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 JUSTIFICATION 
 
 B Y 
 
 FAITH ALONE: 
 
 Being the Subftance of a 
 
 LETTER 
 
 From the Rev. Mr. B — ge 9 in Cambridge- 
 /hire, to a Clergyman in Nottingham- 
 Jhire $ giving an Account of a great 
 
 Work of God wrought in his own 
 
 Heart, &c. 
 
 To which is here added, by way of Pieface, a 
 Word or two upon Juftifkation by Faith, and 
 how arTecled in an inftantaneous Manner, €sfc. 
 
 — — — mmmm — — — >^^pa fc— mm m+m~m— —m*mmi** ■< i — 
 
 By Grace are ye faved, through Faith > Eph.ii-. 8. 
 
 The THIRD EDITION. 
 
 1 " ■ * " " ■ ■ ' ' ■ i ii. ■ .i .. i , i.^ 
 
 LONDON; 
 Printed in the YEAR 17$* 
 
 £ Price Four-Pence. 3 
 
5UA36 
 
(3) 
 
 To the READER^ 
 
 T N the firil publication of this Letter, about a 
 ■* year ago, intitled, A Fragment of True Religion y 
 Sic*, the editor addreffes his readers in alow 
 pitiful oration, relating how he came by a copy of 
 it 5 therein endeavouring, as much as poflible, to 
 degrade and lefTen the character of that fincere, 
 honeft and worthy minifter of Jef us Chrift, the Rev. 
 Mr. Berridge. Yet, neverthelefs, has therein 
 ^ronfefled many notable truths of him : tho' its plain 
 he intended no good thereby. O ! were the chil- 
 dren of this world but truly fenfible what good 
 they do, and of what benefit it is to the fbuis of 
 God* s dear minifters and people to be reviled and 
 perfecuted for their Matter's fake, they would 
 quicklv have done wirh their wicked and Wrong- 
 grounded afperfions $ for, as one faid, a Chriflian 
 is like camcm//e y the more it is trodden the bette^ 
 it thrives. Alas ! alas ! how it mull grieve the 
 heart of every fincere chriftian to fee our late re- 
 formed church of England, (the bell eftabli/hed 
 church in the world) finking again into the very 
 dregs of Rome. The doclrine of the fall j origi- 
 nal fin 5 and juftificjatton by faith in the blood of 
 Chrift, as fet forth in her articles and homilies, 
 B 2 continually 
 
 * This letter was wrote by Mr. Berridge, to an intimatt 
 acquaintance, in order to give him an account of himfelf, and 
 what God had done for his Soul. But as things of this kind, 
 (to the unawakened) frequently become a jeil and ridicule, 
 fo it happened here ; copies of it were taken and handed about 
 the country, from one to another, till at laft it was fent up to 
 London, and printed without .he author's conientj but this 
 Third Edition is fold by his leave. 
 
CO 
 
 continually rejecled and oppofea by her own mem- 
 ben: not only by the unlearned, but alio by the 
 learned, even the clergy thcmlclves, who at their 
 ordination do folemnly engage ro preach and main- 
 fain thole doftrinet; j declaring in the pretence of 
 God; they find themielves moved thereunto by 
 the Holy Ghoft And yet alas ! how very rarely 
 <lo we find those who have taken this weighty 
 risk (the care of fouls) upon them, performing 
 this engagement as they ought. May the Lord 
 convince them of their error, and bring them out 
 ©f darkneis into his mar/ellous light. 
 
 But, as numberleis have been the lcruples and 
 disputes, and are to this day, both with learned 
 and unlearned, concerning juftification, orthefor- 
 givenefs of fins, how it can be a fudden or inflan- 
 taneous work affected upon the heart, and how a 
 poor guilty finner, can know affuredly, that God, 
 for Chrilt's fake, hath forgiven him all his fins, 
 &c. — This no unawakened perfon can believe: but 
 as all holy fcripture was written for our inftruc- 
 tion - y I would, therefore, mention a few inftances, 
 which I hope, through Chriit, will be a help to 
 fome in this matter. 
 
 i ft, Take the account given, John chap. viii. 
 of the woman taken in adultery, who was brought 
 before. Chrift, that he might finifh the lentence 
 agamft her. The poor guilty creature, doubtlefs, 
 itrod trembling before him, her own conscience ac- 
 cufing her, and expected every moment to be deli- 
 vered up to the executors : but fo far from this, 
 our blefled Lord, (who was not then come to con- 
 demn, but rather to fave finners) inftead of con- 
 demning her, juft ; fied her freely, bid her go and 
 fin no more. And 'tis believed, that /he never did 
 commit that fin any more. For when the Lord 
 pnclaims pardon to a finner, there is fufficient 
 grace and ftrengtb, accompanying the word to lave 
 
 fuch 
 
(5) 
 Rich fouls from the power, as well as the guilt of 
 .in, if they are careful to ufe it. 2. I mention the 
 ftory of Zaccheus, to whom our Lord faid, this 
 day falvation is come to thy houfe. 3d, That of 
 Cornelius, Acls chap, x, a cafe quite parallel to 
 Mr. Berridge's : he was faid to be a devout man 9 
 and prayed to God alway. (The Lord increafe the 
 numoer ot fuch ;) and yet one thing was wanting^ 
 to make him a compleat Chriftian. How got he 
 it? the Lord directed him to fend for Peter. On 
 Peter's coming and explaining the nature of 
 Chrift's Death, Refurreclion, &c. and declaring 
 that whofoever believeth in his name pall receive 
 remijjion of fins : and 'tis faid, that fuddenly the 
 Holy Ghoft fell on them all. 4th, Is the cafe of 
 the poor trembling joaler, A6ts xvi. with many 
 other fingle inftances, but 1 fhaJl clofe my account 
 with juft obferving what happened at Peter's firfh 
 fermon, Acls ii. What a clamour muft there be, 
 when 'tis faid that the multitude were at once 
 pricked in their hearts, trembling, and cried out, 
 men and brethren what muft we do. — To be laved, 
 <ver. 3 7. The preceeding verfes fliew how 30s© 
 of them were inftantly freed from their fears, and 
 received into the church of Chrift, c\c. And ge- 
 nerally thofe perfons who are now-a-days fo fud- 
 denly juftified, are of this fort, who come to Chrift 
 ielf-abhorred, and felf-condemned, having nothing 
 to plead, and nothing to pay, lb Chrift Ireely for- 
 gives them all, 
 
