PART 3:

 

Shortly Instances, wherein the Subjects, or Promoter of this Work, have been injuriously blamed.

 

 In treating of the methods to be taken to promote this work; I would, 1. Take notice, wherein fault has been found. with the conduct of the subjects, or promoters of it, beyond just cause. 2. I would show what things ought to b corrected or avoided. And, 3. What ought to be done to, promote it, first, I would take notice of some things, at which Wenoe.14Is been-taken without or beyond just cause.

 

 1. One thing that `has been complained of, is, Ministers addressing themselves to the affections of their hearers, and striving to raise their passions, rather by, earnestness in voice and gesture, than by clear reasoning: By which means, it, is objected, the affections are moved, without a proportional enlightening of the understanding.

 

 To which I would say, I am far from thinking that it is not very profitable for Ministers, in their preaching, to explain the doctrines of religion, unravel the difficulties that attend them,. to confirm them with strength of reason and argumentation, and also to observe some method and order herein: Yet I believe the objection made, of affections raised without enlightening the understanding, is, in a great measure, built on a mistake, and confused notions that some have, about the nature and cause of the affections, and the manner in which they depend on the understanding. all affections are raised either by light in the understanding, or by some error and delusion in the understanding: For all affections certainly arise from some apprehension in the understanding; and that apprehension must either be agree. able to truth, or not: If it be an apprehension agreeable to truth, then it is light in the understanding: Therefore the thing to be inquired is, Whether the apprehensions of Divine things, that are raised in people's minds by these affectionate Preachers, be apprehensions that are agreeable to truth, or whether they are mistakes If the former, then the affections are raised the way they should be, namely, by informing the mind, or conveying light to the understanding. They go away with a wrong notion, that think those Preachers cannot affect their hearers by enlightening their understandings, who do not do it by such a distinct handling of doctrinal points, as depends on human discipline, or the strength of reason, and tends to enlarge their hearers learning, and speculative knowledge in divinity. The manner of preaching without this, may tend very much to set Divine things in a right view, and to jive the hearers

 

much apprehensions of them as are agreeable to truth, and such impressions on their hearts as are answerable to the real nature of things.

 

 And not only the words spoken, but the manner of speaking, has a great tendency to this. An affectionate way of preaching about the great things of religion, has no tendency to beget false apprehensions of them; but a much greater to beget true apprehensions of them, than a moderate, dull, indifferent way of speaking. Affection and earnestness in the manner of delivery, if it be very great indeed, yet if it be agreeable to the nature of the subject, not beyond proportion to its importance, and there be no appearance of its being feigned or forced, has so much the greater tendency to beget true apprehensions in the minds. of the hearers, of the subject spoken of, and so to enlighten the understanding: And that, for this reason, That such a manner of speaking of those things does, in fact, truly. represent them. If the subject be worthy of very great affection, then a speaking of it with very great affection is the truest-representation of it, and therefore has most tendency to beget true ideas of it. Nor are Ministers to be blamed for, raising the affections of their hearers too high, if that which they are affected with be worthy of affection, and. their affections are not raised beyond a proportion to importance or worthiness.

 

 I know it has long been fashionable to despise an earnest a pathetical way of preaching; and they only have been valued as preachers, that have shown the greatest extent of learning, and strength. of reason, and correctness of method anti language: But -I humbly conceive it has been for want of understanding or duly considering human nature, that such, preaching: has been thought to have the greatest tendency, to answer the ends of preaching. And the experience of the present and past ages abundantly confirms the same. Speculative knowledge in divinity is not what is so much needed by our people, as something else. Men may abound in this sort of light, -and have no heat: How much has there. been of this sort of knowledge in this age Was there ever-an age, wherein strength and penetration of extent of learning, exactness of distinction, correctness, style, and clearness of expression, did so abound Yet; was there ever an age, wherein there has been so: little sense of the evil of sin, so little love to God, heavenly-mindedness and holiness of life, among the professors of the true religion Our people do not so much need to have. their heads stored, as to have their hearts touched; and they stand in the greatest need of that sort of preaching that has the greatest tendency to do this.

 

 Those texts, ”Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like: a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and' the house of JACOB their sins;" (Isa. lviii. 1;) and, ”Thus says the LORD God, Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say Alas!, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel!," (Ezek. 6: 11,) will justify a great degree of pathos, of zeal and fervency in preaching the word of GOD: They may indeed be abused; but, let us interpret them how we will, they at least imply, that a most affectionate and earnest manner of delivery, in many cases, becomes a Preacher of God's word.

 

 2. Another thing that some Ministers have been blamed for, I think unjustly, is speaking terror to them that are already under great terrors. Indeed if they go about to terrify persons with that which is not true, or to affright them by representing their case worse than it is, or in any respect otherwise than it is, they are to be condemned; but if they terrify them only by still holding forth more light, and giving them to understand more of the truth of their case, they are altogether to be justified When sinners are awakened by the SPIRIT of GOD, it is by light imparted to the conscience, enabling them to see their case as it is; and, if more light be let in, it will terrify them more: But Ministers are not therefore to be blamed, that they endeavor to hold forth more light to the conscience, and do not rather alleviate the pain they are tinder, by intercepting and obstructing the light that shines already. Vt by should we be afraid to bring persons, that are in an infinitely miserable condition, into the light, for fear it should terrify them The more we bring sinners into the light, while the light is terrible to them, the more likely it is that by and by the light will be joyful to them. The ease, peace and comfort, that natural men enjoy, have their foundation in darkness and blindness; therefore as that darkness vanishes, and light comes in, their peace vanishes, and they are terrified: But that is no God argument why we should endeavor to hold their darkness, that we may uphold their comfort. The truth is, as long as men do not savingly believe, however strict and laborious they may be in religion, they have the wrath of God abiding on them; they are his enemies, and the children of the Devil: And, seeing this is the truth, they should be told so, that they may be sensible what their case indeed is.

 

 To blame a Minister for thus declaring the truth to those who are under awakenings, and not immediately administering comfort to them, is like blaming a surgeon because when he has begun to thrust in his lancet, whereby his

 

patient shrinks and cries out with anguish, he is so cruel that he will not stay his hand, but goes on to thrust it in further, till he comes to the core of the wound. Such a compassionate physician, who, as soon as his patient began to cry, should withdraw his hand, and immediately apply a plaster to skin over the wound, and leave the core untouched, would heal the hurt slightly, crying,” Peace, peace, when there is no peace."

 

 Indeed something else besides terror is to be preached to them-whose consciences are awakened; the Gospel is to be preached to them. Sinners, at the same time that they arm told how miserable their case is, should be earnestly invited-to come and accept of a Savior: But this is to allow them to escape from the misery of the condition they are ow- in, not to make them think it is less miserable than it is or at all to abate their uneasiness and distress, while they are in it; that would be the way to fasten them in it, and notto excite them to flee from it. Comfort in one sense, is to be held forth to sinners under awakenings of conscience, comfort is to be offered to them in CHRIST, on condition of their fleeing from their present miserable to him hut comfort is not to be administered to them, in their present state, as any thing that they, have now any title to.’ 'No comfort is to be- administered to them, from anything in them, any of their qualifications, prayers or other performances, past, present or future; but Ministers shield in such cases, strive to their utmost to take all such comforts from them. A person that sees himself ready to sink in the Hell, is ready to strive, some way or other, to lay God under some obligation to him; but he is to be beaten off from every thing of that nature, though it greatly increases his terror, to see himself wholly destitute, on every side, of any refuge or any thing of his own to lay hold of; as a man that sees himself in danger of drowning, is in terror, and endeavors to catch hold on every twig within his reach, and he that pulls away those twigs from him increases his terror; yet if they are insufficient to save him, and by being in his way prevent his looking to that which will save him, to pull them away is necessary to save his life.

 

 If sinners are in distress, from any mistake they are under, that is to be removed: For instance, if they are in terror, from an. apprehension that they have committed the unpardonable sin, such terrors have no tendency to do them any God; for they are from- temptation, not from conviction: But that terror which arises from conviction, or a sight of truth, is to be increased; for those that are most awakened, have great remaining stupidity; they have a sense of but little of that which is; and it is from remaining blindness and darkness that they see no more, and that remaining blindness is a disease that we ought to endeavor to cure. I am not afraid to tell sinners, that are most sensible of their misery, that their case is indeed as miserable as they think it to be, and a thousand times more so; for this is the truth. Some may be ready to say, that though it be the truth, yet it seems not to be seasonable then: But it seems to me, such truth is never more seasonable than at such a time, when CHRIST is beginning to open the eyes of conscience. Ministers ought to act as co-workers with him; to take that opportunity, and to the utmost to improve that advantage; and when the light has begun to shine, then to remove all obstacles, and use all proper means that it may come in more fully. And experience abundantly shows, that to take this course is not of an hurtful tendency; I have seen, in very many instances, the happy effects of, it; and never knew any ill consequence, in case of real conviction, and when distress has only been from thence.

 

 I know of but one case wherein the truth ought to be with-held from sinners in distress of conscience, and that is the case of melancholy: And it is not to be with-held from them then, because the truth tends to do them hurt, but because, if we speak the truth to them, sometimes they will be led into error by it, through that strange disposition there is in them to take things wrong; unless it be spoken with abundance of caution and prudence, and consideration, of their-disposition and circumstances. But the most awful truth of God's word ought not to be with-held from public, ’congregations, because it may happen that some such gessoes-may be it; any more than the Bible is to ,withheld: from the Christian world, because it is manifest there are many who exceedingly abuse the awful things contained in, the Scripture, to their own wounding.

