the authority which their own compositions would claim."

Page 71, at the top of the page, add, My lord tells us, "That the Scripture history contains an account of the divisions and apostasies, the repentances and relapses, triumphs and defeats of the Israelites, under the occasional government of their judges, and under that of their kings, and of the Galilean and Samaritan captivity." Whether this is mentioned by way of derogation, let the judicious reader determine. I would beg leave to observe, that these occurrences, related in the scriptural manner, with a continual regard to the superintending hand of Providence, are some of the most weighty and interesting materials that can enrich the historical page. None so well calculated to teach nations, to admonish kings, and improve posterity. His lordship might have said, with the utmost veracity; and, I think, in common justice he ought to have said, They contained also the most unparalleled instances of national success and personal achievements; the most beautiful and affecting pictures of virtue, delineated through all its branches, in a multiplicity of living characters; than which nothing can be better accommodated to excite the attention, and charm the imagination; to touch the heart, and impress the passions; to inflame them with the love, and mould them into the image of universal holiness.

Here we behold a people always destitute of cavalry, the main strength of the battle; yet always a match, and more than a match, for their most powerful adversaries, so long as they maintained a dutiful reliance on their God: A people, who left their frontiers naked and defenceless at three stated solemnities in every year; yet never were invaded at this critical juncture by their most vigilant enemies, so long as they persisted in obedience to their almighty Protector: A people, whose very land, as well as its inhabitants, was wonderful-both the scene and the subject of miracles; for, after five years

unintermitted tillage, (which one would imagine should have exhausted its prolific powers), it yielded constantly a double increase, in order to supply the demands of the succeeding year; when, by the Divine appointment, all was to lie fallow and uncultivated. Here we behold men of such singular and exalted piety, that they walked with God, and were translated into the realms of glory without passing through the gates of death: Men of such undaunted courage, that they have rebuked princes, confronted angry monarchs, and smiled at the severest menaces of a tyrant, whose bare frown has made the world to tremble: Men of such heroic abilities, that one of them has slain hundreds; another of them has put his thousands to flight; and both by the most contemptible weapons; a third, without any weapon, has given chase to the roaring lion, and the raging bear; and rent them to pieces, or smitten them to the earth: Men, that have been empowered to shut or open the sluices of the sky; have commanded the ground to expand her horrid jaws, and swallow up the living; or bid the grave unlock her adamantine doors, and restore the dead: Men, who have walked amidst the burning fiery furnace, as composed in their spirits, and as secure in their persons, as if they had been taking the air in some calm, sequestered, shady bower. In a word, here is a detail of such marvellous things, as no eye hath seen performed in other nation under heaven; no ear has heard related by any other annalist or biographer whatever ; and, though they are the very sanctity of truth, yet such as never entered into the imagination, even of romance itself, to conceive. "Ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth; and ask from one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as these great things are, or hath been heard like them," Deut. iv. 32. This, though spoken of the miracles wrought in Egypt, and the wonders manifested in the wilderness, is

any

applicable to almost the whole tenor of the scriptural history. My remarks, &c.

Your opinion with relation to the preceding paragraphs will be received as a favour, and attended, I hope, with a blessing. I find I am blamed for animadverting on his lordship's style, (page 36.) for not giving his lordship the title of Noble, not treating him with a respect due to his dignity. I have trespassed, it is farther alleged, against the rules of candour and benevolence, page 33, 34, and page 86. I know you have a large share of patience; may the Lord Jesus (of whose fulness his saints receive even grace for grace) multiply upon you, both this, and every other fruit of the Spirit! Pray, what do you apprehend to be the precise meaning of St Paul's expression, Rom. i. 17. From faith to faith," as it is translated?

I should be much obliged if you would let me know, what are some of the most valuable books which you have met with on various subjects of importance? what little treatise is most proper to put into the hands of illiterate people? what are some of the most judicious and improving compositions in biography? what the most sound and weighty authors, that might be recommended to a young student in divinity? You see I am always in the begging strain ; the language of my letters is like the horse-leech's two daughters, Give! give! All I can do by way of return is, to beseech the King immortal, invisible, the only wise God, to give you all spiritual blessings in heavenly things. To do this, with all the ability which God shall bestow, will be as truly pleasing to, as it is justly due from, dear sir, your much obliged, and very affectionate friend.

LETTER CXIII.

Weston-Favell, May 19. 1753. DEAR SIR, I HAVE lately been somewhat busied in preparing a sermon to be preached before the

clergy, at our archdeacon's visitation; and to my weak nerves and languid spirits a little business is a toil. A commentator, with whom I wish you may long be unacquainted, has taught me the meaning of Solomon's description, "The grasshopper shall be a burden."

This, I hope, will apologize for my delay in answering more fully your last very obliging favour. More fully, I say, because, in a former letter, I acknowledged the receipt of a parcel with your remarks. Let me once more, dear sir, return my sincerest thanks for those judicious and delicate observations. They are so valuable, that I cannot but be very desirous to have the other parts of my proposed work undergo the same scrutiny, and receive a polish from the same hand. If this kind office will not too much interrupt your own studies, give me a permission to send another packet; and withal a direction, how I shall transmit it to you most expeditiously.

You will easily perceive, from several hints, perhaps from the whole tenor of my writings, that your new friend is what people would call a moderate Calvinist. Your sentiments, in some particulars, may differ from mine. Freely object wherever this is the case: I assure you I can bear, I shall delight, to have my notions sifted; nor am I so attached to any favourite scheme but I can readily relinquish it, when Scripture and reason convince me it is wrong. When I see wise and learned men forming opinions different from mine, I hope it will make me diffident of my own judgment; teach me "not to lean to my own understanding;" and prompt me to apply more earnestly for that blessed Spirit, whose office it is "to lead into all truth."

I shall be glad to hear that the work you have in hand is going on with expedition. What a privilege will it be, and what a distinguishing favour, if the great eternal God vouchsafes to make use of our pens to bring any glory to his name, or impart any spiritual good to his people! To no occasion is the wise

man's exhortation more applicable: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." I have a treatise entitled, Dr Hildrop's Husbandman's Spiritual Companion; but never read a page in it, nor ever heard a character of it. I have a discourse upon the same subject amongst the writings of Mr Flavel: it is a long time since I saw it, and then I only dipped into it, so that I cannot pretend to give a character of it; only I think, in general, that Flavel abounds with fine sentiments, exalted piety; and his language, for the most part, is expressive and beautiful.

Possibly you will wonder that I should have had the treatise you inquire after so long, and not have perused a single page of the book; and you justly might, in case I had bought it: But it came to me by inheritance. My study is composed of the books that were collected by my father and grandfather; among which there are multitudes that I shall continue a stranger to as long as I live, though they stand at my right hand and my left every day. I want to be better acquainted with God's holy word; to have its inestimable truths lodged in my memory, its heavenly doctrines impressed upon my heart; that my tempers may take their fashion from it, that my private conversation may be seasoned with it, and my public ministrations enriched by it. Thus, dear sir, may the word of Christ dwell in us richly!

Will you give me leave to lay before you a plan of the work? (part of which has already received, and the remainder humbly requests your improving touches): viz. Sincere obedience not sufficient for our justification. The design of God's law, to convince of sin, and bring to Christ. Some farther objections urged and answered:* the whole summed up. Our friends part, but agree to correspond. Theron, more attentively observing his heart and life, is convinced of his guilty state; and begins to see the ne

* See page 193.