YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

THE LIFE

51 Selection font % fetters

OF TIJE LATE

REV. HENRY VENN, M.A.,
SUCCESSIVELY YIOAR. OF HUDDERSFIBLl), YOUKSMIIUK, AN1> RECTOK OF YELLING,
HU^TTNGDON'SUTliB; AUTHOR OF "THE POMPLRTE DUTY OF MAN." ETC.

THE MEMOIR BY THE LATE* JOHN VENN, M. A,
EECTOTC OF CLAPIIAM, SURREY,

EDITED B Y

THE REV. HENRY VENN, B.D.,
PERPETUAL CURATE OF ST. JOHN'S, IlOLLOWAY ; LATE FELLOW OF QUEEN'S
COLLEGE, CAMBRII>OK,

jh-om tlie Sfrtfi Eminent JSUftrou.

NEW YORK :
PROTESTAXT EPISCOPAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION" OF
EVANGELICAL KNOWLEDGE,
11 BIBLE HOUSE, AStOE PLACE.
1855.

NOTE

TO THE EVANGELICAL KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY 8 EDITION.

By the gift of fin individual, the E. K. Soeiety has had the grateful
office assigned it of circulating this volume. Should it succeed, as it
expects to succeed, in causing it to be read by a great number of per
sons who would not otherwise have read it, it will, if there be any
connection between means and ends, have cause for rejoicing in the
day of the Lord Jesus, We are more and more persuaded that, next
to the divinely constituted means of grace, few instruments have ac
complished so much good as the truthfully written lives of eminent
Christians. In fact, the inspired biographies of so many of the saints
warrant us in regarding truth put forth in this form as among those
divinely constituted means. Through this book Mr. Venn still lives
and testifies for Christ in the Church of England ; and our prayer is
that it may be taken up here among those who have derived so rich
an inheritance from his labors and those of his companions in the revi
val of the last century, and made a means of emulating their example
in sounding the depths of our religion, in spirit, in knowledge, ill -doc
trine, and in life. The history of our endeavors in reproducing these
examples one after another in this age induces the belief that they
will encourage many to follow in the steps of those holy and most
successful servants of Christ, and prove tlie means of educating themjg
to join their society in the highest heavens.

PREFACE
BY THE EDITOR.

The Memoir which composes the First Part of the
present volume was drawn up by the late Rev. John
Venn, with the intention of its being prefixed to a new
edition of his father's works. He had also written
the following paragraph, as the commencement of a
Preface. " The Compiler of this Memoir deeply feels the
impropriety of troubling the public with the lives of
those who have little claim to public notice. But he
trusts that every person who feels the influence of
filial piety, will justify his breaking through this rule,
when he is told that a Life of his honoured and ex
cellent father has been already given to the public,
full of misrepresentations, and calculated to produce a
most injurious impression respecting his character and
principles : and that this Life has been extensively
circulated, inserted into biographical histories, and
even prefixed to an edition of his principal work, with
out any public denial or indignant refutation.
" In the Memoir which follows, which exhibits the
real character of one, by whose writings the Church
hasbeen edified, and by whose example many have been
animated, the author can truly say, that he has endea
voured to free himself entirely from partiality  "
The Memoir, which the preceding fragment was
intended to introduce, was left in an unfinished state.
(iii)

iv PREFACE.
It had been commenced by Mr. Venn, soon after his
father's death ; but, when a few of the first pages had
been written, it was laid, aside till his own last illness ;
so that the greater part of it was dictated by him from
his death-bed. This circumstance will doubtless in
crease the interest with which it will be read: and it
will also account for any degree of haste or abrupt
ness which may be apparent in the composition. It
has now devolved upon one of the third generation
to put the finishing hand to the work, and to present
it to the public.
I have presumed to incorporate some additional
matter with the original Memoir, in order to complete
the narrative ; distinguishing such additions, by in
cluding them within angular brackets. I have also
given a large collection of Letters, which will form
the domestic annals of the greater part of my grand
father's life.
It may be expected that I should offer some apology
for having thus enlarged my father's design, and de
parted still further than he had contemplated from the
rule laid down by him in the preceding fragment. It
is hoped, however, not only that the intrinsic excel
lence of the Letters will justify their publication ; but,
also, that they may claim an additional interest, as
presenting a lively portrait of one who bore a con
spicuous part in the revival of religion in this country
during the latter part of the eighteenth century.
H. V.

CONTENTS.

PART I.
MEMOHt BY THE REV. JOHN VENN:
Account of his ancestors, - - . . - 17
Anecdotes of his childhood, ¦ - - - . - 19
Remarkable escape from danger, - - - - 21
School education, - - - - . -22
Entrance at College, ------ 23
Ordination, ----..-24
First religious impressions, .... 24
Desire of living to God's glory - - - - - 25
Strict mode of life, ------ 26
Curacies, - - - - - - -27
Remarkable act of disinterestedness, 28
Change in his religious views, - • ... 30
Curacy of Clapham, ------ 32
Marriage, --.-...33
Removal to Huddersfield, - t 34
Effect of his preaching, on a Soeinian, - - - - 35
Severe family trials, ---... 36
Providential pecuniary supply, • - - - - 37
Adoption of Calvinistic views, 38
Publication of « The Complete Duty of Man," - - - 40
Instances of its usefulness, ----- 41
Death of Mrs. Venn, - - - - - - 42
Mode of instructing his children, ... 43
Removal to Yelling, - - - - - 44
Visit of the Editor to Huddersfield, in the year 1824, 45
Mr. Venn's second marriage, - - - - - 53
Intercourse with Young Men at Cambridge, 53
CONCLUSION OF THE MEMOIR BY THE EDITOR.
Testimony of Mr. Simeon, - - - - - 65
Account of Mr. Venn's family, .... 57
His declining years, and death, - - - - 58
List or Me. Vxitn's Published Works, 59
CO

VI CONTENTS.
PART II.
COHRESPONDENCE, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

Section I.

LETTERS WRITTEN FROM HIS FIRST APPOINTMENT TO
gUDDERSFIELD, TILL HIS REMOVAL FROM IT.
1759.
Letteh to Mrs. Visit.— Account of hisjoumey to Huddersfield—
Elevated state of mind, - - - - 62
To a Faoira. — Employment of a Christian in solitude, - 64
To Mrs. Venn. — Caution against undue affection, - - 64
Letteh from Mrs. Venn. — Reply to the last letter — Account of
her own state of mind, ----- 66
Acceptance of Huddersfield, - - - - 68
To Mrs. Venn. — Prospects of happiness and usefulness at Hud
dersfield, ...... 68
1760.
To Mrs. Knife. — Zeal for moral duties in danger of supplanting
the Gospel. — Mr. Burnett. — "The Complete Duty of Man," - 70
To Mrs. Knipe. — Uncertain tenure of earthly blessings. — Sins of
the tongue. — Mr. Walker of Truro. — Mr. Adam, - - 73
Ministerial success, - - - - - - 74
1761.
To Mrs. Knipe. — Christening of his infant. — Sir John Barnard :
his afflictions and piety. — Mr. Thornton, 75
To Mrs. Knipe. — Sufferings come after we have learned to obey.
— Benefit of Means of Grace proportionable to our diligence
in the use of them, - - - - - - 76
1762.
To Mrs. Knipe. — Death of Mr. Jones, of St. Saviour's Southwark.
— Newspaper attacks, ----- 78
Visit to Mr. Conyers at Helmsley, - ' - . - 80
EIGHT PASTORAL LETTERS.
To Miss Hudson  Affliction, the lot of God's people— difficult to
bear it aright, - " - - 81
To Miss Hudson. — Reasons why God afflicts his people, - - 84
To Miss Hudson. — Paraphrase of two verses of Ps. xci., . 86
To Mr. T. Atkinson. — Increase in divine knowledge, - - 89
To Mr. T. Atkinson. — Right way of reading the Bible, - 90
To a Lady. — Several encouraging texts explained, - - 91

4 CONTENTS. VII
To a Youso Fbienh, — Affectionate remonstrance to a back
slider, -----..93
To a Fbiend. — Ministerial visits, - - - - 96
1764.
To a Lam. — Refusing a legacy, 97
1766.
To Miss Wheeer. — Journey with Sir C. Hotham. — Incautious
offer of a pulpit, by a stranger — Mr. Townshend of Pewsey. —
Mr. Romaine. — Howell Harris. — Mr. Lee, - - 99
To a Widow Lady. — The opposition of relations. — On her con
duct towards a worldly minded son ... 102
Evil tendency of Hume's Essays, .... 106
1767.
To J. Kershaw, Esq. — On his conversion from Socinianism —
Description of the Christian's life, - - - 107
Letteh from Mrs. Venn, announcing her illness. — Particulars of
her death, - - - - - - - 110
Two Letters to Mrs. Medhurst. — Death of his wife — The di
vine supports he receives, - - ¦ - 111
To Miss Wheler. — Preaches the day after his wife's funeral, - 114
To Mrs. Medhurst. — Recollections of his wife. — Ruth Clarke, 115
1768.
To Mrs. Medhurst. — Affecting recollections of his wife. — Pastoral
visit to a dying parishioner, - - - - -116
To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Harewood House. — Necessity of retire
ment for a Christian, - 117
Marriage of Miss Hudson to Mr. Riland, - - - - 119
1769.
Extracts. — Journey to London. — Olney. — Cowper the poet, 120
Ride in the neighbourhood of the scenes of childhood, - - 121
Visits to a condemned criminal, - - - - 122
Preaching in London. — Mr. Thornton. — Fruits of his ministry - 122
Letter to J. Kershaw, Esq. — Boldness in reproving sin, - 123
Engagement to preach in Lady Huntingdon's Chapel at Bath, - 124
Journey to Bath, ------ 125
Mr. Clarke of Chesham Boyce.— Mr. Talbot— Mr Townshend - 125
Solitude cherishes faith, ----- 126
To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Lady Huntingdon. — Benefit of a Chris
tian example, - - - - - -127
To Mrs. Rieand. — Ministerial Faithfulness. — Success of prayer
not always apparent, ----- 129

VUI CONTENTS.

Section II.

LETTERS WRITTEN FROM HIS ACCEPTANCE OF YELLING,
TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF HIS CORRESPOND
ENCE WITH HIS SON.
1770.
Letter to Mrs. Rieand. Appointment to yelling, - - 130
To Mrs. Riiand. — Perplexity about leaving Huddersfield, - 132
To J. Kershaw. Esq. — Reasons for leaving Huddersfield, - 133
1771.
To Mrs Riland.— Visit to Hull.— Mr. Joseph Milner.— Mr. Jesse —
Mr. Adam, ------ 135
To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Remembrance of his late flock, - - 136
Erection of a Dissenting Chapel at Huddersfield, - - 137
Vindication of his attachment to the Established Church, - - 138
Preaching in unconsecrated places, - - - - 139
His second marriage, ------ 139
To Mrs. Smith. — On freedom in prayer  Bp. Hildesley, - 139
To Mrs. Smith. — Feelings in prospect of his second marriage, - 141
To the Rev. J. Stileingfleet. — Commencement of his ministry
at Yelling. — Change from Huddersfield, - - - 143
To Mrs. Rieand  Insincere professors of religion. — Lowered ex
pectation of the success of preaching, ... 144
To Mrs. Riland. — First sermons at Yelling, - - - 145
To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Solitude of Yelling — Style of preaching, - 146
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Opposition useful to a preach
er. — Mr. Berridge," ..... 148
1772.
To Mrs. Rieand. — Improved health, .... 150
To Mrs. Riland.. — First visit to Cambridge. — Family prayers, 150
To W. Whitache, Esq. — Walking wtih God. — Against doubt
ing the love of God towards us, - - - - 153
To the Rev. M.Powlet. — Divisions among Christians  Students
at Cambridge, - - - - - 154
1773.
To Mr. Houghton. — Precipusness of the Sabbath. — Earnestprayer
for his late flock, - - ... 153
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Benefit of afflictions. — Essay on
the Prophecy of Zacharias, - - - - 157
To Miss Wheeer — Transporting views of future glory, - . 159
1774.
To the Rev. J. Stileingfleet. — Vindication of two passages in
the Essay. — Mr. Robinson, of Leicester, - . jgn

CONTENTS. IX
To W. Whitacre, Esq. — Christian privileges, ... 162
Sketch of domestic employments at Yelling, - - - 164
Family connections, - - - - - 164
Picture of a Christian household, - - - 165
To Mr. E. Venn. — On the care of the soul, - - - 166
To Mrs. Bishop. — "Running with patience the race set before
us," ---.-.. 167
To Mrs. Riland. — Wishes, on their removal to Birmingham, - 169
1775.
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Hotham Rectory. — Mr. Daw, 171
Journey to Highworth, in Wiltshire. — Students at Oxford. — Mr.
Penty cross. — Mr. De Coetlogon, - - - - 172
To Mrs. Riland. — Deaths of Lady Gertrude Hotham. — Mrs.
Nicholson, — Sarah Reeves, - - - - 173
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — On the knowledge of our accept
ance with God, .-.--- 174
1776.
To Mrs. Rieand. — A providential escape, ... 176
To the Rev. J. Stileinofleet. — Visit to Birmingham. — Mr.
Berridge. — True Religion, ----- 177
To J. Brasier, Esq. — Congratulation on his marriage, - 180
Section 111.
LETTERS WRTTTEN TO HIS CHILDREN, AND TO DIFFER
ENT FRIENDS, FROM THE YEAR 1777, TO THE
TIME OF HIS SON'S ORDINATION, 1782.
To Mr. John Venn. — Journey to Bath. — Salisbury. — Mr. Fletcher, 182
Mr. Fletcher's eminent holiness, - - - - 184
To Mr. John Venn. — Congratulations and advice on his going to
CoUege, ------- 185
To Mr. John Venn.— Further advice on the same subject, - 186
To Mr. Henry Jowett. — Devotional study of the Scriptures, - 190
1778.
To Mr. John Venn. — Danger of scenes of intemperance, - 192
To Mr. John Venn. — On teaching children^ — Professor Frank, - 194
Anecdote of Mr. Dodd, *. - - - - - 195
To J. Brasier, Esq. — On self-will in children, -' - ¦ - 195
To J. Brasier, Esq. — On Infant Baptism, ... 196
Evil of a cavilling spirit, - - - - - - 198
To Mr. John Vests. — Joseph Hirst's visit to Yelling, - - 199
To Mr. Houghton. — Evil of controversy, ... 200
To Mr. John Venn.— Visit to Cambridge. — Mr. Newton's visit
to Yelling: his sermon, - - , - - - 201
To Mi*. John Venn.— Mr. Robinson appointed to St. Mary's,
Leicester, .-.---- 203

X CONTENTS. 1779. 204
Reflections on a thunder storm, - - " „n-
To Mr. John Venn.— On his birth-day.— Review of his Ufe, - *»
To Mr. John Venn. — Approaching examination, -
To Mr. John Venn. — Profitable conversation,

211

eight letters to his daughters, when they were from home.
To Miss Venn— Mr. Barham's family.— Advantage of intercourse
with true Christians, - - " " ,
To Miss Venn.— The advantages of set times for prayer, - iii
To Miss Venn  Rank and riches not a sourse of happiness, - :: Id
To Miss Venn.— On her birth-day.—" I am the Lord's,' - 215
To Miss Catherine Venn.— A meek spirit— Mrs. Barham, - 217
To Miss Catherine Venn— Adorable design of the Sabbath —
Retrospect of his own early Ufe, - - - - 219
To Miss Catherine Venn. — On her birth-day, - - 221
To Miss Catherine Venn. — The example of Jesus, - - 223

To Mr. Edward Venn. — Religion the basis of social duties, - 225
1780.
To Mr. Henry Jowett. — An aged Christian, ... 226
To Mr. Houghton. — Regard for his late flock. — Attack of illness, 227
His son's coming of age, ... - - 229
To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — « Coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on her Beloved." — « Everlasting Strength," - 229
To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Account of a Lady who swallowed
a pin  Lady Smythe. — Dr. Knowles, ... 232
To Mr. Edward Venn. — Intends to revisit Huddersfield, - 234
To Miss Jane Venn. — Revisiting and preaching at Huddersfield, - 236
1781.
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Account of his Journey to Hud
dersfield. — Mr. Robinson of Leicester. — Mr. Walker of
Rolherham. — EUand. — Return to Yelling, - - 237
To Mr. Houghton. — Affection of his Yorkshire friends, - - 240
His son takes his degree, - 241
To Mr. John Venn. — Scholars too often selfish, ... 241
To Mrs. Brasier. — The certainty of the salvation of infants, - 242
1782.
To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Our trials of use to others.  Death
of Mrs. Papworth, ... - . 344
To J. Brasier, Esq. — Illness of Mr. John Venn, - . 248
To Miss Riland, with » present of books. — Excellence of the
Bible, - - - - - - - 249

CONTENTS. XI
Section IV.
LETTERS WRITTEN FROM THE PERIOD OF HIS SON'S
ORDINATION, TO THE YEAR 1788.
Mr. John Venn's hesitation to enter the ministry, - - 251
Letter from Mr. John Venn — stating the reasons of his reluc
tance to enter the ministry, ----- 252
To Mr. John Venn. — Reply to his son's scruples, - - 255
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet.— Ordination of Mr. J. Venn and
Mr. Simeon, - - - - - 261
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — " But few are saved." — Preach
ing at St. Neot's. — Mr. Berridge, ... 264
1783.
To Mr. Edward Venn. — New year congratulation. — Mr. Robinson, 266
His son presented to the Uving of Little Dunham, - - 267
Young Men at Cambridge, .... - 268
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Ingratitude not to discourage us. —
Description of different London Ministers, - - 269
To the Rev. J. Venn. — Advice upon his going to Little Dunham.
— Preaching on the Commandments, ... 272
Written and Extempore Sermons, .... 273
Mr. Venn's own adoption of extempore preaching, - - 274
To Mr. T. Atkinson. — Convictions of sin. — A Hymn. — Visit
from Mr. J. Venn, - - - . 275
To the Rev. J. Venn. — Ministers not to be discouraged by want
of success, ------- 278
To Misses J. and C. Venn. — " God is love," . - - 280
Account of a journey into Shropshire. — Mr. Riland. — Mr. Fletcher.
— Mr. Jonathan Scott. — Mr. Robinson, - - - 281
1784.
To Lady Smythe. — Description of a weak and strong faith, - 282
To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Wishes for a happy new year. — Mr.
Simeon. — Young men at Cambridge, ... 284
To the Rev. J. Venn. — On assurance. — A condemned malefac
tor.— DecUning health, - - - . - 286
To the Rev. J. Venn. — Illness of Mr. John Venn. — Mr. Adam's
death. — Small success of Ministers, - - - - 288
To Miss Jane Venn. — Improvement of temporal blessings. — A
thunder storm. — Mr. Scott, of Olney, ... 290
To Miss Riland. — Letter to a Godchild^—- Difficulties of young
Christians.— The love of Christ for his Church, - - 293
To the Rev. J. Venn. — Ministers should be pains-taking. — DaH-
lee on the Colossians, .... - 295
To Miss Venn. — A young Christian in sickness and health, - 297
Mr. Maddock, of Creaton, - - - - - 298
To the Rev. J. Venn. — Behaviour towards Dissenters. — DaUlee
on the Colossians, ------ 299

CONTENTS.

300

Danger of neglecting Prayer, - - - - -
To Miss Jane Venn. — RecoUections of Huddersfield parsonage.
 News from Yelling. — Remembrance of his former flock, —
God a Father to His people, . - - - 302
1785.
To Mrs. Riland.— Recollections of Christmas. — the cxixth Psalm, 305
To Miss J. C. Venn.— Sermon on his 60th birth-day : « We look
not at the things which are seen, &c." — Death of Mr. Hough
ton's daughter, - - - - - 306
Young Men from Cambridge, - 309
His Visitation Sermon at Huntingdon, ... - 310
To Mrs. Riland. — Cheerfulness under illness, - - 310
To Lady M. Fitzgerald. — Mrs. Lefevre's Letters. — Lady
Glenorchy, - - - - - - -312
Mr. Richard Venn's residence at YelUng, - - 313
To the Rev. M. Powley. — Feels the approach of old age, - 314
To Mr. Edward Venn. — No one ever repented of serving Christ, 315
Marriage of Miss Venn with Mr. Elliott, - - - - 31G
To Miss J. C. Venn. — Review of his own progress in reUgion. —
Anticipation of Heaven, ----- 316
1786.
To Mr. Elliott  Early connections perpetuated above—Heaven
a scene of activity and usefulness, .... 318
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet  On teaching reUgion to child
ren  Dr. I. Milner, - . - . . 320
To Mrs. Elliott  A birth-day address. — Of the natural and glori
fied body, - - - - - - 321
Mr. Venn's preaching in London.— Mr. Wilberforce, - - 324
To J. Kershaw, Esq. — Recollections of Huddersfield, - - 325
To Lady M. Fitzgerald  Death of Lady Glenorchy.  Rest
prepared for the afflicted, .... 326
Letter from Lady M.Fitzgerald. — Humble views of herself—
Dr. Conyers, ..... 327
To Lady M. Fitzgerald  Commendation of the graces mani
fest in our Christian friends, .... 329
To Mrs. Riland  The feUcity of heaven, ... 331
To Miss J. C. Venn. — Mr. Johnson, Chaplain of New South
Wales  Conversion of the Heathen, - 332
To J. Kershaw, Esq.— Adam's Private Thoughts  Secession
from the Church, . - - - . _ 333
1787.
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet. — Grace proportioned to diligence-
Benefit of fasting, ..... ggg

CONTENTS. XIU
To Mrs. Riland. — Preaching, in his kitchen, when confined by
illness, ...... 336
To Mr. Elliott  The way of attaining heavenly mindedness, 338
To Mr. Elliott. — Piety in men of business, - - - 340
Section V.
LETTERS WRITTEN FROM THE YEAR 1788, TO THE
CLOSE OF HIS CORRESPONDENCE.
1788.
To the. Rev. John Venn  Importance of preaching on striking
texts  Mr. Berridge, ..... 341
Choice of Texts, - - - - - 343
To Mrs. Elliott. — Prayers for his children. — Death of Mrs.
Kershaw, ------ 344
To Mr. Elliott. — On the death of his mother, ... 346
1789.
To Mr. John Houghton. — Sunday-school at YeUing— A sermon
of Mr. John Venn. — His own decUning health, - - 347
To the Rev. John Venn. — Longs to be free from sin. — Kenni-
cott's Dissertations, ------ 348
The King's recovery, ------ 350
To Miss Catherine Venn. — God's loving-kindness and mercy. —
Wesley's error about Perfection , - - - - 351
Marriage of Mr. John Venn, - - - - - 353
To Mrs. Elliott  Confinement from PubUc Ordinances, through
illness. — Mr. Burnett — A family meeting, - - - 353
To Mrs. King. — Separation of dear relatives, ... 355
1790.
To Mr. Elliott. — Mr. Simeon, ----- 356
To Mrs. Elliott  Declining health of his family, - - 357
To Lady M. Fitzgerald  Death of Lady Smythe, - . 359
His last Sermon at Surrey Chapel, .... 360
To Mrs. John Venn. — Wishes for her prosperous journey. — Mr.
Parry  Mr. Thornton, - - - - 360
To Mr. Elliott  Trust in Providence, ... 302
Death of John Thornton, Esq., - - - - - 363
To the Rev. John Venn  Death of Mr. Thornton, - ^ - 363
Mr. Thornton's Church patronage, .... 364
To Miss J. C. Venn. — Particulars respecting Mr. Thornton's
-death : his munificence, - - - - '-'-., 365
2

XIV CONTENTS. 1791.

366 367

To Mrs. John Venn  On his own illness, - „
To the Rev. John Venn  " Knowing even as we are known.
Adam's Works. — Mr. Simeon, - - "
To Mrs. Riland— Mr. Newton— Visit to London and Lam-
... . - 369
bridge, - - „_-
To Mrs. Elliott  Death of Mr. Richard Venn. - - a/u
1792.
Declining health of Mr. Berridge, - - - • jj71
To Mr. T. Atkinson  Excellence of Christian chanty, - 372
To the Rev. John Venn  The placing of Ministers the preroga
tive of Christ, - - - " 373
To the Rev. J. Venn.  Usefulness is all, in Christians, 374
Address sent to a Clerical Society, - - 374
To the Rev. J. Venn  Mrs. Venn's illness, - - 375
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet  Death of Mrs. Venn, - - 376
Appointment of Mr. John Venn to the Rectory of Clapham, - 377
To Mrs. Elliott  Interview with friends at Buxton, - - 378
1793.
To the Rev. J. Venn — To encourage him in the prospect of his
Ministry at Clapham, - - - . 379
To the Rev. James and Mrs. Harvey. — Death of Mr. Berridge, - 382
Success of Mr. Evans at Yelling, - - 383
To the Rev. J. Venn  Happy state of mind  Milner's Church
History, - ----- 385
To Mrs. Riland  Concern for his daughter in case of his death, 385
To Mr. E. Venn  Ministrations in Clapham Church, - - 386
To Mr. Elliott  Earnest desire to depart, ... 387
1794.
To the Rev. J. Venn  Afflictions wean us from the world.  Mr:
Hodson of Jamaica, - - - 388
1795.
To the Rev. J. Stillingfleet:— Waiting for death— Abounding
hope and prayer  Soaring to Heaven, ... 3gg
1796.
To the Rev. John Venn. — Insisting on the fruits of faith  Now
finds Christ sufficient for him, - 39j

CONTENTS. XV
PART UT.
LETTERS ON PARTICULAR SUBJECTS, TOO LONG FOR
INSERTION IN THE PRECEDING SECTIONS.
To Jonathan Scott, Esq. — Directions for leading a Christian
life, - - - - - - - 394
To John Brasier, Esq. — On the same subject, - - 403
To a Clergyman  On tlie study of the Hebrew — and the suffi
ciency of Translations to convey the knowledge of the Truth. 408
To Lady Mary Fitzgerald  Cautions against discouragement
from the Uves of eminently holy persons, - , - - 420
Humihty of Mr. Fletcher, ----- 422
The mistakes into which young Ministers are apt to fall, - 427

PART I.
— *
MEMOIR.

Henry Venn was born at Barnes, in Surrey, on the
2d of March, 1724.
*[His ancestors were clergymen of the Church of
England, in an uninterupted line, from the period of the
Reformation. The first of whom any particular infor
mation has been preserved, was William Venn, B. A.,
Vicar of Otterton, Devonshire, who died in the year 1621.
He had two sons, who afterwards became beneficed
clergymen, and were sufferers, during the time of the
Commonwealth, for their attachment to the King and the
established form of worship ; namely, Richard Venn, M.
A., (the ancestor of Henry Venn,) who was presented, in
1625, to the vicarage his father had held ; and Robert
Venn, M. A., Vicar of Thelbridge, Devonshire. Some
account of the persecutions these ministers endured is
given in Walker's "Sufferings of the Clergy." Mr.
Walker states, respecting1 Richard Venn, that "he was
dispossessed of his living by the Parliamentary Commis
sioners. — The accusations brought against him, before
the Committee, consisted chiefly of matters which had
passed some years before, relating to his loyalty, and dis
affection to the Parliament. — The witnesses who appeared
against him could not but give an attestation to his worth
and honesty, and more particularly to his diligence in the
discharge of his ministerial function. — After wandering
from place to place, to avoid persecution, he lived to
* The parts included between angular brackets, throughout this
Memoir, have been added by the Editor. — See the Preface.
2* (17)

18 MB.
repossess his vicarage, after the Restoration. — He was a
man of worth and learning, a good Christian and a good
preacher, well beloved in his parish, and spoken ot with
honour amongst them to this very day."— Richard Venn
had a numerous family of children; one of whom was
Dennis Venn, M. A., Vicar of Holbeton, Devonshire,
who died in 1695, leaving an infant son, Richard, who
was the father of Henry Venn. This son was brought
up under the vigilant superintendence of his mother.
Under such tuition, amiable manners and sweetness of
disposition might be expected, rather than firmness and
resolution: these latter qualities were, however, culti
vated by Mrs. Venn, with no small success, in the
education of her son, and were striking features of his
character in after-life. In illustration of this remark, it
is recorded, that being asked when she intended to send
her son to college, she replied, "When I have taught
him to say 'No,' boldly." He completed his education
at Sidney College, Cambridge; where he sustained the
character of a diligent student, an able scholar, and a
person of strict morals and piety. He became Rector
of St. Antholin's, London, and was also possessed of
some sinecure preferment. He was distinguished as an
exemplary and learned minister, very zealous for the
interests of the Church of England, which he conceived
to be the grand support of Christianity in this nation.
He was also remarkable for great liberality towards the
poor, and especially towards distressed clergymen. He
enjoyed the friendship and society of Bishops Gibson and
Hare, Doctors Berriman, Stebbing, and other learned
divines of that day. In the year 1734, he was brought
into public notice, and incurred obloquy from certain
quarters, in consequence of the determined opposition he
made, in conjunction with Bishop Gibson, to the promo
tion of Dr. Rundle to the bishopric of Gloucester ; Dr.
Rundle having used expressions, in his hearing, which he
conceived to be of a deistical tendency."* Mr. Richard
Venn married the daughter of Richard Ashton, Esq.,

* See Letters of Dr. Rundle, Lord Bishop of Derry, with Introductory
Memoirs, by James Dallaway, M. A.

ANECDOTES OF HIS CHILDHOOD. 19
Paymaster of the Pensions to King Charles II., and Privy
Purse to James II. This gentleman was apprehended
in 1690, in an attempt to pass over to France, in a small
boat, with Lord Preston and Mr. Elliott ; and a packet
of papers being found upon him, which contained intelli
gence for the deposed king, he was tried and executed
on the charge of high-treason.
Mr. Venn died in 1739, aged 48, leaving three sons — •
Dr. Edward Venn, of St. John's College, Cambridge,
who settled as a physician at Ipswich ; Richard, and
Henry ; and one daughter, Mary, who married Mr. W.
J. Gambier, of London. After his death, a volume of
his works was published by his widow, containing seve
ral of his sermons, and a few papers which had appeared
in a periodical work.]
Henry Venn discovered from a child, such activity
and energy of mind, such decision and zeal in whatever
he undertook, that all who observed him expected he
would one day become an extraordinary character. A
few anecdotes of his boyish years will serve to illustrate
this. Whilst he was yet a child, Sir Robert Walpole attempted
to introduce more extensively the system of the Excise.
A violent opposition was excited, and the popular cry
rang strongly against this measure. Our young politician
caught the alarm, and could not sleep in his bed, lest
the excise bill should pass ; and, on the day on which
it was to be submitted to Parliament, his zeal. led him
to leave his father's house early, and to wander through
the streets, crying "No Excise!" till the evening; when
he returned home, exhausted with fatigue, and with his
voice totally lost by his patriotic exertions.
A gentleman, who was reported to be an Arian, called
one day upon his father. The child (for such he then
was) came into the room, and, with a grave countenance,
earnestly surveyed him. The gentleman, observing the
notice which the child took of him, began to show him
some civil attentions, but found all his friendly overtures
sternly rejected! At length, upon his more earnestly
soliciting him to come to him, the boy indignantly replied,
''I will not come near you; for you are an Arian."

20 ANECDOTES OF HIS CHILDHOOD.
As he adopted, with all his heart, the opinions which
he imbibed, he early entertained a most vehement dis
like of all Dissenters. It happened that a dissenting
minister's son, two or three years older than himself,
lived in the same street, in London, with his father ; and
young Henry, in his zeal for the Church, made no scruple
to attack and fight this seceder from it, whenever he met
him. It was a curious circumstance, that, many years
afterwards, he became acquainted with this very indivi
dual, who was then a dissenting minister; and who con
fessed to him how much he had been the terror of his life ;
and acknowledged, that he never durst leave his father's
door till he had carefully looked on every side, to see
that this young champion of the Church was not in the
street. It could scarcely be expected that such vehemence of
mind would be restrained within due bounds : it accord
ingly increased into an inordinate ambition, attended, as
is usually the case, with the fever of impatient jealousy.
A singular instance of this was exhibited upon his hear
ing a gentleman very highly commend some of the Latin
exercises of his elder brother. His passions were so
agitated by this commendation, that, though he sup
pressed them so far as to conceal his jealousy, his exer
tions to do so actually threw him into a convulsion-fit,
to the great alarm of the family.
I mention these incidents merely to show the strong
feelings, and decision of character, which he inherited
from nature. He possessed powers which could not but
be active ; but how these powers should be determined,
whether to good or evil, whether to the benefit or the in
jury of society, remained yet a question. Great energy
of character is a dangerous quality : it is a power which
•must do much good or much evil. Hence, Dr. Glouces
ter Ridley, after attentively observing his character when
young, said, " This boy "will go up Holborn, and either
stop at Ely-place (the then palace of the Bishop of Ely )
or go on to Tyburn." Happily, his energy was exerted
in a right direction !
Let it not, however, be supposed that energy was the
only prominent feature of his boyhood. His generous

REMARKABLE ESCAPE FROM DANGER. 21
kindness and affection were equally conspicuous ; and
he had a natural frankness and vivacity of manner, which
won upon all who knew him ; so that he was soon the
favourite, not only of his parents, but of his brothers, of
the servants, and of the whole neighbourhood.
In his early years he experienced several remarkable
escapes from danger : one of which, on account of its
singularity, deserves to be recorded.
There was a small court between St. Antholin's church
and that part of the rectory-house in which his father's
study was situated. This had been roofed and tiled
over; and here he used to play, when he was able to
say his lessons, till.his father was at leisure to hear him.
One day, being perfect in his lesson, he, as usual, asked
leave to play, but was refused. As this leave had rarely
before been denied, and his father did not appear to be
at leisure to hear him, he concluded that his request had
been misunderstood, and again asked permission to play,
but was immediately and peremptorily refused. Soon
after, his mother came into the room ; and seeing him
looking out of the window, while his father appeared
deeply engaged in writing, she asked, of her own ac
cord, whether he might not be allowed to play : but. her
request was also refused. She thought this extraordi
nary ; but her surprise was changed into astonishment
and gratitude, when, a few minutes after, the whole roof
fell in ; and would have crushed her child to death, had
he been playing there, as was requested. His father ac
knowledged that he had no particular reason, at the
moment, for denying the wonted permission ; but, having
once refused, thought it proper to persist in the refusal.
It may be here said : ' You produce a miracle, in ordei
to exalt your hero into a saint.'— I by no means do this.
I do not argue in behalf of any man's excellence from
such providential interferences in his favour. I believe
that remarkable instances of preservation from peril, such
as can only be ascribed to the particular interposition of
Divine agency, are experienced by all persons, and by
the bad as well as the good. The inference which I
draw from these facts is this — That they are intended to
demonstrate, not the particular favour which God bears

22 SCHOOL EDUCATION.
to an individual, but His general mercy and care over
all his creatures: they are designed as sensible and
striking manifestations, rendered necessary by the gross-
ness and dulness of our faculties, of the presence and
continual agency of our Creator : they serve to set the
presence of God more immediately before us. Nor are
such interpositions, I believe, unfrequent. Every person
can probably recollect several, in his own case ; and he
had opportunities of observing the same in the case of .
others. The world, which studiously excludes from
view the supreme cause, attributes them to accident;
but the Scripture, which removes the veil, and explains
the agency of the Almighty, after describing several such
instances of preservation in the 107th Psalm, adds this
conclusion: "Whoso is wise, and will observe these
things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness
of the Lord."
In the year 1737, being twelve years old, he was sent
to school at Mortlake, a neighbouring village to Barnes,
at which he remained two years. From this school he
was removed to the care of Mr. Crofts, of Fulham ;
where he had not been long, before his father died, (Feb.
16, 1739,) and he was deprived of the benefits which
he would have derived from the care and superintend
ence of a pious, affectionate, and learned parent.
He continued at Mr. Crofts' several months after his
father's death ; and his quitting this situation was at his
own request — a request which indicated an energy, and
a. right turn of thinking, uncommon in a boy of fourteen.
He told his mother, that, though he was treated with the
highest degree of tenderness at Mr. Crofts', yet the very
indulgence which was shown to him and the rest of the
boys was an impediment to their improvement. He re
quested her, therefore, to send him to a school where the
discipline was more strict, and where the chief stress was
laid upon improvement in learning : for he considered
even severity to be preferable, on this account, to too
much indulgence.
Such a school was found, at the Rev. Mr. Catcott's
of Bristol, author of a Treatise on the Deluge, and other
Tracts. He was a man of remarkable strictness, and

ENTRANCE AT COLLEGE. 23
even sternness of discipline, imposing large tasks upon
his pupils, and very sparing in his commendations; I
however always heard my father speak of him with the
highest respect. He gained his master's good opinion,
by great diligence, and by a steady desire of improve
ment; so that he never once suffered correction from
him, or incurred his displeasure.
I know not what occasioned his removal from Mr.
Catcott's, where he continued about a year ; but, in
1741, he was placed at the Rev. Dr. Pitman's Academy,
Market street, Hertfordshire, where he finished his school
education. In June, 1742, being seventeen years of age, he was
admitted to St. John's College, Cambridge, where his
elder brother had already resided some years. But,
having obtained a Rustat Scholarship in Jesus College,
he removed in September to that society, of which he
continued a member for seven years.
Going to college with the advantage of an acquaint
ance already established with several respectable mem
bers of the University, who had been intimate friends of
his father, and having also a brother who had been resi
dent there upwards of five years, he was soon surround
ed by a numerous circle of friends. These he increased
by qualities which made his company much sought after ;
namely, a never-failing fund of high spirits, a natural
hilarity and gayety of manner, an engaging sweetness of
temper, and a memory stored with anecdotes, which he
related in a manner peculiarly interesting. Besides this,
he captivated all whose good opinion he wished to gain,
. by a delicate attention, arising from a happy mixture of
benevolence, modesty, and respeot : there were there
fore, perhaps, very few men in the University who were
so generally esteemed and beloved. He was, however,
very select in the choice of his society, never keeping
company either with profligate men or with persons of
mean talents. The rule he laid down was, to be ac
quainted only with those from whom he could gain im
provement. In the year 1745 he took the degree of B. A. In 1747
he was appointed, by Dr. Battie (who had been a ward

24 FIRST RELIGIOUS IMPRESSIONS.
of his father's) to one of the University Scholarships,
which he had just founded, and the nomination to which
he reserved to himself during his own life ; and in June,
the same year, he was ordained Deacon, by Bishop Gib
son, in the Chapel of Fulham Palace, without a title,
from the respect which the Bishop bore to his father's
memory. In 1749 he became M. A.; previous to which
he had been elected Fellow of Queen's College, chiefly
through the recommendation of Mr. Owen Manning, the
Tutor of Queen's, who had formed an intimate friendship
with him. He would have been chosen Fellow of his
own College, had there been a vacancy during the time
he was capable of holding that station. He continued
Fellow of Queen's till his marriage, in 1757.
It was about the time of his entering into Holy Orders
that his first religious impressions commenced : and as
the life of a retired and pious clergyman, distinguished
neither by rank nor preferment, nor by interesting inci
dents, can be useful only by tracing accurately his reli
gious progress, it is to this part of his history that I shall
now chiefly direct my attention.
Hitherto, religion had made no particular impression
on his mind. He was moral and decent in his conduct,
regular in his attendance on public worship, and had ac
customed himself chiefly to read books of Divinity, after
he had taken his degree of B. A.; but he was a stranger
to that influence of religion which gives it a predomi
nancy in the mind over every thing besides, and to those
views of the benefits and excellence of the Christian dis
pensation which render the Saviour the object of the
highest affection and regard. He possessed, however,
high ideas of clericaWlecorum, and scrupulous conscien
tiousness in doing faithfully whatever he was convinced
to be right: and so highly did he rate a strict regard to
conscience, in acting up to the light received, that he
often used to say, in his own forcjble way of expressing
himself, that he owed the salvation of his soul to the re
solute self-denial which he exercised, in following the
dictates of conscience in a point which of itself seemed
one only of small importance.
The case was this : — He was extremely fond of cricket,

DESIRE OF LIVING TO GOD'S GLORY. 25
and reckoned one of the best players in the University.
In the week before he was ordained, he played in a
match between Surrey and All England : the match had
excited considerable interest, and was attended by a
very numerous body of spectators. When the game
terminated, in favour of the side on which he played, he
threw down his bat, saying, " Whoever wants a bat which
has done me good service, may take that ; as I have no
further occasion for it." His friends inquiring the reason,
he replied, "Because I am to be ordained on Sunday;
and I will never have it said of me, ' Well struck, Par
son !' "—and to this resolution, notwithstanding the re-'
monstrances of his friends, and even of the Tutor and
Fellows of his college, he -strictly adhered : nay, though
his health suffered by a sudden transition from a course
of most violent exercise to a life of comparative inactivity,
he could never be persuaded to play any more. Thus,
being faithful in a little, more grace was imparted to him.
The first considerable religious impression made upon
his mind arose from an expression in the Form of Prayer,
which he had been daily accustomed to use, like the
world in general, without paying much attention to it —
" That I may live to the glory of Thy name !" The
thought powerfully struck his mind : — " What is it, to
live to the glory of God ? Do I live as I pray ? What
course of life ought I to pursue, to glorify God?" After
much reflection on this subject, he came to this conclu
sion — That to live to the glory of God required that he
should live a life of piety and religion, in a degree in
which he was conscious he had not yet lived ; — that he
ought to be more strict in prayer, more diligent in read
ing the Scripture and pious books, and more generally
holy in his conduct : — and, seeing the reasonableness of
such a course of life, his uprightness again discovered
itself in immediately and steadily pursuing it. He set
apart stated seasons for meditation and prayer, turning
his reading chiefly into a religious channel, and kept a
strict account of the manner in which he spent his time
and regulated his conduct. I have heard him say, that
it was his custom at this period to walk almost every
evening in the cloisters of Trinity College, during the
3

26

STRICT MODE OF LIFE.

time that the great bell of St. Mary's was tolling at nine
o'clock ; and, amidst the solemn tones and pauses of the
bell, and the stillness and darkness of the night, he
would indulge in impressive and awful reflections, on
Death and Judgment, Heaven and Hell.
[In a letter, written late in life to one of his children,
he alluded, in the following beautiful manner, to this
early stage of his religious progress : —
" {Yelling, Sept. 2, 1785.) — How do I feel more than requited for
all the pains I have taken, and the prayers I have offered, when I
read your earnest desires that you may glorify God ! Supernatural
is that desire : it is the bud and the blossom, which bring forth
all the fruit the Church of God bears. Well I remember, when,
in the midst of great darkness respecting the Person, the work,
and office of my adored Redeemer — in the midst of utter ignorance
of the Law and my own total corruption — I felt this desire, strong
and urgent, from day to day : and it hath never departed from me,
and never will ! This supreme desire to glorify God is like a
friendly clue in a labyrinth, which guides us out of all perplexities,
and excites an earnest cry, which, in time, brings us to the enjoy
ment of our God and Saviour, gives us increasing views of His
excellency and glory, and ripens us for the vast assembly of per
fect spirits, who are swallowed up in love and adoration of God,
and are perfectly one with each other."]
In this frame of mind, " Law's Serious Call to a De
vout and Holy Life," a book which has been the means
of exciting many to a life of holiness, was particularly
useful to him : he read it repeatedly, with peculiar inte
rest and advantage ; and immediately began, with great
sincerity, to frame his life according to the Christian
model there delineated. He kept a diary of the state of
his mind ; a practice from which he derived great benefit,
though not exactly in the way he expected ; for it chiefly
made him better acquainted with his own deficiency.
He also allotted the hours of the day, as far as was con
sistent with the necessary duties and employments of his
station, to particular acts of meditation and devotion.
He kept frequent fasts; and was accustomed often to
take solitary walks, in which his soul was eno-ao-ed in
prayer and communion with God. I have heart! him
mention, that, in one of these retired walks, in the mea
dows behind Jesus College, he had such a view of the
goodness, mercy, and glory of God, as elevated his sou]

CURACIES. 27
above the world, and made him aspire towards God, as
his supreme good, with unutterable ardour and enjoyment.
So great a change in his taste could not but produce a
great alteration in his general mode of life. The sprightly
Harry Venn, who was always in company, and himself
the gayest of the circle, was now seldom to be met with
in mixed parties. He was indeed so entirely engrossed
by the things which are spiritual and eternal; that, when
he found none of his companions inclined to converse
with him on these subjects, he gradually withdrew from
their company, and confined himself only to the ordinary
intercourses of society. One person only, of all his
former numerous friends, appeared willing to listen to
his conversation on religious subjects.
For about six months after he was elected Fellow of
Queen's, he served the curacy of Barton, near Cambridge ;
where he distributed Religious Tracts, and conversed
with the poor in a manner that several of them affection
ately remembered after an interval of above thirty years.
He afterwards assisted different friends, by officiating for
them, at Wadenhoe in Northamptonshire, Sible Hedring-
ham in Essex, and other places; where, besides the
regular duty on a Sunday, he used to instruct the
people at his own house, in the week. In July, 1750,
he ceased to reside in college, and began to devote
himself entirely to ministerial services ; accepting the
curacy of Mr. jlangley, who held the livings of St. Mat
thew, Friday street, in London, and West Horsley, near
Guilford, in Surrey. My father's duty was, to serve the
church in London, during part of the summer, and to
reside the remainder of the year at Horsley; and in this
employment he continued four years.
At Horsley he instructed many of the poor, during the
week, at his own house. His family prayer was often
attended by thirty or forty of his poorer neighbours. The
number of communicants was increased, while he was
curate, from twelve to sixty. His activity and zeal,
however, offended some of the neighbouring clergy, who
took no pains in their parishes, and occasioned them to
stigmatize him as an enthusiast and a methodist ; though,
in truth, he had no knowledge whatever, at that time, of

28 REMARKABLE ACT OF DISINTERESTEDNESS.
the persons usually distinguished by the latter name.
Once, at a meeting of some clergymen, his character
being thus rudely treated, he met with a singular defender
in an old fox-hunting clergyman: — " Hush !"_ said he;
" I feel a great respect for such men as Mr. Venn, and
wish there were more of the kind ! They are the salt
of our order, and keep it from putrefaction. If the whole
body of the clergy were like ourselves, the world would
see that we were of no use, and take away our tithes ;
but a few of these pious ones 'redeem our credit, and
save for us our livings."
While he continued curate of Horsley, he had an op
portunity of showing a very remarkable instance of dis
interestedness. Sir John Evelyn was patron of the living
of Wotton, in that neighbourhood ; a living then worth
between 2001. and 300Z. a year. He was a gentleman
very anxious to keep up the due knowledge and worship
of God in his parish, and used to maintain the most
friendly intercourse with the clergymen of that and the
neighbouring parish (to which he also presented ;) being
accustomed to drink tea with them, alternately, on a
stated day in the week. It was an object, therefore, of
importance to him to have at Wotton a clergyman of
exemplary character, and a man of knowledge and learn
ing. As soon as the living was vacant, the Squire of
Horsley, unknown to my father, applied earnestly in his
favour, for the living, to Sir John ; assuring him, that
he .was the very kind of clergyman who would suit his
views ; and Sir John himself seemed already disposed
. to accede to his wishes. The only reason which made
him hesitate, was the dilapidated state of the parsonage,
which, he thought, would require a person of some pri
vate fortune to put and keep in proper repair. My father
having learned these circumstances, while the patron's
mind was still wavering, turned the scale against him
self. Having long been acquainted with Mr. Bryan
Broughton, Secretary to the Society for Promoting Chris
tian Knowledge, and having a high respect for his vir
tues, he considered him as exactly the kind of man who
would suit Sir John ; and, judging that he stood more
in need of the preferment than himself, he wrote an

WRITINGS OF MR. W. LAW. 29
anonymous letter to Sir John, giving a full and faithful
account of his friend's character, and recommending him
to the living: and Sir John, after making inquiry into
Mr Broughton's character, presented him ; nor had he
ever reason to repent of following the advice of his
anonymous correspondent.
Whilst he lived in this retirement, his books and his
devotions afforded him a fund of never-ceasing pleasure.
He was accustomed to ride upon the fine downs in that
neighbourhood, and to chant to himself the Te Deum ;
and in this devotional exercise he used to be carried far
above terrestrial objects. His plan of life was very me
thodical ; realizing, as far as he was able, that laid down
by Mr. Law, in his " Christian Perfection." Mr. Law
was, indeed, now his favourite author ; and, from attach
ment to him, he was in great danger of imbibing the
tenets of the mystical writers, whose sentimenls Mr. Law
had adopted, in the latter periods of his life. Many
writings of this class discover, indeed, such traces of
genuine and deep piety, that it is not at all wonderful
that a person of exalted devotional feelings should admire
them. From a too fond attachment, however, to Mr. Law's
tenets, he was recalled by the writings of Mr. Law him
self. WThen Mr. Law's " Spirit of Love," or " Spirit of
Prayer," (I am not sure which) was about to be published,
no miser, waiting for the account of a rich inheritance
devolving on him, was ever more eager than he was to
receive a book from which he expected to derive so
much knowledge and improvement. The bookseller had
been importuned to send him the first copy published.
At length, the long-desired work was received, one
evening ; and he set himself to peruse it with the utmost
avidity. He read till he came to a passage wherein Mr.
Law seemed to represent the blood of Christ as of no
more avail, in procuring our salvation, than the excellence
of his moral character. " What !" he exclaimed, " does
Mr. Law thus degrade the death of Christ, which the
Apostles represent as a sacrifice for sins, and to which
they ascribe the highest efficacy in procuring our salva
tion! Then, farewell such a guide ! Henceforth I will
3*

30 CHANGE IN MR. VENN'S
call no man master!" From that moment he laid aside
his overweening esteem for human productions, and ap
plied himself chiefly to the study of the sacred writers.
' His preaching was, however, still of the strictest kind.
He required (according to the ideas which he had im
bibed from the mystical writers) a measure almost of
perfection in man ; and exalted the standard of holiness
to a degree to which it was scarcely possible that the
frail children of men could ever reach.
It is true, he was himself striving, with the utmost
assiduity, to reach that point. He kept a diary, in which
he endeavoured to record the very slightest alienation of
thought from the love or fear of God — every rising of
irregular desires and passions— every thought which
seemed to be contrary to the spirit of our Holy Religion.
This he deeply lamented before God, and, with fervent
prayer, requested that every thought of his heart might
be brought into captivity to the Law of Christ.
Still, however, as must be the case where a man can
not attain the object he has proposed to himself, he was
not happy : he did not overcome sin in the degree in
which he had hoped ; and, as he was conscious of no
deficiency of endeavour on his part, he began to feel re
ligion to be a hard service, rather than one which was
perfect freedom : he deeply felt for the rest of the world,
who neither did, nor, generally speaking, could, make
such exertions as himself; and the question often forcibly
occurred to him in the pulpit, "Why do you impose
upon others a standard^ to which you are conscious you
have not yourself attained?"
Such reflections induced him to study the Scriptures
more attentively: and then he began to perceive that his
attachment to mystical writers had hitherto led him to
overlook the particular provision which is made for
fallen and sinful man in the Gospel of our Blessed Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ. He now saw that it was not
upon the perfection of our obedience, but upon the all-
sufficient merits and the infinite mercies of a Redeemer,
that we are to rely for our justification. He saw that
sinners are brought, through the Gospel," into a new state
— a state of reconciliation to our Heavenly Father  a

RELIGIOUS VIEWS. 31
state of adoption into His family — a state of grace and
mercy. Hence the religion of Christ now became to
him a religion of hope, and peace, and joy : he saw that
our sins are taken away by the blood of Christ, and that,
being justified by faith in Him, we have peace towards
God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and rejoice in the
hope of the glory of God, and joy also in God, by whom
we have received the atonement. He beheld with won
der the infinite tenderness, compassion, and love of the
Saviour; upon whose care and providence he now relied,
to sanctify him by His Spirit, and to make him meet for
the kingdom of glory above. The desire of his heart
had been already towards holiness ; but it was with a
view to render himself acceptable to a holy God by his
own excellence. He now felt the same desire : but it
sprang from a different motive : it was an earnest wish to
show forth the praises of Him who had called him out
of darkness into His marvellous light. He did not con
ceive himself, any more than formerly, at liberty to sin
against God ; but that which before had been a servile
fear was changed into a spirit of filial attachment to his
Heavenly Father. Love to God, and to the greatest of
all benefactors, his blessed Saviour and Redeemer, now
became the ruling principle of all his devotion and all his
conduct ; and he entered fully into the meaning of the
Apostle, when he exclaimed, " God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!" "I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the know
ledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ; — that I may win Christ,
and be found in Him ; not having my own righteous
ness, which is of the Law, — but the righteousness which
is of God, by faith."
This essential change in his views produced an im
portant change in his feelings and in his preaching. He
now enjoyed a peace and cheerfulness of mind, which
he had not done before ; which he could not do whilst
he looked chiefly to himself and his own qualifications
for heaven. <¦ His preaching, also, set forth a new object,
and took a new direction. He now more fully explained
to his hearers " the unsearchable riches of Christ ;" he
set before them the love of God, in making " Him, who

32 CURACY OF CLAPHAM.
knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him." He entreated them,
in the name of Christ, to be reconciled to God ; assuring
the penitent of a gracious reception, and urging him to
flee to the hope set before him — to that Great Deliverer,
who would supply all things needful for him ; who would
impart to him the sanctifying influences of the Spirit ;
who would bless him with His grace here, and conduct
him to glory hereafter. The effect of his preaching be
came now much more manifest. The view of so great
a salvation, offered so freely to mankind, filled the hearts
of many with fervent love to their Saviour, and with
earnest desire to be numbered among His disciples.
From that time his preaching became highly useful to
many, who gladly devoted themselves to the service of
a Saviour, by whom they expected the burden of their
sins to be removed, and from whom they hoped to de
rive grace to help in time of need, comfort in the hour
of affliction, peace in the midst of an evil and turbulent
world, support in the season of death, and a holy prepa
ration for the life to come.
It is observable, that this change of his sentiments was
not to be ascribed to an intercourse with others; it was
the steady progress of his mind, in consequence of a
faithful and diligent application to the Holy Scriptures,
unbiassed by an attachment to human systems. It was
not till some years afterwards that he became acquainted
with any of those preachers who are usually known by
the name of Evangelical ; though his own views now
agreed with theirs, and were strictly, and in a proper
sense, Evangelical ; that is, in conformity with the mo
tives and hopes held out to us in the Gospel of Christ.
In 1754, he accepted the curacy of Clapham, in Sur
rey, where he resided five years; officiating at the same
time, during the week, in three different churches in
London, where - he held Lectureships. [His regular
duties consisted of a full service at Clapham on the
Sunday morning* a sermon in the afternoon at St. Al-
ban's, Wood Street ; and in the evening at St. Swithin's
London-stone. On Tuesday morning, a sermon at St.
Swithin's; on Wednesday morning, at seven o'clock at

MARRIAGE. 33
St. Antholin's ; and on Thursday evening at Clapham.]
At Clapham he became intimately acquainted with the
late John Thornton, Esq., of that place, who was then a
young man of deep piety, and whose views of Divine
Truth soon became congenial with his own. Between
them was formed a friendship of the strictest kind, which
continued till Mr. Thornton's death. Here also he be
came intimate with Sir John Barnard,* who was spend
ing the latter days of his life in that village ; and of whom
he published some interesting Memoirs. Here he first
began to experience, from those who disliked the re
straints of religion, and from those who wished to be
satisfied with a merely formal profession, that opposition
which every preacher of vital Christianity must expect.
On the other hand, however, he met with many persons
to whom his preaching was highly acceptable and useful.
In 1756, he laboured under a severe illness, which in
capacitated him for duty, for more, than eight months.
This, however, was a most useful season to him. He
had time to reflect upon his principles and his conduct;
and he used to observe, that after that period he was no
longer able to preach the sermons which he had previ
ously composed. His views of eternal things had now
become clearer — his meditations on the attributes of God
more profound — his views of the greatness of the salva
tion of Christ more distinct; and the whole of his religion
had received that tincture of more elevated devotion
which rendered his conversation and his preaching
doubly instructive.
In May, 1757, he married Miss Bishop, daughter of
the Rev. Thomas Bishop, D. D., minister of the Tower
Church in Ipswich, a gentleman of high eminence as a
scholar and a divine, who preached the sermons in St.
Paul's, for Lady Moyer's Lecture, in 1724-25, which
were afterwards published, together with some other
valuable Theological Treatises. In this lady, Mr. Venn
found a mind congenial with his own, — the most sincere

* Sir J. Barnard represented the city of London in seven successive
Parliaments ; and was also Lord Mayor in the year 1737.

34 REMOVAL TO HUDDERSFIELD.
and exalted piety, directed by a sound judgment, and
enriched by a sweetness of disposition and animation,
which rendered her particularly interesting as a compa
nion and a friend.
In 1759, he accepted the vicarage of Huddersfield, in
Yorkshire, the grand scene of his labaurs in the Church.
He was induced to accept this living, not from any de
sire of increasing his income ; for, in fact, his income
was diminished by it materially; the living of Hudders
field not amounting to 100Z. per annum, and the collec
tion of the income (consisting chiefly of the smallest
sums) being made in a way the most disagreeable to his
feelings. But he conceived that he should be far more
extensively useful in a parish, the population of which
consisted of many thousand souls, than in that of Clap
ham, where he had not experienced the success of his
labours in the degree that he had hopedv
As soon as he began to preach at Huddersfield, the
church became crowded to such ah extent that many
were not able to procure admission. Numbers became
deeply impressed with concern about their immortal
souls ; persons flocked from the distant hamlets, in
quiring what they must do to be saved. He found them,
in general, utterly ignorant of their state by nature, and
of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. His bowels
yearned over his flock ; and he was never satisfied with
his labours among them, though they were continued to
a degree ruinous to his health. On the Sunday, he
would often address the congregation from' the desk,
briefly explaining and enforcing the Psalms and the Les
sons. He would frequently begin the Service with a
solemn and most impressive address, exhorting them to
consider themselves as in the presence of the great God
of Heaven, whose eye was in a particular manner upon
them, whilst they drew nigh to Him, in His own house.
His whole soul was engaged in preaching; and, as at
this time he only used short notes in the pulpit, ample
room was left to indulge the feelings of compassion, of
tenderness, and of love, with which his heart overflowed
towards his people. In the week, he statedly visited the

EFFECT OF HIS PREACHING ON A SOCINIAN. 35
different hamlets in his extensive parish ; and, collecting
some of the inhabitants at a private house, he addressed
them with a kindness and earnestness which moved
every heart. Opposition, however, followed him here :
for what integrity of mind, what excellence of conduct,
what purity of zeal, can shield a man from it, when oui
Blessed Lord, immaculate as He was, and His Apostles
endued with His Spirit, were not exempted from it ? He
was assailed with the old and slanderous insinuation,
that he preached the doctrine of faith alone, and ne
glected to enforce works ; though his whole life was a
practical confutation of such a falsehood ; and the lives
of those who received-the doctrines he preached became
so strict and exemplary, that they were immediately ac
cused of carrying holiness to an unnecessary length.
An instance occurs to me here of the effect and suc
cess of his preaching, which deserves to be recorded. A
club, chiefly composed of Socinians, in a neighbouring
market-town, having heard much censure and ridicule
bestowed upon his preaching, sent two of their body,
whom they considered the ablest to detect absurdity, and
the most witty to expose it, to hear this strange preacher,
and to furnish matter of merriment for the next meeting.
They accordingly went; but could not but be struck,
when they entered the church, to see the multitude that
Vas assembled together, to observe the devotion of their
behaviour, and to witness their anxiety to attend the
worship of God. When Mr. Venn ascended the reading-
desk, he addressed his flock, as usual, with a solemnity
and dignity which showed him to be deeply interested
in the work in which he was engaged : the earnestness
of his preaching, and the solemn appeals he made to
conscience deeply impressed them ; so that one of them
observed, as they left the church, " Surely God is in this
place! there is no matter for laughter here!" This gen
tleman immediately called upon Mr. Venn, told him who
he was; and the purpose for which he had come, and
earnestly begged his forgiveness and his prayers. He
requested Mr. Venn to visit him without delay, and left
the Socinian congregation ; and from that time, to the

36 . SEVERE FAMILY TRIALS.
hour of his death, became one of Mr. Venn's most faith
ful and affectionate friends.*
The deep impression made by his preaching, upon all
ranks of people,* was indeed very striking. A gentleman,
highly respectable for his character, talents, and piety —
the late William Hey, Esq., of Leeds, who frequently went
to Huddersfield, to hear him preach — assured me, that
once returning home with an intimate friend, they neither
of them opened their lips to each other till they came
within a mile of Leeds, a distance of about fifteen miles ;
so deeply were they impressed by the very important
truths which they had heard from the pulpit, and the
very impressive manner in which they had been delivered.
But, whilst he was thus listened to by the most crowd
ed auditories, and blessed with an unusual degree of suc
cess in his ministry, he was himself suffering under the
sharpest trials. He had expected, when he came into
Yorkshire, that the cheapness of the country would
counterbalance the diminution of his income : he found,
however, the case to be otherwise : the hospitality
which it was necessary for him to maintain, and the
number of visiters who flocked to him, even from dis
tant parts of- the country, rendered his expenses very
great. He had a wife and an increasing family ; and
was separated from his former connections and friends,
by whose interests he might have obtained an accession*
to his income. But what could he do ? To return back
to London, was to abandon a flock, over which God
seemed, in His providence, to have placed him ; where
his labours were blessed with unusual success ; and
where the name of his Lord and Master now began to be
generally honoured, and His word obeyed. On the other
hand, all the difficulties of embarrassed circumstances,
from which he saw no way of deliverance, presented
themselves to him. In this state, the faith. of his excel
lent wife was of great use to him. She had, at first,. been
very averse to his accepting his present situation ; but
* This gentleman was James Kershaw, Esq., of Halifax. A letter
written to him by Mr. Venn, soon after the circumstances here recorded
and alluding to them, is given in the series of Correspondence, under the
date of April 2, 1767. [Editoh.

PROVIDENTIAL PECUNIARY SUPPLY. 37
when she now saw the vast extent of the field in which
he was to labour, and the uncommon success with which
he was blessed, she told him that he was in the path of
duty, which he must not, on any account, desert. She
exhorted him to throw himself upon the care and provi
dence of that God who will never forsake His servants
who faithfully call upon him. — The event answered her
expectations : he was at length enabled to live in con
tinual reliance upon the care of Providence, and, from
various sources, unexpected at the time, his Wants were
remarkably supplied.
I will here mention a striking instance of the wonder
ful manner in which God will sometimes supply the
wants of his servants, when they duly trust in Hirn ;
though the occurrence did not take place till several
years after the date of which I am now speaking. At a
period of very pressing difficulty, when a tradesman was
importunate for the payment of his bill, he had, no re
source left, but, with earnest supplication, to make his
wants known to God ; and, whilst he was upon his
knees, a letter was brought, inclosing a bank-note of 50/.
with an anonymous address, saying, "Having received
great benefit from your ' Complete Duty of Man,' I beg
you to accept this small acknowledgment." — He never
could discover to whom he was indebted for this season
able benefaction. ,
During the severe trials with which he was exercised,
a change took place in his sentiments respecting some
particular points in Divinity. He had hitherto been a
zealous Arminian, hostile to the principles of Calvinism,
which he thought equally repugnant to reason and to
Scripture ; but the experience he now had of the corrup
tion of his nature, of the frailty and weakness of man,
of the insufficiency even of his best endeavours, led him
gradually to ascribe more to the grace of God, and less
to the power and free-will of man.
No one had taken more pains than he to subdue en
tirely every principle of corruption in his mind ; but he
now found such a want of faith and confidence in God —
such a distrust of His providence — such a disposition to
murmur against Him — such an inadequate view of spiritual
4

38 mr. Venn's adoption of Calvinism.
blessings and religious privileges — such ingratitude to
that Saviour who was making him an instrument of the
greatest good to his fellow-creatures — that he became
more deeply humbled than he had ever been before.
He now saw, in a stronger light than ever, the truth of
those words. " The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately wicked ;" and felt more sensibly, that,
if he was saved at all, it must be by the mere grace of
God, since he had done nothing, and could do nothing,
to merit so great a salvation. He now, therefore, began
to place less confidence in man and in all human
endeavours, and to exalt more that grace of- Christ,
which worketh in us effectually, and which quickenefh us
according to His sovereign will.
Thus he was prepared to receive the fundamental doc
trines of that system which is called Calvinistic, from a
practical sense of his own unworthiness, and from the
necessity which he found of relying wholly upon the
infinite mercy and the free grace of God in Christ Jesus.
This change of sentiment gave a tincture to his preach
ing; leading him to exalt, in higher strains, the grace
and love of God in Christ Jesus, and to speak less of
the power and excellence of man. But his Calvinism
stopped here. It was not the result of a theory embraced
by reading books of that class ; he did not attempt to
reconcile the difficulties which are found in that system ;
he did not enforce, as necessary, upon the conscience of
others, those particular views which he had himself im-
.bibed ; he did not break the bond of brotherly love and
union with those of his friends who were still zealous Ar-
minians ; and, above all, it did not lead him to relax in his
views of the necessity or the nature of holiness. On the
contrary, he urged the practice of it most effectually,
from what he conceived to be stronger and purer motives.
With respect' to others, he candidly left every person
to determine for himself what system he should adopt ;
well convinced, that if a man entertained a supreme love
to God, and a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ, he would be
a very good Christian, whether he leaned to the views
of Calvin or Arminius. He dreaded young men hastily
adopting Calvinistic views: and, when once asked, re-

CALVINISM. 39
specting a young minister, about whom he had been
much interested, whether he was a Calvinist or an Ar-
minian, he replied, "I really do not know: he is a sin
cere disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ ; and that is of
infinitely more importance than his being a disciple of
Calvin or Arminius."
[The following extracts from letters written to his
friends, at different periods of his life, will serve to con
firm the remarks already made : —
" Let those who fear the tendency of the doctrines of grace sift
and canvass the conduct of those who live by them, and then say
what ground there is to fear licentiousness. 1 daily see that the
Inspired Writers are never afraid of affirming that the salvation
of real believers is seeured : all their aim and labour is, to show
that none are believers, none are Christ's, but they that have cru
cified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof. For my own
part, I profess I could not look upon salvation as nigh to me, but
suspended on so many precarious things, as greatly damped my
hope, and prevented my joy in the Lord, till I saw that by two
immutable things — the Word and the Oath of God — He had pro
vided strong consolation for them that have fled for refuge to tho
hope set before them. Nevertheless, I could wish almost that the
change in my sentiments were never named : for I hate opinions,
and would not give a pin's point to have any one believe as I do,
till the Scriptures, by the Spirit's teaching, open his understand
ing."— (7th April, 1763.)
" As to Calvinism, you know 1 am moderate. Those who exalt
the Lord Jesus Christ as all their salvation, and abase man, 1 re
joice in ; and would not have them advance farther, till they see
more of the plan of sovereign grace, so connected with what is in
disputable, that they cannot refuse their assent. Difficulties, dis
tressing difficulties, are on every side, whether we receive that
scheme or no : we must be as little children — we must be daily
exercising ourselves in humble love and prayer — we must be look
ing up to our Saviour for the Holy Ghost. And, after this has
been our employment for many years, we shall find how much
truth there is in that divine assertion, ' If any man think that he
knoweth any thing yet as he ought to know, that man knoweth
nothing.' 1 used to please myself with the imagination, fifteen
years since, that by prayer for the Holy Ghost, and reading dili
gently the Lively Oracles, I should be able to understand all Scrip
ture and give it all one clear and consistent meaning. That it is
perfectly consistent, I am very sure ; but it is not so to any mortal's
apprehension here. We are so proud, that we must have some
thing to humble us; and this is one means to that end." — (15//*
Feb. 1772.)
" Though the doctrines of grace are clear to me, 1 am still no

40 THE COMPLETE DUTY OF MAtt.
friend to high Calvinism. A false, libertine Calvinism stops up
every avenue: sin, the Law, holiness, experience are all nothing.
Predestination cancels the necessity of any change, and dispenses
at once with all duty."
"What difficulties surround us! what rocks on each hand!
Were not. our Pilot infallible, it were impossible to steer through
the narrow pass which lies between Antinomian abuse of the doc
trines of grace, and self-righteous renunciation of the blood of the
Cross." " 0 Prince of Peace, heal our divisions ! diffuse thy patient,
loving Spirit ! give discernment to distinguish aright between
what is essential and what is not, and to bear with each other's
differences, till the perfect day discovers all things in their true
proportions !"]
In the year 1763, my father published " The Com
plete Duty of Man." This work had been undertaken
before he left London, and was nearly finished soon after
his arrival at Huddersfield ; but the increasing engage
ments of that situation delayed its publication till this
period. Of this work, above twenty editions have been
sold : it has proved highly useful to many. Several re
markable instances of fhe good which it has produced,
fell, in a very unexpected manner, under the author's
own observation. A year or two after its publication,
travelling in the West of England, he observed, while
sitting at the window of an inn, the waiter endeavouring
to assist a man who was driving some pigs on the road,
while the rest of the servants amused themselves only
with the> difficulties which the man experienced from
their frowardness. This benevolent trait in the waiter's
character induced Mr. Venn to call him in, and to ex
press to him the pleasure which he felt in seeing him per
form the act of kindness. After showing him how pleas
ing to the Almighty every instance of good-will to our
fellow-creatures was, he expatiated upon the love of God,
in sending His Son, from the purest benevolence, to save
mankind. He exhorted him to seek for that salvation
which God, in His infinite mercy, had given as, the" most
inestimable, gift to man. He promised to send him a
book, which he had himself published ; and taking down
the direction of the waiter, who was very anxious to give
it, he sent him, upon his return to London, a copy of

THE COMPLETE DUTY OF MAN. 41
"The Complete Duty of Man." Many years after this,
a friend, travelling to see him, brought him a letter from
this very person, who then kept a large inn, in the West
of England ; having married his former master's daughter.
His friend told him, that coining to that inn on Saturday
night, and proposing to stay there till Monday, he had
inquired of the servants whether any of them went, on a
Sunday to a place of worship. To his surprise, he found
that they were all required to go, at least one part of the
day ; and that the master, with his wife and family,
never failed to attend public worship ; that they had
family prayers, at which all the servants, who were not
particularly engaged, were required to be present. Sur
prised by this uncommon appearance of religion, in a
situation where he little expected to find it, he inquired
of the landlord by what means he possessed such a sense
of the importance of religion. He was told, that it was
owing to a work which a gentleman had sent to him
several years ago, after speaking to him, in a manner
which deeply interested him, of the goodness of God, in
giving His Son to die for our sins. On desiring to see
the book, he found it to be " The Complete Duty of
Man." Rejoiced to find that his guest was going to pay
a visit to Mr. Venn, he immediately wrote a letter to
him, expressing, in the fulness of his heart, the obliga
tions which he owed him, and the happiness which him
self, his wife, and many of his children and domestics,
enjoyed daily, in consequence of that conversation which
Mr. Venn had had with him, and the book which he had
sent him, which he had read again and again, with in
creasing comfort and advantage.
Another instance occurred at Helvoetsluys, whilst he
was waiting for a- fair wind to convey the packet to Eng
land. Walking upon the sea-shore, he saw a person
who, from his dress and manner, he supposed to be an
Englishman, and addressed him therefore, in English, as
such. The gentleman informed him that he was a Swede,
though he had lived many years in England, and was
well acquainted with the language and manners of that
country. This circumstance induced him to enter into
conversation with him. The subject of religion was soon
4*

42 ITS USEFULNESS. *
introduced ; when to my father's great pleasure, he found
that his companion was a decidedly religious character.
The stranger invited Mr. Venn to sup with him ; and
then, after much interesting conversation,"took out of his
portmanteau a book, to which he said he owed all his
impressions of religion ; and, presenting it to him, asked
if he had ever seen it. This was his own work ; — and
it cost Mr. Venn no little effort to suppress those emo
tions of vanity which would have induced him at once
to discover that he was himself the author of it.
When he was once in London, he received a note
from the Countess of  , who, though a stranger to
him, requested to see him. When he waited on her
ladyship, she informed him that her husband, who had
lately died abroad, had put that work into her harids,
and with his dying breath requested her carefully to read
it ; adding, that for the last six months it had been his
constant companion, and that he owed to it that blessed
hope, which then cheered him, of an admission, through
the merits and atonement of Christ, into the kingdom of
heaven. He requested her also, upon her return to Eng-
landT to see_ the author, and express his obligations to him.
These were incidental and extraordinary instances of
the good which Mr. Venn's work had been the means
of effecting. It would be needless to recite all the in
stances of the benefits obtained from its perusal, which
fell continually under his own observation. From Scot
land, Ireland, and America, as well as in England, he
received numerous testimonies to its usefulness.
In 1767, he was visited with the severest domestic
calamity — the loss of his affectionate wife, whose pru
dence had guided him, whose zeal had animated him,
whose sound judgment had directed -him, and whose
kindness and affection had been his great stay and sup
port, amidst all the trials with which he had been sur
rounded. A heavier trial than this could not have been
laid upon him ; and nothing supported him under it, but
that perfect confidence in God, and that blessed hope of
immortality, which it was his great employment to make
known to others.
He was now left with the sole charge of five young

MODE OF INSTRUCTING HIS CHILDREN. 43
children ; and immediately began to discharge assidu
ously the duties which he owed to them, and to supply,
if possible, the place of the most prudent and affection
ate of mothers. The writer of this Memoir remembers,
and ever will remember, while memory shall last, the
affectionate and judicious manner in which he endea
voured to turn the minds of his children to the contem
plation of the highest subjects.
During a thunder-storm, when his children expressed
some alarm at the loudness of the thunder and the vivid
ness of the lightning, he took them up with him to a
window, where they could observe most distinctly the
progress of the storm. He then expatiated to them upon
the power of that God, whose will the thunder and the
lightning obeyed. He assured them that the lightning
could injure no one, unless with the express permission
of that God who directed it. He taught them to fear
His power, and adore His Majesty; and finished his ad-v
dress to them, by kneeling down and solemnly adoring
that God, whose perfections they had seen so signally
displayed. At another time, he informed them that in the even
ing he would take them to one of the most interesting
sights in the world. They were anxious to know what
it was ; but he deferred gratifying their curiosity till he
had brought them to the scene itself. He led them to a
miserable hovel, whose ruinous walls and -broken win
dows bespoke an extreme degree of poverty and want.
"Now," said he, "my dear children, can any one, that
lives in such a wretched habitation as- this, be happy ?
Yet this is not all : a poor man lies upon a miserable
straw bed within it, dying of disease, at the age of only
nineteen, consumed with constant fever, and afflicted
with nine painful ulcers."' — -"How wretched a situa
tion!" they all exclaimed. He then led them into the
cottage, and, addressing the poor dying young man,
said, "Abraham Midwood, I have brought my children
here, to show them that it is possible to be happy in a
state of disease, and poverty, and want ; and now, tell
them if it is not so." The dying youth, with a sweet
smile of benevolence, and piety, immediately replied,

44 ACCEPTS THE RECTORY OF YELLING.
"Oh yes, Sir! I would not change my state with that
of the richest person upon earth, who was destitute of
those views which I possess. Blessed be God! I have-
a good hope, through Christ, of being admitted into
those blessed regions where Lazarus now dwells, haying
long forgotten all his sorrows and miseries. Sir, this is
nothing to bear, whilst the presence of God cheers my
soul, and whilst I can have access to Him, by constant
prayer, through faith in Jesus. Indeed, Sir, I am truly
happy; and I trust to be happy and blessed through
eternity; and I every hour thank God, who has brought
me from a state of darkness into His marvellous light,
and has given me to enjoy the unsearchable riches of
His grace."
The impression made by this discourse upon his young
hearers will never be effaced. Other instances, of the
like improvement of the various events of life, may be
seen in his " Complete Duty of Man," in his admirable
chapter upon the Education of Children.
In the year 1771, having accepted the rectory of Yell
ing, in Huntingdonshire, which was offered to him by
his friend, the Lord Chief Baron Smythe, who was then
one of the Commissioners of the Great Seal, he finally
quitted Huddersfield. It was not for the sake of greater
emolument that he took this step ; for the income of
Yelling was, at that time, little superior to that of Hud
dersfield ; but it was solely on account of the declining
state of his health ; which was so exhausted by his con
tinual labours, that he required a long and absolute ces
sation from all exertion. He had a cough and spitting
of blood, besides other symptoms of an approaching con
sumption. He was only able, in general, to preach once
in a fortnight ; and the exertion rendered him incapable
of rising from his couch for several days after. He was
deeply wounded in his feelings at leaving a flock amongst
whom he had laboured with so much success. The last
two or three months of his residence were peculiarly
affecting. At an early hour the church was crowded
when he preached, so that vast numbers were compelled
to go away. Many came from a considerable distance,
to take leave of him, and to express how much they

EDITOR'S VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD, IN 1824. 45
owed to him for benefits received under his ministry, of
which he had not been aware. Mothers held up their
children, saying, " There is the man who has been our
most faithful minister and our best friend !" The whole
parish was deeply moved ; and when he preached his
Farewell Sermon, neither could he himself speak with
out the strongest emotions, nor the congregation hear
him without marks of the deepest interest and affection.
Nor did the impression soon wear away : twenty years
afterwards, a stranger, passing through that place, and
inquiring about their former pastor, heard blessings
showered down upon him and his family, with deeply-
affected hearts, whilst they deplored their own loss.
[In the year 1824, the editor of this volume visited
Huddersfield, with the view of ascertaining how far the
recollection of Mr. Venn's labours had survived the
lapse of fifty years. The result of his inquiries will be
seen in the following particulars, which were written
down at the time, and which preserve, for the most part,
the very words in which the information was given.
Through the previous inquiries and kind assistance of
Benjamin Hudson, Esq., surgeon, at Huddersfield, I saw
all the old people, then living in that town and neigh
bourhood, who had received their first religious impres
sions under Mr. Venn's ministry, and still maintained a
religious character. They were all in the middle or
lower ranks of life : none of a superior class had sur
vived. What I am about to record must, therefore, be
received as the genuine and unstudied testimony of per
sons of plain unpolished sense.
Mr. William Brook, of Longwood, gave me the fol
lowing account of the first sermon he heard at Hudders
field Church ; — "There was a meeting, every Saturday
night, of the most pious people, at Thomas Hanson's,
sometimes near twenty, who sang' and prayed together.
I was first led to go to Huddersfield Church, by listening,
with an uncle of mine, W. Mellor, at the door of the
house in which this meeting was held : we thought there
must be something uncommon, to make the people so
earnest. My uncle was about nineteen ; I was sixteen :
so we went together to the church, one Thursday even-

46 EDITOR'S VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD, IN 1824.
ing. There was a great crowd within the church — all
silent — many weeping. The text was, ' Thou art weighed
in the balances, and art found wanting.' W. Mellor
was deeply attentive : and when we came out of church,
we did not say a word to each other till we got some
way into the fields. Then W. Mellor stopped, leaned
his back against a wall, and burst into tears, saying, ,' I
can't stand this !' His convictions of sin were from that
time most powerful ; and he became quite a changed
character — a most exemplary person, as you will hear
from all the old people, even if they did not like his re
ligion : — he died some years after. I was not so much
affected at that time ; but I could not, after that sermon,
be easy in sin ; and I began to pray regularly ; and so,
by degrees, I was brought to know myself, and seek sal
vation in earnest. The people used to go from Long-
wood, in droves, to Huddersfield Church, three miles
off: scores of them came out of church together, whose
ways home were in this direction : and they used to
stop at the Firs' End, about a mile off, and talk over,
for some time, what they had heard, before they sepa
rated, to go to their homes. Oh! that place has been to
me 'like a little heaven below !'
" I never heard a minister like him. He was most
powerful in unfolding the terrors of the Law: when
doing so, he had a stern look, that would make you
tremble : then he would turn off to the offers of grace,
and begin to smile, and go on entreating till' his eyes
filled with tears."
The next person I saw was George Crow, aged eighty-
two, of Lockwood, a hamlet about a mile from town.
When I asked him whether he ever thought of old times,
he answered, "Ah! yes; and shall to the last, j
thought, when Mr. Venn went, I should be like Rachel,
for the rest of my days, weeping and refusing to be com
forted. I was abidingly impressed the first, time I heard
him, at an early period of his ministry. He was such a
preacher as I never heard before nor since : he struck
upon the passions like no other man. Nobody could
help being affected : the most wicked and ill-conditioned

EDITOR'S VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD, IN 1824. 47
men went to hear him, and were deeply impressed,*
even though they were not converted. I could have
^heard him preach all night through."
I visited this aged person at night, and sat with him,
over the fire, without a candle : he kindled with anima
tion as he spake of these things ; and his deeply-rugged
-features, with brilliant eyes, seen by the occasional blaze
from the hearth, presented a picture such as I never can
forget. He was an intelligent man, and, even at that
advanced aged, his faculties were lively and perfect.
He said further: "There were many used to go from
Lockwood every Sunday and Thursday : we had a meet
ing of the most pious at William Scholefield's, about
twenty of us, where a subject given out one time was
discussed the next : one of us was the leader, and opened
with prayer: afterwards, he asked all around their opi
nions, and then concluded with prayer. It is kept up
to this day, though now but a few of us. The meeting
at Longwood had more than ours. There was another
at Berry Brow; and one, a kind of general one, at the
town. " I was one of those who went to Mr. Venn with a
large body of people, just before he left Huddersfield,
to persuade him to stay. There were more than two
rooms could hold. Mr. Stillingfleet and Mr. Riland
-were present: many talked strongly to him, and told
him it was his duty to stay, and such like. I and my
brother wtnt to him afterwards, alone ; and he said, if
the rest had spoken to him as mildly and affectionately
as we did, he should have found it more difficult to with
stand. After Mr.^Venn left, the people were all squan
dered! away from the church : so some of us determined
to begin a subscription for a chapel. I was one of the
three first who put their names down. I had only bl,
and I gave that; and I query whether I have ever had
so much in my pocket since.
* The expression actually used, conveyed a striking though homely
illustration : " They fell, like slaked lime, in a moment." When water is
thrown upon hard lumps of lime, their nature is at once changed, and
they fall into a soft powder.
t A provincial expression for " dispersed."

48 EDITOR'S VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD, IN 1824.
"] knew Mr. Riland well: he was an excellent man:
he used to visit much among the poor : he often came
to me, whilst I was at work, and sat down upon the
block oj any thing, and would say, "Well, George,
how are you? Either ask me something, or tell me
something. Be quick ! for I have much to do, and little
time." The religion of this poor man was of a very advanced
and mature character. He quoted passages from Swe-
denborgh's writings, which he said he had read a good
deal of"; but, though there were some good things, " it
was chiefly random stuff."
I also visited Ellen Roebuck, aged eighty-five, living
upon parish allowance, at Almondbury : she was very-
deaf, and infirm; but when once she understood the ob
ject of my visit, she talked with great energy, and quoted
Scripture with uncommon readiness and propriety. "I
well remember his first coming to Huddersfield, and the
first sermon he preached. It was on that text, ' My
heart's desire for Israel is, that they may be saved ;' and
it was as true of himself as of St. Paul. I was always
attentive to my Bible, and had read it through when I
was but a child ; but I have reason to thank him for
saving me from hell. He took every method for instruct
ing the people : he left nothing unturned. Always at
work ! — it was a wonder he had not done for himself
sooner. The lads he catechized used to tell him that
people said he was teaching a new doctrine, and leading
us into error ; but he always replied, ' Never mind them
— do not answer them — read your Bibles, and press for
wards, dear lads! press forwards! and you cannot miss
of heaven.' " With respect to herself, she said ; " They
tell me I am old, and must soon be gone : but I say,
God gave me life ; He has preserved my life ; and He
will take away my life whenever He sees best."
Upon my asking her if she had seen much trouble, she
replied : " Trouble ! ay, plenty of it ! But what signi
fied trouble ! I would always down upon my knees di
rectly, and I never wanted for comfort. I used to think
how all things were appointed by God, and nothing
could happen but as He pleased. Man may shoot an

EDITOR'S VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD, IN 1824. 49
arrow, but God will direct it. I could always turn the
Scriptures to my use, whatever happened."
Sally P  , aged seventy-four, spoke of my grand
father with great reverence, but with deep emotion. I
asked her whether she often thought about him : she re
plied : "Ah, Sir! I have often thought about him, and
the pains he took with us ; but it was ail lost upon some
of us. He had a most piercing tone ; and things that he
said have ever since stuck to my mind." I asked her
what she particularly alluded to : she said : " I remem
ber that, just before he went, he told us all, that he had
broken up our fallow ground, and sown good seed ; but
that, if we did not watch over it, and it did not become
fruitful, it would be so much the worse for us. And so
it has been with me ! It is very sorrowful to think of
these things; and sometimes it makes me very low."
I trust, however, that this poor woman has been for
many years recovered from the backslidings which'she
so touchingly confessed ; and will maintain to the end
the humble and contrite frame of mind she now possesses,
united, as it is, with reliance upon her Saviour for par
don and grace. By a remarkable coincidence, she had
been reading, two days before I called upon her,
" Lewis's Explanation of the Catechism," which my
grandfather had given her when a child.
I also saw John Starkey, of Cawcliff, aged eighty. He
is past work, but maintained by the family of J. Whitaker,
Esq., in whose employment he has been from youth. As
I conversed with him, he seemed gradually to wake up,
till his countenance glistened with joy. His faculties are
still perfect, and his recollection ready and distinct.
There was in him an uncommon warmth of affection and
benevolence. He said : " I esteemed Mr. Venn too
much for a man ; I almost forgot that he was only a
creature, and an instrument. His going away went
nearer to my heart than any thing since. I was very
wild and careless when a lad, and would not go to
church ; so Mr. Whitaker promised me sixpence if I
would go three times ; but I don't know whether I
earned it, I was so careless about every thing : however,
soon after, I heard one sermon which made me begin to
5

50 EDITOR'S VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD, IN 1824.
think. The text was, ' God is no respecter of persons,'
&c; and he showed that it was neither money nor learn-
ing,'nor any thing else of that kind, which could make
us happy ; but that, without holiness, we were under
God's frown and curse. I then saw something of my
real state ; and from that time I did not want hiring to
go and hear him. I don't think any thing would have
kept me from him. He was a wonderful preacher. When
he got warm with his subject, he looked as if he would
jump out of the pulpit. He made many weep. I have
often wept at his sermons. I could have stood to hear
him till morning. When he came up to the church, he
used to go round the church-yard, and drive us all in
before him. About seven or eight of us, who lived at
Cawcliff, used to meet at each other's houses, once a
week, for reading the Scriptures and prayer: but all my
companions are now gone ; and I often think I am left
alone, as David says, ' like a sparrow upon the house
top.' It is a grief to me that I have now no one to talk
with about spiritual things ; but then, I think I am almost
turned eighty, and God has helped me hitherto, blessed
be His name ! I cannot be much longer here, and I
must not faint at last. That text has often cheered my
spirits, ' Be content with such things as ye have ; for He
hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'
These words give me comfort ; for He has not forsaken
me : — and then there is another, 'With loving-kindness
have I drawn thee.' Oh, blessed, blessed be His name,
for His great loving-kindness! I often think time is too
short to praise him. Eternity alone will be long enough !
I have found it to be, as the Scripture says, ' We must
through great tribulation enter into the kingdom of hea
ven.' - 1 have been tried in many ways."
In answer to some remark, he said, " Ah, Sir ! I hope
I never forget that it is the character which has a right
to the promise. If I have not the character, how can I
claim the promise ? I continually pray to God to search
me, and try the ground of my heart. I try to keep up
a jealousy over myself; for I often think what a dreadful
thing it would be, if I were to fall away at the last. Yet
I hope I shall be kept ; though I do not always feel so

EDITOR'S VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD, IN 1824 51
comfortable as I could wish ; and I often desire to have
the advice of some one more learned than myself. I
well remember going over the hills to hear a preacher,
and his sermon had a great effect on me ; for he preached
upon that Scripture, 'My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me ; and I give unto them
eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither shall
any man pluck them out of my hand.' Blessed be God !
I hoped I was one of those sheep. — ' My Father is greater
than all.' • Ah ! that He is ; or else I should have been
plucked out long since."
He said, he had gone to Highfield Chapel ever since
it was built, upon Mr. Venn's removal : he rejoiced at
the sight of the new churches at Huddersfield : he had
much rather have pious ministers in churches than in
chapels ; for many more would hear them : — he was
waiting for death, in a good hope that God would re
ceive him, for Christ's sake, into heaven : he would
rather go than stay; but he desired to wait God's time.
I conversed with four other persons, who received their
first serious impressions under Mr. Venn's ministry, and
have since maintained a constant religious profession.
The substance of their recollections, though not perhaps
of equal interest with what I have already recorded, yet
no less strongly evinced their gratitude and affection for
their revered pastor, and the extraordinary blessing
which rested on his labours.*
* Since the publication of the first edition, I have learned that all the
persons whose testimony is recorded above have died in the faith and
peace of the Gospel. The minister who attended Sally P., in her last ill
ness, writes in the following terms respecting her : — « She was generally
more ready to speak of her own sinfulness and imperfections, than of the
goodness of God and an assurance of his love ; but still her hope was
fixed on the sacrifice and righteousness of the Redeemer : and sometimes
she would speak confidently, and say, though shS felt herself to be a most
jnworthy and sinful creature, yet she believed that God, for Christ's sake,
had forgiven her. She was a fearful Christian ; but yet she knew in
whom she believed. The name of Jesus was to her as ointment poured
forth ; and when, from various causes, she was disposed to be irritable, a
conversation with her, on the character and offices of the Saviour, would
compose her mind, so that, her friends remarked, the effect of it would re
main several days. From the constant use of our beautiful Liturgy, many
narts of it were deeply impressed on her mind, and, to her dying hour,

52 EDITOR'S VISIT TO HUDDERSFIELD, IN 1824.
I will add only 'a few more scattered recollections,
which I received from different quarters, and which seem
worthy of preservation.
Mr. Venn made a great point of the due observance
of the Sabbath in the town and parish. _ He induced
several of the most respectable and influential inhabitants
to preambulate the town, and, by persuasion, rather than
by legal intimidation, to repress the open violation of the
day. By such means, a great and evident reformation
was accomplished.
He endeavoured to preserve the utmost reverence and
devotion in public worship, constantly pressing this mat
ter upon his people. He read the service with peculiar
solemnity and effect. The Te Deum, especially, was re
cited with a triumphant air and tone, which often pro
duced a perceptible sensation throughout the whole con
gregation. He succeeded in inducing the people to join
in the responses and singing. Twice, in the course of
his ministry at Huddersfield, he preached a course of
sermons in explanation of the Liturgy. On one occasion,
as he went up to church, he found a considerable num
ber of persons in the church-yard, waiting for the com
mencement of the service. He stopped to address them,
saying, he hoped they were preparing their hearts for the
service of God — that he had himself much to do to pre
serve a right frame, &c. He concluded by waving his
hand for them to go into the church before him, and
waited till they had all entered.
He took great pains in catechising the young persons
in his congregation, chiefly those who were above four
teen years old. The number was often very consider
able ; and he wrote out for their use a very copious ex
planation of the Church Catechism, in the way of Ques
tion and Answer.
Such were the vivid and affectionate recollections of
their revered pastor, cherished by the few remaining

supplied her with the language of prayer; and she said, when she could
not bear to read, and could remember nothing else, portions of the Liturgy
would recur to her mind, and comfort her, enabling her to lift up her
heart in prayer."

mr. venn's removal to yelling. 53
members of Mr. Venn's flock at Huddersfield, after the
lapse of above half a century. What, then, must have
been the extent and importance of the impression pro
duced by his labours at the time ! When I visited Hud-
dejsfield, I found it like the Prophet's olive-tree, after
the harvest was over. There remained only " two or
three berries on the'top of the uppermost-bough." How
rich and plentiful must the harvest itself have been !]
When my father came to Yelling, his feelings were
most deeply excited by the striking contrast between the
church at that place and at Huddersfield. Twenty or
thirty rustics composed the congregation, who seemed to
be utterly void of every just view of religion ; but, when
his strength was recruited, he laboured in that humble
sphere with at least a proportionable degree of success.
Soon after his removal to Yelling, he married a second
time. The lady was the widow of Mr. Smith, of Ken
sington, and daughter of the Rev. James Ascough, Vicar
of Highworth, Wilts. In the object of his choice, Mr.
Venn found an interesting companion and a faithful
friend ; and his children received the benefit of a mater
nal care ; to the value of which they are anxious, to this
day, to give testimony. She lived with him twenty-one
years, and was buried at Yelling.
There was an advantage attending the situation of
Yelling, which rendered my father's usefulness in retire
ment much greater than it would otherwise have been.
As Yelling is only twelve miles from Cambridge, many
of the younger members of that University, and particu
larly pious young ministers, were accustomed to repair
to him, to be instructed by his counsel, and animated by
the views he possessed of the Gospel they were to preach.
His powers of conversation were so admirable, his
knowledge of religion so extensive, his acquaintance with
the world so instructive, and his vigour of mind so great,
that, wherever he was, and in whatever company he was
placed, every one silently hung upon his lips, and en
joyed the richest feast from his conversation. I late'y
met with a clergyman, who came over, with two others,
to pay him a visit, without any previous acquaintance
with him, or any introduction but that which arose from
5*

54 intercourse with YOUNG MEN AT CAMBRIDGE.
community of sentiment. He told me, that, to the latest
hour of his life, he should never forget that conversation ;
that it made so deep an impression on him, that he did
not forget one single sentence ; that, after hearing him
converse almost during the whole day, he returned with
his companions to Cambridge at night; and each ffe-
termined, with an earnestness they had never felt before,
to devote themselves unreservedly to the promotion of
the Gospel of Christ. The party wrote down the heads
of that interesting conversation : but, added my friend,
I had no occasion to write it down, for it was impressed
indelibly upon my memory ; and that day stands dis
tinguished amongst all the other days of my life, like a
day spent in Paradise.*
My father continued his ministerial labours till he be
gan to find his faculties impaired by age. He then had
wdsdom and fortitude enough to retire from that work,
which, he said, required all the highest and noblest
faculties of man. He used to observe, that the Levites,
under the old Testament, were dismissed from their ser
vice at the age of fifty ; and collected from it, that God,
who is the most gracious and tender of masters, did not
require that his servants should exert themselves any
longer than while their full powers and faculties con
tinued 

Here the Memoir prepared by the Rev. John Venn
abruptly terminates. Much as this circumstance must be
deplored, it will be some relief to reflect that his main
object had been accomplished ; namely, that of tracing
accurately the progress of his father's mind in religious
knowledge and attainments.
The last twenty years of Mr. Venn's life were marked
by no peculiar or striking events. His intercourse with
the young men at Cambridge, which has been already
described, is to be regarded, I conceive, as his chief
* The narrator of this interview was the Rev. Charles Jerram, Vicar
of Witney, Oxon. ; and one of his companions was the late Rev. Thomas
Thomason, of Calcutta.

