and to lead them to dired: all their 
 iludies fo as to increafe their abilities and quali- 
 fications for that important office. As he was 
 defirous that they (hould be very ferious. preach- 
 ers, he was particularly anxious that they might 
 have a deep fenfe of divine things upon their 
 own minds, and be well acquainted with the 
 workings of the human heart with regard to eter- 
 rial concerns ; and he recommended to them, in 
 the choice of the fubiefe upon v.mich he preach- 
 ed, and in the manner of treating them, to have 
 an efpecial view to the edification of the bulk of 
 the people. Nor did he think this inconfiftent 
 with a due attention to the elegance of compofi- 
 tion. That the fludents might be qualified to 
 appear wdth eficem and honour in the world, 
 and prefide over politer focieties with acceptance, 
 he endeavoured to form them to an agreeable ad- 
 drefs and behaviour. This the ceconomy and 
 decorum of his ov/n family was v/ell calculated 
 to produce. He obferved, likewife, their way 
 of fpeaking, inftruftcd them in the proper m^an- 
 ner of pronunciation, and labored to prevent 
 their contrading any unnatural tone or geflure. 
 While he delivered his cautions upon thefe 
 heads, fuch was his hunfility, that he warned 
 them not to imitate himfelf in an error of this 
 kind, of which he was fenfiblc, but which hfe 
 could not entirely correfi:.* Aix^liiir 
 
 • Ortor. ubi^ fx^pr-?, p. 76 — 90. 
 
2o8 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 Another method taken by Dr. Doddridge, to 
 qualify his pupils for appearing with early ad- 
 vantage in the pulpit, muft not be forgotten , 
 The fenior fludents, before they began to preach, 
 were accuftomed, on the Sunday evenings, to 
 vifit the neigbouring villages, and to hold pri- 
 vate meetings for religious worfliip in fome li^ 
 cenfed houles. It was not uncommon for fifty 
 or fixty, or perhaps a larger number of people, 
 to affemble on thefe occafions. Two of the 
 young men ufually went together ; when a 
 praftical fermon was repeated, and one of them 
 prayed before and the other after it, with proper 
 intervals of finging. This cuftom was eminent- 
 ly ufeful, both in exercifing the talents of the 
 pupils, and in preparing them to appear with 
 greater courage and freedom when they entered 
 upon the miniflry. Sometimes diftinguifhed 
 abilities, when accompanied with timidity and 
 bafhfulnefs, have been greatly obfcured from the 
 want of fuch preparatory exercifes. The cuftom 
 was otherwife in no fmall degree beneficial, as it 
 tended to remove prejudices againft the diffent- 
 ers, and to promote the ends of ferious religion. 
 
 One proof of Dr. Doddridge's zealous con- 
 cern for the improvement of his pupils, was, 
 that he allowed them a free accefs to him in his 
 own fludy, to alk his advice with regard to any 
 part of their courfe, and to mention to him fuch 
 difficulties as occurred to them either in their 
 private reading or their Icflures. In thefe cafes 
 he treated them with the utmoft candour and 
 tendernefs, and pointed out whatever he thought 
 would contribute to their advancement in know- 
 ledge. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 20^ 
 
 ledge. While he was thus foHcitous to pro- 
 mote their intelledual acquirements, it was his 
 main care, and what he apprehended to be moft 
 eflential to their ufefulnefs, that they might be 
 pious and virtuous men. With this view the 
 flrideft regard was paid to their moral charac- 
 ters 5 and their behaviour, when not employed 
 in their ftudics or at lefture, was watchfully in- 
 fpedted. Inquiry was made what houfes they 
 frequented, and what company they kept ; and 
 none of the ftudents were permitted to be from 
 home after ten o'clock at night, under penalty of 
 a confiderable forfeiture. When any thing was 
 found irregular in their condu<fi:, or there ap- 
 peared o be a danger of their falling into tempt- 
 ation, zhQ Dodor privately admoniihed them in 
 the moft ferious and affedionate manner. Nor 
 was he fatisfied with the external decorum of 
 their behaviour, but was anxious to perceive in 
 them the genuine evidences of real religion.^' 
 
 Dr. Doddridge " often expreffed his wifli/' 
 fays Mr. Orton, *' that different places of edu- 
 ** cation could be provided for perfons intended 
 *' for the miniftry and thofe for other profefTions • 
 *' as he thought it would be better fecurity for 
 *' the religious charafterof the former; andfomd 
 •* indulgencies might be allov/ed to the others, 
 " efpecially thofe of rank and fortune, that were 
 ** not proper for divinity ftudents, as few of them 
 *' were likely ever to be affluent in their circum- 
 '* ftances."-f- Much as I revere the memory of 
 my tutor, and fmcere as the refpecft is which I 
 entertain for his judgment on many points, I do 
 O no; 
 
 • Orton, ubi Aipra* p. 91 — 56, •*■ Ibid. p. lox. 
 
210 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 not agree with him in this o'pinion. Perhaps it 
 might be deHvered by him at feafons of peculiar 
 difficulty 2ind embarraffment. It is certain that 
 he did not ftridly accord with it in his own 
 pradtice ; for he took young gentlemen of for- 
 tune into his houle to the end of his life ; and 
 during the whole of my pupilage, which was at 
 a time when' his academy was in a very flourifh- 
 ing ftate, I do not recoUedl that any ot the theo- 
 logical ftudents wxre corrupted by the others. 
 There is no poiTibility of forming any plan of 
 education, with regard to which objeftions may 
 not be made, and inconveniences fuggefted. 
 ilow many dilTertations and treatifes have been 
 WTitten concerning the qucftion which is moft 
 preferable, a private or a public education, with- 
 out having hitherto brought the world to an 
 uniformity of fentiment upon the fubjedt ! Dif- 
 ferent minds, as they are differently conftituted, 
 and as particular difficulties ftrike them, will ' 
 view matters of this kind in a diverfity of lights. 
 For my own part, all the knowledge and expe- 
 rience which I have beert able to obtain with 
 refped: to the point in debate, have convinced me 
 that confiderable advantages may, and do, arife 
 from the connection of lay-pupils with thofe 
 who are intended for divinity. 
 
 ^ So great was Dr. Doddridge's reputation as a 
 . tutor, that the number of his ftudents was large, 
 being, one year with another, thirty-four; and 
 the- academy was ufually on the increafe; Dur- 
 ing the twenty- two years in which he fuftained 
 this office, he had about two hundred young 
 men under his care, of whom* one hundred and 
 
 twenty 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 2li 
 
 twenty entered upon theminiftry, and Ibme who 
 were defigned for it died while under his inftruc- 
 tions. Several of his pupils were from Scot-* 
 land and Holland. One perfon, who w^as in- 
 tended for orders in the church of England, 
 chofe to fpend a year or two under his tuition^ 
 before he went to the Univerfity. Others, 
 whofe parents were of that church, were placed 
 in the Dodtor's family, and were readily allowed 
 to attend the eftablifhed worfhip ; for the con- 
 flitution of his academy was perfedly catholic. 
 Some young divines from Scotland, w^ho had 
 ftudied and taken the ufual de9:rees in the Uni- 
 verfities, and w^ho had even begun to preach, 
 came to attend his divinity ledlures, and to re- 
 ceive his inftrudlions, before they fettled with 
 parishes in their native country.* 
 
 Such was the manner in which Dr. Dod- 
 dridge filled up his difficult and honourable fta- 
 tion as a tutor ; and from this furvey of his con- 
 du<St, w^hich might have been extended farther, 
 and which is in certain refpedts more copioufly 
 dwelt upon by Mr. Orton, every pious and ju- 
 dicious reader will acknowledge the wifdom and 
 goodnefs of Providence, in raifing up fo excel- 
 lent a perfon, and preparing him for fo large a 
 fphere of ufefulnefs.-f* 
 
 Mr. Orton takes notice that Dr. Doddridge's 
 method of education bears a near refemblance to 
 other feminaries of the like kind, among the 
 Proteftant Diffenters. J But it is proper to ob- 
 ferve, that, of late years, there has been a con- 
 O2 fidefable 
 
 *• OrtOD, ubi fupra, p. loa, 103. f Ibid. p. 104. J Ibid. p. 74' 
 
^12 Memoirs of Dr. DoddridC?^*^ 
 
 fiderable enlargement of the plan upon whicfe 
 feveral of them have been conftrucSed. The 
 academy at Warrington was formed on the 
 fcheme of three independent ProfeffhrSy as they 
 might juitly be entitled 5 and when we niiention 
 among them (not to name other refpeftable per- 
 ibns) ftich men as Dr. Taylor^ Dr. Aikin, Dr, 
 Prieftley, Dr. Reinhold f^orfter, Mr. Gilbert 
 Wakefield, and Dr. Enfield, we need not fay how 
 ably it was in fuccefllon fupplled. The infti- 
 tation at Hoxton was on the fame foundation ; 
 Dr. Savage, Dr. Rees, and myfelf, being dif- 
 tind: and unfubordinate tutors in theological, 
 mathematical, and philological departments. A 
 iimilar arrangement takes place at the feininary 
 of our congregational brethren in Homerton. 
 The new college at Hackney has gone upon the 
 • plan of a ftill greater number of preceptors. 
 Though the academy heretofore at Daventry, 
 and fince removed to Northampton, and that at 
 Manchcfter, retain the form of one principal tu- 
 tor, there are two feparate afiiftants for the phi- 
 lofophical and claflical ftudies. 
 
 May I be permitted to offer a brief fketch of 
 theological education I A folid foun-dation ought 
 to be laid in a truly grammatical acquaintance 
 with the Latin and Greek tongues ^ and the 
 higher clafiical writers Ihould be read, m^ore or 
 lefs, through the whole courfe. Hebrew at 
 leaft, amongft the Oriental languages, iliould by 
 no means be neglected. The different branches 
 of mathematical literature, and of natural philo- 
 fophy, will demand a fcrious and diligent atten- 
 tion. Logic, metaphyiics, univerfal grammar,, 
 
 rhetoric*. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 213 
 
 ihetoric, criticifm, chronology, and hiftory, are 
 objefts an acquaintance with which is not a lit- 
 tle delirable. V/ith refped to genf ral divinity, 
 including in that term pneumatology and ethics, 
 I cannot help thinking that Dr. Doddridge's 
 courfeof lectures, with proper additions, improve- 
 ments, and references to more recent authors, 
 might ftill be made ufe oi with eminent advan- 
 tage. As it points out, in order, the moil im- 
 portant objects of ftudy, and the writers on both 
 fides of the queftions difcuffed, a young man 
 will know where to apply for future informa- 
 tion. Jewifh antiquities and ecclefiaftical hiflo- 
 ry need fcarcely to be mentioned, as they cannot 
 be forgotten. If the fyftems of the anc^ient phi- 
 lofophers fhould be thought to merit much re- 
 gard during acadeniic^l ftudies, ample materials 
 may be colledled from Dr. Enfield's late moft 
 valuable work, A feries of ledtures on the 
 divine difpenfations would be peculiarly ufeful. 
 Such a {ct of ledures was begun by Dr. Taylor 
 at Warrington, but he did not live to complete 
 the defign. His work, fo far as it v/as carried, 
 is worthy of approbation, though the difcourfes 
 are fometimes rather too declamatory, and per- 
 haps not fufficiently accurate and criuQaL They 
 have, however, dcfervedly found a place in the 
 Bifliop of LandafF's Colleftion of Theological 
 Tracls.* Another thing of confequence is a fc~ 
 ries of obferyations on the times and occaiions on 
 which the books, efpecially of the New Tefta- 
 ment, were written, the ancient copies and v.^*-- 
 fions, and the principal commentators. The 
 objedls I particularly allude to, are thofe v/hicli 
 
 O 2 ar§ 
 
^74 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge* 
 
 are particularly treated of by Michaelis, Lardner, 
 Jones, and Campbell. In addition to all thefe, 
 a fet of preaching leftures, more improved than 
 thofe of Dr. Doddridge, and more adapted to 
 prefent circumftances, would be an important 
 acquifition. Vfith thebefl inftruClion, it is not 
 to be expeded that all young men fhould be 
 equally accompliflied. It will be fufficient for 
 many that they have a competent ftock of know- 
 ledge, united with ferious dipofitions. It is, 
 hov/ever, very defirable that fome fhould fo far 
 rife above the common rank, as to be able, in 
 their day, to fupport the honour of revelation 
 againft the attacks of its enemies, and to appear 
 as defenders of the true chriftlan dodirinea. It 
 would not be amifs, if a few, of fuperior capaci- 
 ties and literature, would, after they quit the 
 femlnaries of education, ftudy fomev/hat more 
 fyftematically than is frequently done. In that 
 cafe, the diflenters would not be at a lofs for 
 tutors in peculiar emergencies. If I have aflum^ 
 ed too great a liberty in fuggefting thefe hints, 
 I hope to be forgiven ; as I have written not 
 merely from a regard to the honour and benefit 
 of the denomination of chriftians to which I 
 rnore immediately belong, but with a view to 
 the general interefts of religion and learning. 
 
 Since the abilities of Mr. Doddridge were 
 fuch as called him fo early in life tp the import- 
 ant office of a theological tutor, it was natural 
 to expeft, from the lame talents, that it would 
 no; be long before he appeared in the world as 
 an author. His firft diftind: publication, which 
 xyas in 1730, and print«?d without his name, 
 
 was 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 215 
 
 was entitled, '* Free Thoughts on the moft 
 ^' probrible Means of reviving the Diffenting In-* 
 ** terell, occafioned by the late Enquiry into 
 ** the Caufes of its Decay." The writer of the 
 Enquiry was for a time fuppofed to be fomQ 
 lay -gentleman ; but, in fad:, it came from the 
 pen of a young diffenting minifter, of the name 
 of Gough, who afterv/ards conformed to the 
 church ; and who, in 1750, publifiied a volume 
 of fermons, which have confiderable merit as ju^ 
 dicious and elegant compofitionSc Mr. Dod- 
 dridge's pamphlet, wherein he materially differ- 
 ed from Mr. Gough with regard to the point in 
 queilion, is a model of that candour and polite- 
 nefs with which remarks may be made on an- 
 other's writings and opinions. The firft in- 
 ftance in which Mr. Doddridge diftinguiihed 
 himfelf as a pra<5lical divine was in 1732, when 
 he publiihed *^ Sermons on the Education of 
 ^* Children." Thefe were principally intended 
 for the ufe of his own congregation ; gnd they 
 contain, in a little compafs, a variety of impor- 
 tant advices and affecting motives, tending to af- 
 iift and animate parents in the difcharge of fa 
 momentous a duty. They were accompanied 
 with a recommendatory preface by Mr. Some, and 
 have fmce gone through feveral editions. In 
 1735, Mr. Doddridge's concern for the rinng 
 generation was ftill farther difplayed, in '' Ser-. 
 mons to young People ;" being feveu in num^ 
 ber, and v/hich have met with equal fuccefs in 
 the world. A difcourfe was printed by him in 
 the fame year entitled, ^' The Care of the Soul 
 urged as the One Thing needful/' This was 
 O4 
 
2i6 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 followed, in 1735-6, by a Sermon on the *' Ab- 
 furdity and Iniquity of Perfecution for Con- 
 fcience-Sake, in all its Forms and Degrees." It 
 had been preached, I believe, on the preceding 
 fifth of November, and, when it came from the 
 prefs, was recommended to the public, in a fhort 
 preface, by Mr. Some, as the beft he had ever 
 icQn on the fubjed, in fo narrow a compafs. In 
 all refpefls it is indeed an elaborate and excellent 
 difcourfe, difplaying with great energy and ele- 
 gance the grand principles of toleration and re- 
 ligious liberty. 
 
 In the year 1736 the two Colleges of the 
 Univerfity of Aberdeen, in Scotland, concurred 
 in conferring upon Mr. Doddridge the degree of 
 Doftor in Divinity ; upon which occafion his 
 pupils thought it a proper piece of refpedb to 
 congratulate him in a body. He v/as gratified 
 by their compliment, but told them, in anfwer 
 to it, " that their learning, piety, and zeal, 
 *' would be more to his honour, and give him a 
 *' thouiand times more pleafure, than his degree, or 
 *' any other token of public efteem." In the fame 
 *^ year he publiflied '^Ten Sermons on the Power 
 ** and Grace of Chrift,'* and ** the Evidences of 
 t^ his glorious Gofpel." The three laft, on the 
 '* Evidences of the Gofpel,*' were after wards fep- 
 arately printed, at the particular requeftof one of 
 the firfl dignitaries ofthe church of England. They 
 contain a very judicious fummary of feveral of 
 the principal arguments in fupport of the chrif- 
 tian revelation, and efpecially of thofe which 
 prove the genuinenefs and credibility of the evan- 
 gelical hiflory. The author had the great fatif-? 
 
 foclion 
 
Memoirs of Dp.. Doddridge. 217 
 
 fadion of knowing that thefe dlfcourfes were the 
 means of converting to the belief of our holy rcr- 
 li?ion two o-entlemen of liberal education and 
 diflinguiflied abiUties, who had been fceptical 
 upon this head. One of thern, who had endea^ 
 voured to prejudice others againft the evidences 
 and contents of the gofpel, became a zealous 
 preacher of chriftianity, as v/ell as a lliining or- 
 nament to it in his life and manners.* 
 
 Dr. Doddridge's next appearance from the 
 prefs was on an occafion very melancholy and 
 affeftino: to himfelf and Mrs. Doddridp;e. This 
 was the lofs of his eldeft daughter, a very amia- 
 ble and hopeful child of nearly five years of age. 
 The fermon which he preached on this event, 
 and which was publifhed in 1736-7, is entitled, 
 ^' Submiffion to Divine Providence on the Death 
 of Children, recommended and enforced." It is 
 an admirable difcourfe, which difplays in a very 
 ftrong and ftriking light the united piety and ten- 
 dernefs of the author's mind. Few fuperior in- 
 ftances of pathetic eloquence are to be met with in 
 the Englilhi language. In i737theDodtor,engaged 
 in an ordination fervice atWifbeach St. Peter's, in 
 the Ifle of Ely. The part alloted him was the fer- 
 mon, which was printed under the title of ** The 
 Temperand Condudl of the primitive Minifters of 
 the Gofpel illuftrated and recommended." Mr. 
 William Johnfton, the gentleman ordained, af- 
 terwards removed to Harborough, and at length 
 fettled at Tunbridge-V/ells, at which place he 
 died, and v/here he was well known and juftly 
 refpedted by many confiderable perfons. He 
 
 was 
 
 9 Qrton, ubi fupra, p. jS, 112, jzj, :i?. 
 
2i8 Memoirs of Dr. Dopdridge, 
 
 was the author of a pronouncing and fpelling 
 Didionary, which appeared in i2mo, in 1764, 
 and which was not, in fome refpedis, without its 
 utihty. It is now, I believe, entirely fuperfeded 
 by the far more elaborate and perfedl works of 
 Mr. Sheridan and Mr. Walker. Dr. Doddridge, 
 in 1737-8, was called to ofRciate at the funeral 
 of an old and worthy friend, the Rev. Mr. John 
 Norris, of Welford in Northamptonfhire, who 
 had been thirty-eight years diffenting minifler at 
 that place. The difcourfe which the Dodlor 
 preached, and printed, on the occafion, is enti^ 
 tied, *' Pradlical Reflexions on the Chara6ler 
 '* and Death of Enoch." On the ninth of No- 
 vember, 1738, a day of falling and prayer was 
 obferved at Wellingborough, on account of a 
 dreadful fire which had deftroyed a confiderablo 
 part of the town ; and the fermon^ which vt^^s 
 affigned to Dr. Doddridge, and was in part de- 
 livered extempore, was publiflied, from the beft 
 recolleftion he could make of it, at the earnel^ 
 requeft of the hearers. 
 
