Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England, Part 5

Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England · Part 5

p. 327PART V.

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, 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. 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 Enquiry.

And that which I think we ought to set our selves 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 p. 328the Lord, make strait in the Desert an high Way for our God, Isai. 40. 3. And again, Isai. 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. 62. 10. Go through, go through the Gates; prepare you the Way of the People; Cast up, Cast up the High-way; gather out the Stones.

And in order to this, there must be 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 perswaded 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 publick 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 p. 329by no Means to palliate the Matter, and excuse themselves, and pretend that they always thought so, and that it was only such & 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 tho' 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 publickly to confess it.

And on the other Side, if those that have been zealous to promote the Work, have in any of the fore-mentioned Instances, openly gone much out of the Way, and done that which is contrary to Christian Rules, whereby they have openly injur'd others, or greatly violated good Order, and so done that which has wounded Religion, they must publickly 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, and some others. But p. 330if there are some imbitter'd Enemies of Religion, that stand ready to improve every Thing to its Disadvantage, yet that ought not to hinder doing an enjoin'd Christian Duty; tho' 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 Honour 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 Behaviour towards all Men; as is evident Phil. 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, p. 331searching our selves, and condemning our selves, and taking Heed to our own Behaviour. 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, Psal. 45. 3, 4. And when GOD remarkably arises, to execute Judgment, it is to save all the Meek of the Earth, Psal. 76. 9. And 'tis the Meek, that shall increase their Joy in the Lord, Isa. 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, Psal. 37. 11. and Matth. 5. 9. But with the froward, God will shew himself unsavoury.

Those therefore, that have been zealous for this Work, and have greatly err'd 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, Philip. 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 our selves, 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 p. 332Ministers 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 & 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 honoured of GOD, in the Issue. Eccles. 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.

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, p. 333by 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 over-hasty and violent, in such a Case, being resolved to have every Thing 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, tho' 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 dishonour 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 p. 334they 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; and 'tis for those that are found patiently waiting on the Lord, under Difficulties, that he will especially appear, when he comes to do great Things for his Church, as is evident by Isa. 30. 18. and Chap. 40. at the latter End, and 49. 23. and Psal. 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 tho' 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, & the Ship covered p. 335with Waves: And GOD's appearing afterwards for his People's Help, is represented as his awaking out of Sleep. Psal. 7. 6. and 35. 23. and 44. 23. and 59. 4. and 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. 2. 7. and 3. 5. and 8. 4. In the 2d Chapter and six first Verses, is represented the Supports CHRIST gives his Church, while she is in a suffering State, as the Lilly among Thorns: In the 7th 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, Prov. 5. 19. In the next Verse, we see the Church's Success, in this Way of waiting under Sufferings, with Meekness & 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!

What has been mention'd hitherto, has Relation to the Behaviour we are obliged to … we would prevent the Hindrances of the Work, but besides these, there are Things that must be done, more p. 336directly to advance it. And here, it concerns every one, 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 55th of Isai. Ho, every one that thirsteth! &c. as is evident by what preceeds in the foregoing Chapter, and what follows in the Close of this. Here, in the 6th 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, Rev. 21. 6. I will give unto him that is athirst, of the Fountain of the Water of Life freely. And Chap. 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, Joh. 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 Isa. 60. 11. of the p. 337spiritual Jerusalem, Thy Gates shall he open continually, they shall not be shut, Day nor Night.