MEMOIR CONTINUED BY TIIE EDITOR. f)5
sphere of usefulness during this period. Several of the
most eminent and laborious ministers of the generation
which is now well nigh passed away might be mentioned
as having been visiters at Yelling, during their residence
in Cambridge. One of the earliest amongst the number
was the late Rev. Thomas Robinson, Vicar of St. Mary's,
Leicester ; who, as his biographer informs us, took Mr.
Venn for his '¦'¦prototype,'" in the discharge of his minis
terial duties.
Still more important were the advantages which his
society afforded to some who remained in the University ;
and who have been honoured, in their turn, as the instru
ments of fostering, directing, and establishing the piety
of a multitude of young men, who have, each successive
year, left college, to enter upon the duties of the minis
try. The name of the Rev. Charles Simeon, Fellow of
King's College, will at once occur to most of my readers.
It would be difficult, in my opinion, to estimate too
highly the influence of the labours of this excellent
man upon the cause of Religion in general, and of that
Church in particular of which he was ever the most firm
and efficient friend. But whatever value may be attached
to his labours, a proportionable degree of importance
will be reflected upon Mr. Venn's connection with Cam
bridge ; for Mr. Simeon willingly acknowledged how
much he owed, under God, to his judicious and animat
ing counsel ; as the following striking testimony, written
after the perusal of the foregoing Memoir, will prove.
"I most gladly bear my testimony, that not the half, nor the
hundredth part, of what might have been justly said of that blessed
man of God, is here spoken. If any person now living, his sur
viving children alone excepted, is qualified to bear this testimony,
it is I ; who, from my first entrance into Orders, to his dying hour,
had most intimate access to him, and enjoyed most of his company
and conversation. How great a blessing his conversation and
example have been to me will never be known till the Day of
Judgment. I dislike the language of panegyric; and therefore
forbear to expatiate upon a character which is, in my estimation,
above all praise. Scarcely ever did I visit him, but he prayed
with me, at noon-day, as well as at the common seasons of family
worship : scarcely ever did I dine with him, but his ardour in re
turning thanks, sometimes in an appropriate hymn, and sometimes
in a thanksgiving prayer, has inflamed the souls of all present, so

56 CLOSE OF MR. VENN'S MINISTRY.
as to give us a foretaste of Heaven itself: and, in all the twenty
four years that I knew him, I never rempmber hirn to have spoken
unkindly of any one, but once; and I was particular}- struck with
the humiliation which he expressed for it, in his prayer, the next
day. " C. Simeon."
There are two other names which must be ever asso
ciated with that of Simeon, in the same honourable career
of usefulness amongst the Students of Cambridge, who
were constant guests at Yelling, and deeply indebted to
the counsel and example of Mr. Venn ; namely, the Rev.
William Farish, M. A., Professor of Chemistry, and after
wards Jacksonian Professor ; and the Rev. Joseph Jowett,
LL. D., Professor of Civil Law. In the earlier years of
Mr. Simeon's ministry, when his religious views were
discountenanced by almost universal consent, and when
every species of opposition which authority, learning, or
malice could invent was exerted to suppress them ; it
was a signal providence, that the same views were up
held and defended by two fellow-labourers, who com
manded the general respect of the University ; the one,
by talents of the highest order in mathematical and
scientific pursuits ; the other, by his distinguished classical
attainments. The leisure which Mr. Venn enjoyed at Yelling, ena
bled him to keep up a very extensive correspondence ;
and the present volume will sufficiently prove how much
advantage his numerous distant friends derived from the
labours of his pen.
After he left Yorkshire, he generally spent a few weeks
in each year in London. On these occasions he preached
many times in the week, as well as on the Sundays.
Numerous audiences were collected : his sermons were
listened to with the deepest attention ; and he received
many testimonies of their usefulness. His own spirit
was much refreshed by these visits ; and his clerical
friends were accustomed to hail his arrival amongst them
as a season of peculiar pleasure and advantage. When
he visited London in the spring of 1791, he declined,
for the first time, appearing in the pulpit. In ihe autumn
of the same year, he engaged a permanent curate for
Veiling — the Rev. Maurice Evans ; and, after that period,

ACCOUNT OF MR. Venn's FAMILY. 57
seldom officiated, even in His own small and retired
church. In other places, upon one or two particular occasions,
he was prevailed upon to address a congregation ; and
the partiality of friends would have persuaded him that
he could still speak with power and effect, and that he
ought not to desist from preaching ; but he replied, that,
in his better days, it had been his decided judgment that
ministers should retire from the public discharge of their
office " when they had lived to the dregs of life," and
that he would now abide by his former judgment.
The age of sixty-eight may seem a very early period
for withdrawing from the public duties of his office ; but
his constitution had never recovered from the effects of
excessive exertion at Huddersfield ; and old age came
prematurely upon him.
The many temporal mercies which surrounded Mr.
Venn in these evening hours of his life were the theme
of his constant gratitude and praise. His family consisted
of a son and three daughters ; one daughter having died in
childhood. He was peculiarly happy in his children, who
all exhibited, as they grew up, the good effects of a wise
education, and those Christian graces which were, in his
sight, of supreme and inestimable value. The character
of the son is not unknown to the public : I will only
therefore add the words which were a thousand times on
Mr. Venn's lips : — "A wise son maketh a glad father."
His eldest daughter, Eling, was married, in 1785, to the
late Charles Elliott, Esq., of Brighton ; who, at the time
of his marriage, was engaged in business in London.
Mr. Venn's correspondence with this new member of his
family will supply several valuable letters in the follow
ing pages : for in Mr. Elliott, fervent piety was united
with great intelligence and activity of mind : his venera
tion for Mrs. Venn was truly filial : and he enjoyed a
full return of parental regard and affection. In 1789,
Mr. Venn's son was married to Miss King, of Hull. In
1790, his youngest daughter, Catherine, married the Rev.
James Hervey, M. A. His second daughter, Jane Cathe
rine, remained unmarried. She was his sole and insepa
rable companion during the last few years of his life ;

58 HIS DECLINING YEARS.
and watched over his declining health with devoted
and tender assiduity. A strong understanding and a
well-furnished mind rendered her society a never-failing
source of satisfaction and entertainment ; and her judi
cious and active benevolence supplied his lack of service,
when he was no longer able, to inquire^ into the wants
and necessities of his parishioners; so that. he had still
the gratification of seeing the poor and sick and wretched
flocking to the Parsonage-house for relief, as to a well-
known asylum.
Even after Mr. Venn was disabled from the exercise
of his ministry, he knew not, as he often remarked, what
it was to have a tedious or vacant hour. He found con
stant employment in reading and writing, and in the
exercises of prayer and meditation : he declared that he
had never felt more fervency of devotion than whilst
imploring spiritual blessings for his children and friends,
and especially for the success of those who were still en
gaged in the ministry of the blessed Gospel, from which
he was himself laid aside. For himself, his prayer was,
that he might die to the glory of Christ. " There are
some moments," he once said, " when I am afraid of
what is to come in the last agonies ; but I trust in the
Lord to hpld me up. I have a great work before me —
to suffer, and to die, to His glory. But the spread of
the Redeemer's kingdom lay nearer his heart than any
earthly or personal concerns : even when the decay of
strength produced an occasional torpor, this subject
would rouse him to a degree of fervency and joy, frpm
which his bodily frame would afterwards materially
suffer. I have understood that nothing more powerfully
excited his spirits than the presence of young ministers
whose hearts he believed to be truly devoted to the ser
vice of Christ.
About six months before his death, he finally left Yell
ing, and removed to Clapham, where his son was now
settled as Rector. His. health, from this period, became
very precarious : he was often upon the brink of the
grave, and then unexpectedly restored. A medical
friend, the late John Pearson, Esq., who frequently
visited him at this time, observed, that the near prospect

list of mr. venn's works. 59
of dissolution so elated his mind with joy, that it proved
a stimulus to life. Upon one occasion, Mr. Venn
himself remarked some fatal appearances; exclaiming,
"Surely these are good symptoms!" Mr. Pearson re
plied : " Sir, in this state of joyous excitement you can
not die."
At length, on the 24th of June, 1797, his happy spirit
was released, and entered into the long-anticipated joy
of his Lord.
The duty of a Biographer seems to require that some
general sketch should be given of the character of the
man whose life is presented to the public. But, in the
present instance, I am persuaded that I shall be excused
from attempting this task ; since the most striking features
of the character before us have already been portrayed in
the memoir, in far more vivid and attractive colours than
into which the pencil has now fallen, can command.
At the same time, I present a Collection of Letters,
which will reflect so genuine an image of that character,
that my readers will need no further help in obtaining an
intimate acquaintance with the mind and feelings of this
great and good man.

The following is a List of the Works of Mr. Venn,
published in his life-time, with the dates at which they
first appeared.
1759. — A volume, comprising Fourteen Sermons, published upon
his removal to Huddersfield, and dedicated "To the Gentlemen of
Clapham, as an acknowledgment of the very many civilities and
marks of friendship received by him during the time of his residence
amongst them."
1763. — " The Complete Duty of Man." Of this well-known and
popular work mention has already been made in the Memoir. But
it may be proper to notice, that is was originally divided into four
teen chapters. These portions were thought too long ; and there
fore, in the third edition, a new division was made into fifty-two
chapters, to correspond with the number of Sundays in the year :
but, by this arrangement, the subjects were inconveniently broken.
A middle plan was therefore adopted in the fifth edition, and the
number of chapters reduced to forty : very considerable improve
ments were also made in the style and language. Some late edi
tions have unfortunately been printed from the earlier copies of the

60
work : it is therefore important to observe, that those editions aro
the best, which adopt the division into forty chapters.
1709. — " An Examination of Dr. Priestley's Free Address on the
Lord's Supper." 8vo. pp. 91. In this work, various passages in
Dr. Priestley's Address are examined, and the deistical tendency
of them detected.
17:4. — "Mistakes in Religion exposed; an Essay on the Pro
phecy of Zacharias." In this work, Mr. Venn takes occasion, from
the words of the Song of Zacharias, in the first chapter of St. Luke's
Gospel, to expose several capital mistakes relating to the doctrines
and precepts of religion. The mistakes thus selected are such as
he judged most important, "from long observation of their bad ef
fects, in the course of more than twenty years' exercise in his pro
fession, first in London and its near neighbourhood, afterwards in
the Inrge and very populous parish of Huddersfield." This work
has passed through many editions, and is still kept in print.
1736. — " Memoirs of Sir John Barnard, Knt., M.P. fbr the City
of London." 4to. pp. 22. This brief memorial was drawn up
immediately after the death of Sir John, which took place in 1764.
"It was at length published, from an impulse of affectionate reve
rence for his memory, no longer to be resisted ; and, as a signal in
stance, that one of the first men of his age, and the glory of Lon
don, attained this pre-eminence from the best principles which can
govern the human mind." Copious extracts from these Memoirs
are inserted in Chalmer's Biographical Dictionary — " Barnard."
The following single Sermons were also published :
1758. — " Popery a perfect Contrast to the Religion of Christ :"
on James iii. 17.
1759. — " The Variance between Heal and Nominal Christians
considered ;. and the cause of it explained :" on Matt. x. 35, 36.
1760. — "The Duty of a Parish Priest; his obligations to perform
it; and the incomparable pleasure of a life devoted to the cure of
souls." A Visitation Sermon at Wakefield, on Col. iv. 17.
"An earnest and pressing Call to keep holy the Lord's Day:"
on Ezek. xx. 13.
1762, — " Christ the Joy of the Christian's Life ; and Death his
Gain :" on Phil. i. 21. " A Funeral Sermon on the Death of the
Rev. W. Grimshawe, A.B., Minister oT the Parish of Haworth,
Yorkshire ; with a Sketch of his Life and Ministry."
1769. — " Man a Condemned Prisoner, and Christ the Stronghold
to save him :" on Zech. ix. 12. An Assize Sermon, at Kingston,
Surrey 1770. — •' A Funeral Sermon on the Death of the Rev. George
Whitfield :" en Isaiah viii. 18.
1779. — -'The Conversion of Sinners the greatest Charity :" on
Ps. cxix. 136. A Sermon on behalf of the Society for Promoting
Religious Knowledge among the P' or.
1785. — " The Deity of Christ : the practical benefit of believing
it with a true heart, and the pernicious consequences which follow
the denial of it proved :" on Matt. xxii. 41, 42. A Visitation Ser
mon at Huntingdon.

PART II.

CORRESPONDENCE.

SECTION I.
LETTERS WRITTEN FROM MR. VENN'S FIRST APPOINTMENT
TO HUDDERSFIELD TILL HIS REMOVAL TO YELLING.
In presenting to the public the following Selection from Mr.
Venn's Correspondence, it will be necessary to make a few prelimi
nary remarks.
Mr. Venn never preserved copies of the letters he wrote. I have
therefore been indebted to the kindness of numerous friends, to
whom I beg to offer my most grateful acknowledgments, for a very
large collection of Original Letters, amounting to above a thousand
in number, and extending over a period of above_forty years. Out
of these, I have selected about one-fourth part for publication. In
making this selection, I have been guided by two considerations :
First, I have chosen those which appeared to possess the greatest
intrinsic excellence; and, in the next place, those which might
serve to exemplify the character of an eminently pious minister, in
his family and parish. The latter 'consideration must' plead my
apology for preserving the mention of many domestic circumstances,
which would otherwise be utterly unworthy of public notice.
However trivial and unimportant such circumstances may appear
in themselves, the sentiments and feelings, to which they gave
rise, will, I trust, find a response in the breast of every pious
parent and faithful minister.
With the view of sustaining the interest with which the letters
will be read, I have preserved in general, a chronological arrange
ment. I have also ventured to intersperse explanatory and con
necting remarks ; avoiding, however, the repetition of matter
which has already appeared in the Memoir.
Many of the letters have been reduced in length, by the omis
sion of unimportant passages, or of such as have been judged un
suitable for publication; and, where this has been done without
effecting in any degree the sense of the context, marks of omission
lave not been preserved : on the other hand, where only a part of
6 (61)

62 CORRESPONDENCE.
a letter seemed sufficiently interesting, it has been inserted in the,-
form of an extract.
The Selection commences with letters relating to Mr. Venn's
removal from the curacy of Clapham to the vicarage of Hudders
field. The patron of that living was Sir John Ramsden, Bart., to
whom Mr. Venn was a perfect stranger : but, upon its vacancy, by
resignation, in. 1759, the Earl of Dartmouth earnestly recommended
him, without his knowledge, to Sir John Ramsden, who immedi
ately offered the presentation to him : he hesitated, however, for"
several weeks, about accepting the offer; and at length determined
to visit the place, and make his decision on the spot. He travelled
into Yorkshire on horsebaek : and the following letters were writ-.
ten in the course of the journe}'.

TO MRS. VENN.
Newport Pagnell, April 3, 1759.
My dear E. — I can, through the great and tender
mercy of God, give you joy, by assuring you I am at
present much the better for my journey hither, which is
more than fifty miles. I have a good appetite, fine
weather, and good roads; but what are these, united, if
God is absent ? if we are left to our pove/ty of nature —
left to our own vain unsatisfying thoughts— left deatitute
of that sweet intercourse which is the proper happiness,
nay, the very life of the immortal spirit ? In vain is it
for the sun to shine, the landscape to smile, the roads to
encourage our journey; — still must the soul, in such a
case, be heavy and dispirited. But quite the reverse has
been my happy experience these two "days. Every hour
on the road has been a sacrifice of prayer or praise. God
has marvellously brought forth the spear, and stopped
the incursion of rude unhallowed thoughts, and filled me
with thoughts excellent and purifying — with intense de
sires after the knowledge of Himself, His Son, His Gos
pel, and His promises ; so that, were it not for my dear
wife, all on earth would be forgotten in the joyous con
templation of God, and the earnest going-forth of my
soul after Him. When I have thus been engaged for
myself, I am employed in entreating for you, that you
may be supported and comforted in spirit, refreshed and
strengthened in body; that my absence may not be
tedious; nor the presence of a sinful creature be deemed

ELEVATED FEELINGS DURING HIS JOURNEY. 63
essential in such a degree to your peace and happiness,
that you should not enjoy them without me. With you
I am mindful of our two sweet babes ; that, as tlie wife
of Manoah prayed for Sampson, we may be taught how
to order and what to do to them, that the guardian power
of a Covenant God, and the heritage of His faithful ser
vants, may be their heritage. I then proceed to remem
ber our noble friends, and our most generous benefactors,*
according as I understand their respective necessities.
In the intervals, I sing a song of Zion ; such as becomes
fhe ransomed of the Lord ; such as His boundless love
has put into their mouths. From this account, you will
understand that I suffer no loss, even of present pleasure,
from travelling alone. When God fulfils that promise,
as He ever will to them that ask it, "I will dwell in
them, and walk in them," — when, I say, the reality of
this promise is experienced, the company of a Christian
friend would even disturb and distress me ; and whilst
that grace, which has been vouchsafed me since I set
out, continues, there is not that highly-favoured child of
God upon earth whose company I would covet. But, to
make us know how undeserved the gift is, how entirely
out of our power to preserve or keep, the Lord adjusts
"the times of refreshing from His presence," and, as
seemeth Him good, gives light and joy, or withholds
and diminishes. But this is our sure foundation, that our
abiding trust is in the Lord ; and whilst that abides, the
love of God to the soul is unchangeable and eternal. Be
sure you send me an exact account of your health. My
stages to Huddersfield will be very easy, this road ; and
almost every night I shall stop at the house of a friend.
I suppose, before my dearest creature receives this letter,
she will have a line from Mr. Harvey, whom I met a few
miles off, and desired him to let you know I was well.
When I am separated and absent from you for a season,
I feel more sensibly, than when at home, my union in
love with you. So it is in spiritual things : the silent
complainings of the faithful soul— "Lord! wherefore art
* Alluding to Lord Dartmouth's exertions in procuring him the oner
of Huddersfield.

64 ELEVATED FEELINGS DURING HIS JOURNEY.
Thou absent so long ? why is the light of Thy counte
nance withdrawn ?" — far from being any evidence of
want of faith, do abundantly prove its reality and
strength. The God who is love — love in all His provinces, in
all His dealings towards them that fear Him, and believe
in the name of His only-begotten Son— bless you with
all blessings ! — My best affection to Mr. Daw and my
sister. May you all be one in Christ !
H. Venn.
TO A FRIEND.
-Though I travel alone, my mind, and the mind

of every believer, has employment enough. He looks
within ; and sees the plague of his own heart — self-con
ceit, and self-will — much darkness in his understanding,
and much depravity in his affections — much of unbelief,
and of unsuitable behaviour from a creature to its Crea
tor, from a sinner to his Redeemer. He can look up
wards ; and break forth with fervent desire after the
things which are above, God — the Father, the Son, and
the Spirit — obedience to His will, and love to all men
for His sake. He can look on every side, and find mat
ter for prayer — for converted and unconverted relatives,
friends, benefactors. He can look backward, to the
day when he hung upon the breast; and forward, to the
endless ages of eternity ; and hear the loud call of mercy
upon mercy, to gratitude and praise. Thus is the believer
furnished, wherever he goes: from this rich fund he
draws a pure and,lasting satisfaction, which strengthens
and establishes his mind in the good ways of the Lord 
TO MRS. VENN. Nottingham, April 5, 1759.
God has most graciously brought me, my dearest E.,
in increasing strength, to this town, within seventy miles
of my journey's end ; to perform which, I have before
me two days and a half. I have been still highly fa
voured with the presence of our adorable Covenant God.
This has cheered the way, and made my time pass de-

EMPLOYMENT IN SOLITUDE. 65
lightfully, though without company. Oh ! how ought
we to pray for those who live without God in the world !
How forlorn their condition, in many circumstances !
How irksome to travel, as I shall, five'or six hundred
miles, a burden to themselves, if they turn their eyes
inward ; not able to have their own enjoyments, mean
as they are; and no invisible God, to hold sweet inter
course with by the way !
Immediately upon my arrival here, I received your
letter of good news, which was doubly acceptable, as I
could not but be under many fears lest your concern for
me might throw you back. How does our God abound
in the most tender expressions of His favour towards us !
How does he embrace us with mercy on every side !
You will believe me, when I assure you, it gives me
great pleasure to find you love me so tenderly. But you
have need to beware, lest I should stand in God's place ;
for your expressions, " that you know not how to be from
me an hour without feeling the loss, &c," seem to im
ply something of this kind. My dearest E., we must
ever remember that word which God hath' spoken from
Heaven : " The time is short: let those who have wives
be as if they had none; and those who rejoice, as if
they rejoiced not." Both for myself and you, I would
always pray that God may be so much dearer to us, than
we are to each other, that our souls in His love may
"delight themselves in fatness," and feel He is an all-
sufficient God. By this means we shall be most likely
to continue together, and not provoke the stroke- of
separation by an idolatrous love to one another. By this
means we shall love one another in God, and for God ;
and be armed with the. whole armour of God, for all
events. Write me word, in your next — which you will direct
to me at Huddersfield — how you find the state of your
immortal soul. Surely God has abounded in loving-
kindness to us, more than to others ! Let us stir up each
other to return sincere and vehement love for all His
benefits. I can discover the horrible pride of my desperately
wicked heart, in the disagreeable feeling the meanness
6*

66 LETTER OF MRS. VENN.
of the towns 1 pass through gives me, upon supposition
I am to be fixed in one like them. What deep root have
worldly lusts in my soul! And how easy is it to have
the name of having overcome the world, yea, to flatter
ourselves we really have done it by faith, when, still,
love to comfortable accommodations, and to have things
handsome about us, prevails!
Dinner is just coming upon table. I have also to see
my horse fed ; — and therefore, without filling the other
side, I must conclude ; praying that the Eternal God
may be your refuge, the redemption which is in Jesus
your portion, and the Holy Ghost your Comforter. Grace
be with you, and all in our house !
H. Venn.

The answer of Mrs. Venn to the foregoing letter has fortunately
been preserved. I therefore insert it in this place, in the confi
dence that it will be deemed sufficiently interesting in itself, and
show how worthy she was of the partner to whom she was united.

FROM MRS. VENN.
Clapham, April 7, 1759.
A thousand thanks to you, my dear, for your early
care to let me hear of your welfare ! I do not forget to
return my thanks and praise to Him who is the Author
of the blessings bestowed on us both. What joy did it
give me, to hear the account you give ! how abundantly
the want of an earthly companion was made up ! it
brought to my eyes tears of joy. Certainly far sweeter
is such intercourse than any earthly communion, even
with the most advanced Christian, can possibly be: and
when such favours are vouchsafed, all troubles are light,
all wants vanish. This the believing soul is sensible of;
but a strange enthusiastic mystery it appears to others.
Yet, blessed be my adorable Redeemer! my own expe
rience has oftentimes confirmed this truth to my soul. I
well know what it means ; though I do not enjoy it at
all times, nor in that exalted degree to which some
favoured Christians attain. However, I trust I shall be

LETTER OF MRS. VENN. 67
satisfied; because I know the earnest desire of my soul,
and my constant cry to my God is, for more love, more
light, more zeal, and more holiness of every kind.
In yours from Nottingham, you fear for me, lest my
love for you should be carried too far. But, indeed, I
believe you need not fear. I do not think I love you
more than God has commanded me. What love ought
the Church to have for her Head, how to feel his absence,
how to seek and desire the return of her Beloved ! Sub
mission only, and a steady perseverance in all the com
mands and ordinances left her, are required, as her part
to perform, while she waits and longs for the return of
her beloved Head. Now, I am very sure I do not carry
the matter further than this : so pray answer me to it !
And now to give you an account of myself : — I do not
remember that I have shed a tear since the day you left
me ; but am cheerful and easy. A sigh, or so, on Fri
day, which was a very wet day ; but no further : so that
I think you cannot blame me.
You ask me about the state of my soul : but I hardly
know how to give you any satisfactory answer. It is not
in the best, neither in the worst, state that I have found
it in, since I have been blessed with any knowledge of
spiritual concerns. My desires after God, and for actual
holiness, are exceeding earnest and strong. A deep and
lively sense of the many and late mercies, vouchsafed to
me and mine, fills my heart with much praise and thank
fulness. I am full of peace. But what have I to disturb
my quiet ? May not the abounding of temporal blessings
satisfy nature ; and so give that peace, while grace has
no part in the procuring of it ? — I feel a backwardness to
talk of God, or the things of .God, and a sort of easy
carelessness creeping upon me ; so that, though in my
inmost soul I am breathing after God, I am yet unwilling
to discover it, or suffer it to break out into action. I
cannot better explain my present state. May God bless
our union, by making you a minister of grace to your-
wife, and causing her soul to be replenished and re
newed under your ministry ; that you may be made joy
ful, by finding yourself a guide and leader of the soul of

68 ACCEPTANCE OF HUDDERSFIELD.
your Syphe* to the mansions of bliss and glory, which a
very short space only keeps us from, and where we shall
be perfectly united, to all eternity.
I am sorry to hear the passing through those poor
towns occasioned such stirrings of pride. I am very
sensible, if the meanness of them has had such an effect
on you, it will be far worse with me ; because my pride
is far less subdued than yours : ancl should our lot be
cast, as you observe, where our accommodations are but
mean and low, I fear I shall find a great struggle, and a
long while before it is overcome. However, I hope to
be strengthened according to my trial. Mrs. Knipe begs
to be remembered to you, and that you will not forget
her at the throne of grace, as she daily remembers you.
Praying that mercy and peace may abound towards us, I
am, with all our love, Yours, E. V.

In subsequent letters, Mr. Venn announces his arrival at Hud
dersfield, and his acceptance of the living. He describes the state
of his feelings in the following terms :
I am now fully determined that it is the will of God
we should come here. I have gone through much per
plexity and uneasy suspense ; being one day in this
mind, through some favourable circumstance ; another
day, in quite a different opinion. — I made earnest prayer
to our most loving and gracious Father, that He would
look down upon His poor doubting child, unwilling to
take a step which there might be cause to repent of; and
fearful of doing wrong, either by removing, or by refusing
the situation.  1 have since enjoyed an ease of mind
and satisfaction, in the prospect of settling at Hudders
field, quite undisturbed. This, joined to the great ap
pearance of my usefulness in Huddersfield, makes me
account little of the inconveniences we may meet with.
TO MRS. VENN.
Huddersfield, April 15, 1759.
I see, my dearest love, it was the same tender mercy
of God, which has embraced me on every side, ever
* A playful appellation

ANTICIPATIONS OF FUTURE HAPPINESS. 69
since I was born, that reserved }ou for my wife. Let
those who never knew nor experienced the pleasure of
disinterested love, of a union of hearts in the adorable
Redeemer, talk of marrying well, and to advantage,
when they enrich each other with this world's goods:
as for myself, I would again prefer a daughter of faithful
Abraham to the heiress of Dives. I never saw so clearly
how thankful I should be to God for you, as this day.
Upon my return from York, I found your two letters : it
was nine days since I had heard of you. I was fearful
lest the very violent rains should have made you uneasy
on my account, and that uneasiness brought on illness.
Your letter much strengthens me ; and you write as
if God had inclined you also to love Huddersfield. But,
whatever the event may be, we may be sure we have
God for our guide, since we have left nothing undone,
which lies in our power, to commit the cause entirely to
Him, and to seek direction from Him. If we should go
there, I believe, in the most important points, it will
answer. I trust I shall prosper much more in my own
soul, by much reading, meditation, and prayer; and,
which tills me with delight in fhe thought, shall have op
portunity of praying with you alone, as often as the great
Mr. Bolton with his wife — twice every day.
The house, I am sure, you will like much, when it is
furnished : it will be better than our Clapham house.
But, what is best of all, such a vast multitude of souls to
hear — under my care, fourteen hundred' families ! — and
out of other parishes, together, my audience this after
noon could not be less than upwards of three thousand !
One of the tradesmen has been much affected ; and stays
two days, that he may ride up with" me to town. Peo
ple seem in general much pleased ; and I have preached
every time from notes only. Oh, the happy life we should
lead, should God be pleased to give us the hearts of
many of this people, and appoint me a pastor over them,
according to His own heart !

o

" This one thing will I require ;
Nothing on earth, besides, desire."
T am glad there are but two whole days before I shall

70 MRS. KNIPE.
be drawing nearer and nearer to my dearest Syphe. I
am still exceedingly well. God heareth prayer, and
dealeth bounteously with them that put their trust in
Him. Tell Mrs. Knipe, that leaving her and her dear
brother will be a bitter ingredient in my cup. You must
assure her there shall be at Mrs. Knipe's room at the
Vicarage-house. Has P. come to a determination? —
and will she accept the honour of being first maid in the
vicar's family? I know not where to direct you to write
to me next.
The Lord of life and glory bless and sanctify you, my
dear, wholly! and give you such clear increasing views
of His own exceeding great loveliness and glory, that
even your children and your husband maybe as nothing,
in your eyes, in comparison of Jesus Christ!
Ever yours, H. Venn.

Mrs. Knipe, the lady mentioned in the two preceding letters, was
sister to John Thornton, Esq. I am indebted to Mr. Venn's cor
respondence with her for some of the earliest letters I have been
able to procure, written during his residence at Huddersfield.

TO MRS. KNIPE.
Huddersfield, June 20, 1760.
Your letter, dear Madam, which I received this day,
was a feast to us and our Chrislian friends who were
with us from Thornhill : though, if it had been the_good
pleasure of God, we should have rejoiced to have had a
better account of my sister. Irregular self-love, and ig
norance of the benefits of affliction, make us often impa
tient to see our dear friends freed from suffering ; thouo-h
the painful operation is all for health, and under the
management of the Divine Physician, who bled for us on
the cross. It was a great pleasure indeed to me, to hear
that your brother, for whose spiritual welfare I must ever
be deeply concerned, did not differ from me in his judg
ment of those books which I conclude were recommended.
The most plausible way that I know, and by far the
most successful, of supplanting the Gospel, is, by a pre
tended or real zeal for the practice of moral duties. To

ZEAL FOR MORAL DUTIES. 71
be sober, humane, a good father, husband, master, and
neighbour, is what all must wish to attain — is what all
will so applaud, when attained — that it seems rash and
uncharitable to say, "Yet lackest thou one thing."
Honour the Saviour of sinners. Let thy heart be ever
as an altar, on which fhe fire of love to Him is kept
alive, if it is not, alas! always bright and flaming as it
should be. I was the more rejoiced to find your dear
brother approved of my judgment on the books, because
certainly the crying abomination of our age is, contempt
of Christ. In proof of this, you may hear sermons and
religious books much extolled, where there is not so
much as any mention of the Prince of Peace, in whom
God was manifest, to reconcile the world unto Himself.
Mr. Lawrence Sterne, prebendary of York, published, a
few weeks since, two volumes of sermons. They are
much commended by the Critical Reviewers. I have
read them ; and, excepting a phrase or two, they might
be preached in a synagogue or mosque without offence.
O Madam ! what reason have you for thankfulness and
rejoicing, that you know yourself to be poor and needy,
blind and guilty; that you can hear, as life-giving
sounds, that voice of God, "Behold, I lay in Zion, for a
foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner
stone, a sure foundation," that whosoever believeth on
Him shall not make haste. For my own part, I daily
see more and more, that if I would walk before God, and
delight myself in Him, the only possible way is, to be
hold His glory, as it is manifested in the undertakings
and offices of His only-begotten Son.
If was quite reviving to us to hear you intend to visit
Huddersfield every year. You will remember, we have
it under your own hand ; and, with Christians, promises
are sacred. I shall stand in need of the pleasure your
company imparts ; as I am about to have a severe trial,
I fear, in parting with Mr. Burnett.* His friends in
Cornwall advise him entirely to leave Yorkshire, under a

* The Rev. George Burnett, then Curate. of Huddersfield; and after
wards Incumbent of Elland, in the parish of Halifax; a man of sterling
worth, eminent holiness, and greatly blessed in his ministry.

72 DUTY OF MAN.
notion that he has too much duty laid upon him. I am
apprehensive he will be persuaded; and where I shall
get an Assistant, whose heart is engaged to save souls,
and to preach Christ Crucified without unscriptural pe
culiarities, I know not. But the Chief Shepherd of the
flock, I trust, should the case be so, will, in mercy to
me and my people, send some one to help me, — not for
filthy lucre's sake, but of a ready mind.
I bless God you have found such company as those
excellent ones of the earth. Ah ! what is the chaff to the
wheat! what the empty talking of vanity, every one with
his neighbour, to speech that is seasoned with salt, such
as ministers grace to the hearer? We are all well ; and
my wife will endeavour to write for herself. You will
remember me in your prayers, that I may be bold on the
second of July, when I am to preach the Visitation ser
mon, that I may speak with Christian love to my brethren,
and all meekness. I find too much of selfishness, and
of a coward's heart, lest I should be despised, and
openly admonished. But I trust, when the hour of ac
tion is come, I shall find myself supported. My book*
advances but slowly ; and I must in earnest so apply,
that it may be finished by the beginning of next year.
If, therefore, my' letters to my dear friend and benefactor
should not, for the future, be so long, you will ascribe it
to my engagements; which, indeed, I must give up more
of my time to than I have yet done. You will remem
ber, that, as you have no book upon your hands, your
paper is to be filled, though my epistles fall short of their
usual length. I am now sitting to receive my dues, at
Abraham Hall's, in Goldcar; who is, I believe, a faith
ful disciple. With love from us all, to all Christian
friends, and kind inquirers after us, I commend you to
God, praying that His love may rest upon you, and those
near and dear to you — that you may find God is all-suf
ficient — that with Him is the well of life : and may the
streams of living water make you fruitful in every good
word and work ! From your ever obliged and faithful
pastor in Christ Jesus. H. Venn.
• The Complete Duty of Man.

SINS OF THE TONGUE. 73
TO MRS. KNIPE.
Huddersfield, Dec. 21, 1760.
Dear Madam, — Though I cannot give you so pleasing
an account as I could wish of my dear wife, yet she is
better than might have been expected. The fever has
not yet quite left her, though it is much abated. As it
is, it sounds an alarm through my heart, uncertain of the
issue. On what slender strings are our best earthly com
forts fixed ! how soon burst in two, and we bereaved of
them ! For my own part I cannot conceive that any
thing but the grossest stupidity, or a delight in God as
our portion, can make the present state of things sup
portable. Can a man love his wife — can he love his
child — in any measure as he ought, and not be afflicted,
to think in what slippery places they are living ? Can
he think of parting from either without convulsions, un
less he can say, " Though Joseph is not, and Benjamin
is not, yet God remaineth my exceeding joy!"
I read of your growth in grace with the highest plea
sure ; and no one stronger proof of it can you give, than
watchfulness against evil-speaking. That is a remarkable
scripture, " If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."
I am sure of two things, respecting myself and my own
experience — that I have such a load of guilt on this ac
count alone, that if there was not the blood of Christ for
my propitiation, I must perish for ever ; and that in pro
portion as my unruly member, the tongue, is tamed, I
enjoy the heart-reviving presence and peace of God.
And no wonder it is so ; since, by speaking evil, though
it is true, when no good purpose is immediately to be
answered, the following hateful tempers are discovered
to rule in the heart: 1. Want of regard to the high and
loving authority of God, who has positively forbidden it.
2. Want of brotherly love and charity ; which would be
grieved for the offences we know any one living in the
commission of. 3. Want of humility in our hearts ; which
would teach us that we are vile, too vile, ourselves, to
complain of others, and dwell on their faults.
I hope you see dear Mr. Walker as often as you can,
now he is at Blackheath. I could wish Mr. Thornton
'7

74 DUTY OF MAN  MINISTERIAL SUCCESS.
was with him : he is one of the jewels which is highly
polished before it is made up in heaven. Humbleness
and spirituality of mind, with extraordinary degrees of
wisdom and judgment, distinguish him.
If it were not for dear Mr. Adam's encouraging appro
bation, I should faint in my book; but this, when I re-.
ceive it, is a strong incentive to persevere. In a letter,
a few days since, he writes me word that he had an op
portunity of reading my two chapters, last sent to him,
to Archdeacon Basset ; and the result was, an earnest de
sire to have them printed. I keep close to the work
now ; and hope to bring up with me, if God continue to
bless me with health, twelve chapters, out of fifteen.
My love to my sister, to Mr. Thornton, and all my
Christian friends : and may much of the power, presence,
and love of God in Christ Jesus be your portion, and
the earnest of your dwelling in light and glory with God
for evermore ! So prays your affectionate and much
obliged minister in Christ. H. Venn.
Jan. 1761.
¦ I continue, blessed be God ! in good health ; and

Mr. Burnett is much recovered. Our work in some de
gree prospers; but many fall back, and grow lukewarm,
that set out well. Those of our friends whom you knew,
I trust gain ground, and are much more settled and
strengthened. I have begun again my instruction of the
young people at the villages : amongst them, there are
about sixteen, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-
two, of whom I hear an excellent account, and who an
swer with great discretion and spiritual understanding.
Oh, my friend ! what want of benevolence and love to
my fellow-creatures is there in my heart, that I am not
importunate without ceasing that all may come to the
knowledge of Jesus Christ ; — which is, heaven begun on
earth ! My defects and failures of this kind would de
stroy me, if it were not that God justifiefh freely, through
the redemption that is in Jesus. H. V.

CHRISTENING OF ONE OF HIS CHILDREN. 75
TO MRS. KNIPE. Huddersfield, Jan. 11, 1761.
My dear Friend, — This new year was begun by us
with the solemn dedication of our little babe to the ser
vice and blessing of the God of the Christians — Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost. Miss S. represented yourself;
and Mrs. Elmsall, Lady Lowther. Our day was spent
in that communion with God for which we were re
deemed by the blood of Jesus, and to which we pray all
our dear friends may more and more attain. God is
exceeding gracious to my dear wife, and the dear babe,
who thrives abundantly.
Your account of Sir John Barnard is very moving. It
is remarkable, that he was once very much struck with,
and seemed not to agree with me in, an observation I
made, one Thursday evening, to this effect ; — that if we
were without chastening, whereof all are partakers, then
are we bastards, and not sons ; that is, the God of
Heaven and Earth neglects our education, and is pro
voked to overlook us, as men are wont to do their base-
born children. I had more than one or two conversa
tions with him upon the subject ; and I suppose the con
tinued prosperity he had met with, the honour and high
esteem he was always held in, led him to conclude that
he wanted this mark of a child cf God. Since that time,
you see, the cross has been his portion ; and a long sea
son of increasing infirmities and pain, and all the exer
cises of patience attending a lingering but mortal malady,
have been appointed to him. I shall be glad to hear of
his dismission ; for, sure I am, my eyes have scarce be
held his fellow. Such constant circumspection and such
deep humility, such unfeigned Christian love, expressing
itself in a total abstinence from evil speaking, is rarely
to be found, even amongst the faithful in Christ Jesus.
Happy saint ! to be so near the glorious transformation.
What a mighty and unspeakable change in a moment
will he soon feel — from being burdened with a body full
of weakness and disease, to enjoy the liberty of a pure
spirit ; and, from being distracted in the contemplation
of his God by a failing memory and a weakened under-

76 MR. THORNTON.
standing, to hold high and inexpressible fellowship with
the Father of Spirits, without end or interruption !
I rejoice that your dear brother visits him. It is better
to go to the house of mourning than the house of mirth.
There he may see what a miserable estate the admired
senator, the renowned politician, would be reduced to,
if he was not also the real Christian ! There ne may see
the preciousness of the Redeemer ; since he will hear,
as I have done from the mouth of that singular man that
it is not all his deeds of virtue, not all his public patriot
ism or private benevolence, which can afford him hope
or joy, in the review, or in the prospect, of approaching
eternity — nothing but the promises of God made'to the
humble believer on His dear Son, and ratified in His
blood !
You rejoice me much with the news that Mr. Thorn
ton will pay me a visit here. May he find that God is
with us of a truth, and the power of the Lord present to
heal ! It rejoices my soul whenever I hear that any are
brought to Christ, or built up more and more in Him:
but to hear this of my friends and benefactors, is the
highest-pleasure I can receive from others on earth.
Wakefield has been visited, though now not so much,
with a fever, little better than a plague. It has carried
off, in six weeks, one hundred and sixty souls. It has
alarmed the whole neighbourhood, and, I hope, will be
made profitable to many souls. Lord, prepare us, that,
if a fierce disease is to remove us, sudden death may be
sudden glory. Yours, &c. H. Venn.
TO MRS. KNIPE. Huddersfield, Feb. 4, 1762.
My dear Friend, — You are not less frequently in my
thoughts, though I have been but a dilatory correspond
ent of late, than when I was writing to you more fre
quently. This you know, that whilst a spark of grace or
gratitude remains, you must have a high place in my
regard, and a constant remembrance in my prayers.
Great weakness and languor are the effects of my dis
order ; and the longer it continues, the more I must ex-

BENEFIT OF AFFLICTIONS. 77
pect it to be thus with me. There is one advantage I
find, even in the obstinacy of the complaint, and its re
sisting the power of all remedies prescribed by the skilful
in medicine ; — it is, that I am by this means less in dan
ger of trusting in creature-help ; and taught to look with
a single eye to Him, who saith to His Church, " I am
tlie Lord that healeth you, and to wait His will. It is a
just homage required from me, a sinful creature, to be
paid to the God of holiness and wisdom, of mercy and
of grace. Our God exercises His most righteous domi
nion over our faculties, wills, and affections. He first
requires the Christian to sacrifice the overweening opi
nion he has of his own wisdom and reasoning to the
majesty of His revealed Word, and to believe truths most
cordially and steadfastly, which infinitely surpass his
power to conceive clearly. He next requires that the
Christian should part with the beloved idol of his heart,
and, instead of self-indulgence, crucify the flesh with the
affections and lusts. After obedience is habitually per
formed in these two grand points, and we have done the
will of God, then coines the last and necessary trial — the
furnace of affliction: then He saith, "Ye have need of
patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye
might receive the promise." And it is to be observed,
that as the two former submissions are preparatory to the
last, so the last is exceedingly beneficial to the former,
and perfective of them. None ever believe so humbly,
and obey so fruitfully, as those who have suffered pa
tiently. Let it therefore be your prayer, my dear friend,
for me, (for I stand in need of it,) that I may with thank
fulness endure the afflictive as well as receive the pros
perous and pleasing dispensations; and that my practice
and deportment may be suitable to my light and know
ledge, and the expectations of the Church of God con
cerning me. This I desire, not as if I despaired of any
cure for my disease, but I would desire to be ready, and
prepared for all events. If I am not worse, I shall set
out the week after Easter: and, perhaps, the journeying
will be serviceable.
We have still more cause to rejoice in our work. On
Sunday last, our Sacrament was solemn and affecting.
7*

78 MR. JONES, OF ST. SAVIOUR'S, SOUTHWARK.
Our attention, previously to it, was fixed on Lam. i. 12:
it was considered as the most moving complaint of the
Great Benefactor to ruined, sinners. Our hymn was one
of Dr. Watts's, of a piece with the subject; and I trust
many were admitted into the Lord's " banqueting-house,
and that His banner over them was love ;" that many of
us " sat down under His shadow with great delight, and
His fruit was sweet" unto us. I find, with regard to
myself, that the benefit of Prayers, Sacraments, and the
Means of Grace, bears exact proportion to the care I
take to implore the influence and operation of the Spirit
in them ; that when I am only a little concerned in ask
ing of the Lord the inestimable comfort of His help, my
spiritual duties afford me little comfort in the exercise,
and leave no lasting impressions. On the contrary, when
I am importunate with the Lord to put life and power in
the Ordinances, and to make me feel some correspondent
affections, I am enabled to say, " Truly our fellowship is
with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ."
I am sorry to hear dear Mr. Jones is so ill. It is a
hard matter to keep the exact medium — to be, in some
resemblance of Elijah, very zealous for our God, and not
exert ourselves beyond what the mortal body can bear ;
or to be regardful of health, without degenerating into
laziness. It is certainly tho better extreme of the two,
to spend and be spent, even to the shortening a little
a short life at best, in such a manner as to refute luke-
warmness by example, than to live a longer life in a
manner not so visibly contrary to it.
I pray our gracious Lord to have you and yours in
His safe and holy protection, now and evermore ! From
your much obliged pastor in Christ,
H. Venn.
TO MRS. KNIPE.
Huddersfield, July, 1762.
My dear Friend, — The Sermon* you were so kind
as to inclose, gave us a most pleasing account of Mr.
* A Sermon by the Rev. W. Romaine, on the death of the Rev.
T. Jones, Chaplain of St. Saviour, Southwark.

NEWSPAPER ATTACKS. 79
Jones's death. Most comfortable and animating are such
scenes! In them we see how true the Lord our Strength
is, and that there is no unrighteousness in Him : we may
see what manner of support and consolation He imparts
in the dying hour ; and that having loved His own
which are in the world, He loveth them unto the end.
Indeed, as the Apostles were a picture of the Church of
Christ throughout all ages, we may certainly collect from
them how tender and compassionate a Friend1 we shall
find in our Savour, when most we need His presence
and love. During the time He was with them, He re
buked them often and sharply ; but when he was going
to part with them, affection breathes in all His discourse.
It is then no longer, " Where is your faith ?" " Why do
ye not understand ?" but, " My peace I leave with you ;
my peace I give unto you." " Let not your heart be
troubled. I go to prepare a place for you ; that where I
am, there ye may be also." In the same gracious man
ner He now will and does manifest Himself to them that
believe in Him, and have obtained like precious faith
with the Apostles. Let us not, then, be afraid to trust
Him : let us, in confidence, resign our death to Him. In
this respect, no less than with regard to the world, we
are to be careful for nothing, but in every thing to cast
our care upon God, knowing that He careth for us.
Since you left us, I have been assaulted in the dark by
two venomous papers — a letter, and a piece of poetry.
The latter is directed to one of my hearers ; and sup
posed to be written by a believer, exhorting him " to hold
fast his faith ; which is so sure to save him, that, what
ever he does, God will impute nothing to him : if he
does but believe, he may cheat, oppress, lie — all is still
well." These are good proofs they have nothing of real
guilt to lay to our charge ; and, whilst they blaspheme
and revile, they give us a noble opportunity of showing
our faith by our works ; even by that work, so impossible
to flesh and blood — blessing them that curse us, and
loving those that hate us. Dear Mr. Burnett has met
with the. same bitter spirit ; and the only family that was
a great encouragement to him is turned against him.
But he can say of the Lord, " Thou art my refuge, my

80 VISIT TO MR. CON VERS, AT HELMSLEY.
fortress, and my portion ; in Him will I trust." I am
sure, if our cause were no more invigorating than the re
ligion we oppose is, no one could long continue to min
ister the Gospel. But it is the power of God unto salva
tion : it is righteousness, peace, and joy ;- and therefore
worthy parting with all, for its own sake. May the ful
ness of the blessings of this Gospel be with you, in your
new habitation !
From your much obliged friend and minister in Christ,
H. Venn.
Sept. 8, 1762.
-I lately paid a visit, in company with Mr. Madan,

to Helmsley, and spent four days with our dear friend
Mr. Conyers. Immediately upon his receiving us into
his house, he broke out into a most fervent thanksgiving
unto God, who had sent us to him ; as he had never be
fore received under his roof a faithful Preacher of his dear
Crucified Master. We had abundant edification from his
discourse. Mr. Madan compares him with Mr. Hervey,
in spirit and temper. I think he greatly surpasses even
that extraordinary saint, in a peculiar talent for edifying
the people ; though he is far inferior in point of learning.
Mr. Conyers shines with an amazing lustre, from the
bowels of mercy and love that dwell so richly in him to
wards every one, but much more towards his flock. As
a nurse her children, so does he cherish them ; — as a
father his sons, so does he exhort and warn and comfort
them. In the greatest simplicity, he accosts them by the
most endearing names, and the most loving appellations.
In proof that I am not exaggerating in this account, I
assure you that Mr. Madan, myself, Mr. and Mrs. Elm-
sail, and Miss Hudson, were all of us melted into tears,
and softened, in a most extraordinary manner.
And now you will grieve with us, to hear that this our
dear fellow-labourer has quite impaired his constitution
by his excessive fatigues in preaching to different con
gregations, in his most extensive parish, twenty-one times
each week. Many very bad symptoms lead us to fear
for his life. May what we'have seen of him abide upon
us; and stir us up to be more zealous for our God ! By

PASTORAL LETTERS. 81
seeing what manner of grace He has to bestow upon them
that diligently seek him, may we never rest short, but
covet earnestly the best gifts.

It is worthy of remark, that, notwithstanding the great extent
and extraordinary success of Mr. Venn's ministerial labours at
Huddersfield, as recorded in the Memoir, his letters contain very
little mention of the great good whicli he was the honoured instru
ment of effecting. The deep and genuine humility of his charac
ter, and the high standard which the love and example of Christ
placed before him, led him rather to bewail his short-comings than
to speak of his success. But, in another respect, his correspond
ence affords very striking confirmation of his ministerial zeal and
faithfulness : for many pastoral letters still remain, written to par
ticular members of his flock, during temporary absence from them,
which testify how tenderly and vigilantly he watched, in private,
over the spiritual progress of those who had derived benefit from
his public ministry. I have selected the following eight letters,
as specimens of this portion of his correspondence.
The three first letters were written to Miss Hudson, who mar
ried, in 1768, the Rev. John Riland, then Curate of Huddersfield,
and afterwards, successively, Minister of St. Mary's, Birmingham,
and Rector of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire. This lady was
one of Mr. Venn's most valued and faithful friends and correspond
ents, as many of the subsequent letters will amply testify.
Mr. Thomas Atkinson, to whom the two next letters were ad
dressed, had left Huddersfield for a few years, to reside in Lon
don; and afterwards became an extensive manufacturer at Mold
Green, near Huddersfield. He was a man of strong powers of
mind, great decision of character, and large benevolence of heart ;
and exhibited, throughout all his transactions in life, the genuine
influence of the Gospel of Christ.

TO MISS HUDSON.
Kippax, March 4, 1763.
My dear Miss Hudson, — Since I left you, you have
never been out of my thoughts. I remember you going
out and coming in, rising up and lying down. I remem
ber you, not barely as a friend, but as one of my flock,
and of the seals of my mirr'stry, now particularly needing
all consolation.* The; only reason of my assuring you
* Miss Hudson had very recently lost a brother, two years older than
herself ; whose piety and affection were her chief earthly stay in the re
ligious course upon which she had just entered.

82 DIFFICULTY OF BEARING AFFLICTION ARIGHT.
I do so, is, that you may judge from hence what manner
of love the Father of all spirits must bear towards you :
for if I, a corrupted creature, full of such selfish and base
dispositions by nature as render me very unfeeling, can thus
sympathize with you, what must be the bowels of mercy
towards you in that God who has called you by His
grace, adopted you for His own child, promised in all
your afflictions to relieve you, and overrule them all for
your greater good ? But your heart is ready to say,
" How can this be the case, when not only the hand of
the Lord has smitten me so sharply, but, under the
affliction I behave not as my conscience tells me I ought ?
I glorify not God in the midst of the fires." In answer
to this objection, you are sufficiently taught to remember,
that the love of God, as a reconciled Father, has ever
been manifested most in the trials of His dear children.
Behold Job !-*-a few days strip him of his substance, be
reave him of all his children (of whose conversion there was
but little hope,) and he sees himself full of ulcers, so that
he became loathsome to the wife of his bosom : yet this
is the man, of all upon the face of the earth, dear to God ;
and, because he was so, afflicted in this very remarkable
manner. Look upon Aaron, the priest of the Lord, dis
tinguished above all the tribes of Israel (excepting Moses,
his brother) — in a moment he loses" both his sons, con
sumed by the hot displeasure of God ! And the time
would fail to reckon up the dear and most honoured
saints of God, who had the bread of affliction, and the
water of affliction, given them to drink. So that you
have not the least shadow of reason to suspect that you are
afflicted through any want of love or pity in the heart of
God towards you ; but, on the contrary, knowing that
He declares, to all the afflicted, in His Word, and espe
cially with respect to the household of faith, you have
much cause to say, " Of very faithfulness, as a part of the
new, everlasting, ever-blessed covenant, into which I am
brought by the blood of Jesus, God has been pleased to
afflict me !"
But you may grieve, not only for your great loss — a
loss which no one can fully estimate who is not in your
place ; but as much, possibly, to find your soul so much

DIFFICULTY of bearing AFFLICTION ARIGHT. 83
oppressed by it. In this case, consider also the example
of some of the most eminent and approved saints of
God. When His hand pressed them sore, they expressed
all the same sensibility of their heavy cross as you feel
in your heart, for a season : they made their complaint,
and felt the risings of corrupt nature, till, by prayer, di
vine succours were supplied from the Throne of Grace.
The chastening was grievous to them, and in no sense,
for the present, joyous ; though afterwards it yielded to
them the peaceable fruits of righteousness, when they
had been exercised thereby. In the Psalms, which con
tain an invaluable collection of the experience of God's
saints in times of trouble, you will observe (and I beg
you will now read them much) how they are vexed, and
complain of themselves, because they find themselves so
very unduly affected by their crosses. " Take away the
rebuke that I am afraid qf, i. e. for my impatience, for
my self-will, under correction ! for Thy judgments, Thy
chastisements, are good." Though, therefore, it argues
much corruption, and is a great reason for humiliation
and self-abhorrence, to find that, ignorant worms as we
are, we have in us adisposition to blame the All-wise
for His providence towards us ; that, hell-deserving sin
ners as we are, we can be prone to say, " My grief, if it
was now weighed, is heavier than can be borne ;" yet
this oppression is not to cast us down, as if we had not
faith of God's elect and dear children.
Consider therefore, my dear friend, that neither is your
trial any other than such as is common to the most be-,
loved of God ; neither your manner of bearing it, though
clouds and darkness for a season rest upon your mind,
any thing unusual to the heirs of glory. May the blessed
God, therefore, the Fountain of all consolation, watch
over you whilst you are in the furnace of affliction, and
make it mighty of operation, to purge away all your
dross! May His presence, grace, love, and power,
enrich your hearty so abundantly, that you may, though
sorrowful, yet rejoice in the Lord, and magnify the God
of your salvation ! My love to all your afflicted family.
I daily remember them at the Throne of Grace. My
wife, who is but poorly, joins with me in praying for

84 REASONS why god afflicts his people.
your consolation, and in wishing you every blessing. I
remain your sincere friend and minister, to serve your
soul in all things, for Christ's sake. H. Venn.
TO MISS HUDSON. Kippax, March 7, 1763.
My dear Miss Hudson, — In my last letter, I endea
voured to lay before you, as considerations peculiarly
suited to your present distressed state, the manner in
which a most gracious God has been used to deal with
His most beloved children, and the manner also in which
they expressed their feelings of His afflicting hand. I
shall now point out some of those views and purposes
for which believers in Christ Jesus are often touched in
the mosf sensible part, and much acquainted with grief.
1st : The first reason is, to wean them from all expec
tations of happiness from any other quarter than God
himself. No words are strong enough to paint the prone-
ness there is, in the very heirs of salvation, to set up
resting-places here upon earth. A.nd though they are
delivered from the base and sordid love of money, or
the poor gratifications which can "be gleaned from the
honours and pleasures of the world, still they are apt to
make Christian friends and relations, idols ; and so the
strength of their affections, which should centre and settle
all in God, is by this means very much weakened and
divided. Though we discern not this ourselves, nor
suspect it, our Divine Physician fully sees the growth of
the distemper ; and, in love, we are separated from our
idols. Disappointments meet us at every turn : where
we expected we should be particularly favoured with
helps and advantages for Godly living, we behold our
selves left destitute; so that we have no more a place
of refuge upon earth, no more a dear counsellor or friend
who is as our own soul. By this means we are com
pelled, as Noah's dove was, by the wide watery waste,
which did not afford a single resting-place, to fly to the
Ark, and to take shelter there. Our gracious Father,
with a loving jealousy over us, thus secures our whole
love .to Himself, and appears altogether glorious in our

REASONS WHY GOD AFFLICTS HIS PEOPLE. 85
eyes , as the fountain of living waters, when the cisterns
are broken which we were hewing out for ourselves.
2dly : It pleases God to afflict very heavily those who
are his dear children by faith in Christ, that they may
more value the choice they have made. When they are
the most innocent, nay, the most laudable, satisfactions
they could-possibly propose to themselves from any crea
ture-comfort, all shivered in pieces, as it were, in a mo
ment, and water of gall spring up from that very person
or thing from which they promised themselves abundance
of joy ; in such a situation, how infinitely desirable a
connection with Jehovah, never to have an end — a union
with Him, which is as far above all the changes of this
mortal life as heaven is higher than the earth ! This
must be apprehended as the chief of all blessings — a
portion of itself sufficient. Then the souls of the faithful
are taught experimentally to say — "Vanity of vanities!
all is vanity," but Christ and His love ! " Lord, to whom
shall we go ?" from whence expect refreshment and con
solation, but from Thyself alone ? " All my fresh springs
shall be in Thee!"
3dly : The dear children of God are afflicted in the
most sensible part, in answer to their own prayers. As
our Redeemer said to Zebedee's children, " Ye know
not what ye ask! Are ye able to be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with ?" so may it be said of
all believers. They all pray that they may be delivered
from every accursed thing, and be formed and fashioned
according to the will of God in all things. This prayer
they put up in the integrity of their souls ! It is accepted
of God ; and He answers it. He brings them into va
rious troubles, that these may work in them patience,
and patience experience, and experience hope. He
thwarts their own will, where it most vehemently sought
to be gratified ; and so, at length, moulds them into that
self-denying spirit, which is the proper state of a sinner
before a God infinitely wise and holy.
4thly: The dear children of God are afflicted in the
most sensible manner, that they may know more deeply
the evil of sin! Of this evil we have, at best, but very
slight conceptions. But when we feel the chastening
8

86 REASONS WHY GOD AFFLICTS HIS PEOPLE
and correction, knowing, at the same time, it is not the
stroke of an enemy, nor the wound of a cruel one, but
the very medicine to heal our disease ; then we are led
to confess, that sin must be exceeding sinful, since God
never willingly grieves nor afflicts the children of men ;
since He rebukes for sin, and scourges us for our of
fences ; that, being chastened of the Lord, we may not
be condemned with the world ; that we may go on our
way weeping for a season, and in heaviness, if need be,
in order that we may return again with joy, and bring
our sheaves with us.
Lastly : All the dear children of God are some time
or other grievously afflicted, that they may be conformed
to the image of their Saviour. How sorely afflicted and
distressed inwardly was your dear brother, before he en
tered into glory ! And there is not a Scripture saint men
tioned, but drank, in some degree, of the cup which
Jesus drank of, and was baptized with his baptism of
sufferings : so that, were any of the faithful to want
chastening, it would be almost sufficient to bring their
title to Christ in question. The God of all grace help
my dear friend to ponder these things in her heart, and
make them of force to support her mind from utterly
fainting! Be of good cheer! for, though afflicted and
distressed, remember, your warfare is accomplished, your
iniquity is pardoned ; you have received double for all
your sins — in 1he abundance of the gift of grace, and of
justification unto eternal life, by being brought into the
bonds of the everlasting covenant.
My dear wife remembers you in your affliction, as well
as I do myself, daily, before the Throne of Grace.
From your sincere friend and pastor in Christ,
H. Venn.
TO MISS HUDSON.
Kensington Gore, July 1, 1763.
My dear Miss Hudson, — Many thanks to you for youi
letter! I had not forgotten you. Not a day passes, but
I remember my flock, and you in particular, in the best
manner I am able, before the Throne of Grace. Be of
good cheer : let not either outward crosses or inward

PARAPHRASE OF THE NINETY-FIRST PSALM. 87
trials cast you down : for know, the Lord sitteth above
the water-floods : there is nothing that can ever possibly
befall them that have fled for refuge to the Redeemer ; but
it shall work for good to them. However appearances
may be for a time, all the promises of God, and all the
perfections of God, are engaged to succour and to save
the weakest believer. Ponder, my dear Miss Hudson,
that character of the child of God, in the 2d verse of the
91st Psalm, and I doubt not you will be enabled to per
ceive your own picture in it : I will say of the Lord,
Thou art my refuge: i. e. to Thee have I fled, an ac
cused, self-condemned, accursed creature — to Thee, as
manifesting Thyself in Christ Jesus, have I fled for sal
vation, from the Law, from sin, from my own corrup
tions ; and still Thou art all my refuge. Thou art my
fortress: besieged by the world, by Satan, by my own
mighty corruptions, I am kept and defended by Thee
alone. Thou holdest me up, and I am safe : if Thou
leavest me but a moment, I must fall into the hands of
my enemies. Thou art my God. In all my former
vanities, and in all my former pleasures, I see sin, and I
fly from them. I receive not my happiness, nor seek my
portion, in the things of sense and time. Thou, 0 God !
art my delight : in Thy favour is life ; and in close com
munion with Thee, whenever I partake of it, is my high
est enjoyment : my soul seeketh after Thee : when Thou
art absent, and hidest Thyself from me, I am troubled.
Such is the experience, and such the feelings, of the
faithful in Christ Jesus : and cannot you say, I am a wit
ness, though weak and feeble, of this truth, and in this
picture I behold my own experience ? Hear, then, how
precious in the sight of the Lord thy soul is, and what a
complete defence is encompassing thee on every side !
" Surely" — it is not a peradventure, but an absolute
certainty; as such you are to receive it — in this confi
dence you are to use His promise, Surely the Lord shall
deliver thee from the snare of the fowler — from every
subtle contrivance and malicious design of Satan : none
of his attempts to destroy thee shall succeed, but be over
ruled to thy greater good : — and from the noisome pesti
lence; though the world is full of infection and evil com-

88 PARAPHRASE OF THE NINETY-FIRST PSALM.
munication, which will corrupt good manners, abounds
on<all sides; though thy heart is always of itself disposed
to receive the infection, and thou mayest think it almost
an impossibility to dwell in the world, and not to be hurt
in the soul by it. — He shall deliver thee. He shall cover
thee with His feathers ; like the hen, all alarmed and ever
intent to protect her little brood, communicating warmth
from her body to cherish them, and covering them from
every evil she beholds ; so shall the Lord bring thy soul
near to Him, and manifest Himself to thee, and make
thee as sensible He is for thee, and nigh to comfort and
protect, as the chickens are sensible they are under their
mother's care. And under his wings shall thou trust.
He will give thee the power to believe and depend upon
Him. He will create in thee more and more affiance, in
spite of thy natural unbelief of heart. His truth, the
word of His grace, the covenant established from ever
lasting, respecting all that are in Christ Jesus, this shall
fight for thee, and prevail, like the shield and buckler
which is turned everyway by the soldier, when in battle,
to ward off the sword from his body. So will the Lord
be jealous for His truth ; and, lest one jot or tittle thereof
should fail those that trust in Him, He will, at all times,
and in all places, defend and save unto the uttermost all
His people.
Let me entreat you to pray over this Scripture" — pray
to have it impressed, applied, and fulfilled in you. Make
your complaint against yourself, that you cannot believe
these weighty promises : and, in thus doing, by degrees
the light of life will more and more manifest itself, and
you will find God is all-sufficient.
I am very happy in meeting with many in London
who stand fast in the Lord, to whom He was pleased to
make me an instrument of good. I preach generally
three times every Sabbath. Oh ! pray for me, that I
may be supplied abundantly with matter, with sound
speech, and with love to souls. .
Mrs. Knipe and my sister inquire with affection after
you : they wish you much of the power, presence, and
comfort of Christ. To Him I commend you, praying
He may strengthen you mightily, by His Spirit, in your

THE EVIL OF IGNORANCE. 89
inward man ; and establish you, so that you may always
triumph in Him, as your all-sufficient Redeemer.
From your minister always to serve in Christ,
H. Venn.

TO MR. THOMAS ATKINSON.
Huddersfield, Sept. 6, 1763
My dear Friend, — Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, for His great mercy, in opening
your eyes, and undeceiving your foolish heart, which,
through its natural pride, was darkened — darkened in
the midst of religious duties and the profession of
Christianity! Great is the joy I feel on your account:
and, as an older traveller in the same blessed path in
which you are now walking, I will give you some coun
sel, praying our gracious God to command His blessing
on it.
The first thing I would press upon you is, to beg of
God more light. There is not a more false maxim than
this, though common in almost every mouth, that " men
know enough, if they would but practise better." God
says on the contrary, "My people are destroyed for lack
of knowledge." And as, at first, men live in sin, easy
and well pleased, because they know not what they
do ; so, after they are alive and awake, they do little for
God, or gain littlte victory over sin, through the igno
rance that is in them. They have no comfort, no esta
blishment, no certainty that they are in the right path,
even when they are going to God, because the eyes of
their understanding are so little enlightened to discern
the things that make for their peace. Do you therefore,
ray dear Thomas, in all your prayers, call much upon
God for Divine teaching. Insist much upon the very
faint, dim perception you have of the things you already
know. Tell God how little you see of the evil of sin ;
how far you still are from feeling yourself always that
corrupt, selfish creature, His word declares you indeed
-are. Tell the Saviour of that which was lost — what
poor, low, unaffecting views you have of His work of
obedience, though He was God manifest in the flesh ; —
8*

90 WAY OF ATTAINING DIVINE KNOWLEDGE.
how seldom you can feel your heart happy in the per
suasion that your sins were purged away by Himself,
and that He now sitteth at the right hand of the Father
till your enemies become His footstool, though all Scrip
ture is written to assure you and every believer that this
is the very truth. Tell Him how little you know of the
excellency, strength, and unconquerableness of the Di
vine promises. By persevering in such confessions, and
asking of the Lord such illumination, you will gradually
be filled with all knowledge, and be made wise unto
salvation ; especially if you make request, as you are
always to do, for increasing light, only that you may
glorify God in your life and conversation, as you are
bound to do. I have one thing only to add more, which
is, that you remember, if you are either impatient, or
cast down under a sight of your great ignorance in spirit
ual things, the cause is pride and unbelief of heart : for
why should we be impatient for instant deliverance from
our ignorance, when we deserve most righteously to be
left in darkness for evermore ? or why should we be cast
down in the view of our ignorance, when Christ promises
that all who follow Him shall not abide in darkness, but
have the light of life abiding in them ?
1 had purposed giving you more directions for your
comfortable walking with God ; but I shall reserve these
for some other epistle ; intending, God willing, to keep
up a correspondence with you, as you really desire to
know God, and be happy in Him. From your sincere
and affectionate friend and servant in Christ Jesus.
H. Venn.
TO MR. THOMAS ATKINSON.
Huddersfield, August 10, 1764.
•Dear Sir, — You will be pleased to hear that the
work of the Lord prospers exceedingly in many souls ;
and we have lately had some happy and triumphant
deaths, which are of great use, in the hands of God, to
awaken, and to convince, and to animate, those who do
already believe.
Mr. Ball you have now with you. May you make

METHOD OF STUDYING THE BIBLE. 91
good improvement of such a talent intrusted to your
care! He is one of those who are described, in God's
word, as burning and shining lights : by their wisdom,
and knowledge of the Truth, they point out the path of
life- and by their love and zeal they warm our hearts,
and stir us up to seek, as they do.
I hope you read your Bible with much prayer. I can
give you a never-failing receipt to make a complete
Christian and an heir of Glory. You will find the medi
cine described in the 19th Psalm, 7 — 11; and the me
thod of taking it, Prov. ii. 1 — 9. By the use of this
medicine and this method, you will as certainly improve,
and grow in grace, as any sensible diligent boy ever got
any knowledge at school. This is our condemnation ;
and, alas! this is the real cause of our being so weak in
faith, so cold in our love, so confused in our notions ; —
the Bible, and prayer over it for the true understanding
of it, is not our exercise, our constant employment. Any
other means of grace than this, which is yet the most
profitable of all, is rather chosen. But, as it is written,
the kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the vio
lent take it by force ; so in nothing do we offer violence
to our evil nature more than in studying God's holy word,
and earnestly praying that the Divine truth it teaches
may sink deep into our hearts, work mightily, and pro
duce all those gracious effects for which it was of old
written by inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
My love to all my dear friends in Christ, who have all
of them my daily prayers.
From your very affectionate friend, H. Venn.
TO A LADY. Huddersfield, Feb. 5, 1764.
Dear Madam, — To give instruction to any who are
inquiring how they may live to the glory of their God
and Saviour, is our professed business, as the ministers
of Christ, and our greatest joy on earth. Let this, there
fore, plead my excuse for the following lines : which I
heartily wish may prove effectual, to increase in you
every desire that is acceptable in the sight of God.

92 DIVINE TEACHING.
I find, Madam, you are conscious of your ignoran e
in the things of God. For ever blessed be His name,
that you are so! The very first step to be wise, in and
degree, to the good of the soul, is to lament our blind
ness, our stupidity, our brutishness, in knowledge. Your
very lamenting this, is the grace of God working in a
heart naturally too proud to stoop to any confession of ig
norance at all. Be of good cheer, Madam, and encourage
yourself in the promises of God. Read the 25th Psalm.
There see, with your own eyes, that you have the word
and honour of the God of Heaven and Earth ; that He
is good and gracious to teach sinners in the way ; that,
them that are meek — ready to submit, and desirous of be
ing taught, and willing to comply with all they know — ¦
He will guide in judgment ; and such as are gentle, He
will learn His way. Read the 32d Psalm, the last verses :
there your God assures you He will inform and teach
you the way in which you should go : He will guide
you with his eye, protect your person, order your
steps, just as you have done, with unspeakable pleasure,
your dear little babes, when they began to walk, and
you were afraid of their dashing their foot against a
stone. Read the 72d Psalm — the whole speaks of Jesus :
it is a public proclamation and call to all sinners who
will hear it, that He will deliver the poor and needy when
he crieth, and him that hath no helper ; He shall spare the
poor and needy, and save the souls of the needy ; He shall
redeem their souls from deceit and violence, and precious
shall their blood be in His sight. God help you to believe
these blessed Scriptures ! they are written for your encou
ragement. You are burdened with your own corruptions :
you are sore troubled sometimes, that you can be so cold,
so dead : this is part of the battle you are called to fight,
even to contend against a desperately wicked heart. Resist
evil shame ; and when God has given you light, never put
it under a bushel, for fear of being nick-named, or talked
over with a sneer. " They that confess me before men,
will I confess before my Father;" and " and they that
are ashamed of me, of them will I be ashamed ;" are
words left on record, to counteract our selfish and
cowardly hearts. Christ will comfort the brave soldier

REMONSTRANCE TO A BACKSLIDER. 93
that fights for Him, in opposition to self and the world ;
and vouchsafe him new manifestations of glory. I wish
you the enjoyment of great knowledge in the things of
God, of great peace in the ways of God, and of a great
reward in the kingdom of God. I wish God may be
with your offspring, and early give them his grace, that
they may be a seed to serve Him, and honourable wit
nesses for His Truth. I beg my respects to Mr. S. You
may always command my pen, if I can be in the least
degree of service to you. From your very humble ser
vant and well-wisher. H. Venn.
TO A YOUNG FRIEND. Huddersfield, Nov. 8, 1768.
Several things, of late, have put me, my dear Sir,
into apprehensions for your spiritual welfare ; particu
larly your absenting yourself from the Lord's Table on
Sunday. I feel for your temptations and pray for you.
But turn not from the God of all grace ; give not up the
use of the means of grace, whatever may have been your
falls, whatever are the accusations of your conscience,
however strong and violent you feel your corruptions. It
is the cruel suggestion of Satan, which tells you there is
no help for you in your God — that so long as you have
striven, and not yet got the mastery over your besetting
sin, it is in vain to strive any longer : for in Christ Jesus
there is plenteous redemption ; and though He often suf
fers us to be wounded, and terribly, too, yet He will heal,
He will deliver the praying soul, those that are bowed
down with the weight and chains of their sin. If you,
alas ! fall into wilful transgression, sad as the case is, do
not make it worse, by rejecting the only possible remedy.
If you are overcome of presumptuous wickedness, run to
Jesus, with your wounds bleeding, four conscience ac
cusing, and under all the aggravations of guilt which can
possibly attend your fall. He has a heart to forgive all
affronts put upon Him, all the most heinous provocations,
and the most shocking injuries the devil can tempt poor
sinners to commit.
Will you then, my dear young man — in whom I have
taken so much pleasure, as one devoting yourself in the

94 REMONSTRANCE to a backslider.
flower of youth to Jesus — will you forsake Him ? When
He is the person injured, and yet waits to be gracious,
will you, the aggressor, be such a foe to yourself, as not
to go to Him for pardon ? When He whom your right
eousness cannot profit, promises to love you freely, and
heal your backslidings, and be a covert to you from the
wind of temptation, will you, who stand in absolute need
of these mercies, keep away? You will say, I cannot
pray ; I am a hypocrite : I cannot lament and weep for
my sin : I feel a love to it, and a desire to commit it with
greediness. Go to Jesus with this confession ; repeat it
again and again, upon your knees, or as you walk about :
not a soul, among the millions he has saved, but has been
in this case : tell Him the worst you feel ; tell Him it is
impossible for you to resist the devil, and your own
desperately wicked heart, in any strength of- your own.
Present yourself before Him, as a poor destitute, as a
perishing rebel — as one who, against light and love, is
engaging on the side of the enemies of the Lord. I have
no doubt you will be recovered gloriously — that I, and
all the Children of God, and your dear mother, shall
praise His name for His delivering your captive soul out
of the enemy's hand — if you will call upon Him. I have
had, myself, many a sore and dreadful conflict, before
the time of my redemption came. You will even receive
a blessing from all your falls : God will bring light out
of darkness, and good out of this horrible evil, if you cry
unto Him ; for He will teach you, by it, what depths of
wickedness are in your heart, how much you need a free
and a full salvation to be given by sovereign grace ; and
in a little time you will be able to say, I am a brand
plucked out of the fire ; I am an enemy to God, saved
only through His good pleasure.
On the contrary,* my dear fellow-sinner, put the case,
that, uneasy, and galled with the sight and sense of your
own provocations, you fly from Christ, you leave off re
ceiving the Sacrament, reading God's word, and prayer.
Alas! I am ready to weep at the terrible consequences:
sin and Satan must then necessarily prevail ; conscience
will become a sharp accuser, and haunt you as a ghost ;
you will expose the cause of Christ to shame and re-

remonstrance to a backslider. 95
proach amongst his enemies ; you will discourage the
young people who have begun to run well ; you will
contribute to keep in their revolt from God those who
have, alas! turned back to folly; you will be ashamed
of seeing your companions in the good ways of the Lord ;
you will fear death, and be in a manner forced to fly for
refuge — (ah ! how different a refuge from the loving
Jesus!) to those who are of a seared conscience and
of the most profligate life, in order to drown convic
tions ; — which yet you will never be able to do ; for this
is one part of the righteous punishment immediately in
flicted on those who forsake the Lord, after setting their
hand to the plough ; they can never enjoy, as the una-
wakened, the pleasures of sin, poor and perishing as
they are. And at home — what I almost tremble to think
of, if you forsake the good path — into what shocking be
haviour will you be betrayed! The mother who' bore
you, who has prayed for you day and night, who with
tears of joy spoke of you to me but a little before her
late illness, will be an intolerable reproach to your guilty
mind : this will excite in you peevishness and anger, and
even .hatred and malice, so as to grieve her by hard
speeches, and imbitter the life of one of the dearest
children of God : for the same heart which inclines you
to forsake God, and the same enemy that urges you to
leave off the use of the means of grace, will lead you on
from bad to worse, till who can say what you will not
be led to do !
Oh, my dear Sir ! the Lord give you understanding to
ponder these things — to read what I have offered in the
same spirit of love which made me write it; and in
prayer to God for a blessing upon this endeavour of
your minister, who watches for your soul as one that
must give an account. I should esteem myself obliged
to you if you would come and converse with me for an
hour. I trust God would make it a means of grace to
your soul. I am, in much affection, your servant for
Christ's sake. H. Venn.

It pleased God to bless this letter to the recovery and establish
ment of the young man.

96 MINISTERIAL VISITS.

TO A FRIEND. Huddersfield, Sept. 22, 1766.
Dear Sir, — Your letter, which I received this day, I
immediately answer; because I know you will much re
joice to hear that I think the state of your dear sister's
¦nind is still very promising. I see her very frequently ;
and desire to do so, whilst she is going on. What you
mention, of my having left off to go to . . . ., is true.
But I act, I judge, entirely according to my Master's
will, in giving myself to reading, to doctrine, to medita
tion, and, as my strength (which is but small) will bear,
to visiting the sick. Where there is a taste and enjoy
ment of the things of God, I go oftener ; but when one
person only is to speak, and no answer comes from the
company, to prove how pleasing the great topic of dis
course is, I plainly see it my duty not to visit. For min
isters of the Gospel have another and better employment
of their time than to wait and watch for any particular
family, in order to say something that God may please
to bless. When I come into the pulpit, it is after study,
prayers, and cries for the people : I speak as plainly, and
enter into all the cases of the congregation, as minutely,
as I am able. If, after this, there is a love for the
Truth, all my hearers know what delight it is to me to
converse with them, and exhort them in private. I do
not wonder, my dear Sir, that you feel what you do.
Blessed be God for it ! The prayers of a son or a daugh
ter have been, and are constantly, the means of blessing
to the whole family. May it be so with yours !
I am glad you tire not in the way. Pray for increas
ing discoveries of the evil of your heart, and of the glo
rious salvation established in the covenant of grace.
Strange as it sounds, and worse than nonsense, in the
ears of a carnal man, yet it is most true, that the happi
ness of man consists in his humbling views of his own
sinfulness; and he enjoys the presence and the love of
God deeply in his heart, only in proportion as he feels
himself deserving of hell.
My love to all your dear society. May the dew of
Heaven be upon you ! May your growth in grace he like

mr. Venn's refusal of a legacy. 97
that of the willows by the water-courses, and every one
of you be transplanted to flourish for ever in the courts
of the Lord's House !
• From your sincere friend, H. Venn.

The next letter will displaj', in a signal degree, a distinguishing
feature iu Mr. Venn's character; namely, his superiority to all
worldly considerations, where he judged the honour of Religion to
be concerned ; and his determination to avoid all appearance of the
evil of making a gain of godliness. He had recently formed an
intimate friendship with an elderly widow lady of fortune : she
had, in the first instance, applied to him under distress of mind,
and, obtained relief from his advice, became a frequent inmate in
his family, and a great admirer of his preaching ; and was there
fore regarded by others as entirely under his influence. This lady
inserted in her will a considerable legacy in favour of her new
friend : she had no near relations, who had any claims upon her :
and Mr. Venn, in the event of his death, would have left his family
almost destitute. Yet, as soon as he heard of her intention, he
sent her the following letter.

TO A LADY.
Huddersfield, Oct. 28, 1764.
My very dear Friend, — I understand, by my wife,
your most kind and generous intention towards us in
your will. The legacy would be exceedingly accepta
ble ; and I can assure you the person from whom it
would come would greatly enhance the benefit. I love
my sweet children as much as is lawful ; and, as I know
it would give you pleasure to administer to the comfort
of me and mine, I should with greater joy accept of your
liberality. But an insurmountable bar stands in the way
— the love of Him to whom we are both indebted, not
for a transient benefit, for silver or gold, but for an in
heritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not
away, reserved in heaven for us. His honour, His cause,
is, and. must be, dearer to His people, than wife, chil
dren, or life itself- It is the firm resolve of His saints,
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."
To be therefore a stumbling-block in the way of any that
are seeking after Him — to give the least countenance to
9

98 mr. Venn's refusal of a legacy.
any that would be glad to bring His followers into con-
- tempt, and to call in question their sincere and disinter
ested attachment to Him — would grieve me whilst in
health, darken my mind in sickness, and loadfne with
self-condemnation upon my bed of death. How it would
also render all my exhortations feeble, and make them
accounted only pulpit declamations, if, when I was press
ing that solemn truth upon my people, " Love not the
world, neither the things in the world," they could say,
" Our minister, however, was careful to secure the favour
of his rich proselyte, and at length to gain sufficiently by
her !" After the most mature deliberation, therefore, it is
our request, which we cannot permit you to refuse us,
that you will not leave us any other token of your regard,
than something of little value more than it derives from
the giver. If it should please God that our connexion
should be prolonged some years, we shall in our hearts
still more abundantly enjoy your friendship, when we are
sure7 that we are in no danger of being influenced by a
regard to our own interest. And if we must soon have
the cutting affliction of losing you, you may depend on
it we shall not less affectionately make mention of your
name, or call to remembrance your unfeigned love for us
both, in Christ Jesus, than if we had what the world
esteems the only substantial proof of your regard. As
for our children, whom many will think we have not the
love for which we owe them, by refusing your great
favour, I would say only this — we both know of no in
heritance equal to the blessing of God ; and the certain
way of securing it, as far as means can avail, is, to be
found ready to lose or suffer any thing, sooner than to
incur the appearance of evil.
Wishing you much strength in your soul under your
great weakness of body, and the abundance of the reve
lation of peace and truth amidst your fiery trials, I con
clude myself your most indebted and affectionate friend
and pastor in Christ. H. Venn.

The lady to whom this letter was written was too well con
vinced of the sincerity of Mr. Venn's character, and the sacredness
of his motives, to evade compliance with his request ; and there-

ACCOUNT OF A TOUR. 99
fore altered her will, and bequeathed a favourite watch, instead of
the original pecuniary legacy. She died soon afterwards.

TO MISS WHELER.*
Berwick, Shropshire, Nov. 1766.
So sudden was my setting out on this tour, with Sir
Charles Hotham, that I was prevented coming, dear
Madam, to see my sick friends (friends in the love of
Immanuel) at Kippax. My weak state of lungs, which
I still labour under, inclined me to comply with dear Sir
Charles's request. But I knew not what good things
God my Saviour designed in this journey to give unto
my soul.
At Brighton, I was fired and encouraged by the
example of Lady Huntingdon, and dear Mr. Fletcher,
who were there.
At  , I was desired by Mr.  (who con
cluded positively that nothing spiritual could have the
least connexion with such a countenance as minef) to
give him a sermon ; which I did, in the afternoon : but,
so far from thanking me for the favour, he went away
the moment the service was ended: and I never saw him
afterwards ; though he told me, as we were walking to
church, that he would, after service, take me to drink tea
in the Rooms. But I trust the hand of the Lord was in
the matter, and some of his children were to receive a
benefit. We next came to Mr. Townsend's, at Pewsey. That
dear minister has a single eye and a warm heart. Three
young students are in his house, in order to prepare for
the ministry. Here I spoke the word of life to a small
church-full, and to a large room-full afterwards; and
* Miss Wheler lived with her sister, Mrs. Medhurst, at Kippax, near
Leeds. They were nieces of the Countess of Huntingdon.
¦f- Mr. Venn alludes to the following circumstance : — The clergyman
who thus offered his pulpit to a stranger, being afterwards rallied by his
friends for this incautious offer, replied to this effect : " Who would have
thought that such a cheerful, open countenance,- as his, could have any
connexion with Methodism?" — This sermon was the means of awaken
ing two persons in the congregation to a serious sense of religion, who
became from that time intimate and valuable friends of Mr. Venn.

100 INCAUTIOUS OFFER OF A PULPIT.
though the sphere of action in this parish is small, yet
round about there are a great number of souls awakened,
and some who know the Lord to be their God.
Our next stage was to Bath, where we heard Mr. Ro
maine preach, in that most plain but elegant chapel of
Lady Huntingdon. He was very well attended on the
week-days ; but on Sundays the chapel is crowded. My
kind friend Miss Gideon I had both the pleasure and the
grief of seeing with Mr. and Mrs. Romaine ; — the plea
sure, because she triumphs in the blood of the Cross, and
is indeed an ornament to her Christian faith ; but it was
a grief to see her labouring under a complication of dis
eases, and one, among these, the dropsy ; so that Dr.
Moisey told me he apprehended there was great danger
of her being soon called hence. Yet, which of her
friends can coolly wish her to stay ? as not only a most
infirm, afflicted body prevents the full ex.ercise of her
mental powers ; but, even in our best estate of body
here, how poor, how sinful is the soul ! We cannot pos
sibly be like Jesus, till we see Him as He is.
From Bath, through Bristol and Gloucester, we arrived
at Trevecka, in Wales. Howell Harris is the father of
that settlement, and the founder. After labouring for fif
teen years, more violently than any of the servants of
Christ, in this revival, he was so hurt in body as to be
confined to his own house for seven years. Upon the
beginning of this confinement, first one, and then
another, whom the Lord had converted under His word,
to the number of near a hundred, came and desired to
live with him, and that they would work and get their
bread. By this means, near one hundred and twenty,
men, women, and children, from very distant parts of
Wales, came and fixed their tents at Trevecka. We
were there three days, and heard their experience, which
they spoke in Welch to Mr. Harris, and he interpreted to
us. Of all the people I ever saw, this society seems to
be the most advanced in grace. They speak as men and
women who feel themselves every moment worthy of
eternal punishment, and infinately base ; and yet, at the
same time, have such certainty of salvation through the
second man, the Lord from heaven, as is indeed deh>ht-

MR. FAWCET.  A LEGAL HEART. 101
ful to behold. My heart received a blessing from them
and their pastor, which will abide with me.
From Trevecka we came to Berwick, just before Mrs.
Powys received your very kind letter ; for which she
heartily thanks you, and desires me to tell you, she will
herself soon answer it. Here I have had great delight
in a Mr. Lee, a gentleman of fortune, above forty years
of age, and a man of uncommon parts. He is much im
pressed with a sense of his own absolutely sinful nature,
and that nothing but the blood of Christ can seal his
peace ; the evidence of which he is seeking after, with
much earnestness.
I have met also with a Mr. Fawcet, a Dissenting min
ister of Kidderminster. He read to me one of the most
delightful accounts I ever heard, of the pouring out of
the Spirit in America, from Long Island to the very
neighbourhood of New Jersey ; and that, under one ser
mon of Dr. Findlay, President of that college, near four
score students in divinity were wrought upon in so won
derful a manner, that there is reason to believe fhe
greatest part are savingly called. " Ride on, Thou Most
Mighty, according to Thy worship and renown!"
I beg my most kind respects to dear Mrs. Medhurst.
I trust the Lord will stand by her in the hour of difficulty,
and grant the desire of your heart. Pray for me, that I
may be fully satisfied to be silent whilst I live, if the
Lord is pleased so to appoint. When I can speak only
once a week, and not even that without suffering from it,
soon my legal heart begins to repine, and suggest, " What
do you more than others ? Is not your life an idle and
slothful one ?" Oh ! that Jesus, to whom I am joined,
would put an end to that legality, which tends to darken
His glory, love, and salvation ! — I conclude myself your
very sincere and obliged friend, H. Venn.

Among Mr. Venn's Correspondents about this period, was a
widow lady of fortune, residing in London, whose friends were
generally of a worldly character, and opposed to her strict profes
sion of religion. She had also a son just entering life, of inde
pendent fortune, who was, unhappily, averse to the religious views
of his mother. The following extracts occur in letters written to
this lady. 9*

102 ADVICE TO A LADY.
The account you give of your reception at R  ,
and the shyness of former acquaintances, do not sur
prise me. If you read carefully the 119th Psalm, you
will see David was regarded with coolness and estrange
ment, as well as heartily abused, for his strict piety.
You will be unspeakably a gainer by this. You will be
much more at leisure to dig in the golden mines of
Scripture, and meditate thereon, to your great and end
less comfort.
I have often thought, that in the day when the eternal
state of man is to be determined, the greater part of those
that are lost will perish, not through any gross and scan
dalous iniquity, but through a deadness to God and His
love, in ignorance of their own sinfulness, and, in conse
quence of that, through reigning pride and self-sufficiency.
Now, the one great source of all these miserable disorders,
or that at least by which they are maintained and
strengthened, is keeping much company with those whom
the Scripture marks out as engaged in talk without
sense — company, not with near relations or chosen
friends ; not with those for whom we have any real or sin
cere regard ; but with those who come to see us, and we go
to see them, only because the Providence of God has
brought us into one town. It is this that devours in
finitely precious time, and engages us in mere trifling,
when we otherwise should be drawing nigh to God, and
growing rich in Divine knowledge and grace. And such
slaves are we naturally to the love of esteem, so eagerly
desirous of having every one's good word, that we are
content to go on in the circle of fashionable folly, whilst
our hearts condemn us, and a secret voice, as it were,
whispers within, " This manner of spending time can
never be right." How gracious, therefore is the con
stitution of things, that, what we are too much in love
with the world to do for ourselves, the world should do
for us ; and be so kind as to lead the way in a separation
so salutary to our souls! The time of persecution, it has
been universally agreed, has been a time in which the
faithful in Christ Jesus have always flourished most ; for
this reason — a thousand hurtful connexions with common
acquaintances were then broken off; and the condition

WITH REFERENCE TO WORLDLY RELATIVES. 103
of the Christian obliged him to be much with his God,
and most wisely employing his precious hours. 
-With regard to your son, you certainly judge

right not to restrain him from balls, cards, &c. ; since a
mother will never be judged, by a son at Mr.  's age,
capable of determining for him ; and perhaps, after your
most strict injunctions to have done with such sinful
vanities, he would be tempted even to violate your au
thority. The duty you are called of God to exercise
now, is, bearing the Cross, borne at different times, and
in different measures, by all the disciples of a Crucified
Saviour. True, it is painful to see one's dear child a
lover of pleasure more than of God — painful to see a
young creature, born for communion with God and ac
quaintance with heavenly joys, wedded to trivial gratifi
cations, and the objects of sense alone. But such were
we ! God prevented us with His goodness, and sounded
an alarm in our souls, or we had been such to this hour !
He expects, then, that your experience should teach you
to wait with patience, till mercy — divine and astonishing
mercy — apprehend him also. He expects, then, that after
your continual presenting him every day, as the distressed
father did his paralytic son, "Lord, have compassion
and help us !" you should tarry the Lord's leisure, be
strong, and comfort your heart, in hope that the day will
yet come, when, for your dear and tenderly-beloved son,
it shall be sounded in the presence of the Living God,
and to the additional transport of angels in glory, "He
was dead, and is alive again — was lost, and is found!"
As opportunity offers, you will be ready to represent
religion, not as duty, so much as the best pleasure ;
which, wherever it is in reality, rejoices the heart more
than wine, and renders tasteless, in comparison of itself,
the whole circle of vain amusements. When you have
done this — and by your own meek, humble, self-denying
spirit, exhibited before his eyes the power of godliness — ¦
you have done all that possibly lieth in you : and, with
acquiescence in God's good pleasure, you are to lie at
the door of mercy for your poor son.
There is one thing more, perhaps, that should not he

104 DUTY OF MAN.
forgot. It is what I purpose doing for my own children,
with great seriousness ; taking proper times for it. _ I
would advise you, in the most solemn manner, to write
a letter, explaining to your son what you mean by real
religion, as it is set forth in God's word ; the fears and
sorrows you have felt, to see him destitute of it; and
conclude with earnest entreaties that he would lay this
matter to heart, as ever he hopes to be able to stand
with you before the Throne of God. This letter I would
have you seal up, and write upon it, " To be delivered
to Mr.  , as soon as I am dead." Such an awful
call is the most forcible thing we can do for our dear
unbelieving relations. It is what I design for all my
own, if I depart before them. You see I speak to you
about death, without any fear of startling you, even about
your own death : and though I feel, should that event
come to pass before I am taken hence, that it would be
one of the bitterest days I ever saw, yet I think it pro
fitable, both for ourselves and our friends, frequently to
anticipate such affecting changes.
As to the Sacrament, it is a point of more difficulty.
There is a good deal to be said for his receiving it, on
account of the preparation he would use, which might
prove a season of awakening ; and much, on the other
hand, against it, as it greatly sears the conscience to be
trifling with and mocking God in such a solemn ordi
nance. Suppose, therefore, you were to lay before him
the danger of receiving it in a careless spirit ; and then,
as he is of age to judge for himself, let him act as he
chooses. From the whole, you see you are to learn two most
important lessons, from the painful situation you remain
in with respect to your son. The one is, your own weak
ness and inability to give a single ray of light, or excite
the faintest conviction of sin, or communicate the least
particle of spiritual good, to one who is dearer to you than
life. How ought this to take away every proud thought
of our own .sufficiency, and keep us earnest, importunate
supplicants, at the door of Almighty mercy and free
grace ! The other lesson is, that your own conversion,
and reception of the Lord Jesus Christ as your portion

EMPLOYMENT IN SOLITUDE. 105
and righteousness, ought to be marvellous in your eyes.
You have many kind thoughts and the highest esteem
possible for me ; for which I desire to retain a due sense
upon my mind ; but you know I was merely a voice,
which said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The desire
and ability to do so, and that blessed peace you enjoy
in consequence of your faith in Jesus, was the operation
of God: for "who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but min
isters by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to
every man ?" All possible adoration and praise, then,
be to God, for His unspeakable gift !
You must take care, dear Madam, that you are not
hurt in your own soul by the hypocrisy and evil tempers
of great professors in religion. It had like to have proved
my eternal ruin, when I was first acquainted with the re
ligious world ; and is daily the cause why many stumble
and fall. For contempt of godliness is excited by the
deceitfulness and wickedness of those who are accounted
godly. Yet it ought not to offend us against religion :
for it confirms the truth of the Bible, which speaks of
self-deceivers, of false professors, of men that have the
form of godliness, and deny the power of it. Why,
therefore, should I be staggered, when I see all these
things come to pass ? It is designed to make us cease
from man, to compel us to walk in elose communion
with God, and hold us fast by Him. Further, it is de
signed to stir us up to be jealous over ourselves with a
godly jealousy, lest we be found in a delusion, and, with
much of religion and of Jesus in our mouths, be stran
gers to His spirit, life, and nature.
A further use you may make of the sad discovery, that
many have zeal to profess whilst they are nothing, is, to
restrain you from many religious acquaintances. This I
am, by experience, convinced is hurtful to our souls, in
two ways. First, it accustoms us to prate about religion
in a genera] way, and about the characters of those who
profess it ; because we think we must talk of religion,
though far better laid aside than so used. Secondly, it
robs us of precious time, and that private communion
with God, in prayer and reading His holy word, for

106 EVIL TENDENCY OF MR. HUMe's ESSAYS.
which conversing with all the saints in heaven, would
they give us their company, can never make up. 
¦ With what afflicting thoughts have I again and

again pondered on the sad news you sent me, of Mr.
Hume's Essays being recommended for  's reading.
This is the most effectual method of rendering his con
version a double miracle of God's grace. I have read
the author, and know what his horrid diabolical princi
ples lead to. Alas ! is not the state of man in this woj-ld
full enough of disappointment, vexation, and various
wretchedness, but he must be made completely miserable,
by having all prospect of a better condition taken from
him, and all hope of future happiness destroyed? Were
Mr. Hume's scheme true, it were the highest cruelty to
have it generally received. What refuge would the
needy and oppressed have then to flee unto ? Where
could the widow, the orphan, the soul divided from a
friend dear as life, then look for consolation ? In short,
think what this earth would be, were the sun no more to
dispense its light and heat! — just such would be the
world of mankind, were it generally believed there was
no God, who would judge it in righteousness ; no heaven
for them who love his name. But such men and such
writings are sent amongst us as a severe judgment, in
the high displeasure of our God, for loving darkness
rather than light ; and for an empty, formal, hypocritical
profession of the faith of our dear Lord, when its power
and blessings are set at nought. Give. such an impious
book as Hume's into the hands of a real and experienced
Christian, and he will be no more affected with his de
ceitful arguments than a man of covetousness is moved,
by the cries of the poor, to sell all he has and give it to
them. What shall I gain by receiving this man's notions?
Nothing; only the sad knowledge that I am a beast, and
to perish like one, perhaps, to-morrow. Oh, what a loss
is this to a soul entitled to the true riches! How does
this base opinion impoverish and bankrupt the man whose
hope is full of glory and honour and immortality! 
Mention has been already made, in the Memoir, of the recovery

THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE DESCRIBED. 107
of Mr. Kershaw, of Halifax, from the Socinian error, by a sermon
which he heard in Huddersfield Church, when he had gone there
with the purpose of turning what he heard into ridicule. The fol
lowing letter was written to him upon this event.

TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ.
Bath, April 2, 1767.
I feel myself very much indebted to you, dear Sir,
for your favour, which I received yesterday. It brought
tears of thankfulness and joy into my eyes, and at the
same time humbled me to the dust. To hear the good
ness of the Lord bestowed upon you, in the midst of your
career of skepticism, and of your being called out of that
rational religion (as it is boastingly named) which is the
most opposite to vital and saving knowledge, excited
my gratitude and praise to God. And your very affec
tionate acknowledgments to me, as used by the Lord
Jesus to be an instrument in your happiness, could not
but make me sink down in shame ; fully persuaded what
I am, and what I deserve. Indeed, Sir, this is my joy —
this is the thing that I long for — to see my Saviour's arm
prevail — to see the poor, deluded, wretched mind of
man brought to solid, rational peace — brought to the
knowledge of an all-sufficient Friend, an Almighty
Helper ; and so to a present enjoyment, the earnest and
pledge of heavenly felicity.
The world charges us with enthusiasm : but " we
speak that we do know ;" we " testify that we have
seen." Had we not received the benefit ourselves, we
should have little appetite to be set in the pillory, and
be bespattered, as we know we are sure to be, for preach
ing that Name which man abhors ; because in that Name
the glory of God, in all His infinite perfections, is dis
played. They call us "mad;" but God distinguishes
all the world of unawakened sinners by that very appel
lation. "Madness," he says, "is in their heart."
" When he came to himself, he said, I will arise, &c."
The truth is, were not the life of a Christian, in its form
as well as in its principles, mysterious and despicable to
all who are not Christians indeed, the Bible must be a
book of falsehood ; because it always describes this life

108 DESCRIPTION OF THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE.
to be a very singular, strange, and absurd one, in the
eyes of men. But with what great injustice does it ap
pear such ? The life of a Christian is a life of pleasing
admiration of the wonderful love of an Incarnate God,
to miserable, hell-deserving criminals ; a life of confi
dence in His unutterable, all-sufficient friendship ; a life
of actual enjoyment of His pardoning grace, by which
sinful lusting after other things is quenched, and a sweet
moderation in the use and fruition of every creature-
comfort becomes the stated temper of the heart. The
life of a Christian is a life of increasing attainments in a
science which is all practical, all transforming; which at
once humbles and exalts ; gives God the full honour of
His sovereignty, jealousy, holiness, and justice upon the
despisers of His Majesty ; yet gives also the sinner the
full comfort and triumph that God's mercy, goodness,
and grace can inspire. The Christian's life is a life
spent in a holy contention against sin, as vile, detestable,
devilish ; but, engaged in obedience, inward, spiritual
and universal, as well as outward obedience, flowing
from the knowledge of Christ and the love of Christ, in
kind the very same as that which saints in glory offer
up ; — they without spot ; whilst the Christian is here im
perfect still, and polluted. A Christian life is habitually
employed in contemplation, and in discourse, on the
grandest subject the mind shall ever, through all eternity,
be conversant with — the^ power, the glory, the mighti
ness of the Kingdom of God, is the subject, ever charm
ing and new. The Christian life is a life inoffensive, in
the tenor of it, to all around ; not only inoffensive, but
useful and beneficial : it is the life of a mild and loving
husband or wife ; of a meek, compassionate master ; of
a dutiful, obedient child ; of a faithful, honest servant ;
of a valuable, trusty friend ; of a benevol ent, compassionate
member of society ; of a companion, whose conversation
is so far from being impure and frivolous, that it is in
structive, animating, and pleasing to every creature that
is alive to the' feelings of eternity. The Christian life is
a life of very frequent delight in devotional exercises ;
yet after all, a life of self-abasement and self-lothing for
defilement, for irregularity of desire or temper in any

DESCRIPTION OF THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE. 109
degree : this prevails, and crowns the excellency of the
whole. Now, my dear friend, if this life is madness, what is a
life of reason ? If any thing more than this is charged
upon us as our practice and doctrine, it is absolutely
groundless. If any other principles than the experimental
knowledge of our fall, the nature and end of the Law,
the Godhead of Christ, justification by faith only, the
Spirit's influence, and fellowship such as the Apostles
had with our Saviour — if any other principles than these
exploded and despised ones can produce such a life, I
will embrace them. If all other systems can do nothing
of this kind, neither make men holy nor happy — down
with them — down with them, even to the ground !
I cannot express the pleasure I feel at your being now
willing to be vile and reproached for Jesus — in your
being made willing to appear " a fool," for His sake,
whom the world derided to His face, and then murdered
as a liar and a blasphemer. Let others send their con
gratulations, when estates are left, and riches increase —
the glittering bane of man : I bless my God and Saviour
that I can salute you, as entered into the fold of Christ,
to be taught, and defended, and strengthened, and com
forted, all your days on earth ; and then, face to face, to
behold your Benefactor with gratitude exquisitely deli
cious, and see His person, and feel His love — beyond all
imagination glorious!
I have been enabled to speak of our Jesus here, to the
astonishment of the rich and noble. They have behaved
with remarkable attention ; and by the numbers increas
ing, I trust the Lord will make himself known by this
"foolishness of preaching," as He did of old. God
willing, I set my face towards Yorkshire on Monday.
May I see you, to our mutual edification !
From your affectionate friend, and servant in the
Gospel, * H. Venn.

In August, 1767, Mrs. Venn was seized with an alarming ill
ness, which, in the course of a fortnight, terminated in her death.
Mr. Venn was at a distance from home when he received the first
10

110 Mrs. Venn's last illness.
intelligence of her danger. The following letter from Mrs. Venn
will afford an affecting and pleasing evidence of her piety and
resignation.

My dearest earthly Love. — I think my own hand
will less surprise you than any one's else, informing you
that I am not quite well, but better than I was last night.
Remember, my dear, he doeth all things well. _ I feel it
to be so at this present moment. I trust this loving
Father will still give us another meeting here below : if
not, you know we have often surrendered ourselves and
each other to His all-wise disposal ; and He cannot but
do right. I feel His love to me at this time, though
faintly, through the earthly clogs to which my flesh
cleaves fast.
I am kept very still. Mr. S. sat up with me all night ;
and Dr. A. has just left me ; and both give me very good
encouragement : so, my dear, do not be unhappy ; nor,
I beg of you, if you love me, do not travel faster than
your health will permit ; and may the God of peace and
consolation accompany you ! I can never praise Him
enough for His goodness to me at this time — to me, the
very vilest of those who have fallen from Him. I will
get Mr. Riland to write to Mrs. Knipe ; and I will direct
this to Mr. Gambier's, that, wherever you are, you .may
soon know the worst. I assure you I write the worst, to
prepare you, should things be bad ; and to increase your
thankfulness, should we meet with joy, which I hope will
be granted u§. I cannot well write longer, as I only
lean on one elbow in the bed. May our God preserve
us both, by His covenant of everlasting love ! — so prays
your affectionate Syphe, for herself and the very best of
husbands. E. Venn.

The following particulars are extracted from a brief statement,
in Mr. Venn's handwriting:
On the 5th of September, when some alarming symp
toms appeared, she told me, "I am ready; I am willing-
to depart ; so clear a view have I of my Saviour!" On
Tuesday the 8th, when the fever raged, she laid her

DEATH OF MRS. VENN. Ill
hand upon the head of her most dear friend, Miss Hud
son, saying, "Oh that I could take you up with* me to
everlasting rest!" Upon my dearest friend, Mr. Riland,
asking her whether she could not still bless God, she
answered, smiling, "Oh! now is the time for Him to
bless me!" meaning, her disease bore down the activity
of her mind, and rendered her entirely passive to receive
fhe comforts of His love. Two days before her departure,
she desired we would not pray for her recovery, but for
some mitigation of her pain, and for an easy passage to
her Lord. This request was fully answered ; for though
her pain increased, till she once said, " I think it is
greater than I can bear," yet the very last words she
uttered were — " Oh, the joy ! Oh, the delight !"
I was in much pain after I knew we must part, from
the fear of what she might suffer in the agonies of death.
But, in the midst of judgment, upon me a sinful man,
my God remembered mercy : for she appeared insensible
from six in the morning till a quarter past two in the
afternoon, on the 11th of September, 1767; when only
drawing in her breath twice, somewhat longer than usual,
her spirit took its flight, and left me suffering under an
affliction, which nothing but the presence and love of
Jesus, and Ihe clear evidence of her being with Him,
could make supportable.

In the following letter, Mr. Venn announces the event to one of
his roost intimate and attached fiiends.

TO MRS. MEDHURST.
Huddersfield, Sept. 11, 1767.
Dear Madam, — Plead for me with our God and
Saviour ! He has made me very desolate : this day I am
become a widower, and have lost as much as could be
lost in the name of wife and mother. She -testified how
true the Lord, her strength, was ; and spoke good of
his name ; and of her readiness and willingness to depart;
having seen His gre;§ salvation. I know of no one she
will greet with greater joy, in Immanuel's land, than
Mrs. Medhurst and her sister. Jesus, hold me by thy

112 mr. venn's letters of her death.
right hand, till I reach the same blessed haven ! — I re
main yours, in much affliction, H. Venn.
TO MRS. MEDHURST. Huddersfield, Sept. 14, 1767.
May my Master, dear Madam, reward a thousand-fold
your kind and tender pity for me ! What am I, that you
should so load me with your unfeigned regards of Chris
tian love, and desire that my bleeding wounds may be
healed ? I can speak good, even now, of my Master's
name. I have as certain a view of my wife's glory as
if it was a vision. But I must not expect such an
amazing support will last long. If it please Jesus, my
God, be it so \ My God, in Gethsemane, and on the
Cross, will at once silence and support my helpless soul.
A thousand thanks for your invitation to come to
Kippax ! The divine order is, for the afflicted " to sit
alone, and keep silence ; because he has borne it upon
him." Mr. Riland weeps with me; and is a blessing,
more than I could have conceived, to my wounded
heart. From your greatly indebted, H. Venn.
TO MRS. MEDHURST. Huddersfield, Oct. 9, 1767.
Dear Madam, — Though I make no doubt you have
heard of the loving-kindness of my God and Saviour to
me, in the midst of his correction; yet I am sure your
sympathizing heart will rejoice in hearing that the power
of Jesus is displayed as it is towards so sinful a man
as I am.
It is said of Israel, returned from Babylon, " When
the Lord turned our captivity, then were we like to
them that dream." But that one who has lost the
wisest counsellor, the ablest guide of his family, the
most pleasing companion, the most affectionate wife —
lost her, when all that, as a Christian minister, I ought
most to love, was increasing in her ; when her experi
mental knowledge of the salvation of God had opened
her mouth to speak so charmingly of His name ; when
her children just began 1o be struck with her excel
lence ; — that in such circumstances as these I should be

letters written on his wife's death. 113
for joy as one that dreams, is amazing indeed to myself,
and must seem absolutely incredible to the world ! And
had I not precedents and examples of the same rich grace,
I should be ready to say, even whilst all my blessed wife's
excellencies, and all her love for me, are indelibly im
pressed on my heart, that I had not a just affection for her.
But when I read the account of a Mr. Tennant, in
New England, preaching at the grave of a much beloved
wife — of Mr. Shaw, a minister of the last age, in Leices
tershire, who has described his feelings at the time he
was committing two most dear children to a grave which
he was forced himself to dig in his own garden, (they
dying of the plague,) and hear him say, he desires to
leave it upon record, that God is All-sufficient, even at
such an hour as that, and in the midst of so great a
calamity — when I consider these things, I can only won
der that such grace should ever be conferred on one who
has sinned, and does sin every breath he draws !
My happiness springs from such an evidence of my
wife being in glory, as amounts almost to sight ; so that
I can engage in no religious exercise, but she is, as it
were, an additional spur to engage in it with all my
might. I feel my debt to my God enlarged in all His favours
towards that other part of myself. I with gratitude adore
Him, for the precious loan of so dear a child of His, for
ten years and four months, to be my wife. I think over,
with much delight, the many tokens of love from God
during the time of her pilgrimage, and the consolations
which refreshed and rejoiced her soul upon the bed of
death. I consider her as delivered from fhe evil to
come ; and in the possession of all I have been begging
of God for her, ever since we knew each other. Every
degree of peace, of light, of joy, I feel in Jesus, imme
diately suggests the infinitely exalted sensations of the
same kind which enrapture her spirit. And, above all,
I have now to praise my Master, that I have an experi
mental proof that He giveth songs in the night ; that,
when dearest comforts are taken away, the light of His
countenance, a little brighter view of His great salvation,
a little stronger feeling of the tenderness of His heart, is
10*

114 LETTERS WRITTEN ON HIS WIFE'S DEATH.
more than a recompense for every loss we can sustain.
I can now say, from proof, " Our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceed
ing and eternal weight of glory ; while we look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal,
but the things which are not seen are eternal." I am
not certain, dear Madam, whether I sent you an account
of the grace, mercy, and peace, which was bestowed on
my blessed wife. If I have not, I will, upon hearing
from you.
I beg my Christian love to Mr. M  , and all the
family. From your obliged, afflicted, yet rejoicing friend,
H. Venn.
TO MISS WHELER.
Huddersfield, Oct. 13, 1767.
-Since the moment she left me, I can compare my

sense of her being with the Lord to nothing but vision ;
it is so clear, so constant, so delightful! At the same
time, the Lord gives me to see His own infinite beauty,
and to feel more and more his preciousness, as a foun
tain of living waters to those who are bereft of earthly
joys. And well it is that I am so supported ! For His
own cause, I cannot but conclude the Lord does it ;
since, immediately upon my unspeakable loss, the op-
posers cried out, "Ah! now you will see what will be
come of his vauntings, of the power of faith, and the
name of Jesus!" They knew our great happiness ; and
they said, " You will see your Vicar just like any one of
us in the same situation !" But my God heard and an
swered ; so that, when I was mightily helped by Him to
preach, the very Sabbath after her death, and not many
hours after her interment,* their mouths were stopped ;
and the little flock of Jesus, who had been praying for
me with all fervour and affection, say they have not had
so great a blessing since I have been among them.
* Mrs. Venn was interred on Saturday night, by torch-light. Mr.
Burnett preached in the church, during the service. Mr. Venn's text the
next morning, was : » Let me die the death of the righteous ; and let my
last end be like his !"

LETTERS WRITTEN ON HIS Wife's DEATH. 115
Your dear sister, Mrs. Medhurst, was most exceed
ingly kind in her letter to me ; and invited me, with
some of my dear children, to Kippax : but I am now
more closely confined to my home ; for, as there is no
one to take care of my children out of love, I am myself
called of God, in his providence, to be the more atten
tive to them.
Our church is indeed a Bethel to me ! The last Lord's
day but one I had the sweetest communion with my
blessed wife — I, beholding by faith the Lamb, before
whose throne she was worshipping, seeing him as He is
— I, surrounded with poor sinners like myself; she, with
the spirits of the Just make perfect — I, in sure and cer
tain hope of arriving at that inconceivable bliss ; she,
in the actual fruition of it ! H. Venn.
TO MRS. MEDHURST. Huddersfield, Nov. 20, 1767.
Dear Madam, — I am extremely obliged to you for
your letter, this day received : and it is scarce possible,
I hope, for me ever to doubt your Christian affection to
wards me, though I should never have the pleasure of a
line from you again. I am sorry it was your infirm state
of health which prevented your writing ; but the heirs of
the kingdom must be conformed to their suffering, cruci
fied God. Our own troubles enable us much better to
conceive what love burned in that heart, towards our sin
ful souls, when nailed to the Cross for their salvation. A
sword went through my heart, when my blessed wife was
lying in the scorching fever ; and I then felt what it cost
to redeem my soul, more sensibly than ever !
It would give me great pleasure to visit Kippax ; and
when I may, I shall certainly take the opportunity. But
our Leader and Commander fixes our places, in His infi
nite love ; and my post is now, after the best manner He
shall enable a poor, ignorant and helpless man, to.supply
to my dear babes the want of a most tender mother. A
peculiar blessing is vouchsafed to all under this roof,
since the dearest person to God in it has been received
into glory.1 My two maids are, in all appearance, now
in earnest seeking the Lord ; and our family worship is

116 AFFECTING RECOLLECTIONS OF HIS WIFE.
sweet indeed ; so that I can leave my home but very
seldom.* The hand of the Lord is also much, in mercy,
laid upon many in the parish ; so that, had I strength, I
should be speaking from morning till night to precious
souls, who are coming to me and dear Mr. Riland.  ¦
TO B1RS. MEDHURST. Huddersfield, Feb. 21, 1768.
You will easily believe I had much pleasure in the
prospect of spending two or three days at Kippax; a
place always pleasing to me ; but now still more so, as
the circumstance of the truly cordial friendship in Christ,
with which my beloved wife was always there received,
will bring strongly to my mind her past delights in that
very scene ; and though it may appear strange that I
should be pleased with what would be reckoned only to
imbitter my loss, it is still true ; for, feeling such a
glorious certainty she is with her Incarnate God, I take
a double pleasure in the places where I have formerly
been with her, and seen her soul aspiring to Him ; and, in
the company that still increased those aspirings in her
breast. You will believe me, therefore, when I tell you,
after I had ridden eight miles on my way to you, I was
turned back by a consideration which then first darted
into my mind. It was this — lest, the weight of the whole
duty lying on dear Mr. Riland, it should bring on a re
lapse of his very alarming attack. Immediately, the
uneasiness I felt, and the self-condemnation I should suf
fer, and the appearance it might have of unkindness in
leaving him too soon alone, all crowded into my mind ;
and I could no way be satisfied, but by being with him.
I determined, therefore, (God willing,) to postpone my
visit to you a little longer ; when absense from home,
on a Sabbath-day, will in no degree endanger the
health of one so justly dear to the parish and to myself,
* One of these servants was Ruth Clark, who, from this time, became
truly pious, and maintained to the last a most exemplary and consistent
character. She continued in Mr. Venn's service till his death, and was
supported by the family for the remainder of her days. A Memoir of her
has been lately published, entitled, " The Single Talent Well Employed'
or, The History of Ruth Clark." P. 23. Hatchards.

HAREWO0D HOUSE. 117
both for indefatigable labour and a most truly-Christian
example. I beg my best respects to Mr. M. and all the family.
Sometimes with fervency, though never in that degree I
owe it to my dear Christian friends, it is given me to re
member them at the Throne of Grace ; to make mention
of their chief connexions, and the dear parts of them
selves, the chief of earthly comforts. It is one of the
many striking things in that dark book, the " Serious
Call," the wishing to bear righteous man, with this view
— to have an interest for our beloved friends at the
Throne of Grace.
Since I wrote my dear Mr. B., I have paid a most
affecting visit. I saw youth, beauty, good sense, en
gaging manners, all hastening to the grave, at nineteen ;
and my heart has been pained, to speak so very plainly
as, in faithfulness to the dear young lady, I am com
pelled to do. But I trust I shall have my reward. Her
conscience seems now to be awakened ; and her delight
is, to have me visit her. I would beg my believing
friends to help me by their prayers, that our words may
be given us by the Great Master of the Assemblies, and
we may speak thunder till the evil of sin is owned, and
then pour balm into the bleeding wound.
I remain, dear Madam, your friend and servant in our
Immanuel. H. Venn.
TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ.
Helmsley, June 11, 1768.
Dear Sir, — I took my children to see Harewood
House; but how little, how despicable is the superb
mansion, and all that pomp can procure, if the-Builder
of all Things is Himself unknown ! My children were
much pleased with the great man's toy ; whilst Mr. Mar
shall and myself could unfeignedly thank the Lord, who
had been pleased to provide so much better things for
us. Our Inheritance, and our Mansion, improve in
beauty and in value, upon each repeated survey ; and the
closer it is made, the more cause we see to prize it.
We all arrived safe at York ; and with much prayer.
in great concern for my dear- child, I carried her to

118

SACRED RETIREMENT.

school ; there to hear the language of the world ; and to
feel, alas! the dreadful passions of her own heart, the
passions of her fellows, and to be a witness to the follies
of those who live in ignorance of man's true and only
felicity. In this place,* where I now am, the Lord Jesus has a
Church ; and many souls, who were lost and dead, have
been called, by Sovereign Grace, to partake of eternal
life, in the precious Saviour.
With great pleasure, I observed you took time for
sacred retirement, at Park Gate. It has long appeared
to me absolutely needful to appropriate more time than
usual to prayer and meditation, when we are visiting our
friends : by this means we shall be better enabled to
edify them by our conversation ; and they will feel an
unction in our discourse, in proportion as our own hearts
are affected with the things of God. Indeed, this is one
particular, distinguishing a child of God from others, that,
in all his visits, his earnest aim is to do good, and to re
ceive it ; to be careful, that as each fleeting day carries
up its report concerning us, which is registered in the
book of God, it may be an evidence of the grace of God
given to us.
With prayer, my dear friend, self-denial must be added.
It is incredible what advantage I have frequently received
from omitting my usual repast, and occasionally taking
an opportunity for a more solemn pause, and a more
clear inspection into my provocations and corruptions,
my dangers and enemies, my mercies and blessings!
They wholly mistake the matter, who suppose we have
nothing to do, because all is done that saves the soul :
on the contrary, he that is born of God is enlisted —
enlisted to be a warrior against himself, as well as Satan.
This new life exercises itself in acts suitable to its own
Divine nature and perfections. And though the " new
lights" will pronounce it absolute nonsense to affirm,
that the man who knows he shall never perish will take
most pains in subduing his passions, yet the fact is cer
tain, and visible in the children of God. May you and
• The Rev. Dr. Conyers waa at this time Vicar of Helmsley.

JOURNEY TO LONDON. 119
dear Mrs. K. ever prove such riddles ,o men of the
world, and be fools for Christ, in their eyes !
H. Venn.

In the autumn of this year, (1768,) Miss Hudson was married
to the Rev. John Riland. The newly-married couple resided with
Mr. Venn, in the Vicarage, as Mr. Riland had been accustomed
to do before his marriage. By this arrangement, Mr. Venn's
young family received the benefit of a most affectionate superin
tendence, which repaired, as far as possible, their mother's loss :
and as Mr. Venn's health, which had become very precarious, re
quired a change of air and scene, he was able to leave home with
gTeater comfort than he could otherwise have done. Accordingly,
in March, 17G9, he paid a visit to London ; and, at the request of
Mr. Thornton, who was High Sheriff for the county of Surrey, he
preached the " ssize Sermon at Kingston, which was afterwards
published. The following extracts are taken from letters written to Mrs.
Riland during his absence.

London, March 7, 1769.
I have been prevented from writing sooner than to
day; but this advantage arises from the inconvenience —
I can now desire you, and my dear brother Riland, to
return thanks to our kind and gracious Father, for giving
us a very prosperous journey to this place. At Rother-
ham we were received with Christian love, at Mr
Walker's house. At Olney, Mr. Cowper, that astonishing
instance of grace, and Mrs. Unwin, as well as Mr. and
Mrs. Newton, received us with great kindness. We
arrived there on Saturday evening. But how different
the church, from favoured, dear Huddersfield! — not so
many hearers in the morning as we have at our Sacra
ments! and at that ordinance how very few ! and no sing
ing with a loud voice. Will not my dear friend say, I
was careful, when she hears I did nothing till the even
ing, the third time of assembling on that day in the
House of God ? and then I preached only forty-four mi
nutes. My subject was, " Looking on Jesus, and Him
pierced :" Zech. xii. 10. There was a very deep atten
tion ; and, towards the close, I spoke much on the ne
cessity of a triumphant looking upon Him. It occasioned

120 VISITING THE SCENES OF HIS CHILDHOOD.
a good deal of conversation between Mr. Newton ana
myself; and I trust it was made useful.*
Cease not to pray for me, my dear friend, that, every
day I am absent from my own flock, I may be of signal
service to those with whom I converse. March 21.
The Lord has answered thus far our prayers. He has
given me liberty to preach in His name ; and His children
have been made to rejoice in His word, preached by a
sinful man. My subject at the Lock was, " The Lord
loveth and nourisheth the Church, &c." In my sermon,
I told them, after my manner, the following story of a
widow woman at Olney, with whom I conversed on my
journey to town. She thus expressed her desire to die :
"I often go into the church-yard, and walk round my
Father's house, and cast many a wistful look at it. I
see one and another called home ; and I say, ' My dear
Father! when shall my turn come ?' " — The good Lord
give us all this faith, and increase it more and more !
Last Friday, after I had preached the preceding day
at the Assizes, I took a solemn, but a most pleasing and
profitable ride : it was about sixteen miles, all in the
neighbourhood of my native village (Barnes.) Here I
saw and felt that " all flesh is grass, and all the godliness
thereof as the flower of the field." Here I saw one gene-
* The mention of a visit to Olney will naturally introduce the follow
ing striking tribute to Mr. Venn, from the pen of Cowper ; conveyed in
a letter to Mr. Newton, written in 1791.
" I am sorry that Mr. Venn's labours below are so near to a conclusion.
I have seen few men whom I could have loved more, had opportunity
been given me to know him better : so at least I have thought, as often
as I have seen him. But when I saw him last, which is some years
since, he appeared so much broken, that I could not have imagined he
would have lasted half so long. Were I capable of envying in the strict
sense of the word, a good man, I should envy him and Mr. Berridge and
yourself, who have spent, and, while they last, will continue to spend,
your lives in the service of the only Master worth serving ; labouring
always for the souls of men, and not to tickle their ears as I do. But
this I can say — God knows how much rather I would be the obscure
tenant of a lath-and-plaster cottage, with a lively sense of my interest in
a Redeemer, than the most admired object of public notice without it." —
Private Correspondence of William Cowper, Esq., by John Johnson,
LL.D. vol. ii. p. 261.

A CONDEMNED CRIMINAL. 121
ration after another cut off, and only two or three of my
old acquaintances surviving long after their contempora
ries. Here, also, in one part of my ride, I traced the
most pleasing walks I took, fourteen years since, and
more, with my dear glorified wife : and, what with the
extreme richness and beauty of the country, the balmy
air, and reviving sunshine, I had a lively idea of that
blessed world, of which she has been now an inhabitant
for more than eighteen months. In the midst of all my
thoughts, you and yours were warmly remembered. Oh,
that I could feel a becoming love for you both, and
worthily adore that precious Saviour, in whom we are
one in heart and mind !
Be sure you thank God in my behalf, for all the tender
care He has taken of me, and for all the tokens of love
which He shows me. May they be multiplied in me,
and in you, and my dear brother! And when I return,
may your heart feel that I am made a blessed instrument
of God, to build you up in your most holy faith !
March 28.
-The time of my returning, I long for : and will

do all that lies in my power to hasten it ; for I love my
home better than any other place, whilst I have such
friends there. But I am so much engaged in visiting a
condemned man, twelve miles from London, that I fear
I shall not be able to leave London before the end of
three weeks. I think it long; but my friends are so
kind, and make so much of my company, that I cannot
refuse them. The man condemned is the son of godly
parents in Ireland, yet a most notorious offender. He is
chained to the floor, whilst I am preaching to him. A
sense of his guilt is come upon him ; but he says his
heart is hardened, and he cannot pray. I hope the Sa
viour, who alone can take away the heart of stone, and
give the heart of flesh, will have mercy upon him, ere he
is called to the bar of judgment ! I am going down to
morrow, to stay two days with him. Oh that my hard
heart may be softened ! Oh, that I may weep for him,
and be heard in the very pouring out of my soul for his
salvation !  11

122 PREACHING IN LONDON. April 1.
 1 have returned from visiting the condemned
prisoner ; with whom I was a good deal ; and preached
one evening in the jail to a small company, on those
blessed words, " The Son of Man is come to seek and
to save that which was lost." The poor man seemed to
have a glimpse of that Blessed Redeemer, and His ability
and willingness to save them ; so that his heart began to
feel a hope he never knew before : so certain is it, that
the preaching of Christ Crucified is the power of God
unto salvation !  April 8.
 1 still continue well, and have many pulpits
opened to me : and I believe I could preach charity-
sermons every Sunday, were I to stay here this half year.
I am frequently delighted with seeing my spiritual chil
dren. Last night particularly, after service, I saw the
hair-dresser whom I used to employ seventeen years
since. He was then a country lad ; and I used to talk
much to him. He told me, with tears, that, by Sove
reign grace, he still lived near the Fountain of all life
and salvation. — Immediately after he had done, a lady
said to me, "You, Sir, are my spiritual father." Oh,
what an honour, an unspeakable privilege ! — enough to
humble me, a sinful man, to the dust ! enough to over
whelm my soul with never-ceasing astonishment ! —
enough to make me flame with the fire of love and zeal
for Christ, to spend and be spent for Him ! Sometimes
I feel thus rightly affected ; and the feeling has indeed
much of Heaven in it ; but corruption and unbelief
again work, and all that fine sensation is gone.  April 14.
 1 have this morning left Mr. Thornton. Oh, that
God would make me, in my sphere, and my dear friend,
and every one of us who dwell together, such trees of
righteousness as he is ! Indeed, his humility can be only
equalled by his bounty, and his watchfulness and dili
gent use of the means of grace.
Thus, by coming at times to be a week or two with.
my friendsj fhe cement of friendship is maintained. 

FRUITS OF HIS MIMSTRY. 123
April 18
 1 have more pleasure in writing this letter than
in any one I have sent you since I left home ; because I
can now fix the day when, God willing, I shall leave the
life of hurry and noise I am now in, to retreat to my
peaceable highly-favoured home, where my two friends
¦will receive me with joy, and gratitude to God for all
His mercies to a sinful worm.
I have not been idle. I have been too much pressed
to refuse ; and, on the whole, I have preached twenty
times, during eight weeks, to crowded churches ; and,
I think, with more boldness, delight, and power, than I
have ever done before. The last Sermon, on Sunday,
has been made of use to Mrs.  : so that, though I
have often wished to be at home, I have much cause to
bless God for my journey. What has most pleased me,
is, to find how many spiritual children, of whom I knew
nothing, the Lord has given me in this city. One young
man, for whom I wrote out a prayer when he was twelve
years . old, did, he told me, from that time, set out in
earnest. Last Sunday morning I preached a charity-sermon in
one of the largest churches in London. The curate so
hated my name, that he left the church, and there was
no one to read the prayers : after making the congrega
tion wait, I was obliged to read them myself. In the
congregation I saw two young men from Huddersfield,
¦who had run away from their homes. I took occasion
to tell the congregation, that I knew there were present
two unhappy people, self-deceivers concerning the doc
trine of Grace. 
TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ.
Huddersfield, July 8, 1769.
I esteem myself much obliged to you, my affectionate
friend, for the good news of your safe arrival in London,
and the grace of our God manifested to your precious
soul, under all the trials you are constantly to meet with
from without and from within. The more experience
¦we have of both, the more rational, and indeed neces
sary, appears to me the glorious doctrine of assurance,

124 lady Huntingdon's chapels.
founded upon the work and covenant — the one per
formed, and the other ratified, in God our Saviour.
I was glad you spoke for our dear Almighty friend, in
the coach. To see the boldness of the agents of Satan,
and the timidity of the soldiers of Christ, is affecting in
deed ! Yet how much condemnation have I in my own
mind, on that account! — not that prudence is to be dis
carded in this matter. " Speak not in the ears of a fool,
lest he despise the wisdom of thy words," is a necessary
caution : yet we are apt oftener to err on the other side.
In short, in this case, as well as in others, we stand in
continual need of that guidance and unerring direction
promised to us: and by daily prayer for the Holy Ghost,
He will guide us in that path which, as Mr. Hart ex
presses it, "the vulture's eye hath not seen." This I
have always found — that when I have lifted up my soul
to God, to be made useful, wherever I have been going,
I seldom or never came away without the answer to my
prayer. I had a remarkable instance of this, the other
day, in a visit paid to Mrs. Ramsden ; whose grief for
her loss is, indeed, afflicting to behold! The whole
company at dinner was, this Lady, the Marchioness of
Rockingham, and her two other daughters. When I
came away, I could scarce believe I had near two hours'
talk, upon the grand, adorable object.
Oh, pray for me ! and I will endeavour to return the
favour — that every morning I may rise with an active
and steady purpose to be doing something for God, as
the miser rises with the design to get more gain each day.

In the October of this year, Mr. Venn engaged to preach, for a
few Sundays, at the Chapel, at Bath, belonging to Lady Hunting
don. At this time, there were only a few chapels under her lady
ship's patronage ; which were served by ministers of the Church
of England : and it was generally thought, through a misunder
standing of the extent of the privilege of a Peeress, that there was
no ecclesiastical irregularity in their so doing. A trial which took
place in the Consistorial Court of London, about ten years after
this date, respecting Lady Huntingdon's Chapel in Spa Fields,
first decided their character, as dissenting places of worship. After
that event, Mr. Venn no longer officiated in them.
The following are extracts from letters written to Mrs. Riland,
on his journey and during his absence from Huddersfield.

JOURNEY TO BATH. 125
St. Alban's, Oct. 13, 1769.
From Sheffield I rode to Chatsworth, where I slept,
and set off the next morning at six o'clock. When I
arrived at the top of the hill, I saw a deep valley, full of
mist, into which I was to descend — a lively representa
tion of that state in which we lie by nature ; and the sun
appeared as pale as the moon, and not at all equal in
appearance to the mighty work of dispelling so gross a
mist: but, in about an hour, the glorious luminary scat
tered it all, and at once delighted and warmed me by its
beams, giving me a very lively idea of the Sun of Right
eousness rising with healing in His wings on the sinner's
soul ; such as you and I, my dear friend, have, through
rich and sovereign grace, experienced. Happy day,
when Jesus, the light of life, revealed His glory to us !
At Northampton, no Mr. Madan ; so that I fear he is
ill. I know what it is to suffer more, long after the blow
has been given, than immediately upon feeling it : pro
bably he is now suffering anguish of spirit for his departed
Isaac. From Northampton I came hither ; and my dear
friend, Mr. Clark, of Chesham Boyce, is sitting by me.
Had it not been for him, I should certainly have filled
my sheet.  Bath, Oct. 22.
Yesterday I was brought in health and safety to my
journey's end. Many Christian friends I have met with,
all expressing their love for me, a worm, sometimes not
able to bear the sight of my own pollutions. Indeed I
feel, under the expressions of kindness I receive, some
times distressed : and when I compare my reputed with
my real self, I seem like a man of supposed large fortune,
and living in splendour, who is, in fact, a bankrupt, and
nothing worth.
Dear Mr. Clarke I was happy with. He preached last
Sunday morning, a discourse full of good sense, abundant
in matter, searching and piercing to the heart, yet truly
evangelical. A company of about one hundred hearers
have him for their teacher, whose good sense, and know
ledge and grace, qualify him for the largest sphere. This
is one of the secrets not to be explored by us : it is
11*

126 CLARKE  TALBOT  TOWNSHEND.
enough to know that the Head of the Church fixes His
ministers as seemeth best to His infinite wisdom.
From Mr. Clarke I went to Reading, and was received
with unfeigned love by Mr. and Mrs. Talbot : he rode
with me on my way to Bath : we had very much com
munion of heart. From Mr. Talbot's I rode to Pewsey,
and was most cordially received by Mr. Townshend : he
is an excellent man, and inquired after Mr. Riland, and
all Yorkshire friends, with great affection. From thence
I came here yesterday : and found Lady Huntingdon,
and my dear Son in the Gospel, as he will call himself,
Mr. Shirley : we are to share the work between us. I
am made very much of, I can assure you ! My accom
modations are very agreeable ; and every thing I could
wish for is done to express respect. In fact, I find
there is no stronger temptation to vanity, and self-love,
than what a travelling popular preacher meets with.
Bath, Nov. 4.
On Sunday evening last there was such a crowded
audience, Mr. Shirley told me, as there never was before.
The chapel doors were set open ; and people stood in
the court, as far as the houses. That full description of
the way of salvation, and the object of the believer's hope,
the condition of the Lord's enemies, and the glory of
His people, in the concluding verses of Isaiah xiv., was
my subject.
Happily, I am much alone ! though solicited to spend
my time with one family after another all the day. You
may judge of this, when I tell you I have read two quarto
volumes, with other books, and written near twenty
letters, without intermitting my study of the ever-blessed
Book. Solitude is a great cherisher of faith : were we
more alone, to pray, and look back upon ourselves, and
to look into ourselves — not to find any good, but to ob
serve more of the amazing blindness of heart, unbelief,
selfishness, and vile idolatry, which so benumb our feel
ings of the love of Christ — were we to be more alone for
these purposes, we should enjoy more of the presence
and joy of God. In the exercise of meditation and prayer,
I can stand amazed, and be almost lost in astonishment

LADY HUNTINGDON. 127
at my misery and sinfulness — misery so great, in not
feeling an everlasting admiration, love, and joy, in an
Incarnate Jehovah, and in the view of the great things
of the Spirit of God which are revealed to me ! At the
same time that this is my misery, it is my shame and
guilt ; for every thing ought to be loved according to its
intrinsic worth. What a robber am I, and what sacri
lege am I committing, when the affections of my heart
are so cold towards my Lord ! Sometimes I have touches
which I would give the world might last ; but in an
hour they are gone. Whilst they last, my heart swells
with the vehement desire expressed in the hymn,
Nothing in all things ma)' I see,
Nothing on earth desire, but Thee!
In my own experience, perhaps, I am describing my
dear friend's. What then can be our hope, some would
say, thus self-condemned ? Our hope, we will boldly
answer, is that very precious Lord, to whom we make
such base returns. Our hope is sure and steadfast. He
will have mercy. We are His. And though now for
many years we are thus poor, yet hereafter, through all
eternity, we shall offer unto Him a perfect heart, a per
fect love ; and be lost in Him, the centre and source of
our life and salvation.
TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ.
Bath, Nov. 5.
I am favoured with the pleasing sight, and with the
animating example, of a soul inflamed with love to a
Crucified God — that stumbling-block to them that perish.
In Lady Huntingdon I see a star of fhe first magnitude
in the firmament of the Church. Blessed be God for free
grace, that salvation is to every one that cometh to
Christ! otherwise, when I compare my life and my spirit
with hers, I could not believe the same heaven was to
contain us. How do works, the works of faith and love,
. speak and preach Jesus Christ, in that devoted servant
of His ! No equipage — no livery servants — no house —
all these given up, that perishing sinners may hear the
J'fe-giving sound, and be enriched with all spiritual

128 BENEFIT OF A CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE.
blessings. Her prayers are heard, her chapel is crowded,
and many sinners amongst the poor are brought into the
City of Refuge. Happy is it for us, my' friend, that we
have been brought into that city — that we know in
whom we have believed — that we can say, " Surely in
the Lord have I righteousness and strength!" — that we
have been happily reduced to the necessity of confessing
we have nothing to plead, but, " Worthy is the Lamb !"
This is all our relief, consolation, and triumph : and will
be, through all ages. I feel, from Lady Huntingdon's
example, an increasing desire, both for myself and you,
and all our friends, that we may be active and eminent
in the life of grace. Too apt are we to rest in life re
ceived, and not to be every day doing something for our
Lord ; either earnestly engaging in prayer, speaking
affectionately to sinners, overcoming our selfish violent
passions, or exercising mercy to our needy brethren : but
it is by abounding in every good work that our light
shines before men, and we stand confessed the work
manship of God in Christ. I would urge the duty — and
may God press it home effectually upon my own heart?
— of " opening our mouths wide," to importune Him for
the best gifts ; and to live, in the sight of all around us,
beyond dispute, zealous conscientious worshippers, and
dear obedient children.
I have enjoyed in this visit the edifying discourse and
bright example of many of our dear Saviour's family ; all
of them partakers of one life and one spirit, yet each dis
tinguished by its particular hue and beauteous colour,
more predominant than the rest. In one, I have been
animated by ardent activity for the glory of Christ, and
the salvation of souls. In another, I was pleased and
softened by conspicuous meekness and gentleness of
spirit. In a third, I was excited to love and good
works, by the fervent charity and brotherly kindness I
beheld : and in a fourth, I was led to abase myself, and
confess the pride of my heart, from the humility and bro-
kenness of spirit which struck me. In the Head alone,
all graces, in their lustre, unite.

MINISTERIAL FAITHFULNESS. 129

TO MRS. RILAND. Bath, Nov. 9.
I have written to  , and told them very plainly
and fully my fears and jealousy respecting their spiritual
state. Long have I been convinced that it is the only-
proper way of acting up to our profession, as friends to
one another in the Lord, thus faithfully to speak. Much
guilt have I contracted, by the neglect of doing so ; but
such is the extreme selfishness natural to my heart, that
it pains me, beyond expression, to reprove faithfully any
particular friend.
I feel desolate sometimes at the thought of my sad
bereavement ; yet this sensation serves to make the
world appear in the light it ought, like a land where I
am an unknown passenger, hastening to a rich and im
mense inheritance in the love and presence of my Lord ;
whose property each individual believer is, as much as
the angels themselves. In this confidence I can repose
myself on His faithful arm, to be either full or bereaved,
rich or poor, in pain or ease, as He shall please to ap
point. Oh, mighty force of redeeming love ! This, ap
plied by the Holy Ghost, is an abiding demonstration to
us, that we are dear and precious in the eyes of our God.
From this knowledge proceeds a power to be willingly
subject, without reserve, to His holy will — an assurance
that afflictions and necessities are appointed for our
truest interest. TO MRS. RILAND. Sandwell, Dec. 2.
Some blessed times indeed I have had, since we
parted ! and some at the Throne of Grace, whilst I have
been remembering you, and entreating for your enjoy
ment, more and more of the fruits of the death of Jesus,
and of the power of His resurrection. Yet it sometimes
occasions a great trial of our faith, and a painful submis
sion of our understanding to God, to reconcile the abso
lute certainty of the promises in Christ Jesus, and the
success and prevalence of prayer, with the experience
of the people of God. When I consider the slow pro-

130 SUCCESS OF PRAYER.
gress I have made, the many, many evil thoughts and
desires, the continual defilement and extreme weakness
and inconstancy of mind I labour under, I am ready to
cry out, "Is there unfaithfulness in God? Where is
His promise?" But, upon maturer thoughts, all this is
quite necessary, to mortify my vanity, to deepen my
convictions of sin, to make self abhorred — earth appear
a howling wilderness — and a better and a more holy
state of existence longed for.
As soon as I came here, the Earl, with as much love
as you could wish he had for me, received me ; and
Lady Dartmouth the same. It often happens to me, that
the tender regard of my friends distresses me ; as I can
not divide myself, nor spend my time with them as they
desire. It is the case at present ; Lord and Lady Dart
mouth, with an earnestness which makes me blush, and
which I cannot withstand, will not let me leave Sand-
well till Monday the 11th.

SECTION II.
LETTERS WRITTEN FROM THE PERIOD OF HIS ACCEPTANCE
OF YELLING, TO THE COMMENCEMENT OF HIS CORRE
SPONDENCE WITH HIS SON.
During the early part of the year 1770, Mr. Venn was incapaci
tated from all exertion by the alarming illness mentioned in the
Memoir, which was brought on by excessive labour in the dis
charge of his ministry. In the autumn of this year, he was recom
mended to try the effect of a journey to Bath. Whilst at that
place, he received the offer of the living of Yelling, Huntingdon
shire ; and immediately announced the intelligence, in a few lines,
to Mrs. Riland ; hut entered more fully upon the subject in the fol
lowing letter, written from London a few days afterwards.

TO MRS. RILAND.
London, Nov. 17, 1770.
My dear Friend, — I conclude you have, by this
time, received my letter dated last Saturday. In that
you will find I am Rector of Yelling. I wrote to you of

FEELINGS ON LEAVING HUDDERSFIELD. 131
this event the very day I received the account of it from
the Lord Commissioner Smythe. I had received some
intimation 'of his design to prefer me, the Saturday be
fore : upon which I immediately wrote to Lady  ,
urging her to press for the nomination of my successor
at Huddersfield ; and saying, in a few words, what I
have ever thought of dear Mr. Riland— that he is one of
the best creatures living upon earth. If he is not nomi
nated, I hope, for my own sake, his faithful labours will
be joined with my feeble efforts, to promote the glory of
Emmanuel, in that new place to which I am called evi
dently by His providence. >
Nothing would have prevailed on me to leave Hud
dersfield, if my lungs had not received an irreparable
injury, of which I am more sensible, by several symp
toms, than ever.  What I feel in giving up the Hud
dersfield congregation, and especially your dear sister,
and some like her, no words can sufficiently express :
instead of being rejoiced at the providence, I barely feel
resigned. Looking upon my dissolution as at no great
distance, I go to Yelling as a dying man : and if I am
to live a few years longer, I look upon this as the ap
pointed means of continuing my life. What new trials
and exercises of faith I shall be called to, my Lord only
knows ; this, I am sure, will be a great alleviation of
them, if we all remove together, for never shall I forget
how much I owe to you both, and how much you have
both shown to me a truly affectionate spirit. I beg my
best love to Mr. Riland, to your sister and all friends. I
am so much hurried, that I have no time to Write to any
but yourself at Huddersfield. — Adieu, my dear friend!
From yours, &c. H. Venn.

It was not to be expected that the tender and sacred bonds
which united Mr. Venn with his flock at Huddersfield could be
severed, without exciting deep regret on both sides; hut the trial
was rendered more severe, in consequence of some of his friends
in that place disapproving of his removal. This drew from him
the following touching appeals, which equally display his meek
ness and tenderness ot conscience.

132

TO MRS. RILAND.
London, Nov. 27, 1770.
My dear Friend, — ¦  How much I have suffered,
these last few days ! and what will be my final determi
nation,.! am not now able to say: for, though I was
quite clear, that, from my utter inability to do much in
my office, I was not to continue in so large a sphere of
action, yet when you write to me that the dear people
suffer so much, and that there is no likelihood of a suc
cessor, such as I could wish — when I consider, also, the
separation which must take place from two of the very
dearest friends I have, and the extreme smallness of the
parish I am presented to — I am in great perplexity. I
am looking up, with earnest cries, to Him who has Him
self most strictly charged, us not to turn the blind out of
His way ; and who, therefore, will surely inform and
direct His poor, sinful creatures, who call upon Him. I
should be glad if you, my dear friend, would write your
whole mind, and tell me whether there are many who
seem to feel it would be a great loss to them, were the
Gospel to be removed ; and whether there is any likeli
hood that some faithful pastor will be provided. Did I
believe it my bounden duty, and the thing most pleasing
to God, that I should not remove, I should be happy ;
and, let what would be the consequence, I would not
remove. My mind is ready to say, upon seeing the dis
tance of Yelling from any market-town, (which is much
farther than I was told,) and the thinness of the inhabit
ants, that I had better speak but a year or two to thou
sands, and have my work finished. On the contrary,
when I consider the pain I have long felt in my mind, to
live for years, doing so little, where so much was to be
done — when I consider how very soon dear Mr. Riland
may leave me — I stagger, on the other hand. Will dear
Mr. Riland agree not to leave me, if I stay at Hudders
field ? Write to me, without fail, by the return of post,
and answer this query. Give my love to dear Mr. Riland.
I do not love him the less for his letter, nor believe his
affection for myself is diminished. Oh, that I had wings
like a dove ! I long to be one day at Huddersfield : yet

REASONS FOR LEAVING HUDDERSFIELD. 133
so were the time and circumstances of this presentation
ordered, that it was impossible for me, without an abso
lute refusal, to send for your advice. My love to all
friends. I am hurried almost out of my life, and should
not wonder if I were taken ill. Adieu ! Believe me,
in bonds not to be broken.
Your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ.
Brampton Grove, Nov. 29, 1770.
Dear Sir, — I was almost afraid of opening your let
ter. " Strange !" you will say, when no one's letters are
so welcome. The truth is, I knew the contents before
I opened it ; and I have suffered so much upon the sub
ject, that my life is bitter to me. The cup was full be
fore ; and this made it overflow. The best lights I can
give you, you shall have, in order to judge of my
conduct. In the year 1765, I had determined, in my own mind,
never to change my situation. I had no sooner done so,
than, in the February following the December in which
I had made the resolution, the complaint in my chest in
creased so much, that I was able to do next to nothing
for seven months. This complaint, through my own
unpardonable length and loudness in speaking, has not
mended, but grown worse and worse. Many sensible
proofs I have had of it ; so much so, as absolutely to re
fuse an offer which was made, of trying to secure Halifax
for me, three years ago ; which refusal was grounded on
a consciousness that I was too enfeeled for any such
charge. I have also found, every succeeding year, that
I am more and more hurt by speaking : and therefore,
as I am privileged to do, I made my prayer to the God
of my life and my salvation, to provide for me, now
unequal" to the blessed charge intrusted to me. I did
this the more constantly, as I saw my beloved assistant
begin to stoop under the weight of his work ; unable
myself to afford any more help. Without any expecta
tion of such an event, the living falls — the Lord Com
missioner thinks of me : uncertain if the power of pre
senting to it might not be taken away in a few days, he
12

134 perplexity on leaving huddersfield.
desires my answer. Clearly convinced that this was an
answer to prayer, and a very small parish indeed, suited
to my lungs, I accepted the offer. Lucrative views were
not of force to determine me : and so it will be found :
for, all things considered, the increase of income will
not be many pounds, and the increase of trials will be
very grievous : for, instead of a large congregation, the
glory of the country, I shall have very few — and, pro
bably, such is the thinness of the inhabitants, never
many ; — instead of yourself and some other dear com
panions in the way, I shall be very solitary; — instead of
the love wherewith I am loved at Huddersfield, I shall
give offence, and be always five or six miles from any
conversable people.
Since I have received some accounts from the dear
place of my best days, I am greatly perplexed — I am
torn asunder — I am sick at heart — I know not what to
determine. The leadings of Providence seem to point
one way : the care of the dear souls, who have been
called under me, another. My love for them makes me
wish to live and die with them : the total inability I am
under of doing a quarter of the business of the place,
seems to say, "You must retire: your work is over
there." Were I to consult my own ease and peace, I
should never stir from Huddersfield. In this sad per
plexity of mind, I am, without ceasing, looking to my
Lord : I am begging to have my way made quite plain. —
I can appeal to Him, that I would not act from any mo
tive I should blush to have laid open in the sight of men
and angels. And must I not trust, and not be afraid,
that He will direct me aright ? I am sometimes ready
to cast the lot for a decision in this matter. Pity me!
0 my friend, pity me ! Pray for me, that I may not be
suffered to take a step for which I shall condemn myself
at any future season. ,
Your much indebted and affectionate friend,
H. Venn.

On Easter-day, March 30, 1771, Mr. Venn preached his farewell
sermon to his flock at Huddersfield. His text was Col. iii. 11 :
" Christ is all, and in all." During that week, he finally quitted

VISIT TO HULL.  JOSEPH MILNER. 135
the place, and spent the next month in visiting different friends.
The following letter was written during this journey.

TO MRS. RILAND.
Peterborough, April ZQ, 1771.
Though I could not give, my dear friend, an account
beforehand of my stages, I shall make up that deficiency
with a recital of the whole afterwards.
I wrote to you on Tuesday last, from Hull. Mr. Jesse
met me at Malton, and accompanied me as far as Hull :
he is a very excellent man ; and seems appointed to
evangelize the Wolds ; the inhabitants of which are dark
almost as the Indians. At Hull, I was transported by
hearing Mr. Milner, on the Wednesday. In my judg
ment, he is, by much, the ablest minister I have ever
heard open his mouth for Christ: indeed, his abilities
are of the very first rate. I did not design to force my
self upon him ; but it gave me the highest joy when he
came up to me, as I was reading the monuments in the
church, and, with all the frankness of Mr. Kershaw, in
vited me to spend the evening with him. This was at
the hazard of his character ; for there were persons at
church who knew me, and seemed not a little gratified
that Mr. Milner gave such a proof of his Methodism.
The evening, Mr. Jesse and I spent with him. It an
swered all I expected from the blessed sermon. I con
versed much with him. He had deep impressions of
religion when a child ; and rightly observed, " I must
go back to my thirteenth year ; when I was waiting
upon the Lord, without any reasonings of my own."
I went, on the evening of Thursday, to Wintringham.
The dear, blessed man inquired cordially after you. At
Wintringham, though desired to preach, I refused ; and
have now been four Sabbaths silent. Though I cannot
say I am likely to recover, I am better, and feel much
less pain in my chest. At Wintringham, I met with a
-young clergyman, who, some months since, was a care
less and worldly character. Dear Mr. Adam talked
to him so affectionately, that, through the grace of God,
the young man is now beginning to preach the Word of

136 THE SAVIOUR'S CARE OF HIS CHURCH.
Life. He came with me as far as Lincoln, thirty-four
miles, and spent the evening with me. I spoke much
to him, and went to prayer at the conclusion. I left
him this morning at five, and have ridden fifty-two miles
since. It has been a happy day, indeed ! — happy, in almost
perpetual prayer — happy, in being able to present you
and yours at the Throne of Grace. What though the
way is quite lonely — over a heath of sixteen miles, with
out a house in sight — the river which maketh glad the
city of God flowed round about me : and when I sang
one of the songs of Zion, I had you and all my spiritual
children with me ; so that I could experience what St.
Paul declared, and understood it perfectly: "Though
absent," says he, "in the flesh, yet am I with you in
spirit, joying and beholding your order." I conclude,
therefore, this blessed day in the most pleasing manner
I can — except in conversing with my dear friend, — in
writing to her ; and if T knew more of myself than she
will allow, I could venture to say, that if ever this cor
respondence droops, it will do so on her side. Happy
have I been this day : perhaps the next will be a dark
and cloudy one. One thing only is unchangeable — the
love of God to His elect, and the work of Jesus for them.
To Him I commend you and yours, and remain.
Your affectionate father. H. Venn.
TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ.
Brompton Grove, May 10, 1771.
 Though here I meet with abundant favour in the

sight of God's children, it does not cause me to grow
cool to the affections of my flock. I, in my chiefest joy,
think of those, whose delight was in the House of the
Lord, where His name was proclaimed. I am sorrowful
for them ; yet always rejoicing. I am ready to wish
(though it is folly) that I had not been disabled — that
my strength had been preserved. I rejoice in this, that
those whom the Good Shepherd found on the mountain
of sin, and brought by the power of His grace, with all
gladness, into His fold, He will bear up to the last, and
bring them to His heavenly kingdom. How exact is
His knowledge of them, in their persons, trials, and

DISSENTING CHAPEL AT HUDDERSFIELD. 137
states! To Him it belongs — and He will do it — to
feed them with the knowledge of His covenant, His
righteousness, His relation to them, and His love. In
the heat of temptation, persecution, or prevalent corrup
tion, it is His office to give them rest in Himself, to exert
His providence in their defence, to watch over them, to
speak comfortably to them, and, by a frequent glimpse
of His eternal glory, to make them patient in tribulation,
and joyful through hope. To Him I day by day com
mend them ; and feel, sometimes, I have audience be
fore the Throne of Grace.
My dear friends in London are much afraid my York
shire friends should have been severe in censuring me.
I tell them, not. I tell them, where a people had loved
much, and had profited much, they could not say less.
I tell them, I have never suffered one hour's distress,
but on their account, because they are grieved ; — not
from the least doubt whether 1 have followed the lead
ings of Providence.
The glorious Gospel prospers. Good news from Ox
ford — many young men there ! " Yet have I set my
King upon my holy hill of Zion." — The powerful voice
of this King may you hear ! His love may you feel !
And may your tongue be as the pen of a ready writer,
to relate His glory '

After Mr. Venn left Huddersfield, the people who had profited
by his preaching wererepelled from the parish-church by discourses
which formed a marked contrast to those they had lately heard
within the same walls; so that they were dispersed in various
directions; some to neighbouring churches, some to dissenting
chapels. Several of them, at length, determined upon building a
chapel, in the hope that they might be united together in one body,
under a pastor of their own choice. Mr. Venn gave his sanction
and assistance to this plan, and advised the people to attend the
chapel after it was built. It was his first hope, that the Liturgy
would be used in the new chapel at Huddersfield. Writing to a
friend, he says: "You, and all the people, know how I love the
Ljturgy, and would a thousand times prefer it to any other way of
worship." But in this, and in many more important respects, his
expectations were disappointed. In a short time, also, another
Vicar came to the living; from whose instructions he would never
have wished his people to secede: but few, comparatively, re
turned to the parish-church. 12*

138 mr. Venn's love for the liturgy.
It must not be inferred, from these circumstances, that he was
an advocate for dissent in general, or that' his attachment to the
Church of England was equivocal : his intimate friends unani
mously testify, that he cordially and zealously espoused the inte
rests of the Church, and, especially, that his veneration for the
Liturgy was of the most exalted kind. In a letter, written to the
Rev. Mr. Powley, one of his former curates, whom he had pre
sented to a chapel at Huddersfield, and who faithfully remonstrated
with him upon this occasion, he thus vindicates his attachment to
the Church.

How often have I declared my utmost veneration for
the Liturgy ! How often in your hearing, how often in
the church, declared the superior excellency, in my
judgment, of the Liturgy to every mode of worship, not
only amongst the Dissenters, but that had ever been in
the Church of Christ, as far as I had knowledge ! Nay,
more than once have I said, I never was present at any
meeting where I perceived the power of godliness as
amongst the congregations of our Church, where the
Gospel is preached. Now, after all this, I think, in jus
tice, you ought to have supposed me as much a friend
to the Church of England as yourself. — I have long, you
know, had to combat with the senseless prejudices against
our Form ; and see plainly the advantage Satan makes
of these prejudices, and lament it. But this evil, com
pared with the sort of religion taught now by some of
the clergy, appears to me but small. One lays waste
the grand fundamental truth ; the other only exhibits it
in a less edifying manner.  On Saturday, I dined with
our Bishop. I find he has no objection to a revisal and
alteration of the Liturgy. This change will one day, I
fear, take place; and then the measure of our iniq.uities
will be full, when we have cast the doctrine of Christ
out of the public worship, avowedly as a nation. May
we be the more zealous and active, according to the
utmost of our strength ; encouraging and comforting both
each other and our flocks with the certain success of the
Gospel, in spite of earth and hell!

I will here also refer to another circumstance, which is natu
rally connected with this subject. During Mr. Venn's residence

UNCONSECRATED PLACES. 139
at Yelling, he occasionally preached in neighbouring parishes, at
the houses, and, in some few instances, in the barns of the farmers ;
and, in his visits to London, he officiated at the chapel of the Rev.
Rowland Hill. With respect to these irregular ministrations, I
am furnished with, the sentiments of my father, recorded in a de
tached form, but with the intention of their being inserted in the
Memoir. I introduce them, however, in this place, because they
equally apply, in their general tenor, to the case of the chapel at
Huddersfield : and I gladly avail myself of the opportunity of ex
pressing my own feelings with respect to that transaction, as well
as with respect to his preaching in unconsecrated places, by simply
recording my entire concurrence in the spirit of the remarks which
follow.

"Were I to deliver a panegyric agreeable to my own
views of that excellent man, in whom I every day saw
something new to admire and honour, I should draw a
veil over what I am going to relate. But the faithfulness
of an historian compels me to do violence to the feelings
of a son. His mind was naturally ardent ; and he was
pf a temper to be carried out by zeal, rather than to
listen to tiie cold calculations of prudence. Influenced
by the hope of doing good, my father, in certain in
stances, preached in unconsecrated places. But having
acknowledged this, it becomes my pleasing duty to state,
that he was no advocate for irregularity in. others ; that
when he afterwards considered it, in its distant bearings
and connexions, he lamented that he had given way to
it, and restrained several other persons from such acts
by the most cogent arguments ; and that he lived long
enough to observe the evils of schism so strongly, that
they far outweighed in his mind the present apparent
good." In the month of July, 1771, Mr. Venn was married to his second
wife, Mrs. Smith. The two following letters were written to this
lady previous to their union, but after she had accepted his offer
of marriage. He was at this time travelling in Yorkshire ; but
did not visit Huddersfield.

Upper Tharp, near Dewsbury, June 25, 1771.
Perhaps my dear friend has written again, though my
removals have prevented me from receiving the favour.

140 freedom in prayer.
But 1 can never want a subject, either for discourse or
for a letter, whilst you have a heart to delight in the
things of God. I have already sent you some thoughts
on that freedom and simplicity with which the faithful
in Christ Jesus ought to address the Lord God Almighty —
That neither the sense of our manifold offences, nor the
poor stammering tongue with which we can speak, nor
the coldness and deadness of our hearts, ought to dis
courage us, or beget in us the least doubt of the Lord's
hearing our requests: for, indeed, very small in His
sight must be the difference between the wisest and the
most ignorant — between this saint, who with a peculiar
fluency mentions every circumstance, and that, who is
almost at a loss for words of any kind. He looketh only
to the heart, which dictates the prayer, and often is full
of the spirit of prayer when utterance is greatly wanting.
With respect to the subject-matter of prayer, it ought
to vary with our temptations, feelings, and various wants :
for as the main design of prayer is not to inform the
Omniscient, but to make us sensible of our own indi
gence and absolute dependence upon God for all, this
design can never be so well promoted as by a familiar,
and very particular, enumeration of those things which
concern us. For instance : I thankfully acknowledge
His faithfulness, in answering, according to my petitions,
and giving me, in you, all I could wish, in a friend, in
a wife ; — that when I was going to fix in a solitary place,
no longer able to serve in a large and populous one, He
should indulge me with a companion of peculiar talents,
to entertain and enliven the solitude. It was a great
and pernicious error, which first was set on foot by, for
mality and superstition, to make men conceive of Jeho
vah, not as a loving Father, but a great and awful Being
only, before whom they were not thus familiarly to speak.
I have just now received your letter of the 22d. A
thousand thanks for it ! though it made me much regret
my being absent when the good bishop*was with you.
I longed before to have seen him : but to have seen him
at your table, and talked freely and fully about the grand
* Dr. Hildesley, Bishop of Sodor and Man.

LETTER TO MRS. SMITH. 141
matter of all, would have been a high gratification. If
we live, I shall hope for many such interviews; in
which, your being one of the party will enliven me more ;
and seeing you enjoy the discourse, will make it doubly
delightful to myself.
Before this, you will be able to tell all our friends
when, by God's leave, I shall be in town. Indeed, I
think it long; and I shall stay but one night at Yelling,
and there leave the children. Inclosed you receive a
letter from my boy. It is his own entirely ; for I always
choose to have them express themselves in their own
way. I dare almost venture to promise that you will
have little trouble from him. Pray give my dutiful love
to your mother ; and tell her, if she loves a warm room,
her apartment at Yelling will in that respect please. Re
member me to our dear friends in the Grove. I did
fully purpose to write to them both, when I set out ; but
so many are my engagements, that I can find no time to
write to any one, but that person most esteemed and
beloved by me, whose I am in the best bonds, and to
whom I would ever fervently pray I may approve my
self a most affectionate and tender friend and husband.
Adieu, my dear friend ! From yours, &c.
H. Venn.
TO MRS. SMITH.
York, June 28, 1771.
My dear Friend, — How glad I am that this is the
last letter I hope to write to you for a long time ! for
•when this reaches you, I shall be on my way to Yelling.
If I do not see you (God willing) on Friday, it will not
be my fault ; but I rather fear I shall not, till Saturday.
Long was I very backward to think of entering again
into the married state, though so blessed in my first con
nexion : but the gracious God, -whom I serve, and whose
I am, has provided for me one of His own elect (I doubt
not.) I have not yet seen Dr. Conyers ; but I shall be there
this evening; where you will also be present, as much
as it is possible for an absent person to be so. You will
do what, if present, you would not — engross all the con
versation. I begin to feel much more concern than I

142 FEELINGS IN PROSPECT OF HIS SECOND MARRIAGE.
did at first, lest my children should give you trouble ;
for just in the same proportion as I value and love you
(and that is just in proportion as I know you) I must feel
every thing that may in any degree affect you. And I
say to myself, " Oh, how should I be able to bear it, if
I was to see my dear 'wife in tears, or void of that sweet
cheerfulness and vivacity of spirit which so distinguishes
her, by any of my children, to whom she has so kindly
shown herself a friend indeed !" I hope it will not be
so ; and if prayer can avail to prevent such a trial from
coming upon her, she will never experience any sorrow
on my account, or those belonging to me, but by our
departure. You may remember how pleasantly you said Hogarth
would describe our courtship. — In what light would the
world regard my letters! Strange love-letters indeed!
Oh, did they but know how much more blessed are the
faithful in Christ, in every relation in life, than themselves,
the love of present enjoyment would make them con
verts to the faith. But all this is hid from their eyes.
They cannot understand how a solid acquaintance with
a Crucified Saviour diffuses an influence through the
whole of life, and renders the husband, the wife, the
father, the master, the servant, the child, the friend, a
very different creature, and far more excellent than what
he would be otherwise.
I beg my love to your mother. Tell her I pray for
her every day, and that I may love her, and study to
make her last days as easy and cheerful as possible.
John desires, from his heart, to be remembered to you,
with the most dutiful affection.
I am yours ever, in the best bonds, H. Venn.

The next letter introduces a new correspondent to our notice —
the Rev. James Stillingfleet, who at this time held the Chapel of
Bierley, in the parish of Bradford, and shortly after became Rector
of Hotham, near Market- Weighton, Yorkshire. He was the de
scendant of the learned and celebrated bishop of that name ; and
the intimate friend of Joseph Milner, who composed the greater
part of his Church History in his friend's study at Hotham.

HUDDERSFIELD AND YELLING. 143
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET.
Yelling, Aug. 5, 1771.
Dear Sir, — Your affectionate epistle found me in due
time. Many thanks are due to you for it. It found me
under " great searchings of heart," upon the point of
beginning my ministry in this place. What a ehange,
from thousands, to a company of one hundred ! — from a
people generally enlightened, and many converted, to
one yet sitting in darkness, and ignorant of the first prin
ciples of the Gospel ! — from a house resounding with the
voice of thanksgiving, like the noise of many waters, to
one where the solitary singers please themselves with
empty sounds, or gratify their vanity by the imagination
of their own excellence ! — from a Bethel to myself and
many more, to a nominal worship of the God of Chris
tians! A change painful indeed! yet unavoidable. With
a heavy heart, therefore, did I yesterday begin to address
my new hearers. I preached both morning and evening;
and never to a more attentive audience ; — in the after
noon, to four times the number that were ever in the
church before. But what will make you wonder, my
dear friend, I spoke within the hour three minutes, both
times put together ! and yet I feel much hurt ; and am
ready to conclude I shall not long be able to speak, even
in this whispering church. If I am, it appears, from the
effect to-day, I shall not want hearers. The will of the
Lord, I hope to say cheerfully, be done! Yet, of all
trials I have ever known, this of having the treasure
which is ordained to enrich to all eternity the souls of
men, and not strength of voice to declare and to commu
nicate it to our dear fellow-creatures, is one of the most
severe. May you understand this, and be wise in time !
I am persuaded we do wrong to outdo our strength. As
far as it will reach and last, spare not. I would — were
it lawful to wish for any thing — wish for lungs of brass
and flesh of iron, to rest not, day or night, publishing the
glad tidings, saying to sinners, Behold your God!
I was sorry to hear of your disappointment. Tribula
tion, of one kind or other, is our lot. In vain do we
imagine we shall escape it. I sympathize with you -in
the feeling of a heart desperately wicked. Once I

144 INSINCERE PROFESSORS OF RELIGION.
thought some humiliating expressions of the saints of
God too low for me, proud, blind wretch as I was !
Now I can say, with Edwards, "Infinite upon infinite
only reaches to my sinfulness!"
I thank you for your prayers. I often entreat my God
to remember me according to the intercession of many
of my dear friends and His dear children. Continue to
do me this kindness, and to write to me frequently. I
answer this the next post but one, to prove my desire of
your correspondence. I shall rejoice to .hear from you ;
and more, to see you. The Lord increase your soul in
light, life, strength, and peace '
From yours, H. Venn.
TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, Aug. 10, 1771.
My dear Friend, — I received your last letter on
Thursday. Alas ! what a distressing account !* It made
my very heart sick. Oh ! what shall we say to such
things as these ? — a man in all other respects, ever since
he made profession, so very well-behaved. As far as
my influence can reach, you may be sure it will concur
with yours. Little prospect is there of any success : for
how seldom do we see counsel taken ! I am wounded
to the heart ; for I well know with what force the con
clusion is drawn against God and His doctrine. Indeed,
these are the things which defeat, in a great measure, all
our labours of love ! Too many professors of religion
are, alas ! so much like other people, that the world can
see no manner of difference, except in a zeal for doc
trines, and the use of the means. Well ! all we can say
is, " The foundation standeth sure : the Lord knoweth
them that are His : and, let every one who nameth the
name of Christ depart from iniquity ;" — unless he would
have this naming the name of Christ the greatest aggra
vation of his guilt.
I came here last night, sadly tired with my ride from
Knightsbridge, though I took a chaise one stage. One
* One of Mr. Venn's late hearers at Huddersfield had acted in a way
unbecoming the religious character he had Ipng sustained.

COMMENCEMENT OF MINISTRY AT YELLING. 145
week more, and, if I have life, I shall be able to say,
next week I shall be settled with my whole family in a
new place, and in a new situation : consequently, sure to
be attended with new crosses ; for the righteous decree
of Heaven must take effect, "In sorrow shalt thou eat
thy bread, all the days of thy life." You will have heard
of my preaching here last Sunday. The people were
very attentive. But I have but little pleasure now, in
comparison of what I had when I began at dear Hud
dersfield. Then* I concluded the success of the preached
Gospel was great indeed : no-w I see, in an awful light,
that very many are called, but few chosen. I see, what
we account very extraordinary conversions, turn out
to be nothing. May all the evil we feel, and all the
evil we see, work in us humility, watchfulness, and a
desire, if it please God, to be taken to the land of
righteousness !
I came here without a frank; so that you must pay
postage for a letter which brings you nothing for your
money, but a testimony that I am exceedingly grieved
at the misery of man, and the sad occasion of offence
given by those who are lifted up to notice by their
coming out from the world. My sister and fhe children
desire their love. They are all well, I thank God ! May
the peace of God dwell in your heart !
From your ever affectionate father in Christ,
H. Venn.
TO MRS. RILAND. ,
My dear Friend, — I thank you for the accounts from
Huddersfield. I have a connexion with many there,
which I trust will last through all eternity ! I could serve
them no- longer. The different effect I feel now, from
preaching twice a day, is very remarkable. I neither
cough, nor am fatigued after the Sabbath is over.
Here I begin to see all that I saw at Huddersfield—
amazement, attention, conviction, tears, and a vast in
crease of hearers, for a country so desert as this is, where
a hundred is more than a thousand in your place of habi
tation. The old clerk, who is as old as James Booth's
father, told me we .should empty all the churches round
13

146 COMMENCEMENT OF MINISTRY AT YELLING.
about. You, and my dear brother, your husband, will
be glad to hear how I proceeded. The first Sunday I
preached on Rom. x. 1. (as I did at Huddersfield) two
discourses. The second on Rev. xx. " The throne was
set, and the books were opened." The third Sunday, on
" Jesus Christ the same, to receive the vilest, &c."
Yesterday, " On the sinfulness of sin." Though the rain
was heavy, many were present to hear. — Such honour is
Jesus pleased to put upon me, a sinful man, because de
sirous to preach his glory ! — I see two of the parish under
evident concern : one of them is my assistant's wife. Oh,
that they might, in the great affair, be like you and
yours ! My assistant is often much affected, when I am
preaching. Soon I shall hope to have a conversation
with him.
The singers here are very celebrated : one, particular
ly, sings, amongst the first, at all the Oratorios. I have
therefore a difficult point to manage with them. I have,
however, obtained this much — they sing my Collection
of Psalms : they give out every line ; and a very few
voices begin to join them. Last night, the chief singer,
who is also a principal farmer, spent the evening with
me, and was at our family-prayer.
I hope to write by this post to your dear sister : if not,
present my love, and tell her I never think of ber but
with thankfulness to God ; and could wish, were it law
ful to wish, that she were a neighbour to Mrs. V.
My love to Mr. R. Remember us on Friday, when
we shall fix in our dwelling.
From your ever affectionate father in Christ,
H. Venn.

It may be worth remarking, that Mr. Venn travelled, during seve
ral successive weeks, from London to Yelling, and back, to preach
on the Sundays, though he had a resident Curate, in the hope that
he might collect a congregation before the winter set in.

TO JAMES KERSHAW ESQ.
Yelling, Sept. 7, 1771.
My very dear Friend, — After five months' perpetual
itinerancy, last Tuesday but one we came to our new

solitude of yelling. 147
residence, and to a scene of life perfectly new to Mrs. V.
Twenty years ago I was accustomed to solitude ; and I
believe no one was ever happier in it. Though I was then
seeking to enter into life, by keeping the commandments,
yet do I still remember the hours of delightful devotion,
the earnest supplications I was offering up for a heart
dead to every thing but God. I am sometimes wonder
ing how I could be so blind, and yet so comfortable ;
and am myself a witness, what pains a man may take to
go to heaven, and yet b8 quite in the dark. I have now
my lot cast again in the depth of retirement ; which I
apprehended would be irksome to me, after so long an
experience of the sweets of Christian friendship, and the
comforts of the nearest and dearest union on earth. My
Father and my God foresaw this ; and, in His wonted
compassion, He provided for me a helpmeet, a friend in
deed ; who, instead of being hurt by the change from
Knightsbridge and many dear intimates, to this solitude,
is pleased with every thing, and finds out every advan
tageous circumstance, and dwells upon it. We are likely
to be very much alone. How thankful ought I to be ! —
and I entreat you, my dear friend, to pray that I may be
so, for such a home.
You will say, "Enough of this subject! How does
the grand business, on which you are sent, prosper ? Are
your hearers increased ? Are they affected ? — Adored be
the name of our Immanuel ! they increase every Sabbath :
but my audience is many degrees, in point of education
and of condition, below my congregation at Hudders
field ; so that I am under a necessity of labouring to be
very plain ; for even the manufacturers about you are
rich and learned, compared with the peasants in this
country. I find, therefore; it is very profitable to tell
them stories. Indeed, the total inefficacy of the common
strain of preaching I ascribe, in part, to its being too
studied, and too general ; and whilst all the other sciences
are flourishing and improving, because all the appeal is
to experiments, in Divinity this only sensible method is
quite neglected. I have several shepherds, and shep
herd boys, who attend : they prick up their ears when I
am proving that a shepherd or his boy, though he cannot

148 mr. Venn's congregation at yelling.
read a word, is not at all further removed from the
knowledge and delightful enjoyment of God, than a
scholar or a gentleman ; they seem struck with the glad
tidings, when I prove this to them by the instances of the
poor shepherds of Bethlehem, the poor widow in the
Gospel, and the slaves mentioned in 1 Cor. xii. 13. As
an instance, however, that the poor and ignorant can be
fully as conceited as the rich, I met, two days ago, with
one of my parishioners, eighty years of age': and upon
beginning to talk with him, he said he had never met
with a man in his life, who could tell him any thing he
did not know. Yours, &c. H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. Yelling, Nov. 22, 1771.
My dear Friend, — See the danger of procrastination !
I designed to have sent you a letter upon your coming
to Bierley from Worcestershire, yet delayed till I received
your last. I thank you for it. When I can pray, I do
not forget you ; but I find little of that lifting up of the
soul — that breaking-forth with very fervent desire — that
wrestling with God — which is the prayer to which such
great promises belong.
Your present situation I know perfectly well, having
been in the same. The opposition you experience, I
think, is no bad thing. The effect of preaching Christ
may by this means be the longer before it appears ; but
the opposition will prove as a wind — a sharp and cutting
wind — to drive away many who would be only false
professors, which are the millstone about the neck of the
Gospel — the great means of hardening the despisers of
those who are good.
The prejudices against the Gospel you find very strong.
This is the case in all places. You would have found
it the same at Bierley, if the 'Squire had not built the
chapel. Our chief exercise is, to overcome, by meek
ness, patience, and love, by faith and prayer, this oppo
sition. Were it right with us, our foes and their obsti
nacy would profit us exceedingly. How much indebted
should you and I be to the perverseness, the blindness,
and the anger of our opponents, and the opponents of

OPPOSITION AND PREJUDICE TO BE EXPECTED. 149
the faith, if it made us resemble Jesus, or his prophet
Jeremiah, or his apostle Paul — if we could weep in secret
places — if we could pray, though not the whole night
through, yet one whole hour through, in heaviness of
heart, with strong cries and tears interceding for our con
demned, perishing, fellow-sinners! You must not look
to Pharaoh and his chariots behind, the Red Sea before,
the Wilderness on each side ; but to the arm of the
Lord, the faithfulness of His promise, His zeal for His
own honour, His love for the people whom He has
chosen. The greatest difficulty, in sucn a situation as
we are both in, is to find out some way to rouse and
awaken the attention of our people. This will be done
by extraordinary labour, extraordinary attention to our
parishioners, and extraordinary liberality. These are
facts, which every poor man can judge of: and by these
fruits, first a respect, then a regard — a general regard —
ensues, and our word comes with more weight.
I am a melancholy instance of overdoing, in point of
speaking. I would not, therefore, have you exceed your
strength ; yet certainly you should use it ail.
Last Wednesday, Mr. Berridge was here, and gave us
a most excellent sermon. He is a blessed man — a true
Calvinist ; not hot in doctrine, nor wise abpve what is
written, but practical, and experimental. Summer differs
not more from winter than this dear man from what he-
was ten years ago ; he is now broken in heart, yet fer
vent in spirit.
I am glad you are likely to be rid of your tenant, in a
peaceable way ; for nothing will be a greater bar to use
fulness than a notion that you aim at getting money. My
children desire their love. Pray for them, poor dear
souls! I hear from Bath, that a young clergyman of
some fortune is awakened, and -will soon stand forth
among the witnesses of Jesus. Remember me ; and
believe me,
Your affectionate brother in the Gospel,
H. Venn.

13»

150 RESTORATION OF HEALTH.
TO MRS. RILAND. Jan. 8, 1773.
 Would it not astonish my dear friend, if I should
ever do the whole duty of a Sabbath again ? Yet I am
in such a confident expectation of this, that I have given
my Assistant notice, that I shall want him no longer than
till Midsummer: and I should have parted with him
three months sooner, if I had not considered his family,
and desired to give him time to obtain another curacy.
Thus the strength I was praying for, four years before I
left Yorkshire, is given me at Yelling. May I return it
faithfully to the adorable Giver !
You will scarcely believe me, I conclude, thoughl assure
you that I have now been nearly five months here, and
never but one night (to meet Mr. Thornton) out of the
village ; and though week after week passes, and, except
on a Sunday, we see nothing but trees and sheep, and a
peasant or two passing over the fields ; yet, that I am
quite joyous on account of these circumstances ; and
solitude is, to the full, as delicious as it used to be in
the years 1751 and 1752. I suppose you have heard of
the controversy between Mr. Fletcher, Shirley, &c.
Who would not wish to be in a lonely village, to be free
from such disputes ?
In a letter to Mr. Kershaw, of the same date, he alludes in a
similar way to his health :
I have not for twenty years known the health I at
present enjoy. Pray for me, my beloved friend, that it
may be sanctified ! When I accepted Yelling, I accepted
it as a providential retreat, that I might rest the remainder
of my days, like one worn out in the ' service by much
speaking. Little did I expect to speak again three
hours on the Sabbath !
TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, May 9, 1772.
My dear Friend, — Though I cannot be indulged
with the pleasure of your company, I enjoy the privilege of
presenting you before our most merciful and gracious God,
as one of His elect — as the purchase of His own blood —

DIVINE SUPPORT IN TROUBLE. 151
and as a member of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.
[ think of the approaching hour of your confinement, and
of your weakness, and feel for. you ; but I am comforted
in the covenant engagements of your Saviour, whose power
is infinite, and the tenderness of His love equal to that
power. He will inspire you with meekness and fortitude.
True friendship ever proves itself in the hour of adversity,
by rising in its warmth, and exertion of every nerve, in
proportion as its aid is wanted. With the Beloved and
the Friend of the daughters of Jerusalem, this is ever
the case ; experience, from the beginning, has confirmed
it: the Church of Christ has always had reason to say,
and triumphed in the assurance, " I am persuaded that
neither death, nor life, &c, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
" Be therefore of good cheer," saith the Lord. Who
art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid, when promises,
and oaths, and love divine, and angels, and the Holy
Trinity, are all engaged, and all united, for thy help,
and for thy salvation — all engaged to preserve thee, and
make thee an everlasting monument of grace ? 0 my
dear friend! how solid, how all-sufficient, how certain
the support and consolation, in every time of difficulty
or distress, as soon, and in the. measure, our Lord sees
good for the soul !
The short days are now gone ; the bad roads are
grown dry; but winter seems still to linger with us,
though this is the 9th of May. On Monday, Mrs. V. and
my daughter Eling go with me to Cambridge for a few
days. This is the first time we have left Yelling. I hope
it may please God I may be 6f some service to the
students ! I go for no other purpose.
There is a Mr.  there, who travelled a day with
me when I went up to London. This gentleman has a
church in Cambridge. I have seen him once, and would
hope the Lord is leading him. by the hand ; but at pre
sent he is so very timorous — sees the difficulties, the dis
couragements, the enemies so many — that he is afraid I
should do him a prejudice, by visiting him ; and yet
says, whatever reproach my acquaintance may bring upon
him, he shall be glad to see me. What power has

152 FAMILY PRAYERS.
evil shame over us! What unbelief — what mean
thoughts, not only of God, but of immortal souls and
usefulness to men — have we, till light from above fills
our understanding! But when I have been used for so
many years to an intimacy with those who have counted
the cost, and set at naught both evil and good report,
seeking with a single eye the glory of Christ, you cannot
think how affecting it appears to me, to hear the censure
of the world, and the little persecution we at this time
are called to bear, mentioned as a grievous cross.
More wonders from Yelling! — I begin now to have
my people every evening, precisely at seven, at family
prayer: by which means I have a little congregation
whilst the days are long, and we read a chapter and sing
a hymn. But I find it a labour indeed to keep a
spiritual service — to have our meeting solemn — heart-
affecting — any measure in it of real prayer or praise. I
find particular preparation necessary, and importunate
cries, that the God of all grace would look down upon a
company of poor sinners, and breathe upon us the breath
of life ; that our souls may rise a little towards Him, our
Father, our Portion, our End, and our All : yet answers
to these petitions are not always given. I must be left
to know the times and the seasons of Divine Influence
are in His power ; and that He worketh in us, both to
will and to do, of His own good pleasure.
Mrs. Venn and the children all join in most earnest
wishes for your safety, and will all rejoice in hearing
good tidings. Love ,to Mr. Riland and my little god
daughter. ) ,
From your ever affectionate pastor, H. Venn.

I cannot suffer my readers to pass on, without pointing out to
.hem, that the foregoing letter alludes to the commencement of Mr.
Venn's intercourse with the young students at Cambridge, which
was so eminently useful to the'best interests of many amongst their
number.

WALKING WITH GOD, 153
TO WILLIAM WHITACRE, ESQ.
(OI 103JGW00D-H0USE, STEAIl HUDDEnSFIELJl.) Yelling, Sept. 30, 1772.
My very dear Friend, — I did not forget to inquire
about the question you left with me, though I got no
satisfaction. As to the terms of admission to the Lord's
Table,* I find, by Joseph Scott, that they are settled —
and settled in the dissenting way. Poor weak creatures
are we ! and instead of allowing others to abound in
their own judgment of things not determined in the
Word of God, we are for binding them up to our own
opinions. This instance, with a thousand more of human cor
ruption, even amongst those who have a heart for God,
is to teach us mutual forbearance and patience, and to
lay all the stress, where alone it will answer, on our
being recovered to enjoy the presence of God, to behold
the glory of God, to feel His support, His protection,
and victorious arm, stretched out in our behalf: and thus
to walk with Him on earth, and endure as seeing Him
who is invisible. This is hard work; — at least, I find
it so : and this is our daily business, together with that
of our particular calling. Against this walk with our
God, the company of three armies, as it were — the world,
the flesh, and Satan— fight continually. And be not dis
couraged, or vexed, though- humbled, to feel how often
you are drawn aside from the path your soul approves
and loves to walk in — how often you feel bondage, when
you pant for liberty ; — darkness, after light in your mind ;
doubts, after sweet peace ; deadness, after life in your
soul; and a proneness to murmur, or to be displeased
with the appointment of things so contrary to our desire,
our convenience. These are the exercises of every in
dividual of the Church, in the race which his merciful
and loving God has marked out for him, in the course
of Providence, to run. Some of Christ's flock have these
exercises in more abundance than others ; some at the
beginning, some in the middle, some at the conclusion
of their race. But this is our consolation : " The Lord
* In the new Chapel at Huddersfield.

154 DIVISIONS AMONG CHRISTIANS.
will give strength unto His people : the Lord will bless
His people with peace."
Does my dear friend say, "Ah! but here is my doubt:
Am I one of His people ? You are one by baptism — by
education in His family— by repeated dedication of
yourself to Him — by His special grace in calling you to
the knowledge of Himself— by your desire of His par
doning love and joy, which so revives your fainting soul
• — by your uneasiness in feeling so much contrariety of
will to His, and so much opposition in your heart, cor
rupt and wicked by nature as it is. Fear not, therefore,
nor enter into questioning and disputing about this
matter. Only believe ; and pray for faith, and faith's
increase. I beg my respects to Mrs. Whitacre ; and my prayers
I would offer up for the choicest blessings to descend
upon her. Mrs. V., the children, and whole family,
send their love. I was much in hopes of being with
you this winter ; but that cannot be ; as I am obliged to
go to London early in the spring.
Last Sunday was our feast-day; and the church was
full — a sight never seen here before. But we want
singers sadly. I think, if we could have some of our
Huddersfield voices, these would be ashamed of their
manner of singing, and with a loud voice begin to praise
our God.
May we meet soon, where all is harmony, love, and
holiness, and the voice of the multitude as the voice of
many waters !
From your affectionate, obliged, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. M. POWLEY. Yelling, Oct. 17, 1772.
Dear Sir,  1 trust you will go on well. Be not
discouraged at the divisions you see around you, or the
attempts that may be invidiously made against you.
Even Moses was withstood ; and Paul had many ene
mies in the Church, who strove to make divisions. This
was a principal consideration to make me cease to won
der, or even to expect it ever would be otherwise. And
when to this consideration I added my own abundant

YOUNG MEN AT CAMBRIDGE. 15 j
and numberless instances of perverseness and froward-
ness of spirit against God, I began to grow contented,
that things should be as they were. However, there is
this great consolation (and a great one it is indeed !) that
faithful experimental preaching, which is the fruit of
prayer, study, and divine teaching, will always be at
tended to, will always prosper, and in time will outgrow
all opposition, or at least see its efforts become more and
more feeble. In every possible situation, trials abound.
You have much people ; and some of them will be con
tentious and self-conceited. Where there are shallow
conceptions of Christ, slight convictions of sin, no expe
rience of the sweet and solid state of mind which esta
blishment in the faith produces, there will be always, or
often, heat and noise, and dispute, and every evil tem
per. In my situation, I want people ; though the church
is talked of all over the country, for the largeness of the
congregation. I speak not to more than two hundred,
sometimes three hundred : there are many of them at the
distance of eight or ten miles. The one thing needful is,
to be humbly resigned to the good will of the Lord,
soberly attentive to our business, and lovingly enduring
the frowardness of those who are out of the way. There
are some excellent young men at college, who come to
me from the University, as I was in hopes they would.
Two are just gone out ; and three more are going.
They have much of the wisdom of the Egyptians ; but,
like Moses, are all for the service of the God of Israel.
My children join in love to you, and in every good
wish for your present and everlasting happiness. From
yours affectionately, H. Venn.

Mr. John Houghton, to whom the next letter is addressed, was
an inhabitant of Huddersfield, who had been awakened to a just
sense of religion by Mr. Venn's preaching, and ever entertained the
most unfeigned regard for his late Dastor. The letters to this
correspondent will be read with peculiar interest, as exhibiting
the feelings of Mr. Venn towards his late flock. I have understood
there were many letters of a similar kind, written to other persons
at Huddersfield, which I regret that I have not been able to recover.

156 PRECIOUSNESS OF THE SABBATH.
TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON.
(WBITTXU OJf A SUNDAY MOUSING) Yelling, May 2, 1773.
Dear John, — I never forget, on this holy day, the
Church at Huddersfield. Rising early, I think I get the
start, and am before the Throne of Grace, presenting you
all, for the relief of your various wants, and for the
abundant consolation of your souls in Christ Jesus, whilst
many of you are upon your beds. This day, I trust, is
precious to you. flow ought we to prepare for it! How
deeply sensible should we be of our own inability to ob
serve the day according to the will of God ! How fool
ish and besotted are we, on this day, if we do not use it
to get a clearer knowledge of our manifold corruptions,
a quicker sense of the evil of sin, a more delightful ac
quaintance with Christ Jesus, a greater deadness to the
world, and a full assurance of our salvation when we
leave it ! Be jealous of yourselves with a godly jealousy,
in those respects : for though we cannot command the
influences of the Holy Ghost, and often labour and toil
in the- use of the means, yet receive no consolation, be
hold little of the glory of God, and feel very superficial
lamentation for our sins : nevertheless, in this way must
we go on, to seek, and ask, and knock. I hope you
press on to become eminent in holiness, to convince gain-
say'ers, and the careless and indifferent, by your whole
deportment, that a divine change has passed upon your
soul — that there is a reality in all the truths which you
maintain, and for the sake of which you have joined
yourself to the Church of Christ.
Dear Mr. Kershaw, who has been with me one single
night, rejoiced my heart by giving such a good account
of my dear people. My prayer often is, by myself, in
my family, and with the people, that not one of you,
who did run well, may be missing in the day when the
Lord maketh up His jewels; — that, as we have so often
worshipped together before the Throne on earth, we may
worship, .through all eternity, before the Throne above.
Pray give my love to your father, mother, wife, and
brother; to Mrs. Bird, Katherine Goddard, Abraham
Littlewood, Mary Haigh, both the Hirsts, and Barbara

TRUE CHRISTIAN STILL IMPERFECT. 157
and all friends. My book, I trust, will be ready by Mid
summer, if it is not the printer's fault. I hope the Lord
will give it efficacy, and bless it, to guard you from all
fatal mistakes !
The Lord bless your minister ! Give my love to him.
From your affectionate father in Christ, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. Yelling, July 13, 1773.
My dear Friend, — Much am I affected, both with the
confidence you have in my unfeigned regard for you, and
the account you send me of your heavy trials. With re
spect to the former, be assured I did ever take pleasure
in your company, and rejoiced in seeing the grace of God
abundantly manifested in your ministry and in your con
versation. I am not therefore surprised, though I am
grieved, for the crosses you meet with. It must be so.
Nothing in this world shall we have to find contentment
in, if we are Christ's : for whatever it is which fully
pleases, in that we shall take up our rest. Were the
children of God what we expect, and they ought to be,
we should fix our attention and our affections upon them.
But they are frail and_weak, corrupt and sinful, as our
selves : they have neither that love to God, nor to the
brethren, they profess : some they have, without doubt ;
but, what through precipitate judgments, misconceptions,
and imperceptible bias towards themselves, they often
grieve and vex those they should comfort.
How much of this has fallen to my share ! Though I
never doubted, but for a day or two, about my removal
from Huddersfield, how did, how does, that dear good
man, Mr. — : — , judge of me ! — no more corresponding
with me, than if I had turned apostate — no more allow
ing me to judge for myself, than if he had been endued
with infallibility. Be not therefore affected, when you find
censures and condemnation of your conduct thrown out.
It is enough that you can appeal to Him whom you serve,
that your eye is single, and your heart cleaves to Him.
It is enough that you are sensible of the danger to which
you stand exposed, so as to cry unto Him, who delivers
from the power of this present evil world. Be jealous
14

158 benefit of affliction.
of yourself, and daily use the means of grace; and you
will be brought through, shouting, " Grace ! grace!"
You have had a time of growth for some years, with
out, many trials ; but this cannot last. If ye are without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bas
tards, and not sons. I am heartily sorry for the stroke
that is come so unexpectedly upon you : yet it is admir
able, that you are made more than conquerer — that you
hear your best Friend, your never-failing one, say, as it
were, " It is I ! be not afraid, or confounded ! What I
do, you know not fully now ; but you shall know here
after." Remember that noble saying of Luther: "Prayer,
afflictions, and temptations, make a minister of the Gos
pel." Thus exercised, we learn, from our own ex
perience, the truth we read before in the Bible. Our
own weakness and frowardness, the supports and conso
lations of faith, and the many arts of the great enemy,
are manifested to us. When we have been tempted
long, and in various ways, and to our great distress, we
are enabled to speak with a winning tenderness, and
know how to have compassion upon the tempted. Thus
I look upon you, my beloved friend and brother, as now
in the consecrated furnace ; as in the Refiner's fire ; as
weaning from the world — by a "demonstration, that the
sweetest blessings, which it has to give, are as a dream,
when one awaketh. Henceforth, with increasing ardour
you will pursue what is substantial, and value it the
more, in proportion as you feel all is vanity, beside
Jesus, and Him Crucified. Always shall I be glad to
hear from you ; and should be more glad to see you. I
beg of you never to measure my regard by my letters.
I have been so busied about my book, that I have scarce
ly written to any body, I believe I may say, I shall
write no more for the public : I am sick of my own per
formances, though still full of self-love. ~ The Prophecy
of Zacharias is the ground-work from whence I bring
my proof of the mistakes which are exposed. I am much
comforted by the news I receive, from several quarters,
of the good the " Duty of Man" is doing. Prayer has
been ma-de for this work, that the thoughts, the style,

"duty of man." 159
manner, and spirit, might be acceptable, and the unction
of the Holy one crown the work.
Mr. Sutcliffe's ill health will not suffer him to attend
to his school. John, therefore, has left him, indebted to
his care and kindness beyond what I can express. I was
at a loss where to find a master ; but have determined,
at length, to put him under Mr. Milner, at Hull, for a
year. If you go there, I hope you will call upon him.
He seems, indeed, to be all I could wish, and still con
tinues fixed in his choice of being a preacher of Christ.
Give my love to dear Mr. Adam. I know of no curate
whom I could recommend to him, or I should have
written to him. The Lord ever bless you !
From yours affectionately, H. Venn.
TO MISS WHELER. Yelling, Dec. 7, 1773.
Dear Madam, — At length I shall be able to discharge
some part of the debt, which you may long have ex
pected from me ; though your kindness and friendship
have laid me under such obligations as can never be re
turned by me. My book, which I have taken much
pains in composing, is now ready to be sent down into
the country ; and you and your sister will shortly receive
your copies.
I look upon you,- and dear Mrs. Medhurst, as hasten
ing, with a number of my precious friends, to our better
country, where we shall be no more parted. It is this
consideration which fills my heart with joy, in that state
of separation I am placed in by my gracious Master,
from many much-beloved friends. Some most sweet
hours indeed I find, when, walking in perfect stillness,
and solitude, I make mention by name of every one of
my particular friends and benefactors — benefactors, either
by their example, their counsel, their liberality, or their
works ; thanking God for them, and begging the increase
of His grace in their souls, and of usefulness in their
lives. Sometimes, the joy of my soul overflows, in the
transporting view of what is reserved for us as our in
heritance. Oh ! with what different eyes shall we one
day admire Him, of whom we have spoken together, as

160 TRANSPORTING VIEWS OF FUTURE GLORY.
our God and Saviour! With what different ears shall
we hear His gracious voice ! with what different hearts
feel our debt to Him — the deliverance from so great a
misery, and so total a depravity !
The Swiss have a certain longing, which comes upon
them, at times, to see their own country again. I can
feel something of this, I assure you, respecting Yorkshire ;
and as soon as I am at liberty, I shall visit my friends
there ; — when that will be, I cannot say. My church is
small, and my congregation not larger than that at Kip
pax, though four times as large as when I came here.
Though I have joy over some, I much need your prayers,
that I may see "the lighting down of the Lord's arm,"
the revelation of His glory, and the enjoyment of His
love amongst the people. — Dear Mr. Berridge preaches
for me every month. Happy am I in having such a
loving fervent minister of Christ. — Pray present my best
respects to Mrs. Buckley and Mrs. Ingram.
May every spiritual blessing, with temporal ones as fai
as possible, be yours !
From your obliged friend, H. Venn.

The two last letters allude to the publication of the Essay on
the Prophecy of Zacharias. Some of Mr. Venn's correspondents
objected to certain passages in that work ; which called forth the
following letter, in vindication of them. The generality of Scrip
ture commentators do not adopt the arguments for the Divinity of
our Lord, referred to in the latter paTt of the letter ; but 1 retain
it, in order to show that Mr. Venn had well considered the critical
points involved in his publications, though they contain no display
of learning or research.

