Reflections on the Preceding Memoirs (part 1 of 2)

REFLECTIONS

ON THE PRECEDING MEMOIRS.

a

T. WE have here an opportunity of seeing the nature of toe religion, and the manner of its operation exemplified in a high degree. Particularly it may be worthy to observe,

1. How greatly Mr. Brainerd’s religion differed from that of some pretenders to the experience of a clear work of saving conversion wrought on their hearts; who depending ‘and living on that, settle in a cold, careless and carnal frame of mind, and in a neglect of thorough, earnest religion, in the stated practice of it. Although his convictions and conver- _ sion were in all respects very clear and remarkable; yet how far was he from acting as though he thought he had got through his work, when once he had obtained comfort, and satisfaction of his interest in Christ and title to heaven. On the contrary, that work on his heart by which he was brought to this, was with him evidently but the beginning of his work, his first entering on the ,Steat business of religion and the service of God, his first setting out in his race. After earnest striving to enter in at the strait gate, and being violent to take the kingdom of heaven, hé did not look upon his. obtaining rest in Christ as putting an end to any further occasion for striving and violence in religion; but these were continued still, and maintained constantly, through all changes, to the very end of life. His work was not finished, nor his race ended till life was ended; agreeable to frequent scripture-representations of the Christian life. He continued pressing forward in a constant manner, forgetting the things that were behind, and reaching forth towards the things that were before. His pains and. earnestness in the business of religion were rather increased than diminished, after he had received comfort and satisfaction concerning the safety of his state. Those divine principles of love to God, and longings and thirstings after holiness, seemed’ more effectually te engage him in the duties of religion, than the fear of hell had done before., ‘And as his conversion was not the end of his work, or of the course of his diligence and strivings in religion; so neither was it the end of the work of the Spirit of God on his heart. On the contrary, it was the beginning of that work; the beginning of his spiritual discoveries, and holy views; the first dawning of the light, which thenceforward increased more and more; the beginning of his holy. affections, his sorrow for sin, his love to God, his rejoicing in Christ Jesus, his longings after holiness. ‘And the powerful operations of the Spirit of God in these things were carried on, from the day of his conversion, in a continued course to his dying day. His religious experiences, his admiration, his joy and praise, his flowing affections, did not only hold up to a considerable height for a few days, weeks or months, at first, while hope and comfort were new to him; and then gradually dwindle and die away, till they came to almost nothing, and so leave him without any sensible or remarkable experience of spiritual discoveries, or holy and divine affections, for months together; as it is with many, who after the newness of things is over, soon come to that pass, that it is again with them very much as it used to be before their supposed conversion, with respect to any present views of God’s glory, of Christ's excellency, or of the beauty of divine things; and with respect to any present thirstings for God, or ardent outgoings of their souls after divine objects. Only now and then they have a comfortable reflection on things they have met with in times past, and are something affected with them; and so rest easy, thinking all things are well; they have had a good clear work, and their state is safe, and they doubt not but they shall zo to heaven when they die. How far otherwise was it with Mr.. Brainerd! His experiences, instead of dying away, were evidently of an increasing nature. His first love and other holy affections, even at the beginning were very great; but after months and years, they became much greater and more remarkable; and the spiritual exercises of his mind were most ardent, (though not equally so at all times, yet usually so) without indulged remissness, and without habitual dwindling and-dying away, even till his decease. They began in 4 time of general deadness all over the land, and were greatly increased in a time of general reviving of religion. And when religion decayed again, and a general deadness re-

T3 turned, his experiences were still kept up in their height, and this holy exercises maintained in their life aud vigour; and so continued to be, in a general course, wherever he was, and whatever his circumstances were, among English and Indians, in company and alone, in towns and cities, and in the howling wilderness, in sickness and in health, living. and dying. This is agreeable to scripture descriptions of

true religion, and of the Christian life. The change wrought in him at his conversion, was agreeable to scripture representations of that change which is wrought in true conversion; a great and an abiding change, rendering hunt & new man, a new creature: not only a change as to hope | and comfort, and an apprehension of his own good estate; and a transient change, consisting in high flights of passing affections; but a change of nature, a change of the abiding habit and temper of his mind. Nor a partial change merely in point of opinion, or outward reformation; much less a —change from one error to another, or from one sin to another; but a universal change, both internal and external; from corrupt and dangerous principles in religion to the belief of the truth, from both the hab&s and ways of sin to universal ‘holiness of heart and practice, from the power and service of Satan unto God.

