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my post at the Lock, or in London. I know not that ever I was so desponding about any thing in all the time that I have preached. But, after much discouragement, I determined to make another effort, and both to explain my sentiments to the congregation and to appeal to the public. I therefore wrote, preached, and published the sermon I send you: and, I bless God, it seems far to exceed my most sanguine expectations of success. Misrepresentation seems silenced and prejudices diminished; the congregation increases; a spirit of inquiry appears to be excited; many confess that they did not well understand the matter, and that there is a necessity for more practical preaching. So that I trust all things shall tend to the furtherance of the gospel, and to diffuse more widely, than my preaching extends, those views of Christianity, which I have delivered and you received in your neighborhood......I have nothing to add to the exhortations I have so often given, but my prayers that you may abound more and more. The notion of religion goes down very well, but the devil and the world hate the power of it: therefore we ought to love it. Give my love to all your family, and to all the dear people, along with the sermons." "January 25, 1787. We thank you for your present and your letter. The former was acceptable, the latter more so; for it reminded me of former times, and revived the assurance, that, however the doctrine I deliver may be reviled and slighted, it is indisputably that doctrine, which is the power of God unto salvation; as the lives of many in your neighborhood do testify. If I should exhort you all to go forward, and abound more and more in every good word and work; I doubt not that you would in return exhort and incite me to do the same; and, notwithstanding all opposition, and regardless of all consequences, to preach to all around the same truths which you have heard, received, feel, shew the effects of, and rejoice in. I trust the Lord will enable us all thus to do. But it is grievous to think to what a degree the blessed gospel is abused and corrupted, where it is not openly opposed or neglected; and what numbers are willing to hear a part of the truth, who will not hear the whole of it. The time is lamentably come, when numbers will not endure sound doctrine, but turn away their ears from the truth, and are turned unto fables. However, I have reason to think, that neither my preaching nor publishing shall be in vain.-We have numbers of such professors as Olney abounds with: but we have a remnant of an

other sort; and I trust they are increasing even at the Lock. The post is very difficult and precarious, but I trust that it will all issue well. I have need of much prudence, patience, meekness, and courage; and therefore you have need to pray much for me.

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"June 28, 1787. My journey (into Buckinghamshire) was very encouraging and establishing to myself, and I hope to others also. I pray God the seed sown may spring up abundantly, and appear evidently in the lives of believers, and in the conversion of sinners. But, when I got home, I began again to struggle with my difficulties, and seem to have got into another world, amongst another species of creatures; religion seems such a different thing amongst them. Yet I cannot but hope that, in process of time, the same effects will follow as have in your neighborhood. But I am often discouraged, and ready to think I shall never be able to keep my post, or do any good in it. Then again I am encouraged: and all this is to teach me, that the help that is done on earth, the Lord doeth it himself.-Upon the whole, every thing concurs to satisfy me that I am in my proper place, and doing my Master's work, and preaching the truth of God, (though often with much mixture of human infirmity;) and that it is exceedingly wanted here, and that nothing else can rectify the disorders which prevail: and therefore, if this doctrine cannot obtain a hearing, or doth not produce an effect, true religion must be extinguished in the congregation. But indeed London is such a mass of wickedness, and even religion is here such a superficial slight matter, so very yielding and worldly, that every thing I see and hear, as well as what I feel, is grievous. When I look into the Bible, and view the religion therein contained, it is so pure, so beautiful, so divine, that I long to see its counterpart on earth: but, when I look for it in this and the other church, or denomination of Christians, I seem to find nothing like it; but its opposite: hatred instead of love, pride instead of humility, contention instead of peace, worldly-mindedness instead of heavenly affections, and dissimulation instead of sincerity. Yet there is even at this time a remnant according to the election of grace, and many more than the eye of man can discover. God saw seven thousand in Israel, where Elijah could not find one. This is a consolation; as is also that promise to those who sigh and mourn over prevailing abominations, though they cannot cure them, And, if there are so few true Chris

tians, what thanks are due to the Lord if we are such, who are by nature no better than others! What diligence in making our calling and election sure; what activity in doing good; and what patience in tribulation, rejoicing in hope, and fervency in prayer; ought we not to aim at! And how welcome will a world of perfect purity and love be at last!.... We shall be happy to see you when convenient. Mrs. S. joins me in love to you all. My love to every branch of your family: the Lord make them all branches of his family! My love to all the people and inquiring friends. Tell them to love one another, and pray for themselves and each other, and for me! With sincere affection and prayers for I remain your friend and servant,

you,

T. SCOTT."

The following belong to a later period, but they may be introduced here to finish at once my extracts from this series of letters.

April 7, 1788, he proposes to send "one or two" out of his twenty-five copies of his Bible, for the perusal of the poorer people, who cannot afford to purchase it.