 In 1739, our author gave to the public the 
 firft volume, in quarto, of his great v/ork, 
 ** The Family Expofitor ; or, a Paraphrafe and 
 " Verfion of the New Teftament : with critic 
 ^' cal Notes, and a pradical Improvement of 
 ** each Sediion.'* This volume contained the 
 former part of the Hiftory of our Lord Jefus 
 Chrift, as recorded in the four Evangelifts, dif-^ 
 pofed in the order of an harmony, and was ufher-, 
 cd into the world by a very numerous and hon- 
 ourable lift of fubfcribers. The dedication, 
 v/hich was to her Royal Highuefs the Princefs 
 
 of 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 219 
 
 of Wales, affords one ofthe fineil fpecimens 
 which Dr. Doddridge has given of his talents 
 in elegant compofition. If the praiies jfhould 
 be thought fufficiently copious, they are, at the 
 fame time, mixed with iinportant hints of in- 
 ilraftion ; and nothing appears to be faid but 
 what evidently came from the heart. Tlie 
 fecond volume of the work was publiflied 
 in 1740, concluding the evangelical hiftbry. 
 During thefe two years, the Dodor printed only 
 one fermon, which was on the '^ Necefiity of 
 '* a general Reformation in order to a v/ell 
 ^' grounded Hope of Succefs -in War y' and 
 which, had been preached by him at North- 
 ampton, on the ninth of January, 1739-40, 
 being the day appointed by his Majefly for 
 public humiliation. It was dedicated to his 
 friend Colonel Gardiner. In 1741, our author 
 was called upon to pay a tribute of refpedl. 
 to the memory of a w^orthy diflenting rnin- 
 ifter in London, the Rev. Mr. John Newman, 
 by delivering an oration at his grave, and after- 
 terward§ committing it to the prefs. Soon after, 
 he publifhed "■' The Scripture Dodlrine of Sal - 
 *' vation by Grace through Faith, illuftrated and 
 f^ improved in two Sermons, the fubfcance of 
 '^ which was preached at Rowell in Northamp- 
 *^ toniliire." But t]ie principal produdion of 
 Dr. Doddridge, during this year, was a fet of 
 *' Praclical Difcourfes on Regeneration," which 
 had been delivered on Sunday evenings, and at- 
 tended with remarkable diligence, by niany per- 
 fons of different perfuations., tp fome- cf whom 
 they were eminetly ufeful. The tliaradcr given 
 
 of 
 
22Q Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 of them by a foreign divine, on their being tranf-. 
 lated into Dutch, among other high encomiums, 
 was, that they united orthodoxy with modera-^ 
 tion, zeal with meeknefs, and deep, hidden wif- 
 dom with uncommon clearnefs 3 that fimplicity 
 flione in them without coldnefs, elegance with- 
 out painting, and fublimity without bombaft.* 
 
 The publication of thefe difcourfes was fuc- 
 ceeded by that of a fingle fermon, entitled, " The 
 ** Evil and Danger of neglecting the Souls of 
 *' Men plainly and feriouily reprefented/' It 
 had been preached in October, 1741, at a meet- 
 ing of minifters, at Kettering in Northampton- 
 Aire. When publifhed, which was in Febru- 
 ary, 1 741 -2, it was dedicated to the aflbciated 
 Proteftant Diffenting Minifters in the counties' 
 of Norfolk and Suftolk, with whom the author 
 had an interview at Denton, in the preceding- 
 fummer, and to whom he had propofed a fcheme 
 for the revival of religion, the heads of which 
 are given in the dedication. The only compo- 
 fition from the pulpit which was printed by Dr. 
 Doddridge in 1742, wa$ a Charge, delivered in 
 St. Ives, Huntingdondiire, on the twelfth of 
 Auguft, at the ordination of Mr. John Jennings, 
 the fon of the Doftor's former tutor. In the 
 latter end of the fame year, our author began 
 the publication of the fole controverfial work in 
 which he could properly ever have been faid 
 to have engaged. This was occafioned by a 
 pamphlet, entitled, *' Chriftianity not founded 
 on argument," which was much fpoken of at 
 the time of its appearance, and which, under 
 
 the 
 
 • Ortor, ubi fupra, p. liS, 119. 
 
Memoirs of Dk. Doddridge. 221 
 
 the form of a zeal for orthodox}^ contained a 
 fevere attack on our holy religion. Dr. Dod- 
 dridge's anfwer was comprifed in three letters, 
 the fecond and third of which were publifhed 
 in 1743. In the firft he ftated the degree of 
 rational evidence for the divine authority of 
 chriftianity, to which an illiterate, wxll difpofed 
 perfon may attain. The fecond was employed 
 'in endeavoring to ihew the reafonablenefs of an- 
 nexing a condemnatory fentence on unbelievers, 
 as a part of the chriftian revelation. In the 
 third the doflrine of divine influences w^as con- 
 fidered.* Thefe anfwers, which are written 
 with the utmoft politenefs and candour, met 
 with a very favourable reception in the world, 
 and the Doctor was thanked for them by fome 
 men of diftinguiflied rank and abilities. The 
 lafl letter in particular was efleemed by many 
 thinking perfons to contain the beft illuitration 
 and the m.oft rational and full defence of the in- 
 fluences of the Spirit upon the human heart, 
 which had hitherto been publiflied. -f Dr. 
 Doddridge's other publications in 1743 were, 
 *' The Principles of the Chriftian Religion, ex- 
 ** prelTed in plain and QA^y Verfe, and divided 
 '* into fhort Leffons, for the Ufe of Children 
 *' and Youth ;" and " Compaflion to the Sick 
 *^ recommended and urged/' in a fermon preach- 
 ed at Northampton in favour of a defign for 
 ereding a county hofpital. In the firft of thefc 
 performances, which was drawn up at the re- 
 queft of Dr. Clark, it has juftly been obferved, 
 
 that 
 
 • DoddfiJge's Letters, p. %?., f Orton, ubi fopra, p. i;j- 
 
dii MEMoiRs (S^ Dr. DoDDRiDcr:. 
 
 fhat cafe, plalnnefs, and elegance, are happily 
 united.* -The verfes in general, are well ac~- 
 comnnbdated to the purpofe for which they 
 ^t/efe intended -, but they might have had a flill 
 wider circuhtion, and have been more exteii- 
 fively ufeful, if no doftrine of a difputable na- 
 tufe had been introduced. There is feme rea- 
 fon to believe that they wtve made ufe of 
 in the education of the royal children. J I 
 have a full reccolle^tion of the zeal and adtivity 
 with which Dr. Doddridge entered into the 
 fcheme of ereding an infirmary for Northamp- 
 ton flii re. The fuccefs of the defign was much 
 owing to his exertions. His difcourfe in re- 
 commendation of it, which was dedicated to 
 the Earl of- Halifax, is indeed a moft excellent 
 one, and was charadlerifed by Dr. Oliver, in a 
 letter to the author, as follows : ** Horace's 
 *^ obfervation, diffidk eji proprie communia dicer Cy 
 *^ makes your fermon on the eredlingyour coun- 
 *' ty infirmary the more valuable. Public chari- 
 ^Vties have long been fo trite a fubjed in the 
 ** pulpit, that we fcarcely expedt any thing new 
 *' from the ablefl hands. But you, Sir,Jiave 
 ** treated this worn out fubjed in fo mafterly a 
 ** manner, that the reader will find many of his 
 *' fofteft paflions awakened into tendernefs and 
 *' compalTion towards the fick and diflrefTed, 
 " which had Hept benumbed under the warmed 
 *' influences of the preceding difcourfes on that 
 *' afiedling topic. You write as if you felt, 
 ** while fome others feem to defi re that their 
 *' brethren (hould feel what themfelves are infen- 
 
 '' fible 
 
 • Orton, ubi fupn; p. Ii7< X Lettas, ubi fupra, p, S9. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 223 
 
 ** fible of. They write from the head, but you 
 '' from the heart/'* 
 
 Towards the clofe of the fame year. Dr. 
 Doddridge became a member of a Philofophical 
 Society which was formed at Northampton, 
 confifting of feveral ingenious and refpedtable 
 gentlemen in that town and its neighbourhood. 
 During the courfe of their meetings in 1744, he 
 exhibited two papers, the one on the Dodtrine 
 of Pendulums, and rhe other on the Laws of 
 Communication of Motion, as well in elaftic as 
 in non-elaftic bodies. The moft material pro- 
 pofitions relating to both were fet in fo plain 
 and eafy a light in thefe papers, that he w^as re- 
 quefted to permit tranfcripts of them to be de- 
 pofited among other communications of the 
 gentlemen concerned^ fome of which appear to 
 have been curious and ufeful.-f* Our author's 
 name occurs in the Tranfadtions of the Royal 
 Society. Three papers were written and com- 
 municated by him to that fociety, which, if 
 they were not of the firft confequence, ferve to 
 fliow the aftivity of his mind, and his attention 
 to different branches of fcience. 
 
 ' The year 1745, was difhinguifhed in Dr. 
 Doddridge's life by the appearance of one of the 
 moft popular and one of the moft ufeful of his 
 pradtical works. This was *' The Rife and 
 Progrefs of Religion in the Soul," illuftrated 
 in a courfe of ferious addreffes, fuited to perfons 
 of every characler and circumftance, with a de- 
 vout meditation or prayer added to each chapter. 
 
 Dr. 
 
 * Ibid. p. 26T, 2.62. 
 
 t GsnUeman's Magazine, vol. xvi. p. 475—477. 
 
224 Memoirs of Dr^ Doddiiidg£; 
 
 Dr. Watts had formed a fimilar defign ; but hav^ 
 ing been prevented from the execution of it by 
 his growing infirmities, he recommended it to 
 our author, as the beft quahfied of all his ac- 
 quaintance for difcharging it in the manner that 
 would be acceptable and beneficial to the world. 
 It was with fome relud:ance that Dr. Doddridge, 
 amidft his various other weighty concerns, agreed 
 to comply with the requeft of his venerable friend ; 
 but it was urged with an importunity that he could 
 not refift ; and he had afterwards the higheft rea- 
 fon to rejoice in his compliance. When the work 
 was finifhed. Dr. Watts revifed as much of it 
 as his health would permit. This book was 
 not only well received by the difienters, but 
 met with an equal reception, and the warmell 
 applaufes, from feveral perfons of great emi- 
 nence for rank, learning, and piety, both clergy 
 and laity, in the eftabliflied church."^ Dr. 
 Ayfcough, formerly preceptor to the children of 
 Frederic Prince of Wales, fpeaking of it, fays, 
 *' I prefented yourlaft book to her Royal High- 
 *^ nefs, and ought long ago to have acquainted 
 ** you with her mod gracious acceptance of it, 
 *' and that I vvas commanded to return you her 
 ** thanks for it. There is indeed fuch a fpirit 
 '* of piety in it, as deferves the thanks of every 
 •* good chriflian. Pray God grant it may have 
 *• its proper effed: in awakening this prefent 
 *^ carelefs age, and then I am fure you will have 
 •* your end i;i publiflung it.^'-f Dr. Thomas 
 Hunt, at that time of f lertford College, but af- 
 
 terwards 
 
 * Orton, ubi fiiprn, p. 119, lao. 
 
 •\ Letters to an<J ficm Dr. Doddridge, p. "li!. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 225 
 
 tsrwards Canon of Chrift Church, and Regius 
 ProfelTor of Hebrew in the Univerfity of Ox- 
 ford, thus expreffed himfelf concerning the fame 
 work. '^ With our thanks for the favour of 
 ^ your good company, be pleafed to accept of 
 ^ our mofc hearty acknowledgments for your 
 ' kind prefent of your excellent piece on the 
 ' Rife and Progrefs of Religion in the Soul : a 
 ' performance which cannot fail of doing m.uch 
 ' good in the world, as it is judicioufly contriv- 
 ' ed to engage the attention, and improve the 
 ' minds of all forts of readers ; being fo plain as 
 
 * to be intelligible to the lowelt under/landing, 
 ' at the fame time that it is fo elegant, as to 
 ' gratify the higheft. You may affure yourfelf, 
 ' Sir, that it was not in the power of my moft 
 " prefling engagements to hinder me from read- 
 ' ing fuch a w^ork as this, and I hope I am much* 
 ^ the better for having done fo. Nor would it 
 
 * have been kind to my dear Mrs. Plunt, not to 
 
 * have given her an opportunity of perufing a 
 ' book, from which I rnyfelf had received fo 
 ' much benefit. I therefore no fooner laid it 
 ' out of my own hands, but I put it into her's, 
 ^ where I afterwards oftentimes found it, and 
 ^ cannot eafily tell you how m.uch fhe was af- 
 
 * fefted by it, nor defcribe the gratitude fhe 
 ' profelles to owe to her worthy inftrudtor/'-f* 
 
 The Duchefs of Somerfet was equally pleafed 
 with the work. In a letter, v/ritten to Dr. 
 
 Doddridge 
 ** pkafure 
 '' writings 
 
 in 
 
 ofb' 
 
 till 
 
 nng 
 
 I 
 
 0, fhe 
 acqua 
 
 ^vas at 
 P 
 
 fays^r 
 nted 
 Bath 
 
 '' I had 
 
 with any 
 
 three yes 
 
 not the 
 
 of your 
 
 .rs ago, 
 
 * with 
 
 t Ibid. p. 
 
 335» ' 
 
 136. 
 
 
 
 
 
226 MexMoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 ** with my poor Lord, when an old acquaintance 
 ** ofmine, tlie Dowager Lady Hyndford, rccom- 
 •* mended me to read the Rife and Progrefs of 
 '' Religion in the Soul ; and I may with truth 
 *' aflure you, that I never was fo deeply affedted 
 ** with any thing I ever met with as with ^hat 
 *' book ; and I could not be eafy till I had given 
 ** one to every fervant in my houfe, who ap^ 
 *' peared to be of a ferious turn of mind/'* A 
 perfon of diftinguifhed literature and goodnefs 
 always carried the work with him, declaring 
 that it was every thing on the fubjedt of ferious 
 and pradical religion. It foon went through 
 many editions, and ftill continues to be frequent- 
 ly reprinted. Nor has the publication of it been 
 confined to England, but extended to Scotland 
 and America. It has been tranflated abroad, and 
 the author received many teilimonies from for- 
 eign parts of its acceptance and ufefulnefs,*!* If 
 to fuch a number of encomiums the opinion of a 
 difTenting minifter may be fubjoined, I may give 
 the words of Mr. Barker : *' That book fhould 
 ** be written in all languages in letters of gold. ":|; 
 Not, however, entirely tD confine myfelfto 
 the voice of praife, I cannot forbear adding fome 
 flridlures that came from the pen of a particular 
 and intimate friend of Dr. Doddridge's, Nathan- 
 iel Neal, Efq; an eminent Solicitor in London, 
 who united the virtues of the heart with a very 
 fuperior underllanding and judgment, and who 
 preferved the fmcereft fidelity in the midfl of the 
 vvarmefl aftedion. '* I am," fays he, in a letter 
 
 to 
 
 * Ibid, p 466. f Orton, ubi fupra. 
 
 i Ltttei?, ubi fupra, p. 141. 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Doddridge. 227 
 
 to the author, " much obliged to you for your 
 *' kind prefent of the Rife and Progrefs of Reli- 
 <« gmi in the SoiiL I read it over with pleafure, 
 *' and hope, not without fome advantage from a 
 '' book, which I truly think is calculated for 
 '' very confiderable ufefulnefs. The ferious fpi- 
 ** rit it breathes muft be acceptable to all who 
 *« retain any feeds of piety ; and the compafs of 
 <* imagination, and force of expreffion, which 
 '' diftinguiili themfelves throughout the whole 
 <' of the performance, fhow that the beauties of 
 *' the facred writings are not defpifed by all the 
 «* matters of human eloquence. This might 
 «' fuffice for me to fay concerning a book that is 
 ^* fo univerfally admired by thofe to whofe judg- 
 '^ ment and piety I pay the greateft reverence ; 
 <' and all perhaps that in prudence I ought to 
 «' fay; if I merely confulted the preferying that 
 «* credit you have hitherto been fo kind as to 
 <^ give to my underftanding. But as I had ra- 
 *' ther deferve your friendfliip than gain yourap- 
 *' plaufe, and be efteemed injudicious than in- 
 '' fmcere, I will venture (fince you have delired 
 *' it) to fend a remark or two on this perform- 
 ** ance. 
 
 " Your book propofes to drav/ a plan of a re- 
 '' ligious difpofition, or habit, from its firfl 
 '' foundation to its higheft perfeclion in the pre- 
 '* fent ftate ; and to confider it in its vrrious fta- 
 ^< ges and circumftances, agreeably to that varie- 
 << ty which there is in the circumftances and at- 
 *' tainments ofchriftians. But is it not a juft 
 '* objedlion to this performance, if there arc 
 *• many chriftians v;ho are confcioiTS to them- 
 p 2, * fcive? 
 
228 Memoirs et Dk; VounvLiVGt. 
 
 *' felves that the foundation of their religioiis • 
 ** terrjper and pradice was not laid in thofe prin- 
 ** ciples and that viev^^ of things which you there 
 *' delGribe ? Which I fuppofe muft be the cafe 
 ** of thofe who do not in a good degree en:ibrace 
 "^ the Calviniflical do£lrines, and in fome mea- 
 *' fure of many that do : for I am inclined to 
 '* think, that different principles do not more 
 *' variouily affeft and influence the minds of men, 
 *' than the fame principles do different minds,> 
 *' eipecially young ones, according to the 
 *' lirmnefs or weaknefs of the mind, or 
 '' as the prevailing turn is fprightly or melan- 
 *^ choly. Confidering, therefore, the flate of 
 '' thechriftian church univerfally, may it not be 
 *' reafonable to allow a greater variety in the me-^ 
 ^' thods, which divine wlfdom and mercy take, 
 *' to bring iinful men to the love and pradice 
 '*' of religion ? You will obfcrve, the objedion 
 *' does not infer, that the method you prefcribe 
 '^ is not themoft general, or the befl adapted tobe- 
 *' gin and carry on the chriflian life in the foul- 
 '^^ of man, but whether it be the only one. 
 
 '' If I might venture to add another lemark, 
 *' it fliould be this : whether your rules and di- 
 *' redions for promoting the chriftian life do 
 '^ not require more time to be fpent in the ex- 
 ^^ ercife of devotion and in the inftrumental du- 
 *' ties of religion, than is confident with that 
 *' attention to the altairs of this life, which is 
 "' neccffary for the generality of chriftians ; and 
 ** whether the propofmg more to be done than 
 *^ can (from a view of the., capacities and op- 
 '^^ porturiilies of chriffian's in general) be ex-- 
 
 peded 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 229* 
 
 ■** peeled fhould be done, mny not "d'ifccurao;e 
 *^ feme not to attempt, and others not topfoceed 
 ** in a coiirfe of religion ? What h fit to be dor.e 
 ^' by Ibme perfons,'and in fome fpecial circum- 
 ^•' ftances, may not be expelled from the greater 
 •*' number of chriflians : and care fliould be tak- 
 '^ en, that the heights of piety, to which fome 
 ** devout fouls have foared, do not become mat- 
 '* ter of difccuragement to young chriftians, or 
 ** thofe of an ordinary rank. 
 
 *^ It is not improbable that I, who r^ad over 
 ^' this book with a view and defire to difcover 
 *' and amend my own faults, an<l not to find any 
 *^ in that, may not have fufficiently attended to 
 *^ fome paffages that may (liow both thefe re- 
 *' marks impertinent ; or if there arc not fuch 
 '* paffages in this book, I myfelf can point out 
 ** to fome in other of your pieces (particularly 
 ** that on F^egeneration, if my memory does not 
 *^ greatly fail me) which guard againft both thcfc 
 •^ objedions in very clear and exprefs terms. But 
 ^* whatever bs the fate of my remarks, when I 
 *' venture to attack the accuracy of your compo- 
 ^' fitions, I have a fare and tried retreat in the 
 ** candour and benevolence of your difpbfition, 
 *^ which conceals all the vveakneiles of your 
 ^' friends • and, I fpeak it from my own repeat- 
 " ed experience, magnifies any well-intentioned 
 ** attem:pt into an adt or evidence of conlpicuous 
 *' wifdom or virtue."'* 
 
 In the funimer of 1745, Dr. Doddridge print- 
 ed a Charge, which had been delivered in Nor- 
 \vich, at the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Abra^- 
 P 3 hanx 
 
 * Ibid. p. 364— 2 66, ' ' 
 
t^o Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 ham Tozer 5 and in the month of October, in 
 the fame year, he was called to the painful and 
 affeding office of preaching a funeral fermon on 
 the death of his friend, the Hon, Col. James 
 Gardiner, who was flain in the battle at Prefton- 
 Pans, on the twenty-firft of September preced- 
 ing. The title of the difcourfe is '' The Chrif- 
 tian Warrior animated and crowned f ' and it wag 
 accompanied with a dedication to the Colonel's 
 pious and excellent widow. This fermon, as 
 might be expedted from the peculiar circumftan- 
 ces by which it was occa{ioned,.had a very ex- 
 teniive circulation ; and it received, at the fame 
 time, many encomiums, ^* I thank you,'' fays 
 Mr. Barker, " for your fine fermon on the la- 
 ^* mentable death of that gallant chriftian, as well 
 ^' as foldier. Colonel Gardiner. I believe every 
 " body will allow it to be a fine difcourfe, and 
 ^' grant that your afFeftion has not tranfported 
 *' you. beyond the bounds of decency and pru- 
 ** dence.''* The applaufe of Dr. Hunt of Ox- 
 ford was ftill more fpecific. '' Many thanks to 
 *' you for your excellent fermon on the death of 
 •* the valiant and worthy Colonel Gardiner. I 
 *' was moft fenfibly affefled with the perufal of 
 'Mt ; nor can I eafily tell you whether I was 
 ^' more pleafed with the ingenuity of the dif- 
 ^* courfe, or moved with the tendernefs of the 
 '^ application. Both your lamentation over your 
 "'' dead friend, and your moving epiftle to his 
 *' difconfclate widow, are plainly formed on 
 *' Horace's plan. Si vis me fiere^ &c. and there- 
 '' fore it is no wonder they fiiould draw tears 
 ^^ from your readers, as, I aflure you, they did 
 
 *' pot 
 
 ^ Letters, ubi fupra, p. joq. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 231 
 
 "^^ not only from my dear Mrs. Hunt, but my- 
 *^ felf, in great abundance. How mournfully 
 '^'^ plealing to Lady Frances muft the honour you 
 ^^ have done her gallant confort be ! And, as 
 *' for the deceafed hero himfelf, methlnks, I hear 
 ** every brave foldier in the Britilh army, falut- 
 ^' ing his allies (thus diftinguiflied by your prai- 
 *' fes) in the words of Alexander, when he flood 
 ** before the tomb of Achilles, and reflected oa 
 ** the honour that had been done that famous 
 ** warrior by Ilomer's verfes, 
 
 *^ O fortunate Gardinere, qui ti323 virtutis 
 " TaleiB praeconcm in veneris ! 
 
