Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England, Part 4 (2 of 3)

Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England · Part 4 (2 of 3)

p. 234So 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 Cor. 14. 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 Cor. 12. 31. & 13. 1.) The gracious, and most excellent kind Assistance of the Spirit of God in Praying and Preaching, is not by 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 p. 235suggest Words to us, to indite our Petitions for us, & 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 publick 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 publick 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 Pre-meditation, in order to a Preparation for the Pulpit, in such an Expectation, are guilty of Presumption; tho' 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 publick Performances, which (consider'd as the Preacher's Priviledge) p. 236far 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 Tho'ts 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 p. 237themselves 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, groundlesly 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 infer'd 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 p. 238that 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, & does by the Influences of his Spirit greatly humble him, & 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 infer'd from That, agreable 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 some Times especially enable to the Exercises of Faith, when the Minds of his Saints are engaged in Tho'ts of, and Prayer for some particular Blessing they greatly desire; i. e. GOD is pleased especially to p. 239give '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 pleas'd 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 & 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 p. 240of 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 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 Perswasion 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 Favourites 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 p. 241upon 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 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 p. 242particular 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 appear'd in the Church of GOD, that we read of in Ecclesiastical Story, have been led into a Mistake; and through Want of distinguishing such Things as these from immediate Revelations, have thought that GOD has favoured '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 (tho' but indirectly,) inclines them to. Indeed the Spirit of GOD in it self 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 p. 243may be from the Intervention or Interposition of some Infirmity, Blindness, Inadvertence, Deceit or Corruption of ours; so that altho' the Disposition in general ought to be allowed & 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 Neighbour, 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 Honour of his Prince, may exceedingly animate him in War; but yet this that is a good Disposition, thro' 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 p. 244miraculous 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 Cor. 14. 31, 32, 33. For ye may all prophecy, 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 endow'd. 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, tho' indirectly from the Spirit of GOD, should be restrain'd, and that its 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 p. 245to 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 & Children might feel themselves inclined to break forth and scream aloud, to great Congregations, warning & exhorting the whole Multitude, and to go forth & hallow 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 practised, without looking forward to future Consequences. Some Persons seem to think that it sufficiently justifies any Thing that they say or do, that it is found to be for their present Edification, and the Edification of those that are with them; 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, p. 246they 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 Consequences 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 enjoin'd 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, Mat. 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: 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 & Consequences of his Labour: The Husbandman's Discretion and Forecast is eloquently p. 247set forth in Isa. 28. 24, 25, 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 Barly, 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 fram'd together. So also it is compar'd 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: So 'tis represented by the Business of a Fisherman, which depends on Craft and Subtilty: 'Tis also compar'd to the Business of a Soldier that goes to War, which is a Business that perhaps, above any other secular Business, requires great Forefight, and a wise Provision for future Events and Consequences.

And particularly Ministers ought not to be careless how much they discompose & ruftle 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 tho' p. 248he would not depart from his enjoin'd 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 look'd upon it that it was of great Consequence that it should be, if possible, avoided. 1 Cor. 10. 32, 33. Give none Offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God: Even as I please all Men, in all Things, not seeking mine own Profit, but the Profit of many, that they may be saved. 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 Humours, in every Thing wherein he might, even in Things that were very burdensom 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 Condescention and Friendship win and draw them to it; as you may see, 1 Cor. 9. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. And agreable hereto, are the Directions he gives to others, both Ministers and People: So he directs the Christian Romans, not to please themselves, but every one please his Neighbour, for his Good, to Edification, Rom. 15. 1, 2. And to follow after the Things that make for Peace, Chap. 14. 19. And he presses it in Terms exceeding strong, Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all Men. And he directs Ministers, to endeavour if possible, to gain Opposers by a meek condescending Treatment, p. 249avoiding all Appearance of Strife or Fierceness, 2 Tim. 2. 24, 25, 26. To the like Purpose, the same Apostle directs Christians to walk in Wisdom, towards them that are without, Eph. 4. 5. And to avoid giving Offence to others, if we can, that our Good mayn't be evil spoken of, Rom. 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 endeavour, 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 needlesly increase and raise that Enmity) as in the Apostles Days, tho' he took so much Pains to please Men, yet because he was faithful and thorough in his Work, Persecution almost every where was raised against him.