"September 9, 1794. I am too much engaged in discharging the large debt, in which Mr. R.'s failure has involved me, to be able to send money (as I otherwise meant to have done,) to help my poor brethren, or rather-children, in Ravenstone and the neighboring places: but, having finished my Essays, I have sent twelve copies to be sold, and the money given away....Should they speedily go off, I shall be glad hereafter to follow them with a similar present; wishing that I had it in my power to shew my sincere affection in a more effectual way....I beg all who regard my opinion to do nothing hastily, or without much previous prayer; not to listen to those persons, who will probably attempt to make divisions or proselytes, pretending zeal for some important doctrines; and to endeavor, as much as possible, to keep united as one body, waiting to see what the event may be of these changes; which perhaps cannot at present be well known.”

"July 2, 1795. The very high price of bread and other provisions, continually reminds me of my poor people at Ravenstone, &c. in respect of their temporal provision. I have not indeed much in my power, but the Lord gives me plenty of things necessary; and I think it my duty at such a time as this, rather to exceed ordinary rules in helping oth

ers, especially the household of faith: and none have so good claim on me, as those whom I look on as my children in the gospel, and who I trust will be my crown of rejoicing in the day of Christ.”—He sends three guineas, and proceeds: "I wish I could do any thing more effectual to relieve the pressing necessities of a people ever dear to my heart: but I hope they will trust in the Lord both for temporal and spiritual things, and that more entirely in times of trouble. I recommend the sixty-second psalm to their consideration at this time, and the thirty-seventh. Give my love to them all."

February 14, 1799 As the Lord hath in pecuniary matters been very kind to me, in an emergency when I was led to expect great difficulties, I think it my duty to make some acknowledgment, by contributing a little to the relief of such of my brethren as are in poor circumstances." He sends therefore two guineas. . . . . "My heart is very much with you, and I do not always forget to pray for you all: but in this, and all other good things I am too apt to be negligent."

One more series of letters, from which I shall give a few extracts in this place, presents my father in an interesting connexion with the British and Foreign Bible Society: not indeed with its actual formation, (which was so many years posterior to this time,) but with the preceding events which led the way to it. As the historian of that Society remarks, "The primary occasion of all those measures, out of which grew the institution of the British and Foreign Bible Society, was the scarcity of Welsh Bibles in the Principality, and the impracticability of obtaining adequate supplies from the only source existing at that period, whence copies of the authorized version were to be derived." Accordingly his history commences with a correspondence, in the year 1787, between a clergyman in London, and a brother clergyman in Wales, which first brought the existing scarcity into notice in England. This London clergyman was my father. Mr. Owen's first extract is from a letter of his, dated May 15, 1787, which, it will be seen, implies a prior communication from Wales. That communication is in my hands, having accidentally escaped the destruction to which my father consigned nearly all the letters in his possession, previously to his last illness: and it enables me to carry back the history of these events one step further than Mr. O. has done. It is dated March 24th, and refers to a still ear

lier, indeed a first proposal from my father. The fact, in short, was this: in soliciting subscriptions from his friends in aid of some benevolent designs which his correspondent was carrying on in Wales, my father called, among others, on the late William Daw, Esq. of Brompton Row, who said, 'I have a few Welsh Bibles by me'-or, 'I could procure some' from what is now denominated the Naval and Military Bible Society: 'would they be of use to your friend?” In consequence he proposed the question, and the reply was as follows-probably the first expression of urgent want which was conveyed to London.

March 24, 1787. You ask me, 'whether a parcel of Welsh Bibles would be acceptable.' You could think of nothing more acceptable, more wanted, and useful to the country at large. I have been often, in my journeys through different parts of the country, questioned whether I knew where a Welsh Bible could be bought for a small price; and it has hurt my mind much to be obliged to answer in the negative. There are none to be bought for money, unless some poor person, pinched by poverty, is obliged to sell his Bible to support himself and family. Mr. Williams's Bibles, with notes, are some of them unsold; but the price, 18s., is too high for the poor to command. If you can procure a parcel of them for our poor people, I am sure you will much rejoice the hearts of many, and do them, by the blessing of God, great good. I will promise to dispose of them in the best manner I am able: and I think I could dispose to very good purpose, and make profitable use, of any quantity you could procure for me.'

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Upon this followed those letters of my father's from which I shall now give extracts.

"May 15, 1787. Dear Sir, I received your acceptable letter, which made my heart rejoice, and caused me to render unfeigned thanks to God in your behalf, and the people in your neighborhood; and to pray for a still further blessing upon your labors, and those of your brethren. May the work of God both sink deeper, and spread wider, till, like the leaven, it leaven the whole lump! I have shewn your letter to several, and I trust it affected and influenced them in the same manner; and also in another-for silver and gold I have none to give; but my friends have. In consequence of what you write concerning the scarcity of Welsh Bibles, I have received twenty-five from the Society for distributing Bibles among the soldiers and sailors. . . . . and, if they ap

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