 This is his office, for this he came into the 
 world, namely to fave finners. And no other qua- 
 lification whatfoever in us, is neceflary to this 
 falvation but a true convi&ion, or fenfibility of 
 of our loft eftate, and a defire to be faved : the 
 condition is faith, faith only in our Lord Jefus 
 Chrift. How ufeful or excellent fbever human 
 
 B 5 learning 
 
( o 
 
 learning may be m other matters, as it certainly' 
 is to all teachers, and yet, 'tis plain the pofleifion 
 of it never did or ever will bring a foul e'er the 
 iboner to Chrifl, nor the lack of it, keep any one 
 the longer from him 5 yea, it is evident, from many 
 hundred years experience, the latter hath always 
 had the pre eminence. 
 
 A word or two concerning good works. The 
 itate and condition of it, according to the articles 
 of our church y which declare, * that works clone 
 
 * before the grace of Chrift, and the infpiration of 
 ** this holy fpirit, (that is, before justification) 
 <k are not pleatant to God becaufe they ipring not 
 ^ of faith in Jefus Chrift as God hath willed and 
 
 * commanded.' See Art. iq. This I know is a 
 great (tumbling block to many good meaning men, 
 fcut more fo to the wife and learned, who fo fre- 
 quently err, taking the wrong way, as the wife 
 man faith, Prov. xiv. 15. Or taking the cafe in 
 a wrong light, (forgetting original fin.) And 
 who can fet this in a clearer light than our blefled 
 Lord hath jlone, in the cafe of the tree and its 
 fruit? Matt. vii. 17, 18. He who well knew, 
 that the hearts of all men, by nature, were abomi* 
 nably wicked and corrupt 5 ib that a corrupt heart, 
 as well as a torrupt tree y mujl be made good before 
 its fruit can be good. 
 
 This is the doclrine held and fet forth by that 
 learned methodift preacher, Mr. J. Wejlcy, as is 
 fully explained in his Appeals to men of reafon 
 and Religion. And for the fatisfaclion of thofc 
 that cannot, and fome others that perhaps will not 
 be at the pains to feek for it, I will infert thecon- 
 clufion ot what he has faid on that head. After 
 ^"plaining the term juftification by faith, and clear- 
 ed up fe?cral objections agsfmft it, from icripturo 
 
 the 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 the articles, homilies and liturgy of the church $ 
 heconiludes thus, * 
 
 i. * That no good works properly fo called can 
 4 go before j unification. 
 
 2. * That no degree of true fanclification can be 
 4 previous to it. 
 
 3. * That as the meritorious caufe of juftification 
 
 * is, the life and death of Chrift $ fo the condition 
 ' of it, is faith, faith alone 5 and 
 
 4. v That both inward and outward holinf, 
 
 4 are confequent on this faith, and are the ordina- 
 
 * ry, flated condition, of final j uft ification. 
 
 4 And what more can you defire, who have hi- 
 1 therto o^ote&juftijicaticn by faith alone, merely 
 
 * upon a principle of confcience -, becauie you was 
 
 * zealous for holineis and good works ? do 1 not 
 
 * effectually fecure thefe from con-empf, at the lame 
 4 time that I defend the doctrines of the church ? 
 
 * I not only allow, but vehemently contend, that 
 ' none /hall ever enter into glory who is not holy 
 4 on earth, as well in heart, as in all manner of 
 4 converlation. I cry aloud ? let all that have be- 
 
 * lieved, be careful to maintain good works. What 
 
 * means then this endlefs ftrife of words ? or, what 
 4 doth your arguing reprove ?•' 
 
 One word more to you my believing brethren. 
 As all difputations of this kind tend little to the 
 glory of God, 1 believe the belt thing to be done, 
 is to treat fuch perfons with gentlenefs, pity, and 
 love: if we can thus prevail over them, well, if 
 rot, let us bring thofe poor unbelieving fouls to 
 God in our prayers as objects of his m^rcy $ and 
 never ceafe to pray for them, till God has anfwer- 
 cd our petitions according to his word, Ask and 
 it Jhall be given thee* Ask life then for ttiy bro- 
 ther, and the Lord will grant it. And I am per- 
 
 fuaded 
 * £ee further Appeal, P, \% t 
 
fuaded this would avail more in fuch cafes, than 
 twenty well wrote arguments — O that all thepro- 
 fefTed chriftians of this n' tion might ceafe from 
 opinions and unprofitable difputations, and only 
 flrive who fha.ll moft excel in obedience to our 
 bleffed Redeemer, and love one towards another. 
 Then fhall the kingdom of Ghrift be exalted day 
 by day, and that of Satan fink beneath our feet. 
 Which that this may be the happy cafe, is the ear- 
 ned wifh and prayer of one of the leaft, moft un- 
 worthieft, whom Chrift has redeemed by his moft 
 precious blood, 
 
 J.W. 
 
 ! 
 
 
 ^ LET- 
 
A LETTER, giving an Account of 
 his Life, Study 3 and Converfon : toge- 
 ther with the great Work of God among 
 his People. / ^^^ 
 
 Rev. and dear Sir, 
 
 MY defire and intention in this letter is to 
 inform you what the Lord has lately done 
 for my foul : In order to this, it may be 
 needful to give you a little previous information 
 of my manner of life from my youth up to the 
 prefent time. 
 
