tihvavf of Che 'theolo0ical ^tminavy 
 
 PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Mrs. R.B. Edwards 
 
 Edwards, Jonathan, 1703- 
 
 1758. 
 Thoughts on the revival of 
 
 
THOUGHTS 
 
 APR lo ib: 
 
 REVIVAL OF RELIdlON 
 
 G 
 
 m 
 
 NEW ENGLAND, 1740. 
 
 TO WHICH IS PREFIXED 
 
 A NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SURPRISING WORK OF GOD, 
 
 IN 
 
 NORTHAMPTON, MASS., 1735. 
 
 BY JONATHAN EDWARDS, A.M., 
 
 PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN NORTHAMPTON, AND AFTERWARDS PRESIDENT 
 OF NASSAU HALL COLLEGE, PRINCETON, N.J. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE 
 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 
 
 150 NASSAU. STREET, NEW-YORK. 
 
This edition is reprinted from the Worcester edition of Presi- 
 dent Edwards' works, with some correction of inaccuracies of 
 style, and the omission, in three or four instances, of denomina- 
 tional terms which might be considered reproachful to some evan- 
 gelical christians. The several parts of the work have also been 
 subdivided with appropriate heads, and a new table of contents 
 prepared. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 NARRATIVE OF THE SURPRISING WORK 
 
 OF GOD, 1735, 7 
 
 General History of the work, .... 7 
 The character of the work, as illustrated in its influence 
 
 upon individuals, 28 
 
 The conversion of Abigail Hutchinson, . , . 73 
 
 Conversion of Phebe Bartlet, 85 
 
 Gradual withdrawing of the Spirit, .... 94 
 
 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL OF RE- 
 LIGION IN NEW ENGLAND, . . 103 
 
 PART I. 
 Showing that the EXTRAORDiNiTRr work that 
 
 HAS OF LATE BEEN GOING ON IN THIS LAND, 
 
 IS A GLORIOUS WORK OF GoD, . , . 107 
 
 1. Error in judging of the work a jpnon, ". . 107 
 
 2. Error in not judging of the work by Scripture as a 
 
 whole, Ill 
 
 3. Error in rejecting the work as a whole, on account 
 
 of incidental defects in it, . . . . 134 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 4. Evidence that, notwithstanding defects, this i^ a real 
 
 work of God, 150 
 
 5. Genuineness of the work illustrated by examples, 
 
 particulai-ly in the case of one individual, . 160 
 
 6. The work not only genuine, but glorious, . . 174 
 
 PART II. 
 
 Showing the obligations that all are under 
 to acknowledge, rejoice in, and promote 
 this work, and the great danger of the 
 contrary, 183 
 
 1. The danger of being slow to acknowledge the work 
 
 of God, 183 
 
 2. Reasons for behoving that the great work of God 
 
 for the world's conversion may begin in America, 190 
 
 3. The peril of coming not to the helj) of the Lord in 
 
 the great happy day of his power and salvation, 198 
 k' 4. Men in authority, and especially ministers of the 
 
 Gospel, bound to acknowledge the work of God, 216 
 
 PART III. 
 
 Showing, in many instances, wherein the sub- 
 jects, OR zealous promoters or THE work, 
 
 HAVE BEEN INJURIOUSLY BLAMED, . . 236 
 
 1. The complaint that ministers address themselves too 
 much to the affections, and with great earnest- 
 ness of voice and manner, .... 238 
 
CONTENTS. 5 
 
 2. The complaint of speaking terror to those already 
 
 alarmed, instead of comforting them, . . 244 
 
 3. The complaint of having too frequent meetings, and 
 
 spending too much time in religion, . . 252 
 
 4. The complaint that too much is made of outcries and 
 
 effects on the body, 053 
 
 5. The complaint of men's earnestness in warning and 
 
 enti'eating one another, . . . . . 262 
 
 6. The complaint of too much singing, and of religious 
 
 meetings of children, 268 
 
 PART IV. 
 Showing what things are to be corrected or 
 
 AVOIDED IN promoting THIS WORK, OR IN OUR 
 BEHAVIOR UNDER IT, 273 
 
 1. The duty to consider and guard against errors into 
 
 which the promoters of religion may fall, . 273 
 
 2. Spiritual pride a prominent cause of eiTor in a revi- 
 
 val of religion, . . . . . . 281 
 
 3. Spiritual pride — Some of its effects and traits, . 286 
 
 4. Influence of wrong principles — Claims to immediate 
 
 revelation — Incorrect views of the prayer of 
 
 faith, 307 
 
 5. Wrong principles — Perversion of the teachings of 
 
 the Spirit — Securing a present good, regard- 
 less of consequences, ..... 322 
 
 6. Wrong principles — Incorrect views of an attestation 
 
 of Providence — Undervaluing external order, 335 
 
 7. Errors from neglect of some things, which the devil 
 
 improves to our hmt — In the inward experi- 
 ences of christians, and their external effects, 346 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 8. Some particular errors wliicli have arisen from seve- 
 