 

 What has, more especially raised a loud cry against some Preachers is their frighting poor children with talk of Hell and damnation. 'But if those that complain of this, really believe that all are by nature the children of wrath, and heirs Hell; such a cry betrays great weakness and inconsideration.' As innocent as children seem to be to us, yet, they are without CHRIST, they are not so in God's sight; but are in a most miserable condition, as well as grown persons;, and they are naturally very senseless and stupid, being born as the wild ass's colt. Why then should we conceal the truth from them Will those children that little, been dealt tenderly with in this respect, and lived and died indispensable of their misery till they come to feel it in Hell- saved-thank their parents for their tenderness, in not fitting; and know what they were in danger of If parents' love towards their children was not blind, it would affect them much more to see them exposed to eternal burnings, and yet senseless, than to see them suffer the distress of that awakening that is necessary in order to their escape from them.' A child that has a dangerous wound may need the painful lancet, as well as grown persons; and that would be' a foolish. pity, in such a case, that should hold back the lancet, and throwaway the life.-I have seen the happy, effects, of dealing plainly with children in the concerns of their souls, without sparing them at all, in many instances; and never knew any ill consequence of it, in any one instance.

 

 3. Another thing that has been blamed is, having so frequent religious meetings, and spending so much time in religion. And indeed, there are none of the externals of religion but what are capable of excess. But yet, this objection of persons spending too much time in religion, has been in the general groundless. Though worldly business must be done, and persons ought not to neglect the business of their particular callings; yet it is to the honor of God, that a people should be so much in outward acts of religion, as to show a great engagedness of mind in it, as the main business of life: And especially at a time when God appears unusually present with a people in wonderful works of power and mercy. And as to the grand objection of” Six days shalt thou labor;" all that the objectors themselves understand by it is, that we may follow our secular labors in those six days, and ought to be diligent in them: Not but sometimes we may turn from them, even within those six days, to keep a day of fasting or thanksgiving; and that more frequently or rarely, as God's providence and the state of things shall call us.

 

 But if the matter be justly considered, it will be found, that the country has lost no time from their temporal affairs by the late revival of religion, but rather gained time; and that more time has been saved from idleness and unprofitable visits, vain talk, and needless diversions, than has been spent in extraordinary religion; and probably five times as much has been saved in persons' estates, at the tavern, and in their apparel, as has been spent by religious meetings.

 

 That the great complaint that is made against so much time spent in religion, cannot be in general from a real concern the God may be honored, is very manifest from this, that there is a much more zealous outcry made against this extraordinary religion, than was before against so much time spent in taverns, vain company, night-walking, and other things, which both waited our time and substance, and injured our moral virtue.

 

 I confess that when I hear a great crying out in a congregation, in the manner that I have heard it, when those things are spoken that are worthy of their being greatly affected by, I rejoice in it, much more than merely in an appearance of solemn attention, and a show of affection by weeping; and that because, when there have been those outcries, I have found from time to time a much greater and more excellent effect. To rejoice that the work of GOD is carried on calmly, without much ado, is in effect to rejoice that it is carried on with less power, or that, there is not so much of the influence of God's SPIRIT. For though the degree of the influence of the SPIRIT of GOD, on particular persons, is by no means to be judged of by, the degree of external appearances, because of the different constitutions, tempers and circumstances of men; yet, if there be a very powerful influence of the SPIRIT on a mixed multitude, it will cause some way or other a great visible commotion.

 

 And as to Ministers aiming at such effects; I suppose one aim at it any otherwise, than as they strive to raise the affections of their hearers to such an height as often appears therein and if those affections are God, and it be found by experience, that such a degree of them commonly has a God effect,: I think they are to be justified in so doing.

 

 5. Again, some Ministers have been blamed for keeping, persons together, that have been under great affections, which have appeared in such extraordinary outward manifestations. Many think this promotes confusion; that persons in such circumstances do but discompose each other's minds, and disturb the minds of others; that therefore it is best they should- be dispersed; and that when any in a congregation are so seized, that they cannot forbear outward manifestations of it, they should be removed, that others may not be diverted.

 

 But I cannot. but think that those that thus object, go upon quite wrong notions of things: For though persons ought to take heed that they do not make an ado without necessity; yet the unavoidable manifestations of strong religious -affections are found by experience to have an excellent and durable effect: And so to contrive and order things, that others may have opportunity and advantage to observe them, has been found to be blessed, as a great means to promote the work of God; and to prevent their being in the way of observation, is to prevent the effect of that which God makes use of as a principal. means of carrying on his work at such a time, namely, example; which is often spoken of in Scripture, as one of the chief means by which GOD would carry on his work in the time of the prosperity of religion in the latter days. In Zech. 9: 15, 16, those that in the latter days should be filled in an extraordinary manner with the HOLY SPIRIT, so as to appear in outward manifestations, and making a nose, are spoken of as those that God, in these uncommon circumstances, will set up to the view of others, as a prize or ensign, by their example to animate others, as men gather about an ensign, and run for a prize, or a crown, set up in their view. The words are.” And they shall drink and make a noise as through wine, and they shall be -filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar. And the-LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. " Whereas those that make this objection, instead of suffering this prize or ensign to be in public view, are for having it removed, and hid in some corner.

 

 6. Another thing that gives great disgust to many, is the disposition that persons show, under great elections, to speak so much, and, with such earnestness and vehemence, to be setting forth the greatness and importance of eternal things; and to be so passionately warning, inviting, and in treating others.

 

 I am far from thinking that such a disposition should be wholly without any limits or regulation: But yet it seems to me, that such a disposition in general is what both reason and. Scripture will justify. Those that are offended at such things, as though they were unreasonable, are not just Upon examination will probably be found, that they have one rule of reasoning about temporal things, and another about spiritual things. They will not at all wonder, if a person on some very great and affecting occasion, of extraordinary danger, or great joy, As disposed to speak much, and with great earnestness, especially to those to whom he is united in the bonds of dear affection. And therefore, if they were just, why would they not allow it in spiritual things- And much more in them, agreeable to their vastly greater importance, and more affecting nature

 

 That a very great sense of the importance of the things of religion, and the danger sinners are in, should sometimes cause an almost insuperable disposition to warn others, is agreeable to Jer. 6: 10, 11.” To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: Behold, the word of the Loan is unto them a reproach; they have no delighting it. Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad; and upon the assembly of the young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged, with him: that is full of days." But it is said by some, that the people who are the subjects of this work, when they get together, several in a room talking at the-same time, make a noise just like a company drunken persons. On which I would observe, that it is foretold that GOD's people should do so, in that fore mentioned place, (Zech. 9: 15, 16, 17,) which I shall now take mdr1a particular notice of. The words are as follows: “The LORD of hosts shall defend them, and they shall devour and subdue With sling-stones, and they shall drink and make a noise through wine,. and they shall be filled like bowls, *, corners of` the altar; And the Loan their God she& ealvei them) in: that day as the flock of his people; for the to shall be as thee stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. For how great is his Godness, and how great-is his-beauty! Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids." The words are very remarkable.: Here. it is foretold, that at the time when (CHRIST shall set up an universal kingdom upon earth, (verse 20,) the-children- of Zion shall drink, till they are filled like the vessels of thee sanctuary: And, if we would know what they shall be thus filled with, the prophecy explains itself; they shall be filled as the vessels of the sanctuary that contained the drink-offering, which was wine. And yet the words imply, that it shall not literally be wine, but that they shall be filled with that, which the wine of the drink-offering represented, or was a type of, which is the HOLY SPIRIT, as well, as the blood of CHRIST, that new wine that is drunk in our Heavenly FATHER's kingdom: They shall be filled with the SPIRIT, which the Apostle sets in opposition to a being drunk with wine. (Eph. 5: 18.) It is here foretold, that the children of Zion, in the latter days, should be filled with that which should make them cheerful, and cause them to make a noise as through wine, and by which they that are thus filled shall be as the stones of a crown lifted up as an ensign upon God's land, being made joyful in the extraordinary manifestations of the beauty and love of CHRIST; as it follows,” How great is his Godness I and how great is his beauty!" And it is further remarkable, ’that it is here foretold, it should be thus especially amongst young people;” Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids." It would be ridiculous to understand this of literal bread and wine: without doubt, the same spiritual blessings are signified by bread and wine here, which were represented by bread and wine, and;ire signified by the bread and vine in the LORD’s Supper. One of the marginal readings is,” shall make the young men to speak;" which is agreeable to that in Canticles, of the ”best wines causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak."

 

 We ought not to be like the unbelieving Jews in CHRIST'S time, who were disgusted both with crying out with distress, and with joy. When the poor blind man cried out before all the multitude,” JESUS, thou SON of DAVID, have mercy on me!" and continued instantly thus doing; ”the multitude rebuked him that he should hold his tongue." (Mark 10: 46, 47, 48; and Luke 18: 38, 39.) They looked upon it to be a very indecent noise that he made; a thing very ill becoming him, to cause his voice to be heard so much, and so loud. And when CHRIST made his solemn entry into Jerusalem, the whole multitude of the Disciples, of all sorts, especially young people, began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, ” Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. But the Pharisees said to CHRIST, Master, rebuke thy disciples." They did not understand such great transports of joy; it seemed to them a very unsuitable and indecent noise and clamor that they made, a confused uproar, many crying out together, as though they were out of their wits; they wondered that CHRIST would tolerate it. But what says CHRIST” I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."

 

 7. Another thing that some have found fault with, is so much singing in religious meetings. Objecting against such a thing as this, seems to arise from a suspicion already established of this work: They doubt of the pretended extraordinary love and joy that attend this work, and so find fault-with the manifestations of them. If they thought persons had truly an extraordinary degree of Divine love, and hnaven1y,rejoicing in GOD, I suppose they would not wonder at their having a disposition to be much in praise. They will not object against the saints and angels in heaven singing praises and hallelujahs to God, without ceasing day or night; - and therefore doubtless will allow that the more the, saints on earth are like them in their dispositions, the more they will be disposed to do like them.