 ^' At leaft, I am fure thefe would be their fenti^ 
 *^ ments, were your fermon put into their hands, 
 *' as I could heartily wifli (for the animating 
 *' the courage of the troops) it were. I need 
 ^^ not tell you how glad I fhould be to fee the 
 *' remarkable paffages of a life^ the conclufion of 
 ^* which is fo glorious.''^ 
 
 Dr. Doddridge's next appearance from the 
 prefs was, likewife, in a funeral difcourfe, which 
 was preached at Northampton, in May, 1746, 
 on occaiion of the death of the Rev. Mr. James 
 Shepherd. Mr. Shepherd was a worthy young 
 minifter, not quite twenty- two years of age, who 
 died, in confequence of a ihort illnejfs, foon after 
 he had flnifhed his academical ftudics, and had 
 received an invitation to the paftoral charge of a 
 difTcnting congregation at Coggeiliall, in ElTex. 
 Nine fermons, the whole which he Ivad ever 
 
 madr.j 
 
 * IbiJ. p. 337, 33S. . 
 
232 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge', 
 
 made, were collected together, and printed in- a 
 fmall volume, 1748. 
 
 In 1747, Dr. Doddridge, agreeably to the 
 promife he had before made, publiflicd '' Some 
 remarkable paffages in the Life of the Hon. Col. 
 James Gardiner /' a work which has gone thro* 
 various editions. It was the author's delign, in 
 this work, not merely to perform a tribute of 
 gratitude to the memory of an invaluable friend, 
 but of duty to God and his fellow-creatures ; 
 as he had a cheerful hope that the narrative 
 would, under the divine bleffing, be the means 
 of fpreading a warm and lively knk of religion. 
 Several of the Dodlor's Jiterary correfpondents 
 thought highly of the performance. *' I own,'* 
 fays Mr. Barker, *' I was not without my fears, 
 '' left your love to that excellent perfon fhould 
 *' have overcharged fome of your paffages with 
 ** panegyric ; and the extraordinary manner of 
 '^ his converfion have given fome occafion to the 
 ^^ prefent age to charge him or you with enthu- 
 *^ liafm. But in reading the book I was aQ:ree- 
 ^^ ably furprifed and exceedingly pleafed 5 and 
 *' have the fatisfadion to acquaint you, that your 
 '^ friends here are of opinion that you have per- 
 *' formed what you have undertaken in a moft 
 ** excellent manner, and that it is fuited to do a 
 '' great deal of good. "-j- Mr. Neal, who wrote 
 to the author before he had read the whole work, 
 expreffed himfelf in the following terms. *' The 
 '' receipt of Colonel Gardiner's Life calls upon 
 '* me for a particular acknowledgment. I have 
 '■'- yet only had the pleafure of reading fome part 
 
 ** of 
 
 -J- L'itters, ubi fuprS, p. jop, jio. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 233 
 
 ^** of it; and though I know you would rather 
 ^* fee me improved by it, than hear me commend 
 "^^ it, yet as the latter will, I hope, be no obftruc- 
 *^ tion to the former, I muft own that, as far as 
 *' I have gone, I think it is writen in a VQvy in- 
 ^^ ilructive and entertaining manner -, and I was 
 '' charmed with the dedication, the concluding 
 " period of which is worthy the eloquence and 
 ** politenefs of Pliny, and the piety and energy 
 '' of St. Paul. But I will fay no more tilll 
 *^ have perufed the whole piece. "'^" 
 
 Perhaps it may be thought fomewhat remark- 
 able, that the learned Warburton fiiould exprefs 
 the moft unqualified approbation of the whole 
 work. *' I had the favour," fays this eminent 
 writer, " of your letter, and along with it Colo- 
 ^' nel Gardiner's life, which I have juft read 
 ** through with very great pleafare. Nothing 
 ^' can be better or more judicious than the 
 ** writing part. Many confiderations made the 
 ^' fubjedl of great importance and expediency. 
 *' The celebration of worthy men who facrificed 
 ** themfelves for the fervice of their country ; 
 *' the tribute paid to private friendlhip ; the ex- 
 *' ample, particularly to the foldlery, of fo much 
 " virtue and piety, as well as coui-age and patri- 
 ^*" otifm ; the fervice done to the iurvivors of 
 *' their families, are luch important confidera- 
 '* tions as equally concern the writer and the 
 '^ public. I had a thou land things to remark in 
 '* it which gave me pleafare. But I have room 
 *' but for two or three. The diftindioii you 
 *^ fettle between piety and enthuualrn in the 78th 
 
 '' P-^ge, 
 
 * IblJ. p. -'0, 
 
534 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 ** page, is highly juft and important, and very 
 *' neceffary for thefe times, when men are apt to 
 ** fall into the oppofite extremes. ISior am I 
 *' lefs pleafed with your obfervations on the mu^ 
 ** t Hated form of chrijlianity ^ in the 130th page : 
 *' we fee the terrible effcds of it. The fame 
 ** pleafure your i62dand 163d pages afforded 
 *^ me. Your hymns are truly pious and poeticah 
 '* The note at the bottom of page 176 is fine. 
 ** I entirely agree with your fentiments con- 
 *^ cerning the extraordinary circumftance of the 
 *' good man's converfion. On the whole, the 
 *^ book will do you honour ; or what you like 
 *' better, will be a blefling to you by its becom- 
 ** ing an inftrument of pubhc good.^-f* 
 
 The chief obfervation that Mr. Orton makes 
 on the work is, that *^ the author had the plea- 
 •* fure to hear of fome inftances in which it had 
 *\ anfwered his defires and hopes ; though many 
 *' thought, and perhaps juftly, that he too 
 ** much indulged the emotions of private friend- 
 *' (hip and affection in the compofition."* In 
 the truth of this remark I entirely concur. Co- 
 lonel Gardiner was indeed a man of a moft ex- 
 cellent charafter ; but that charadter was tinc- 
 tured with enthufiafm and religious bigotry. 
 His virtues were of the awful kind. I remem- 
 ber well that his afioedt was the afpe6l of dig- 
 nity ; but this dignity was mixed with an au- 
 fbrity of appearance and manner, which was 
 not prepoffeffi ng to the minds of the ftudents 
 belonging to the academy at Northampton. 
 
 The 
 
 ■\ Letters, ubi fupra, p. 204, 205. 
 * Cftoi), ubi fupra, p. 114. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 235 
 
 The affedlion of his eldefl fon to his father, had, I 
 know, more of fear united with it than is ulbally 
 defirable in a child towards a parent: Dr. Dod- 
 dridge undoubtedly wxnt too far, when, in his 
 funeral fermon for Colonel Gardiner, he deli- 
 berately declared, that it was hard for him to 
 fay where, but in the book of God, the Colonel 
 found his example ^ or where he had left bh 
 cquaL^ The Doftor was himfelf a faperior 
 charadter. Let it, however, be remembered, 
 that if our author was fomewhat extravagant in 
 the praifes of his friend, he faid nothing of the 
 truth of which he was not fully perfuaded. 
 
 It is not my defign to enter fpecincally into 
 the ilory of Colonel Gardiner's extraordinary 
 converfion. That the impreifion made upon 
 his mind was in a dream, is fufficiently intima- 
 ted to be the opinion of Dr. Doddridge, though 
 the Colonel himfelf believed it to be a miracu- 
 lous viiion. As a dream it may very rationally 
 be accounted for, from the predifpofing circum- 
 ftances. He had received a llridily pious edu- 
 cation ; he had never rejected the principles, 
 though he had departed from the pra(fl:ice of 
 chriftianity ; he often felt the anguifh of his 
 courfe of life ; he was alone, in the folemn ftill- 
 nefs of the night ; a religious book happened to 
 be opened by him ; the dreadful crime in v/hich 
 he was going to engage flalhed upon his con- 
 fcience. Falling aileep in this agitation of hi^ 
 fpirits, a dream followed, accommodated to hi? 
 w^aking reflections. Nor was he, on this ac- 
 count, the iefs indebted to the goodnefs of Di- 
 
 viiic 
 
 ^ Doddridge's Sermons* and ifl'gious T{a'^s, Vcl. III. p. 62. 
 
2^6 Memoirs OF Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 vine Providence for the happy and effeftual 
 change that was produced in his difpofition and 
 condu(5t. The events which are derived thro' a 
 fuccefTion of intermediate caufes, are not lefs the 
 rellilt of the adminiftfation of the Supreme Be- 
 ing, than more immediate interpofitioFis. There 
 cannot be a furer dicflate of reafon, than it is of 
 jfcripture, that every good and every perfect gift 
 is from above, and cdmeth down from the' Fa^ 
 ther of Lights. 
 
 Two pamphlets were publifhed, containing 
 remarks on the Life of Colonel Gardiner ; one ia 
 London, and the other at Edinburgh. The fe- 
 cond was better written than the firft ; but nei- 
 ther of them was deemed of fuilicicntoonfequence 
 to deferve an anfwer.* 
 
 In the year 1748 appeared the third volunie 
 of the ** Family Expofitor, containing the Ads 
 *' of the Apoftles, with additional Notes on the 
 *' Harmony of the Evangelifts 5"? and '' Tv\a> 
 ** DiiTertations, i. On Sir Ifaac Newton's Syf- 
 ** tern of the Harmony; . 2. On the Infpiration 
 ** of the New Teflament/' This volume is 
 a very valuable part of Dr. Doddridge's great 
 work ', being executed with fingular attention 
 and diligence, and comprehending a large va- 
 riety of curious and important critical remarks, 
 together with excellent pradical oblervations. 
 In feveral momentous particulars he differed 
 from Lord Banington and Dr. Benfon, and co^ 
 incided in opinion with Dr. Lardner. Of this 
 the latter gentleman took the following notice 
 in a letter to our author. " You have happily 
 
 ^' thrown 
 
 • OftOB, V.h\ fuffl, p. 114—116. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, cj/" 
 
 *•* throv/xT a great ded of light on the Adls of 
 *' the Apoules. I am particularly obliged ta 
 ** you for the honourable mention you have 
 *' been pleafed to miake- of me upon many occa- 
 '' fions. I likewife thank you for aflerting and 
 " confirming the opinion that the Jews had not 
 '^ Jus Gladii m the time of our Saviour. I am 
 *' alfo well pleafed to fee how clear you keep of 
 *^ the now common opinion about Profelytes of 
 *' the GatCy and how you fometimes overthrow 
 ** it by good reafons.'"* In the differtation on 
 Sir Ifaac Nev«/ton's fcheme for redacin? the fev- 
 eral hiftorics contained in the Evangeiifts to 
 their proper order. Dr. Doddridge fuccefs fully 
 combats Sir Ifaac's hypothefis upon the fLibjecTt. 
 But, at the fame time, he gladly embraced the 
 opportunity of paying him a very fine complim.ent. 
 *' I cannot,'* fays the Dodtor, *' fet myfelf to 
 *' this talk, without feeling the fatigue of it itxi- 
 ** fibly allayed, by the pleafure with which I 
 ^' reflect on the firm perluafion v^^hich a peribn 
 **ofhis unequalled figacity muft have enter- 
 *' tained of the truth of chriftianity, in 
 '-' order to his being engaged to take fuch 
 *' pains in illuftrating the facred oracles. A 
 ^' pleafure, which I doubt not every good reader 
 *' Vv^ill.fhare with me; efpecially as (accord- 
 *' ing to the beft information, w^hether public 
 *'* or private, I could ever get) his firm faith 
 ^' in the divine revelation difcovered itfelf in 
 '' the mofi: genuine fruits of fubftantial virtue 
 ** and piety ; and confequently gives us the 
 '* jufteft reafon to conclude, that he is now re- 
 
 • Letters, ub: Tuprs, p. 273, 
 
238 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 <* joicing in the happy effefts of it infinitely 
 *' more than in all the applaufe which his phi- 
 ** lofophical works have procured him ; though 
 ** they have commanded a fame lafting as the 
 *« world, the true theory of which he had difco- 
 *• vered, and (in fpite of all the vain efforts of 
 '* ignorance, pride, and their offspring bigotry) 
 '^ have arrayed him as it were in the beams of 
 *^ the fun, and infcribed his name among the 
 *< conflellations of heaven/' Concerning Dr. 
 Doddridge's DilTertation on the Infpiration of 
 the Old Teflament, Warburton pronounced, 
 that it is a well reafoned and judicious perform- 
 ance."* Perhaps in fome refpedts the reafoning 
 may be rather too hypothetical ; but, on the 
 whole, it is a production which abounds with 
 important and ufeful obfervations. 
 
 The only fermon publifhed by Dr. Doddridge 
 in 1748, was one entitled, '* Chrift's Invitation 
 to thirfly Souls/* It had been preached nearly 
 twenty years before at Northampton, and was 
 now printed at the requeil of a worthy member 
 of the eftabliihed church, to whom it had been 
 communicated in the intimacy of friendfhip. 
 Prefixed to it is a dedication, of confiderable 
 length, to the Rev. James Harvey. This cir- 
 cumflance, if I conjecture' rightly, did not pleafe 
 the flrong-minded Warburton. '' I think," 
 fays he, *' you do not fet a jufl value on your- 
 *' felf, when vou lend your name or countenance 
 *' to fuch weak, but well-meaning rhapfodies 
 
 «< as . This may do well enough with the 
 
 ** people ; but it is the learned that claim you. 
 
 *^ And 
 
 • LclteiS; ubi rftpi?i p. 205, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 239 
 
 ^'- And thoucih the intermixino: with works of 
 *' this Q'sSkfober books of devotion of your own 
 *^ compoiing, becomes your characfler, and is 
 ** indeed your duty, yet your charity and love 
 ** of goodnefs fuffer you to let yourfelf down in 
 *' the opinion of thofe youmoft value, and whofe 
 *' high opinion you have fairly gained by works 
 ** of learning and reafoning inferior to none, 
 " Forgive me this freedom."* Dr. Hunt 
 thought better, and indeed more juftly, of the 
 dedication ; for he thus exprefl'ed himfelf, in 
 a letter to the author : *' Many thanks to you for 
 ** your kind prefent of your excellent fermon, 
 ** You have done great honour to our brother 
 *^ Harvey in the dedication, which breathes the 
 ^^ true fpirit of chriilian benevolence, and con- 
 ** tains fuch generous and charitable fentiments 
 *' as mud charm every reader that has any re- 
 ** gard to the true interefls of our moft holy re- 
 ** ligion, I think the account you give of the 
 *' occaiion of the words (whicji is fomething in 
 *' my way) is perfe6lly juft, and the method in 
 ** which you have explained and carried on the 
 ** metaphor throughout, is in the higheft degree 
 ** beautiful, as well as inflruclive.^-f* 
 
 The firft publication of Dr. Doddridge in 
 1749 was, *' A plain and ferious Addrefs to a 
 *' Mailer of a Family on the important Subjed: 
 *' of Family Religion." This vv^as accompanied 
 with two prayers ; one, which might be ufed 
 as an introduction to a ftated courfe of family- 
 prayer, where it had formerly been neg]e6ied ; 
 and the other, a prayer for a family, to be uled 
 
 cither 
 
 ♦ IbU. p. 205, 2©5, -^ Ibid, p. 34^. H7. 
 
l^a Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 either morning or evening, with fuch variations 
 as might eafily be underilood by any who v/erc 
 able to read it. The Doctor, though a diffent- 
 er, and himfclf excelling in the variety and co- 
 pioufnefs of more extemporaneous adorations, 
 was not, we fee, averfe to forms of prayer on 
 proper occafions. Indeed, he recommends them 
 in his *' Addrefs," the ferioufnefs, affedion, 
 sad momentous nature of which entitle it to 
 great attention ^nd regard. The next appear- 
 ance of oar author from the prefs was in a dif- 
 courfe that had been preached at Northampton 
 on the twenty-fifth of April, 1749 ; being the 
 day appointed by his Majeily for a general 
 thankfgiving on account of the peace concluded 
 with France and Spain. It was entitled, '' Re- 
 *' fledions on the Condudl of Divine Provi- 
 *^ dence in the Series and Conclufion of the late 
 *^ War," and contains many beautiful and im- 
 portant obfervations, adapted to the circumftances 
 of the time. 
 
 In 1749-50, Dr. Doddridge preached, at a 
 meeting of minifters at Creaton in Northamp- 
 toniliire, and afterv/ards publiflied a fermon, the 
 title of which is, ^' Chriilian Candour and Una- 
 ^^ nimity ftated, illuilrated, and urged." This 
 is an admirable difcourfe, and exhibits a fine 
 tranfcript of the author's own mind, which was 
 fully attuned to the virtue he recommended. It 
 was infcribed to the Countefs of Huntingdon, 
 and flrongly difplays his admiration of that lady, 
 I infert the infcription (which I am fure was 
 written with the utmoft fincerity) rather by way 
 of warning than example 3 not as at all difputing 
 
 the 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 24X 
 
 the great excellency of the Countefs's eharader^ 
 but becaule there is an excefs in the language 
 which ought to be applied to very few humaa 
 beings. 
 
 « To the Right Honourable 
 
 " The Countess of HuNTiNCDor^;, 
 
 " That eminent example of the 
 
 " Christian Candour 
 
 " Here recommended^ 
 
 *' And of every other virtue and grace, • 
 
 " Which can infpire> fupporr, and adorn i^^^ 
 
 " The Author, 
 " Finding himfelf (after repeated attempts) 
 
 ^* Incapable of writing any dedication, 
 
 " Under the rcftraints v/hich her humility, 
 
 '^ Amidft its utmofl indulgence, 
 
 " Has prefcribed him ; 
 
 *' Or to mention any excellence v/hich would nOt 
 
 " Seem an encomium on her ; 
 
 " Has chofen thus moil refpedfully 
 
 " To infcribe this difcourfe ; 
 
 " Intreating that his farther filence, 
 
 *' In this connexion, 
 
 ^^ May be interpreted by her Ladyship, 
 
 " And by every Reader, 
 
 " As the mod fenfible and painful proof 
 
 *^ He can give of the deference, 
 
 *' Veneration, and grateful affedion, 
 
 " With which he is, her Ladyrtiip's" 
 
 '' Moa obliged, and obedient humble fervant/' 
 
 On the twentieth of Augud, 1750, Dr. Dod- 
 dridge preached a fermon at Salter's-Hall,on oc- 
 cafion of the late alarm by the fecond fbock of 
 an earthquake, which had happened on the eighth 
 of March preceding. The difcourfe being de-< 
 Q^ livered 
 
242 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 Hvered to a very large and attentive auditory, It 
 was earneftly requefted that it might be printed; 
 -and accordingly it appeared nnder the title of 
 *' The Guilt and Doom of Capernaum ferioufly 
 " recommended to the Confideration of the In- 
 ** habitants of London/' Both the fermon and 
 the preface amply Ihow how folicitous our au- 
 thor was, with many other good men, to im- 
 prove every event of Divine Providence to the 
 bed of purpofcs. In the December of the fame 
 year, he was called upon to pay the laft tribute 
 of refpe<£t to the memory of his friend and father. 
 Dr. Clark. That gentleman died on the fourth 
 of the month, and on the fixteenth Dr. Dod- 
 dridge preached his funeral fermon at St. Alban*s. 
 The difcourfe is entitled, " Meditations on the 
 ** Tears of Jefus over the Grave of Lazarus /' 
 and the charader given of Dr. Clark is as juft as 
 it is affeftionate. It may not be improper to 
 mention, that Dr. Clark was the author of a 
 colledlion of Scripture Promifes, which has been 
 very ufeful to many pious chriftians, and of three 
 excellent Sermons, on the Nature and Caufes of 
 Irrefblutlon in Religion, printed in 1742. As a 
 proof of the liberality of his mind, I fliall tran- 
 fcribc a paiTage from one of his letters, written 
 in 1727, to Mr. Doddridge. ** You have feen, 
 ** I fuppofe, what the public prints inform us 
 ^^ of, relating to the proceedings of the General 
 ** Afiemhly in Scotland, againft Mr. Patrick 
 *' Simpfon. They are going to deprive that 
 *^ church of one of the moft valuable perfons in 
 ^' it, becaufe he does not think it neccflary to tie 
 ''* himfelfdown exadly to their Shibboleth, nor 
 
 ** oblige 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Doddridge. 243 
 
 *^ oblige himfelf to conform to all the fcholafti.c 
 *' ways of fpeaking, concerning feme things, 
 *^ about which the fcripture is filent. By what 
 *^ I faw and heard of him when in Scotland, he 
 ** is a much better judge of thofe matters than 
 *^ the greater part of thofe who are to judge him. 
 *^ His crime is, that he is difpofed to think for 
 *^ himfelf -, but yet he is very cautious to avoid 
 *' giving offence, v/hich I perceive is, by the 
 ** bigots, interpreted cunning and diiruTiulation. 
 
 *' One would think the experience of fo many 
 '* a?es fhould be fufficient to make the v/orld 
 '^ wifer ; and that thofe who pretend to govern 
 ** in the church fliould learn at lail that their 
 ^' power might be much better exercifed, than 
 ** in deftroying the ufefulnefs of the beft men in 
 ** it, merely for nice fpeculations about unreveal- 
 *' ed or difputable points. Suppofe a perfon 
 ** fhould not fpeak with exa<fl propriety, con- 
 ** cerning the manner of Chrift's exiftence, 
 *^ a point fo much above our reach, if yet he 
 '* loves him, trufts in him, and fincerely obeys 
 *' him, what harm does religion fufter by it ? 
 *' But I need not enlarge upon this to you, who 
 '' are fo well inftrudted in the unreafonablenefs 
 ** of bigotry to a fet of fpeculative notions.*'* 
 
 I have now fpecified the works that were pub- 
 lifhed by Dr. Doddridge during his life time, in 
 their chronological order, which has been ne- 
 gleded by Mr. Orton, and very much confound- 
 ed in the three volumes containing the Doctor's 
 Sermons and religious Trails. Such of his wri- 
 tings as were printed after his deceafe will here- 
 C^2 after 
 
 * Letters to and from the Rgy, Dr. Doddridge, p. 17, 18, 
 
244 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 after be mentioned ; and, therefore, it only re- 
 mains at prefent to be added, that he was the 
 author of a few fmall pieces which appeared in 
 other colledions. Thefe were, fome papers, 
 when he was a young man, in '* The prefent 
 State of the Republic of Letters ;" a recommen- 
 datory Preface to a performance, entitled, ** Fa- 
 *' miliar Dialogues for Children ;" a biographi- 
 cal Preface to twelve Sermons, by the Rev. 
 Thomas StetTe, a diffenting minifter and former 
 pupil, who died in early life, at Taunton in 
 Somerfetfhire ; an elaborate account, in *^ The 
 *' Hiflory of the Works of the Learned," of the 
 fecond volume of Warburton's divine Legation 
 of Mofes ; and an elegant praftical Paraphrafe of 
 the laft Words of David, according to the criti- 
 cal interpretation of Dr. Richard Grey, of Hin- 
 ton, Northampton {hi re. 
 
