Discourses on Various Important Subjects, Preface 3 – Letter 1
PREFACE.
WHEN the Diſciples of our glorious Lord were filled with Sorrow upon the heavy Tidings of his Departure from them. He chear'd their drooping Spirits with that good Word, John 16. 7. Nevertheleſs, I tell you the Truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will ſend him unto you. And after his Aſcenſion, he fulfill'd this great and precious Promiſe by the extraordinary Effuſion of his Spirit, under whoſe Conduct and Influence, the Apoſtles went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them: ſo that when we read the Acts of the Apoſtles, we muſt ſay; Not by Might, nor by Power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of Hoſts. And tho', ſoon after the firſt Days of Chriſtianity, there was a dreadful Apoſtacy, yet God did not wholly take his Spirit from his People; but rais'd up faithful Witneſſes to teſtify againſt the Hereſies and Corruptions of the Times wherein they lived. And ſince Antichriſt that wicked One has been reveal'd, our Lord, according to his Word, has been gradually conſuming him with the Spirit of his Mouth, in the Reformation.
Nor have we in theſe remote Corners of the Earth, where Satan had his Seat from Time immemorial, been leſt without a Witneſs of the divine Power and Grace. Very remarkable was the Work of God's Spirit ſtirring up our Fore Fathers to leave a pleaſant Land, and tranſport themſelves over a vaſt Ocean into this then howling Wilderneſs; that they might enjoy Communion with Chriſt in the Purity of his Ordinances, and leave their Children in the quiet Poſſeſſion of the Bleſſings of his Kingdom And God was eminently preſent with them by his Word & Spirit.
Yea, we need look no higher than our own Times, to find abundant Occaſion to celebrate the wonderful Works of God. Thus when God aroſe and ſhook the Earth. *October 29. Anno, 1727.his loud Call to us in that amazing Providence was follow'd, ſo far as Man can judge, with the ſtill Voice of his Spirit, in which He was preſent to awaken many and bring them to ſay trembling, What muſt we do to be ſaved? Yea, as we hope. to turn not a few from Sin to God in a thorough Converſion. But when the Bitterneſs of Death was paſt, much the greater Part of thoſe whom God's Terrors affrighted, gave ſad Occaſion to remember thoſe Words, Pſalm 78. 34.—36 When he ſlew them, then they ſought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. And they remembred that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer. Nevertheleſs, they did flatter him with their Mouths, and they lied unto him with their Tongues. And there has ſince been great Reaſon to complain of our ſpeedy Return to our former Sins, notwithſtanding ſome Hopes given of a more general Reformation. Yea when more lately, it pleaſed God to viſit many of our Towns with a very mortal Diſtemper, to that Time in a Manner unknown; whereby great Numbers of our hopeful Children and Youth have been cut off, many very ſuddenly, and with Circumſtances exceedingly diſtreſſing and awful: Yet alaſs! We have not generally ſeen, nor duly conſidered God's Hand ſtretched out againſt us; but have given him Reaſon to complain, as of his ancient People, Why ſhould ye be Stricken any more, ye will revolt more and more And accordingly His Anger is not turned away; but his Hand is ſtretched out ſtill. A plain Proof of this awful Truth, that the moſt awakening Diſpenſations can no farther humble and do us good, than as it pleaſeth God to accompany them with his Spirit, and ſo command his Bleſſing upon them. But when the Almighty will work by ſuch Means, or with u… them, who can hinder him? He acts with ſovereign Liberty and irreſiſtible Power. John 3. 8. The Wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareſt the Sound thereof, but canſt not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: ſo is every one that is born of the Spirit. Such was his wonderful Work at Northampton, and the neighbouring Towns in the County of Hampſhire, and ſome other Places. The Holy Spirit was in a plentiful and extraordinary Manner pour'd out on Perſons of every Age and Condition, without ſuch remarkable Providences going before to awaken them; as the Dew falls in the Night, and yet the Effects appear'd as the Light which goeth forth. So that we might well admiring ſay, What has God wrought! Great was the Number of them who publiſh'd the Wonders of the Divine Power & Grace; declaring with Humility, what God had done for their Souls. And others who went among them, acknowleg'd that the Work exceeded the Fame of it.