 

 But what is more especially found fault with in the singing that is now practiced, is, making use of hymns of human composure. And I am far from thinking that the book of Psalms should be thrown by in our public worship, but that it should always be used in the Christian Church to the end of, the world: But I know of no obligation we are under to confine ourselves to it. And it is really- needful that we should have some other songs besides the Psalms of DAVID. It is unreasonable to suppose that the Christian Church should forever, in her praises of God and the Lamb, be confined only to the words of the Old Testament, wherein all the greatest and most glorious things of the Gospel, that are infinitely the greatest subjects of her praise, are spoken of under a veil, and not so much as the name of our glorious Redeemer ever mentioned, but in some dark figure, or as hid under some type.

 

PART 4: 

 

Showing what things are to be corrected or avoided, in promoting this Work.

 

 HAVING thus observed some instances wherein the conduct of those that have appeared to be the subjects of this work, or have been zealous to promote it, has been objected against without or beyond just cause: I proceed now in the Place, to show what things ought to be corrected or avoided.

 

 1. If we look back into the history of the Church of God, we may observe it has been a common device of the Devil to overset a revival of religion, when he can keep men quiet no longer, then to drive them to excesses and extravagancies. He holds them back as long as he can; but when he can do it no longer, then he will push them on, and, if possible, run them upon their heads. And it has been by this means chiefly that he has been successful, in several instances, to overthrow promising beginnings: Yea, the principal means by which he was successful, by degrees to overset that grand religious revival of the world, that was in the primitive ages of Christianity, and in a manner to overthrow the Christian Church through the earth, and to make way for and bring on the great anti-Christian apostasy, that masterpiece of all the Devil's works, was to employ the indiscreet zeal of Christians, to drive them into those three extremes of enthusiasm, superstition, and severity towards opposers; which should be an everlasting warning to the Christian Church.

 

 Though the Devil will do his diligence to stir up the open enemies of religion, yet, in a time of revival of religion, his main strength is tried with the friends of it; in his attempts upon them, to mislead them. And one truly zealous person, in the time of such an event, that seems to have a great hand in the affair, and draws the eyes of many upon him, tray, do more (through SATAN'S being too subtle for him) to hinder-the work, than a hundred great, and strong, and open opposers.

 

 The errors of the friends of the work of GOD, and especially of the great promoters of it, give vast advantage to the enemies of such a work. Indeed there are many things that are no errors, but are only duties faithfully done, that wound- such. persons more than real errors: But yet one real error gives opposers as much advantage, and hinders and clogs the-work as much as ten supposed ones. - Real errors do not fret acid gall the enemies of religion so much as those wings, that are strictly right; but they encourage them more, they give them liberty, and open a gap for them; so that some who before kept their enmity burning in their Own bowels, and durst not show themselves, will on such an occasion take courage, and give themselves vent; and their rage will be like that of an enemy let loose; and those that My still before,- having nothing to say but what they would, be ashamed of, when they have such a weapon put into their will fight with all their violence. And indeed, the enemies of religion would not know what to do for weapons to fight with, were it not for the errors of the friends of it. And besides, in real errors, things that are truly disagreeable the rule of God's word, we cannot expect that GOD will appear on our side, as if our errors were only supposed ones.

 

 Since therefore the errors of the friends and promoters of such a glorious work are of such dreadful consequence; and seeing the Devil, is so assiduous and subtle in his attempts with them, and has thereby been so successful to overthrow religion heretofore; certainly such persons ought to be exceeding circumspect and vigilant, diffident and jealous of themselves, and humbly dependent on the guidance of the God Shepherd. ”Be sober, and watch unto prayer." (1 Pet. 4: 7.) -" Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about." (Chap. 5: 8.) For persons to go on resolutely, in a kind of heat and vehemence, despising admonition and correction, is directly contrary to the import of these words,” Be sober, be vigilant."

 

 2. It is a mistake I have observed in some, by which they have been greatly exposed, that they think they are in no danger of being misled by the Devil, because they are near to GOD; and so have no jealous eye upon themselves, and neglect vigilance and circumspection. They say, they do not think that God will leave them to dishonor him, as long as they keep near to him. And I believe so. too, as long as they keep near to God in that respect, that they maintain an universal diligent watch, and avoid sin and snares with diffidence in themselves, and humble dependence and prayerfulness: But not merely because they are near to God, in that respect, that they are now receiving refreshing views of him; if at the same time they are not. jealous over their own hearts, by reason of its remaining blindness and a subtle adversary.- It is a grand error for persons to think they are out of danger. even in their highest spiritual joy. However highly we may be favored with Divine comforts, yet, as long as we are in the world, we are in the enemies' country; and therefore that direction of CHRIST to his disciples is never out of date;” Watch and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all, these things, and to stand before the SON of MAN." (Luke 21: 36.) For though GOD stands ready to protect his people, especially those that are near to him; yet he expects great care and labor of all, and that we should put on the whole armour of God, that we may stand in the evil day: And whatever spiritual privileges we are raised to, we have no warrant to expect protection in any other way; for GOD has appointed this whole life, as a state of labor, to be all as a race or battle; the state wherein` we shall have no need of watching and fighting is reserved for another world. I have known it in abundance of instances, that the Devil has come in very remarkably, even in the midst of the most exalted frames: It may seem a great mystery that it should be so; but it is no greater mystery than that CHRIST should be carried into the wilderness, immediately after the heavens had been opened to him, and the HOLY GHOST descended like a dove upon him, and he heard that joyful voice from the FATHER, ”This is my beloved SON, in whom I am well pleased." In like manner a Christian is oftentimes carried into a wilderness, presently after heaven has been as it were opened to the soul, and the HOLY GHOST has descended upon it like a dove, and God has been sweetly owning the believer, and testifying his favor to him as his beloved child.

 

 It is therefore a great error in some, that they are fixed in their way, in things that others account errors, and will not hearken to admonition and counsel, but are confident they are in the right, because they have great degrees of the SPIRIT of GOD. There were some such in the Apostles ''days. The Apostle PAUL, writing to the Corinthians, was sensible that some of them would not be easily convinced that they had been in any error, because they looked upon themselves as spiritual, or full of the SPIRIT of God. But, says he, If any man think himself to be a Prophet," or spiritual,” let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandment, of the LORD; hut if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant." (1 Cor. 14::37, 38

 

 And although' those that are spiritual amongst us have no infallible Apostle to admonish them, yet let me in treat them, to weigh what may be said to them by one that is their hearty and' fervent friend, concerning the errors that have been committed, or that we may be exposed to, in methods or practices that have been, or may be, fallen into, by the zealous friends or promoters of this great work of God.

 

 3. In speaking of the errors that have been, or that we are in danger of, I would,

 

First, Take notice- of the causes whence the errors that attend a great revival of religion usually arise; and, of some errors that arise from each of those causes. Secondly. Observe some errors that have been owing to the influence of several of those causes conjunctly.

 

 As to the first of these, the errors that attend a great revival of religion usually arise from these three things; Undiscerned spiritual pride. 2. Wrong principles. Ignorance of SATAN'S devices.

 

 The first and worst cause of errors, in such a state things,:is spiritual pride. This is the main door by which the Devil comes in. It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit, to darken the mind and mislead the judgment. This is the main handle by which the Devil has hold of religious persons, and the chief source of all the mischief that he introduces, to clog and hinder a work of GOD. It is by this that the mind defends itself in other errors, and guards itself against light, by which it might be corrected and reclaimed. The spiritually proud man is full of light already, he does not need instruction, and is ready to despise the offer of it.

 

 I know that many things are injuriously laid to the pride of those that are zealous in the cause of God. Then any person appears zealous in religion, exerts himself more than others do, or seems to be distinguished with success, ten to one but those that are about him will suspect (whether they have cause or no) that he is very proud of his Godness, and that he affects to have it thought that nobody is so God as he. Those that are themselves cold and dead, and especially such as never had any experience of the power of godliness on their own hearts, are ready to entertain such thoughts of the best Christians, which arises from a secret enmity against vital piety.

 

 But then zealous Christians should take heed that this do not prove a snare to them, and the Devil do not take advantage from it, to blind their eyes from beholding what is indeed in their hearts, and make them think, because they are charged with pride wrongfully, in many things, that therefore it is so in every thing. Alas! how much pride have the best of us in our hearts! It is the worst part of the body of sin and death: It is the first sin that ever entered into the universe, and the last that is rooted out.

 

 The corruption of nature may all be resolved into two things, pride and worldly-mindedness, the Devil and the Beast:- These are the two pillars of DAGON's temple, on with the whole house leans. But the former of these is every way the worst part; it is the first-born son of the Devil,: and his image in the heart of man chiefly consists in it);. t is the last thing in -a sinner that is overborne by contiation an order to conversion; and it is most like the Devill its father, in a serpentine deceitfulness; it lies deepest;. and • is most active, most ready secretly to mix itself with every thing.

 

 It takes occasion to arise from every thing; it perverts and, abuses every thing, and even the exercises of real, and real humility, as an occasion to exert itself: It is a sin that has, as it were, many lives; if you kill it, it will live still;: if you mortify and suppress it in one shape; it rises in another; if you think it is all gone, it is there still: There are a great many kinds of it, that lie in different forms and shapes, one under another. We had need therefore to have the greatest watch imaginable over our, hearts with respect to this matter, and to cry most earnestly to the great; Searcher of hearts for his help. He than trusts his own heart is a fool."

 

 Spiritual pride in its own nature is so secret, that it is not so well discerned by immediate intuition on the thing itself, as by the fruits of it; some of which I would mention, together with the contrary fruits of humility.

