I hear from you again, I will fpeak my Sentiments with Relation to your well-calculated Design of an Evangelical Library *. At present I have Leifure only to affure you, that I am, Dear SIR, Your affectionate Friend in JESUS CHRIST, Wefton, Apr. 15. JAMES HERVEY. Dear SIR, I Received your Prefent by the Coach; I thank you for it; and am much pleased with it. The Doctrine + which you approve in my Effay, and have clearly displayed and fully proved in your own Writings, is not relished by every body; no, not by many pious People. I take the Liberty to fend you a couple of Letters containing Ob B 2 * An intended Collection of the most Evangelical Pieces from the Beginning of the Reformation down to the prefent Day. And as nothing was defigned but the Marrow of each Performance, fo he judged it might be comprized in Six Volumes, and defired that an Abridgment of Theron and Afpafio might have a Place in One Volume of it. † See a Summary of the Doctrine here spoken of, collected from Mr. Hervey's own Words, annexed to thefe Letters. Objections. I wish you would be fo kind as to confider them, and in your concife Way, which I much Thefe Objectors were adding no Revealed Truth to our Minds, but on the contrary were only attempting to overthrow the folid Foundation laid for the Hope, Confidence, and Salvation of guilty Sinners; that, which makes the Gospel glad Tidings indeed to fuch. They allowed, that the free and unconditional Nature of the Divine Declarations concerning Chrift as an Object of Truft and Confidence, was the only Foundation upon which Truft or Confidence could be eftablish'd; but then they immediately contradicted this Freenefs of the Divine Grant, by clogging it with the Prerequifites of Seriousness, Senfibility of Need, real Defires, and in fhort every Qualification that human Pride could prefume upon the Divine Favour with, provided no Saviour had ever been revealed: Whereas, the Man taught of God is made fenfible that no Qualification in him is to be a Stepping-Stone to the Redeemer's Righteousness. His real Defire is daily to live by that Righteousness, not by his own; and He is serious in this Matter as being of the greatest Importance, counting all things but Lofs and Dung that He may win Chrift, and be found in him, not having on his own Righteousness which is of the Law. They allowed the Gospel Declarations contained what might be compared to a free Welcome to an Entertainment, by a Friend's Invitation:" but denied that this gave them Leave to believe that this Entertainment was theirs; and only ferved as an Inducement for them to do fomething, called Reception, in order to found a Title. They were answered, it was not theirs as a Property in their Difpofal to give away, or trifle with; but theirs to partake of, it certainly was, by Virtue of the Invitaon. And this partaking of Chrift, and Salvation in much admire, to make your Remarks upon them. One of the Letters, in Cafe it exactly coincided B 3 him, could be neither more, nor lefs, than living by ⚫ him in Virtue of thefe Declarations, instead of feeking a Title by inherent Qualifications; which would be, in Fact, living by our own Righteousness, and not by him. That if they allowed he was free for us to truft in, then the Truft and Confidence we pleaded for was vindicated as no Prefumption, but rather_an Obedience to our divinely gracious Benefactor. The Difference between Mr. Hervey and them, lay in their different Sentiments about what was the Truth of the Gofpel: What they counted Gofpel, left them to seek for a Something in themfelves under the Name of Faith, on Account of which they might conclude themselves faved Perfons. What Mr. Hervey counted Gofpel, was the Revelation of the Divine Righteousness to the moft Guilty, warranting their immediate Truft and Confidence therein; affuring them fuch Confidence fhould not be disappointed. It is easy to perceive that fuch Confidence, must be effential, to the real Belief of fuch Doctrine; as on the other Hand no Afsurance or Confidence can be effential to the Belief of that Doctrine which leaves me to seek for my Ground of Confidence in a Something more than what Chrift has already done, and God has fo freely prefented to me. Mr. Hervey's View was not to establish a Standard for the Hope of Salvation of this Kind, as depending upon our inherent Qualifications, whether called Convictions, Faith, Repentance, or by any other Name; but rather to establish an important, comfortable, precious Truth, concerning an open Door of Accefs to God by what Chrift has done, and Salvation in him, granted to the moft Guilty, on a Suppofition that every Mouth is stopped, and all the World (in every Pretenfion or Plea unto Righteoufnefs) become perfectly on a Level before coincided with my Sentiments, I should think too diffuse and prolix. I love to have the Force and Spirit of a Subject contracted into a small Compaís, and exhibited to our Minds in one clear and cafy View. Long Discourses, and protracted Arguments, diffipate the Attention and over-whelm the Memory. I think you are very happy in expreffing yourself with a Brevity that is striking, yet perfpicuous. I am not fhaken in my own Opinion by these Attacks; but I should be glad to deliver it more clearly, and establish it more firmly, in another Edition. If you can spare a little Time from your own Labours, I hope you will gratify. me in this Requeft; and I truft HE, whom you ferve, will make it a Bleffing to me and to others. I would beg of you to return these Letters, and (if the LORD fhould enable you) with free Obfervations on the MOST MATERIAL Points, as before Him. This Truth he apprehended was, when received, the Conviction and Faith of every true Believer, and the Foundation of immediate Truft and Confidence, and as fuch was neceffary and effential to folid Peace of Confcience, and true Holiness of Heart and Life; yet, at the fame Time, entirely oppofite to the Peace and Holiness of Men of the Pharifaic Spirit. In fhort, we seemed to be only upon the Old Apoftolic or Reformation Dispute ftill, viz. Whether we are to be juftified by Faith in Chrift without Works? or whether we are firft to find fome Righteousness in ourselves? as foon as POSSIBLE; because our new Edition goes on apace, and will foon come to Dialogue xvi. I have fome Thoughts of enlarging it a little, and dividing it into two Dialogues. At present it is rather too long to be read at once, I heartily with you Success in your projected Work. I affure you, it is my Opinion, that such a Work, if well executed, will be one of the most valuable Services to the present Age. You will not, I hope, be too hafty. Mr. W— has huddled over his Performance in a most precipitate, and therefore most imperfect, Manner, Qne would think his Aim was, not to felect the best and noblest Passages, but to reprint those which came first to Hand. If I live to see another Edition of Theron and Afpafio published, I will defire your Acceptance of a Set; and I hope it will be improved and enriched with your Obfervations: Which will be a Favour acknowledged by, Dear SIR, Your affectionate Friend in JESUS CHRIST, JAMES HERVEY, P. S. Pray don't spare my own Performance; but freely animadvert upon Afpafio. I am fenfible he sometimes speaks unguardedly, and fometimes feems inconfiftent with himself. Wefton-Favel, Apr. 22, 1755, |