Now the pſalmiſt obſerves that God has made his wonderful Works to be remembred. We therefore apprehend that our Reverend Brother has done well to record and publiſh this ſurprizing Work of God; and the Fidelity of his Account would not have been at all doubted of by us, tho' there had not been the concurrent Teſtimony of Others to it. It is alſo a Pleaſure to us to hear what Acceptance the following Narrative has found in the other England, where it has had two Impreſſions already, and been honour'd with a recommendatory Preface, by two Divines of eminent Note in London, viz. the Rev. Dr. Watts, and Dr. Guyſe: after whom it may ſeem Preſumption in us to attempt any Thing of this Kind. But it having been tho't proper to Reprint this Letter here, and diſperſe it among our People: We Thankfully embrace this Opportunity to praiſe the moſt High, for the exceeding Riches of his Grace, and earneſtly to recommend this Epiſtle to the diligent Reading and attentive Conſideration of all into whoſe Hands theſe ſhall come. He that hath an Ear, let him hear what the Spirit ſaith unto the Churches. And indeed the particular and diſtinct Account which the Author has given of God's Dealings with the Souls of Men, at this remarkable Seaſon, in the variety of Caſes then ſet before him, and many of his Obſervations thereupon, we apprehend are written with that Judgment and Skill in divine Things, as declare him to be a Scribe well inſtructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven; and we judge may be very uſeful to Miniſters in leading weary Souls to Chriſt for Reſt, and for the Direction & Encouragement of all under the like Operations of the Holy Spirit.—Yea, as the Author obſerves, There is no one Thing I know of, that God has made ſuch a Means of promoting his Work among us as the News of others Converſion—;We hope that the further Spreading of this Narrative may, by the Divine Bleſſing, ſtill promote the Converſion of Souls, and quicken God's Children to labour after the clearer Evidences of their Adoption and to bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance. And as this wonderful Work may be conſider'd as an Earneſt of what God will do towards the Cloſe of the Goſpel Day, it affords great Encouragement to our Faith and Prayer in pleading thoſe Promiſes which relate to the glorious Extent and Flouriſhing of the Kingdom of Chriſt upon Earth, and have not yet had their full and final Accompliſhment. And ſurely the very threatning Degeneracy of our Times calls aloud to us all, to be earneſt in Prayer for this moſt needed Bleſſing, the plentiful Effuſion of the Spirit of Truth and Holineſs Nor ought the Senſe of our own Unworthineſs diſcourage us when we go to our heavenly Father in the Name of his dear Son, who has purchas'd and receiv'd this great Gift for his People, and ſays to us, Luke 11 9—13. Ask and it ſhall be given you—If ye then, being Evil, know how to give good Gifts unto your Children, how much more ſhall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him.
But we muſt draw to a Cloſe. May the worthy Author be reſtored to Health, and long continues to be a rich Bleſſing to his People! May he ſtill ſee the Pleaſure of the Lord proſpering in his Hand; and in particular, may the Spirit of Grace accompany this pious Endeavour to ſpread the Savour of the Knowlege of Chriſt, for the everlaſting Advantage of many! May it pleaſe God to r…v…ue his Work throughout this Land; and may all the Ends of the Earth ſee his Salvation!
Boſton, Novemb. 4th. 1738.
Joſeph Sewall
Thomas Prince
John Webb
William Cooper.
P. S. Since the writing this Preface, One of us has receiv'd a Letter from a Reverend and very worthy Miniſter in Glaſ…ow, in which is the following Paſſage;
"The Friends of ſerious Religion here were much refreſhed with a printed Account of the extraordinary Succeſs of the Goſpel, of late, in ſome Parts of New England. If you can favour me with more particular Accounts of thoſe joyful Events, when you have Opportunity of writing to me, it will much oblige me."
To the REVEREND Benjamin Colman, D. D. Paſtor of a Church in Boſton,
Weſtfield, Octob. 11 1738. SIR,
IN your Letter of Auguſt 19 you inform us, that the Rev. Dr. Watts and Dr. Guyſe deſire that ſome other Miniſters, who were Eye and Ear Witneſſes to ſome of thoſe numerous Converſions in the other Towns about Northampton, would Atteſt unto what the Rev. Mr. Edwards has written of them.
We take this Opportunity to aſſure you that the Account Mr. Edwards has given in his Narrative of our ſeveral Towns or Pariſhes is true; and that much more of the like Nature might have been added with Reſpect to ſome of them.
We are, Reverend Sir, Your Brethren and Servants
William Williams, Paſtor of Hatfield.
Ebenezer Devotion—of Suffield.
Stephen Williams—of Long Meadow.
Peter Raynolds—of Enfield.
Nehemiah Bull—of Weſtfield.
Samuel Hopkins—of W. Springfield.