And tho' 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 intreat 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 relinguish their Scheme, Now is a good Time for Arminians to change their Principles. I would p. 338now, 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, Num. 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 Out-pouring of the Spirit, is a Time of great Favour to those that are Partakers of the Blessing; so it is always a Time of remarkable Vengeance to others. So in Isai. 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 Cor. 6. 2. says of that Time, that it was the accepted Time, and Day of Salvation; And Christ says of the same Time, Luk. 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, Matth. 3. 9, 10, 11. Then was glorified, both the Goodness & Severity of GOD, in a remarkable Manner. Rom. 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 p. 339Angel 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 Wine-Press of the Wrath of God, Rev. 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, Isa. 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, Mal. 4. 1, 2, 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 Out-pouring 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 made 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 & stiff-necked Generation. There was a remarkable Out-pouring of the Spirit of GOD, on the Children of Israel in the Wilderness, p. 340on the younger Generation, their little ones, that they said, should be a Prey, the Generation that entred into Canaan, with Joshua; which is evident by many Things in Scriptnre. 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, Jer. 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 Deut. 2. 16. but he destroyed the old Generation; he swore in his Wrath, that they should not enter into his Rest, and their Carcases fell in the Wilderness: 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 90 Psalm. 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 & cavailling against the Work of GOD, least while GOD is bringing p. 341their Children into a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, he should swear in his Wrath concerning them, that their Carcases 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 Out-pouring 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 Jer. 6. 10, 11. To whom shall I speak and give Warning, that they may hear? Behold their Ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: Behold, the Word of the 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 Wise (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 p. 342have 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 treasure 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, & 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, & 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 p. 343when 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 & 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: Every thing 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 p. 344Time 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. The State of the Times extremely requires a Fulness of the divine Spirit in Ministers, and we ought to give our selves no Rest 'till we have obtain'd 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 Neighbourhood 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 & smoking, and in diverting, or worldly, unprofitable Conversation, telling News, & making their Remarks on this & the other trifling Subject, they would spend their Time in praying together, and singing Praises, & 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 our selves so much like Christian Ministers, & 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, & great Condemnation of our selves: For p. 345indeed, 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 our selves.

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 & engag'd, and exert themselves with one Heart & Soul, and with united Strength, to promote the present glorious Revival of Religion: And to that End should often meet together, & act in Concert. And if it were a common Thing in the Country, for Ministers to join in publick 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&Counsels. Only such an Appearance of united Zeal in Ministers, would have a great Tendency to awaken Attention, & much to impress & 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 every Thing 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, p. 346in the visible Church, by their Doctrine or Behaviour, their Brethren in the Ministry ought studiously to endeavour 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 & preach in their Pulpit.

Two Things, that are exceeding needful in Ministers, as they would do any great Matters, to advance the Kingdom of Christ, are Zeal & 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 & 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 & 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, 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 Cromwel did, owing to these Things? And the great Things p. 347that Mr. Whitefield has done, every where, 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 possess'd of. When the People see these Things apparently in a Person, and to a great Degree, it awes them, & 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 Surprize. But while we are cold&heartless, &only go on in a dull Manner, in an old formal Round, we shall never do any great Matters. Our Attempts, the Appearance or 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, & provoke Opposition.—Our Misery is Want of Zeal and Courage; for not only thro' Want of them, does all fail that we seem to attempt, but it prevents our attempting any Thing very remarkable, for the Kingdom of CHRIST. Hence, oftentimes it has been, that when any Thing very considerable, that is new, is proposed to be done, for the Advancement of Religion, or the publick 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 no Body does any Thing. And after this Manner good Designs or Proposals have oftentimes failed, & have sunk as soon as proposed. Whenas, p. 348if 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 join'd with great Abilities. If some great Men, that have appear'd in our Nation, had been as eminent in Divinity, as they were in Philosophy, and had engaged in the Christ an Cause, with as much Zeal and Fervour, as some others have done, & with a proportionable Blessing of Heaven, they would have conquered all Christendom, & turn'd the World upside down. 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 & Master, and how much they might do for Christ, and what great Honour, 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 Vertue & 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 p. 349Ministry: 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 & 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 have had a saving Work of God on their Souls.