2. His religion greatly differed from that of many high pretenders to religion, who are frequently actuated by wehement emotions of mind, and are carried on in 9 course of sudden and strong impressions, and supposed high illumina-. ‘tions and immediate discoveries, and at the same time are. persons of a virulent “ zeal, not according to knowledge.”

His convictions, preceding his conversion, did not arise from any frightful impressions on his imagination, or any external images and ideas of fire and brimstone, a sword of vengeance drawn, a dark pit open, or such things strongly fixed in his mind. His sight of his own sinfulness did not consist in any imagination of a heap of lothsomeness within. him; nor did his sense of the hardness of his heart consist in any bodily feeling, nor in any imaginations whatever of such a nature.

His first discovery of God or Christ, at his « conversion, was not any strong idea of some external glory or brightness 3. or majesty and beauty of countenance, or pheasant vojee;., nor was jt any supposed immediate manifestation of God's

PRECEDING MEMOIRS. - 279

love to Aim in particular; nor any imagination of Christ’s ~ smiling face, arms open, or words immediately spoken to him as by name, revealing Christ’s love to him; either words of scripture, or any other: but a manifestation of God’s glory, and the beauty of his nature, as supremely excellent in itself; powerfully drawing and sweetly captivating his heart; bringing him to a sincere desire to exalt God, to set him on the throne, and give him supreme honour and glory, as the King and Sovereign of the universe; and also a new sense of the infinite wisdom, suitableness, and excellency of etbe way of salvation by Christ; powerfully engaging his whole soul to embrace this way of salvation, and to delight in it, His first faith did not consist in believing that Christ loved him, and died for him in particular. His first comfort was not from any secret suggestion of God’s eternal love to him, or that God was reconciled to him, or intended great: mercy for him; by any such texts as these, “ Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. Fear not, I am thy God,” $e. or in any *such way. Qn the contrary, when. 4God’s glory was first discovered to him, it was without any thought of salvation as his own. His first experience of the sanctifying and comforting power of God’s Spirit did not begin in same bodily sensation, or pleasant feeling in his breast, which he (as some others) called the feeling the love ‘of Christ in him, and being full of the Spirit. His experiences at his frst conversion were far from things of such. .@ nature. If we look through the whole series of his experiences, from his conversion to his death, we shall find nothing of this -kind. I have had occasion to read his Diary over and over, and very particularly and critically to review every passage in it; and | find no one instance of a strong impression en his imagination, through his whole life: no instance of a strongly impressed idea of any external glory and brightness.of any bodily form or shape, any beantifal majestic countenance; no imagiaary sight of Christ hanging on the C1036, with his blood streaming from his wounds; or seated. in heaven on a: bright throne, with angels and saints bowing before him; or with a countenance smiling on him, or arms open to embrace him; no sight of heaven in his imagination, with gates of pearl and.golden streets, and vast multitudes: of glorious inhabitants with shining garments; no sight of. T4 s

the book of life opened, with his name written in it; no hearing of the sweet music‘made by the songs of heavenly hosts; no hearing God or Christ immediately speaking to him; nor any sudden suggestions of words or sentences, either words of scripture or any other, as then immediately spoken or sent to him; no new objective revelations, no sudden strong: suggestions of secret facts. Nordo | find any one instance in all the records he has left of his own life, from beginnifig to end, of joy excited from a supposed immediate witness of the Spirit; or inward immediate suggestion, that his state was surely good, that God loved him with an everlasting ¢ love, that Christ died for him in particular, and that heaven was his, either with or without a text of scripture; no instance | of comfort by a sudden bearing in upon his mind, as though | at that very time directed by God to him in particular, nof

any such kind of texts as these: “ Fear not I am with thee—

It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom—

You have not chosen me, but 1 have chosen you—I have called thee by thy name, thou art min¢.”—No supposed communion and conversation with God carried on in this way,

no such supposed tasting of the love of Christ. But the way he was satisfied of his own good estate, even to the entire abolishing of fear, was by feeling within himself the lively actings of a holy temper and heavenly disposition, the vigor-.

ous exercises of that divine love which cast out fear.. This ° | was the way he had full satisfaction soon after his con-

* version, (see his diary on October 18, 1740.) And’ we

find no other way of satisfaction through his whole life afterwards; and this he abundantly declared to be the way, the only way that he had complete satisfaction, when he looked death in the face in its near approaches.