 I ought to have taken notice under the pro- 
 per year (174B) that Dr. Doddridge revifcd the 
 *^ Expofitory\¥orks'* and other remains of Arch- 
 biiliop Leighton, and tranllated his *' Latin Pre- 
 ledions/' Thefe were printed together at Edin- 
 burgh, in two volumes. Though the preparing 
 of thefe volumes for the prefs took up fome of 
 the Dodor's time for feveral months, in the in- 
 tervals of other bufinefs, he was far from repent- 
 ing of his labour. The delight and edification 
 which he found in tlie writings of this extraor- 
 dinary man, were efleemed by him to be a full 
 equivalent for his pains ; feparately frorfi all the 
 profpedl of that effect which they might have 
 upon others. He ack no v\^l edges in his preface^, 
 that he never fpent a quarter of an hour in re- 
 viewing 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 245 
 
 viewing any of them, without feeling, amidfl the 
 interruption which a critical examination of the 
 copy would naturally give, fome impreilions 
 which he wiihed always to retain. Indeed, he 
 found in them fuch heart-aftefting kflbns of 
 fimplicity and humility, candour and benevo- 
 lence, and of exalted piety, without the leall 
 tindlurc of enthufiafm, as he thought could 
 fcarcely be equalled any where elfe, excepting in 
 the facred Oracles.* 
 
 Dr. Henry Miles, of Tooting, fpeaking of 
 Archbifhop Leighton's works, faid,in a letter to 
 Dr. Doddridge, '* I blefs God I ever met with 
 ** them. There is a fpirit in them I never met 
 *' with in any human writings, nor can I read 
 *^ many lines in them without being aftecled : 
 *' though you know all his works are imperfect 
 ^' and inaccurate. "•!* Scotland, in the middle of 
 the laft century, produced fome divines, who 
 had imbibed, in a wonderful manner, the genu- 
 ine fpirit of devotion, and the genuine fpirit 
 of chriftianity. The name of Scougal will 
 occur to every one who is tolerably acquaint- 
 ed either with the hiftory of theology, or with 
 compofitions of a pradical nature. 
 
 The journey which Dr. Doddridge took to 
 St. Alban's for the purpofe of preaching Dr. 
 Clark's funeral fermon, laid the foundation of 
 liis own death. In that journey, which, as we 
 jiave feen before, was in December, 1750, he 
 unhappily contraded a cold, that hung upon 
 him during the remainder of the winter. When 
 the fpring advanced, the diibrder confiderably 
 abated ; but in the fummer It returned again 
 O 3 with 
 
 * Oitciij ubi fuprn, p. 145. t Letter?, ubJ foprn, p. aio« 
 
246 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 with great violence. In this ftate of his health, 
 he was advifed by his phyficians and friends to 
 lay afide his public work for a time, and to ap- 
 ply himfelf to the ufe of proper medicines and 
 exercife for the removal of his complaint. With 
 the former part of this advice he could not be 
 prevailed upon to comply ; for, in his eftima- 
 tion, to beulelefs was worfe than death. Whilft 
 he apprehended that there was no immediate 
 oanger, he could not be induced to decline, or 
 even to lefTen, the various facred employments 
 in which he fo much delighted ; and he was 
 particularly defirous to complete the fair tran- 
 icript of his Family Expofitor. The nearer he 
 approached to his diilblution, the more plainly 
 v/as obferved his continual improvement in a 
 fpiritual and heavenly temper. Indeed, he 
 feemed to have gotten above the world, and to 
 be daily breathing after immortality. This dif- 
 pofition of his mind v/as ardently exprefled in 
 feveral of his letters, and is manifeft from his 
 will, v/hich was made at this time, and is pre- 
 faced in the following language : ** Whereas it 
 ^' is cuftomary on thefe occafions to begin with 
 *' commending the foul into the hands of God 
 *' through Chrifl ; I do it, not in mere form, 
 ^^ but with fmcerity and joy ; efteeming it my 
 ^^ greatefl happinefs, that I am taught and en- 
 ** couraged to do it, by that glorious gofpel, 
 ** which, having moft affuredly believed, I have 
 ^^ fpent my life in preaching to others ; and 
 ^' which I efteem an infinitely greater treafare 
 ^' than all my little v/orldly ftore, or pofTefiions 
 ^^ ttn thoufand times greater than mine/''^ 
 
 * Orton, ubi fupra, p. 26 S— 271, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 247 
 
 The laft time that Dr. Doddridge adminifler- 
 ed the Lord's Supper to his congregation at 
 Northampton, was on the fecond of June, 1751* 
 In the fermon which he dehvered previoufly to 
 the celebration of the ordinance, and which was 
 from Hebrews xii. 23, he expatiated on the ilkif- 
 trious and innumerable all'embly that would 
 meet together in the celeftial world ; and in the 
 concluiion of the whole fervice, he mentioned, 
 with marks of uncommon pleafure, the authori- 
 ty of Chrift over minifters and churches. He 
 dropped, likewife, fome hints of his approaching 
 deceafe, and fpoke with great tendernefs and af- 
 fedtion to his people on the profpedl of their fi- 
 nal feparation. After this he fpent fom.e weeks 
 in London, where the hurries and fatigues he 
 went through contributed to increafe his difor- 
 der. On his return from the metropolis, which 
 was nearly the middle of July, he determined, 
 notwithftanding the earneft entreaties of his 
 friends to the contrary, to addrefs his flock once 
 more from the pulpit. The difcourfe, which 
 proved in fa£t to be his farewel fermon, was froni 
 Romans xiv. 8, and was well adapted, not only 
 to the ftate of his congregation, but to that of 
 his pupils, for whofe future improvement and 
 welfare he was tenderly concerned. 
 
 The lad public fervice, in which Dr. Dod- 
 dridge was ever engaged, was on the eighteenth 
 of July, at the ordination of the Rev. Mr. 
 Adams, at Bewdley, in Worcefterihire. How 
 unfit he was at this time for taking any part 
 in the duties of the day, was difplayed in his pale 
 countenance, and in his languid, trem.bling 
 Qj. voice J 
 
MexMoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 voice ; but he had promifed his affiftance, and 
 
 was unwilling to be abfent or unemployed on 
 
 the occafion. From Bewdley he went to 
 
 Shrewlbury, where he refided feveral weeks, at 
 
 the houfe of his friend Mr. Orton, for the 
 
 convenience of air, exercife, and an entire recefs 
 
 from bufinefs and company. By this retirement 
 
 he feemed to be a little recruited. Whilft he 
 
 was at Shrewlbury, he received many letters 
 
 from his friends, exprefiive of their high elleem 
 
 and afFedlion for him, and of their deep concern 
 
 for his dangerous illnefs.* A very pathetic one, 
 
 written by Mr. Neal, will be found in the col- 
 
 ledion lately publifhed. Part of what he wrote 
 
 is as follows : ^' You may be fure, we are all 
 
 ** greatly afFefted with the danger that threatens 
 
 ^* a life fo univerfally defirable, and to us fo pe- 
 
 ** culiarly endeared : and our invaluable friend" 
 
 fMr, Barker) ** diflblved not only us, but great 
 
 ^^ part of his numerous audience, into tears, by 
 
 *' a kind of infpired eloquence, with which he 
 
 ** offered up ftrong pleas and cries, for your fup- 
 
 ** port and revival, to him who is able to deliver 
 
 ** from death. --My dear friend, I befeech you 
 
 ^' not to think of returning to Northampton, 
 
 *^ even though you fhould receive all imaginable 
 
 ** benefit at Shrewlbury in the enfuing fortnight, 
 
 *' till you have vifitcd Briftol -, and in preparing 
 
 ^' for that expedition, I conceive no time fliould 
 
 ^' be loft, as the feafon for the waters, as well 
 
 ** as of the year, is fo far advanced. I Ihould 
 
 ■^ tremble for your return to Northampton at 
 
 *?* prefent, notv/ithftanding feme encouraging 
 
 ^* fymptoms ^ 
 
 ^ Ibid. p. "^-ji — 274.. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 249 
 
 ^^ fymptoms ; for a relapfe could hardly fliil of 
 ^' being fatal, and in fuch a circumftance would 
 ** be next to certain, confidering your various 
 *' engagements, and adive temper." Speaking , 
 of the academy, Mr. Neal adds, ^' Mr. Clark, 
 *' I am perfuaded, is able to do what is fully 
 *^ fufficient, and will be very acceptable to the 
 ** truftees. And I rejoice in his ability (v/hich 
 '' I do not at all diftruft) to keep the pupils very 
 *' profitably employed for fome time ; though 
 *^ I fliould much rather hear the academy was 
 ^' all dilbanded, than that you Ihould read a 
 '* iinde le<£lure between this and Michaelmas. 
 " In one word, your whole duty to God and 
 *' man is comprehended in the care of your 
 ** health. "-f* Another letter written fome weeks 
 before by Mr. Barker, though it has been in- 
 ferted, at large, both in the Colledlign mention- 
 ed above and in Mr. Orton's Memoirs, is too 
 interefting to be omitted in this place. *^ Lef- 
 " fingham, Neal, and Barker, are too nearly 
 '^ interefted in that precious life, which now 
 *' appears in danger of being cut off in the midft 
 '* of its d?ys, to hear of its wafte and langnifh- 
 '' ing without great concern and fervent prayer 
 '^ to God. How your letter affected my heart 
 '' in public, your friends are witnefs : but what 
 ** I felt for my dear brother and the mini tiers 
 *' and churches of Ch rift, God and myfelf only 
 '' know. I will not now fay, Why did you 
 *' fpend fo faft ? Why did you not fpare your- 
 *' felf a little fooner ? I Vv'iil rather i^earfily 
 " thank you, that you ufe all the means you 
 ^' canto repair your frame, and reftore and pro- 
 ^' long your ufefulnefs. It is the kindcit thing 
 
 ** VOli 
 f Letters, ubi fypr?, p. 396. 397. 
 
t< 
 
 €( 
 
 ^50 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 ^ you can do, and the higheft inftance of friend- 
 ** fhip you can now ihew us ; and I acknowledge 
 *' your goodnefs to us in this point with tears of 
 joy. Confent and choofe to ftay with us a 
 * while longer, my dear friend, if it pleafe God. 
 This is not only needful to Northampton and 
 its adjacent towns and villages, but defirable 
 ** to us all, and beneficial to our whole intereft. 
 ** Stay, Doddridge ! O, ftay and flrengthen our 
 '* hand§, whofe lliadows grow long. Fifty is 
 ** but the height of vigour, ufefulnefs, andhon- 
 ** our. Don't take leave abruptly. Providence 
 ** hath not direded thee yet, on whom to drop 
 ** thy mantle. Who fliall inflru6l our youth ; 
 ** fill our vacant churches ; animate ouraflbcia- 
 ** tions, and diffufe a fpirit of piety, moderation, 
 ** candour, and charity, through our villages and 
 ** churches ; and a fpirit of prayer and fupplica- 
 ** tion into our towns and cities, when thou art 
 ** removed from us ? Efpecially, who il:iall un- 
 ** fold the facred Oracles, teach us the meaning 
 *^ and ufe of our Bibles, refcue us from the 
 ** bondage of fyftems, party opinions, empty, 
 *^ ufelefs fpeculations, and fafhionable forms and 
 *^ phrafes ; and point out to us the fimplc, in- 
 ** telligible, confiftent, uniform religion of our 
 *^ Lord and Saviour ? Who fhall — But I am 
 '* filenced by the voice of him, who fays, ^' Shall 
 ** I not do what I will with my own ? Is it not 
 *' my prerogative to take and leave, as feemeth 
 '' me good ? I demand the liberty of difpofing 
 '^ of my own fervants at my own pleafure. 
 *' He hath laboured more abundantly. His 
 " times are in my hand. He hath not flept as 
 
 '' do 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 251 
 
 *< do others. He hath rifen to nobler heights 
 '' than things below. He hopes to inherit 
 '^ glory. He hath laboured for that which en~ 
 '' dureth to eternal life ; labour, which the 
 ** more it abounds, the more it exalts and mag- 
 *' nifies its objeds, and the more efleaually an- 
 *^ fwers and fecures its end. It is yours to wait 
 '' and truft, — mine to difpofe and govern. On 
 ** me be the care of minirters and churches. 
 '' With me is the refidue of the Spirit. Both 
 " the vineyard and the labourers are mine. I 
 *' fet them to work ; and when I pleafe, I call 
 '' them and give them their hire.'' — With thefe 
 *' thoughts my pafiions fubfide, my mind is 
 *^ foftened and fatisiied, I refign thee, myfelf 
 ^' and all, to God, faying, Thy will be done ! 
 ** But now for the wings of faith and contem- 
 *' plation. Let me take thy hand, my dear 
 ** brother, and walk a turn or two in yonder 
 *' fpacious regions. Yes, it is fo : we read it in 
 '^ the Book of God, that word of truth and gof- 
 ** pel of our falvation, that as in Adam all die^ 
 *' even fo in ChrilT: fliall all be made alive. The 
 *^ one ruined his pofterity by fm ; the other raif- 
 ** ed his feed to immortality. This poifoned 
 ** the dart and inflamed the wound of death ; 
 *' but Jefus Chrift redeemeth us from this cap- 
 *' tivity. See, thou chrillian minifter, thou 
 *' friend of m.y bofom, and faithful fervant of 
 ** God, fee the important period, when the fur- 
 '* priling figns and defcending inhabitants of 
 ** heaven, proclaim the fecond coming of our 
 ** divine Saviour ! The heavens open and dif- 
 ^' clofe his radiant glory. Hear the awakening 
 
 " trump. 
 
252 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 ** trump. See, the dead in Chrift arife glori- 
 ** ous and immortal ; leave corruption, weak- 
 *^ nefs, and difhonour, behind them, and behold 
 ** their Lord and Head feated on his throne of 
 ** judgment, attended and furrounded with tlie 
 *' miniilers of his power and pleafure, and flun- 
 *^ ing in all the fulnefs of celeftial glory : and 
 ** not only fee but fliare his viSory and luftre, 
 " partake of his image and influence. And be- 
 ** hold the demoliihed fabric reared again, ftate- 
 *^ ly and ornamented, iliining and illuftrious, 
 *' permanent and durable, to dem.onftrate how 
 ** entirely death is vanquifhed, all its ruins re- 
 *' paired ; and what was once meat for worms is 
 ** now a companion of angels : for when *' this 
 ** corruptible fhall have put on incorruption, 
 " and this mortal, immortality," every eye will 
 *^ be faftened on the mighty conqueror, and eve- 
 ** ry voice and harp be tuned for that tranfport- 
 " ing fong, ** O Death, where is thy fling ? 
 " O Grave, where is thy victory ?'* Yes, Dod- 
 " dridge, it is fo. The fruit of our Redeem- 
 ^* er's fufFerings and victory is the entire and 
 *^ eternal deftrudion of fin and death. And is 
 " it not a glorious deflrudion ? A mofl blefied 
 *^ ruin ? No enemy fo formidable, no tyranny fo 
 *' bitter, no fetters fo heavy and galling, no pri- 
 " fon fo dark and difmal, but they are van- 
 «' quiflied and difarmed ; the unerring dart is 
 *« blunted and broken, the prifon pulled down 
 "^ and rafed. Our Lord is rifen, as the firfl- 
 *•' fruits of them that flept. — How glad fhould 
 ^' I be to hear that God is pleafed to prolong 
 '' thy life on earth, to declare thefe glorious 
 
 <* truths, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 253 
 
 ** truths, and teach us to improve them ! In 
 *' this your friends with you, and many more 
 ** in every place, join, and make it our com- 
 *' rr.on petition to the great Difpofer of all 
 *' events. Ufe every means you can for the 
 '^ recov^ery of your health, for the fake of your 
 '*' friends, among whom is your faithful and af- 
 ^' fedtionats J. Barker."* 
 
 Dr. Doddridge was fo deeply affecled with the 
 friendfliip expreffed in this letter, and the divine 
 confolations which it adminiftered, that there 
 was reafon to be apprehenfive that his tender 
 frame would have funk under the emotions of his 
 gratitude and joy. 
 
 In autumn, his phyficians judged it proper that 
 he fliould make a trial of the waters of Briftol ; 
 and accordingly he went thither in the month of 
 Auguft. Upon his arrival at that place, a wor- 
 thy clergyman of the efrablifiied church, with 
 whom he had only a flight acquaintance, enter- 
 tained him in the moft hofpitable manner and 
 with a fraternal affeftion, till he could be accomm- 
 odated with faitable apartments near the wells ^ 
 and Dr. Maddox, Bilhop of Worcefler, paid him 
 a friendly vifit, and, in very obliging terms, of- 
 fered to convey him in his chariot, at the ftated 
 times of drinking the water. Little hope of his 
 deriving benefit from it was given him by the 
 phylicians at Briftol ; and he received their report 
 of the great hazard of his cafe with a fortitude, 
 refignation, and cheerfulnefs, which never for- 
 fook him to the lafl, in any pkce, or on any oc- 
 
 c a lion. 
 
254 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 cafion. Here he met with fevcral of his friends, 
 who were delirous to do all in their power to 
 teftify their regard for him ; and offers of fervice 
 and affiftance were made to him by ftrangers, 
 and even by perfons who had formerly conceiv- 
 ed prejudices againft him. A worthy nobleman 
 interefted himlelf as kindly about the Dodlor's 
 health, as if he had long been his intimate 
 friend, Whilft Dr. Doddridge was at Brifto), he 
 was vifited by fome of the principal people of 
 his congregation, who expreffed an affection for 
 him not to be defcribed, and who brought with 
 them affurances of the fame affedion from the 
 reft of his flock, and of their ardent and repeat- 
 ed prayers for his recovery. This new proof of 
 their regard afforded him great fatisfadtion and 
 refrefhment. He was diredled by his phyiicians 
 to fpeak and write as little as poffible ; but he 
 could not content himfelf without fometimes 
 fending letters, in ftiort-hand, to a few chofen 
 friends, expreffive of the excellent frame of his 
 mind.'* 
 
 The health of Dr. Doddridge continuing ftill 
 more and more to decline, he was advifed, Cis 
 the lafl: refort in fo threatening a diforder, to 
 remove to a warmer climate for the winter. It 
 was propdfed that he fhould go to Lifbon. In 
 deliberating upon this fcheme, his principal ob- 
 jcfticn to it was the great expenfe with which 
 the execution of it would neceffarily be attended. 
 He doubted whetlier, with fo very precarious' a 
 hope of its being beneficial to him, he ought to 
 puriiie the defign 3 when his family, which, in 
 
 cafe 
 
 • Ojton, ubi fupra, p, z77«-^2Sj> 
 
Memoii^s of Dr. Doddridge. 255 
 
 t\\Cc of his cleceafe, would be but flenderly provi- 
 ded for, would be confiderably injured by the 
 voyage. '' It will/' fays Mr. Orton, '' I hope, 
 ^' appear to every confiderate reader, a glorious 
 ** circumflance ia the Doctor's life, that it was 
 *« facrificed to the generous, difinterefted fervice 
 *^ of his great Mafter, and benevolence to man- 
 *« kind ; that, with the advantage of a genius and 
 '^ qualifications equal to the higheft advance- 
 *' mcnt in the eftablifhment, and without being 
 *' chargeable w^ith want of economy, he fhould 
 *' find himfelf under the painful neceflity of pre- 
 ** ferving the little remainder of his life, by an 
 ^^ expenfe difproportionate to the provifion made 
 ** for his family, dear to him as his own life/* 
 There happened to be at Briftol a clergyman of the 
 church of England, who had not been previ- 
 oufly acquainted with Dr. Doddridge, but who 
 behaved to him in the kindefl and moft refped- 
 ful manner. In converfaticn with this gentle- 
 man, the Doftor undefignedly threw out a hint 
 of the principal reafon which caufed him to de- 
 mur about the voyage. The benevolent cler- 
 gyman immediately feized the hint, and took, 
 sn opportunity of exprefiing, before a lady of 
 confiderable fortune, who was a difiTenter, his 
 efteem and refpe(5t for the Dodor, and the con- 
 cern it gave him, that a perfon who did fo much 
 honour to chriftianity in general, and to his 
 own denomination in particular, and who (as he 
 was pleafed toexprefs himfelf) '* if his confcience 
 '^ had not prevented, might have been in one of 
 ** the firfi: dignities in their church," fhould, on 
 account of his circumftances, be difccuraged 
 
 from 
 
256 Memoirs of Dli. Doddridge; 
 
 from taking a ftep, on which perhaps his Hfo 
 depended. He added, that, in his opinion, it 
 would be an everlafting reproach upon the dif- 
 fenters as a body, if thole who knew of his fitu- 
 ation did not take fome fpeedy and vigorous 
 meafures to remove the difiiculty. No fooner 
 had this gentleman given the hint, and fet a 
 handfome precedent, than it was cheerfully pur- 
 fued ; and the generofity of Dr. Doddridge's ac- 
 quaintance at Briflol and in other places, fully 
 equalled his wants and his wifhes. Mr. Neal 
 was particularly aftive in the managem.ent of 
 the affair, and had the pleafure of informing 
 the Dodor, that inilead of felling what our au- 
 thor had in the fund^, he ihould be able, through 
 the benevolence of friends, to add fome thing to 
 it, after the expenfe of the voyage was defrayed. 
 Whilfl Dr. Doddridge continued at Briftol, 
 and his journey was in profpcdt, many other 
 pleafing circumftances occurred, which tended 
 to lighten his affliction. A fervant, in particu- 
 lar, of the family where he lodged, offered her- 
 felf to attend him to Liibon on very reafonable 
 terms ; a propofal which was the more feafona- 
 ble and acceptable, as infirm perfons, who 
 defigned the fame voyage, ufually found it ex- 
 tremely difficult to procure fuch attendance, 
 even by large offers.* Dr. Oliver v/as at no 
 fmall pains to prepare every thing for making 
 the journey as comfortable as poflible ; and 
 Mr. Warburton prevailed upon the fecretary of 
 the Pofl- Office to write to the captain of the 
 packet-boat at Falmouth, to engage him to 
 
 give 
 
 * Ibid. p. iSi — 287, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge; 257 
 
 give Dr. Doddridge the beft accommodations in 
 his power. -f- On the feventeenth of September 
 the Dofior left Briftol, and after a fatiguing 
 journey of ten days, occafioned partly by the 
 badnefs of the feafon and roads, and partly by 
 his great weaknefs, he arrived at Falmouth, 
 There he was received in the kindeft manner by 
 Dr. Turner, the phyfician of the place, who gen- 
 eraufly entertained him in his houfe, and recom- 
 mended him to the care of his nephew. Dr. 
 Cantley, at Lifbon. During Dr. Doddridge's 
 journey and ftay at Falmouthj his m.oft painful 
 and threatening fymptoms had been fufpended ; 
 but, on the night before he failed, they returned 
 with greater violence than ever^ Mrs. Dod- 
 dridge, therefore, thought it necelTary to pro- 
 pofe, that he fhould either return home, or flay 
 a while longer at Falmouth. Having, however, 
 fome hope from a change of climate, he gave 
 this fhort anfvver, *^ The die is cafl, and I choofe 
 to go." 
 