TO THE REV. J. STILLINGFLEET. Yelling, Feb. 26, 1774.
My dear Friend,  Mr. Thornton had told me that
my dear and much-honoured friend, Miss  , was
offended at the passage, " If we cannot appeal unto God,
that we watch and pray and keep His commandments,
our hearts are false :" — as if it savoured of a self-right
eous spirit, and as if the expression " keep his command
ments" implied a faultless conformity, instead of a cor-

essay on the prophecv of zacharias. 161
dial acceptance of them, value for them, and subjection
to them. I have written to her, to point out that the
Scripture, our unerring guide, speaks most decisively on
the necessity of faith and obedience. The passages on
the one hand, if not checked by the others, will be most
certainly abused. In adjusting them both, and allowing
them their proper force, consists that understanding in
the things of God which He hath promised to His people.
It is grievous to see any one part of Holy Writ treated
with aversion or slight. Is it not all equally precious ?
Certainly some would condemn the Holy Ghost for ex
pressing Himself no better, if they did not know the
words were His. What think you of these declara
tions : — " Then ye are my friends, when ye do whatsoever
I command you." (Is not that as bad as keeping His
commandments ?) " If ye keep my commandments, ye
shall abide in my love ; as I have kept my Father's com
mandments, and abode in His love ?" What offence
must be taken at St. Paul's expression, "Then shall
every man have xavzytm ii; iautbv fiovov" — boasting in him
self? Gal. vi. 4. Yet these Scriptures give no encou
ragement to self righteousness. In short, it is not to be
wondered at that we are accused of leaning, at least, to
licentiousness, if we are not explicit, strong, and em-
phatical, in pressing, as much as others, the necessity of
righteousness and true holiness. But I have always been
too much on the side of free grace for many Arminians —
too much on the side of experimental religion for many
Calvinists. Now for the grand mistake, in which my beloved,
open-hearted friend, to whom I am writing, joins quite
against me. Observe : my Essay was not a place for
me to advance all the evidence I have to prove that I am
right in my interpretation of " I am He." I will now
urge some more proofs. The Hebrew Nin is always
translated by the Septuagint, 'EyU> ilfu. Why not, then,
so in the New Testament ? In two places in the New
Testament it will not bear any other sense than what I
have given it : I mean, John viii. 58, and John xiii. 19.
You cannot here translate 'Ey.i tlpi, "It is I." And al
lowing it must be "so rendered in some other places, still
14*

162 MR. ROBINSON OF LEICESTEB..
it suffices that wherever the Hebrew word, expressing
the self-existent Deity, {^il is used, '£-,« ti^ is the Greek
rendering of it. And is not this a very noble decisive
proof of the grand doctrine ? Not that I would claim the
merit of discovering it. It was urged by one of the first
scholars of his age, and one of the best of men — Dr.
Knight, Vicar of St. Sepulchre's, the only divine, in
London, who rejoiced to see the Methodists, Mr. Whit
field and Wesley, come out. In his Sermons on the-
Trinity, enforced with much learning, this point is
urged. From him I took the proof, although I have
somewhat altered my manner of urging it : and, being
much struck and convinced by it myself, I produced it in
the Essay. And I should be glad to hear what answer
you will make to what I here send you.
Robinson is leaving my neighbourhood and going to
Leicester. I lose much by his removal : much grace is
upon him. The good Lord bless, preserve, and keep
you.. Pray for me, who am,
Yours sincerely, H. Venn.

The settlement of Mr. Robinson at Leicester, alluded to in the
close of the last letter, is several times mentioned about this period:
and the following interesting reflection occurs, on the increase of
zealous Ministers in the Church.

 Welcome, thrice welcome, the news of the Gos
pel thus spreading in large towns ! When I set out,
twenty-four hours ago, I knew but of Truro, and Brad
ford in Wiltshire. Oh ! may this be but the beginning !
How reviving to such as I am, now drawing nigh our
departure, to behold our prayers in some degree an
swered by the labourers coming forth to the harvest! 
TO WILLIAM WHITACRE, ESQ.
Yelling, Dec. 20, 1773.
My dear Friend, — I am much indebted to you for
returning me my servant. He has been greatly improved
at Longwood House. And now I am happy in having a
good hope that all the servants in the family are children

christian privileges. 163
of God — happy in. prayer ; assuredly concluding we are
more than two or three who are gathered together in the
name of Jesus ; and that we shall have whatsoever we
ask, which will be for the glory of God and the good of
our souls. I find it affecting to them, as well as to my
self, to enlarge upon the mercies we have received — upon
the great things done for us already, in raising our souls
from the death of sin, and making us sometimes feel the
pleasure of communion with our God ; and to recount
our various wickednesses, comparing them with his
superabundant kindness, in our present spiritual enjoy
ments, and our future infinitely glorious hopes; — and
this I would press my very dear friend to do. We are
too apt to dwell on the dark side, when once we are
brought to the knowledge of ourselves — on our manifold
corruptions, and the treachery of our hearts, the strength
of our enemies, and the poverty of our best services, till
we almost forget that we are the Lord's — His property
by the gift of the Father, by His own purchase through
the price of blood — His conquest, through the power of
His arm — His New Creation, being born of God, through
Him — His espoused wife — the members of His body. 0
high quality and condition ! sufficient to inspire hope and
assurance of victory — to fill us with admiration of His
love to us, arid love to all who stand in this relation to
Him. May my dear friends at Longwood House pray
for the knowledge of these gpeat things ! which are
freely given them of God, I doubt not.
I suppose by the time you receive this, you will also
receive my book. May the style, spirit, and matter of it
be owned of God, to convince, undeceive, and bring
into the way of life, some of my poor, mistaken, and de
luded fellow-sinners ! May the approaching festival be
a feast to your soul, and the incarnation of God be your
delight ! Love to all friends.
From your much obliged friend and servant,
H. Venn.

As the last letter will perhaps excite the reader's interest in the
state of Mr. Venn's family, regarded as a Christian household, I
will here introduce, from a letter to Mrs. Riland, a pleasing

164

picture of a christian household.

sketch of the domestic arrangements and employments at Yelling
parsonage.

 'You tell me you have no idea how we go on.
Take the following sketch. I am up, one of the first in
the house, soon after five o'clock ; and when prayer and
reading the blessed Word is done, my daughters make
their appearance ; and I teach them till Mrs. Venn comes
down, at half-past eight. Then family prayer begins ;
which is often very sweet ; as my mother's maid, and
my own servants, are all, I believe, born of God. The
children begin to sing prettily ; and our praises, I trust,
are heard on high. — From breakfast, we are all em
ployed, till we ride out, in fine weather, two hours for
health ; and after dinner employed again. At six, I have
always one hour for solemn meditation and walking* in
my house, till seven. We have then, sometimes, twenty,
sometimes more or less, of the people, to whom I ex
pound the Word of the Blessed God : several appear
much affected ; and sometimes Jesus stands in the midst,
and saith, "Peace be unto you!" Our devotions end
at eight : we sup, and go to rest at ten. On Sundays,
I am still enabled to speak six hours, at three different
times, to my own great surprise. O the goodness of
God, in raising me up.

The moral beauty and happiness of this domestic picture cannot
but forcibly strike every serious mind. In the hope of deepening
this impression, I insert two kindred passages from subsequent
letters : the first exhibits the true light in which we should regard
family connexions : the next will serve to show us, that such a
measure of the Divine blessing upon our households must be ex
pected only in the vigilant and earnest use of the means which
God has appointed for the communication of His Grace.

 We are all now again under one roof. Important
and awful connexion ! which I wish and pray may be
* It was Mr. Venn's habit to engage in devotional exercises of medi-
tation and prayer during this hour, while walking alone, either in a large
room of the house, or sometimes in the church.

picture of a christian household. 165
more and more deeply imprinted in my mind. How
contrary is it to our nature, to consider the nearest rela
tions we have in this light ; and to say often, solemnly.
my father or mother, husband or wife, children or ser
vants, are the very persons, with whom, as I have the
most to do, so shall I have the most to answer for : They,
even they, will be the witnesses, either to attest my life
of faith, or to confront my false, though perhaps confi
dent, pretensions to that precious grace. With what
circumspection, with what tenderness of love, with what
zeal, should we do good, and edify and comfort one
another, were we to think in this manner ! 

 The promise you make me of a visit to my house,
if you. should be recovered, calls for my best thanks ;
but I fear you give too much credit to Mr. and Mrs.
Elton's representation of our way of life. Indeed, I do
strive and labour to prevent our family worship degene
rating into a form : which I greatly dread, and to which
I am sadly prone, so that few can conceive how much
pains and prayer it costs me, to avoid such an abuse of
devotion. Yet you will be much disappointed, if you
should come with any great expectations. I have heard
from others of the way in which my Bristol friends speak
of our house, and am ashamed : indeed, we are a com
pany of poor, distempered, and defiled creatures, under
the healing hand of Jesus ! And should we have the
honour of your company, I must immediately begin to
pray, when the time draws near, that I may not be a
prejudice and hindrance to your soul's prosperity, by my
falling far beneath fhe practice I so constantly urge upon
my flock.

A striking anecdote may be here introduced, from " The History
of Rnth Clark,'' to show how fully Mr. Venn exemplified the
principles which his letters enforce.

"He watched over the morals of his servants, as well
as of his children ; and felt the misconduct of a servant
as a family misfortune, and a matter of general humilia-

166 PICTURE OF A CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD.
tion throughout the household. Hence, on one occa
sion, when he overheard a violent quarrel, in the kitchen,
between Ruth and one of the other servants, he was as
much shocked and distressed as if some great loss had
befallen him. After speaking to the servants, in the
most serious manner, on their sinful conduct, he told
them, that family prayers, while such tempers were al
lowed, would be a mockery ; and that they must all
humble themselves before God in private, before he
could allow them to meet together for social worship.
Accordingly, family-prayers were discontinued for a
week; during which time Mr. V.'s deportment bespoke
the deepest concern and humiliation ; and during two
days of that week, he remained in his study alone,
engaged in fasting and prayer. We may easily conceive
how deep and solemn an impression must have been
made on the minds of all. It was Mr. V.'s constant aim
to keep up in his own mind, and in the minds of all
connected with him, a strong sense of the evil of sin, and
the high necessity there is for every one who nameth the
name of Christ to depart from iniquity." — History of Ruth
Clark.

The next letter commences a correspondence with his nephew,
the late Edward Venn, Esq., of Camberwell, (son of Dr. Venn of
Ipswich, who was at this time just entering into business in
London.

TO MR. EDWARD VENN.
Yelling, March 8, 1774.
My dear Nephew, — Could you be spared, we should
be very glad to see you. I wish you all blessings in one,
when I wish you the knowledge and love of Christ Jesus
the Lord. May He guide and counsel you ! He can
make you (and He alone) possess true peace and inte
grity of mind, in the midst of selfishness, fraud and the
tumult of business. It is too generally thought that busi
ness is an excuse for neglecting the salvation of the soul :
but this excuse is pointed out very fully, and very severely
condemned by our Saviour, when He says, John vi. 27 :

THE CARE OF THE SOUL. 167
" Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that
meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the
Son of Man shall give unto you ; for Him hath God the
Father sealed," or anointed, to this office. — My dear
nephew will easily conceive that this strong and abso
lute injunction, to prefer eternal good to temporary pros
perity and opulence, is a most gracious one ; for it does
not prohibit a proper degree of application, but only an
immoderate and infidel pursuit of the things of time. It
is only an affecting call, not to neglect the provision for
endless years. Who, upon 'Change, would not be
laughed to scorn as a fool, if he should risk his all to be
rich for a year, and command the people under him, but,
at the end of that term, was sure to be a beggar ever
after? Now our good and merciful God, regarding and
consulting the whole of our welfare through every part
of our existence, only advises and commands us not to
sacrifice eternal honours anfl felicity for the transient gain
of a very few years ; promising and assuring us, that so
far from losing, by this wise choice, any thing really pro
fitable for us here, we shall be the better enabled to suc
ceed, and have the good of this world, as well as of that
which is to come. The good esteem and affection I
have for you prompts me, without design, to send you
these thoughts. Mrs. Venn joins with me in wishing
you every blessing ; and your two unseen cousins desire
to be remembered to you, and to all the family.
From your affectionate uncle, H. Venn.
TO HIS SISTER-IN-LAW, MRS. BISHOP.
Yelling, Sept. 1, 1774.
Dear Sister, — Your change to your present situation
appears much more likely to suit and please you ; and
as you are easily contented, we hope you will find an
agreeable settlement where you are, till God is pleased
to point out some other. I have found often much com
fort and rest to my soul in that Scripture, " Run with
patience the race that is set before us." When men run
for the prize, all the ground is measured out for them,
which they are to go over. Thus it is with Christians ;
— the Lord's people, from the womb to the grave, have

168 THE CHRISTIAN RACE.
all their several places, for their childhood, their youth,
their riper years, to the hour of their death, as well as
the cause and manner of it, appointed, in infinite wisdom
and in everlasting love to their souls. And there is a set
time, how long their friends shall remain with them ;
what they shall do in their favour ; also, what crosses
and disappointments and ill usage they shall meet with,
and from what quarter it all shall come. This race, set
.thus, we are to run with patience ; not fretting or mur
muring ; not desponding or doubting the goodness and
love of the Great Ordainer of all our lot; not even pre
suming to wish there was any alteration in our circum
stances, unless God is pleased to bring it to pass. It is
a great part of the spiritual worship due to Him, and by
which we honour Him, thus to commit without careful
ness all our affairs into His hands : and when we do so,
He has promised His peace shall rule in our hearts. May
my dear sister find and feel vthis, from day to day ! and
if you do not, lament and bewail, or pray that you may
lament and bewail, the corruption of your heart.
Blessed be God ! retirement and perfect solitude,
whilst Mrs. Venn is spared and health given, -we enjoy
even more than much company. It will give you plea
sure to hear that  has returned to all his old affec
tion for me and my family. And thus, one of the best
of God's children, after a most unreasonable and unjus
tifiable resentment of my conduct for three whole years,
is delivered from his offence against God and charity.
Oh, what are even the best, in the time of trial, unless
God uphold ! I have lived to see abundant cause for
that absolute renunciation of dependence upon the love
even of those who are dear to God as well as others.
" Put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man."
I hear there are no hopes of  's recovery,
though he may linger long as he is. Oh, that sickness,
and a gradual visible approach to eternity, may be made
a blessing to his soul!
I hope you constantly spend an hour every morning in
reading the Word of God with prayer ; and do not trust
to Henry's Commentary too much : look up to God for
the meaning, and only in some difficulties to the com-

ON MR. RILAND's REMOVAL TO A NEW ABODE. 169
ment. Whilst you continue as you are, it is one very
great privilege of your situation to have much time to
read tiie word, and pray. I account it so here : and had
rather have hours to pray, than, without them, be with
the brightest examples of every grace.
Yours, &c., H. Venn.
TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, Nov. 29, 1774. .
When I took so large a sheet of paper to write upon,
I intended one side of it for my dear friend. But, as I
have filled that to your husband, I must fill this to your
self. I have sympathized with you in your illness ; and
felt for the cause of it — your fatigue. Are the tradesmen
in your town to be waited on ? Could they not send
their goods to be seen ; or take orders with sufficient
exactness? But this illness was a merciful call to retire
ment and recollection, after the hurry of your removal,
and entrance upon your new situation.* You are already
fixed in another habitation. May the eyes of the Lord
be over it, by night and by day ! May His presence be
sensible -to every heart which dwells in it ; and much
communion be enjoyed with Him, in secret prayer, read
ing, and meditating upon His word ! Under your fa
voured roof, may the Lord hearken and hear the conver
sation of the parlour and the kitchen, and write a book
of remembrance concerning it ! May all who live in it,
live as strangers and pilgrims ! and all who die in it,
die to the Lord ! I now regard you as favoured in a
most distinguished manner — happy in your conjugal re
lation above most — happy in your children, and in the
excellent talent Mr. Riland possesses to bring them up
in obedience and reverence for their parents — happy in
the prospect of a glorious Church, about to be called out
of their natural state of ignorance and delusion (cruel de
lusion, tending to death!) — happy in several excellent
and cordial friends, with whom you will soon be
cemented in bonds of everlasting love — happy in look
ing, through all these inferior enjoyments, to the infi-
* Mr. Riland had removed to Birmingham.
15

170 DAILY EMPLOYMENTS AT YELLING.
nitely nobler object of your supreme affection, who gave
you His faithful elect minister for your husband ; gave
you your children ; and gave you that manifestation of
His glory, which you know how to prize ; — and, when
all temporal connexions cease, that glory shall be your
everlasting felicity. You need not be told — you can
well conceive — how sincerely I rejoice in all my dear
friend's prosperity and prospects, both for time and eter-
.nity ; confidently hoping that the period is arriving,
when I shall see the vast accumulated felicity which is
prepared and secured for her, and all my friends, before
the Throne of God.
I have now been here three years and three months.
Take notice ! — never absent but eleven, out of one hun
dred and seventy Sundays ; and sometimes not one
single night in a month ! Is not this residence ? — and
never more pleased, than when no visiter came near us ;
though no one delights more in the company of his
friends, and the friends of Jesus. But I find unspeaka
ble joy in the Word of Grace — at the Throne of Grace —
in meditation and contemplation — in recalling past mar
vellous mercies and distinguishing grace — in looking
forward to the final scenes of man's eventful history, and
my own pilgrimage ; whilst the business I have with my
family, and my sermons — meeting with a few poor cot
tagers every evening, who are, I trust, members of
Christ — make each passing day glide on apace ; and
weeks and months and years bring with them abounding
evidence of God's faithfulness, and overflowing good
ness and everlasting love to the vilest of the vile — as I
I sometimes do indeed appear to myself. Oh, that I did
always !
My children desire their love ; and would exult in
joy to see you both, and your dear children. When
you can, without fatigue, I shall be very glad to receive,
from your own hand, assurance of your perfect recovery :
and remember, you are already near four months in debt
to me.
The Lord evermore love and bless you !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

MR. DAW.  MR. SHIRLEY. 171
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET.
Yelling, Jan. 20, 1775.
My dear Friend, — Have you not received the long
letter I sent to you, near three months since? or have
you been ill, and so disabled from writing? or so busy
as to have no time ? Many have been my thoughts and
conjectures about this long silence of yours. Many my
fears, lest you have relapsed into your old disorder. If
you are well, let me have, immediately, the joy of know
ing you are so. And remember, I expect to hear all
particulars, how you go on in your new habitation ;
which I am very sure is richer than the palace of the
greatest monarch ; and grander, by the residence of Je
hovah, your God, amongst you. Could we move with
the agility we shall one day do, how many visits should
we both pay to the Rector and Rectoress of Hotham, to
be eye-witnesses of the fervent devotion paid by their
family to the adorable Redeemer — to behold their affec
tion for their fellow-creatures, and fellow-sinners, whose
welfare, present and eternal, they are sent to promote —
to hear pleasing accounts of conquered sinners, increase
of knowledge and grace around you, prejudice against
your doctrine and Master's glorious Truth subsiding —
and each of you, in your station, filling up your time
with good works. Such is the life, through the distin
guishing grace of God, of His family here on earth, in
different degrees of usefulness.
Since I last wrote to you, I have nothing but mercies
to tell of — my health better — my people so many every
evening, that the kitchen will but just contain them —
several new ones awakened — Mrs. Venn better. Mr.
Daw, who has been six weeks with us, a physician to
the bodies of the poor, -and glad to feed the hungry and
clothe the naked, and supply many who otherwise must
pine in want, has left us two days since. I mourn his
absence. He has been an example to us all. I have
had also, the pleasure of a visit from Mr. Shirley and his
dear wife. He calls himself my son, but quite shames
his father. The last is first, by many degrees.
Pray, can you tell me any thing of my beloved, friend,
Mr. Adam ? Is he still in his tottering tabernacle ? I

172 VISIT TO OXFORD.  MR. STEVENSON.
hope he will be able to visit you. His heart will be re
joiced to see one of the young witnesses sent forth, to
bear testimony to that grace he has found to be his
salvation. Mrs. Venn joins with me in every kind wish to Mrs.
Stillingfleet. May you inherit all the blessing of the
New Testament, here and for ever ! I sent a letter to
my son, in the holidays, desiring him to let me know
what was really his choice ; and reminding him of the
importance of the work of the ministry. He has an
swered my letter; and assures me, he had rather be a
minister of Christ than a prince. He speaks well !
Pray, 0 pray for him sometimes, as well as his father —
that his eye may be single, and his conscience thoroughly
awakened, and then purged by the blood of sprinkling!
Adieu, my beloved friend ! H. Venn.

In the month of February this year, Mr. Venn was called from
home, to attend the funeral of Mrs. Ascough, Mrs. Venn's mother,
who was buried at Highworth, Wiltshire. I select from letters
written at the time, the following notices of a visit to Oxford, and
of several friends whom he met with during his journey.

 On Tuesday we reached Oxford: where Mr.
Stevenson, a Yorkshire gentleman, and an honour to your
county, came to us : he is full of good sense, faith, zeal,
and love. We breakfasted with him and five other
young students, all sensible, humble, and zealous, desir
ing only to be preachers of Christ. There were, they
told me, as many more, in the University, like-minded
with themselves. It was a most pleasing sight, to be
hold them listening to every word I uttered, in exhorting
and animating them to be bold, and faithful to our
Saviour ! We concluded with prayer.
 On Sunday, I preached at Highworth, to a large
congregation. My text was 1 Sam. ii. 25 — a favourite
subject with me.
•I staid a day and a half at Wallingford, with Mr.

Pentecross. He is in a most useful sphere indeed, and

MR. DE COETLOGON. 173
has much favour with the people. I preached for him
en Ash-Wednesday. A most attentive congregation
were present, to hear; and, though I preached an hour
and a half, not one seemed tired.
-In London, where I was obliged to remain a

whole month, I was happy in hearing Mr. De Coetlogon.
His discourses are all I could wish to hear — judicious,
doctrinal in a proper degree, very experimental, and
faithfully applied. In the midst of caresses and admira
tion, more than any preacher fixed at the Lock ever met
with, may he be kept vigilant and humble ! — I was with
him several times. His health is very weak ; and by
being often dangerously ill, he feels more deeply the
emptiness of present things.
 Notwithstanding the kindness of many friends,
we were heartily tired of the great city, before we left it;
and returned to our sweet retirement with a higher
relish.

TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, June 4, 1775.
My dear Friend, — I cannot help writing to you now,
when I have received from your beloved husband so
pleasing an account of the success of his labours, and the
good disposition of the people to keep him an assistant.
I know not any one to recommend ; for curates are like
wives — a great comfort, or a great cross. And though
I did venture to recommend him one of the latter, and
succeeded marvellously, I must not expect to find a cu
rate as able to please and fulfil the duties of his place as
a Priscilla. When I received Mr. Riland's letter, I was
doubly happy in this reflection, that we were both greatly
encouraged and favoured at the same time. In my small
sphere, there never was so good a prosrje ct as at present.
I have lately had three delightful cordials, in the
death-bed testimony of Lady Gertrude Hotham, of Mrs.
Nicholson, and Sarah Reeves. The first, my old friend,
was burnt, from her clothes taking fire ; and after lying
fifteen days upon her bed, without sleep and without

174 DEATH OF MRS. NICHOLSON.
food, she departed. The whole time, she was cheerful
— said she wanted nothing — that she was near her jour
ney's end — a long one — and she knew she was going to
enter into a blessed eternity. " For this my happiness,"
said she, to all around her, "bless the Lord Jesus
Christ!" Mrs. Carteret and Mrs. Cavendish attended
her; and from them I had this account. Thus, whilst
her infidel brother, Lord Chesterfield, says he was forced
to read till his eyes were almost blind, lest he should
hang himself, his Christian sister can rejoice on a bed of
languishing, and edify all about her.
Mrs. Nicholson was the wife of the assistant I had for the
first year I was at Yelling ; and as soon as she heard, she
obeyed. She became a most earnest, though a trembling,
seeker of her Lord ; and last Thursday I preached her
funeral sermon. She left a husband and four young
children ; and her last words were sweet indeed : " Trust,
oh, trust," said she, " in Jesus, all of you ! for He has
proved faithful to all His promises, and fulfilled all my
desires." Sarah Reeves was a farmer's wife at Godmanchester.
Her youngest son came to Yelling church, the first of the
family, out of curiosity. After him, the eldest sister ;
then the second ; then the youngest ; then the father and
mother ; and, last of all, the eldest son, a farmer. She
died of a pleurisy; and, during the whole time, was a
pattern of peace and patience, and for a sign and wonder
in her village. Thus is the Lord testifying His grace.
In October, I fully purpose to see you and yours. I
believe I shall come alone, and, for the first time, leave
Mrs. Venn. My love to your children and their father.
Adieu, my dear friend !
From yours, &c. H. Venn.

The following extract furnishes a very instructive supplement to
the subject of the last letter.
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET.
Yelling, Aug. 30, 1775.
 You had not before mentioned the death of the
dear female disciple of Christ. We should all, I think,

OF OUR ACCEPTANCE WITH GOD. 175
.10 well to keep an account of those who thus evidently
die comforted and triumphant. You observe, " a close
walk with God is the best preparation for it." I believe
the same ; and that the knowledge of our acceptance with
God is to be constantly urged as one of the greatest
motives to lead a strict life, and to abstain from all ap
pearance of evil ; seeing the Holy Ghost, whose testi
mony alone can satisfy the conscience, will never dwell
with the slothful or lukewarm ; much less with pre
sumptuous offenders. Scripturally to state, and firmly to
maintain by sound arguments, the knowledge of Salva
tion, is, I believe, a most useful way of preaching ;
guarding against the hypocrites, who will sometimes
speak great swelling words about this matter, though
themselves the servants of corruption, and conscious of
the lie they tell in speaking of their joy in the Lord. I
judge, one great reason of the worldliness prevailing
amongst the orthodox Dissenters, is, their teachers not
pressing this point ; and, amidst very much error, one
great cause of Mr. Wesley's success, some years ago, was
his urging Christians not to rest without joy in God from
receiving the atonement. Indeed, he erred in making
this knowledge to be justifying faith itself, instead of the
fruit thereof; and also as to the mode in which the
knowledge is acquired : — yet, better even so, than that
uncertainty which leaves believers and infidels on nearly
the same footing respecting any anticipation of glory ready
to be revealed, and which holds forth no high peculiar
blessedness to exite men to give all diligence to make
their calling and election sure.

Many of Mr. Venn's letters, written about this time, allude to the
prospect of his son's leaving school, to reside at Yelling, and pur
sue his studies under his falher's care, previously to his going to
College. The following extract, as well as the subsequent letters,
illustrate his earnest and pious solicitude for the spiritual welfare
of his son.

Yelling, Sept. 30, 1775..
At Christmas, my son comes home ; and I shall have
great need, more, than common, of your prayers, that

176 his son's progress in learning.
whilst he lives with me, he may see nothing that -will
hurt his precious soul, and take off the force of those in
structions I shall be daily giving him — nothing but what
will win his affection, even without the word, to Christ ;
and make him feel that the knowledge of Him is the way
of peace and joy. TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, Feb. 7, 1776.
Your Lilliputian epistle, my dear friend, was in great
danger of being swallowed up in some letter of due size,
and never coming to my hands, where it so welcome ;
though one part of it, which mentions your poor state of
health, alarms me, and makes me entreat Mr. Riland to
write me word, instantly, how you do. No other matter,
than that you are recovered of your complaint, will make
the letter an acceptable messenger to our family.
You very justly suppose that, after receiving the good
account of your safe confinement, I should have written
sooner, unless I had been much engaged. I most cer
tainly ought, and did propose it ; but I have had my
hands exceedingly full. My son has been my pupil
since the 16th of December ; and my heart perhaps too
much intent on his qualifying himself with all learning
for the ministry, makes me spend much time with him ;
for I know that a good understanding, well improved by
acquaintance with the best authors, adds great weight
and authority to the teacher ; and, as Mr. Berridge (an
excellent scholar himself) says, " Learning is a good
stone to throw at a dog, to stop his barking."
At present my son is every thing I could wish — a
sweet temper, indeed, and very serious, joinino- with
devotion in our meetings in the evening, and intent to
please me by studying closely. This, with my two other
pupils the girls, and my own reading the olessed Book,
fills my time after I have studied for the pulpit : — this
makes me grudge the loss of a day. Another reason of
my delay was, a fall I had from my horse, on the 27th
of January, that most bitter, freezing, snowy day. I was
returning home from a visit of charity to an afflicted
child of God, when in the open field, about a mile from

A PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. 177
home, my mare lost her feet, in a place she could not
see, fell upon her head, and threw me violently before
her upon the hard ground, and then ran home. Had a
limb been broken, I must have been frozen to death, be
fore it was known I had been thrown : or had it con
tinued to snow, as it did ten minutes before I fell, and
soon after I got home, I should have struggled in vain
against my enemy ; for that very day several were frozen
to death. But in mercy to my family, I was preserved
marvellously — bruised indeed much on one shoulder,
but now able to minister to the people. May the life,
thus in tender mercy to my family prolonged, be more
earnestly devoted to His service !
I do fully purpose to be with you, to preach your
charity sermons, in May. I shall certainly have much
pleasure in seeing my dear friend, her husband, chil
dren, and the Church of God, in Birmingham — much
pleasure in meeting once more those with whom, I trust,
I shall spend an eternity in Heaven — and even there re
member how by the way we talked, of the power and
glory and love of our Saviour, and His wonderful dealings
with our souls.
Mrs. Venn* and my children join in most cordial
wishes. I believe there is not that sight or entertain
ment on earth, which would give my children, self, and
servants, so much joy as to see you here, and Mr. Riland.
You scarcely think how often we talk of you both ; and
how the children's eyes sparkle, and always remember
some instance of your care and tenderness, when they
were desolate, and their dear mamma received up into
glory. May the Lord Jesus Christ reveal himself more
and more to your soul, and make you a preacher in the
parlour to the female circle ! for I am sure, if you will
speak, you can, most evangelically.
Adieu ! from your affectionate, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. Yelling, Aug. 12, 1776.
My very dear Friend, — When your letter was brought
to me this evening in the parlour, I said to Mrs. Venn
and the company, " How much I am ashamed, and

178 VISIT TO BIRMINGHAM.
almost even afraid to open this letter ! I have been in
excusably negligent for many months, and deserve not to
be considered as a correspondent; and my affectionate
friend has still passed over my fault, and favours me with
another epistle. I will immediately ask his pardon ; fill
a whole sheet of paper ; and, if there were any credit
to be given to resolutions, I would resolve never to
offend again."
I will tell you, as you are pleased to interest yourself
in my matters, how it has fared with me and mine, since
you last heard from me. In December, my son came
home. I had the great pleasure to find he had applied
himself closely to his studies at school : and still more,
that here he was disposed to do the same. But, as I
could not teach him to write good Latin, and I feared
he might be most defective therein, I accepted dear Mr.
Robinson's proposal ; and he is now at Leicester with
him, for two months, in order, I trust, to receive a bless
ing from that lively, zealous, prudent, and able young
minister, as well as to be perfected in the Latin tongue.
I have no fear of my son's abilities ; they are excellent :
and I hope he is indeed drawn by grace to desire the
ministry. Nothing can be better behaviour than his
here. I pray for him day and night ; desiring only one
thing, that he may be made an able minister of the New
Testament, Last May, I accepted an invitation from dear Mr. Ri
land, and went alone to Birmingham. I never left Mrs.
Venn before, for so long as three days ; and designed
only to stay there five nights : but my horse having met
with an unfortunate accident, I was detained there dur
ing two Sundays. Great was my pleasure to see Mr.
Riland evidently filled with care and concern for the
success of his ministry. I preached five times to his
people. — What a blessed sphere of usefulness.
There I met with a young gentleman from your neigh
bourhood, who delights to hear you. He gave me a
charming account of your success ; and told me your
church would not contain the numbers who crowded to
hear the Gospel from you.
Mrs. Venn desires her most affectionate respects, with

remembrance of friknds in prayer. 179
myself and daughters, to you and your dear wife. We
remember with regret that we had not her company ;
and hope, whenever you are called into this part of the
world, you will come and stay with us. None will re
joice more in the visit.
I still go on here in my poor way. A few more are
added, it appears, to the Church ; and several of the
older disciples seem to prosper. But I have long since
found, that if I turn my eyes from Jesus, and expect my
comfort from any thing but from Himself, I must be dis
appointed. Pray for me, that with a single eye I may
labour without ceasing, as far as my strength will go, with
all long-suffering and doctrine, till I go hence. This I
beg for you, by name ; and every Saturday, between six
and seven in the evening, I have a pleasing remembrance
of you and your flock, hoping I am also remembered by
you. I have been nowhere, but to Birmingham — not
even to London — this twelvemonth. . Were I able to
bear the expense, I should with exceeding joy come into
Yorkshire, and meet once more, before my departure,
many souls so dear to me : but we must regard our cir
cumstances, and deny ourselves, when it would be
greatly imprudent to gratify our inclinations : yet it does
grieve me, when some of my Yorkshire friends are apt
to say, that I might, but will not, visit them.
Mr. Berridge is in London : he laboured for three
months above his strength : he had the largest congre
gations that were ever known, for a constancy; and
greatly was his word owned of the Lord. He is as
affectionate as a father to my son, and gives him many
valuable books. He is often telling me that he is sick
of all he does, and loathes himself for the inexpressible
corruption he feels within : yet is his life a pattern to
us all, and an incitement to love and serve the Lord with
all our strength. Thus does my affectionate brother re
semble that burning and shining light, who cried out,
" I have need to be baptized of Thee !" Thus I find it
with him. Twenty-five years ago, I was certain I should
be able to reconcile the Word of God in all its parts, and
be able to pray without distraction. New, I wait for the

180

THE CHURCH BETROTHED TO CHRIST.

light of eternity, and the perfection of holiness, in order
that I may know any thing as I ought to know.
True holiness is quite of another character than we,
for a long time, in any degree conceive. It is not serv
ing God without defect, but with deep self-abasement —
with astonishment at his infinite condescension and love
manifested to sinners — to ungodly enemies, and men
who, in their very best estate on earth, are exceedingly
vile. It is pleasing to consider how we are all led into
this point, however we may differ in others : and were it
not for the demon of controversy, and a hurry of employ
ment, which leaves no time for self-knowledge or devout
meditation on the Oracles of God, I am persuaded we
should every one be so grounded in this matter, that by
standers would no longer reproach us for our divisions.
Adieu, my dear friend ! Forgive my faults ; pity, and
pray for me !
Yours ever, in the best bonds, H. Venn.

The next correspondent was a relative of Mr. Venn — the late
John Brasier, Esq., of Carnberwell, near London ; who had shortly
before this time returned from India, and was on the point of
marriage.

TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ Yelling, Dec. 2, 1776.
My dear Cousin, — We begin to reckon the days till
we shall receive the pleasure of your visit, with your
new and nearest relative. What a place for a new-mar
ried couple to come to spend their Christmas in ! — silence
and solitude — winter cold, and miry roads. Yet here I
find more of that precious treasure for which martyrs
bled, than ever I did in my life. Christ is company in
solitude, and joy all the year round. As His beloved
name is the cement and the foundation of your connex
ion, you will be prepared to participate in those enjoy
ments the world knoweth not of — the view of that Incar
nate God, who wedded to him His Church, not seeing
in it an excellent spirit and a lovely temper, a fitness foi
the conjugal relation, a heavenly aim and purpose of

MR. BRASIER. 181
iife; — no; when we were more loathsome than the beg
gar on die dunghill, and of so degenerate a spirit as to
embrace our shame, and glory in our infamy — then was
the time of love — then our Redeemer said, " I have be
trothed thee to myself in righteousness, and in judgment,
and in faithfulness ; I have betrothed thee to myself for
ever." Then He determined to take away the filthy
garments of our own righteousness, and clothe us with the
robe of salvation — to put beauty and comeliness upon
our deformed spirits, and give us the same judgment and
mind as He has himself; then He determined to make
us meet — by changing us from one degree of holiness to
another — to make us ready for the marriage-supper
above, and that we should exult at the midnight-cry,
with the wise virgins : " Behold, the Bridegroom cometh !
Go ye out to meet him!"
K the day of your nuptials is not past, nor the com
pany invited, I should think you would do well to have
none, or as few for your company as may be. It is of
admirable use to be much in prayer on that day, that
your union may bear a resemblance to that of Christ
and His Church. I wish — I pray — I assure myself, it
will. Pray present my Christian love to Miss S. or Mrs. B.
Love to Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, and all friends,
From your affectionate cousin, H. Venn.

SECTION III.
LETTERS WRITTEN TO HIS CHILDREN, AND TO DIFFERENT
FRIENDS, FROM THE YEAR 1777, TO THE TIME OF HIS
SON'S ORDINATION, 1782.
The introduction of letters from Mr. Venn to his children will
form a new era in the Correspondence. A son and three daughters
had now arrived at that critical period of life, in which the charac
ter receives its most important touches. The piety and tenderness
which these parental letters breathe will give a charm to the wise
counsels they convey.
The letters to his son, especially, will be highly valued by those
who know the peculiar dangers which beset the entrance into life
of a young man of religious education. To these letters, also, an

182 JOURNEY TO BATH.  SALISBURY.
additional interest will be attached ; whilst they are regarded as
the instructions of a zealous minister of Christ, in training up a
son for the service which has long been his own delight and glory;
and whilst it is borne in mind, that these instructions were not
given in vain, but that the son lived to exemplify the sacred cha
racter which the letters themselves so vividly portray.

TO MR. JOHN VENN.
Baih, June 18, 1777.
Your letter, my dear son, was very acceptable, on
several accounts : it assured us of your safe journey, and
contains several Christian reflections. Let our corre
spondence increase.
Through the Divine mercy, we had a safe journey to
Mr. Maxfield's. At Salisbury, your mamma and sister
were delighted with the solemn temple. A very noble
fabric it is ; and was long accounted, by the votaries of
superstition, in a peculiar manner the residence of the
Deity. We know, blessed be His name ! that we are His
temple ; for He dwelleth and walketh in us. On our jour
ney, we stopped to see Mr.  's seat. One hundred
thousand pounds have been expended in laying out the
grounds around it ! Here is every thing to gratify the
eye ; and your mamma and sister were extremely pleased,
and particularly with the paintings in the house. Yet
the possessor of this fine place is frequently so miserable,
his friends fear he will sink into a settled melancholy.
Oh, that he knew the Prince of Peace !
After seeing the rich man's possessions, I had great
satisfaction in paying a visit to a poor man, aged ninety-
six, and his wife eighty-six : the husband blind, yet of
of strong understanding. I preached to him the Poor
Man of Nazareth ; and he cried out, " Oh, Sir : I would
crawl on all-fours to hear such talk! But we be all left
in the dark: our minister never comes anigh us!" —
Who can tell but the word spoken may be as a nail fas
tened in a sure place ! May you and I ever watch for
opportunities of doing good, and receiving good !
We came to Bath on Tuesday last, that your mamma
might drink the waters. May it please God to bless
them to her! They seem, at present, to do her good.

CAPTAIN SCOTT.  MR. FLETCHER. 183
My prayer, before we set out, and every day is, that we
may receive good to our souls; and already I have re
ceived an answer. In these parts, I see great monu
ments of the rich and tender love of our ever-blessed
Saviour. Captain Scott and his Lady, who set out in
the way to glory long, long after me, how they have got
beyond me!, He said to me the other day, "It was
worth while for us to come to Bristol, if it had been only
to suffer as we have done under the kind hand of
our Lord : for now we can tell of his faithfulness and
consolations, which we related before upon hearsay." —
His beloved wife was two months at the point of death ;
and he has been cut for a cancer, the disease which
killed his father. Dear Mr. Fletcher, who is sinking
under a painful disease, accosted me thus: — "I love his
rod ! How gentle are the stripes I feel ! how heavy
those I deserve!" A third witness, a lady, who by ex
cruciating pain has lost one eye, yet still continues her
affliction, told me, that she found, at the foot of the cross,
patience and victory over all ; though she suffered more
than she was able to express. — Everlasting praise be
given unto the Lord of all lords for such invaluable sup
ports ! Here is the faith and patience of the saints !
here the power of Christ !
What an office are you training for, my dear son ! — to
publish that Saviour, whose love can thus make bitter
sweet, and give songs to our poor afflicted fellow-
creatures in the dark night of severest sufferings.
Oh ! for His love, let rocks and hills
Their lasting silence break,
And all harmonious human tongues
The Saviour's praises speak !
To him daily, and every hour of the day, almost I com
mend you ; begging of Him to direct you in 'all your
studies, and enable you diligently to employ your pre
cious time in acquiring knowledge, for no other purpose
than to lay it all at the foot of His cross, whom even
angels adore, casting their crowns before Him ! and,
without self-seeking or self-complacency, be, after the
example of His eminent servants, the servant of all —
rich in Christ, but less than nothing in your own eyes.

184 mr. Fletcher's eminent holiness.
Your dear mamma and sister join with me in love to
you. — Excellent is your purpose, to rise early, and study
hard. I pray God give you resolution and perseverance !
The Lord Jesus be with your spirit, and give you wis
dom and understanding; the praise of which shall endure
for ever !
From your affectionate father, % H. Venn.

Tho following additional particulars respecting Mr. Fletcher,
occur in a letter to Mr. Stillingfleet.

 1 was for six weeks in the house with the extra
ordinary and excellent Mr. Fletcher.* Oh, that I might
be like him ! I do assure you, that I strictly observed
him for six wreeks, and never heard him speak any thing
but what was becoming a pastor of Christ's Church; —
not a single unbecoming word of himself or of his anta
gonists, or of his friends. All his conversation tended
to excite to greater love and thankfulness for the benefits
of Redemption; whilst his whole deportment breathed
humility and love. We ' had many conversations. I
told him, most freely, that I was shocked at many things
in his "Checks;" and pointed them out to him. We
widely differ about the efficacy of Christ's death, the na
ture of Justification, and the Perfection of the Saints ;
but I believe we could live years together, as we did,
in great love. He had heard me twice ; and I was
chaplain both morning and evening in the family, as his
lungs would not suffer him to speak long or loud. He
desired his love, by me, to all his Calvinistic brethren ;
and begged their pardon for the asperity with which he
had written. I am persuaded, as I told him, that if he
were to4ive with some of those whom he has been taught
to conceive of as Antinomians, and hear them preach, he
would be much more reconciled to them.

In the October of this year, 1777, Mr. John Venn was entered
as a student at Sidney College, Cambridge, under the tuition of
At the house of James Ireland, Esq., Brislington, near Bristol.

185
Mr. John Hey, a tutor. of eminent talents and reputation, and a
distinguished Norrisian Professor of Divinity.

TO MR. JOHN VENN.
Yelling, Oct. 30, 1777.
I have now to congratulate my dear son, in his new
room, and entrance on his college studies ; — a most im
portant period in your life — a seed-time from which, duly
improved, yourself, and many immortal souls, for whom
Christ died, will receive everlasting advantage. Now
is a price put into your hands — an admirable opportu
nity of improving your mental faculties — of acquiring a
fund of human learning, which will be of great use to you
as long as you live — of habituating yourself to study and
meditation, and much retirement, the fit preparation for
the high and spiritual office for which you are designed.
You have heard- so many lessons from me, (and, I thank
my gracious God ! not without effect,) that I can only
repeat in writing what you have received vivd voce. But,
as to write to you on these important subjects is a plea
sure to me, I shall remind you of a few particulars,
which we have often talked of already ; beginning with
what relates to your body, and concluding with some
advice respecting' your eternal interests.
Exert, as you did at Leicester, resolution ; and rise
early : so you will have an opportunity to perform much
every day, and with ease give to your studies and your
devotions a just proportion of your time. Be ashamed
of giving place to sloth and love of sleep. Soon victory
will declare for you; and in doing well you will reap
more present pleasure than self-indulgence can give. Be
attentive to your health.
Continue, as you have done for nearly these two years,
to read the Book of Books : but read it always with.
prayer : and, before you open it, recollect what excellent
things are said in its praise- -what good has been re
ceived from it by millions now in glory. Beg it may
work upon your mind, and be written in your heart.
Shun, as poison, all disputes and controversies. Infi
nite hurt has been done by them ; and very little good to
any one. 16*

186 advice to his son at college.
I am very glad that you, with the three friends you
mention, intend to me_et on Sundays — I suppose, by
turns, at each other's room. But I would not have you
increase your number, on several accounts. Your know
ledge of each other, and confidence of friendship will en
able you to speak without fear, and freely : but more
would be a bar to such freedom, and prove a snare, by
tempting you to speak for commendation. More would
draw upon you the eyes of each College ; and expose you
to needless ridicule, and prove an offence, which few
young people are able to bear. It would have the ap
pearance of making a party, and lead to several disagree
able consequences. There is no occasion that you should
mention your meeting to any one : and if there should be
other serious young men desirous of such improvement
on the Sunday, they should make another party ; and so
on — three or four making up a company. When you are
together, your great temptation will be levity of mind —
a sort of merriment very unseasonable — when you should
be conversing, with all your attention, upon subjects of
infinite, moment. But if you are honest, meekly to re
prove the first appearance of that spirit, you will suc
ceed ; and the Lord Jesus will, according to his promise,
be in the midst of you. Happy shall we be to hear you
testify He is so ; and that you find yourselves strength
ened, and animated to live, in all sobriety, vigilance,
and self-denial, as becometh Christians. All send their
love. From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MR. JOHN VENN Yelling, Nov. 11, 1777.
My very dear Son, — Figure to yourself a miser,
glorying in his riches : or the child of ambition, exalted
to the pinnacle of worldly honour : — their pleasure can
not exceed what your letter, received this day, gives to
me ; and it is neither so pure, nor so well founded. My
joy arises from the glorious hope of your immortal hap
piness, and of your proving the highly-favoured instrument
of spreading the knowledge of a Saviour, amongst igno
rant, guilty, perishing creatures. My joy arises from the

evil of a forward spirit. 187
promising appearance, that the prayers offered up for
you, from the hour of your birth to this moment, the in
structions given to you, and the bright examples of
Christian piety you have seen, have made some effectual
impression on your mind. My joy arises from the de
lightful consideration, that you, in your early youth, in
stead of indulging base appetites, sensual or mental, to
fill you with bitter remembrance of your ways and
doings at college, are desirous to improve a liberal and
learned education, to qualify yourself for the noblest
office intrusted to men — the office of preaching the Gos
pel, and watching over souls, in love to them, and to
God their Maker. I immediately, therefore, take my
pen, and comply with your most acceptable request, in
sending you the largest sheet I have, of advice from the
most affectionate heart of a parent, who has received so
much comfort from you, ever since you were my son.
My first advice is, that you would beware of" the de
vice Satan too successfully practises against novices in
religion. When he perceives they are no longer to be
kept asleep in profaneness or formality — no longer to be
deluded with the pleasures of gross sin, or the love of
fame or of wealth — when he sees they are determined to
come out from the world and be separate — he alters his
method of seeking to destroy them. " Be more separate,"
he suggests; "distinguish yourself; immediately assume
the preacher's office : neglect the peculiar duties of your
age and station, and intrude into what does by no means
yet belong to you ; force your sentiments upon others ;
and consider yourself as destined, even in your youth
(without experience, without knowledge, observe !) to be
a reformer, authorized to despise your elders, to be im
patient of submission, to be heady, high-minded : and
then, to complete the whole, abuse learning, and be con
fident you have an impulse from Heaven, and a Divine
call to justify all you do." — Thus I have seen religious
young men perverted, and made insufferably disagree
able, by their false ideas of religion, and a stumbling-
block in the way of others ; they themselves seldom
recovering from their forward, proud spirit. Under the
influence of this proud spirit, they are always for over-

1 88 substantial part of holiness.
doing, and for needless, nay, absurd singularities. They
will even court persecution ; and then swell with the
idea that they are treated, for Christ's sake, as the Pro
phets and Martyrs were of old. Take knowledge, there
fore, of the important boundary between separation from
the world, and this offensive self-sufficient excess, in
things which our God does not require.
My second advice is, that you would dwell much upon
the substantial part of a Christian's life : and be assured,
if you are not ashamed of this, the fear of the world is
not your master. This substantial part is modesty and
chastity, in opposition to pertness and impurity — temper
ance and sobriety, confronting the surfeit or drunken
ness of epicures — humility and meekness, in opposition
to natural haughtiness and angry pride — guarded cheer
fulness, under a sense both of the Divine presence and
the mischief of noisy mirth — love to God and His word,
expressed by a stern look when scoffers pour out fool
ishness ; when a double entendre, or an infidel sneer, is
uttered — love of diligent study, serious acquaintance,
useful conversation — with secret prayer, and meditation
on the word of Christ. Conscious that you are living
thus, and that this is your earnest purpose and your
daily prayer, yon need have no fear that you are making
a compromise with the world, or want that zeal for the
Lord which true faith inspires. Whilst thus you ky the
stress upon matters of utmost moment, you will receive
the blessing of the Lord ; you will win and attract both
esteem and affection from many ; you will put to silence
the ignorance of foolish men, by well doing. Their idea
of your religion is, that it puffs you up — makes you think
yourself better than all besides ; actuating you by a spirit
of singularity, and love to be admired ; — that you are a
compound of ignorance, enthusiasm, and spiritual pride.
Nothing can convince them of their gross mistake, or
conquer their prejudices, but humility, meekness, wis
dom, and soundness of mind, which those who are really
in Christ possess and manifest : at the same time, their
conscientious attention to their duty, so striking, gives
them no overweening conceit of themselves ; abased as
they ate, from heartfelt conviction how much the Lord

keeping a diary. 189
has done and suffered for them — how much they have
received from his bounty and grace — how infinitely wor
thy He is of all adoration and love ; a very small part
of which they return to Him, at best.
My third advice is, that you do, without fail, keep an
account of yourself, in a diary, written in such a charac
ter as will be legible to yourself only. Be bold, and reso
lute to do this. I know nothing of greater benefit to
youth. You will find much opposition against this prac
tice, from within; therefore you must be resolute. A
faithful account of your time, your discourse, your tem
pers — how pride, and selfishness, and .vanity work — will
convince you you are vile — a sinner, exceedingly beyond
all you will otherwise believe ; needing the help and
strength of God, and the atoning blood and salvation of
Christ. I began to keep my diary, hoping to find my
self in every thing exact, and almost without fault. How
was I surprised and ashamed, when innumerable defi
ciencies, and blots, and corruptions appeared ! How
convinced, both t>f my guilt and depravity ! — and so pre
pared to be truly thankful for the redemption of my soul.
This method Mr. Ingham used to practise, and Mr. Her-
vey ; two of the most exemplary men I ever knew.
I will conclude with advising you to study, with much
attention and exactness, their characters who have ob
tained the immortal honour, that they pleased God ; such
as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Job, &c.
There will be much of entertainment, as well as in
struction, in this method. You may be sure, nothing
is misrepresented here. You will see what manner of
persons the Spirit of God does form. You will perceive,
that supreme love to Him, and undaunted valour in His
cause, and resignation to His will, fully possessed them.
Then, lifting up your eyes and heart to their God and
your God, beg that, under a much more luminous dis
pensation, and richer helps for spiritual life and godli
ness, you may be a follower of them, who are set before
you for ensamples. There is a great beauty in Scripture
characters ; which you are always to consider as exem
plifications of Scripture doctrines, and animating proofs,

190 devotional study of the scriptures.
how much we, by diligent seeking, may receive from our
most gracious and bountiful God.
If you, my dear son, will at any time specify on what
particular points you desire my advice, I shall have
some guide in writing to you ; and shall always do it
with pleasure.
I rejoice that your Tutor is pleased with you. " Good
understanding," saith the Oracle of God, " giveth fa
vour :" Prov. xiii. 15. Witness Daniel and the Three
Children ; Ezra, and Nehemiah. You are sensible this
is an additional motive to strive to excel.
How do your books suit the shelves? Have you
room for them ? I hope you mind your posture in read
ing — making good use of your high desk, and standing
full half your - time. My respects to Harry Jowett,
Farish, and Mr. Smith.
The Lord Jesus be with your spirit !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

The following very useful letter fo a young man at College, may
be introduced with peculiar propriety in this place, though of an
earlier date. It was written to Mr. Henry Jowett, then a student,
and afterwards Fellow and Tutor of Magdalen College, Cambridge.
He succeeded Mr. John Venn in the Rectory of Little Dunham,
Norfolk, when Mr. Venn was appointed to the living of Clapham.

TO MR. HENRY JOWETT.
Yelling, Oct. 5, 1776.
You have never, dear Sir, been long out of my
thoughts, since you asked me what comment was best
on the Bible. The inquiry indicated a desire to know
and please God. It implied a conviction, which all
must feel before they can be saved, that Divine know
ledge is infinitely preferable to all human sciences. In
answer to your question, I can, from a happy experi
ence, assure you, thefe is one certain way (and. I con
clude but one) of acquiring spiritual understanding. It
is a laborious one, and very contrary to our natural love
of ease : you will find it in the 2d chapter of Proverbs,
and the first nine verses, compared with the command,
Deut. vi. 4 — 9. From hence it is plain that much pains

DEVOTIONAL STUDY OF THE SCRIPTURES. 191
must be taken in pondering on the word of God : we
must read it with as much attention as we do a mathe
matical proposition ; and add to our attention earnest
prayer that our understanding may be opened to under
stand the Scripture.
The parts of Scripture wriich we must read in this
manner, above the rest, are such as describe the Majesty
of Jehovah; the Godhead of Christ; His power, grace,
and redemption of sinners ; our natural condition, and
the transformation begun and carried on in the souls of
the faithful. These are the material and fundamental
articles, called, by the Holy Ghost, " the wonderful things
of God's Law." You are to read a little at a time.
What you do not understand, confess before the Lord ;
and ask the explanation, as you would from your own
dear father, of any thing he could make clear to you.
Say, " My Lord ! what meaneth this ? It is very dark to
my mind. I can receive no benefit from it, through the
ignorance which is in me." Say — when you read the
most glorious account of His love, His power, His vic
tory, and triumph — " Lord, I see not these things in a
light to charm and captivate me — not as realities, infi
nitely interesting to my soul — not so as to engage me to
covet earnestly a share in them!" When you read the
Scriptures which delineate fallen man, say: "Lord,
how little am I humbled under this charge ! how little
ashamed of my depravity ! how have I flattered myself,
instead of confessing my sin!"
To make more clear this method of reading Scripture —
which alone, I think, honours it as the word of God — I
will give you a specimen upon Hannah's Song, 1 Sam.
ii. 1 — 10. When I read the first verse, I look up, and
ask, "Oh that my heart may rejoice in the Lord!" —
not in temporal advantages or creature-good. I say,
" 0 Lord, exalt my horn or power — enlarge my mouth
over my enemy !" and then I call to my mind my pecu
liar temptations, my besetting sin, and the dreadful
assaults made upon me. Then I proceed to meditate on
the Lord, Holy, Almighty, unchangeable ; endeavouring
to recollect the Scripture facts which display these Di
vine attributes. In the 3d, 4th, and 5th verses, I consi-

192 DANGER OF SCENES OF INTEMPERANCE.
der the doom and end of the proud and arrogant op-
posers of God's government and truth. In the five next
verses, I reflect upon his absolute dominion over health
and strength, life and death, poverty and wealth — His
condescension to the self-condemned, and vile in their
own eyes — His love for tiie faithful, and vengeance
against His adversaries. I'read and meditate upon these
ten verses, till grand ideas of the Lord penetrate my
ignorant mind ; till I feel His favour is more than words
can express, and His displeasure the greatest evil.
By practice and habit, this method of reading becomes
delightful : and what knowledge is thus gained, you will
never lose. The Bible is a perfect work in itself.
Except in matters of chronology, and the prophetical
parts not yet fulfilled, a diligent and devout perusal will
be the means of explaining it sufficiently. We often are
destitute of the spirit of prayer, and therefore find it irk
some to bow our knees ; but in this manner of reading
the Scriptures I have seldom failed of finding light and
love spring up in my heart, and grace to pour out my
prayer, as the passage engaging my meditation suggests.
All blessings which can enrich your soul, and make
you an able minister of Christ, rest upon you ! If I can
be of the least service to you, be assured you may always
command me.
Yours, &c, H. Venn.

It was formerly a custom, in several of the Colleges at Cam
bridge, to allow an annual feast among the young men, at the time
of conferring the degree of Bachelor of Arts ; and such occasions
too often became scenes of intemperance. The general improve
ment in the moral habits of the University, of late years, has in a
great measure abolished such evils. But, yet, the warning con
tained in the following letter may not be without its use ; for no
young man can enter life, either by passing through the University,
or by any other avenue, without being occasionally exposed to
the temptation of joining in scenes of riot and intemperance.

TO MR. JOHN VENN.
Yelling, Jan. 17, 1778.
Very solicitous, my dear son^ for your welfare I can-

DANGER OF SCENES OF INTEMPERANCE. 193
not put out of my mind the danger you must be exposed
to next week, at the Bachelor's entertainment. I regard
the danger as the greater, because you did not seem ap
prehensive of it; nor to have, as I could wish, a just
conception that such meetings are, almost without excep
tion, abused, to intemperance and riot — which I do
not think can be prevented : consequently, they should
be avoided, if possible. Now, were you to come over for
three or four days, I do not see that any objection could
be made ; and you would be thus out of the way of
temptation. But, if you stay, and do go to the meeting,
how much need have you to beg earnestly, that you may
be kept ! —for be assured, that every one, who has been
condemned by your exact conduct, will be glad to see
you yield ; and exert their utmost to overcome you, that
you may no more be able to frown on vice. I remember
dear Mr. Adam, of Wintringham, (observing how little we
have to be proud of,) said most truly, that half our virtue
was owing to our being out of the way of temptation.
The Oracles of God affirm the same thing. The command
in them is peremptory : " Go out from the presence of a
man as soon as thou perceivest the words of wisdom are
not in him." The impression necessarily made by our
company is thus strongly expressed : " He that walketh
with wise men, shall be wise ; but a companion of fools
shall be destroyed." And lest, from some selfish consi
derations, or overweening conceit of our own prudence
and care to resist the evil, we might think we can be
with the profane and remain unhurt, the warning is given
in very affecting terms: "Be not deceived: evil com
munications corrupt good manners." May the Lord,
therefore, bring a gracious fear always upon your mind,
of entering at all into the place where scoffers sit, and
their tongue speaketh against the Most High !
Last week, my affectionate friend, Lady Lowther, en
tered into her glorious rest. She was indeed an honour
to her Christian profession ! What an animating thought,
to look up to so many of my intimates, now amongst the
spirits of the just made perfect! It familiarizes the
thought of my own departure, as a translation to the
society of those who were so dear to me when in the
17

194 TEACHING POOR CHILDREN.
body, and I "to them, through the love of our common
Saviour. Your mamma and sisters desire their love ; and waitj
with the same anxiety as I do, to hear that you are pre
served from disgracing your character, if you must be at
the meeting ; but if you determine otherwise, let me
hear. From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

After the foregoing letter was written and put into the post, a
letter was received from Mr. John Venn, in which ho expressed
himself so satisfactorily respecting the intended entertainment, that
his father immediately wrote a few lines, and sent them by the
same post, to say that he should now no longer have any anxiety
or fear, even if his son should determine to attend the feast.

TO MR. JOHN VENN.
Yelling, Jan. 30, 1777. :
How thankful was I, my dear son, that fhe feast was
abolished, and your danger thus absolutely prevented !
What a heathenish way of congratulating each other on
taking their degrees, to be intemperate, and exceed all
the limits of becoming mirth! How unavoidable the
contempt of the Clergy, amongst the gentlemen, who re
membering them at College, even till the time they were
ordained, saw nothing in them that would rebuke vice,
and lead the mind to fear and love the holy laws of our
adorable Maker and Redeemer !
I have just now ventured on an undertaking, out of
love to the children of my parish. I have engaged a
master to teach them all. How tenderly did our Saviour
recommend little children to our regard ! Had I my time
to begin again, I would give myself more to this work.
In these labours of love, a sweet peace of mind is en
joyed ; and when we teach, we are taught by the Great
Master of the Assemblies. I venerate the name of Dr.
Franck, of Halle, in Saxony, who, when a Professor of
greatest note, in that University, felt his bowels yearn
over the children of the poor, and became their teacher,
though derided by the University for his heavenly com
passion. So differently did his God regard the good

DR. D0DD. 195
work, that, from a small beginning, it was soon enlarged
to be amongst the 'first charitable foundations — embalm
ing his name for ages to come.
Your dear mother and sisters join with me in love.
John has been ill. — An excellent servant we should
feel for, as a brother. Adieu !
From your loving father, H. Venn.

The following striking piece of advice occurs in another letter,
written about this time.

 1 hope, my dear son, you feel how utterly insuffi
cient you are in yourself to stand before the trial you are
called to, in the way of your intended profession. Re
member Dr. Dodd ! I myself heard him tell his own
flock, whom he was lecturing in his house, that he was
obliged to give up that method of helping their souls,
because it exposed him to so much reproach. He gave
it up ; and fell from one compliance to another, with his
corrupt nature ; — and under what reproach did he die !
Oh ! be afraid of nothing more than the detestable cow
ardice of a selfish and unbelieving heart ! Confess how
much power it has in you ; and beg, as a man begs for
his life, that you may be bold, yet prudent, detesting the
pernicious ways of youth left to themselves; and pass
through the fire, by the almighty grace of God, without
being burnt, or hurt in your precious soul.
TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ.
Yetting, April 10, 1778.
Why will my dear cousin call his aversion to writing
unconquerable ? Surely you write with ease, and as one
-who possesses a natural talent for it ! and in communi
cating your own ideas, you will be rewarded ; they will
be more clear and strong in your mind. Yet I know
what it is to find reluctance to take pen in hand. I
reckon I have not written less than seventy letters duiing
the last six months : and several of them very long ones,
almost as much as a modern sermon. But you, and my

196 REFLECTIONS ON AN INFANT.
other friends, give me encouragement, by saying they
are not without their use.
I write now to congratulate you on the birth of your
child. A Christian will receive it as a charge of ines
timable worth ; and, at the same time, as a patient, whose
innate depravity must be guarded against, and its cure
begun even from very infancy. The child is at first little
more than an animal ; afterwards, in a small degree,
rational ; and for some years, in general, is incapable of
being treated as spiritual. Wisdom, love, and mercy,
call upon us to begin very early with our^offspring, to
oppose and subdue self-will — the plague of man — the
disease of fiends — the enemy of God ! And early and
steadfastly opposed, it is, in most cases, very soon con
quered, though not extirpated. No object is more pleas
ing than a meek, obedient child. It reflects honour upon
its parents, for their wise management. It enjoys much
ease and pleasure, to the utmost limit of what is fit. It
promises excellency and usefulness — to be, when age
has matured the human understanding, a willing subject
in all things to the government of God. No object, on
the contrary, is more shocking than a child under no
management! We pity orphans, who have neither father
nor mother to care for them. A child indulged, is more
to be pitied: it has no parent: it is its own master —
peevish, froward, headstrong, blind ; — born to a double
portion of trouble and sorrow, above what fallen man is
heir to ; — not only miserable itself, but worthless, and a
plague to all who in future will be connected with it.
What bad sons, husbands, masters, fathers, daughters,
wives, and mothers, are the offspring of fond indulgence,
shown to little masters and misses almost from - the
cradle ! Wise discipline gives thought and firmness to
the mind ; and makes us useful here, and fit for the
world of perfect subordination above.
We all beg our love to Mrs. Brasier.
Yours, &c, H. Venn.
TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ.
Yelling, April 18, 1778.
It is a great comfort to us, that Christ orders and com-

INFANT BAPTISM. 197
mands us to bring our children to Him, and dedicate
them to the Father,. Son, and Holy Ghost — the God
whom we adore ; that we are commanded to bring them
to Him, not by the painful rite of circumcision, which,
under the Law, signified the putting away the filth of the
flesh, but by the rite of Baptism, pouring water upon
them, to signify their natural pollution, and the washing
of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which
all need. Our God declares, that He will be the God
of our seed, and own our children. I doubt not, there
fore, that you will be particular in observing, as I always
did, the christening-day ; not as a day of feasting, but
of dedication, with two or three friends, who would join
in prayer on the solemn occasion, and in singing suitable
praises. I am the more particular on this point of Bap
tism, because I find your servant belongs to the Anabap
tists, and has given our servant one of their books ; and
I know they are a restless set of people, unhinging and
disturbing the minds of unlearned persons, by continually
stunning them with the sound, " If thou believest, thou
mayest be baptized." Yet, after much study, for many
years, on that particular point, I can assure you, that
there is not one single 'instance, in the word of God, of
any person, born of Christian parents, ever being baptized
when grown up. All the instances in the Acts of the
Apostles are of persons who were Jews or Gentiles. I
can also assure you, that there never was any society of
Christians that forbade children to be baptized, till fifteen
hundred years after Christ : nor is there any mention of the
persons by whom infant baptism was first brought in, or
when, or of the least dispute about it, in_fhe history of
the Church. So that the Anabaptists are injurious to
children, without authority from God's word, and in
direct contradiction to all the Churches of Christ, for
fifteen hundred years. Yet they are so fierce and bigoted,
that, in their writings, they deny we are Christians, on
have any right to the Lord's Supper ; nor would they
give it to any of us, any more than to a Pagan.
I would not have said so much, but I very well know
the spirit of the Anabaptists, and therefore guard you.
And though it is not profitable to read controversy, yet
17*

198 EVILS OF A CAVILLING SPIRIT.
your acquaintance, Mr. Addington, has published so
candid, convincing, and short a treatise upon the Divine
Rights of Infants to Baptism, that I would recommend it
to you. It is sold by Buckland, in Paternoster-row.
Mrs. Venn, and my children, join with me in love to
Mrs. Brasier and my sister. If Mrs. Brasier's relations
have not yet engaged themselves, and you will accept
Mrs. Venn and myself as sponsors to your dear infant,
we shall have pleasure in answering by proxy ; for we
shall not be in town till the last week in May, when I
am engaged to preach a sermon in the Mercer's Chapel,
on the 29th.
Awful, more than ever, are the signs of wrath gone
out from the Lord against us ! Should it come, there is
a man, "a Friend" indeed "born for adversity," who
will be better to us than money, when we have neither
silver nor gold ; better than a house, when we have no
certain habitation ; better than national peace and quiet
ness, when the sword drinks up the blood of the slain ;
better than life itself, when we shall lay down this earthly
tabernacle. In Him may we all be found !
From your much obliged cousin, H. Venn.
-We have had, amongst our visiters, a serious

young man from Cambridge (who was a month with us,
two summers ago): he is now quarrelling with our
Liturgy and Articles, and going over to the Dissenters.
Alas! how subtle are the devices of the Enemy ! Such
instances as these make men of sense and learning dread
religion : they say it oversets young minds, who never
know where to stop. He has been two days with me ;
and I have since written him a long letter. The success
is such as you would suppose; — for I scarcely ever knew
an instance, when young people begin to cavil, and find
fault with every thing but sinful courses and a sinful
heart, that they ever stop ; but get into a spirit of debate
and contention hurtful to themselves and all about them.
He is about leaving college : and I trust my son sees
his error, and will pray to be kept from it.

JOSEPH HIRST, OF HUDDERSFIELD. 199
TO MR. JOHN VENN,
(AT 1EICESTEH.) Yelling, Aug. 14, 1778.
 On Sunday morning, I was overjoyed with the
sight of Joseph Hirst, of Yew Green, near Huddersfield.
He came one hundred and fifty miles, on purpose to see
me ; and stayed till Wednesday afternoon. I really
think it would have been well worth all my pains for
twelve years, if he alone had been the fruit of them. I
could not but admire his great knowledge of the Bible,
the strength of his judgment, the wisdom of his words,
his great humility, and his active spirit. All his mind is
intent to learn and know how to do what is good for
others. He saves his money, to lay out in printing use
ful little books; which he gives and lends to those
around him, with much success. He gave me a most
pleasing account of John Houghton, and many more ; so
that when I parted with him, I could not but adore the
astonishing goodness of God to me, that I should have
been fhe instrument, by preaching His word faithfully,
of forming an immortal spirit to such usefulness and
excellency. Amongst the things which grieved me, relating to
many who did set out well, of whom I made inquiry,
was poor Mr.  , who now, with his two brothers,
lives at  . One brother, the .merchant, Joseph Hirst
-works. for: this merchant, like the elder brother, has
been awakened ; but, alas ! the world has gotten the
victory ! The clergyman has a living, if not two ; and
resides upon neither. Joseph Hirst says, they are con
fessedly superior in understanding to all about them ;
and value themselves on being able to make the worse
appear the better, and conquer in every dispute. Oh,
that I could pray for. them as I ought! Oh, that they
were wounded in their spirit, till they were ready to de
spair of. mercy ; that they might then be brought to know
that Christ is more than all manner of riches. What
talents ! and what a perversion of them ! What a curse
is a fine understanding without an humble spirit !
Pray remember me in love to Mr. Robinson, his wife,
Mr. Ludlam, and all friends. I hope you felt your soul

200 EVIL OF CONTROVERSY.
on fire at the lecture, to be one day like your dear friend,
who spoke to you in the name of the Lord. Oh, study
how you may do good to the souls and bodies of men !
— This is religion.— The Lord Jesus be with your spirit!
Your mamma, and sisters, and cousin Venn, desire
their love.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn,
TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON. Yelling, Aug. 12, 1778.
My dear Friend, — I received, in due time, your kind
present, and your letter ; for both I return you my thanks.
Joseph Hirst gives me very great pleasure, in assuring
me that many of you live like real Christians ; and that
you, in particular, are useful and exemplary. I have
made very particular inquiry about every one I could
think of, and the state of the Church.
I find you are troubled with the Anabaptists.* 
But never, on any account, dispute. Debate is the work
of the flesh. No one is ever found disputing about such
external matters, till sorrow for sin, till love for Christ
and communion with Him, till love for souls and desire
to be useful, are departed from the heart entirely, or very
much enfeebled. Little do they watch and pray, and
desire the prosperity of Christ's Church, who can find
time, or have a relish, for any thing bnt what edifies,
quickens, comforts, and makes us like unto God in doing
good. The best manner of answering disputers, of this
contentious cavilling spirit, is to ask them, whether they
have considered, and do lament, the mischiefs and evils
of separation, of strife and contention? whether they feel,
in their hearts, a great desire of union and peace, that all
who are in Christ Jesus may together lift up their voice,
and make their attack upon the army of the ungodly, the
worldly, the covetous ? Ask such disputers, what time
they spend in visiting the fatherless and the widows in
their affliction ? whether they feel joy in supporting the
wea-k, in comforting the feeble-minded, and obey the
* The letter goes on to state the argument in favour of infant Bap
tism ; and it was given, in a former letter, to Mr. Brasier.

SPIRIT OF THE UNIVERSITY. 201
Scripture which commands us to " receive the weak in
faith, but not to doubtful disputations?" In the course
of more than twenty-seven years, I never knew one
exemplary Christian a' disputer, whether amongst Dis
senters or in our own Church : and it is a rule with me,
to conclude any person who can be taken up witii a de
sire to make men converts to any notion, and not to
Christ, or be zealous for. any thing more than the life of
faith and holiness from knowledge of Christ Crucified, is
a sounding empty professor, or at best, in a very poor,
low state. No man in the world more heartily loves our
worship than myself, nor has stronger objections against
Dissenters ; yet never in my life did I desire to bring one
Dissenter to Church. If he were indeed alive to God in
Christ Jesus, I could praise God for him ; and love him
not one whit less, though he did not worship with me in
the same form.
I am going to publish — what will be printed .the week
after next — a Sermon, for sixpence, proving Popery an
enemy to the religion of Christ. A frank will not hold it,
or I would send you one. How glad should I be to see
you here for a week ! — I am not able to come, as I de
signed, into Yorkshire this year. I hope to be able,
once before I die ; for nothing would give me greater
pleasure! However, I constantly remember you ; and
every Lord's Day, in particular, consider myself as joined
with you in one faith; one hope, one baptism, one Lord,
one life ; and hastening to one heaven, where brethren
¦will no more vex and grieve one another, and quarrel
about any thing, when they should do all that possibly
Heth in them to live peaceably together.
The Prince of Peace be with you all, and a lively
active spirit to do good unto all, and especially to them
who are of the household of Faith !
From your very affectionate father in Christ,
H. Venn.
TO MR. JOHN VENN,
(AT IXICESTEB.) Yetting,Sept, 21, 1778.
My dear Son, — On Friday, I went over to Cambridge.

202 SPIRIT OF THE university.
Finding all our friends had left, I walked to Jesus Col
lege ; and whilst I was solemnly meditating in the clois
ters, and calling to remembrance the days, alas! of
vanity and ignorance, Mr.  came up to me, and in
vited me to drink tea with him, with the Senior Fellow
of Catherine Hall ; which I did ; — and again had a
lamentable proof of the spirit of the University, in the
most decent! All our conversation was of books and
authors, and our contemporaries— some preferred, some
ruined by their own imprudence, and most of them dead.
Not a savour of that discourse which honours God, and
becomes immortal beings in our uncertain continuance
below! I breakfasted with the very amiable and sensible Mr.
Jowett, of Trinity Hall ; and afterwards spent three
hours with him in interesting conversation. Whilst we
were together, Mr.  came in ; and so pressed us to
dine with them in their Hall, that I could not refuse. He
was alone, at the Fellows' table. In College only two
Students ; and one of them a Soph, who murdered the
fine grace, by gabbling it over so very fast, I could not
understand a single sentence, nor half a one. Nothing
could be more polite ; but, alas ! the feast of souls was
wanting. When I came home, I found Mr. and Mrs. Newton,
who came here the evening before. He is my brother,
and fellow-servant to our adorable Lord. What sweet
society ? What a different species are Christians from
other men ! how greatly exalted above them ! Oh, may
you be amongst those few, whose favourite subject is that
which angels and all the company of heaven contemplate
with delight ; which warms and purifies the hearts of
those who hear you, and excites to activity in the ser
vice of Christ, and for the glory of God!
Yesterday, Mr. Newton gave us an excellent discourse
on the marks of a prosperous soul, from 3d Ep. of St.
John, ver. 2. The marks were: l.A clear well-grounded
hope of our acceptance with God, by faith in Christ
Crucified. 2. A continued witness of God's Spirit, that
our sins are pardoned. 3. A constant exercise to have
a conscience void of offence towards God and man. 4.

MR. ROBINSON, AT LEICESTER, 203.
A sweet and calm confidence that all our affairs are under
the infallible direction of God, so as to be fully satisfied
He will do with us just as seemeth him good ; whether
we be rich or poor, sick or well, in esteem or despised,
living or dying. 5. Life and communion with God, in
prayer, public worship, reading the Scripture, and hear
ing His faithful pastors. 6. An abiding and pleasing
conviction upon the mind, that we, and all we have, are
the Lord's, that we may serve Him with all our strength.
— Thus may your soul and mine prosper! I advise you,
by all means, on a Sunday, to set down the principal
parts of the sermons you hear. It is of great service. —
Your mamma and sisters send their love.
On Monday, Oct. 5, I shall send John to meet you at
Kettering. You must therefore set out at one o'clock, to
ride twenty-three miles. Be sure you are no later in set
ting out, lest night come on. And then you may reach
home next day by dinner ; which will suit better for our
horses. — Love to Mr. Robinson and all friends.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MR. JOHN VENN,
(AT CAMBRIDGE.) Yelling, Dec 12, 1778.
My dear Son, — I have good news to send you. Mr.
Robinson, the active, upright, evangelical Mr. Robinson,
is Vicar 'of St. Mary's, Leicester. He will not now take
your cousin, nor any more pupils. I have written to him
on the subject, to desire he would consider the vast use
he may be of. Children, I think, he should by all
means give up ; — it is bin a poor employment. But
students in Divinity, I am sure, ought to be with faithful
ministers, and see service, as officers and physicians and
lawyers do. Too many clergymen come into their office
perfect strangers to the way of leading souls to heaven.
What joy did I receive from one sentence in Mr. Robin
son's letter of yesterday ! It was this ! — " Your son has
been a great blessing to young Mr.  ." How much
better that honour, than the applause of a world ! May
you adore Him, who is pleased to make you useful ; and
be more humble, and more desirous of doing good ; so

204 REFLECTIONS ON A THUNDER-STORM.
that saints, gone before you into heaven, may be your
crown : aiid many travelling on with you towards that
world of glory ; and many to follow, after your labours
of love are ended ! O glorious work and wages ! How
despicable a mitre or a crown, the poet's never-fading
laurel, or the renown of the first of philosophers, com
pared with the gain of winning immortal souls to Christ !
Yours, &c. H. Venn.

The very striking account which has been given, in the Memoir
(page 43,) of Mr. Venn's behaviour during a thunder-storm, and
of the way in which he improved the event to the instruction of
his children, will give additional interest to the following extracts.

 The new year -came in with a violent tempest..
It blew out one of the windows of my house, in the gar
ret, and part of the covering of my barn ; and roused us
up, at two in the morning. Oh, what an astonishing
privilege, in such seasons, is it, to be endued with a
spirit of prayer — to be able to call upon Him, at whose
word the stormy wind both rises and falls ! I never was
more sensible of it in my life, nor more astonished with
the truth, that " the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth
Eternity" has made himself known to His Church under
that endearing character — the God that heareth prayer ;
sitting above the water-floods, and giving strength and
blessing of peace to His Children in the midst of them.
How different the brutal insensibility of an infidel heart,
which perhaps may not tremble even in such seasons,
and the sweet composure of a Christian's mind, fully
persuaded that lightning and thunder, storm and tempest,
all fulfil His word, and do His pleasure ! This is to
understand, and feel as angels do. Jan. 14, 1779.
What an awful introduction was there of the

new year! To Christians, it preached the necessity of
being ready to meet their God : since, had the fury of
the tempest increased but a little, their houses would
have been their sepulchres. How weak and helpless

birthday letter to his son. 205
are -whole nations, when the Lord ariseth, either to shake
terribly the earth, or smite with the pestilence, or ravage
the guilty land with the devouring sword ! Yet such is
the extreme folly and madness of men, that they put no
value on His favour ; they have no dread of His dis
pleasure. Oh, may we be wise and happy, separate from
the licentious, thoughtless, and proud ! May we wait
for that hour, when our God shall come, and shall not
keep silence — when a mighty tempest shall be stirred up
round about Him, and a fire shall devour before Him ! —
That will be the time of honour and glory unspeakable,
and triumph, for the faithful in Christ Jesus.
Think what a sight I enjoyed at Cambridge, the week
before Christmas. Eleven young men sat, with great
attention, to hear me converse with them about the things
of God. — I like them much, because they go on slowly,
and most of them study very hard. Religion was never
designed to be a cloak for idleness and ignorance. 
TO MR. JOHN VENN. Yelling, March 9, 1779.
On this your natal day, my beloved son, I address
you ; looking back upon the amazing difference between
the new-born babe, and the youth of twenty years of age,
with great thankfulness to our God and Redeemer!
On this day, when the news was brought, that a son
was born to me, I was called up to see you — a mere
animal, conscious only of hunger and thirst, pain or ease,
warmth or cold, light or darkness ; without any power
to tell explicitly your wants ; and, to me, as every new-
bom babe always is, a living demonstration of the Fall —
a being utterly destitute, and, had not our God implanted
the orop^j* in the parent's breast, would be an insupport
able burden to the mother who brought you forth. — Then
I saw the dawn of your rational nature ; and the power
of speech, the distinguishing glory of the human race,
began to make its appearance. You heard and under
stood enough to become a very pleasing and entertain
ing child ; but altogether earthly and sensual, and self-

* The natural affection of parents for their offspring.
18

206 birthday letter to his son.
willed ; — not one idea yet entered into your mind, of
your Maker, and ever bountiful Benefactor. He gave
you, health, food, raiment, sleep, and affectionate pa
rents ; but you only heard His name was God, without
perceiving, in the least degree, your debt to His never-
ceasing goodness.
Then you were taught to call upon Him for His bless
ing and protection, and reminded of His knowledge and
observation of all your actions, words, and thoughts ;
that you must never begin the day without prayer, or lie
down to take your rest without imploring His defence,
and thanking Him for His benefits. Taught thus by the
precepts of men, you discovered your zeal to have your
God obeyed, before you were five years old; then
choosing to be a preacher, and determining to compel the
disobedient to come in vi et armis, if milder methods
would not succeed ; for you were determined to make use,
you said, of a good oaken trowel, to bring them to a
sense of their sin, if your discourse and entreaties should
fail. In a few years more, I saw you gaining fast the
meaning of Latin and Greek words, and by the help of
an excellent teacher, promising to be a scholar. But I
waited, and your mamma .waited, in patience, and in
prayer, longing to see you impressed with a deep sense
of things unseen and eternal. . We saw you, with great
pleasure and gratitude to God, an obedient child, very
easily managed, and no complaints of any thing wrong
in your conduct.
After your dear mamma's translation to the spirits of
the just made perfect (and you resemble her in many
particulars,) I was still waiting for your conviction, >by a
Divine power, of what you assented to through the force
of education ; for mere restraint from vice and fashionable
self-indulgences is of short continuance ; and no depend
ence can be placed on this. It was therefore a memorable
era in your life, to me and yourself, when a sense of
your wonderful preservation, in the article of danger in
the stage-coach, going to Hipperholme, made a deep
impression upon you. All the children of God can record
such interpositions ; and by them very many have been
brought to themselves. In two years after this, you

birthday letter to his son. 207
came under my tuition — not only a son, but a pupil ;
and much satisfaction I received in your attention and
diligence ; in your deportment, which gained upon every
one in the house ; and your steady preference of the best
and holiest office man can take upon him — the office of
a pastor in the Church of Christ.
And now the perilous critical time came on, when you
were to be' your own master ; when, leaving your father's
house, where you saw no company but of the ministers
or children of God ; heard no corrupt communication
ever come out of any mouth ; no praises, in the warmth
of a sensual heart, of beauty, good eating, jollity, or
wealth — now the time was come, when you must be
obliged to hear and see what evil and madness fill the
hearts of the sons of men ; when horses and hounds, and
plays and players, and courtesans, and their still more
infamous seducers, were to be the subjects dwelt on by
those around you : when self-gratification in every thing
fashionable, and the lead in acquisition of science, falsely
so called, was to be daily present to your mind. With
what great thoughts of heart, and repeated pleadings be
fore a Throne of Grace, was your case recommended !
and with what delight have I seen you preserved and
kept in the midst of the pestilence ; known and dear to
some excellent acquaintance ; and made an instrument,
before you have attained to the age of twenty, of doing
good to the souls of young men by your conversation !
Now is your once-dark mind enlightened with truth from
God: now the petitions you offered up as a child are
become fervent prayers — a spiritual sacrifice ; what you
received with implicit faith from a dear father's lips, you
receive now from the Oracles of God : you now see the
rationale, the foundation, in the nature of fallen man, of
the Gospel doctrines ; and fact confirming the Scripture
testimony, that there is no peace to the wicked ; and that
it is wise and excellent, to be guided, in all our choice
and pursuit, by the wisdom that is from above.
The four succeeding years are the seed-time for your
whole life, respecting human knowledge and the culti
vation of your mental faculties ; that, with every requi
site qualification as a scholar, and with a character unsul-

208

PROSPECT OF A COLLEGE EXAMINATION.

lied by conformity to the world, you may, if life is spared,
be admitted amongst the witnesses who testify against
the evil doctrine and evil practice every where prevail
ing, and come forth engrossed by one grand purpose,
from which nothing shall ever divert you — a purpose,
through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, to spend and
be spent, in His service; — to follow, though with very
unequal steps, yet still with all your might to follow, the
example of the Apostles, in the doctrine you preach, in
the self-denied life you will lead, in the longing desire
of your heart to see the lost saved, and the slaves of sin
and Satan returning to Zion with -everlasting joy upon
their heads, transformed into the Divine image, and, with
all gratitude, confessing they heard from your lips what
they found the means of their salvation. In this most
blessed employment (if it please our adorable Saviour)
may you work for many years! and every returning birth
day solemnly present yourself before Him, to be endued
with more wisdom, knowledge, and grace ; till, in the
appointed hour, you are called to give account of your
ministry, and find the day of your death infinitely better
than the day of your birth! This is the wish, the ardent,
constant prayer, of
Your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MR. JOHN VENN. Yelling, March 19, 1779.
My design in coming over to Cambridge, my dear son,
was entirely to have endeavoured to fortify your mind
against your examination, which I concluded would have
been at Easter. I must, therefore, speak to you by my
pen. Be anxious for nothing relating to this world, is
the all-wise injunction of our Lord: for anxiety is not
only painful, but useless ; not only useless, but hurtful —
a great hindrance to the exercise of the mind ; and pro
ductive of envy, as it proceeds from inordinate affection.
Yet our Lord, whilst he warns us against anxiety, exhorts
and presses us to diligence, labour, and the continual
exertion of our faculties ; because, by these, the mind
gathers strength, acquires useful knowledge, is made
more sober and thoughtful, and convinced, if not intoxi-

PROSPECT OF A COLLEGE EXAMINATION. 209
cated with pride, of the poverty and weakness natural to
us ; since it costs so much pains and labour to become
tolerably acquainted with any one science, or to excel.
But how to value knowledge in human sciences
enough to study and labour in a due measure, yet keep
free from self-pleasing, self-exalting thoughts, as the
grand excitement to close application — how to strive, as
one ought, to do our very best in a place appropriated to
study, yet not be cast down and vexed at our competitors
getting the first place — is a difficulty, to most men, insu
perable, but by divine knowledge, and the victorious aid
of the Holy Ghost. I say "to most men ;" — for there
are a few, who seem, in a great degree, quite easy
whether they are distinguished or not, yet, from a love
of knowledge, seek diligently to acquire it. With me,
more corrupt, it was quite the reverse. I was exceed
ingly wretched, for a time, that I was not before Dr.
Conyers in honour. But, alas ! I then had no higher or
better aim than my own glory. It is not so with you, I
verily believe : your studies are all subservient to an in
finitely nobler purpose. Be sure always to make your
prayer, that you may feel this more forcibly ; and that
you may be wise, and learned, and able as a scholar,
only to reason about the faith of Christ, and the neces
sity of temperance and righteousness, 'and the certainty
of a judgment to come ; and to place before immortal
souls, in the clearest method and the most engaging
views, things of infinite moment to every one of your
hearers. You know how much the name of " learned,"
and that "aptness to teach" which knowledge well
digested and fluent utterance furnish, contribute, under
Divine influence, to success in saving souls. This idea,
it is my prayer may rest constantly, and with great power,
upon your mind. You cannot impress your mind with
it but by prayer ; which I trust you make.
Be assured I shall ndt be wanting, either in our family,
or in secret, to implore the Lord Jesus, as Paul did for
Timothy, to "be with your spirit;" — a great request —
the best he could make for his beloved son in the Gos
pel. For when the Lord is with our spirit, as I well
know, there is great recollection and presence of mind ;
18*

210 PROFITABLE CONVERSATION.
a consciousness of His eye over us, and love for us; a
sense of the littleness of every thing which would other
wise agitate us ; and a full contentment of mind, from an
assurance that all is ordered for our good. May I hear
from you, that you enjoy this favour ; and I shall greatly
rejoice. Your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MR. JOHN VENN. Yelling, June, 1779.
My dear Son, — Now if you are to be much with -

be sure to make it much your prayer, that you may set
him a Christian example, in all diligence, seriousness,
and profitable conversation — that you may have the com
fort of helping him forward in the way everlasting, and
proving, before his eyes, the reality, the lovely reality,
of true religion. It is with great joy I .see you have
already been of use to him ; and I trust and pray you
will be a blessing indeed to his immortal soul. There
is nothing, that I know of, worthy a thought, compared
with possessing so much grace, that every one who
comes near you is enlivened and edified in his own soul.
Thus it was with my very dear friends, now high in
glory, Mr. Hervey, Mr. Walker, Mr. Grimshaw, Mrs.
Lefeyre. Thus it is with Mr. Fletcher, and Mr. Ro
binson, and- Mr.-Berridge. What a testimony was that
which Bishop Burnet bore to Archbishop Leighton — ¦
that he looked upon his acquaintance with him as a talent,
for which he must particularly give an account ! So, I
would have it to be with you, always studying to be of
some use to those with whom you have any intimacy.
And for this end, it is of great service to be very often
entreating the Lord to endue you with the tongue of the
learned, and the .lips of the righteous, by which many
are. fed — to enrich you with all utterance and knowledge,
that you may come behind in no good gift, waiting for
the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Gracious words
from a youth are peculiarly striking : and are attended
with a deep impression, when spoken, modestly and with
humility ; — and so spoken, I think, your words will be.
Too many pour out a torrent of common-place stuff,

FUTURE PROSPECTS OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD. 211
¦without feeling. Happy they who speak with recollec
tion, love, and humility !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn

The paternal solicitude which Mr. Venn's letters to his son dis
play, was, it will be readily believed, no less tenderly and strik
ingly exhibited whenever his daughters were separated from him.
I shall therefore next introduce a few letters, written to them when
they were from home, on visits to different friends.

TO MISS VENN.
Yelling, Aug. 26, 1779.
My dear Eling, — On Sunday last, who should come
in, just before eight in the morning, but Mr. Thornton,
in his way to Hull. On Monday, I went with him, in his
chaise, to Everton, to dinner ; and spent the evening
with him at Buckden. This interview with one of the
saints in Christ Jesus, like that of a few days with the
family at Bedford,* would be dejecting — it is so short —
but for the glorious hope, that, in due time, we shall be
together for ever with the Lord. Often, my dear child!
accustom yourself to look upon such as you are now
with, as Children of God, educating to stand before His
Throne, the dear objects of His eternal love. Some
glimpses of such a high distinction may be frequently
seenTiere, in fhe bowels of mercy and fervent love they
have towards all, and in the consolations, and the deep
abasement too, they feel and express from knowledge of
the Lord and themselves. Whenever I part with such
excellent ones of the earth, I have a solemn pleasing me
ditation upon their translation to the world of perfect
spirits — how they will feel and speak — what they will
know — and how rejoice with those who were once in
fellowship with them in the body — what a perfect re
membrance of all the evil they had escaped ; by what
wisdom and power and patience in the Lord their God ;
and with what delightful sensibility they will return unto

* The family of Joseph Foster Barham, Esq., a member of the Mora-
nan Church ; at whose house Miss Venn was staying on a visit.

212 THE ADVANTAGES OF PRAYERS
Him, with all melody in their hearts, their praises for
ever due : — and due not in the least degree for the most
bitter part of their lot, as it was deemed, for a season,
in their short-sighted judgment.
Mrs. Venn joins with me in every affectionate wish to
our friends. Mr. and Mrs. Barham have done for you
and myself, in the present kindness to you, only what
they have been doing, for a course of years, to a thousand
besides — every thing that can testify a most loving heart,
the very spirit and temper of the choirs above. We
shall expect to see the spirit that there reigns transfused
into you. The Lord, our compassionate Saviour, keep,
teach, comfort, and save you!
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS VENN. Yelling, Oct. 18, 1779.
My dear Eling, — Much were we all excited to
thankfulness by the good account we received of your
safe and agreeable journey to your excellent friends. I
was making my prayer to the Lord our God, and had
confidence he would hear and protect you.
Who can enumerate all the advantages of prayer? It
is designed, by our most merciful and gracious God, as
a relief, adequate to all the miseries we inherit, as the
sinful offspring of Adam. By prayer, our sight is re
covered ; and though born blind, we have the light of
heaven brought into our minds. By prayer, our fears
and painful doubts, as to our eternal state, are removed ;
and peace, and lively hope from the Holy Ghost, are
given unto us. By prayer, the several ordinances of Di
vine appointment are made effectual, to our great edifi
cation and growth in grace, and everlasting benefit.
Preaching, through the blessing of secret prayer, teaches,
quickens, warms, melts, and overcomes our hearts. Pub
lic worship is indeed an entertainment in the banqueting-
house of God, where His glory is felt, His presence
enjoyed, access to Him as a Father experienced, and the
overflowings of a heart, grateful for innumerable bless
ings, are poured out. By prayer we obtain the witness
;n ourselves that the Lord God interests Himself in our

SET TIMES FOR PRAYER. 213
welfare, secures us in danger, supports us in adversity,
and cheers us in the darkest hours ; fights for us against
our enemies ; reconciles us to His own will ; and is
training us up in knowledge, faith, and love, to His own
eternal kingdom, prepared for praying souls. Remem
ber, therefore, my dear Eling, that all good is to be ob
tained by real prayer, and defence from all evil within
and without. r
A word was dropped, the other day, from your dear
mamma, which struck me much. Speaking of some
person, she said, " She was always as recollected as
Eling, -when she came from Bedford." I instantly
thought of the cause. At Bedford, you had your set
time for prayer ; which, probably, you observed very
strictly, amongst those exemplary saints. At Yelling,
peradventure, not having a room to yourself, you might
be less attentive. I would have you watch, and always
examine yourself strictly, about this most important mat
ter. Remember, all, all depends upon this. None are,
none can be, exemplary, but praying souls ; who can no
more live without stated times of drawing near to God
than their bodies can live without food.
I write this to you after a slight attack, on Saturday,
of an ague or fever — I cannot say which. I am now
better ; but if it is an ague, probably it may return. I did
not know, when it came upon me, what it was sent to
do : however, I was exceedingly happy ; and though
¦willing, should it please God, to live a few years, for the
sake of my poor girls, yet far from unwilling to depart,
knowing in whom I have a never-failing, all-sufficient
Friend. — Our love to all the family with whom you dwell.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS VENN. YelKng, Dec 7, 1779.
My dear Eling, — Probably you are now at •

or have just returned ; and you may have felt your heart
too much wedded to the -world, when you -were in all
the affluence it can afford, and were led to imagine your
own lot hard; — so obstinately do we conclude the com
fort of life arises from fine clothes, fine houses, equipages,

214 RANK AND RICHES NOT A SOURCE OF HAPPINESS.
and the best meats and drinks. It is from this persuasion,
young and old are very fools and madmen. They will
neither hear reason, nor the voice of God, nor be con
vinced by facts nor by their own experience ; for reason
is in nothing more clear and indisputable, than that the
temper of the mind makes us happy or miserable — not
what we possess. Riches always make us think we have
a right to indulge ; and, bent on .self-indulgence, we can
never be satisfied : our wants multiply — our appetites
enlarge. The voice of God, loudly, in every page of
Scripture, assures us the happiness of man is in the
knowledge of our pardon — in the kingdom of God within
us, and the abounding hope of glory ready to be revealed.
Facts attest, none are so passionate, so peevish, so often
full of chagrin, as the opulent and great ones in the
world. Even Solomon, with the largest abilities and
most intense desire of making out his comfort from
things seen, cries out, in bitter disappointment, " Vanity
of vanities! all is vanity!" "Fear God, and keep His
commandments ;" this, in every station, is the whole
happiness of man, now and for ever. Our own experi
ence attests the same truth. The best days we ever
know, are those in which we can see something of the
glory of God, feel how vile we are, yet so greatly be
loved; when we are meek and kind, and full of good
will towards men. Such divine tempers and sensa
tions leave upon the countenance a heavenly signature —
please all beholders, and prove us conquerers over an
evil nature and a wicked world. This was the posses
sion of the Apostles. This was the glory of the poor
Nazarene. When the Almighty would become a man,
he would be no more than a poor day-labourer, to de
monstrate that the whole glory of man is righteousness
and true holiness. Happy are they who know and feel
this ! Their number is but small ; yet all religion, short
of this, will fail us in a trying hour — nay, leaves us at
present void of true consolation" and divine peace. May
God give you to see through all the deceitfulappearances
which dazzle and destroy so many !
I desire you would perform your promise, and write
out for me Mrs. Vaughan's letter, and send it me in your

BIRTHDAY ADDRESS. 215
next ; and frequently examine yourself very solemnly by
it. We must grow up to that spirit : our life is spared
to give us time to do so. I had rather be like Mrs.
Vaughan, and be in the lowest station, than be clothed
in purple and fare sumptuously, for a hundred years to
gether, without sickness or pain.
The Lord clothe us all with humility, that heavenly
dress, which is pleasing to Jehovah Himself ! — Your dear
mamma and sisters send their love.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS VENN. Yelling, Feb. 5, 1780.
This comes to your hands, my dear Eling, on your
birthday ; now of age sufficient to understand, and,
through the teaching of God's Spirit, both firmly to be
lieve, and be suitably affected with your condition. You
know you are born in a state of exile — at a distance from
your God, of whose wondrous name you hear from His
own Oracles, but are not yet permitted to see Him as He
is. Your life is continued, that you may become attached
to Him — be of one judgment with him — find your felicity
in His love, and the lively hope of eternal life in His
presence. I wish you a happy year, in considering your
self as none of your own, but the Lord's — His, not merely
as a creature, made and supported by His hand, but as
created again by an act of Almighty Power — rescued
from vile bondage — discharged from a debt which you
could never have paid — justified from a condemnation
that must have sunk you into the depths of hell — raised
to the privilege of prayer and praise, of obedience and
love to the Lord Most High, and thus already conformed
to the very disposition of angels in heaven.
I could wish you to be saying a thousand and a
thousand times to yourself, " I am none of my own — I
am the Lord's ! — Infinite honour, unequalled grandeur
of condition, is included in this relation! May I know-
how to set a just value upon it ! — I am the Lord's, to
have the benefit of His wisdom and unerring counsel. —
I am the Lord's, to derive from His might and power,
ability to do those things which by nature we cannot do,

216 " I AM THE LORD'S."
and get the mastery of our innate base tempers. — I am
the Lord's, to be preserved and defended by His tender
and ever-watchful care, in this world of pits and snares,
and seducing objects, and malignant spirits. — I am the
Lord's, to hear His voice, and treasure up His divine
sayings, refusing to listen to the suggestions of my own
deceitful heart, the maxims of mankind, and the false
promises which sensitive pleasure and gaudy appearances
are continually making to prevail over me. — I am the
Lord's, to do the work He has given me by the allotment
of His providence. This I am to be intent on discharging,
with all diligence, humility, and cheerfulness ; no less so
than if I had come down from Him, having received
from His own mouth an order, saying, " Go and employ
your time in the body in such a manner as I command
you : then shall you glorify me ; and, when your work
is done, I will confess you as a good and faithful servant,
before my Father and His holy angels." — " I am the
Lord's," may you say, not only to live, but to die unto
Him ! Having finished my education in His school, and
been made meet for inheritance with the saints in light,
at death I am to enjoy the summit of all my wishes, in
perfect knowledge and everlasting love.
Thus may our dear Eling be taught ; and thus reckon
herself to be alive to God, from the dead, through Jesus
Christ our Lord ! Then, in all the changing scenes of
this mortal life, will you be provided for. In national
calamities, you may greatly suffer ; yet not without solid
consolation, knowing the Lord — whose you are, and
whom you serve — sitteth above the water-floods, directs
their motion, and decrees their effects. In trouble, He
shall speak peace. When hurried away, alas ! by some
violent assault, or overtaken with a fault, His compas
sions towards you will not fail : He preserveth those that
are His. In pain, you will be cheerfully resigned, 'know
ing it is the Lord, who chasteneth all whom He loveth,
and scourgeth them. In the loss of earthly friends, how
ever dear to you, you will have a never-failing friend in
Jesus of Nazareth. This, therefore, is the whole my
heart can wish you. May you, living and dying, be me
Lord's!