Same of the pretenders to an immediate. witness by suggestion, with an assuming confidence would persuade us, that there is no full assurance without it; and that the way

_of being satisfied by signs, and arguing an interest in Christ from sanctification, if it will keep men quiet in life and health, yet will never do when they come to die. Then they say, men must have immediate witness, or else be in a dreadful uncertainty. But Mr. Brainerd’s experience is a confutation of this; for in him we have an i. ...nce. of.one that possessed as constant and unshaken an assurance, through - the course of his life after conversion, as perhaps can be produced in PRECEDING MEMOIRS. 2st

this age; which yet he obtained and enjoyed without any such sort of testimony, and without all manner of appearance

of it, ot even pretence to it; yea, while utterly disclaiming any such thing, and declaring against it. Yet he was one whose .assurance we need not scruple to affirm, has as fair ‘a claim and as just a pretension to truth and genuineness, as any that the pretenders to an immediate witness can produce- He was not only an instance of one who had such assurance in life, but had it in a constant manner in his last illness; and particularly in the latter stages of it, through those last months of his life wherein death was more sensibly approaching, without the least hope of life; and had it too in its fulness, and in the height of its exercise, under those repeated trials which he endured, when brought from time to time to the very brink of the grave, expecting in a few minutes to be in eternity. He “had the full assurance of hope unto the end.” On the verge of eternity he declares his assurance to be such as perfectly secluded all fear; and not only so, but it manifestly filled his soul with exceeding joy. He declared at the same time, that this his consolation and good hope through grace arose wholly from the evidence he had of his good estate, by what he found of his sanctification, or the exercise of a holy heavenly temper of mind, and supreme love to God; and not in the least from any immediate witness by suggestion. Yea, he declares that at these very times he saw the awful delusion of that confidence which is built on such a foundation, as well as of the whole of that religion from which it usually springs, or at least is the attendant of, and that his soul abhorred those delusions. He continued in this mind, often expressing it with much solemnity, even till death.

: Mr. Brainerd’s religion was not selfish and mercenary. His love to God was primarily and principally for the supreme excellency of his own nature, and not built on a preconceived notion that God loved him, had received him into favour, and had done great things for him, or promised great things to him: so his joy was joy in God, and not in himself. We see by his Diary how from time to time, through the course of his life, his soul was filled with ineffable sweetness and comfort. But what was the spring of this strong and abiding consolation? Not so much the consideration of the sure grounds he had to think that his state was good, that God bad delivered him from hell, and that heaven was his; of any thoughts concerning his own distinguished and exalted circumstances, as a high favourite of heaven: but the sweet —meditations and entertaining views he had of divine things without himself; the affecting considerations and lively ideas of God’s infinite glory, bis unchangeable blessedness, hia sovereignty and universal dominion; together with the exercises of love to God, giving himself up to him, abasing himself before him, denying himself for him, depending —upon him, acting for his glory, diligently serving him; and the pleasing prospects or hopes he had of a future advancement of the kingdom of Christ.

It appears plainly all along, from his conversion to his death, that that beauty, that sort of good which was the great object of the new sense of his mind, the new relish and appetite given him in conversion, and thenceforward main- —tained and increased in bis heart, was HOLINESS, conformity to God, living to God, and glorifying him. This was what —drew his heart; this was the centre of his soul; this was the ocean to which all the streams of his religious affections tended; this was the object that engaged his eager thirsting desires and earnest pursuits. He knéw po true excellency or happiness but this: this was what he lohged for most vehemently and constantly on earth, and this was with him the beauty and blessedness of heaven. —This made him so often long for that world of glory; 3 it was: to be perfectly holy, and perfectly exercised in the holy employments of heaven; thus to glorify God, and enjoy him for ever.

