Isaac Watts, Stoke Newington, to Philip Doddridge, Northampton, 8 March 1740/1.

March 8th 1740/1

Dear Sir

         I am well pleased that Mr David Dixon of Edinburgh designs to put himself under your Instructions, tho I have never received a line from him, nor any Word concerning him, ever since I wrote to you. When he comes, my sincerest wishes of Success attend him.

         I am glad the Guinea that I sent to Mr Castiglione was so Providential a Relief. I wish I could serve him more, for I am told he behaves well in ye Country.

         Mr John French spent an hour with me last Wednesday. I took some pains in his Examination: he seems to be very piously inclined, and tho he has left off the Pursuit of Learning for about 17 or 18 Months, yet I hope in 5 or 6 Months time he might again regain a Competency for academical Studys. As for Mr Cowards Exhibition, we have all agreed, that we cannot take in any new Student while we are so many hundred pounds in Debt already, & have never yet received one penny, nor can we see where we shall; tho we have reason to hope it is still secure, but Doctors Commons & chancery are both of them very tedious Courts.

         I find the ^Lad^ is but 17 ½ years old, and yet he has £40 a year certain at Sr Joseph Hankeys a Banker: and you know I can procure for him at the Fund but £12 at most. I laid those Things plainly before him, and desired him to consult first with God, and then with his best Friends, whether ’twas advisable for him upon such a View to leave his present Station, and whether his Friends could furnish him with 18 or £20 a year more; for I think it is impossible under £30 a year to Educate a young Minister, even in your Academy.

         I cannot but say, I like the Youth very well upon ye little Conversation I had with him; yet I endeavord neither to encourage nor discourage him, but rather to leave it to the Determination of himself and Friends, and by Providence of the great God.

         I am very glad to hear your health is so well maintain’d. I am sure your difficult and weighty Labors want the best Dispositions both of Mind and Body, and may God give a Glorious Success. You have had greater Encouragement in the Labors you have already taken in the great work of Education of Young Ministers than any Man I ever knew, & pray God still to continue and increase it.

         When shall we see you, my Dear Friend? When will the 2d pt of your Family Expositor be published? I hope you will not fix such a time for your visit to London when I shall be absent from it.

         Let Mr Bourn of Birmingham complain of your Expounding the Scripture in a different manner from what he would do, I hope that [the] Lord Jesus whose Word it is, will not charge or condemn you for departing from his ^own^ meaning: and then you and I may be approved & happy without running into Mr Bourns Sentiments.

         In the two Texts of Scripture Exod. 23 & 33, concerning which you desire my Opinion, I remember Dr Owen ^somewhere^ supposes them to be very different Angells, One is our Lord Jesus Christ, & one is an Angell of an Inferior Character; and that God the Father is the speaker, and I have always supposed the Dr is in the right, nor do I see reason to alter my Opinion. I would be glad to know what is the chief Objection against this Sentiment.

         With my most sincere and hearty Salutations to your Self and Mrs Doddridge and all our Friends near you

                     I am Sir       

                                 Your Affectionate Friend

                                             and Brother

                                                     I Watts.

P. S. I suppose you received a Letter from the Bp of Xafilah with my lines under written four days ago. I wrote you word it was all Mystery to me; but missing ^that^ Evening without any Sollicitude or Labor, the Letters reversed themselves in my Thoughts, and I was well assured Halifax is that Bishops See, and Dr Leigh has thus discover’d himself to me, tho he utterly forbids you to discover him.

Address: To the Reverend | Dr P. Doddridge | in Northamton [sic]

Postmark: 8 MR

Endorsed: Dr Watts

        Dr Watts | March 8 – 40.

Text: MA 514.8, 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).