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Northampton, Feb. 16, 1741-2.

"My dear friend,

Though I have too much reason to begin my letter with excuses for so long a silence; I will trust to your goodness to supply that deficiency, and rather begin it with congratulations. I do therefore most heartily congratulate you on your entrance upon the full exercise of the most honourable and most delightful office in the world. I congratulate you on your relation to so good a people; on your being honoured with such singular success, to have a society of such persons among you, raised from death to such a degree of spiritual life, by the almighty hand of God. And I also congratulate you on entering into the matrimonial state with so agreeable a companion for life as I hear Mrs. Darracott is. A person who, if my information be right, has all the charms of person, temper, and character; and is likely not only to be a faithful but a delightful companion in the way to heaven. May God multiply his blessings upon you both! May you both strengthen each other's hands, and quicken each other's hearts in the great business of life. And may God give you health and prosperity in your worldly affairs, and make you long-lived blessings to each other and to the church.

"My family has been visited with an affliction which is grievous to us, the death of Mr. Lowe,

who died of a galloping consumption last Wednesday, and is this evening to be interred. "Tis a sad stroke upon us, but softened with this circumstance, that though he came hither against his will, God was here pleased to convince him, as he told me almost with his dying, at least with his labouring breath, of many errors which he had imbibed from the pernicious writings of that wretched Chubbs and some other persons, and brought him to those views of Christ, and that dependance upon him for life and salvation, in which I hope he is now rejoicing in the presence of God above. He expressed his joy in the strongest terms that ever he came under this roof, and I hope his dying conversation was more useful than the living labours of some are like to be. God grant that the impression may be deep and lasting! How is it that when eternity comes into view, some honest moral people, who before had thought lightly of the gospel, grow into a sudden admiration of it, and dare not fix their own dependance upon any thing else, without any thing to work their conviction but their own inward experience? 'Tis a circumstance worth noticing, and worth communicating. Adored be divine grace, we are making it our daily refuge: and I hope and trust it will hold up our hearts in peace and joy when every thing else puts on a gloomy aspect, and the shadow of the grave is

spread dark and thick over us. Faith has an eye that will penetrate through the cloud, and God has a voice which I hope our souls will then hear, and will fill them not only with serenity, but if it be his will with transport.

I was particularly mindful of you on your first sacrament day, and doubt not but you had much of the presence of God in it. I think of accepting your kind invitation in the month of June or July, if God prolong my poor unprofitable life; for, alas! 'tis too much so, to that period. Q that my heart were more entirely his. O that my life were one continued series of zealous active services! Go on vigorously in your work, my dear brother, preach Christ crucified to perishing souls as their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Lift him up as on the cross for the healing of precious immortal souls, that they may look unto him and be saved. I have hopes that God will spread the savour of his name abroad, and will revive religion among you and us. I feel the presence of God in my soul, in a more delightful manner than I can express, and I think when I pray for the advancement of his interest in the world, there is some token of good given in to me, which encourages me to believe that my prayers are heard. Salute all your society in my name, and assure them that I wish them increase of grace and peace. I

have not time to add any thing more but that I

am, most cordially yours,

"P. Doddridge."

Such comforts as Mr. Darracott now enjoyed have caused some men to sink the public in the domestic character, reminding us of the bee whose wings have become incapable of flight by immersion in its own honey. But Mr. Darracott happily escaped this ungrateful perversion of the favours of heaven. He pursued his labours with new zeal, and the Redeemer crowned them with augmented blessings. His hearers increased to such an amount as constantly to overflow the place of worship, which, however, served to display the purity of his motives and his freedom from vanity; for in all his correspondence he mentions only that which is the grand end of hearing, the conversion of souls to God, and the increased dominion of religion over the hearts of professed Christians. These evidences of his

usefulness were continually inspiring him with fresh delight, so that the eight and twenty original members of the church soon saw themselves surrounded at the Lord's table by accessions far beyond their own number.

He opened houses for worship in most of the adjacent villages, where he preached weekly. In one, which was about a mile from Wellington, and from the character of the inhabitants

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was called Rogue's Green, such a change was effected, as produced a change of the name. Drunkenness, rioting, and indeed sin of every description seemed the only business of the inhabitants. Not one of them was known to pretend to prayer or religion under any form. But it pleased God to crown Mr. Darracott's preaching here with such efficacy, that, after a time, the traveller heard of an evening the sound of prayer and praise in almost every house. The place lost its former name, and is now called Roe or Row Green.

But the great high-priest of the church, who was made perfect through sufferings, had too much regard for this faithful servant to leave him destitute of conformity to himself in this most endearing part of his character so essential to the perfection of religion. Mr. Darracott was, in the month of May, 1743, thrown upon the bed of sickness, which would not have been mentioned here (as neither the affliction nor its consolations can be reckoned extraordinary in the history of a Christian) were it not that it affords an opportunity of introducing a letter to him from Dr. Doddridge, of which no pious reader will wish to have been deprived.

"Yes, my dear and invaluable friend, though it be a Sabbath and a sacrament day, if you desire a few lines from me by return of post

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