To James Morgan Date: ST. JUST, September 3, 1768. DEAR JEMMY, I have been thinking much of you; and why should I not tell you all I think and all I fear concerning you I think all that you said at the Conference In Bristol on Aug. 16-19. upon the subject of the late debate was right; and it amounted to no more than this, 'The general rule is, they who are in the favour of God know they are so. But there may be some few exceptions. Some may fear and love God, and yet not be clearly conscious of His favour; at least, they may not dare to affirm that their sins are forgiven.' If you put the case thus, I think no man in his senses will be under any temptation to contradict you; for none can doubt but whosoever loves God is in the favour of God. But is not this a little misstating the case I do not conceive the question turned here. But you said, or was supposed to say, 'All penitents are in the favour of God,' or 'All who mourn after God are in the favour of God.' And this was what many disliked, because they thought it was unscriptural and unsafe as well as contrary to what we had always taught. That this is contrary to what we have always taught is certain, as all our hymns as well as other writings testify. So that, whether it be true or not, it is without all question a new doctrine among the Methodists. We have always taught that a penitent mourned or was pained on this very account, because he felt he was 'not in the favour of God,' having a sense of guilt upon his conscience and a sense of the divine displeasure at the same time. Hence we supposed the language of his heart was, 'Lost and undone, for aid I cry.' And we believed he was really lost and undone till God did Peace, righteousness, and joy impart, And speak forgiveness to his heart.

I still apprehend this to be scriptural doctrine, confirmed not by a few detached texts, but by the whole tenor of Scripture, and more particularly by the Epistle to the Romans. But if so, the contrary to it must be unsafe, for that general reason, because it is unscriptural. To which one might add this particular reason, it naturally tends to lull mourners to sleep; to make them cry, 'Peace, peace,' to their souls, 'when there is no peace.' It directly tends to damp and still their convictions, and to encourage them to sit down contented before Christ is revealed to them and before the Spirit witnesses with their spirits that they are the children of God. But it may be asked, 'Will not this discourage mourners' Yes, it will discourage them from stopping where they are; it will discourage them from resting before they have the witness in themselves, before Christ is revealed in them. But it will encourage them to seek Him in the gospel way to ask till they receive pardon and peace. And we are to encourage them, not by telling them that they are in the favour of God though they do not know it (such a word as this we should never utter in a congregation at the peril of our souls), but we should assure them, 'Every one that seeketh findeth, every one that asketh receiveth.' If a man does not know the pardoning love of God for himself, I would ask, How or by what means are you to know it for him Has God given you to search the heart and try the reins of your hearers Can you infallibly know the real state of that man's mind Can you be certain that no secret sin stands between God and his soul Are you sure he does not regard iniquity in his heart I am afraid you have not been sufficiently wary in this, but have given occasion to them who sought occasion. But this is not all. I doubt you did not see the hand of God in Shimei's tongue. 'Unto you it was given to suffer' a little of what you extremely wanted obloquy and evil report. But you did not either acknowledge the gift or the Giver. You saw only Mr. T. Olivers, not God. O Jemmy, you do not know yourself.

O Jemmy, you do not know yourself. You cannot bear to be continually steeped in poison in the esteem and praise of men; therefore I tremble at your stay in Dublin. It is the most dangerous place for you under heaven! All I can say is, God can preserve you in the fiery furnace, and I hope He will. I am, dear Jemmy, Yours affectionately.