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ago my poor lord had fo totally loft his appetite, that his physicians thought it neceffary for him to go to the Bath, I was not a moment in doubt whether I should attend him there, because I knew it was my duty, and befides I could not have been easy to be abfent when I hoped my care might be of fome use: yet I undertook the journey with a weight upon my spirits, and a reluctance which is not to be described, though I concealed it from him. Since the great affliction with which it. pleafed Almighty God to vifit me by the death of a most valuable and only fon, I found myfelf happiest in almost an entire retreat from the world; and being of a fudden called into a place where I remembered to have feen the utmost of its hurry and vanity exerted, terrified my imagination to the laft degree, and I fhed tears every time I was alone, at the thoughts of what I expected to encounter; yet this dreaded change has by the goodness of God proved one of the happieft periods in my life, and I can look back upon no part of it with greater thankfulness and fatisfaction. I had the comfort to fee my lord Hartford recovering his health by the use of thofe waters, as faft as I could hope for. I found it was no longer neceffary (as formerly, to avoid giving offence) to be always or frequently in company; I enjoyed the converfation of two worthy old friends whom I did

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not expect to meet there; and had an opportunity of renewing my acquaintance with Lady Huntingdon, and admiring that truly christian spirit which feems to animate the whole courfe of her life and as I feldom went out, I read a great deal, and Frederick the bookfeller ufed to fend me the new books which he received on the waggon nights, of which I kept what I chofe, and fent back the the reft. One night he fent me the account of fome remarkable paffages relating to the Life of Colonel Gardiner; as I had known this gentleman in his unconverted ftate, and often heard with admiration the fudden and thorough change of his conduct, for many years, it gave me a curiofity to read a book which feemed to promise me fome information upon that fubject. I was so touched with the account given of it, that I could not help speaking of it to almost every body I faw; among others, the dowager lady Hyndford came to make me a visit in the morning, and as I knew he was of his country and had lived much in it, I begun to talk to her of the book, and happened to name the author, Upon which she said she would believe whatever he wrote, for he was a truly good man, and had wrote upon the Rife and Progrefs of Religion in the Soul, in a manner which she was sure would please me. She gave me the title in writing, and I bought the book

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book the day before I left Bath.

been at home three weeks, and

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I have now have already had the pleafure to engage feveral others to read it, who I hope will think of it as I do. I would wish to trouble you to write to me yourself, but a letter from your amanuenfis to let me know how you enjoy your health, and whether you are ftill carrying on fome work of your pen, to the glory of our great Mafter, would be a very fincere pleasure to me. Let me beg to be remembered in your prayers, for I am every day more fenfible of the imperfection of my own, and yet I hope my heart is fincere in its defire that it may be brought to a perfect conformity and fubmiffion to the will of my heavenly Father.

My lord Hartford always mentions you with regard, and will be glad of your acceptance of the affurance of his friendship. I am, with an affectionate efteem, Sir, your most faithful and obliged humble fervant,

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From Mr. JAMES PETTIT to Dr. WATTS.

LETTER I.

REVEREND SIR,

December, 1728.

THE bookfeller has promised me another set

of Poems, fo that if you think them worth a place in your library be pleased to accept them; I never could relish French poetry; fo many words, and fo very few thoughts; fometimes one flat conceit fpun into fix or feven tedious lines, which is intolerable: I love juft the contrary, a great deal of good, deep, nervous fenfe, crowded into a few emphatical words; this is brightly exemplified in these Poems, where almost every line furprizes with a new beautiful thought, and inimitably devout, and have fome reason to believe them more than human compofitions.

I fhewed your letter to my fifters, they liked it extremely well, are of your opinion, and faid it was their own fentiments expreffed.

I differ a little from you upon the heads of idolatry, enthusiasm, fabbath-days, facraments, chriftian perfection, millenium, eternity of hell torments, and original fin! which, as taught by the church, is Adam's tranfgreffion, derived from

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him,

him, and coming down to every particular man, as imputed guilt.

Now, this is a doctrine fo fhocking to all my rational powers, reflecting fo much dishonour upon the attributes of God, that was it in every page of the Bible, as I am fure it is in one; was an angel from heaven to preach it I could not believe it: if I that am evil, would not impute one fervant's fault to another, much less will an infinitely wise and good God. Our protestant divines have built fo much upon this falfe foundation, that I fincerely believe they have given great occafion to the deism of the prefent age, at least they have given them a handle of invincible triumph.

As I take it, it is the universal consent of the orthodox, that Adam's imputed guilt, and Chrift's imputed righteousness, muft ftand and fall toge-. ther. Now, were I vicioufly inclined (as I believe vice is the foundation of all deifm) I would throw off my religion, and glory that I could prove that maxim of imputed guilt demonftrably false, and confequently the other muft fall; but I fee no manner of connection between them, Chrift's imputed righteoufnefs is a noble, glorious doctrine, which I believe, and upon which I entirely depend, well knowing there is no other robe wherein God's children can appear lovely in his eyes but imputed guilt.

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