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There has been in some, that I believe are true friends of religion, too much of an appearance of this fruit of spiritual pride, in their treatment of those that they looked upon to be carnal men; and particularly in refusing to enter into any discourse or reasoning with them.
Indeed to spend a great deal of time in jangling and warm debates about religion, is not the way to propagate religion, but to hinder 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.
I have found it so by experience; and to go to enter into disputes about religion, at some times is quite unseasonable, as particularly in meetings for religious conference, or exercises of worship.
But yet we ought to be very careful that we don't refuse to discourse with men, with any appearance of supercilious neglect, as though we counted 'em 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 [Isaiah 28:10], saying, "Come, let us reason together" [Isaiah 1:18]; 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, 1 Peter 3:15, "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."
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.
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One qualification that the Scripture speaks of once and again, as requisite in a minister, is that he should be διδακτικόν, apt to teach, 1 Timothy 3:2. And the Apostle seems to explain what he means by it, in 2 Timothy 2:24–25. Or at least there [he] expresses one thing he intends by it, viz. that a minister should be ready, meekly to condescend to, and instruct opposers: "And 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 acknowledging of the truth."
[2] Secondly, another thing from whence errors in conduct, that attend such a revival of religion, do arise, is wrong principles.
And one erroneous principle, than which scarce any has proved more mischievous to the present glorious work of God, is a notion that 'tis God's manner now in these days to guide his saints, at least some that are more eminent, by inspiration, or immediate revelation; and to make known to 'em what shall come to pass hereafter, or what it is his will that they should do, by impressions that he by his Spirit makes upon their minds, either with or without texts of Scripture; whereby something is made known to them, that is not taught in the Scripture as the words lie in the Bible.
By such a notion the Devil has a great door opened for him; and if once this opinion should come to be fully yielded to and established in the church of God, Satan would have opportunity thereby to set up himself as the guide and oracle of God's people, and to have his word regarded as their infallible rule, and so to lead 'em where he would, and to introduce what he pleased, and soon to bring the Bible into neglect and contempt.
Late experience in some instances has shown that the tendency of this notion is to cause persons to esteem the Bible as a book that is in a great measure useless.
This error will defend and support all errors. As long as a person has a notion that he is guided by immediate direction from heaven, it makes him incorrigible and impregnable in all his misconduct: for what signifies it for poor blind worms of the dust to go to argue with a man, and endeavor to convince him and correct him, that is guided by the immediate counsels and commands of the great Jehovah?
This great work of God has been exceedingly hindered by this error; and till we have quite taken this handle out of the Devil's hands, the work of God will never go on without great clogs and hindrances. But Satan will always have a vast advantage in his hands against it, and as he has improved it hitherto, so he will do still: and 'tis evident that the Devil knows the vast advantage he has by it, that makes him exceeding loath to let go his hold.
'Tis strange what a disposition there is in many well disposed and religious persons, to fall in with and hold fast this notion. 'Tis enough to astonish one that such multiplied, plain instances of the failing of such supposed revelations in the event don't open everyone's eyes.
I have seen so many instances of the failing of such impressions, that would almost furnish an history: I have been acquainted with them when made under all kinds of circumstances, and have seen 'em fail in the event, when made with such circumstances as have been fairest and brightest, and most promising; as when they have been made upon the minds of such as there was all reason to think were true saints, yea, eminent saints, and at the very time when they have had great divine discoveries, and have been in the high exercise of true communion with God, and made with great strength, and with great sweetness accompanying, and I have had reason to think, with an excellent heavenly frame of spirit, yet continued, and made with texts of Scripture that seemed to be exceeding apposite, yea, many texts following one another, extraordinarily and wonderfully brought to the mind, and with great power and majesty, and the impressions repeated over and over, after prayers to be directed; and yet all has most manifestly come to nothing, to the full conviction of the persons themselves.
And God has in so many instances of late in his providence covered such things with darkness, that one would think it should be enough quite to blank the expectations of such as have been ready to think highly of such things; it seems to be a testimony of God, that he has no design of reviving revelations in his church, and a rebuke from him to the groundless expectations of it.
[Hence the need for a Restoration outside the existing Christian churches.]
It seems to me that that Scripture, Zechariah 13:5, is a prophecy concerning ministers of the Gospel, in the latter and glorious day of the Christian church, which is evidently spoken of in this and the foregoing chapters. The words are, "I am no prophet; I am an husbandman: for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth."
The words, I apprehend, are to be interpreted in a spiritual sense: "I am an husbandman"—the work of ministers is very often in the New Testament compared to the business of the husbandmen, that take care of God's husbandry, to whom he lets out his vineyard, and sends 'em forth to labor in his field, where one plants and another waters, one sows and another reaps; so ministers are called laborers in God's harvest [cf. 1 Corinthians 2:5–9].
And as it is added, "Man taught me to keep cattle from my youth," so the work of a minister is very often in Scripture represented by the business of a shepherd or pastor. And whereas it is said, "I am no prophet, but man taught me from my youth," 'tis as much as to say, I don't pretend to have received my skill, whereby I am fitted for the business of a pastor or shepherd in the church of God, by immediate inspiration, but by education, by being trained up to the business by human learning, and instructions I have received from my youth or childhood, by ordinary means.
["trained for the ministry"]
And why can't we be contented with the divine oracles, that holy, pure Word of God, that we have in such abundance and such clearness, now since the canon of Scripture is completed?
Why should we desire to have anything added to them by impulses from above?
Why should not we rest in that standing rule that God has given to his church, which the Apostle teaches us is surer than a voice from heaven?
And why should we desire to make the Scripture speak more to us than it does?
Or why should any desire any higher kind of intercourse with heaven, than that which is by having the Holy Spirit given in his sanctifying influences, infusing and exciting grace and holiness, love and joy, which is the highest kind of intercourse that the saints and angels in heaven have with God, and the chief excellency of the glorified man Christ Jesus?
Some that follow impulses and impressions go away with a notion that they do no other than follow the guidance of God's Word, and make the Scripture their rule, because the impression is made with a text of Scripture that comes to their mind, though they take that text as it is impressed on their minds, and improve it as a new revelation, to all intents and purposes, or as the revelation of a particular thing that is now newly made, while the text in itself, as it is in the Bible, implies no such thing, and they themselves do not suppose that any such revelation was contained in it before.
As for instance, suppose that text should come into a person's mind with strong impression, Acts 9:6, "Arise, and go into the city; and it shall be told thee what thou must do." And he should interpret it as an immediate signification of the will of God, that he should now, forthwith go to such a neighbor town, and as a revelation of that future event, viz. that there he should meet with a further discovery of his duty.
If such things as these are revealed by the impression of these words, 'tis to all intents a new revelation, not the less because certain words of Scripture are made use of in the case: here are propositions or truths entirely new, that are supposed now to be revealed, that those words do not contain in themselves, and that till now there was no revelation of anywhere to be found in heaven or earth.
These propositions, that 'tis God's mind and will that such a person by name should arise at such a time, and go from such a place to such a place, and that there he should meet with discoveries, are entirely new propositions, wholly different from the propositions contained in that text of Scripture, no more contained or consequentially implied in the words themselves, without a new revelation, than it is implied that he should arise and go to any other place, or that any other person should arise and go to that place.
The propositions supposed to be now revealed are as really different from those contained in that Scripture, as they are from the propositions contained in that text, Genesis 5:6, "And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos."
This is quite a different thing from the Spirit's enlightening the mind to understand the precepts or propositions of the Word of God, and [to] know what is contained and revealed in them, and what consequences may justly be drawn from them, and to see how they are applicable to our case and circumstances; which is done without any new revelation, only by enabling the mind to understand and apply a revelation already made.
Those texts of Scripture that speak of the children of God as led by the Spirit, have been by some brought to defend a being guided by such impulses; as particularly those [in] Romans 8:14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God"; and Galatians 5:18, "But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law."
But these texts themselves confute them that bring them; for 'tis evident that the leading of the Spirit that the Apostle speaks of is a gracious leading, or what is peculiar to the children of God, and that natural men cannot have; for he speaks of it as a sure evidence of their being the sons of God, and not under the law: but a leading or directing a person by immediately revealing to him where he should go, or what shall hereafter come to pass, or what shall be the future consequence of his doing thus or thus, if there be any such thing in these days, is not of the nature of the gracious leading of the Spirit of God that is peculiar to God's children; 'tis no more than a common gift; there is nothing in it but what natural men are capable of, and many of them have had in the days of inspiration. A man may have ten thousand such revelations and directions from the Spirit of God, and yet not have a jot of grace in his heart: 'tis no more than the gift of prophecy, which immediately reveals what will be, or should be hereafter; but this is but a common gift, as the Apostle expressly shews, 1 Corinthians 13:2, 1 Corinthians 13:8. If a person has anything revealed to him from God, or is directed to anything by a voice from heaven, or a whisper, or words immediately suggested and put into his mind, there is nothing of the nature of grace merely in this; 'tis of the nature of a common influence of the Spirit, and is but dross and dung in comparison of the excellency of that gracious leading of the Spirit that the saints have. Such a way of being directed where one shall go, and what he shall do, is no more than what Balaam had from God, who from time to time revealed to him what he should do, and when he had done one thing, then directed him what he should do next; so that he was in this sense led by the Spirit for a considerable time [Numbers 22].
There is a more excellent way that the Spirit of God leads the sons of God, that natural men cannot have, and that is by inclining them to do the will of God, and go in the shining path of truth and Christian holiness, from an holy heavenly disposition, which the Spirit of God gives them, and enlivens in them which inclines 'em and leads 'em to those things that are excellent and agreeable to God's mind, whereby they are "transformed by the renewing of their minds, and prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God," as in Romans 12:2. And so the Spirit of God does in a gracious manner teach the saints their duty; and teaches 'em in
an higher manner than ever Balaam, or Saul, or Judas, were taught, or any natural man is capable of while such. The Spirit of God enlightens 'em with respect to their duty by making their eye single and pure, whereby the "whole body is full of light" [Matthew 6:22]. The sanctifying influence of the Spirit of God rectifies the taste of the soul, whereby it savors those things that are of God, and naturally relishes and delights in those things that are holy and agreeable to God's mind, and like one of a distinguishing taste, chooses those things that are good and wholesome, and rejects those things that are evil; for the sanctified ear tries words, and the sanctified heart tries actions, as the mouth tastes meat. And thus the Spirit of God leads and guides the meek in his way, agreeable to his promises; he enables them to understand the commands and counsels of his Word, and rightly to apply them. Christ blames the Pharisees that they had not this holy distinguishing taste, to discern and distinguish what was right and wrong. Luke 12:57, "Yea, and why, even of your own selves, judge ye not what is right?"
The leading of the Spirit which God gives his children, which is peculiar to them, is that teaching them his statutes, and causing them to understand the way of his precepts, which the Psalmist so very often prays for, especially in the Psalms 119 Psalm; and not in giving of them new statutes, and new precepts. He graciously gives them eyes to see, and ears to hear, and hearts to understand; he causes them to understand the fear of the Lord, and so brings the blind by a way they knew not, and leads them in paths that they had not known, and makes darkness light before them, and crooked things straight [Proverbs 2:5; Isaiah 42:16].
So the assistance of the Spirit in praying and preaching seems by some to have been greatly misunderstood, and they have sought after a miraculous assistance of inspiration, by immediate suggesting of words to them, by such gifts and influences of the Spirit, in praying and teaching, as the Apostle speaks of, 1 Corinthians 14:14, 1 Corinthians 14:26 (which many natural men had in those days), instead of a gracious holy assistance of the Spirit of God, which is the far more excellent way (as 1 Corinthians 12:31 and 1 Corinthians 13:1). The gracious, and most excellent, kind assistance of the Spirit of God in praying and preaching, is not my immediate suggesting of words to the apprehension, which may be with a cold dead heart, but by warming the heart and filling it with a great sense of those things that are to be spoken of, and with holy affections, that that sense and those affections may suggest words. Thus indeed
the Spirit of God may be said, indirectly and mediately to suggest words to us, to indite our petitions for us, and to teach the preacher what to say; he fills the heart, and that fills the mouth; as we know that when men are greatly affected in any matter, and their hearts are very full, it fills them with matter for speech, and makes 'em eloquent upon that subject; and much more have spiritual affections this tendency, for many reasons that might be given. When a person is in an holy and lively frame in secret prayer, it will wonderfully supply him with matter and with expressions, as every true Christian knows; and so it will fill his mouth in Christian conversation, and it has the like tendency to enable a person in public prayer and preaching. And if he has these holy influences of the Spirit on his heart in an high degree, nothing in the world will have so great a tendency to make both the matter and manner of his public performances excellent and profitable. But since there is no immediate suggesting of words from the Spirit of God to be expected or desired, they who neglect and despise study and premeditation, in order to a preparation for the pulpit, in such an expectation are guilty of presumption; though doubtless it may be lawful for some persons in some cases (and they may be called to it) to preach with very little study; and the Spirit of God, by the heavenly frame of heart that he gives them, may enable them to do it to excellent purpose.
Besides this most excellent way of the Spirit of God his assisting ministers in public performances, which (considered as the preacher's privilege) far excels inspiration, there is a common assistance which natural men may have in these days, and which the godly may have intermingled with a gracious assistance, which is also very different from inspiration, and that is his assisting natural principles; as his assisting the natural apprehension, reason, memory, conscience and natural affection.
But to return to the head of impressions and immediate revelations; many lay themselves open to a delusion by expecting direction from heaven in this way, and waiting for it: in such a case it is easy for persons to imagine that they have it. They are perhaps at a loss concerning something, undetermined what they shall do, or what course they should take in some affair, and they pray to God to direct them, and make known to 'em his mind and will; and then, instead of expecting to be directed, by being assisted in consideration of the rules of God's Word, and their circumstances, and God's providence, and enabled to look on things in a true light, and justly to weigh
them, they are waiting for some secret immediate influence on their minds, unaccountably swaying their minds and turning their thought or inclinations that way that God would have them go, and are observing their own minds to see what arises there, whether some texts of Scripture don't come into the mind, or whether some ideas or inward motions and dispositions don't arise in something of an unaccountable manner that they may call a divine direction. Hereby they are exposed to two things. First, they lay themselves open to the Devil, and give him a fair opportunity to lead them where he pleases; for they stand ready to follow the first extraordinary impulse that they shall have, groundlessly concluding it is from God. And secondly, they are greatly exposed to be deceived by their own imaginations; for such an expectation awakens and quickens the imagination; and that oftentimes is called an uncommon impression, that is no such thing; and they ascribe that to the agency of some invisible being, that is owing only to themselves.
Again, another way that many have been deceived, is by drawing false conclusions from true premises. Many true and eminent saints have been led into mistakes and snares by arguing too much from that, that they have prayed in faith; and that oftentimes when the premises are true, they have indeed been greatly assisted in prayer for such a particular mercy, and have had the true spirit of prayer in exercise in their asking it of God; but they have concluded more from these premises than is a just consequence from them: that they have thus prayed is a sure sign that their prayer is accepted and heard, and that God will give a gracious answer, according to his own wisdom, and that the particular thing that was asked shall be given, or that which is equivalent; this is a just consequence from it; but it is not inferred by any new revelation now made, but by the revelation that is made in God's Word, the promises made to the prayer of faith in the Holy Scriptures: but that God will answer them in that individual thing that they ask, if it ben't a thing promised in God's Word, or they don't certainly know that it is that which will be most for the good of God's church and the advancement of Christ's kingdom and glory, nor whether it will be best for them, is more than can be justly concluded from it.
If God remarkably meets with one of his children while he is praying for a particular mercy of great importance, for himself, or some other person, or any society of men, and does by the influences of his Spirit greatly humble him and empty him of himself in his
prayer, and manifests himself remarkably in his excellency, sovereignty and his all-sufficient power and grace in Jesus Christ, and does in a remarkable manner enable the person to come to him for that mercy, poor in spirit and with humble resignation to God, and with a great degree of faith in the divine sufficiency, and the sufficiency of Christ's mediation, that person has indeed a great deal the more reason to hope that God will grant that mercy than otherwise he would have; the greater probability is justly inferred from that, agreeable to the promises of the Holy Scripture, that the prayer is accepted and heard; and it is much more probable that a prayer that is heard will be returned with the particular mercy that is asked, than one that is not heard. And there is no reason at all to doubt but that God does sometimes especially enable to the exercises of faith, when the minds of his saints are engaged in thoughts of, and prayer for, some particular blessing they greatly desire; i.e. God is pleased especially to give 'em a believing frame, a sense of his fulness, and a spirit of humble dependence on him, at such times as when they are thinking of and praying for that mercy more than for other mercies; he gives 'em a particular sense of his ability to do that thing, and of the sufficiency of his power to overcome such and such obstacles, and the sufficiency of his mercy and of the blood of Christ for the removal of the guilt that is in the way of the bestowment of such a mercy in particular. When this is the case, it makes the probability still much greater that God intends to bestow the particular mercy sought, in his own time and his own way. But here is nothing of the nature of a revelation in the case, but only a drawing rational conclusions from the particular manner and circumstances of the ordinary gracious influences of God's Spirit. And as God is pleased sometimes to give his saints particular exercises of faith in his sufficiency, with regard to particular mercies they seek, so he is sometimes pleased to make use of his Word in order to it, and helps the actings of faith with respect to such a mercy by texts of Scripture that do especially exhibit the sufficiency of God's power or mercy in such a like case, or speak of such a manner of the exercise of God's strength and grace. The strengthening of their faith in God's sufficiency in this case, is therefore a just improvement of such Scriptures; it is no more than what those Scriptures, as they stand in the Bible, do hold forth just cause for. But to take them as new whispers or revelations from heaven is not making a just improvement of them. If persons have
thus a spirit of prayer remarkably given them concerning a particular mercy from time to time, so as evidently to be assisted to act faith in God, in that particular, in a very distinguishing manner, the argument in some cases may be very strong that God does design [sic, deign?] to grant that mercy, not from any revelation now made of it, but from such a kind and manner of the ordinary influence of his Spirit, with respect to that thing.
But here a great deal of caution and circumspection must be used in drawing inferences of this nature: there are many ways persons may be misled and deluded. The ground on which some expect that they shall receive the thing they have asked for, is rather a strong imagination, than any true humble faith in the divine sufficiency. They have a strong persuasion that the thing asked shall be granted (which they can give no reason for) without any remarkable discovery of that glory and fulness of God and Christ that is the ground of faith. And sometimes the confidence that persons have that their prayers shall be answered, is only a self-righteous confidence, and no true faith: they have a high conceit of themselves as eminent saints and special favorites of God, and have also a high conceit of the prayers they have made, because they were much enlarged and affected in them; and hence they are positive in it that the thing will come to pass. And sometimes when once they have conceived such a notion, they grow stronger and stronger in it; and this they think is from an immediate divine hand upon their minds to strengthen their confidence; whereas it is only by their dwelling in their minds on their own excellency, and high experiences, and great assistances, whereby they look brighter and brighter in their own eyes. Hence 'tis found by observation and experience, that nothing in the world exposes so much to enthusiasm as spiritual pride and self-righteousness.
In order to drawing a just inference from the supposed assistance we have had in prayer for a particular mercy, and judging of the probability of the bestowment of that individual mercy, many things must be considered. We must consider the importance of the mercy sought, and the principle whence we so earnestly desire it; how far it is good and agreeable to the mind and will of God; the degree of love to God that we exercised in our prayer; the degree of discovery that is made of the divine sufficiency, and the degree in which our assistance is manifestly distinguishing with respect to that mercy. And there is nothing of greater importance in the argument than
the degree of humility, poverty of spirit, self-emptiness and resignation to the holy will of God, which God gives us the exercise of in our seeking that mercy: praying for a particular mercy with much of these things, I have often seen blessed with a remarkable bestowment of the particular thing asked for.
