and have a divine blessing attending me in all I undertake.

6

"Mr. H. bids me write now and then the heads of a sermon of my own, and shew it him. I have yet only done one: it met his approbation. "Be so kind as remember me to Mr. F &c. &c.-I suppose you like your business as little as ever; but I hope you will soon be put in a situation where you will enjoy yourself more-I mean in the best enjoyments. I still hope that we, formed for each other's comfort, shall yet be made blessings to each other, and that in a particular way. Then let the conceited, covetous worldling say, Friendshipis but a name?—we know it is something more-it is a great blessing; and where the friends have grace in their hearts, it is so eminently and especially. David and Jonathan found it so. I often think of your noticing particularly that expression, their souls were knit together. Dr. Young thought so when he said, 'poor is the friendless master of a world.' I am thankful that I have had such a friend cast in my way that will be, I trust, a bles-sing to me all through life, and that will dwell with me in a better world. May the hope of that happiness stimulate us to more resignation to the divine will, and holy disdain of the vanities of time and sense.

"And now, my dear friend, my letter draws to a close; I can scarcely forbear tears while I write it. I hope you will overlook its very visible imperfections, and remember that it comes from one that loves you. Need I again beseech you to pray for me, that I may find mercy of the Lord, be bles

sed with every blessing here below, and crowned with glory hereafter.

"Write me what religious intelligence you know I am ignorant of: I see the Magazine here and other periodical works. And now I desire to commit myself, my dear friend, and all our concerns, into the hands of a covenant God; and wishing you every blessing, I rest your ever faithful and affectionate friend,

"THOMAS SPENCER."

No. 9.

Harwich, February 24, 1806.

MY DEAREST FRIEND,

"More than a fortnight ago, according to agreement, I wrote to you; as I have not heard from you since that time, my mind is full of anxiety on that account, as I know not what to assign as a reason for it. I hope you received it, for I should never like our correspondence to be investigated by any body but ourselves. I hardly know how to write this letter; whether I should inform you of aireumstances I mentioned in my last, (being in doubt whether you received it) or, taking for granted that you have had it, shall I tenderly chide you for not answering it. I cannot think you have either forgotten me, or are grown careless about me, and yet what can I say! I am full of conjectures. Have you been so busy as not to have time to write; or have you written, put it in the post, and the

letter miscarried? I hope you will write to me, and inform me which of these is the real case. Need I tell you again that I am peculiarly comfortable in my situation, having nothing to render me otherwise but the absence of my friend, and my not having heard from him: nor from home either; for I wrote to my father, and I have not yet received an answer, which I expected immediately; indeed I cannot at all account for these things.

"As Mr. Hordle was a student at Hoxton, I have learnt a few things respecting the nature of the place, which perhaps you will like to know, for who can tell but some future day you may take the second, third, and last step towards being connected with them.. You told me you had taken the first some time ago. But to drop this. The students, then, find themselves candles for their own studies, soap, towels, tea, and they have one gown to study in, &c. they have family prayer altogether morning and evening: you know what they learn. I am very fond of Mr. H.'s preaching: we had three very fine sermons yesterday, on Exod. xxxiii. 16; 1 Cor. iv. 5; Eph. ii. 8. I have just begun to enter the heads of the sermons in a book, and I am sure he is like a father to me; I am indeed very well treated. I hope you are earnest in prayer, that God would let you know his will concerning you. O, my friend, I should think myself very happy if I could do any thing for you. Although I do not speak to you now, nor see you, nor hear from you, yet I do feel pleasure in praying for you. I never was better in my life than since I have been at Harwich. A day or two ago I began to learn. Hebrew. I often

think you would be in your element in this study, with the advantages of learning, &c. I begin now to have a little idea of Geography; know more Latin than before, and study every day Locke's Conduct of the Understanding, and Doddridge's Lectures; besides a deal of cursory reading, &c. for here is a very nice library, to which I have free access. I told you in my last to let me have Mr. E's address. Hope you will remember me to all our friends. Give my respects to Mr. J. F. and T. E—. As I do not remember any thing else that I have to say, I conclude with subscribing myself, yours, by all the tender ties of friendship, THOMAS SPENCER."

No. 10.

MY DEAREST FRIEND,

Harwich, April 4, 1806.

"I received, with the greatest pleasure, your letter of the 29th of February, together with my father's; and, as I was sorry you did not write to me before, so was I equally grieved at the cause: I sympathize with you in your afflictions, and hope that you are now quite recovered and the rest of the family. I believe you when you say it affords you so much pleasure to hear of my welfare. O! Thomas, pray for me that my very comforts do not become snares. I should like to have had more of the heads, texts, &c. of the sermons you have heard in London; and hope that you find the ministry of Mr. K and those you hear at Hoxton beneficial to your soul; for it is my earnest desire that,

under the influences of the sacred Spirit, your soul may be like a well-watered garden. I (of course) hear Mr. H. three times on the Sabbath day, and I think I can say it has been to my profit: his sermons are indeed very judicious, experimental and practical, and I find it to be just the preaching I want. I keep a book, in which I put down the heads of most of his sermons, which, when it is full, I intend (if you would like) that you shall see. I suppose of an evening we have not less than four hundred and fifty people; in the day time not quite so many. There is a band of singers in the table pew, generally a bass viol is played, and Mr. H. preaches in a gown, and I think the people are more attentive than any I ever saw. Once in a fortnight Mr. H. preaches at the Work-house: I have been twice, and I like it very much. In the week day I go to the Methodist chapel, and sometimes hear a good sermon there. I find by the Magazine that Mr. S is at Spa-fields chapel. I have spoken often about him to you, and have mentioned him in my letters (though by the bye I spelt his name wrong.) He is a Cheshunt student-has preached very frequently at Hertford chapel. I would advise you, if convenient, to go and hear him, for he is a very bold and very faithful preacher. If you do, give me a little account of the sermon, &c. If I were you, I would try to hear Mr. B's missionary sermon.

"I am very glad that you informed me of Mr. F.'s and Mr. W.'s conversation. I liked it all very well, except that about my preaching, and indeed I had much rather that Mr. F. had not mentioned that for