A Fisherman is careful not needlessly to reffie and disturb the Water, least he should drive the Fish away from his Net; but he'll rather endeavour if possible to draw them into it. Such a Fisherman was the Apostle. 2 Cor. 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 p. 250some been carried to an Extreme, and the Doctrine has been abused. It has been look'd 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 & the Seed of the Serpent, 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 & 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, has been abused; as tho' when we see great Strife and Division arise about Religion, and violent Heats of Spirit against the truly pious, and a loud Clamour and Uproar against the Work of GOD, it was to be rejoiced in, because it is that which CHRIST came p. 251to 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 Behaviour, 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 Behaviour, to prevent or asswage 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, and to be a Stone of Stumbling and Rock of Offence to them, and an Occasion of their vastly more aggravated and terrible Damnation; and this is always the Consequence of a great Out-pouring 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 our selves to our utmost, in all the Methods that we can devise, that others might be saved, & to avoid all such Behaviour 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 … of Opposition against this glorious Work of GOD in New-England if the Subjects & Promoters of it had behaved p. 252haved 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 & 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, Jam. 3. 13. Who is a wise Man, and endued with Knowledge? 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 Carelesness of the future Consequences of Things, it may be proper to say something of introducing Things new & strange, and that have a Tendency by their Novelty to shock and surprize 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 Offence that may be thereby given, and the Prejudices that might be railed, to clog & 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 p. 253the Nature of absolute Duty, which tho' 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? Yea even to the Rite of Circumcision, (Acts 16. 3.) that he speaks so much in his Epistles of the Worthlesness 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 Cor. 3. 11. 2. Heb. 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, left they should burst the Bottles, and lose the Wine. And how did CHRIST himself, while on Earth, forbear so plainly to teach his Disciples the great Doctrines of Christianity, concerning his Satisfaction, and the Nature and Manner of a Sinner's Justification & Reconciliation with God, and the particular Benefits of his Death, Resurrection & Ascension, because in that infant State p. 254the 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 enlighten'd and strengthen'd by the Out-pouring of the Spirit after his Ascension. Joh. 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 it.—These Things might be enough to convince any one, that don't think himself wiser than CHRIST and his Apostles, that great Prudence and Caution should he used in introducing Things into the Church of GOD, that are very uncommon, tho' in themselves they may be very excellent, least by our Rashness & 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 preceeding 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 Endeavour 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; p. 255which tends at once to put a Stop to the Building, and hinder its ever being a compleat 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 hinder'd 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 Hist, of the Reformation, pag. 52. &c. and Book V. throughout. 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.

p. 256Another 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 & 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? And probably some of those Ministers themselves, by this very Means, have had their Ears stopp'd 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 every Thing 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, tho' in it self it be p. 257very 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 obtain'd 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. 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.

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, and he gives us no Account of any of his Matters; and therefore we can't safely take the Events of his Providence as a Revelation of his Mind concerning a Person's Conduct and Behaviour, 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 any Thing else with it as having the Force of a Rule, p. 258we are guilty of that which is strictly forbidden, Deut. 4. 2. Prov. 30. 6. & Rev. 22. 18. They who make what they imagine is pointed forth to 'em in Providence, their Rule of Behaviour, 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 Honour 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, & finally bastle 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 fulfils 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, & other eminent Men; but finally all must p. 259be 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 favour'd 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 every Thing 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 Favours, 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, Deut. 17. 16, 17. We can't tell how far GOD may hide his Eyes from beholding Iniquity in Jacob, and seeing Perverseness in Israel. 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 Cor. 14. 31, 32, 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 p. 260Thing 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, tho' 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, tho' 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 Compiacence in GOD; tho' 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 do that which is wrong; 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 p. 261Spirit 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. Tho' Grace ben't in the Saints, as a meer natural Principle, but as a sovereign Agent, and so its Exercises are not tied to Means, by an immutable Law of Nature, as in meet 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 & dead Forms, &c. And 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, p. 262when without it we could not have the Word of GOD. If any external Means at all are needful, any outward Actions of a publick Nature, or wherein GOD's People are jointly concerned in publick Society, without Doubt external Order is needful: The Management of an external Affair that is publick, or wherein a Multitude is concerned without Order, is in every Thing found impossible. Without Order there can be no general Direction of a Multitude to any particular designed End, their Purposes will cross one another, and they 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 Cor. 12. 14. to the End, and Rom. 12. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Zeal without Order will do but little, or at least it will be effectual but a little while. Let a Company that are very zealous against the Enemy, go forth to War, without any Manner of Order, every one rushing forward as his Zeal shall drive him, all in Confusion, if they gain something at first Onset, by surprizing 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 p. 263spiritual Good of GOD's Church; and therefore it is requisite even in Heaven it self, 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 Defence; without it, it's like a City without Walls, and can be in no Capacity to defend it self from any Kind of Mischief: And so however it be an external Thing, yet is not to be despised on that Account; for tho' it ben't the Food of Souls, yet it is in some Respect their Defence.—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 Worthlesness of external Order, that some have seem'd to act on that Principle, that the p. 264Power of judging & 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 any Body that pleases to take it upon them, or that think themselves fit for it, But more of this afterwards—

