fixed in the conviction, that the Son and the Holy Ghost are, with the Father, truly, properly, personally God.

In consequence of this, he from his pulpit openly and solemnly stated the change which had taken place in his views; inserted in two periodicals, one of them a number of the "Evangelical Magazine" for 1823, a brief, but unreserved, retractation of his former sentiments on this point; and, after more mature consideration, in the year 1826 published the work before alluded to, "Letters to a Friend," the object of which was, distinctly and explicitly to disavow the opinions advanced in his

Dialogues," which he did most unreservedly, retracing the steps which led to such deviation from truth, giving his reasons for his subsequent change, proving from the Word of God the fallacy of his former sentiments, with deep abasement of soul, and confessing his error before God and man. He bought up all the copies of his former work which were at the booksellers; and, from that time, both his friends and others were instructed to purchase for him every copy, new or old, which they could meet with, and he invariably committed them to the flames, often with expressions of the deepest selfloathing and penitence before God. His sin was truly ever before him, and he walked softly all his years in the bitterness of his soul.

We may however truly say concerning him, that in this instance alone did he who, by the grace of God, was endowed with so much that made him an example to follow, become a beacon to warn. We before traced the path by which he became exposed to, and fell into, the snare that lay before him, but it is, we conceive,

E

also due to his memory to suggest the probable cause of the speedy publication of the error.

While, as has been remarked in a former part of this memoir, one of his constitutional peculiarities was shyness; frankness and moral fearlessness were equally so; and these would lead him to consider the shrinking from the prompt and full avowal of whatever he believed to be truth, as insincerity and cowardice; the more especially when such avowal might aid in the emancipation of any of his fellow-believers from the thraldom in which he supposed them to be held, and from which he imagined himself to have escaped. His deep humiliation on the discovery of his fearful mistake, his ingenuous and courageous acknowledgment of it, regardless of all personal consequences, are indications of the same character; now rendered lowly and self-distrusting under the guidance of the Spirit of truth.

The lessons he learnt in this extremely humbling period of his life led him to be ever afterwards distrustful of any new opinions, and warily and cautiously to approach the investigation of them. To this cause, also, may possibly be traced the difficulty he felt, as his friends well know, in coming to any definite conclusion on the subject of unfulfilled prophecy. Doubtless, too, the former dishonour done to Him whom his soul loved, led him, in his ministry, especially to uphold the glory and Deity of the Son of God, and the Personality and work of the Holy Ghost. That venerable servant of God, the Rev. Rowland Hill, once said to him, "I would trust the doctrine of the Trinity with you before any man in London." Another saying of this aged and experienced minister may not be out of

place here, that he never knew an instance in which a man, who was honestly seeking to glorify God, was not brought back to the strait path, however far he might wander in doctrine; but if a man returned to the world, few indeed were the cases of restoration.

It cannot be matter of surprise that, during the time when these serious errors formed a part of Mr. Evans's creed, there should be much evil effect on his own soul; such he afterwards acknowledged to have been the case, and there was also a most manifest withering in his ministry. The work of conversion was entirely at a stand, he subsequently asserted that he did not know of one instance of it while he was preaching these doctrines; neither could it be expected that believers should go to be fed where poison was administered. A mere handful only of people composed at this time the congregation at John-street Chapel, while, immediately upon his restoration, the hand of the Lord was manifestly with him; conversions were numerous, and there was an evident power in the Word to the souls of God's people.

We have thought it advisable to insert a letter in this part of Mr. Evans's life, which, though written many years afterwards, refers so entirely to this chapter in his history, that we can only place it here.

In the year 1846 he received a letter from a brother in the ministry till then unknown to him, inquiring whether a book he had lately met with, "Dialogues explanatory of the Doctrine of the Trinity," were really written by him, and if so, requesting to know whether he still held the sentiments there put forth. The facts of the case altogether were peculiarly interesting. The clergyman in question was passing by a bookseller's stall in one of the by-streets in Liverpool. As he turned over some of

the volumes exposed for sale, his eye rested upon one entitled, "Dialogues on the Trinity, by James Harington Evans." Some other writings by the same author he had previously been acquainted with, more especially his sermons, which had appeared from time to time in the Pulpit," "Preacher," &c., and though personally unknown, for his work's sake he loved him. This led to the purchase of the book. For some time it lay upon his book-shelf unopened, till purposing to preach upon the subject of the Trinity, he began to read it, in utter ignorance of the sentiments it contained. He had not proceeded far before he came to a statement which startled him. He read on; his astonishment increased. A little farther, and his heart was filled with sorrow and consternation. He laid down the book, and took up his pen to ask the meaning of what he read, and whether the writer still held the sentiments published in the "Dialogues." To that inquiry the reply was as follows:

Hampstead Heath, June 6, 1846.

"BELOVED BROTHER, "I received your kind and affectionate, but faithful letter, yesterday, just as I was entering my pulpit. As I sometimes have letters that call for immediate consideration, even amidst the solemn engagements of the sacred day, I read it; nor am I sorry that I did, although I was sorry at the time. It served to endear a Triune God to me under the teaching and humblings of the Holy Spirit. It served to lay me somewhat lower in the dust than I was before,-to make the pardoning love of that God more precious, who has, I believe, condescended to pardon all the misstatements of those 'Dialogues,' and to make me hate them. It served also greatly to endear you to me for your truth

fulness, gentleness, and love.

The history of that unhappy book is somewhat long, and may be tedious, but you have a claim to be put into its possession.

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In the year 1816, towards its close, I first came to London, holding what is termed the usually received Trinitarian view of Divine truth,-in truth, just what I now hold. Soon after this my mind received a bias towards what I now esteem a very dangerous opinionthat of the pre-existence of the soul of our Lord; in other words, I fancied for it was but a fancy-that previously to His incarnation, His human soul had been taken into union with the Divine Word. To this view I

was probably led-in it I was certainly confirmed-by some of Dr. Watts's works. I read the opinion, therefore, without suspicion, under the influence of so holy, in all points so superior, a man. But, alas! this was in no small measure the fons mali.

"I need not go into the painful detail further than to state, that this issued in my publishing those crude notions embodied in the Dialogues'-notions which I now see to be full of dangerous and deceitful error.

Such, however, was the darkness which at that period overshadowed my mind, that at the time when those 'Dialogues' were published, not the most remote idea entered my perceptions that aught contained in them in the slightest degree invalidated the superstructure of the Redeemer's glory. Strange and paradoxical as it may appear, I thought that He was greatly exalted and glorified throughout; and yet, alas! alas! the whole was undermined. Subtile was the deception of the great deceiver on this point, but it was complete. Soon after, however, I had sent the book into the world, there were some misgivings, I doubt not, wrought in my