From what has been said, we may see which way God may, only by the ordinary gracious influences of his Spirit, sometimes give his saints special reason to hope for the bestowment of a particular mercy they desire and have prayed for, and which we may suppose he oftentimes gives eminent saints, that have great degrees of humility and much communion with God. And here, I humbly conceive, some eminent servants of Jesus Christ that have appeared in the church of God, that we read of in ecclesiastical story [history?], have been led into a mistake; and through want of distinguishing such things as these from immediate revelations, have thought that God has favored 'em, in some instances, with the same kind of divine influences that the apostles and prophets had of old.
Another erroneous principle that some have embraced, that has been a source of many errors in their conduct, is that persons ought always to do whatsoever the Spirit of God (though but indirectly) inclines them to. Indeed the Spirit of God in itself is infinitely perfect, and all his immediate actings, simply considered, are perfect, and there can be nothing wrong in them; and therefore all that the Spirit of God inclines us to directly and immediately without the intervention of any other cause that shall pervert and misimprove what is from the Spirit of God, ought to be done; but there may be many things that we may be disposed to do, which disposition may indirectly be from the Spirit of God, that we ought not to do. The disposition in general may be good, and be from the Spirit of God, but the particular determination of that disposition, as to particular actions, objects and circumstances, may be ill, and not from the Spirit of God, but may be from the intervention or interposition of some infirmity, blindness, inadvertence, deceit or corruption of ours; so that although the disposition in general ought to be allowed and promoted, and all those actings of it that are simply from God's Spirit, yet the particular ill direction or determination of that disposition, which is from some other cause, ought not to be followed.
As for instance, the Spirit of God may cause a person to have a dear love to another, and so a great desire of, and delight in his
comfort, ease and pleasure: this disposition in general is good, and ought to be followed; but yet through the intervention of indiscretion, or some other bad cause, it may be ill directed, and have a bad determination, as to particular acts; and the person indirectly, through that real love that he has to his neighbor, may kill him with kindness; he may do that out of sincere good will to him that may tend to ruin him. A good disposition may through some inadvertence or delusion, strongly incline a person to that, which if he saw all things as they are, would be most contrary to that disposition. The true loyalty of a general, and his zeal for the honor of his prince, may exceedingly animate him in war; but yet this that is a good disposition, through indiscretion and mistake, may push him forward to those things that give the enemy great advantage, and may expose him and his army to ruin, and may tend to the ruin of his master's interest.
The Apostle does evidently suppose that the Spirit of God in his extraordinary, immediate and miraculous influences on men's minds, may in some respect excite inclinations in men, that if gratified, would tend to confusion, and therefore must sometimes be restrained, and in their exercise, must be under the government of discretion. 1 Corinthians 14:31–33, "For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets; for God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." Here by "the spirits of the prophets," according to the known phraseology of the Apostle, is meant the Spirit of God acting in the prophets, according to those special gifts with which each one was endowed. And here it is plainly implied that the Spirit of God, thus operating in them, may be an occasion of their having sometimes an inclination to do that, in the exercise of those gifts, which it was not proper, decent or profitable that they should; and that therefore the inclination, though indirectly from the Spirit of God, should be restrained, and that it ought to be subject to the discretion of the prophets, as to the particular time and circumstances of its exercise.
I can make no doubt but that it is possible for a minister to have given him by the Spirit of God such a sense of the importance of eternal things, and of the misery of mankind, that are so many of them exposed to eternal destruction, together with such a love to souls, that he might find in himself a disposition to spend all his time, day and night, in warning, exhorting and calling upon men,
and so that he must be obliged as it were to do violence to himself ever to refrain, so as to give himself any opportunity to eat, drink or sleep. And so I believe there may be a disposition in like manner, indirectly excited in lay persons, through the intervention of their infirmity, to do what only belongs to ministers; yea, to do those things that would not become either ministers or people: through the influence of the Spirit of God, together with want of discretion and some remaining corruption, women and children might feel themselves inclined to break forth and scream aloud to great congregations, warning and exhorting the whole multitude, and to go forth and halloo and scream in the streets, or to leave the families they belong to, and go from house to house, earnestly exhorting others; but yet it would by no means follow that it was their duty to do these things, or that they would not have a tendency to do ten times as much hurt as good.
Another wrong principle from whence have arisen errors in conduct is, that whatsoever is found to be of present and immediate benefit, may and ought to be practiced without looking forward to future consequences. Some persons seem to think that it sufficiently justifies anything that they say or do that it is found to be for their present edification, and the edification of those that are with them; it assists and promotes their present affection, and therefore they think they should not concern themselves about future consequences, but leave them with God. Indeed, in things that are in themselves our duty, being required by moral rules, or absolute positive commands of God, they must be done, and future consequences must be left with God; our election and discretion takes no place here: but in other things we are to be governed by discretion, and must not only look at the present good, but our view must be extensive, and we must look at the consequence of things. 'Tis 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 to their own discretion, with that general rule that they should exercise the utmost wisdom they can obtain in pursuing that, which upon the best view of the consequences of things they can get, will tend most to the advancement of his kingdom. This is implied in those words of Christ to his disciples, when he sent 'em forth to preach the Gospel, Matthew 10:16, "Be ye wise as serpents." The Scripture always represents the work of a Gospel minister by those employments
that do especially require a wise foresight of, and provision for, future events and consequences. So it is compared to the business of a steward, that is 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, according to its future necessities; and a good minister is called a wise steward.9 So 'tis compared to the business of an husbandman, that almost wholly consists in those things that are done with a view to the future fruits and consequences of his labor: the husbandman's discretion and forecast is eloquently set forth in Isaiah 28:24–26, "Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? Doth he open and break the clods of his ground? When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye, in their place? For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him." 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, he 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 [1 Corinthians 3:10; Ephesians 2:21]. So also it is compared to the business of a trader or merchant, who is to gain by trading with the money that he begins with: this also is a business that exceedingly requires forecast, and without it, is never like to be followed with any success for any long time [Matthew 25:14–30]. So 'tis represented by the business of a fisherman, which depends on craft and subtlety [Matthew 4:19]. 'Tis also compared to the business of a soldier that goes to war, which is a business that perhaps, above any other secular business, requires great foresight and a wise provision for future events and consequences [2 Timothy 2:3].
And particularly ministers ought not to be careless how much they discompose and ruffle the minds of those that they esteem natural men, or how great an uproar they raise in the carnal world, and so lay blocks in the way of the propagation of religion. This certainly is not to follow the example of that zealous Apostle Paul, who though he would not depart from his enjoined duty to please carnal men, yet wherein he might with a good 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. 1 Corinthians 10:32–33, "Give none offense, 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." Yea, he declares that he laid himself out so much for this, that he made himself a kind of a servant to all sorts of men, conforming to their customs and various humors, in everything 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 braced and armed against it, but on the contrary, if possible, might with condescension and friendship win and draw them to it; as you may see, 1 Corinthians 9:19–23. And agreeable hereto, are the directions he gives to others, both ministers and people. So he directs the Christian Romans not to please themselves, but everyone [to] please his neighbor for his good, to edification, Romans 15:1–2, and to follow after the things that make for peace, chap. Romans 14:19. And he presses it in terms exceeding strong, Romans 12:18, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." And he directs ministers to endeavor if possible, to gain opposers by a meek condescending treatment, avoiding all appearance of strife or fierceness, 2 Timothy 2:24–26. To the like purpose, the same Apostle directs Christians to walk in wisdom towards them that are without, Colossians 4:5, and to avoid giving offense to others if we can, that our good mayn't be evil spoken of, Romans 14:16. So that 'tis evident that the great and 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 (we should not therefore needlessly increase and raise that enmity); as in the Apostle's days, though he took so much pains to please men, yet because he was faithful and thorough in his work, persecution almost everywhere was raised against him.
A fisherman is careful not needlessly to ruffle and disturb the water, lest he should drive the fish away from his net; but he'll rather endeavor if possible to draw them into it. Such a fisherman was the Apostle. 2 Corinthians 12:15–16, "And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the
less I be loved. But be it so, I did not burden you; nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile."
The necessity of suffering persecution in order to being a true Christian, has undoubtedly by some been carried to an extreme, and the doctrine has been abused. It has been looked upon necessary to uphold a man's credit amongst others as a Christian, that he should be persecuted. I have heard it made an objection against the sincerity of particular persons that they were no more hated and reproached. And the manner of glorying in persecution, or the cross of Christ, has in some been very wrong, so as has had too much of an appearance of lifting up themselves in it, that they were very much hated and reviled, more than most, as an evidence of their excelling others in being good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Such an improvement of the doctrine of the enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent [Genesis 3:15], and of the necessity of persecution, becoming credible and customary, has a direct tendency to cause those that would be accounted true Christians to behave themselves so towards those that are not well affected to religion as to provoke their hatred, or at least to be but little careful to avoid it, and not very studiously and earnestly to strive (after the Apostle's example and precepts) to please them to their edification, and by meekness and gentleness to win them, and by all possible means to live peaceably with them.
I believe that saying of our Saviour, "I came not to send peace on earth, but division" [Luke 12:51; cf. also Matthew 10:34], has been abused; as though when we see great strife and division arise about religion, and violent heats of spirit against the truly pious, and a loud clamor and uproar against the work of God, it was to be rejoiced in, because it is that which Christ came to send. It has almost been laid down as a maxim by some, that the more division and strife, the better sign; which naturally leads persons to seek it and provoke it, or leads 'em to, and encourages 'em in such a manner of behavior, such a roughness and sharpness, or such an affected neglect, as has a natural tendency to raise prejudice and opposition; instead of striving, as the Apostle did to his utmost, by all meekness, gentleness and benevolence of behavior, to prevent or assuage it. Christ came to send a sword on earth, and to cause division, no otherwise than he came to send damnation; for Christ that is set for the glorious restoration of some is set for the fall of others [Luke 2:34], and to be a stone of stumbling and rock of offense to them
[Isaiah 8:14; 1 Peter 2:8], and an occasion of their vastly more aggravated and terrible damnation [Matthew 12:41–42]; and this is always the consequence of a great outpouring of the Spirit and revival of vital religion: it is the means of the salvation of some, and the more aggravated damnation of others. But certainly this is no just argument that men's exposedness to damnation is not to be lamented, or that we should not exert ourselves to our utmost, in all the methods that we can devise, that others might be saved, and to avoid all such behavior towards 'em as tends to lead 'em down to hell.
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 in New England if the subjects and promoters of it had behaved themselves never so agreeably to Christian rules; and I believe if this work goes on and spreads much in the world, so as 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 violent. But yet I believe a great deal might be done to restrain this opposition, by a good conformity to that of the Apostle James, James 3:13, "Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge [among you]? Let him shew out of a good conversation, his works, with meekness of wisdom." And I also believe that if the rules of Christian charity, meekness, gentleness and prudence had been duly observed by the generality of the zealous promoters of this work, it would have made three times the progress that it has; i.e. if it had pleased God in such a case, to give a blessing to means in proportion as he has done.
Under this head of carelessness of the future consequences of things, it may be 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 more evident from the New Testament, than that such things ought to be done with great caution and moderation, to avoid the offense that may be thereby given, and the prejudices that might be raised, to clog and hinder the progress of religion: yea, that it ought to be thus in things that are in themselves good and excellent, and of great weight, provided they are not things that are of the nature of absolute duty, which though they may appear to be innovations, yet can't be neglected without immorality or disobedience to the commands of God. What great caution and moderation did the apostles use in introducing
things that were new, and abolishing things that were old in their day? How gradually were the ceremonial performances of the law of Moses removed and 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" [Galatians 4:9]? Yea, even to the rite of circumcision (Acts 16:3) that he speaks so much in his epistles of the worthlessness of, that he might not prejudice the Jews against Christianity? So it seems to have been very gradually that the Jewish Sabbath was abolished, and the Christian Sabbath introduced, for the same reason. And the apostles avoided teaching the Christians in those early days, at least for a great while, some high and excellent divine truths, because they could not bear 'em yet, 1 Corinthians 3:1–2; Hebrews 5:11 to the end. 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 [Matthew 9:17 and parallels]. 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, and the particular benefits of his death, resurrection and ascension, because in that infant state the disciples were then in, 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 their minds should be further enlightened and strengthened by the outpouring of the Spirit after his ascension? John 16:12–13, "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." And Mark 4:33, "And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to bear [sic, hear] it." These things might be enough to convince anyone, that don't 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 much 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, before they have taken the preceding steps; whereby they expose themselves to fall and break their bones. It is a thing very taking with them to see the building
rise very high, and all their endeavor and strength is employed in advancing the building in height, without taking care withal proportionably to enlarge the bottom; whereby the whole is in danger of coming to the ground; or they are for putting on the cupola and pinnacle before they are 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 its ever being a complete structure. Many that are thus imprudent and hasty with their zeal have a real eager appetite for that which is good; but are like children that are impatient to wait for the fruit till the proper season of it, and therefore snatch it before it is ripe: oftentimes in their haste they overshoot their mark, and frustrate their own end; they put that which they would obtain further out of reach than it was before, and establish and confirm that which they would remove. Things must have time to ripen: the prudent husbandman waits till he has received the former and the latter rain, and till the harvest is ripe, before he reaps. 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. The reformation from popery was much hindered by this hasty zeal: many were for immediately rectifying all disorders by force, which were condemned by Luther, and were a great trouble to him. See Sleiden's History of the Reformation, page 52, etc., and Book V throughout.1 It is a vain prejudice that some have lately imbibed against such rules of prudence and moderation: they will be forced to come to 'em at last; they'll find themselves that they are not able to maintain their cause without 'em; and if they won't hearken before, experience will convince 'em at last, when it will be too late for them to rectify their mistake.
Another error that is of the nature of an erroneous principle, that some have gone upon, is a wrong notion that they have of an attestation of divine providence to persons or things. We go too far when we look upon the success that God gives to some persons, in making
them the instruments of doing much good, as a testimony of God's approbation of those persons and all the courses they take. It is a main argument that has been made use of to defend the conduct of some of those ministers, that have been blamed as imprudent and irregular, that God has smiled upon them and blessed them, and given them great success, and that however men charge them as guilty of many wrong things, yet 'tis evident that God is with them, and then who can be against them [Romans 8:31]? And probably some of those ministers themselves, by this very means, have had their ears stopped against all that has been said to convince 'em of their misconduct. But there are innumerable ways that persons may be misled, in forming a judgment of the mind and will of God, from the events of providence. If a person's success be a reward of something that God sees in him, that he approves of, yet 'tis no argument that he approves of everything in him. Who can tell how far the divine grace may go in greatly rewarding some small good that he sees in a person, a good meaning, something good in his disposition, while he at the same time, in sovereign mercy, hides his eyes from a great deal that is bad, that 'tis his pleasure to forgive, and not to mark against the person, though in itself it be very ill? God has not told us after what manner he will proceed in this matter, and we go upon most uncertain grounds when we undertake to determine. It is an exceeding difficult thing to know how far love or hatred are exercised towards persons or actions, by all that is before us. God was pleased in his sovereignty to give such success to Jacob in that, which from beginning to end was a deceitful, lying contrivance and proceeding of his, that in that way, he obtained that blessing that was worth infinitely more than the fatness of the earth and the dew of heaven, that was given to Esau, in his blessing; yea, worth more than all that the world can afford [Genesis 27–Genesis 33]. God was for a while with Judas, so that he by God's power accompanying him, wrought miracles and cast out devils; but this could not justly be interpreted as God's approbation of his person, or his thievery that he lived in at the same time [Matthew 10:1–4; John 12:6].
The dispensations and events of providence, with their reasons, are too little understood by us to be improved by us as our rule, instead of God's Word; God has his "way in the sea, and his path in the mighty waters, and his footsteps are not known" [Psalms 77:19; Isaiah 43:16]; and he gives us "no account of any of his matters" [Job 33:13]; and therefore we can't safely take the events of
his providence as a revelation of his mind concerning a person's conduct and behavior; we have no warrant so to do, God has never appointed those things, but something else to be our rule; we have but one rule to go by, and that is his Holy Word, and when we join anything else with it as having the force of a rule, we are guilty of that which is strictly forbidden, Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:6, and Revelation 22:18. They who make what they imagine is pointed forth to 'em in providence their rule of behavior, do err, as well as those that follow impulses and impressions: we should put nothing in the room of the Word of God. It is to be feared that some have been greatly confirmed and emboldened by the great success that God has given them, in some things that have really been contrary to the rules of God's Holy Word. If it has been so, they have been guilty of presumption, and abusing God's kindness to them, and the great honor he has put upon them: they have seen that God was with them, and made them victorious in their preaching; and this it is to be feared has been abused by some to a degree of self-confidence; it has much taken off all jealousy of themselves; they have been bold therefore to go great lengths, in a presumption that God was with them, and would defend them, and finally baffle all that found fault with them.
Indeed, there is a voice of God in his providence, that may be interpreted and well understood by the rule of his Word; and providence may, to our dark minds and weak faith, confirm the Word of God as it fulfills it: but to improve divine providence thus, is quite a different thing from making a rule of providence. There is a good use may be made of the events of providence, of our own observation and experience, and human histories, and the opinion of the Fathers and other eminent men; but finally all must be brought to one rule, viz. the Word of God, and that must be regarded as our only rule.
Nor do I think that they go upon sure ground that conclude that they have not been in an error in their conduct, because that at the time of their doing a thing, for which they have been blamed and reproached by others, they were favored with special comforts of God's Spirit. God's bestowing special spiritual mercies on a person at such a time, is no sign that he approves of everything that he sees in him at that time. David had very much of the presence of God while he lived in polygamy: and Solomon had some very high favors and peculiar smiles of heaven, and particularly
at the dedication of the temple, while he greatly multiplied wives to himself, and horses, and silver and gold; all contrary to the most express command of God to the king, in the law of Moses, Deuteronomy 17:16–17. We can't tell how far God may hide his eyes from beholding iniquity in Jacob, and seeing perverseness in Israel [Numbers 23:21]. We can't tell what are the reasons of God's actions any further than he interprets for himself. God sometimes gave some of the primitive Christians the extraordinary influence of his Spirit, when they were out of the way of their duty; and continued it while they were abusing it; as is plainly implied, 1 Corinthians 14:31–33.
Yea, if a person has done a thing for which he is reproached, and that reproach be an occasion of his feeling sweet exercises of grace in his soul, and that from time to time, I don't think that is a certain evidence that God approves of the thing he is blamed for. For undoubtedly a mistake may be the occasion of stirring up the exercise of grace, in a man that has grace. If a person, through mistake, thinks he has received some particular great mercy, that mistake may be the occasion of stirring up the sweet exercises of love to God, and true thankfulness and joy in God. As for instance, if one that is full of love to God should hear credible tidings concerning a remarkable deliverance of a child or other dear friend, or of some glorious thing done for the City of God, no wonder if, on such an occasion, the sweet actings of love to God and delight in God should be excited, though indeed afterwards it should prove a false report that he heard. So if one that loves God is much maligned and reproached for doing that which he thinks God required and approves, no wonder that it is sweet to such an one to think that God is his friend, though men are his enemies; no wonder at all, that this is an occasion of his, as it were, leaving the world, and sweetly betaking himself to God as his sure friend, and finding sweet complacence in God; though he be indeed in a mistake concerning that which he thought was agreeable to God's will. As I have before shewn that the exercise of a truly good affection may be the occasion of error, and may indirectly incline a person to that which is wrong; 2 so on the other hand, error, or a doing that which is wrong, may be an occasion of the exercise of a truly good affection. The reason of it is this, that however all exercises of grace be from the Spirit of God, yet the Spirit of God dwells and acts in the hearts of the saints, in some measure after
the manner of a vital, natural principle, a principle of new nature in them; whose exercises are excited by means, in some measure as other natural principles are. Though grace ben't in the saints as a mere natural principle, but as a sovereign agent, and so its exercises are not tied to means by an immutable law of nature, as in mere natural principles; yet God has so constituted that grace should dwell so in the hearts of the saints, that its exercises should have some degree of connection with means, after the manner of a principle of nature.
