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66 DEAR SIR,

"Chapel Street, August 29, 1798.

"I OUGHT to have answered your last sooner: but at this season of the year I am seldom capable of so much application as at other times, and am therefore very ready to shift off any thing that can be postponed.

"As I have not heard any more from you, I hope the Lord has so ordered matters that it will not be necessary for you to go abroad, which in your present circumstances seems undesirable: yet we are very incompetent judges in such matters. Who could previously have thought that St. Paul's tedious imprisonment would have been for the furtherance of the gospel? Should you, therefore, after all your reluctance, be unable to decline the service with propriety, I trust it will be overruled for the glory of God, and for your own good, and future usefulness; and what is our cross does not often prove our snare. The acquisition of the French language may be a very important advantage, in a variety of circumstances. I have an idea that it

is not at all improbable, that France itself, may, within a course of years, be one of the best fields for missionaries. But I will not enlarge at present on that.

"Your account of the manner in which the Lord has hitherto led you is highly satisfactory and also your views of the importance of retirement, and of much personal secret religion; to which an over eagerness in studying even religious books, an indulged delight in pious company and converse, and a disproportionate frequency in attending on public or social worship, may often prove great hindrances. When the mind is upon the whole properly disposed, we are seldom hindered in the first instance by gross evils, at which we revolt: but various things, not evil in themselves, nay, perhaps good in their place, become the little foxes that spoil the vines,* and prevent fruitfulness, as well as make way for the enemy to suggest further temptations, We are naturally most indisposed to what is most spiritual: secret communion with God is of all duties most spiritual: we therefore find it peculiarly difficult to keep our hearts thoroughly close to it; and the enemy will use every method of rendering us formal and remiss in it. But you are forewarned, and I trust will be forearmed.-Depend upon it, every thing will prosper in

*Sol. Song, ii. 15.

the event in a very near proportion to our earnestness and perseverance in prayer: but negligence here will be followed by a declension, perhaps almost unperceived, in all other respects; and will make way for temptations, falls, corrections, darkness, and inward distresses. If, like Jacob, we wrestle with God and prevail, we shall eventually prevail in all our other conflicts.

"I do not in the least wonder at what you mention concerning your desire for the ministry, and I think it very probable that the Lord intends in due time thus to employ you. It appears, however, to me, that you should endeavor rather to repress and moderate the desire, than to indulge it at present; at least to aim and pray for a willingness to wait the Lord's time, and to submit to his will as to the event. I should not consider it as any deduction from the prospect of future usefulness, should you meet with various disappointments and delays, and repeatedly seem to have the door shut against you; so as to induce you to leave it calmly in the Lord's hands to determine whether he sees good to employ you or not. I lay a great stress on the Apostle's rule, Not a novice, or new convert; and deem some time spent in gaining self-acquaintance, knowledge of the human heart, and experience both of what is within and what is around us, with other qualifications and endowments for so arduous and important a work, much better than a premature entrance upon it; and, if the Lord have work for us to do, we shall certainly be preserved to do it. I think, however, that it is very right to have an eye to the service continually, and to be aiming to acquire that kind of knowledge which may be peculiarly suited to the character of a minister, as well as that which is profitable to a Christian. And here I should advise you to recede, though with caution, from your strict rule of reading nothing but on religious subjects. I did this for a considerable time but I think I should have been qualified for various services, for which I am now incompetent, had I set apart a portion of my time, not too large, for acquiring general knowledge. It appears to me that theology is best learned from the scriptures and a few select books; that one often reads very pious works without much enlarging one's fund of knowledge, though they produce a good effect on the heart; that a minister should be continually, if possible, increasing his knowledge, while he watches carefully his heart; and that any sensible book, if read so as to be con

tinually compared with the scriptures, will increase useful knowledge, namely, that of human nature, of the state of the world, the delusions which prevail, the most plausible objections to our doctrines, the weak side of our way of stating them, and a thousand other things which a well informed scribe in the law of God knows how to make good use of. I call this reconnoitring; which is necessary to the commander, though not to the common soldiers. Perhaps a little reading of this kind, such as history, biography, systems of morals, &c. might eventually favour your grand design. I am not aware, of the line in which you have thoughts of obtaining admission. I think I have heard that there are great difficulties in this respect in the established church of Scotland: is it easier among the seceders? or have you any other plan? I throw out these hints, being ready to give my opinion on any thing you may think it worth while to propose to me, as I feel considerably interested in your concerns.

