rambling, indistinct companions: they tend rather to bewilder than inform the judgment. For my own part, I prefer the little account of this ordinance in Mr Marshall on Sanctification, to all those prolix treatises. It begins page 298 of the sixth edition, to which I wrote a recommendatory preface.

If you should want a collection of prayers suited to this solemnity, or to any other occasion, there is none, in my opinion, better than Mr Jenks's Offices of Devotion, (which has passed thirteen editions). I should far sooner choose to read his two volumes of Meditations, than the New Whole Duty of Man. Jenks has written another little treatise excellently good, and truly evangelical; it is entitled, Submission to the righteousness of God. It was one of the first books that gave me an insight into the truth of the gospel; or the way of salvation by the infinitely glorious obedience of our surety, Jesus Christ.

The word Amen has two significations. It denotes an ardent wish,-Lord, let it be according to my humble petition. It denotes likewise a firm faith, -Lord, I am persuaded that thou wilt fulfil thy promise to grant my petition.

or a

If you love entertainment, my next shall recommend a book, that is as entertaining as a novel * play, yet edifying as a sermon. I believe, madam, you would have no reason to repent of the purchase, if you was to buy Mr Boston's Human Nature in its Fourfold State; of which, as I have given a character in the second volume of Theron and Aspasio, I need not say any thing more in this place.

As God is sending forth his word, and renewing the face of material nature; so may he send forth his blessed Spirit, and reveal Christ, and renew the state of our souls! This will make us to differ from our former selves, as much as the present bloom and verdure of the creation differ from the rugged desolations of the winter.

I wish you, madam, the continual presence of this * The book here meant is De Foe's Family Instructor.

divine Comforter, and am your most obedient hum

ble servant, &c.

LETTER CCII.

Weston-Favell, Aug. 5. 1758.

DEAR SIR,-HEREWITH I send two other sheets of my intended work. Be so good as to examine them with rigour, and correct them with freedom.

I am afraid lest the weakness of the advocate should injure the blessed cause. I am the more solicitous, because the unexpected acceptance of my fast sermons will probably open a pretty wide door of admission for this piece. Besides six thousand printed in London, an edition was printed in Scotland, which was speedily sold off; and I was desired, by a society established for giving away religious books among the poor, to grant them leave to print an impression for this purpose. In Ireland they have been printed; into Dutch they are translated; and a letter received last week from some pious and ingenious stranger in America, informs me, that they have been reprinted there, and found much acceptance: all this will be a kind of recommendatory preface to this projected piece. The good Lord grant I may speak and write sound words, such as cannot be reproved! My prayer is, that you may be of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, always and on all occasions, and more especially when you are sifting and improving the writings of, dear sir, your truly affectionate and much obliged friend.

LETTER CCIII.

Weston-Favell, Sept. 4. 1758. MADAM,-BE so good as to present my very affectionate compliments to your excellent friend Mr Kennedy. Inform him that my intended work has for a long season, on account of my great infirmities, been like the sun in Gibeon, and like the moon in

the valley of Ajalon. I shall be particularly pleased and thankful to receive his thoughts on that important subject, the assurance of faith. Mine are much the same as Mr Ebenezer Erskine's in his valuable sermons, and as Mr Boston's, in his most judicious notes on the Marrow of Modern Divinity.

*

Pray, madam, favour me with a long extract from Mr Kennedy's letter: I do assure you, I admire his writings; they have a beauty which is quite natural and artless; joined with a piety which is very affecting and edifying.