DANGER OF LARGE POSSESSIONS. 217
Your dear mamma is somewhat better; and, with
your sisters, desires her love, and wishes you all that I
do on your birthday.
Mr. H. P  is now in possession of .£12,000 a year,
upon Mr. S  's death, who left him every thing.
Almost all who hear of this, are lifting up their hands,
and crying out, "Oh! what a glorious fortune!" Did
they believe our Lord, they would lift up their hearts in
prayer, that what with men is impossible — to have great
possessions on earth, and heaven at last — may, by the
Almighty grace of God, be made possible. Oh, how
abject are all our notions, when £12,000 a year sounds
in our ears as a heaven of delight, affording us ample
means to gratify our selfish nature ; and" when, at the
same time, peace with God, and likeness to Him, have
no beauty that we should desire them ! — I have been
thinking, if matters had been ordered so that Mr. S 
had died -without a will, and by this means Mr. P 
had gained nothing, yet it might have been said, " He is
dear to God, and an heir of glory" — how coldly would
this have been received ! " I hope he is so !" they would
have said ; " yet it was a terrible misfortune that the
young gentleman should lose such great possessions for
want of a will !" Thus is Mammon exalted above Je
hovah ; and the thick clay, which sinks the soul to earth,
above the Holy Ghost, which raises it to heaven! Our
love to our dear friends,
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS CATHERINE VENN.
Yelling, June 27, 1781.
My dear Kitty, — How kind and merciful has our
Heavenly Father been to you, in bringing you in safety
to Mr. Riland's! How much ought we to feel our debt
to Him, and love to His name ! I write to you, who are
now in a situation a good deal similar to that you will
be in when you can hear from me no more. Now, all
the advice you have received from me, and from your
dear mamma, you must put in practice ! — and I trust you
will! Rise always by seven. Be sure you do not omit
19

218 MRS. BARHAM.
prayer : and strive to pray in earnest, that you may be
of a meek and humble spirit, which is so pleasing to the
Lord, and to every one — so becoming to us, who are
very vile, and deserve nothing good. Yet are we natu
rally so proud, as to feel little obligation from our friends,
and to be ready to be out of temper at every thing that
thwarts our own will. The design of religion is, to cure
us of this vile disposition. Prayer in secret statedly, and
prayer frequently in our mind, whatever we are doing,
is appointed to keep us from yielding to our natural
temper, and to bring us to imitate the meek, humble,
patient, and loving Jesus, our Saviour, and our God.
This is the work of every Christian ; — and much every
Christian has "to do, to get the better of self. I assure
you, my dear Kitty, the watching, the prayer, the pains,
it costs me to get the better of myself,' and behave in
any degree becoming my profession, are much indeed.
But the victory pays for all. It is a glorious end to live
for, that we may be like God in our temper, glorify Him
for a few years on earth, and then dwell in His presence
for ever.
On m'y return, I spent part of two days at Bedford.
There I saw the faith, and patience, and love, of dear
Mrs. Barham. Nothing can be more dreadful than her
disease ! It is a cancer ; and one of the worst sort. Her
pain is sometimes extreme ; yet not a word, or a look,
discovers this. I prayed at her bedside ; and she is
never out of my mind. Mr. Barham, and her daughters,
partake of her spirit; and both grieve and rejoice on her
account. In this manner doth it please her Lord to try
her. But, in all her trials, she can look up to Him, as
an infinitely greater sufferer for her sins, that she may be
brought to Himself in glory! Oh, how desirable her
condition, upon the whole, even in such sufferings as
make the heart bleed to think of them !
Your mamma and sisters are all hard at work ; and
tell me they miss you much. I rejoice to hear them say
so; for to be of use and service in the family, is the
praise of every female. Now we are absent, we must
be particular in remembering each other in prayer. This
is the peculiar privilege of Christians ; and a great com-

ADORABLE DESIGN OF THE SABBATH. 219
fort it is, when we cannot see those we dearly love, that
we can effectually express, in humble, fervent prayer, the
good-will we bear them, and ask for them the richest
blessings. — All send their love. — The Lord of heaven
and earth teach, keep, and comfort you !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS CATHERINE VENN. Yelling, July 8, 1781.
Rising before any one in the family, on this blessed
day of Sabbath, I write to my dear Kitty, wishing her
not only to refrain from polluting the Lord's day by idle
talk, but to observe the day, as Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, and all the most illustrious persons have done.
I am at a loss to thank the Lord our God as He de
serves, for this means of holy education, and of instruc
tion in righteousness, and in the knowledge of all God's
wonderful works — of fixing at once the attention of
thousands of thousands upon the same objects, upon the
same adorable Benefactor — of engaging them all to make
a public confession, both of their own transgressions, and
of His unwearied goodness — of imploring a larger mea
sure of His grace, and of representing before Him, by a
general intercession, the wants and necessities of His
poor creatures, and our good- will towards them — of de
riving support and comfort to our own tried and troubled
spirits, whilst we are in this dark and miserable world,
from hearing, in His own House, His Oracles and pro
mises of everlasting love, and of a Rest for the people
of God, where their sorrows shall cease, and unmixed
happiness, such as angels know, shall be their portion !
These views shall fill every Christian, on the return of
each day of the Lord. Be at pains, my dear Kitty, to
prepare for this day : pray much and often, that it may
be a very high and honourable day in your eyes : lament
and complain before God, that your heart is naturally
profane, as was Esau's — that you are blind to the ex
cellency of things spiritual, but can feel, with exquisite
sensibility, every thing which strikes the eye of sense as
showy or pompous.
When I was of your age, I was, alas ! a mere pretender

220 RETROSPECT OF HIS OWN EARLY LIFE.
to religion. Though I constantly presented myself in
the House of the Lord on this holy day, I saw not the
glory of the Lord; I understood not His word; I did
not hear it when it was read ; I asked for nothing ; I
wanted nothing for my soul ; so foolish and ignorant was
I ! I was glad when the worship was over, and the day
was over, that my mouth might pour out foolishness, and
that I might return to my sports and amusements. Oh,
what a wicked stupidity of soul ! — I am astonished how
God could bear with me ! Had He said, " I swear thou
shalt never worship me, never ascend into the hill of the
Lord, nor see my face, who findest it such a weariness
to be at church, and art so proud and profane in thy
spirit ! No, dwell for ever with those whom you are
like — dwell with the devil and his angels, and all, that
have departed out of this life enemies to my name and
glory!" Oh ! had the Lord spoken thus unto me in His
displeasure, I had received the just reward of my deeds.
But adore Him for His love to your father! In this
state, He opened my eyes, and allured my heart, and
gave me to seek.Him, and His strength, and His face,
and join all His saints who keep holy His day — and to
be glad to hear them say, " Come, and let us go up to
the House of the Lord, and behold His fair beauty, that
we may love Him more, and serve Him better!" Nay,
more than this, He gave me your blessed mother for a
companion, who loved exceedingly the House and day
of the Lord ; — and repaired to you and to me her loss,
by another of His dear children, who sanctifies each Sab
bath with delight, and reverences the House of God with
her whole heart. Thus, instead of casting me into hell,
He has made me the father of one dear saint in glory ; and
of four more, all of whom, I trust, fear and love the God
of their father and of their mother ;— all of whom, I have
a lively hope, I shall meet in the courts above, in the
general assembly of the saints in Christ.
Now, my dear Kitty, for your improvement of the Sab
bath, and our own, and that you may not want matter
to fill a weekly letter, which is often the case with such
as yourself, I desire that you will send us the heads, or
some of the thoughts, in the sermons you hear, either

BIRTHDAY PRAYER FOR HIS DAUGHTER. 221
from dear Mr. Riland or Mr. Sanderson. This will be
of great use, to engage your attention more, and to
strengthen your memory, and to teach you to write with
ease. We are very thankful that you are well ; and still
more so that your dear godmother commends you, and
that you are well ; " though in the greatest hurry imagi
nable,' so as not to have time to write to your sisters
more than the fifth part of a letter ! There are many
inquiries after you. Your brother is come home. All
send their love.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS CATHERINE VENN.

To my dear' Daughter, C. Venn, on her Birthday, August 12, 1781,
entering on her seventeenth year.
Early in the morning of this anniversary have I been
mindful of you, and presented my poor but sincere
prayers at the Throne of Grace, in your behalf. It is the
pleasure and privilege peculiar to Christians to make
intercession for their children — to be looking up to the
Father of Mercies to bestow upon them what is neces
sary for their safety,, their comfort, and their usefulness.
I have, therefore, prayed this day for you, that you
might dwell in safety. My dear Kitty will not be at a
loss to know on what account she need to pray herself,
and to desire all that love her soul to do so top, that she
may be preserved ; for you know, I trust, what enemies
are ever working to destroy you : — your corrupt nature ,
is your most powerful enemy. Alas ! my beloved child \
from your father and mother you derived, as we did
from ours, and all from Adam, a self-seeking, a self-
pleasing spirit — a desire always to have your own way
and will ; not to walk in Jehovah's way, nor to do. His
will ; a violent love of praise and esteem, when we only
deserve shame and contempt — a love for ourselves mak
ing us utterly indifferent now the Lord Jesus Christ is
treated by mankind ; and little attentive to the sufferings,
distresses, and dangers of our fellow-creatures. Who
19*

222 SAFETY  COMFORT  USEFULNESS.
shall deliver you from this deep, extensive depravity of
your nature ? I pray unto Him who is able, who came from
heaven, and His high throne of glory there, to seek and
to save that which was lost. He can and will, upon
your calling, and lifting up your soul to Him. He will
create you again, after His own image — give you wis
dom and power to deny yourself, to do the will of God,
to love Him in sincerity, and to dwell in, love to every
one. Then you are indeed safe, and recovered from
that wickedness of heart which must have kept you out
heaven! I have prayed, also, that you, my dear Kitty, may
spend your days in comfort — not in show or dress, or in
abundance of the things of this world, but in solid com
fort ; knowing that you are accepted of God, and that
heaven is your eternal home. So our ever-blessed Sa
viour, when about to depart out of the world, told His
dearest friends: "I will not leave you comfortless: I
will come to you." " My peace I leave with you."
" Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
All desire comfort ; yet, young and old, rich and poor,
despise or neglect Jesus of Nazareth. They cannot be
lieve that the Crucified Man, who died under the hands
of his enemies, is the God of peace and hope : hence,
none in their natural state have solid comfort. One only
can give it! May the Prince of Peace comfort your
heart, by teaching you how much he has done and suf
fered, in order that he might eternally save every poor,
helpless, humbled sinner, who turns to him ! It is pure,
heart-satisfying comfort, to know that you have, in the
Lord of all, a companion, a counsellor, and a most fa
miliar friend — who will be ever present with your spirit —
who orders all your condition, whether you shall be sick
or well, lose or still enjoy the advantage of very dear re
lations. In a word, this alone is comfort — to have in
God a Father, to whom you can apply, and rest satisfied
with all His will.
But safety and comfort are not the whole I pray unto
the Lord to provide for your soul. Usefulness is the very
excellency of life. No man, in the real Church of
Christ, liveth unto himself. Every true Christian is a

DILIGENCE IN RELIGIOUS SERVICES. 223
tree of righteousness, whose fruits are good and ""ofitable
unto men. He is glad to help and to comfort others. He
is diligent and industrious. He speaks to edification ;
dwells in peace, and gentleness, and love. He reproves
what is wrong, by an excellent example ; and recom
mends, by his own practice, what is pleasing to God.
My dear Kitty ! how have you been distinguished by
the Divine goodness — distinguished in the place of your
birth, in the land of Gospel light — in your parents being
believers — in the example you have seen — in the in
structions you have received, and in the pains taken with
you. All these advantages you are to improve, not as a
task, but for your own enjoyment — God having insepa
rably connected our duty and our happiness. I figure
you, therefore, to myself, as maintaining a wise, discreet,
and godly conversation ; satisfied with the portion the
Lord divides unto His children ; acquainted with spirit
ual blessings ; filling up each passing day, so as to find
time too short for all you have to do.
We all join in the same good wishes. We shall be
glad to hear you are in health. Your fortnight is gone,
and we have received no letter : this has waited two
posts ; as I expected one from you. I am going to visit
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, both of them very ill. Several
other friends have been lately taken ill. Full of changes
is the world we are passing through ! Happy they who
stand upon their watch-tower, and are not surprised by
any thing that comes upon them unprepared ! Next
month, I hope to see you : but your mamma I cannot
prevail upon to stir. She has, indeed, staid so long at
home, that she cleaves to it. All send their love.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS CATHERINE VENN. Yelling, July 31, 1782.
My dear Kitty, — You have given me much pleasure
in writing so full an account of Mr. Riland's sermon :
you must have attended closely. Strive to be as attentive
under every sermon. Avoid, with all your might, a
trifling spirit in the House of God, and in your secret
prayer. Great is the gain which is sure to follow from

224 THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS.
being quite in earnest, and labouring against sloth and
laziness. On the contrary, no benefit is received from
making many prayers in a spirit of indifference ; no benefit
from hearing sermons, or reading God's most holy Word.
His Spirit is grieved ; our hearts are hardened ; we
bring religion into contempt, and not one evil temper
is ever conquered. Be bold, therefore, and of good
courage ; and press on, and strive to do all you have to
do with all your might. Let one improvement lead the
way to another. Fix it always in your mind, that you
are to answer the end for which you are born in the land
of Immanuel ; — it is, to follow His example, and be
made like Him. Had you seen Jesus from day to day,
when He was of your age, you would have seen him
very diligent in His work as a carpenter ; subject to His
parents in all things ; losing no time, but always em
ployed in some good work, when He was not taking His
necessary rest. You would have seen Him, as He says
Himself in the Psalms, at evening, and morning, and
noon-day, calling upon His Heavenly Father ; and that
instantly, or with importunity.
Oh, what an advantage for us, to have the rule of our
life and duty all plainly drawn for us in the practice and
example of one so dear to us — of one who, whilst He was
setting that admirable and sinless example, was labour
ing for our good — and with this very intention, that,
having won our hearts by shedding His blood for us on the
cross, we might take pleasure in treading in His steps !
For it is surely one of our sweetest pleasures, to copy
the manner of those we love, and by whom we are most
undeservedly beloved. Keep your eye, therefore, my
dear Catherine, fixed upon the Lord Jesus ; and pray to
Him that he would be your Counsellor, your guide, and
your most familiar Friend.
From your most affectionate father, H. Venn.

After these beautiful specimens of Parental Letters, we now re
turn to the regular chronological order of the Correspondence.

RELIGION THE BASIS OF SOCIAL DUTIES. 225

TO MR. EDWARD VENN. YeUinp, Dec "., 1779.
My dear Cousin, — This day I heard of your intended
nuptials with my cousin Charlotte, on next Tuesday.
From true affection for you both, every one of this family
wishes you every blessing that tender union was by Hea
ven ordained to give. You marry, as all should, filled
with mutual esteem, and unfeigned desire to promote
each other's comfort and peace every day; — a desire
which must never cease ; as there is no probability that
it will. Yet can there be no security, as facts prove,
without the love of God. As His power perpetually up
holds the whole creation, so a sense in the heart of His
adorable excellencies, producing a steady purpose to
please Him, is the only absolute security that we shall
not violate our social duties.
Paying the reverence and supreme veneration due from
us to our God, every one of His creatures (not the brute
part of them excepted) becomes respectable, as His. A
good man is merciful to his beast, because it bears fhe
impress of his great Preserver's hand upon it : how much
more to his fellow-creatures — to his servants — to his
children — to his wife ! Oh ! it is beautiful to see the
whole circle of good qualities kept in continual exercise,
and enlivened from a never-failing source — the love of
God — a source, the very same with that which angels
and saints in heaven drink from, who live in the likeness
of their God for ever. So far as this principle prevails,
domestic comfort, civil peace, and the blessings of
national prosperity are secured. May you both be in the
number of the happy few who possess this invaluable
treasure of Love divine ! — and, as that will prompt you,
often pour out for each other the most ardent prayers that
you may inherit all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus !
None but those who have made the trial (and I have, for
more than twenty years, myself) can conceive how this
strengthens and enlarges conjugal affeetion ; or with what
different eyes husbands and wives look upon each other
when they know their relation to the Lord, and are, in
earnest, candidates for the eternal inheritance — from

226 AN AGED CHRISTIAN,  MR. JOWETT.
what they must do, when they know no other connexion
than the transient one of passing a few years together in
this disordered world.
I am much concerned to hear your dear father is so
poorly. I have written to him by this post. Should he
come to town, and change of air be of use, I shall hope
to see him. When you can make an excursion, we shall
be glad to see you and our cousin here. Do you imme
diately carry your bride to your house in London, or stay
for some time at Camberwell ? This is a question the
females about me ask. — They all desire their most affec
tionate remembrances to you both.
From yours, very sincerely, H. Venn.
TO MR. HENRY JOWETT. Yelling, Feb. 26, 1780.
Dear Sir,  The sight of your venerable father, so
unexpected, revived and rejoiced my heart. An old dis
ciple, who has always walked uprightly, and been a
credit to his profession, is one of the finest sights upon
earth. What is beauty, but a snare ? what are parts, but
an incentive to pride and self-sufficiency ? what riches,
but the poisonous flattery of the mind, making it fancy
itself greatly benefited by the sordid dust of this earth?
But a circumspect and exemplary conduct, a steadiness
in principles truly Christian, is a distinguished blessing
to mankind — good in all relations. I could not help
looking on your dear father as on the verge of a glorious
eternity, soon to be admitted to see the Lord as He is, —
in whom he has believed, and whom he has loved and
obeyed. I have often thought of the justness and great beauty
of that Scripture-image of a fruit-tree, to represent the
children of God and the members of Christ. A tree is
itself a pleasing figure ; a fruit-tree, laden with its pre
cious produce still more ; and most of all, when its fruit
is fully ripe and fit for use. Exactly according to tlie
figure, a real Christian is lovely in his outset; more so
in his steady progress, unawed by worldly fears and
hopes, and uncorrupted by alluring objects of sense ; but
most of all, when in old age he bears testimony to thf

REGARD FOR HIS LATE FLOCK. 227
aithfulness of God's promises in Christ Jesus — that He
.vill be as the dew to Israel — and that the path of the
just shall be as the shining light, which shineth more
md more unto the perfect day. You are in your outset
— your beloved father in the close of his time in which
he is to remain in the Lord's vineyard on earth, ready to
be transplanted, to flourish in the eternal regions. Yet,
what a short space of time separates one generation from
the succeeding plants ! perhaps not half the age of man,
in the greater part. 
From your affectionate friend, H. Venn.
TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON. Yelling, March 10, 1780.
My dear Sir, — Your letter and its contents, which I
received on Wednesday, much surprised me, and made
me feel how unworthy I am of your regard for me, ex
pressed not only in words, but by your present, which I
will not in this case give you the pain of refusing ; though,
large as your family is, I must beg that you will never
again put yourself to so much expense.
When I last wrote to you, if I remember, I entreated
you not to' measure my Christian love for you (and the
rest of my people, to'whom I was made a messenger of
glad tidings) by my writing or not : for the truth has
been, all along, that were I to write to all my friends, I
should have no time for anything else ; and I was under
the necessity of dropping a correspondence so very large.
But this I can assure all my Yorkshire friends, that I never
forget my connexion with them, nor to pray for them in
secret, and in my family ; looking forward to the day
when God shall make up His jewels ; and many from
Huddersfield, I trust, shall shine as the sun, in the beau
ties of perfect holiness for ever. It has also been always
my desire, though not yet in my power, to see once more
the faces of those to whom I spoke so comfortably, dur
ing the time of my strength, in the name of the Lord.
Whether that desire will ever be granted, he only can
tell. But cannot you contrive to pay me one visit, as
dear Joseph Hirst has two, and stay as long with me as
your business will permit? I have been greatly com-

228 forted by his account of some of my dear people, and of
yourself in particular ; and greatly edified to see Joseph's
wisdom, steadiness, and sincerity towards God.
What you have heard of my poor state of health, is
true. I have had an ague every third day (with little
interruption) for five months ; which has reduced, a good
deal, both my strength and flesh, and has disabled me
from doing the little I was busied in before ; so that I
cannot any longer speak to my people in the kitchen, as
I was used to do. It may be, that my work is nearly
done. I am able to say, "Even so, O Lord! if it
seemeth good in thy sight!" All I desire is, whilst I
live, to be of some use ; and, in every step I approach
towards my departure, to behave as a standard-bearer in
the camp of Christ ought — to be not only patient, but
cheerful, thankful, and triumphant ; that the formalist
and profane, with whom I have been waging war, may
hear that I have finished my course with joy ; and my
friends in Christ say, " He lived unto the Lord, and died
unto the Lord." It is a matter of great thankfulness, and
yet of humiliation, that I receive several accounts of the
honour my God is putting upon my labours, poor as they
are. My "Duty of Man" is used by Him to open the
eyes of many. And I received a'letter, only last week,
to desire leave to publish a third edition of my Four
teen Sermons, first published in the year I came to dear
Huddersfield, 1759.
" 0 may we ne'er to evil yield,
Defended from above !"
Stand fast, my dear fellow-soldier, in the faith which
worketh by love ! Take notice, when you read, that our
Saviour and His Apostles speak much more against the
abuses of grace, and empty professors, than against open
sinners and scoffers. So does man's heart seek his own
ease, profit, and indulgence in some sin, that he will be
sure to pervert and abuse the doctrines of grace, in order
to have his will with the less upbraidings.
My son came of age yesterday. I am greatly blessed
in him. He is no great talker ; which I approve much :
his growth has been slow ; which is always a sign things

THE CHURCH, AND HER BELOVED. 229
are well weighed and considered. He is much respected
for his excellent conduct. So that I hope, nearly as soon
as I cease to teach and preach Jesus Christ, my dear son
will open his mouth, and declare the glad tidings, and
live himself a monument of the power and grace of
Christ Jesus our Lord.
From your much obliged friend, H. Venn.

In another letter to one of his daughters, Mr. Venn thus describes
his way of spending the day on which his son came of age.
-Last Thursday was a memorable day ; the day

your brother came of age. He and your cousin, Mr. Hey,
Tutor of Magdalen, Mr. Farish, and the two Messrs.
Jowett, came over and spent fhe day with us. I com
mended your dear brother in prayer to our God and Sa
viour, after praising Him for the preserving and restrain
ing grace by which he had been kept, and for the measure
of knowledge and faith he had received ; and then we
sang a hymn proper to the occasion. The day was a
pleasant one indeed to us all, principally in hope of sit
ting down together in the Kingdom, when I trust and
pray I shall have the company of my dear children for
ever, when they are wrought up to the fulness of perfec
tion in the presence of God and the Lamb !

The next letter introduces the name of a new correspondent —
the Lady Mary Fitzgerald, a daughter of the Earl of Bristol, and
wife of Edward Fitzgerald, Esq.

TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD.
Yelling, April 9, 1780.
Madam, — Two Scriptures I have had, for some weeks,
very strongly impressed on my mind, as entirely appli
cable to your case ; and I have not failed to offer them
up, both alone, and with Mrs. Venn, not doubting their
fulfilment to your precious and immortal soul.
The first (Cant. viii. 5,) is a very affecting representa
tion of the Bride, the Church of Christ, and consequently
of every one of the true believers in His holy name.
20

230 THE CHURCH, AND HER BELOVED.
Their present trying condition is represented by their
being in a wilderness — in a dry and barren land — a land
full of pits and snares — a dreary, gloomy land. Thus,
as Israel was led up through this perilous state to Ca
naan ; so we are to be exercised, and brought into cir
cumstances which call for divine support to bear them
well. Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness ?
The question is asked by the members of the Church,
with a tender sympathy for an afflicted sufferer, and also
with comfort and assurance for the grace exercised in
this case. Leaning upon her Beloved, not trusting to her
own vain reasonings, in matters which are much above
our understanding ; not attempting, by a philosophic spirit,
to calm her mind, or, from a consciousness of strength in
herself, labouring to make her way through surrounding
difficulties. These are not the weapons of our warfare.
The Church has a Friend and a Beloved. Abandoning
all hope of relief from herself, she not only looks to Him,
but finds Him very nigh, offering His all-sufficient arm,
with a look of more than parental love ; on which He
invites her to take hold, that in His strength she may be
carried through, and over all, with advantage, and even
matter of thanksgiving, in the end. — A beloved Friend,
known and tried, of tender feelings, and able to enter
into all that most affects us ; to whom we need not even
use a word to manifest what we would have, because He
perfectly conceives every desire formed within. — A be
loved Friend, who esteems Himself the more honoured
the more we lean upon Him, expecting no degree of
help from the creature ; and who, at the same time that
He upholds us by His arm, will speak to us by the way,
and tell us of His own sorrows and trials, and fears, and
cries, and agony, during the whole of His humiliation ;
pointing these out as proofs how fully bent He is to keep
us and preserve us, so that none shall be able to pluck
us out of His hand.
Such a friend, and such a beloved Friend, have you,
Madam, found, through the adorable and special grace
of the Lord towards you. Aiad whilst you are walking
in the dreary path, He is with you, infusing unconquer
able strength, and sweet acquiescence, under the stroke

EVERLASTING STRENGTH. 231
of His holy hand, repeated several times in a short space.
But what are our sharpest sufferings, compared with the
honour of such a friendship ! Thus, in considering your
Ladyship as exactly in the case above described, coming
up out of the wilderness, leaning on your Beloved, I have
received comfort and assurance you are, and must be
blessed, even under your afflictions.
The other striking Scripture which, in my mind, has
been connected with your case, is the command given to
the children of Christ : Isaiah xxvi. " Trust ye in the
Lord for ever ! for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength . . . Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is staid upon Thee ; because he trusteth in
Thee." Such a positive declaration, from such a mouth,
what authority and power does it carry with it ! What
a full proof, that very particular care is taken, from the
Divine foresight, of the several calamities and distresses
his children are to feel! And full provision is surely
made for their long-suffering, when everlasting strength
is to be. their place of refuge : when Divine veracity is
engaged to keep the mind, (as a city is kept by a brave
garrison which strikes terror into the enemy,) however
besieged with outward troubles, in peace. Not that this
peace extinguishes the most pungent feelings of anguish.
It did not in the Captain of our Salvation. He poured
out prayer and tears; and though His trust was un
shaken, His soul was full of trouble. Though this is a
paradox to the world, the children of God understand it,
and know it to be true ; just as they can suffer torturing
pain of body, yet the peace of God rules over all that is evil.
I am praying now — as I am sure I should be the
basest of men did I not — that my approaching interview
with my London friends may be of some use ; — that they
who are so attentive to my welfare may receive some
thing for the comfort and growth of their souls, under the
word I may be able to preach. For though, adored be
the grace of God, I always do wish to profit my hearers,
yet I cannot but wish especially to speak some good to
those to whom I am exceedingly indebted.
. I was, a few days since, greatly encouraged by a
young farmer, who was educated for a higher form of life

232 ACCOUNT OF A LADY WHO SWALLOWED A PIN.
at the University, and came to settle, three years ago, in
my parish, a perfect infidel. He is now going to be a
steward in Ireland: and said, in company, lately:
" Though I have lost more than £200 by my farm here,
I shall never repent my coming. I have gained at the
church what is worth more than the world." — Yet was
my wretched, unbelieving heart vexed at his coming,
and the removal of the farmer he succeeded. I have had
several conversations with him ; and trust, though he
will neither hear nor see many Christians where he is
going, the Lord Jesus will be his Prophet, Priest, and
King, for ever !
To that adorable Lord I commend you ; and remain
your very much indebted friend, H. Venn.
TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. Yelling, July, 1780.
Madam, — I received your ladyship's letter in due
time ; and write now to give you, I am very sure, a plea
sure in perusing the epistle I am going to transcribe,
after I have acquainted you with some circumstances re
lating to the writer of it.. She is a lady of family ; and,
when about nineteen years old, was dressing, in the
bloom of youth, for the county assembly, when instantly
all the gay ideas which filled her mind, and all the flat
tering prospects, were changed into painful terrors of
death and judgment, by the accident of swallowing a pin.
Fearing that the consequences might be fatal, she looked
upon herself as called upon to prepare for death, and
began to do so. It was not long before she had an op
portunity of hearing the Gospel, which came upon her
mind as the showers that water the earth. The love of
Christ Crucified constrained her; and for near thirty
years she has been a shining light, laying herself out, in
every way in her power, for the benefit and salvation of
her fellow-sinners. I am not myself so happy as to
know the Lady, though intimate with some of her very
near relations.* Hearing this letter read, I desired a
* This lady was Miss M. Vaughan, daughter of Admiral Vaughan,
who had a seat near Haverfordwest : she was a member of the Moravian,
Church, and sister of Mrs. Barham of Bedford. See p. 212.

ACCOUNT OF A LADY WHO SWALLOWED A PIN. 233
copy, and, as I think it very excellent indeed, I transmit
it to you. It is as follows : —
" When we come with our whole heart to stand before
the Saviour, we shall see our own corruption so great,
that we shall think every one better than ourselves ; and
therefore we shall be such poor worms in our own eyes,
as to bear to be pushed about on all sides, and bow and
bend to every thing. We shall take whatever befalls us
patiently, and be in a state of submission to every body.
Our own deficiency will so fill our eyes, that we shall
not be able to see that of other people. We shall love
every creature for His sake who made them ; and shall
have the mind which was in Christ — a desire of minis
tering to others, rather than of being ministered to our
selves. We shall wish to serve all the world ; but shall
desire no service from the world ; knowing we deserve
none. We shall wonder at the kindness and love shown
to us, feeling ourselves unworthy of it : much more shall
we be sometimes in astonishment, to consider that our
Saviour should love and suffer so much for us. We
shall look at Him on His cross and weep. We shall
look at our own hearts as the cause, and then weep
again ; and our whole attention will be to Him and His
service. Thus viewing Him, the world lessens in our
eyes more and more. We feel our time too important
to be taken up with any thing in it. We have nothing
to do here, but to serve Him in love, and watch against
the sad remainders of our corruption, which so frequently
remind us of our sinful condition. This is tiie proper
state of a soul entirely attached to Jesus ; the sweetest
name that ever was heard !"
I know, Madam, how much these are your own feel
ings and views. How exceeding great the power which
can implant, and cause them to increase, in hearts so
opposite to them as ours are ! What a marvellous trans
formation of character was effected by the swafjowing of
a pin, which became to her a loud call to prepare to die !
But for this, dress, equipage, visits, cards, pleasures, as
they are called, in quick succession, would have en
grossed her immortal mind ! Instead of wisdom flowing
from her lips, a continual effusion of idle talk ; — instead
20*

234 LADY SMYTHE.
of an example of meekness and heavenly affections,
haughtiness and love of pre-eminence would have reigned
in her ; — instead of many won by her life, and relieved
in soul by her instruction, and comforted by her bounty,
there would have been many confirmed in folly and de
lusions deadly to the soul, by her conformity to their
practice and the fashion. Here is the truth and reality
of Redemption, seen and felt in its incomparable fruits !
— an anticipation, in some measure, of that state we are
training up for, when we shall be perpetually dead to aU
that is selfish, and be filled with all the fulness of God.
I am very happy that you are much acquainted with
my honoured friend and patron, Lady Smythe : and how
should I be transported, if the day of her deliverance
from the spirit of fear, which has pain in it, were come !
It is indeed hard work to hold on in the narrow way, in
opposition to the world, without the light of God's
countenance, and the pleasures of His holy service.
I see, by the papers, Dr. Knowles has written upon
the Passion of the Saviour. I hope he has found his life
in those tears, and groans, and wounds, and agony, and
death. It is rare for a Doctor in Divinity to exercise his
thoughts upon such a subject. How is the remembrance
of that adorable Redeemer gone out of this land ! May
we consider ourselves as witnesses for His despised
truth and salvation ! We shall soon, from being amongst
the few, stand with the vast multitude, whom no man
can number, before the Throne of God and the Lamb. —
Mrs. Venn begs her best respects.
From your much-indebted servant for Christ's sake,
H. Venn.

In a life of such even tenor as that which this Memoir records,
an event now occurred of great comparative interest. Mr. Venn
had long desired to revisit Huddersfield ; ten years having nearly
elapsed since he had left it; but various hindrances prevented the
accomplishment of his wish. The next letters describe the circum
stances of the visit, and some striking occurrences connected with it,

TO MR. EDWARD VENN.
Yelling, Sept, 14, 1780.
My dear Nephew, — Though I have lost my ague since

INTENTION OF REVISITING HUDDERSFIELD. 235
the 9th of, July, yet I have but little strength. I am
therefore" advised to try riding by short journeys, and
change of air ; for which purpose I intend setting out
next week for Yorkshire, and shall be absent two or three
months. Mrs. Venn is afraid of the journey ; and chooses
rather to stay with my daughters. If this journey does
not help me much, I am to try Bath waters.
Thus I am taking a great deal of trouble, at much ex
pense, to recover the health of a body impaired and old,
and which, after all, can stand but a few, a very few
years. But what do we not owe to our Immanuel, who
opens a transforming prospect before us, when our body
is decayed? He is present with us, to cheer the mind,
and prevent the gloom which would otherwise oppress
it ; and to assure us, that we shall immediately, by death,
join the vast society of spirits perfectly free from all
error and all sin — all living in. the light which will not
admit of disagreement — knowing the truth, and behold
ing each other's heart full of boundless love to God, and
to every angel and saint around them — active, without
fatigue, like the Great Father of the family — and ap
pointed to the most noble exercise of immortal faculties,
without the least corruption or abuse of them ; all being
incessantly employed according to the will of their adora
ble Author; when, instead of seeing human nature, in
ten thousand instances, so depraved as to make us blush
we are of the human race, we shall see it exalted and
honoured, without spot or wrinkle upon it.
Such, my dear nephew, are my prospects. — Though I
love my family, and have from each of them much satis
faction, and would do all to make them comfortable, yet
neither wife nor child can fill me with regret, should I
pass into eternity before we have lived much longer
together. I write this to you in the openness of my heart, that
you may see godliness is indeed great gain. Oh, it is
worth a thousand worlds, to be ready to depart, and to
finish our course with joy.
From your affectionate uncle, H. Venn.

236 FAITH'S TRANSPORTING PROSPECTS.
TO MISS JANE VENN. Halifax Oct. 11, 1780.
Tell your beloved mamma, my dear Jane, that the
account of her cheerfulness and good health has made
me rejoice ; and without any alloy, save such as absence
from her must cause. I now take pleasure in the won
derful scene passing before my eyes. By this expression,
I mean the very great degree of affection so many are
expressing for me ; and the delightful account I hear of
so many souls walking in the light, and living in the
love of Christ. Would it not bring tears into your eyes,
to hear one after another, with a countenance full of love,
declare they have reason to bless God for ever, that they
had heard my voice ?
Last Sunday, I preached at Huddersfield twice. Fifty
minutes was the length of the first sermon : fifty-three of
the second. No vociferation at all, in the first: in the
second, very little. The church was more than filled in
the morning : in the afternoon, several hundreds were in
the church-yard, and hundreds went away. The gallery
was so loaded, as to crack and give way during the
prayers ; but was, by bringing a strong prop immediately,
kept from falling. This vast congregation was silent,
and still as possible. After sermon in the afternoon, I
was less fatigued than I could have supposed possible,
considering how very hot the church was. The hymn
was admirable : and every creature joined. It was a
picture of heaven.
You can hardly conceive the care they all express for
me ; and desire I may not preach more than will agree
with me. When, from the pulpit, I beheld so vast a
multitude in and out of the church, I was very awfully
struck with this idea — what dreadful consequences must
follow should the man they make so much of, fall into
wickedness ! How would the ungodly triumph, the
weak be stumbled, and the Christians mourn in secret !
Pray for your father, my dear child ! that God, for His
own truth's sake, may give me. to persevere in His good
ways. Terrible is the falling away of any who make
profession, and act quite contrary to convictions !
A lady here, Mrs,  , thus relates her own sad case :

MR. VENN REVISITS HUDDERSFIELD. 237
" Madam, once Mr.  and I were both in the right
path. I drew him into the world again. I am now the
most miserable of beings ! When I lie down, I fear I
shall awake in hell. When I go out, full dressed, and
seem to have all the world can give me, I am ready to
sink under the terrors of my own mind. What greatly
increases my misery, is the remembrance of the dying
speech of my own sister ; who told me she had stifled
convictions, and obstinately fought against light, to enjoy
the company of the world. ' Sister,' said she, ' I die
without hope. Beware this be not your own case !' —
But, indeed," said Mrs.  to the lady, "I fear it will!"
Pray, my dear children, for singleness of heart, and for
such a revelation of the excellency of Christ Jesus as
will leave no place for halting or dividing your affections.
May they all centre in Him !
You will like to know what my subjects were at dear
Huddersfield. The morning was, Psalm xix. 12 — 14 :
the afternoon, 1 Cor. iii. last verse. I am to preach, if
well, next Sunday, at Dewsbury — I parted this morning,
with Mr. Richardson, of Howarth, who asked very kindly
after you all ; and with Mr. Wilson, of Slaithwait, who
gave your brother an excellent character, for his be
haviour at Hull. — Let me know if Mr. Jowett can serve
Yelling longer than the four next Sundays. You must
order in a fresh supply of coals. Oh ! what fires have
we here ! You are a Yorkshire lass : you need not be
ashamed of your county. My best love to your mamma,
your brother, and sisters.
The Lord be with you all, and if it please Him, give
us a joyful meeting !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. Yetting, Jan. 24, 1781.
My very dear Friend, — Yours of the 3d instant was
a most acceptable letter. I was afraid, when compelled
to refuse your kind invitation, and deny myself a very
great pleasure, you might be uneasy at it; for where
there is love, even Christian love, there will sometimes
be a little stirring of jealousy : yet I assured myself that

238 JOURNEY INTO YORKSHIRE.
you knew well there is scarcely a man in the world with
whom I have so much intimate communion as with your
self; consequently, I should with exceeding joy have
visited you in your own habitation, and at the head of
your flock — with your very excellent partner, to see her
keeping in good order all the matters in her own pro
vince. Glad indeed should I have been, to have con
firmed the word of your testimony, and proved to your
people how exactly we agree in our manner of preach
ing Christ Crucified ! To all these pleasures I should
have added the sight of some of your excellent fellow-
labourers, and of my old, venerable, and much-loved
friend, Mr. Adam. But if you had heard how perempto
rily the doctor forbade my travelling so late in the year ;
and considered what pain Mrs. Venn and my family
would have felt, if all my absence from home, and ex
pense, had been frustrated by imprudence at last ; you
would conclude I had acted wisely.
But since, in Providence, I was disappointed of my
visit to you, you shall read a good deal of what I should
have told you in your own house. — It had long been my
wish once more to see the people who were called, by
the grace of God, under my poor ministry. For this I
had offered up many prayers; but I little thought my
long ague, and the wasting of my strength, was to be the
immediate cause of obtaining my wish. The second day
after I left home, the excellent Pastor of St. Mary's, at
Leicester, met me ; and we had sweet conversation
together: indeed, he is always doing good — wise,
learned, zealous, yet very judicious — sound in moderate
Calvinism, yet truly practical and experimental. His ene
mies have their mouths stopped ; their revilings having lost
all their impression. I could see him, when I was walk
ing with him through the streets, revered by young and
old, and in many countenances a joy at the sight of his
person. Oh! there is a divine influence very perceptible
in every one whose whole heart is intent upon exalt
ing God, and bringing the poor sinners to His own Son
for life ! From him I went to Mr. Walker's at Rother-
ham, an old disciple, living, with his wife, and some of
his children, in a spacious mansion, surrounded by a large

RETURN TO YELLING. 239
village filled with his own manufacturers, and built by
him for their use. He has a love unfeigned for our God
and Saviour. There I staid two nights: and the next
day I dined at Thornhill with our friends ; and saw our
dear Powley. The day after, which was Friday, I
reached Shaw Hill ; and, passing through Elland, en
gaged to preach there the Sunday following. This was
presently known in that populous country ; and I met
with a great number from Huddersfield, in the House of
the Lord. After Service, we saluted each other ; and
our meeting was exceedingly tender and affecting. They
were cast down, to see me so thin and weak, compared
to what I was when I left them. But the Yorkshire air,
and constant riding, soon gave me a good appetite and
good sleep, through the Divine blessing. I had strength
to speak thirty times in the nine weeks, without hurting
myself. Nothing can exceed the kindness and love all
my friends showed — and the joy they expressed at my
visit — and the good, many persons said, they received.
I could not but bless God for dear Mr. Olerinshaw. I
heard an excellent sermon from him in the Chapel at
Bierley ; which gave me the more pleasure, because of
the loss the people sustained upon your removal. From
Halifax I travelled lo Birmingham ; and saw our honest
and highly-favoured brother, in his unintermitted atten
tion to the work of his ministry. I had an opportunity
of speaking five times, in eight days, to his very numerous
congregation. I left him on the Monday, December 10 ;
and arrived safe at home the Friday following, laden
with mercies, to see my family in peace. Oh, that my
health restored, and life prolonged, may be more useful
than ever ! I have again my people in an evening— a
third of the village — to bear the Word. of God, twice or
three times a week, not without comfort and a blessing.
I am persuaded, if our strength will bear it, we must
work in the week-days. Pray remember me most affec
tionately to Mr. Adam. Now my health seems restored
and my life a little prolonged, pray for me, that both
may be of some use to my family, friends, and the Church
of God!
Mrs. Venn, my son and daughters, with myself, send

240 AFFECTION BETWEEN MR. VENN AND HIS LATE FLOCK.
love to you both. May you be wiser — stronger in body
and mind — more useful — full of peace and joy in be
lieving — all athirst for Christ, and for a rich participation
of His salvation ! How truly happy shall we soon be in
Him, when we go hence !
From your own affectionate friend, H. Venn.
P. S. What a length of writing! Some men would
sooner ride from Hotham to Yelling than write it all.

The following letter was written, during his journey home, to
one of his Huddersfield friends ; and records a pleasing testimony
of the affection and gratitude they still cherished for their late
revered Pastor.

TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON,
Birmingham, Dec. 9, 1780.
My dear Friend, — Our bodies are again far distant
from each other. Not so our souls : — they are, I trust,
bound up in the bundle of life, with the Lord Our God ;
and are nourished by the same heavenly food, taught by
the same unerring Spirit, made glad through the same
joyful tidings, and intent on the same work — to serve
and please the Lord. Faith realizes Mhese things; and
gives us all to look to the gathering together of the
saints in Christ, when Pastors and Teachers, with their
people who received the word, shall all know as they
are known.
So many were the mercies, and so great the kind
nesses of my dear Yorkshire friends, that I shall not be
able, whilst on my journey, to take a due survey of them.
When I am at home — which, God willing, I purpose
being on Friday next — I shall be quite lost in wonder,
that such a one, as I know myself to be, should ever be
so highly esteemed. Indeed, it was much my desire
and prayer, that I might, once before I died, bear afresh
a testimony in favour of the practical and experimental
knowledge of Christ, and Him Crucified, by which all
the good that is done upon earth is done hy the Lord. I
have had many precious opportunities of so doing ; and
verily believe it will be found, in the Last Day, that my

HIS SON TAKES HIS DEGREE. 241
visit was not in vain in the Lord. How much do I owe
to the esteem and love of my friends, that they have
taken such ample care that all the charges of my journey
should be defrayed, and much more; — not that I de
sired, with much truth I can say, any-gift, but fruit —
the fruit of more grace, faith, and love, abounding in
their souls.
Pray give my love to your dear mother and wife.
Happy was I to see you all so united, and living in the
fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost !
Remember me to Joseph Hirst and Barbara, William
Scholefield, and all friends. — The Lord Jesus be with
your Spirit !
From your friend and pastor in Christ, H. Venn

In January, 1781, Mr. John Venn took the degree of Bacheloi
of Arts. The event is thus noticed :
• My son has taken his degree. He was very much

embarrassed and agitated in mind, through excessive
fear — a terrible hindrance to him in expressing himself,
when examined. He has not, consequently, obtained
so much honour as he would otherwise have done. The
Examiners assure my friends he deserved a much higher
place. My design is, that he shall stay one year at Col
lege, till he is ordained, to employ his time wholly in
proper study and much prayer, as I have reason to think
he will.

TO MR. JOHN VENN. -
Yelling, March 18, 1781.
My dear Son, — Yesterday, I had a melancholy ride
to  to visit Mr.  , dangerously ill in his bed. He
sent for me. Oh, how has he smarted, and been in terrible
fear, for having loved the company of the ungodly, and
given into their evil ways! He was very weak; and
some of his relations were with him ; which prevented
my speaking so closely and particularly as I should other
wise have done. I had a little enlargement of heart in
in prayer and a good deal of comfort in comforting his
21

242 scholars too often selfish.
poor afflicted wife, who has long been serving the Lord.
Nothing is more pleasant than such- employment as this ;
and it is always followed with the cheering influence of
the Holy Ghost in the soul.
My ride home was very different from my ride thither,
in the frame of my mind. " He went about doing good :"
this is the pattern for every Christian. He is a counter
feit one, who does not strive to imitate it. The strength,
the alacrity, the joy of the soul, is connected with this
imitation. Religious people are heavy and moping, and
cast down, principally because they are idle and selfish.
The active, benevolent spirit of watching for opportuni
ties to do essential service to our fellow-creatures, they
often feel no more than the profane. What then avails
notions and doctrines, believed to no good purpose?
More especially, I look upon it as the great sin and re
proach of scholars, that they almost universally neglect
their fellow-creatures. They are lamentably selfish :
they make no use of their learning, and the influence it
gives them, and their ability to teach, as they should do
every day, in setting forth the great things of God's Law,
and pleading the glorious cause of God against the world
and all the deluded votaries of pleasure.
Were it lawful to wish, I should wish for strength to
work and labour more ; for I am not yet able to preach
in the week-days. Remember me to all friends. The
Lord Jesus be your spirit !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MRS. BRASIER.
(ON THE DEATH OF AN INFANT.) Yelling, March 27, 1781.
Dear Madam, — Be pleased to thank my cousin for his
letter. — In reading of your loss, I felt for you both ; but
more especially, as there appeared something of a doubt,
whether you could say, with full assurance, the child
is blessed. I have known several Christians troubled
with doubts on this head : and few things have appeared
to me more strange ; — for we may say, with truth, What
could God have done, more than He has done, to prove His
love for the infants of the human race ? They were always

SALVATION OF INFANTS. 243
admitted to be members of His Church. A regard for
them, he mentions as* a reason why Nineveh, in which
there were so many thousand infants, should not, as
Jonah desired, be destroyed. The Saviour himself em
braced and blessed them. Again : not a soul is destroyed
for ever, but for wicked works ; they are hypocrites,
they are unbelievers, they are impenitent to the last,
after warnings, admoniti6ns, and calls, &c, who perish.
But what works have infants done, that are evil ? Some
are ready to say, for Adam's offence they perish. The
Scripture says, they die a natural death on that account ;
expressly mentioning, that they have not sinned after the
similitude of Adam's transgression, but never that they
suffer the pains of Hell. Now, can such a thought be
reconciled with the character of God, drawn by Himself;
as, " slow to anger, and of great kindness ;" as swearing,
He hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner ? — It is
His strange act to punish. Nothing but a contention
against His government to the last, an impious denial of
His G0SPelj °r a base, hypocritical assent to it, draws
down His vengeance. Be assured, from such evidence,
that our dear children, taken away almost as soon as we
see them, are safe in the hands of their merciful Creator
and Redeemer.
My sister gives us a good account of your health,
and Mr. Brasier's ; and of your little John. Be jealous
of yourself, with regard to him. He will be much as
you fashion him. Dread nothing so much as self-will.
Do not tire arid burden him with religion, of which he
can bear but a very little : but ready submission and
obedience, and temperance in eating and drinking, with
out which the body and mind must suffer, he can very
well and observe.
Mrs. Venn and my family, who are in good health,
desire their love. In three weeks I may probably just
catch a sight of you ; but, as I can be only one Sunday
from home, it will not be in my power to do more than
call. My health is very much restored ; yet I am forced,
I think, to pay dear for it. I am obliged to be on horse
back every day, and cannot study and apply as my heart
delights to do. I began to make trial of preaching four

244 LETTER OF CONSOLATION.
times one week ; but I smarted for it more than a fort
night ; so that I must be content with doing very little
indeed in my old age. Oh that I may enjoy more me
ditation and prayer, and communion with God, till I am
with Him, whose Name is most glorious in my eyes, and
His service the highest honour !
My sister Patty desires her best respects to you both.
I tell her she looks very old : but that word old she can
not yet endure ; — yet to be old in the faith, is to be near,
and on the very borders of, joy eternal. Oh for an over
coming faith, to possess the inheritance of the saints. in
light, by hope, before we are translated to it !
From yours very affectionately, H. Venn.
TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. Yelling, 1782.
Madam, — I waited a long time, for several reasons,
before I would write. The shock you felt required time
for recollection. Human advice, or exhortation, is of
little value, when sorrow must have its vent. I wanted
also to be informed of the full extent of your affliction :
yet, though I deferred addressing you so long, I did not
sin against Christian affection, so as to forget your fiery
trial, or cease to join the many supplicants to God for
your afflicted soul. You have been always in my mind,
both when with my wife and with my family, as well as
in secret prayer : and, in numberless ejaculations, your
case has been spread before the God of hope, whose
mercy and help go far beyond the utmost sufferings of His
children. Once in particular, when my dear Mr. Ber
ridge was a visiter, and bowing his knees with us, I in
deed cried unto the Lord to give you strength and con
solation in the furnace.
I must add, what will certainly give you pleasure and
cheer your soul, if it does not also surprise you. Your
heart loves to do good ; and fears, as we ought, nothing
more than being of little or no use in the world. You
would say, " Welcome sorrow, and every kind of tribula
tion, if by this means I may be of service to any soul !':
Be assured, from your distress, I have learnt more than I
ever knew before. I knew before, how salutary and

OUR TRIALS OF USE TO OTHERS. 246
blessed to the sufferers themselves all corrections are made,
at last, by that heart of love which ordains them ; but I
did not know how much good a Christian is doing to the
Church, even at the time when her grief and anguish
of spirit are the greatest. Yet then it is that her Christian
friends are stirred up, as the Prophet was by Hezekiah's
representation of his extreme distress, to lift up their prayer
with importunity. Then it is we feel more abundantly
the sweet affection of soul — a sympathy most real ; so
strongly described by the Apostle, when he says, " If one
member suffer, all the members suffer with it." Then it
is we are led more deeply to consider the use, the ne
cessity, the certainty also of a happy end of all our trials,
-when those who are most dear to the Lord are so deeply
exercised. How many of your friends have now seen you
taking refuge in the sure mercies of David, and been edi
fied by the filial fear of your heart, lest you should be
found impatient and untractable under the rod ! How
many have been led to consider and believe the friend
ship of Jesus to be, of all things in the world, the most
desirable, from the fruits you have enjoyed from it !
Thus, as the faithful, when they suffered bonds and im
prisonment, and gained the crown of martyrdom, became
much more the objects of notice to the Church — had the
benefit of its prayers — quickened, convinced, converted,
established many more than they would have done by
their holy life ; so it is now, when a member of Christ
is brought into great tribulation : our attention is arrested
and fixed ; our friendship is much interested ; we re
ceive, with peculiar advantage, instruction from their suf
ferings ; we listen to the sayings which drop from their
lips ; and are animated afresh, with the hope of being
gainers ourselves, when we shall, in our turn, be tried in
the fire.
The concluding months of the last year are memorable
in my life. Not only was your ladyship in great afflic
tion, but several of my friends. I went from one house
of mourning to another ; and was seldom two days at
home for several weeks, but riding from one place to
another. The Scripture was fulfilled : " The house of
mourning is better than the house of feasting." I was
21*

246 A PEACEFUL DEATH-BED.
eye-witness to our Lord's love, and unsearchable riches
of grace.
One intimate friend— called under Mr. Berridge twen
ty-two years since, but chiefly attending my ministry,
because so much nearer — died honourably indeed ! He
left his beloved wife, and four young children, without
reluctance. " I have more than peace," said he ; "I
have joy! Sing with me a hymn!" The hymn was this : —
How happy is the Christian's fate !
His sins are all forgiven ;
A cheering ray confirms his hope,
And lifts his soul to heaven.
Though in the ragged path of life
He heaves a mournful sigh,
He trusts in his Redeemer's name,
And finds deliverance nigh.
If, to correct his wandering steps,
He feels the chast'ning rod,
The gentle stroke shall bring him back
To his forgiving God.
And when the welcome summons comes,
To call his soul away,
His soul in rapture shall ascend
To everlasting day.
Thus have I seen a Christian depart ! — " 0 world ! pro
duce a good like this !" we may boldly say; and then it
shall have our best affections. Till then, may we be
only for the Lord !
Another most encouraging reward I received two
months since, in the comfortable and joyful departure of
a farmer's wife — Mrs. Papworth, of Elsworth. When
she first came to Yelling, four years ago, I observed her
deeply attentive, as one who was hearing for her life.
She came five or six times after ; but every relation being
much against it, she could not come oftener. When she
was upon her death-bed, the fear of death, and sense of
sin exceedingly distressed her ! on which account she
desired her husband would ask me to visit her. I did
so ; and pointed out the cause and cure of the fear of
death, which had full possession of her mind. Then a
short prayer was offered up : three declarations, from the

DEATH OF MRS. PAPWORTH. 247
mouth of the Lord, of His willingness and ability to save
all who call upon Him, were repeated ; and then a short
prayer for the application of them, which (oh! never
enough to be admired condescension !) were made effec
tual. Her doubts were all gone ; her soul rejoiced ; she
spoke with a new tongue; she preached to her husband,
her sister, her relations. She told them they were all
wrong — that Jesus Christ was all. She said : " You see
the change ! What do I feel ! I would not come off this
bed for all the world ! Mr. Venn told me the Lord would
put a new song into my mouth. He hath done it
already ; and I shall sing it for ever." Then, laying her
hand upon her breast, she repeatedly said, " Blessed Je
sus ! Blessed Jesus ! Thou wilt receive me !" Tears and
astonishment in her husband followed. The scoffers were
struck dumb ; and her husband desired I would preach
a funeral sermon on the occasion. The text was (Acts
xiii. 38,) " Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that
through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of
sins;" and the following verses. Many came out of
curiosity, when the Lord always overrules for good to
some souls. How small are dignities, estates, crowns,
to this privilege of seeing men brought to enjoy heaven
on earth, and testifying it with their dying breath ! What
manner of persons ought we to be, who partake of this
wondrous love ? Let not your heart be troubled ; nei
ther let it be afraid. Thy truth, Most Mighty Lord ! is
¦on every side. How shall the courts above ring with the
praise of the salvation of our God !
Your ladyship, I hear, is now released from your at
tendance on the Princess : but in the courts of the King
of kings you will always stand, and wait and admire,
and enjoy His beatific smile. Let me entreat you not to
think yourself at all obliged to answer this letter. I could
wish you were in health to do it ; but it would give me
pain should you write one line, so poorly as you are.
The dear sisters will let me know, from time to time,
how you are in health ; and I shall be assured the Lord,
whom you serve, is always with you.
The week after next, I purpose setting out for Bir
mingham, to bring home a daughter, who has been there

248 PRAYS FOR USEFULNESS IN SOCIAL INTERCOURSE.
eight months, to see what change of air would do ; and
our good God has recovered her. I shall speak to thou
sands before I return, of the Name of Jesus. Oh, pray
for me, that my testimony may be clear, bold, and
effectual, through His own power!
Pray remember me to your two noble sisters. Hope
to the end, for all your relations. It is an enemy only
who opposes this hope. " The last shall be first." It is
worth all the pain we can ever feel, to have it removed
Dy a smile from our Saviour — and all tears wiped from
our eyes, by His hand, whom angels adore. That will
soon be your glory ! To Him I earnestly commend your
soul. Your ever indebted, H. Venn.
TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ.
Yelling, April 13, 1782.
My dear Friend, — If it will be convenient, we pur
pose to bring my daughter Jane to your hospitable house,
on the last day of this month — in the evening. We shall
be ourselves at my brother Gambler's. We have been
.n alarm since I last wrote to you. My son was ill of a
fever at College — as bad a place as a jail, to be sick in.
Most happy was I to get him home, upon the first leave
from his physician ! Under the anxiety I felt for him,
when ill, he told me I ought to have no will of my own
— he was perfectly resigned to live or die ; for he had
given himself up to the Lord, to be His for ever ; either
life or death, therefore, was equally welcome to him. He
stayed at home a fortnight: and the bark being blessed,
and no relapse, on Monday he returned to College. It
was a great comfort to me to see the respect paid to him,
when ill, by the Master, Fellows, and all his compa
nions in College. A good report from them that are
without, is one of the requisites in a candidate for the
ministry. We are now praying, that the visit we are soon to
make to our kind friends and relations may be profitable
to our souls, like the visit of Mary the Mother of our
Lord to ber cousin Elisabeth — that the Incarnate Saviour
may be the chief subject of our discourse — that we may
encourage and warm each other's hearts, to live less to

A PRESENT OF BOOKS. 249
ourselves, and more to Him who died for us and rose
again ; and be speaking so one to another, that even the
Lord Himself may hearken and hear us, His elect chil
dren, talk with a new tongue, and edify each other.
Parents have peculiar delight in viewing the accomplish
ments of their sons and daughters, in listening to their
excellent and wise observations, and in seeing the ex
pense of their education well repaid in their improve
ment : our Heavenly Father represents Himself no less
pleased with the tongue of the wise, by which knowledge
is spread ; and by tiie lips of the righteous, by which
many souls are fed. I particularly am concerned, in
gratitude, to pray that those who have so undeserved a
love for me, and give so many proofs of it, may reap some
spiritual advantage from my ministry. My time must be
short here. I am feeling the decay of my strength, so
that I cannot labour as I once did, and speak with much
less force. A Christian would have his lot as the Lord
is pleased to appoint it. It is right and fit the children
should suffer in some measure, as their Saviour. How
did He feel bodily weakness and pain, before He tasted
death ! May we ever sing,
" Ours the cross, the grave, the skies," &c.
From your affectionate friend and pastor in Christ,
H. Venn.
TO MISS RILAND.
Yelling, Nov. 14, 1782.
My dear Miss Riland, — Accept my congratulations
on your return to your dear parents from school, after so
good an improvement of the time you spent there.
Hence we are naturally led, with pleasure, to conclude
your attention, to all that is peculiarly becoming and ex
cellent in your early years, will increase.
You have received from the Blessed God, an active
mind ; and reading, I am assured, is an entertainment
to you. I beg, therefore, your acceptance, as a keepsake,
of averycelebarted work, entitled, " Nature Displayed."
This author will bring you acquainted with a thousand
won'lers, which surround us on every side. He will

250 excellence of the bible.
prove to demonstration the adorable power, wisdom, and
goodness of our God, in the preserving, framing, and
providing for all animals ; and point out the way of be
holding God, with great delight, in every thing which
contributes to our safety, health, and comfort. In read
ing this author, you cannot help admiring the strength
of his piety : and what we admire, we soon, in a mea
sure, contract. "Nature Displayed" was written by a
French divine.
The Meditations and Contemplations which I send
you are the fruits of Mr. Hervey's pen — the most extra
ordinary man I ever saw in my life ! — as much beyond
most of the excellent, as the swan, for whiteness and a
stately figure, is beyond the common fowl. These
thoughts deserve your most serious regard. You may
look upon them as you would upon Aaron's rod, by
which such wonders were wrought : for these thoughts
have been made the means of giving sight to the blind —
life to souls dead to trespasses in sin ; and winning the
young, the gay, the rich, to see greater charms in a Cru
cified Saviour, as your own dear parents do, than in all
that glitters and dazzles vain minds, How happy I shall
be to hear Miss Riland say, "How tender, affecting,
and irresistible, are the pleadings of Mr. Hervey, for his
adored Immanuel!"
The Moral Lessons which I have sent you are much
admired. They are written by a physician, still living
at St Alban's. His name is Cotton. You will find many
sensible lines, and beautiful representations of virtue and
benevolent tempers, in his work : yet there is a lament
able defect! — his virtue and benevolence are of the
Heathenish stamp, they have no relation to our God and
Saviour. You will receive with these, also, our famous English
Dictionary. Such books as these are entertaining, and profitable in
qualifying us for conversation with each other ; and
afford a very pleasing amusement. There is one book
already in your study, which an old writer addresses as —
" Thrice blessed volume ! Thou are the great deposit,
once delivered to the saints! Thou are the mean by

education for heaven. 251
which Jesus Christ keeps intercourse with His Bride on
earth ! Thou are the Charter of all the Church's mer
cies, and of our hope through eternity!" You will im
mediately say, "This is my Bible." It is! Glory be
to God for this Book ! Yet it is full of dark sayings : con
sequently, dull, and even irksome to read : — this must
be allowed. But there is a Divine Teacher, given to
all, who, before they read this Book from Heaven, ask
Him from God. May you every day desire this Teacher !
and say, " Open Thou mine eyes, that I may see the
wonders of Thy Law !" So I began. So your honoured
father and mother began, many years ago ; and the Book
that was dark, and of little use, is now our delight,
sweeter than the honeycomb — more than all manner of
riches. You will find the same success, by reading,
with prayer, a small portion of the blessed word of God :
and when you once understand and believe it, you will
have an evidence, in your own mind, that you are a
daughter of the Lord God Almighty, an heir of glory, in
a state of education for the happiness of heaven. And
when the appointed time comes, that your dear parents
must leave you, to go to their God whom they have
loved and served, you will still remain most nearly re
lated to them in Christ, and live with them for ever in
His presence.
That this may be your portion, is the earnest prayer
of your sincere friend and godfather ! H. Venn.

SECTION IV.

NATION, TO THE YEAR 1788.
On the 22d of September, 1782, Mr. John Venn was ordained
Deacon by the Bishop of Lincoln, on the title of his father's curacy.
To this event the father had been looking forward, for many
years, with ardent hope and ceaseless prayer. But the son during
the same interval, was frequently suffering distress, under a deep
sense of his own unworthiness for the sacred office ; and had at
one time even abandoned the thought of undertaking it. It is no
uncommon circumstance for young men of religious sensibility to
suffer in the same manner. They more particularly, who have been

252 HIS SON HESITATES TO ENTER THE MINISTRY.
habituated to the contemplation of a high standard of ministerial
excellence, are apt to despair at the contrast suggested by their
own inferior pretentions. Yet that very humility, which at first
oppresses them with fear, may be the the germ of future eminence
in piety and usefulness. The case before us was an instance of
this. Many of my readers may therefore be interested, and some
may be comforted, by the introduction of a letter written by Mr.
John Venn to his father two years before he was of age to take
orders, in which the misgivings of a tender conscience and self-
diffident spirit are affectingly exhibited. The letter was sent to Mr.
Venn whilst he was paying the visit to Huddersfield, which has
been already mentioned.
The father's answer is also added.

FROM MR. JOHN VENN.
Yelling, Oct. 18, 1780.
My very dear Father, — The natural reservedness
of my temper, and the fear I had of giving you pain in
your bad state of health, prevented me from opening my
whole mind to you at Yelling; especially as the subject
was of the last importance, and required all the time and
attention I was able to bestow upon it. But, since you
have always treated me with a peculiar and undeserved
tenderness ; since I know how much you are interested
in whatever concerns me, far above the common feelings
of a parent ; and since you have kindly desired me to
look upon you rather in the light of a friend than a
father ; I think it is my duty, without reserve, to disclose
to you the whole state of my mind ; — which I now do,
as in the presence of Almighty God, divesting myself, as
much as lies in my power, of all reserve, of all disguise
and of all undue bias of the mind whatever.
For some time past, but especially since February last,
has my own unworthiness for the blessed office of the
ministry appeared in a forcible and convincing view. 
My poor abilities, and small share of faith and grace
may, perhaps, through the infinite clemency of God, ena
ble me to glorify Him in the humble walk of a private
Christian ; but the weighty and important charge of the
souls of others is what I dare not presume to undertake.
I speak" as in the presence of Almighty Gocf who sees the
depths of my heart, and who will be my Judge hereafter

his son hesitates to enter the MINISTRY. 253
The office of the ministry I esteem as far more honour
able than any employment relating to temporal concerns
can be ; but, at the same time, the danger is proportion-
ably great, and the importance of it tremendous. Ever
since I had a thought of it, my prayer to God has been,
that He would take the matter into His hands. I begged,
for His Name's sake, that if He, who alone could see into
futurity, and who alone knows the temper and disposi
tion of men, judged me improper for the work, I might
never be suffered to profane it. I begged, that if this
reluctance was from Him, He would increase and con
firm it : but should it be a temptation, as you seemed to
judge, or should it proceed from the deceitfulness of the
heart, I entreated, for the glory of God, and the sake of
the prayers of many of His saints, that it might never be
suffered to prevail. I can call God to witness, that, as
far as human imperfection allows, I have been sincere,
and faithfully waited on God, to know His will; — and
surely, He would never suffer so many prayers to be in
vain, and in such an important matter, too, who hath so
repeatedly said, "Ask, and ye shall have?"
Much, for seven months, have I suffered, bewildered
in my mind with suspense, and harassed with the pros
pect of surrounding distress ; but all that I have felt, or
thought, tends only to confirm me in the opinion of my
own insufficiency. At present, indeed, I enjoy a calm in
my mind ; which, I trust, is the effect of prayer, and a
resignation to God, by reflecting that the matter is in His
hands : but still I see more fully and more strongly than
ever my own incapacity. I well know I am not to look
to myself, but to God, for assistance. I well know that
God is merciful to our errors ; but I dare not therefore
presume upon that mercy, in matters where I am before
warned by a foresight of these errors ; especially since
the weakness of a minister, unlike that of other indi
viduals, has effects dreadfully general. Your partiality
and tenderness for me may cover a multitude of faults,
which, to the eye of an all-just God, appear in their
proper colours ; but I see my temper and disposition
such, and my infirmities and weakness so great, that, as
I would answer it at the bar of the judgment-seat of
22

254 his son hesitates to enter the ministry.
Christ, I cannot undertake this holy employment. Next
to the awful concerns of eternal things, nothing could
have given me more joy than the fulfilment of that plea
sure which you had always promised yourself, in seeing
me a fellow-labourer in the ministry. The prospect of
your disappointment has, indeed, filled me with a sor
row I cannot express; and, were it not a matter which
will affect my soul far beyond the narrow bounds of time,
I would be content to suffer misery in this world, that
you might be made happy. But filial affection ought not
to sway in matters of conscience ; and I am persuaded
you would suffer more from seeing me discharge impro
perly that sacred office, than, from a due sense of my
own unfitness, decline it.
It is true, I see much distress in every line of life. I
see misery, and grief, and bitterness, unavoidable, and
such as makes my soul shrink back with horror ; but I
dare not bestow a thought upon that, as an inducement
to comply with what my conscience disallows. My great
support is, that I can, in the most solemn manner, appeal
to God, the searcher of my heart, that I have not, know
ingly, had any sinister end in view — that I have laid fhe
whole matter upon God, sincerely begging the guidance
of His Spirit, and to do His will — that I have reason to
believe the present determination to be His will — and
that my conscience has not aught to accuse me of, in this
affair: and then, if it please God that I must endure
much distress and sorrow through the rest of my life 
He knows best, and is merciful — His will be done !
You, my dear father, have prayed for me incessantly,
from the hour of my birth. You now see a. necessity,
stronger than ever, of the most fervent prayers in my
behalf: and may God give you an abundant spirit of
prayer suited to the occasion ! — I have not an unfeeling
heart : and I anticipate with exquisite keenness the
shock you must feel from this declaration. Judge, then.
the distress of mind I have long endured. — Once more
I beg you to pray for me earnestly !
I am your ever dutiful son, John Venn.
P. S. I have had this letter some time by me ; but it

255
required much time for consideration. I shall stay at
Yelling till I hear from you, in answer.
TO MR. JOHN VENN.
Huddersfield, itk Nov. 1780.
My dear Son, — Your letter has never been out of
my mind since I received it ; and after much attention
to its contents, I, upon the whole, cannot but be thank
ful — not for your trouble and smart, but for many other
reasons. Those whom God peculiarly loves, to them He disco
vers their guilt and vileness — their miserable, depraved,
and helpless condition : consequently they must feel their
own insufficiency, and, at first, often in a very afflicting
degree. Would to God every young man intended for
the ministry were penetrated, as you are, with abiding
convictions of his own weakness and ignorance, and
manifold corruptions, so as to tremble at the thought of
being employed in the very high and holy office of a
Preacher of Christ, and a Pastor to his sheep ! Yet
when, in peculiar mercy, this just estimate of ourselves,
and of the ministry, is given, are we to ascribe it to na
ture or to Grace ? — to Satan or God ? — to pride or hu
mility? — as a necessary qualification to enter into the
office, or a prohibition? It is granted, that all you
allege on this head is true : but if of force in your case,
it holds equally against every one who would enter into
the office, or is already in it ; because every one is in
sufficient, is extremely vile, offends in many things, and
can never say, "There is nothing wrong to be seen
in me."
But, whilst you look upon yourself in the true light, as
a miserable sinner, you forget the very merciful inten
tion of the Redeemer, in which He secures to Himself
the glory. It is, we are taught, that the excellence of
the power may be seen to be of God, that such worms
of the earth are intrusted with the dispensation of the
truth in Christ.
You have also lost sight of the compassion and faith
fulness of the Redeemer ; and continuing to do so, you
can never have strength or comfort in any employment.

256 REPLY TO HIS Son's SCRUPLES.
You must sink into despondency, whilst you have any
regard to yourself, and wait to see your abilities or faith
sufficient. Now this is your case, though by yourself
unperceived, for you write thus: — "My poor abilities,
and small share of faith and grace may, perhaps, through
the infinite clemency of God, enable me to glorify Him
in the humbler walk of a private Christian ; but the
weighty and important charge of the souls of others is
what I dare not presume to undertake." Here, it is plain
to me, you have some trust in those abilities and that
faith ; and were both greater, you might then, without
presumption, undertake to preach and teach Christ : — ori
the contrary, no sort of confidence is to be placed in any
thing we have ; but all, in the power, grace, and faith
fulness of the Lord, to them who call on His Name.
You also, unperceived to yourself, limit the Holy One
of Israel; — for you say: "I begged that if this reluct
ance was from God, He wTould increase and confirm it ;
but should it be a temptation, as you seemed to judge, I
entreated it might never be suffered to prevail. And surely,
He would never suffer so many prayers to be in vain,
and in such an important matter too, who hath so re
peatedly said, ' Ask, and ye shall have.' "
But hath God any where promised to grant any of our
requests in that way and manner we may choose to pre
scribe? Certainly He will not; when the mode we fix
on would lessen our dependence on His own blessed
word, were our request granted ; for his word alone is
given to be our director in matters of duty. But you do
not ask the Lord, my dear son, to direct you into what
is duty, by His own word, but by some impression made
on your mind. Supposing now, your great reluctance
to the ministry, on account of your great insufficiency,
were removed ; then you would be well satisfied God
called you to it. But how very fallacious is this, and
very wrong! For do not the best find very great re
luctance against doing what is plainly required of them ?
and are they from hence to conclude they must not act
till the reluctance is taken away ? The word of God
loudly condemns this aversion to a good work (which, it
tells us, the office of a Bishop is.) His word calls upon

257
every man to be filled with love to God, and at aent zeal
for His glory and the salvation of sinners. This is equally
and indispensably necessary in every private Christian,
and in every minister: only, ministers are employed in
a public manner to do this, which private Christians are
not. But, besides this, Providence, in a very remarkable
manner, has done every thing to prove you are destined
to be a preacher of Christ, by His own will ; — for did
not God give me, and your dear mother (now a saint in
heaven,) desires, the hour you were born, to set you
apart to His service, with never-ceasing prayer? Has
He not ordered your education for that end ; and inclined
you to make choice of it, six years since ? Has He not, in
the judgment of all, endued you with very sufficient
abilities ; and even given you grace to live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in the midst of the most daring
impiety and open lewdness ? Has He not even made
you useful, young as you are, to your serious acquaint
ances ? Has He not brought you into such circumstances,
that you can follow no other profession, nor engage in
trade, nor surely join the navy or army ? Has He not
evidently thus directed your circumstances, which all
call upon you, as- a matter of bounden duty, to be what
you have been destined and brought up for?
You are afraid, lest, through you, one soul should
perish. But do you think the salvation of immortal souls
is left to such a hazard ? or that a young man, who has
such a fear upon his mind, is ever likely, by his prin
ciples or practice, to be a stumbling-block of iniquity
in the way of any ? Will not this fear stimulate and
keep the soul attentive to duty ? The vicious and proud
and idle are charged with the blood of souls — not those
who have any knowledge of their worth, and love for
them. Further ; supposing (which the good Lord forbid should
be the case !) you do not enter the ministry ; have you
no fear of the much greater snares and temptations to
which you must be exposed in every other way of life ?
For there is do situation so advantageous to a man, who
desires to please God, as the ministry ; because here all his
22*

258 REPLY TO HIS SON'S SCRUPLES
business coincides with his Christian calling : in any other
situation, it has a strong tendency to make and keep
him earthly. Here he is regarded as a witness for the
Truth, and a maintainer of God's cause. It is expected
he should rebuke vice, and speak with wisdom and
piety. His very profession keeps him out of the company
of ungodly men, and connects him with the saints of God,
who will help him by their prayers and by their conver
sation. Much cause, indeed, have you to fear, should
you reject the evident design of Providence in your whole
education — lest, like Jonah, you run away from the com
mandment of God, desponding of success, without cause ;
or looking upon Him as an austere man, and therefore
desire to 'be excused serving at His altar !
When you have followed your present gloomy and
unreasonable resolution, will you be able to clear your
self from such a heavy charge as follows ? — You were,
in the judgment of men wiser and older than yourself,
well qualified for the work — you were made deeply sen-
¦ sible of its vast importance, the necessary preparation to
discharge it aright, and to make you cry for help, day
and night — you knew Christ the Way, and might have
called many to Him for their salvation — you saw sinners
dying around you, for want of faithful preachers ; and
had even resojution enough to plunge yourself into the
most perplexing circumstances, to the unspeakable dis
tress of your whole family, sooner than do what you sup
pose to be wrong ; — yet, after all this evidence of God's
designation of you to, and fitness for, the work, you
would refuse, merely because you thought you never
should have grace given you sufficient to discharge the pas
toral office ! How can you reconcile this with your duty ?
What is presumption, if such a conduct is not? With
what reason can you expect the blessing of God, when
acting so directly opposite to the manifestation of His
will concerning you, in His own providential appointment ?
" Much, for seven months," you say, " have I suffered.
bewildered in my mind with suspense, and harassed
with the prospect of surrounding distress ; but all that I
have felt, or thought, tends only to confirm me in the
opinion of my own insufficiency." — Upon this I remark

REPLY TO HIS Son's SCRUPLES. 259
that would you open your mind more to those who are
certainly able to direct you, and had you written to Mr.
Berridge, or Mr. Robinson, or myself, you would have
used the proper means, and probably it might have
pleased God to have blessed them for your relief: for,
as too much reservedness is contrary to the social and
affectionate spirit so pleasing to our Maker, it is no won
der it should always bring with it its own punishment ;
neither is it any wonder that you, raising, much higher
than the Scripture does, the sanctity and the abilities
necessary for a due discharge of the pastoral office, should
be more .and more convinced you are not sufficient.
Young men are naturally prone to carry their ideas, in
every thing they are engaged in, beyond the truth. But,
granting you do not, in this matter — all you have thought
and felt is no more than both Scripture and the history
of God's most eminent and faithful ministers teach us
they have known. How very backward were Moses
and Gideon ! How did Jeremiah see his own insuffi
ciency, when he cried out, " I am a child ! I cannot
speak!" How did he, even after years spent in the
office of a Prophet, express his reluctance, to our great
surprise : " Thou hast deceived me ; and I was deceived ;"
t. e. I had never been a Prophet, hadst Thou not hid
from me what I was to go through, in being one. I
scarcely know one who has ,been remarkably successful
in winning souls, and in a holy life, but he has felt what
St. Paul did — weakness, and fear, and much trembling,
in view of the difficulties and dangers. But be not
afraid ! you are not to go to the warfare at your own
charges. The Great Head of the Church is to be your
Counsellor. He is to hold you, as a star in His right
hand. Though not sufficient of yourself to think a good
thought of yourself, your sufficiency is to be of God.
But this qualification for the ministry, more necessary
almost than any other — I mean, a deep sense of your own
insufficiency — necessary to make you speak with con
sciousness of your poverty, ignorance, &c. — necessary to
teach you how to speak a word to the weary and tempted
soul — necessary to" make you take pains, and give your
self wholly to these things, that your profiting may ap-

260 REPLY TO HIS SON'S SCRUPLES.
pear — this very blessed qualification you turn against
yourself, contrary to the Divine intention in it. Faith
in Christ is always, at first, a venture, in opposition to
doubts and fears : — but who ever ventured, and was dis
appointed ? When the Lord is more fully revealed to
your soul, you will see and find in Him more than all
you can need, for acceptance, strength, comfort, and use
fulness. And what delight will you then experience, in
holding Him forth to poor guilty sinners, as all their sal
vation and yours — all their desire and yours.
You write : "lam persuaded you would suffer more
from seeing me discharge improperly that sacred office,
than, from a due sense of my own unfitness, decline it."
Here again, your gloomy thoughts represent the matter
to your mind in the falsest colours. Do you apprehend
I should (if life be spared so long) make no allowance
for youth ? Do you imagine I should expect more from
you than I see in all serious young men who have a
single eye to the glory of God ? or that young men are
to be compared with pastors well improved by years in
the service of Christ ? — I am apprehensive you may com
pare yourself with such ; and, concluding you are very
short of them indeed, therefore decline the office ; or, be
cause you may suppose so much is expected from you,
pride, without your discovering it, may work much
against your soul, and create much reluctance in you to
come forth. What must I think, when your intimates,
Wilson, Garwood, Jowett, &c, have so good a testi
mony of their attention to the ministry, and do so well,
that you, no less serious and exemplary than they, should
turn your back upon the blessed employment ? Had I,
or your dear mother now in glory, any other motive to
have you a minister than the very best ? Indebted, beyond
expression, to His grace and love, we longed to have
them published abroad ; and for that only purpose, and
the salvation of your own soul, did we wish it might
please God to give you abilities and disposition of heart,
such as He has evidently bestowed.
I have written thus, to show you how much I ponder
upon your present condition, so distressful! I have
nothing more to add, but a few requests, which I do

261
most earnestly beg you would grant me. The first is,
to think of nothing so much, next to your walk before
God, as the matters which you are to be busied about,
till you take your degree. 2dly, That you would not
reason with yourself : — only pray that you may not do
any thing rashly. 3dly, That, as a very young and in
experienced man, you would remember it is a plain duty
to pay a due regard to the elders of the Church ; and to
persuade yourself you can never be so proper a judge in
your own case as very excellent and godly, and wise
and aged men in the ministry can be for you. Lastly,
Remember, though you are at present distressed and full
of unbelieving fears, when the Lord comes to you, as I
have no doubt He will, then darkness will become light
before you, and crooked things straight, and rough places
plain. To His tender mercies and guidance I fervently
commend you, and remain your affectionate father,
H. Venn.

The tone of this letter may seem to want, in some degree, the
usual tenderness which characterizes Mr. Venn's parental letters.
The fact was, that he regarded his son's state of mind as too much
influenced hya morbid sensibility; which it was necessary to coun
teract, by the exercise of parental firmness and authority.
The considerations urged in this letter, and in many subsequent
conversations, tended gradually to remove the fears and scruples
of his son; so that at length he was enabled to devote himself to
the service of the sanctuary, with a cheerful confidence in the
gracious acceptance of his labours by the great Head of the
Church. I need not remind my readers how abundantly those
labours were afterwards owned and blessed, in the very important
sphere in which he was placed.
In the letters written about this time, I find the first mention of
the much-honoured name of Charles Simeon. His entrance into
holy orders preceded, by a few months, that of Mr. John Venn.

TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET.
Yelling, Oct. 9, 1782.
My very dear Friend, — Your goodness, in inquiring
so affectionately about us all, has spirited me up imme
diately to take my p^n. Often have. I remembered you ;
and been thankful for your mercies, in dear Mrs. Stilling-

262

ordination of his son.

fleet's health, and in your own and son's health. He is
a great trust committed to you both; but with joy I can
believe his parents will not be blinded with fondness,
and cruel enough to cherish in him the plague of a fallen
spirit — self-will. I have no doubt he will be educated
under a mild, steady authority. Happy lot for the child!
Happy for the parents ! Much have I seen to lament, in
many who make a profession ! Their children are law
less, or miserable under an iron rod. My poor pains and
constant attention to this matter, how graciously hath the
Lord rewarded ! My children are now my companions
and friends, obedient, affectionate, and, amongst earthly
things, my chiefest treasures ; — if they are to be accounted
amongst earthly things, who are immortal spirits, and
joined in fellowship with the Church, and with whom 1
hope to spend an eternity in the presence of Immanuel.
Till that period, we must be companions in patience and
in sorrows ; one or other of us frequently sick, or in pain,
or taking leave, and parting from each other.
On the 22d of last month, my son was ordained ; and
on the Sunday before last preached his first sermon to my
people, on the feast-day. His text was, " Who is able
to save unto the uttermost, &c." It was extraordinary,
for a young man's first attempt — I will not call it an Es
say ; — for it was very Scriptural, and full of Christ. He
stayed one week : and now, by the advice of our Hippo
crates (Dr. Rait,) is gone to visit his relations and friends
in town. And if he does not recover his health, he is to
try Yorkshire air ; — and the very idea of being with you
makes him smile.
He has had much to try him. Nothing could have
been a greater disappointment to him than not being
chosen Fellow of his College ; after the Master made an
apology for not choosing him last year, even before a
senior ; and after two of the Fellows told me he was a
sure man. Yet, from circumstances with which my son
was only indirectly con lected, his prospect of success
was reversed ; and whether he will now ever be chosen
is very doubtful. By this trial, he is taught to know
more of the heart of those who are in trouble; and to

MR. SIMEON : HIS GREAT ZEAL. 263
speak to them, not by hearsay, and awkwardly, as I did
for some years.
My small parish is very much altered for the worse,
within these few years. Three farmers, in whose fami
lies there were some hopeful hearers, are removed ; and
a fourth is upon the point of removing. They have been
succeeded by men of a very profane spirit : scarcely will
they ever come to church. To this add the departure of
a few, in the faith of Christ, I trust. I preach therefore,
now, to a handful of people indeed ! However, I have
cause to bless and adore God, that I can and do cry unto
Him, to awake, and glorify His word ; and wait in hope
He will, before it is long, come down and work mightily,
for His own Name's sake. Much I am encouraged to do
so, by an account I have lately had, from good hands, of
the wonderful success Mr. Maddock has had in his min
istry at Creaton, a village in Northamptonshire. Hun
dreds, I am told, in his neighbourhood, now love the
Lord Jesus in sincerity. Whilst I continue, therefore, to
plead His own promise, and feel compassion and bowels
of mercies for my poor people ready to perish, I have
hope. Miss Hervey pleased me much with the account of
your congregation. Glory be to God ! If you find the
building or repairing a house a sad damp upon your soul,
it ought to teach us how to pity the multitude who
labour or trade' for their bread. I am sadly defective in
that blessed temper !
On Trinity Sunday was ordained Mr. Simeon, Fellow
of King's College. Before that day, he never was in
company with an earnest Christian. Soon after, he was
visited by Mr. H. Jowett, and my son, and two or three
more. In less than seventeen Sundays, by preaching for
Mr. Atkinson, in a church at Cambridge, he filled it with
hearers — a thing unknown there for near a century. He
has ^been over to see me six times within the last three
months : he is calculated for great usefulness,- and is full
of faith and love. My soul is always the better for his
visits. Oh; to flame, as he does, with zeal, and yet be
beautiful with meekness ! The day he was a substitute
for Mr. Atkinson, he began to visit the parishioners from

264

BUT FEW ARE SAVED.

house to house. Full of philanthropy was his address .
— " I am come to inquire, after your welfare. Are you
happy?" His evident regard for their good disarmed
them of their bitterness ; and it is amazing what success
he has met with ! Let us hear soon from you, and some
good news of souls converted from darkness to light in
dear Yorkshire. A letter from Hotham is a joyful sound
to all my family. When you see your brother, pray re
member me to him. Love to Mrs. Stillingfleet, yourself,
and son, from all here. Yours, &c. H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. 24th Dec. 1782.
My dear Friend, — I mourn at the relation you send
me of your own village : yet be not discouraged. Many
years since I was much struck with that passage of St.
Paul, " If by any means, I may save some." " Some,"
said I to myself; "why not all? why not many?" Long
experience now has taught me, that a few only do, in
fact, believe to the saving of their souls ; even where the
Gospel is faithfully delivered by a man of God, whose
life and example add weight to all he teaches. How
lamentable this view of the Church visible ! Still, to be
in any measure a mourner, and an earnest supplicant for
those who are destroying themselves — to be grieved for
the injurious treatment our God and Saviour every day-
receives from His reasonable creatures, who are baptized
into His Church — affords a solid satisfaction. In this
temper, we are conformable to the Prophets, Apostles,
and the Son of God. The world rejoiced, and were gay
and thoughtless, in all their provocations and dangers ;
but these retired, and wept in secret for their pride and
their delusion. I am apt to think, that till we are deeply
affected for the multitude who are profane, or evidently
dissemble with God, we shall never be able to look with
desire for our dismission. When Elijah wished to die,
it was from, a survey of the wide-spreading idolatry in
the children of Judah.
Six weeks ago, an unexpected opening at St. Neot's
tempted me to undertake, with the help of my son, the
supply of that church ; from whence the curate had been

ARMINIAN AND CALVIMSTIf: DISPUTES. 265
suddenly called away. The offer, on my part, of doing
it gratis, was, to my surprise, readily accepted ; but so
long has the church been deserted, and all worship of
God given up, that even curiosity will not bring them to
hear ; and, in a .morning, not one hundred, out of sixteen
hundred are to be seen at church ! In less than an age,
things proceeding in the present train, our churches will
be like those now at Jamaica. A lady, who was for some
time there, assured a friend of mine, that they were not
used in the country. The doors were opened, and the
bells rung : but neither the people nor priest attended.
So doth Atheism advance with horrid strides !
My son's health is still far from established. You are
very kind and partial to him. I learn from him with
grief, that there is a spirit of debate got up amongst the
ministers in the West Riding, about the Arminian and
Calvinistic doctrines. The enemy certainly doth thus
gain much advantage ; and no good can debate ever
produce. Living and working for God, and to save
souls, is the only way of knowing more and more of His
truth, and His salvation.
W  came last month to college, and immediately
began disputing. My son told him how greatly he had
longed to see him, that he might receive a blessing from
his company : " But you," said he, " entirely disappoint
me : and I will ask you only one question : Do you Jove
the Lord Jesus Christ more, and pray more, and feel
more life and comfort in your own soul, since you have
begun to dispute about these points?" To this he made
no reply.
Last Wednesday, Mr. Berridge preached to my peo
ple. How gladly could I have wished for you ! Mr.
Waltham came over from Royston, where he is doing
very well. Mr. Berridge preached from Ps. lxii. 1 — 3.
Just such a Calvinist as he is, I wish all ministers of
Christ to be. I think his voice grows weaker. He is
sixty-eight in February — a great age for one who has
laboured so much ! Dr. Conyers, Mr. Madam, Mr. New
ton, and myself, are all fifty-eight in March. How soon
shall we be dismissed from our work ! Oh ! to be found
even the least and last amongst the pastors after his own
23

266 NEW-YEAR CONGRATULATIONS.
heart ! The Lord grant us to meet each other in that
number !
From your ever affectionate friend, H. Venn.
TO MR. EDWARD VENN, Yelling, Jan. 7, 1783.
My dear Nephew, — I heartily return thanks to the
Giver of all our earthly and our heavenly comforts, for
the preservation of your beloved Charlotte, who has, in
all appearance, been so near her departure. You will
now receive her as given back to you and your children,
doubly endeared by her apprehended loss. Now you
have had a fresh instance brought home of the absolute
uncertainty in which we stand respecting our condition,
when it is pleasing and prosperous — how suddenly the
stormy wind ariseth, which may sweep away all in this
world which is dearest to us !
Accept our salutations — for we all join in them — to
you and your niece. May this year prove a happy year !
May you grow, both of you, very rich indeed — much
more so than in any preceding year — rich in durable
riches and righteousness, in communion with God, in the
high pleasures of a spiritual mind, in the abounding hope
that all things are yours, whether life or death, things
present, or things to come !
The new year has begun in a manner very afflicting
to me. Mr. and Mrs.  so suddenly involved in
distress. My dear friend Mrs. Kershaw at the point of
death. Oh, what troubles and adversities, my dear
nephew, are the lot of man ! How much need is there
that we prepare for what may so soon be our burden!
You will be pleased to hear your cousin, my son, has
gained the favour of all the inhabitants of St. Neot's.
His father is not to be named with him ! I thought my
voice, old as I am, was not worse than his ; but they give
that also to him.
 Pray let us hear how Charlotte recovers ; and the
little tender branch, how it thrives. I wished for your
presence with us on New Year's day. Princes have no
such fare to feast on! Mr. Robinson, from Leicester,
was in the pulpit in the evening ; and in a manner mas-

HIS SON PRESENTED TO LI1TL£ LUNHAM. 267
terry, solemn, and affectionate, to the last degree, he
exhorted young men and maidens, old men and chil
dren, believers and unbelievers, to awake out of sleep ;
for it was high time ! Many attended, and great was the
seriousness of one and all. Mr. Simeon, and Mr. Farish,
from Cambridge, were here ; and we all set out for Ever
ton the next morning. The venerable father, Mr. Ber
ridge, received us, though unlooked for, with open arms ;
and his prayer, and Mr. Robinson's, were again most
edifying and animating. We parted in fervent love,
looking upward and forward till we shall meet to dwell
together in love for ever. Such is our present honour,
to be with the excellent of the earth, educating together
for glory in the highest heavens. Accept from us all our
best wishes for the new year. May peace national, peace
domestic, peace internal, and peace everlasting, be with
you, and all our fellow-citizens!
Pray remember us to our sister and niece at Ipswich.
From your affectionate uncle, H. Venn.

The Churchwardens of St. Neot's sent a petition to the Vicar,
who was non-resident, signed by all the principal inhabitants of
the place, to request that Mr. John Venn might be appointed their
Curate. At the conclusion of their services at St. Neot's, Mr.
Venn thus speaks : —
-Next Sunday is the last of ten that my son and

myself have served St. Neot's. It is surprising, how their
strong prejudices are removed, and how much civility
we receive ! They, in general, wish to have the Gospel
preached. But we long to hear of more than approba
tion — of conviction of sin, and their receiving Christ with
gladness and singleness. of heart. 

At the close of January, 1783, Mr. John Venn was presented to
the living of Little Dunham, near Swaffham, Norfolk, by the lat«
Edward Parry, Esq., a Director of the East India Company, who
was then residing at the Lodge, in that parish. In announcing
this event, in the letters to different friends, Mr. Venn writes
thus :—
 The patron, who lives in the parish, and his wife,

268 YOUNG MEN AT CAMBRIDGE.
are both young, and extremely in earnest to please God,
and to have the name of Jesus magnified. He is one
of the most agreeable men I ever saw. My acquaintance
with him has been for little more than two years, and but
slight.  The clear value of the living is 1351. : it has
come entirely unexpected and unsought, as the appoint
ment of our Great Lord and Master, who sendeth His
servants whithersoever He pleaseth. The place is fifty-
three miles from me. So soon comes our separation ! I
shall suffer much from the absence of such a son ; but
my consolation is, to look forward to the time when we
shall meet to part no more — when all the faithful pastors
of Christ shall, at the head of their respective flocks, re
ceive the crown of glory which fadeth not away. Till
then, we must both be about our Master's work, in dif
ferent parts of the vineyard ; — I in my old age and de
cline ; — he, if it please God to give him health, strong to
labour, and to do more and more for the good of souls.
— — A more pleasing son no man could wish. On all
sides, I am congratulated on his account ; and not with
out reason. I only wish my disposition, and temper, and
self-abasement, and conscientious regard to duty, were
equal to his. I could have wished you had been with
us, in family prayer, the morning after he received the
letter containing the offer of the living. It was very
affecting to hear with what self-abasement and earnest
ness he besought the Lord to bestow upon him abilities
and grace for the work of the ministry.
 We shall not cease to pray that Mr. Parry's hopes
may be fully answered — that the poor may have the
Gospel preached to them — and that his own soul and
his dear wife's, may be fed in the House of God.

Yelling, Feb. 28, 1783.
 Several days I lately spent at Cambrido-e, with
four young Clergymen— Mr. Atkinson, Fellow and Tutor
of Trinity Hall, full brother to Miles, of Leeds, Mr. Si
meon, Dr. Jowett, and Mr. Farish : all our discourse
was to the purpose. I prayed with them twice a day.

