experience. She was attacked by malignant fever, accompanied with delirium, but previous to her decease she had many lucid intervals, in which she humbly yet confidently expressed her trust in Christ and hope of heaven. Part of the 139th psalm was frequently repeated by her, and the paraphrase of the 17th faltered from her lips just before they were closed by death. During the summer of 1733 Dr. Watts was with the Abney family at Theobalds, where in July he was favoured with the company of Dr. Doddridge. In the correspondence of the latter the following notices of this visit occur:-"I go this evening to Theobalds by Lady Abney's invitation."—"Pray tell Mrs. Tingey that I have spoken to Dr. Watts on her account, who unhappily forgot her case, though I had given it in writing; but he hopes to have an opportunity of introducing it before all the legacy is distributed, and faithfully promises he will do it if he can." "I have been at Theobalds, where Dr. Watts and the family are very well." The legacy here referred to, was probably that of the "dying Hopkins" whom Pope satirised,* in the distribution of which Dr. Watts had a share. The "Gentleman's Magazine," which was then commencing, has preserved the following memorial of this benefaction:-"April 25th, 1732, John Hopkins, Esq., died, at his house in Broad-street, worth £.300,000, bequeathing £.500 to be distributed by Dr. Calamy, Dr. Watts, Dr. Evans, and Dr. Wright, to poor widows of dissenting ministers; and £1,000 to poor dissenting ministers in the country, not exceeding £.10 each."+ There was also a bequest of £.100, to repair the wall of and make a gateway to the burial-place of the dissenters, near Sherbourne, Dorset. Mrs. Tingey, for whose case Doddridge solicited the interest of his friend, was the widow of the Rev. Thos. Tingey, his predecessor at Northampton, afterwards pastor of the church * Mor. Ess. iii. 85. + Gent. Mag. ii. 725. in Fetter Lane, a man of "uniform piety," cut off in the vigour of life, in the year 1729.* Among the influential lay dissenters in the metropolis at this period, was William Coward, Esq., with whom Dr. Watts was brought into frequent intercourse. This gentleman had been a merchant in the city, but was then living in retirement at Walthamstow. Tenacious of his own opinions, and singular in his habits, it is said that he would never allow the door of his mansion to be opened to any visitor, however pressing the emergency, after eight o'clock in the evening; but his eccentricities, and they were neither few nor slight, were counterbalanced by his sterling virtues. With unwearied assiduity he assisted the metropolitan and country ministers in their benevolent exertions; his enterprising spirit led him to design and promote various plans of usefulness; and his princely fortune was liberally expended in supporting the interests of religion. A course of sermons was preached at the Bury-street meeting-house, in the year 1733, at his request and under his patronage. The ministers employed in the service were Dr. Watts, Dr. John Guyse, Dr. David Jennings, Mr. Price, Mr. Neal, and Mr. Hubbard. These sermons were intended to be printed at the termination of the course; and accordingly they appeared in two volumes, in the year 1735, under the title of " Faith and Practice, represented in fifty-four sermons on the principal heads of the Christian Religion." Nine of the discourses in this collection are by Dr. Watts: the preface and the dedication are from the pen of Mr. Neal, who stipulated in his agreement with Mr. Coward, that this task should be committed to him. He observes, with reference to himself and colleagues, "We are conscious to ourselves, that our aim has not been to seek our own honour or interest, nor to flatter the humours and gratify the passions of any of the divided parties of Christians; but to teach the plain doctrines of our divine religion as we receive * Ridgley's Sermon on his death. them from the bible, and to exhort mankind to the zealous practice of piety, virtue, and goodness, upon evangelical principles." Of the merit of these lectures Dr. Doddridge has observed, "I cannot recollect where I have seen a set of important thoughts on such various and weighty subjects more judiciously selected, more accurately digested, more closely compacted, more accurately expressed, or in a few words more powerfully enforced, than I have generally found in these sermons." This work rapidly passed through several editions, confirming the justness of the encomium; the reputation of its authors as scholars and theologians, was a sufficient guarantee for its excellence and orthodoxy; and it is still deservedly esteemed as a compendium of sound doctrinal and practical divinity. In its adaptation to the errors of the times, it was peculiarly valuable; establishing the divine origin of Christianity against the bold aggressions of infidel philosophy-expounding its fundamental