Another erroneous principle that there has been something of, and that has been an occasion of some mischief and confusion, is that external order in matters of religion and use of the means of grace is but little to be regarded: 'tis spoken lightly of, under the names of ceremonies and dead forms, etc. And [it] is probably the more despised by some because their opposers insist so much upon it, and because they are so continually hearing from them the cry of disorder and confusion. 'Tis objected against the importance of external order that God don't look at the outward form, he looks at the heart: but that is a weak argument against its importance, that true godliness don't consist in it; for it may be equally made use of against all the outward means of grace whatsoever. True godliness don't consist in ink and paper, but yet that would 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 in public society, 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 everything 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 won't help but hinder one another. A multitude can't act in union one with another without order; confusion separates and divides them, so that there can be no concert or agreement. 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, as 1 Corinthians 12:14 to the end, and Romans 12:4–8.
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, everyone 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, and fall an easy helpless prey to their adversaries? 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; order is maintained amongst the glorious angels there. 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 'tis 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, they do by a wonderful instinct that God has put into them observe and maintain a most regular and exact order among themselves; such as bees and some others. And order in the visible church is not only necessary to the carrying on the designs of Christ's glory and the church's prosperity, but it is absolutely necessary to its defense; without it, it's 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 ben't 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.
It seems to be partly on the foundation of this notion of the Worthlessness of external order, that some have seemed to act on that principle that the power of judging and openly censuring others should not be reserved in the hands of particular persons, or consistories appointed thereto, but ought to be left at large for anybody that pleases to take it upon them, or that think themselves fit for it; but more of this afterwards—3
On this foundation also, an orderly attending on the stated worship of God in families has been made too light of; and it has
been in some places too much of a common and customary thing to be absent from family worship, and to be abroad late in night at religious meetings, or to attend religious conversation. Not but that this may be, on certain extraordinary occasions; I have seen the case to be such in many instances, that I have thought did afford sufficient warrant for persons to be absent from family prayer, and to be from home till very late in the night: but we should take heed that this don't become a custom or common practice; if it should be so, we shall soon find the consequences to be very ill.
It seems to be on the same foundation of the supposed unprofitableness of external order, that it has been thought by some that there is no need that such and such religious services and performances should be limited to any certain office in the church (of which more afterwards); 4 and also that those offices themselves, as particularly that of the Gospel ministry, need not be limited as it used to be, to persons of a liberal education; but some of late have been for having others, that they have supposed to be persons of eminent experience, publicly licensed to preach, yea, and ordained to the work of the ministry; and some ministers have seemed to favor such a thing: but how little do they seem to look forward, and consider the unavoidable consequences of opening such a door? If once it should become a custom, or a thing generally approved and allowed of, to admit persons to the work of the ministry that have had no education for it, because of their remarkable experiences, and being persons of good understanding, how many lay persons would soon appear as candidates for the work of the ministry? I doubt not but that I have been acquainted with scores that would have desired it. And how shall we know where to stop? If one is admitted because his experiences are remarkable, another will think his experiences also remarkable; and we perhaps shall not be able to deny but that they are near as great: if one is admitted because besides experiences, he has good natural abilities, another, by himself and many of his neighbors, may be thought equal to him. It will be found of absolute necessity that there should be some certain, visible limits fixed, to avoid bringing odium upon ourselves, and breeding uneasiness and strife amongst others; and I know of none better, and indeed no other that can well be fixed, than those that the prophet
Zechariah fixes, viz. that only should be appointed to be pastors or shepherds in God's church that have been taught to keep cattle from their youth, or that have had an education for that purpose.5 Those ministers that have a disposition to break over these limits, if they should do so, and make a practice of it, would break down that fence which they themselves after a while, after they have been wearied with the ill consequences, would be glad to have somebody else build up for them. Not but that there may probably be some persons in the land, that have had no education at college, that are in themselves better qualified for the work of the ministry than some others that have taken their degrees, and are now ordained. But yet I believe the breaking over those bounds that have hitherto been set, in ordaining such persons, would in its consequences be a greater calamity, than the missing such persons in the work of the ministry. The opening a door for the admission of unlearned men to the work of the ministry, though they should be persons of extraordinary experience, would on some accounts be especially prejudicial at such a day as this; because such persons, for want of an extensive knowledge, are oftentimes forward to lead others into those things which a people are in danger of at such a time, above all other times, viz. impulses, vain imaginations, superstition, indiscreet zeal, and such like extremes; instead of defending them from them, for which a people especially need a shepherd at such an extraordinary season.
Another erroneous principle that it seems to me some have been, at least, in danger of, is that ministers, because they speak as Christ's ambassadors, may assume the same style and speak as with the same authority that the prophets of old did, yea, that Jesus Christ himself did in the Matthew 23 [chapter] of Matthew, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, etc." and other places; and that not only when they are speaking to the people, but also to their brethren in the ministry. Which principle is absurd, because it makes no difference in the different degrees and orders of messengers that God has sent into the world, though God has made a very great difference: for though they all come in some respect in the name of God, and with something of his authority, yet certainly there is a vast difference in the degree of authority with which God has invested them. Jesus Christ was one that was sent into the world as God's messenger, and so was one of his apostles,
and so also is an ordinary pastor of a church; but yet it don't follow that because Jesus Christ and an ordinary minister are both messengers of God, that therefore an ordinary minister in his office is vested with an equal degree of authority that Christ was in his. As there is a great difference in their authority, and as Christ came as God's messenger in a vastly higher manner, so another style became him, more authoritative than is proper for us worms of the dust, though we also are messengers of inferior degree. It would be strange if God, when he has made so great a difference in the degree in which he has invested different messengers with his authority, should make no difference as to the outward appearance and shew of authority, in style and behavior, which is proper and fit to be seen in them. Though God has put great honor upon ministers, and they may speak as his ambassadors, yet he never intended that they should have the same outward appearance of authority and majesty, either in their behavior or speech, that his Son shall have when he comes to judgment at the last day, though both come, in different respects and degrees, in the name of the Lord. Alas! Can anything ever make it enter into the hearts of worms of the dust that it is fit and suitable that it should be so?
[3] 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 of zealous promoters of this work, viz. 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 themselves; and (2) something with regard to the external effects of experiences.
(1) 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.
A. The first thing is the mixture there oftentimes is in the experiences of true Christians; whereby when they have truly gracious experiences, and divine and spiritual discoveries and exercises, they have something else mixed with them besides what is spiritual: there is a mixture of that which is natural, and that
which is corrupt, with that which is divine. This is what Christians are liable to in the present exceeding imperfect state: the great imperfection of grace, and feebleness and infancy of the new nature, and the great remains of corruption, together with the circumstances we are in in this world, where we are encompassed all round with what tends to pollute us, exposes to this. And indeed, it is not to be supposed that Christians ever have any experiences in this world that are wholly pure, entirely spiritual, without any mixture of what is natural and carnal. 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 for the most part seem to have any imagination of; I have often thought that the experiences of true Christians are very frequently as it is with some sorts of fruits, that are enveloped in several coverings of thick shells or pods, that 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 with gracious experiences, yea, with very great and high experiences, are these three: human, or natural affection and passion; 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 from heaven shall have vastly different effects, in what outwardly appears, in persons of different natural tempers. The great mixture of that which is natural with that which is spiritual, is very manifest in the peculiar effects that divine influences have in some certain families, or persons of such a blood, in a distinguishing manner of the operating of the passions and affections, and the manner of the outward expressions of 'em. I know some remarkable instances of this. The same is also evident by the different effects of divine communication the same person at different times, and in different circumstances: the novelty of things, or the sudden transition from an opposite extreme, and many other things that might be mentioned, greatly contribute to the raising of the passions. And sometimes
there is not only a mixture of that which is common and natural with gracious experience, but even that which is animal, that which is in a great measure from the body, and is properly the result of the animal frame. In what true Christians feel of affections towards God, all is not always purely holy and divine; everything that is felt in the affections don't arise from spiritual principles, but common and natural principles have a very great hand; an improper self-love may have a great share in the effect: God is not loved for his own sake, or for the excellency and beauty of his own perfections as he ought to be; nor have these things in any wise that proportion in the effect that they ought to have. So in that love that true Christians have one to another, very often there is a great mixture of what arises from common and natural principles, with grace; and self-love has a great hand: the children of God ben't loved purely for Christ's sake, but there may be a great mixture of that natural love that many sects of heretics have boasted of, who have been greatly united one to another because they were of their company, on their side, against the rest of the world; yea, there may be a mixture of natural love to the opposite sex, with Christian and divine love. So there may be a great mixture in that sorrow for sin that the godly have; and also in their joys; natural principles may greatly contribute to what is felt, a great many ways, as might easily be shown, would it not make my discourse too lengthy. There is nothing that belongs to Christian experience that is more liable to a corrupt mixture than zeal; though it be an excellent virtue, a heavenly flame, when it is pure: but as it is exercised in those who are so little sanctified, and so little humbled, as we are in the present state, 'tis very apt to mixed with human passion, yea, with corrupt hateful affections, pride and uncharitable bitterness, and other things that are not from heaven but from hell.
Another thing that is often mixed with what is spiritual in the experiences of Christians are impressions on the imagination; whereby godly persons, together with a spiritual understanding of divine things and conviction of their reality and certainty, and a strong and deep sense of their excellency or great importance upon their hearts, have strongly impressed on their minds external ideas or images of things. A degree of imagination in a such case, as I have observed elsewhere, 6 is unavoidable, and necessarily
arises from human nature as constituted in the present state; and a degree of imagination is really useful, and often is of great benefit; but when it is in too great a degree it becomes an impure mixture that is prejudicial. This mixture very often arises from the constitution of the body. It commonly greatly contributes to other kind of mixture mentioned before, viz. of natural affections and passions; it helps to raise them to a great height.
Another thing that is often mixed with the experiences of true Christians, which is the worst mixture of all, is a degree of 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 oftentimes 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, which makes 'em in their own apprehensions so to excel; 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 mayn't take all for gold that glisters, and that we may know what to countenance and encourage, and what to discourage; otherwise Satan will have a vast advantage against us, for he works in 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, is sometimes much owing to the corrupt mixture (as is very apparent in some instances); though it be not always so. I have observed a great difference among those that are under high affections, and seem disposed to be earnestly talking to those that are about them; some insist much more, in their talk, on what they behold in God and Christ, the glory of the divine perfections, Christ's beauty and excellency, and wonderful condescension and grace, and their own unworthiness, and the great and infinite obligations that they themselves and others are under to love and serve God; some
[others] insist 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 much of the presence of God, but their experiences don't appear to be 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 truth, a deep sense of the certainty and infinite greatness, excellency and importance of divine and eternal things, attended with all appearances of great humility; in others their earnestness seems to arise from a great mixture of human passion, and an undue and 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 everything they say, as much when they are talking of things of smaller importance, as when speaking of things of greater weight. I have seen it thus in an instance or two, in which this vehemence at length issued in distraction. And there have been some few instances of a more extraordinary nature still, even of persons finding themselves disposed earnestly to talk and cry out, from an unaccountable kind of bodily pressure, without any extraordinary view of anything in their minds, or sense of anything upon their hearts; wherein probably there was the immediate hand of the Devil.
B. 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 in this life, in the best of the saints. What I aim at is experiences being especially defective in some particular thing that ought to be in them; which though it ben't an essential defect, or such a defect as is in the experiences of hypocrites, which renders them utterly vain, monstrous, 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 in order to the proper beauty of the image of Christ in such a person's experiences; but things are much out of a due proportion: there is indeed much of some
things, but at the same time there is so little of some other things that should bear a proportion, that the defect very much deforms the Christian, and is truly odious in the sight of God.
What I observed before was something that deformed the Christian, as it was too much, something mixed, that is not belonging to the Christian as such; what I speak of now is something that deforms the Christian the other way, viz. by there not being enough, something wanting, that does belong to the Christian as such: the one deforms the Christian as a monstrous excrescence, the other thereby the new creature is maimed, and some member in a great measure wanting, or so small and withering as to be very much out of due proportion. This is another spiritual calamity that the saints are liable to through the great imperfection of grace in this life; like the chicken in the egg, in the beginning of its formation, in which, though there are indeed the rudiments or lineaments of all the parts, yet some few parts are plain to be seen when others are hid, so that without a microscope it appears very monstrous.
When this deficiency and disproportion is great, as sometimes it is in real saints, 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 deformed and 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 to the world by Jesus Christ, has taken care to give a proportionable manifestation of two kinds of excellencies or perfections of his nature, viz. those that especially tend to possess us with awe and reverence, and to search and humble us, and those that tend to win and draw encourage us. By the one he appears as an infinitely great, pure, 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 as it were admirably tempered together in the revelation of the Gospel: there is a proportionable manifestation of justice and mercy, holiness and grace, majesty and gentleness, authority and condescension. God hath thus ordered that his diverse excellencies, as he reveals himself in the face of Jesus Christ [2 Corinthians 4:6], should have a proportionable
manifestation, herein providing for our necessities; 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, viz. 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 spiritual pride, carnal confidence and presumption; and a defect on the other hand, viz. having much of a discovery of his holy majesty, without a proportionable discovery of his grace, tends to unbelief, a sinful fearfulness and spirit of bondage: and therefore herein chiefly consists that deficiency of experiences that I am now speaking of. The revelation God has made of himself in his Word, and the provision made for our spiritual welfare in the Gospel, is perfect; but yet the actual light and communications we have are not perfect, but many ways exceeding imperfect and maimed. And experience plainly shews that Christians may have high experiences in some respects, and yet their circumstances may be unhappy in this regard, that their experiences and discoveries are no more general. 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 very 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, privative cause); and in such a case high discoveries, at the same time that they are enjoyed, may be, and sometimes are the occasion, or causa sine qua non 7 of sin; sin may come in at that back door, the gap that is left open, as spiritual pride often does. 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 8 such awful consequences and horrid temptations, as are enough to make one's hair stand on end to hear them. Christians therefore should diligently observe their own hearts as to this matter, and should pray to God that he would give 'em 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.
'Tis chiefly from such a defect of experiences that some things have arisen that have been pretty common among true Christians of late, that have been supposed by many to have risen from a good cause; as particularly talking of divine and heavenly things, and expressing divine joys with a laughter or a light behavior. I believe in many instances such things have arisen from a good cause, as their causa sine qua non; that high discoveries and gracious joyful affections have been the occasion of them: but the proper cause has been sin, even that odious defect in their experience, whereby there has been wanting a sense of the awful and holy majesty of God as present with them, and their nothingness and 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 authority, intemperate zeal, and many other things that sometimes appear in true Christians under great religious affections.
And sometimes the vehemence of the motion of the animal spirits, under great affections, is owing in considerable measure to experiences being thus partial. I have known it in several instances, that persons have been greatly affected with the dying love of Christ, and the consideration of the happiness of the enjoyment of him in heaven, and other things of that nature, and their animal spirits at the same time have been in a great emotion, but in the midst of it have had given 'em a deep sense of the awful, holy majesty of God; and it has at once composed them, and quieted animal nature, without diminishing their comfort, but only has 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 violent affections and most vehement motions of the body; nor are they always the best that do most dispose persons to abound in talk to others, 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 proportionable one to another And 3. That are raised to the highest degree: 'tis no matter how high they are raised if they are qualified as before mentioned the higher the better. Experiences thus qualified will be attended with the most amiable behavior, and will bring forth the most solid and sweet fruits, and will be the most durable, and will 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, it may be expected that the time will come before long, when the experiences of Christians shall be much more generally thus qualified. We must expect green fruits before we have ripe ones. 'Tis probable that hereafter the discoveries which the saints shall have of divine things will be in a much higher degree than yet have been; but yet shall be so ordered of an infinitely wise and all-sufficient 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 steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel" [Acts 6:15]. 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 speech and behavior.
C. But there is another thing concerning experiences of Christians, of which it is of yet greater importance that we should 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; 'tis persons' experiences growing by degrees worse and worse in their kind, more and more partial 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, as experience abundantly evidences: I have seen it in very many instances; an 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, viz. natural or common affections, and workings of the imagination, and a degree of self-righteousness or spiritual pride. Now it often comes 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, and yielding to it and indulging of it, that part grows and increases, and the spiritual part decreases; the Devil sets in and works in the corrupt part, and cherishes it to his utmost; till at length the experiences of some persons who began well, come to but little else but violent motions of carnal affections, with great heats of the imagination, and a great degree of enthusiasm, and swelling of spiritual pride; very much 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 else in it but what is useless and unwholesome. It appears to me very probable that many of the heresies that have arisen, and sects that have appeared in the Christian world in one age and another, 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 'em, or at least led the way to 'em.
There is nothing in the world that does so much expose to this degenerating of experiences, as an unheeded spiritual pride and self-confidence, and persons being conceited of their own stock, without an humble, daily and continual dependence on God. And this very thing seems to be typified of old, by the corrupting of the manna. Some of the children of Israel, because they had gathered a store of manna, trusted in it, there being, as they apprehended, sufficient in the store they had gathered and laid up, without humbly looking to heaven and stooping to the earth for daily supplies; and the consequence was that their manna "bred worms and stank," Exodus 16:20. Pride above all things promotes this degeneracy of experiences, because it grieves and quenches this Spirit of the Lamb of God, and so kills the spiritual part: and it cherishes the natural part; it inflames the carnal affections, and heats the imagination.
The unhappy person that is the subject of such a degeneracy of experiences, for the most part, is not sensible of his own calamity; but because he finds himself still violently moved, and [in] greater heats of zeal and more vehement motions of his animal spirits, thinks himself fuller of the Spirit of God than ever. But indeed it is with him, as the Apostle says of the Galatians, Galatians 3:3, having "begun in the Spirit," they are "made perfect by the flesh."
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 foundation of a supposition of being his high and peculiar favorites, and less and less on an apprehension of the excellency of God's nature as he is in himself. 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 self, joy in a person's own supposed eminency, and distinction from others in the favor of God. 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 and proud passion, and may come to bitterness and even a degree of hatred. And so love to the brethren may by degrees come to little else but fondness and zeal for a party; yea, through a mixture of a natural love to the opposite sex, may degenerate more and more, till it issues in that which is criminal and gross. And I leave it with those who are better acquainted with ecclesiastical history, to inquire whether such a degeneracy of affections as this might not be the first thing that led the way and gave occasion to the rise of the abominable notions of some sects that have arisen concerning the community of women.9 However that is, yet certainly the mutual embraces and kisses of persons of different sexes, under the notion of Christian love and holy kisses, are utterly to be disallowed and abominated, as having the most direct tendency quickly to turn Christian love into unclean and brutish lust, which won't be the better, but ten times the worse, for being christened by the name of Christian love. I should also think it advisable 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 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 consequence; yet we must look to the further end of things, and guard against future dangers and advantages that Satan might gain against us. As a lively, solemn sense of divine things on the minds of young persons may gradually decay, so there will be danger that an ill improvement of these meetings may gradually prevail; if not in any unsuitable behavior while together in the meeting, yet when they break up to go home, they may naturally consort together in couples for other than religious purposes; and it may at last come to that, that young persons may go to such meetings chiefly for the sake of such an opportunity for company-keeping.