 

 Spiritual pride disposes to speak of other persons' sins, their enmity against GOD and his people, the miserable delusion of hypocrites and their enmity against vital piety, and the deadness of some Christians, with bitterness, or with laughter and levity, and art air of contempt; whereas humility disposes, either to be silent about them, or to, speak of. them with grief and pity.

 

 Spiritual pride is apt to suspect others; whereas a humble man is most jealous of himself;' he is so suspicious of nothing in the world as he is of his own heart. He has so much to do at home, and sees so much evil in his own heart, and is so concerned about it, that he is not apt to be very busy with others' hearts he complains most of himself, and cries out of his own coldness, and is ready to hope that there is nobody but what has more love and thankfulness to GOD than he.

 

 In a contrariety to this, it has been the manner in some places, or at least the manner of some persons, to speak of almost every, thing that they see amiss in others, in the most harsh, severe and terrible language. It is frequent with them to say of others' opinions or conductor advice, or of their coldness, their silence, their caution, their prudence, that they are from the Devil, or from Hell; that such a thing is devilish, or hellish, or cursed, and that such persons are serving the-Devil, or the Devil is in them; so that the words Devil- and Hell are almost continually in their mouths. And such kind of language they will commonly use, not only towards wicked men, but towards them that they themselves allow to be the true children of God, and also towards misters and others that are much their superiors. And they look upon it as a virtue and high attainment thus to behave themselves.’ O,' say they,’ we must be plain and bold for CHRIST, we must declare war against, sin wherever we see it, we must not mince the matter in the cause of GOD, and when speaking for CHRIST.' And to speak the more tenderly, because that which is amiss is seen in a superior, they look upon as very mean for a

 

follower of CHRIST when speaking in the cause of his Master.

 

 What a strange device of the Devil is here, to overthrow all Christian meekness and gentleness, and even all show and appearance of it; under a Bloke of high sanctity and zeal and boldness for CHRIST! And it is a remarkable instance of the weakness of the human mind, and how much too cunning the Devil is for us!

 

 The grand defense of this way of talking is, that they say no more than what is true, and that true Christians know it to be true, and therefore will not be offended, to hear such expressions. It is only (say they) hypocrites, that are provoked and feel their enmity rise on such an occasion. But it is a grand mistake to think that we may commonly use concerning one another all such language as is according to strict truth. It is really true, that every kind of sin, and every degree of it, is devilish and from hell, and is cursed,- hellish, and condemned or damned. But shall a child therefore from time to time, use such language concerning an eminently holy father or mother, as, that the Devil is in them; that, they have such and such devilish cursed dispositions; that they commit every day hundreds of hellish, damned acts; and that they are cursed dogs, hell-hounds and devils And shall the meanest of the people, be. justified, in using such language concerning Magistrates, or eminent Ministers I hope nobody has gone to this height: But the same pretences of boldness, and declared war against sin, will as we11 justify these things, as the things they are actually made use of to justify. If we proceed in such a manner, what a face will be introduced upon the, church of CHRIST! What a sound hall we bring into the house of GOD, into the family of his. dear children! How far off shall we soon banish that lovely appearance of humility, sweetness, gentleness, mutual honor, benevolence, complacence, and an esteem of others above themselves, which ought to clothe the children of GOD all over! Not but that Christians should watch over one ’another, and in any wise reprove one another, and do it plainly and faithfully; but it does not thence follow that dear brethren in the family of God, in rebuking one another, should use worse language than MICHAEL the Archangel durst use when rebuking the Devil himself.

 

 Christians, that are but fellow worms, ought at least to treat one another with as much humility and gentleness as CHRIST, that is infinitely above them, treats them. But how did CHRIST treat his disciples when they were so cold towards him, and so regardless of him, at the time when his soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto death, and he in a dismal agony was crying and sweating blood for them One would think then was a proper time, if ever, to have reproved them for a devilish, hellish, cursed and damned slothfulness and deadness. But after what manner does CHRIST reprove them Behold his astonishing gentleness! What, could ye not watch with me one hour The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." And how did he treat PETER when he was ashamed of his Master, while he was made-a mocking-stock and a spitting-stock for him Why, he looked upon him with a look of love, and melted his heart.

 

 Again, spiritual pride often disposes persons to singularity in external appearance, to affect a singular way of speaking, to use a different sort of dialect from others, or to be singular in voice, or air of countenance or behavior: But he that is humble, though he will be firm to his duty, however singular he is in it; yet delights not in singularity, for singularity's sake; but on the contrary is disposed to become all things to all men, and to yield to others, and conform to them and please them, in every thing but sin. Spiritual pride commonly occasions a certain stifleness and inflexibility in persons, in their own judgment and their own ways; whereas the humble person, though he be inflexible in his duty and in those things wherein GOD's honor is concerned; and with regard to temptation to those things he apprehends to be sinful, though in never so small a degree, he is like a brazen wall; yet in other things lie is of a pliable disposition, ready to pay deference to others' opinions, to comply with their inclinations, and has a heart that is tender and flexible, like a little child.

 

 Spiritual pride disposes persons to affect separation, to stand at a distance from others, as better than they; but on the contrary, the humble Christian is ready to look upon himself as not worthy that others should be united to him: And though he will not be a companion with one that is visibly CHRIST'S enemy, yet his universal benevolence delights in union with his fellow creatures, and will maintain it as much as he possibly can, without giving open countenance to iniquity, or wounding his own

 

soul.

 

 The humble Christian is as it were clothed with lowliness, mildness, meekness, gentleness of spirit and behavior, and with a soft, sweet, condescending, winning air and- deportment; these things are just like garments to him, he is" clothed with humility, he puts on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering."

 

 Humility has no such thing as, roughness, or contempt, or fierceness, or bitterness in its nature; it makes a person RIO a little' child, harmless and innocent, and that none to be afraid of; or like a lamb, destitute of all bitterness, wrath, anger and clamor.

 

 With such a spirit as this ought especially zealous Ministers of the Gospel to he clothed, and those that GOD is pleased to employ as instruments of promoting his work ought indeed to be thorough in preaching the word of God without mincing the matter at all; in handling the sword of the SPIRIT, as the Ministers of the LORD of Hosts, they ought not to be mild and gentle, they are not to be gentle and moderate in searching and, awakening the conscience, but should be sons of thunder. The word of GOD, which is in itself sharper than any two-edged sword, ought not to be sheathed by them, but so used that its sharp edges may have their full effect, even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow; (provided they do it without judging particular persons, leaving it to conscience and the SPIRIT of GOD to make the application;) but all their conversation should savor of nothing but lowliness and God-will, love and pity to all mankind so that such a spirit should be like a sweet odor diffused around them wherever they go, or like a light shining about them, their faces should as it were shine with it; they should be like lions to guilty consciences, but like lambs to men's persons. This would have no tendency to prevent the awakening of men's consciences, but on the contrary would have a very great tendency to awaken them; it would make way for the sharp sword to enter; it would remove the obstacles, and make a naked breast for the arrow. 

 

 Yea, the amiable conversation of such Ministers, in itself would terrify the consciences of men, as well as their terrible preaching; both would co-operate, one with another, to subdue the hard; and bring down the proud heart. If there had been constantly and universally observable such a behavior as this in itinerant Preachers, it would have terrified the consciences of sinners ten times as much as all the invectives and censorious talk there has been concerning particular persons. These things have rather stupified sinners' consciences; they take them up, and make use of them as a shield, wherewith to defend themselves from the sharp arrows of the word that are shot by these preachers: The enemies of the present work have been glad of these things with all their hearts. Many of the most bitter of them are probably such as in the beginning of this work had their consciences something galled and terrified with it; but these errors are the things they chiefly make use of to heal the sore that was made in their consciences.

 

 Spiritual pride takes great notice of opposition and injuries received, and is apt to be often speaking of them, and to be much in taking notice of the aggravations of them, either with an air of bitterness or contempt: Whereas humility disposes a person to be like his LORD, when reviled, dumb, not opening his mouth, but committing himself in silence to Him that judgeth righteously. The humble Christian, the more clamorous and furious the world is against him, the more silent and still will he be; unless it be in his closet, and there he will not be still. Our blessed LORD seems never to have been so silent, as when the world compassed him round, reproaching, buffeting and spitting on him, with loud and virulent outcries.

 

 There has been too much talk of late, among many of the friends of religion, about opposition and persecution. It becomes the followers of the Lamb of GOD, when the world is in an uproar about them, and full of clamor against them, not to raise another noise to answer it, but to be still and quiet. It- is not beautiful, at such a time, to have pulpits and conversation ring with the sound of Persecution, Persecution, or with abundant talk about Pharisees, carnal persecutors, and the seed of the serpent.

 

 Meekness and, quietness among GOD'S people, when opposed and reviled, would be the surest way to have GOD remarkably appear for their defense. Nothing is so effectual, bring God down from heaven in defense of his people, as their patience under sufferings. When CHRIST ”girds his sword upon- his thigh, with his glory and majesty, and itrliis~4najesty.rides prosperously, his right hand teaching the terrible things, it is because' of truth and meekness, all righteousness." (Psalm xlv. 3, 4.)” GOD will cause judgment to be heard from, heaven; the earth shall fear and be still, and God will arise to judgment, to save all e meek of the earth." (Psalm lxxvii.) And thus it is that weight expect to have CHRIST appear for us, if under all:--reproaches we are loaded with, we behaved ourselves with-a- lamb-like meekness and gentleness: But if our spirits 1 are raised, and we are vehement and noisy with our complaints, this will be to take upon us our own defense, and GOD will leave it with us, to vindicate our cause as well as we can; yea, if we go on in a way of bitterness, and high censuring, it will be the way to have him rebuke us, and put us to shame before our enemies.