truths to the overthrow of Socinian hypotheses-and asserting its practical tendency in opposition to the licentious perversions of Antinomian delusion. The sermon on "Christian Baptism," in the Bury-street collection, contains a candid statement of the sentiments of the denomination to which Dr. Watts belonged, as to the proper subjects for that ordinance, and the mode of its administration. But certain zealots for immersion, eager to plead the authority of a name so distinguished, have given a most unfair interpretation to some paragraphs in the discourse. Mr. Ivimey also, the highly respected historian of the English Baptists,* appears inclined to claim him as a proselyte; for he observes, that " he was not very zealous for sprinkling," nor "remarkably tenacious for infants being the proper subjects of baptism." Dr. Watts's views upon this controverted subject will be best explained in his own words: "The Greek word * Ivimey. Hist. of Eng. Baptists. iii. p. 224. note in Fetter Lane, a man of "uniform piety," cut off in the vigour of life, in the year 1729.* Among the influential lay dissenters in the metropolis at this period, was William Coward, Esq., with whom Dr. Watts was brought into frequent intercourse. This gentleman had been a merchant in the city, but was then living in retirement at Walthamstow. Tenacious of his own opinions, and singular in his habits, it is said that he would never allow the door of his mansion to be opened to any visitor, however pressing the emergency, after eight o'clock in the evening; but his eccentricities, and they were neither few nor slight, were counterbalanced by his sterling virtues. With unwearied assiduity he assisted the metropolitan and country ministers in their benevolent exertions; his enterprising spirit led him to design and promote various plans of usefulness; and his princely fortune was liberally expended in supporting the interests of religion. A course of sermons was preached at the Bury-street meeting-house, in the year 1733, at his request and under his patronage. The ministers employed in the service were Dr. Watts, Dr. John Guyse, Dr. David Jennings, Mr. Price, Mr. Neal, and Mr. Hubbard. These sermons were intended to be printed at the termination of the course; and accordingly they appeared in two volumes, in the year 1735, under the title of " Faith and Practice, represented in fifty-four sermons on the principal heads of the Christian Religion." Nine of the discourses in this collection are by Dr. Watts: the preface and the dedication are from the pen of Mr. Neal, who stipulated in his agreement with Mr. Coward, that this task should be committed to him. He observes, with reference to himself and colleagues, "We are conscious to ourselves, that our aim has not been to seek our own honour or interest, nor to flatter the humours and gratify the passions of any of the divided parties of Christians; but to teach the plain doctrines of our divine religion as we receive * Ridgley's Sermon on his death. them from the bible, and to exhort mankind to the zealous practice of piety, virtue, and goodness, upon evangelical principles." Of the merit of these lectures Dr. Doddridge has observed, "I cannot recollect where I have seen a set of important thoughts on such various and weighty subjects more judiciously selected, more accurately digested, more closely compacted, more accurately expressed, or in a few words more powerfully enforced, than I have generally found in these sermons." This work rapidly passed through several editions, confirming the justness of the encomium; the reputation of its authors as scholars and theologians, was a sufficient guarantee for its excellence and orthodoxy; and it is still deservedly esteemed as a compendium of sound doctrinal and practical divinity. In its adaptation to the errors of the times, it was peculiarly valuable; establishing the divine origin of Christianity against the bold aggressions of infidel philosophy-expounding its fundamental truths to the overthrow of Socinian hypotheses-and asserting its practical tendency in opposition to the licentious perversions of Antinomian delusion. The sermon on "Christian Baptism," in the Bury-street collection, contains a candid statement of the sentiments of the denomination to which Dr. Watts belonged, as to the proper subjects for that ordinance, and the mode of its administration. But certain zealots for immersion, eager to plead the authority of a name so distinguished, have given a most unfair interpretation to some paragraphs in the discourse. Mr. Ivimey also, the highly respected historian of the English Baptists,* appears inclined to claim him as a proselyte; for he observes, that " he was not very zealous for sprinkling," nor “remarkably tenacious for infants being the proper subjects of baptism." Dr. Watts's views upon this controverted subject will be best explained in his own words: "The Greek word |