 When I was about the age of fourteen, God 
 was pleafed to fhew me that 1 was a (inner, and 
 that I mult be born again before I could enter into 
 his kingdom. Accordingly I betook myfelf to 
 reading, praying and watching $ and was enabled 
 hereby to make fome progrefs in fancliflcation. In 
 this manner I went on, though not always with 
 the fame diligence, till about half a year ago. I 
 thought myfelf in the right way to heaven, tho' 
 as yet i was wholly out of the way $ and imagi- 
 ned I was travelling towards Sion, though I had 
 never yet fet my face thitherwards. Indeed God 
 would have fhewn me that I was wrong, by not 
 owning my miniftry, but I paid no regard to this 
 for a long time, imputing my want of fuccefs to 
 the naughty hearts of my hearers, and not to my 
 own naughty doclrine. 
 
 You may ask, perhaps, what was my doclrine ? 
 why, dear fir, it was the doctrine that every man 
 
 will 
 
C io ) 
 will naturally hold whilft he continues in an un- 
 regenerate ftate, viz. That we are to be juftified 
 partly by our faith, and partly by our works. 
 This doctrine 1 preached for fix years at a curacy, 
 which 1 ferved from college $ and though I took 
 fome extraordinary pains, and preflVd fanclification 
 upon them very earneftly, yet they continued as 
 unfanclified as before, and not one feu! was brought 
 to Chrift. There was indeed a little more of the 
 form of religion in the parifh, but not a «n '•it 
 mire of the power. At length I removed to Ever* 
 ton, where I have lived altogether. Here again 
 I preffed fanclification and regeneration as vigo- 
 roufly as 1 could 5 but finding no iuccefs, alter 
 two years preaching in this manner, I began to be 
 difcouraged, and now fome fecret mifgivinrs arofe 
 in my mind, that I was not rii>ht myfelf. (This 
 happened about Chriftmas laft.) Thofe mifgt- 
 vings grew ftronger, and at lafl very painful. Be- 
 ing then under great doubts, 1 cried unto the 
 Lord very earneftly. The conftant language of 
 my heart was this, — l Lord if I am right keep 
 6 me io-j if 1 am not right, make me fo. Lead me 
 • to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jelus.' 
 After about ten days crying unto the Lord, 
 he was plea fed to return an aniwer to my prayers, 
 and in the following wonderful manner. As 1 was 
 fitting in my houle one morning, and mufing up- 
 on a text ot icripture, the following words were 
 darted into my mind with wonderful power, and 
 feemed indeed like a voice from heaven, (viz.) 
 ' Ceafe from thy own works' Before 1 heard thefe 
 words, my mind was in a vrry unufual calm 5 but 
 as fbon as 1 heard them, my foul was in a tempeft 
 directly, and the rears flowed from my eyes like 
 a torrent. The fcales fell from tny eyes immedi- 
 ately, and I now clearly faw the rock 1 had been 
 iplittmg on for near thirty years, 
 
 Dc 
 
C ii ) 
 
 Do you ask what this rock was? Why it was 
 fome fecret reliance on my own works for fal- 
 vation. I had hoped to be laved, partly in my 
 cwn name, and partly in Chri/t's name ; though 
 1 am told * there is falvation in no other name, 
 f except in the name of Jefus Chrift, Acls iv. 12.' 
 — 1 had hoped to be faved partly through my own 
 works, and partly through Chrift's mercies ; 
 though I am told * we are faved by grace through 
 
 * faith, and not of works, Eph. ii. 7, 8.'->-l had 
 hoped to make myielf acceptable to God partly 
 through my own good works, though we are told, 
 4 that we are accepted through the beloved, Eph. 
 
 * i. o~.' — 1 had hoped to make my peace with God 
 partly through my own obedience to his laws, 
 though I am told, * that peace is only to be had 
 « by faith, Rom. v. i.' I had hoped to make my- 
 felf a child of God by fanclification, though we 
 are told * that we are made children of God by 
 
 * faith in Chrift Jefus, Gal. iii. 26. I had thought 
 that regeneration, the new birth or new creature, 
 eonfifted in fa notification, but now I know it con 
 lilts in faith, 1 John v. 1. — Compare aifo thefetwo 
 pafTages together, Gal. vi. 15,— and Gal. v. 6 y — 
 where you will find that the new creature is faith 
 working by love, the apoftle adds thefe words, 
 working by love, in order to diftinguifh a living 
 faith from a dead one. I had thought that fan&i- 
 ficatlon was the way to juftification, but now I 
 am affured that fan&ification follows after juftifi- 
 cation ; or in other words, that we muft firft be 
 iuftified by faith before we can have any true fanc- 
 tification by the fpirit. When we are juftified it 
 is done freely, i. e. graciouily, without any the 
 leaft merits of ours, and folely by the grace of God 
 through jefus Chrift, Rom. iii 24.-28. 
 
 All that is previoufly needful to juftification is 
 
 this, that we are convinced by the fpirit of Goti 
 
 1 Hi * of 
 
C n ) 
 
 of our own vftter finfulnefs, lfa. Ixiv. 6. — convin- 
 ced that we are children of wrath by nature, on 
 account of our birth- (in, Eph. ii. 3. — and that we 
 are under the curie of God on account of a&ual fin, 
 Gal. iii. 10. — And under thele convictions come 
 to the Lord Jeius Chrift, renouncing all riehte- 
 oufnefs of our own, and relying fblely on him, 
 who is appointed to be the Lord our righ e- 
 ouinefs. Jer. xxiii. £. Again, Chrift lays, come- 
 unto me all )e that labour and are henvy laden 
 (with the burden of fin) and I will give you reft, 
 i. e. 1 will take the burden away, I will releaie 
 you from the guilt of fin. Where you may ob- 
 serve, that the only thing required of us when we 
 come to Chrift, is to come burdened and leniible 
 that none can remove this burden but Chrift. A- 
 gain, Chrift did not come to call the righteous 
 but finners to repentance. See alio Luke iv. 18. 
 Hear how he cries out in Ifaiah lv. 1. " Ho, eve- 
 " vy one that thirtieth, come ye to the waters, 
 <4 and drink 5 come buy wine and milk (i. e. the 
 <: bleilings of the gofpel) without money and with- 
 44 out price." Where we are ordered to bring no 
 money, i. e. no merits of our own ; we muft not 
 think to make a purchafe of theie blefilngs by any 
 deferts of ours. They are offered freely, i. e. gra- 
 cioufly, and muft be received freely. Nothing 
 more is required from us but to thirft after them. 
 "Why was the Pharifee rejected? ^Lukexviii. 10, 
 &c.) becaule he came pleading his own works be- 
 fore God. He was devout, juft, chafte, and ab- 
 fiemious 5 and thanked God for enabling him to 
 be fo. Very well - 7 fo far all was right. But then 
 he had fome reliance on thefe works, and there- 
 fore pleads the merits of them before God. Which 
 fhewed that he did not know what a finner he was 
 and that he could only be faved by grace through 
 faith. He opens his mouth before God, and pleads 
 
