THE prospect of corresponding with you, gives me

great pleasure, as I know you will kindly dispense with my neglect of forms' and bear with me and assist me, while I simply communicate such thoughts as may occasionally and without premeditation occur, currente calamo. Amongst a thousand mercies with which I am indulged, I often distinctly enumerate the use of the pen, and the convenience of the post; but especially that the Lord has given me so many friends amongst those who fear his name, without which, in my present sequestered situation, the pen and the post would be useless to me, (for I know but one subject on which it is much worth my while either to read or to write.) I hope you will not be angry with me for my promptness in adding your name to my list of such friends.

I had a safe and not unpleasant journey home, though the roads were disagreeable enough. But the pleasure of my visit would have made me amends, had the dif ficulties of the way been greater. You have been often in my thoughts since I saw you, and the topics of our VOL. VI. 2 D

conversation have not been forgotten.

The patience

with which you heard me differ from you, and the dispassionate desire you expressed to search out truth for its own sake, affected me much. Such a disposition is to me a sure evidence of the finger of God; for your learning, your years, and your rank and character in the university, would have the same effect on you, as the like considerations have on too many, if the grace of God had not taught you that notwithstanding any distinctions and advantages which are admired amongst men, we are all naturally upon a level as to the perception of divine truths; and can receive nothing that is valuable in the sight of God, unless it be given us from heaven.

When we begin to know ourselves, and to feel the uncertainty and darkness which are inseparable from our fallen nature, how comfortable and encouraging is it to reflect, that God has given us his infallible word, and promised us his infallible Spirit to guide us into all necessary truth; and that in the study of the one, and in dependence upon the other, none can miss the way of peace and salvation, who are sincerely desirous to find it. But we are cautioned to keep our eye upon both; and the caution is necessary, for we are too prone to separate what God hath joined together, Isa. viii. 20. 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. What strange mistakes have been made by some who have thought themselves able to interpret Scripture by their own abilities as scholars and critics, though they have studied with much diligence; A signal instance was the celebrated Grotius. And many more modern might be named. I remember when I was once talking with the late Dr. T**** upon an important point of doctrine, and several arguments he used made no impression upon me; he told me at

last that he had collated every single word in the Hebrew Bible seventeen different times, and that it would be strange indeed if he had not found the point I was speaking of, had it been really there. But unless our dependence upon divine teaching bears some proportion to our diligence, we may take much pains to little purpose. On the other hand, we are directed to expect the teaching and assistance of the Holy Spirit only within the limits, and by the medium of the written word. For he has not promised to reveal new truths, but to enable us to understand what we read in the Bible and if we venture beyond the pale of Scripture, we are upon enchanted ground, and exposed to all the illusions of imagination and enthusiasm. But an attention to the word of God, joined to humble supplications for his Spirit, will lead us to new advances in true knowledge. The exercises of our minds, and the observations we shall make upon the conduct of others, and the dispensations of God's providence, will all concur to throw light upon the Scripture, and to confirm to us what we there read concerning ourselves, the world, and the true happiness revealed to sinners in and through Jesus Christ. The more sensible we are of the disease, the more we shall admire the great Physician; the more we are convinced that the creature is vanity, the more we shall be stirred up to seek our rest in God. And this will endear the Gospel to us; as in Christ, and in him only, we can hope to find that righteousness and strength of which we are utterly destitute ourselves.

I observe in many news-papers, the attestations of persons who have been relieved in diseases, by the medicines which they have tried, and therefore recommend to others from their experience. Innumerable cases might be published to the honour of the great Physi

cian; none more memorable perhaps than my own. I was labouring under a complication of disorders; fired with raging madness, possessed with many devils, (I doubt it not,) bent upon my own destruction; but he interposed, unsought, undesired. He opened my eyes, and pardoned my sins; broke my fetters, and taught my once blasphemous lips to praise his name. O, I can, I do, I must commend it as a faithful saying, That Christ Jesus is come into the world to save sinners; there is forgiveness with him; he does all things well; he makes both the dumb to speak and the deaf to hear.

I remain, with due respect,

Dear Sir, your most obedient servant.

LETTER II.

Reverend and dear Sir,

BY

November 1, 1768.

Y this time I suppose you have received and perused Mr. B****'s book. In point of fact, I think he has unanswerably proved that the sense of the Articles and the sentiments of the most eminent men in our church, till about bishop Laud's time, are expressly in favour of what is called Calvinism. How far you may be satisfied with his endeavours to establish those points from Scripture, particularly the doctrine of the 17th Article, I know not; nor am I very anxious about it. The course you are taking to read the Scripture for yourself, in an humble dependence upon the promised teaching of the Holy Spirit, will, I doubt not, lead you into all necessary truth. And the best of men are permitted to retain some differences in sentiment upon less

essential points. I remember the time when election and predestination were an offence to me; and though now Scripture, reason, and experience concur to establish me not only in one or two, but in all the particulars mentioned in Mr. B****'s book, yet I believe several persons whom I love and honour will not receive them with the same satisfaction. But the longer I live, the more I am constrained to adopt that system which ascribes all the power and glory to the grace of God, and leaves nothing to the creature but sin, weakness, and shame. Every one must speak for themselves, and for my own part, I cannot ascribe my present hopes to my having cherished and improved an inward something within me, which Mr. Law speaks of; but on the contrary, I know I have often resisted the motions and warnings of God's Spirit; and if he had not saved me with a high hand, and in defiance of myself, I must have been lost. Nay, to this hour I feel an evil principle within me, tempting me to depart from the living God. I have no inherent stock of goodness upon which I can hope to hold out hereafter, but stand in need of a continual supply, and emphatically understand our Lord's words, "Without me you can do nothing." For I find I am not sufficient of myself so much as to think a good thought.

A

I have had opportunity of reading but a few pages of Dr. Smith's Select Discourses. He is very learned, sensible, and ingenious. I could admire him as a philosopher, but I cannot approve him as a divine. sentence or two in his ninth page seems to me explanatory of his whole system; where, speaking of our Lord Christ, he says, "his main scope was to promote a holy life, as the best and most compendious way to a right belief." If this sentence were exactly in