London, March 28, 1799

IY DEAR SIR,

I praise the Lord for your candle-light deliverances, Psal. cxii. 4. You do well to acknowledge his hand and care in those events which the world consider as trivial. The way of man is not in himself. Our greatest concerns are so dependent upon small contingencies, that it is not easy to determine which are of the most importance. Our experience may be compared to the movement of a watch, in which the little pivots are no less necessary in their places than the spring or the wheels. See Mark xiv. 13. John iv. 7. Acts, xxvii 31. 1 Kings xxxii. 34. Cum multis aliis. Take away the pivots, and the whole machine is useless.

Time was when I could write eight hours in a day, and now this short letter has almost wearied me: yet I have more than threescore lying by me, which ought to be answered, and some of them have lain by more than a twelvemonth. Write me as soon as you can.

I am

Your affectionate,

J. KT.