 The propriety of Dr. Doddridge's voyage to 
 Lilbon has by fome perfons been doubted ; but 
 in this undertaking he aded by the unanimous 
 advice of the mod competent judges. At Fal- 
 mouth much civility was fliewn him by feveral 
 of the inhabitants of the place, to whom his 
 friends had written for that purpofe, and he 
 parted from them with the utmoft gratitude and 
 tendernefs. On Monday the thirtieth of Sep- 
 tember he went on board the packet 5 and as 
 the captain of it did not happen to go the voyage, 
 the Dodtor had the convenience of his cabin^ 
 R . whiah 
 
 + Letters, ubi fupra, p. 36a, > 
 
^5^ Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 which was no fmall comfort and advantage tQ 
 him in his weak condition. Upon the failing 
 of the veffel, the new fcene which opened upon 
 him, and the foft air and frefli breezes of the 
 fea, had the moft pleafing effe6l on his fpirits. 
 The fea ficknefs was feverely felt by Mrs. Dod- 
 dridge and the fervant ; but happily he himfelf 
 did not fulFer from it ^ fo that he needed their 
 attendance and afiiftance lefs than before. He 
 generally fat, the greateft part of the day, in an 
 eafy chair, in the captain's cabin ; and his mind 
 was admirably fuftained by delightful views of 
 the heavenly world. Such facred gratitude and 
 joy appeared in his countenance, as often bro't 
 to the remembrance of his lady the following 
 lines in one of his hymns : 
 
 When Death o'er Nature Ihall prevail. 
 And all the powers of language fail, 
 Joy through my fwimming eyes fliall break. 
 And mean the thanks 1 cannot fpeak. 
 
 In the Bay of Bifcay the veffel was unhappily 
 becalmed for fome days ; and the weather prov- 
 ed fo intenfely hot, that Dr. Dod(kidge's col- 
 liquative fweats returned, attended with a faint- 
 nefs that threatened his fpeedy diffolution. Pro- 
 vidence, however, ftill lengthened out the feeble 
 thread of life. When the fiiip came to the de- 
 fired haven, and v/as waiting for the ufual cere- 
 monies of entrance, the finenefs of the day, the 
 foftnefs of the air, and the delightful profpedls 
 by which he was furrounded, gave him a frefli 
 flov/ of ftrength and fpirits. lit flayed upon 
 
 deck 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 259 
 
 deck about two hours> and derived from it fuch 
 a ienfible degree of refrefhment, as to raifc even 
 a flattering hope of his recovery. On Sunday 
 the thirteenth of October he landed at Lifbon. 
 The next day he wrote to his affiilant at North- 
 anipton> giving him afiiort account of his voyage, 
 of the magnificent appearance which the city 
 made from the fea, and of what he obferved i:i 
 paffing through the ftreets. After mentioning 
 his great weaknefs and danger, he added, ** Ne- 
 ** verthelefs, I blefs God, the moft undifturbed 
 •' ferenity continues in my mind, and my ftrength 
 ** holds proportion to my day. I ftill hope and 
 *^ truftin God, and joyfully acquiefce in all he 
 " may do with me. When you fee my dear 
 *' friends of the congregation, inform them of 
 ** my circumftances, and allure them, that I 
 ** cheerfully fubmit myfelf to God. If I defire 
 ** life may be reftored, it is chiefly that it may 
 ** be employed in ferving Chrift among them ; 
 ** and that I am enabled by faith to look upon 
 '* death as an enemy that fhall be defl:royed ^ 
 •^ and can cheerfully leave my dear Mrs. Dod- 
 ** dridge a Vv^idow in a ftrange land, if fuch b^ 
 ** the appointment of our heavenly Father. I 
 ** hope I have done my duty, and the Lord do 
 ** as feemeth good in his fight/'* 
 
 At LiflDon, Dr. Doddridge was kindly receiv- 
 ed and entertained at the houfe of Mr. David 
 King, an Englifh merchant, whofe mother was 
 one of the Doctor's congregation, and who had 
 now an opportunity he could never have expert* 
 ed, but which he gladly embraced, of repaying 
 R 2 the 
 
 ♦ Orton» ubi fupr3, p. 'iqo-^t^x. 
 
26o Memoirs of Dr. Doddridgc- 
 
 the many fervices that had been done for his re* 
 lations at Northampton. In this worthy fami- 
 ly our author found the moft cordial friendfhip, 
 and every accommodation that could tend to al- 
 leviate his diforder. Here he happened to meet 
 vi^ith Dr. Watts's Treatife on the Happinefs of 
 feparate Spirits, which, being a work entirely 
 coincident with his own fentiments, delighted 
 him in a peculiar manner. In reading this book^ 
 Dr. Watts's Hymns, and efpecially the Scrip- 
 tures, he employed as much time as his ftrength 
 would admit. At Lifbon he found a family re-, 
 lated to Mrs. Doddridge, as well as other kind 
 friends, who, either from a knowledge of his 
 charader, or from having received voluntary let- 
 ters of recommendation, fhewed him all the ci- 
 vility in their power, and indeed feemed to ftrivc 
 who iliould moft excel in difplaying for him an 
 affiduous and tender regard. From their com- 
 pany he derived pleafure, though it was attended 
 with the painful circumftance of his not being 
 able to converfe with them as freely as he could 
 have wiflied to have done. The Rev. Mr. Wil- 
 liamfon in particular, then chaplain to the Bri- 
 tish faftory, frequently viiited hiip, with the 
 temper and behaviour of the gentleman, the 
 chriilian, and the divine. 
 
 About a week after Dr. Doddridge's arrival, 
 by the advice of his phyfician, Dr. Cantley, who 
 attended him without receiving the ufual fees, 
 he was removed into the country, a few miles 
 from Lifl)on. This, however, wtiS produdive 
 of no advantage ; for the rainy feafon, which in 
 that climate ufually fets in about the latter end 
 • . of 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 261 
 
 •of Ovflober, came on with fach uncommon vio- 
 lence, as not only to preclude any aiiiflance from 
 air and exercife, but to add greatly to his com- 
 plaints. On the twenty-fourth of Odober he 
 was feized with a colliquative diarrhcea, which 
 foon exhaufted his little flrength. Neverthe- 
 Icfs, during the fucceeding night, which feemed 
 the laft of rational life, he preferved the fame 
 calmnefs, vigour, and joy of mind, which he had 
 felt and exprcffed through the whole of his ill- 
 nefs. The only pain he had in the thought of 
 dying, was the fear of that grief and difttefs 
 which Mrs. Doddridge would fuffer from his 
 removal. To his children, his congregation, 
 and his friends in general, he deiired to be 
 remembered in the moft affedionate manner ; 
 nor did he forget the family where he lodged, or 
 his own fervant, in the elFufions of his pious 
 benevolence. Many devout fen timents and af- 
 pirations were uttered by him 5 but Mrs. Dod- 
 dridge's heart was too much aiTefted with his 
 approaching change, to be able to recolledl them 
 diftindly. On the following day he lay in a 
 gentle dofe, in which he continued till an hour 
 before his death. At the laft ftruggle he appear- 
 ed reftlefs, and fetched feveral deep fighs, foon 
 after which he obtained his releafe. This event 
 took place on Saturday the twenty-iixth of Ofto- 
 ber, old ftile, about three o'clock in the morning : 
 and though he died in a foreign land^ and in a 
 certain fenfe among ftrangers, his deceafe was 
 embalmed with many tears. Not only the prin- 
 cipal gentlemen of the fadory, but even their 
 |ervants^ manifefted a high fcnle of Dr. Dod- 
 R 3 dridge's 
 
262 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 dridge's worth, and of the greatnefs of the public 
 ]ofs. A circumftance which afforded much fe- 
 tisfafliion to Mrs. Doddridge, and her Lilboa 
 friends, was, that the Do6lor, in his laft fcenes, 
 was not moleiled by the officious zeal of any of 
 the priefts of the church of Rome. Agreeably 
 to the defire which he had expreffed before his 
 death, his body was opened, when his lungs 
 v/ere found in fo ulcerated a ftate, that it appear- 
 ed furprifing to the phyfician that his fpeaking and 
 breathing had not been far more difficult and pain^ 
 ful to him than in fa6l they v/ere, even to the laft. 
 Dr. Doddridge had frequently expreiled a 
 wiili of being buried at his meeting place at 
 Northampton, where his children and fo many 
 of his congregation and friends were depofited. 
 However, during his illnefs, he fpoke of this 
 as a matter quite indifferent to him ; and, to 
 avoid increafing the diftrefs of his afflicted con-, 
 fort, was defirous of being interred wherever he 
 fliould die. It was found, upon enquiry, that 
 the removal of the body to England would oc- 
 cafion a very large expenfe, and therefore it was 
 judged moft prudent to decline it. According- 
 ly, his remains were conveyed to the burying-^ 
 ground belonging to the Britifli fadlory at Lif- 
 bon, with as much decency and refped: as cir^ 
 cumftances and the place would admit. The 
 greater part of the gentlemen of the fadlory at- 
 tended his funeral ; and Mr. Wiiliamfon, on the 
 following Sunday, preached a fermon, in which 
 |ie gave him a high and honourable charadter, 
 founded on what he had heard from many, of 
 Jiis worth, and on what he had himfelf feen, dur- 
 ing 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 265 
 
 ing the opportunities he had had of conveiTing 
 with him.^ 
 
 Though Dr. Doddridge's congregation had 
 not the melancholy fatisfadticn of having him 
 interred at his own meeting-houfe, they erefted 
 in it a handibme monument to his memory, and 
 made a generous prefent to his widow after her 
 return. The infcription, which was drawn up 
 by the Doctor's much efteemed and ingenious 
 friend, Gilbert Weft, Efq. was as follows ; 
 
 To the memory of 
 
 Philip Doddridge, D. D. 
 
 Twenty-one years Paftor of this churchy 
 
 Diredtor of a flourifliing Academy, 
 
 And Author of many excellent Writings ; 
 
 By which 
 
 fjis pious, benevolent, and indefatigable zeal 
 
 To make men Vv'ife^ good, and happy. 
 
 Will far better be made known. 
 
 And perpetuated much longer. 
 
 Than by this obfcure and perifhable marble; 
 
 The humble monument, not of his praife. 
 
 But of thei/ efleem, affedion, and regret, 
 
 Who knew him, loved him, and lament him i 
 
 And who are dcfuous of recording, 
 
 In this Infcription, 
 
 Their friendly but faithful tellimony 
 
 To the many amiable and Chriftian virtueS;, 
 
 That adorned his more private charadler 5 
 
 By which, though dead, he yet fpeaketh. 
 
 And, flill prefent in remembrance, 
 
 Forcibly, though filently, admonifheth 
 
 His once beloved and ever-grateful flock. 
 
 He was born June 26, 1702, 
 
 And died Odt. 26, 1751, 
 
 Aged 5o.t The 
 
 * Orton, ubj fnpra, p, 293 — 297^^ 
 I Ibid. p. 298. 
 
264 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 The fituation of Mrs, Doddridge, during th^ 
 fad fcene through which ihe paffed, will juftly 
 be confidered as peculiarly melancholy and af- 
 feding. She had accompanied her hufband to 
 a foreign land, and had been vvitnefs to the pain- 
 ful event of his death. Through the goodnefs 
 of God ihe was enabled to preferve fortitude and 
 ferenity in the midft of her deep affliftion. What 
 the ftate of her mind was, is finely reprefented 
 in a letter which ihe wrote to her children from 
 Lilbon, a few days after the Dodor's deceafe, 
 and'Which has lately been printed, for the firft 
 time, in the Gentleman's Magazine. It will be 
 found below.^ In her voyage homeward, and 
 
 upon 
 
 f '' Lrjhon, Nov, IT, N. S. li^t, 
 
 5* MY DEAR CHILDREN, 
 
 ** How (hall I addrefs you under this awful and melancholy Provi-* 
 dence I I would fain fay fomething to comfort you. And 1 hope GoD 
 will enable me to fay fomething that may alleviate your deep diftfeis. t 
 yvtni out in a firm dependence that, if Infinite Wifdom was pleafed to call 
 me out to duties and trials as yet unknown, he would grant me thofe fu- 
 perioT aids of llrength that would fupport and keep me from fainting un- 
 der them ; perfuaded that there was no diftrefs or forrow, into which he 
 could lead me, under which his gracious and all-fuflicient arm could not 
 ifupport me. He has not difappointed nie, nor fuflfered the heart and eyes 
 diredled to him to fail. «* GOD all-fufticient, and my only hope," is my 
 imotto : let it be yours. Such, indeed, have I found him ; and fuch, I 
 verily believe, yoii will find him too iu this time of deep dirtrefs. 
 
 ** ©h ! my dear children, help me to praife hirn \ Such fupports, fuch 
 confolations, fuch comforts, has he granted to the meaneft of his crea- 
 tures, that my mind, at times, is held in perfeft attonifhment, and is rea- 
 dy to huift into fongs of praiie under its moftexquifiie dillrefs. 
 
 ** As to outw?rd comforts, God has withheld no good thing from me, 
 but has given me all the afliftance, and all the (uppojts, that thetenderelt 
 friendfliip was capable of alFording me, and which I think my dear North- 
 ampton friends could not have exceeded. Their prayers are not loft. I 
 doubt not but I am reaping the benefit of them, and hoj.e I'nat you will do 
 the fame. 
 
 ** I am returned to good Mr. King's. Be good to poor Mrs. King, 
 It is a debt of giatltude 1 ov^e for the gjeat obligations I am under to 
 that worthy family here. Such a folicitude of fi iendftiip was furtly hardly 
 ever known as 1 meet with here, J have the offers of fiiendlhio more ihaf« 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 265 
 
 upon her return to her family, ilie was ftrength- 
 ened and fupported beyond what could have been 
 expefled. By the circumftancc of Dr. Dod- 
 
 drids^e's 
 
 lean employ ; and it gives a real concern to many here that they cznnjt 
 find out a way to ferve me. Tlieie are great honuurs conterred on tha 
 dear deceajed, and great comforts to mc. It is im^)o{r»h!e to lay how 
 riuch thqie meicics are endeared to me, as coming in iuch an immediate 
 manner iVom the Divine Hand. To bis name be the praife and glory of 
 all ! 
 
 •' And now,- my dear children, what Hiail I fay to you ? Ours is ro 
 common lols. 1 mourn ihc bed ot hufbands and or friends, removed 
 from this world of fu» and forrow to the legions of immoitai blils and 
 Jight. What a glory 1 What a meicy is it that I am enabl d with my 
 thoughts to purlue him there ! You have lolV Ue dearelt and bell of par- 
 ents, the guide of your youth ! and whoie plealureit would have been to 
 have introduced you mto life with great advantages. 
 
 ** Our lofs is great indeed ! But I really thmk the lofs the public has 
 fuftained IS (till greater. But GoD can never want initruments to carrjT 
 on his work. Yet, let us be ir.ar.ktui that GOD ever gave us Iuch a 
 friend; that he has continued him fo long with us. Perhaps, if we had 
 been to have judged, we Ihould have thought that we nor the w©rld could 
 never lefs have fpared him than at the ^)reient time. But I fe the hand of 
 Heaven, trie appointment ot his wile Providence, in ev-ry Itep of this aw- 
 ful dilpenfation. It is his hand that h^s put fhe bitter cup into ours. 
 And what does he now expeCt from us but a meek, humble, entire fuh- 
 inifTion to his will ? Wc know this is our duiy. Let us pray for thcfe 
 aids of his Spirit, which can only enable us to attain it. A father of the 
 ialherlefs is God in his holy habitation. As fuch may your eyes be di- 
 Tciled to him ! He will Jupport you. He will comfoit you. And that 
 he may, is not only my daily, but hourly prayer. 
 
 ** Wc have never deferved lb great a good as that we have loft. And 
 let us remember, that the bell refpect we can pay to his m mory is to en- 
 deavour, as far as we can, to follow his example, to cultivate ihofc amia- 
 ble qualities that rendered him I'o jultiy dear to us, and I'o greatly eiteem- 
 ed by the world. Particularly i would recominend this to my dear P. 
 May I have the joy to fee him ailing the part worthy the relation to l» 
 amiable and excellent a parent, whofe memory, I hope, will ever be valu- 
 able and facred to him and to us all ! Under God, may he be a comforc 
 to me, and a fupport to the famil) l Much depends on him. His lyls I 
 think peculiarly great. But I know an a!i-lufHcient God can overrule it 
 as the means of »he greatelt good to him. 
 
 <* It is mipoilible for me to tell you how tenderly my heart feels for 
 you all 1 how tnuch I long to be with you to con. fort and afhft you. In- 
 deed, you are the only iuduccments I now have left to wjfh for life, that I 
 may do what littieis in my power to form and guide your t-ender >cars. 
 For this purpoie I tnkc all pofilbie care of my healh. i eat, Ucep, and 
 converfe at times with a tolerable cltgree vi c^errfidnefs. You, my dears, 
 a^ the bell return y u can make me, will i\o the »-ime, that f may not 
 have Ibrrow upon forrcw. The many kind friends you have aicun;! you, 
 '"'"■' " ■ i. 
 
^66 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 dridge's dying abroad fhe loft a confiderable an-? 
 nuity, which he had provided for her in cafe of 
 widowhood, and to which fhe would other wife 
 have been entitled. To this confcquence of his 
 voyage, ihould he die abroad, the Dodor v/as 
 totally a ftranger ; and it was happy for him 
 that he was never acquainted with it, iince it 
 muft have lien with weight upon his fpirits. 
 The generofity of his friends w^s active to com- 
 penfate for the lofs which Mrs. Doddridge had 
 fuftained. A fubfcription was opened for her, 
 chiefly in London, and, in a great meafure, 
 under the diredion of Mr, Neal, whofe kind 
 offices to Dr. Doddridge's family wexe eminent 
 and invariable. In a fhort time a fum was raifcd, 
 which was more than equal to the forfeiture of 
 the annuity. Befides this, Mrs, Doddridge re- 
 ceived feveral other handfome prcfcnts, which 
 were fent her as fubfcriptions to the Family Ex- 
 pofitor, from perfons of rank, both among the 
 clergy and laity of the eftablifhed church. The 
 manner in which thefe benefadions w«re com- 
 municated heightened their v^lue. They were 
 
 beftowed 
 
 I am furc, will rot bp wanting in giving you all the afTiftance and com« 
 iort that is in their power. My kindell ialutations attend them ail. 
 
 *' I hope to leave this place in about fourteen or twenty days. But 
 the fooneft I can reach Northampton will not be in Icfs than fiX weeks o? 
 two months time. May Gon he with you, and give us, tho' a mourn- 
 ful, yet a comfortable meeting ! For your lakes I trufl my life will be 
 fpared. And, I blefs GoD, my mind is under no painful anxiety as to. 
 the difficulties and danqjers of the voyage. 
 
 '* The winds and the waves are in his hands, to whom I reHgn myfelf, 
 and all that is deaiert to me. I know I fliall have your prayers, and 
 thofe of my deareft friends with you. 
 