The defect there sometimes is in the experiences of Christians exposes 'em to degenerate, as well as the mixture that they have. Deficient maimed experiences do 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 subtlety, so our minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. God indeed will never suffer his true saints totally and finally to fall away, but yet may punish their pride and self-confidence, by suffering them to be long led into a dreadful wilderness by the subtle serpent, to the great wounding of their own souls, and the interest of religion.
And before I dismiss this head of the degenerating of experiences, I would mention one thing more that tends to it; and that persons' aiming in their experience to go beyond the rule of God's Word, i.e. aiming at that which is indeed, in some respect, beyond the rule. Thus some persons have endeavored utterly to root out and abolish all natural affection, or any special affection or respect to their near relations, under a notion that no other love ought to be allowed but spiritual love, and that all other love is to be abolished as carnal, and that it becomes Christians to love
none upon the account of anything else but the image of God; and that therefore love should go out to one and another only in that proportion in which the image of God is seen in them. They might as well argue that a man ought utterly to disallow of, and endeavor to abolish all love or appetite to their daily food, under a notion that it is a carnal appetite, and that no other appetite should be tolerated but spiritual appetites. Why should the saints strive after that, as an high attainment in holiness, which the Apostle in Romans 1:31 mentions as one instance wherein the heathen had got to the most horrid pass in wickedness, viz. a being without natural affection?
Some have doubted whether they might pray for the conversion and salvation of the souls of their children, any more than for the souls of others; because the salvation of the souls of others would be as much to God's glory as the salvation of their children; and they have supposed that to pray most for their own would shew a selfish disposition. So they have been afraid to tolerate a compassionate grief and concern for their nearest friends, for fear it would be an argument of want of resignation to God.
And 'tis true, there is great danger of persons setting their hearts too much upon their earthly friends; our love to earthly friends ought to be under the government of the love of God, and should be attended with a spirit of submission and resignation to his will, and everything should be subordinated to his glory: but that is no argument that these affections should be entirely abolished, which the Creator of the world has put within mankind, for the good of mankind, and because he saw they would be needful for them as they must be united in society, in the present state, and are of great use when kept in their proper place; and to endeavor totally to root them out would be to reproach and oppose the wisdom of the Creator. Nor is the being of these natural inclinations, if well regulated, inconsistent with any part of our duty to God, or any argument of a sinful selfishness, any more than the natural abhorrence that there is in the human nature of pain, and natural inclination to ease that was in the man Christ Jesus himself.
'Tis the duty of parents to be more concerned, and to pray more for the salvation of their children, than for the children of their neighbors, as much as it is the duty of a minister to be more concerned for the salvation of the souls of his flock, and to pray more for them, than those of other congregations, because they are
committed to his care; so our near friends are more committed to our care than others, and our near neighbors, than those that live at a great distance; and the people of our land and nation are more in some sense, committed to our care than the people of China, and we ought to pray more for them, and to be more concerned that the kingdom of Christ should flourish among them, than in another country, where it would be as much and no more for the glory of God. Compassion ought to be especially exercised towards friends, Job 6:14. Christ did not frown upon a special affection and compassion for near friends, but countenanced and encouraged it, from time to time, in those that in the exercise of such an affection and compassion applied to him for relief for their friends; as in the instance of the woman of Canaan, Jairus, Mary and Martha, the centurion, the widow of Nain, and many others.10 The Apostle Paul, though a man as much resigned and devoted to God, and under the power of his love, perhaps as any mere man that ever lived, yet had a peculiar concern for his countrymen the Jews, the rather on that account that they were his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh; he had a very high degree of compassionate grief for them, insomuch that he tells us he had great heaviness and continual sorrow of heart for them, and could wish himself accursed from Christ for them [Romans 9:1–3].
There are many things that are proper for the saints in heaven that are not suitable to the state God has set us in, in this world: and for Christians, in these and other instances, to affect to go beyond the present state of mankind, and what God has appointed as fit for it, is an instance of that which the wise man calls a being righteous overmuch [Ecclesiastes 7:16], and has a tendency to open a door for Satan, and to cause religious affections to degenerate into something very unbecoming of Christians.
(2) Thus I have, as I proposed, 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. What I have respect to is the secret and unaccountable influence that custom has
upon persons, with respect to the external effects and manifestations of the inward affections of the mind. By custom I mean both a person's being accustomed to a thing in himself in his own common, allowed and indulged practice, and also the countenance and approbation of others amongst whom he dwells, by their general voice and practice. It is well known, and appears sufficiently by what I have said already in this treatise and elsewhere, that I am far from ascribing all the late uncommon effects and outward manifestations of inward experiences to custom and fashion, as some do; I know it to be otherwise, if it be possible for me to know anything of this nature by the most critical observation, under all manner of opportunities of observing. But yet, this also is exceeding evident by experience, that custom has a strange influence in these things: I know it by the different manners and degrees of external effects and manifestations of great affections and high discoveries, in different towns, according to what persons are gradually led into, and insensibly habituated to, by example and custom; and also in the same place, at different times, according to the conduct that they have. If some person is among them to conduct them, that much countenances and encourages such kind of outward manifestations of great affections, they naturally and insensibly prevail, and grow by degrees unavoidable; but when afterwards they come under another kind of conduct, the manner of external appearances will strangely alter: and yet it seems to be without any proper design or contrivance of those in whom there is this alteration; 'tis not properly affected by them, but the influence of example and custom is secret and insensible to the persons themselves. These things have a vast influence in the manner of persons manifesting their joys, whether with smiles and an air of lightness, or whether with more solemnity and reverence; and so they have a great influence as to the disposition persons have under high affections to abound in talk; and also as to the manner of their speaking, the loudness and vehemence of their speech (though it would be exceeding unjust, and against all the evidence of fact and experience, and the reasons of things, to lay all dispositions persons have to be much in speaking to others, and to speak in a very earnest manner, to custom). 'Tis manifest that example and custom has some way or other a secret and unsearchable influence on those actions that are in voluntary, by the difference that there is in different places, and
in the same places at different times, according to the diverse examples and conduct that they have.
Therefore, though it would be very 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 in natural, necessary and beautiful, and the effect is no wise disproportioned to the spiritual cause, and is of great benefit to promote religion); yet I think they greatly err who think that these things should be wholly unlimited, and that all should be encouraged in going in these things to the utmost length that they feel themselves inclined to: the consequence of this will be very bad. There ought to be a gentle restraint held upon these things, and there should be a prudent care taken of persons in such extraordinary 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 extraordinary 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 becomes indeed very absurd. These things experience proves.1
Thus I have taken 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, and in others to another, and in others to the influence of several, or all conjunctly.
[1] And here the first thing I would take notice of is censuring others that are professing Christians, in good standing in the visible church, as unconverted. I need not repeat what I have elsewhere 2 said to shew this to be against the plain and frequent and strict prohibitions of the Word of God: it is the worst disease that has attended this work, most contrary to the spirit and rules of Christianity, and of worst consequences. There is a most unhappy tincture that the minds of many, both ministers and people, have received that way. The manner of many has been, when they first enter into conversation with any person that seems to have any shew or make any pretenses to religion, to discern him, or to fix a judgment of him, from his manner of talking of things of religion, whether he be converted, or experimentally acquainted with vital piety or not, and then to treat him accordingly, and freely to express their thoughts of him to others, especially those that they have a good opinion of as true Christians, and accepted as brethren and companions in Christ; or if they don't declare their minds expressly, yet by their manner of speaking of them, at least to their friends, they'll show plainly what their thoughts are. So when they have heard any minister pray preach, their first work has been to observe him on a design of discerning him, whether he be a converted man or no; 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 says. It has been so much the way in some places, that many new converts don't know but it is their duty to do so; they know no other way. And when once persons yield to such a notion, and give in to such a humor, they'll quickly grow very discerning in their own apprehension; they think they can easily tell a hypocrite: and when once they have passed their censure, everything seems to confirm it; they see more and more in the person that they have censured, that seems to them to shew plainly that he is an unconverted
man. And then, if the person censured be a minister, everything in his public performances seems dead and sapless, and to do them no good at all, but on the contrary to be of deadening influence, and poisonous to the soul; yea, it seems worse and worse to them, his preaching grows more and more intolerable: which is owing to a secret, strong prejudice that steals in more and more upon the mind, as experience plainly and certainly shows.
When the Spirit of God was wonderfully poured out in this place more than seven years ago, and near thirty souls in a week, take one with another, for five or six weeks together, were to appearance brought home to Christ, and all the town seemed to be alive and full of God, there was no such notion or humor prevailing here; 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: they did not know that they must: Mr. Stoddard never brought 'em up in that way; it did not seem natural to 'em to go about anything of that nature, nor did any such thing enter into their hearts; but when any minister preached, the business of everyone was to listen and attend to what he said, and apply it to his own heart, and make the utmost improvement of it. And 'tis remarkable, that never did there appear such a disposition in the people to relish, approve of, and admire ministers preaching as at that time: such expressions as these were frequent in the mouths of one and another, on occasion of the preaching of strangers here, viz. that they rejoiced that there were so many such eminent ministers in the country; and they wondered they never heard the fame of 'em before: they were thankful that other towns had so good means; and the like. And scarcely ever did any minister preach here but his preaching did some remarkable service; as I had good opportunity to know, because at that time I had particular acquaintance with most of the Persons in the town, in their soul concerns. That it has been so much otherwise of late in many places in the land, is another instance of the secret and powerful influence of custom and example,
There has been an unhappy disposition in some ministers toward their brethren in the ministry in this respect, which has encouraged and greatly promoted such a spirit among some of their people. A wrong improvement has been made of Christ's scourging the buyers and sellers out of the temple [Matthew 21:12 and parallels];
it has been expected by some, that Christ was now about thus to purge his house of unconverted ministers, and this has made it more natural to them to think that they should do Christ service, and act as co-workers with him, to put to their hand, and endeavor by all means to cashier those ministers that they thought to be unconverted. Indeed it appears to me probable that the time is coming, when awful judgments will be executed on unfaithful ministers, and that no sort of men in the world will be so much exposed to divine judgments; but then we should leave that work to Christ, who is the Searcher of hearts, and to whom vengeance belongs; and not, without warrant, take the scourge out of his hand into our own. There has been too much of a disposition in some, as it were to give ministers over as reprobates, that have been looked upon as wolves in sheep's clothing; which has tended to promote and encourage a spirit of bitterness towards them, and to make it natural to treat them too much as if they knew God hated them. If God's children knew that others were reprobates, it would not be required of them to love them; we may hate those that we know God hates; as 'tis lawful to hate the Devil, and as the saints at the Day of Judgment will hate the wicked.
Some have been too apt to look for fire from heaven upon particular ministers; and this has naturally excited that disposition to call for it, that Christ rebuked in his disciples at Samaria [Luke 9:51–56]. For my part, though I believe no sort of men on earth are so exposed to spiritual judgments as wicked ministers, yet I feel no disposition to treat any minister as if I supposed that he was finally rejected of God; for I can't but hope that there is coming a day of such great grace, a time so appointed for the magnifying the riches and sovereignty of divine mercy beyond what ever was, that a great number of unconverted ministers will obtain mercy. There was no sort of persons in Christ's time guilty, and so hardened, and towards whom Christ manifested such great indignation, as the priests and scribes, and there were no such persecutors of Christ and his disciples as they; and yet in that great outpouring of the Spirit that began on the day of pentecost, though it began with the common people, yet in the progress of the work, after a while, a great company of priests in Jerusalem were obedient to the faith, Acts 6:7. And Saul, one of the most violent of all the persecuting Pharisees, became afterwards the greatest promoter of the work of God that ever was. I
hope we shall yet see in many instances a fulfillment of that in Isaiah 29:24, "They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine."
Nothing has been gained by this practice. The end that some have aimed at in it has not been obtained, nor is ever like to be. Possibly some have openly censured ministers and encouraged their people's uneasiness under them, in hopes that it would soon come to that, that the uneasiness would be so general, and so great, that unconverted ministers in general would be cast off, and that then things would go on happily: but there is no likelihood of it. The Devil indeed has obtained his end; this practice has bred a great deal of unhappiness among ministers and people, has spoiled Christians' enjoyment of Sabbaths, and made 'em their most uneasy, uncomfortable and unprofitable days, and has stirred up great contention, and set all in a flame; and in one place and another where there was a glorious work of God's Spirit begun, it has in a great measure knocked all in the head, and their ministers hold their places. Some have aimed at a better end in censuring ministers; they have supposed it to be a likely means to awaken them: whereas indeed, there is no one thing has had so great a tendency to prevent the awakening of disaffected ministers in general: and no one thing has actually had such influence to lock up the minds of ministers against any good effect of this great work of God in the land, upon their minds, in this respect. I have known instances of some that seemed to be much moved by the first appearance of this work, but since have seemed to be greatly deadened by what has appeared of this nature. And if there be one or two instances of ministers that have been awakened by it, there are ten to one on whom it has had a contrary influence. The worst enemies of this work have been inwardly eased by this practice; they have made a shield of it to defend their consciences, and have been glad that it has been carried to so great a length; at the same time that they have looked upon it, and improved it, as a door opened for 'em to be more bold in opposing the work in general.
There is no such dreadful danger of natural men's being undone by our forbearing thus to censure them, and carrying it towards them as visible Christians; it will be no bloody, hell-peopling charity, as some seem to suppose, when it is known that we don't treat 'em as Christians, because we have taken it upon us to
pass a judgment on their state, on any trial or exercise of our skill in examining and discerning them, but only as allowing them to be worthy of a public charity, on their profession and good external behavior; any more than Judas was in danger of being deceived by Christ's treating him a long time as a disciple, and sending him forth as an apostle (because he did not then take it upon him to act as the Judge and Searcher of hearts, but only as the Head of the visible church). Indeed, such a charity as this may be abused by some, as everything is, and will be, that is in its own nature proper, and of never so good tendency. I say nothing against dealing thoroughly with conscience, by the most convincing and searching dispensation of the Word of God: I don't desire that that sword should be sheathed, or gently handled by ministers; but let it be used as a two-edged sword, to pierce, "even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow" [Hebrews 4:12]; let conscience be dealt with, without any complements; 3 let ministers handle it in flaming fire, without having any more mercy on it than the furnace has on those metals that are tried in it. But let us let men's persons alone: let the Word of God judge them, but don't let us take it upon us till we have warrant for it.
Some have been ready to censure ministers because they seem, in comparison of some other ministers, to be very cold and lifeless in their ministerial performances. But then it should be considered that for aught we know, God may hereafter raise up ministers of so much more excellent and heavenly qualifications, and so much more spiritual and divine in their performances, that there may appear as great a difference between them and those that now seem the most lively, as there is now between them and others that are called dead and sapless; and those that are now called lively ministers may appear to their hearers, when they compare them with others that shall excel them, as wretchedly mean, and their performances poor, dead, dry things; and many may be ready to be prejudiced against them as accounting them good for nothing, and it may be, calling them soul-murderers. What a poor figure, may we suppose, the most lively of us, and those that are most admired
by the people, do make in the eyes of one of the saints of heaven, otherwise than as their deadness, deformity and rottenness is hid by the veil of Christ's righteousness?
Another thing that has been supposed to be sufficient warrant for openly censuring ministers as unconverted, is their opposing this work of God that has lately been carried on in the land. And there can be no doubt with me but that opposition against this work may be such as to render either ministers or people truly scandalous, and expose 'em to public ecclesiastical censure; and that ministers hereby may utterly defeat the design of their ministry (as I observed before), and so give their people just cause of uneasiness: I should not think that any person had power to oblige me, constantly to attend the ministry of one who did from time to time plainly pray and preach against this work, or speak reproachfully of it frequently 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 good experience in their own souls, through prejudices they have received from the errors that have been mixed with this work, or through some peculiar disadvantages they are under to behold things in a right view of them, by reason of the persons they converse with, or their own cold and dead frames, [this] is, as experience shows, a very 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 such a difficult affair to me; I can joyfully leave it wholly in his hands, who is infinitely fit for it, without meddling at all with it myself. 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.
God seems so strictly to have forbidden this practice of our judging our brethren in the visible church, not only because he knew that we were too much of babes, infinitely too weak, fallible and blind, to be well capacitated for it, but also because he knew that it was not a work suited to our proud hearts; that it would be setting us vastly too high, and making us too much of lords over our fellow creatures. Judging our brethren and passing a condemnatory sentence upon them seems to carry in it an act of
authority, especially in so great a case, to sentence them with respect to that state of their hearts, on which depends their liableness to eternal damnation; as is evident by such interrogations as those (to hear which from God's mouth is enough to make us shrink into nothing with shame and confusion, and sense of our own blindness and worthlessness). Romans 14:4, "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth." And James 4:12, "There is one law-giver that is able to save and destroy; who art thou that judgest another?" Our wise and merciful Shepherd has graciously taken care not to lay in our way such a temptation to pride; he has cut up all such poison out of our pasture; and therefore we should not desire to have it restored. 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.
Though I believe some of God's own children have of late been very guilty in this matter, yet by what is said of it in the Scripture, it appears to me very likely that before these things which God has lately begun have an end, God will awfully rebuke that practice; may it in sovereign and infinite mercy be prevented, by the deep and open humiliation of those that have openly practiced it.
As this practice ought to be avoided, so should all such open, visible marks of distinction and separation that imply it; as particularly, distinguishing such as we have judged to be in a converted state with the compellations of "brother" or "sister," 4 any further than there is a visible ecclesiastical distinction. In those places where it is the manner to receive such, and such only to the communion of the visible church, as recommend themselves by giving a satisfying account of their inward experiences, there Christians may openly distinguish such persons, in their speech and ordinary behavior, with a visible separation, without being inconsistent with themselves. And I don't now pretend to meddle with that controversy, whether such an account of experience be requisite to church fellowship: but certainly, to admit Persons to communion with us as brethren in the visible church, and then visibly to reject them, and to make an open distinction between
them and others by different names or appellations, is to be inconsistent with ourselves; 'tis to make a visible church within a visible church, and visibly to divide between sheep and goats, setting one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
This bitter root of censoriousness must be totally rooted out, as we would prepare the way of the Lord. It has nourished and upheld many other things contrary to the humility, meekness and love 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 don't 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.
There is a way of reflecting on others, and censuring them in open prayer, that some have; which though it has a fair shew of love, yet is indeed the boldest way of reproaching others imaginable, because there is implied in it an appeal to the most high God concerning the truth of their censures and reflections.
And here I would also observe by the way, that some have a way of joining a sort of imprecations with their petitions for others, though but conditional ones, that appear to me wholly needless and improper: they pray that others may either be converted or removed. I never heard nor read of any such thing practiced in the church of God till now, unless it be with respect to some of the most visibly and notoriously abandoned enemies of the church of God. This is a sort of cursing men in our prayers, adding a curse with our blessing; whereas the rule is, "Bless and curse not" [Romans 12:14]. To pray that God would kill another is to curse him with the like curse wherewith Elisha cursed the children that came out of Bethel [2 Kings 2:23–24]. And the case must be very great and extraordinary indeed to warrant it, unless we were prophets, and did not speak our own words but words indited by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit of God. 'Tis pleaded that if God has no design of converting others, 'tis best for them, as well as best for others, that they should be immediately taken away and sent to hell before they have contracted more guilt. To which I would say, that so it was best that those children that met Elisha, seeing God had no design of converting them, should
die immediately as they did; but yet Elisha's imprecating that sudden death upon them was cursing them; and therefore would not have been lawful for one that did not speak in the name of the Lord as a prophet.
