company for almoft feven years, though we were feldom feven fucceffive waking hours feparated, I always found new pleasure. A friend, who was not only a comfort to myfelf, but a bleffing to the affectionate poor people, among whom I then lived.

Some time after inclination had thus removed him from the hurry and buftle of life, he was ftill more fecluded by a long indifpofition, and my pleafure was fucceeded by a proportionable degree of anxiety and concern. But a hope, that the God whom he ferved would support him under his af. fliction, and at length vouchsafe him a happy deliverance, never forfook me. The defirable crifis, I

trust, is now nearly approaching. The dawn, the prefage of returning day, is already arrived. He is again enabled to resume his pen, and some of the first fruits of his recovery are here presented to the public. In his principal fubjects, the fame acumen which diftinguifhed him in the early period of life, is happily employed in illustrating and enforcing the truths of which he received fuch deep and unalterable impreffions in his maturer years. His fatire, if it may be called fo, is benevolent, (like the operations of the skilful and humane furgeon who wounds only to heal) dictated by a just regard for the ho

nour of God, an indignant grief excited by the profligacy of the age, and a tender compaffion for the fouls of men.

His favourite topics are leaft infifted on in the piece entitled Table Talk; which therefore, with fome regard to the prevailing taste, and that those who are governed by it may not be discouraged at the very threshold from proceeding farther, is placed first. In most of the larger Poems which follow, his leading defign is more explicitly avowed and pursued. He aims to communicate his own perceptions of the truth, beauty, and influence of the religion of the Bible.-A religion which, however difcredited by the mifconduct of many who have not renounced the chriftian name, proves itself, when rightly understood, and cordially embraced, to be the grand defideratum, which alone can relieve the mind of man from painful and unavoidable anxieties, infpire it with ftable peace and folid hope, and furnish thofe motives and profpects, which, in the prefent ftate of things, are abfolutely neceffary to produce a conduct worthy of a rational creature, diftinguished by a vaftness of capacity, which no affemblage of earthly good can fatisfy, and by a principle and pre-intimation of immortality.

At a time when hypothesis and conjecture in philofophy are so justly exploded, and little is confidered as deferving the name of knowledge, which will not stand the test of experiment, the very ufe of the term experimental in religious concernments, is by too many unhappily rejected with difguft. But we well know, that they who affect to defpife the inward feelings which religious perfons speak of, and to treat them as enthusiasm and folly, have inward feelings of their own, which, though they would, they cannot fupprefs. We have been too long in the fecret ourselves to account the proud, the ambitious, or the voluptuous, happy. We must lofe the remembrance of what we once were, before we can believe, that a man is fatisfied with himself, merely because he endeavours to appear fo. A fmile upon the face is often but a mask worn occafionally and in company, to prevent, if poffible, a fufpicion of what at the fame time is paffing in the heart. We know that there are people, who feldom finile when they are alone, who therefore are glad to hide themselves in a throng from the violence of their own reflections; and who, while by their looks and their language they wish to perfuade us they are happy, would be glad to change their conditions with a dog. But in defiance of all their

efforts, they continue to think, forebode, and tremble. This we know, for it has been our own ftate, and therefore we know how to commiferate it in others-From this ftate the Bible relieved usWhen we were led to read it with attention, we found ourselves described. We learnt the causes of our inquietude-we were directed to a method of relief-we tried, and we were not disappointed.

Deus nobis hec otia fecit.

We are now certain that the gofpel of Chrift is the power of God unto falvation, to every one that believeth. It has reconciled us to God, and to ourselves, to our duty, and our fituation. It is the balm and cordial of the prefent life, and a fovereign antidote against the fear of death.

Sed hactenus bac. Some fmaller pieces upon lefs important fubjects clofe the volume. Not one of them I believe was written with a view to publication, but I was unwilling they fhould be omitted.

Charles Square, Hoxton,

February 18, 1782,

JOHN NEWTON,