Southampton, September 2, 1793

DEAR SIR,

I THANK you for providing lor me in my retirement. Your anecdotes are both entertaining and instructive. Your letter followed me hither. Like you I highly relish the country; but I am better off in point of ordinances and christian conference than you were when on the banks of the Tweed. The preaching of the gospel is indeed a great privilege, which cannot be safely neglected while in our power, and will not, so long as we possess our spiritual senses. But if sickness, or clear providential calls of absence, detain us from it, we are not so absolutelydependent upon it, but that we may do well without it. Perhaps none of David’s psalms breathe a more sublime and spiritual strain of devotion, than those which he wrote in the wilderness: such were the 42d, 63d, and perhaps the 84th. The occasion of his writing the 51st happened at Jerusalem, when he was at the fountain-head of public means. And I think my heart was never more warm and fixed, than during my two last voyages to Africa, though I was engaged in a traffic, which now see was unlawful and abominable. The word of grace, and the throne of grace, are the two principal means, which can supply the want of all others, when not to be had: but without attending to these, the rest can yield but little solid benefit. I have met with happy, lively believers, who have had no opportunity for hearing the gospel; and I have met with others, who, like Pharaoh’s lean kine, devour a great deal, but do not appear to thrive.

I think, if I was a lawgiver, I would not make robbery a capital crime; and therefore I should be unwilling to prosecute for it. Many of our penal

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laws, by being too severe, become too remiss, offenders are so often pardoned, that others are encouraged to offend, in hopes that the prescribed punishment will not be inflicted. The law of God requires murderers to be put to death, and I think there are other crimes, which by their effects might be fatal, that may be forbidden under the same penalty; such as house-breaking in the night — setting houses on fire, in a street or town — perjury in criminal causes — and perhaps I might add, the stealing of a child, which may be of dreadful consequence both to the child and to the parents, and yet I believe does not expose to worse punishment than the stealing of a dog, But as I have no hand in making laws, nor influence with the legislature, I must be content to take things as I find them. I only give you my sentiments because you desire me. There is a verse in Dr. Watts’s little book for children, which offers a good pattern to me who am in my 69th year; —

“I’ll not willingly offend,

“Nor be easily offended,

“What’s amiss (in myself) I’ll try to mend,

“And endure what can’t be mended.”

These principles I would adopt in my politics, I am thankful that the French were checked in their mad design of fraternizing and plundering all the nations far and near. But had I the rule ef affairs, when I had cooped them up within their own boundaries, I would have left them to fight it out among themselves. But we are sinners also, and therefore what the Lord has permitted to take place, must be, and what he has appointed to follow, must come. My heart aches for the final issue. But as he reigns over all, he can, and he will, make all work for the glory of his name, and in the mean time, he knows how to support, or to protect his own people. “The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him.” May we be found as those in Ezek. ix. 4. and his invisible mark will secure us from real harm.

I have not properly more leisure when abroad, than when at home. For besides the time taken up in moving from place to place, and in seeing and being seen, by old and new friends, I have generally a double quantity of letters to answer. But I am willing to shew that I value your correspondence.

I am with dear friends, in a retirement about two miles from Southampton. I believe the situation is not less pleasant than what you have seen in Kent. I preach three or four times a week in my friend’s house, to 100 or more people.

I have a letter from Dr. Robbins of Plymouth in Massachusetts, whose name I never heard of before. I wish I could show it you. He gives an account of a sudden revival of religion in this place, much like that you had from Bala. It began since Christmas last, at a time when every thing seemed dead or declining around him. He has been minister there upwards of thirty years. He writes like a good old soldier. Thus, in different places, the wall of Zion is building up in these troublous times. The Lord has not forsaken the earth, bad as it is.

In London we have abundance of the gospel, and perhaps it never was more clearly and practically preached. But we may lament with you the want of more accompanying power. However, good is done, and perhaps we are as much favoured, in this respect, at St. Mary’s, as in most places, and we have the blessing of peace and unanimity — and I can see several persons in the assembly, who I believe would have been judged eminent christians had they lived in the apostles’ days.

I pray the Lord to bless you in all things, and hope we shall have a share in your prayers. I hope to be at home in about three weeks, if nothing unforeseen should require my return sooner. I am

Your affectionate friend and servant,
J. N.