And tho' 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 publick Affairs) & 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, & 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 ruin'd & 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 & 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 p. 350its Tuition & Government; 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 vertuous, 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 any Thing 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, & 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 & 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 & 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, & lead 'em to true & eminent Holiness. If the p. 351main 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 publick 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 & convenient, for the Governours & Instructors of the Colleges, particularly, singly and frequently to converse with the Students, about the State of their Souls. As is ths Practice of the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, one of the most noted of the present dissenting Ministers in England, who keeps an Accademy at Northampton, as he himself informs the Rev. Mr. Wadsworth of Hartford, in Connecticut, in a Letter, dated at Northampton, March 6. 1740, 41. The Original of which Letter I have seen, and have by me an Extract of it, sent to me, by Mr. Wadsworth; which is as follows;

Thro' the divine Goodness, I have every Year, the Pleasure to see some Plants taken out of my Nursery, & set in neighbouring Congregations; where they generally settle with a unanimous Censent, 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 & gracious God; and can't but look upon it as a Token for Good. I have at present, a greater Proportion of pious p. 352and 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, & 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 accademical Education: Only would observe, that I think it of vast Importance, to instruct them carefully in the Scriptures; & not only endeavour to establish them in the great Truths of Christianity, but to labour to promote their practical Influence on their Hearts. For which Purpose, I frequently converse with each of them alone, & conclude the Conversation with Prayer. This does indeed take up a great deal of Time; but, I bless GOD, it's amply repaired, in the Pleasure I have, in seeing my Labour is not in vain in the LORD.

There are some that are not Ministers, nor are concern'd 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 Lay-men, tho' it be not their Business publickly to exhort & 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 Honour and Influence. How much might such do, to encourage Religion, & open the Way for it to have free Course, & bear down Opposition, if they were but inclin'd? There is commonly p. 353a certain unhappy Shyness, in great Men, with Respect to Religion, as tho' they were asham'd of it, or at least, asham'd to do very much at it; whereby they dishonour, & doubtless, greatly provoke the King of Kings, and very much wound Religion among the common People. They are careful of their Honour, and seem to be afraid of appearing openly forward and zealous in Religion, as tho' it were what would debase their Character, & 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 Honour and Dignity, among GOD's People, so thought it became him to appear foremost, in the Zeal & Activity he manifested on that Occasion; thereby animating & encouraging the whole Congregation to praise the Lord, and rejoice before him, with all their Might: And tho' it diminished him in the Eyes of scoffing Michal, yet it did not at all abate the Honour and Esteem of the Congregation of Israel, but advanced it; as appears by 2 Sam. 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 Treasares in Heaven. 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, p. 354to 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 temperal Goods. The primitive Christians had not such Notions: They were train'd 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 perswaded to lay out some considerable Part of that which GOD has given 'em for the Honour of GOD, and lay it up in Heaven, instead of spending it for their own Honour, 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, tho' it was in a barren Wilderness? These are the Days of the erecting the Tabernacle of GOD amongst us. We have a particular Account how the Goldsmiths & the Merchants helped to rebuild the Wall of Jerusalem, Neh. 3. 32. The Days are coming spoken of in Scripture, 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, & their Merchandize and Hire shall be Holiness to the Lord, and shall not be treasured, or laid up for Posterity, but p. 355shall 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 Honour 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; & when those that won't do so shall have no Glory, & their Silver & Gold shall be canker'd, and their Garments Moth-eaten; for the Saints shall then inherit the Earth, & they shall reign on Earth, and those that honour GOD he will honour, 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 design'd for the Kingdom of Heaven, & 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 p. 356Abilities, & their Hearts full of Love to CHRIST, but of poor Families, (as doubtless there are such now in the Land) & bringing them up for the Ministry; & 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, Expence & 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 & 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 & Conversion, and being train'd 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.