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 & customary Thing to be absent from Family Worship, & to be abroad late in the 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.) 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, publickly licensed to preach, yea and ordained p. 265to the Work of the Ministry; and some Ministers have seem'd to favour 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 Neighbours, 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 our selves, and breeding Uneasiness and Strife amongst others; and I know of none better, and indeed no other that can well be fix'd, than those that the Prophet Zechariah fixes, viz. That those 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. Those Ministers that have a Disposition to break over these Limits, if they should do so, and make a Practice of it, would p. 266break down that Fence, which they themselves after a while, after they have been wearied with the ill Consequences, would be glad to have some Body 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, tho' 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 23d of Matthew, Ye Serpents, ye Generation of Vipens, p. 267&c. 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, tho' God has made a very great Difference: For tho' they all come is 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, tho' we also are Messengers of inferiour 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 Behaviour, which is proper and fit to be seen in them. Tho' GOD has put great Honour upon Ministers, and they may speak as his Ambassadors, yet he never intended that they should have the same outward Appearance p. 268of Authority and Majesty, either in their Behaviour or Speech, that his Son shall have, when he comes to Judgment, at the last Day; tho' both come, in different Respects and Degrees, in the Name of the Lord: Alas! Can any Thing ever make it enter into the Hearts of Worms of the Dust, that it is fit and suitable that it should be so?

Thus I have considered the two first of those three Causes of Error in Conduct that were mention'd; I come now to the

Third and last Cause of the Errors of those that have appear'd to be the Subjects or 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.

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.

1. 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 mix'd 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 p. 269and 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 mixt: 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 invelop'd 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 p. 270divine 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 Communications on 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; every Thing 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, p. 271very often there is a great Mixture of what arises from common and natural Principles, with Grace; & 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 Hereticks 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; tho' 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 be mix'd 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, p. 272have strongly impress'd on their Minds external Ideas or Images of Things. A Degree of Imagination in such a Case; as I have observ'd elsewhere, is unavoidable, and necessarily arises from human Nature, as constituted in the present State; and a Degree of Imagination is really useful, and often 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 the other Kind of Mixture mentioned before, viz. of natural Affections & Passions; it helps to raise them to a great Height.

Another Thing that is often mix'd 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 mix'd 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.

p. 273These 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 Oar 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, & violent Agitations of the animal Spirits, is sometimes much owing to the corrupt Mixture; (as is very apparent in some Instances) tho' 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 insist almost wholly on their own high Priviledges, their Assurance of GOD's Love and Favour, 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 unmix'd as the former. And there is a great deal of Difference in Persons Earnestness in their Talk and Behaviour; in some it p. 274seems to come indeed from the Fulness 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 proportion'd to the Nature of the Subject they insist on, but they are violent in every Thing they say, as much when they are talking of Things of smaller Importance, as when speaking of Things of greater Weight. 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 any Thing in their Minds, or Sense of any Thing upon their Hearts; wherein probably there was the immediate Hand of the Devil.

2. 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 p. 275is Experiences being especially defective in some particular Thing, that ought to be in them; which tho' 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 very 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 deform'd the Christian, as it was too much, something mix'd, 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 their not being enough, something wanting, that does belong to the Christian as such: The one deforms the Christian as a monstrous Excrescence, the other as 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, tho' there are indeed the Rudiments or Lineaments of all the Parts, yet some few Parts p. 276are plain to be seen, when others are hid, so that without a Microscope it appears very monstrous.

When this Deficiency & Disproportion is great, as sometimes it is in real Saints, it is not only a great Deformity in it self, but has many ill Consequences; it gives the Devil great Advantage, and leaves a Door open for Corruption, & 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 and 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 & 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 & Gentleness, Authority and Condescension. GOD hath thus ordered that his diverse Excellencies, as he reveals himself in the Face of JESUS CHRIST, 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 p. 277of his Nature should be duely proportion'd 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 to 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, p. 278and sometimes are the Occasion, or Causa sine qua non 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 such awful Consequences and horrid Temptations, as are enough to make one's Hair stand an 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 honoured 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 Laughter or a light Behaviour. 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 p. 279had 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 & Grace of GOD, one Thing has as it were ballanced another, & caused a more happy Sedateness and Composure of Body & 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 animal Spirits, or that have the greatest Effects on the Body; nor are they always the best, that do most dispose Persons to abound in Talk to others, and to speak in the most vehement Manner; (tho' these Things p. 280often 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 Behaviour, 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.