And then if we give way to such things as these, where shall we stop? A child that suspects he has an unconverted father and mother may pray openly that his father and mother may either be converted or taken away and sent to hell now quickly, before their guilt is greater. (For unconverted parents are as likely to poison the souls of their family in their manner of training them up, as unconverted ministers are to poison their people.) And so it might come to that, that it might be a common thing all over the country for children to pray after this manner concerning their parents, and brethren and sisters concerning one another, and husbands concerning their wives, and wives concerning husbands, and so for the persons to pray concerning all their unconverted friends and neighbors; and not only so, but we may also pray concerning all those saints that are not lively Christians, that they may either be enlivened or taken away; if that be true that is often said by some at this day, that these cold dead saints do more hurt than natural men, and lead more souls to hell, and that it would be well for mankind if they were all dead.
How needless are such petitions or imprecations as these! What benefit is there of them? Why is it not sufficient for us to pray that God would provide for his church and the good of souls, and take care of his own flock, and give it needful means and advantages for its spiritual prosperity? Does God need to be directed by us in what way he shall do it? What need we ask of God to do it by killing such and such persons, if he don't convert them—unless we delight in the thoughts of God's answering us in such terrible ways, and with such awful manifestations of his wrath to our fellow creatures?
And why don't ministers direct sinners to pray for themselves, that God would either convert them or kill them, and send them to hell now before their guilt is greater? In this way we should lead persons in the next place to self-murder, for many probably would soon begin to think that that which they may pray for, they may seek, and use the means of.
Some with whom I have discoursed about this way of praying have said that the Spirit of God, as it were, forces them to utter
themselves, thus, as it were forces out such words from their mouths, when otherwise they should not dare to utter them. But such a kind of impulse don't look like the influence of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God sometimes strongly inclines men to utter words; but not by putting expressions into the mouth and urging to utter them; but by filling the heart with a sense of divine things, and holy affections; and those affections and that sense inclines the mouth to speak. That other way of men's being urged to use certain expressions by an unaccountable force, is very probably from the influence of the spirit of the Devil.
2. Another thing I would take notice of, in the management of which there has been much error and misconduct, is lay exhorting; about which there has been abundance of disputing, jangling, and contention.
In the midst of all the disputes that have been, I suppose that all are agreed as to these two things, viz. 1. that all exhorting one another of laymen is not unlawful or improper, but on the contrary, that some exhorting is a Christian duty: and 2. I suppose also, all will allow that there is something that is proper only for ministers; that there is some kind or way of exhorting and teaching or other, that belongs only to the office of teachers. All will allow that God has appointed such an office as that of teachers in the Christian church, and therefore doubtless will allow that something or other is proper and peculiar to that office, or some business of teaching that belongs to it, that don't belong as much to others as to them.
If there be any way of teaching that is peculiar to that office, then for others to take that upon them is to invade the office of a minister; which doubtless is very sinful, and is often so represented Scripture. But the great difficulty is to settle the bounds, and tell exactly how far laymen may go, and when they exceed their limits; which is a matter of so much difficulty, that I don't wonder if many in their zeal have transgressed. The two ways of teaching and exhorting, the one of which ought ordinarily to be left to ministers, and the other of which may and ought to be practiced by the people, may be expressed by those two names of preaching and exhorting in a way of Christian conversation. But then a great deal of difficulty and controversy arises to determine what is preaching what is Christian conversation. However, I will humbly
offer my thoughts concerning this subject of lay exhorting as follows.
(1) The common people in exhorting one another ought not to clothe themselves with the like authority with that which is proper for ministers. There is a certain authority that ministers have, and should exercise in teaching as well as governing the flock. Teaching is spoken of in Scripture as an act of authority, 1 Timothy 2:12. In order to a man's preaching, special authority must be committed to him, Romans 10:15, "How shall they preach, except they be sent?" Ministers in this work of teaching and exhorting are clothed with authority, as Christ's messengers (Malachi 2:7) and as representing him, and so speaking in his name and in his stead, 2 Corinthians 5:18–20. And it seems to be the most honorable thing that belongs to the officer of a minister of the Gospel, that to him is committed the word of reconciliation, and that he has power to preach the Gospel as Christ's messenger, and speaking in his name. The Apostle seems to speak of it as such, 1 Corinthians 1:16–17. Ministers therefore in the exercise of this power, may clothe themselves with authority in speaking, or may teach others in an authoritative manner. Titus 2:15, "These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority: let no man despise thee." But the common people, in exhorting one another, ought not thus to exhort in an authoritative manner. There is a great deal of difference between teaching as a father amongst a company of children, and counseling in a brotherly way, as the children may kindly counsel and admonish one another. Those that are mere brethren ought not to assume authority in exhorting, though one may be better, and have more experience than another. Laymen ought not to exhort as though they were the ambassadors or messenger of Christ, as ministers do; nor should they exhort and warn and charge in his name, according to the ordinary import of such an expression when applied to teaching. Indeed, in one sense, a Christian ought to do everything he does in religion in the name of Christ; i.e. he ought to act in a dependence on him as his Head and Mediator, and do all for his glory: but the expression as it is usually understood, when applied to teaching or exhorting, is speaking in Christ's stead, and as having a message from him.
Persons may clothe themselves with authority in speaking, either by the authoritative words they make use of, or in the manner and
authoritative air of their speaking: though some may think that this latter is a matter of indifferency, or at least of small importance, yet there is indeed a great deal in it. A person may go much out of his place, and be guilty of a great degree of assuming, in the manner of his speaking those words, which as they might be spoken, might be proper for him: the same words spoken in a different manner, may express what is very diverse. Doubtless there may be as much hurt in the manner of a person's speaking, as there may in his looks; but the wise man tells us that an high look is an abomination to the Lord, Proverbs 21:4. Again, a man may clothe himself with authority in the circumstances under which he speaks; as for instance, if he sets himself up as a public teacher. Here I would have it observed that I don't suppose that a person is guilty of this merely because he speaks in the hearing of many: persons may speak, and speak only in a way of conversation, and yet speak in the hearing of a great number, as they often do in their common conversation about temporal things at feasts and entertainments, where women as well as others do converse freely together about worldly things in the hearing of a considerable number; and it may happen to be in the hearing of a great number, and yet without offense: and if their conversation on such occasions should turn on spiritual things, and they should speak as freely and openly, I don't see why it would not be as harmless. Nor do I think that if besides a great number's being present, persons speak with a very earnest and loud voice, this is for them to set up themselves as public teachers, if they do it from no contrivance or premeditated design, or as purposely directing themselves to a congregation or multitude, and not speaking to any that are composed to the solemnity of any public service; but speaking in the time of conversation, or a time when all do freely converse one with another, they express what they then feel, directing themselves to none but those that are near 'em and fall in their way, taking in that earnest and pathetical manner, to which the subject they are speaking of and the affecting sense of their souls naturally leads them, and as it were constrains them: I say, that Persons to do thus, though many happen to hear them, yet it don't appear to me to be a setting themselves up as public teachers. Yea, if this be added to these other circumstances, that all this happens to be in a meetinghouse; I don't think that merely its being in such a place much alters the case, provided the solemnity
of public service and divine ordinances be over, and the solemn assembly broke up, and some stay in the house for mutual religious conversation; provided also that they speak in no authoritative way, but in an humble manner, becoming their degree and station, though they speak very earnestly and pathetically.
Indeed, modesty might in ordinary cases, restrain some persons as women, and those that are young, from so much as speaking when a great number are present; at least, when some of those present are much their superiors, unless they are spoken to: and yet the case may be so extraordinary as fully to warrant it. If something very extraordinary happens to persons, or if they are in extraordinary circumstances: as if a person be struck with lightning in the midst of a great company, or if he lies a dying, it appears to none any violation of modesty for him to speak freely before those that are much his superiors. I have seen some women and children in such circumstances, on religious accounts, that it has appeared to me no more a transgressing the laws of humility and modesty for them to speak freely, let who will be present, than if they were dying.
But then may a man be said to set up himself as a public teacher, when he in a set speech, of design, directs himself to a multitude, either in the meetinghouse or elsewhere, as looking that they should compose themselves to attend to what he has to say; and much more when this is a contrived and premeditated thing, without anything like a constraint, by any extraordinary sense or affection that he is then under; and more still, when meetings are appointed on purpose to hear lay persons exhort, and they take it as their business to be speakers, while they expect that other should come, and compose themselves, and attend as hearers; when private Christians take it upon them in private meetings to act as the masters or presidents of the assembly, and accordingly from time to time to teach and exhort the rest, this has the appearance of authoritative teaching.
When private Christians, that are no more than mere brethren, exhort and admonish one another, it ought to be in an humble manner, rather by way of entreaty, than with authority; and the more, according as the station of persons is lower. Thus it becomes women and those that are young, ordinarily to be at a greater distance from any appearance of authority in speaking than others: thus much at least is evident by that in 1 Timothy 2:9, 1 Timothy 2:11–12.
That lay persons ought not to exhort one another as clothed with authority is a general rule, but it can't justly be supposed to extend to heads of families in their own families. Every Christian family is a little church, and the heads of it are its authoritative teachers and governors. Nor can it extend to schoolmasters among his scholars; and some other cases might perhaps be mentioned that ordinary discretion will distinguish, where a man's circumstances do properly clothe him with authority, and render it fit and suitable for him to counsel and admonish others in an authoritative manner.
(2) No man but only a minister that is duly appointed to that sacred calling ought to follow teaching and exhorting as a calling, or so as to neglect that which is his proper calling. An having the office of a teacher in the church of God implies two things: 1. a being invested with the authority of a teacher; and 2. a being called to the business of a teacher, to make it the business of his life. Therefore that man that is not a minister, that takes either of these upon him, invades the office of a minister. Concerning assuming the authority of a minister I have spoken already. But if a layman don't assume authority in his teaching, yet if he forsakes his proper calling, or doth so at least in a great measure, and spends his time in going about from house to house, to counsel and exhort, he goes beyond his line and violates Christian rules. Those that have the office of teachers or exhorters have it for their calling, and should make it their business, as a business proper to their office; and none should make it their business but such, Romans 12:3–8, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the proportion of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we being many, are one body in Christ…. He that teacheth, let him wait on teaching, or he that exhorteth, on exhortation." 1 Corinthians 12:29, "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?" 1 Corinthians 7:20, "Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called." 1 Thessalonians 4:11, "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you."
It will be a very dangerous thing for laymen, in either of these
respects, to invade the office of a minister; if this be common among us we shall be in danger of having a stop put to the work of God, and the ark's turning aside from us, before it come to Mount Zion, and of God's making a breach upon us; as of old there was an unhappy stop put to the joy of the congregation of Israel, in bringing up the ark of God, because others carried it besides the Levites: and therefore David, when the error was found out, says, 1 Chronicles 15:2, "None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites only; for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him forever." And because one presumed to touch the ark that was not of the sons of Aaron, therefore the Lord made a breach upon them, and covered their day of rejoicing with a cloud in his anger.5
[(3)] Before I dismiss this head of lay exhorting, I would take notice of three things relating to it, upon which there ought to be a restraint.
A. Speaking in the time of the solemn worship of God, as public prayer, singing, or preaching, or administration of the sacrament of the Holy Supper; or any duty of social worship: this should not be allowed. I know it will be said that in some cases, when persons are exceedingly affected, they cannot help it; and I believe so too: but then I also believe, and know by experience, that there are several things that contribute to that inability besides merely and absolutely the sense of divine things they have upon their hearts. Custom and example, or the thing's being allowed, have such an influence that they actually help to make it impossible for persons under strong affections to avoid speaking. If it was disallowed, and persons at the time that they were thus disposed to break out had this apprehension that it would be a very unbecoming, shocking thing for 'em so to do, it would be a help to 'em as to their ability to avoid it. Their inability arises from their strong and vehement disposition; and so far as that disposition is from a good principle, it would be weakened by the coming in of this thought to their minds, viz. "What I am going to do will be for the dishonor of Christ and religion": and so that inward vehemence that pushed 'em forward to speak would fall, and they would be enabled to avoid it. This experience confirms.
B. There ought to be a moderate restraint on the loudness of
persons talking under high affections; for if there be not, it will grow natural and unavoidable for persons to be louder and louder, without any increase of their inward sense; till it becomes natural to 'em, at last to scream and halloo to almost everyone they see in the streets, when they are much affected: but this is certainly a thing very improper, and what has no tendency to promote religion. The man Christ Jesus when he was upon earth, had doubtless as great a sense of the infinite greatness and importance of eternal things, and the worth of souls, as any have nowadays; but there is not the least appearance in his history of his taking any such course, or manner of exhorting others.
C. There should also be some restraint on the abundance of persons' talk under strong affections; for if persons give themselves an unbounded liberty to talk just so much as they feel an inclination to, they will increase and abound more and more in talk, beyond the proportion of their sense or affection; till at length it will become ineffectual on those that hear them, and by the commonness of their abundant talk, they will defeat their own end.
[(4)] One thing more I would take notice of before I conclude this part, is the mismanagement that has been in some places of the duty of singing praises to God. I believe it to have been one fruit of the extraordinary degrees of the sweet and joyful influences of the Spirit of God that have been lately given, that there has appeared such a disposition to abound in that duty, and frequently to fall into this divine exercise; not only in appointed 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 almost any appearance of that reverence and solemnity with which all visible, open acts of divine worship ought to be attended; it may be two or three in a room singing hymns of praise to God, others that are present 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 for their amusement and diversion. 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.6 Let Christians
abound as much as they will in this holy, heavenly exercise, in God's 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. When any social open act of devotion, or solemn worship of God is performed, God should be reverenced as visibly present, by those that are present. As we would not have the ark of God depart from us, nor provoke God to make a breach upon us, we should take heed that we handle the ark with reverence.
With respect to companies singing in the streets, going to or coming from the place of public worship, I would humbly offer my thoughts in the following particulars.
A. The rule of Christ concerning putting new wine into old bottles does undoubtedly take place in things of this nature, supposing it to be a thing that in itself is good but not essential, and not particularly enjoined or forbidden. For things so very new and uncommon, and of so open and public a nature, to be suddenly introduced and set up and practiced in many parts of the country, without the matter's being so much as first proposed to any public consideration, or giving any opportunity for the people of God to weigh the matter, or to consider any reasons that might be offered to support it, is putting new wine into old bottles with a witness; as if it were with no other design than to burst them directly. Nothing else can be expected to be the consequence of this, than uproar and confusion, and great offense, and unhappy mischievous disputes, even among the children of God themselves: not that that which is good in itself, and is new, ought to be for borne till there is nobody that will dislike it; but it ought to be forborne till the visible church of God is so prepared for it, at least, that there is a probability that it will not do more hurt than good, or hinder the work of God more than promote it; as is most evident from Christ's rule and the apostles' practice. If it be brought in when the country is so unprepared that the shock and surprise on persons' minds, and the contention and prejudice against religion that it is like to be an occasion of, will do more to hinder religion than the practice of it is like to do to promote it, then the fruit is picked before 'tis ripe. And indeed, such an hasty endeavor to introduce such an innovation, supposing it to be good in itself, is the likeliest way to retard the effectual introduction
of it; it will hinder its being extensively introduced, much more than it will promote it, and so will defeat its own end.
B. But as to the thing itself, if a considerable part of a congregation have occasion to go in company together to a place of public worship, and they should join together in singing praises to God, as they go, I confess that after long consideration and endeavoring to view the thing every way, with the utmost diligence and impartiality I am capable of, I cannot find any valid objection against it. As to the common objection from Matthew 6:5, "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men": it is strong against a single person's singing in the streets or in the meetinghouse by himself, as offering to God personal worship; but as it is brought against a considerable company, their thus publicly worshipping God, it appears to me to have no weight at all; to be sure, it is of no more force against a company's thus praising God in the streets than against their praising him in the synagogue or meetinghouse, for the streets and the synagogues are both put together in these words of our Saviour, as parallel in the case that he had respect to. 'Tis evident that Christ speaks of personal, and not public worship. If to sing in the streets be ostentatious, then it must be because it is a public place, and it can't be done there without being very open; but it is no more public than the synagogue or meeting-house is when full of people. Some worship is in its nature private, as that which is proper to particular persons, or families, or private societies, and has respect to their particular concerns: but that which I now speak of is performed under no other notion than a Part of God's public worship, without any relation to any private, separate society, or any chosen or picked number, and in which every visible Christian has equal liberty to join, if it be convenient for him and he has a disposition, as in the worship that is performed in the meetinghouse. When persons are going to the house of public worship, to serve God there with the assembly of people, they are upon no other design than that of putting public honor upon God; that is the business they go from home upon, and even in their walking the streets on this errand, they appear in a public act of respect to God; and therefore if they go in company with public praise, 'tis not a being public when they
ought to be private. 'Tis one part of the beauty of public worship, that it be very public; the more public it is, the more open honor it puts upon God; and especially is it beautiful in that part of public worsip, viz. public praise; for the very notion of public praising of God is to declare abroad his glory, to publish his praise, to make it known, and proclaim it aloud, as is evident by innumerable expressions of Scripture. 'Tis fit that God's honor should not be concealed, but made known in the great congregation, and proclaimed before the sun, and upon the housetops, before kings and all nations, and that his praises should be heard to the utmost ends of the earth.
I suppose none will condemn singing God's praises merely because 'tis performed in the open air, and not in a close place: and if it may be performed by a company in the open air, doubtless they may do it moving as well as standing still. So the children of Israel praised God when they went to Mount Zion with the ark of God; and so the multitude praised Christ when they entered with him into Jerusalem a little before his passion; and so the children of Israel were wont, from year to year, to go up to Jerusalem when they went in companies from all parts of the land, three times in the year, when they often used to manifest the engagedness of their minds by traveling all night, and manifested their joy and gladness by singing praises with great decency and beauty, as they went towards God's holy mountain; as evident by Isaiah 30:29, "Ye shall have a song, as in the night, when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel." And Psalms 42:4, "When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day." Psalms 100:4, "Enter into his gates with thanks-giving, and into his courts with praise." When God's people are going to his house, the occasion is so joyful to a Christian in a lively frame (the language of whose heart is, "Come, let us go up to the house of the Lord," and who is glad when it is so said to him [Psalms 122:1]), that the duty of singing praises seems to be peculiarly beautiful on such an occasion. So that if the state of the country was ripe for it, and it should be so that there should be frequent occasions for a considerable part of a congregation to go together to the places of public worship, and there was in other
respects a proportionable appearance of fervency of devotion, it appears to me that it would be ravishingly beautiful, if such things were practiced all over the land, and would have a great tendency to enliven, animate and rejoice the souls of God's saints, and greatly to propagate vital religion. I believe the time is coming when the world will be full of such things.
