because they do not immediately discern its propriety. I own the third and fourth direction of Mr Marshall seem obscure; but this does not arise from any improper manner of treating the subjects, but from the mysterious nature of the subjects themselves. This, says Dr C--, is my firm faith, "that, if we do well, we shall be accepted through the merits of Christ." I might ask the Doctor whether he does well? Dare he avow this, even before me his fellowworm, and fellow-sinner? How then will he maintain the pretension before that infinitely pure God, in whose sight the very heavens are unclean? But I chuse to ask him, (what may seem less offensive), "has he never read of the righteousness of faith ?" Rom. x. 6. Of being "made righteous by one man's obedience ?" Rom. v. 19. Of" righteousness imputed without works?" Rom. iv. 6. Now I should be glad to learn, what the Holy Spirit means by these expressions? And if our worthy friend pleases to shew, how his faith can be made conformable to any one of these texts, I will undertake to demonstrate the conformity of my faith to them all. Ah! why should we hug a despicable rag, and reject a suit of beautiful apparel? The Lord Jesus enable us all to discern the things that are excellent! Let me this Christmas wish you and Mrs all joy and peace in Christ Jesus. These are the true compliments of the season, and therefore sent by your true friend, &c. LETTER CLXXIII. Weston, Saturday morning. MUCH I loved, and much I esteemed my dear friend before; but now, methinks, I love and esteem him more on account of his kind acceptance of my free admonitions. Do, my dear friend, let us remember how important the hours of our present life, and the moments of social intercourse are. Dr W of Worcester, who has a fine taste for painting, can, though engaged in great business, paint, and talk now and then upon paintings; Dr C of St Albans, who has a fine genius for poetry, though amidst a variety of employs, can write, and give his sentiments on poetry; and why should not Dr S- though in an equally large sphere of action, edify his acquaintance by his tongue and pen with some religious hints? This, I think, is his distinguishing talent; and, when he pleases, I am sure no man knows how to introduce Scripture better, or to converse in a more striking manner. Oh! that a stricture of it may run through, brighten, and dignify his temper, his business, his whole conversation. You are perfectly right in esteeming those authors whose piety beams through all their pages. And for this very reason I esteem, admire, and embrace Jenks' Works, Marshall on Sanctification, and Witherspoon on the Imputed Righteousness of Christ; because nothing has so efficacious and benign an influence on true piety as their doctrines; nothing so sweetly calms the conscience, so thoroughly refines the affection, or, to say all in a word, so effectually sheds abroad the love of God in the heart. I wish you and Mrs S abundance of comfort in Miss Sophia. It was said of one, Nabal is his name, and folly is with him, 1 Sam. xxv. 25. So I say of your infant daughter, Sophia is her name, and may wisdom be with her! even the navade copia, "the wisdom from above," which St James so charmingly describes in chap. iii. 17. and not with her only, but with her parents, and with their truly affectionate friend. LETTER CLXXIV. Weston-Favell, July 26. 1756. Now, my dear friend, I have procured your favourite author, Downham's Christian Warfare against the Devil, the World, and the Flesh. He is indeed a pleasing, perspicuous writer: the language, as you VOL. VI. observed, remarkably pure and correct; he is very experimental, and enters into the distresses of tempted souls; many things are sweet, comfortable, charming. Sometimes, I think, he draws a little veil over the grace of God, not suffering it to blaze out in its full Justre and glory. Do not you think he is somewhat inaccurate in stating the nature of justification? Lib. ii. chap. 50. "Justification," he says, "consisteth in two parts: the first, remission of our sins for the full satisfaction of Christ by his death and sufferings; the other, the imputation of his habitual and active righteousness." Should it not rather be, Justification consists of two parts: the first, remission of our sins; the second, being perfectly righteous in God's sight: and both these spring from the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the poor sinner. I find from your manuscript it is your opinion, that the antediluvian sacrifices were slain by the sword of the cherubim planted and waved at the entrance of Eden. This is a very remarkable and very awful circumstance; and, if true, very worthy of particular notice. But what reasons have you, dear sir, for the support of this sentiment? Be so kind as to mention them at your leisure. Mr P, about a week after his return to Northamptonshire, gave me your letter. I fear he will become a prey to the allurements of the world. I believe he is not very zealous for the gospel of Christ. I am pretty sure he does not love the servants of our Lord; therefore I expect that, from this quarter, my character will soon be put under an eclipse; nor shall I be much disappointed if, by this incident, my new friend is put away from my sight. Thanks for your hint concerning my conduct; it is very seasonable, and shall be observed. I have sometimes thought that the best, strongest proof of a future state of happiness occurring in the Old Testament, is deducible from the history of Enoch. "Enoch walked with God," was high in his favour, and had much communion with him: it is recorded as a singular reward of his holy and exemplary life, that he was not, for God took him." Now, if the ancient people of God had no notion of a future state of happiness, what strange apprehensions must they form concerning this instance of the divine procedure? At this rate, Jehovah must appear to punish in the most exemplary and dreadful manner his first and greatest favourite. Whereas, suppose them rooted in the belief of a much happier condition succeeding the present life, and the case is plain, and God is justified in his doings. Please to give me your opinion as to this argument. I hope you are thinking of your new version of Psalm civ. which will be very agreeable, and, I hope, not a little edifying, to, dear sir, your much obliged and affectionate friend, &c. P.S.-I here send you Mr Moses Browne's almost literal translation of Luther's most comfortable hymn, which is in very considerable esteem in the German church. Zimmermannus de cognitionis Christi eminentia, is a comment on it, and is now translating by Mr Browne at my desire. These next lines within brackets, do not belong to Luther's hymn, but are used by Zimmermannus, page 52. as an illustration of the preceding stanza. [The faster hold my faith on Jesus takes, |