His religious illaminations, affections and comfort, seemed ‘ina great degree to be attended with evangelical humiliation; consisting in a sense of his own utter insufficiency, despicableness and odseusness; with an answerable disposition

and frame of heart. How deeply affected was he almost continually with his great defects in religion; with his vast —distance from that spirituality and holy frame of mind which. became him; with his ignorance, pride, deadness, uns steadiness, barrenness? He was not only affected with the remembrance of his former sinfulness, before his conversion, but with the sense of his present vileness and pollution. He was not only disposed to think meanly of himself as before God, and in comparison of him; but amongst men, and as_— oy

sompared with them. He was apt to think other saints better than he; yea, to look on himself as the meanest and least of saints; yea, very often, as the vilest and worst of mankind. And notwithstanding his great attainments in spiritual knowledge, yet we find there is scarce any thing that he is more frequently affected and abased with a sense ‘ef than his ignorance.

How eminently did he appear to be of a meek and quéef spirit, resembling the lamb-like, dove-like Spirit of Jesus. Christ. How full of love, meekness, quietness, forgiveness and mercy! His love was not merely a fondness and zeal for a party, but a universal benevolence; very often exercised in the most sensible and ardent love to his greatest apposers and enemies. His love and meekness were not a mete pretence, and outward profession and shew; they were. effectual things, manifested in expensive and painful deeds of love and kindness; and in a meek behaviour, readily capfessing faults under the greatest trials, and bumbling himself even at the feet of those from whom he supposed he had suffered most: and from time to time very frequently “praying for his enemies, abhorring the thoughts of bitterness. O% resentment towards them. I scarcely know where to —look for any parallel instance of self-denial in these respects, in the present age, He was a person of great zeal; but how did he abhor a bitter, zeal, and lament it where he saw it! And though he was once drawn into some degrees of jt, by the force of prevailing example, as it were in his childhood; yet how did he go about with a heart bruised, and broken in pieces for it all his life after!

Of how soft and tender a spirit was he! How far were his experiences, hopes and joys, from a tendency finally to stupify and harden him, to leasen convictions and tenderness of

‘ conseience, to cause him to be less affected with present and past sins, and less conscientious with respect to future sins, more easy in the neglect of duties that are troublesome and ipeonvenient, more slow and partial in complying with difieuls commands, less apt to be alarmed at the appearance. of his own defects and transgressions, more easily indn¢ed to ‘@ compliance with carnal appetites. On the contrary, how tender was his conacience: how apt was his heart to smite him; how easily and greatly was he alarmed at the appearaec of moral evil; haw great and constant was his jealousy..

: e over his own heart; how strict his care and watchfalness against sin; how deep and sensible were the wounds that sin made in his conscience! Those evils that are generally ° accounted small, were almost an insupportable burden to him ;" such as his inward deficiencies, his having no more love to God, finding within himself any slackness or dulness in religion, any unsteadiness or wandering frame of mind. How did the consideration of such things as these oppress and abase him, and fill him with inward shame and confusion. His love and hope, though they were such as cast out a servile fear of hell, yet they were such as were attended with, and abundantly cherished and promoted a reverential filial fear of God, a dread of sin and of God’s holy displeasure. His joy seemed truly to be a rejoicing with trembling. His assurance and comfort differed greatly from a false enthusiastic confidence and joy, in that it promoted and maintained mourning for sin. Holy mourning was not only the work of an hour or a day, at his first conversion; but sorrow for sin was like a wound constantly running; he was a mourner for sin all his days. After he received comfort and full satisfaction of the forgiveness of all his sins, and the safety of ‘his state, he did not forget his past sins, the sins of his youth, that were committed before his conversion; but the remembrance of them, from time to time, revived in his heart with renewed grief. That in Ezek. xvi.63, was evidently fulfilled in him: “That thon mayst remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame; when |! am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done.” And how lastingly did the sins that he committed after his conversion, affect and break his heart. If he did any thing whereby he thought he had in any respect dishonoured God, and wounded the interest of religion, he had never done wich calling it to mind with sorrow and bitterness; though - he was assured that God had forgiven it, yet he never forgave himself. His past sorrows and fears made no satisfaction with him;.but still the wound renews and bleeds afresh, again and again. And his present sins, that he daily found in himself were an occasion of daily sensible and deep sorrow of heart.