3. It seems to me to be requisite that there should be the consent of the governing part of the worshiping societies, to which persons have joined themselves and of which they own themselves a part, in order to the introducing of things in public worship, so new and uncommon, and not essential nor particularly commanded, into the places where those worshiping societies belong.7 The peace and union of such societies seems to require it; seeing they have voluntarily united themselves to these worshiping societies, to that end that they might be one in the affairs of God's public worship, and obliged themselves in covenant to act as brethren and mutual assistants and members of one body, in those affairs, and all are hereby naturally and necessarily led to be concerned with one another in matters of religion and God's worship; and seeing that this is a part of the public worship, and worship that must be performed from time to time in the view of the whole, being performed at a time when they are meeting together for mutual assistance in worship, and therefore that which all must unavoidably be in some measure concerned in, so at least as to shew their approbation and consent, or open dislike and separation from them in it; I say, it being thus, charity and a regard to the union and peace of such societies seems to require a consent of the governing part in order to the introducing anything of this nature (unless they think those societies unworthy that they should be joined to them any longer, and so first renounce them as the worshiping societies of which they are members). Certainly if we are of the spirit of the Apostle Paul, and have his discretion, we shall not set up any such practice without it: he for the sake of peace conformed, in things wherein he was not particularly forbidden, to the Jews when among them; and so when among those that were without the law, conformed to them wherein he might.
To be sure, those go much beyond proper limits who, coming from abroad, do immediately of their own heads, in a strange place, set up such a new and uncommon practice among the people.
In introducing anything of this nature among a people, their minister especially ought to be consulted, and his voice taken, as long as he is owned for their minister. Ministers are pastors of worshiping societies, and their heads and guides in the affairs of public worship. They are called in Scripture, "those that rule over them"; and their people are commanded to obey them, because they watch for their souls, as those that must give account [Hebrews 13:17]. If it belongs to these shepherds and rulers to direct and guide the flock in anything at all, it belongs to 'em so to do in the circumstantials of their public worship.
Thus I have taken particular notice of many of those things that have appeared to me to be amiss in the management of our religious concerns relating to the present revival of religion, and have taken liberty freely to express my thoughts upon them. Upon the whole, it appears manifest to me that things have as yet never been set a going in their right channel; if they had, and means had been blessed in proportion as they have been now, this work would have so prevailed as before this time to have carried all afore it, and have triumphed over New England as its conquest.
The Devil in driving things to these extremes, besides the present hindrance of the work of God, has, I believe, had in view a twofold mischief hereafter, in the issue of things; one with respect to those that are more cold in religion; to carry things to such an extreme that people in general, at length having their eyes opened by the great excess, and seeing that things must needs be wrong, he might take the advantage to tempt them entirely to reject the whole work as being all nothing but delusion and distraction. And another is with respect to those that have been very warm and zealous, of God's own children, that have been out of the way, to sink them down in unbelief and darkness. The time is coming, I doubt not, when the bigger part of them will be convinced of their errors; and then probably the Devil will take advantage to lead them into a dreadful wilderness, and to puzzle and confound them about their own experiences and the experiences of others; and to make them to doubt of many things that they ought not to doubt of, and even to tempt them with atheistical thoughts. I believe if all true Christians all over the land
should now at once have their eyes opened fully to see all their errors, it would seem for the present to damp religion: the dark thoughts that it would at first be an occasion of, and the inward doubts, difficulties and conflicts that would rise in their souls, would deaden their lively affections and joys, and would cause an appearance of a present decay of religion. But yet it would do God's saints great good in their latter end; it would fit them for more spiritual and excellent experiences, more humble and heavenly love, and unmixed joys, and would greatly tend to a more powerful, extensive and durable prevalence of vital piety.
I don't know but we shall be in danger by and by, after our eyes are fully opened to see our errors, to go to contrary extremes. The Devil has driven the pendulum far beyond its proper point of rest; and when he has carried it to the utmost length that he can, and it begins by its own weight to swing back, he probably will set in, and drive it with the utmost fury the other way; and so give us no rest; and if possible prevent our settling in a proper medium. What a poor, blind, weak and miserable creature is man, at his best estate! We are like poor 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 unnumerable snares, while we in the meantime are bold and confident, and doubt not but that we are right and safe! We are foolish sheep in the midst of subtle serpents and cruel wolves, and don't know it. Oh, 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!
SHEWING POSITIVELY WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE TO PROMOTE THIS WORK
IN considering of means and methods for promoting this glorious work of God, I have already observed, in some instances, wherein there has been needless objecting and complaining; and have also taken notice of many things amiss that ought to be amended. I now proceed in the third and last place 1 to shew positively what ought to be done, or what courses (according to my humble opinion) ought to be taken to promote this work. The obligations that all are under, with one consent to do their utmost, and the great danger of neglecting it, were observed before.2 I hope that some, upon reading what was said under that head, will be ready to say, "What shall we do?" To such readers I would now offer my thoughts in answer to such an inquiry.
And that which I think we ought to set ourselves about in the first place, is to remove stumbling blocks. When God is revealed as about to come gloriously to set up his kingdom in the world, this is proclaimed, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert an highway for our God," Isaiah 40:3. And again, Isaiah 57:14, "Cast ye up, cast ye up; prepare the way; take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people." And chap. Isaiah 62:10, "Go through, go through the gates; prepare you the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones."
And in order to this, there must a great deal done at confessing of faults on both sides: for undoubtedly many and great are the faults that have been committed, in the jangling and confusions, and mixtures of light and darkness, that have been of late. There
is hardly any duty more contrary to our corrupt dispositions, and mortifying to the pride of man; but it must be done. Repentance of faults is, in a peculiar manner, a proper duty, when the kingdom of heaven is at hand, or when we especially expect or desire that it should come; as appears by John the Baptist's preaching. And if God does now loudly call upon us to repent, then he also calls upon us to make proper manifestations of our repentance. I am persuaded that those that have openly opposed this work, or have from time to time spoken lightly of it, cannot be excused in the sight of God, without openly confessing their fault therein; especially if they be ministers. If they have any way, either directly or indirectly, opposed the work, or have so behaved in their public performances or private conversation as has prejudiced the minds of their people against the work, if hereafter they shall be convinced of the goodness and divinity of what they have opposed, they ought by no means to palliate the matter and excuse themselves, and pretend that they always thought so, and that it was only such and such imprudences that they objected against, but they ought openly to declare their conviction, and condemn themselves for what they have done; for 'tis Christ that they have spoken against in speaking lightly of, and prejudicing others against this work; yea, worse than that, 'tis the Holy Ghost. And though they have done it ignorantly and in unbelief, yet when they find out who it is that they have opposed, undoubtedly God will hold them bound publicly to confess it.3
And on the other side, if those that have been zealous to promote the work have in any of the forementioned instances openly gone much out of the way, and done that which is contrary to Christian rules, whereby they have openly injured others, or greatly violated good order, and so done that which has wounded religion, they must publicly confess it and humble themselves, as they would gather out the stones, and prepare the way of God's people. They who have laid great stumbling blocks in others' way by their open transgression, are bound to remove them by their open repentance.
Some probably will be ready to object against this, that the opposers will take advantage by this to behave themselves insolently, and to insult both them and religion. And indeed, to the shame
of some, they have taken advantage by such things; as of the good spirit that Mr. Whitefield shewed in his retractations, 4 and some others. But if there are some embittered enemies of religion that stand ready to improve everything to its disadvantage, yet that ought not to hinder doing an enjoined Christian duty; though it be in the manifestation of humility and repentance after a fault openly committed. To stand it out, in a visible impenitence of a real fault, to avoid such an inconvenience, is to do evil to prevent evil. And besides, the danger of an evil consequence is much greater on the other side: to commit sin, and then stand in it, is what will give the enemy the greatest advantage. For Christians to act like Christians, in openly humbling themselves when they have openly offended, in the end brings the greatest honor to Christ and religion; and in this way are persons most likely to have God appear for them.
Again, at such a day as this, God does especially call his people to the exercise of extraordinary meekness and mutual forbearance: for at such a time Christ appears as it were coming in his kingdom, which calls for great moderation in our behavior towards all men; as is evident [in] Philippians 4:5, "Let your moderation be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand." The awe of the divine majesty that appears present or approaching should dispose us to it, and deter us from the contrary. For us to be judging one another, and behaving with fierceness and bitterness one towards another, when he who is the searcher of all hearts, to whom we must all give an account, appears so remarkably present, is exceeding unsuitable. Our business at such a time should be at home, searching ourselves and condemning ourselves, and taking heed to our own behavior. If there be glorious prosperity to the church of God approaching, those that are the most meek will have the largest share in it: for when Christ rides forth in his glory and his majesty, it is "because of truth, meekness and righteousness," Psalms 45:3–4. And
when God remarkably arises to execute judgment, it is "to save all the meek of the earth," Psalms 76:9. And 'tis the meek that "shall increase their joy in the Lord," Isaiah 29:19. And when the time comes that God will give this lower world into the hands of his saints, it is the meek that "shall inherit the earth," Psalms 37:11 and Matthew 5:5. But "with the froward, God will shew himself unsavory" [2 Samuel 22:27].
Those therefore that have been zealous for this work, and have greatly erred and been injurious with their zeal, ought not to be treated with bitterness. There is abundant reason to think that most of them are the dear children of God, for whom Christ died; and therefore that they will see their error. As to those things wherein we see them to be in an error, we have reason to say of 'em as the Apostle, Philippians 3:15, "If any are otherwise minded, God shall reveal this unto them." Their errors should not be made use of by us, so much to excite indignation towards them, but should influence all of us that hope that we are the children of God, to humble ourselves and become more entirely dependent on the Lord Jesus Christ, when we see those that are God's own people so ready to go astray. And those ministers that have been judged and injuriously dealt with, will do the part of Christ's disciples not to judge and revile again, but to receive such injuries with meekness and forbearance, and making a good improvement of them, more strictly examining their hearts and ways, and committing themselves to God. This will be the way to have God vindicate them in his providence, if they belong to him. We han't yet seen the end of things; nor do we know who will be most vindicated and honored of God in the issue. Ecclesiastes 7:8, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."
Contrary to this mutual meekness is each party's stigmatizing one another with odious names; as is done in many parts of New England: which tends greatly to widen and perpetuate the breach. Such distinguishing names of reproach do as it were divide us into two armies, separated and drawn up in battle array, ready to fight one with another; which greatly hinders the work of God.5
And as such an extraordinary time as this does especially require of us the exercise of a great deal of forbearance, one towards another; so there is peculiarly requisite in God's people the exercise
of great patience, in waiting on God, under any special difficulties and disadvantages they may be under, as to the means of grace. The beginning of a revival of religion will naturally and necessarily be attended with a great many difficulties of this nature; many parts of the reviving church will, for a while, be under great disadvantages, by reason of what remains of the old disease of a general corruption of the visible church. We can't expect that after a long time of degeneracy and depravity in the state of things in the church, things should all come to rights at once; it must be a work of time: and for God's people to be overhasty and violent in such a case, being resolved to have everything rectified at once, or else forcibly to deliver themselves by breaches and separations, is the way to hinder things coming to rights as they otherwise would, and to keep 'em back, and the way to break all in pieces. Not but that the case may be such, the difficulty may be so intolerable, as to allow of no delay, and God's people can't continue in the state wherein they were without violations of absolute commands of God. But otherwise, though the difficulty may be very great, another course should be taken. God's people should have their recourse directly to the throne of grace, to represent their difficulties before the great Shepherd of the sheep, that has the care of all the affairs of his church; and when they have done, they should wait patiently upon him. If they do so, they may expect that in his time, he will appear for their deliverance: but if instead of that, they are impatient, and take the work into their own hands, they will bewray their want of faith, and will dishonor God, and can't have such reason to hope that Christ will appear for them, as they have desired, but have reason to fear that he will leave 'em to manage their affairs for themselves as well as they can: when otherwise, if they had waited on Christ patiently continuing still instant in prayer, they might have had him appearing for them, much more effectually to deliver them. "He that believeth shall not make haste" [Isaiah 28:16]; and 'tis for those that are found patiently waiting on the Lord, under difficulties, he will especially appear, when he comes to do great things for his church, as is evident by Isaiah 30:18 and chap. Isaiah 40 at the latter end, and Isaiah 49:23, and Psalms 37:9, and many other places.
I have somewhere, not long since, met with an exposition of those words of the spouse that we have several times repeated in the Book of Canticles, "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please," which is
the only satisfying exposition that ever I met with; which was to this purpose, viz. that when the church of God is under great difficulties and in distress, and Christ don't appear for her help but seems to neglect her as though he were asleep, God's people, or the daughters of Jerusalem, in such a case should not shew an hasty spirit; and not having patience to wait for Christ to awake for their help till his time comes, take indirect courses for their own deliverance and use violent means for their escape, before Christ appears to open the door for them; and so as it were, stir up and awake Christ before his time. When the church is in distress, and God seems not to appear for her in his providence, he is very often represented in Scripture as being asleep; as Christ was asleep in the ship, when the disciples were tossed by the storm, and the ship covered with waves [Matthew 8:23–27]: and God's appearing afterwards for his people's help is represented as his awaking out of sleep. Psalms 7:6, and Psalms 35:23, and Psalms 44:23, and Psalms 59:4, and Psalms 73:20. Christ has an appointed time for his thus awaking out of sleep: and his people ought to wait upon him; and not, in an impatient fit, stir him up before his time. 'Tis worthy to be observed how strict this charge is, given to the daughters of Jerusalem, which is repeated three times over in the Book of Canticles, chap. Canticles 2:7, and Canticles 3:5, and Canticles 8:4. In the Canticles 2 chapter and six first verses, is represented the supports Christ gives his church while she is in a suffering state, as the lily among thorns: in the Canticles 2:7 verse is represented her patience in waiting for Christ to appear for her deliverance, when she charges the daughters of Jerusalem not to stir up nor awake her love till he please, by the roes and the hinds of the field; which are creatures of a gentle, harmless nature, are not beasts of prey, do not devour one another, don't fight with their enemies, but fly from them; and are of a pleasant, loving nature, Proverbs 5:19. In the next verse [Canticles 2:8], we see the church's success, in this way of waiting under sufferings with meekness and patience; Christ soon awakes, speedily appears, and swiftly comes. "The voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills!" 6
What has been mentioned hitherto has relation to the behavior we are obliged to, as we would prevent the hindrances of the work; but besides these, there are things that must be done more directly to advance it. And here it concerns everyone, in the first place, to look into his own heart and see to it that he be a partaker of the benefits of the work himself, and that it be promoted in his own soul. Now is a most glorious opportunity for the good of souls. 'Tis manifestly with respect to a time of great revival of religion in the world, that we have that gracious, earnest and moving invitation proclaimed, in the Isaiah 55, "Ho, every one that thirsteth! etc.," as is evident by what precedes in the foregoing chapter, and what follows in the close of this. Here, in the Isaiah 55:6 verse it is said, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near." And 'tis with special reference to such a time that Christ proclaims as he does, Revelation 21:6, "I will give unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely." And chap. Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." And it seems to be with reference to such a time, which is typified by the Feast of Tabernacles, that Jesus at that feast stood and cried, as we have an account, John 7:37–38, "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me […] out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." And 'tis with special reference to God's freeness and readiness to bestow grace at such a time, that it is said in Isaiah 60:11 of the spiritual Jerusalem, "Thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut, day nor night."
And though I judge not those that have opposed this work, and would not have others judge them, yet if any such shall happen
to read this treatise, I would take the liberty to entreat them to leave off concerning themselves so much about others, and look into their own souls and see to it that they are the subjects of a true, saving work of the Spirit of God. If they have reason to think they never have been, or it be but a very doubtful hope that they have, then how can they have any heart to be busily and fiercely engaged about the mistakes and the supposed false hopes of others? And I would now beseech those that have hitherto been something inclining to Arminian principles, seriously to weigh the matter with respect to this work, and consider whether, if the Scriptures are the Word of God, the work that has been described in the first part of this treatise must not needs be, as to the substance of it, the work of God, and the flourishing of that religion that is taught by Christ and his apostles; and whether any good medium can be found, where a man can rest with any stability, between owning this work and being a Deist; and also to consider whether or no, if it be indeed so that this be the work of God, it don't entirely overthrow their scheme of religion; and therefore whether it don't infinitely concern 'em, as they would be partakers of eternal salvation, to relinquish their scheme. Now is a good time for Arminians to change their principles. I would now, as one of the friends of this work, humbly invite 'em to come and join with us, and be on our side; and if I had the authority of Moses, I would say to them as he did to Hobab, Numbers 10:29, "We are journeying unto the place, of which the Lord said, I will give it you; come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel."
As the benefit and advantage of the good improvement of such a season is extraordinary great; so the danger of neglecting and misimproving it, is proportionably great. 'Tis abundantly evident by the Scripture, that as a time of great outpouring of the Spirit is a time of great favor to those that are partakers of the blessing; so it is always a time of remarkable vengeance to others. So in Isaiah 61:2, the same that is called "the acceptable year of the Lord," is called also "the day of vengeance of our God." So it was amongst the Jews in the apostles' days: the Apostle in 2 Corinthians 6:2 says of that time that it was "the accepted time," and "day of salvation"; and Christ says of the same time, Luke 21:22, "These are the days of vengeance." At the same time that the blessings of the kingdom of heaven were given to some, there was an ax
laid at the root of the trees, that those that did not bear fruit might be "hewn down, and cast into the fire," Matthew 3:9–11. Then was glorified both the goodness and severity of God, in a remarkable manner, Romans 11:22. The harvest and the vintage go together: at the same time that the earth is reaped, and God's elect are gathered into the garner of God, the angel that has power over fire thrusts in his sickle, and gathers the cluster of the vine of the earth, and casts it into the great winepress of the wrath of God, Revelation 14, at the latter end. So it is foretold that at the beginning of the glorious times of the Christian church, at the same time that the hand of the Lord is known towards his servants, so shall his indignation towards his enemies, Isaiah 66:14. So when that glorious morning shall appear, wherein "the Sun of righteousness shall arise," to the elect, "with healing in his wings," the day "shall burn as an oven" to the wicked, Malachi 4:1–3. There is no time like such a time for the increase of guilt, and treasuring up wrath, and desperate hardening of the heart, if men stand it out; which is the most awful judgment, and fruit of divine wrath, that can be inflicted on any mortal. So that a time of great grace and pouring out of the Spirit and the fruits of divine mercy, is evermore also a time of great outpouring of something else, viz. divine vengeance on those that neglect and misimprove such a season.
The state of the present revival of religion has an awful aspect upon those that are advanced in years. The work has been chiefly amongst those that are young; and comparatively but few others have been have been partakers of it. And indeed, it has commonly been so, when God has begun any great work for the revival of his church; he has taken the young people, and has cast off the old and stiff-necked generation. There was a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit of God on the children of Israel in the wilderness, on the younger generation, their little ones that they said should be a prey, the generation that entered into Canaan with Joshua; which is evident by many things in Scripture [cf. Numbers 14:1–38]. That generation seems to have been the most excellent generation that ever was in the church of Israel. There is no generation of which there is so much good and so little hurt spoken in Scripture, as might be shewn if it would not be too long. In that generation, that were under twenty years when they went out of Egypt, was that
kindness of youth and love of espousals spoken of, Jeremiah 2:2–3. But the old generation were passed by, and remained obstinate and stiff-necked, were always murmuring, and would not be convinced by all God's wondrous works that they beheld. God by his awful judgments that he executed in the wilderness, and the affliction that the people suffered there, convinced and humbled the younger generation, and fitted them for great mercy, as is evident by Deuteronomy 2:16; but he destroyed the old generation: "he swore in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest, and their carcasses fell in the wilderness" [Hebrews 3:11, Hebrews 3:17–18]. When it was a time of great mercy and pouring out of God's Spirit on their children, it was remarkably a day of vengeance unto them, as appears by the Psalms 90.7 Let the old generation in this land take warning from hence, and take heed that they don't refuse to be convinced by all God's wonders that he works before their eyes, and that they don't continue forever objecting, murmuring and caviling against the work of God, lest while God is bringing their children into a land flowing with milk and honey, he should swear in his wrath concerning them, that their carcasses shall fall in the wilderness.