 ral of the above mentioned causes — censuring 
 others as unconverted, 368 
 
 9. Some particular errors — Lay exhorting — Misman- 
 
 agement of singing the praises of God, . . 381 
 
 PART V. 
 Showing positively what ought to be done to 
 
 PROMOTE this WORK, 399 
 
 1. Stumbhng-blocks or hinder ances should be removed, 399 
 
 2. Things that must be done more directly to advance 
 
 the work, 407 
 
 3. Duties of ministers, and of men of influence and 
 
 wealth, in advancing this work, . . . 413 
 
 4. Some duties devolving upon all in general, . 426 
 
 5. We should be faithful in moral duties, . . 436 
 
NARRATIVE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SURPRISING WORK OF GOD. 
 
 1735. 
 
 GENERAL HISTORY OF THE WORK. 
 To the Rev. Dr. Coltnan, 
 
 Rev. and Honored Sir : Having seen your letter to 
 my honored uncle Williams, of Hatfield, of July 20, 
 wherein you inform him of the notice that has been 
 taken of the late wonderful work of God in this and some 
 other towns in this county, by the Rev. Dr. Watts and 
 Rev. Dr. Guyse of London, and the congregation to 
 which the last of these preached on a monthly day of 
 solemn prayer ; as also of your desire to be made more 
 perfectly acquainted with it, by some of us on the spot : 
 and having been since informed by my uncle WiUiams, 
 that you desire me to undertake it, I would now do it 
 in as just and faithful a manner as in me lies. 
 
 The people of the county in general, I suppose, are as 
 sober, and orderly, and good sort of people as in any 
 part of New England ; and I believe they have been 
 preserved the freest by far, of any part of the country, 
 from en-or, and variety of sects and opinions. Our being 
 so far within land, at a distance from seaports, and in a 
 comer of the country, has doubtless been one reason 
 
8 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 why we have not been so much coiTupted with vice as 
 most other parts. But without question the religion and 
 good order of the county, and their purity in doctrine, 
 has, under God, been very much owing to the great abi 
 lities and eminent piety of my venerable and honored 
 grandfather Stoddard. I suppose we have been the 
 freest of any part of the land from unhappy divisions and 
 quarrels in our ecclesiastical and religious affairs, till the 
 late lamentable Springfield contention.* 
 
 We being much separated from other parts of the pro- 
 vince, and having comparatively but little intercourse 
 with them, have from the beginning, till now, always 
 managed our ecclesiastical affairs within ourselves ; it is 
 the way in which the county, from its infancy, has gone 
 on by the practical agreement of all, and the way in 
 which our peace and good order has hitherto been 
 maintained. 
 
 The town of Northampton is of about eighty-two 
 years standing, and has now about two hundred fami- 
 lies ; which mostly dwell more compactly together than 
 any town of such size in these parts of the country; 
 which probably has been an occasion that both our cor- 
 ruptions and reformations have been from time to time 
 the more swiftly propagated from one to another through 
 the town. Take the town in general, and so far as I can 
 judge, they are as rational and intelligent a people as 
 most I have been acquainted with : many of them have 
 
 * The Springfield contention relates to the settlement of a minister 
 there, which occasioned too warm debates between some, both pastors 
 and peojile that were for it, and others that were against it, on account of 
 .their different apprehensions about his principles, and about some steps 
 that were taken to procure his ordination. 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 9 
 
 been noted for religion, and particularly have been re- 
 markable for their distinct knowledge in things that 
 relate to heart religion, and christian experience, and 
 their great regards thereto. 
 