INGRATITUDE NOT TO DISCOURAGE US. 269
Their affection for me was expressed in the most oblig
ing manner. They have, since I left them, been over
with me. The Lord has touched their hearts to love
the Truth ; — for this is the footing on which our acquaint
ance is built. He who knoweth all hearts, knoweth I
long to be doing something for Him !
 Mr. Simeon's ministry is likely to be blessed.
We may indeed say, " A great door is opened ! Many
gownsmen hear him. What follows, is as true— -" there
are many adversaries." He comes over, to advise with
me on every occasion ; but the wonderful Counsellor is
with him. 
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. Yelling, April 26, 1783.
My very dear Brother, — This morning I received
your letter, in which you express a consciousness of my
accusing you for your silence. I know you too well, and
I love you too much, to admit even a thought to your
disadvantage. But I should be without excuse, If I did
not instantly write to you, as I would talk with you, had
I the pleasure of being in your presence.
I perceive you are too much affected with the base
return of some of your people. A base return, indeed,
for all your pastoral care, and truly Christian kindness !
Had your spirits been less lowered, you certainly would
have paid no regard to what, perhaps, a single ungrate
ful person, hating the Truth and your faithfulness, rashly
uttered ; and this was then multiplied into the saying of
many. Be not discouraged. Our dear Lord felt, and
foresaw, what you have met with, when He said " Do
good, and lend, hoping for nothing again." — What! no
gratitude, no cordial thanks, no esteem and praise ! —
Ma! nothing! — And why should we be so much cut to
the heart, to find our kindness and benefits received with
as little regard as we ourselves have received all the
mercies, the temporal mercies, of our God ? There is
much use in these things. Were the gratitude of those
we help (perhaps feed and clothe) to be such as we
naturally expect, we should be pleased, and tempted to
.hink well of our bounty, and be led to do good from
23*

270 characters of london ministers.
impure motives. As it is ordered, we can have no mo
tive, but love, to persevere in doing good to those who
even take the lead in abusing and slandering us ; none,
but bowels of mercies, which all the elect of God put
on. Thanks be to God, that you are now recovering and
able again to minister ! I congratulate you, also, and
dear Mrs. Stillingfleet, on the recovery of your dear son.
Had he been taken away, though from the evil to come,
you would both have been greatly distressed. But our
God spareth us, and in all respects treafeth us with ten
derness, when the sharpest sufferings are not needful. —
I heard not one syllable of your distress, till last Sunday
sevennight. May power and might be given you from
above! Study the usage which all the Prophets and
Apostles received, for speaking in the Name of the Lord.
Are we to be exempted ? Are we wiser, and better than
they ? Do we hope to live with them for ever, and yet
to escape the persecution which, in so large a measure,
was their cross and trial ?
The last week I returned to my family : having left
them for near seven weeks ; which I spent in London,
with more than usiial comfort, on several accounts. I
had a more lively sense qf the presence and loving-kind
ness of my Lord, and more of the spirit of prayer. I had
much pleasure in seeing the prosperity of the souls of
several dear and aged friends. Like fruits quite ripe,
and beautiful to look on, they appear ready to be gath
ered ;— rsome under Sanctified affliction of a meek and
humble spirit, blessing and praising God; — others, still
more distinguished by grace, able to manage wealth,
and making to themselves everlasting friends of the mam
mon of unrighteousness. With the evangelists and pas
tors I was also much pleased ; — with the wisdom and
knowledge, and truly amiable temper, of the Rector of
St. Mary Woolnoth — with the simplicity and watchful
ness, and unblameable life and labours, of Mr Foster 
with the admirable talents and eloquent evangelical
preaching of Dr. Peckwell — with the apostolical spirit
and abilities, and great grace of Mr. Cecil — with my old
friend and fellow-labourer, and a wonder of a man who

HIS SON'S MINISTRY AT LITTLE DUNHAM. 271
seems now drawing towards the end of his highly-
honoured labours, Mr. Romaine — with the ingenious and
very useful Mr. De Coetlogon, and Mr. Herbert Jones.
It gave me great satisfaction to think, that when we,
who are aged (I mean not to apply this epithet to your
self,) Messrs. Romaine, Berridge, Newton, and myself,
are called home, there are raised up so many messengers
and preachers of the same glorious Gospel of the Blessed
God. The Rector of Dunham, I trust, will more than
supply his poor father's place in the Church. He has
begun to teach and preach the Adorable Saviour to them.
They are a people sitting in darkness ; no less without
God, without Christ, without hope in the world, than
the inhabitants of Japan ! His first sermon was on that
blessed word, " He is able to save unto the uttermost all
who come unto God by Him." One of his people, with
whom he conversed afterwards, assured him they were
good Christians, and not incarnate devils, as he seemed
to think. — Help him with your prayers ! He needs them
much. <
 1 am now returned to my own station. My
prayer, day and night, is for success ; yet I find but little.
My church is fuller than it was some time since ; but I
have still to lament that the Holy Ghost is not sent down
from heaven. Last Sunday, the number of hearers was
large, and they were attentive ; but they were not pricked
to the heart : — however, our business is, to work, and to
wait. We shall know hereafter, though now we know
not, why there is given from above a vehement desire to
do good to souls, and glorify the name of Jesus, yet the
preachers who feel it do no more good. I know not
how I should bear up, if I did not find this same trial
appointed to all who labour in the word and doctrine.
Let me hear from you soon ; but never think I can
entertain one surmise that you want affection for me,
whether you write or are silent.
From your affectionate brother in Christ,
H. Venn.

272 ministerial advice to his son.
to the rev. john venn.
(AT UTTLE DC2THAM.) Yelling, April 29, 1783.
My dear Son,— Yesterday, our eager expectation of
a letter was gratified. And we are thankful to the
Father of all our mercies, that you got safe to Dunham ;
as I did, also, to my family, on Wednesday; after ex
periencing, most undeservedly, the friendship and love
of many excellent people, for the sake and name of
Jesus, whom we serve.
I am not pleased that you begin with two sermons.
Stay till you are quite strong.
You are now to consider yourself as a Missionary, sent
to teach and preach Jesus Christ. Savages are not more
ignorant of His glory and His love, or their need of His
arm to save their souls, than nominal Christians. Look
upon your people as prisoners under condemnation ; for
whose pardon and recovery you ought to feel, as a tender
mother does for the child at her breast. Lament an
unfeeling heart in yourself, as well as in them. Beg
earnestly that you may long after their salvation in the
bowels of the Lord Jesus Christ. Be sure, speak not
against the clergy around you : on the contrary, be an
intercessor for them too, before the Throne of Grace.
I would have you preach upon the Commandments.
God always blesses that preaching. But when you have
explained how much more the commandment requires
than men suppose, then show how reasonable, how ne
cessary it is, that such a commandment should be given ;
and that the design of it was not to destroy men, but to
constrain them to come to Christ for life. You might
take for the text, either that in Romans iii.: " Now, what
the Law saith, it saith to them, &c.;" — or that in Gal.
iii.; " Now the Scripture has concluded (shut up, as in p
prison) all under sin, that the promise, which is by faith
of Jesus Christ, might be given to all them that believe."
Be not discouraged if you see the people little affected
for a time. I was here nine months before one person of
this village came, of his own accord, to speak to me
about his spiritual concerns. Christ's ministers must bear
the contradiction of sinners against themselves, and wait

extempore preaching. 273
with all long-suffering, as He did. : and with respect to
the most, they may say, at last, "I have stretched forth
my hands all the day long, to a disobedient and gain
saying people."
Endeavour to speak within the compass of your voice ;
or you will strain it, and lay yourself aside. Remember
me ! How have I suffered ! I should never have been
but in a sphere larger beyond comparison than this, but
for that violent overdoing, which was not necessary.
We. all should wish (if wishing were not the "hectic
of a fool") to have you with us, or near us. But He
ordereth all things well, who is King for ever and ever.
To Him I heartily commend you, body and soul !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

The present will be an appropriate occasion for introducing Mr.
Venn's judgment on the question of written or extempore sermons.
It was given in a letter to a young clergyman, who consulted him
¦upon the point.

-You desire my judgment on the important sub

ject of preaching written or extempore sermons. I be
lieve most men, who have thought on the subject, are
agreed, that young men should write for some years —
perhaps five, or seven ; and afterwards, when they
speak, they certainly should have a plan, and the great
outlines of their sermon, before them. They should speak,
not extempore, but after premeditation, study, and
self-abasing prayer. When these rules are constantly
observed, no written sermons will, in general, be more
connected, more full of matter; nor can they ever be
delivered with so great advantage: for, after such due
preparation, a pastor comes up into the pulpit, weak and
ignorant in his own eyes, yet full of affiance in his Great
Master ; so, that he will be jealous of Mis glory, and
pity the people. He will have His presence ; and find
his understanding enlightened even while he speaks;
and feel His word has authority and power over the con
gregation. When he has done, he will feel ashamed of
himself; and be filled with wonder. that the Lord God

274 extempore preaching.
should make use of him. In this manner, joined to con
stant reading' the word of God, and constant cries to be
formed and fashioned as a vessel of honour to bear wit
ness of Christ, an able minister of the New Testament is
formed. Those ministers, whether young or old, who
dare to be idle, to venture into the pulpit without looking
up and sighing— without feeling their total inequality to
the subjects they are to prove, explain, or enforce— are
in a terrible state, and some severe correction will be
sent, to bring them to themselves ; or they will proceed
from bad to worse. It is too true, I fear, that many
times we all offend, in neglecting to prepare : but when
a strict watch is kept on this head, and we beg of our
Lord, that, with all reverence and godly fear, with all
carefulness and understanding, we may fulfil the ministry
we have received, we shall, in the tenour of our ministry,
be found faithful, and be blessed in our work. — Mr. De
Coetlogon is a charming proof that you may speak with
clearness, strong reason, fulness and pathos, by taking
pains. Dr. Peckwell I have heard no less excellent;
and Mr. Whitfield, with others of my own particular in
timates. I have known them, sometimes — that is, by
due preparation — do justice to their subject — instruct,
convince, exhort, persuade, to the feasting of the soul.
At others, through sloth, love of company, self-confidence,
and little love to souls, I have heard them lean, incohe
rent, defective, and sadly ludicrous. I have been myself
greatly guilty, through the causes above named; and
suffered and smarted for it, long after. But when I had
prepared myself, and sought the Lord fully, I do not
know that I have been left to wander, or to utter small
talk, and any thing that came uppermost, above five or
six times. Upon the whole, I much prefer speaking to
writing ; but upon this condition, that the speaker read
much, write much, think and pray much. As for those
speakers wrro know not their subject till the Bible is
opened in the pulpit, their preaching must be deplorable.

It will be interesting, as well as instructive, to add to this state
ment an account of the way in which Mr Venn himself commenced

extempore preaching. 275
the practice of extempore preaching; especially as it has been
stated, in print, that he was the first London minister who revived
the practice ; preceding Mr. Romaine in this respect.
From his first entrance into the ministry, he devoted much time
and thought to the composition of his sermons, and frequently
transcribed them afresh. He wrote out his first sermon ten times
before he delivered it in public. In the year 1754, after having
been nearly seven years in the ministry, and twenty-nine years of
age, he first attempted extempore preaching. He made the trial
at the Wednesday Morning Lecture at St. Antholin's, taking up
into the pulpit with him a sermon which he had before delivered :
upon which I find, after the notice of its delivery at two other
places, the following remark : —
" Preached at St. Antholin's, March 20, 1754. — This
morning is much to be remembered by me ; for, after
many doubts in my mind, whether I should endeavour
to preach only by premeditation — and recommending
the matter to my God in prayer, beseeching Him, if it
were most for the edification of hearers and the further
ance of His Gospel, to assist me mightily, and to put
strength and confidence into my feeble timorous spirit —
I have found an assistance, which I have reason never to
forget."

Far, however, from bestowing, after this time, less pains upon
the work of preaching, he continued, for above four years, to write
out, with equal care, the whole of the sermons which were to be
delivered before his more important congregations ; so that he
composed, after he had commenced extempore preaching, above
twice the number of sermons he had made before.
It was also his custom to write at the head of all his sermons,
even of the slightest sketches of his extempore discourses, the
Greek words — Aojct re 0E9' iioi duapf u7.Cj> t%so;.
Glory to God! Mercy to me a sinner!
How strikingly did this practice indicate the spirit and frame of
mind in which he composed and delivered his sermons !

TO MR. THOMAS ATKINSON.
Yelling, June 16, 1783.
My dear Friend, — We all rejoiced at the receipt of
your letter of the 23d of May, for your safe arrival at
your home, after seeing your daughter well. — I remark,

276 convictions of sin.
in your letter, with much sympathy, what you say of
your visit to Yelling. No family, I believe, enjoys, the
company of yourself and Mrs. Atkinson more than we
do. It was mortifying enough, therefore, that we had
no more than a glimpse of you : however, we must have
no will of our own in any thing. Yet it was not selfish
ness which made me wish for more of your company : it
vas, to have more discourse with you about the most
interesting matters.
If I mistake not, you are apt to be cast down, in the
view of our extreme depravity ; whereas, you should not,
in the least degree, be less confident of your eternal sal
vation for such humbling views. Flesh and blood never
produce them ; nor our enemy, the wicked one. Con
viction of our evil nature is from on high, and cometh
down from above. It is peculiar to the saints in Christ
Jesus ; and works in them humility, and love, and adora
tion, and a most thankful acceptance of Christ. Before
the veil is taken from our hearts, it is only from report
we prize Him, and for what we hope one day to get
from Him. But when we feel the corruption of our na
ture — envy and pride, and impurity and unbelief, and
hardness of heart, and brutish stupidity in secret prayer
and in public — then we can sigh and groan, being bur
dened; and then we know that we are as vile and
wicked, to the full, as the word of God declares us to
be. Many and great are the spiritual advantages attend
ing this very humiliating sight of our condition : it stops
our mouths from railing and evil speaking : it inclines
us to take the lowest place : it makes us poor, and of a
contrite spirit ; and to tremble at God's word, if he were
to enter into judgment with us. Now, this is the very
disposition and temper He declares to be well-pleasing
in His sight. It is well for us He doth so ; for if I may
judge of others by myself, after thirty-six years' atten
tion and care, and earnest seeking after God, I have more
reason than ever to say, "In me, that is in my flesh,
there dwelleth no good thing." I sometimes pour out
my complaint in a hymn, which I now transcribe,  be
cause you will not find it in any of the hymn-books ¦ 

controversial correspondence. 277
and I think it will admirably suit you, when you are be
moaning your corruptions before God.
Thy miracles of love no joy to me impart :
In me no tender passions move, O my unfeeling heart !
When, Lord, to Thee I turn, nail'd to th' accursed tree,
With no transporting love 1 burn, although Thou diedst for me !
When I my sins recall, to pass before my eye,
Scarce one bewailing tear will fall ; I scarce can heave one sigh !
Thy promises I lay close to my pained breast ;
Fain would I hope : hope flees away ; and still I find no rest !
Thus dark must I walk on, in fear and misery;
And never shall my bosom glow with fervent love to Thee 7
Unclose, unclose these eyes ! pour in the longed-for day !
Before me bid thy glory rise ! my darkness chase away !
Last week, my son came over, to stay only one day
and a half. It is good to bear the yoke in one's youth ;
and he has many more trials than if he had been Fellow
of a college and a Curate. But our place and station in
the world are nflt left to our choice. God forbid! His
infinite wisdom appoints them ; and to all who call upon
His name, it shall work for the best. Mr. and Mrs.
Riland, and my daughter and my son, all left us the
same day : and my heart rather sank at parting from my
son, so far as we are separated, and so seldom as we are
td meet. How merciful the command ! — and how pre
cious the grace which enables us to conform to it ! —
"Seek those things which are above!" On them set
your affections. They are always present with us ; and
never disappoint our utmost expectations.
Within these nine days, I have had two long and very
warm letters, full of heavy charges against me. To the
first I returned an answer, without the least resentment ;
only telling my correspondent, we could be no more ac
quainted. . To the last I shall return none ; for nothing
hurts the mind more than debate and controversy. The
writer challenges Mr. Newton and myself to join forces,
and answer his book : however, I shall not cease to pray
for him, nor to wish we may meet at last in the king
dom of our Saviour above.
24

278 MINISTERS NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED.
We had a most gracious rain, just before the plants
were beginning to wither. Oh that the pouring out of
the Spirit might be vouchsafed, to make the inhabitants
of our land know their Maker, and engage in His ser
vice ; lest it should be said, " Yea, I have cursed their
blessings!" I had like to have forgotten a circumstance of much
comfort to us here — the happy and joyful departure of as
poor a creature, to the eye of flesh, as can be conceived ;
but she was all-glorious within. I preached her funeral
sermon, in a large company, last Sunday. Oh may we
be comforted in the trying hour !
From your indebted friend, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. Yelling, Sept, 2, 1783.
My dear Son, — You have no cause to be discouraged,
that you yet see no fruit. How little, in comparison,
have the ablest, brightest ministers ever seen — in com
parison, I say, of what they might expect ! Hear what
the Good Shepherd, and the only infallible preacher,
saith : " All the day long have I stretched forth my hands
to a gainsaying and disobedient people." When He
opened the eyes of the blind in vast numbers, a very
small part, even of them, beheld His glory ! When He
cleansed at once ten lepers, one only gave God thanks!
When He made the lame, by thousands, to walk, scarcely
one of them would follow Him ! Shall, then, the ser
vant wonder his word is treated as was his Lord's?
"Yet," saith He, "though Israel be not gathered, I
shall be glorious." So each of His pastors may say:
" Though, after many prayers and tears, and much crying
unto God, and setting plainly before the people the way
of life in Christ Crucified, I find scarcely any one that
will receive my testimony — whilst I, in my own example,
do honour the Gospel — shall I conclude I am not sent
of the Lord ? shall I be disquieted and miserable ?" By
no means ! The purposes of God will be surely an
swered : and not the minister who has most success in
his preaching shall stand highest in the day of the Lord ;
but the minister whose eye has been single; whose

MINISTERS NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED. 279
prayers have been fervent ; whose bowels of mercy have
been yearning over the ignorant, and those who are out
of the way ; and who has most readily sacrified his own
will and temporal interest. Such are conformable to
Christ ; and upon such He will put the greatest honour.
Further, we are not proper judges of the good that is
done by us. Very often we are not to know it : it would
puff us up. Even here, at Yelling, where many think
there is little good done, I hear from one and another of
glad tidings. This last week, I have visited Mr. Head
ing, of little Paxton, who is dying in the peace of God,
and inquires most affectionately after you ; — Mrs. Bri-
chard, of whose life there also is no hope ; and Mrs. Ivitt,
who is at the point to die ; each of them looking unto
Jesus. You have been only six months, in October —
and what are six months! Only read, and pray, and
watch ; and take no denial. If you see no success, you
are not to be cast down ; but, with more vehemence
plead, and claim the promises made to those who speak
his word faithfully. Think how Mr. Joseph Allen, of
Taunton, waited from year to year for those who set at
nought the word ; yet at length, he was the instrument,
in the hand of Christ, of bringing them to heaven.
I cannot but approve of your taking pupils ; but this
must not be lightly determined upon. You must have
well considered and digested your plans, that you may
do full justice to them in their education. I think it
will be no hindrance to the discharge of your ministry.
But ask counsel, in all 'this matter,"of the Lord ; beseech
ing Him to direct you, and to set aside every intention
of your own, if it will not be right in His eyes. — All
send their love.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

At the close of this year, (1783,) Mr. and Mrs. Venn visited
several friends in Warwickshire and Shropshire. The next letter
was written at the end of the first day s journey, to his two
daughters, who were left at home.

280 his parental affection.
TO MISSES JANE AND CATHERINE VENN.
My dear Jane and Kitty: Thraptsm, Oct.zx, 1783.
Blest be the dear uniting love
Which will not let us part !
In body we may far remove;
But we are one in heart;
one in faith, in life, in hope, in pursuit, in the chief ob
ject of our happiness, and shall be (I make no floubt)
one for ever and ever. — I feel too much in parting from
you. I should sit more loose to all creature-comforts.
than I do : and so should my dear daughters. You
should love your parents, and dearest friends, with a
limited affection, and let your whole soul flow out in
love to the adorable Immanuel. See Him on His throne,
ordering all things well, in love, for all who call on His
name, and put their trust in His mercy ; — as I am very
sure you both do.
It is with unspeakable satisfaction that I think you are
both, my dear children, able to be alone, without ennui —
that you are able to be alone, without feeling any want
of any creature. It is a noble independency of spirit,
which even the princes and monarchs of the world want.
Nothing will satisfy me, but your living with me, with
all the spirits of the just made perfect ! Be assured, that
you ought to resist all those fears which cast you down.
God is love to all His praying people, who allow them
selves in no evil way. He is love to you — and only
love — and love for evermore. Have you any doubt that
I should give you heaven, and eternal glory, if I had it
in my gift! "Oh no!" you both immediately reply. —
If I then, being evil, know how to give good things unto
my children, how much more shall God, your Heavenly
Father (repeat the sweet name!) give- unto you that eter
nal inheritance ! Watch therefore, and pray against hard
thoughts of God, as if He were austere, and waiting for
our frailties, to punish them ; whereas He is a God de
lighting to pardon. He hath loved you with an ever
lasting love ; and therefore with loving-kindness hath
He withdrawn your hearts from all the idols which young
persons worship, till they are divinely changed.

" GOD IS LOVE." 281
To descend now from things of highest import and ex
cellence to ourselves : — God has given us a safe journey
hither — your dear mamma not at all fatigued. We are
just setting off to see our friends. I shall be more glad
when we are here, on 6ur way back, to see you both.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

From letters written during this journey, I extract the following
notices of several friends whom he saw on this excursion.

My soul has been much refreshed and quickened by
the company and example of several excellent Christians.
who indeed walk before God to all well-pleasing. 
Mr. Riland, in labours of love, in visiting the sick, in
giving largely to the needy, in love to the Saviour, and
in humility, has no superior. I suppose he walks five or
six miles every day, in visiting his people. He has just
begun catechising the young people, on Tuesday even
ings : the young men one week, and the young women
another. This is the luxury of life ! I looked upon him
with the most pleasing and full assurance of seeing him
among the most faithful, in whom God shall be glorified,
when I shall be many ranks be,low him in our common
Father's kingdom. He, and Mr. Burnet of Elland, have
a steadiness in them, surprising. They are men who
" abhor that which is evil," and " cleave to that which
is good." 
Mr. Fletcher, a genius, and a man of fire — all on the
stretch to do good — to lose not a day, not an hour. He
is married to a lady worthy of him — Miss Bosanquet — a
lady with whom I was acquainted twenty-nine years ago.
She was then sixteen, and bred up in all the pride of
life ; her father being one of the chief merchants in Lon
don. By the grace of God, she at that time renounced
the world, from her heart, and gave up herself to the
Lord. Since then, she has bred up seventy-four desti
tute young girls for service, and seen them placed out to
her satisfaction ; and, instead of dressing, visiting, and
conforming to all the vain and expensive customs of the
world, she has been wholly employed in doing good. I
24*

282 WEAK AND STRONG FAITH.
left this happy house — as Cecil, Secretary to Queen
Elizabeth, left Bernard Gilpin's — saying, "There dwells
as much happiness as can be known on earth."- 
From thence "I went to Mr. Jonathan Scott's. He was
once an officer in the army, amongst the gayest of the
gay: now he is a bright example of every Christian
grace, and spends all his strength in preaching to crowded
congregations. 
I visited also Mr. Robinson, at Leicester. For learn
ing, wisdom, grace, and humility, he resembles Daniel.
Though without wealth, he has done more for the town
of Leicester than the rich : he has raised a charity-school
for boys, where there was none before, and instructs them
occasionally himself: preaches twice a week at the In
firmary, and three times in his own church. When you
are with him, his whole air, and manner of conversation,
affect, and please, and profit. Such honour does the
Lord put upon his saints ! It is a great privilege to be
with them. — All my delight is in thy saints, O Lord, and
such as excel in virtue ! How shall I triumph, to be
found in the same world with them. 
TO LADY SMYTHE. Yelling, Jan. 9, 1784.
Madam,— -On the first day of each new year, I am
particularly called upon to remember, with gratitude and
Christian love, the several kind friends to whom I am so
much indebted ; and, above all, my patron ; while my
situation-is so suited to a disabled man, past labouring iri
a larger sphere. I remember your ladyship, as i faint, yet
pursuing — as waiting for the revelation of the glory of
Christ, and His unsearchable riches. And, as the most
suitable subject I can write upon, I have chosen this —
the capital points in which consists the difference be
tween a weak and a strong faith in Christ ; earnestly
wishing you may be enabled to perceive you are a be
liever,1 though a weak one, and desiring and praying to
grow strong in faith, and to triumph in Jesus Christ.
Weak faith seeks salvation only in Christ, and yields
subjection to Him, and brings the soul to His feet, though
without assurance of being as yet saved by Him. There

WEAK AND STRONG FAITH. 283
is not one duty a weak believer slights. Weak faith is
attended with sorrow and humiliation ; as in his case,
who spoke with tears, " Lord, I believe! help thou my
unbelief!" It produces new desires and affections, new
principles and purposes, and a new practice, though not
in such strength and vigour as is found in old established
believers. It produces an attachment to our Saviour in
vincible. Ask the weakest, and most disconsolate be
liever, whether he would forsake and give up his hope
in Christ : he will eagerly reply — " Not for the whole
world!" There is no reason, therefore, why weak be
lievers should conclude against themselves; for weak
faith unites as really with Christ as strong faith — as the
least bud in the vine is drawing sap and life from the
root, no less than the strongest branch. Weak believers,
therefore, have abundant cause to be thankful; and,
while they reach after growth in grace, ought not to
overlook what they have already received.
The evidence of a strong faith is a clear apprehension
of salvation already obtained in Christ Jesus. " We have
known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is
love!" We have wisdom for direction, pardon for sin,
grace to keep and preserve us. " All things are ours ; for
we are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Strong believers can
say, " God is ours ;"— though they want the present sense
of His love, or the comfortable frames they have rejoiced in
formerly. And they see the affection of a Father, though
clouds and darkness encompass them. This is exempli
fied in all the saints ; and remarkably in the case of Job :
— " Though He slay me, yet will I trust in him ?" A
man weak in faith would have said : "lam cast out of
the sight of His eyes ; and He will no more have mercy
upon me." Strong faith will trust in the Lord Jesus
Christ, when fhe means of help in the time of difficulty
do not appear, when all means fail, and all props are
taken away.. When the word of the Lord is tried to the
uttermost, and in the lowest strait to which His children
can be reduced, its faithfulness and truth shine the
brightest. Thus Moses trusted in God, when the Red
Sea was before him, the Egyptians behind, and the
mountains on each side. Thus David, when the people

284 WEAK AND STRONG FAITH.
were going to stone him at Ziklag, comforted himself in
the Lord his God. Thus Daniel and the Three Children.
Oh, glorious persuasion ! which can keep the mind jn
perfect peace, even in the extremest difficulties ! Strong
faith can overcome those doubts and objections which
distress and perplex weak believers. In particular sea
sons, there are doubts in the most established believers :
even they are sometimes afraid lest they should perish,
or be found hypocrites at last : but, after prayer and cries,
and sore conflicts, the sun again shines bright, and all
their doubts are dispelled. Strong faith is pursuing, and
can wait long: when weak faith is discouraged, and
faints under the delay of the help and mercy it craves.
Strong faith can even take denials well ; not only re
specting temporal things, but respecting spiritual enjoy
ments ; saying, "Not my will, but Thine, be done!"
And strong faith, in its highest actings, enables us to re
joice in necessity, in distresses, in circumstances most
dismaying to the nature of man.
From hence it appears what a race Christians have to
run, and to what growth in grace they may attain.
Watchfulness, prayer, and self-deniaT, and a heart quite
in earnest, looking unto Jesus, will bring us to it. Let
us not think it too much for us to receive. " Open thy
mouth wide, and I will fill it," is the command of our God.
From your much indebted servant, H. Venn.
TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. Yelling, January 19, 1784.
Madam, — It is high time for me to write, and send you
my best wishes, that your ladyship may enjoy a happy
new-year. "Happy" is a proud word — much too high
for a sinful creature ! Granted ; — but not too much for
God our Saviour to bestow. "My peace (saith He, in
the largeness of His affection) I leave with you. My
peace I give unto you." And again: "These things
have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in
you, and that your joy might be full." Thus may you
be blessed in the midst of trials and manifold corruptions
of heart !
Many fears I had, lest your journey should be more

STUDENTS AT CAMBRIDGE. 285
than you could bear ; and lest you might be very ill
upon the road, far from every friend but one. Most
pleasing, therefore, was the news I received from our
two friends in St. James's Place, of your better state of
health. Oh, sing unto the Lord! for He is good, our
Guard, our Guide, our Shepherd ; and we His sheep.
We go out, we come in, feeble and faint, in the midst of
dangers and enemies, inflamed with rage and malice
against us; but our hairs are numbered, and no evil
befalls us. How superior your pleasures ! far above what
the grand world can conceive ; while you have seen so
many of the family of Christ — in some, one feature of
His own likeness more predominant ; in some, another ;
but none complete and without defect. One reason may
probably be, to prevent our admiring too much the
living image, and setting our affections on it, to the hurt
of our souls, and neglect of the Great Original, in whom
alone is perfect beauty.
It gave me joy to see Mr. and Mrs. Elton much con
cerned for the good of the poor people of West Brom-
wich. It is grace, indeed, to condescend, from love, to
men of low estate! What a privileged station have
Christians ! We have enjoyed it exceedingly this last
month : though shut up in our house without a visiter,
in the midst of snow, so as neither to walk nor ride, our
happy life sweetly glides away. We say one to another,
How short is our time ! We wish those who find it a
burden could give us some portion of it. When we were
in Warwickshire, my two youngest daughters were six
weeks alone, literally ; but so far from being gloomy,
they read, and worked, and enjoyed their time exceed
ingly. Oh, what a noble and independent spirit is pro
duced by the power of godliness ! How mistaken and
wretched are the multitude, who eagerly and greedily
indulge their low earthly appetites as the way of true
pleasure ; whereas that is found in the wise and holy
use of the highest faculties of the soul, on the things
unseen and eternal.
. I have good news to send you from Cambridge. — Mr.
Simeon is made for great usefulness. There are near
twenty promising young students. Several of them come

286 IMPORTANCE OF ASSURANCE.
over, at times, to me ; and make me happy in the op
portunity of commending to them the best Master— the
best service that men or angels can be called to work in.
Pleasing is the hope, that many shall, by them, be made
rich in peace and love divine, and meet for heaven'
They listen to my instructions with great simplicity: and
I inculcate much moderation, obedience to superiors.
and no breaking out to be teachers, when they are mere
novices. Hard lesson to young men ! Yet they observe
it, and bring credit upon their seriousness.
In my own parish, I have small encouragement.
Several who were called, are removed, either by death
or fixing in other places. However, I look off from
every discouragement, to the Lord, whom I serve. My
trust is in His promise : my aim is, to make Him known
and loved supremely. He hears me pray. — Be Thou
exalted ! Be Thou extolled ! — And in my want of suc
cess respecting many, I must submit ; saying, "Even
so, Father ! for so it seemeth good in thy sight."
Mrs. Venn and my daughters desire their best respects.
I beg to be remembered to the ladies at Brighton.
From your much indebted servant, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. Yetting, April 17, 1784.
My dear Son, — Very pleasant indeed to us all was
your visit ; and caused many thanksgivings for the favour
God has been pleased to show you. My prayers are
heard — my desires concerning you are fulfilled. You
are a pastor in the Church of Christ; and in you, an
earthly vessel, is put the inestimable treasure of the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ. Instead of doubting, therefore, you have the
greatest cause imaginable for rejoicing that you are in
Christ, and He in you. Remember, no command in the
New Testament is oftener repeated, than, " Rejoice in
the Lord !" Nothing more becomes us, than assurance
(in the full view of our unworthiness and corruptions, and
the purity of our God) grounded on the purchase paid
for us — on the promise and oath of God. Nothing more
honours Him, or commends His cause. Nothing more

PROSPECT OF HIS OWN DEATH. 287
discourages and damps the hearts of men, than to hear
those who are acknowledged to be walking circumspectly,
and with a single eye, speak in terms of suspicion and
fear. This is the device of the enemy, to perplex and
vex those who are faithful, by endless fears and the spirit
of bondage. "Ask, and ye shall have," &c. — this iu
enough to make us confident. ,
On Thursday, in the last week, I learned from Mr. Si
meon that the condemned malefactor, at Cambridge, had
been amongst my hearers at Huddersfield. I went, in a
post-chaise, with Mr. Simeon, to Cambridge, on Friday.
The man knew me, though tvyenty years had passed
since he had seen me. He was much affected ! and fell
on my neck. I was with him near two hours; but I am
not able to say whether he hath received of the Lord
the gift of faith. Now his life is spared by Mr. Pitt,
(who was on Saturday chosen Member for the University,)
it will be seen whether he returns to his old courses, or
is a new man. Very, very few are real converts from
jails. Yesterday I was at Everton. The pastor was well,
and most affectionate in inquiries after you,
I would not that my declining health should be any
matter of grief to you ! It is my prayer to be taken to
my Father's home, before I am useless in the Church.
What have I to expect, but days in which " I can have
no pleasure," through infirmities, if life be prolonged.
I am exceedingly thankful to see your very tender regard
for your sisters. Were I to give way (which I do not
for a moment) to any wish, it would be for them, that
they might be kept from those crosses to which my re
moval might expose them. — But who am I, to take upon
me to say what is best for them ? Thy will, dear Lord,
De done ! All I desire is, that they may, from the heart,
say the same. I am daily praying for myself, that I may
die well — I mean, in much peace, and hope and cheer
fulness ; for the comfort of my family, and the honour
of the doctrine I have preached ; — and that whenever I
depart, my dear wife and children may say, with conso
lation the world knoweth not of —

288 ANXIETY AT HIS Son's ILLNESS.
Why should we mourn departed friends,
Or shake at death's alarms'?
'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends,
To call them to His arms.
I verily believe we are united in Christ ; and shall soon
meet in His kingdom, and be found numbered amongst
the Children for whom He died. The Lord Jesus be
with your spirit !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN.
Yelling, April HI, 1784.
My dear Son : — " He hath chosen me in affliction," you
may truly say ! He hath called you to follow Him, bear
ing your cross. I should be uneasy, did I not know that
the merciful and gracious Lord does much afflict and
scourge His elect ; — did I not know, from His infallible
word, from my own experience, and the case of many
of my friends, that all things work together for good to
them that are in Christ. But I am not uneasy in an im
proper way. Parental feeling for a beloved son will
work ; and I am, by the same afflictions which are laid
upon you, called to humiliation and prayer for you and
for us all. And since I received your letter on Monday,
I can truly say, " As the eyes of servants (corrected for
their faults) look unto the hand of their masters, and as
the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so
are my eyes unto the Lord, until he is pleased to have
mercy"* on you, and restore you to health and strength.
Blessed be the name of our God ! I have found such
solemn seasons of heavy trial, as you have too, very pro
fitable. The uncertainty how you do, and the suspense,
is a- great part of the trial. But so much have we to be
thankful for, on your account — so joined are we in the
light, love, and liberty, and hope we have in our dear
Lord Jesus Christ — so fully assured am I that He is

* The application of this'text (Psalm cxxiii. 2,) is different from that
usually adopted. Commentators generally regard the Psalmist as looking
up to God for defence and direction under the oppression of others : ac
cording to Mr. Venn's interpretation, the Psalmist rUers his afflictions
immediately to the hand of God. — En.

SMALL SUCCESS OF FAITHFUL MINISTERS. 289
purging you, as a fruit-bearing branch, that you may bring
forth more fruit — and that all your grief and pain is
measured out with tender and everlasting compassion —
that I am greatly cheered in these thoughts ; and am
able to say, " Lord ! I cheerfully leave my son in Thy
hands. After he hath suffered awhile, perfect, stablish.
strengthen, settle him!"
If you are not able to write a line, cannot you get Mr.
'Raven to let me know how you do ? You should also
have a good nurse. Do not, my dear son, when you
are ill, be afraid of expense. I will most gladly defray
it. Yesterday, dear Simeon came, and brought your
letter. I had but just time to give him a hint not to
speak of your illness, that your sisters might not be uneasy.
I want much to come, but I am confined. As you can
not serve your church, I wish some means could be de
vised for fhe supply of it ; so that you might be with
your sisters while we are in town, where we intend to be
on the 5th of May.
Dear Mr. Adam finished his course at Wintringham,
three weeks ago, after being fifty-nine years rector of that
parish. Exceedingly small was his success amongst his
people, after preaching the Gospel thirty years !
Mr. Maltham was here ; and gave us, on Monday and
Tuesday in Easter-week, two excellent sermons, in our
kitchen. He is much alive, and is comforted with some
success. Do not be discouraged at the present state of your
people, and all around you. Take for an example of
suffering affliction, on this account, the Prophets : how
small was their success! Our business is, only, "to
declare the whole counsel of God" — to live the life of
a minister — and not to cease praying. Our reward is
sure — our record is on high. We must not expect to
be happier in our work than the most distinguished of
the servants of God. Some fruit you will have ; — and
to be among the least and lowest of those who turn sin
ners to God, is an unspeakable honour. How am I tried !
thirteen years I have spoken to, and prayed for, R  ,
A  , &c, &c. ; and they remain just what they were.
Dear Simeon feels for you ; and we pray together for you
25

290 IMPROVEMENT OF TEMPORAL BLESSINGS.
The Lord comfort your heart, and give you to abound
in hope. By and by we shall enjoy immortal health
together in our Beloved !
Your affectionate father, H. Venn
TO MISS JANE C. VENN. Yelling, July 14, 1784.
My dear Jane, — Yesterday, your welcome letter ar
rived ; and we all, as you conclude, unite in praising '
our God, who hears our prayers, and is richly deserving
our love, for his benefits bestowed upon us in this world,
even of a temporal nature. The natural man loses the
sweetest part of enjoyment, even of the only things he
can enjoy. He eats, and drinks, and feasts upon the
creature, as a brute, not knowing from whence it comes.
If his pleasure and comfort are in a tender and beloved
wife, an amiable child, or affectionate friend — the wife,
or child, or friend, is all. A true Christian, on the con
trary, enjoys the gift more richly, as a gift from his boun
tiful God. "This excellent woman, so beloved by me,"
he says, " the Lord found out and bestowed upon me. —
This pleasant child, who gives me growing delight, is a
plant of his planting. Care, in education, would have
been fruitless, had not His grace crowned it with suc
cess." I am rejoiced to see you are led to be thankful ; and
to receive, with thanksgiving to our blessed God, His
tender protection. By returning praise for the daily
favours we receive, we shall acquire a habit of thankful
ness, which is pleasing and honourable to God, comfort
to the mind, and health to the body, in most cases ; for
a cheerful heart "doeth good, like a medicine."
Such improvement my beloved daughter is enabled,
glory be to God ! to make of temporal blessings. Yet
these only lead the way to, and prepare the mind to be
the more affected with, the spiritual blessings we enjoy.
What cause have all those to break out in holy joy, who
have a heart given them to seek after God, to desire
restoration to the proper state of an immortal creature —
a state of love to his Maker, of entire dependence upon
Him, of union of will with Him, of delight in His name,

A THUNDER-STORM. 291
of an abiding supreme desire to please Him in our place
and station ! What cause to sing with joy, that the cer
tain possession of these tempers is gained by the know
ledge of God manifest in the flesh! — for there, love,
beyond every thing seen or known by men or angels, is
displayed! "My God," the believer says, "who hast
lived, and laboured, and fought, and been wounded, and
slain, in getting life and salvation for me — how shall I
thank Thee with becoming ardour! how shall I love
Thee as I ought ; — I am thine ! Oh, save me from
ever grieving Thee, by forgetting my immense debt to
Thee!" Such aspirations as these, souls which are born from
above, at times, feel ; though the best are often dull, and
stupid, and cold, to astonishment, in this matter. When
you find your precious soul in this unbecoming frame
towards your God and Saviour, be not discouraged ;
much less call in question your faith ; but confess,
frankly, your corruption, and enlarge upon it ; and then
humbly beg: "Quicken me, 0 Lord, according to Thy
word — according to Thy loving-kindness ! I should
never have had one thought of gratitude and love, hadst
Thou not excited it in me ! Hast Thou begun to restore
my soul, and wilt Thou not carry on the work ? - That
be far from Thee!" — Such humble expostulations are
pleasing to the Lord, and not without success.
TheYerysame thunder-storm you were in, reached, in
great violence, to Orlingbury. It is good to be above
fear that " hath torment," in such awful weather. Chris
tians should labour much not to fear, as men without
God have cause to do. And if fear of death makes us
dismayed at the storm, we ought to examine whence that
fear arises ; and not rest, till we can say, "Death is ours."
It is but a bad return for all His precious promises — and
love stronger than death, which Christ has had for us —
to tremble and quake, in case He should take us to Him
self. I grant that our nerves are soon shaken ; but our
God has access to our spirits; and can strengthen us, and
give us firmness ; and will, when we pray to Him, that,
for the credit of our faith in His name, we may not fear
for the body, but sanctify the Lord God in our hearts,

292 MR. SCOTT OF OLNEY.
and let him be our fear, and let him be our dread.
Wishing you much of His presence, much more know
ledge and faith, and love, and every divine temper — and
often, every day, thinking of you — with kind love from
your dear mamma, I remain your affectionate father,
H. Venn.
P. S. — What is this ? All this' a postscript ! Why,
it is almost as long as the long letter ! — So it is. And
all this postscript is to inform you, and your dear fellow-
travellers, how it fared with me after we parted, and of
several other particulars, in the way of conversation. —
Charming was the summer's breese ; and nothing, in my
way to Kettering, to interrupt my most serious thoughts
on the constitution of things here — plainly concurring,
with the word of God ; to prove that " this is not our
rest." Friends, who are most happy in each other, and
tender relatives, are not long together ; their interviews
are soon at an end. How is the mind relieved by par
ticular prayer for them, and lively hope of their safety,
being interested in the great salvation of God ! — With
thoughts of this kind, and prayer, and singing, I reached
my destination. — No sooner was I come to Orlingbury,
than Mr. and Mrs. Scott from Olney (who were visiting
in the parish) came in ; and very glad we were to meet.
He is a man of right spirit, always about his Master's
business ; and has a tongue given him, which is " a well
of life," always ministering grace to the hearers. One
hour was all the time we could spend together ; and then
he engaged me to make an exchange on the last Sunday
in August, God willing.
Kitty sets out well. James M. sent for medicine for
his wife, who has a fever. Kitty desired, immediately,
she might walk over to see the patient ; for she could
not otherwise tell what to prescribe. — I am very glad to
see her tread in your steps. Oh, may we all love the
poor more, and study to help them, and not fear the ful
filment of the promise ! — I paid J. Peters her eight shil
lings ; and she gets into her little house this day. She
went away from the parsonage, rejoicing. — A parsonage
should be a place of refuge — a house of mercy. The

LETTER TO A GOD-CHILD. 293
very sight of it should be pleasing to the poor and deso
late. Prayer, to be helped, and enabled to help the
poor, will be answered ; and such aid, so obtained, is
matter of great thankfulness. TO MISS RILAND. Yelling, Aug. 5, 1784.
My dear Priscilla, — Next to your honoured and
truly affectionate parents, no one, I trust, is more interested
in your welfare than myself. You are the child of two
beloved friends, who have been fellow-travellers with
myself, for a great many years, to the same heavenly
country ; and fellow-soldiers, under the same ever-blessed
Captain of our salvation. You have been included
amongst the offspring of the faithful, in all the prayers
offered up for them, since you were born. You were in
your earliest infancy baptized in the Name of the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, as a public mark that you were
born in the family of God ; and at that time I became a
sponsor for you. To these calls upon me, tenderly to re
gard your best interests, others are added — your very
amiable deportment, when a visiter under my roof, and
the pleasure you expressed in being one of our family.
All these considerations unite in engaging me to enter
most cheerfully into correspondence with you ; in which
you are to regard me as your godfather, who is very soon
to go hence, and is extremely desirous of helping you to
guide your judgment and your affections, to choose and
delight in the best things. The more confidence you can
place in me, the more pleasure I shall receive ; and be
assured, the correspondence shall be entirely between
ourselves, and divulged to no one, without your leave.
I am chiefly excited to wish for this correspondence,
on account of the many difficulties and discouragements
which occur to young people who in earnest set out to
serve and please God — difficulties and discouragements
which afflict and distress for a much longer space of time
than they would do, if the wisdom and experience of
Christians, much older than themselves, were consulted.
I recollect how many objections rose in my mind against
several grand truths of the Bible ; what hard thoughts I
25*

294 DIFFICULTIES OF YOUNG CHRISTIANS.
often had of the ways of God ; how foolishly I judged
many Divine prohibitions irksome and unnecessary, which
are the counsels of mercy and love. I recollect on how
many occasions I should have gone on in the good ways
of the Lord, with alertness and assurance of being right,
had some kind counsellor been at hand ; whereas I was
a long time in uncertainty, and turned often to the wrong
path. Many passages of Holy Scripture, which I wished
to understand, were very dark; and I wanted an inter
preter. — Concluding that young people in general are in
the same perplexities as I was myself, I should be glad
to point out the way, and be the means of delivering
them the sooner from their embarrassment.
Our correspondence shall begin with a few thoughts
upon a very interesting subject — the love of God toward
the children of men, expressed in the tender language of
a Father, and calling upon each of us in these words,
" Give me thy heart! — Love me supremely; and every
thing you may and ought to love, in a subordinate mea
sure !" — But can the high, and lofty, and eternal God,
indeed make this demand ? The distance between a
worm and the first Emperor in the world is not discerni
ble, compared with the distance between man and his
adorable Creator. Why, then, does He make this de
mand? Our righteousness cannot profit Him. But a
paternal affection for us, a desire of our felicity — only to
be obtained in giving Him our poor, corrupted, wicked
heart — moved Him to call for it. Other objects are de
ceitful : they promise much and perform little : they
give pleasures which do not satisfy ; and they soon fail.
Other objects communicate nothing excellent: they make
no one the better or the wiser, or the more serviceable
to their fellow-creatures. Other objects debase the spirit
of man, formed for eternal things ; and make it meanly
dependent upon what is most uncertain in its nature ;
and will pierce it through with many sorrows. Other
objects will not bear the solemn thought of the hour of
death and the Day of Judgment, though both are abso
lutely unavoidable. How superior, then, is the under
standing, and how highly favoured the mind that
answers to this most condescending demand of our God,

Tim LOVE OF CHRIST FOR HIS CHURCH.' 295
" Give me thy heart !"' — Take my poor heart, just as it
is! set up therein Thy throne! Oh, may I love Thee
above all, and live for Thee alone !
Now, to engage our affections (which a mere demand
of them will by no means do, nor the natural perfections
of Jehovah,) He took upon Himself our nature ; and calls
Himself the Bridegroom, the Husband, of His Church
and people ; who set His love upon them with such an
ardour, that He gave Himself (after a life of labour and
sorrow) for Her, that, freed from condemnation and de
filement, she might appear a glorious Church for ever in
heaven. If you can ponder on this, and_ believe its real
ity, there will spring up in your heart, my dear Priscilla,
the temper and affection of an angel, and a pure delight
in this divine love, and a steadfast desire to please God,
and an ardent spirit of prayer, saying, " Speak, Lord !
for thy servant heareth." And this will be followed
with living communications of more faith, and love, and
peace, and hope. And this is the earnest wish of my
heart, who am
Your sincere friend, for Christ's sake, H. Venn.
" Jane ? Jane ! what shall I do ? — The letter I was
afraid of, is come. — I almost wish you had staid at Yel
ling ! — Now, I must write an answer : and what can I
say ? — Well, you must write for me ; and tell your papa,
that to be sure I have a very great respect for him, and
love him as if he was a relative ; but how to begin a
single letter, much more a correspondence, it is what I
never shall be able to attempt." — Jane replies: "Only
make the trial: mountains.in appearance are no more
than clouds to the traveller, which, in his journey, he
passeth through with ease. Besides, there is no time
fixed for the answer ; and I am sure my father will wait
till you can freely and gladly take up your pen."
Mrs. V. and Kitty send their love.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. Yelling, Aug. 12, 1784
My dear Son, — We have been every day thinking
how busy you are, in finding out the fittest places for all

296 MINISTERS SHOULD BE PAINS-TAKING.
your furniture ; and then, with what surprise and thank
fulness you survey the plenty of good things you so early
in life have about you. And then, if it please the good
Lord to give you life and health, I shall hope to hear
what I much long for — that you study hard, and care
fully write your sermons, and pay attention to your style ;
otherwise, you will get into a careless and slovenly way
of doing your work. Remember, and lay to heart, that
the grand temptation, by which thousands are vanquished,
who set out well, is indolence and lukewarmness. In
every situation there is some peculiar snare, to which we
are exposed ; and all the art and malice of the wicked-
one is used to take us in that snare. When our hearers
are few, and those of low degree, without continual
watchfulness and prayer we shall certainly grow very re
miss, and find no heart to take pains for so few. We
may judge of the force of this temptation, when we see so
few are able to overcome it. But I pray daily for you,
my son, that you may be a hard student in the Bible,
and in the best Commentators — (they are hut few) — who
have written upon it. I would have you a hard student ;
because it is profitable to be so, on every account. Your
understanding will be thus much enlightened, and your
mind enriched ; so that your conversation and discourse
will be edifying, and your preaching be full, and much
to the purpose ; «and the people will be fed, and your
ability to instruct them be acknowledged ; and God will
give the blessing. You will by study be kept out of
temptation, and be an example to your flock. The life
of a pastor in the Church ought to be a life of holy medi
tation, study, and doing good ; and only so much exer
cise taken, as health requires. I hope also to hear that
you finish your sermons, and take much pains to correct
them ; and that you apply, if health be restored, to your
Hebrew Bible, till you can read a chapter with pleasure.
Your' people and your servants will observe how you
spend your time. It is not enough we are sober, tem
perate, or kind : we must be exemplary all through, un-
blameable, and unreproveable, before men.
It is one valuable privilege in our profession, that we
can read and be instructed by the excellent and most

A YOUNG CHRISTIAN IN SICKNESS AND HEALTH. 297
eminent ministers ever employed in the church, whose
writings are still in our hands. I can speak feelingly on
this subject! This last week has been very gloomy,
cold, misty weather : we have not had one visiter ; but
I have enjoyed a feast, in reading M. Daillee on the Co
lossians. — What a judicious writer! What a masterly
expositor! The truth, the fulness of Christ, are so set
forth by him, as to make my heart glow ; and I am the
better for what I read.
The Lord love, comfort, and save you !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS VENN. Yelling, Oct. 2, 1784.
My dear Eling, — With what pleasure did I hear from
your friend at Bedford, yesterday, that your health was
perfectly recovered ! How different is your situation,
and dear Miss Barham's ! How beautiful does the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ make both I To see a young
lady, in fhe very prime of youth, gradually losing her
strength and flesh and appetite, and visibly hastening to
the grave ; yet placid and meek, and well satisfied to be
weak and to be sickly, and to be just what her Lord
appoints ; is a striking object, not to be viewed by a
considerate mind without much profit ! But a young
woman in health and spirits, surrounded with friends,
and much beloved by them, still using these comforts
with moderation and caution — and holding them in due
subordination to her beloved Lord and Saviour — teaches
and preaches by her example, powerfully, as the sick
and dying saint. Indeed, every branch, vitally united
to the True Vine, brings forth fruit, and does not cease.
I please myself, therefore, in the fhoaght, that you, led
by the Spirit of Christ, make rich improvement of your
present lot. Often be looking up, and speaking with an
humble cordial confidence in our Incarnate God : " Make
me like Thyself, in my manner of life ; as thou wert in
private life, before thou didst appear a preacher in
Judea! May I be diligent and useful, watching oppor
tunities to instruct, and speak a word in love to perish
ing souls '" If nothing will satisfy, as nothing ought,

298 MR. MADDOCK, OF CREATON.
but usefulness, be not afraid ; there will not be wanting
opportunities, more or less. Awkward you may and
will feel it at first, as we all have : for every thing we
have to learn is done with difficulty, till practice makes
us ready at it. Be not therefore discouraged. Venture!
you will never repent — in speaking to the poor women,
and to your brother's maids.* Express your desires,
that they may be happy. Few but feel any instance of
love we show towards them. If, at first, they take it
not as they ought, our good advice may not be lost,
The great depravity of man is, indifference to his fellow-
creatures : this is nearly as bad as want of love lo God.
Yet how seldom do books or sermons, or serious people,
urge with earnestness this point! How many thousand
prayers did I put up, that I might love God, and be de
livered from the curse, and from the power of sin ! How
few, that I might love my fellow-sinners — not only to
have pity for their sufferings, but compassion for their
souls! All the blessings which flow from Jesus be with you
and Johannes !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
Yelling, Oct. 2, 1784.
¦ I have just returned, this day, from Creaton a

small village in Northamptonshire, where our God has
been pleased, in a very remarkable manner, to make use
of Mr. Maddock. Much has been told me, by Mr. Scott
of Olney, Mr. Newton, and Mr. Robinson, of this work.
I had a desire, therefore, to go and see my old acquaint
ance, Mr. Maddock. Accordingly, last Thursday was
the day appointed ; when I preached twice, to near three
hundred people ; .as many as could be crowded together
in so small a church; some few also standing without.
The eager attention of all, their sweet and heavenly
looks, and the lively singing of the whole congregation,
was equal to any thing I ever saw. All these have been
gathered, with twice as many more, by the preaching of
Mr. Maddock. He began life as an attorney in London —
• Miss Venn was at this time staying with her brother, at Little Dunham.

behaviour towards dissenters. 299
was ordained when forty-five years old — was Curate at
Kettering, and at two other places ; but had little suc
cess till he came to Creaton, at the age of sixty-one.
Now he is seventy-two ; and will soon enter into rest.
There is a beautiful simplicity, and much love and kind
ness, among his people ; and no disputings, or laying
any stress upon matters of doubtful disputation. My
nephew was there, and an attorney of chief practice from
Keitering, who has left the tent of Socinus and Priesdey,
to follow Christ and adore the Crucified Saviour. Dear
Mr. Robinson also, from Leicester, twenty-three miles
distant, gave me the meeting, and Mr. Scott of Olney.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. Yelling, Oct. 16, 1784.
My dear Son, — The melancholy account you send
me, of a Dissenting preacher coming amongst your
people, is certainly a very heavy trial : yet be not dis
couraged ! This is a trial all the pastors of Christ meet
with. Your conduct is to be the same as theirs has been
— to warn your people against this device of Satan ; to
tell them that points of doubtful disputation are never of
any service, and only work to the hurt of the soul ; and
in your society,* to desire them to mark how much is
spoken of the necessity of union — the mischiefs of dis
puting and dividing ; and show them the solemn charges
given to all, who receive benefit from their ministers, to
esteem, to obey them, and follow their instructions; en
forced by the Scripture. When we have done this, we
have done all, as far as teaching and exhortation can go.
To this we must add our constant prayer and interces
sion ; and take up our cross, after the example of all the
prophets, who mourn over the obstinacy of the people in
rejecting their word.
In such corners, and amongst so few as you and I
speak to, our want of success is more sensible, but not
greater, than in numerous congregations. I feel much
• This alludes to the meeting of a few of the more serious persons in
his congregation, at bis house, on the Sunday evenings, and one other
evening in the week.

300 DAILLEE on the colossians.
on this account : but, by the help of God, I will perse
vere, till my last breath; knowing the Lord saith to
him who is received into His joy, not " Well done" suc
cessful, but " good and faithful, servant." The former
epithet has not been applicable fo many of his dearest
ministers : the two latter, to all. Be, then, of good cheer,
and watch and pray ; and believe the hand of the Lord
will work in some degree. Happy the servant that is
found watching!
When Mr. C  was here, a fortnight since, he read
a letter from Mr.  , the Travelling Fellow, now at
Frescati in Italy, relating his great distress of soul,
under great weakness of body, after a relapse into a
fever ; and expressing his deep compunction for having
acted against light ; and desiring now to seek for happi
ness, where alone it can be found, in the knowledge and
love of Jesus Christ, and obedience to His will. These
last are his own words. — I thought it would excite you
to pray for him.
I have now gone through Daillee on the Colossians ;
and never was more instructed and entertained. But
Daillee complains sorely, that Protestants, who would
die sooner than be at mass, or worship an idol, would,
alas ! worship gold, and love the world, and be dissem
blers with God. I was particularly struck with his beau
tiful and just remarks on the case of Onesimus ; once, a
slave, a thief, a fugitive ; — by the grace of God blessing
Paul's word, afterward a faithful brother and pastor in
the Ohurch, and an eminent light. Here was the triumph
of free and sovereign grace. Nil 'desperandum, Christo
duce, et auspice Christo !
I am just going to visit J. G. in a fever. He, I trust,
is one of the sheep who shall never perish. — The Lord
Jesus be with your spirit ! Let us daily remember
each other! From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
P. S. — I have been to see J. G. — One such is worth
the labour of years ! — humble, well-informed, patient,
and thankful. — Yet his wife, who has been under con
cern, seems to have lost it all ; and is not affected by the

CONGREGATIONAL devotion. 301
inward supports and sweet consolations given to her hus
band. The reason of her receiving no good, and her
loss of the convictions she had, is owing to her neglect
of prayer. — If we pray, our souls shall prosper : if we
trifle, and are idle, and take no pains in the use of means,
we must perish. Prayer is like our food. The natural
life is weak, and ready to faint, if we eat little, and with
out appetite ; the spiritual life declines, when we have
no hearty desire to pray, and are not affected with this
decay. — "I know," she would say, "I cannot give my
self a heart to pray." No ; nor can you do any thing
that is right ! — But what an answer ! — God tells us, He
will fulfil fhe desires of them that call on Him — that
every thing shall be given to a praying soul ; and men
reply, "We cannot pray." They should speak out, and
say, " We care not for His blessings ! Let those seek
them who need them : we do not !" This is shockingly
impious ; but no more than the truth : and the conse
quence is certain, in the nature of things. — The proud
must be sent empty away, while the hungry are filled
with good things. Oh, for hunger and thirst after
righteousness — a constant intense desire which shall be
satisfied !
I lately preached at  . The audience was very
large ; but such inattention to the prayers and worship,
that it quite damped me. What miserable delusion, to
think sermons will profit awakened and enlightened peo
ple, when they have no heart to call upon God, and
worship him in spirit and in truth ! Often call upon
your people, to pray with importunity. Nothing short
of this will do.  H. V.

I add an extract from another letter, in which the same point is
urged which occurs in the last paragraph. Indeed, no one ever
entertained a higher sense of the importance of prayer and
praise in public worship, or laboured more earnestly to keep up a
devout and attentive spirit in the congregation. The following
extract was written after Mr. Venn had been preaching for several
weeks to crowded congregations in London.

-Oh, that power from on high might be vouch-
26

302 RECOLLECTIONS OF HUDDERSFIELD PARSONAGE.
safed in answer to prayer ! Full congregations are but
poor things, if the arrows which are very sharp do not
pierce to the heart the king's enemies. This, alas ! is
seldom the case, compared with what it used to be in
former times. Prayer is much wanted here. I see the
people greatly inattentive to the worship, and yet hear
ing with seeming earnestness. This will never do !
Worship in spirit and in truth must mellow the heart,
and dispose it to hear with humility, and desire to profit ;
otherwise God's spirit is grieved, and withdraws. The
preacher may be praised, but the soul will not be
profited. TO MISS JANE C. VENN.
Yelling, October 19, 1784
My dear Jane, — Yesterday we received yours of the
14th. We can readily believe you are in too great a
hurry to write much ; and I would excuse you the trouble,
only we want to hear of your health, and of the dear
friends you are with. The very short time allotted for
Yorkshire must be a great alloy to your pleasure. We
shall hope one week more may be gained.
I thought your mind would be affected, as you de
scribe, with the sight of Huddersfield, and the comparison
of its present state, and your connection with it in your
childhood. Such scenes impress on us the awful truth,
that we, in a transient world, are poor, and soon to lose
the little we have here, in the smiles and loving care of
those who are dearest to us. Such reflections are dis
tressing to men who have not a more enduring substance
in the heavenly world. I have felt many times, as you
have now at Huddersfield ; and found relief in the hope
of immortality, where all the family of Christ shall love
each other with perfect love, and know no more separa
tion by death or absence.
The old house was a melancholy object to me, four
years ago. In that dwelling, how many of the excellent
of the earth have been received! Within those walls,
how many precious sayings, from the lips of the sons
and daughters of God, have I heard ! How many prayers
and praises offered up by your dear mamma! — how a

NEWS FROM YELLING. 303
saint, with the spirits of the just made perfect. Within
those walls, line upon line, precept upon precept, were
given, with great delight, by your father, to instruct and
sanctify your hearts unto the Lord ; which His own Spirit —
adored be His Name ! — has made effectual. So, that
could you have seen and conversed with your beloved
mother, what mutual- joy would you have had ! for your
hope, and light, and love, your mind and affections, are
all one with hers. When a few years have taken a
rapid flight, you will, I doubt not, speak and think, and
feel, as she does now. This will be a change not many
degrees greater than you have experienced, my dear
daughter, in your soul, during the space of seventeen
years since she left me.
Now for Yelling. Mr. Simeon and Mr. Coulthurst
have been here together. The latter improves every
time I see him. Betty Field is dying — I trust, in a very
good state — with great comfort, and a full view, she says, of
Christ. John Gatehouse is ill, but happy — a truly meek
and humble follower of his Lord. Miss M. of Gravely,
also, is not expected to live. I heard, with joy, from
her own lips, that the Saviour is precious to her, under
all her pain and burning heat. How does sickness, and
a dying bed, demonstrate the wisdom of her choice, in
joining herself to the Lord, as soon as she heard of Him !
Let us remember poor Miss  ! she is amiable indeed,
and very sensible. I have spoken to her, with fourteen
young people who were confirmed last Thursday at St.
Neot's : our servant was among them. I spoke to them
three evenings ; but I could not see any impression on
any one, excepting young John Alsop. I gave Miss  ,
Doddridge's Rise and Progress ; and particularly desired
her to consider the prayers, which are very affecting.
However, I do not despair. The command to us all,
who know the Lord, is — " Sow thy seed in the morning ;
and in the evening slack not thy hand ; for thou canst
not tell which shall prosper — this or that."
We expect Joseph Scott here, to take home his wife,
who is something better for our air ; though at best, she
enjoys poor health. Her soul prospers ; though she
laments that her children keep her affections too much

304 REMEMBRANCE OF HIS FORMER FLOCK.
below. "A sad difference," she one day said, "be
tween my state and St. Paul's ! He desired to be gene ;
and I wish to stay." How few of us ever get to that
most blessed state — wishing to be gone ! Here we have
abundant cause to cry out, Lord help our unbelief! Lord
increase our faith !
I direct this to you at Thornhill. Pray give my kindest
love to them. Tell them I shall never forget the many
pleasant hours I have spent with them, nor the true and
cordial friendship we had in times past. I often remem
ber them, when I am praying for my friends and fellow-
citizens in Christ ; and often anticipate the day, when we
shall fall at the feet of the Lamb, adoring the grace in
which we share, and by which we shall be saved. Re
member me to Mr. Powley, Mr. Burnet, and at Mold
Green. Were I to allow myself to choose, I would wish
to be near my Yorkshire friends. But choosing for our
selves is not less ridiculous in men and women, than it
would be in a child of three or four years old : our un
derstanding and wisdom are no more proportioned to
judge what is best for us. We are in the hands of a
Heavenly Father — dear name ! implying all we can need,
as a ground for cordial confidence that He will certainly
order all for the best.
Mark it well, my dear daughter, that we have to do
with a Father, whose love is as great as is his other per
fections, towards all his children ! Our Saviour always
proposes Him, to His people, in that character. He does
not say, God Almighty knows that you have need of all
these things, but, " your Heavenly Father." "It is your
Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
" When you pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven."
" How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the
Holy Ghost" — " give good things to them that ask Him !"
The Spirit of His Son is sent into the hearts of his people,
that they, may cry, " Abba, Father." May you, my dear
Jane, be more and more acquainted with God, as your
Father, loving you, and delighting to do you good in Christ
Jesus. Beg of Him a cordial confidence in His mercy,
such as shall be a healing balm for all your wounds, and
lead you to recline your weary head in peace, in all sick-

RECOLLECTIONS OF CHRISTMAS. 305
ness, pain, and grief. " My Father, God ! how sweet
the name!" This will support, when all below turns its
back upon us — when either friends are taken away, or
with unavailing pity behold us in sore affliction.
Tell me, in your next, how you have been affected
with the strong and high mountains of Derbyshire.
Though barren, the idea of grandeur they suggest pleases
the mind. We are made for grandeur. We are to be
hold it in all its majesty. Oh, may future scenes — in
the course of our existence, which is here in its infancy —
be ever before our eyes! — and an abounding hope of
glory, ready to be revealed, animate our drooping spirits !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, Jan. 4, 1785.
My dear Friend, — Many uses are to be made of
times and seasons. Our dearest friends have then a
more particular remembrance in our prayers. When the
first day of a new year dawns, I am called upon to com
mend them, who are very precious to me, to the loving
protection of my God, at the same time as I give Him
thanks for all His loving-kindness towards them in the
years that are past.
Thus have I been remembering my dear friend, and
blessing and praising God for your knowledge, faith, and
love of Him, which began so many years ago. I have
been calling to mind our Christmas fare at Huddersfield ;
when the name of Jesus made the feast, and our souls
delighted themselves in fatness ; — when the wonders of
His grace, and the blessings He communicates, were new
and surprising to your precious soul ; and a joy, spi
ritual and heavenly, began to be known by you. Happy
times ! the fruit of which we shall enjoy, together with
dear Mr. Riland, in the world of glory.
What will you think, when I tell you, that last Christ
mas-day, in my cold church, and my few sheep around
me, I had a most delightful season ; and think I was never
more helped in preaching in my life, and the people all
listening, while " God manifest in the flesh" was my
subject. This great mystery is the centre of all the
26*

306 THE ONE HUNDRED AND NINETEENTH PSALM.
truths; and itself a fountain of light, like the sun. Con
cerning this article it is, that we may well cry out,
" Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound !"
This is precisely the sound : " Unto us a Child is born ;
unto us a Son is given ; who is Christ the Lord !"
How is your health ? — When am I to see your hand
writing? It seems an age since your last letter. — I have
been out nowhere, but to see a few sick people, this
month : — not once on horseback. Yet, blessed be God !
I have my health well ; and twice a week our kitchen is
full of the people. I am now upon the point of expound
ing to them the 119th Psalm, which I never did go
through ; yet I know not any part of Scripture much
more profitable. In that Psalm, the whole inner man is
delineated ; and the several changing frames of our poor
hearts, and the several blessed motions and inspirations
of the Holy Spirit are touched in- a very affecting man
ner. This is the Psalm I have often had recourse to,
when I could find no spirit of prayer in my own heart ;
— and at length the fire was kindled, and I could pray.
What has been your experience regarding this extraor
dinary Psalm ? I know you do not read the Scripture
idly, and without self-application. Have you not found
it pleasant and nourishing to your soul, and fastening
upon your mind? — All love, and all peace, to you and
yours ! A happy new year !
From your affectionate pastor, H. Venn.
TO MISS JANE C. VENN. Yelling, March 19, 1785.
I know my dear Jane and her friends will be glad to
hear from Yelling : and having to write to Mr. Thornton,
I take the opportunity of getting the letter franked.
Last Sunday, I finished a course of threescore years :
and I had much to humble me to the dust — that I had
sinned in childhood, youth, and riper years, against the
glorious God ; — much to excite wonder and love to His
name, who never ceased to do me good, to deal boun
tifully with me, and even to bless me with special mer
cies. Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson, with their daughter, were
with us.

THINGS SEEN AND UNSEEN, CONTRASTED. 307
My subject was, that striking character of Christians,
"We look not at the things which are seen;" which are
tlie natural, constant objects of pursuit, and deemed the
means of happiness; "but at tlie things which are not
seen" — God and His Christ, the redemption He hath ob
tained, the spiritual blessings He bestows, and the "house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
The things seen are low and poor, only to sustain the
body and natural life ;— can never raise, exalt, and en
large the mind, or make it wiser and better.
The things unseen are high and noble ; such as angels,
and the whole company of heaven, contemplate : they
enlarge and purify the mind — they inspire purposes and
intentions grand and pleasing to God, transforming our
minds from earthly to heavenly — are rich, and full : all,
possessed of them, say so. By the knowledge of things
unseen, the conscience is purified, the mind at rest, the
heart rejoiced ; — so full the contentment, that our Saviour,
commending the choice of Christians, saith, " He that
drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never
thirst" — -after any thing beneath holiness and heaven !
The things seen are uncertain. — No one can tell how
long a man and his possessions shall stay together ; or
whether he shall be taken from all he holds, or lose them.
The first, and chief, in our towns and cities,' often sink
down to poverty ; and, in the course of a few years, the
same person is the general envy, and the object of com
passion. There needs nothing more than a tempest at
sea, a dreadful fire, or a great bankruptcy, to overturn
the pile and fabric of wealth and opulence. Gold,
houses, lands, we see continually changing masters: and
even the lawful objects of a subordinate affection and love,
from whence a great share of comfort is enjoyed, are no
less uncertain. . A pleasant child, an affectionate endear
ing wife; or husband — a friend steadfast and warm, as
Jonathan to David — all these things are but like beau
teous flowers in the garden : they soon fade, they wither,
ind "are not."
Things not seen — if once your own, are so for ever.
They are above this world's whirling sphere, in the hand
of God, and, like Him, unchangeable. These are His

308 DEATH OF MR.
gifts, which He preserves — they are secured by oaths,
and promises, and blood. Whether we are caressed in
the circle of our friends, or despised and slandered by
our foes — whether we bloom in health, or languish and
decay — whether we abound, or are in want, this treasure
is the same. All temporal advantages add not the weight
of a grain to it ; and the fiercest attacks on our character
or substance, or even on our bodies, cannot diminish it.
Things seen, are temporal. The revolution of a few
years exhausts them. All here soon ends. But the
things not seen, are eternal. Eternity of knowledge, love
and holiness ! eternity, added to every thing we enjoy
this swallows up all thought, and can only be under
stood when we enter into our "house not made with
hands." Such was the substance of a birthday discourse of one
who, forty years ago, was, alas ! as ignorant and blind
to all things not seen, as " the horse or mule, which have
no understanding." Mr. Atkinson said he had a happy
day : it brought old times to remembrance. From his
hand I received the following account from Mr. John
Houghton : — " I do not find a spirit of murmuring or dis
satisfaction at the stroke of Divine Providence, in be
reaving me of one of the most promising and affectionate
children — a daughter, in her sixteenth year. No : I have
ever had cause to bless the abounding grace and mercy,
towards her and myself, in that dispensation. The Lord
heard my petitions, and answered them to the full : yea, ¦
He abundantly exceeded all my expectations, in opening
her heart, in giving her to lament over the vanity of her
mind, and her neglect in not improving the means of
grace ; and then to rest her eternal concerns on the sal
vation that is in Christ, in such a manner as gave her a
calm composure in the prospect of death. Several pas
sages of Scripture were a stay to her mind ; especially
that, ' Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden ' and I will give you rest.' She repeated it a few
hours before she died : and to such a departure I was
never witness. She longed to be with Christ. She took
leave of us, with many thanks for all our attention to
her, and with prayer for the presence of the Lord with

YOUNG MEN FROM CAMBRIDGE. 309
us ; and having repeated the word ' salvation,' she fell
asleep." What a most honourable office is that of a minister who
is an instrument, by preaching Christ, of producing such
fruit ! Such a happy change, Christ Crucified, known,
and believed in, will surely effect ! — A fortnight since, I
had a most pleasing encouragement in Mr. Bennet. Ex
tremely afflicted with illness, and unable to attend his
business, tortured all the night for weeks — I found him not
only quite patient and resigned, but thankful for the chas
tisement — full of peaee and Divine knowledge. He told
me he had a fear of offending God even at six years old,
and always was preserved from presumptuous offences.
" But grossly ignorant, and dark, was I," said he, " and
knew nothing of Christ, till I had heard you for more
than a year. — About my children, I am perfectly easy. I
only beg for them the grace of God."
Could I afford it, I should give you a peep at Birming
ham ; for I am engaged to preach at Leicester the Sun
day after Easter ; but I am obliged to be as frugal as
possible. Nevertheless, do not you want any thing ne
cessary. Make your dear friend your banker : I will re
pay it. I have received my appointment to preach the
Visitation Sermon on the 12th of May. — Your mamma,
and Kitty, send their love. We all want to see you. —
The Lord love you !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
Yetting, May 14, 1785.
 I have had comfort in the answer of my prayer
for usefulness. God generally stirs up a desire for the
blessing, before He gives it ; that it may be the more
noticed, and with true thankfulness. Within these five
months, my church is fuller — scarcely one in it drowsy.
And I have more young students who visit me from
Cambridge, and seem to be going on well. How they
may stand fire, when their maintenance is at stake, or
preferment — that bewitching thing ! — must be sacrificed in
appearance, who can say ? However, the young tree is
beautitul in blossom, though the blossom never come to
proper fruit. I have one, now in the house, who has
25

310 VISITATION SERMON AT HUNTINGDON.
stood his ground well, and though confessedly one of the
first Tutors in the University, he is humble as a child,
and comes to hear from an aged servant some good of
our dear Lord. The Master of his College is not only a
confirmed, but a most active and daring Socinian. I
feared much he would destroy my dear friend by his
subtlety ; but there is no cause now to fear.
On Thursday, I preached a Visitation Sermon at Hun
tingdon — to a very numerous audience, for that town.
I am going to print the sermon, at the desire of some of
the clergy, intitled, " Plain Proofs of the Scripture Cha
racter of Christ ; and of the great practical benefits of
believing in Him, as described in Scripture ; and of the
pernicious consequences which unavoidably follow from
controverting and denying his Deity."  H. V.
-Much was said, pro and con, about my Visitation

Sermon ; and the whole town was divided — a few on my
side, and the many against me ; — a few glad to hear so
peremptory a condemnation of the adversaries of our
Lord — more offended at my bigotry and uncharitable
zeal, in passing sentence on good men, who only deny
the virtue of Christ's blood and intercession ! However,
I am much indebted to my Lord and my God, that I was
quite free from all restraint, and spoke to the clergy, with
the same consciousness of the certainty of the doctrine,
as I do to my own pofor people. 
— I preached one hour and eight minutes ; but no one
seemed tired. Several came from Cambridge ; and a
Master of one of the Colleges. 
TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, Aug. 1, 1785.
Yesterday, my dear friend, your letter, which came
to Caxton, was brought to my daughter. Immediately,
many tender feelings for you were strongly excited in
all our hearts : we entered into your sorrows, fears, and
distress ; and into your thankfulness and joy for the pre
servation of your dear Priscilla. Give our kindest love
to her ; and tell her we shall all be glad to pay every at
tention to her. Our air, we trust, will be balmy and re-

CHEERFULNESS UNDER ILLNESS. 311
storative; and as young people very soon recover after
illness, it will be the best physic, to change air, and come
by gentle stages hither. You will want air and quietness,
no less than dear Priscilla and John : we therefore pro
mise ourselves the pleasure of hearing very soon that
you have fixed the time for your journey.
How very uncertain are all our enjoyments here ! Last
month, I was delighted with the prospect of preaching
often in several different places, as I so well bore the
fatigue of preaching in town ; and last week I was to
have begun. A few days before, one of my legs swelled,
from relaxation — by over-exertion, as my surgeon thinks.
I am confined therefore to my couch ; and am told, I
must not expect a cure before many weeks are passed.
My lot is wonderfully gracious ! I feel but little pain ;
and have the most tender attention from a dear wife, chil
dren, and servants. And when you come, all my com
forts will be increased ; and you may be sure of my
company. Kitty is with our friends in London ; and Dr. L. has
prescribed for her the most pleasant prescription ; —
which is, to take all the pleasure she can ; to speak to
twenty-five people every day ; and trouble herself about
nothing. "Is he not the cleverest of all physicians?"
Kitty asks.
What a new face the earth wears ! Abundant showers
have swelled the grain, and produced much grass and
fodder for the cattle ; and removed the melancholy fears
of many, too apt to prophesy evil. — Mr. and Mrs. Saun
derson left us, after spending one week. We were much
pleased with them. — I am sorry to learn, from Jane, that
any of the people are to have a vote in choosing your
curate. This will introduce confusion, and make the
curate conclude himself not dependent on Mr. Riland.
Much trouble I foresee arising from this mode.
We all send our love to Mr. Riland, yourself, and all
your branches. I am perfectly cheerful, and reckon my
self as a preacher, twice every day ; — for the Lord I
serve, taketh the will for the deed ; and my will, He
knoweth, is to do as much.
From your affectionate father^ H. Venn.

312 MRS. lefevre's letters.
In a letter written to another friend, he describes his situation in
the following terms : —
I am as happy as I could wish : because I have not
one single desire to have my complaint less, or shorter,
than it pleases my God. Many advantages I enjoy from
being laid aside. I have much time to think of my dear
friends, and remember them more fully before the Throne
of Grace ; and to dwell on the delightful, never-fading
joys we shall share, when light and knowledge and love
shall all be perfected — when every cause of separation
and division shall utterly cease, and self be swallowed
up in a perfect union with our God.
TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD.
Yetting, Sept. 26, 1785.
Madam, — Two days since, after searching in vain for
a copy of Mrs. Lefevre's, my dear Christian friend's,
letters, I was going to tell you of my disappointment ;
but yesterday I was so happy as to find one, which shall
be sent, in a week or two, to your house. There is a
most fervent strain of divine love in her letters : all is
genuine, as I can well attest : yet I must caution my
much honoured and esteemed friend against the mistake
in -them that is sometimes very apparent ; namely, the
idea that we can arrive at perfection below, and be with
out fault, and out of the hospital, before we are out of the
flesh. The dying saint, you must remember, in the last-
letter but one she ever wrote — (it was to myself) — wrote
thus : —
"I, all sin and misery — the Saviour, all tenderness
and mercy — no sting remaining — no clog upon my cha
riot wheels." See Mrs. Lefevre's Letters, p. 74, four
lines from the bottom.*
Oh, may the Teacher infallible, by His own word and
Spirit, keep us from extremes! And may we know
when we are right, and give God the glory, by exhibit
ing a constancy and steadfastness in a truly Christian
* " Mrs. Lefevre's Letters" have been lately re-published by J. F. Shaw,
27 Southampton Row, London. The passage quoted above occurs at
page 86 of the new edition.

LADY GLENORCHY. 313
life — which will yet ever be an imperfect one ! Some
better thing than we can know below is reserved for us
above. Upwards may we ever tend, and be more and
more spiritual and useful ! but we must wait and tarrv
God's leisure. How slow is the growth of the babe, to
be a man of service to his fellow-creatures ! how limited
and scanty his services, at the best ! It is the same in
the Church : and though we know not now, we shall
know hereafter, why the longings of the new creature in
Christ Jesus, to be without fault, are so strong, yet not
to be satisfied till mortality is swallowed up of life.
I had the honour of a visit from your full sister in the
Lord — Lady Glenorchy. She spent a Sabbath with me,
and slept under my roof ; — and — shall I tell you? — to
my surprise, is, like yourself, not a little troubled with
fear, lest she should prove but as counterfeit at last : —
at the same time, her body, soul, and spirit, are con
secrated, with all she hath, to the Lord. She grudges
whatever she spends upon herself; and many hundred
souls, who were " ready to perish," have been saved by
the preachers she has sent to them. I spoke in nearly
the same terms to her as I did to your Ladyship. Oh,
that you may both walk in the light of God's counte
nance, and daily rejoice in His name ! May the voice
from Heaven speak to your inmost soul, and say, " Fear
not! I will save you!"
These lines, I suppose, will find your ladyship at the
Wells, or at Bath. May the one inseparable and all-suf
ficient Friend be with your spirit! and then the pastors
He sends will be more profitable ; or, if none are sent to
you your soul will still prosper and be in health.
From your ladyship's much indebted servant,
H. Venn.

About this time, Mr. Richard Venn, having retired from busi
ness in London, came to reside with his brother at Yelling. The
event is thus noticed in a letter to Mr. John Venn.

Yelling, Oct. 15, 1785.
-Your uncle is now come to take up his abode

with us, for the short remainder of his days. We meel
27

314 MR. P0WLEY.
now, eleven, at family prayer. Oh, that the Spirit of
grace and supplication may be poured out upon us! I
am more and more convinced, that all the difference be
tween those who bring forth no fruit, and those who do,
depends upon the different manner in which they hear,
and read, and pray. What violence must we do to our
selves, in order to be earnest, steadfast, and persevering,
in fighting against our enemies ! Pray for me, as I do
for you, that we may be able to pray fervently in secret,
in the company of the faithful, and in the congrega
tion. 
TO THE REV. M. POWLEY.
Yelling, Oct. 26, 1785.
My dear Friend, — I was heartily glad to see your
handwriting; and return you hearty thanks for your-kind
inquiry after me, and concern for my complaint. It is,
beyond expectation, abated ; yet I have not strength to
work according to my desire ; nor have I any prospect
of being ever able to do more than the Sunday duty in
my own little church. However, the Lord knoweth our
hearts ; and, where there is a willing mind, He accepteth
the will for the deed.
Report always enlarges matters. I cannot say I was
so much favoured in my trial as to be longing and pant
ing to be gone ; but I was kept in perfect peace, and
without any will of my own, or any desire but this — that
I might not dishonour the cause, nor show, by a peevish
expression, or a look of impatience, an ignorance of my
own demerit, or a forgetfulness of the dying love of my
God and Saviour : for shall such as we are, who speak
continually in the congregation such great things of our
God and our Rock, not rejoice in suffering His will ?
When friends, and enemies too, will be sure to inquire
whether we practise what we preach, shall the one be
cast down, and the other be hardened, by our behaviour
in the time of peculiar trial?
It rejoices me much, to hear how greatly you are
enabled to bear your heavy cross, in your dear wife's
very ill health. What abundant cause have we to say,

mr. Venn's guests. 315
" Who is a God like ours, doing wonders for the children
of men !"
Continue to remember me, my dear friend, now I am
old and gray-headed. My faculties and my affections
were never lively, as they ought to be, in matters of a
spiritual nature ; but chilled by age, I feel them already
less so than before. I can neither think nor preach, nor
pray, as I have done in time past. Blessed be God!
my trust is in the blood and righteousness of Christ — in
His promises and covenant; and all is well! Now, in
a very few years, we shall meet in the world "where
the Lamb receives the honour due unto His name," and
where all agree and conspire to help each other to love
and praise.
My son goes on well ; and is so strict a resident, that
I have not had his company, for more than a fortnight,
this year and four months. I expect him to visit us
next week. Dear Mr. Riland, and his wife and son, left
us only one hour ago. What a man of God is he ! How
high in glory shall we soon see him ! His visit has done
me good.
From your indebted and affectionate friend,
H. Venn.
TO MR. EDWARD VENN.
Yelling, Nov. 14, 1785.
 Our house has been, for eight weeks past, full
of guests — Mrs. Riland and two children, three daughters
of my own, and my brother Richard ; and, added to
these, some visiters ; — so that our solitude gives place
to society. Cheerfulness, with sweet discourse on things
which are the honour of man, and the chief token of
God's love to him, make our time pass swiftly. Pre
sently, the scene will change.
The Sunday before last, Mrs. V. and my three daughters
received from the hands of myself and my son, at the
Lord's Table, the memorial of His precious death. It
was a solemn time — probably never to return. There, I
trust, we were united in one faith, one hope, and one
Lord ; and afresh surrendered ourselves to His service,
without reserve — chose Him as our portion, and com-

316 MARRIAGE OF MISS VENN.
mitted into His hands our immortal souls. Who ever
repented of doing so ? Would not the language sound
prodigious and horrid, if any man, at any time or place,
in any situation whatever, should have said, " What a
fool have I been, for serving Christ so much — for govern
ing myself so much by His commands — for taking so
much pains to save my soul!" The simple evidence,
then, is decisive and complete in favour of the true
Christian's choice : for if the wisdom of his choice were
not founded in the unalterable nature of things, it could
not fail but some or other, amidst the millions who have
made that choice, must have repented, and expressed
their disappointment or mistake. Let us therefore, my
dear nephew, be more and more earnest in the service
of our God — doing all with singleness of eye to please
Him ; and feel more and more how slight and transient
is our connexion with the objects of sense — how strong
and permanent our connexion with spiritual things.
We often talk of you and yours, and should enjoy
your company with us. It has pleased God now to re
move my complaint ; but I find an inward weakness
when I preach, which indicates the tabernacle of clay
has not long to stand. Would to God I could always
feel as a dying creature should, and be on the wing for
heaven. The Lord bless you and yours ! I remain yours in
the best bonds, H. Venn.

On the 20th December, 1785, Mr. Venn's eldest daughter was
united in marriage to Mr. Elliott. Miss Jane Venn was staying
with Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, on a visit, when the following letter
was written to her.

TO MISS JANE C. VENN. Yelling, Dec. 27, 1785.
My dear Daughter, — An infinite preference of what
God delights in, and creates in His own children, is the
mark of a sound mind, the source of pure satisfaction,
and of pleasure never fading. A great part of our war
fare is, to overcome our natural propensity — of seeking

ANTICIPATION of heaven. 317
happiness in meats and drinks, in dress and show ; which
only nourish our disease, and keep us from communion
with God, as our chief good. More than thirty-seven
years since, He was pleased, in His adorable mercy, to
give me a demonstration that all was vanity and vexa
tion of spirit, but Himself. From that hour, (such is the
energy of Divine teaching! rising up and lying down,
going out and coming in, I felt this truth. I began and
continued to seek the Lord and His strength, and His
face evermore. I then was led to know how the poverty
and emptiness of all terrestrial good could be well sup
plied from the fulness of our adorable Jesus. And, oh !
how unspeakably blessed am I, that I see my children
impressed with the same precious and invaluable feel
ings ! and that I hope (though a very few years will finish
my life on earth,) upon the best grounds, that we shall
enjoy an eternity together in glory! — when you shall
know your father — not the poor, polluted, hasty, sinful
creature he now is — but holy, " without spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing ;" and when I shall know my dear
children, not as emerging from a sea of corruption, and
struggling against the law in their members warring
against the law in their minds, and needing such frequent
intimations to do what is right ; but when, naturally and
constantly, all within and without will be perfectly holy.
Oh, what a meeting will that be, when all my prayers
for your precious souls, ever since you were born — when
all my poor, yet well-meant instructions and lessons from
the Word of God, and all your own petitions, shall be
fully answered ; and we shall dwell in a perfect union
together, inconceivable on earth; in the love of God for
ever and ever ! Such sensations I enjoy, in these views,
as give me a foretaste of heaven — such sensations as
compel me to break forth in fervent prayer —
Oh, that all may seek and find
Every good in Jesus join'd !
Him may all our souls adore,
Love Him, praise Him, evermore !
Let this spiritual good be what you seek after, more and
more. By no means rest satisfied with the communica-
*27*

318 EARTHLY CONNECTIONS PERPETUATED ABOY±;.
tions with which you have been favoured ; but plead
them — as I do, after no less an example than that of
Moses — for much greater. He prayed, " Lord ! thou
hast begun to show me thy greatness and thy glory !" and
then desired brighter discoveries.
We all send our most cordial love to our son and
daughter. Tell my son, I shall hope to hear from him,
before it is long. I daily remember him ; begging of
the Lord, that, after all his employments are over, he
may be enabled to come into the presence of the Lord,
and bow before the Throne of Grace, with a contrite
spirit, and a soul longing after God-, and the salvation
of his wife, his mother, his children, and all his near
relations. To God our Saviour I commend you all !
H. Venn.
TO MR. CHARLES ELLIOTT.
Yelling, Jan. 24, 1786.
My dear Son, — Many thanks for your long letter !
We all join in congratulating you that the ceremonious
visits are done, and your purgatory and penance are
over. Strange and absurd is the way of men, to con
sume so much time with people who care not for
them ; and not to select a few, whose spirit, taste, and
pursuits, being quite congenial with their own, the inti
macy would be pleasing and profitable : but for serious
Christians to fall into this practice, is lamentable incon
sistency with their great business. Their time is wanted
(all they can spare from necessary secular employment)
to gain more knowledge of the glory of the Lord, and
the excellency of their God — more bright evidences of
their union with Him, and more likeness to Him ; which
cannot be, if time is not well husbanded, and companions
well chosen.
We feel wishes, as you do, were it lawful to give
them place, that we might pass our time together here ;
but, in wisdom and mercy, our Lord and Saviour will
have it otherwise. Probably, we should be less in
prayer, and less fervent, were we not separate. Occa
sional visits, being short, have a tendency to raise our
»

HEAVEN A SCENE OF ACTIVITY AND USEFULNESS, -iij
desires intensely to that better country, where all the en
dearments of Christian love, between husband and wife,
parents and children, brothers and sisters, flourish in
perfection; and, contrasted with the transient interviews
below, the permanent eternal abode together in the
regions of bliss will be inconceivably sweeter : for I am
fully persuaded, from Scriptural warrant, that all the per
sons we are particularly interested in, while in the body,
and closely connected with — all who have been the con
stant witnesses of our example, and either edified or in
fected by it — all such will be eternal witnesses to us, and
we to them, that we are adjudged according to our
works. The full tide of love, for ever flowing and cir
culating through all the company of heaven, is founded,
maintained, and increased, first, in and by the love of
God to them all ; then, by the recollection of offices of
love which were done on earth, which will be repeated
in heaven with all alacrity. The angels who minister to
the heirs of salvation, have all their desires fulfilled re
specting them, when they have brought them into Abra
ham's bosom : and those heirs love them for their services*
Evangelists and pastors love the sheep called by their
preaching ; and those chosen souls behold with rapture
in heaven the men of God to whom they owe themselves.
And this ground of mutual love increases from the life in
heaven ; which certainly is inconceivably active and
useful, while gratitude, and every generous sensibility
which perfect souls possess, reign there. With steadfast
expectation of our eternal abode there, I at large remem
ber yourself and my daughter, day by day. I am never
out of your company. " Faith, the evidence of things
not seen," makes you and Eling, and all my children,
present with me. We are travelling on to God ; look
ing out for the coming of the Lord.
We all unite in love to dear E. — Mrs. V. holds up
charmingly. — I have begun again to have the people one
night in the week : near fifty come. Oh, that Jesus our
Lord would win their hearts !
The best blessings rest upon you !
From your affectionate father, and servant in Christ,
H. Venn.

320 TEACHING RELIGION TO CHILDREN.
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET.
Yelling, Jan. 25, 1 786.
My dear Friend, — I thank you heartily for your kind
wishes respecting my daughter, who took the name of
Elliott the 20th of last month. I am filled with .admira
tion at the good and gracious providence. Such are her
husband's profitable conversation, amiable manners, and
fervent prayers, that, instead of losing an instructer or
pattern of good works, in going from her father's house,
her change is much for the better, respecting both.
I am glad you are going to the press, in your own
name. May our Lord give you the desire of your heart!
And where you cannot come to speak, and when you are
dead, may you speak to the purpose, in your Catechism !
God be gracious (I can say from my heart) to your
precious little branch ! May you be taught of God to
bring him up wisely ! The great danger is, from surfeit
ing a child with religious doctrines, or over-much talk.
Doctrines, they are too young to understand ; and too
frequent talking to them is wearisome to them. Too
many parents greatly err, in expecting the religion of a
child should be nearly the same as their own. Much
have I thought on the subject ; and much pains, indeed,
have I taken with my children ; and, God knoweth, de
siring this one thing — that He would give - them the
knowledge and love of His ever-blessed name. But I
did not give them formal instructions till they were eight
years old ; and then, chiefly set before them the striking
facts in the Old Testament, or the miracles in the New :
and laboured much to set before them the goodness of
our God, in things they could understand — in inclining
my heart to love them — in all the comforts we enjoyed
together. And, watching providential occurrences, I
made use of them, to give a body and substance to
spiritual truth. One method, I remember, used to affect
them much, which I was careful to improve — carrying
them to sec an afflicted Child of God, rejoicing in tribu
lation, and speaking of His love. To this day, they tell
me of one and another whom they saw happy, though
poor and in pain.
My son has been blessed in his work, and is very

OR. ISAAC MILNER. 321
much favoured in his situation. Mr. and Mrs. Parry,
who brought him there, treat him as a brother ; and
keeping very little company in the country, they are
much together: this, as he is quite alone, we are very
thankful for.
Last month, I preached in Cambridge, after an inter
val of thirty-seven years. I exchanged with my friend
Simeon. Many gownsmen, and some Masters of Arts,
were present. I read my sermon, on 1 Sam. ii. 25.
I also went over to hear Dr. Isaac Milner keep his
Divinity Act. His subject was, " Justification by Faith
only :" — his Thesis admirable ; taken in substance from
Jonathan Edwards. He did well. The schools were
crowded, more than ever was seen, of late years ; and,
no doubt, good will come from men of the first-rate
abilities holding out to notice Divine Truth. May he
preach and live as a minister of Christ ! — You will say,
Amen! Mrs. Venn joins me in best respects to Mrs. Stilling
fleet. Pray for an aged minister.
Yours, in Christian love, H. Venn.
TO MRS. ELLIOTT. Yelling, Feb. 22, 1786.
Never, my dear daughter, did I remember, with more
solemnity, a 7th of February, than I did the last. Before
the day dawned, I lifted up my soul to God ; and then,
in the family, we implored Him to guard, guide, and
bless you and yours. Your birthday led me to serious
meditation on the present state of your existence, com
pared with that you will, I trust, enjoy in eternity. An
inspired writer states the difference in four remarkable
particulars, which I shall choose for my subject, in ad
dressing you on your birthday.
You made your appearance in this world, clothed in
a body sown in corruption, composed of so many frail
and perishable parts, that no care or medicine can pre
vent its continual tendency to decay, and after a few
years, its total dissolution, when not one part shall re
main joined to another. This your body shall be raised
again in incorruption, firmer than the strong mountains,

322

A BIRTHDAY ADDRESS.

more durable than the sun : millions of ages shall pass
without making the least impression, to impair it.
The body, which is now your appointed tabernacle, is
sown in dishonour ; brought forth, not with smiles, with
joy and gladness, in comfort to mother and child, but in
pain and sorrow, in tears, and under various marks of
the righteous penalty inflicted for the great offence : the
child is, of necessity, subject to pains and diseases, which
disfigure and emaciate its form. By and by, it waxes
old and deformed, as a moth-eaten garment ; stoops, and
totters ; till it becomes, at last, ghastly to the view, and,
like a thing most dishonourable, must be sunk in the
earth. This same body you are to receive, raised in
glory, fashioned exactly after the pattern of the Saviour
on Mount Tabor, when His face shone as the sun in his
strength — every limb more radiant than the brightest gem
in a monarch's crown. The glory of your body shall
excite and command admiration of so noble a work of
God, from all saints and angels, evermore.
The body you now have is sown in weakness : it must
be watched and tended continually, to be safe ; — in
weakness, not only during infancy, but always exposed
to falls, and bruises, and broken limbs ; — in weakness, so
as to tire with employment ; and, unless its springs, like
those of a clock, be wound up every night by sleep, good
for nothing : — in weakness, soon reduced, by disease, to
lie upon a bed, not able to help itself; and then placed
in the tomb, where it soon becomes the prey of worms.
This, your body, shall be raised in power, strong and
mighty; never subject to weariness; swift to move, as
with eagle's wings ; in no more need of dull sleep, the
image of death, to recruit its strength ; — in power, to
persevere, without intermission, in the great services to
which it shall be appointed ; and able to bear " an ex
ceeding and eternal weight of glory," a very small part
of which would sink the body of flesh into a' swoon and
fear, great as was seen in the beloved disciple, who fell
as dead at the feet of Jesus.
Your body was sown a natural body — at your birth, to
be sustained, like all other animals, by the fruits of the
earth, and by the elements ; fashioned to relish nothing

OF THE NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL BODY. 323
higher than what can be seen by the eye of flesh, and
handled with the hands ; so that its joys and griefs, fears
and hopes, and all its sensations, are low, and like the
brutes'. But it shall be raised up a spiritual body, i. e.
one every way accomplished to see, admire, and delight
in spiritual objects and exercises; — no more a hindrance
and clog to the glorified soul ; but an aid and help, sin
less in all its tendencies — all eye, all ear, all sense, re
specting the visible works of God ; and an excellent
medium of conveying still greater bliss to the soul than
it would know without the body ; otherwise it would not
be re-united to its former inmate.
The inhabitants of such an incorruptible glorious
body, mighty and spiritual, I hope to see my sons and
daughters ; and, in such infinite dignity, dwell with the
Lord our God, who hath formed us for Himself, for ever.
May this our future eternal existence be ever before our
eyes, realized to our minds, and the desire of our hearts !
Amen ! and Amen !
Accept love from us all, to yourself, and my son and
Jane. My plan is, to come alone, on April 20th or 21st,
to you : your mamma and uncle to follow. I believe
(as my son is so very kind as to offer me a stable) I shall
come on horseback, as riding is of so much service. I
am going with this to Caxton, where I expect a letter
from you. K. is very poorly, and grows much thinner.
I feel much, and pray for her. Were she well, I should
have no cross, but the plague of my own heart. Such a
state we must not expect here. What thankfulness should
fill our hearts for such an open winter ! The cattle must
have perished, if deep snow and hard frost had con
tinued. I did not mention what a good Sacrament our
last was — forty-six communicants ! and the time solemn.
]yrrS- J  told me she never desired so much to live,
as she does now to die. " Oh," she said, " Sir, I would
not part with my portion in Christ for a king's ransom !
I tell my husband I shall presently leave him ; and that
if he do not cleave to the Lord he will soon be a poor
creature." — An evident simplicity, and godly sincerity,
give weight to her words, and comfort to my heart.
Poor Mr.  looks guilty and miserable: alas! he is

324 PREACHING IN LONDON. '
ruining his wife, and family, and his own soul, by the
company he keeps. It grieved me to see him and his
wife here. She, poor woman ! I hope, will be upheld.
— The Lord Jesus be with your spirit; and unite us
both, and all of us, with you, in life for evermore!
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

During the months of May and June, 1786, Mr. Venn visited
London for a few weeks, and preached each Sunday at Surrey
Chapel. The following extracts refer to this visit :

 I have crowded audiences. Many of the clergy
are generally present. The Sub-dean of the Chapel
Royal was there last Sunday, and came into the vestry
to speak to me. Mr. Cecil says I do very wrong to come
for so short a time. He would persuade me to under
take for half the year. Vain would be the attempt, un
less I kept a curate. Mr. Wilberforce has been at the
chapel, and attends the preaching constantly. Much he
has to give up ! And what will be the issue, who can
say?  How religion prospers in this great capital, I
cannot say. The hearers are very numerous ; but suc
cess in the sound conversion of the soul is but rarely
found. This is matter of great grief, every where. My
son tells me he has preached to large congregations, for
some months, at Sporle, two miles from Dunham ; but
he is much cast down, because none have come to him,
inquiring what they must do to be saved. However we
must go on, with all long-suffering and doctrine. And
much shall we need the Spirit of God, to quicken and
comfort us, that we faint not.
 If I mistake not, Mr. R. knows Mr.  . Alas !
the poor man is sadly deluded, and is doing mischief
daily. He is a vehement maintainer of the heresy of
Universal Salvation. Twice I have been in his company ;
and both times he was full of debate. In short, he will
soon think, if he does not already, that his error is the
only gospel.