 

 Here some may be ready to say,’ It is not in our own cause that we are thus vehement, but in the cause of God and the Apostle directed the primitive Christians to ”contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints."' But how was it that the primitive Christians contended earnestly for the faith They defended the truth with a holy conversation, but gave their reasons with meekness and fear: They contended earnestly for the faith, yea, they resisted unto blood, striving against sin; but the blood that was shed in this earnest strife, was their own blood, and not the blood of their enemies- It was” in the cause of GOD" that PETER was so fierce, and drew his sword, and began to smite with it; but CHRIST bids him put up his sword again, that they that take the sword shall perish by the sword. They are the greatest conquerors in a time of persecution, who bear it with the greatest meekness and patience.

 

 Another effect of spiritual pride is a certain self-confident boldness before GOD and men. Thus some, in their great rejoicings before GOD, have not rejoiced with a reverential trembling, in a proper sense of the majesty of GOD, and the awful distance between GOD and them. And there has also been an improper boldness before men; which is a great error, and quite contrary to Scripture. There is a fear of reverence that is due to some men. ”Fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." (Rom. 13: 7.) And there is a fear of modesty and shamefacedness in inferiors towards superiors,- that is amiable, and required by Christian rules.” While they behold 'Our chaste conversation, coupled with fear. ”In like manner also, chat women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety." (1 Tim. 2: 9.) And the Apostle means, that modesty, or shamefacedness, and reverence towards men, ought to have some place, even in our religious communication one with another. The same is also evident by I Pet. 3: 15: “ Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." It is well if that very fear and shamefacedness, which the Apostle recommends, has not sometimes been condemned, under the name of a cursed fear of man.

 

 It is beautiful for persons, when they are at prayer as the mouth of others, to make GOD their only fear and their dread, and to be wholly forgetful of men that are present, who, let them be great or small, are nothing in the presence of the great GOD. And it is beautiful for a Minister, when lie speaks in the name of the LORD of Hosts, to be bold, and put off all fear of men. And it is beautiful in private Christians, though they are women and children, to be bold in professing the faith of CHRIST, and in the practice of all religion, and, in owning God's hand in the work of his, power and grace, without any fear of men, though they should be reproached as fools and madmen, and frowned upon by great men, and cast off by parents and all the world. But for private Christians, women and others, to - instruct, and exhort, with a like sort of boldness as becomes a Minister when preaching, is not beautiful.

 

 Another effect of spiritual pride is, assuming: It makes it natural to persons so to act and speak, as though it in a special manner belonged to them to be taken notice of, and regarded. It is very natural to a person that is much under the influence of it, to take all the respect that is paid him: If others show a disposition to yield him the defere1m of a preceptor, he is open to it, and freely admits it; yea, it is natural for him to expect such treatment, and to take much notice of it if he fails of it, and to have an ill opinion of others that do not pay him that which he looks upon as his prerogative. He is apt to clothe himself with a judicial and dogmatical air in conversation, and to take it upon, him, as what belongs to him, to give forth his sentence, and to determine and decide. Whereas humility vaunteth not itself." and is apt to” prefer others in honor." One under the influence of spiritual pride, naturally puts on the airs of a master: Whereas one that is humble,. naturally has on the air of a disciple; his voice is,’ What shall I do What shall I do, that I may live more to God's honor What shall I do with this wicked heart' He is ready to receive instruction from any body, agreeable to James 1: 19: “ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak." The humble Christian thinks he wants help from everybody; whereas he that is proud, thinks every body wants his help. Christian humility intreats and beseeches; spiritual pride affects to command, and warn with authority.

 

 There ought to be the utmost watchfulness against all such appearances of spiritual pride, in all that profess to have been the subjects of this work, and especially in the promoters of it, but above all, in itinerant Preachers: The most eminent gifts, and highest tokens of God's favor will not excuse them. Alas! what is man at his best estate! What is the most highly favored Christian, or the most successful Minister, that he should now think he is sufficient for something, and somebody to he regarded; and that he should go forth, and act among his fellow creatures as if he were wise, and strong, and God

 

 They whom GOD has made use of, as it, were, to bring up his people out of Egypt, as he did of Moses, should take heed that they do not provoke GOD, as Moses did. The fruits of Moses's unbelief, which provoked GOD to shut him out of Canaan, were chiefly these two; First, His mingling bitterness with his zeal. He had a great zeal for GOD, and he could not bear to see the intolerable stiff neckedness of the people, that they did not acknowledge the work of God, and were not convinced by all his wonders they had seen: But human passion was mingled with his zeal: “They angered him also ai the waters of strife; so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes: Because they provoked his SPIRIT, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips." (Psalm cvi. 32, 33.)” Hear now, ye rebels," says he, with bitterness of language. Secondly, He assumed too much to himself;” Hear now, ye rebels, must we fetch water out of this rock" His temptations indeed were very great; for he had had great discoveries of God, who had made him the instrument of great God to his Church And they were now too strong for him: Which surely should make our young Ministers exceeding careful, and distrustful of themselves. Alas! how far are we from having the strength of 'holy, meek, aged Moses! And the temptation at this time is exceeding great to both those errors that MOSES was guilty of: To bitterness and corrupt passion with zeal; there is so much unreasonable opposition made against this glorious work, and so much stiff-neckedness manifested in multitudes of this generation, notwithstanding all the wonderful works of GOD. 

 

 And there is also great temptation to an assuming behavior: When a Minister is greatly blessed from time to time, and so draws the eyes of the multitude upon him, and he sees himself flocked after, and resorted to as an oracle, and people are ready to adore him, and to offer sacrifice to him, as it was with PAUL and BARNABAS at Lystra, it is almost impossible for a man to avoid taking upon him the airs of a master, or some extraordinary person; a man bad need to have much Divine assistance, to resist the temptation. But the greater our dangers are, the more ought to be our watchfulness and prayer, and diffidence of ourselves. And we should take warning by GIDEON, who after GOD had favored him, and made him the instrument for deliverance for his people, at length made a god the spoils of his enemies, which became a snare to him and,to his house.

 

 There has been in some, that I believe are true friends of religion, too much appearance of pride, in their treatment of those that they looked upon to be carnal men; and particularly unrefusing to enter into any discourse or reasoning with this. Indeed, to spend a great deal of time in jangling about religion, is not the way to propagate it; and some are so ’dreadfully set against this work, that it is a dismal task to dispute with them;: all that one can say is utterly in vain: 1,'have found it so by experience. But yet we ought to be very careful that we do not refuse to discourse with men, with any appearance of a supercilious neglect, as though we counted then not worthy to be regarded; on the contrary, we should condescend to carnal men, as CHRIST has condescended to us, to bear with our unteachableness and stupidity, and still to follow us with instructions, line upon line, and precept upon, precept, saying,” Come, let us reason together;” setting light before us, and using all manner of arguments with us, and waiting upon such dull scholars, as it were hoping that we should receive light. 

 

 We should be ready with meekness and calmness, without hot disputing, to give our reasons why we think this work is the work of GOD, to carnal men when they ask us, and not turn them by as not worthy to be talked with; as the Apostle directed the primitive Christians to be ready to give a reason of the Christian faith and hope to the enemies of Christianity. And we ought not to condemn all reasoning about things of religion under the name of carnal reason. For my part, I desire no better than that those that oppose this work should come fairly to submit to have the cause betwixt us tried by strict reasoning.

 

 One qualification that the Scripture speaks of once and again, as requisite in a Minister, is, that he should be blitxrcX0',”apt to teach." (1 Tim. 3: 2.) And the Apostle seems to explain what he means by it, in 2 Tim. 2: 24, 25; or at least expresses one thing he intends by it, namely That a Minister should be ready meekly to condescend to, and instruct opposers: “ The servant of the LORD must not strive, but be gentle unto all men; apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if GOD peradventure will give them repentance, to the acknowledge mg of the truth."

 

Secondly. Another thing from whence errors in conduct, that attend such a revival of religion, do arise, is wrong principles.

 

 One of these is, that whatsoever is found' to be of present benefit ought to be practiced, without looking to future consequences. Some persons seem to think that it sufficiently justifies any thing that they say or do,. that it is found to be for their present edification,. and the edification of those that are with them; and therefore they think they should not concern themselves about consequences, but leave them with GOD. Indeed, things that are in themselves our duty, being required by absolute commands of GOD, must be done, and future consequences left with God; our discretion takes no place here; but in other things we are to be governed by discretion, and must not only look at the present God, but our view must be extensive, and we must look at the consequences of things. It is the duty of Ministers especially to exercise this discretion: In things wherein they are not determined by an absolute rule, and that are not enjoined them by a wisdom superior to their own, CHRIST has left them with that general rule, That they should exercise the utmost wisdom in pursuing that which, upon the best view of the consequences of things, will tend most to the advancement of his kingdom. This is implied in those words of CHRIST to his disciples, when he sent them forth,” Be ye wise as serpents: “ (Matt. 10: 16.) The Scriptures always represent the work of. a Gospel Minister by those employments that require a wise foresight of, and provision for, future consequences. So it is. compared to the business of a steward, a business that in an eminent manner requires forecast, and a wise: laying in of provision for the supply of the needs of the family. So it is compared to the business of a husband must almost wholly consists in those things that are with a view to the future fruits and consequences of his labor. So the work of the Ministry is compared to that of a. wise builder or architect, who has a long reach and comprehensive view; and for whom it is necessary, that, when he begins a building, lie should have at once a view of the whole frame, and all the future parts of the structure, even to the pinnacle, that all may fitly be framed together. So it is compared to the business of a trader or merchant, a business: that exceedingly requires forecast, and, without- it, is never like to be followed with any success. It is also compared to the business of a soldier, that goes to war, which is a business that perhaps, above any other, requires great foresight, and a wise provision for future events and consequences.