 his 
 
Kom. x. 5. — I did not feek after righreoufnefs 
 through faith, bur as if were by the works of 
 the law. Thus I Humbled and fell, Rom. ix. 31, 
 32. — In fbort, to ufe a homely fimilitude, I put 
 the jufhice of God into one fcale, and as many 
 good works of my own as I could into the other, 
 and when I found, as I always did my own good 
 works* not to be a balance to the divine juftcie, 
 1 then threw in Chrifl, as a make-weight. And 
 this eve'-y one really does who hopes for falvation, 
 partly by doing what he can for himf.df, and then 
 relying on Chrifl for the red. 
 
 But, dear fir, Chrift will either be a whole Sa- 
 viour or none at alT. And if you think you have 
 any good iervice of your own to recommend you ^ 
 unto God, you are certainly without any interefl : 
 in Chrift: Be you ever fo fober, ierious, juft and 
 devout, you are ftill under the curfe of God as 1% 
 was, and know it not, provided ypu have any V 
 allowed reliance on your own works, and think 9 
 they are to do fomething for you, and Chrift to 
 do the reft. 
 
 1 now proceed to acquaint you with the fuccefs 
 I ha/e lately had in my' miniftry. As fbon as 
 God had opened my own eyes, and fliewed me the 
 true way to lalvation, I began immediately to 
 preach it. And now 1 dealt with my hearers in a . 
 very different manner from what I ufed to do. I 
 told them very plainly, that they were children 
 of wrath, and under the curfe of God, though 
 they knew it not, and that none but Jefus Chrift 
 could deliver them from that curfe. I asked then*, 
 if they had ever broke the law of God once in 
 thought, word, or deed ? If they had, they were 
 then under the curfe: For ir is written,, « Curled 
 ' is every one that continueth not in all the things 
 ' that are written in the book of the law to do 
 
 * them.' And again, ' He that keepeth the whole 
 
 * law, and yet offendeth in one point, is euilty of 
 
'all.' If indeed we could keep the whole law 
 without offending in one point j if we had done 
 and c uld continue to do all the thinos in God's 
 law, then indeed we might Jay claim to eternal 
 life on the fcore of our own works. But who is 
 iufficient for thele things ? If we break God's law 
 we immediately fall under the curfc of it, and none 
 can deliver us fiom this curie but Jefus Chriffc. 
 There is an end for ever after of any juftification 
 from our own works. No future good behaviour 
 Can make any atonement tor paft mifcarriages. If 
 1 keep all God's laws to day, this is no amends 
 for breaking them veiterday. if 1 behave peaceably 
 to my neighbonr this day it is no fatisfa&ion for 
 having broke his head yefierday. 
 
 \i' therefore 1 am once under the curie of 
 God, for having broken God's law, I can never 
 after do any thing of my i elf to deliver me from 
 this curfe. I may then cry out, O wretched man, 
 that \ am! who fhall deliver me from this body 
 pi fin ? And find none able to deliver, but Jefus 
 Chrift, Rom. vii, 25, 24, 15. — So that if 1 am 
 once a finuer, nothing but the blood of Jefus Chrift 
 can cleanfe me from fin. All my hopes arc then 
 in him, and 1 muff fly to him as the only refuge 
 let before me. 
 
 Jn this manner, dear fir, I preached and do preach 
 to my nVck, labouring to beat down felf righte- 
 unineis} labouring to fhew them that they were 
 r.ll in a left and perilhing Hate, and that nothing 
 could recover them out of this ftate, and make 
 them children of God, but faith in the Lord Jefus 
 . (hrift. And now fee the confequence. This was 
 ftranae doclrine to my hearers. They were fur- 
 prifed, alarmed, and vexed. The old man, the 
 carnal nature, was ftirred up, and railed, and op- 
 posed the truth. However, the minds of raoft 
 werefeized with fome conviclions, and the hearts 
 of ibme were truly broken for fin, fb that they 
 
 c ame 
 
f I7 } . 
 
 came to me, as thole mentioned in the Acls, 
 throughly pricked to the heart, and crying out 
 with ftrong and bitter cries, What muft I do to 
 be laved ? I then laid the promifes before them, 
 and told them, if they found themfelves under the 
 curie, Chrift was ready to deliver them from it ; 
 if they were really weary and heavy laden, Chiift 
 would give them reft -, if their hearts were broken 
 for fin, and they would look up unto Chrift, he 
 would heal them. I exhorted them alio to thank 
 God for thele convictions, alluring them it was a 
 token of good to their fouls. For God muft flrft 
 fmite the heart, before he can heal it, Ifa. xix. 21. 
 I generally found that they received comfort from 
 the promifes 5 and though they complained much 
 of ihe burde n of fin, and of an evil heart of unbe- 
 lief, yet they always went away refrefhed and com- 
 forted. Many have come unto me in this manner, 
 and more are continually coming; and though 
 lome fall off from their firft conviciion.9, yet others 
 e'eave ftedfaftly unto the Lord. They begin to re- 
 joice in him, and to !ove him 5 they love his wordy 
 and meditate much upon it ^ they exercife them- 
 lelves in praye , and adorn their profefiion by a 
 fuj table life and converlation. 
 
