with the morning ftar. But their eyes are to be opened and fortified, before they will be able to receive the full pleasure and benefit of the land of light and vifion. Forgive these overflowings of my heart, which I fee, on looking back on them, have run into too great length, whilft I am talking to one who, I am fatisfied, can fuffer for the truth as well as write and act for it. May the God of Truth blefs, accept, and fupport you, and all you do and bear for its fake.

I have only juft room to return my moft hearty thanks to yourself and Mr. Price, for the refpect you have fhewn to my recommendation of the case of Berwick, unless I would make you pay more than as much again as they deserve. I am to him and you, therefore, without adding a word more, reverend Sir, a most faithful and most humble fervant,

BARRINGTON.

From

From Dr. WATTS to Lord BARRINGTON.

MY LORD,

Tunbridge-Wells, Aug. 15, 1739.

THE very kind and condescending reception

you were pleased to give to the laft book which I published, demands my first acknowledgment; and it perfuades me that your lordship much approves of our plain and warm manner of preaching, and our endeavours to make the great doctrines of the gospel to reach the hearts and confciences of thofe that hear us.

And I am called again to be thankful to your lordship for the honour you did me in ordering your late Paftoral Letter into my hands. Your lordship has so seasonably and so happily cautioned your flock againft that lukewarmnefs, which in times of peace is ready to overfpread all the profeffors of christianity, as, I hope, under the concurring influences of Divine Grace, will have a bleffed effect upon the people under your care. I hope, alfo, the clergy under your infpection will not think themselves neglected in your lordship's discourse, but will not only apply themselves with all holy zeal and fervency to warn their hearers of this danger, but fet themselves to root it out

from

from the tribe of Levi as well as the rest of the tribes of our Ifrael, and that every one among the priesthood may be burning and shining lights, and powerful examples among the people.

Your lordship's diftinction of the extraordinary and the ordinary influences of the Holy Spirit is fo very neceffary, that I think the New Teftament cannot be understood without it, and I wifh Mr. Whitfield would not have rifen above any pretences to the ordinary influences, unless he could have given fome better evidences of it. He has acknowledged to me in converfation, that it is fuch an impreffion upon his own mind that he knows to be divine, though he cannot give me any convincing proof of it. I faid many things to warn him of the danger of delufion, and to guard him against the irregularities and imprudences which youth and zeal might lead him into, and told him plainly, that though I believed him very fincere and defirous to do good to fouls, yet I was not convinced of any extraordinary call he had to fome parts of his conduct. And he feemed to take this free difcourfe in a very candid and modeft

manner.

I own with your lordship, that fo large and general a charge as he lays upon the clergy of the established church, it is impoffible for him to know certainly whether it is true or not, and therefore thefe

cenfures

cenfures are by no means justifiable. But if your lordship will permit me to fay, that your lordship's excellent citation of fome pages of your Charge to thofe of your Diocese is no fufficient refutation of the cenfure. That very Charge was put into my hands, at least twelve years ago, in Effex, and it was the first thing that wrought in my heart a reverence and veneration for your lordship. I think no man could give better advice; and I perfuade myself, all the best of the Diffenters, and I think far the greatest part of them, must have approved it with honour. But I cannot but fuppofe your lordship is fo well acquainted with the lower clergy of England, as to know that not a great many of them preach according to thofe admirable directions. If they did, I easily imagine there would be no Diffenters in many parishes in England where now they abound. It is not the differences of ordination and ceremony, no, nor the impofition of them without warrant, that are fo well underftood as to create a large feparation on thofe accounts merely. But it is the want of fuch preaching as your lordship recommends that makes many perfons, of serious religion, uneafy that they find not fuch edification for their fouls under the parochial clergy in many towns and villages. Nor do I think your lordship, and the rest of your brethren the bishops, can do any thing fo effectual to leffen

the

the feparation, and to make all the Whitfields less regarded and lefs dangerous to the church, as to induce the minifters under your care to preach and converfe among their people with that evangelical spirit, that zeal for the honour of God and fuccefs of the gofpel, and with that compaffion for the fouls of men that your lordship fo much approves and advises in your pious and excellent charge.

Forgive me, my Lord, I entreat you to forgive me, if my zeal for fuch preaching as your lordship prescribes, has carried me out fo far as to forget myself and the person to whom I write, as to fay any thing unbecoming the lower ftation of, my Lord, your Lordship's most obliged and faithful humble fervant,

ISAAC WATTS.

VOL. II.

F

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