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, & of the blessed Fruits of the Effusions of his Spirit, to excite them to pray for the Continuance&Increase, &greater Extent of such Blessings; or whether they consider the great Encouragement GOD has lately given 'em, to pray p. 357for the Out-pourings of his Spirit, & the carrying on this Work, by the great Manifestations he has lately made, of the Freeness & Riches of his Grace; and how much there is, in what we have seen of the glorious Works of GOD's Power & Grace, to put us in Mind of the yet greater Things of this Nature, that he has spoken of in his Word, & to excite our Longings for those Things, & 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 clog'd, 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 is GOD's Will, thro' 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 Ezek. 36. 37. I will yet, for this, be enquired 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&Supplication. Zech. 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; how much less, should we expect to have him cast out of the Land, & the World, without it.

p. 358I 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 that GOD would appear for his Church, and in Mercy to miserable Men, to carry on his Work in the Land, & in the World of Mankind, and to fulfil the Things that he has spoken of in his Word, that his Church has been so long wishing & hoping & 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 Isa. 62. 6, 7. Before the first great Out-pouring of the Spirit of GOD, on the Christian Church, which began at Jerusalem, the Church of GOD gave themselves to incessant Prayer, Act. 1. 13, 14. There is a Time spoken of, wherein GOD will remarkably & 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, Luk. 18. 7. In Israel, the Day of Attonement, which was their great Day of Fasting & Prayer, preceeded & 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 12 Chap. p. 359of 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, & 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 &carried on; and GOD has, of late, suffer'd 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; & 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 tho' he was not forward to forsake us, and (if I may so say) as tho' 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, & our Dependence on GOD for it, in earnest and importunate Prayers to him. And by the many Errors that have been run into, & the Wounds we have thereby given our selves & the Cause that we would promote, and the Mischief & Confusion we have thereby made, GOD has hitherto been remarkably p. 360shewing us our great & universal Dependence on him, & 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 publick Influence. Let Persons be never so weak, & never so mean, & 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 & Supplication, in this Way, they may have Power with him that is infinite in Power, & 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: Tho' they may be private Persons, their Prayers are put up in the Name of a Mediator, that is a publick 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, & 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, & may p. 361vent 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 Behaviour, 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 & Prayer, they would be 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 complain'd 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 storm'd Heaven with their humble, servent 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 tho' 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, & the Church of God stands in extreme Need of it.

p. 362In Days of Fasting & Prayer, wherein the whole Church or Congregation is concern'd, if the whole Day, besides what is spent in our Families, was not spent in the Meeting-House, but Part of it in particular praying Companies or Societies, it would have a Tendency to animate & engage Devotion, more than if the whole Day were spent in publick, where the People are no Way active themselves in the Worship, any otherwise than as they join with the Ministers. The Inhabitants of many of our Towns are now divided into particular praying Societies, most of the People, young & 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 & Closet, as early as might be, all the People of the Congregation have gather'd 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; & 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 publick Prayers, and to hear a Sermon suitable to the Occasion: And then, they have retir'd from the House of God again, into their private Societies, p. 363and spent the remaining Part of the Day in praying together there, excepting so much as was requisite for the Duties of the Family and Closet, 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 desireable, and very likely to be follow'd 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 & Prayer to God; wherein we should all unite on the same Day, in humbling our selves before GOD for our past long continued Luke warmness not omitting Humiliation for the Errors that so many of GOD's People that have been zealously affected towards this Work, through their Infirmity & 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 Out-pourings of his Spirit, to address the Father of Mercies, with Prayers & Supplications, and earnest Cries, that he would guide and direct his own People, and that he would continue, and still carry on this Work, & more abundantly & extensively pour out his Spirit; and particularly that he would pour out his Spirit upon Ministers; & that he would bow the Heavens and come down, and erect his glorious Kingdom thro' 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 p. 364a Circumstance makes the Union and Agreement of God's People in his Worship the more visible, and puts the greater Honour upon God, & would have a great Tendency to assist & enliven the Devotions of Christians: It seems to me, it would mightily encourage and animate God's Saints, in humbly & 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 & 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 of the Prayers of his People. Matth. 18. 19. Again I say unto you, that if any two of you, shall agree on Earth, as touching any Thing 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 17th of John: And especially is the Appearance of their Union in Worship, lovely and attractive unto him.