 " Farewel, my deare(t children ! lam your afHiiSled, but moft fincerc 
 friend, and ever aft'edionate mother, 
 
 '« M. Doddridge." f 
 
 f Centhnans Magazine, 'vol. Jxi. p. 8S4, SSj. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 267 
 
 beftowed with fo much delicacy, and refledled 
 fuch high honour on Dr. Doddridge's memory, 
 that fhe retained a deep impreffion of them to 
 the latefl hour of her hfe. Another inftance of 
 regard that was paid her, was, that the diiTenting 
 minifters in the neighbourhood of Northampton, 
 and the pupiJs who had begun to preach, fap- 
 pHed the Doctor's congregation, during his ab- 
 fence, and for half a year after his deceafe, that 
 the falary might be continued to his family for 
 that time.* 
 
 Dr. Doddridge's funeral fermon w^as preached 
 by Mr. Orton, who w^as in every view the pro- 
 pereft perfon for that fervice. On what day it 
 was delivered does not appear from the copy 
 now lying before me. The text was, i Cor. 
 XV. 54, and the words, '' Death is fwallowed up 
 in vidory.'* In a ihort time the difcourfe was 
 publilhed, and had an extenfive circulation, un- 
 der the title of ^* The Chriftian's Triumph over 
 Death,'' It has fmce been annexed to the three 
 volumes of the Doftor's Sermons and religious 
 Trads. Mr. Orton did not enter largely into 
 the character of his revered and beloved friend, 
 having probably then formed the defign of wai- 
 ting his life. 
 
 The mufes were not filent on Dr. Doddridge's 
 deceafe. A poem to his memory was publi(hed 
 by a young gentleman, who, at the time of com- 
 pofing it, was a pupil at his academy. The au- 
 thor wa^ Mr. Henry More, v/ho afterwards fet- 
 tled in Devon/hire, of which county he is a na- 
 tive, and who is now a diff::nting minifter at 
 
 Leikard 
 
 ^ Oft^n, ubi fupra, p. 259, 500, 
 
263 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 Lefl<.ard in Cornwall. By his friends he i^ 
 known not only to be an ingenious poet, but a 
 found fcholar, efpecially in Biblical criticifm. 
 The following lines will afford an agreeable fpe- 
 cimen of the merit of the poem. 
 
 Her bays each fcience fcatters on thy bier ; 
 Each fecial virtue drops the friendly tear. 
 Beneath a mouldVing temple's awful fliade. 
 Among the folcmn nodding ruins laid, 
 Religion weeps ; her borom fwelled.with care 
 Heaves the fad figh, half yielding to defpair : 
 But cheerful faith fuftains her drooping head. 
 And whifpers comfort to the fainting maid. 
 But ah ! what power of language can exprefs 
 The widowed confori*§ woe : What keen diftrefs 
 Tore all her heart-ftrings, when thy trembling fight 
 Snatch'd afond,farewel glance, and clos'd in night J 
 When the felt pulfe, that at her touch before 
 Beat with a fuller side, now throbbed no more ? 
 In foreign lands, abandoned, and alone. 
 She heard a darling hufband's parting groan : 
 No children there received his lad command, 
 Wept round the couch and kifs'd his dying hand; 
 No fad domeftic bore the fable bier ; 
 No mournful pupil pour'd the tender tear^ 
 No foothing friend to minifter relief. 
 And by dividing mitigate her grief : 
 She folitary brooded o'er her care. 
 Her only refuge placed in heaven and prayer. 
 And when her native country to regain, 
 She meafur'd back the wide extended main. 
 As the fleet vefTel flew before the wind. 
 How many a melting look fhe turned behind ! 
 How, till in undiftinguifhed vapour loft. 
 Caught each faint glance of the receding coaft, 
 Y^^here now, for ever from her eyes rcmov'd, 
 
 ■ Li^ 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 269 
 
 Lie the blcfl: relics of the man (he lov'd ! 
 That dear lad fight fhe never more muft view. 
 Her longing eyes have look.*d their lafl adieu : 
 That dear fad fight fiie wifhes now in vain. 
 While ocean roll unnumbered waves between. 
 
 Dr. Doddridge was not handfome in his per- 
 foil. In ilaturc he was fomewhat above the mid- 
 dle fize, with a ftoop in his fhoulders, and he 
 was very thin and flender. Bat when he was 
 engaged in Converfation, or employed in the pul- 
 pit, there was a remarkable fprightlinefs and vi- 
 vacity in his countenance and manner, v^^hich 
 commanded a general attention.^ Mrs. Dod- 
 dridge furvived her hufband nearly forty years, 
 all which time fhe exhibited an eminent pattern 
 of the Chriftian virtues. She departed this life 
 at Tewkefbury, in Glocefterihire, where fhe had 
 long refided. The Doftor left four children, 
 one fon, and three daughters. Philip, the fon, 
 v/as brought up to the lav/, and fettled as an at- 
 torney at Tewkefbury, where he died feveral 
 years ago. The eldefl daughter married Mr. 
 Humphreys, an attorney of the fame place. She 
 and her two fifters, who are fmgle, are ftill liv- 
 
 ing. 
 
 It was a happy circumftancc, that, at the time 
 of Dr. Doddridge's illnefs and deceafe, he had 
 for his aiTiftant in the Academy Mr. Samuel 
 Clark, the fon of his friend Dr. Clark. In this 
 gentleman were united wifdom, knowledge, and 
 an uncommon equanimity and fleadinefs of tem- 
 per. Indeed, though very young, he was well 
 qualified to have been cHofen to fucceed Dr. 
 
 Doddridge 
 
 • Ibid p. 301. 
 
270 A'Iemoirs of Dr. Doddridge* 
 
 Doddridge in the office of principal tutor : but 
 this his modefty would not have permitted ; and, 
 upon the whole, it v/as undoubtedly proper that 
 a man of more advanced life fliould be appoint- 
 ed. The perfon elefted by Mr. Coward's truf- 
 tees, and who had been recommended by Dr. 
 Doddridge in his will, was the Rev. Mr. (after- 
 wards Dr.) Caleb Afliworth, ofDaventry, to 
 which place the academy was removed in the 
 autumn of 1752. Dr. A(h worth diicharged the 
 duties of the truft with great fidelity and dili- 
 gence, and with an ability that increafcd as he 
 proceeded in his employment. Mr. Clark con- 
 tinued as his affiflant for feveral years, and, in 
 fo doing, contributed, in no fmall degree, to the 
 lafefulncfs and fuccefs of the inftitution. Whilft 
 he was at Daventry he preached and publiflied a 
 fermon on occafion of the earthquake at Liibon. 
 He afterv/ards fettled at the Old Meeting at Bir- 
 mingham, where he was highly and juftly re- 
 fpedled and efteemed, not only by his own con- 
 gregation, but by all who knew him. On Sun- 
 day the third of December, 1769, he was un- 
 happily killed, in the prime of his days, by a 
 fall from his horfe, as he was fetting out ta 
 preach in the neighbourhood. The funeral dif- 
 courfe for him was delivered and printed by his 
 friend Dr. Afliworth, under the title of "" The, 
 *' Regards a Chrlftian Congregation owe to their 
 ** deceafed Minifters, reprefentcd and urged." 
 
 Of the writings of Dr. Doddridge, which 
 were publiflied in his life-time, we have already 
 taken notice. With regard to his grand work, 
 the Family Expofuor, three volumes were ftill 
 
 to 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, i-jt 
 
 to make their appearance. Happily he had fin- 
 ifhed the whole of the copy, in fhort hand, a 
 few flight notes towards the conclufion ex- 
 cepted, and the larger part had been tran- 
 fcribed for the prefs. This was the cafe with 
 all the fourth volume, the preface to which 
 had been written by our author. In 1754 
 that volume was publiflied, containing St. 
 PauFs Epiftle to the Romans, -and his firft 
 and fecond Epiflles to the Corinthians. *^ As 
 '' far as I know mylelf," fiys the Doflor, " I 
 ** have no favourite hypothefis to ferve, nor a 
 ** fondnefs for any unlcriptural phrafes ; in 
 *' which fo many have, on one fide, and the other, 
 *' made the very being of orthodoxy to confift. 
 *' I have been difpofed to let fcripture carry me 
 ** along with it, wherever it naturally leads, ra- 
 *' ther than refolve it fhould follow me. In- 
 *' ftead of labouring to eftabliih any human fyf- 
 ** tem, which has always, I fear, a leaven 
 ** of imperfection attending it ^ I have endea- 
 '* voured to keep controverfy as much out of 
 *' fight as poflibie, and to reprefent what I veri- 
 ** ly believe to be the Scripture doftrine, in as 
 ♦' fimple a manner as I could, and diverted of 
 ** thofe particular expreflions, which fome, who 
 ** perhaps are not averfe to the main doftrine il- 
 ** felf, are ready to rife up againfl:.'' One rule 
 of interpretation laid down by Dr. Doddridge 
 was, when the text and context will bear two 
 meanings, to prefer that Vv^hich gives the noblefl 
 and moft extenfive fenfe, and might make the 
 paffage in queftion mod univerfally ufeful. Plau- 
 iible, however, as this rule may appear, there is 
 
 diiinger, 
 
272 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 danger, unlefs it be excrcifed with peculiar judg- 
 ment, of its being occafionally produdive of er-- 
 ror. In fa6l, the bufinefs of a commentator on 
 fcripture is to find out the fmgle original figni- 
 fication of the language ufed by the facred wri- 
 ters, and not to indulge his imagination in giv- 
 ing a fcope to words beyond what was at firft 
 fpecifically intended. 
 
 In the beginning of the year 1755, Mr, Or- 
 ton publiihed a Colledlion of Dr. Doddridge's 
 hymns. Few of the Dodlor's works have been 
 more generally acceptable, the fixth edition of 
 them having appeared in 1788. Indeed, they 
 are, upon the whole, well calculated to anfwer 
 the purpofes of chrlftian devotion ; and, being 
 all of them founded upon particular texts of 
 fcripture, cannot fail of being ufeful to minifters 
 who preach on the fame texts. With refped: to 
 poetical merit, if they cannot be placed in a high 
 rank, they have enough of it for the immediate 
 view which they were intended to anfwer. As 
 the author had not fo good an ear as Dr. Watts, 
 his numbers are not equally flowing and harmo- 
 nious. It may be mentioned to his praife, that 
 he has not indulged to the extravagancies which 
 Dr. Watts has fallen into, efpecially in the firfl 
 book of his hymns. I obferve with pleafure, 
 that Dr. Doddridge has not taken a fingle fub- 
 jed from the Canticles. 
 
 The tvv'o remaining volumes of the Family 
 Expofitor, being the fifth and fixth, were pub- 
 liihed by Mr. Orton in 1756. From the edi- 
 tor's advertifement it appears, that Dr. Dod- 
 dridge had himfelf t:ranfcribed for the prefs the 
 
 paraphrafcj 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 27 
 
 
 paraphrafc, improvements^ and notes, of the 
 fourth and fifth volumes, and the paraphrafe 
 and improvements of the Epiftle to the He- 
 brews, and the two firft Epiflles of St. John. 
 The notes on thefe three Epiflles, together with 
 the paraphrafe, improvements, and notes, on the 
 remaining Epiflles and the ** Revelation," were 
 carefully tranfcribed either by Mr. Ortcn him- 
 felf, or hy fome of the Doflor's pupils, and the 
 tranfcript was compared feveral tirnes with the 
 fhort-hand copy. An accident which, during 
 the author's life, happened to part of the original 
 manufcript, deferves to be recorded. In June, 
 1750, a fire broke out in his ftudy, occafioned 
 by a v/ax candle's being left on his writing defic, 
 and confiimed many of his papers, and, in parti- 
 cular, part of one volume of the fliort-hand copy 
 of the Family Expofitor. The light of the fire 
 being, hov/ever, providentially difcovered by an 
 oppofite neighbour, who gave an immediate a- 
 larm, it was fpeedily extinguiilied. When the 
 Do(£lor was informed of the accident, he feemed 
 moft anxious about the prefervation of this ma- 
 nufcript ; and when the flames were quenched, 
 it appeared, to his great joy and furprife, that 
 only that part of the volume which had been 
 tranfcribed was deftroyed ; that the tranfcript 
 lay in another place out of danger ; and that all 
 the untranfcribed pages were perfedtly legible^ 
 the edges of them only being finged. '* Being 
 '' an eye-witnefs/' fays Mr. Orron, ^* of the 
 '^ danger and deliverance, I recoi*d this account 
 '*^ of it, — chiefly as it feems to denote a particu- 
 ^^ Lir care of Providence in preferving this work; 
 S ^ ''■ a::d 
 
^74 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge* 
 
 ^^ and a favourable omen that God intends it 
 " for extenfive and lafting ufefulnefs." Thofa 
 who may not carry their refleftions fo far as Mr. 
 Orton has done, will fympathize with Dr. Dod- 
 dridge in the pleafure which he received in hav- 
 ing his manufcript preferved. 
 
 'Of all our author's writmgs, the Family Ex- 
 poiitor is the moft important and valuable. It 
 is the work in which he took the greateft pains, 
 and on which his literary reputation principally 
 depends. Many of his notes difplay a fagacious 
 and judicious fpirit of critic ifm, and the pra6ti- 
 cal refledlions are of general utility. How well 
 the work has been received by the learned and 
 pious world, is apparent from the continued de- 
 mand for it down to the preient time ; nor is its 
 popularity likely to decreafe. It is the feventh 
 edition which is now called for by the public ; 
 not' to mention the feparate impreflions of it that 
 have appeared in Scotland and Ireland, In paiT- 
 ing a juft encomium on the Family Expoiitor, 
 it will not be underftood that there is anv defion 
 of afferting that it is a performance which is to- 
 tally exempt from imperfedions and errors. 
 Such is not the charader of the beft human 
 produ'flions. Diverfities of fentiment will oc- 
 cur with regard to Dr. Doddridge's interpreta- 
 tions of particular paffages, and his criticifms 
 upon them. Perhaps likewife, in fome inftan- 
 ccs, his paraphrafes may be deemed rather too 
 redundant. ' But no obfervations of this kind 
 are inconfiftent with allowing to the work the 
 praife of its contributing, in a high degree, to 
 chriilian inftrudion and improvement. The 
 
 proper 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 2y^^* 
 
 proper inference to be dra;vn from any miftakes 
 into which the mofl faccefsful illucidations of 
 the fcriptares have fallen, is, not to depreciate 
 their general merit, but to avoid placing an un- 
 due confidence on their authority. While we 
 thankfully derive from them the afTiftance they 
 are capable of aifording us in our enquiries into 
 the meaning: of the facred oracles, we lliould 
 freely examine, and impartially judge for our- 
 felves. 
 
 Dr. Doddridge thought it would contribute 
 to the ufefulnefs of his expofition, to digell the 
 hiftory of the four Evangelifts into one continu- 
 ed feries, or, in other words, to throw it into 
 the order of an harmony. If fjch an harmony 
 could be effectually and decifively afcertained, 
 each ftory and difcourfe would be exhibited with 
 all its concurrent circumftances, as recorded by 
 the facred penmen ; frequent repefitions v/ould 
 be prevented^ and a multitude of feeming oppo- 
 litions be fo evidently reconciled as to faperfede 
 many objedtions. Thefe undoubtedly are de- 
 firable objeds, and the attainment of them is 
 worthy of being fought for. We are indebted 
 to the exeirtions of thofe gentlemen who have 
 laboured in this field of theological literature. 
 Where they have not fufficiently fucceeded in 
 the main point, they have, by their refearches, 
 been enabled to throw a new and beautiful light 
 on many pallages of the evangelical hiftorians. 
 That there is no ilnall difliculty in the general 
 fubjedl, is manifeit from the various f/ilems that 
 have been formed upon it by the ableil icholars, 
 and the moft judicious critics. 
 
 S2 One 
 
^7^ Memoirs &? Dr. DoddridgI:. 
 
 One part of Dr. Doddridge's Family Expofi- 
 tor, which muft have coft him uncommon pains, 
 was his having every where interwoven the text 
 with the paraphrafe, and carefully diftinguiflied 
 the former from the latter by the italic charac- 
 ter.* By this method it is impoffible to read the 
 paraphrafe without the text ; and every one may 
 immediately fee, not only the particular claufe 
 to which any explication anfwers, but alfo what 
 are the words of the original, and what merely 
 the fenfe of the commentator. Nor was our 
 author content with barely inferring the old 
 tranflation, but gave an entire new verfion of the 
 whole Teftament, the merit and ufefulnefs of 
 which will in many refpeds be acknowledged. 
 This tranflation was extrafled from the para- 
 phrafe, and publifl:ied in 1765, in two volumes, 
 i2mo. with fome alterations and improvements 
 bwthe editor; together with an introduQion, and 
 a number of very fliort notes. 
 
 The laft work of Dr. Doddridge which was 
 given to the public, was his *' Courfe of Lec- 
 ^* tures on the principal Subjedls of Pneumatol- 
 *' ogy. Ethics, and Divinity -, with References to 
 *' the moft coniiderable Authors on each 8ub- 
 " jei5t.'* Of the nature and value of thefe lec- 
 tures, which appeared in 1763, in one volume, 
 quarto, I have already fpoken. As another edi- 
 tion may probably foon be demanded, it may not 
 be amifs to fuggeil, that it would be extremely 
 ufeful to enlarge the lift of references, by intro- 
 ducing the names and prcdudions of thofe wri- 
 ters who have treated upon the feveral matters in 
 queflion fince the Dodtor's deceafe. To a per- 
 
 fon 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 277 
 
 fon converfant in the hiflory of controverfies this 
 would be no very difficult talk ; and it might, 
 in particular, eafily be executed by any gentle-- 
 n-ian who, as a tutor, has made ufe of the lec- 
 tures as a text-book, and who confequently has 
 been in the habit of referring to fucceeding au- 
 thors. 
 
 If Providence had continued Dr. Doddridge's 
 life, he would undoubtedly have endeavoured to 
 extend his ufefulnefs by many other publica- 
 tions. He intended to print a fermon to chil- 
 dren, and fome facramental meditations. A 
 confiderable progrefs had been made by him in 
 a •' DilTertatioii on the Jewifli Profelytes," the 
 defign of which was to defend that opinion con- 
 cerning them, which he mentions in fome of 
 his notes upon the Ads of the Apoftles. An- 
 other w^ork, which he had nearly completed, and 
 in which he difplayed his critical knowledge of 
 the Hebrew language, was a new Tranflation of 
 the minor Prophets. Neither the Differtation 
 on the Jevvifh Pfofelytes, nor the Tranflation 
 of the minor Prophets, were thought to be 
 left in a fuflicient ftate of perfedion to be 
 given to the world.* The lofs with regard to 
 the lafl: of thefe objects is the lefs to be regret- 
 ed, as the buiinefs hath lince been executed with 
 fo much judgment and learning by the excellent 
 Bifliop Newcome. 
 
 Upon Dr. Doddridge's works in general it 
 would be eafy to produce a variety of encomi- 
 ums. The applaufes he received were nume- 
 rous ; and what added to their value was, that 
 they came from men by whom it was zn lionour 
 S 3 to. 
 
 * OrtcPy ubi fupra, p. 107, xij.. 
 
278 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 to be applauded. Nor was it by the learned 
 among the difienters only that his abilities and 
 writings were held in high eftimation, but by 
 many illuftrious ornaments of the church of Eng- 
 land. This is abundantly apparent from the 
 colle£lion of letters lately publi(hed. There 
 will be found, together with the praifes of a 
 Barker, a Miles, a Neal, a Leland, and a Lard- 
 ner, thofe of a Coftard, a Warburton, an Oli- 
 ver, a Newton, a Seeker, an Ayfcough, a Grey, 
 a Hunt, a Gilbert Weft, a Maddox, a Sherlock, 
 a Hildefley, a Duchefs of Somerfet, and a Lord 
 Lyttelton. "I have read," fays Bifliop Seeker, 
 ^^ your woks with" great fatisfaction, and, I hope, 
 *^ fome benefit ; and both rejoice and w^onderthat, 
 *^ in the midft of your other occupations, you 
 <* continue able, as I pray God you long may, 
 ^' to oblige your fellow chriftiaris fo often and 
 ** fo highly from the prefs. Indeed it muft and 
 *' ought to be owned in general, that the dif- 
 *' fenters have done excellently of late years in 
 ** the fervice of chriftianity ; and I hope our 
 *' common welfare w^ill make us chiefly atten- 
 *^ tive to our common intereft, and unite us in 
 ** a clofer alliance." By the way, the Bifliop, 
 in the fame letter, has gently and properly re- 
 buked Dr. Doddridge for the extravagantly com- 
 plimental ftrain of his epiftles. '' I return you 
 ** many thanks for your favourable opinion both 
 ** of my fcrmon and its author, though expref- 
 ^' fed in a manner which you would have for- 
 *^ born, if you had known me better. Plain 
 *' men (liould be treated in a plain way : and 
 ^' nobody (hould have things fiid to him which 
 
 '' he 
 
Memoirs^of Dr. Doddridge, 279 
 
 ^' he doth not defcrve ; and ought not to hear 
 " if he did. Let .us all endeavour to do what 
 ^' good we can ; and give thofe who feem Xo en- 
 *^ deavour it faithfully, the comfort of knowing 
 *^ w^e think they do ; but never tempt one an- 
 " other to forget we are unprofitable fervants."* 
 The reception which Dr. Doddridge's wTit- 
 ings met with abroad deferves to be fpccifically 
 noticed. It appears that the moft confiderable 
 of them have been tranflated into foreign lan- 
 guages. His Sermons on Regeneration, Salva- 
 tion by Grace, on the Power and Grace of Chrift, 
 and his Letter on Family Prayer, have been pub- 
 lifhed in the Dutch tongue. The Memoirs of 
 Colonel Gardiner have appeared in the Dutch, 
 French, and Germ?-n languages; and the Rife and 
 Progrefs of Pvcligion in the fame languages, to 
 which may be added the Danifh. It is obferv- 
 able, that the tranflation of the laft v/ork into 
 French was undertaken by the particular en- 
 couragement of the late Prince and Princefs of 
 Orange, and a number of the gentry in Holland. 
 A Proteftant Prince of the empire promifed to 
 recommend it to thofe about him ; and it w^as 
 fubfcribed for by many perfons of quality and 
 rich citizens in Germany and Switzerland. Some 
 learned men undertook to tranilate the former 
 volumes of the Family Expofitor into German ; 
 but the publication of it was oppofed by feveral 
 of the Lutheran clergy, from an apprehenfion 
 that Dr. Doddridge's interpretation of particular 
 paffages, and his reiledions upon them, might 
 not agree v/ith their e/iabliincd principles, or 
 S4 form 
 
 • Letters, ubi fupr^, p. 2;S. 
 