 

 And particularly Ministers ought not to be careless how much they rule the minds of those they esteem natural men, or how great an uproar they raise in the carnal world. This certainly is not to follow the example of ST. PAUL, who though he would not depart from his duty to please carnal men; yet, wherein he might with a God conscience, did exceedingly lay out himself to please them, and if possible to avoid raising in the multitude, prejudices, oppositions, and tumults against the Gospel; and looked upon it, that it was of great consequence that it should be, if possible, avoided: “ Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of GOD: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." (1 Cor. 10: 32. 33.) Yea, he declares, that he made himself a kind of a servant to all sorts of men, conforming to their customs and various, humors in every thing wherein he might, even in things that were very burdensome to him, that he might not fright men away from Christianity, and cause them to stand as it were armed against it; but on the contrary, if possible, might with condescension and friendship win and draw them to it. And agreeable hereto are the directions he gives to others, both Ministers and people: So he directs the Christian Romans, Go not to please themselves, but every one please his neighbor, for his God to edification;" (Rom. 15:1,.`d;) and to a follow after the things that make for peace." (Chap. 14: 19.) And he presses it in terms exceedingly strong,” If it be possible, as much as Beth III you, live peaceably with all men." (Rom. 12: 1S.) And lie directs Ministers to endeavor, if possible, to gain opposers by a meek condescending treatment, avoiding all appearance of strife or fierceness. (2 Tim. 2: 0-4, 25, 26.) To the like purpose the same Apostle directs Christians to” walk in wisdom towards them that are without;" (Eph. 4: 5;) and to avoid giving offence to others, if we can,” that our God may not be evil spoken of." (Rom. 14: 16.) So that it is evident the most zealous and most successful propagator of vital religion that ever was, looked upon it to be of great consequence to endeavor, as much as possible, by all the methods of lawful meekness and gentleness, to avoid raising the prejudice and opposition of the world against religion. When we have done our utmost, there will be opposition enough against vital religion, against which the carnal mind of man has such an enmity, as in the Apostle's days, though he took so much pains to please men, yet, because he was faithful in his work, persecution almost every where was raised against him.

 

 I know there is naturally a great enmity in the heart of man against vital religion; and I believe there would have been a great deal of opposition against this glorious work of. GOD, if the subjects and promoters of it bad behaved themselves never so agreeably to Christian rules; and I believe, if this work goes on and spreads much in the world, some to begin to shake kingdoms and nations, it will dreadfully; stir, up the rage of earth and hell, and will put the world into the greatest uproar that ever it was in since it stood I believe SATAN'S dying struggles will be the most want: “But yet I believe a great deal might be done to restrain, this opposition, by a God conformity to that of the Apostle James” Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge let him show out of a God conversation, his works with meekness of wisdom." (James 3: 13.)

 

 Under this head of carelessness of consequences, it maybe proper to say something of introducing things new and strange, and that have a tendency by their novelty to shock and surprise people. Nothing can be inure evident from the New Testament, than that such things ought to be done, with great caution and moderation, to avoid the offence that may be thereby given, and the prejudices that might be raised, to hinder the- progress of religion; yea, that it ought to be -thus in things that are God and excellent, provided they are not of the nature of absolute duty, which though they may appear to he innovations, yet cannot be neglected without disobedience to the commands of GOD. What great caution did the Apostles use in introducing things that were new, and abolishing things that were old How gradually were the ceremonial performances of the law of Moses abolished among the Christian Jews And how long did even the Apostle PAUL himself conform to those ceremonies, which he calls weak and beggarly elements So it seems to have been very gradually that the Jewish Sabbath was abolished, and the Christian Sabbath introduced. Thus strictly did the Apostles observe the rule that their blessed Master gave them, of not putting new wine into old bottles, lest they should burst the bottles, and lose the wine. And how did CHRIST himself, while on earth, forbear so plainly to teach his disciples the great doctrines of Christianity concerning his satisfaction, and the nature and manner of a sinner's justification and reconciliation with God 

 

 Because, in that infant state, their minds were not prepared for such

 

instructions; and therefore the more clear and full revelation of these things was reserved for the time when they should be enlightened and strengthened by the SPIRIT after his ascension;” I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he the SPIRIT of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth." (John 16: 12, 13.) 11 And with many such parables spoke he the word unto them, as they were able to bear it."' (Mark 4: 33.) These things might be enough to convince any one, that does not think himself wiser than CHRIST and his Apostles, that great prudence and caution should be used in introducing things into the Church of GOD, that are very uncommon, though in themselves they may be very excellent, lest by our rashness and imprudent haste we hinder religion more than we help it.

 

 Persons that are influenced by an indiscreet zeal, are always in too much haste; they are impatient of delays, and therefore are for jumping to the uppermost step first All their strength is employed in advancing the building in height, without taking care proportionably to enlarge the bottom: Or they are for putting on the cupola before they come to it, or before the lower parts of the building are done; which tends at once to put a stop to the building, and hinder it ever being a complete structure. Many that are thus imprudent and hasty with their zeal, have a real appetite for that which is God; but are like children that are impatient to wait for the fruit till the proper season of it. And oftentimes in their haste they overshoot their mark, and frustrate their own end; they put that which they would obtain further out of reach, and confirm that which they would remove. We are now just as it were beginning to recover out of a dreadful disease that--we have been long under; and to feed a man recovering - from a fever with strong meat at once, is the ready way to kill him. It is a vain- prejudice that some have lately imbibed against such rules of prudence and moderation: They will be forced to come to them at last; they will find themselves that they, are not able to maintain their cause without them; and, if they will not hearken before, experience will convince them at last, when it will be too late for them to rectify their mistake.

 

 Another erroneous principle, that has been an occasion some confusion, is, that external order in matters of religion is but little to be regarded:, It is spoken lightly of, under the names of ceremonies and dead forms, and is probably~ the more despised by. some, because their opposers it yet so much upon it, and because they are so continually ring from them the cry of disorder and confusion. It is objected against the importance of external order, that GOD does not look at the outward form, but at the heart. But that is a weak argument against its importance, that true godliness does not consist in it; for it may be equally made use of against all the outward means of grace whatsoever. Thine godliness does not consist in ink and paper; but yet that well be a foolish objection against -the importance of ink and paper in religion, when without it we could not have the `Word of GOD. If any external means at all are needful, any outward' actions of a public nature, or wherein God's people are jointly concerned, without doubt external order-is needful: The management of an external affair that is public, or wherein a multitude is concerned, without order, is in every thing found impossible. without order there can be no general direction of a multitude to any particular designed end; their purposes will cross one another, and they will not help, but hinder one another. 

 

 A multitude cannot act in union one with another without order; confusion separates and divides them. If a multitude would help one another in any affair, they must unite themselves one to another in a regular subordination of members, in some measure as it is in the natural body; by this means they will be in some capacity to act with united strength And thus CHRIST has appointed that it should be in the visible Church. (I Cor. 12: 14; Rom- 12: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.)

 

 Zeal without order will do but little, or at least it will be effectual but a little while. Let a company, that are very zealous against the enemy, go forth to war without any manner of order, every one rushing forward as his zeal shall drive him, all in confusion; if they gain something at first onset, by surprising the enemy, yet how soon do they come to nothing Order is one of the most necessary of all external means of the spiritual good of GOD'S Church, and therefore it is requisite even in heaven itself, where there is the least need of any external means of grace. And the necessity of it, in order to the carrying on any design wherein a multitude are concerned, is so great, that even the Devils in hell are driven to something of it, that they may carry on the designs of their kingdom. And it is very observable, that those kinds of irrational creatures for whom it is needful that they should act in union, and join a multitude together, to carry on any work for their preservation, do, by a. wonderful instinct, observe and maintain a most regular and exact order among themselves. And order in the visible Church is not only necessary to the Church's prosperity, but is absolutely necessary to its defense; without it, it is like a city without walls, and can be in no capacity to defend itself from any kind of mischief: And so, however it be an external thing, yet is not to be despised on that account; for though it be not the food of souls, yet it is in some respect their defense. The people of Holland would be very foolish to despise the dikes that keep out the sea from overwhelming them, under the names of dead stones, and vile earth, because the matter of which they are built is not good to eat.

 

 12. Thus I have considered the two first of those three causes of error in conduct that were"" mentioned; I come now to the

 

Third and last cause of the errors of those that have appeared to be the subjects or zealous promoters of this work, namely, A being ignorant or unobservant of some particular things, by which the Devil has special advantage.

 

 And here I would particularly take notice, (1.) Of some things with respect to the inward experiences of Christians. And, (2.) Something with regard to the external effect of experiences. There are three things I would take notice of with regard to the experiences of Christians, by which the Devil has many advantages against us.

 

 The First thing is the mixture there is in the experiences of Christians; whereby when they have truly spiritual discoveries and exercises, they have something mixed with them besides what is spiritual. The beam of light, as it comes from the Fountain of light upon our hearts, is pure; but as it is reflected thence, it is mixed: The seed as sent from heaven, and planted in the heart, is pure; but, as it springs up out of the heart, is impure: Yea, there is commonly a much greater mixture than persons seem to have any imagination of. I have often thought that the experiences of Christians are very frequently us it is with some sorts of fruits, that are enveloped in several coverings of thick shells, which are thrown away by him that gathers the fruit, and but a very small part of the whole bulk is the pure kernel that is good to eat.

