Memoirs and Private Correspondence of the REV. Robert Hall, of Bristol, England (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1833. Excerpt: ... SELECT LETTERS. LETTER I. TO THE BAPTIST CHURCH, BROADMEAD, BRISTOL. Old Aberdeen, King'i College, Dec. 4. 1783. Dear And Honoured Brethren, I I Duly received your affectionate letter, in which you expressed your desire of engaging my labours as an assistant minister. Your request does me honour, and confers upon me an obligation which no efforts of mine can fully discharge. Yet, young and inexperienced as I am, I tremble to think of engaging in so arduous a work, especially in a situation where all my incapacity will be doubly felt. I cannot but think a few years would be necessary to enable me to gratify the lowest expectations. To plunge into the midst of life at so tender an age, with so little experience and so small a stock of knowledge, almost terrifies me. Your candid judgment of my past services I acknowledge with a mixture of pleasure and surprise, --pleased to attain the approbation of the wise and good, and surprised I in any measure have attained it, which I can attribute to nothing but the tenderness and forbearance which have ever strongly marked your conduct. A retired and private sphere would indeed be more upon a level with my abilities, and congen Mr. Hall was at this time in his twentieth year. ial to my temper; yet I would willingly sacrifice my private inclinations to more important views, and lose sight of myself if I could benefit other-. My reluctance, therefore, to obey your call arises merely from a feeling of my weakness, and my secret fear lest you should hereafter have occasion to repent it. If you could have dispensed with my labours till the final close of my studies, -I might then have hoped to have been more able to serve you; but if not, I submit. Let me but crave your prayers, that as my day so my strength may be. Your w..