fmall craft with merchandife and provifions, and a vaft border of new feeble towns along our inland woods; a natural fortification for the Indians, Eaft and West, all frenchified and popifh: may the Lord God of our fathers be a wall of fire round about us.

We can never fortify ourselves without breaking in upon the king's inftructions and prohibition to our government about emiffion of bills; we must fortify immediately or we betray the king's province into the hands of his enemies. I have dared, for once, to fay to the Governor," As God difpenfed with his firft and perpetual law, in cafes of neceffity and mercy, verily our good king will with his inftructions and order on fo apparent, inftant, and urgent a neceffity." The government has, from year to year, told the court of our wretched condition; but neither would they petition the king to remit, as to his inftruction, for a limited fum of thirty thousand pounds per annum, nor could the governor dare to raise more than just to defray the annual charges of the government; nor could he alone bear the charge of obtaining the king's leave, not a letter being able to get to Whitehall without too many guineas for a private purfe. But I must break off and fubfcribe, dear Sir, your brother and fervant,

BENJ. COLMAN.

From

From Lady HARTFORD to Dr. WATTS.

LETTER

I.

March 4, 1744-5.

REVEREND SIR,

SINCE the heavy calamity with which it has pleased God to vifit me, I have not felt a more fenfible gleam of pleasure than on Saturday last, when I received your letter accompanied with your excellent book; I have read two of the fermons which (like all your other writings) have a pecu liar fpirit of piety in them, which must awaken fomething of a fympathetic warmth in the moft lethargic foul. Mine is much depreffed by the lofs of a son, who, while he lived, was the balm of every disappointment and vexation that affailed me; and, as I believe, no fon of mere human parents was ever more truly virtuous and deferving, so I think none was ever more tenderly beloved. I am afraid he was too much the pride and joy of my heart; yet, if an excess in this kind could ever be excufable, his uncommon duty and conftant affection might have pleaded for it. When he found himself dying, he declared he fubmitted with cheerfulness to the will of God, as his confcience did not reproach him, and he trufted his errors would be forgiven; and added, that his only forrow in leav

ing this world was to think of the pangs which he knew would rend the hearts of his unhappy parents when they should receive the news.

But, I hope, I do not repine at this difpenfation, though my flesh trembles beneath the rod, fince, if I know the fecrets of my own foul, I durft not ask to have this darling child alive again though I were sure to have my request immediately granted. He is removed from the numerous temptations to vice which his rank in life, joined to the advantages of his fortune and perfon, might have exposed him to, and can never know nor need fuch an affliction as constrains me to fhed almost inceffant tears notwithstanding the sense I have of the mercy, as well as juftice of this decree of unerring Wisdom. This often adds to the burthen I labour under, as it fhows me too clearly the imperfection both of my refignation and faith. It is true the tendereft band which held me to the earth is diffolved, but I have still many duties to practise, though, I am afraid, the weight which hangs upon my heart hinders me from performing them with the chearfulness I ought, though I think I exert myself to the utmoft I am able. In this diftreffed condition let me beg your earnest prayers, that the God of peace and comfort may let his light fhine upon my foul, and, according to his promise, give reft to me who am weary and heavy VOL. II. laden

I

Jaden with fin and forrow, and who am entirely convinced of the vanity and impotence of all worldly affiftance. My lord, I blefs God, enjoys a tolerable degree of health, and my daughter (with both her children) is well; the joins with her father in affurances of their regard for you.

I am very glad to hear that you are recovering fuch a fhare of health as I hope will make the remainder of your days comfortable, and enable you to go on doing good by your writings and example. I am at prefent disordered with a flow fever which prays upon my strength and spirits, but I imagine that the air and quiet of the country, where I hope to be in about three weeks, will remove this complaint. I am, with real esteem, Sir, your most faithful and obliged fervant,

HARTFORD.

P. S. I take the liberty to fend you a Poem, which if you have not feen, may perhaps afford you an hour's amusement.

LETTER II.

REV. SIR,

Percy-Lodge, Nov. 15, 1747.

THE laft time I troubled you with a letter, was to return you thanks on the Glory of Chrift, a subject which can never be exhausted, or ever thought

of

of without calling for all the praise which our hearts are capable of in our present imperfect state. My gratitude to you is again awakened by the obligation I am under (and, indeed, the whole christian church) to you for giving Dr. Doddridge the plan, and engaging him to write his excellent book of the Rife and Progrefs of Religion in the Soul; I have read it with the utmost attention and pleasure, and, I would hope with some advantage to myself, unless I fhould be fo unhappy as to find the impreffion it has made on my heart wear off like the morning dew which paffeth away, which God in his mercy avert.

If I have a correfpondence with him, I could wish you would convey my thanks to him, and the affurance that I fhall frequently remember him in my humble (though weak) addreffes to the throne of Almighty Grace, (and which I know myfelf unworthy to look up to any otherwife than through the merits and fufferings of our ever bleffed Saviour) that he may go on to fpread the knowledge and practice of his doctrine, and that he may add numbers to the church, and finally hear thofe bleffed words, "Well done thou good and faithful fervant, enter thou into thy Mafter's joy."

I cannot help mentioning to you the manner of this book falling into my hands, as I think there was fomething providential in it. About four months