His religion did not consist in unaccountable fights and vehement pangs, suddenly rising and suddenly falling; sometimes exalted almost to-the third heavens, and then at others

e wegligent, vain, carnal, and swallowed up of the world for days and weeks if not months together. His religion was

not like a blazing meteor, or like a flaming comet, (or a wandering star, as the apostle Jude calls it, ver. 13.) fying through the firmament with a bright train, and then quickly going out inp perfect darkness; but more like the steady lights of heaven that are constant principles of light, though sometimes hid with clouds. Nor like a land-flood, which flows far and wide with a rapid stream, bearing down all before it, and then dried up; but more like a stream fed by living springs; which though sometimes increased by showe ers, and at other times diminished by drought, yet is a constant stream.;

His religious affections and joys were not like those of some, who have rapture and mighty emotions from time to time in company, but have very little affection in retirement and secret places. Though he was of a very sociable temper, loved the company of saints, and delighted very much in religious conversation and in social worship; yet his warmest affections, and their greatest effects on animal nature, and his sweetest joys, were in his closet devotions and solitary transactions between God and his own soul; as is very obervable through his whole course, from his conversion to his death. He delighted greatly in sacred retirement; and loved to get quite away from all the world, to converse with God alone in secret duties.

Mr. Brainerd’s experiences and comforts were very far from being like those of some persons, which are- attended with a spiritual satiety, and put an end to their religious desires and longings, at least to the edge and ardency of them; resting satisfied in their own attainments and comforts, as having obtained their chief end, which is to extinguish their fears of hell, and give them confidence of the favour of God. How far were his religious affections, refreshments and satisfactions, from such an operation and influence as this., On the contrary, how were they always attended with longings and thirstings after greater degrees of conformity to God. The greater his comforts were, the more vehement, were his desires after holiness. For itis to be observed, that his longings were not so much after joyful discoveries of God's love, and clear views of his title to future advancement

and eternal honours in heaven; as after more of present holiness, greater spirituality, a heart-more engaged for God, to love and exalt and depend on him; am ability better to serve him, to do more for his glory, and to do all that he did _ with more of a regard to Christ as his righteousness dnd strength; and after the enlargement and advancement of ‘Christ's kingdom in the earth. And his desires were notidle wishings and wouldings, but such as were powerful and effectual, to animate him to the earnest eager pursuit of these things, with the utmost diligence, unfainting labour and selfdenial. His comforts never put an end to his seeking after - God, and striving to obtain his grace; but on the contrary,

greatly engaged and enlarged him therein.

His religion did not consist only in experience, without practice. “All his inward illuminations, affections and comforts, seemed to have a direct tendency to practice, and to issue in it: and this, not merely a practice negatively good, free from gross acts of irreligion and immorality; but a practice positively holy and Christian, in a serious, devout, humble, meek, merciful, charitable, and beneficent conver= sation; making the service of God and our Lord Jesus Christ ‘the great business of life, which he pursued with the greatest earnestaess and diligence to the end of his days, through all trials. In him was to be seen the right way of being Hiely in religion. His liveliness did not consist merely or mainly in his being lively with the tongue, but in deed; not in being forward in profession and outward shew, arid abundant in declaring his own experiences; but chiefly in being active and abundant in the labours and duties of

‘religion; “not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; and serving his generation according to the will of God.”

By these things many high pretenders to religion, gud professors of extraordinary spiritual experience, may bé

' sensible that Mr. Brainerd did greatly condemn their kind of religion; and that not only in word, but by example, both living and dying. The whole series of his Christian experience and practice, from his conversion to his death, was a constant condemnation of it.

_ It cannot be objected, that the reason why he so much _ disliked the religion of these pretenders, and why his own so much differed from it, was, that his experiences were not

“clear.” There is no room to say they were otherwise, in

PRECEDING MEMOIRS 287

any respect in which clearpess of experience has been wont to be insisted on; whether it be the clearness of their nature

or of their order, and the method his soul was at first brought

to rest and comfort in his conversion. I am far from thinking (and so was he) that clearness in the order of experiences is, im any measure, of equal importance with the clearness of their nature. I have sufficiently declared in my discourse on Religious Affections, (which he expressly approved of and recommended,) that I do not suppose a sensible distinctness " ef the steps of the Spirit’s operation and method of successive convictions and illuminations, is a necessary requisite to persons being received ia full charity as*tree saints; pro- _ vided the nature of the things they profess be right, and their practice agreeable. Nevertheless, it is observable, {which cuts off all objection from such as would be most unreasonably disposed to object -and cavil in the present case,) so it was, that Mr. Brainerd’s experiences were not tonly clear in the latter respect, but remarkably so in the former: so that there is not’ perhaps one instance in five hundred true converts, that on this account cat be paralleled

_ with hia.

