Isaac Watts, Stoke Newington, to Philip Doddridge, Northampton, 9 March 1735/6.

Newington March: 9th 1735/6.

Sir

         Your great Loss in ye departure of Mrs Duncombe & the frame of Spirit wch breathes thro her letter, give a sort of Contrast of Passivity. There is pleasure in ye midst of pain derived from ye Contemplations of an absent friend in ye midst of happy spirits. May her God & her Bible & her hope, be all your Comforters. Forgive me, Sir, if I speak a free thought of my heart to you. Our Nation in ye polite part of it are gone so far into Deism, or into such a sort of Christianity as is next kin to it, that when I am introduced into ye acquaintance of many polite Writers of ye Age, I know not whether they are Christians or no, till they discover it to me. ’Tis with much Satisfaction therefore I read your transcript of your Wives letter, as wt declares her sentiments & rejoices you: and tis with a sort of surprize I read, that you have spent many more hours in the Study of Divinity than of Poesy. I may preseume then that the* little peace which incloses this letter will not be utterly unacceptable to you, tho ye Author has conceald his Name. Twas written to preserve the Christianity of the new Testament.

         Your Tragedy of Esther wh some short hints of cursory remarks, lyes by me waiting your Call, or your order. ^I shall be glad to see you^ whensoever your Affairs & your health will permitt you to make a visit with your son to Newington on a Wednesday ^We dine at 2 oclock.^ I wish you, Sir, for your boys sake & for ye Worlds, a perfect recovery. And may so painfull a Loss as you have lately sustaind awaken such pious & devout sentiments in you, that may render the remnant of Life more abundantly usefull.

         I am, Sir, with sincere wishes of your happiness in this & a future World

                                 Your obedt humble Sevt

                                                         I Watts.

Address: none

Postmark: none

Endorsed: none

Text: MA 514.5, Isaac Watts Letters, The Morgan Library, New York.  The above letter is not mentioned in Geoffrey Nuttall's Calendar of the Correspondence of Philip Doddridge (1977) or Nuttall's Philip Doddridge: Additional Letters (2001).