He was very industrious both in his parochial and literary work, and his delicate constitution broke down. He retired to London, but his health grew worse. He remained in London until 1762, when on his father's death he succeeded at once to the living of Weston Favell; some authorities assert, though others deny, that he scrupled so long about taking his father's other living of Collingtree that the presentation nearly lapsed to the bishop. At any rate he accepted both at last (the joint value only amounted to 180l. a year) in consideration of his having to support his widowed mother and sister. His biographers, say (though the statement requires explanation) that in order to qualify him for holding both livings his friends procured, without his knowledge, the certificates from Oxford of his being a BA.. that he might take the degree of M.A. at Cambridge. This be did at Clare Hall in 1769, and then settled at Weston Favell. He again overworked himself in his parish and in his study. This brought on a decline, of which he died on Christmas day, 1758. His body was, by his own express desire, carried to the grave covered with the poor's pall. He was buried under the middle of the communion-table of Weston Favell Church. His funeral sermon was preached by the ablest of all the evangelicals, William Romaine.
Hervey's writings were for a long time exceedingly popular. His finest work was entitled 'Meditations and Contemplations.' The first volume, containing 'Meditations among the Tombs,' 'Reflections on a Flower Garden,' and 'A Descant upon Creation,' was published in February 1745–46 and the second containing 'Contemplations on the Night', 'Contemplations on the Starry Heavens,' and a 'Winter Piece,' appeared in 1747. These volumes are filled with truisms expressed in the most inflated language, but were admired by educated parson., and even superseded to a great extent such a powerful work as Law's 'Serious Call.' The explanation may in part he found in Hervey's sympathy with the principles of the evangelical revival and partly in a true appreciation of the beauties of nature, very rare in his time. If he had condescended to write plain English many of his descriptions would have been pleasing. The 'Meditations' had reached a twenty-fifth edition in 1791.
Towards the end of 1752 he published 'Remarks on Lord Bolingbroke's Letters on the Study and Use of History,' and in 1755 a much more famous work, 'Dialogues between Theron and Aspasio,' in three volumes. This work he dedicated to Lady Frances Shirley, a kinswoman of Selina Hastings, countesse of Huntingdon [q. v.] Aspasia endeavours to convince Theron of the doctrine of imputed righteousness. The 'Calvinistic controversy' was then at its height, and Hervey, as a Calvinist, drew down upon himself many opponents, especially John Wesley, who wrote some 'Remarks' on 'Theron and Aspasio' which were not very complimentary either in matter or style. Hervey wrote 'Eleven Letters' in reply, which were all but ready for the press when he died, and which were published by his brother, William Hervey, in 1706. These are the most important of his works; but he also wrote in 1753 a perface, and account of the author for the 'Pious Memorials' of Richard Burnham (1711-1752) [q. v.] In 1757 he published three sermons preached on public fast-days, to which were added in the third edition of 1769 his sermon at Archdeacon Browne's visitation in 1763, and a sermon on the prevailing custom of visiting on Sundays. In 1767 he also published a new edition of his favourite work, Jenk's 'Meditations,' with a preface. He intended also to have written a treatise on 'Gospel Holiness', as a supplement to Theron and Aspasio. After his death a collection of his letters were published, and in 1782 his 'Letters to Lady Frances Shirley,' various sermons also were printed from his manuscripts,. All these compositions are included in the full edition of his 'Works,' published in 1 vol. folio, Edinburgh, 1769, in 6 vols. 8vo, Edinburgh. 1709, and afterwards several times republished.
A more gentle, pious, unworldly spirit than that of James Heresy it is difficult to conceive. He was never known to be in a passion; be made a solemn vow to dedicate all the profits of his literary work to pious and charitable uses, and scrupulously per-formed it. He was naturally disinclined to controversy, though from a sense of duty he threw himself into the hottest and most unsatisfactory of all controversies. The simplicity of his character is a strange contrast to the artificiality of his best-known writings; but in his correspondence and his sermons he uses a simpler end therefore more pleasing style. His popularity as a writer never led him to take a false view of his own powers; when it was at its height he frankly confessed that he was not a man of strong mind, and that he had not power for arduous researches.