 I am the third minister that has been settled in the 
 town : the Rev. Mr. Eleazar Mather, who was the first, 
 was ordained in July, 1669. He was one whose heart 
 was much in his work ; abundant in labors for the good 
 of precious souls, he had the high esteem and great 
 love of his people, and was blessed with no small suc- 
 cess. The Rev. Mr. Stoddard, who succeeded him, came 
 first to the town the November after his death, but was 
 not ordained till September 11, 1672, and died February 
 11, 1728-9. So that he continued in the v/ork of the mi- 
 nistry here, from his first coming to town, near sixty 
 years. And as he was eminent and renowned for his 
 gifts and gi'aces, so he was blessed, from the beginning, 
 with extraordinary success in his ministry, in the conver- 
 sion of many souls. He had five harvests as he called 
 them : the first was about fifty-seven years ago ; the se- 
 cond about fifty-three years ; the third about forty ; the 
 fourth about twenty-four ; the fifth and last about eigh- 
 teen years ago. Some of these times were much more 
 remarkable than others, and the ingathering of souls 
 more plentiful. Those that were about fifty-three, and 
 forty, and twenty-four years ago', were much greater 
 than either the first or the last ; but in each of them, 1 
 have heard my grandfather say, the greater part of the 
 young people in the town seemed to be mainly concern- 
 ed for their eternal salvation. 
 
 After the last of these came a far more degenerate 
 time (at least ainong young people) I suppose than ever 
 . I* 
 
10 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 before. Mr. Stoddard, indeed, had the comfort before he 
 died, of seeing a time when there was no small appear- 
 ance of a divine work amongst some, and a considerable 
 ingathering of souls, even after I v>^as settled with him in 
 the ministry, which was about two years before his 
 death ; and I have reason to bless God for the great ad- 
 vantage I had by it. In these two years there were near 
 twenty that Mr. Stoddard hoped to be savingly convert- 
 ed; but there was nothing of any general awakening. 
 The greater part seemed to be at that time very insensi- 
 ble to the things of religion, and engaged in other cares 
 and pursuits. Just after my grandfather's death it seem- 
 ed to be a time of extraordinary dulness in religion ; li- 
 centiousness for some years greatly prevailed among the 
 youth of the town ; they were many of them very much 
 addicted to night walking, and frequenting the tavern, 
 and lewd practices, wherein some by their example ex- 
 ceedingly corrupted others. It was their manner very 
 frequently to get together in assemblies of both sexes, 
 for mirth and jollity, which they called frolics ; and they 
 would often spend the greater part of the night in them, 
 without any regard to order in the families they belonged 
 to : and indeed family government did too much fail in 
 the town. It was become very customary with many of 
 our young people to be indecent in their carriage at 
 meeting, which doubtless would not have prevailed to 
 such a degree, had it not been that my grandfather, 
 through his great age, (though he retained his powers 
 surprisingly to the last,) was not so able to observe them. 
 There had also long prevailed in the town a spirit of con- 
 tention between two parties, into which they had for 
 many years been divided, by which was maintained a 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 11 
 
 jealousy one of the other, and they were prepared to 
 oppose one another in all public affairs. 
 
 But in two or three years after Mr. Stoddard's death, 
 there began to be a sensible amendment of these evils ; 
 the young people showed more of a disposition to hearken 
 to counsel, and by degrees left off their frolicking, and 
 grew observably more decent in their attendance on 
 public worship, and there were more that manifested a 
 religious concern than there used to be. 
 
 At the latter end of the year 1733 there appeared a 
 very unusual flexibleness and yielding to advice in our 
 young people. It had been too long their manner to 
 make the evening after the Sabbath,* and after our pub- 
 lic lecture, to be especially the times of their mirth and 
 company keeping. But a sermon was now preached on 
 the Sabbath before the lecture, to show the evil tendency 
 of the practice, and to persuade them to reform it ; and 
 it was urged on heads of families, that it should be a 
 thing agreed upon among them, to govern their families 
 and keep their children at home at these times ; and 
 withal it was more privately proposed that they should 
 meet together the next day, in their several neighbor- 
 hoods, to know each other's minds : which was accord- 
 ingly done, and the suggestion complied with throughout 
 the town. But parents found little or no occasion for the 
 exercise of government in the case ; the young people 
 declared themselves convinced by what they had heard 
 from the pulpit, and were willing of themselves to com- 
 
 * It must be noted that it has never been our manner to observe the 
 evening that follows the Sabbath, but that which precedes it, as part of 
 holv time. 
 