So when God had a design of great mercy to the Jews, in bringing 'em out of the Babylonish Captivity and returning them to their own land, there was a blessed outpouring of the Spirit upon them in Babylon, to bring 'em to deep conviction and repentance, and to a spirit of prayer, to cry earnestly to God for mercy; which is often spoken of by the prophets: but it was not upon the old generation, that were carried captive. The Captivity continued just long enough for that perverse generation to waste away and die in their captivity; at least those of them that were adult persons when carried captive. The old generation and heads of families were exceeding obstinate, and would not hearken to the earnest repeated warnings of the prophet Jeremiah; but he had greater success among the young people; as appears by Jeremiah 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 Lord is unto them a reproach: they have no delight in 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 (i.e. the heads of families, and parents of these children) shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days." Blessed be God! There are some of the elder people that have been made partakers of this work: and those that are most awakened by these warnings of God's Word, and the awful frowns of his providence, will be most likely to be made partakers hereafter. It infinitely concerns them to take heed to themselves, that they may be partakers of it; for how dreadful will it be to go to hell, after having spent so many years in doing nothing but treasuring up wrath.
But above all others whatsoever, does it concern us that are ministers to see to it that we are partakers of this work, or that we have experience of the saving operations of the same Spirit that is now poured out on the land. How sorrowful and melancholy is the case, when it is otherwise? For one to stand at the head of a congregation of God's people, as representing Christ and speaking in his stead, and to act the part of a shepherd and guide to a people in such a state of things, when many are under great awakenings and many are converted, and many of God's saints are filled with divine light, love and joy, and to undertake to instruct and lead 'em all under all these various circumstances, and to be put to it continually to play the hypocrite, and force the airs of a saint in preaching, and from time to time in private conversation and particular dealing with souls, to undertake to judge of their circumstances, to try to talk with those that come to him as if he knew what they said; to try to talk with persons of experience as if he knew how to converse with them, and had experience as well as they; to make others believe that he rejoices when others are converted, and to force a pleased and joyful countenance and manner of speech, when there is nothing in the heart, what sorrowful work is here! Oh, how miserably must such a person feel! What a wretched bondage and slavery is this! What pains, and how much art must such a minister use to conceal himself! And how weak are his hands!—besides the infinite provocation of the most high God, and displeasure of his Lord and Master, that he incurs by continuing a secret enemy to him in his heart, in such circumstances. I think there is a great deal of reason from the Scripture,
to conclude that no sort of men in the world will be so low in hell, as ungodly ministers: everything that is spoken of in Scripture as that which aggravates guilt and heightens divine wrath, meets in them; however some particular persons, of other sorts, may be more guilty than some of these.
And what great disadvantages are unconverted ministers under to oppose any irregularities, or imprudences, or intemperate zeal, that they may see in those that are the children of God, when they are conscious to themselves that they have no zeal at all? If enthusiasm and wildness comes in like a flood, what poor weak instruments are such ministers to withstand it? With what courage can they open their mouths, when they look inward and consider how it is with them?
We that are ministers not only have need of some true experience of the saving influence of the Spirit of God upon our heart, but we need a double portion of the Spirit of God at such a time as this; we had need to be as full of light as a glass is, that is held out in the sun; and with respect to love and zeal, we had need at this day to be like the angels, that are a flame of fire [Psalms 104:4]. The state of the times extremely requires a fullness of the divine Spirit in ministers, and we ought to give ourselves no rest till we have obtained it. And in order to this, I should think ministers, above all persons, ought to be much in secret prayer and fasting, and also much in praying and fasting one with another. It seems to me it would be becoming the circumstances of the present day, if ministers in a neighborhood would often meet together and spend days in fasting and fervent prayer among themselves, earnestly seeking for those extraordinary supplies of divine grace from heaven, that we need at this day: and also if, on their occasional visits one to another, instead of spending away their time in sitting and smoking, and in diverting, or worldly, unprofitable conversation, telling news, and making their remarks on this and the other trifling subject, they would spend their time in praying together, and singing praises, and religious conference. How much do many of the common people shame many of us that are in the work of the ministry in these respects? Surely we do not behave ourselves so much like Christian ministers, and the disciples and ambassadors of Christ, as we ought to do. And while we condemn zealous persons for their doing so much at censuring ministers at this day, it ought not to be without deep reflections upon, and great condemnation
of ourselves: for indeed, we do very much to provoke censoriousness, and lay a great temptation before others to the sin of judging: and if we can prove that those that are guilty of it do transgress the Scripture rule, yet our indignation should be chiefly against ourselves.
Ministers at this day, in a special manner, should act as fellow helpers in their great work. It should be seen that they are animated and engaged, and exert themselves with one heart and soul, and with united strength, to promote the present glorious revival of religion: and to that end should often meet together and act in concert. And if it were a common thing in the country for ministers to join in public exercises, and second one another in their preaching, I believe it would be of great service. I mean that ministers having consulted one another as to the subjects of their discourses before they go to the house of God, should there speak, two or three of them going, in short discourses, as seconding each other and earnestly enforcing each other's warnings and counsels. Only such an appearance of united zeal in ministers would have a great tendency to awaken attention, and much to impress and animate the hearers; as has been found by experience in some parts of the country.
Ministers should carefully avoid weakening one another's hands. And therefore everything should be avoided by which their interest with their people might be diminished, or their union with them broken. On the contrary, if ministers han't forfeited their acceptance in that character, in the visible church, by their doctrine or behavior, their brethren in the ministry ought studiously to endeavor to heighten the esteem and affection of their people towards them, that they may have no temptation to repent their admitting other ministers to come and preach in their pulpits.
Two things that are exceeding needful in ministers, as they would do any great matters to advance the kingdom of Christ, are zeal and resolution. The influence and power of these things to bring to pass great effects is greater than can well be imagined: a man of but an ordinary capacity will do more with them, than one of ten times the parts and learning without them: more may be done with them in a few days, or at least weeks, than can be done without them in many years. Those that are possessed of these qualities commonly carry the day in almost all affairs. Most of the great things that have been done in the world of mankind, the
great revolutions that have been accomplished in the kingdoms and empires of the earth, have been chiefly owing to these things. The very sight or appearance of a thoroughly engaged spirit, together with a fearless courage and unyielding resolution, in any person that has undertaken the managing any affair amongst mankind, goes a great way towards accomplishing the effect aimed at. 'Tis evident that the appearance of these things in Alexander [the Great] did three times as much towards his conquering the world as all the blows that he struck. And how much were the great things that Oliver Cromwell did, owing to these things? And the great things that Mr. Whitefield has done everywhere, as he has run through the British dominions (so far as they are owing to means), are very much owing to the appearance of these things, which he is eminently possessed of. When the people see these things apparently in a person, and to a great degree, it awes them, and has a commanding influence upon their minds; it seems to them that they must yield; they naturally fall before them without standing to contest or dispute the matter; they are conquered as it were by surprise. But while we are cold and heartless, and only go on in a dull manner, in an old formal round, we shall never do any great matters. Our attempts, with the appearance of such coldness and irresolution, won't so much as make persons think of yielding: they will hardly be sufficient to put it into their minds; and if it be put into their minds, the appearance of such indifference and cowardice does as it were call for, and provoke opposition.
Our misery is want of zeal and courage; for not only through want of them does all fail that we seem to attempt, but it prevents our attempting anything very remarkable for the kingdom of Christ. Hence, oftentimes it has been that when anything very considerable that is new is proposed to be done for the advancement of religion, or the public good, many difficulties are found out that are in the way, and a great many objections are started, and it may be, it is put off from one to another; but nobody does anything. And after this manner good designs or proposals have oftentimes failed, and have sunk as soon as proposed. Whenas, if we had but Mr. Whitefield's zeal and courage, what could not we do, with such a blessing as we might expect?
Zeal and courage will do much in persons of but an ordinary capacity; but especially would they do great things if joined with
great abilities. If some great men that have appeared in our nation had been as eminent in divinity as they were in philosophy, and had engaged in the Christian cause with as much zeal and fervor as some others have done, and with a proportionable blessing of heaven, they would have conquered all Christendom and "turned the world upside down" [Acts 17:6]. We have many ministers in the land that don't want for abilities; they are persons of bright parts and learning; they should consider how much is expected and will be required of them by their Lord and Master, and how much they might do for Christ, and what great honor and how glorious a reward they might receive, if they had in their hearts an heavenly warmth and divine heat proportionable to their light.
With respect to candidates for the ministry, I won't undertake particularly to determine what kind of examination or trial they should pass under, in order to their admission to that sacred work: but I think this is evident from the Scripture that another sort of trial, with regard to their virtue and piety, is requisite, than is required in order to persons being admitted into the visible church. The Apostle directs that hands be laid suddenly on no man; but that they should first be tried, before they are admitted to the work of the ministry [1 Timothy 5:22]. But 'tis evident that persons were suddenly admitted by baptism into the visible church from time to time, on their profession of their faith in Christ, without such caution and strictness in their probation. And it seems to me, those would act very unadvisedly that should enter on that great and sacred work before they had comfortable satisfaction concerning themselves, that they had a saving work of God on their souls.
And though it may be thought that I go out of my proper sphere to intermeddle in the affairs of the colleges, yet I will take the liberty of an Englishman (that speaks his mind freely concerning public affairs) and the liberty of a minister of Christ (who doubtless may speak his mind as freely about things that concern the kingdom of his Lord and Master) to give my opinion in some things with respect to those societies; the original and main design of which is to train up persons, and fit them for the work of the ministry. And I would say in general, that it appears to me that care should be taken, some way or other, that those societies should be so regulated, that they should in fact be nurseries of piety.
Otherwise, they are fundamentally ruined and undone as to their main design and most essential end. They ought to be so constituted that vice and idleness should have no living there: they are intolerable in societies whose main design is to train up youth in Christian knowledge and eminent piety, to fit them to be pastors of the flock of the blessed Jesus. I have heretofore had some acquaintance with the affairs of a college, and experience of what belonged to its tuition and government; 8 and I can't but think that it is practicable enough, so to constitute such societies that there should be no being there without being virtuous, serious and diligent. It seems to me to be a reproach to the land that ever it should be so with our colleges, that instead of being places of the greatest advantages for true piety, one can't send a child thither without great danger of his being infected as to his morals, as it has certainly sometimes been with these societies. 'Tis perfectly intolerable, and anything should be done rather than it should be so. If we pretend to have any colleges at all, under any notion of training up youth for the ministry, there should be some way found out that should certainly prevent its being thus. To have societies for bringing persons up to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ and to lead souls to heaven, and to have 'em places of so much infection, is the greatest nonsense and absurdity imaginable.
And as thorough and effectual care should be taken that vice and idleness ben't tolerated in these societies, so certainly the design of 'em requires that extraordinary means should be used in them for training up the students in vital religion and experimental and practical godliness, so that they should be holy societies; the very place should be as it were sacred: they should be, in the midst of the land, fountains of piety and holiness. There is a great deal of pains taken to teach the scholars human learning; there ought to be as much, and more care, thoroughly to educate 'em in religion, and lead 'em to true and eminent holiness. If the
main design of these nurseries is to bring up persons to teach Christ, then it is of greatest importance that there should be care and pains taken to bring those that are there educated, to the knowledge of Christ. It has been common in our public prayers to call these societies "the schools of the prophets"; and if they are schools to train up young men to be prophets, certainly there ought to be extraordinary care there taken to train 'em up to be Christians.
And I can't see why it is not on all accounts fit and convenient for the governors and instructors of the colleges particularly, singly and frequently to converse with the students about the state of their souls; as is the practice of the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, one of the most noted of the present Dissenting ministers in England, who keeps an academy at Northampton, as he himself informs the Rev. Mr. Wadsworth of Hartford, in Connecticut, in a letter dated at Northampton,
Through the divine goodness I have every year the pleasure to see some plants taken out of my nursery and set in neighboring congregations, where they generally settle with a unanimous consent, and that to a very remarkable degree, in some very large and once divided congregations. A circumstance in which I own and adore the hand of a wise and gracious God, and can't but look upon it as a token for good. I have at present a greater proportion of pious and ingenious youth under my care, than I ever before had; so that I hope the church may reasonably expect some considerable relief from hence, if God spare their lives a few years, and continue to them those gracious assistances which he has hitherto mercifully imparted…. I will not, Sir, trouble you at present with a large account of my method of academical education: only would observe, that I think it of vast importance to instruct them carefully in the Scriptures, and not only endeavor to establish them in the great truths of Christianity, but to labor to promote their practical influence on their hearts; for which purpose I frequently converse with each of them alone, and conclude the conversation with prayer. This does indeed take up a great deal of time,
-- 513 -- but I bless God, it's amply repaid in the pleasure I have, in seeing my labor is not in vain in the Lord.9
There are some that are not ministers, nor are concerned immediately in those things that appertain to their office or in the education of persons for it, that are under great advantages to promote such a glorious work as this. Some laymen, though it be not their business publicly to exhort and teach, yet are in some respects under greater advantage to encourage and forward this work than ministers: as particularly great men, or men that are high in honor and influence. How much might such do to encourage religion, and open the way for it to have free course, and bear down opposition, if they were but inclined? There is commonly a certain unhappy shyness in great men with respect to religion, as though they were ashamed of it, or at least ashamed to do very much at it; whereby they dishonor and doubtless greatly provoke the King of kings, and very much wound religion among the common people. They are careful of their honor, and seem to be afraid of appearing openly forward and zealous in religion, as though it were what would debase their character and expose 'em to contempt. But in this day of bringing up the ark, they ought to be like David, that great king of Israel, who made himself vile before the ark; and as he was the highest in honor and dignity among God's people, so [he] thought it became him to appear foremost in the zeal and activity he manifested on that occasion; thereby animating and encouraging the whole congregation to praise the Lord, and rejoice before him with all their might: and though it diminished him in the eyes of scoffing Michal, yet it did not at all abate the honor and esteem of the congregation of Israel, but advanced it; as appears by 2 Samuel 6:22.
Rich men have a talent in their hands, in the disposal and improvement of which they might very much promote such a work
as this, if they were so disposed. They are far beyond others under advantage to do good, and lay up for themselves treasures in heaven [Matthew 6:20]. What a thousand pities is it, that for want of a heart, they commonly have no share at all there, but heaven is peopled mostly with the poor of this world? One would think that our rich men, that call themselves Christians, might devise some notable things to do with their money, to advance the kingdom of their professed Redeemer, and the prosperity of the souls of men, at this time of such extraordinary advantage for it. It seems to me that in this age, most of us have but very narrow, penurious notions of Christianity, as it respects our use and disposal of our temporal goods. The primitive Christians had not such notions: they were trained up by the apostles in another way. God has greatly distinguished some of the inhabitants of New England from others, in the abundance that he has given 'em of the good things of this life. If they could now be persuaded to lay out some considerable part of that which God has given 'em for the honor of God, and lay it up in heaven instead of spending it for their own honor, or laying it up for their posterity, they would not repent of it afterwards.
How liberally did the heads of the tribes contribute of their wealth at the setting up the tabernacle, though it was in a barren wilderness? [Exodus 35:21–29] These are the days of the erecting the tabernacle of God amongst us. We have a particular account how the goldsmiths and the merchants helped to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah 3:22. The days are coming, spoken of in Scripture, 1 and I believe not very far off, when the sons of Zion shall come from far, bringing their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord their God, and to the Holy One of Israel; and when the merchants of the earth shall trade for Christ more than for themselves, and their merchandise and hire shall be holiness to the Lord, and shall not be treasured or laid up for posterity, but shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing; and when the ships of Tarshish shall bring the wealth of the distant parts of the earth, to the place of God's sanctuary, and to make the place of his feet glorious; and the abundance of the sea shall be converted to the
use of God's church, and she shall suck the milk of the Gentiles, and suck the breasts of kings. The days are coming, when the great and rich men of the world shall bring their honor and glory into the church, and shall as it were strip themselves, to spread their garments under Christ's feet, as he enters triumphantly into Jerusalem; and when those that won't do so shall have no glory, and their silver and gold shall be cankered, and their garments moth-eaten; for the saints shall then inherit the earth, and they shall reign on earth, and those that honor God he will honor, and those that despise him shall be lightly esteemed.
If some of our rich men would give one-quarter of their estates to promote this work, they would act a little as if they were designed for the kingdom of heaven, and a little as rich men will act by and by, that shall be partakers of the spiritual wealth and glories of that kingdom. Great things might be done for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ at this day, by those that have ability, by establishing funds for the support and propagation of religion; by supporting some that are eminently qualified with gifts and grace, in preaching the Gospel in certain parts of the country that are more destitute of the means of grace; in searching out children of promising abilities, and their hearts full of love to Christ but of poor families (as doubtless there are such now in the land), and bringing them up for the ministry; and in distributing books that are remarkably fitted to promote vital religion and have a great tendency to advance this work; or if they would only bear the trouble, expense and loss of sending such books into various parts of the land to be sold, it might be an occasion that ten times so many of those books should be bought as otherwise would be; and in establishing and supporting schools in poor towns and villages, which might be done on such a foundation as not only to bring up children in common learning, but also might very much tend to their conviction and conversion, and being trained up in vital piety; and doubtless something might be done this way in old towns and more populous places, that might have a great tendency to the flourishing of religion in the rising generation.
But I would now proceed to mention some things that ought to be done, at such a day as this, that concern all in general.
[A] And here, the first thing I shall mention is fasting and prayer.
It seems to me that the circumstances of the present work do loudly call God's people to abound in this; whether they consider the experience God has lately given 'em of the worth of his presence, and of the blessed fruits of the effusions of his Spirit, to excite them to pray for the continuance and increase, and greater extent of such blessings, or whether they consider the great encouragement God has lately given 'em, to pray for the outpourings of his Spirit and the carrying on this work, by the great manifestations he has lately made of the freeness and riches of his grace; and how much there is, in what we have seen of the glorious works of God's power and grace, to put us in mind of the yet greater things of this nature that he has spoken of in his Word, and to excite our longings for those things and hopes of their approach; or whether we consider the great opposition that Satan makes against this work, and the many difficulties with which it is clogged, and the distressing circumstances that some parts of God's church in this land are under at this day on one account and another.
So [it] is God's will, through his wonderful grace, that the prayers of his saints should be one great and principal means of carrying on the designs of Christ's kingdom in the world. When God has something very great to accomplish for his church, 'tis his will that there should precede it the extraordinary prayers of his people; as is manifest by Ezekiel 36:37, "I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them"; together with the context. And 'tis revealed that when God is about to accomplish great things for his church, he will begin by remarkably pouring out "the spirit of grace and supplication," Zechariah 12:10. If we are not to expect that the Devil should go out of a particular person that is under a bodily possession, without extraordinary prayer, or prayer and fasting [Matthew 17:21]; how much less should we expect to have him cast out of the land and the world without it?