It cannot be pretended, that the reason why he so much abhorred and condemned the notions and experiences of those whose first faith consists in believing that Christ 2s theirs, and that Christ died for them; without any previous experience of union of heart to him for bis own excellency, and net for his supposed love to them; and who judge of their interest in Christ, their justification, and God’s love to them, not by their sanctification and the exercises and fruits of grace, but by a supposed immediate witness of the Spirit by inward suggestion. I say it cannot be pretended, that the reason why he so much detested and condemned such opinions and experiences was, that he was of too legal a spirit; either that he never was dead to the law, never experienced a thorough work of conviction, was never fully brought off from his own righteousness, and weaned from the old covenant, by a thorough legal humiliation; or that afterwards, he had no great degree of evangelical humilia-

_ tion, not living in a deep sense of his own emptiness,

wretchedness, poverty, and absolute dependance on the mere

_ grace of God through Christ. For his convictions of sin,

preceding his first consolutions in Christ, were exceeding

o deep and thorough; his trouble and.exercise of mind, by @ sense of sin and misery, very great and long continued. The light let into his mind at his conversion, and in progressive sanctification, appears to have had its genuine humbling influence upon him, to have kept him low in his own eyes, not confiding in himself, but in Christ, “living by the faith of the Son of God, and looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus to eternal life.”

Nor ean it be pretended, that the reason why he condemned these and other things, which this sort of people call the very height of vital religion and the power of godliness, was, that he was a “dead Christian,” and lived “in the dark,” (as they | express themselves;) that his experiences, though they might be true, were not great; that he did not live near to God, fad but a small acquaintance with him, and had but a dim sight of spiritual things. If any, after they have read the preceding account of Mr. Brainerd’s life, will venture to pretend thus, they will only shew that they themselves are in » the dark, and do indeed “ put: darkness for light, and light for darkness.”

It is common with this sort of people, if there is any one whom they cannot deny to exhibit good evidences of true godliness, who yet appears to dislike their notions, and condemn those things wherein they place the height of religion, to insinuate, that “they are afraid of the cross,” and have a mind “to curry favour with the world,” and the like. But I presume this will not be pretended concerning Mr. Brainerd, by any one person that has read the preceding account of his life. It must needs appear a thing notorious to such, that he was an extraordinary, and almost unparalleled instance (in these times and these parts of the world) of the contrary disposition; and that, whether we consider what he has recorded of his inward experience, from time to time; or his practise, how he in fact took up and embraced the cross, and bore it constantly, in his great self denials, labours and sufferings for the name of Jesus, and went on without fainting, without repenting or repining, to his dying illness; how he did not only from time to time relinquish and renounce © the world secretly in his heart, with the full and fervent consent of all the powers of his soul; but openly and actually forsook the world, with its possessions, delights and common comforts, to dwell as it were with wild beasts in a howling wilderness; with constant cheerfulness complying with the numerous hardships of a life of toil and travel there, to promote the kingdom of his dear Redeemer. And besides, it appears by the preceding history, that he never did more condemn the things forementionedy never had a greater sense of their delusion, pernicious nature and. ill tendency, and never was more full of pity to those that are led away with them, than in his last illness, and at times when he had the nearest prospect of death, sup Pposed himself tobe on the-- very brink of eternity, and.Jooked on all this lower world as what he never should have any thing more to do with. Surely-he did not condemn those things at these seasons, only to “ curry favour with the world.”

Besides what has been already related of Mr. Bfainerd’s * sentiments in. his dying state concerning true atid false religion, we have his deliberate and solemn thoughts on this subject, further appearing by his Preface to Mr. Shepard’s

‘Diary before mentioned; which, when he wrote it, he supposed to be (as it proved) one of the dast thin should ever write. 1 shall here insert a part of that Pohace as follows.