I doubt not but such a Thing as I have now mention'd 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 pitch'd upon, at a sufficient Distance, endeavouring therein to avoid any other publick Day, that might interfere with the Design, p. 365in any of the Provinces, & the Business of the Day should be particularly mention'd; 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, & send back the Proposals thus prescribed, to the Printer; (the Hands of many Ministers might be to one Paper) & the Printer having receiv'd 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 desir'd 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, Zech. 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 Attonement 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 altho' 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 p. 3665. &6. v. of the 6. Chap. of Mat. with v. 16, 17, 18. Tho' I don't suppose that secret Fasting is to be practised in a stated Manner, & steady Course, as secret Prayer, yet it seems to me, 'tis a Duty that all professing Christians should practice, &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 our selves or Friends, that it would be proper, in this Manner, to seek of GOD.

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, & 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: Tho' 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 p. 367this 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 oftner than is commonly done in the Land.

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,& attending religious Meetings, there be a proportionable Care to abound in moral Duties, such as Acts of Righteousness, Truth, Meekness, Forgiveness & Love towards our Neighbour; 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. Mat. 9. 13. But go ye, and learn what that meaneth, I will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice. And Chap. 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 & Principles of the Worship of God, or the Worship of the Heart, in the Love and Fear of God, Trust in God, and Resignation to God, &c. 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 p. 368Acts of Worship, such as meeting in religious Assemblies, attending Sacraments,& other outward Institutions,& honouring God with Gestures, such as bowing, or kneeling before him, or with Words, in speaking honourably 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 Behaviour 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 & his Apostles, in the New. When these two Kinds of Duties are spoken of together, the latter are evermore greatly preferred. As in Isa. 1. 12, to the 18. and Amos 5. 21, &c.—and Mic. 6. 7, 8. and Isa. 58. 5, 6, 7. and Zech. 7. ten first Verses, and Jer. 2. seven first Verses, & Mat. 15. 3, &c. Often, when the Times were very corrupt in Israel, the … abounded in the former Kind of Duties, but were in such Times, always notoriously deficient in the latter; as the Prophets complain Isa. 58. four first Verses, Jer. 6. 13, compared with ver. 20. Hypocrites & Self-righteous Persons, do much more commonly abound in the former Kind of Duties, than the latter; as Christ remarks of the Pharisees, Mat. 23. 14, 25, & 34. When the Scripture directs us to shew our Faith by our Works, it is principally the latter Sort are intended; as appears by Jam. 2. from 8 ver. to the End, and 1 Joh. 2d Chap. ver. 3. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. And we are to be judged at the last Day, especially by these latter sort of Works; p. 369as is evident by the Account we have of the Day of Judgment, in the 25 of Matth. External Acts of Worship, in Words & Gestures, & 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 tho' Deeds may be hypocritical, as well as Words; yet in themselves they are of greater Importance, for they are much more profitable to our selves and our Neighbour. We can't express our Love to God, by doing any Thing that is profitable to GOD; GOD would therefore have us do it in those Things that are profitable to our Neighbours, whom he has constituted his Receivers: Our Goodness extends not to God, but to our Fellow Christians. The latter Sort of Duties, put greater Honour 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 Behaviour amongst Men, & they will be willing to compound the Matter with God, & submit to what Forms of Worship you please, & as they as you please; as is manifest in the Jews of … the Days of the Prophets, & the Pharisees in Christ's Time, & the Papists & Mahometans at this Day.

p. 370At 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. Isa. 56. 1. Thus faith the Lord; keep ye Judgment, and do Justice; for my Salvation is near to come, and my Righteousness to be revealed. So when John preached, that the Kingdom of Heaven was at Hand, and cried to the People, Prepare ye the Way of the Lord, make his Paths strait, as we have an Account, Luk. 3. 4. the People ask'd 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. Ver. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.

