(This is from a letter George Whitefield wrote to James Hervey, which is in J.C. Ryles’ book on “18th Century Church Leaders”)
“I long to have my dear friend come forth and preach the truth as it is in Jesus; not a righteousness or holiness of our own, whereby we make ourselves meet, but the righteousness of another, even the Lord our righteousness; upon the imputation and apprehending of which by faith we shall be made meet by his Holy Spirit to live with and enjoy God. Dear Mr. Hervey, it is an excellent thing to be convinced of the freeness and riches of God’s grace in Christ Jesus. It is sweet to know and preach that Christ justifies the ungodly, and that all good works are not so much as partly the cause, but the effect of our justification. Till convinced of these truths, you must own free will is in man, which is directly contrary to the Holy Scriptures…Let me advise dear Mr. Hervey, laying aside all prejudices, to read and pray over Paul’s Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, and then to tell me what he thinks of this doctrine…”