LETTERS. 245 



often known to confess that there is no real satisfaction 

 in them ; that their gaiety is often forced, when their 

 hearts are heavy ; and that they envy those who have 

 chosen the more humble but pleasant paths of religion 

 and virtue. 



I am not at all particular as to the place of worship 

 you may attend, so as it be under a serious preacher, and 

 so as you attend regularly. I should it a very good 

 exercise for you, if you were to get a blank paper book, 

 and were to write down in it anything which ma}^ strike 

 you in the sermons you hear on a Sunday ; this w^ould 

 improve your style of writing, and teach you to think on 

 what you hear. Pray endeavour to carry this plan into 

 execution, I am sure you will find it worth the trouble. 

 You attend the church now and then, I conclude, and if 

 you do, I should wish to direct your attention to our ad- 

 mirable Liturgy, and avoid, if possible, remarking what 

 may seem absurd in the manner it is repeated. 



I must not conceal from you that I am very sorry you 

 do not attend some eminent minister in the church, such 

 as Mr Cecil, or Mr Pratt, or Mr Crowther, in preference 

 to the meeting ; since I am convinced a man runs less 

 danger of being misled or of building on false founda- 

 tions in the establishment than out, and this too for 

 plain reasons ; dissenters are apt to think they are 

 religious because they are dissenters — " for," argue they, 

 " if we had not a regard for religion, why should we 

 leave the Establishment at all ? The very act of leaving 

 it shows we have a regard for religion, because we mani- 

 fest an aversion to its abuses." Besides this, at the 

 meeting-house you are not likely to hear plain and un- 

 welcome truths so honestly told as in the church, where 

 the minister is not so dependent on his flock, and the 

 prayers are so properly selected, that you will meet with 

 petitions calculated for all your wants, bodily and spiri- 

 tual, without being left at the mercy of the minister to 

 pray for what and in what manner he likes. Remember 

 these are not offered as reasons why you should always 

 attend the church, but to put you in mind that there are 

 advantages there which you should avail yourself of, in- 