 And now let me make one reflection. I preach- 
 ed up fmcliiieation very earneftiy for fix years in a 
 former parifh, and never brought one foul to 
 Chrift. I did the fame at this parifh for two 
 years without any fuccefs at all 5 but as foon as 
 ever I preached Jelus Chrift, and faith in his 
 blood, then believers were added to the church 
 continually 5 then people flocked from all parts to 
 hear the glorious lound of the gofpel, fome com- 
 ing fix miles, others eight, and others ten, and 
 that conftantly. And new let me ask, what is the 
 reafon why my miniftry was not bleffed, when 
 1 preached up lalvation partly by faith, and part- 
 ly by works ? It is becaufe this doclrine is not of 
 
 CI 9 '' » 
 
( 18 ) 
 
 God j and he will profper no minifters but fuch as 
 preach falvaiion in his own appointed way, (via. J 
 by faith in Jefus Chrifl. 
 
 Let me now apply myfelf to your own heart, 
 and may God difpofe you to receive my words in 
 the fpirit of meeknefs. Indeed fir, I Jove and re- 
 ipeft. you, clie I could not have wrote to you fo 
 freely. Are roil then in the fame error, that I was 
 in, for near forty years, (viz.)that)ou muft befaved 
 partly by faith, and partly by works ? And have 
 you constantly preached this doclrine ? Then you 
 may be certainly arTured of thefe two things : Firlt, 
 That you never yet brought one foul to Chrifl by 
 your miniftry. And feconyly. That you are not 
 yet in the way to falvation yourfelf. Oh ! be not di£ 
 pleafed with me for telling you the truth. But 
 you will fay, perhaps, that you have not only been 
 Sincere, but ever zealous in preaching the word 
 of God. So was 1 $ but there is a zeal which is 
 not according to knowledge ^ and that zeal I had, 
 though 1 knew it not. You may fayfarther, that you 
 have read and prayed much, fo .have I, but ftill 
 I knew nothing as I ought to know, 'till God was 
 p'eafed to fhew me that I was blind, and then I 
 tried heartily to him for light and direction, and 
 he opened mine eyes, John ix. 30. 
 
 Dear Sir, will you attend to the following ad- 
 vice ? it la very fare advice, be the flate of your foul 
 what it will. Pray to God to lead you into the 
 knowledge of the truth as it is in Jeius. Beleech 
 God to keep you in the (ruth, if you have re- 
 ceived it • or if you are in error, to reveal it unto 
 you. If you will do this heartily and conftantly, 
 God will not fuffer you tc abide leng in darknefs, 
 if indeed you are in darkneis, "James i. 5. 
 
 I now proceed to give you fome further account 
 of myfelf, and of the Impediments which kept me 
 from the truth. When I flrft came to the univer- 
 sity, I applied myfelf diligently to my ftudics, 
 
C >9 ) 
 thinking human learning to be a necefTary qualifi- 
 cation for a divine, and that no one ought to preach 
 unlefs he had taken a degree in the univerfity. Ac- 
 cordingly 1 frudied the daffies, mathematics, phi- 
 lofophy,' logic, metapoyfics, and read the works 
 of our molt eminent divines; and this I did for 
 twenty yean; and all the while vyas departing 
 more and more from the truth as it is in Jefus $ 
 vainly hoping to receive that light and inftrucfion 
 from human wifdom, which could only be had 
 from the word of God and prayer. 
 
 During this' time 1 was thought a method i ft by 
 fome people, only becaufe I was a little more grave, 
 and took a little more piins in my min;ftry than 
 fome others of my brethren ; but in truth I was 
 no methodift at all, for I had no fort of acquain- 
 tance with them, and could not abide their funda- 
 mental docliine of j jftification by faith, and 
 thought it high preemption in any to preach, 
 unlels they had taken holy orders. But when 
 God was pleafed to open mine eyes about half a 
 year ago, he fhewed and taught me ether things. 
 Now I law that nothing had kept me lb much 
 from the trurh as a defire of human \vifdom. Now 
 I perceived, that it was as difficult for a wile or 
 learned man to be faved, as it was for a rich man 
 or a nobleman, i Cor. i. z6. Now 1 (aw that God 
 chofe the fool i 111 things of this world to confound 
 the wife, for two plain realbns 5 ift, That n:> 
 flefli Ihoukl glory in his prelence, 1 Cor, 1. 2 p.—* 
 And, adly, to Ihew that faith did not Hand or 
 was not produced, by the wifdom of man, but by 
 the power of God, 1 Cor. ii. 5. Now Idifcerned, 
 that no one could underftand the word of God, 
 but by the fpirit of God, 1 Cor. ii. 12, Now 1 
 law that every believer was anointed by the holy 
 fpirit, and thereby led to the knowledge of all 
 needful truths, 1 John ii. 20. -And of courfe that 
 every true believer was qualified to preach the 
 
gofpel, provided he had the gift of utterance, 
 Now I law that the method ifls doctrine of juftifi- 
 cation by Faith, was the very doclrine of the gof- 
 pel ; and 1 did no lodger wonder at the fuccefs 
 which thofe preachers met with, whether they 
 were clergymen or laymen. They preached Chrift's 
 doclrine and Chrift owned it 5 ib that many were 
 added to the faith daily. 
 
 J3-tyou will fay perhaps, that thefe methodifts 
 are id <m tics. Let us therefore examine the mat- 
 ter. A fcifmatic is one that diflents and divides 
 from an cflablifhed church $ at leaft this is the 
 general notion of a fchifmatic. Now I ask, what 
 do you mean by a church, or what is it that makes 
 one church to differ from another? It is the doc- 
 trine The church of England differs from the 
 church of Rom , not by its fteeples, bells, or 
 S'tflittents, but by irs doctrines. Schifm therefore 
 confiftsin depait'ng fom the doctrines of a church, 
 and not from the walls of a church, In the time 
 tfSrirbitch fair, o-.e iermon is always preached 
 in the open fields to the people at the fair, and 
 preached by ibme fellow of a college or clergyman 
 at Cambridge. Now I ask, would you call this 
 clergyman a fchifraatic ? No furely. And yet he 
 preaches in the open fields, and upon unconfecrated 
 ground. It is plain then, that ichifm doth not 
 confiil in preaching out of the walls of a church, but 
 in preaching contrary to the doctrines of the chureh. 
 