12 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 ply with the counsel that had been given : and it v^as 
 immediately, and, I suppose, almost universally compli- 
 ed with ; and there was a thorough reformation of these 
 disorders thenceforward, which has continued ever since. 
 Presently after this, there began to appear a remarkable 
 j*eligious concern at a little village belonging to the con- 
 gregation, called Pascommuck, where a few families were 
 settled, at about three miles distance from the main body 
 of the town. At this place a number of persons seemed 
 to be savingly wrought upon. In the April following, anno 
 1734, there happened a very sudden and awful death of 
 a young man in the bloom of his youth ; who being vio- 
 lently seized with a pleurisy, and taken immediately very 
 delirious, died in about two days ; which (together with 
 what was preached publicly on that occasion) much af- 
 fected many young people. This was followed with 
 another death of a young married woman, who had been 
 considerably exercised in mind about the salvation of her 
 soul before she was ill, and was in great distress in the 
 beginning of her illness ; but seemed to have satisfying 
 evidences of God's saving mercy to her before her death ; 
 so that she died very full of comfort, in a most earnest 
 and moving manner warning and counselling others. 
 This seemed much to contribute to the solemnizing of 
 the spirits of many young persons ; and there began 
 evidently to appear more of a religious concern on peo- 
 ple's minds. 
 
 In the fall of the year I pro2:)Osed to the young people 
 that they should agree among themselves to spend the 
 evenings after lectures in social religion, and to that end 
 .to divide themselves into several companies to meet in 
 various parts of the town ; which was accordingly done, 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 13 
 
 and those meetings have been since continued, and the 
 example imitated by elder people. This was followed 
 ^ hy the death of an elderly person, which was attended 
 with many unusual circumstances, by which many were 
 much moved and affected. 
 
 About this time began the great noise that was in this 
 part of the country about Arminianism, which seemed 
 to appear with a very threatening aspect upon the in- 
 terests of religion here. The friends of vital piety trem- 
 bled for the issue ; but it seemed, contrary to their fear, 
 strongly to be oveiTuled for the promoting of religion. 
 Many who looked on themselves as in a Christless con- 
 dition seemed to be awakened by it, with fear that 
 God was about to withdraw from the land, and that we 
 should be given up to heterodoxy and corrupt principles, 
 and that then their opportunity for obtaining salvation 
 would be past ; and many who were brought a little to 
 doubt about the truth of the doctrines they had hitherto 
 been taught, seemed to have a kind of trembling fear 
 with their doubts, lest they should be led into by-paths, 
 to their eternal undoing : and they seemed with much 
 concern and engagedness of mind to inquire what was 
 indeed the way in which they must come to be accepted 
 with God. There were then some things said publicly 
 on that occasion, concerning justification by faith alone. 
 
 Although great fault was fouftd with meddling with 
 the controversy in the pulpit, by such a person, at that 
 time, and though it was ridiculed by many elsewhere; 
 yet it proved a word spoken in season here ; and was 
 most evidently attended with a very remarkable blessing 
 of heaven to the souls of the peple in this town. They 
 received thence a general satisfaction with respect to 
 
14 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 the main thing in question, which they had been in 
 trembling doubts and concern about ; and their minds 
 were engaged the more earnestly to seek that they might 
 come to be accepted of God, and saved in the way of 
 the Gospel, which had been made evident to them to 
 be the true and only way. And then it was, in the latter 
 part of December, that the Spirit of God began extraor- 
 dinarily to set in, and wonderfully to work among us ; 
 and there were, very suddenly, one after another, five or 
 six persons, who were, to all appearance, savingly con- 
 verted, and some of them wrought upon in a very re- 
 markable manner. 
 
 Particularly, I was surprised with the relation of a 
 young woman, who had been one of the greatest company- 
 keepers in the whole town : when she came to me, I had 
 never heard that she was become in any wise serious, 
 but by the conversation I then had with her, it appeared 
 to me, that what she gave an account of, was a glorious 
 work of God's infinite power and sovereign grace ; and 
 that God had given her a new heart, truly broken and 
 sanctified. I could not then doubt of it, and have seen 
 much in my acquaintance with her since to confirm it. 
 