 

 The things, of all which there is frequently some mixture, even with great and high experiences, are these three: Human or natural affection and passions; Impressions on the imagination; and a degree of Self-righteousness or spiritual pride. There is very often with that which is spiritual, a great mixture of that affection or passion which arises from natural principles; so that nature has a very great hand in those vehement motions and flights of the passions that appear. Hence the same degrees of Divine communications shall have different effects, in persons of different natural tempers. And sometimes there is not only a mixture of that which is common and natural, but even that which is animal, which is in a great measure from the body, and is properly the result of the animal frame. So, -in that love that Christians have one to another, very often there is a great mixture of what arises from common and natural principles; yea, there may be a mixture of natural love to the opposite sex. So zeal, though it be an excellent virtue, a heavenly flame, when it is pure, as it is exercised in those who are little sanctified, and little humbled, is very apt to be mixed with human passion, yea, with corrupt, hateful affections, pride and bitterness.

 

 15. Another thing that is often mixed with what is spiritual in the experiences of Christians, are impressions on the imagination; whereby persons, together with a spiritual understanding of Divine things, and a strong sense of their excellency or great importance, have strongly impressed on their minds external ideas or images of things. A degree of imagination in such a case, as I have observed elsewhere, _ is unavoidable, and necessarily arises from human nature, as constituted in the present state; and a degree of imagination is really useful, and often of great benefit; but, when it is in too great a degree, it becomes an impure mixture that is prejudicial. And it greatly contributes to the other kind of mixture mentioned before, namely, of natural affections and passions.

 

 Another thing that is often mixed with the experiences of Christians, which is the worst mixture of all, is self-righteousness or spiritual pride. This is often mixed with the joys of Christians: The joy that they have is not purely the joy of faith, or a rejoicing in CHRIST JESUS, but is partly a rejoicing in themselves. There is often in their elevations a looking upon themselves, and a viewing their own high attainments; they rejoice partly because they are taken with their own experiences, and great discoveries; and this heightens all their passions, and especially those effects that are more external. There is a much greater mixture of these things in the experiences of some Christians than others; in some the mixture is so great, as very much to obscure and hide the beauty of grace in them, like a thick smoke that hinders all the shining of the fire.

 

 These things we ought to be well aware of, that we may know what to countenance, and what to discourage; otherwise SATAN will have a vast advantage against us, for he works itt the corrupt mixture. Sometimes for want of persons' distinguishing the ore from the pure metal those experiences are most admired by the persons themselves that are the subjects of them, and by others, that are not the most excellent. The great external effects, and vehemence of the passions, and violent agitations of the animal spirits, are sometimes much owing to the corrupt mixture. I have observed a great difference among those that are disposed to be earnestly talking to those that are about them: Some insist moat on what they behold in GOD and CHRIST, the glory of the Divine perfections, CHRIST'S wonderful condescension and grace, their own unworthiness, and the infinite obligations they themselves, and others, are under to love and serve God; others almost wholly on their own high privileges, their assurance of GOD'S love and favor, and the weakness and wickedness of opposers, and how much they are above their reach. The latter may have muck of the presence of GOD, but their experiences are not so solid and unmixed as the former. And there is a great deal of difference in persons' earnestness in their talk and behavior: In some" it seems to come indeed from the fullness of their hearts, and from the great sense they have of the certainty and infinite greatness of eternal things, attended with all appearances of great humility; but in others, their earnestness seems to arise from a great mixture of human passion, and an intemperate agitation of the spirits, which appears by their earnestness and vehemence not being proportioned to the nature of the subject they insist on; but they are violent in every thing they say, as much when they are talking of things of smaller importance, as when speaking of things of greater weight. And there have been spine few instances of a more extraordinary nature still, even of persons finding themselves constrained to cry out from an unaccountable kind of bodily pressure, without any extraordinary view of any thing in their minds, or sense of any thing upon their hearts; wherein probably there was the immediate hand of the Devil. 16. Another thing by which the Devil has great advantage, is the unheeded defects there sometimes are in the experiences of true Christians, and those high affections, wherein there is much that is truly good.

 

 What I now have respect to is something diverse from that defect or imperfection of degree which is in every holy disposition and exercise; what I aim at is, experiences being defective in some particular thing that ought to be in them; which though it be not such a defect as renders them utterly vain, and altogether abominable to GOD, yet is such a defect as maims and deforms the experience: The essence of truly Christian experiences is not wanting, but yet that is wanting that is very needful m order to the proper beauty of the image of CHRIST in such a person's experiences; things are very much out of due proportion: There is indeed much of some things; but at the same time there is so little of some other things that should be, that the defect very much deforms the Christian.

 

 When this deficiency and disproportion is great, it is not only a great deformity in itself, but has many ill consequences, it gives the Devil great advantage, and leaves a door open for corruption, and exposes, to very unlovely actions, and issues oftentimes in the great wounding of the soul.

 

 For the better understanding of this matter, we may observe, that GOD, in the revelation that he has made of himself by JESUS CHRIST, has taken care to give a proportional manifestation of two kinds of excellencies or perfections of his nature, namely, Those that tend to possess us with awe and reverence; and those that tend to draw and encourage us: By the one, He appears as an infinitely great, holy, and heart-searching Judge; by the other, as a gentle and gracious Father, and a loving Friend: By the one, he is a pure, searching, and burning flame; by the other, a sweet, refreshing light. These two kinds of attributes are admirably tempered together in the revelation of the Gospel: There is a proportional manifestation of justice and mercy, holiness and grace, authority and condescension. GOD has thus ordered, that his diverse excellencies, as he reveals himself in the face of JESUS CHRIST, should have a proportionable manifestation. 

 

 He knew it to be of great consequence, that our apprehensions of these diverse perfections of his nature should be duly proportioned one to another: A defect on the one hand, namely, having much of a discovery of his love and grace, without a. proportionable discovery of his awful majesty, and his holy and searching purity, would tend to spiritual pride, carnal confidence, and presumption; and a defect on the one hand, namely, having much of a discovery of his holy majesty, without a proportional discovery of his grace, tends to unbelief, a sinful fearfulness and spirit of bondage. And herein chiefly consists that deficiency of experiences that I am now speaking of; The revelation GOD has made of himself in his word, is perfect; but the light and communications we have, are not perfect, but many ways exceedingly imperfect and maimed. There is a great difference among Christians in this respect; some have much more general discoveries than others, who are upon many accounts the most amiable Christians. Christians may have experiences that are very high, and yet there may be \ ery much of this •deficiency and disproportion: Their high experiences are truly from the SPIRIT of GOD; but sin comes in by the defect, (as indeed all sin is originally from a defective, primitive cause,) and in such a case, high discoveries, at the Same time that they are enjoyed, may be, and sometimes are, the occasion of- sin: And many times the SPIRIT of GOD is quenched by this means, and GOD punishes the pride and presumption that rises, by bringing such darkness, and suffering such horrid temptations, as are enough to make one's hair stand an end to hear them. Christians, therefore, should diligently observe their own hearts, and should pray to GOD that he would give them experiences, in which one thing may bear a proportion to another, that GOD may be honored, and their souls edified thereby; and Ministers should have an eye to this, in their private dealings with the souls of their people.

 

 It is chiefly from such a defect of experiences that some things have arisen that have been pretty common of late; as talking of Divine things, and expressing Divine joys with laughing, or a light behavior. The proper cause of this has been, that odious defect in their experience, whereby there has been wanting a sense of the awful majesty of GOD as present with them, and their vileness before him, proportionable to the sense they have had of GOD'S grace, and the love of CHRIST. And the same is true in many cases of persons' unsuitable boldness, their disposition to speak with intemperate zeal, and many other things that sometimes appear in Christians under great religious affections.

 

 And sometimes the vehement motion of the animal spirits, is owing to experiences being thus partial. I have known in several instances, that persons have been greatly affected with the dying love of CHRIST, and the happiness of the enjoyment of Him in heaven, and their animal spirits have been in great emotion; but in the midst of it a deep sense of the awful majesty of GOD, has at once composed them, and quieted animal nature, without diminishing their comfort, but only had made it of a better and more solid nature; when they have had a sense both of the majesty and grace of GOD, one thing has as it were balanced another, and caused a more happy sedateness and composure of body and mind.

 

 From these things, we may learn how to judge of experiences, and to estimate their goodness. Those are not always the best experiences that are attended with the most vehement motions of the animal spirits, or that have the greatest effects on the body; nor are they always the best that do most dispose persons to abound in talk, and to speak in the most vehement manner, (though these things often arise from the greatness of spiritual experiences:) But those are the most excellent experiences that are qualified as follows: (1.) That have the least mixture, or are the most purely spiritual. (2.) That are the least deficient and partial, in which the diverse things that appertain to Christian experience are proportional one to another. And, (3.) That are raised to the highest degree: It is no matter how liigh they are raised, if they are qualified as before mentioned. Experiences, thus qualified, will be attended with the most amiable behavior, will bring forth the most solid and sweet fruits, and will be the most durable, and have the greatest effect on the abiding temper of the soul.

 

 If GOD is pleased to carry on this work, and it should prove to be the dawning of a general revival of the Christian Church, the,time will come when the experiences of Christians shall be much more generally thus qualified. Their discoveries will be in a much higher degree; but yet so ordered, of an infinitely wise GOD, that they shall not have so great an effect, in proportion, on the body, and will be less, oppressive to nature; and that the outward manifestations will rather be like those that were in STEPHEN, when he was full of the HOLY GHOST, when” all that sat in the Council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." Their inward fullness of the SPIRIT of GOD, in his Divine, amiable, and sweet influences, shall as it were shine forth in an heavenly aspect, and manner of topeech and behavior. But,

 

 17. There is another thing concerning the experiences of Christians, of which it is of yet greater importance we should fee aware, than either of the preceding, and that is, the degenerating of experiences. What I mean, is, something diverse from the mere decay of experiences, or their gradually vanishing, by persons losing their sense of things: It is persons' experiences growing by degrees worse and worse in their kind, more and more partial and deficient; in which things are more out of due proportion, and also have more and more of a corrupt mixture; the spiritual part decreases, and the other useless and hurtful parts greatly increase. There is such a thing, and it is very frequent: I have seen it in very many instances; and great are the mischiefs that have risen through want of being more aware of it.