"Your present employment in respect of the Sunday schools seems to promise considerable usefulness, and may prove a step to something further. I should consider it of some importance to proceed with it decidedly, yet giving as little offence as possible, without deviating from your grand purpose. I can give no decided opinion on the method by which your teachers proceed. As far as the children are concerned, it is certainly right to endeavour, by suitable explanations and illustrations, to make the truths inculcated clear and intelligible, and to apply them to their hearts and consciences; yet I easily conceive how, by admitting the presence of other persons, you may fall under the charge of lay-preaching; and whether some method might not be devised of attaining the object, without exposing yourselves to the censure, or at least to a plausible charge of irregu larity, may be worth considering.......

"I could say something on Sunday schools, had I room. I do not approve of teaching more in them than reading; and I should be rejoiced to have them under the care of pious persons: but if you knew how many thousands of children in England are by them taught to read the Bible, and accustomed to go to a place of worship, when otherwise they would have been learning, practising, and teaching all manner of wickedness, you would think this little

*That is, not of writing, &c.

help something, and something important. With best wishes

and prayers,

"I remain, dear sir,

"DEAR SIR,

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"Your affectionate and faithful friend,

"THOMAS SCOTT."

"Chapel Street, November 10, 1798.

"I THINK your views in respect of your grand design. are very proper; and, in thus waiting on the Lord, he will no doubt direct you in due time to the best measures, and to that determination which will be most for his glory and your real good.-When I proposed the question concerning the body of Christians among whom you meant to seek admission into the ministry, I was not fully aware of the import of my own inquiry; for I find the difficulties are in most cases greater than I supposed. I could, as far as I can see, if it were fairly in my line, communicate with your seceders, as a layman, but I am sure I could not conscientiously enter into the engagements required of those whom they ordain. I believe all parties were wrong in many things, last century; and it seems absurd to make an unqualified approbation of any party, so long since, the sine qua non of ministering in the gospel of Christ at present; when the most able, studious, and pious men can scarcely make up their own minds on so complicated a business; and most men are absolutely incompetent, through want of adequate information, to form any judgment about it......

"I do not think either great strength of body, or singular talents of mind, are at all essential to the work of the ministry. As to the former, many of the most useful men that ever lived have seemed to think their ill state of health, leading them to speak as dying men to dying men,' one great means of their usefulness. And, though considerable talents are necessary for some special services, yet God has not generally made much use of them, and they have often been snares, rather than advantages, to the possessors; while men of moderate talents, with humble, simple, zealous minds, have had the greatest success. Besides, we are not competent judges of our own talents: and conscious unworthiness and insufficiency constitute one grand requisite for simplicity of dependence on the Lord in all things.Classical learning, in the present state of things, is necessary for admission into the ministry; and it is proper that some, or even many, ministers should be classical scholars :

but I am of opinion that a good fund of general knowledge, connected with an accurate and enlarged acquaintance with the Bible, and with theology as a science, (all of which may be attained by one who understands his own native language alone,) are far more useful in the pastoral office, in general circumstances, than a moderate acquaintance with languages can be.-In short, I would have two sorts of ministers: one so completely learned as to be able to meet the enemies of Christianity on that ground, and to be above them at their own weapons: the other, pastors of no other pretentions than to be scribes well instructed in the word of God, and the great things of true religion. A smattering of Greek and Latin, or Hebrew, procured by an adult, at a great expense of time, if not of money, that might be better employed, is seldom of much use; and frequently only renders the possessor conceited and dogmatical. But in this we must accommodate to the opinions of those among whom we attempt to obtain admission.

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"I really am incompetent to give any particular advice on the last subject you mention, except that I should be very frank and open in avowing my purpose, not to let regard to wordly interest or credit influence me, in the least, to do or omit any thing, contrary to my conscience; or that so much as seemed to be declining the reproach of Christ. You are perfectly right, that every concession will make way for some other requisition: and, except you can be convinced that some part of your conduct has been justly reprehensible, or needlessly offensive, or intermeddling with things which do not belong to you, your wisdom and safety will consist in making no concessions, but meekly, yet firmly, avowing a purpose of acting up to your conscience, and taking the consequences. In every thing else concede: here be firm. The axe-head would not have enabled the hewer to cut down the forest, if the trees had decidedly and unanimously refused him a handle: but, that granted, the rest followed.... But my paper is full, my time gone, and I am tired. With best wishes and prayers,

“I remain,

"Your's faithfully and affectionately,

DEAR SIR,

"THOMAS SCOTT."

66 Chapel Street, May 25, 1799.

"WE have set on foot a new society for missions

to Africa and the East by members of the established church:

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