 Though the work was glorious, yet I was filled with 
 concern about the effect it might have upon others : I 
 was ready to conclude (though too rashly) that some 
 would be hardened by it, in carelessness and loose- 
 ness of life ; and would take occasion from it to open 
 their mouths in reproaches of religion. But the event 
 was the reverse, to a wonderful degree ; God made it, I 
 suppose, the greatest occasion of awakening to others of 
 any thing that ever came to pass in the town. I have 
 had abundant opportunity to know the effect it had, by 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 15 
 
 my private conversation with many. The news of it 
 seemed to be almost like a flash of lightning upon the 
 hearts of young people, all over the town, and upon 
 many others. Those persons among us who used to be 
 farthest from seriousness, and that I most feared would 
 make an ill improvement of it, seemed greatly to be 
 awakened by it ; many went to talk with her concern- 
 ing what she had met with ; and what appeared in her 
 seemed to be to the satisfaction of all that did so. 
 
 Presently upon this a great and earnest concern about 
 the great things of religion and the eternal world be- 
 came universal in all parts of the town, and among per- 
 sons of all degrees and all ages ; the noise among the dry 
 bones waxed louder and louder ; all other talk but about 
 spiritual and eternal things was soon thrown by ; all the 
 conversation in all companies, and upon all occasions, 
 was upon these things only, unless so much as was ne- 
 cessary for people carrying on their ordinary secular bu- 
 siness. Other discourse than of the things of religion 
 would scarcely be tolerated in any company. The 
 minds of people were wonderfully taken off from the 
 world ; it was treated among us as a thing of very little 
 consequence ; they seemed to follow their worldly busi— , 
 ness more as a part of their duty than from any disposi- 
 tion they had to it ; the temptation now seemed to lie on 
 the other hand to neglect worldly affairs too much, and 
 to spend too much time in the immediate exercises of re- 
 ligion, which thing was exceedingly misrepresented by 
 reports that were spread in distant parts of the land, as 
 though the people here had wholly thrown by all worldly 
 business, and betaken themselves entirely to reading and 
 praying, and such like religious exercises. 
 
16 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 But though the people did not ordinarily neglect their 
 worldly business, yet there then was the reverse of what 
 commonly is : religion was with all classes the great con- 
 cern, and the world was a thing only by the by. The only 
 thing in their view was to get the kingdom of heaven, 
 and every one appeared pressing into it : the engaged- 
 ness of their hearts in this great concern could not be 
 hid ; it appeared in their very countenances. It then was 
 a dreadful thing amongst us to lie out of Christ, in dan- 
 ger every day of dropping into hell ; and what persons' 
 minds were intent upon was to escape for their lives, and 
 Xofiy from the wrath to come. All v/ould eagerly lay hold 
 of opportunities for their souls ; and were wont very 
 often to meet together in private houses for religious pur- 
 poses : and such meetings, when appointed, were wont 
 greatly to be thronged. 
 
 There was scarcely a single person in the town, either 
 old or young, that was left unconcerned about the great 
 things of the eternal world. Those that were wont to be 
 the vainest and loosest, and those that had been most dis- 
 posed to think and speak slightly of vital and experi- 
 mental religion, were now generally subject to great 
 awakenings. And the work of conversion was carried on 
 in a most astonishing manner, and increased more and 
 more ; souls did, as it were, come by flocks to Jesus 
 Christ. From day to day, for many months together, 
 might be seen evident instances of sinners brought out 
 of darkness i7ito marvellous light, and delivered out of a 
 horrible fit, and from the miry clay, and set upon a rock, 
 with a new song of praise to God in their mouths. 
 
 This work of God, as it was carried on, and the num- 
 ber of true saints multiplied, soon m_ade a glorious altera- 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 17 
 
 tion in the town ; so that in the spring and summer fol- 
 lowing, anno 1735, the town seemed to be full of the 
 presence of God : it never was so full of love, nor so 
 full of joy, and yet so full of distress as it was then. 
 There were remarkable tokens of God's presence in 
 almost every house. It was a time of joy in families on 
 account of salvation being brought to them ; parents re- 
 joicing over their children as new born, and husbands 
 over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The go- 
 ings of God tvere then seen in his sanctuary, God^s day loas 
 a delight, and his tabernacles were amiable. Our public 
 assemblies were then beautiful ; the congregation was 
 alive in God's service, every one earnestly intent on the 
 public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words I 
 of the minister as they came from his mouth ; the assem- S 
 bly in general were, from time to time, in tears while / 
 the word was preached ; some weeping with sorrow and 
 distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and 
 concern for the souls of their neighbors. 
 