A book has lately appeared, in two small volumes, entitled, Letters on Theron and Aspasio. I cannot say I would recommend it to your perusal, but I should be glad if you would mention it in some conversation with your learned and devout visitants, in order to know their opinion. For my own part, I can hardly tell what opinion to form. The author conceals his name;† and it seems difficult to discover his principles or his aim. Some things are excellent, written with spirit, and in a strain truly evangelical; in some things I stand corrected by him, I kiss the rod, and far from being displeased, am thankful for his animadversions; though in some instances he has acted a disingenuous part; not consulting the most correct edition of my book, not adverting to my own explanation of my meaning, and making me approve the whole of a person's works where I only commend some particular part. But what gives me the greatest disgust, and will, I believe, offend every candid reader, is a bitter vein of contempt and invective against some of the best men that ever lived, and some of the best authors that ever wrote. I once thought the apostle James's question implied an impossibility; but it seems to be reduced to real fact by the pen of this critic, and in the Letters on

* Mr Kennedy, whom Mr Hervey so highly and justly respected, was minister of the Scots church in Rotterdam, formerly minister at Cavers in Scotland.

See Letter CXC.

Theron and Aspasio, where the "fountain sends forth" at the same place, in the same performance, "sweet water and bitter."+

I hope you will not act with Mr Kennedy according to the exact rules of retaliation; but though he has been slow to write, you will be swift to answer, that he may the more speedily improve and delight yourself, madam, and your very humble servant.

LETTER CCIV.

Friday night. DEAR SIR, I HAVE sent you the following letter for your inspection, and shall make no remarks on it myself, lest I mislead your judgment. The gentleman who wrote it means well, and is desirous of promoting the interest of the gospel in the way which he apprehends to be right; but he thinks differently from you and me, not only in his notions of imputed righteousness, but of other evangelical peculiarities. I have transcribed his letter, and concealed his name, that you may communicate your remarks with more freedom than perhaps you would have done, had I not taken these precautions to prevent your discovery of my correspondent.

October 7. 1758.

MY DEAR FRIEND, WITHERSPOON'S Essay on the Connexion between the doctrine of Justification by the Imputed Righteousness of Christ and Holiness of Life, dedicated to you, was lately put into my hands. You know that I have an unconquerable dislike to your favourite expression, the imputed righteousness of Christ. I would on no account have used it in any of my own writings; and I wish it was univer-, sally laid aside, particularly by every minister in his pulpit; because I apprehend, the notions which the generality of people conceive of the "imputed righteousness of Christ," has done as much mischief, + See Sermons and Tracts, page 130, note.

especially amongst the lower sort, to the cause of Christianity, as the writings of infidelity have done amongst those of a higher rank. This is my settled opinion. Infidels may be, and often have been convinced; but persons of weak minds, habituated to the sound of the imputed righteousness of Christ, (a satisfactory definition of which very few can give), are not only steeled against all conviction, but are. too apt to disregard morality, and to censure and despise every preacher and writer, who, from principle or any other cause, disapproves of this cant term. Pardon me, for I really think it so, and therefore cannot call it otherwise; yet I own myself a great admirer of Witherspoon's Essay; I think it the best defence of the doctrine of redemption that I have ever seen. My principal, and almost only objection, is against the phrase "imputed righteousness." It appears to me quite unscriptural to speak of the "righteousness of Christ being imputed to us ;" it is liable to great abuse, and it is not easily understood: nor am I satisfied to use it, notwithstanding all you have said in its defence, and all that so judicious and excellent a man as Dr Doddridge (in his sermons on Salvation by Grace) has said to explain it. I fall in, however, with Witherspoon's sentiments, though I do not use his particular phrases: and you will observe, he often intermixes others to the same purpose; as, page 17, the Saviour's merit. Page 21, vicarious sufferings. Acceptance of the gospel, page 23. Doctrine of Christ crucified, his atonement, page 29. Flying to the propitiation of Christ, page 36; the doctrine of Christ's mediation, &c. &c. By these it appears, that it is not the phrase, but the thing, justification by Christ alone, on which he lays the stress, (see page 70, line 47,) and his arguments will be equally forcible on any man's principles who is not a Socinian. I believe the doctrine, as he has stated it, page 15, though I should not chuse to use some of his expressions. His remark, page 61, line 18, &c. is, I think, very just, and confirmed by many melancholy