God's People, at such a Time as this, ought especially to abound in Deeds of Charity, or Alms-giving. We generally, in these Days, seem to fall far below the true Spirit & 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, & 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 so spiritual Blessings, the Influences of God's … Spirit in the Heart, in divine Discoveries and spiritual Consolations. I think it p. 371would be unreasonable to understand those Promises, made to this Duty, in the 58 Chap. of Isaiah, in a Sense exclusive of spiritual Discoveries&Comforts. Isa. 58. 7th v. &c.—Is it not to deal thy Bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the Poor that are cast cut, to thy House? When thou seest the Naked that thou cover him & that thou hide not thy self 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, & the Glory of the Lord shall be thy Rere-ward; then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer, thou shalt cry, and he shalt 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 the Soul to the Hungry, and satisfy the afflicted Soul; then shall thy Light rise in Obscurity, and thy Darkness be as the Noon-day; and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy Soul in Drought, and make fat thy Bones; & 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 by Psal. 112. 4 Ver. &c. Unto the Upright, there ariseth Light in the Darkness; he is gracious, and full of Compassion, and righteous: A good Man sheweth Favour and lendeth, he will guide his Affairs with Discretion; surely he shall not be moved for ever; 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 Honour. That this is one likely Means to obtain p. 372Assurance, is evident by 1 Joh. 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 redeem'd out of Captivity with him, by exposing his Life to rescue them, & had re-taken not only the Persons, but all the Goods, the Spoil that had been taken by Chedorlaomer, and the Kings that were with him, & the King of Sodom offer'd him, that if he would give him the Persons, he might take the Goods to himself, Abraham refused to take any Thing, even so much as a Thread or Shoelatchet, but returned all. He might have greatly inrich'd 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 Gen. 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. I am thy Shield, to defend thee in Battle, as I have now done; and tho' thou hast charitably refused to take any Reward, for exposing p. 373thy Life, to rescue this People, yet fear not, thou shalt not lose, thou shalt have a Reward, I am thy exceeding great Reward.

When Christ was upon Earth he was poor, and an Object of Charity; and during the Time of his publick Ministry, he was supported by the Charity of some of his Followers, and particularly certain Women, of whom we read Luk. 8. 2, 3. And these Women were rewarded, by being peculiarly favoured 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; & then Christ appear'd to 'em, & 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, Mat. 28. And tho' 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 tho' 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: And Christ tells us that he shall look on what is done to them, as done to him.

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 & mark out the Virgin, that was to be Isaac's Wise. So Cornelius p. 374was bro't 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 & thine Alms are come up for a Memorial before God; and now send Men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose Sirname is Peter, &c. Act. 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 & his Family, & 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 & Comforts in this Way, would seem to shew a Self-righteous Spirit, as tho' they would offer something to God, to purchase these Favours. 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. 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 offer'd to God, & 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 & abundant in external Duties of the first Table, and slack as to those of the second, are the most Self-righteous.

p. 375If 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 Out-pouring 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 Apostle Days: And so in the late remarkable Revival of Religion in Saxony, which began by the Labours of the famous Professor Franck, & has now been carried on for above thirty Years, and has spread it happy Influences into many Parts of the World it was begun, and has been carried on, by a wonderful Practice of this Duty. And the remarkable Blessing that God has given Mr. Whitefield, & the great Success with which he has crown'd him, may well be thought to be very much owing to his laying out himself so abundantly in charitable Designs. And it is foretold, that God's People shall abound in this Day, in the Time of the great Out-pouring of the Spirit that shall be in the latter Days. Isai. 32. 5 & 8. The vile Person shall no more be called liberal, nor the Churl said to be bountiful.—But the Liberal deviseth liberal Things, and by liberal Things shall he stand.