RECOLLECTIONS OF HUDDERSFIELD. 325
TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ.
Yelling, Aug. 1, 1783.
 How did your description of your Sabbath-day's
journey to Huddersfield bring to my mind some of
the sweetest hours of my life ! With thankfulness
to the Head of the Church, I bless God you were
welcome at the vicarage ; and from thence could go up
to the House of the Lord, and hear His Gospel from His
faithful servants. The worship of His Name, in self-
abasement, and in the Holy Ghost, is both an imitation
of the work above, and a foretaste of the bliss there
enjoyed. And when both the preacher and the hearers
come prepared to meet in the House of God, as soldiers
do for a review before the king, or as musicians for a
jubilee, how far beyond all that gives the senses delight
are the pleasures of God's House! To be morning-
preacher at Huddersfield, for some Sundays, would re
vive me, even in my old age. But our lot is not ordered
according to our will, but in unerring wisdom and love.
I have a dear brother confined to the house, and an
affectionate wife too infirm for journeys.
P. R. has been with us on a visit. She is what her
father, in his prayers and singleness of heart, has always
desired she might be. You will think so too, when I
tell you it will be a great grief to her heart to leave my
house, where thefe is very little company, and no. amuse
ment or entertainment of any sort which the world takes
pleasure in. Our comfort and delight (for we have both,
in a high degree) is what they enjoyed, who wandered
about in sheep skins and goat skins, and had no lodgings
better than the dens and caves of the earth. •
You will ask, how I bore my work in London ? —
Thanks be to God ! very well. I took care not to walk
as I did the last year. I had very large and very atten
tive audiences — not one sleeper, that I could see. My
last discourse (when there were many who could not get
in) was on " the sinfulness of sin." This, and what this
subject prepares for (as you sweetly remark in your let
ter,) the glory of Christ, are the whole of my preaching ;
and, I am persuaded, were the whole of Paul's. Happy
is the man who at once beholds the cause of all the misery
28 "

326 DEATH OF LADY GLENORCHY.
in earth and hell, in time and in eternity — sin! — and the
cause of all peace with God, and love of His Name, here
and in heaven — Christ, and His cross!
TO LADY BfARY FITZGERALD.
Yelling, Aug. 17, 1786.
Madam, — A fortnight ago, I receive _i the affecting
news of the removal of your loving and beloved sister in
Christ, Lady Glenorchy. Very soon after, my daughter,
coming from London, informed me you were on the road,
and near her house, in order to spend some time with
her. This circumstance affected me much. See how
uncertain are even the best and most-allowed pleasures
we can receive from the creatures of God! Well! I
consoled myself that you have made all your happiness
in Jesus, and Him crucified. And though the sudden
and unexpected translation of your friend to glory, and
to her exceeding great reward, must, at first, deeply
affect you, you would be soon led to many soothing and
sweet reflections upon your spiritual union with this de
parted saint — would rise, in sweet meditations, to the
world where your name is enrolled with hers, as one for
whom a mansion is prepared, even in your Father's
house — where all His children meet together, favoured
with his unclouded smile— where His whole will is done
without weariness or defect — where all His excellency,
and all His love, are ever present to the mind ; and the
whole family, in love and perfect harmony, contribute to
each other's fulness of felicity, without fear of diminu
tion, or possibility of a change.
My dear fellow-pilgrim and fellow-soldier ! yet a few
more conflicts, and yours, too, shall be the victory and
the triumph ! From all the consecrated chastisements
you have so well endured, to the credit of your profes
sion, to the undoubted proof- of your heart's whole at
tachment to your Saviour — being here partaker with Him
in sufferings, and made conformable to His death — you
shall enjoy "a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory." Then will you say, with an accent not to
be conceived below, " Oh, what great troubles and ad-

THE REST PREPARED FOR THE AFFLICTED. 327
versifies hast Thou shown me, and yet broughtest me
from the depths of the earth again !"
Oh that yqur God may make you strong in that faith
which realizes to His saints their inheritance, the end of
their high calling of God in Christ Jesus ! — that not a
doubt of His eternal love to your precious soul may lodge
within — that you may reckon yourself appointed as a
pillar, to stand for ever in heaven, a monument of grace
reigning in your salvation. Scarcely a day passes that I
do not remember you at the Mercy-seat ; and, sometimes,
with those sweet sensations which Christian love, height
ened by a great debt of gratitude, excites, when entreat
ing Him to recompense our friends — friends most kind
and condescending — whom we cannot.
A single line, to know how you do, I shall much
prize ; but shall be grieved you should write more so
poorly as, I fear, you are in health. — The comforts of
the Father's love, the consolation of Christ, and the fel
lowship of the Holy Ghost, ever refresh, support, and fill
your soul !
From your most indebted servant in the Gospel,
H. Venn.

Lady Mary Fitzgerald's answer to this letter has, happily, been
preserved. I take the liberty, therefore, of inserting it in this cor
respondence, as it presents an interesting view of the state of her
mind ; and will also serve to explain the first part of a letter of Mr.
Venn, which will follow it.

FROM LADY MARY FITZGERALD.
Quorn, Aug. 1786.
My very dear Friend, — Your kind and very precious
letter really distresses me. I cannot bear my fellow-
creatures should see me in so different a light from what
my God does.
Dear Lady Glenorchy's departure, which was the oc
casion of your writing, was a most blessed change for
her, but a sad providence for the Church below. — But,
oh ! I dare not think of myself as a sister to that blessed
spirit, who am the meanest, and most unworthy, -of

328 LETTER OF LADY M. FITZGERALD.
all our dear Lord's servants : but true it is, if I do not
deceive myself, " I had rather be a door-keeper in the
House of God," &c. She was, indeed, a de^ir and highly-
favoured Child of God !
Her removal made me give up all thoughts of going
to Matlock. Bath would not agree with my present
state (unless it were absolutely necessary for my health ;)
therefore I persuaded my kind and attentive friend, Mrs.
Mendis, to stay with me till next week: and having
earnestly prayed our dear and compassionate Lord to
open or shut any door which shall be to the profit of
my soul, I have written to Mr. Robinson, begging the
favour of him to look out for a quiet airy lodging for me at
Leicester for a few weeks. I passed a Sabbath there, in
my way here, and found his preaching very profitable ;
but I desire to be divested of self-will. The air is re
markably good and clear there, which made me think
of it.
I felt, with gratitude, your delicacy in not mentioning
my heavy affliction* — yet taking occasion, from dear
Lady Glenorchy's safe landing in the spiritual Canaan,
to inquire of my health. My nerves are much shattered,
as you may imagine ; and my health indifferent, though
greatly better than I could have hoped, after so dreadful
a shock, at the end of long and painful anxiety. I needed
to be severely chastised and humbled. Gracious is the
Lord, in all His dealings towards His creatures! His
long forbearance and patience with us astonish me. He
is not only just, but merciful, even in judgment. Glory be
to His adorable name ! He put a song into my heart, that
I might glorify Him in the furnace. I can truly say, that
instead of daring to murmur any one moment during this
afflictive dispensation, I have been constrained to admire
the patience of our adorable God and Saviour. — But I
must have done : the subject is too much for my feelings.
I am much concerned to hear that useful and valuable
minister, Dr. Conyers, is probably by this time removed
from this world to a better. This sounds cruel to him,
for whom I had a most sincere regard ; but self apart, I
* The death of an eldest son, under most distressing circumstances.

LETTER OF LADY M. FITZGERALD. 329
think him so great a loss to the Church militant, that I
should rejoice the Lord had seen it expedient he had
waited some time longer for his crown. This, you will
say, is a bad return for the comfort he has often been made
to me, by his conversation ; but I am a poor selfish* wretch
— I condemn myself for it. Our Lord certainly knows best
what is good, both for His church and people. However,
I comfort myself that I may be thankful for my dear
friends who are spared; and earnestly hope and pray
you, my dear Sir, may long be of that number ! Forgive
me ! but I do most sincerely hope and trust our Lord has
much more work for you on earth.
I return you many thanks for your precious letter,
though it is truly painful to me to be so mistaken by my
friends ; and find it hurtful to be looked upon as some
thing, though I am really worse than nothing. It seems
to me as if it brought judgments on me, to bring me
down again to the dust, where I ought ever to lie, in the
deepest self abasement. Believe me, I need much pull
ing down, or our Gracious Lord would not inflict so.
much. Yet, oh ! how tenderly does He deal with such
a wretch, in "the midst of judgment remembering
mercy," and inclining the hearts of His dear children to
be so kind, attentive, and tender towards me!
I have disobeyed your kind command of writing but
three lines.
Believe me, with most sincere respect and regard, your
unworthy, truly affectionate friend and servant,
Mary Fitzgerald.
TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD.
Birmingham, Sept. 14, 1786.
Madam, — I hope, when you leave Leicester, you will
try Yelling air ; and if much fervent prayer, to make
your visit of use and comfort to your soul, may prevail,
it will not be wanting.— By Mr. Simeon, I received your
ladyship's letter.
When we speak of the grace of God which our Chris
tian friends have received, it is not to be concluded that
we forget they are still polluted exceedingly, and in
many things offend ; — it is not that they should cherish
J 28*

330 GRACE IN CHRISTIAN FRIENDS COMMENDED.
one thought of self-complacency. We know it is con
trary to their best feelings. But do those of a sorrowful
spirit, who are in the midst of severest conflicts, and,
withal, too apt to write bitter things against themselves,
want no word of encouragement ? Ought they not to
give God thanks that they are enabled to walk before the
Church uprightly — when their fellow Christians assure
them they do ? I labour to copy, as nearly as I can, from
the unerring work. Now, in that book, I find St. Paul
and St. John, especially St. Paul, speak in terms of high
commendation of the Christians of Philippi and Thessa-
lonica ; and telling even them of Corinth, that they were
" the Epistle of Christ, known and read of all men !" and
were an honour to him, as His Epistle. He well under
stood this would animate them afresh, and invigorate
their minds more zealously to serve the Lord. Indeed,
where there is a spark of ingenuity, commendation does
good : I have seen it work gratitude and self-abasement.
How does St. Paul commend his beloved Timothy ! How
does St. John extol his beloved Gaius, declaring he could
" wish him nothing better, than that his body should be
healed and prosper, even as his soul prospered !" I did
therefore, and do still, think it is very fit and right for
me, when my highly-esteemed friends in Christ are sorely
afflicted, and under sforms and great distresses, to put
them in remembrance that the Lord " hath done great
things" for them ; and, with the consecrated cross, has
assured them the crown of life, and given them the
pledge of it, in changing them into His own likeness, in
lowliness, patience, and submission.— I will write no
more on this point, hoping, as I do with great satisfac
tion, that I shall have an opportunity, at Yelling, of con
versing largely on this matter. — I enjoy my friends much
more at home than in London. I have them to myself,
without interruption.
Glory be to God, for His love to us ! The night of
darkness and wo, of the miseries and corruptions we
groan under, is far spent : the day, the mild, sweet,
joyous, triumphant day, is at hand ;
When, in th' eternal world unknown,
I'm call'd to appear before thy throne,

ANTICIPATION OF HEAVEN. 331
O Rock of Ages ! cleft for me,
* Then will I hide myself in Thee.
To that dear Saviour I do not forget, frequently, and
sometimes (I can say) fervently, to commend you.
I know not when I shall see my beloved friends again
in London ; but soon I shall meet them all on Mount
Zion, and drink with them there of the river which flows
from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Within this
last year, I have had more knowledge, and more medi
tation, of the state of those who die in the Lord, when
they are with Him, than in all the years I have lived
before. I am so much enfeebled, that at three several sittings
I have been employed to finish this letter. I trust I shall
never be weary, while I breathe, of praying for my
friends ; - but the work of writing is a burden.
Though our heavenly inheritance is not in its value
fluctuating, yet the state of the Church militant, varying
much, makes it more desirable at some times than at
others. JVbw, then, when Atheism, and a bitter enmity
against God and man, rages, and spreads wider and wider,
how sweet is the thought of entering into rest ! May it
please God we may soon enter!
From your much indebted friend, H. Venn.
TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, Oct. 25, 1786.
My dear friend is, by this time, we suppose, returned
from the excursion. Dear Mr. Riland, we hope, is better
of his complaint, and glorifying God by his suffering
with cheerfulness what the flesh would resent — confine
ment, or cutting off in point of active usefulness. You
must be sure to mention how you all go on — particularly
yourself. We have been disappointed of our friend's intended
visit. Master Parry was not well enough to be left.
Now we are on the point to be quite solitary — three old
people, decaying evidently, but not cast down. The
nope set before us is an exhilarating cordial.
I awoke the other night with a very pleasing sensation
of the joy of being with " the spirits of the just made

332 MR. JOHNSON, CHAPLAIN OF NEW SOUTH WALE§.
perfect." The several ingredients which undoubtedly
constitute their exalted felicity, at once occurred— full
light, and zeal, and love, and holiness — full conviction,
never ceasing, from whence we were taken, by what
means, how preserved, how distinguished, how rich to
all eternity ! — " They thought not of that pleasant land,"
was the reproach laid to Israel of old ; and which, I am
sensible, belongs to me also. Seldom have I dwelt and
pondered on the inheritance reserved in heaven for all
that belong to Christ. But nothing less than close
habitual attention to the felicity of God's chosen will
give it due weight. On this pleasing subject let our
contemplations dwell, and our thoughts unite, till we
know perfectly, above, what is "the hope of God's call
ing, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance
in the saints." 
The Child that was born, and the Son that was given
to us, be your Counsellor, your God, your Father, and
your peace! In Him may we live, here and in eternity!
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS JANE C. VENN. Yelling, Oct. 28, 1786.
My dear Jane, — In expectation of your letter, I sent
this morning to Caxton. We were not disappointed.
To Him that heareth prayer be all praise returned, for
His goodness to us — for His preservation of mother and
child.  By the same post I received a letter from dear
Mr. Thornton, saying that he, the last Sunday, intro
duced Mr. Samuel Johnson to two hundred and fifty of
his future congregation aboard the Hulk at Woolwich.
Through the influence of Mr. Wilberforce with Mr. Pitt,
he is appointed chaplain to Botany Bay, with a salary of
180£. per annum. I trust he will prove a blessing to
these lost creatures. Those that stole, will there steal
no more : for having no receivers of stolen goods, no
alehouses, &c, they will be under no temptation to steal.
With what pleasure may we consider this plan of peopling
that far-distant region, and other opening connexions
with the Heathen, as a foundation for the Gospel of our

333
God and Saviour to be preached unto them ; — when " a
vast multitude, whom no man can number," shall call
upon His. name;" — when "the wilderness shall become
a fruitful field," and all the savageness of the Heathen
shall be put off, and all the graces of the Spirit shall be
put on. Though neither I, nor you, who are yet in youth.
(much less I, who am stricken in years,) shall be living
on earth when this fact comes to pass, yet we shall be
well informed of it above. All heaven will break forth
in that song of praise, " Allelujah! for the Lord God
Omnipotent reigneth !" See what honour God puttefh
upon them who love Him in sincerity ! To be the means
of sending the Gospel to the other side of the globe —
what a favour ! Mr. Thornton says the Archbishop of
Canterbury and Sir Charles Middleton seem much to ap
prove the sending of Mr. Johnson.
We shall expect to hear from you once a week. We
suppose you are much taken up with the little stranger,
and give it many kisses. May we all now feel afresh
the force of that holy exclamation — " Oh that men would
praise the Lord for His goodness, and declare the won
ders that he doeth for the children of men !"
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO JAMES KERSHAW, ESQ.
Yelling, Nov. 25, 1786.
My dear Friend, — What a cause for thankfulness,
that you can use the Buxton waters ; and use them as
the preparation of your Heavenly Father, and in the
spirit of the lame man at fhe pool ; and when you are
relived, can ascribe your health to Him, of whom cometh
your salvation, and the medicine to heal the sickness of
your soul !
As I shall not be able, so soon as I could wish, to
come and preach to you myself, I will send a friend,
whom you used. once to esteem, in my stead. There is
no fear but you will give him a kind reception. His
name is Adam, "who being dead, yet speaketh." I for
ward you a copy of his Private Thoughts. Much have
I been profited by them. Though the writer was an
Arminian, I read his works as if his words came fresh

334 SECESSION FROM THE CHURCH.
from his lips, sitting by my side. Among many beau
tiful and striking passages, I will mention one, which I
instantly turned into a prayer for myself, and you, and
all my Christian friends ; and hope often to do so, till
I pass hence. The passage is, that we may have a
distinct consciousness of the infinite superiority of the
heavenly state, above the present — strong desires after
it — a meetness for it in Christ — so that, when the sum
mons comes, we may rush into it with joy and transport.
May you enjoy this blessed preparation for a glorious
eternity !
Give my love to all your branches ; and tell Henry, my
namesake, he can now get the start of me, as I did, six
years ago, of him, in running. I am a grandpapa ; and
appear with a pair of spectacles, reading the papers.
The first week in September, we went to my son's —
the thing he had perfectly longed for. We staid three
nights at his house. Eight of us went on the Monday,
and returned on the Saturday. His name is up in the
country. He lectures on Tuesdays and Thursdays, in
his house — generally to more than fifty, sometimes seventy,
hearers. "A wise son maketh a glad father." Help
me to be thankful !
Every one who knows our good friend  is struck,
as you are, at his wildness. A man of fifty, in a most
useful sphere, greatly honoured in his ministry, after
laying the stress on things essential and vital, to turn
aside to contentions — oh, lamentable ! We met, eleven
of us; to receive his Paper of Objections ;* not one of
which is new, or has not been debated over and over
again. We all gave him our judgment, which was unani
mous. Instead of aiming all his blows against sin, Satan,
and the world, as heretofore, they must now be leveled*
against the Church of England. Indeed, it is a step
which will have sad consequences, respecting many
* The Objections were against the discipline of the Church of England.
The person alluded to did not leave the Church. He was dissuaded
from that step, chiefly by the advice of a Dissenting Minister ; who frankly
laid before him the disadvantages he would have to encounter : and as
sured him, that if he were himself in the Church, he should thank God
for it, and remain in it

GRACE PROPORTIONED TO DILIGENCE. 335
serious souls who were serving God in quietness and
comfort, and adorning their profession, having no objec
tions to make. Now they will be tossed to and fro,
while many will conclude religion itself is nothing sub
stantial. The good Lord be our guide ! 
H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET.
Yelling, March 7, 1787.
My dear Friend, — Your letter was very acceptable
to me ; as some months had passed since I had heard
from you. " We know not what a day may bring forth,"
and how it may fare with our friends ; and are, on that
account, glad to hear of them frequently.
I sympathize with you in your troubles from the cor
ruption of nature ; feeling myself harassed with hardness
of heart, coldness of affection towards God and man,
and by slightly performing secret duties, when I so well
know God is " a rewarder (only) of them who diligently
seek Him." How totally does the estimate I made of
myself, thirty-five years since, differ from what I know
now to be my real condition ! I then confidently ex
pected to be holy very soon, even as St. Paul was ; and
that there would be no other difference here between me
and angels, than that I, by watching, fasting, and pray
ing, without ceasing, had conquered and eradicated sin,
which they had never known. JVbw, I compare myself
with the Great Apostle, and can scarcely perceive a di
minutive feature or two of what shines so prominently
in that noble saint.
Nay, in reading the life of a minister many degrees
inferior to St. Paul, I see so much grace abounding in
him, as to make my own poverty very conspicuous — I
mean fhe life of dear Mr. Fletcher. What a shining ex
ample ! What a proof that zeal, and constant applica
tion, and self-denial, can work wonders ! What a proof,
that communications of the Spirit of Christ, though not
for merit of any thing in us, yet are always in proportion
to the pains we take in setting apart solemn times for
humiliation, and for seeking after God, that we may have
much counsel, direction, and blessing from Him, in our

336

BENEFIT OF FASTING.

work, and in our own souls. Without the aid obtained
from Heaven, in this way (yet still holding the Head and
depending on Christ alone for righteousness and strength,)
our conversation will never be convincing and striking
as becomes our office ; nor will there be a fulness, a
solidity, an unction, and nourishment for souls in our
ministrations : we shall see little fruit of our labours.
I have been long kept back from practising what I did
for seven years, with much profit— -fasting. • My wife and
daughter have exclaimed, I should ruin my health, &c.
I have at last come to a composition, which is, that on
Fridays I shall not breakfast, or be with them till dinner.
By this means I have some time for solemn recollection,
and more attention to the things of God. And the ad
vantage even of this little sequestration is evident : I find
more of a spiritual mind — -am more sensible of the Di
vine presence — more watchful that no foolish conversa
tion proceedeth out of my mouth — and I am more helped
in preaching. Indeed, ministers of Christ must be a good
deal in retirement, to gird up the loins of the mind ; or
we shall be in a great strait at last. 
Yours, &c, H. Venn.
TO MRS. RILAND.
Yelling, March 21, 1787.
We reckon, week after week, my beloved friend, upon
receiving tidings from you ; but are disappointed. This
comes to quicken your pen : or if, as we fear, you are
not well enough to write, tell my pupil we hope she will
take up her ready pen ; for a ready one it is, whenever
she pleases to use it.
Since you heard from us last, we have been afflicted
with much sickness in our family. I brought on my ill
ness by my own folly; — for, being at Cambridge the
last Sunday in January, I preached there three times the
same day ; and for five nights sat up talking, with great
delight, and conversing, with Dr. Jowett, his brother, Mr
Coulfhurst, Mr. Simeon, and Mr. Farish, till p=*st twelve
— a very late hour for me ! Our whole conversation was
concerning the glory of our Lord, His infinite lov^e, and
the happiness of all who know and serve Him. The

PREACHING IN HIS KITCHEN. 337
joyful inexhaustible theme gave me spirits during the
time ; but when I came home, I suffered for it.
Upon my return home, I received a letter from my son,
saying that Mr. and Mrs. Parry were much afflicted by
the loss of their youngest daughter, and the dangerous
sickness of the son. I determined to pay them a visit ;
and set out on Monday, the 4th of February, on horse
back, by seven in the morning, in a very cold, frosty
east-wind. Before I had ridden four miles, I was so
overcome and oppressed with the cold, that I was forced
to turn back, and was taken ill, and have been confined
nearly three weeks. One Sunday, the post to Cambridge
failing, Mr. Simeon could not come, as had been given
out ; and the bells had called the people together. I
desired that they might come to my house. The kitchen
and scullery were full ; and several stood outside. I
spoke on that glorious declaration of Paul, "I have
learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be con
tent." Many shed tears, and deep was the attention: in
short, I think they were much more impressed with my
discourse, in such circumstances, than if I had been, as
usual, in the pulpit. Shall I tell you what a tax I paid
for my preaching ? — It did me much good, and almost
removed at once my ailments ! But Ruth was sure I
should kill myself: Kitty looked as if she believed as
much : Mrs. Venn was as much out of temper as she can
be : but Jane, the wise, the discreet Jane, was, alas ! quite
angry to see me so very imprudent. — I could only meekly
reply, " It is good, sometimes, to venture." Within this
last fortnight I am much stronger ; and, what is better
than strength, my congregation is increased, and I have
some of the hearers in a hopeful way.
 Were it lawful, how should I give way to wishes
that I were in the neighbourhood of my dear friends and
dear children! but that is, to a Christian, forbidden.
Too much pleasure, in our situation here, might damp
our desire after a better. It surely would. — My dear
friend, since we can spend so few hours on earth in.
sweet society as Christians and pilgrims, let us be the
more earnest to get into the world where all is solid and
permanent, and we shall be ever with the Lord.
29

338 WAY OF ATTAINING HEAVENLi'-MINDEDNESS.
Tell my dear pupil, I know I am in her debt, and I
shall hope to pay before I go to London. I think of her
with pleasure ; and hope to hail her arrival one day on
the heavenly coast, where all that is sweet and amiable
in her disposition shall be brought to perfection; and
what is so pleasing to behold now only in the bud and
the blossom, shall be unfolded, and shine in beauty, sur
passing far all that is admired in the Church below.
Tell her, Nanny Marchill died last week — one of the
meekest, on earth — whom God has now, I doubt, not,
beautified with His salvation. I preached her funeral
sermon with great comfort, on Rev. xiv. 13.
We all join in love to Mr. R., yourself, and the
branches. The Lord preserve you evermore from all
evil — preserve your souls and bodies, your going out
and coming in, henceforth and for evermore,
Your affectionate friend, H. Venn.
TO SIR. ELLIOTT. Yelling, April 3, 1787.
My dear Son, — Scarcely a single day has passed
since your letter was received by me, which mentioned
your desire that I would send you some directions how
you might be heavenly-minded, that the request has been
forgotten ; though I could give no answer till now.
There are no other rules and directions to be trusted in,
than those which the inspired writings contain.
As soon as a Christian desires to be of a heavenly
mind, he has already begun to be so. The light from
above has shined into his heart. He is a child of the
light and of the day. His walk, consequently will be
governed by this light ; which will increase by his fre
quent aspirations after his God, in such language as this :
"Whom have I in heaven but Thee?" and, "Thou, O
God, art the thing which I long for!" Sweetly drawn
by the beauty and love of your heavenly Bridegroom,
you will be jealous of His rival, which is, in all of us —
self-love. I can only relate to you how I have hitherto (and I
am nearly at the end of my warfare) been preserved. I
never had such a weight and variety of affairs^ to

IMPORTANCE OF LIBERALITY; 339
manage, as a man engaged in so much business as
yourself; but I had a large young family, very dear to
me, and not enough for their maintenance from year to
year; and, in case of my death, they were to be desti
tute. I was, however, wonderfully free and cheerful in
my heart. I think I should not have been more so, if I
had^been without a child. My preservative was wholly
this: "He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that
hath not the Son, hath not life." A full and powerful
conviction of this truth was necessarily attended with
constant prayer for them and myself, that we might have
this one thing needful ; — which grew, by this means, in
price and value ; and nothing was suffered to come for
a moment in competition with it. I used often to think,
and say to myself, " Was Christ enough for peace, com
fort, and joy, to the first Christians ; and is He not now
the same ? — enough to the poor, destitute, afflicted mem
bers of His body, with whom I hope to live for ever ;
and will He not be enough for me and my children !"
So (with great thankfulness to God for it !) I conclude
you do ; that when you have prosperity, and your gain
increases, you immediately lift up your soul, and say,
" Let not money, but Thyself, be my exceeding joy ! I
thank Thee for the success ! O, let it not corrupt and
poison my mind, by increasing worldly lusts !" In like
manner, when you suffer loss, and are unjustly treated,
or basely deceived, your spiritual mind will feel disposed
to accept the matter as a fresh proof that all below is
vanity and vexation. Thus will you grow more and
more spiritually-minded.
But, above all, be sure that, together with the know
ledge of Christ Crucified, you take the certain method
advised by Him — that is, of giving liberally. " Give alms
of such things as ye have." The more you receive in
prosperity, the more give. They nobly serve God, adorn
their profession, and insure a blessing on themselves and
family, who are afraid of withholding more than is due —
who are afraid of pleading a large family as a reason for
not being merciful and liberal. The truly Christian spirit
will bring down plenteously the dew of grace upon your
souls, make your faces shine, your family comfortable,

340 REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST.
and your departure full of peace. Ministering to the
.saints, is a grace which accompanies salvation.
I am much exercised by the sickness of half my family.
Yet all is from a Father's and a Saviour's hand. To
Him we always commend you : and with all our love I
remain Your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MR. ELLIOTT. Yelling, October 7^787.
My dear Son, — I can easily conceive your want of
time to write ; and willingly shall we dispense with your
letter of thanks.
Our minds are united, and our hearts are one in the
union spiritual and eternal. If we communicated any
pleasure to you both, we received full as much. We
only regretted we could have no more of your company,
and that your health was so indifferent. We are always
either talking of, or thinking of, or praying for you.
Moses' prayer in the mount, while the host of Israel en
gaged hand to hand with the enemy, is a striking lesson
to the ministers of God. So ought they to lift up holy
hands, when so many of God's dear children are in the
multiplicity of business, and ready to be swallowed up
by its cares — cares unavoidable. In my poor way, I fol
low the example of Moses. Often I remember you and
yours at large, and enjoy a delicious hour in secret.
What do I not owe to that Almighty grace and infinite
love, which has wrought in me such a change ! When I
look back forty years of my life, I remember I was per
petually in company, full of animal spirits, thoughtless,
self-pleasing ; and solitude would then have been the
heaviest burden to my mind. Now, to be alone, to be
looking on my bed as probably the spot on which I am
to fight the last battle, before I win Christ, and see Him
as He is — to consider, with the closest attention, the
origin, and the nature, and the consequences of death, to
the friends of Christ — this work invigorates my mind
and nourishes my soul. I accept the privilege and power
of doing thus, and the great opportunity I have for
this exercise, with joyful gratitude ; saying, " The lot is

HIS DOMESTIC FELICITY. 341
fallen unto me in good ground ; yea, I have a goodly
heritage." Not that men of business, and those exposed to much
greater trials than mine, have cause to envy such a lot.
They who are Christians carry the good savour into many
places ; while we are fixed to a spot. They show that
godliness is practicable in the most active sphere ; they
show the invincible power of patience, under great pro
vocations ; of probity, under strong temptations to be
dishonest ; and of mercy and of pity, notwithstanding all
incitements to love money, and withhold more than is
due. I expect with delight to see yourself, Mr. Evans,
Mr. Neal, and many more, in the Great Day, when ad
miring and rejoicing angels and saints, and elders of the
Church triumphant, shall say, " Lo ! these are the men
who trusted not in riches, but in the Lord : and He was
their hope, their love, their all !"
My wife is much better than she was a fortnight since.
I feel not the least hurt from my late accident. We en
joy so much, that we often agree nothing earthly could
make an addition to our comfort, but (what we must not
wish for one moment) that we could all of us be much
oftener together. Yours in all love, H. Venn.

SECTION V.
letters written, from the year 1788 TO the close
OF HIS CORRESPONDENCE.
We are now arrived at that period in Mr. Venn's life, when the
decay of his bodily strength, and the symptoms of approaching old
age, became more and more apparent. Hence, his letters may,
perhaps, from this time, manifest an abatement in vigour and com
prehension of thought; but they acquire an additional value, as
containing the matured reflections of a mind furnished with long
aud extensive experience in religion ; and also as exhibiting both
the peace and resignation of an aged Christian, during the last
stage of his earthly pilgrimage, and his fall assurance of faith in.
the glory ready to be revealed.

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN.
Yetting, June 19, 1788.
My dear Son, — Yours, dated the 12th, came safe,
29*

342 IMPORTANCE OF PREACHING ON STRIKING TEXTS.
and gave us all much cause to be thankful. What do
we all owe to the grace of our God, for withholding us
from evil — for delivering from the dominion of our cor
ruption! Very few are free from sloth and idleness.
Averseness to all labour, and all cultivation of the mind,
is a considerable part of the universal depravity. With
pleasure I read of your progress in human learning : for
you will know how to improve it, and use it well for the
glory of the Giver of every talent. Our ministry is hin
dered, because so very few preachers of Christ are pains
taking men, to read much, and to think much, in order
to be full men in the pulpit; which, joined with prayer,
gives a relish in the people's mind, when they hear us ;
whereas it is very different, when either reading or think
ing ,is neglected.
Through the goodness of my God, I left London well,
and had several very profitable seasons. I am persuaded
we are very negligent in respect of our texts. Some of
the most weighty and striking are never brought before
the people ; yet these are the texts which speak for them
selves. You no sooner repeat them, than you appear in
your high and holy character, as a messenger of the Lord
of Hosts. Within these few weeks, I have found it so.
In London, I preached on — " Thus saith the Lord :
Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh
flesh his arm, and whose heart departed from the Lord.
For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall
not see when good cometh ; but shall inhabit the parched
places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inha
bited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and
whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree
planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by
the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her
leaf shall be green ; and shall not be careful in the year
of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." Jer.
xvii. 5 — 8. I contrasted the character described in the
first verse with the Child of God in the latter. The very
reading of my text fixed the attention, and raised, as I
could see, the expectation of the hearers ; — and much
affected they seemed to be. Last Sunday, I saw the
same impression, from—" And the Lord descended in

INTERVIEW WITH MR. BERRIDGE. 343
the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the
Name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him,
and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and
gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth:" Exod. xxxiv. 5, 6; — on which I am to preach
again, God willing, next Lord's day. I feel the good of
selecting these passages, to my own soul. I have to la
ment and bewail my ignorance and great defects for so
many years ; one thousandth part of which I do not yet
perceive. I wish you may attend to this point ; and be
led to make the chief and vital parts, as they may be
called, of Scripture your subjects of discourse.
God be praised for His help, that you have been able
to speak so faithfully to Dr. P. ! Indeed, it is a rare
thing to tell our friends what we see is likely to hurt
them and destroy them. While I write, I suppose you
are at  . May our Lord and Saviour be with you
both, and hear your prayers, and knit your hearts together
in the love of His Name !
I have heard, since I came home, of the death of old
Mrs. Houghton, of Huddersfield, and of Mrs. Kershaw.
Both of them "departed in some peace, enjoying the sal
vation of God ; which I felt with much thankfulness.
I dined yesterday at  . Mr. B. and Mr. D. met
me there : — not a syllable, from either, to edification !
Oh, how suspicious does it appear, when a minister
never speaks of his Master, or of all the good things He
bestows, except in the pulpit !
The Sunday before last, I preached in the afternoon
at Everton : my brother Berridge in the morning. Four
years have passed since we heard each other. We both
perceived how our voices were weakened ; but had a
sweet interview, while we talked together of the pity
and tender love of our adorable Master towards all his
aged ministers, when they are almost past the service of
their office. He told me he could pray little out of his
own mind ; but the method he used was, to read his Bible,
and, as he read, to turn the word into prayer for himself.
Mr. Samuel Knight* lately visited ,us, from College.
* The late Vicar of Halifax.

344 CHOICE OF TEXTS.
He is very visibly increased in knowledge, and his minis
terial abilities are very considerable ; and, what is best
of all, he seems not at all to know what gifts he has.
Adieu, my dear son!
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

In another letter, Mr. Venn again alludes to the importance of
preaching upon striking texts.

 1 preached lately upon a subject I never did at
Huddersfield — to my shame be it spoken! — nor any
where else : Jeremiah xvii. 5 — 8. It is very humbling
to see, at more than threescore years of age, that I have
never set before my hearers very many of the most strik
ing and the most instructive parts of God's word. It is
a comfort to me, that I am preserved, to prevent other
pastors doing so poorly as I have done. My friends at
Cambridge often ask me for a text, which they make use
of. I have advised Simeon, and Coulthurst, and H.
Jowett, to mark, as I have done, the capital parts, all
through the Bible. Blessed be God, the night is far
spent, the day is at hand, when we shall no more, with
labour, and study, and prayer, get a little knowledge
of the Lord ; but a flood of light at onee shall break in
upon our mind, and we shall know even as we are known !
TO MRS. ELLIOTT. Yelling, June 23, 1788.
My dear Eling, — Were my children enjoying health
and prosperity, I believe it would be the worse for them
and for myself. The earth would then appear free from
the condemnation and curse which it, and its inhabitants,
are under. I should forget, that I, the father, and you
my dear branches springing from me, are both corrupt,
and doomed to feel for a moment, compared to our future
state, what we derive from the first Adam, as our natural
father — that we may know what we owe for our recovery
and salvation to the second — the Lord from heaven.
When I think of my dear children, as I do continually,
I find much cause of thankfulness, that they have all been

345
preserved — all kept from doing any thing contrary to
-heir Christian profession. What affection I see in them
for their aged father ! What hope I entertain, that we
have one Lord, one hope, one pursuit, and one heart and
mind, in preferring Christ to all that dazzles and leads
captive poor mankind !
What, it may be said can you wish for more ? As a
Christian, I answer, Nothing. As a man and a parent,
I am ready to say, The comfort of children in health and
strength. But presently I correct myself, and pray for
my sons and daughters — with simplicity, only for the
comfort of the help of God — that each of us may see in
His light — that from our birth, to the moment of our
death, every step is a part of the race set (or measured
out) before us, for the trial of our faith, our love, and
our patience. So that we never ought to reckon upon
the enjoyment, my dear Eling, even of our most lawful
comforts ; — not of a beloved husband or wife — not of a
pleasant child, whose presence exhilarates, and whose
excellency amply recompenses all the watchful care and
indefatigable attention we have paid to form and fashion
it for usefulness.
Now is the time of our warfare : we are to fight under
Christ's banner ; — not once, or twice, but to our life's
end ; — not against a single foe, or a feeble one, but
against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Though these
words, by being familiar to our ears from our very in
fancy, make a very slight impression ; yet each enemy,
considered apart, is very formidable, and, combined in
their aim and attempt to destroy invincible, by all human
efforts. The Lord God Omnipotent alone can defeat and
trample them under his feet. To Him, day by day — I
might say, hour by hour — J am looking for aid and for
victory. On Friday, I received, with a ring, the following lines
from dear Mr. Kershaw : — " To her, whose name the ring
bears, you were very dear. Often, and especially of late,
we recounted our Huddersfield days. They were our
golden days; — for to them, under your instrumentality,
we owed ourselves. She walked in the same faith, in
humility, and love, and full of dependence, as a sinner,

346 DEATH OF MRS. KERSHAW.
on the Saviour. As she lived, so she died. Six weeks
she struggled with extreme pain, in fixed composure and
amazing patience : the fear of death was removed, and
his sting drawn ; till, on the night of the 16th of May,
she fell asleep, without a struggle, sigh, or groan ; the
very night fifty-two weeks on which my ever-lamented
son fell away on the same arm — fhe arm of the Father
and' the Husband: and both were interred on the 20th
of May."—
 May the Lord bring us to drink of the rivers of
pleasure at His right hand, for evermore !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MR. ELLIOTT.
(OH THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER.) Yelling, October 7, 1788.
My dear Son, — I join with you in thankfulness to our
dear Lord, for giving your beloved parent so easy a de
liverance from this evil world ; and a happy improvement
of the Gospel, which you were the instrument of bring
ing to her ears.
When we see the remains of those so dear to us de
posited in the grave, how unavoidable are many affecting
questions of this sort ! Where are they now ? How does
it fare with them ? The answer from our own minds,
when we think upon the subject, apart from the written
word, is mere conjecture. He alone who made us, and
placed us here, and in his own appointed time removes
us, can resolve our inquiries. And how full and conso
latory is the voice from heaven, which says, "From
henceforth," immediately after the spirit returns to God
who gave it, " blessed are the dead, which die in the
Lord!" — Oh what a cluster of blessings instantly are in
their possession ! Neither pain, nor grief, nor sin nor
corruption, shall they feel any more ! No more shall the
spirituality of their affections be cramped and fettered 
no uneasy tempers rise for a single moment — no darkness
of the understanding — the vision of God, and the presence'
of Christ, fill the vast capacities of the immortal spirit !
I have often, and still do wonder, and have cause to
lament, that death is not with great eagerness expected

347
by me. Thanks be to God ! I am day by day thinking
how near it must be in the course of nature, if not much
nearer in the counsel of God ! But I want to rush into
the joy of my Lord ; as men who are going, in the full
force of curiosity and at great expense, to visit the
grandest spectacle on earth, hasten to see it. I think of
the young Grecian, who after hearing in the evening, a
Lecture, in Plato's school, " On the soul's immortality,"
drowned himself the next morning in the river, to take
possession of it.
May the Lord of all Lords bless you, and keep you in
His good ways, till we meet on Mount Sion!
From your affectionate father, H. Venn. "
TO MR. JOHN HOUGHTON. Yelling, Jan. 25, 1789.
My dear Friend, — I have not often felt a more pleas
ing sensation than I did the last week, upon receiving
the kind token of your remembrance and love to me,
manifested in the piece of cloth and the stuff you sent
for my poor neighbours.
I rejoice much that your love for'children continues,
and your endeavours to instruct them. Nothing I am
persuaded, turns to a greater profit, or is more necessary,
than beginning early, and being beforehand with the evii
world ; though it is not possible for us to be beforehand
with the. flesh. Some sense of good and evil before God
is thus excited, and a rebuker within will then be often
heard. I have a Sunday-school here, but in a poor way :
the children cannot, any of them, yet read, though it has
been set up two years. The master, the best I can pro
cure, is not sufficient : and on Sundays, having scarcely
strength for my business in the church, I can give them
no help. Nevertheless, the Lord's day is not, as it used
to be, the day for play and mischief; and the children
constantly attend church. •
I have a strong wish that you and Joseph would pay
me a visit for three or four days ; which, I trust, may be
spared. I want to see you before I depart. Much cause
of thankfulness you have given me, for many years ; and
I want to tell you how fully persuaded I am that the doc-

348 confidence in his religious views.
trine you have heard and believed, and the manner in
which it has been proposed, is according to the Oracles
of God. My endeavours here are but in a small degree
effectual to the good of souls ; yet some, I verily believe,
are joined to the Lord: and the numbers who attend,
surprise my friends in the ministry who come to preach
for me : and sometimes the singing is lively : so that
Ruth says, " Sir !. the singing was like Huddersfield."
Pray give my love to dear Joseph Hirst, and to every
one of the children of the Most High.
Last October, Mr. and Mrs. Riland, with two of their
daughters, paid us a visit of three weeks. He preached
in fhe afternoon, and I in the morning; as we used to
do. It was a blessed visit! Both he and Mrs. R 
had a great desire to hear my son preach, whom they
knew an infant. He came over, and preached on those
affecting words : " He shall see of the travail of His soul,
and shall be satisfied." Mr. Riland's eyes sparkled with
joy all the time. He gave my son his hand, saying,
"I glorify God in you! This is preaching indeed!"
I am much blessed in my wife, in my children, in my
friends at Cambridge ; and, with gentle decay, and a
pleasant prospect, I am going to the mansion prepared
for me. My strength is much wasted, and my appetite
more ; yet I speak and expound still, and my Sabbaths
are sweet to my soul. The Lord bless you and your
dear wife ; and give you to see more and more into the
depth of iniquity within, and into the immense love of
God in Christ Jesus the Lord ! Remember me to young
Mr. Bradley. I am heartily glad to hear he continues
in earnest,- seeking the Lord.
From your affectionate servant in Christ, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. Yelling, March 4, 1789.
My dear Son, — I shall be heartily glad to see you
and Mr. M  whenever you can come — next Monday,
or any day. You are ever in my heart, to live and die
with you. I have but a small part of the span of man's
little day to go through. Through grace, which will be
ever adored, not only by myself, but all who shall hear

349
of my salvation, I look for fhe time when the Lord shall
come and take me to Himself. And I have much com
fort, that, after having experienced, alas ! so deeply the
corruption of my nature, and the vanity of the world,
and the sad defects in the best duties I have performed,
there is a day approaching when I shall be free from sin,
as an angel of God.
The 19th of April is the first Sunday I have fixed to
be in London. I do it with much doubt, not knowing
whether I shall have strength of body. Your mother
prompts me much to go, and, in a great measure, is the
preponderating cause. Pray fervently, that, if I do go,
my preaching may not be in vain !
I am very thankful your Visitation Sermon is talked
of so long after it was preached. If you would be per
suaded by me, you would carefully revise and correct it,
and then print it. I am sure it would do good. It shall
be no expense to you. Young ministers, who have
ability, and are fixed in villages, should publish. Each
fresh publication opens a new channel for the Truth to
flow. I know you have Kennicott's Two Dissertations. I
have just gone through them a third time. I regard
them as most masterly — never to be refuted. The fun
damentals of Christ's religion are there so clearly proved,
that one does not know which most to admire — the
author's strong intellect, Hebrew learning, extent of
reading, forcible conclusions, or his youth and great
modesty — not twenty-four when he published it, and was
immediately ranked with the first-rate writers ! I have a
plan to publish a new edition. It is incredible how few
have read them, of late !
We are as warm for Mr. Pitt here as any of the na
tion ; and all in rapture on the recovery of our beloved
King. Your affectionate father, H. Venn.
About this time, the nation was filled with joy by the unexpected
recovery of the King from the temporary derangement of his mind :
a day of public thanksgiving was appointed ; and the King and
Royal Family went in procession to St. Paul's Cathedral, to re
turn thanks to Almighty God. The circumstances are thus alluded
to in different letters.
30

350 on god's LOVING KINDNESS AND MERCr.
We. have just heard our dear King is better. " God
save the King! Long live the King!" is the prayer of
thousands and thousands of thousands, more .fervently
than ever; — and when he is gone hence, may he live
for evermore, through Jesus Christ his Saviour !
Even in our small village, and alone as we were, we
joined with glee in the national acknowledgment of
God's great mercy. Though we had no lights, no trans
parencies to strike the eye of sense, we could, and I hope
did, instead of external signs of festival joy, put on the
armour of light, trim our lamps, and express strongly
our gratitude, because the Lord was ready to save.
TO MISS CATHERINE VENN.Yelling, April 8, 1789.
My dear Kitty, — Very great is the comfort we en
joy, from the pleasing account our very dear friends give
of you, and from your own letters. Only exert yourself,
and believe you are capable of gaining the esteem of ah
your friends by good behaviour, you will find the thing
not only practicable, but easy.
Thanks be to God, that you have access to Him, as
His child ! Oh, trust in His goodness and love ! Heai
Him proclaim His glory, in answer to that earnest peti
tion of Moses, who had seen such displays of His omni
potence in the plagues poured out on Egypt, and in
dividing the Red Sea! — "And the Lord passed by be
fore him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, for--
giving iniquity, and transgression, and sin, and that will
by no means clear the guilty;" i. e., obstinate rebels,
and sinners hard-hearted and impenitent. What a glo
rious God of love ! — Hear the same character in Jere
miah ix. 23, 24 : " Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise "
man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man
glory in his might : let not the rich man glory in his
riches : but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he
understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord
which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and right
eousness in the earth ; for in these things I delight, saith

STRIKING SERMON ON THE LAST JUDGMENT. 351
the Lord." — Get by heart, and ponder on, these two
Scriptures. Often confess your ignorance of Him, your
false conceptions, and hard thoughts of Him, as if an
eanhly parent had more bowels of mercy towards his
children than the Lord Almighty ; — when, indeed, as is
His Majesty incomprehensible, so is His pity towards
them that fear Him. He is much dishonoured and in
jured in our thoughts by our doubtings and fears ; and
they do us no good, nor work in us any amendment, but
vex and make us weary of His service, cloud the soul,
darken faith, and keep off those strong beams of divine
love, which warm and exhilarate, and set the heart at
liberty, to run the way of God's commandments. Now
just in proportion as our trust in the Lord, as our God,
increases, so much the more shall we mortify our vile
affections, be patient in adversity, and thankful in every
condition !
Your dear brother left us last Friday, after a second
short visit. I wished you had been present, one morn
ing, when he prayed ! Oh, it was indeed drawing nigh
to God ; — such real self-abasement, such holy pleadings
for more grace and entire devotedness to God, such depen
dence upon the Saviour, that it refreshed and profited
us all !
Next Thursday I purpose setting out for London. I
am to preach eight Sundays. It is a great work, to stand
up and speak for God and His Truth, before so great a
multitude ! Pray for your father, that he may have a deep
sense of his own utter insufficiency ; and be thoroughly
furnished for the service, so as to speak, with wisdom
and understanding, sound doctrine which cannot be con
demned. I have fixed on my subject for the first Sun
day — the Judgment of the Great Day. My intention is,
to show how the King's procession to St. Paul's may be
of use, to direct our thoughts to some of the grand par
ticulars when the King of Kings shall come. The parallel
is striking — the mass of people immense — all pervaded
with the same feelings — all exalting and extolling the
same person, in whom all have a supreme interest. This
spectacle, though but a poor little momentary thing
compared with the Great Day, may yet serve to carry

352 HIS SON'S MARRIAGE TO MISS KING.
forward our thoughts to it. Then the Heavenly King
shall come, with all His angels and saints, more than ten
large capitals can comprehend — all of one heart and
mind — all singing songs of sweetest melody, in love
most fervent — all seeing the Saviour as He is ! Oh I
for " Faith, the substance of things hoped for — the evi
dence of things not seen !"
I am not sorry you have heard Mr. Wesley — a very
extraordinary man, but not to be believed in his asser
tions about perfection. It is an error, built upon false
interpretation of our Scripture passages, in flat contra
diction to others which cannot be mistaken. It is an
error, the Church of Christ has always condemned. It
is an error, that matter of fact confronts. So far from
being perfect, alas ! Christians fret, and quarrel, and fall
out, and have so many faults, that if God, as Job speaks
of himself, should contend with us, we could not, no not
the best upon earth, answer Him, one of a thousand.
"Behold! I am vile!" belongs to all in the Church. —
I hope you were not shaken in your mind. Never give
absolute credit to what you hear from the pulpit, which
is not proved by plain Scripture. How much more good
would Mr. We.sley have done, had he not drunk in this
error! as there are, doubtless, many very excellent
Christians amongst his people ; — but the best are sadly
harassed by this false doctrine.
Mr. Thornton sends me word, that Mr. Bentley has
had a stroke of the palsy, and is very poorly. The God
whom he serves will support and comfort him and his ;
though the shock is great, at first, no doubt. The Lord
God, good and gracious, and of great mercy to all who
call upon him, bless, preserve, and keep you !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

In September 1789, another member was added to Mr. Venn's
family, by the marriage of his son, Mr. John Venn, to Miss King,
daughter of William King, Esq., of Hull, and sister to the late
Rev. George King, Prebendary of Ely. This lady had enjoyed
the benefit of the friendship and Ministry of Joseph Milner; and
so congenial were her sentiments with those of her future hus
band, that Mr. Venn's letters contain many expressions of grati
tude to the Giver of all good, for a. connexion which, in every

CONFINEMENT FROM PURLIC ORDINANCES. 353
respect, promised a large accession of happiness. I subjoin a few
extracts, in reference to this event.

Yelling, Aug. 31, 1789.
 We had the pleasure of hearing from my son, on
Friday, that Miss King had agreed to crown his wishes,
and take his name. No marriage can promise fairer.
They both have one intention, one pursuit, one judgment
of what is man's chief happiness ; and both are equally
free from any sordid motives. How pleasing to reflect,
that my son will be settled just before his aged parents
finish their course ! Mr. Thornton, who has been ap
plied to, by the mother, for my son's character, writes to
me of the lady in these words : " Now all is sure, I con
gratulate you and your whole family in having Miss
King one of you. She is indeed a treasure; and will be
an example to every one." 
Mr. Milner said, the other day, to my son :

" Many ministers of the Gospel are sadly hindered by
their wives, who are afraid their husbands should do too
much, and cry, 'Oh! spare yourself!' You, Sir, have
not this to fear : Miss King will be glad to see you
wholly given up to your work, and full of zeal for God
and for the salvation of sinners." 
TO MRS. ELLIOTT. Yelling, Oct. 14, 1789.
My dear Daughter, — I remembered you affectionately
on the Lord's day, as a confined Christian, debarred from
worshipping the Lord with His Church. Your confine
ment arose from a temporary complaint; — your dear
mother's, from infirmity, never to cease, but to grow
more and more, till the fleshy fabric drops. My com
fort respecting you both was, that you hear Him that
speaketh from heaven — speaketh to the heart, and mani
fests Himself to all who love Him, by His own Spirit
working mightily within. By this means He is more
precious to His afflicted people than to those who enjoy,
in an ample manner, creature comforts. Wherefore
much more of spiritual benefit is very often gained by
30»

354

MR. BURNETT.

being cut off from the use of public ordinances, than
from a constant attendance, on tliem ; because our com
munion with God is increased. In heaviness, weakness,
and pain, Christians think upon Him : and His comforts
revive their hearts. They feel a living proof that his
loving-kindness is better than life itself. These were
my thoughts on Sunday, respecting you and your dear
mother. Tell dear Charles, we all thank him for his purpose
to give the bride and bridegroom a meeting, and bring
you with him. This will be a great heightening of our
pleasure ; and I am daily looking up for a blessing to
crown the whole, by preserving us from lightness of mind,
and from all the evil which is wont to mix in our con
versation, and often sadly hurt us. Oh that a sweet
cheerfulness may prevail ! the cheerfulness of sober-
minded Christians, thankful for all that we have enjoyed
from the Divine bounty; and, most of all, for spiritual
blessings — for our new birth — our adoption into the
family of Christ — our well-grounded hope of living in
the perfection of holiness, and in the fervour of Divine
love, when all selfishness shall be done away ! — I am
expecting every day a letter from Hull, fixing the time
when we are to see them.
On Monday, F  left us. I was glad to hear Kitty
say she was not without a sense of her soul's worth.
She told her she would never forget, she hoped, the in
structions she had heard. So it should be in every
Christian family, and eminently so in every Christian
minister's. Whoever sojourns but a day with the mem
bers of Christ should perceive that to love and fear God
is their joy.
To-morrow I go to Cambridge, to meet Mr. Burnett
and his wife, who return with me on Saturday ; and I
conclude we shall have their company till Thursday fol
lowing. Delightful friendship ! of more than thirty years'
standing — steady and unalterable — not to be reflected
on without gratitude to God, whogiveth us to say "All
our delight is in the saints that are on the earth, and such
as fear the Lord!"
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

A FAMIL! MEETING. 355
Nov. 6, 1789.
 The bride and bridegroom have been with us
one week, and will not leave us till after the next. I
see a circle of my children around me, all smiling and
affectionate — all united with their aged parents in nearer
and better ties than those of natural relation — all of one
heart and mind, respecting good and evil, the way of
life, the character of Jehovah, and of the people He has
chosen for His inheritance. Short is our interview, and
probably the last : for so it pleaseth our Heavenly Father
to appoint, that after our children, the children of many
prayers, are grown up, they are removed to a distance ;
lest we should settle upon our lees, and give too much
of our affections to the children — defrauding Him who
claims the whole heart for Himself. 
TO MRS. KING,
(SIOTHEB OF MBS. J0H3T VE53T.)
Yelling, November, 1789.
I will address myself to you, Dear Madam, with all
the freedom which love of the same adorable object, and
fhe same supreme desire in us both, suggest. It would
be most contrary to our Christian profession, and to all
gratitude, if we forgot your present trial, occasioned by
the very acquisition which we so much wished — the
union of your daughter with our family. The more we
see of her, the more we are persuaded the high character
given of her by all her friends is just ;' and the prospect
is very favourable indeed, that the bride and bridegroom
will be of one heart and of one mind ; will be imitators
of the primitive believers, eating their meat with gladness
and singleness of heart; and praising God, most of all,
for the gift of His Son — all the hope and peace of fallen
man ! Such a cement of their affections will continue,
like the cause producing it, firm to the end, and be both
a comfort and a defence in all the vicissitudes of life.
I am, like yourself, ready to wish the situation of our
beloved children was near to us ; and now the pleasant
plants nurtured by us, and bringing forth fruit from the
grace of Christ, would fill our hearts with joy on their
account, it is a matter of regret that we shall see so little

356 separation of dear relatives.
of them. But this regret must cease, when we con
sider it is the wise constitution of our condition in this
present world, that dearest relations should not dwell
together, lest they should be entangled by inordinate
affection, and take up their rest in each other, instead
of in God. And I have found my heart more drawn out
in presenting my absent children, than in remembering
those with me, before the Throne of Grace. Thus our
love for them is more spiritual ; and with greater pleasure
we anticipate the day when we shall be with the Lord
for ever.
I have to add, I consider your state of widowhood. It
is a state to which God has shown very peculiar respect.
He has chosen to describe Himself by the endearing
name, "the Father of the fatherless, and the God of the
widow." The prayers of the Church are constantly
ascending up for them : and He regards widows indeed, '
who trust in Him, as needing His presence and comfort:
while The Great Intercessor is " touched with a feeling
of their infirmities;" remembering well the hour, when
He beheld His own beloved mother, a widow, at the foot
of His cross — her heart pierced, as with a sword, by the
death of her son. Be assured you are by us all com
mended unto God's gracious care, in our family worship,
daily. Your daughter -will write to you to-morrow. She and
her husband desire to be affectionately remembered to
you. From your very humble servant, H. Venn.
TO MR. ELLIOTT. Yelling, Jan. 8, 1790.
My dear Son, — We wait to hear how you and Eling
go on, in point of health. We shall have much joy, and
give thanks, on your return to London, if it please our
Lord and Heavenly Father. My brother, Dr. Alvey
thinks, is not likely ever to recover the use of his limbs.*
However, he is very cheerful, and speaks, more than
ever I heard him, on the great subject of Christ Crucified ;

* Mr Richard Venn had been visited, a short time before, with
Btroke of the palsy.

MR. SIMEON. 357
and believes he shall be in heaven, when he is called
hence. It is a great blessing, that my wife is much
better, and in charming spirits.
On Monday, my affectionate friend Simeon walked
over, and slept here. Oh ! how refreshing were his
prayers ! how profitable his conversation ! We were all
revived : he left a blessing behind him ! How shameful
is our depravity, and how exceeding great, when we car.
be content to live without doing good to the souls of
men — call ourselves Christians, and constantly be in the
House of our God, and not desire to instruct, to edify, tc
animate those with whom we converse ! They are the
truly excellent of the earth, its salt, who, wherever they
go, reach the heart and conscience, and excite the de
vout wish, " Oh, that I may follow Christ, like these
true-hearted disciples !" He preaches twice a week, in
a large room. My new daughter attended there, when I
preached : and his people are indeed of an excellent
spirit — merciful, loving, and righteous. My servant
Thomas was much affected, when he was amongst them.
They spoke to him in such a spirit, that he wished to
live amongst them ; and thought he should then grow in
grace, fast.
We all send love to you both ; and wish you to flourish
in the courts of the Lord's House, and answerably to all
the advantages the Church of Christ enjoys, in point of
knowledge and revelation of the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ. LTyou are prevented paying us a visit, which we hope
will not be the case, then we shall be obliged to you to
send the parcel for my brother.
Now to Him, who is "as rivers of water in a dry
place," I commend you. May He be exceedingly pre
cious to you both ! May you love one another in Him,
and for His sake ; and dwell in love, till we all meet
before Him in the world of love, without end !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MRS. ELLIOTT. Yelling, Jan. 28, 1790.
My dear Daughter, — Whether it be in reality, or

358

DECLINING HEALTH OF HIS FAMILY.

only in appearance, a longer time than usual since you
wrote, I am not certain ; but we feel it the more, and
therefore it seems longer, on account of our affliction.
Indeed we are tried ; and I trust shall not be forsaken,
so far as to lose that evenness and composure of spirit
which is justly expected from all who love God, what
ever be their sufferings.
My dear brother is, in the general state of his health,
as well as ever, but quite helpless. Your mother has
been confined to her room, but now comes down. Jane
has been ill, but is better. Kitty and Ruth very poorly.
We were for a little time afraid Jane was going to have
a fever, and then began to feel exceedingly ; but this
cross was not sent. I have gone from one chamber to
another, visiting my sick ; and have not had more than
two in family worship ; and some Sundays, only one out
of the house at church. Yet the Lord is good to us : we
do not faint. He is a strong-hold in this time of our
trouble. He suggests to our minds those truths, which
assuage the pain, and fortify the soul to bear up against
the pressure of evil ; namely, what we deserve — what
our brethren and sisters in Christ are suffering — the end
for which the rod is appointed — the benefit it brings to
the afflicted in due time — and, above all, the deep sor
rows of our God and Saviour.
To these topics our thoughts are turned : and when,
in family prayer, we can feel though but a little measure of
self-abasement, our spirits are revived. I look with tender
pity on my two children, and feel much for them. How
ever, the promise is theirs : " It is good for a manto
bear the yoke in his youth." In appearance, all is very
dismal for them ; but admirable is the fruit, when they
sink down in silence and humiliation before the Lord ; -
waiting upon Him, as just and good, wounding and
healing. Knowledge of His name, obtained in this con
flict, is never lost : it is mighty in operation, effectually
sobers the mind, and keeps us, as soldiers under arms
prepared for the assault of our restless foes.
To my great surprise, I this moment hear my brothei
is got into your mamma's room, by the help of Thomas.
He thinks he shall yet come down again. Amazinoi*

ON THE DEATH OF LADY SMYTHE. 359
strong is our love of life — even of the very dregs of
life !
From your most affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD. Yelling, March 22, 1790.
Madam, — It was exceedingly kind in you to write so
fully respecting my dear friend, and her love, most un
deserved, to me and my children.* It is some relief to
a mind burdened with her liberality, that, with more
gratitude than my heart can feel here, I shall know, and
love, my benefactors in the Promised Land. There, all
the glorified saints not only do love one another as Ihey
love themselves ; but know they do, beyond the possi
bility of doubt.
Your letter bathed my eyes in tears, to think of the
several merciful circumstances in our dear sister's de
parture. How often I have heard her express her appre
hensions of the awful hour of her dissolution, and tremble
as she approached the verge of eternity ! But our good
and gracious Lord pities and indulges us in things not
necessary to our salvation, only for our consolation and
ease. In my last visit, I congratulated her on her good
appearance ; observing, the Gospel preached at Bid-
borough was a medicine which gave her strength and
spirits. And I thought I should rejoice in her company
more than before, from her cheerfulness of spirit, when I
came to London. I do rejoice, while I grieve. In her
present existence I rejoice ; in which she possesses the
vast recompense of her warfare, in the love of her Great
Leader, the Author and Finisher of her salvation. When
I read your letter, I had all my children, but Mrs. Elliott,
round me, who were melted also into tears. Her regard
for me, during thirty-three years, was from a firm belief
I was in earnest serving the Lord. Oh, that it may be
found so! Nothing can be conceived so dreadful, as a
hypocrite in the garb of a pastor and teacher! Well

* Lady Smythe, who bequeathed pecuniary legacies to Mr. Venn and
to each of his children ; and the advowson of Bidborough, Kent, to Mr.
John Venn.

360 PROSPECT OF PREACHING IN LONDON.
may we cry to all who love us, and our Master, "Bre
thren, pray for us!"
Be so kind as to return my best thanks to Miss Lam
bert, for her good-will to me. I will make the only
return in my power— ^recommend her at the Throne of
Grace. !¦ have already, very particularly. I truly sym
pathize with her ; and remember how often I have seen
her departed friend, with close attention, listen to her
Christian discourse.
I shall see you, and the little circle, in a few days —
not without emotion. Soon our meetings will be trans
ferred to the heavenly mansions ; but there remembered as
elementary institutions, in which the same Name that fills
heaven with adoration and bliss was the Name we were
always seeking to know. — I beg my best respects to the
two sisters : and, wishing you a fulness of peace, I remain,
Your much and long-indebted servant, H. Venn.

In May, 1790, Mr. Venn went up to London, to preach, for a few
Sundays, at Surrey Chapel. In the prospect of this work he
writes (April 9, 1790 :)
Next week I go to town, on that arduous and glorious
business of preaching the Name of Jesus to thousands of
immortal souls. Oh ! who is sufficient for these things !

In a subsequent letter (June 22, 1790,) he writes :
On the 13th I took my final leave of the Chapel, ad
dressing myself to a great multitude, from Heb. x. 23 :
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith, without
wavering: for He is faithful, that promised." — My work
is nearly ended ; for my mental faculties are very dull,
and my bodily strength greatly reduced.
TO MRS. JOHN VENN.
London, May 20, 1790.
Mv beloved Daughter, — Before you set out on your
short voyage,* I take my pen, to wish, as I pray, that it

• From Lynn to Hull.

MR. PARRY,  MR. THORNTON. 361
may be for your health and your husband's — that the
wind may be favourable. And may the Holy ever blessed
Spirit breathe upon you both, and help you to see your
Father and your God in the canopy of heaven and the
vast ocean : and in sweet meditation may your hearts
anticipate the glorious scene which death shall unveil to
your admiring eyes, when you come " to the haven where
you would be !"
I am much obliged to my son for his invitation to
Dunham. Nothing could give me more pleasure than to
pay a visit there : and, if circumstances will permit, I
shall do it; — but this is very doubtful. I lose my
strength ; and am overdone by what I did last year with
out much fatigue.
This morning dear Mr. Parry breakfasted with us, and
satisfied many inquiries we made concerning his family
and yourselves. What a distinguishing blessing, that, in
these licentious and infidel times, you and my son should
have two such friends for your friends — your friends in
the love of Jesus, an unchangeable Friend, and our life
for evermore.
Pray say for me every thing that is most kind and
affectionate to your dear parent. I could indeed rejoice
to sail with you, destined to the port of Hull, where so
many dwell who are my very dear and near relations. —
Remember me to Miss Howard, whom I salute in the
Lord, and never remember without lifting up my heart
for her best interests.
On Wednesday, I hurried down to Clapham, to see
Mr. Thornton, who has been suffering greatly from an
accident which caused a great loss of blood. However,
he. is now in good spirits, and has had two good nights.
Still he may feel serious consequences, and his life,
seemingly so important to us, be brought to an end. I write
by the post, sooner than send by dear Mr. Parry ; as I
am uncertain whether you may not set sail next week.
We shall hope for a letter, a post or two after you are in
Hull. Direct for me in London. Charles and Eling
desire to be remembered. I have received my son's
sermon, and shall take all care of it. My love to him.
The Lord Omnipresent bless and preserve you, and
31

362 trust in providence.
establish u§ all in Christ, and give us to press forwards
without weariness !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn
TO MR. ELLIOTT. Yetting, Aug. 5, 1790.
My dear Son, — If you have received the two letters
I have written to Eling since I left town, I shall stand
clear of the charge of neglecting you. Letter- writing is
indeed now become burdensome : you will therefore
conclude I shall write less frequently. What a felicity,
that prayer for each other is never intermitted ! What a
rich and abundant provision is made for us, by allowing,
encouraging, nay, commanding us to commit all near and
dear to us, and in whose preservation and welfare we are
so deeply concerned, into our Heavenly Father's hands!
By this constant prayer, not only our faith grows, and
our experience of God's love for us, but the love of our
family, and confidence of Divine mercy towards them.
When I call to mind the way in which I have been led
for more than thirty years, I stand amazed at the peace
and quietness of mind I enjoyed whilst my children were
so young, and there was no visible place of refuge for
them, had I been called away ! The Lord was pleased
to give me a single eye. His favour only I asked for
them and myself; His wrath revealed against sin I depre
cated — petitions which he never refuses, because His
own Spirit suggests them. What anxieties are in this
way avoided ! What is our part, we do cheerfully ; and
thankfully receive His kindnesses.
Tell dear Eling I was delighted to hear how she was
supported, and the rising impatience of her mind soon
sweetly subdued. It was a memorable time of love.
She is blessed, glory to God ! with a spiritual husband,
whose value is most sensibly felt in time of trouble, as an
intercessor for his dear wife, when discomposed and
ready to faint. Oh ! the dear, affection such prayers beget
and increase !
I was low and uneasy about  yesterday. Mr.
Simeon did me " good, like a medicine ;" and his prayer
with me took off the weight which lay heavy upon me.

DEATH OF MR. THORNTON. 363
He calls me his father : he pours out his prayer for me, as
an instrument from whose counsel he has profited ; and
was as fervent and importunate with God for me, as my
son or yourself. Oh! what am I, that I should be so
distinguished ? Love to you and your Eliza.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

In the month of November, 1790, occurred the death of John
Thornton, Esq. To this event there are many allusions in the
Letters written about this time.

 1 have very sensibly felt the loss of my old affec
tionate friend, John Thornton, after an intimacy of thirty-
six years, from his first receiving Christ, till he took his
departure, with a convoy of angels, to see Him who so
long had been all his salvation and all his desire. Few
of the followers of the Lamb, it may be very truly said,
have ever done more to feed the hungry, clothe the
naked, and help all that suffer adversity, and to spread
the savour of the knowledge of Christ Crucified! 

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN.
Yelling, Nov. 28, 1790.
My dear Son, — I staid till the post came in this day,
hoping to receive another letter : — but there, is" none.
However, this may be owing to the neglect of the post.
Oh ! what a Christian is your dear wife ! and how truly
does she deserve all that has been said of her ! Never
was I more affected — never more thankful to God our
Saviour.* To-morrow I go to London. My sister Gambier is
likely soon to depart ; and her husband would not ask
me, at this time of the year, to come up ; but took a
very affecting method, by sending, in a letter, the mea
sure of her arm above her wrist — a sufficient proof of her'
poor emaciated frame. I go entirely to pay her a fare
well visit. Oh ! that I could feel a strong concern for

* Mrs. J. Venn had suffered very severely during her confinement,
but exhibited a remarkable degree of Christian patience.

364 mr. Thornton's church patronage.
her; and be qualified, by the Spirit of God, to be a com
forter to her heart, and an instrument of helping an affec
tionate sister, just passing over Jordan !
The post brought me to-day a letter from Mr. S.
Thornton ; in which he says, in reference to the death
of his father, "I earnestly pray that his children may
follow him in his faith and practice ; and may their latter
end be like his! — which was indeed glorious, through
the power of Him who hath conquered death and the
grave. My dear father has left you a legacy of 501. He
had named you a trustee for his church patronage, in a
former will ; but the change was made for your son, as
a younger life." A ring also was inclosed in the letter.
I shall eye it often with a mournful pleasure. No such
memorial was needful to remind me of my oldest friend
on earth but one. My parlour, my study, yourself, and
his liberal donations to me for many years, are memorials
never to be effaced.
Our love to your dear Kitty; and to her beloved
mother, for whom I have felt much. How do we long
to hear it has pleased God to restore some strength to
her, and to the little stranger ! Love to Mr. and Mrs.
Parry. Was ever a more pure and Christian affection !
What a proof of that truth has my dear daughter felt ! —
" I take pleasure in distresses, that the power of Christ
may rest upon me." It was, as she supposed, at even
ing, morning, and noon-day, I was ever remembering
you and her.
You are now, my dear son, called into greater notice.
It is a high honour the glorified saint has put upon you.*
Watch and pray for more wisdom and grace ; which you
will need, in making your choice, if any vacancy hap
pens. It is a hard matter, indeed, to act with a disin
terested spirit.
Let us know how the Lord is pleased to deal with you.
* Mr. Thornton left the patronage of several livings to the disposal of
three Clergymen, as Trustees, of whom Mr. John Venn was one, in
order to secure the appointment of proper incumbents. He also named
other Clergymen, who wore lo succeed, in a certain order, to the trust
upon the death of the first Trustees. The patronage was eventually to
revert to Mr. Thornton's heirs.

LAST HOURS OF MR. THORNTON. 365
May He be with your spirit ; and do as much for us all
as He has done for your Kitty — swallow up our self-will,
in a love that His will should be done in us, by us, and
upon us! All send their love.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MISS JANE C. VENN. London, Dec. 3, 1790.
My dear Jane, — On Wednesday I went to Camber-
well ; and found my poor sister better than I supposed
she was, from my brother's letter ; so that there was no
absolute necessity for my journey on her account.
However, I rejoice I am come, to see the children of
my dear departed friend, John Thornton, and to hear of
his life, acts of love, and death ; many particulars of which
I could not have heard at home. Some of these I send
you now, which I received from fhe nurse who attended
him. She said : "To see three sons, the day before he
died, weeping tears of grief and love, and to hear the
dying saint affectionately exhort and press each to hold
fast the faith, and to lead the life of a Christian, was to
the last degree affecting. They asked him whether he
was now happy: 'Yes,' said" he," 'happy in Jesus: all
things are as well as they can be !' And the last words
he was able to articulate were, ' Precious, precious . . . !'
Jesus would have been added, but his breath failed." —
Lady Balgonie did not see him for three days before he
died. She was herself seized with a scarlet fever, of a
very infectious sort : her children and her servants all
were ill of it, nearly at the same time.
Last Sunday but one, dear Mr. Foster preached at
Camberwell his funeral sermon^ on that text, " Blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord !" ' Mr. Newton also
preached at his own church; and told his hearers Mr.
Thornton had given away, in acts of love and mercy,
100,000/. But the fact is, 150,0002. would be nearer
the truth, or an estate of 6000/. a-year. He has died*
worth no more than 150,000/.
At Mr. Henry Thornton's request, I spend, God willing,
the next Lord's day with him, and speak at the old
house; — "Not," says Mr. Wilberforce, " to a mourning
31*

366 example of pious resignation.
family ; but to a family who has abundant cause to re
joice and sing!"
I have again altered my plan, and shall not come down
till Friday. The Lord bless, preserve, and keep you!
and, if it be his good will, may we meet again with
stronger desires to love and glorify our Saviour more
than ever !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MRS. JOHN VENN. Yelling, Jan. 29,1791.
My dear Daughter, — Dearer and dearer still you are
to every one of our family, as well as to myself: and
though I have not, for months past, done myself the
pleasure of writing to 'you, you have been constantly in
my mind, with a strong sympathy with you in all your
trials and supports, your conflicts and victory. Had not
my own illness prevented, I should three weeks sooner
have written, to let you know how much we all reckon
upon your visit, with your beloved mother. It will be a
right Christian visit, I trust ; a union of hearts engaged
in the noblest service, desiring all the same thing — to
love and to serve our Redeemer better all the days of
our life.
My indisposition was an alarming one — a paralytic
affection, with which I was taken in the pulpit, on the
Sunday before Christmas- day. I am now called to a state
of passive obedience., I cannot speak nor pray, nor do
any thing as I used to do. I am come to the days of
darkness; but not of dejection; — for why should not
Christians be afraid of dejection, as they are of murmur
ing and complaining? Surely we may comfort ourselves,
that our health and sickness, not less than our life and
death, are all in the disposal of the Lord over all, rich
in mercy to all who call on Him. If these things were
left to us, how would fond relations ever know when it
was time to let us go ? Behold the tender partiality of
a husband and wife for each other, or of both for a be
loved child, or of a friend that is nearer than a brother!
However needful a fit of sickness might be in such
cases, it would never come; much less, should death

MR. JOHN THORNTON. 367
separate. The sovereign power, therefore, is lodged in
better hands.
In my late attack, I was much comforted to see my
beloved wife, daughter, and brother, possess such a calm
ness and composure of mind. I was apprehensive they
would have been overwhelmed with fear; but, on the
contrary, they behaved like Christians — they were cheer
ful. It was the will of God ; and they acquiesced. This
made me hope that, should it be the adorable will of
Heaven to take me from them, they will find Christ Jesus
the Lord their light, and the strength of their life. We
attribute this illness to my frequent exertions in London,
— I am yet to learn a little of Pythagoras's discipline.
Silent I cannot be ! — but, I observe, Pythagoras had not
Redemption to talk of.
When in town, it was pleasing to hear only of one
subject, in all the serious circles — the Beloved Gaius,*
and all His goodness: and the grace, from whence it all
flowed, was in every one's mouth. *
All join with me in love to yourself, your dear mother,
and husband. The Righteous Branch reign over you !
May you know you are saved, and dwell safely !
From your affectionate father, - H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. Yelling, March 4, 1791.
My dear Son, — Pray return your dear Kitty many
thanks for her last letter ; the best — for the same reason
Cicero pronounces one of Demosthenes's Orations to be
so — because the longest I have ever received from her.
We have fhe very same feelings here that you have —
desiring much to have your company ; and I hope it will
be so contrived, that my necessary visit to London, in
the latter end of April, will not interfere with your de
sign. Sooner than have your visit put off, I would make
mine in London as short as possible : as it is, I design
only to be absent three Sundays.
Your observations, on the declining state of health of
so many of your relations, I like much ; and the conclu-
* John Thornton.

368 "KNOWING EVEN AS WE ARE KNOWN."
sion you draw is truly Christian-like. I waked the other
morning in a most pleasing contemplation — of which my
mind was full — on that promised felicity, "We shall
know even as we are known." Then, thought I, we
shall know, fully and completely, what was our ruin —
the means and method of our recovery, the Author of it
all — our utter unworthiness — and the vast treasures of
felicity we are put in possession of, never to be lost, as
Adam's noble heritage was.
My dear wife evidently grows weaker. Your uncle is
worse. I am quite well myself: my chief trial is, to
check the activity of my spirit, which far exceeds my
strength. I know not how to pass an hour sitting still,
but the flesh, weighed down with years, will not bear
work as in former time. The author of the excellent
Sermon on Mr. Thornton's death is Mr. Scott, of the
Lock. — Pray when you write to Mr. Grant, tell him I
hope he received my Memoir of Sir John Barnard. I
sent him a copy im December.
I thank you, my dear son, for Mr. Adam's work : it
is a fine copy, and some excellent things there are in it:
but they formerly knew not how to digest their matter ;
and the mixture continually of Latin, and often Greek,
is unpleasant : however, the sermons upon the Church I
esteem excellent.
My sister Bishop's joy in death, when she was remark
ably destitute of consolations all her life through, was
very delightful to hear ; and I trust it will please our Lord
to lift up the light of His countenance upon your dear
mother, before He takes her to himself!
Ruth is quite well ; and doubly attached to us, after
her long absence. She is indeed as a daughter: no
creature living can be more thankful on account of the
favour shown her. Oh ! what comfort and mutual satis
faction do masters and servants lose, when there is no
Christian love, no union in the Redeemer !
Our best love to your mother and Kitty, and Mr. and
Mrs. Parry. Tell the squire I hope yet to strike a blow
or two more upon the head of the Antinomians in Lon
don, though I have not voice enough to fill Surrey Chapel
again.

MR. NEWTON. 369
Dear Simeon, (now Mr. Vice-provost) paid us a visit,
and slept here last Wednesday but one. He gives a
charming account of Mr. Newton ; who made me quite
ashamed of my little scrawl to him upon his wife's death,
by writing in return, a very long, excellent, and most
affectionate letter to me. How am I distinguished, by a
wife, children, relations, and friends ! : I may truly say,
" the lot is fallen to me in a fair ground ; yea, I have a
goodly heritage." Only pray I may not be utterly
ungrateful. From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, July 12, 1791.
It is, I think, a long time, my 'dear friend, since I
heard from Sutton. I wrote to dear P  the 19th of
May ; which letter, I trust, reached her in time, before
her natal day. I will yield to none but those in her own
house, in degree of love, and prayer for every good
thing which the God of her father and her mother hath
promised to them that love Him.
I write now, to give you my diary since my last. Ad
mire, my beloved friend, my unshaken resolution ! Never,
during the long space of forty years, did I ever visit the
great city, before last May, and for weeks, and yet not
once appear in a pulpit ; but withdrawing from the sacred
office of pastor and teacher, retired into the ranks of a
hearer during four Sundays ; — and much edified and com
forted I was.
I returned last Friday three weeks, and was very far
from continuing my good resolution. On Sunday fort
night, I preached, as if I had been quite strong, very
much indeed at liberty, an hour and ten minutes. And
again, on the Tuesday following, I preached at Cam
bridge for dear Simeon ; whither I went to meet Mr.
Newton, and invite him over to visit us; which he did
most kindly, the week following: and in the mean time,
on the Saturday and on the Sunday following, I lost my
speech ; and to satisfy my wife and daughter, I sent over
for a physician. Thanks be to my God, the attack was
gentle and transitory ! On Sunday last, I preached with

370 ILLNESS OF RICHARD VENN.
comfort and liberty on a text (shame be to me!) I never
spoke from before. It is one of those texts which hath
great complaints against Gospel ministers, for neglecting
it wholly. You will find it in Eccles. ii. 26.*
In London, I met with great affection amongst my
friends and relations. I have half a curate now, and
soon shall have one entirely. I am doing what I can to
get one ; but we have no convenience for lodging any
gentleman. I am past my labour ; and frequently feel so
dull in my faculties, and so unable to speak for want of
strength in my chest, that I think I offer, in the church,
"the torn, and the lame, and the sick :" and I have long
been of another judgment decidedly — that it is proper to
retire, if we live till we come to the dregs of life.
My dear wife is extremely feeble, and my brother
requires two men to get him up ; but both are beautified
with meekness, and are patterns in the furnace. We are
dealt with bountifully ! Yours. &c. H. Venn.
TO MRS. ELLIOTT. Yetting, Sept. 27, 1791.
_ It is my dear Eling's turn to have a letter ; and I
know the dregs of my pen are welcome to you.
My dear brother is exceedingly reduced ; and from
day to day we expect his dissolution. He cannot speak.
The doctor thinks it most probable he will fall asleep ;
and not know when the messenger comes to bring him
the joyful tidings, that all his sorrows and sufferings are
ended. There is not the least probability that he will be
with us when you receive this. Thus his earnest prayer
is heard ; which was, to go before me : and your mother
believes that it was owing to my illness that his was in
creased. It is a solemn season ; and I find it good to be
alone, in a dark chamber, presenting my dying brother
to my God and Saviour, " who hath tasted death for all
believers, and hath opened to them the kingdom of
». "For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and
knowledge, and joy ; but to a sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to
heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is
vanity and vexation of spirit."

DEATH OF MR. RICHARD VENN. 371
heaven." Compared with such solemn thoughtfulness,
amusements and pleasures of sense are poor things in
deed ! There is no greater delusion than that which the
multitude embrace, when they are confident that the
happy men and women are those only who figure in the
circles of the gay and brilliant, and go on without restraint
in a career of self-indulgence. So far is this from the
truth, that solemn meditation on things unseen and
eternal, and sweet peace, and lively hope, amidst our
dear dying relations in Christ, afford the most solid
satisfaction. I am glad that dear Jane is not with us. She will
know how to be thankful that her affectionate uncle
never wanted the most tender care and attention to his
infirmities. I hope ever to be mindful of my servant
Thomas's kind treatment of him.
God has been very gracious to me in the curate.* He
has provided for my people. On Sunday he preached
twice: his first sermon on Isaiah Iv. 1.; his second, on
John iii. 36. He is modest and humble, and bears an
excellent character. The people are much taken with
him. From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
P. S. This minute my brother has breathed his last.
He had no pangs in hisNdeath. Thanks be to God!

In several letters written about thisdate, Mr. Venn alludes to a
visit which he. paid to Mr. Berridge", " the venerable pastor of
Everton." In one of them, he thus describes the interview.

, I lately visited my dear brother Berridge. His sight
is very "dim, his ears can scarcely hear, and his faculties
are fast decaying ; so that, if he continues any time, he
may outlive the 'use of them. But, in this ruin of his
earthly tabernacle, it is surprising to see the joy in his
countenance, and the lively hope with which he looks
for the day of his dissolution. In his prayer with me
* The Rev. Maurice Evans, who remained curate of Yelling till Mr.
Venn's death, and then undertook the neigbouring curacy of Eltisley ;
from whence he removed into Wales.

372 excellence of christian charity.
and my children (for two of them accompanied me,) we
were much affected by his commending himself to the
Lord, as quite alone, not able to read, or hear, or do
any thing;— "but if I have, Lord," said he, " Thy pre
sence and love, Jhat sufficeth !"
TO MR. THOMAS ATKINSON. Yelling, Jan. 3, 1792.
My dear Friend, — Yesterday, with great pleasure,
we received your very generous relief for my poor neigh
bours ; and I now write to return you grateful thanks, in
my own name, as well as that of the people.
This festival week we are rejoiced with the prospect ;
coals, clothing, and meat, are distributed. To the Par
sonage, as to a house of mercy, the poor should resort
in their distresses : and though we see them little more
disposed to receive the Gospel by acts of kindness and
love to them, yet their opposition to it dies away ; and
some are reformed, and restrained from setting the evil
example they did. At all events, the merciful do receive
mercy, and their souls are made fat. How often, when
my heart has been cold, and dead — when I could not
pray or meditate for days together — have I been quick
ened, by the loving-kindness of the Lord, upon doing
something kind and loving for a fellow-creature, and
more especially for a fellow-Christian ! This is highly
necessary to be noted, and frequently dwelt upon in
Christian conversation, because of the gross selfishness
that is interwoven in our fallen souls. We are very prone
to turn the doctrines of grace into poison ; not only pre
destination, and election, final perseverance, and part?- ¦
cular redemption, but, no less, justification by faith only,
and the pardon of all our sins by the blood of the Lamb.
It is therefore a great comfort when I see and hear of my
Christian friends, ,that they are glad to distribute, and
willing to communicate. Were there but one thousand
loving Christians of great opulence, in Britain, like-minded
with John Thornton, lately gone to heaven, the nation
would be judged and convinced of the good operation
of the Gospel. Indeed, I sometimes indulge the joyful
hope, that the Philadelphian state is approaching, 'when

the placing of ministers. 373
Christians shall be as much distinguished by their bowels
of compassion, and active love, as by their creed.
Will you crown your kindness to me by a visit? I
am weak and withering away, but content and cheerful.
I can read but little — write less ; and my intellectual
faculties are benumbed. I seldom stir out. Oh what a
change will perfect health, immortal vigour, and spotless
purity, be to my poor soul !
Mrs. Venn and Jane send love to you and all friends ;
as I do. Yours, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN. Yelling, Jan. 7, 1792.
The placing ministers is one of the chief prero

gatives of our Lord and Head. His thoughts and ways
in this matter are totally different from ours. Hence Ave
see several of His pastors and teachers in spheres very
unfit for them, as it appears ; — men of abilities, zeal, and
application, preaching to a handful of peasants ; — others,
without talents, in places of great resort, amongst men
of education. But every mouth must be stopped ; and
no inquiry is allowed, why He doeth so or so. Our busi
ness is indisputably plain — "Work while it is day." Be
zealous and pure from the blood of all men, whether you
speak to one hundred or some thousands. None more
glorify God than patient satisfied pastors, who never
admit the thought of choosing for themselves. You write
the very truth, when you write, " I rejoice now particu
larly that I am not my own, nor, in respect of my situa
tion in life, am left to my own choice." 

About this time, Mr. John Venn began the formation of a Cleri
cal Society, among a few zealous bat distantly-situated Ministers,
who were to meet twice a year at Little Dunham, for the purpose
of mutual consultation and encouragement. The prosecution of
this scheme called forth his activity and zeal, and opened a pros
pect of more extensive usefulness than the situation of Little Dun
ham had hitherto promised. The following Letter was written in
allusion to this circumstance.

32

374 USEFULNESS IS ALX, IN CHRISTIANS.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN, Yelling, Jan. 20, 1793.
My dear Son, — I have just finished your precious
letter. How am I called upon to cry out, "What am I,
that I should ever live to see my prayers for a beloved
child, a son, a Gospel minister, now more than ever
answered !" Usefulness is all, in Christians.
I am now at the age of sixty-seven, lamenting how
very little I have done for God and man, compared with
what I might have done, had I been active in doing good,
as I ought. I could not help clapping my hands, and
singing, "Hallelujah! hallelujah!" with a most joyful
heart, when I had read your letter.
Your visit here, as circumstances are, I would by no
means have the joy of receiving; for it is not in the
order of Providence. I am not at all solicitous for your
removal from your present situation ; now you are endued,
like the disciples at Jerusalem, with power from on high.
Your proposal of meeting twice a year is from above.
Your usefulness is indeed enlarging.
With fervent wishes for your growth in grace, I am
yours, &c. H. Venn.

In a subsequent Letter, written to Mr, John Venn, I find the
following animated address to the Members of the Clerical Society,
upon their first meeting together.

— — Though pressed for time, I cannot but send you,
and your dear fellow-labourers in Christ's great Cause,
the wishes of my heart respecting you all ; as I cannot
make one of your meeting. I hope the letter will come
before you part.
I wish you may covet earnestly the best gifts and all
the fruits of the Spirit ; knowing you are to be examples
of the truth of God's promises, and of the power of His
grace to all your people. I wish you to be ever dili
gently employing yourselves in some good work, either
respecting the bodies or the souls of men, that the sloth
ful or lukewarm may be convinced and quickened by
your example. I wish you to consider yourselves as the

LAST ILLNESS OF MRS. VENN. 375
friends, the fathers, of the poor and needy ; not only
appointed to instruct, and preach unto them words
whereby they may be saved, but to be at much pains to
supply their wants. This, I am persuaded, gives the
greatest weight to sound doctrine ; and exhibits, in a
strong light, the good-will to men which should abound
in the ministers of Christ. I wish you to value time and
retirement : these are necessary, in order to gain, by
much reading and prayer, more clear and enlarged views
of God and His salvation, and a fulness of matter in
preaching which cannot otherwise be attained. I wish
you wisdom and skill to be cheerful, without levity ; and,
without affectation, to give a profitable turn to conversa
tion; evidently showing, that "out of the abundance of
the heart your mouth speaketh." — I shall be with you in
Spirit.

In the month of February, 1792, Mrs. Venn's health began to
decline rapidly. The following Extract and Letters will furnish
an affecting picture of her state of mind, and of the last scenes of
her sufferings.

TO THE REV. JOHN VENN.
Yelling, March 16, 1792.
 There is no material change in your dear mother,
though Mr. Simeon thinks she is much altered. — We are
called to pray without ceasing. I find a rich blessing in
this affliction. I feel more deeply my poverty and my
dependence upon the Lord ; and the spirit of prayer is
increased. And while the Lord is pleased to keep from
me the uttermost distress I should be in, if dear Jane
should be ill, I can be cheerful. One of the exceeding
great and precious' promises, which I had overlooked
before, is now opened to my mind, and pleaded by me
before the Throne of Grace, with great expectation. It
is in a very favourite Psalm of mine, the 37th, which
you have heard me expound many times; and runs in
these words, verses 18, 19: "The upright shall not be
ashamed in the evil time" — of suffering, from confine^
ment, sickness, and pain (as Lazarus was said to have

376 DEATH OF MRS. VENN.
received "evil" things when he was afflicted in his body;)
" and in the days of famine" — that is, when no creature-
comfort can be enjoyed — " they shall be satisfied," from
the knowledge of God, and fellowship with Him. So I
abundantly find it, in my present state. I see my dear
companion, my other self, dying daily ; and am perfectly
resigned. 
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. Yelling, March 29, 1792.
My dear Brother and Sister, — I have some of the
best news to impart. One beloved by you both, and
who delighted in you, has accomplished her warfare, has
received an answer to all her prayers, and everlasting
joy rests upon her head. My dear wife, the source of
my best earthly comfort for twenty years, departed on
Tuesday. Our prayers and hers were heard at large ; and many
circumstances of tender mercy and loving-kindness
have been vouchsafed. We were much afraid, from
what the physicians said, that she would suffer extreme
pain ; but this trial was spared us. She was confined to
her chamber eight weeks, and to her bed only six days,
yet without a murmuring word. Sorely distressed in her
soul for her sins, yet nevertheless all submission and
acquiescence, humbling herself, and praying continually ;
she could hardly believe that she had saving faith, be
cause she loved Christ no more, and served Him no better,
and was not more zealous of good works. It rejoiced
therefore our hearts, to hear her say, two days before she
left us : " I hope I do not deceive myself; I hope I am
not too sanguine : I shall now go to Christ : He is now
with my spirit. — It is not possible for me to tell you (she
proceeded) what distress I have gone through, from a
sense of my own vileness." The change of her frame of
mind was painted in her pale, emaciated countenance :
and while Jane, Ruth, and myself, stood around her, she
literally fell asleep, without our perceiving when she
drew her last breath. Verily, God hath heard our prayer,
and hath not turned His mercy from us !
I have lost as excellent a wife as I can figure to my-

MR. J. VENN PRESENTED TO CLAPHAM. 377
self; and with her, a considerable part of my income ;
yet I am light and glad of heart, in full assurance of hei
salvation, and that I shall certainly soon follow her.
Jane is much affected, having lost so tender a mother,
and so wise a counsellor. She bears her cross nobly,
without a brother, sister or companion, but her aged
infirm father. Though quite alone, we are not desolate.
We both beg you will accept our warmest wishes for
your best welfare.
Your affectionate and much indebted, H. Venn.

In April, 1792, the Rectory of Clapham in Surrey became vacant,
which was one of the livings in the patronage of the Trustees
under Mr. Thornton's will. There was a specific direction repect-
ing this living — that the Rev. Henry Foster should have the first
offer of it, upon a vacancy occurring ; and that, if he declined it,
Mr. John Venn should have the next offer.
Mr. Foster now declined the presentation, in a manner which
displayed extraordinary humility, and a noble superiority to all
worldly considerations.
The option of the presentation next devolved upon Mr. John
Venn, who accepted it, and was instituted in the following month.
The next Extracts allude to these circumstances.

May 2, 1792.
-My brother Gambier sent me the first notice re

specting Clapham. What an honour and lustre is thrown
upon Mr. Foster's character! To what a difficult and
dangerous post is my son called ! He is in great weak
ness, fear, and trembling. Now is the time of tempta
tion. Now, more than ever, prayer should be made,
that he may glorify God. 
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN.
Children, the old adage says, are careful comforts. —
I find the truth of this now particularly respecting you.
I was careful to see you called out to usefulness ; and,
now providentially a great door is opened, I am in daily
concern lest you should be hurt, and suffer loss in your
new station. — You must beware of company. You must
be much in secret and retirement. Visiting friends, and
32*

378

INTERVIEW WITH HUDDERSFIELD FRIENDS.

being seldom in a solemn spirit before the Throne of
God, ruin most of those who perish among professors of
godliness.