2So Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 form of church government. To remove their 
 terrors, the perfons concerned in the tranflation 
 firft publiflied the Sermons on Regeneration in 
 that language ; the candour and moderation of 
 which had fuch an efFed: in quieting the oppoii- 
 tion, that the other work Vv^as completed."* 
 
 Such was the eftimatlon in which Dr. Dod- 
 dridge's writings have been held, and continue 
 to be held, both at home and abroad. It does 
 not, however, hence follovv', that his moft fin- 
 cere admirers will think themfelves obliged to 
 concur with him in every fentiment and every 
 expreffion. Many judicious perfons have wilh- 
 ed that his devotional treatifes had been more 
 accommodated to univerfal ufe, by a lefs Calvin- 
 iftical turn of opinion and language. " I reck- 
 *^ on it one unbappinefs," fays Mr, Jones of 
 Welwyn, '' of this excellent maa (my much 
 ^' refpefted friend) that, having early imbibed 
 ^' the notions of fome particular fyftems, he 
 ^* could not diflodge them out of his mind in his 
 *' age of riper judgment. This hath been ob- 
 '* ferved hy others.'* Mr. Jones adds, that the 
 Doctor's parts were uncommon, his learning 
 great, his moderation equally fo, and his life and 
 condud truly chriflian.-f Upon the whole, 
 whatever diverfity of judgment may be formed 
 on different points, the grand end which Dr. 
 Doddridge had in view, and the generally ufeful 
 tendency of his works, cannot be denied. In 
 e/ery thing which he wrote, his aim was to pro- 
 mote the great purpofes of practical religion. 
 
 The 
 
 * Of ton, ubi fupra, p. 123—124. 
 
 f Gentleman's M3ga2:ne, vol. liii. p 103. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 281 
 
 The narrative Vvhich has now been given of 
 Dr. Doddridge's life, has difplayed the princiT 
 pal circumftances that ilUiftrate his temper and 
 conduct. Neverthelefs, I cannot difoiifs the 
 fabjecft without entering into a general view of 
 his character. This I am induced to do, partly 
 as it will afford me an opportunity of mention- 
 ing fome things not hitherto noiiced, and partly 
 becaufe I have the fehcity, in the prefent cafe, 
 of writing from an intimate perfonal knowledge ; 
 which is a fatisfaction that has not frequently 
 occurred in the numerous lives I have had oc- 
 cafion to lay before the public. The view 
 which I fliall take of oar author will be of his 
 intelleflual, and of his religious and moral qual- 
 ities. 
 
 I do not knov7 that genius can be afcribed to 
 Dr. Doddridge, taking that word in its higheft 
 fignification, as employing either a great inven- 
 tive faculty in fcience, or that boldnefs of ima- 
 <?ination which is produ(5i:ive of ori2:inal imagerv 
 and combinations. In a lower and more popu- 
 lar fenfe of the term, he might be faid to have 
 been a man of genius ; for he had a quick con- 
 ception and a lively fancy. He had a com pre- 
 henfion of mind that enabled him to proceed 
 with celerity and vigour in the acquihtion of 
 knowledge ; and that adivity of his mental 
 frame, w^hich put it into his power to learn 
 much in a little time, was happily accompanied 
 with an invincible refoiution and pcrfcvcrancc 
 in the profecution of his flndies. In confe- 
 quence of hi? uncommon application, ]^:e nnght 
 even with moderate abilities have laid \vp a large 
 
 itock 
 
zSz Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 ftock of various learning ; and therefore it is not 
 furprifmg that this fl-iould be the cafe with him, 
 when it is conlldered that he was endued vAxh a 
 quicknefs of apprehenfion, and a remarkable 
 ftrength of memory- So extenfivc w^as his ac- 
 quaintance with books, that there were few on 
 the general fubjeds of literature which he had 
 not perufed with attention ; and he could retain 
 and eafily recolledl what in them was moil wor- 
 thy to be remembered. Of ancient knowledge 
 he had a confiderable ftore. With re^rard to the 
 leai-ned languages, if he could not be called a 
 profound linguifl, he v/as fufficiently verfed in 
 them to read the mofl valuable pieces of antiqui- 
 ty with tafte and pleafure. This is apparent 
 from his paraphrafe and notes on the New Tefta- 
 rnent, in which he has frequently illufhrated the 
 force and beauty of the originals with great judg- 
 ment, and in the true fpirit of criticifm.* 
 
 Dr. Doddridge was well acquainted with the 
 Greek philofophcrs and orators, among the laft 
 of whom he was particularly devoted to De- 
 mofthenes. To the poets of Greece he was far 
 from being a ftranger; but he was not, I think, 
 deeply converfant v/ith its tragedians. I remem- 
 ber, while I refided with him, his having read 
 Pindar with much admiration. With the Latin 
 clafiics he was largely acquainted. As became 
 a divine and a theological tutor, he diligently 
 fludied the ancient fathers, efpecially of the three 
 firft centuries. He paid particular regard to the 
 apologifls for chriflianity, and was a great maft;er 
 of Origen and Eufebius. Beyond the fourth 
 
 century 
 
 ♦ Oiton, ubl fnpr?, p. 105—10;'. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 283 
 
 century his knowledge of this fpecics of litera- 
 ture did not, I believe, widely extend, though it 
 did not wholly flop there. With eccleiiartical 
 hiftory he Iiad a large acquaintance, and civil 
 hiftory engaged no fmall degree of, his attention. 
 To this he applied not only to enrich his memo- 
 ry with fa6ls, but to make fuch reflections upon 
 them, a^ tended either to promote his infight 
 into human nature, to exemplify the interpoii- 
 tions of Providence, or to explain and illuftrate 
 the facred writings. 
 
 Though Dr. Doddridge's difpofition rather led 
 him to cultivate the more polite than the ab~ 
 ftrufer parts of fcience, he was far from being a 
 ilranger to mathematical and philofophical ftu- 
 dies. The fyflem of Algebra which he read to 
 his pupils was of his own compofition. But the 
 favourite object of his application, and that in 
 which his principal excellency lay, w^as divinity, 
 taking that w^ord in its largeft icniQ, Whatever 
 could tend to ftrengthen the proofs of natural or 
 revealed religion, to afiift our conceptions of the 
 divine Nature, or enable us more perfectly to un- 
 derfland the dodtrines and difcoveries of fcripture, 
 he thous:ht defervin^ of the moft attentive re- 
 gard. To the evidences of the jev^ifh and chrif- 
 tian revelation he had paid uncommon attention, 
 and how complete a mafter he v/as of the fubjedt 
 is apparent from his ledures. Perhaps there 
 were few men who had more carefully ftudied 
 the different fyftems of theology, or who could 
 point out their feveral defeds uith greater accu- 
 racy and judgment. While he was not one of 
 thofe w^ho alfqcl to treat with contempt the k- 
 
 bc urs 
 
284 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 hours of the wife and the learned who have gone 
 before them, but was always ready to receive 
 whatever light they could afford him, neverthe- 
 lefs, without a ilaviih regard to human fchemes, 
 he took the facred oracles for his guide, and al- 
 ways referred to thenx for the proofs of the doc- 
 trinal fentiments which he maintained. Upon 
 the whole, I entirely agree with Mr. Orton, 
 that, though others might exceed him in their 
 acquaintance with antiquity, or their fkill in the 
 languages, he was furpaffed by few in the extent 
 of his learning, and in the variety of ufeful and, 
 important knowledge of which he was poffelfed.* 
 With thefe flores of information, it was a 
 great advantage to Dr. Doddridge that he had 
 an uncommon facihty of fpeaking and of writ- 
 ing. He ufed to defcant, in his leflures, on 
 the fubjedts treated of, with farpriiing perfpi- 
 cuity and freedom ; and the fam.e perfpicuity 
 and freedom attended him when he took the 
 pen in hand. This was owing to the orderly 
 difpofition in which things lay in his mind. 
 As his own ideas on the points he had ftudied, 
 were clear and diftincl, fo his method of ar- 
 ranging his thoughts was uncommonly juft and 
 natural. There are, perhaps, few difcourfes in 
 our language which excel thcfe which were 
 ufually delivered by our author, either in the ac- 
 curacy of the divifons, or the adaptation of the 
 fentiments to the fabjedl difcuffed. According 
 to tlie faO~iion that now prevails, he may poffibly 
 be thought to have fometimes laid down and 
 recapitulated his fcheme in too formal a manner. 
 
 But 
 
 * Ibid p 1C7 — 1 10. 
 
MexMgirs of Dr. Doddridge. 285 
 
 But if he rather exceeded in this refpeft, his er- 
 ror had the advantage of aiTifting the niemory, 
 and contributing to the inftrutlioa of his hearers 
 and readers. 
 
 Though Dr. Doddridge's invincible perfevcr- 
 ?.nc^ in fl:udy has already been mentioned, I 
 am deiirous of enlarging a little farther upon it. 
 Literary diligence is a matter which I have al- 
 ways earneflly wilhed to prefs on every young 
 man of liberal education with whom I have had 
 acquaintance. When accompanied with original 
 genius, it is the parent of all that is great and 
 vaUiable in fcience ; and where there is not much 
 of original genius, provided there be a tolerable 
 capacity, it is endued with the power of pro- 
 ducing valuable attainments, and of rendering 
 eminent fervices to the learned world. Of this 
 diUgence Dr. Doddridge was a ftriking example. 
 The fmalleft portions of time were precious to 
 him ; and he was eager to ieize every moment, 
 even while he was waiting for dinner, company, or 
 his pupils affembling together, that he m-ight 
 make fome advance in any work in w'hich he 
 was engaged. So folicitous was he for continu- 
 al improvement, that one of his frudents gene- 
 rally read to him when he was Slaving and dref- 
 fing. This w^as a benefit to the pupils, as he 
 took occafion to infirudt them, by rem^arking on 
 their manner of reading, and pointing out the 
 excellencies and de.C^ds, either in fentiment or 
 language^ of the book before themi* When he 
 was upon a journey, or on occafional vihts to his 
 friends, where he fpent the night, he took his 
 papers with him., and employed at leai'i part of 
 
 the- 
 
286 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 the morning in carrying-on fome one or other of 
 his important defigns. From the time that he 
 began to write his Family Expofitor, fomething 
 was done every day in it towards preparing it for 
 the prefs. To all this it may be added, that his 
 employments as an author and a tutor, never ob- 
 ilrudted his mod abundant labours as a minifter 
 and a paftor. 
 
 But what places Dr. Doddridge's diligence in 
 a ftill more confpicuoas point of view, is the e?:- 
 tent of his correfpondence. This alone would 
 have been almofl iufficient to have employed the 
 whole time of an ordinary psrfon. Beiides his 
 correfpondence with the parents and guardians 
 of his pupils, he had a number of letters to write, 
 in anfv/er to queftions of m.oment which were 
 propofed tX) him by his brethren, and efpecially 
 by thofe who had fludied under }iim. Thefe lafl: 
 naturally applied to him for advice and direction, 
 under the various difficulties v/hich occurred to 
 them in their refpedtive fituations. Pvlany were 
 the conerei^ations that had recourfe to him for 
 minifiers, or upon other accounts. His judg- 
 ment, likev/ife, was fi'cquently deiired by learned 
 men, concerning critical queflions, or works 
 which they were preparing for the prefs ; and 
 Ins own publications gave occaiion for enquiries 
 of this nature. Several foreign gentlemen and 
 divines, who had heard of his charadler, and pe- 
 rufed his writings, fought his epiflolary acquaint- 
 ance ; and to correfpond with them in Latin or 
 French, was an ohjeCc that demanded particular 
 attention. It is, indeed, furprifmg to find how 
 manv hundred letters were received and anfwer- 
 ed by him, in the fpace of a fingle year.* A 
 
 * Orton, ubi fupra, p. 14.3, 144.. 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Doddridge. 287 
 
 A very honourable part of Dr. Doddridge's 
 corrcfpondence was that which he maintained 
 v/ith fome of the brighteft ornaments, both 
 among the clergy and laity of the eftablifhed 
 church. This is apparent from the Collection 
 of Letters lately publithed. We there fee how 
 much he was efieemcd, and how highly he was 
 thought of, by the firft religious and literary 
 charatfcers of the age. In the collection referred 
 to, the letters of Warburton make a diftinguifli- 
 ed figure, and (hew that great man in a new and 
 very amiable light. They difplay not only his 
 learning, but the piety, benevolence, and good- 
 nefs of his mind. The feverity, or rather the 
 arrogance, with which he treated his literary an- 
 tagonifts muft undoubtedly have afforded too 
 juft caufe for leaving an unfavourable impreiTion 
 of him in the eftimation of the world. But in 
 private life he appears in a far more agreeable 
 point of view. The only time I had ever the 
 honour of being in his company, v;hich was an 
 hour and a half in his own fludy, I found him 
 remarkably condefcending in his oianner, and 
 admirably inftructive and entertaining in his con- 
 vcrfation. 
 
 Dr. Doddridge's corrcfpondence was, I think, 
 in Ibme inftances carried to an extent that might 
 Iiave been fpared ; and it is nov/ certain that his 
 friend Mr. Neal v/as fo far of the fame, opinion, 
 as to give him a gentle rebuke upon thefabjed.* 
 There were people, whofe good intentions were 
 iuperior to their wifdom, and who had very lit- 
 ' tie valuable to communicate, that were proud of 
 
 writing 
 
 Letter?, ubi funrs, p. 395, -ic;!. 
 
sSo PvIexMoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 writing letters to him, and of receiving his an- 
 fwers ; and fuch was the eafinefs of his difpofi- 
 tion, that he Vv'as more profufe in his returns to 
 their kind affedtions, than convenience or even a 
 regard to his health would admit. Sometimes 
 he lightened his burden, by making ufe of the 
 pen of his pupils, to whom he di(flated his letters, 
 while he himfelf went on with his Family Ex- 
 pofitor, or any other work in which he was em- 
 ployed. I v/as not unfrequently either his aman- 
 uenfis on thefe occafions, or read to him while 
 he anfvvered his correfpondents. 
 
 I. am next to take a furvey of Dr. Doddridge 
 in his religious and moral character. And here 
 the prime and leading feature of his foul was 
 that of devotion. This was the pervading prin- 
 ciple of his adions, wTiCther private or public. 
 What Dr. Johnibn has obferved with regard to 
 Dr. Watts, that as piety predominated in his 
 mind, it was dif/ufed over his v/orks ; and that 
 whatever he took in hand was, by his inceflant 
 fcficitudc for fouls, converted to theology,* may 
 with equal propriety be applied to Dr. Doddridge. 
 The grcateil pains v/ere taken by him to keep 
 up an habituvd fenfe of the Supreme Being ; to 
 maintain and increafe the ardour of religion in 
 liis heart ; and to furniui himfelf, by devout ex- 
 erciies, for the important labours of his ftation. 
 Nor v/as it to his fccret retirements that his pie- 
 ty wai'i limited : it was manifefled in every part 
 of the day, and appeared in his ufual intercourfe 
 with men. In the little vacancies of time which 
 occur to the bufieil of mankind, he was fre- 
 quently 
 
 • Jchrif:^irt Lives of '.he PoetSjVo!. iv- p. iSo, 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 289 
 
 iq»iently lifting up his foul to God. When he 
 le(5tured on philofophy, hiftory, anatomy, or 
 other fubjeds not immediately theological, he 
 would endeavour to graft fome religious inftruc- 
 tions upon them, that he might raife the minds 
 of his pupils to devotion, as well as to know- 
 ledge ; and in his vifits to his people the chrif- 
 tian friend and minifter were united."* 
 
 Dr. Doddridge entertained a high idea of the 
 eflicacy of prayer. -j- It is a point upon which I 
 would fpeak with great humility and deference ; 
 but I cannot avoid thinking that, in this refpeQj, 
 he carried his fentim.ents fomewhat farther than 
 reafon and truth will warrant. Of the import- 
 ance of prayer, as a natural and juft tribute to 
 the Deityj as an admirable method of cherifliing 
 the virtues of the religious life, and as conne6t^ 
 ed with the divine approbation and favour, no 
 one, I trull, can be riiore truly fenfible than my- 
 felf. My views of the matter have lately been 
 fo fully difplayed, that they cannot be liable to 
 any mifconftruction,;}: But flill I am obliged to 
 obferve, that Dr. Doddridge did not, in my ap- 
 prehenfion^ fufficiently limit his notions of the 
 efficacy of prayer. He appeared to afcribe to it 
 fach an immediate influence upon the Suprem.e 
 mind, and to expe(fl: from it fuch interpofitions^ 
 as are fcarcely confiflent with the regular order 
 of Providence^ and the ftated courfe of events in 
 the world; If, however, he erred upon this 
 head, he has erred with many wife and good 
 T men 
 
 • Ortdn. ubi fiipra, p. 260, 263. f Ibid. p. 241, 
 
 t Sermons on pra^ical Subjects. Sermon the Seventli; 
 
290 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge, 
 
 men who have gone before him, and by whom 
 he has been fucceeded. Perhaps Dr. Price and 
 Dr. Ogden may be added to the number. 
 
 The piety of Dr. Doddridge was accompanied 
 with the warmed benevolence to his fellow crea- 
 tures. No one could more ftrongly feel that 
 the love of God was to be united with love to 
 man. Nor was this a principle that refted in 
 kind wiflies and pathetic feelings for the happi- 
 nefs of others, but was manifefted in the moft 
 acflive exertions for their welfare. No fcheme 
 of doing good was ever propofed to him into 
 which he did not enter with ardour. This was 
 apparent from many circumftances that might 
 copioully be enlarged upon, did it comport with 
 my prefent purpofe. His Sermon for the bene- 
 fit of the County Hofpital at Northampton has 
 been fpoken of before ; and it may here be add- 
 ed, that he not only contributed generoufly to 
 that hofpital, but fpent much time in ripening 
 the defign. He often refledted, with great fa- 
 tisfatlion, on the pains he had taken to eftablifh 
 this charity, and on the good effedfcs which it 
 had produced, both in relieving many objects of 
 diflrefs, and in promoting a focial and catholic 
 fpirit among perlons of different parties and per- 
 fuafions. It was at his own expenfe that he 
 printed and diftributed his '' Friendly Letter to 
 the Private Soldiers of a Regiment of Foot." 
 During the rebellion of 1745, he was remarka- 
 bly zealous in the caufe of his king and his 
 country, and contributed to the raifing of a regi- 
 ment under the command of the earl of Halifax, 
 by his own liberahty, as Well as by his influence 
 
 over 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 291 
 
 over others. In the cafe of a poor Irifhman, 
 whom he thought to be unjuftly condemned for 
 murder, he exerted himfelf in a very extraordina- 
 ry manner, though without fuccefs. But the 
 gcneroiity of his mind was the mod difplayed 
 when any fchemes for propagating religion, and 
 for fpreading the gofpel among thofe v/ho were 
 ftrangers to it, were propofed. In every thing 
 of this kind he was always ready to take the 
 lead, and was ardent in endeavouring to infpire 
 his friends with the fame fpirit.* 
 
 No one could be more amiable than Dr. Dod- 
 dridge was in his private virtues and manners. 
 It would be needlefs to enlarge on the tendernefs 
 of his afredions as a hufband, a father, and a re- 
 lation : nor is it neceflary to inliit upon his con- 
 duct to his pupils. If he occafionally diftin- 
 guifhed any one of them by his particular fa- 
 vour, this did not hinder his behaving to all of 
 them with the kindnefs of a parent ; and his 
 regard to them was never abated, excepting from 
 their own fault. In the charavfler of a friend he 
 fhone with diftinguifhed luflre. Of friendihip 
 he entertained a fablime idea, and his heart was 
 admirably fitted for difcharging all the offices, 
 and relifhing all the delights, of this endearing 
 connexion. It was the happy lot of his life to 
 be honoured with many valuable and faithful 
 friends ; and how fenfible he w^s of his felicity 
 in this refreil was difplayed in every return of 
 gratitude, efteem, and aifedion,*!' His deport- 
 ment in Qompmy was ftrikingly polite, afiable, 
 and agreeable ; and in converfation he greatly ex- 
 T 2 celled 5 
 
 • Orton, ubi fucrs; p^ 371—181. f I^'<^' P- ^S^* 
 
292 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 celled ; his difcourfe being at once inftrudlve 
 and entertaining, and not unfrequently rifing to 
 the fplendid. 
 