 And now, dear fir, let me lay open my fin and 
 my fliame unto you. I folemnly fubferibed to the 
 articles of our church 5 and gave my hearty afTent 
 and confent to them. Amongft the reft, I de- 
 clared that, " We are accounted righteous before 
 God, only for the merits of our Lord and Saviour 
 Jefus Chrift by faith, and not for our own works 
 or deiervings, and that we are juftified by faijh 
 only," as it is exprefTed in the eleventh article. 
 But though 1 folemnly fubferibed this article, 1 
 
 neither 
 
( « ) 
 
 neither believed nor preached it i but preached 
 falvation, partly by faith and partly by works. 
 And oh, what dreadful hypocrify, what ftiame- 
 ful prevarication was this ! I called and thought 
 myfelf a churchman, though I was really a diffen- 
 ter and a fchifmatic$ for 1 was undermining the 
 fundamental dofrrine of our church, and the fun- 
 damental doctrine of the gofpei, namely juftifica- 
 tion by faith only, and yet dreadful as my cafe 
 was, 1 fear it is the cafe of moft of the clergy in 
 England. Scarce any thing is preach-rd but jufti- 
 ficat ; on by faith and works. And what is the 
 confequence ? Why, there is fcarce any true religi- 
 on amongft us, the gofpei of Chrift is not truly 
 preached by us, and Chrift will not own our mi- 
 niftry. Look around the parifhes which are near 
 you, and fee whether you can find any thing be- 
 sides the form of religion, and not much of that. 
 Nay, amongft thofe who are thought religious 
 people 5 who are fober, ferious, juft and devout j 
 who read, and faft, and pray, and give alms 5 
 amongft thofe you will fcarce find one, who knows 
 any thing of the power of religion, and has expe- 
 rimental knowledge uf it. For H you ask fuch 
 people in the very words of fcripture, " Whether 
 " they know that Jefus Chrift is in them, other- 
 " wife, they are reprobates." 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 
 " Whether Chriftdwells in their hearts by ftith." 
 Eph, iii. 17. Whether their fins are forgiven for 
 Chrift's name fake. 1 John ii. 12. Whether they 
 have reeeived an undrion from the holy one. 1 John 
 ii. 20. Whether the love of God has been ftied 
 abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghoft. Rom. 
 v. ;. Whether they are filled with joy and peace 
 in believing, Rom. xv. 13. Whether they walk 
 in the Comfort of the Holy Glioft, and do ever 
 rejoice with joy mfpeakable and full of glory. 
 A&s ix. 31. 1 Pet. i 8. And laftiy, whether 
 the Holy Spirit bears witnefswith their own fpirit, 
 
 th*t 
 
C ** ) 
 
 that they are the children of God. Rem/viii. 14, 
 1 5» itf- If, I fay, you ask the better fort amongil 
 US, whether they have any experience t f theie mat- 
 ters : they would flare at you with the utmoft a- 
 mazement, and would think you an enthufiaft, if 
 they did not call you fo. Now iuch people who 
 have all the form, but none of the power of religi- 
 on 5 wh# are outwardly reformed, but not inward- 
 ly renew ed by the Holy Ghofl 5 thefe are what our 
 Saviour calls whited fepulchres, beautiful with- 
 out, but full of rottenneis within. They are itriv- 
 ing to enter into the kingdom of heaven, but are 
 not able : becaufcthey do not ftrive la vfuliy . For 
 they do not feek to enter in through Jefus Chrift, 
 but partly through Chrift, and partly through 
 themlelves; partly by faith and partly by works. 
 Thefe are the almoft, but not altogether Chrifti- 
 ans, — And if at any time it happens that fbme a- 
 mongft us are feized with deep conviction, and are 
 made f-nfible of their utter need of Chrift, and 
 that they can only be juflifTed by faith in his 
 blood 5 thefe people not rinding proper food for 
 their fouls in our churches, are obliged to go elfe- 
 where, and feek it where they can find it. It is 
 no wonder therefore that there are fb few real Chri- 
 ftians amongfl us. — If you read over the homilies 
 of the church, if you read over the fathers of 
 the church, if you read the wcrks of the good 
 old bifhops that were publifhed an hundred years 
 ago, you will there find the gofpel of Chrift preach- 
 ed, and the true doclrine or our own church. But 
 fince that time, I mean in the laft century, our 
 clergy have been gradually departing more and 
 more from our doctrines, articles, and homilies ; 
 fo that at length there was fcarce a clergyman to 
 be found, but who preached contrary to the arti- 
 cles he fubferibed. And almoft all the fermoiw 
 that have been publi/hed in the laft century, both 
 by bifhops and curates, are full of that foul-de- 
 n r>, ;„„ HnArinp that we are to he iuftified. partly. 
 
C *3 ) 
 l>your own works, and partly by Chrift's merits. 
 
 Do you ask how all the clergy came to tall into 
 this pernicious doclrine ? I anfwer, very eafily. 
 Everyman, whilft he continues under the power 
 of the carnal mind, and is net awakei.ed to iee his 
 utter loft condition, is naturally difpofed to em- 
 brace this doctrine, for not being yet convinced 
 by the i'pirit of God, that all his righteoufneis is- 
 as filthy rags ; lfaiah lxiv. 4. and thar he is with- 
 out help and ftrength in him felf, Rom, v 6. I 
 lay, not being convinced of this he naturally goes 
 about to eitablifh ibme righteoufneis of his own, 
 and cannot iubmit to the righteoufneis of God by 
 Faith. Not being yet fenfible of his utter loft and 
 helplefs ftate, he muft have ibme reliance on him- 
 felf: and thus inftead of looking wholly to Jefas 
 Chrift for fakation, he locks partly to Chrift, 
 and partly to himfelf: inftead of leek ing for righ- 
 teoufneis and ftrength from the Lord Jefus Chrift, 
 he iceks for it paitly from Chrift and partly from 
 himie!f: inftead of leeking to be juftified in the 
 lord, he leeks after juftification. partly tHro' the 
 Lord, and partiy through himfelf. But f.e what 
 Chrift faith of this muter, lfa. xlv. 22, 23, 24,25. 
 
