Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 2.djvu/11

 ii. JULY 2, 1904.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

upon others, and upon myself too, for a Christian, with immoralities enough to stain me as black and sink me as deep, as ever sinner fell, were circum- stances which might well drive me to that despair in which you saw me, when once it had pleased God to let loose my conscience upon me, and to make me sensible of my wickedness. Eight months did I continue in that terrible condition, expecting day and night when the thunderbolt should fall that was to be my last and final visitation from the Almighty. And whatever mixture of insanity there might be in these apprehensions (and doubtless there was much of that) still there was this mix- ture of reason in them, that I certainly appre- hended no more, than my soundest judgment must acknowledge I had deserved. At the end of that period, it pleased God, at once, and as it were by a touch, to restore me to the use of my reason, and to accompany that blessing with two others of inestimable value, and which I trust in his great mercy he will not suffer me to forfeit hereafter, even faith in his dear Son, and a most intimate and comfortable assurance of complete forgiveness. Oh, who can express my joy at this happy time ! that harmony and peace of heart, which a perfect reconciliation with our Heavenly Father alone can give, dissolved me into tears of joy, and the delightful sense of it still dwells with me !

I have thought myself happy often in the gratifi- cation of my wretched passions and affections, but I now felt how much I had been mistaken, and that I had disgraced the name of happiness by such a foolish misapplication of it, nor would I exchange one hour of my present comfort, for ten thousand years of the utmost felicity I ever enjoyed before. The book you recommend to me, 1 read at St. Alban's, and with great pleasure, and with great conviction. I plead guilty to the doctrine of original corruption, derived tome from my great progenitor, for in my heart I feel the evidences of it, that will not be disputed. I rejoice in the doctrine of im-

Juted righteousness, for without it, how should be justified ? My own righteousness is a rag, a feeble, defective attempt, insufficient of itself to obtain the pardon of the least of my offences, much more my justification from them all. My dear Martin, 'tis pride that makes these truths unpalat- able, but pride has no business in the heart of a Christian. I borrowed the book at St. Alban's but intend to buy it. I read there likewise Doddridge's Sermons on tlegeneration, and his Rise and Pro- gress of Religion in the Soul, and was highly de- lighted with them both. I love these subjects, next to the Word itself, they are my daily bread, and I beg you would mention tome any other books of that kind you think may be of use to me. I always loved reading, but I never loved it so much, for these topic* had no charms for me once, and now all others are insipid.

Yours, my dear Martin, with my affectionate respects to Mrs. M. July 19, 1765, Huntingdon.

Pp. 160-1 :

Part of a letter from Wm. Cowper to my son M. Madan.

Febr? 10th, 1766.

Unwin has furnished me with your Collection of Hymns, and bespoke the music for them. Mrs. Unwin plays well on the harpsichord, and. I doubt not, those songs of Sion will sound sweetly in the ears of one, so lately escaped from the thunders of

Sinai : The time past suffices me,* to have lived!

the life of the Gentiles ; I can lay my hand on my heart, and say with the Apostle :f " the life I live, I lire by the faith of the Son of God " : thought,, word, and deed, devoted to his service, and may they be so for ever. I mention not this, in the- spirit of boasting, God forbid ! but that you, to- gether with me, may give praise to the glory of his ?race, who has interposed, by such wonderful means,. For the salvation of so vile a sinner. Perhaps I have many friends who pity me ruined in ray pro- fession, stript of my preferment, and banished from all my old acquaintance. They wonder I can sus- tain myself under these evils, and expect that I should die broken hearted : and if myself were all I had to trust to, so perhaps I might ; nay, I believe, certainly should, but the disciples of Christ have bread to eat which the world knows not of.* The hope of Israel " fainteth not, neither is weary ":: and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, are effectual preservatives against worldly sorrow. I have lost indeed a good deal of that dung|| the Apostle speaks of, but the treasure hid in the field is an infinite compensation for such losses.

I hope to go through the commonplace books, extract all that is new of Cowper's,. and calendar the rest.

JOHN E. B. MAYOR.

Cambridge.

COBDEN BIBLIOGRAPHY.

(See 10 th S. i. 481.)

1847.

Societa Pontaniana, Tomato ordinariadel 21 Marzo, 1847- F For the reception of Richard Cobden as- a member of Academy.] [Naples, 1847.] 8vo,

Discorsi pronunziati al Banchetto dato in Livorno a Richard Cobden, il 12 Maggio, 1847. Livorno, 1847. 8vo. 8245. f. 6.

1848.

Eloquent and Powerful Speech in the House of Commons, July 6, 1848, on Mr. Hume's motion- for Parliamentary Reform and Retrenchment. Manchester, C. Chorlton [1848]. 8vo, pp. 12. M.F.L.

Speech in the House of Commons February 18, 1848- [on the Expenditure of the Country], Man- chester, A. Hey wood [1848]. 12mo. 8135. a. 5.

National Defences. Letters of Lord Ellesmere and the Duke of Wellington, with the Speech of Richard Cobden at the Free Trade Meeting in Manchester. London, 1848. 8vo. 1398. f.

Financial Reform Tracts. No. 6. The National Budget for 1849, by Richard Cobden, Esq., in a Letter to Robertson Gladstone, Esq.... with a report of the public meeting held in the Concert Hall, Liverpool. December 20, 1848, London : Standard of Freedom office. 8vo, pp. 16.

1849.

Reform and Retrenchment. The Speeches of Richard Cobden, T. M. Gibson, and J. Bright, Esqs., in the Free Trade Hall, on Wednesday

J Cf. John iv. 32.
 * 1 Peter iv. 3.
 * Philippians iii. 8.

f Galatians ii. 20. Isaiah xl. 28.