In the summer of 1792, Mr. Venn was obliged, through increas
ing infirmities, wholly to relinquish the public discharge of his
ministry. Upon the earnest solicitation of his children and friends,
he took a journey to Bath; but experienced no material benefit
from the waters at that place. He next went to Mr. Riland's, at
Birmingham; and, accompanied by his daughter, and part of Mr.
Riland's family, visited Buxton. By the use of Buxton waters,
his health and vigour were, for a time, remarkably restored. He
was absent from Yelling for more than a year.

TO MRS. ELLIOTT.
Buxton Sept. 6, 1792.
My dear Eling, — I write now, what you will be much
pleased to read. — The waters have done my health great
good, and I am much stronger. Dear Charles and you
will pray earnestly for me, that I may have wisdom from
above, to make the most of life, and be blesse'd with a
triumphant end. The people, here teach us from what
a state of death we are saved. We feel and enjoy that
inestimable blessing. We are led " beside the still
waters, in green pastures ;" while persons of rank and
distinction, in the world, are in one continual hurry, and
immersed with dissipation.
Dr. Hulme of Halifax, Mr. Kershaw, and Sir Richard
Hill, are here ; and their company is very enlivening.
Mr. Thomas Atkinson, John Houghton, with his wife,
and several others of my old flock at Huddersfield, are
coming over, to pay a visit once more to the man who
first called upon them to behold the Lamb of God  in
whom they have enjoyed light, life, and joy, for many
years. I have seen Joseph Hirst — an example and orna
ment of his religion. He tells me that the people in
general about Huddersfield are flourishing in righteous
ness. Since I began this letter, Mr. Powley is come to
see me ; and tears filled his eyes on seeing me so much
reduced. We have had sweet conversation together.
You may see, by my writing, how much more strength

TO HIS SON AT CLAPHAM. 379
I have gained ; but observe, 1 do not suppose this change
in my health will last. Adored be the superabundant
grace of God! — I do not desire to continue in the body,
but to join the heavenly choir, and see God face to face.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

At the beginning of the year 1793, Mr. John Venn removed
from Little Dunham to Clapham. He was much oppressed by a
sense of the responsibility attached to so important a ministerial
charge. The next Letter was written to encourage and strengthen
his mind under these painful feelings.

TO THE REV. JOHN VEEN.
Yetting, Jan. 17, 1793.
My very dear Son, — Though I wrote to you yester
day, yet the letter I received from you last night grieves
me so much, that I cannot rest without immediately
offering some considerations, which may, I trust, be
useful. I. I hope you will consider, that you are no other
wise afflicted with a sense of your own deficiency, than
the very excellent of God's servants were in their trials.
One cries out, "I am undone! I am a man of unclean
lips!" — Another, "I am a child! I cannot speak!" —
Ezekiel is called upon to guard against fear of the faces
of men. It is a plain intimation, that if he gave way to
such a fear, the Lord would confound- him before them.
St. Paul was in weakness, fear, and much trembling, lest
he should not be able to fulfil his ministry at Corinth ;
and was assured by Christ Himself, that a great door and
effectual was opened, and there were many adversaries.
From these instances, I hope you will see, my dear son,
that it is a general method of the Divine proceedings to
impress a very deep sense of utter insufficiency on the
instruments He makes use of, in calling sinners to Christ..
Be, then, of good cheer! as you stand now only in cir
cumstances similar to these blessed and highly- distin
guished servants of the Lord.
H. I beseech you to understand how very plainly has
the choice and appointment of you to this service ap-

380 ENCOURAGING ADDRESS TO HIS SON.
peared. The judgment of all who consider it, is but
one — that you are, if ever man was, called and chosen to
the work. Moreover, all agree you are eminently fitted
for the situation. Surely the conclusion, from both the
manner of your coming to be Rector of Clapham, and
your acknowledged fitness for the place, ought to give
you boldness.
III. You are at liberty to write all your sermons, till
you have both ability and freedom to speak. And when
your whole time is devoted to the service of your pro
fession, I think you must indeed greatly mistake the
matter, if you think you are unable to do credit to your
profession, and feed the church.
IV. Your hearers are much inclined to think of your
trials, and wish you may not be discouraged. Mrs.
T  told me she felt very tenderly for you, and so
did many more ; and hoped a few weeks or months
would make a great change in your mind.
V. The opposition in the appointment of Providence,
respecting myself and you, is very striking. I was sent
from Clapham, that at Huddersfield I might be taught
the plague of my own heart ; (and though, I trust, few
are obstinate as I was, and need to be brought so near
the edge of a most tremendous precipice as I. was ;) yet I
have more reason to be thankful for what I gained by
that temptation, than for any prosperous event I ever had
in my temporal circumstances. To Clapham you are led,
in order to be experimentally taught what is in your
heart. And be not surprised (as if it were a strange
thing) at being thus cast down ; for whenever wre are
called to do a work for the Lord, if we are not humbled
before we enter upon it, there is little reason to think we
shall meet with any success.
VI. You would consult much your own comfort, my
beloved son, if, after pondering the trials and difficultie's
you are to expect, and will doubtless meet with, you
would ponder also, in some just measure (which I fear
you have but very little done,) the usefulness, the com
fort, the liberty, and Divine love you will be the means,
which God our Saviour will make use of, to communi
cate to many souls. When I looked round about me,

ENCOURAGING ADDRESS TO HIS SON. 381
after Divine Service, only the last Sunday, at Clapham,
my heart bounded within me, to think how different a
sacrament,, in half a year's time, there would be on that
very spot.
One mistake in my poor life (which has been full of
mistakes,) I have cause to regret, is, that, from fear of
pride, I never paid due regard to the numberless pas
sages in Holy Writ which so plainly point out, and extol,
the high dignity of our office. Prophets of God, abettors
of His cause, His ambassadors, sent by Him immediately
after His ascension, to open the eyes of the blind, to turn
men, &c. &c. — oh 1 had I, some forty years since, my
dear son, given but a little consideration to these pas
sages, and mariy like them, • representing the authority,
the dignity of our office, I indeed believe (humanly speak
ing) I should have had much more comfort in my own
soul, and more success, both in public and private ad
dresses to my people. Among the numberless deplorable
defects of my ministry, I scarcely can find out one from
which my usefulness hath been more hindered, than from
a total forgetfulness of the highest honour of my office,
and persevering in continual fear lest I should be proud
and lifted up. Beware, I beseech you, my dear son, that
your ministry be not materially hurt by what has injured
your beloved father, and hindered his usefulness.
VH. I beseech you to assure yourself, you are not to
expect the help God will give you, till the exigency of
the case requires ii. Abraham went out, not knowing
whither he went. Faith in all His children, is of the
very same nature, from the first to the last — a venture,
whether we shall sink or swim, as shipwrecked mariners.
Why, then, should you not be content to trust — to be de
pending on the promise with quiet expectation ? though
your deepest feeling is, that, you are not sufficient to
think so much as a good thought of yourself.
Vin. My dear son, I beseech you, consider, with all
possible attention, how great a danger you are exposed
to, which you do not seem, I apprehend, to attend to
sufficiently — the danger of disparaging all that God hath
¦wrought for you. You remember he brought a charge
againet Israel of old, that they did not serve Him with

382

ENCOURAGING ADDRESS TO HIS SON.

joyfulness of heart. I know, also, that the nature and
subtlety of the Wicked-one works this way ; especially
with those who are of a modest and self-diffident cast
(which never was mine, I confess :) and till I saw how
that cast has worked upon you, I the more lamented it
was not my own cast. I pray you resist and oppose the
suggestions of this malignant spirit : never reason, but
pray against hini : when he sees you engaged in reason
ing against him, he is confident, and rejoices : — when he
sees you upon your knees, he trembles ; he will flee from
you, a vile sinner, in utter despair of conquering; nay,
in fear, lest you bruise his head.
So much for spirituals — all written in a coffee-house,
among Jamaica captains, and in a great din.
I now give my opinion on your temporalities. But
here I have little opinion of my own abilities. You tell
me, in the strictness of the law, you have a right to much
more than the other party will allow you. If, by the
strictness of the law, you mean uncertainty whether it
will be determined in your favour if tried at law, it may
then be prudent to let them have their will ; but if the
law is clearly on your side, neither reason nor religion
require you to take less than your dues, but the contrary.
I am rather sorry I said a syllable about my papers. So
many are your employments, I ought not to have troubled
you about such a matter. Forgive me ! My love to your
dear wife : I feel for her, as for a beloved child.
I am yet uncertain whether I can be able to come into
Norfolk. My dear brother Berridge is dying ; as a letter
received last night from Mr. Whittingham informs me —
and, at the same time, how supremely happy he is in
his God and Saviour. He goes a little before us : we
shall very soon follow after.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

TO THE REV. JAMES AND MRS. HARVEY.
London, Feb. 14, 1793.
Mr dear Children, — Dining this day with Sir. R.
HiU, and being in rather better health, I gladly embrace
the opportunity of a frank, to send you an account of the

FUNERAL OF MR. BERRIDGE. 383
last days of my dear brother at Everton ; who was most
affectionate towards all my dear children ; and his regard
for me was very great indeed. His departure is to me
a loss unspeakable, and not to be repaired ! The country
will appear very dreary, now I have no friend there to
whom I can unbosom my soul, as he was wont to do to
me. You know that I had promised to preach his fune
ral sermon. My weakness of body, and of my mind,
prevent my fulfilling that promise ; and I was, much
against my inclination, obliged to refuse the application
from Everton to perform the last office for this eminent
man of God. After increasing weakness, he was, on
the 12th day of January, seized with a violent asthma,
in which his friends thought he would have died. He
recovered, however, and lived ten days, unspeakably
favoured with the presence and love of his adorable Re
deemer, often expressing his full assurance of being with
Him for ever. Mr. and Mrs. Whittingham, Mr. Ellard,
and Mr. Hewitt, were with him, when he departed with
out a struggle or a groan. His funeral was very solemn.
Six clergymen bore the pall. Mr. Simeon preached from
the very words I wished him to do ; and showed how
truly Mr. Berridge might say, with Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8 :
" I have fought a good fight ; I have finished my course ;
I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me
a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, shall give me at that day : and not to me only,
but unto all them, also, that love His appearing." The
church could not contain more than half of the multitude
who came to the burial of their beloved pastor. Nor is
it easy to conceive what tears and sighs were to be seen
and heard, from those who had been called to Christ
through the word of the dear deceased. He is gone, a
very little before me. May I patiently wait till I meet
him above ! — an event which I hope is not far off.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

In Letters written during Mr. Venn's absence from Yelling, he
frequently mentions the very gratifying accounts which he received
of the success of his curate, Mr. Evans, who was the means of ei-

384 RETURN TO YELLING.
citing many to a serious concern for their salvation, who had heard
Mr. Venn's preaching without effect, or had relapsed into indiffer
ence, after having been once awakened. Such accounts evidently
cheered his heart, and called forth fervent praises to God. I add,
as a specimen, an extract from a Letter to Mr. Thomas Atkinson.

 I was absent from home when your liberal pre
sent to my poor arrived ; and. my servant is not the most
exact in observing the orders given him. These cir
cumstances must plead my excuse for not acknowledging,
some weeks sooner, your kind regard to my poor people,
whom you have helped to clothe. — Mr. Simeon, last
month, was at Yelling; and has brought me such an
account as will rejoice both your heart and your wife's.
He says, " The people are as different as it is possible to
conceive. There was a church-full on the week-day.
They sang, they prayed, they heard, like people alive to
God. They quite refreshed . my soul." From this
account, you will see how highly favoured I am in the
pastor my God has sent to supply, nay, abundantly more
than to supply, my place. And I write to you, that you
may know, that some of the. objects of your liberality are
the poor who receive as well as hear the Gospel.

After thirteen months' absence, Mr. Venn returned, with his
daughter, to Yelling. He thus describes the joy which his arrival
excited among the villagers.

Yelling, June 8, 1793.
 We came here yesterday, after a pleasant journey,
which did us both good. The people were glad and
eager to see us. The bells rang, as soon as we came in
sight in the field. Some were too much affected to come
and greet us, at our arrival. Others flocked to the rec
tory ; and a testimony was borne, by every countenance,
that their friend and pastor was returned. The faithful
Ruth was overcome with joy.

AFFECTIONATE CONCERN FOR HIS DAUGHTER. 385
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN.
(AT BATH.) Yelling, Aug. 1793.
My very dear Son, — Your two letters afforded me
great pleasure and comfort ; and we have abundant reason
to be thankful that the Bath waters appear to do you so
much good.
I am much reduced ; and have nothing but a decrease
of bodily strength to expect ; for my appetite is almos:
gone ; — not that I have cause for complaint. You have
been every day in my thoughts, as enjoying now one of
the most delicious gratifications below — travelling from
place to place, visiting the excellent of the earth : yet,
while you were in my thoughts, I accounted myself not
less favoured, in silence, solitude, and much prayer. I
have enjoyed the Word of God ; and " my meditation
of Him has been sweet," I was never more happy. •
This one thing I will desire of the Lord, and with the
prayer of faith require, that I may find grace sufficient
for me.
I have a sweet enjoyment of midnight hours, when I
cannot sleep. At three or four o'clock I sit up in my
bed ; and you and yours, and the rest of my children,
are before me, as in a picture ; and I am entreating my
God for your growth in usefulness — for your living a
bright example of your Christian profession.
Many thanks to you for " Milner's Church History!"
Little did I think what a feast was prepared for me in
my old age ! When he describes the state of the Church,
and the martyrs of the second or third century, what
sound understanding, what boldness and vigour of mind,
does he display! Blessed be our Gbd, for Joseph Mil
ner and his work !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO MRS. RILAND. Yelling, Sept. 1793.
 My daughter loves me a great deal too much for
her own peace. She would fain have her beloved father
exempted from the pains and penalties which flesh is
heir to — which the whole ransomed Church are called to
33

386 HIS HAPPy STATE OF MIND.
bear — which are not worthy to be named with the suf
ferings we deserve— with the glory ready to be revealed.
I can, with great sympathy, say, as Jephthah did of old,
" 0 my daughter, thou art among those that distress me
this day!" How can I help figuring to myself a child
exceedingly pained for the anguish my body may suffer
without remedy, unable to find one moment's ease, till
the earthly house of this tabernacle falls ; — and Ruth,
like another daughter, no less agitated : — both of them
without brother or sister, or one friend to cheer their
spirits. Yet do not think, my dear friend, I am cast
down, nor that my soul is disquieted within me. I pass
my time in sweet serenity, and entire trust in my God
and Saviour. I pray night and day, without ceasing ;
and frequently rejoice, in the full assurance that He who
hath loved me as His own from the beginning will love
me to the end. Where I prayed one hour out. of the
twenty-four, I now pray three or four times as much.
 At times, indeed, my faculties are benumbed ;
so that I can neither read, nor think, nor pray at all, as
I was wont to do ; yet mercies abound in the midst of
all. I have a sweet composure, a solid peace, a glorious
prospect into our future and eternal inheritance. My
soul has more dwelt upon the felicity of God's chosen
this year, than all the years of my life before. 
TO MR. EDWARD VENN.
Yelling, Nov. 12, 1793.
My dear Nephew, — I cannot but be highly pleased
with your tender attention to my sister and her daugh
ter; though I am, by that excellent conduct, deprived of
the great pleasure of a visit. I must console myself —
as I do — that I, and all those who are most dear to me,
are all travelling in the King's highway,* to His own
place, to "see Him as He is." There we shall enjoy
the glorious realities — of which we here obtain a glimpse,
* Mr. Venn was accustomed to give a beautiful illustration of this
expression. " Things necessary and essential are all plain. The way
to Heaven is not a bridle-way, winding, and difficult to be discerned : but
the King's highway is straight, and lifted up, like a Roman road, itself »
full direction to the traveller." \

earnest desire to depart. 387
and then we lose it. — In our best estate below, how
very feeble are the impressions of our future ' glorious
inheritance !
What pleasure did I feel in reading, that, when you
were at Clapham, on Sunday, you were well instructed
before you met at the table of the Lord. My prayers
had been warmly presented, that the name of the Lord
Jesus might be magnified, and many might eat the flesh
of the Son of Man, and drink his blood. Help your
dear cousin with your prayers. Expect, and earnestly
long for, a day of the Redeemer's power at Clapham
church. Oh, that my son may have no rest in his soul,
till those arrows, which are very sharp, reach the hearts
and consciences of the King's enemies!
I recommend to my dear nephew to buy four sermons
of Dr. Caleb Evans, on Christ Crucified. The two first
are very sensible, but not extraordinary. The two last
are among the first, for excellency, that I ever read. I
would venture my reputation on my recommendation.
Grace, mercy, and peace, be with us, till, dying in the
Lord, we meet above !
Your affectionate uncle, _ H. Venn.
TO MR. ELLIOTT. Yetting, Oct. 7, 1793.
My dear, my very dear Son, — You have largely con
tributed, for past years, ever since your union with us,
to the comfort of myself, and every one of my chil
dren ; for which we have all great reason to be thankful
to our God. Next week we hope to see you all here.
I am still very highly favoured, though declining apace,
but not faster than I would wish. "Come, Lord Jesus!
0 come quickly !" is, almost every hour, my prayer. And
when, by reason of pain, I lie awake for hours in the
night, I am favoured, not only with a quiet mind, stayed
upon my God, but rejoicing in the glorious prospect of
soon being without error or pollution, and of having the
name of my God in my forehead, and serving him with
out defect — and waiting for your ascension, and I hope
the ascension of your offspring, sweet dears !
My son's sermons, the two Sundays before last, col-

388 AFFLICTION weans us FROM THE WORLD. '
lected a more numerous congregation yesterday than, I
think, has been in our church for years. We had eighty
at the table. I read the prayers. We sang that admi
rable Hymn, in which are these lines :
" But when he groan'd, and bled, and died,
He ruin'd Satan's throne, &c."
After Service, with a triumphant voice we made the
church ring with Hallelujahs —
" Lives again our Glorious King !"
It was a glorious feast indeed! Glory be to God! — My
love to all your swfeet babes.
The Lord give you a prosperous journey, and much of
His grace and heavenly benediction, when together !
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JOHN VENN.
Yelling, Sept. 21, 1794.
My dear Son, — What a load of misery is entailed
upon us from our birth ! Man inherits affliction and
trouble ; and thee is no security of any blessings, except
spiritual and eternal ones. We may certainly also con
clude, that craving, as we do, to the earth, though full
of disappointments and affliction, but for them we should
all be bewitched to our destruction. I observed, as I
generally do (except illness prevents) with exactness, my
time for writing to you — a fortnight, to a day, last Thurs
day, and finished the letter ; but it did not go till Satur
day. Punctuality is an excellent thing, I have long been
convinced ; and I have practised it accordingly.
You will oblige me much by writing me the Clapham
news. How much do I enjoy your present full employ
ment, and the account of your church being so well
attended ! I have no doubt the Lord is with you, and
will Himself testify of His grace. It cost me prayer with
out ceasing, for years, to obtain knowledge, and in any
measure the tongue of the learned (the qualifications for
my high office ;) and so it will every one.
The Lord Jesus help you, and be in a remarkable man
ner with your spirit, when you preach the Visitation Ser-

MR. HODSON OF JAMAICA. 389
mon.' If the text is not chosen, suppose it was this : —
" Preach the word : be instant in season, out of season ;
reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doc
trine." — I never shall forget, and hope ever to humble
myself for preaching, my sermon at St. Saviour's. It was,
thank God ! the only time I was not able to withstand
temptation. I was not bold; — no offence was taken;
and my powers, as an orator, allowed.
I am glad Mr. Grant will have no other house but that
on Clapham Common. May you be more and more
united, and the sons of my old friend, and Mr. Wil
berforce ; and quicken and excite each other to do
much in the service of Christ, and evidently magnify his
Name !
On Monday last, a gentleman came here, and accosted
me in these words : — " I suppose you do not know me ;
as I should not have known you. My name is Hodson.
In gratitude, I was obliged to pay you a visit. Thirty
years ago, I heard you at Huddersfield." — I recollected
him with much pleasure. He is one of the most- amiable
of men : he has made his fortune in Jamaica. What an
indication of his excellency Will you think it, when I tell
you, that, in the mention of his slaves, and the great
affection they showed him, tears fell from his eyes ;
and he said he had doubted whether he should not
have stayed with them till he died ! He had heard of
you ; and perhaps may become one of your flock. He is
a steady, sensible man — a native of .Huddersfield. Oh!
how extensive, and always upon the increase, is the good
done by preaching Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the
Life !— God bless you both, in a degree far beyond what
he hath done ! and bless your aged father, that he may
be an example to his children, teaching them how a
Christian dies ! Yours affectionately, H. Venn.
TO THE REV. JAMES STILLINGFLEET. Yelling, Jan. 4, 1795.
Dear, and for ever dear, Brother in our Lord !— The
day before yesterday, Kitty's letter told us that your be
loved wife was very dangerously ill. I shall not be satis-
33*

390 WAITING FOR DEATH.
fied till I hear how the Lord of all Lords deals with you,
that I may remember your case, in all circumstances, be
fore Him.
One year and a half I have been nearly a prisoner to
my house ; — soon shall I be (unless suddenly translated)
to my chamber, and then to my bed ; and then this body
shall rest in the grave, and my spirit " enter with bold
ness," (ever mine!) "into the holiest, by the blood of
Jesus!" For though my eyes are, more than ever they
were, opened, to see my wickedness has indeed been
great, and mine iniquities infinite, and the overspreading
depravity in me not to be extirpated till my dissolution
— do all I can against it ; yet this creates no bondage or
despondency; the spirit of power, of love, and of a sound
mind, is given me from above. I pray, much more than
I ever did, for myself, my relations, my friends in Christ;
and particularly for my fellow-labourers, in whose con
versation, example, and company, I have received so
much benefit. I am so infirm, as not to be able to pray
with my own family; nevertheless, "He that loved me
will love me to the end." One thing only I desire,
without ceasing — that, for the sake of the thousands to
whom I have preached "the unsearchable riches of
Christ," and contended for His glory, I may, in the hour
of death, look through an opened Heaven to a Crucified
Saviour, smiling upon my poor guilty soul !
I told my invaluable Jane I must write to you, but no
more than five lines. Upon seeing what I have written,
she tells me I surely meant to have said five pages. She
joins with me in wishing it may please our Heavenly
Father to preserve your beloved wife ; or, if not, to keep
from excessive grief the survivor, under a blessed assur
ance of meeting, after a very short interval, in the eternal
fellowship, with all the elect of God.
Not a single word for past silence ! — In your present
suspense, to expect more than one line would not be
friendly: and for a directory to me, in my intercessions,
it would be sufficient.
With fervent love to you both, we remember you,
From your affectionate, H. Venn.

" SOARING TO HEAVEN." 39 1
P. S. We wish you both a happy new year, in the ful
filment of the Covenant — the new and better Covenant,
established upon better promises, which follow in the
Father's declaration to Messiah, before His holy incarna
tion and nativity : — " All Thy Children shall be taught
of me ; and great shall be the peace of Thy Children.
They shall be established in righteousness, and shall be
far from oppression ; and as for terror, it shall be far from
them." — May you have this witness in yourselves, from
the opening to the close of the year, or so long in it as
you remain in the body ! and the kings and princes of
the world, the most admired and most envied of men
on earth, will be exceedingly poor, and wretched, and
miserable, in comparison with yourselves.

At the close of a letter to Lady Mary Fitzgerald (Jan. 17, 1795,)
the following noble sentence occurs : —
I have not slept out of my house, or been farther than
my garden and the adjoining fields, for more than eighteen
months ; — yet I enjoy liberty. I soar to Heaven ; and
mix in the society of Cherubim and Seraphim, and all
the Ransomed of the Lord.
TO THE TtEV. JOHN VENN. Yelling, Jan. 1, 1796.
My dear Son, — Be assured I very sensibly feel your
very kind attention to my interest; and, placing confi
dence in your judgment', am well satisfied with the
arrangement you propose.
I am not displeased with the opposition of the Hun-
tingtonians to your preaching : their hatred is much to be
preferred to their praise. You write, you are well satis
fied ; — and you have cause to be so ; not only from the
full approbation of your friends at Clapham, but from the
whole tenor of the Word of God ; for you teach and
preach as the Oracles of God. Every Prophet and every
Apostle insists as much upon the fruits of faith, as upon
faith itself, and the glory of Christ's Person. The sove
reign and electing grace of God, by which alone we are
brought to Him, bears no proportion in the Scripture to

392 ALL SCRIPTURE EQUALLY ACCEPTABLE.
the continual mention that is made of the absolute ne
cessity, beauty, and excellency of a holy life and con
versation, in the sight of God and man — bears no pro
portion, I say, to the practical part of our holy religion.
It is very remarkable, also, that our Saviour would not
preach about Himself, the freeness of His grace, and
justification by His blood, till He had first of all laid the
foundation most emphatically of that holiness which these
Solifidians deny. As remarkably, St Paul had no sooner
finished his triumphant account of grace reigning through
righteousness, than he leaves the subject ; and writes a
whole chapter, by way of guarding against an Antinomian
interpretation of his doctrine.
It therefore gives me great pleasure to see you stand
in the place your father did — pelted on one side by
ranters clammering for sinless -perfection, and on the
other by Antinomian abusers of grace. Many of these
last you will see like meteors of a day, and, by their bad
fruits, too plainly attesting that all their wisdom and re
ligion is from beneath. Look upon yourself as loudly
called upon by the jarring sects to search the Scriptures,
and study them, and them only — more devoutly, more
constantly, in full assurance that, in doing so, you shall
be led into all truth.
I have to tell you — and would; if it were with my last
breath — that I can wish for nothing more than I now find
Christ is to me. And though I discover, more than ever,
most lamentable defects in my preaching, and cannot
place the smallest confidence in the multitudes to whom
God has been pleased to make His word a blessing by
my mouth and pen, yet I am absolutely certain that I
have preached the very doctrine that Christ and His
Apostles did. The whole Word of God is equally accept
able to me ; — not less those parts which are the fortress
of Arminians, Perfectionists, and Antinomians, than the
others ; so that I am, and have been for thirty-five years,
in the happy state of not being tempted to wrest any
Scripture, or pervert it, in order to make it favour my
own tenets..
I wish you to be more zealous, more bright and shining
in your life and practice, this year, than any before — that

ADVICE TO HIS SON. 393
you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of
God, putting to silence the ignorance and malicious
prating of all opposers. I would fain hope to see you
once more, for one Sunday. My daughter sends her
love with mine. Love to all the little ones.
From your affectionate father, H. Venn.

The Letters of a subsequent date are too few and brief to afford
any further additions to this selection. Here, therefore, the Chro
nological Series of Correspondence closes. — The Editor feels, also,
that the style and subject of the foregoing Letter render it pecu
liarly appropriate for the position it holds, as the last of that series.

PART III.

LETTERS ON PARTICULAR SUBJECTS, TOO LONG FOR INSER
TION IN THE PRECEDING SECTIONS.

TO JONATHAN SCOTT, ESQ.*
(DIHECTIONS FOU LEADING. A CHBISTIAJT XIFE.) Nov. 6, 1765.
Dear Sir, — I cannot leave Shropshire without giving
you joy on your knowledge of Christ, and determination
to live in His service. This connects us more closely
than if we had sprung immediately from the same parent ;
for, in numberless instances, own brothers will be sepa
rated from each other, far as Heaven from Hell ; but all
who love the Lord Jesus shall dwell for ever with Him.
Love to Him and your soul prompts me to lay before
you a few hints, furnished from long service in the Church
of Christ ; which, had I received on my entrance into it,
might have preserved me from many hurtful mistakes.
Your Christian calling is a warfare, where no quarter
can be given on either side. If you prove faithful unto
death, angels will receive your departing soul.; eternal
glory will be your crown ; the armies of the saved will
receive you with transport, as a soul ransomed with that
precious blood, to which they owe their all ; and the
Redeemer's presence will be your Heaven for evermore.
Should you forsake His service, or hold secret corres
pondence with His foes, you must be punished, like
them, with eternal infamy in Hell.
The enemies you have to oppose, and conquer, will
probably be, first, your former intimates, friends and
* This Letter was printed many years ago, as a Tract ; and has lately
been reprinted, in several different forms.
(394)

SECRET PRAYER. 395
nearest relations, whose polite conversation and affection
for you have been so pleasing : for till their judgment
of sin, true religion, and man's chief good, are formed
from Scripture, as your own now is, they must both de
spise and hate the way of life in which you must per
sist. With these opposers your corrupt nature will take
part, and a subtle destroyer, long practised in arts and
wiles, to compass the ruin of immortal souls. In this
perilous condition you have joined yourself (effectually
inflenced by His grace) to Christ, as your Leader and
Commander. Under His banner, diligently using the
means He, in tenderest love, enjoins, you are confidently
to expect both protection and victory.
These means are : Secret Prayer — Study of the Bible —
Public Worship — Hearing faithful Preachers— Christian
Society — and much Retirement.
1. Secret Prayer, at stated times, was constantly prac
tised by our Lord. " At evening," says he, " and morn
ing, and noon-day, will I cry unto Thee, and that in
stantly; and Thou shalt hear my prayer." All His illus
trious saints have done the same. Indeed, stated times
of prayer, where they can be had, are no less needful to
make the soul flourish, than stated meals to keep the
body in health. Wilfully to neglect them, is to walk
contraty to the example of Christ and his saints, which
can never produce resemblance to them in our life. Yet
stated times of secret prayer will grow tiresome, and
prove of no use, unless you take pains to present your
self a worshipper before the Lord in spirit and in truth,
by looking up, and begging the Spirit of grace and sup
plication may be poured out upon your soul. But, when
you duly observe stated times of secret prayer, be not
cast down because you will often find great stupidity of
mind, and know not what to ask; or because you feel
your faith very weak, much backwardness to pray, and
a swarm of idle thoughts oppressing you. Do not, on
this account, leave off your constant devotions, nor
question whether they will profit your soul. It is much
for your good, to feel you have no power to command
your own thoughts. It is much for your good, that your
own experience should confirm what the word of God

396 STUDY OF THE BIBLE.
and His people teach — that you are weak and poor,
always standing in absolute need of the mercy of God,
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the power of the
Holy Ghost.
On the contrary, beware of being elated on account
of .great enlargement of heart, and spiritual joy, which
you will find sometimes flow in upon your soul. Should
this favour lead you to think highly of yourself, careless
ness first, and then a miserable fall, will follow ; for self-
exalting thoughts always defile the soul, and grieve the
spirit of God ; neither can any dependence, as to future
safety, be justly built on what has passed in our own
minds. Witness the noble confession Peter made of his
faith in Christ one hour, and astonishing reprimand he
received the next : " Get thee behind me, Satan ! thou
art an offence unto me." These sweet sensations of spirit
ual joy realize to us some of the precious promises made
to believers in Christ ; and are designed to allure us, not
to excite a conceit of any thing good to ourselves.
2. To secret prayer you will join devout study of the
Bible ; because it is our infallible guide, and the treasury
of all truth necessary to salvation. But the riches laid
up there are not to be found by proud or careless minds :
none possess them, till they dig for them as for silver,
longing to know the will of God, that they may do it.
To superficial readers of the Bible, it presents little more
than a great number of duties, which must be performed ;
and sins, which must be renounced ; with insupportable
pains, in failure of obedience ; — passages of excellent
use, when believed ; as they at once rouse the selfish
soul of man to seek reconciliation with God, and help
from Heaven : — and sweep, away every refuge of lies,
under which love of sin leads us to take shelter. But
earnest and devout readers of their Bible discover much
more : they discover the tender heart of Christ ; the effi
cacy of His blood to clearfee from all unrighteousness ;
and a variety of spiritual blessings, which are the present
reward of being true-hearted in His service. I am at a
loss for words to express how much solid knowledge,
transforming your mind into the Divine image, you will
certainly ' gain by persevering in diligent prayer;, year

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING. 397
after year, for the true interpretation of God's blessed
Word, that you may be made wise and holy. A pattern
is plainly set before us, in these memorable petitions : —
may they come from our hearts, and ever dwell upon
our tongues ! — " I am a stranger upon earth (very soon
to leave it ; therefore its riches and honours cannot profit
me ;) 0 hide not Thy commandments from me, which
will enrich me for ever ! — Open Thou my eyes, that I
may see wondrous things in Thy Law ! — Thy hands
have formed and fashioned me ; 0 give me understand
ing, that I may know Thy Law !" This method of read
ing the Bible must be continued through life, especially
whilst the capital truths of the Bible are before our
eyes. By this means we have an absolute security from
abusing any part of the Word of God. And those who
dare despise persevering prayer to be taught by the
Spirit of God what is contained in His Holy Word, as if
they knew enough, fall into pernicious errors; wrest
some passages of Scripture, to contradict others ; or grow
violently zealous for doctrines ; but very cold respecting
that heavenly mind those doctrines are revealed to pro
duce. Our profiting will then only appear, when, after
the example of David and St. Paul, we pray from deep
conviction that we cannot be properly affected with what
we believe, unless we are divinely taught ; and that if
any man thinketh that he knoweth any thing as he ought
to know, that man knoweth nothing.
3. Secret prayer, and devout study of the Bible, will
prepare you to worship in the House of God. — And
here you must beware of a fatal error, common among
those who love to hear the Gospel. Assured from the
Oracles of God, that preaching the Gospel is the ap
pointed means to convert sinners, and knowing they
were themselves illuminated in this way, not a few
shamefully disparage public worship ; — as if all good to
the soul was to come through5 the speaker; none from
calling, with one heart and voice, upon the name of our
Lord, in His own House. Hence, whilst both minister
and people should be abased before God, in confession
of their vileness ; should be pleading, in the full assur
ance of faith, the sacrifice and intercession of Christ for
34

398 PUBLIC WORSHIP.
pardon ; should be earnestly imploring more grace, to
serve the Lord to well-pleasing ; should, with flaming
love to all mankind, be recommending them to the tender
care of our Heavenly Father ; and be filled with joy, in
returning ardent thanks for the loving-kindness of God
towards themselves and all men ; whilst this grand busi
ness should fill their souls, a total inattention is visible
in many countenances. Their entertainment seems only
to begin when the preacher has taken his text. — Gross
ignorance ! impious indecency ! — Professed believers, can
you imagine you shall ever receive profit in one means
of grace, while you pour contempt on another? or that
after passing through the time of divine worship without
any exercise of repentance, love, and devotion, you can
be in a fit disposition to attend to the things which shall
be delivered from the pulpit? Be undeceived! It is
novelty and curiosity by which you are pleased, in all the
discourses you extol. On the contrary, I would have
you, dear Sir, raise your expectations very high, of the
good you are to receive from first praying with the con
gregation, as a Child of God by faith in Christ Jesus,
before you hear the pastors of His Church. There is a
necessity for this. It is intended to prepare and soften
the ground for receiving the good seed ; and to open the
heart for believing and obeying the truth. Remember, .
though preaching Christ is ordained to gather in the out
casts ; when gathered, they are to offer up prayers and
praises, intercessions and thanksgiving, a pure offering
in righteousness. Remember, that hearing will very
soon cease for ever : spiritual worship is immortal. Had
we therefore our choice, whether Paul should preach to
us, or call us to fall 'low with him on our knees in
prayer, we must prefer the latter ; because every one
had much rather come into the presence of his beloved
Sovereign, to ask what He has promised to bestow, than
hear another extol him ever so highly. An itching ear
is a disease dangerous and epidemical : and if hearing
has not made us love the House of Prayer, it is hard to
conceive it can have done us any good at all.
4. You will not misconstrue these remarks, as if they
insinuated that preaching Christ is not of the utmost im-

" PREACHING CHRIST." 399
portance, and what all Christians must value and attend
to. This preaching conquered the bloody-minded per
secutors in Judea, and brought thousands to adore Christ
Crucified. This subdued the Heathen world ; and every
Church of Christ owes its existence, preservation, and
increase, to the Word of life preached. Our Lord em
phatically warns us against false prophets, by comparing
all who expect advantage from their preaching to the
foolish hope of gathering grapes from thorns, or figs from
thistles. Our Litany deprecates, almost in one breath —
' as three of the greatest curses to mankind — pestilence,
rebellion, and false doctrine.
Much indeed are we to prize the faithful preaching of
the everlasting Gospel! It is the good seed; which fall
ing upon good ground, the believing heart, brings forth
fruit abundantly. Only honour equally, in its turn, every
ordinance of God. Esteem spiritual worship of Him,
in His House, no less profitable than the dispensing of
His holy Word.
5. To secret prayer, study of the Bible, public wor
ship, and hearing the Word, you will add the society of
Christians engaged in the same warfare as yourself. This
is commanded by our God ; and is of great advantage.
We are social by nature ; and our companions must be
infectious, if destitute of faith ; or greatly improving, if
we make a right choice. Love unfeigned to our Savioui
must give us invincible aversion to the discourse and
company which pour contempt upon all His excellency
and precepts: nor is it possible, where the duty of men,
in their business or office, does not oblige them to be in
company with profane and voluptuous men, to consort
with them and be guiltless. The command is peremp
tory : "Go from the presence of a man, as soon as thou
perceivest the words of wisdom are not in him." The
warning is merciful, and very alarming : " A companion
of fools shall be destroyed." And, lest worldly interests,
or a remaining love for the witty, enlivened conversation
of profane people, should bribe us to believe we may
sometimes associate with them, and yet receive no harm,
the salutary advice is, " Be not deceived ; evil commit
nications corrupt good manners." Your society, there

400 REAL CHRISTIANS IMPERFECT.
fore, must be with real, not nominal, Christians ; "for he
that walketh with wise men shall be wise."
But do not expect to find real Christians such as you
may figure them in your own mind, nor scan their life
with a severe eye. Judge of your fellow-soldiers by
what you know of yourself, in earnest as you certainly
are. Innate corruptions are very stubborn, and, though
besieged, and doomed to death, make frequent sallies.
Hard is the conflict to get the mastery over a besetting
sin ; which is seldom obtained at once, or without many
falls. Be jealous of the hypocrisy, natural to us all, of
passing a favourable judgment on our own condition,
faulty as we are ; yet condemning others as dissemblers,
for the same things we find in ourselves. Alas ! the
very best have abundant, cause to think themselves vile :
for it is notorious (whatever some may boast) that be
lievers in Christ, one and all, are polluted, imperfect,
inconstant — impatient of each other's infirmities,' and
scarcely able to be at peace among themselves ; though
they all experience, as they confess from day to day, the
tender compassions of their Heavenly Father, under all
their failures.
Be not stumbled, if you meet with many hollow pro
fessors, talkative, and full of confidence on account of
their supposed conversion, and the knowledge they have
attained in spiritual things. So it has been from the
beginning. Upright followers of the Lamb are few in
every age: you' may know them by their disclaiming,
with equal care, all trust in their own spiritual attain
ments, and the baneful abuse of imputed righteousness
and the election of grace ; by their tender fear of offend'
ing God ; by their humility and meekness, their genero
sity and compassion ; and the great benefit to be derived
from their discourse, full of a Divine savour. With
persons of this excellent sort, cultivate an intimacy:
they will build you up in your holy faith ; they will esta
blish you in every good purpose." You will burn with
desire to be like them ; and, upon leaving their com
pany, you will find a spirit of prayer spring up in your
mind. 6. But company, beyond a certain measure, is of bad

IMPORTANCE OF RETIREMENT. 401
consequence. Keeping much retired, and by ourselves,
is most profitable for us all. Indeed, when our worldly
business is attended to as it ought to be, and secret
duties are punctually observed, there cannot remain a
good deal of time for persons, in any station, to spend
in company : and they who imagine that praying at cer
tain seasons, hearing the Gospel, and then entering into
a sort of general conversation about religion and reli
gious people, will be sufficient, are grievously mistaken.
Unless we love (and contrive, as we are able) to be much
alone, how can we often and solemnly call to remem
brance the evil of our past life, so as to loathe our
selves ? — how feel contrition for the follies of our innate
depravity ? — how, with the blessed Mary, ponder in our
hearts the sayings of our Lord ? — how enter deeply into
His agony and death, the price of our peace and eternal
life ! — how weigh the value of our spiritual privileges,
and the weight of the crown of glory laid up for the faith
ful ? — how feel the strength and multitude of our obliga
tions to live in exemplary obedience, constrained by love
passing knowledge ? — Though the pastors of Christ's
Church speak on these subjects, and they make part of
every conversation, we must ruminate in private upon
them, or they will never duly impress and fill our mind.
Hence the most distinguished saints, before they en
tered on any arduous work for the glory of God or the
good of men, did not think their purity of intention, or
the promise of God's Spirit, sufficient, without preparing
by much retirement. Moses, Elijah, Daniel, the Bap
tist, and our Lord Himself, teach us, by their practice,
the benefit and necessity of being often and much alone,.
Great and many evils grow in the Church, from its
pastors and people neglecting to copy these infallible
examples. For want of being much alone, popular teachers are
puffed up ; thence become contentious, jealous of those
they fear as their rivals, disputers, and abusers of thei
fellow-servants. For want of meditation in private upon
the truths of God, professors of faith in Christ are arrant
Pharisees, whilst they violently condemn pharisaism ;
formalists, though they know it not, in the midst of per-
34*

402 TO PRIVATE CHRISTIANS AND TO PREACHERS.
petual exclamations against formality ; — for they can talk,
without humiliation, of man's total corruption, and the
sinfulness of sin; they can talk, without gratitude, of
redemption by the , blood of God manifest in the flesh ;
and, without grief, on the hypocrisy and unbecoming
lives of many who make profession of faith in Christ. No
thing, in their discourse on these deeply-affecting topics,
strikes the hearer's mind as coming from a broken heart.
This profanation of sacred truths, by talking of them
with a careless, dissipated spirit, does much hurt ; and
we incur guilt, like those who take the- name of the Lord
in vain. Yet this must be the case with us, unless there
be a due mixture of solitude with society, to gird up the
loins of our minds, and effectually impress them, by much
intercourse with God alone.
With respect to the multitude of ignorant and licen
tious men, you must expect their ridicule and censure ;
which by no means should gall or irritate your mind.
You could not be a servant of Christ, were you approved
by them. "If ye were of the world, the world would
love its own : but because ye are not of the world, but
I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you." The light in your mind is a distinguishing
favour, which you are ever to remember.. No one can
believe there are such " things prepared for them that
love God," as you know, till the eyes of their under
standing are opened, as yours have been ; and their in
comparable excellence felt, as it has been in your soul.
Yet, in this case, love hopeth all things, and endureth
all things ; — hopeth the time will come, when they, who
think you mad, will worship with you in Spirit and in
truth. Meanwhile, love will enable you meekly to re
ceive contemptuous treatment, and hard speeches against
your faith, your conduct, and your friends. Be not
eager to -justify yourself, nor over-forward to make con
verts by much speaking: an irksome truth becomes more
so by being unseasonably urged. Besides, wordy people
are set down as loving to hear themselves talk ; and
novices are proud to gain proselytes, before they are
themseves established in the Truth, or know their own
religion. But in victory over pride, anger, and all

WAITING ON GOD IN PRAYER. 403
wickedness — in steadfastly observing every rule of holy
living laid down by our Saviour — in courteous behaviour
to all men — in calmly urging the Word of God, when
some favourable opportunity occurs of bearing testimony
to fhe truth — in these things you cannot exceed. Wait
patiently ; and you will, by such irreproachable and wise
conduct, stop tlie mouth of prejudice, and win over some
to come forth and live a Christian life, as you do.
I wish you much of the presence and peace of God in
your soul; in your practice and tempers, much steadi
ness and love ; and a gracious answer to your prayers
for your friends, relations, and fellow-sinners. May we
remember each other before God : beseeching Him, that
we may strongly recommend His truth and service, by
great usefulness, till we are for ever with Him !
From yours, &c. H. Venn. t-
TO JOHN BRASIER, ESQ.
fDXBECTIOXB FOll LEADING A CHaiSTIAN LIFE.)
Yelling, Jan. 23, 1777.
My dear Cousin, — I regret the loss we had in not
seeing you in your way to town ; not merely as the visit
would have given us so much pleasure, but as I should
have had an opportunity of talking very fully upon a subject
of the last importance, and on which I can write but very
imperfectly — I mean your settlement in life. The whole
family join with me in love to you both, and the most
cordial wishes for your present and eternal welfare. This
is what I am always wishing : and having, through the
most adorable mercy and infinite condescension of God,
been led into the way of peace myself — and to so much
comfort every day as excites my astonishment — I would
fain see all my fellow-sinners, and much more my friends
and relations, brought into the same delightful enjoy
ment of life. I shall now, therefore, lay before you what
I judge the sure and certain method of living a Christian
life, profitable to men^ and pleasing to God, in abundance
of peace and hope, light and love from Heaven.
The first material point is, a conscientious waiting upon
God in prayer ; not satisfied with bowing our knees, and
beginning the day with devotion ; — but, we must pray.

404 FAMILY worship must be spiritual.
I used long to exercise an idle lukewarm way of praying
(by which' I got nothing, but deluded my own soul ;) as
if it were a necessary consequence, of my corruption,
which all felt, and all deplored. But to pray without
attention, or without importunity — to pray with our
hearts asleep, and worldly thoughts intruding, as guests
of every character do into an inn — is hypocrisy. If we
are not grieved and afflicted at it, as our disease, and
long for the Spirit's power, and confess our sinfulness,
our religion is mere form. If we do lament it, we, shall
succeed ; ancl, generally, our secret approaches to the
Throne of Grace will be refreshing, animating, and the
sweetest hour of our life.
When secret prayer is thus performed, one part of our
earnest request will always be, that the worship of the
family may be solemn and spiritual, affecting every
member of it, and offered up with self-abasement from a
company of vile sinners before a glorious God — a means
of creating mutual affection and unfeigned good-will
throughout the day. I have had family worship ever
since I kept house ; but never, till within these five years,
was concerned about carrying it on as it ought to be.
Not that any one could discover irreverence in my man
ner, or that I had not some desire that God should be
honoured ; but my desire was exceedingly small ; and I
did not intercede with God, that we might never meet
together without the exercise of repentance, faith, hope,
and love, and without such a manifestation of His pre
sence as He has promised to " two or three who are met
together in His name."
When secret and family worship is thus performed,
the blessing is to be confidently expected, in a recollected
and watchful frame of mind, amidst trials, and prepared
ness for them; in a jealousy of self-will, which, is ever
working ; and in a fear of every thing that savours of a
sour, angry, hasty spirit, the bane of domestic felicity,
and the great contradiction to the Christian temper. At
noon-day, as you are not engaged in business, you must
contrive to find a season for retirement, to be with your
God and Saviour. Daniel and David did this, in the
midst of all their great employments and numerous cares.

PRAYER THREE TIMES A DAY. 405
Our Saviour did the same ; for He is the person speak
ing, when he says, " At evening, and morning, and noon
day, will I cry unto "Thee ; and that instantly." Proba
bly you will say, I am sadly at a loss what to pray for at
each time. My rule is this : — when I do not pray, at
noon with Mrs. Venn — or if I do not find the Spirit of
prayer when alone — I read some Psalm, or some of St.
Paul's Epistles; and presently find matter suggested
from those Lively Oracles, and generally the Spirit of
prayer too. And when you find you cannot pray, rise
from your knees, stand, or sit down, and ponder deeply
on the state of your heart: ask yourself some such ques
tions as these : " Have I no sins to confess, no corrup
tions to lament? Have I no need of pardon, or of the
Holy Ghost, that I can be so stupid, so hard-hearted ?
Oh, what a sinful man! how sunk! how fallen! how
unable to help myself!" — "Lord arise!" will follow:
and if it does not, this solemn consideration of your own
vileness will be exceedingly profitable to your soul, and
endear the name of a Saviour, and convince you that
you are saved through sovereign grace, abounding in
God's Son.
At evening, you must have a stated time for retirement,
and preparation for family worship ; which I would entreat
you always to have, in the morning, before breakfast ;
and at evening, before supper. And never expect to
prosper in your soul, if the food prepared for the body,"
or the setting out the table, bears any weight, compared
with the spiritual repast for the soul, which family wor
ship ought always to be, and regarded as one of the most
solemn things which occur in the whole day.
Make choice of serious servants ; praying to God, who
will, in such cases, direct and provide. ' And then, by
careful observation of these rules, you will enjoy His
peace, you will walk in His light, you will receive what
He published His Gospel to bestow, and be increasing
with all the increase of God. Nothing higher, nothing
greater than this, are you to expect. A family fearing
God, working righteousness, obtaining promises, living
in peace and love, is a picture of Heaven in miniature.
Such I pray your family may be !

406 FRIENDLY VISITING.  PUBLIC WORSHIP.
There are two points more, of great moment — com
pany, and public worship. Nothing hurts the soul more
than much acquaintance. The time is wasted — the
attention is drawn off — an idle strain of conversation,
even about religious subjects, is indulged — the spirit of
the world creeps in, and a pleasure in entertaining, and
appearing just as those who know not God. I believe
more religious professors perish by this error than any
other. Be therefore deliberate, and very discreet in the
choice of your company. Always saj' to yourself : "Do
I find either reproof, or exhortation, or comfort, or in
struction in the great things of God, from their company ?
Otherwise, what loss must I suffer, and how be thrown
back, whilst I want every help to set me forward!"
With regard to preaching, never leave your own pastor,
who preaches the Gospel. For as rain, without which
nothing can grbw, may fall so often, and in such excess,
as to prove no less hurtful than a drought ; so it is com
mon, very common, for religious persons to hear, and
hear, and hear, till they are very little alone — are utter
strangers to meditation — are as ignorant of the Scriptures,
and the interpretation of them by the Holy Ghost, as
those who hear only ignorant teachers. Once in the
week, besides the Lord's day, is certainly sufficient. I
had rather spend one hour with the dearest friend I have
upon earth, than hear him commended for days together.
Private prayer, and meditation upon the blessed Word
of God, is spending our time with the Beloved Jesus.
The sermon is the commendation of His excellency.
Some would now be apt to say : " Must all this be
done ? Surely it is not needful !" — Judge from the
shameful conduct of professors — from the complaints re
sounding on every side, of masters against their domestics,
and of servants against their superiors. Judge, from the
worldly compliances, so common amongst those who hear
Christ's ministers, and can scarcely, in any thing else,
be distinguished from natural men. Judge, from the
few who are fervent in love, active in zeal, judicious and
animating in their discourse, clothed in the heavenly
robes of humility and righteousness — whose words are
as goads, and their whole deportment a pattern. Judge,

LOW STANDARD OF THE RELIGIOUS WORLD. 407
from the very great scarcity of such characters ; and see
how absolutely needful it is to do more than others, and to
labour, in the way I have pointed out, for "that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life." The general ruinous
mistake of professing Christians is, that justification by
faith, imputed righteousness, electing grace, and ever
lasting love, are to be believed and extolled, and heard
with great eagerness ; — and then, alas ! they stop. Not
so the Word of God : it teaches all these doctrines, but
as means of engaging our hope, establishing our faith,
spiritualizing our affections, conquering the world, and
making us long for the coming of the Lord, to whom we
are dear as the bride, to the bridegroom, and whose pre
sence without a veil can alone satisfy us. Oh the de
plorable apostacy from a Christian spirit, whilst the doc
trine of grace is maintained with zeal ! I pray God ever
to preserve us from 'such abuse ; and make-us long to be
well-pleasing, in all our ways and doings, to Him whom
we call our Lord and our Redeemer!
I am so well recovered, that next week I purpose be
ginning my usual course of work, which has been for
more than a month suspended. I ride every day ; and
God has been pleased to recruit my strength. I was so
weak, as not to be able to pray with my family for near
a fortnight. My son, by the help of Mr. Jenks, was my
chaplain. You cannot tjiink how I rejoice to hear that the minis
ter so justly' dear to us both is again able to lift up His
voice, and cry, "Behold the Lamb!" Oh, may he run, and
all of us are who now in our last stage, as racers always
do, the swiftest — catch much of the fire from heaven be
fore we enter, and be evidently transformed and fitted
for that world of the Redeemed !
If you and dear Mrs. Brasier are not dismayed at this
long epistle, let us hear from you soon, and how you go on.
From your affectionate cousin, H. Venn.
P. S. Mrs. Venn, as well as myself, hope to have the
pleasure of waiting upon you and my cousin, in Yelling
Rectory ; but shall first, most probably, see you at your
own house in the spring. It is a noble promise to the

408 ANTICIPATION OF THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT.
Christian Church, expressed rather darkly — "In that day
shall there be upon the bells of the horses, ' Holiness to the
Lord ;' yea, every vessel in Jerusalem and Judah shall be
'Holiness unto the Lord of Hosts!"' The meaning is, The
whole family shall be holy ; and all that is done in it shall
be done from a pure intention to please God. Such may
your house be! and "the eyes of the Lord be upon it
for good," from the beginning to the end of the year !
Whatever comforts and blessings you enjoy together
(and may they be many !) still may you both be looking
forward to that grand immortal life with the Church trium
phant, in the presence of the Lamb, for which your souls
are forming ! There I hope to meet you ; and not yield
to any one, in the whole armies of the saved, in acknow
ledging my marvellous deliverance freely bestowed on
the vilest and most abominable of men ! Then how dif
ferent from what we know now — our knowledge of our
selves, and of our sin — of our Redeemer, and His love !
How different our feelings, our services, and our delight !
Could we leave our foolish dreaming
Of a fancied heaven below,
And see Jesus' glory beaming,
How our souls would long to go !

It is necessary to state the circumstance under which the next
Letter was written. A clergyman of Mr. Venn's acquaintance
having taken up the notion that the English Translation of the
Bible was very incorrect— and that it was of paramount importance.
for obtaining right views of the Truth, to study the original lan
guages — zealously urged his newly-adopted views upon his friends
and hearers. Mr. Venn, therefore, drew up the following state
ment of his own opinion on the subject, and sent the letter to the
clergyman alluded to.
It must be carefully observed, however, that Mr. Venn's objec
tions against the critical study of the Hebrew are to be chiefly ap
plied to the cases of clergymen engaged in the active duties of the
ministry, or other persons who have little time or talent for the
study of languages. Mr. Venn was very anxious that his son,
whilst at College, should acquire a competent knowledge of the
Hebrew, which he thought was far too much neglected by Students
in Divinity generally.
If the Letter be read with these preliminary remarks in view, it
will afford much useful advice. And it proves, for the comfort of
those who are ignorant of the original languages, the full sufficiency

GENERAL CHARACTER OF HEBREW CRITICS. 409
of Translations to convey the knowledge of the Truth to humble
and devout inquirers.

TO A CLERGYMAN.
(OH THE STDDT OF THE HEBREW LANGUAGE ; AKD THE StTFFICIEWOT
OF TBANSLATIOUS TO COITVEY THE EUfOWlEDOE OF THE TBUTH.)
Yelling, Jan. 3, 1780.
Your zealous endeavours, my dear friend, to make me
entertain the same idea of the great use of Hebrew learn
ing which now so fully possesses your own mind, is owing
to the real regard you bear to me. But, as the subject
draws us into debate, and diverts us from better things,
I now send you my reasons at large, which compel me
totally to differ from you in this matter.
First, I must premise that I readily allow great mas
ters in the Oriental tongues are well employed in their
study ; because, in general, they are men evidently
strangers to the life of God in the soul, whilst they pos
sess fine abilities for verbal criticism. Their works,
therefore, I read diligently ; and when they bring satis
factory evidence for a reading different from the Author
ized Translation, I adopt their corrections : just as clas
sical men do those of Dacier, Francis, and Hurd, in
Horace, without the drudgery of searching all the vol
umes they have done. Some places in the Psalms I have
corrected by Dr. S. Chandler; some in Job, by Mr.
Peters ; some in Isaiah I have done by Bishop Lowth ;
&c. &c. Yet, before such eminent critics in the Hebrew
tongue corrected our Translation, respecting several un
intelligible sentences, the Sacred Books were, in their
substance, no less profitable (saving in these few places)
to every reader. And, upon the most exact inquiry, I
cannot say that I have received from their labours one
new spiritual idea, or any instruction in religious doc
trines I possessed not before I adopted their emendations
of the Text. These amount to no more, in my judg
ment, than taking away a few blemishes on the fingers
or toes of the noblest statue the world ever saw ; which,
though it be a pleasing and desirable work, adds nothing
to the grand idea the statue itself impresses.
I observe further, that even those excellent emenda-
35

410 THE TRANSLATORS OF THE BIBLE.
tions, made by these celebrated critics, are still a Trans
lation; not — what you seem to lay such mighty stress
upon — the Original Hebrew : so that, when I adopt their
corrections, in one place I receive Chandler's, in another
Lowth's, version, instead of our established one. And
the utmost the ablest Hebrew scholar can attain to, is no
more than to prefer his own interpretation of the Original
Text, as better than that of a number of scholars more
deeply learned in the same tongue than himself. For
what a prodigy of parts, and application too, must he be,
and what a high conceit of his own intellect must he
possess, who can think himself more able to translate the
Hebrew than forty-seven men skilled in that tongue, and
therefore selected for the work out of all the Divines then
in the kingdom — men, who did not lean to their own
understanding, but looked up to the Father of Lights for
direction and teaching ; some of them confessors for the
Truth — men who studied more hours in a week than
modern scholars in a month — men who lived so truly the
life of Children of God, and members of Christ, that none
of us can keep pace with them ! These forty-seven men
were diligently employed near three whole years about
this great work, and conducted it by the best rules one
can conceive. Now, is there the least degree of probability
that any individual Hebrew scholar should have acute-
ness, learning, and judgment so superior to these forty-
seven truly venerable scholars, as to be justified in calling
their version " lies," but his own version the Word of God ¦?
I now extract, from a very valuable book (Dr. Fuller's
Church History,) the Rules our Translators observed in
their important work : —
1. The Bible read in the Church (called the Bishops')
was to be followed, and as little altered as the Original
will allow.
2. Every particular man, of each company, was to
take the same chapter or chapters ; and having translated
or amended them severally by himself, where he thought
good, all were to meet together, to compare what they
had done, and agree what should stand.
3. As any one company (the forty-seven were divided
into six companies) has despatched any one Book in this

VINDICATION OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE. 411
manner, they shall send it to the rest, to be considered
of seriously.
4. If any one of the company, upon the review of the
Book, shall doubt or differ upon the places, they are to
send the rest word of it, noting the places, and offering
their reasons : to which if they consent not, the matter is
to be determined at the general meeting, which is to be
of the chief persons of each company, at the end of the
work. 5. When any place of special obscurity is doubted of,
letters, directed by Royal Authority, are to be sent to any
learned in the land, for his judgment on such a place.
6. Letters to be sent from every Bishop to the rest of
his clergy, admonishing them of this Translation ; and to
move and charge all, who are sJcilful in the tongues, and
who have taken pains in that way, to send his own par
ticular observations.
7. The Translation by Tindal, or Matthewe, or Cover-
dale, Whitchurch, or [that of] Geneva, to be used, when
they agree better with the Original than the Bishops'
Bible agrees.
Besides observing these Rules, they compared the
Italian, Spanish, and Dutch Versions.
Now, let any scholar, free from prejudice, consider all
the learning and piety, the industry, judgment, and care,
used by this assembly (who had also the help of the
whole fund of learning in Hebrew,% at that time, in the
kingdom;) and then say, Whether there is reason to
think any private person is likely, by his own pains to
translate the Text better than they have done ? Strange !
if even Vitringa, Lowth, or Kennicott, should be able to
translate — I will not say the whole Hebrew Bible, but
even a considerable part of it — with so few mistakes^ as
the most venerable assembly, probably, that ever sat in
the world have made ! The experiment, in many in
stances, has been tried, and confirms my conclusion ; for
Lowth corrects Kennicott ; Kennicott, Lowth ; — a third
great critic corrects them both ! So much did I observe
of this, early in life, to my great grief, as to make me
pay little deference, ever after, to critics, or their correc
tions in general.

412 IMPERFECT STATE OF THE HEBREW.
The conclusion therefore is plain : — I must either hold,
every Hebrew scholar is more to be trusted as a faithful
interpreter of the Text, on the force of his own learning
and abilities, than all our Translators : or I must allow
their version, upon the whole, is much more likely to be
the meaning of the Text ; which, in general, is the con
clusion I hold.
When you call our Translation "lies," and not the
Word of God, you bring no proof of your very crude
assertion. Our Bible relates the Creation of the world in
six days — the Fall and its consequences — the Universal
Flood — the Promise of Christ — the Call of Abraham —
the history of his posterity — fhe character, life, death,
resurrection, ascension, and offices of Christ — the ex
ceeding great and precious promises of life through Him —
and universal Resurrection and Judgment to come.
Now, our souls need nothing more, for doctrine, than
these great things, taught by the Holy Ghost: on these
are founded our knowledge, faith, love, hope, peace —
and our salvation is secured : all these great things are
entirely independent of every obscure passage which it is
the work and joy of the verbal critic to set right. You
should, therefore, my friend, either, prove to me that
these great things, in God's Law, are not every way, of
themselves, when taught by the Holy Ghost, sufficient
for all spiritual life and godliness ; or prove that our
Translation gives a very deficient account of these mat
ters, far different from the Original. Till this is done
(which I never heard was attempted,) I must conclude
we have the substance of the Word of God as truly in a
Translation as in a Hebrew Bible ; and that every real
Christian, who now devoutly ponders on his English
Bible, has before his eyes the Oracles of God ; and no
less hears His voice, than if he could read the Hebrew,
and understand it as well as Isaiah himself.
Further : when you contemptuously reproach the
English Bible, and call it " lies," because there are in it
many faults, you seem to forget the Hebrew Text itself
is very far from being absolutely pure or intelligible.
The Arabic, the Syriac, the Chaldee Versions are often
ransacked, in vain, to explain a word or sentence in the

DIVINE KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED BY PRAYER. 413
Text. How often, in one single Book of the Prophets,
does Bishop Lowth interpret the Hebrew, and correct it,
by the Septuagint ! whilst Bishop Warburton goes so far
as to say, the Hebrew without the Septuagint would be
as unintelligible as a cypher without its key. Again :
how many words are left out ! how many are put in !
How does Bishop Lowth lament the very imperfect state
(n. e. in the superlative degree) of the Hebrew Text —
" never (says he) to be recovered !" Notwithstanding all
this, you call the Hebrew Scriptures the Word of God —
and justly ; because all these errata and interpolations,
taken together, and made the most of which an enemy
can, bear no proportion to what is pure ; nor at all affect
either the grand and marvellous facts, or the essential
doctrines of the Christian Faith. What bigoted par
tiality then, and how cruel to English readers of their
Bible, to call it " lies," because it has many faults —
more, perhaps, than the Hebrew ! The only lawful con
clusion from hence, as it appears to me, is, that the Pro
vidence of the All- wise God has permitted these things,
in order to humble men who would exalt themselves on
account of their Hebrew learning, as if they had those
superior advantages over common Christians, which they
are so ready to claim. These things, being permitted,
prove that the great end, for which " all Scripture is
given by inspiration of God," is fully attainable in every
Translation, no less than by the knowledge of the Ori
ginal; and that both learned and unlearned equally need
the Spirit of Truth, without which neither the Original
nor a Version will do the soul good.
This leads to another remark : That our God never
prescribes a critical study of the Hebrew Text ; but a
very different way, which every contrite spirit always
chooses. He commands — He repeatedly commands—
and urges us, to seek, with vehement prayer, as a matter
of life, and to cry unto Him for knowledge in Divine
things. Whilst His Oracles are before us, assuring us,
that this Divine knowledge, of peerless excellence, is
not the mere fruit of study and learning, but His gift :
Prov ii 1 — 9. Should I therefore search indefatigably
35*

414 EARLY TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE.
for a correct Hebrew Text, if I did not at the same time
with importunity implore God to teach me, I should
indeed be guilty of a sinful neglect ; and God would
say of all the pains I took to get Hebrew learning,
"What is this tome; even to me? saith the Lord!"
From Him I can never find the least intimation that His
adorable Word would be sadly perverted by a bad trans
lation ; — though Christ . and his Apostles knew perfectly
well that the Scriptures could not possibly be read by
the Gentiles (one in a thousand excepted,) unless read
in a version. They give not a single hint of any evil
which was to arise to the Church from this; though
Christ very plainly told the Pharisees, that they, by their
tradition, made the commandment of God of none effect.
And this remark is much to my purpose ; as there is good
reason to believe the Hebrew Text, in his time, had
faults. — St. Paul, in his directions to Timothy and Titus,
to choose pastors, never bids them to be careful not to
lay hands on any Christian who had sinfully neglected
to read the Hebrew Bible.
Translations were early made ; and these were used
by the Primitive Fathers, who, it is notorious, understood
not the Hebrew. St. Jerome was the first, eminent for
Hebrew knowledge ; not a Primitive Father : — and his
(the Vulgate) Translation, though the most faulty perhaps
of any, is yet proved, by the learned Professor Michaelis,
to have been of great use to all succeeding translators of
the Hebrew Bible. Indeed, the situation of the Christian
Church in the Apostles' days, and for more than three
centuries following, .made it impossible for them to read
the Original; for manuscripts were very dear, conse
quently very scarce ; and the major part of the Christians
were the poorest of mankind. AU the Bible they could
have was unspeakably short of what the very worst ver
sion contains : it was nothing but the Word of Life
faithfully preached to them by the pastors of the Church,
with +he Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven : still they
possessed the whole in its essence, sufficient to make
them a pattern to all generations in the Church. The
case, from that day to this, is nearly the same. Multi-

NECESSARY TRUTHS ARE PLAIN. 415
tudes of the inhabitants in our land never saw the inside
of a Bible ;* yet, whilst preachers declare the substance
of it, the Holy Ghost opens their understanding, reveals
Christ, and brings what is needful to their remembrance
sufficient to make them lead a new life, do credit to their
profession, and die in peace. I reflect with pleasure,
how many instances of this kind are registered in the
Book of Life, through your preaching, to poor sinners,
Jesus, and Him Crucified. From this indisputable fact,
I consider your position, "that the Word of God is only
to be known by reading the Hebrew," as a sinful attempt
to limit the Holy One of Israel to one way of revealing
His salvation, and making the soul meet for His presence,
which He has not at all declared to be so — a way which
not one in a thousand can ever put in practice. So
that all common illiterate Christians, whose " delight is
in the Law of the Lord," as they have it in the Trans
lation, may say, " Neither Christ nor his Apostles ever
hint that the Word of God may not be savingly known,
and all its benefits fully enjoyed, by reading the Bible in
our mother tongue. Why should any, who call them
selves Christians, peremptorily deny this ?' '
Further, it is the universal consent of all Divines, with
Chrysostom, itdvta *a avayxcua ietiv Stji.a, " All things neces
sary to be known, are manifest." If so, then, whatever
is not to be known but by scholars and masters in the
Hebrew tongue, cannot with truth be ranked higher than
among matters of curiosity and amusement, which may
employ idle men of a critical taste, as the whole system
of plants employed the attention of Solomon. Yet he who
-possessed the largest intellect ever given to mere man
had probably never been such a reproach to the Israel
of God, had he spent more of his precious time upon
fo amyxaia Sijta., and less in making the wonderful disco
veries hedid in the creation of God ! Indeed he tells us so,
when he was recovered, and the right use of his under-

* At the time this Letter was written, neither was reading so general
among the poor as at the present day ; nor were Bibles so universally
dispersed as they have since been, through the glorious instrumentality
of Bible Societies.

416 CRITICAL RESEARCH HINDERS PASTORAL DUTIES.
standing was given to him. Then his conclusion is,
what all real Christians, however unlettered, make effec
tually as he did : " Fear God, and keep His command
ments ; for this is the whole" — duty, business, and hap
piness — " of man." This very remarkable instance of
Solomon, and the practice of all the Scripture saints, cer
tainly lead us to this conclusion, that when we neglect
what is of infinite value, through a passionate pursuit
after things of little weight, we are guilty of sinful neglect,
and are sadly deluded.
Further, the word of God, in Hebrew, Greek, and
English, especially charges all pastors and teachers to be
examples to the flock in the vigorous exercise of all zeal
for the souls of men, and to see well to it that they fulfil
the ministry they have received. Such pastors of the
Church, all agree, in the glory of Christ. No blame
need they ever fear from His lips, for giving themselves
up so wholly to this work, as to have neither time nor
inclination for a thing so immaterial as an accurate in
vestigation of the Hebrew Text ; when it is allowed that
all things necessary to be known are the same in every
Version as in the Original. It is, to all intents and pur
poses sufficient ; by the English Bible their souls were
converted ; — by that, through the Divine Spirit's in
fluence, they have been quickened, comforted, esta
blished, and made ready for every good word and work.
Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, at His coming,
shall find in this state !
On the contrary, if the time and thoughts of those who
are ministers of Christ are principally employed to be
come masters in Oriental learning (and such they cer
tainly should be, who take upon them to villify the
Translation,) their application to this business will leave
but a fragment of time for secret prayer, devout medita
tion, or preparation to carry on family worship, with any
life or benefit or pleasure ; and still less will it leave of
that frame of mind which is essential to true worship.
For, after investigating a Hebrew Root, or endeavouring
to elucidate a dark passage by the aid of Buxtorf, Pag-
ninus, Gussetius, Cocceius, &c. &c. (a critic always con
sults these famous Lexicographers) — after this business.

CRITICAL RESEARCH HINDERS PASTORAL DUTIES. 417
which has no relation to the devout exercises of the
heart, the mind will still be running upon the reasons
each different author offered for the sense of the passage
or derivation of the root, or aiming at some happier con
jecture. Smitten with the lust of correcting an established
version, and imperceptibly to themselves, filled with the
flattering idea of their own great ingenuity, such scholars
will be indefatigable in searching for evidence to support
their own interpretation — be exceedingly partial, through
self-love, to their own important discoveries — very vio
lent and obstinate in defence of them — and, narrow as
is the human mind, and not made to pass, by a quick
transition from things so foreign from all communion with
God, to a profitable use of the means of grace, such pas
tors will grow cool. to all exercises of the. mind which are
truly spiritual, and cease to do good to the flock of
Christ — the Church He has purchased with His own
blood. Now, for my own part, I do not see how any
pastor in the Church of Christ can justify himself, if this
be the effect of studying Hebrew learning intensely ; —
and that no other effect is generally experienced, there
are to many melancholy proofs.
Our Saviour tells us, doctrines are to be tried by their
fruits. We may safely apply this to our studies, and to
scholars of greatest note. Consequently, if we saw
strenuous pleaders for the necessity and vast benefit of
Hebrew learning go far beyond all others in compassion
for perishing sinners — in zeal for enlarging the Kingdom
of Messiah — and imitating His example, so that not a re
lation, friend, or acquaintance could be with them with
out receiving good to their souls — we should then, with
out hesitation, allow they did well, and could never too
highly exalt the usefulness of that knowledge which
brought forth such gpod fruits. But where are these ex
cellent effects found to proceed from an indefatigable ap
plication to Hebrew learning ? On the contrary, I know
several Hebrew scholars, who no sooner came to the
knowledge of themselves and of Christ, and were fired
with an Apostolic desire to save sinners, than they relin
quished their pursuit of Hebrew learning. Mr. Clarke,
of Chesham Boyce ; Mr. Stillingfleet, of Worcester; Mr.

418 EVIL OF DISPARAGING TRANSLATIONS.
Berridge, and others— I have authority to say — did so.
The same was my own case ; and all for the same rea
son ; — we found that, in reading the Hebrew, our atten
tion was called off to consult the Lexicographers, and
very much of our time taken up in inquiring whether the
Text was rendered best by such and such a derivation of
the Root. Without therefore consulting at all together,
we all gave up ourselves to our ministerial work ; — and I
believe not one of us has ever repented.
I have many further objections against exalting the
Hebrew Text as you do, to the utter disparagement of
the Translation ; — first, with respect to infidels ; but still
more, to the multitude of unlettered people; and, most
of all, to the faithful in Christ Jesus.
You observe what work Voltaire makes of the Vulgate,
to reproach the Scripture. Would he make less advan
tage of the assertion of learned divines, that the Bible, in
the Translation, is a book of lies ? Yet have the Scrip
tures never been known in the Christian Church, to one
in a thousand, but in a Translation. What could that
daring blasphemer have wished for more, than what
Bishop Lowth and Bishop Warburton, and many more,
allow to be the state of the Hebrew Text? Would he
not cry out with triumph, "Nobody can tell what the
Text is — so many are the errata and the interpolations!
The Text is just what they are pleased to make it. I
think they can say nothing more to their purpose against
the Translation !" But scoffers will be scoffers still, and
never want a stumbling-block to take offence at.
The case of the illiterate deserves our consideration.
They immediately (I have known many instances) con
clude, that if the Translation is materially wrong in some
places, it may be so in many more, and especially in
what strikes directly at their favourite lust. A gentle
man of my acquaintance had a servant who had heard
the English Bible not over-respectfully treated ; and,
upon being admonished by his master, that servants were
commanded not to answer again, when reproved — " Oh,
Sir!" says he, "that, I am told is a wrong translation."
How often do I hear this, even among the common
people ! And the consequences of such a notion are bad

DANGERS OF HYPERCRITICAL RESEARCH. 419
enough. Yet there is still something worse and more
cruel, in this matter, than what concerns infidels, or the
unlettered multitude.
I am grieved beyond measure to see the Children of
God startled, and confounded, and distressed to the last
degree, from numberless and most peremptory accusa
tions against the English Bible, as false ; — yet is it all
they have ! And when their soul's health depends on
giving the fullest credence to it — when, of themselves,
they too slowly, alas ! receive the things recorded in the
Oracles of God — -to have it asserted, with the most solemn
airs of assurance, that fhe Translators are not to be trusted —
what is this, but to fill them with endless doubts, and
lead them to despise their English Bible, and think the
Christian religion itself an uncertainty ? — How often have
you observed to me, what strange interpretations the
Rector of a church in London would give of the Hebrew,
and how unsupported ; yet, to make way for even such
interpretations as these, forty-seven men, who could
" render a reason," are publicly branded as fools, com
pared with himself. Oh ! it will neither please God, nor
be of any use to men !
Thus, to use a proud word for such a man as I am,
you have my ultimatum about this matter. I wish you
to be jealous over yourself, and, as in the presence of
God, ask yourself what real good you have. received to
your immortal soul from so much study, and such violent
pursuit of Hebrew learning ? How different was your
judgment, when we were first acquainted ! — how becom
ing your profession, when you brought with you into
Yorkshire, and dropped them by the way, " A Word to
a Drunkard," "to a Sabbath-breaker," &c.! — when
your whole soul was so engaged with the work you un
dertook-^— when dear Mr. Grimshaw, Mr. Hervey, and
others, whose whole talk was of the power and glory and
mightiness of God's Kingdom, were so pleasing and pro
fitable, as you then confessed ! Their discourse was all
to the purpose : it was the substance we were then all
concerned about. Oh, may we be more and more so,
the nearer the hour of our departure approaches ! — I have
been lately ill ; and found, as Dr. Watts says of himself,

420 BIOGRAPHY OF EMINENT SAINTS.
I had no comfort then, but from the plain Promises — just
as every common man, who can hear the Bible, has for
his support. From your affectionate friend, H. Venn.
TO LADY MARY FITZGERALD.
(CAUTIONS AGAINST THE DISCOURAGEMENT WHICH SOMETIMES ARISES
FROM READING THE UVES OF EMINENTLY HOLT PEHSONS.)
Yetting, March 3, 1787.
Madam, — Taking it for granted that your Ladyship,
and the Christian ladies, my very kind friends, who so
often meet with you, would read the Life of that very
extraordinary servant of God, Mr. Fletcher — I had no
sooner finished it, than I was under some concern lest it
should hinder your spiritual progress, though it was
written to animate and press us forward in our heavenly
race. I have frequently known the Lives of most emi
nent saints to have had rather a bad effect, than other
wise. I intended, therefore, immediately to send you
my thoughts upon this subject ; but was prevented till
now, by the correction of my Heavenly Father.
The first thing obvious in the account of very eminent
saints, as generally given by their friends, is the exhibi
tion only of their excellencies ; — not a fault is allowed to
mingle with the description of their character ; — you are
led to judge, they go on conquering, like the Saviour, in
the greatness of His strength. But this is very far from
being the case. We must remember to make a large
allowance for partiality, and the fervent love of their
persons, so strongly felt by those who have received
inestimable benefit from their bright example and shining
attainments. We must remember, also, we have infal
lible authority' to pronounce them polluted, offenders in
many things, and defective also above all that we can
conceive, "when judgment is laid to the line, and
righteousness to the plummet."
I prove this by a most decisive instance. St. Paul
appears more like an angel than a man — a very flame
of love to Christ, and the souls of men — in labours more
abundant than any of the Apostles— in affection to the

THE BEST, VERY IMPERFECT. 421
saints so tender, that he compares his concern for them
to that which a mother feels for her own child at the
breast. He appeals unto God, as well as to the Church,
how holily, how justly, how unblamably he had walked.
And had he chosen to put himself off for better than he
was, how easily might he have deceived the Churches,
and led them to think he had no plague in his own heart
to lament and bewail — no conflict with manifold corrup
tions^ — nothing, at least, similar to what you and I, my
honoured friends, so often, to our shame and grief, feel
moving within ! But this man of God (the first, many
suppose, of the fallen race) will not suffer such a decep
tion, respecting his own character, to be entertained.
Behold ! he opens a window into his own heart. He
owns to all the Churches, that, notwithstanding he had
once been a murderer of the members of Christ — not
withstanding the grace he had received — his constant
preaching of humility — and his having been admitted
into the third heaven — he owns he needed (lest he
should perish by exalting himself above measure) — he
owns he heeded (what in mercy was given him) a thorn
in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet him. What
stength of depravity is here ! — what evil, mixed with the
most shining excellencies ! — what cause for Paul to say,
" Oh, wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me from
the body of this death?" Here the Apostle, the first
of men, is sick with our malady. We stand together on
a level, as fallen lost sinners ; equally in need of the
redemption of Christ, and the robe of His righteousness.
We are continually taught in Scripture, that there is
none without deplorable spots and defects before God —
no, not one ! While, therefore, we glorify Him in His
saints, for their excellent life and conversation, we must
not forget, that, however they appear, they are not yet
without sin, or less need the Advocate, and the propitia
tion, than other men.
Again : in reading the life of an extraordinary Chris
tian, when his spirit and manner of life are highly to be
admired, we are often tempted to despond. We com
pare ourselves with his shining attainments ; and feeling
at so great a distance, we grow dissatisfied, and can
36

422 DISPARITY IN THE GIFTS OF GRACE.
scarcely think that what God has done for us deserves
any consideration ; or believe that we are in a state of
grace and salvation. Our pride (though we do not per
ceive it) is hurt, and self-love is mortified, to see we are
so far outdone. The good hope we were willing to en
tertain of our faith in Christ, and union with Him, is
ready to fail, because we are no better. The spiritual
riches, in which the saint seems so to abound, makes our
own poverty apparent and undeniable. Consequently,
we feel much uneasiness and vexation ; and are apt to
conclude we are fit to die, and ought not even to be
- called Christians, till we are exactly, or nearly, such as
the blessed saint, whose history is before us.
Herein we greatly err: we seem not to know that a
very great disparity prevails through all the works of
God. In heaven there are many different degrees of
excellency ; and no doubt, a vast distance between the
powers and excellencies of the highest and the lowest
angels. In our own bodies, how does the head and the
eye, and the tongue, surpass in excellency many other
parts ! In the Church, it is the same : according to the
ability which God gives,. and according to the measure
of grace given unto us, we are what we are. Some bring
forth a hundred fold — more than three times as much as
others ever will do ; according as the same Spirit divideth
"to every man severally as he will." And though the
three last lines of Mr. Fletcher's Life affirm that every one
may be exactly like him if he will, I beg leave, on the
contrary, to say, that a fowl in a barn-yard, which mounts
with great difficulty so high in the air as the top of the
barn, or into a lofty tree, might as reasonably be expected
to accompany an eagle in its flight, as myself and the
bulk of Christians can be just what dear and blessed Mr.
Fletcher was, in his spirit and manner of life. No ; a
natural cast, a great capacity, a vivid impression from
every object, a very quick sensibility of affections, and
a very uncommon measure of grace, must all concur, and
be all diligently improved, before a vessel of honour, of
such magnitude and brightness as he was, can come forth
from the Great Maker's hand.
Yet why should this disquiet our souls ? v We are not

MR. FLETCHER'S HUMILITY. 423
accepted or beloved for our own excellencies, but for
Christ's sake, from the goodness of God ; and two, no
less than ten, talents may be used, and will be most amply
and gloriously rewarded. We ought to be comforted
and animated from the consideration, that whatever the
most eminent saints possess, it is received from the same
inexhaustible Fountain, of which all the Children of God
partake ; and that there is in reality, though in miniature,
every feature in the least and lowest Child of God,
which is so prominent and beautiful in the fairest of the
saints. To exemplify this, I will go through several of the
graces with which dear Mr. Fletcher was clothed.
His humility was so unfeigned, and so deep, that when
I thanked him for two serm jns he had one day preached
to my people at Huddersfield, he answered, as no man
ever did to me, in a way the most affecting I can con
ceive: with eyes and hands uplifted, he exclaimed,
" Pardon, pardon, pardon, O my God !" It went to my
very soul : I shall never forget it. Great grace was then
upon this blessed servant of Christ : — yet a measure of
the same is in our souls, though it be but a very little.
We unfeignedly beg for mercy. We put not our trust
in any thing we do. We utterly abjure our own right
eousness; and the same spirit that wrought, in Mr.
Fletcher, that cry, so vehement for pardon, by His
mighty power, keeps up in us an abiding sense of our
sad defects ; and our supplication, with godly sincerity,
is, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord !"
Love to man, arid bowels of mercies, displayed in Mr.
Fletcher a noble imitation of his Incarnate God. He
indeed thought the day lost, and could find no rest in his
soul, unless he was doing good to the bodies and the
souls of men. The whole family of Christ are of the
same gracious temper, in some degree — they are merci
ful, loving, and righteous. Their prayers, their constant
wishes, their endeavours — their watching for opportunity,
by letters, by books, by discourse, to instruct the igno
rant, and to remove prejudices against the Gospel of
Christ — their conscientious retrenchment of foolish ex
penses — their good- will -to promote every good design—

424 Fletcher's love to god and man.
proves that God hath given them the spirit of love, and
to be kindly affectioned towards their fellow-sinners.
Love to the Lord — how did it govern, and flourish in,
dear Mr. Fletcher! His admirable consort tells us, he
scarcely was awake, in the night, a moment, without
lifting up his soul to God in holy aspiration. And all
who are taught of God, and born from above, have their
heart where their treasure is. Their souls truly " wait
still upon God, from whom cometh their salvation."
They have spiritual wants, urgent and many, to be sup
plied ; — more grace they covet ; — mercies vouchsafed,
and growing discoveries of His adorable excellencies,
excite their praise. Stated times for prayer, therefore,
and religious exercises, never satisfy any whose souls are
alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. They see
Him in His works of creation — in His Providence — in
His Gospel. He hath so won their hearts, that they can
be happy in Himself alone, and look upon every thing
besides as emptiness and mere vanity.
I have seen Mr. Fletcher, for six weeks together,
under a hectic fever, sometimes spitting blood — when,
night after night, he could rest very little — well pleased
to suffer — never complain, never but be cheerful. Once,
when I asked him how he did, "Oh!" said he, "how
light is the chastisement I suffer ! how heavy the strokes
I deserve ! I love the rod of my Heavenly Father !" Now,
all the Children of Christ feel so too ; or, if they do not,
it is their additional burden and grief, lamented and con
fessed with tears ; nor can they forgive themselves, till
they feel they are reconciled to the will of God, and can
take pleasure in suffering what it pleases Him to lay
upon them.
Once more, which particularly applies to myself. —
Dear Mr. Fletcher had such a sense of the weight of his
office, that, like his Saviour, he could continue in prayer,
in the' wood, all night long; and, like Him, lie prostrate
on the ground, pleading for grace to fulfil His ministry.
Oh, how admirable ! how rare such a spirit in such a
degree ! Yet every pastor and Teacher, who hath the
grace of Christ dwelling in. his heart, feels a constant
desire to be found faithful, and is a daily supplicant for

MINISTERIAL FAITHFULNESS. 425
the salvation of his hearers. Every true pastor appeals
to his Lord : " Thou knowest all things — Thou knowest
that I love Thee, and desire to live only to gather in
more outcasts, to feed Thy lambs and thy sheep, and
bring glory to Thy name." This resemblance, real,
though faint — the sameness of disposition and temper,
found in the least and weakest of the flock — proves that
they are in Christ, and Christ in them, no less than be
lievers who very far excel them in their fruits of right
eousness and true holiness.
Still further : we are in much danger of being hurt
and hindered in our spiritual progress, by reading the
life of an eminent saint, when we think we must do the
same things we find set down, and use exactly the same
methods as he used. — And, most of all, we are hurt
when our hearts are turned off from Christ Crucified and
interceding with the Father for poor sinners, to the
spiritual graces dwelling in us. For these will ever be
imperfect, ebbing, and flowing ; and the more light and
tenderness of conscience we receive, the more we are
sure to find we cannot rest our hope upon, or enjoy com
fort from, our internal grace. The fulness there is in
Christ — the work He has finished — the work He is now
every moment performing — the love of His heart, intense
and ever active — and His faithful promises, understood,
blessed, and embraced — must be the way of our comfort
and sanctification, turning our eyes only to these things.
But, my dear friend, using proper caution, and guard
ing against the mistakes I have now pointed out, we
may read, with great encouragement and profit, how the
chief of saints have fought our common enemy, prevailed
over the corruptions of nature, adorned their holy pro
fession, and left their name and memory to be a blessing
to the Church. How delightful to see in them the Scrip
ture Promises fulfilled: "The righteous are preserved
for ever"  " The path of the just shineth more and
more, unto the perfect day"—" They who wait upon
the Lord shall mount up, as on eagles' wmgs ; they
shall run, and not be weary ; they shall walk, and not
faint !" Viewing these fair examples, we may joy
fully exclaim, " As we have heard, so have we seen in

426 THREE RULES FOR A HOLY LIFE.
the city of our God, (which is His Church,) God up-
holdeth the same for ever!" Are we ready to loiter, or
be idle, from the unprofitable conversation and life of
professors in general ? How useful, to mark the fervent
love, the persevering zeal, with which they ran the way
of God's commandments, who were men of like passions
with ourselves ! The success of their faith in Christ —
of their prayer, vigilance, and self-denial — do, in a
forcible and pleasing manner, recommend the same
graces to us. The consolations they enjoyed by the way,
through a single eye to the glory of God, and their hope
and triumph in death, demonstrate to us the wisdom of
their sober singularity: and call loudly upon us, "See
' how blessed, in life and death, are they who diligently
seek the Lord!"
My much-honoured friends and Sisters in Christ ! I
will conclude my address to you on occasion of dear Mr.
Fletcher's Life, with an observation, confirmed be the ex
perience of the Church of God, and built upon his pro
mises : it is this : — Whosoever desires to persevere and
increase in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of
the Holy Ghost, to live and die in hope that maketh not
ashamed, must be diligent in secret prayer ; must con
stantly read God's Word, begging Him tp explain it, and
give faith in it ; and must walk with those who walk con
scientiously before God — who are always aspiring to what
they have not attained — in whose manner, spirit, and dis
course, there is what reaches the heart, and tends to
humble, quicken, and comfort the soul. In all my read
ing and acquaintance, for forty years, with religious peo
ple, I never saw an instance of one decaying and coming
to nothing, who observed these rules — never saw one
who presumed on any consideration, to give over atten
tion to them, who did not fall away.
Let us then, notwithstanding all obstructions, use these
means. Whatever our frames or our complaints, our
sins or fears, may be, diligence in secret prayer, and cries
for knowledge of God's Word while we read it, and
society with His children, will, in due time, heal all —
sanctify all, till we are taken out of this evil world, and
join the armies of the saved, who are gone before us,

MISTAKES OF YOUNG MINISTERS. 427
who wait for our coming ; to testify, as we shall each of
us do for ever, that God, our Covenant God, was faith
ful, and would not suffer us to be tempted above what
we were enabled to bear, to the glory of His name, and
the honour of our holy profession. Amen !
H. Venn.
The following paper was drawn up by Mr. Venn, for the use of
his son, about the year 1792. It was entitled —

THE MISTAKES INTO WHICH YOUNG MINISTERS ARE
APT TO FALL.
I have too much reason to think the success of my
ministry was much impeded from the following causes ;
1. Several bad consequences, I judge, might have
been prevented entirely, or in a' great measure, among
my people, had I taken care frequently to let them know
how greatly I stood in need of their prayers, that the
Spirit of God might be given to teach me so to preach
as to do them good, and to make me feel more love for
their souls;— if I had also often pressed them to con
sider how great a charge was laid upon me, and what a
solemn account I was to- give of the doctrine I delivered
to them, and of the awful relation there was between
them and myself. These things I did often allude to,
and even briefly mention. It would have been better
had I dwelt often upon these subjects ; because the flock
listen, with peculiar attention, when their pastor proves
the care and affection which he owes them ; and when
ne solicits their prayers, that nothing may be wanting,
on his part, which may promote their present and eternal
welfare. At the same time, a full explanation of the duty
of a pastor towards his flock is the means of raising their
esteem for him, and a more earnest attention to his word.
2. I should have set before my people the command,
addressed to all believers, " to esteem very highly in
love" those who labour among them in the word and
doctrine, " for their work's sake ;" and have shown them
what they owe fo them, as the instruments, in the hands
of God, by which their souls are saved; — and prove from

428 MISTAKES INTO WHICH
hence, they would go directly contrary to their duty, if
they should slight their ministry : and much more, should
they forsake it.
I did not choose to treat on these subjects, from an
apprehension that I should be thought to aim at pre-emi
nence, and at bringing them into subjection to myself.
But there would have been no difficulty in proving the
good which would follow from a just esteem for the
minister of Christ — the wise ends for which he had re
quired it : and a behaviour void of all arrogance and
self-exaltation would have shown plainly to them, that I
aimed at nothing but their profit and salvation.
3. After my hearers began to taste the good Word of
God, and the powers of the world to come, I neglected
to point out to them the several ways in which spiritual
pride and self-conceit will begin to work — how ready
they will be to conclude they have much grace, when it
is not certain they have any ; how highly they will think
of their own gifts, if they can pray with fervour and
fluency, and speak with great readiness and utterance ;
how soon they are tempted to behave themselves unseem
ly, by abounding in their own sense of things — obsti
nately contending for their own opinion, and their own
way in every thing, in opposition to old disciples, and
their own teacher, who have had so much more expe
rience ; — with what a hasty and uncharitable spirit they
will censure this or that person, for any thing they happen
to dislike in them ; — whilst they are little humbled for
all the evil they have done, or the manifold corruptions
of their own hearts. If I had particularly pointed out
these things, they might have been stirred up to watch
and guard against them; and others would have per
ceived the wrong spirit working in them, when, as
novices, puffed up by their fleshly mind, they were
speaking to corrupt others.
4. I was no less to blame for not pointing out, how
men, enlightened, but not converted, are always the first
to create disturbances about things of no importance,
instead of confining their attention to the grand and fun
damental doctrines of Christ, and the fruits they are to
produce. I should have proved that it is sloth, and love

YOUNG MINISTERS ARE APT TO FALL. 429
of sin, and a dislike to take pains in the mortification of
every corrupt temper, which really, though imperceptibly,
lead men to make trifles appear great matters. Thus,
the points in difference between us and Dissenters —
whether a Form of Prayer in Public Worship always the
same, or one left to the minister — whether persons are
to be admitted to the Lord's Supper without giving in
their experience, or not — are made subjects of debate,
which unsettle men in their judgments, draw off their
attention from the evil of sin, the Salvation of Christ, and
tiie necessity of holiness ; make men captious in their
spirit, so that they lose their love for each other, and the
concern they began to feel to walk worthy of the Gospel
of Christ. I should have marked the rise and progress
of this bad spirit, as the effect of pride and the device
of Satan ; and appealed to their own consciences, whether
these things did not hinder their communion with God,
and destroy their peace.
5. I neglected to be large and full in describing
the lamentable consequences of division and separation,
amongst a people awakened, and called to the knowledge
of Christ, by His minister — how separation and division
lead men to conclude no one can certainly determine
what the faith of Christ is ; and that they serve no better
purpose than to cause variances and janglings without
end — than to perplex and stumble the weak in faith —
and give the ungodly occasion to boast, that passions
and prejudices -are nowhere less subdued than among the
most religious. By these means, the Gospel is judged
to be of little use to mankind; though so much extolled
by those who preach, and those who profess to receive
it, as the Gospel of peace, which transforms men into the
image of the God of peace and love.
6. I was guilty also of a great neglect, in not instruct
ing my people more frequently and fully concerning the
danger of preferring and exalting the ordinance of preach
ing, to the spiritual worship of God in the congregation,
which is the great end the Gospel, when received, should
produce — how men deceive themselves, and grieve the
Spirit of God, who are eager to hear, and expect a bless
ing from hearing, when they have been idle and luke-

430 MISTAKES INTO WHICH
warm in confessing their sinfulness, or in their petitions
for grace and knowledge ; and without importunity, and
bowels of mercy, in making intercession ; and void of
all gratitude to God, when praise is offered up to Him
for all His mercies — that the exercise of these affections,
habitually and comfortably, is much beyond hearing the
best sermons, and a full proof we are born of God. Yet
how evident is the want of this spiritual worship, in
those who call themselves believers in Christ ! What a
manifest drowsiness and stupidity, and hardness of heart,
prevail amongst professors in general! Hence, God
being so little honoured in the worship offered to His
Divine Majesty, His spirit is withdrawn; the word
preached is not made effectual ; but generally is a dry,
insipid thing to the greatest part of the hearers, after the
novelty ceases, as they themselves confess.
7. I am conscious, also, that I did not press, as I
ought to have done, upon professors, how much it was
their duty, as they received the knowledge of the things
of God themselves, and had ability, to begin to work
together with their minister. I ought to have told them
plainly, and constantly, how little good, in comparison,
could be done by one man, as a teacher of the Truth ;
or by his conversation, or visiting the poor, fhe ignorant,
or the afflicted ;— that this ought to be regarded, as it was
in the Churches planted by the Apostles, as the common
and indispensable duty of every man professing godb>
ness ; — that they be diligent among their neighbours in
the works and labours of love; — that the minister is to
be considered as the officer, indeed, who gives the word
of command, and takes the lead in all good works ; but
that all the people of God, like soldiers under him, must,
fight against the common enemy — must take pains in
diffusing light and knowledge, and showing all compas
sion towards those that are ignorant and out of the way,
and in endeavouring to bring them to the knowledge of
the Truth. I should have shown them, that, on many
accounts, private Christians are fitted to exhort, and in
struct and reprove, those of their own age and condi
tion ; — as this is an affecting proof of love for them —
is more likely to stir them up to seek for knowledge,

YOUNG MINISTERS ARE APT TO FALL. 431
when they see others besides the preacher are acquainted
with Divine things, even men who have had no bettt
education than themselves ; — whereas the greater part
excuse their ignorance, supposing the poor, and all who
work for their bread, have no time to gain knowledge.
The very few who have love and zeal thus to come forth,
to help in promoting the salvation of souls, find that God
blesses them for their good- will to their fellow-creatures,
and with such sacrifices He is well pleased.
8. I shall mention only one mistake more ; which was, in
my way of talking to persons always full of doubts and
fears and uneasiness, and never comforted. I too readily
concluded this arose from a right and deep sense of their
corruptions, and of their great defects in obedience, and
from not putting their whole trust in Christ. But gene
rally, as Mr. Baxter observes, such persons are indolent,
and not fully persuaded even of the certainty of an eternal '
Heaven and Hell — that their souls are at stake, and they
must be up and doing. I ought faithfully to have put
the question to them, whether fhe love of money did not
rule in their hearts, and was their confidence ; whether
they were not shutting up their bowels of compassion
towards their distressed and suffering fellow-Christians ;
and whether this was not the cause of their walking on
in darkness. This, I am persuaded,* is generally the
case; because the promise of light, and great consola
tion, and joy in God and prosperity of soul, is made to
those who are of a loving and bountiful spirit. — See Isai.
lviii. 6 — "-11.

THE END.

VALE UNIVERSITY

*1.9.Q02 00ifU96 3 0b