“ How much stress is laid by many upon some things as being effects and evidences of exalted degrees of religion,

_ when they are so far from being of any importance in it, that. they are really irreligious, a mixture of self-love, imagination and spiritual pride, or perhaps the influence of Satan transformed into an angel of light. How much stress is laid on these things by many, I shall not determine: but it is much to be feared, that while God was carrying. on a glorious work of grace, and undoubtedly gathering a harvest of souls to himself, (which we should always remember with thankfulness) numbers of others have at the same time been fatally deluded by the ‘devices of the devil, and their own corrupt hearts. It is to be feared that the conversions of some have no better foundation than this; viz. that after they have been under some concern for their souls for awhile, and it may be, manifested some very great and uncommon distress and

-agonies, they have on a sudden imagined they saw Christ, in some posture or other, perhaps on the cross, bleeding and dying for their sins; or it may be, smiling on them, and thereby signifying his love to them: and that these and the like things, though mere imaginations, which have nothing

U spiritual ia them, have instantly removed all their fears and distresfes, filled them with raptures of joy, and made them imagine that they loved Christ with all their hearts; when the bottom of all was nothing but self-love. For when they imagined that Christ bad een so good to them as to save them, and as it were to single them out of all the world, they could not but feel some kind of natural gratitude to him; although they never had any spiritual view of his divine - Glory, excallency and beauty, and consequently never had any love to him for himself. ‘Or that instead of having some such imaginary view ef Christ as has been mentioned, in ‘order to remove their distress afd give them joy, some having had’a passage or perhaps many passages of scripture brought fto their minds “with power,” as they express it, they have immediately applied these passages to themselves, supposing that God hereby manifested his peculiar favour to them, as if mentioned by name: never considering, that they are now giving heed to new revelations, their being no such thing revealed in the word of God as that this or that particular person has or ever shall have his sins forgiven; nor yet remembering that Satan can, with a great deal of seeming pertinency, (and perhaps also with considerable power) bring scripture to the minds of men as he did to Christ himself. Thus they rejoice in having some scripture suddenly suggested to them, or impressed upon their minds,, supposing they are now the children of God, just as did the other upon their imaginary views of Christ. And it is said that some speak of seeing a great light which. filled all the place where they were, and dispelled all their darkness, fears and distresses, and almost -ravished their souls. While others bave had it warmly suggested to their minds, not by any passage of scripture, but as it were by a whisper or voice from heaven, “ That God loves them, that Christ is theirs,” §c. which groundless imaginations and suggestions of Satan have had the same effect upon them, that the delusions before mentioned had on the others.——-And as is the conversion of this sort of persons, so are their after-experiences; the whole: being built upon imagination, strong impresions, and sudden suggestions made to their minds; whence they are usually very confident (as if immediately informed from God) not only of the goodness of. their own state, but of their infallible knowledge and absolute certainty of. the truth of every thing they pretend to under the notion of religion; and thus all reasoning with some of them is utterly excluded. «

“ Bat it is remarkable of these, that they are extremely deficient ‘iin regard of true poverty of spirit, a sense of exceeding vileness in themselves, such as frequently makes truly gracious souls to “groan, being burdened;” as algo in regard of meekness, love and gentleness towards mankind, and “tenderness of conscience in their ordinary affairs and dealings in the world. It is also rare to see them deeply.. concerned about the principles and ends of their actions, and apprehensive lest they should not eye the glory of God chiefly, but live to themselves. This at least is the case in their ordinary conduct, whether civil or religious. But if any one of their particular notions, which their‘zeal has espoused, be’ attacked, they are then so conscientious that they must burn, if called.to it, for the defence of it. Yet while they are so extremely deficient in regard of those divine tempers which have been mentioned, they are usually fall of zeal, concern and fervency in the things of-religion, and often discourse of them with much warmth and earnest+ hess: and ta those who do not know or do not consider wherein the essence of true religion consists, viz. in being conformed to the mage of Christ, ypt in point of zeal and fervency only,but in all divine tempers and practises; I say, to those who do not duly observe and distinguish, they often appear like the best of men.”

it is common with this sort of people to say, that “ God is amongst them, his Spirit accompanies their exhortations and: other administrations, and they are sealed by the Holy Ghost,” in the remarkable success they have, in the great affections that are stirred up in God’s people, &c. They are equally disposed on the contrary to insinuate, that “he is not with their opponents ;” and particularly, “ that God has forsaken the standing ministry; and that the time is come when it is the will of God that they should be put down, and that God’s people should forsake them; and that no more success is to be expected to attend their administrations.” | —But where can they find an instance, among. all their most flaming exhorters, who has been sealed with so incontestible and wonderful :success of his labours as Mr. BraineRrp, not only in quickening and comforting God’s children, but also in a work of.conviction and conversion, (which they own has

u@