p. 376To promote a Reformation, with Respect to all Sorts of Duties, among a professing People, one proper Means, and that which is recommended by frequent Scripture Examples, is their solemn, publick renewing their Covenant with GOD. And doubtless it would greatly tend to promote this Work in the Land, if the Congregations of GOD's People could generally be brought to this. If a Draught of a Covenant should be made by their Ministers, wherein there should be an express Mention of those particular Duties, that the People of the respective Congregations have been observ'd to be most prone to neglect, and those particular Sins that they have heretofore especially fallen into, or that it may be apprehended they are especially in Danger of, whereby they may prevent or resist the Motions of God's Spirit, and the Matter should be fully proposed and explained to the People, and they have sufficient Opportunity given them for Consideration, and then they should be led, all that are capable of Understanding, particularly to subscribe the Covenant, and also should all appear together, on a Day of Prayer and Fasting, publickly to own it before God in his House, as their Vow to the LORD; hereby Congregations of Christians would do that which would be beautiful, & would put Honour upon GOD, and be very profitable to themselves.

Such a Thing as this, was attended with a very wonderful Blessing in Scotland, and followed with a great Increase of the blessed Tokens of the Presence of God, & remarkable Out-pourings of his Spirit; as the Author of the fulfilling of the Scripture informs, p. 186. 5th Edition.

p. 377A People must be taken, when they are in a good Mood, when considerable religious Impressions are prevailing among 'em; otherwise they will hardly be induced to this; but innumerable will be their Objections and Cavils against it.

One Thing more I would mention, which if God should still carry on this Work, would tend much to promote it, and that is, that an History should be publish'd once a Month, or once a Fortnight, of the Progress of it, by one of the Ministers of Boston, who are near the Press, & are most conveniently situated, to receive Accounts from all Parts. It has been found by Experience, that the Tidings of remarkable Effects of the Power and Grace of God, in any Place, tend greatly to awaken & engage the Minds of Persons, in other Places. 'Tis great Pity therefore, but that some Means should be used, for the most speedy, most extensive and certain giving Information of such Things, and that the Country ben't left, only to the flow, partial and doubtful Information, and false Representations of common Report.

Thus I have, (I hope, by the Help of GOD,) finished what I proposed. I have taken the more Pains in it, because it appears to me, that now God is giving us the most happy Season to attempt an universal Reformation, that ever was given in New-England. And 'tis a thousand Pities, that we should fail of that which would be so glorious, for want of being sensible of our Opportunity, or being aware of those Things that tend to hinder it, or our taking improper Courses to obtain it, or not being sensible in what Way God expects we should seek it. If it should please God to bless any Means, for the convincing, p. 378the Country of his Hand in this Work, and bringing them fully and freely to acknowledge his glorious Power and Grace in it, and engage with one Heart and Soul, and by due Methods, to endeavour to promote it, it would be a Dispensation of divine Providence, that would have a most glorious Aspect, happily signifying the Approach of great and glorious Things to the Church of GOD, and justly causing us to hope, that CHRIST would speedily come, to set up his Kingdom of Light, Holiness, Peace and Joy on Earth, as is foretold in his Word. Amen; Even so come LORD JESUS!

FINIS.

ERRATA.

PAge 68. line 12. read Over-powering. p. 82. l 21 r do this p 94. l 25. r Figure p 96 l 19 r Church of God. p 102 l. 18 r. Habitable. p 114 l. 8 r. came. p. 129 l 28 r sit still. p. 131 l 29 r oppresses them. p 135 l 9 r. Jewish Teachers p 155 l … r Woman. p. 159 r. 18 delc or p 161 l 18. r tends p 185. l. 26 r one with. p 190 l 31 r. Works. p. 196 l. 31 r source p. 197. l 14 r narrowly p 209 l. 16 r. brutish. p. 233 l. 10 r. Spirit. p. 234 l. 10 r brings. p. 241 l. 5. r found by. p. 254 l. 15 r. be used. p. 284 l. 2 r. to little. p. 342 l. 9 r. treasuring. p. 347 l. 14. r. with the Appearance. p. 349. l. 18 r. Original. p. 351 l. 15 r. the. l. 28 r. Consent. p. 365 l. 9 r. Subscribed.

End of the text · Jonathan Edwards, Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England (1742)