I am sensible that considerable has been done in duties of this nature in some places; but I don't think so much as God, in the present dispensations of his providence, calls for. I should think the people of God in this land, at such a time as this is, would be in the way of their duty to do three times so much at fasting and prayer as they do; not only, nor principally, for the pouring out of the Spirit on those towns or places where they belong; but God would appear for his church, and in mercy to miserable men, to carry on his work in the land and in the world of mankind, and
to fulfill the things that he has spoken of in his Word, that his church has been so long wishing and hoping and waiting for. They that make mention of the Lord at this day ought not to keep silence, and should give God no rest, "till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth," agreeable to Isaiah 62:6–7. Before the first great outpouring of the Spirit of God on the Christian church, which began at Jerusalem, the church of God gave themselves to incessant prayer, Acts 1:13–14. There is a time spoken of, wherein God will remarkably and wonderfully appear for the deliverance of his church from all her enemies, and when he will "avenge his own elect": and Christ reveals that this will be in answer to their incessant prayers, or crying day and night, Luke 18:7. In Israel the Day of Atonement, which was their great day of fasting and prayer, preceded and made way for the glorious and joyful Feast of Tabernacles. When Christ is mystically born into the world, to rule over all nations, it is represented in the Revelation 12 of Rev. as being in consequence of the church's crying and travailing in birth, and being pained to be delivered. One thing here intended, doubtless, is her crying and agonizing in prayer.
God seems now, at this very time, to be waiting for this from us. When God is about to bestow some great blessing on his church, it is often his manner, in the first place, so to order things in his providence as to shew his church their great need of it, and to bring 'em into distress for want of it, and so put 'em upon crying earnestly to him for it. And let us consider God's present dispensations towards his church in this land: a glorious work of his grace has been begun and carried on; and God has of late suffered innumerable difficulties to arise, that do in a great measure clog and hinder it, and bring many of God's dear children into great distress; and yet don't wholly forsake the work of his hand; there are remarkable tokens of his presence still to be seen, here and there; as though he was not forward to forsake us, and (if I may so say) as though he had a mind to carry on his work; but only was waiting for something that he expected in us, as requisite in order to it. And we have a great deal of reason to think that one thing at least is, that we should further acknowledge the greatness and necessity of such a mercy, and our dependence on God for it, in earnest and importunate prayers to him. And by the many errors that have been run into, and the wounds we have thereby given ourselves and the cause that we would promote, and the
mischief and confusion we have thereby made, God has hitherto been remarkably shewing us our great and universal dependence on him, and exceeding need of his help and grace: which should engage our cries to him for it.
There is no way that Christians in a private capacity can do so much to promote the work of God, and advance the kingdom of Christ, as by prayer. By this even women, children and servants may have a public influence. Let persons be never so weak, and never so mean, and under never so poor advantages to do much for Christ and the souls of men otherwise; yet, if they have much of the spirit of grace and supplication, in this way they may have power with him that is infinite in power, and has the government of the whole world: and so a poor man in his cottage may have a blessed influence all over the world. God is, if I may so say, at the command of the prayer of faith; and in this respect is, as it were, under the power of his people; as princes, they have power with God, and prevail [cf. Genesis 32:28]. Though they may be private persons, their prayers are put up in the name of a Mediator, that is a public person, being the Head of the whole church and the Lord of the universe: and if they have a great sense of the importance of eternal things and concern for the precious souls of men, yet they need not regret it that they are not preachers; they may go in their earnestness and agonies of soul, and pour out their souls before One that is able to do all things; before him they may speak as freely as ministers; they have a great High Priest, through whom they may come boldly at all times [Hebrews 4:14–16], and may vent themselves before a prayer-hearing Father, without any restraint.
If the people of God at this day, instead of spending time in fruitless disputing and talking about opposers, and judging of them and animadverting upon the unreasonableness of their talk and behavior, and its inconsistence with true experience, would be more silent in this way and open their mouths much more before God, and spend more time in fasting and prayer, they would more in the way of a blessing. And if some Christians in the land, that have been complaining of their ministers and struggling in vain to deliver themselves from the difficulties they have complained of under their ministry, had said and acted less before men, and had applied themselves with all their might to cry to God for their ministers, had as it were risen and stormed heaven
with their humble, fervent and incessant prayers for them, they would have been much more in the way of success.
God in his providence, appearing in the present state of things, does especially call on his people in New England to be very much in praying to him for the pouring out of the Spirit upon ministers in the land. For though it is not for us to determine, concerning particular ministers, how much they have of the Spirit of God; yet in the general, it is apparent that there is at this day need of very great degrees of the presence of God with the ministry in New England, much greater degrees of it than has hitherto been granted; they need it for themselves, and the church of God stands in extreme need of it.
In days of fasting and prayer, wherein the whole church or congregation is concerned, if the whole day, besides what is spent in our families, was not spent in the meetinghouse, but part of it in particular praying companies or societies, it would have a tendency to animate and engage devotion more than if the whole day were spent in public, where the people are no way active themselves in the worship, any otherwise than as they join with the minister. The inhabitants of many of our towns are now divided into particular praying societies; most of the people, young and old, have voluntarily associated themselves in distinct companies, for mutual assistance in social worship, in private houses: what I intend therefore is that days of prayer should be spent partly in these distinct praying companies. Such a method of keeping a fast as this, has several times been proved; viz. in the forenoon, after the duties of the family and closet, as early as might be, all the people of the congregation have gathered in their particular religious societies; companies of men by themselves, and companies of women by themselves; young men by themselves, and young women by themselves; and companies of children in all parts of the town by themselves, as many as were capable of social religious exercises; the boys by themselves, and girls by themselves. And about the middle of the day, at an appointed hour, all have met together in the house of God, to offer up public prayers, and to hear a sermon suitable to the occasion: and then, they have retired from the house of God again into their private societies, and spent the remaining part of the day in praying together there, excepting so much as was requisite for the duties of the family and close in their own houses. And it has been found to be of great
benefit to assist and engage the minds of the people in the duties of the day.
I have often thought it would be a thing very desirable, and very likely to be followed with a great blessing, if there could be some contrivance that there should be an agreement of all God's people in America, that are well affected to this work, to keep a day of fasting and prayer to God; wherein we should all unite on the same day in humbling ourselves before God for our past long continued lukewarmness and unprofitableness; not omitting humiliation for the errors that so many of God's people that have been zealously affected towards this work, through their infirmity and remaining blindness and corruption, have run into; and together with thanksgivings to God for so glorious and wonderful a display of his power and grace in the late outpourings of his Spirit, to address the Father of mercies, with prayers and supplications, and earnest cries, that he would guide and direct his own people, and that he would continue and still carry on this work, and more abundantly and extensively pour out his Spirit; and particularly that he would pour out his Spirit upon ministers; and that he would bow the heavens and come down [2 Samuel 22:10; Psalms 18:9], and erect his glorious kingdom through the earth. Some perhaps may think that its being all on the same day is a circumstance of no great consequence; but I can't be of that mind: such a circumstance makes the union and agreement of God's people in his worship the more visible, and puts the greater honor upon God, and would have a great tendency to assist and enliven the devotions of Christians. It seems to me, it would mightily encourage and animate God's saints, in humbly and earnestly seeking to God for such blessings which concerns them all; and that it would be much for the rejoicing of all, to think that at the same time such multitudes of God's dear children, far and near, were sending up their cries to the same common Father for the same mercies. Christ speaks of agreement in asking, as what contributes to the prevalence [i.e. prevailing] of the prayers of his people. Matthew 18:19, "Again I say unto you, that if any two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." If the agreement, or united purpose and appointment of but two of God's children, would contribute much to the prevalence of their prayers, how much more the agreement of so many thousands? Christ delights greatly in the union of his people, as appears by his prayer in the John 17:
and especially in the appearance of their union in worship lovely and attractive unto him.
I doubt not but such a thing as I have now mentioned is practicable without a great deal of trouble: some considerable number of ministers might meet together and draw up the proposal, wherein a certain day should be pitched upon, at a sufficient distance, endeavoring therein to avoid any other public day that might interfere with the design in any of the provinces, and the business of the day should be particularly mentioned; and these proposals should be published and sent abroad into all parts, with a desire that as many ministers as are disposed to fall in with 'em would propose the matter to their congregations, and having taken their consent, would subscribe their names, together with the places of which they are ministers, and send back the proposals thus subscribed to the printer (the hands of many ministers might be to one paper); and the printer having received the papers thus subscribed from all the provinces, might print the proposals again, with all the names; thus they might be sent abroad again with the names, that God's people might know who are united with 'em in the affair. One of the ministers of Boston might be desired to have the oversight of the printing and dispersing the proposals. In such a way, perhaps, might be fulfilled in some measure such a general mourning and supplication of God's people as is spoken of, Zechariah 12, at the latter end, with which the church's glorious day is to be introduced. And such a day might be something like the Day of Atonement in Israel, before the joyful Feast of Tabernacles.
One thing more I would mention concerning fasting and prayer, wherein I think there has been a neglect in ministers; and that is, that although they recommend and much insist on the duty of secret prayer, in their preaching; so little is said about secret fasting. It is a duty recommended by our Saviour to his followers, just in like manner as secret prayer is; as may be seen by comparing the Matthew 6:5 and Matthew 6:6 vss. of the Matthew 6 chap. of Matt. with vss. Matthew 6:16–18. Though I don't suppose that secret fasting is to be practiced in a stated manner and steady course as secret prayer, yet it seems to me 'tis duty that all professing Christians should practice, and frequently practice. There are many occasions of both a spiritual and temporal nature that do properly require it; and there are many particular mercies that we desire for ourselves or friends that it would be proper, in this manner, to seek of God.
[B] Another thing I would also mention, wherein it appears to
me that there has been an omission with respect to the external worship of God. There has been of late a great increase of preaching the Word, and a great increase of social prayer, and a great increase of singing praises. These external duties of religion are attended much more frequently than they used to be; yet I can't understand that there is any increase of the administration of the Lord's Supper, or that God's people do any more frequently commemorate the dying love of their Redeemer in this sacred memorial of it, than they used to do: though I don't see why an increase of love to Christ should not dispose Christians as much to increase in this as in those other duties; or why it is not as proper that Christ's disciples should abound in this duty, in this joyful season, which is spiritually supper time, a feast day with God's saints, wherein Christ is so abundantly manifesting his dying love to souls, and is dealing forth so liberally of the precious fruits of his death. It seems plain by the Scripture, that the primitive Christians were wont to celebrate this memorial of the sufferings of their dear Redeemer every Lord's Day: and so I believe it will be again in the church of Christ, in days that are approaching. And whether we attend this holy and sweet ordinance so often now or no, yet I can't but think it would become us, at such a time as this, to attend it much oftener than is commonly done in the land.
[C] But another thing I would mention, which it is of much greater importance that we should attend to; and that is the duty that is incumbent upon God's people at this day, to take heed that while they abound in external duties of devotion, such as praying, hearing, singing, and attending religious meetings, there be a proportionable care to abound in moral duties, such as acts of righteousness, truth, meekness, forgiveness and love towards our neighbor; which are of much greater importance in the sight of God than all the externals of his worship: which our Saviour was particularly careful that men should be well aware of. Matthew 9:13. "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice." And chap. Matthew 12:7, "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless."
The internal acts and principles of the worship of God, or worship of the heart, in the love and fear of God, trust in God, and resignation to God, etc., are the most essential and important of
all duties of religion whatsoever; for therein consists the essence of all religion. But of this inward religion, there are two sorts of external manifestations or expressions. The one sort are outward acts of worship, such as meeting in religious assemblies, attending sacraments and other outward institutions, and honoring God with gestures, such as bowing, or kneeling before him, or with words, in speaking honorably of him in prayer, praise, or religious conference. And the other sort are the expressions of our love to God by obeying his moral commands of self-denial, righteousness, meekness, and Christian love, in our behavior among men. And the latter are of vastly the greatest importance in the Christian life. God makes little account of the former in comparison of them. They are abundantly more insisted on by the prophets in the Old Testament, and Christ and his apostles in the New. When these two kinds of duties are spoken of together, the latter are evermore greatly preferred: as in Isaiah 1:12–18, and Amos 5:21, etc., and Micah 6:7–8, and Isaiah 58:5–7, and Zechariah 7, ten first verses, and Jeremiah 2, seven first verses, and Matthew 15:3, etc. Often, when the times were very corrupt in Israel, the people abounded in the former kind of duties, but were at such times always notoriously deficient in the latter; as the prophets complain, Isaiah 58, four first verses; Jeremiah 6:13, compared with vs. Jeremiah 6:20. Hypocrites and self-righteous persons do much more commonly abound in the former kind of duties than the latter; as Christ remarks of the Pharisees, Matthew 23:14, Matthew 23:25, and Matthew 23:34. When the Scripture directs us to shew our faith by our works, it is principally the latter sort [that] are intended; as appears by James 2, from [the] James 2:8 vs. to the end, and 1 John 2 chap., vss. 1 John 2:3, 1 John 2:7–11. And we are to be judged at the last day, especially by these latter sort of works; as is evident by the account we have of the day of judgment, in the Matthew 25
External acts of worship, in words and gestures and outward forms, are of little use but as signs of something else, or as they are a profession of inward worship: they are not so properly shewing our religion by our deeds; for they are only a shewing our religion by words, or an outward profession. But he that shows religion in the other sort of duties shews it in something more than a profession of words; he shews it in deeds. And though deeds may be hypocritical as well as words; yet in themselves they are of greater importance, for they are much more profitable to ourselves and our neighbor. We can't express our love to God by
doing anything that is profitable to God; God would therefore have us do it in those things that are profitable to our neighbors, whom he has constituted his receivers: our goodness extends not to God, but to our fellow Christians. The latter sort of duties put greater honor upon God, because there is greater self-denial in them. The external acts of worship, consisting in bodily gestures, words and sounds, are the cheapest part of religion, and least contrary to our lusts. The difficulty of thorough external religion don't lie in them. Let wicked men enjoy their covetousness and their pride, their malice, envy and revenge, and their sensuality and voluptuousness, in their behavior amongst men, and they will be willing to compound the matter with God and submit to what forms of worship you please, and as many as you please; as is manifest in the Jews of old, in the days of the prophets, and the Pharisees in Christ's time, and the papists and Mahometans at this day.
At a time when there is an appearance of the approach of any glorious revival of God's church, God does especially call his professing people to the practice of moral duties. Isaiah 56:1, "Thus saith the Lord; keep ye judgment, and do justice; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed." So when John [the Baptist] preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and cried to the people, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight," as we have an account, Luke 3:4, the people asked him what they should do. He answers, "He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise." The publicans said, "What shall we do?" He answers, "Exact no more than that which is appointed you." And the soldiers asked him, "What shall we do?" He replies, "Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages" (vss. Luke 3:10–14).
God's people at such a time as this ought especially to abound in deeds of charity, or almsgiving. We generally in these days seem to fall far below the true spirit and practice of Christianity With regard to this duty, and seem to have but little notion of it, so far as I can understand the New Testament. At a time when God is so liberal of spiritual things, we ought not to be strait-handed towards him, and sparing of our temporal things. So far as I can judge by the Scripture, there is no external duty whatsoever by which persons will be so much in the way, not only of receiving temporal benefits but also spiritual blessings, the influences of
God's Holy Spirit in the heart, in divine discoveries and spiritual consolations. I think it would be unreasonable to understand those promises made to this duty, in theIsaiah 58, in a sense exclusive of spiritual discoveries and comforts. Isaiah 58:7–11, "Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward; then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday; and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."
So that giving to the poor is the way to receive spiritual blessings is manifest [also] by Psalms 112:4–9, "Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favor and lendeth; he will guide his affairs with discretion; surely he shall not be moved forever; the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance; he shall not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord; his heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies: he hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; […] his horn shall be exalted with honor." That this is one likely means to obtain assurance is evident by 1 John 3:18–19, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth; and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him."
We have a remarkable instance in Abraham, of God's rewarding deeds of charity with sweet discoveries of himself, when he had been remarkably charitable to his brother Lot, and the people that he had redeemed out of captivity with him, by exposing his life to rescue them, and had retaken not only the persons but all the goods, the spoil that had been taken by Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him; and the king of Sodom offered him that
if he would give him the persons, he might take the goods to himself: Abraham refused to take anything, even so much as a thread or shoelatchet, but returned all. He might have greatly enriched himself, if he had taken the spoils to himself, for it was the spoils of five wealthy kings and their kingdoms, yet he coveted it not; the king and people of Sodom were now become objects of charity, having been stripped of all by their enemies; therefore Abraham generously bestowed all upon them, as we have an account in Genesis 14, and four last verses. And he was soon rewarded for it, by a blessed discovery that God made of himself to him; as we have an account in the next words, "After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward." [Genesis 15:1] "I am thy shield, to defend thee in battle, as I have now done; and though thou hast charitably refused to take any reward, for exposing thy life to rescue this people, yet fear not; thou shalt not lose, thou shalt have a reward; I am thy exceeding great reward." 2
When Christ was upon earth he was poor, and an object of charity; and during the time of his public ministry he was supported by the charity of some of his followers, and particularly certain women, of whom we read, Luke 8:2–3. And these women were rewarded by being peculiarly favored with gracious manifestations which Christ made of himself to them. He discovered himself first to them after his resurrection, before the twelve disciples: they first saw a vision of glorious angels, who spake comfortably to them; and then Christ appeared to 'em and spake peace to 'em, saying, "All hail, be not afraid"; and they were admitted to come and hold him by the feet, and worship him, Matthew 28:9. And though we can't now be charitable in this way to Christ in person, who in his exalted state is infinitely above the need of our charity; yet we may be charitable to Christ now, as well as they then; for though Christ is not here, yet he has left others in his room, to be his receivers; and they are the poor. Christ is yet poor in his members; and he that gives to them, lends to the Lord [Proverbs 19:17]: and Christ tells us that he shall look on what is done to them, as done to him [Matthew 25:40].
Rebekah, in her marriage with Isaac, was undoubtedly a remarkable type of the church in her espousals to the Lord Jesus. But she found her husband in doing deeds of charity, agreeable
to the prayer of Abraham's servant, who prayed that this might be the thing that might distinguish and mark out the virgin that was to be Isaac's wife [Genesis 24]. So Cornelius was brought to the knowledge of Christ in this way. He was "a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." And an angel appeared to him and said to him, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God; and now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter, etc.," Acts 10, at the beginning. And we have an account in the following parts of the chapter, how God, by Peter's preaching, revealed Christ to Cornelius and his family, and of the Holy Ghost's descending upon them, and filling their hearts with joy, and their mouths with praises.
Some may possibly object that for persons to do deeds of charity, in hope of obtaining spiritual blessings and comforts in this way, would seem to shew a self-righteous spirit, as though they would offer something to God to purchase these favors. But if this be a good objection, it may be made against every duty whatsoever. All external duties of the First Table will be excluded by it, as well as those of the Second.3 First-Table duties have as direct a tendency to raise self-righteous persons' expectations of receiving something from God, on account of them, as Second-Table duties; and on some accounts more, for those duties are more immediately offered to God, and therefore persons are more ready to expect something from God for them. But no duty is to be neglected for fear of making a righteousness of it. And I have always observed that those professors that are most partial in their duty, exact and abundant in external duties of the First Table, and slack as to those of the Second, are the most self-righteous.
If God's people in this land were once brought to abound in such deeds of love, as much as in praying, hearing, singing, and religious meetings and conference, it would be a most blessed omen. There is nothing would have a greater tendency to bring the God of love down from heaven to the earth: so amiable would be the sight, in the eyes of our loving and exalted Redeemer, that it would soon as it were fetch him down from his throne in heaven, to set up his tabernacle with men on the earth, and dwell with them. I don't remember ever to have read of any remarkable outpouring of the Spirit that continued any long time, but what
was attended with an abounding in this duty. So we know it was with that great effusion of the Spirit that began at Jerusalem in the apostles' days: and so in the late remarkable revival of religion in Saxony, which began by the labors of the famous Professor Francke, and has now been carried on for above thirty years, and has spread its happy influences into many parts of the world; it was begun, and has been carried on, by a wonderful practice of this duty.
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