 And now let me ask how the whole church of 
 Rome happened to depart from the fimplicityof the 
 gofpel, and to fall into this doclrine of works and 
 faith which we now preach. It was owing to the 
 depraved nature of man, which makes him think 
 himfelf to be fomething, and that he can do fome- 
 thing, though he is nothing; and can do nothing 
 to juitlfy himfelt in God's fight. At the reforma- 
 tion, our church returned again to Jefus Chrift, 
 and placed juftification on the gofpel footing of 
 faith only. And lb it continues to this day : but 
 though our articles and homilies continue found 
 and evangelical, yet our clergy have departed once 
 more from both, and are advancing to Rome again 
 with hafty fttides 5 preaching in fpite of articles 
 and fubfeription, that moft pernicious, papiftical, 
 
C>4 ) 
 and damnable doctrine of juftification by faith and 
 works. Which doctrine, I am verily a flu red, no 
 one can bold, and be in a (late of ialvatior. — But 
 I truit God is once more vifitinq in mercy our 
 poor diftrefled church. He rufed up Mr. Whit- 
 field and Mr. Wtfley about twenty years ago, who 
 have ccuragioufly and fuccefsfully preached up the 
 doctrine of our church. And he is now daily rai- 
 fing up more and more clergymen. At Chriftmas 
 laft, I was informed, there were forty clergymen 
 who were brought to the acknowledgment of the 
 truth ; and rhree more have been ac J ded to the 
 faith, within the laft fix weeks. And oh! for 
 ever adored be the mercy of God in opening my 
 eyes, and leading me to the knowledge ot thetruth 
 as it is in Jefus. 
 
 I have ient you a couple of books and a pam- 
 phlet, and I make you a prefent of them. Read 
 them over carefully. And before you begin to read 
 at any time, always look up to the fountain of wif- 
 dom for light and direction, For if you rely on 
 your own abilities, or other mens labours, God 
 may keep you ignorant of his glorious gofpel, as a 
 punifhment for your prefumption and neglect of him. 
 
 When 1 fat down to write, I did not inrend to 
 have filled more than half a fheet, but when I 
 took my pen in hard, I knew not how to lay it 
 afide. 1 have wrote my lent i men ts with great free- 
 dom, and 1 hope without offence. May God give 
 a blefling to what I have wrote : may he enlighten 
 your eyes, as he hath done mine, adored be his 
 mercy : may he lead you by his ipirit to the know- 
 ledge of the truth, as it is in Jefus $ and make you 
 instrumental in bringing fouls from darknefs into 
 light, and tranflating them out of the kingdom 
 ot Satan into the glorious kingdom of his dear 
 Son. Jmen t Amen. 
 
 Everton^ 
 July 3, 1758. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
l J 5 ) 
 
 his own caufc; though God declares that every 
 mouth lliall be flopped before him, and the whole 
 world brought in guilty before God. Rorn. iii.19. 
 —And why was the publican jnftified ? not on 
 account »f his own good works, but becaufe he 
 was ienfible of his evil ones 5 and accordingly 
 came lelf-accufed, felf- condemned, and crying out 
 only for mercy. 
 
 And now, dear fir, hear what is the rife and 
 rogrefs of true religion in the foul of man. When 
 the fpirit of God has convinced any perfon that 
 he is a child of wrath and unier the curfe of 
 God, (in which ftate every one continues to be 
 till he has received Jefus Cfirifl into his heart by 
 faith) then the heart of fuch an one becomes bro- 
 ken for fin 5 then too he feels what he never kncnv 
 oefore, that he has no faith, and accordingly la- 
 ments his evil heart of unbelief. In this fht^ men 
 :.ontinue fbme a longer, fbme a lefs time, till God is 
 aleafed to work faith in them. Then they are 
 uflified, and are at peace with God, Rom. v. 1. 
 i. e. have their fins forgiven them, tor that is the 
 neaning of the word peace. See Luke vii. 48 — 50. 
 — {When we have received faith from God (for it 
 s his gift, Ephef^ ii. 8.) to juftify our psjrfons, 
 hen we afterwards receive the fpirit to finclify 
 )ur natures. Ephek i. 13. — Gal. iii 14. And now 
 :he work of fanflification goes furward, now his 
 ruit is more and more unto holineis 5 now the 
 ove of God is fhed abroad in his heart by the 
 lojy fpirit, Rom. v. 5. now he walks in the com- 
 hrt of the Holy Ghoft v Acls ix. 13. Now he is 
 i]hd with joy and peace in believing, Rom. xv, 
 13. now he rejoiceth with joy unlpeakable and 
 uJl of -glory, 1 Pet. i. 8. And now he hath the 
 pirit of Gcd bearing witrefs with his own fpi- 
 it, that he is a child of God. Rom. viii.i<>. — 1 
 fohn v. 1 o —/Thefe are the things that I was an 
 xtter itranger to before, not with ftanding all my 
 C reading 
 
' 
 
 C 14) 
 
 reading, watching, and praying 5 and theft arc 
 things that every one mult be a it ranger to, 'till 
 he is made a child of God by faith in Chriit Jeius. 
 But to proceed $ though a believer is continually 
 more and more ianclified in body, ioul and ipirit, 
 \e^ his hopes of heaven are not built on his ian&i- 
 fieation, but on his faith in Chriit ; he knows 
 that he is only compleat in Chriit, Col. ii. ic. 
 And that the moment he feeks ro be juitified by 
 his own obedience to God's laws, that moment 
 he falls from Chriit, and ceales to have an intereft 
 in Chriit, Gal. v. 4 — Accordingly, though he 
 Jabours to abound in all the fruits of righteoufhef>, 
 yet, like St. Paul, he defires to be found only in 
 Chriit, not having, i. e. not relying on his own 
 righteoufnefs, but on the righteoufnefs of God fey 
 faith, Phil. iii. S, 9. 
 
