I hope, sir, you will not reject the call you have had to this place till you have made us a visit, and then we may have reason to conclude that the number and attention of the auditory and the temper and spirit of the people will prove an inducement to you to accept it; and the Lord grant you may be an instrument in his hand to revive his work here, and to be a gatherer of many souls to Christ! and remember there is more room to hope for usefulness when a man preaches to above eight hundred people every Lord's day, than to a small auditory. I hope you will put a favourable construction upon my boldness in writing to you, who am, Sir,

Your affectionate Friend and humble Servant,

ANNE THOMAS.

If you should do me the favour to answer this, please to direct for me at Pershore, Worcestershire, by Evesham bag, by the way of London.

TO MR. RICKETS.

October 22, 1723.

DIRECTED TO MR. RICKETS AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH AT PERSHORE.

GENTLEMEN AND FRIENDS,

I HAVE seriously considered the proposal you made as to my coming to preach at Pershore, and have

consulted some of the neighbouring ministers, and anxiously joined my prayers with yours, that God would direct me in this affair, which appeared of considerable importance to me.

Upon the whole it is my settled judgment that in the present circumstances of our congregation at Kibworth the dissenting interest, which I take to be the interest of Jesus Christ, will receive greater damage by my removal from them than advantage by my coming to Pershore, in case God should have blessed my unworthy labours with a general success amongst you.

Such a consideration should certainly determine every christian, and especially every minister, however contrary it may seem to his temporal interests, as perhaps it may be in the case before us. Accordingly I am fully determined not to concern myself in the affair any further, than heartily to thank you for your kind intention towards me, and sincerely to recommend you to the good Shepherd and Bishop of souls, begging that he will give you a pastor according to your own hearts, who may feed your numerous assembly with wisdom and understanding, with affection and success.

In return, let me earnestly entreat that you will remember me at the throne of Grace, and pray that the God of wisdom and of love would so dispose of me, by his overruling providence, as may be most for his glory; and that such a divine efficacy may accompany my imperfect endeavours, as may make

them abundantly honourable to God, useful to the church, and comfortable to myself.

I am, Gentlemen and Brethren,

Your most affectionate Friend and obliged Servant,

P. DODDRIDGE.

TO MRS. THOMAS.

HONOURED MADAM,

Burton, Oct. 22, 1723.

I RECEIVED the favour of your obliging letter a few days after I dispatched my answer to Pershore. I most heartily thank you for giving yourself so much trouble upon my account, and assure you that I read it with abundance of pleasure.

I lay much stress upon such an honourable testimony as you there give the society, when it comes from a person whose excellent character I am no stranger to, and who is fully capable of forming a correct judgment. Accordingly, madam, I am fully convinced that my friends at Pershore are a very religious good-natured people, and that they are peculiarly remarkable for their candour and catholicism, which you, madam, so charmingly describe, and which is certainly one of the brightest ornaments of a Christian profession. Upon the whole I do not in the least question but that a minister whom they approve may have a very comfortable settlement

amongst them; and yet, madam, there are some arguments for my continuance at Kibworth, that I confess I cannot possibly see how I can get over. I am yet but a very young person, having but lately entered on the twenty-second year of my age, so that if I should come to Pershore it would be a considerable time before I could think of being ordained. Now, it would certainly be most convenient for that congregation to select a minister who would immediately enter upon the pastoral charge, as well as preach; and indeed a person whose abilities and experience are far superior to mine.

Besides, madam, I apprehend, as I intimated in my former letter, that the meeting at Kibworth would be in danger of breaking to pieces if I should leave them at such a conjuncture as this, for there are several vacant congregations in the neighbourhood, and not one supernumerary preacher; but so large a congregation as Pershore cannot be in any such danger. Therefore, on mature deliberation, I still apprehend, that the dear interest of our common Lord will be more effectually advanced by my longer continuance here.

I confess, madam, that it is not without sensible regret that I lay aside the thoughts of a journey to Pershore, which would have given me an opportunity of commencing an acquaintance with Mrs. Thomas, for whose character I have conceived a high veneration, and whose praise, as I am credibly informed, is in all the churches in those parts. I am

sensible, dear madam, that a correspondence with so accomplished a lady would be very much to my advantage on a great many different accounts, and is what I should be earnestly desirous to cultivate, but my duty requires me cheerfully to submit to the many obstacles which the providence of God has thrown in my way, and I comfort myself with the hope of meeting you in heaven, where we shall converse upon terms of much greater advantage than we could have done here. In the mean time, madam, I must earnestly beg that I may have an interest in your valuable prayers, that God would choose that inheritance for me which is most agreeable to his wisdom and his love, and that I may be a happy instrument in the hands of the divine grace of advancing the glory of God, and the eternal salvation of my fellow creatures.

I am with the utmost sincerity and respect,

Honoured Madam,

Your affectionate Friend and obedient Servant,

P. DODDRIDGE.

To Mrs. Anne Thomas, Pershore, Worcestershire.

By Evesham bag, by the way of London.