 

 There is commonly, as I observed before, in high experiences, besides that which is spiritual, a mixture of three things, namely, natural affections, workings of imagination, and self-righteousness or spiritual pride. Now it often copies to pass, that through persons not distinguishing the wheat from the chaff, and for want of watchfulness and humble jealousy of themselves, and laying great weight on the natural and imaginary part, that part grows, and the spiritual part decreases; the Devil sets in, and works m the corrupt part, and cherishes it to his utmost; till at length the experiences of those who began well, come to little but violent motions of carnal affections, great heat of imagination, a great degree of enthusiasm, and swelling of spiritual pride: Like some fruits which bud, blossom and kernel well, but afterwards are blasted with an excess of moisture; so that though the bulk is monstrously great, yet there is little but what is useless and unwholesome. It is probable, that many of the heresies that have arisen, and sects that have appeared in the Christian world, with wild enthusiastical notions and practices, began at first by this means, that it was such a degenerating of experiences that first gave rise to them.

 

 There is nothing in the world that does so much expose to this degenerating of experience-), as> an unheeded spiritual pride, persons being conceited of their own stock, without an humble, daily, and continual dependence on GOD. This above all things promotes this degeneracy of experiences, because it grieves and quenches the SPIRIT of the Lamb of GOD, kills the spiritual, and cherishes the natural part, inflames the carnal affections, and heats the imagination.

 

 The unhappy person that is the subject of such a degeneracy, for the most part, is not sensible of his own calamity; but because he finds himself still violently moved, thinks himself fuller of the SPIRIT of GOD than ever. But indeed it is with him, as the Apostle says of the Galatians,” Having begun in the SPIRIT, they are made perfect by the flesh." (Gal. 3: 3.)

 

 By the mixture there is of common affection with love to GOD, the love of true Christians is liable to degenerate, and to be more and more built on the supposition of being his high and peculiar favorites. So the joy of Christians, by reason of the mixture there is with spiritual joy, is liable to degenerate, and to come to that at last, as to be but little else but joy in a person's own supposed eminency. So zeal, that at first might be in great part spiritual, yet through the mixture there is, in a long continuance of opposition and controversy, may degenerate more and more into human passion, and may come to bitterness, and even to a degree of hatred. And so love to brethren may by degrees come to little else but fondness for a party; yea, through a mixture of a natural love to the opposite sex, may degenerate more and more. Certainly the mutual embraces and kisses of persons of different sexes, under the notion of Christian love, are utterly to be disallowed, as having the most direct tendency to turn Christian love into biutish lust. I should also think it adviseable, that meetings of young people, of both sexes, in the evening, by themselves, without a Minister, or any elder people amongst them, for religious exercises, should be avoided: For though for the present, while their minds are greatly solemnized with lively impressions, and a deep sense of Divine things, there may appear no ill consequences; yet we must look to the farther end of things, and guard against future dangers.

 

 The defect there sometimes is in the experiences of Christians, exposes them to degenerate, as well as the mixture that they have. Maimed experiences sometimes become more and more so: The mind being wholly intent upon those things that are in view, and those that are most wanting being neglected, there is less and less of them, and so the gap for corruption to come in grows wider and wider. And commonly both these causes of the degenerating of experiences operate together.

 

We had need to be ”jealous over ourselves with a godly jealousy," as the Apostle was over the Christian Corinthians, ”lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled EVE through his subtilty, so our minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in CHRIST."

 

 18. Thus I have taken notice of some things with regard to the inward experiences of Christians, by which SATAN has an advantage. I now proceed in the Second place, to take notice of something with regard to the external effects of experiences, which also gives SATAN an advantage. Though it would be unreasonable, and prejudicial to the interest of religion, to frown upon all these extraordinary external effects and manifestations of great religious affections, (for a measure of them is natural, necessary and beautiful, and the effect in no wise disproportioned to the spiritual cause, and is of great benefit to religion,) yet I think they err who think that these things should be wholly unlimited, and that all should be encouraged in going to the utmost length that they feel themselves inclined to: There ought to be a gentle restraint held upon these things, and there should be a prudent care taken of persons in such circumstances, and they should be moderately advised at proper seasons, not to make more ado than there is need of, but rather to hold a restraint upon their inclinations; otherwise extraordinary outward effects will grow upon them, they will be more and more natural and unavoidable, and the outward show will increase, without any increase of the internal cause; persons will find themselves under a kind of necessity of making a great ado, with less and less affection of soul, till at length almost any slight emotion will set them going; and they will be more and more violent and boisterous, and will grow louder and louder, till their actions and behavior become indeed very absurd. These things experience proves.

 

 19. Thus I have taken more notice of the more general causes whence the errors that have attended this great revival of religion have risen, and under each head have observed some particular errors that have flowed from these fountains. I now proceed, as I proposed, in the Second place, to take notice of some particular errors that have risen from several of these causes; in some perhaps they have been chiefly owing to one, in others to another, and in others to several, or all conjoint. And here the, First thing I would take notice of is, censuring others.

 

 It is the worst disease that has attended this work. The manner of many has beep, when they first enter into conversation with any person, to discern him, or to fix a judgment of him, from his manner of talking of things of religion, whether he be experimentally acquainted with vital piety or not. So, when they have heard any Minister pray or preach, their first work has beep to observe, whether he prays like one that feels the saving power of GOD'S SPIRIT in his heart, and whether he preaches like one that knows what he say. It has been so much the way in some places, that by new converts do not know but it is their duty to do so. When once persons yield to such a notion, they quickly grow very discerning in their own apprehension: And, when they have passed their censure, every thing seems to confirm it; they see more and more in the per God they have censured, that seems to them to show plainly that he is an unconverted man. And, if the person censured be a Minister, every thing in his public performances seems dead; yea, it seems worse and worse to them, his preaching grows more and more intolerable. When the SPIRIT of God was wonderfully poured out in this place more than even years ago, and all the town seemed to be alive and full of GOD, there was no such notion or humor prevailing: When Ministers preached here, as very many did at that time, young and old, our people did not go about to discern whether they were men of experience or not, nor did any such thing enter into their hearts; but the business of every one was to listen to what was said, and apply it to his own heart. And scarcely ever did any Minister preach here, but his preaching did some remarkable service.

 

 20. One thing that has been supposed to be sufficient warrant for openly censuring Ministers, is their opposing this work of GOD that has been lately carried on in the land. And there can be no doubt but that opposition may be such, as to render either Ministers or people truly scandalous; and that Ministers hereby may utterly defeat the design of their ministry. Nor should I think that any person had power to oblige me to attend the ministry of one who did from time to time plainly preach against this work, or speak reproachfully of it in his public performances, after all Christian methods had been used for a remedy, and to no purpose.

 

 But as to determining how far opposing this work is consistent with a state of grace, or how far, and for how long time, some persons of experience may oppose it, through prejudices they have received from the errors that have been mixed with this work, or through some peculiar disadvantages they are under, this is a difficult thing: I have seen that which abundantly convinces me that the business is too high for me; I am glad that GOD has not committed it to me; I can joyfully leave it in his hands. We may represent it as exceeding dangerous to oppose this work, for this we have good warrant in the word of GOD; but I know of no necessity we are under to determine whether it be possible for those that are guilty of it to be in a state of grace or no. Blessed be his name, that He has not laid such a temptation in the way of my pride.' I know that, in order to be fit for this business, I must not only be vastly more knowing, but more humble than I am.

 

 This bitter root of censoriousness must be totally rooted out, if we would prepare the way of the LORD. It has nourished many other things contrary to the humility, meekness and Jove of the Gospel. The minds of many have received an unhappy turn, in some respects, with their religion: There is a certain point or sharpness, a disposition to a kind of warmth, that does not savor of that meek, lamb-like, sweet disposition, that becomes Christians: Many have now been so long habituated to it, that they do not know how to get out of it; but we must get out of it; the point and sharpness must be blunted, and we must learn another way of manifesting our zeal for GOD.

 

 21. One thing more I would take notice of, before I conclude this part. I believe it to have been one fruit of the joyful influences of the SPIRIT of GOD that have been lately given, that there has appeared such a disposition to sing praise to GOD; not only in solemn meetings, but when Christians occasionally meet together at each other's houses. But the mismanagement I have respect to, is the getting into a way of performing it without that reverence and solemnity with which all open acts of divine worship ought to be attended. It may be two or three in a room are singing hymns of praise to GOD, others talking at the same time, others about their work, with little more appearance of regard to what is doing, than if some were only singing a common song. There is danger, if such things are continued, of its coming to that by degrees, that a mere nothing be made, of this duty, to the great violation of the third commandment. Let Christians abound as much as they will in this holy, heavenly exercise, in GOD house, and in their own houses; but, when it is performed, let it be performed as an holy act, wherein they have immediately and visibly to do with GOD.

 

 What a poor, blind, weak and miserable creature is man, at his best estate! We are like helpless sheep; the Devil is too subtle for us: What is our strength! What is our wisdom! How ready are we to go astray! How easily are we drawn aside into, innumerable snares, while we in the mean time are bold and confident, and doubt not but we are right and safe’. We are foolish sheep, in the midst of subtle serpents and cruel wolves, and do not know it. O how unfit are we to be left to ourselves.' And how much do we stand in need of the wisdom, the power, the condescension, patience, forgiveness and gentleness of our good Shepherd!