 And now let me point out to you the grand 
 delation which had like to have ruined my ioul. 
 I law very early fomething of the unholine's of 
 my nature, .and the neceility of being born again. 
 Accordingly I watched, prayed, and failed too, 
 thinking to purify my heart by theie means, 
 whereas it can only be purified by faith, Acts xv. 
 5. Watching, praying, and failing are neceffary 
 duties, but I, like many others, placed fume ie- 
 cret reliances on them, thinking they were to do 
 that for me, in part at leaft, which Chriit only 
 could. The truth is, though I law myfelf to be 
 a finner, and a great {inner, yet 1 did not iee my- 
 icif an utter loft finner, and therefore 1 could not 
 come to Jeius Chrift alone to iave me 3 defpifed 
 the doclrme of juitification by faith alone, look- 
 ing on it as a fooliih and a dangerous doctrine j I 
 was not yet frriptofall my righteoufnel- could not 
 
 confider it all as filthy rags, and there»v,_ . 
 
 about to eitablifh a n'ghtcouinefs of my own, and d d 
 not iubmit to the righteouiheis of God by faith, 
 
 Rom 
 
 

 1 
 
 ( T 5 ) ■ /Urt 
 
 rightly performing whatever he requires : that our 
 only buiinefs was to love ar.d delight ourfelves in 
 God : that for his own part, he was plsafed when 
 he could take up even a ftraw in obedience to the 
 divine will : that he had no other care but faithfully 
 to reject every other thought : that we fhould not 
 be weary of doing the fmallefl thing for God, as 
 he regards not :h« greatnefs of the work, but the 
 love with which it is performed." 
 
 He bad no fear or apprehenfion of death, becaufe 
 he was always ready to lay dov/n his life out of love 
 *o G6d. And giving advice to fome that were in 
 diftrefs, he faid, " We ihould confider ourfelves as 
 worthy of" all contempt, and not to deferve the name 
 of Chriftians : as perfcns whom God would humble 
 fcy many pains and labours ; then we fhould no lon- 
 ger wonder that troubles and oppoiitions befall us." 
 " Perfect resignation, faid he, is the fure way to 
 heaven, and fuflkient light for our conduct. God 
 always gives us light in our cioubrs when we 
 have no other dcfign but to pleafe him. In diffi- 
 culties we need only have recourfe to Jefus Chfiii, 
 arc be£ his grace, by which every thing becomes 
 eafy. We ihould feek no happinefs bat in fulfilling 
 the will of God, whether he pleafe :o lead na 
 [by fufferings or congelations; and all will be e- 
 tal to a foul refilled and thoroughly united with 
 m. He that t,hu« enjoys God, is defiroas of no- 
 hing but him. Pain and fufferings would be para- 
 ce to me, while I fhould fufter in the prefence of 
 od. 'I lie greateft pleafure would be hell if J could 
 rehlh them witho'ut him. All my confolation would 
 R ro luffer fomething for his fake. The whole world 
 ufFer ; and I who deferve fe great punishment feel 
 :ontinual joy. I could willingly afk of God to fuf- 
 fer a part of what befalls others, but that I 2m affur- 
 ;t'd oi my weaknefs to bear any thing. If he lefr me 
 . l moment I mould be the rnofr wretched man alive." 
 d The hours fet apart for prayer were but a ccnti- 
 4, uation of his conflant exercifc. " I prefent myfei*, 
 
 faid 
 
( i6 ) 
 
 faid he, before God ; befecch him to form his per- 
 fect image in my foul, and render me entirely like 
 himfelf. When the appointed time of prayer is over, 
 I find no difference, becaufe I ftill continue with God, 
 praifing ar.d bleffmg him with all my might. And I 
 am affured beyond all doubt it hath been thus with, 
 me for above thirty years. I have no uneafinefs about 
 my Hate, becaufe I have no will but that of God.'* 
 " I mud, faid he, go to him. My comfort is, that I 
 now fee him by faith, fo that I could fometimes fay, 
 that believing is loll in fight. I feel what faith' 
 teaches ; and in that affurance, and continued aft of 
 Jove, I will live and die with him." In a letter he 
 wrote two days before he took to his bed and died, 
 he faid, " I expecl, from his mercy, the favour to 
 fee him in a few days. Let us pray for each other.'* 
 
 It is faid of him, that his very countenance was 
 edifying, and could not but affect the beholders. A 
 fweet calm devotion always appeared in his face ; 
 and in the greateil: hurry of bufinefs he preferved his- 
 recollection and heavenly-mindednefs, doing every 
 thing in order, with great compofure of fpirit, ne- 
 ver being hafty, or feen to loiter. The time of 
 bufinefs, he faid, did not differ with him from that 
 of prayer; fo that in the r.oife and hurry of others, 
 when feveral were calling on him at the fame time, 
 for different things, he poffeiled God as entirely, 
 and with the fame tranquillity of fpirit, as if he 
 had been at the Lord's Table. 
 
 I mall conclude with the words of a celebrated 
 writer: — 'I defire you to remember what' I 
 
 * have often recommended, which is, That you do 
 « not forget God, day nor night, in any of your 
 'employments. Think often upon him; pray to 
 « him without ceafing ; live and die with him. 
 « This is the belt work you can be employed in. It 
 1 is our profeflion, trade, and calling. — If we do 
 ' not know it, we mult learn it ; and ufe ourfelves 
 
 * to a continual, familiar, and humble converfation 
 « and intercourfe with him.' 
 
 FINIS.