 The candour of Dr. Doddridge*s mind rela- 
 tive to his fentiments of other perfons merits 
 was carried to the higheft pitch, and indeed 
 was fometimes fo excelTive as to lead him to 
 form a far better opinion of feveral of his ac- 
 quaintance than in fa6t they deferved. This 
 fault was gently and pleafantly touched upon by 
 Mr. Barker, in one of his letters. ^* But are 
 
 * you aware,'' fays he, ** what a creature you 
 
 * are ? I love you beyond exprelTion, and admire 
 
 * your abilities, furniture, fpirits, &c. more than 
 ^ you imagine ; and not a man in the world re- 
 ^ joices more in your ufefulnefs than I do ; and 
 ' yet I often make myfelf merry with your cha- 
 ' radter and conduct. You are fo entirely de- 
 ' voted to God, to truth, and holinefs, that it 
 ^ is very eafy to impofe upon you under the ap- 
 ' pearance of any of thefe. And you are fo per- 
 ' feclly made up of civility, candour, and good 
 ' nature, that a pious enthufiaft, or a godly 
 ^ dunce, is welcome to your table, arms, and 
 ' heart. You are fo good yourfelf, that you 
 ' think every body ten times better than they 
 ' are ; fee merit in the darknefs of midnight ; 
 ^ cannot fee faults without a noon-day fun ; 
 ' forgive injuries before they are confeffed ; and 
 ^confer favours as a reward for affronts."* 
 
 With fuch a difpofition of mind, it is not fur- 
 prlfing that Dr. Doddridge ihould frequently 
 be unable to refill: the arts of deception : and 
 
 yet 
 
 * Letters, uhi fupia, p. 159. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 293 
 
 yet this did not proceed from a general ignorance of 
 the world. He was well acquainted with men 
 and with manners, and could often enter into, 
 and difcriminate, with no fmall degree of pene* 
 tration, the charadlers of mankind. But, at the 
 fame time, fo ardent were the feelings of his pi- 
 ety, and fuch was the fuavity of his temper, that 
 he could not eafily perfuade himfelf that any 
 perfons were infincere, who made a profefi'ion of 
 religion and goodnefs. There is a coniiderable 
 difference between a fpeculative and a pra<flical 
 knowledge of the world. A man may pofiefs 
 much of the former, and yet, from a certain 
 flexibility and tendernefs of mind, have little of 
 the latter. In particular inftances, he may have 
 fagacity enough to fufped deceit, while he re- 
 fufes to indulge the fufpicion, left it (hould lead 
 him to err in his judgment, and be a motive for 
 obllruding the exertions of his benevolence. 
 Such was the cafe with Dr. Doddridge, and 
 fuch, al fo, was the cafe with George Lord Lyt- 
 telton. They v/ould both of them rather have 
 chofen to be miftaken, than to have lofl an op- J 
 portunity of contributing to the rehef of real M 
 diftrefs. ■ 
 
 In his fentiments of thofe who differed frora 
 him in religious opinions. Dr. Doddridge exer- 
 cifed great moderation. He never confined truth 
 or goodnefs to one particular f^ft ; and he be- 
 haved with the utmoft candour to the members 
 of the church of England. Oi the eftabliflied 
 religion of his country he alvvays fpoke with 
 refpedt ; and he never made any petulant objec- 
 tions to its w^onliip or difcipline, or uttered 
 T 3 again fl: 
 
294 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 againft it any fevere or unkind refleflionSc Kis 
 correfpondence with vaiious clergymen of the 
 higheft rank and merit has heretotore been no- 
 ticed. It was deeply lamented by him, that a 
 reparation from the eftabhihment was, in his 
 apprehenfion, and that of many oiher good men, 
 rendered fo neceffary ; and he fincerely wiiTied 
 and prayed for a greater union among Proteftants. 
 A hke candid and friendly ipirit he endeavoured 
 to promote among his pupils ; and he did it 
 with fuccefs ; for few of them, I believe, can be 
 mentioned, who have not, in this refpe^l, fol- 
 lowed the inftruftions and imitated the ex-- 
 ampie of their tutor.* With all Dr. Dod- 
 dridge's moderation of temper, he did not in 
 every cafe meet with a fuitable return. Some 
 time after he had fet up his academy at North- 
 ampton, a profecution was commenced againft 
 him in the ecclefiaftical court, by the inftigation 
 of feveral dignitaries of the church. The ftep, 
 however, was totally difapproved of by many 
 other eminent members of the eftablifhment. 
 Neverthelefs, the perfons who had engaged in 
 the bufinefs feemed determined to carry it on 
 with vigour ; and, as the laws then flood, they 
 muft have fucceeded in their defign, had not an 
 application be^n made to King George the Se- 
 cond, who received, from fome gentlem.en of 
 rank and influence, fuch a juft reprefentation of 
 the Do-ftor's loyal, peaceable, and moderate prin- 
 ciples and charafter, as induced his Majefliy to 
 give an exi)refs order fqr putting a flop to the 
 profecution.-f- 
 
 That 
 
 ^ O.ton, ^^h\ fupra, p. i^'^'—iCo, j6i, 164. - 
 t Ibid. p. 203. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 295 
 
 That candour of mind which Dr. Doddridge 
 cxercifed towards the members of the eflablilli- 
 cd church, was cultivated by him with regard 
 to his diiienting brethren, of different denomi- 
 nations. He was fohcitous to be upon friendly 
 terms, as far as poffible, with all of them ; and 
 by the generality of them he was held in high 
 ertimation. If this was not the cafe v^ithout 
 exception, it will not appear furpriling to thofe 
 who refle<5l upon the diverfities of fentiment 
 that are found among the diflenters. There 
 were a few among them who even went fo far 
 as to charge him with infmcerity. The ac- 
 cufation they brought againfl him was, that he 
 ufed fome particular phrafes, in his writings, in 
 a fenfe different from that in which he himfelf 
 underftood them, in order to pleafe a party. A 
 friend having acquainted him with this charge, 
 he anfwered as follows : ** My confcience doth 
 ^' not tell me that I am at all to blame on the 
 *^ head you mention. . I write for the public (as 
 ** I would alfo do in every private correfpond- 
 *^ ence) as in the prefence of God, and in the 
 ** views of his judgment. I would not pur- 
 *' chafe that phantom, popularity, w^hich is oft- 
 *' en owing to the very worfl part of a man's 
 ** charaQier or performances^ by any complian- 
 '* ces beneath the dignity of achriflian minifter ; 
 ^^ an office, of which I think fo Iiighly, as to be 
 ** deeply fenfible how unworthy I am to bear it. 
 '' On the other hand, I do indeed defire to give 
 *' as little offence as 1 honeftly Ccin ; and I have 
 '* high authorities for it : and though I am, and 
 "^ always declare that I am, in my judgment, grcat- 
 
 4 " 5y 
 
b 
 
 296 Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge* 
 
 ^' ly againft the impofition of human phrafes, yet, 
 <^ as feme can hardly be avoided on the one hand or 
 ** the other, I choofe to adopt and ufe fome that are 
 *^ ambiguous, in what I take to be a fair fenfe, 
 '' though not the only fenfe they might bear ; 
 ** and by declaring it, to endeavour to fix a good 
 *' idea to them, rather than abfolutely to declare 
 *^ againft, or even totally to difufe them. Oth- 
 *^ ers, wider by far in their fentiments than I, 
 *' are indulged in this, and even applauded for it : 
 •^^ I have the misfortune (I cannot ufe the word 
 ^' more properly) to be condemned."* Whilfl 
 I have a full conviction of Dr. Doddridsfe's fin- 
 cerity in this matter, I cannot agree with him 
 in opinion. Offenfive expreffions may juftly be 
 avoided ; but furely, ambiguous ones ihould ne- 
 ver defignedly be adopted. The language we 
 ufe, in delivering our viev/s of things, ought to 
 be natural, clear, and capable only of one fignifi- 
 cation. 
 
 The charge I have mentioned againft Dr. 
 Doddridge with regard to his writings, has 
 been extended to his preaching. By fome of 
 his enemies it was afferted, that he was a trim- 
 mer in the pulpit. The fadt, I am fatisfied, 
 was precifely as follows. When he preached 
 in diiFerent places, he fo far accommodated 
 himfelf to the difpofitions of the people before 
 whom he difcourfed, as to avoid giving of- 
 fence. If a congregation confifted of perfons 
 who were of free fentiments in religion, his 
 fermon was entirely of a practical nature. On 
 the other hand, in preaching before a Calvin - 
 
 iftical 
 
 ^f Or ton, ubi Aipra, p< 221. 
 
Memoirs of Dr. Doddridge. 297 
 
 iftical fociety, it v/as cuftomary with him to 
 choole what was called an evangelical fubjeft. 
 In neither cafe did he deliver any thing that was 
 contrary to his lincere opinion. His accufers 
 did not fufiiciently recolledl that he was far more 
 devoted to what were deemed the-^orthodox doc- 
 trines than they were ready to imagine ; and he 
 had an undoubted right to be believed, when he 
 declared, as he has done in the letter before cited. 
 *' On the whole, I know afluredly, that I have 
 *^ not on any occafion belied the real fentiments 
 ** of my heart. "■'''" The perfons who were moft 
 difpofed to find fault with Dr. Doddridge, with 
 refpedl to the point in queftion, were thofe who 
 are entitled the rational diflenters. They could 
 not eafily perfuade themfelves that a man of fuch 
 abilities, and general liberality of mind, could 
 entertain very different opinions from their own ; 
 and they wifhed to have him rank more expli- 
 citly among them. It cannot be denied, that 
 in one or two inflances they had fome reafon to 
 complain of his timidity: but, at the fame time, 
 there were many occafions on which he behav- 
 ed with a very becoming fortitude. Once, I 
 remember, fome narrow-minded people of his 
 congregation gave him no fmall trouble on ac- 
 count of a gentleman, in communion v/ith the 
 church, who was a profefied Arian, and who 
 otherwife departed from the common ftandard 
 of orthodoxy. This gentleman they wifhed 
 either to be excluded from the ordinance of the 
 Lord's Supper, or to have his attendance upon it 
 prevented. But the Doctor declared, that he 
 
 Vvould 
 
 * Ibid. p. 2i2. 
 
2gS Memoirs of Dr, Doddridge. 
 
 would facriiice his place, and even his life, ra- 
 ther than fix any fuch mark of difcouragement 
 upon one, who, whatever his doiftiinal fen ti- 
 ments were, appeared to be a real chrillian. 
 When our author happened to be in company 
 with perfons of rank and fortune, he never fuf- 
 fered the leaft tendency to profanenefs or licen- 
 tioufnefs to pafs unnoticed ; but manifeiled his 
 diilike to them, with the freedom of the divine, 
 accompanied with the politenefs of the gentle- 
 man. A correfpondent having charged him 
 with unfoundnefs in one of his publications, his 
 only anfwer v/as, ^od fcripfi, fcripfi ',\ ** What 
 ** I have written, I have written/' 
 
 How fincerely Dr. Doddridge detefted the 
 want of integrity in charafter, was difplayed in 
 the following fadl. One of his pupils was in 
 the habit of making a jeft of what is called or- 
 thodoxy, and of ridiculing thofe who adhered to 
 it ;" and this he continued to do, up to the time 
 in which he began to preach. Then, to the no 
 fmall furprife of his intimate acquaintance, it 
 w^as rumoured, that in the congregations where 
 he bad officiated in the neighbourhood of North- 
 ampton, he had appeared highly Calviniflical, 
 and indeed much more fo than almoft any other 
 of his fellow-fludents. For obvious reafons he 
 declined ever preaching at Northampton. At 
 length, the affair was brought before the Dodor ; 
 and both parts of the charge having been proved 
 by decifive evidence, the young man was difmif- 
 {qA. Being a perfon of fome fortune, he was not 
 involved by his difgrace in any pecuniary diffi- 
 culties. With 
 
 t Letitrs to 3 young Chrgynvan, p. 103. 
 
Memoies of Dr. Doddridge, 299 
 
 With that impartiality which is the duty of 
 every biographer, I have mentioned, in the courfe 
 of my narrative, the inflances wherein it appear- 
 ed to me that the charadler of Dr. Doddridge 
 v/as fhaded with fome degree of imperfeftion. 
 The fame impartiahty obUges me to add, that, 
 at times, he had too oftentatious a manner of 
 fpeaking concerning the multipUcity of his em- 
 ployments, engagements, and correfpondences ; 
 and that he was fonder of applaufe, from every 
 quarter, than w^as defirable in one who was fo 
 juftly entitled to it, where applaufe was an hon- 
 our, I have often thought that in certain points 
 he had a refemblance of Cicero. He refemblcd 
 him in the love of fame, and in not poiTefiing 
 what may be called the flernnefs of fortitude. 
 He refembled hifn likewife in more eftimablc 
 qualities ; in the copioufnefs, diffufion, and pa- 
 thos of his eloquence ; and in the fenfibilities 
 and tendernefs of his mund, efpecially as difplayed 
 in the lofs of a daughter. 
 
 When all Dr. Doddridge's imperfedlions arc 
 collected together, they will be found to have 
 been very trifling in comparifon with his excel- 
 lencies. One or two more of his virtues I fliall 
 touch upon before I conclude. Few have ex- 
 ceeded him in the exercife of humility, both 
 w^ith relation to God and man. With refpedto 
 God, it was apparent in the deepefl expreflions 
 of concern for the defeds of his improvements 
 and his fervices ; and with regard toman, it was 
 manifefted in his condeicenfion to the meanefl 
 perfons, in his behaviour to his pupils, and in the 
 patience with which he fiibmltted to the words 
 
 of 
 
300 Memoirs ©f Dr. Doddridge. 
 
 of reproof. He was even highly thankful to his 
 friends for pointing out to him what they judg- 
 ed to be amifs in his conduft. The language of 
 humility that was ufed by him, though undoubt- 
 edly fincere, was fometimes carried to an excefs. 
 In a letter to Dr. Wood of Norwich, he thus 
 exprefles himfelf : ** Pity me, and pray for me, 
 ** as you do, in the midft of fo many hurries. 
 '* Oh, my poor, poor attempts of fervice ! They 
 *' fhame me continually. My prayers, my fer- 
 ** mons, my ledures, my books (in hand) my 
 ** letters, all daily fhame me.*'* Nothing can 
 vindicate fuch humiliatino- terms from the charQ:e 
 of affedation but the remembrance that the let- 
 ter was written under a peculiar depreffion of 
 fpirits, united with that flrong fenfe which iDr. 
 Doddridge always entertained of the ardour, zeal, 
 and diligence, with which the duties of life 
 ought to be performed. 
 
 Among the Dodor's other excellencies, I 
 might infift upon the refignation, ferenity, and 
 cheerful nefs, with which he fubmitted to the, 
 diftrefles of the prefent ftate. One of his afflic- 
 tions, and it was an afflidion that called for the 
 exercife of his meeknefs and patience, was the 
 unkind treatment which he fometimes met with 
 from thofe who owed to him a far different kind 
 of behaviour. Few m-en lefs deferved to be evil 
 fpoken of; but to pafs through the world with- 
 out reproach is not the lot of the pureft virtue. 
 Some of his pupils were angry with him, and 
 let themfelves to mifreprefent his character, be- 
 caufe he would not recommend them to places 
 
 thev 
 
 * X cttcr* to and from Dr. Doddr!Jg«, p. 307. 
 
Memoirs of Dr, Doddridge. 30X 
 
 they wifhed for, but for which he confcientioufly 
 judged them to be unqualified. His kind be- 
 haviour to them in other refpeds did not com- 
 penfate, in their eftimation, for the wound he 
 had given to their felf-opinion.^ This is a 
 difficulty which has been experienced by others, 
 who, from their fituations among the diflen- 
 ters, a:e fuppofed to have any influence in 
 recommending to vacant congregations. Dr. 
 Doddridge was even afperfed in the cafe of a 
 guardianfhip, w^here he had adled with the ut- 
 moft probity, friendfhip, and benevolence. -[- 
 Whatever was the ill ufuage to which he was 
 expofed, he fuftained it with mildnefs, and was 
 always ready to manifeft a forgiving temper. 
 Nothing could be farther from his charadler thaa 
 a refentful difpofition. 
 
 Upon the whole, Dr. Doddridge was not on- 
 ly a great man, but one of the moft excellent 
 and ufeful chriftians, and chriftian miniflers, 
 that ever exifted. The imprefiion of his nu- 
 merous and amiable virtues will not be effaced 
 from my mind fo long as it retains any fenfe of 
 feeling or reflection. So far v/ili be the impreflioa 
 from being loft upon me, that I ihall always 
 cherifh it with the utmoft ardour ; and I efleem 
 it as no fmall felicity of my life, that T have been 
 prefer ved to give this teftimony of duty, grati- 
 tude, and affedion, to the memory of my bene- 
 factor, my tutor, my friend, and my father. 
 
 • Orton, ubi fupra, p. 219 f Ibid.p 232, 
 
Septtmber i, 1793. 
 mis DAT PUBLISHED, 
 
 BY DAVID WEST, 
 
 In a handibme O^Uvo Volume, (Price One Dollar and a Half,) 
 
 Neatly bound and lettered, 
 THE 
 
 ANALOGY 
 RELIGION, 
 
 Natural and Revealed, 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 CONSTITUTION and COURSE of NATURE. 
 
 TO WHICH ARE ADDED, 
 
 TWO BRIEF DISSEP-TATIONS t 
 
 I. On Pcrlonal Identity. II. On the Nature of Vircue. 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 A CHARGE 
 
 Delivered to the Clergy of the Diocefe of Durham, at the Primarj 
 V^ilHatiop, 'u\ the Year MDCCLI. 
 
 BY JOSEPH BUTLER, ll. d. 
 
 late lord bishop of DURHAM. 
 
 T.jus (Analogize) hicc ^is efiy ut id quod dubiu:r. eji^ ad aUquil /imils de 
 
 quo non quarituty rejera: ; at ifuerla cert is probe f. 
 
 QIIIST. INST. ORAT. L. I. C. 6, 
 
 A N E V/ EDITION, CORRECTED. 
 
 WITH A 
 
 PREFACE, 
 
 Giving fome ACCOUNT of the Char actf.r. and Writxxgs of the 
 
 BY SAMUEL, LORD bishop' of GLOUCESTER, 
 
 Jri a hanJfo7ne Duodecimo Folume, Price One Dollar, 
 
 I iM P R O V E i\I E N T 
 
 O F T H E 
 
 MI N D. 
 
 S U P P L V M E N T 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 ART OF LOGIC: 
 
 CONTAINING A VARIETY OF 
 
 R E M ARKS AND RULE 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 Attainment and Communication of ufeful Knov/- 
 Jedge in Religion, in the Sciences, and irtcoiTi- 
 mon Life. ^. - 
 
 COMPLETE IN TWO PARTS. 
 
 BYlSAACWATTS, i:^. 
 
The foilo-jjing BOOKS, lately puHiJbcd fof 
 
 DAVID WEST, 
 
 urefor Sale at his Book and Stationary Store, No. 1,6 ^ 
 Marlborough Street, Boston, viz, 
 
 (In one Volume 12 mo. Price 5/) 
 
 CKETCHES from NATURE ; taken, and 
 
 *^ coloured, in a Journey to Margate. Publtfhed from the Original 
 Defiuns. By George K^ate, El'q. Adorned with a handlbme Frontii- 
 j>itce. 
 
 (In one Volume 06lavo,— -loyS.) 
 
 ZELUCO : Various Views of Men and Man- 
 ners. By John Moore, M. D. 
 (Fn two handfonie Volumes Oflavo, — 21/) 
 
 A View of Society and Manners in France^ 
 
 Switzerland, Germany and It.dy j with Anecdotes relative to feme emi- 
 nent Characters. By the lame. 
 
 (In one Volume limo. — 6/.) 
 
 A Tour through Sicily and Malta, in a Series of 
 
 Letters, lly P. Brydone. 
 (tn one Volume limo. — 6s.) 
 
 The Life of Bar on Frederic 'Trench, containing 
 
 I)is Adventures, his cruel and exceflive Sufferings, during ten Years Im- 
 priConment in the Fortrefs of Maodehurg, by command of the late King 
 of PrufTia. Alfo, Anecdotes Hiftorical, Political and Perfonal. 
 
 (In two Volumes iimo.' — os.) 
 
 POEMS. By Wilhain Cowper, of the Inner- 
 
 Temple j including the TASK, in fix Bocks — The Poems or Tafk may 
 be had feparate, — ^fb each. 
 
 (In one Volm-np^ xzmo'.—^f.) 
 
 LETTERS from the Dead to the Living. 
 
 By Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe, 
 Alfo may be had as above, the following Books, lately ptiblifhed, 
 
 Adams*s Viev/ of Religion — Jenyn's View of 
 
 the Infernal Evidence of Chrif^ian Religion.— Pike's Abridgment of 
 Arithmeiic. — B^aii's Lectures abridged. — Farmer's Friend ; or, Kiftory 
 of Charles Worthy.^— Harris's Natural Hif^ory of ihe Bible — Seraphical 
 Young Shepherd. — GoidCinith's Ellays and Pcems. — Julia dc Roubigne.-—* 
 Beauties of Poetry, Fnglifh and American, — Bennett's Letters to a young 
 Lady. — Boyle's Voyages — Compk-te Letter V/riter. — Dana's Seleflion. — 
 Death of Cain and Abel. — Foreflers ; an American Tale. — Miftory of 
 America.— Knox's Edays.— Blarr's Sermons, 
 
 ^*^ A general Supply of the moft approved American y 
 
 En^Upjy IriP) and Scotch T uh\ica\ions ore regular h' rece't'ved and for fale 
 nt the abo've Store ; ^jchere facial or fri-oate Libraries ivitl be jurnijljed on 
 ^s renfonable Terms as at any other Bookfore on ihe Continent. 
 W}tb a large Affortmmt of Stationarj, School Booh<y ^c. 
 
; 
 
I 
 
 Date Due 
 
 kid \ 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 _» O "^ 
 
 r 
 
 
 
 fi 24 ^4 
 
 F: 
 
 
 
 D R -^)ct 
 
 
 
 
 SJjT 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 f) 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
J 
 
^?p. 
 
 
 • ^..^ ,