 Our public praises were then greatly enlivened ; God 
 was then served in our psalmody, in some measure, in 
 the beauty of holiness. It has been observable that there 
 has been scarce any part of divine worship wherein good 
 men amongst us have had grace so drawn forth, and 
 their hearts so lifted up in the ways of God as in singing 
 his praises : our congregation excelled all that ever I 
 knew in the external part of the duty before, the men 
 generally carrying regularly and well three parts of mu- 
 sic, and the women a part by themselves : but now they 
 were evidently wont to sing with unusual elevation of 
 heart and voice, which made the duty pleasant indeed. 
 
 In all companies, on other days, on whatever occasions 
 
18 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 persons met together, Christ was to be heard of and seen 
 in the midst of them. Our young people when they met 
 were wont to spend the time in talking of the excellency 
 and dying love of Jesus Christ, the gloriousness of the 
 way of salvation, the wonderful, free, and sovereign grace 
 of God, his glorious work in the conversion of a soul, the 
 truth and certainty of the great things of God's word, the 
 sweetness of the views of his perfections, &c. And even 
 at weddings, which formerly were occasions of mirth 
 and jollity, there was now no discourse of any thing but 
 the things of religion, and no appearance of any but 
 spiritual mirth. 
 
 Those amongst us that had been formerly converted, 
 were greatly enlivened and renewed with fresh and ex- 
 traordinary incomes of the Spirit of God, though some 
 much more than others, according to the measure of the 
 gift of Christ : many that before had labored under dif- 
 ficulties about their own state, had now their doubts re- 
 moved by more satisfying experience and more clear 
 discoveries of God's love. 
 
 When this work of God first appeared, and was so 
 extraordinarily carried on amongst us in the winter, 
 others round about us seemed not to know what to make 
 - of it ; and there were many that scoffed at and ridiculed 
 it ; and some compared what we called conversion to 
 J'/' c<^'^,), certain distempers. But it was very observable of many 
 ^c^ ^-^^ that occasionally came amongst us from abroad with dis- 
 f-* J ' regardful hearts, that what they saw here cured them of 
 * A^, such a temper of mind. Strangers were generally sur- 
 
 prised to find things so much beyond what they had heard, 
 and were wont to tell others that the state of the town 
 could not be conceived of by those that had not seen it. 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 19 
 
 The notice that was taken of it by the people that came 
 to town on occasion of the court that sat here in the be- 
 ginning of March, was very observable. And those that 
 came from the neighborhood to our public lectures were 
 for the most part remarkably affected. Many that came 
 to town on one occasion or other had their consciences 
 smitten and awakened, and went home with wounded 
 hearts, and with impressions that never wore off till they 
 had hopefully a saving issue ; and those that before had 
 serious thoughts, had their awakenings and convictions 
 greatly increased. And there were many instances of 
 persons that came from abroad on visits or on business, 
 that had not been long here before, who were, to all ap- 
 pearance, savingly wrought upon, and partook of the 
 shower of divine blessing that God rained down here,-> 
 and went home rejoicing;- till at length the same work 
 began evidently to appear and prevail in several other 
 towns in the county. 
 
 In the month of March the people in South Hadley 
 began to be seized with deep concern about the things 
 of religion, which very soon became universal ; and the 
 work of God has been very wonderful there, not much, 
 if any thing, short of what it has been here in propor- 
 tion to the size of the place. About the same time it be- 
 gan to break forth in the west part of Suffield, (where it 
 has also been very great,) and it soon spread into all l---' 
 parts of the town. It next appeared at Sunderland, and 
 soon overspread the town ; and I believe was for a sea- 
 son not less remarkable than it was here. About the same 
 time it began to appear in a part of Deerfield, called 
 Green River, and afterwards filled the town, and there 
 has been a glorious work there : it began also to be ma-^"^^ 
 
20 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 nifest in the south part of Hatfield, in a place called the 
 Hill, and after that the whole town, in the second week 
 in April, seemed to be seized, as it were at once, with 
 concern about the things of religion ; and the work of 
 God has been great there. There has been also a very 
 general awakening at West Springfield and Long Mea- 
 dow ;' and in Enfield there was, for a time, a pretty ge- 
 neral concern amongst some that before had been very 
 loose persons. About the same time that this appeared 
 at Enfield, the Rev. Mr. Bull, of Westfield, informed me 
 that there had been a great change there, and that more 
 had been done in one week there than in seven years be- 
 fore. Something of this work likewise appeared in the 
 first precinct in Springfield, principally in the north and 
 south extremes of the parish. And in Hadley, old town, 
 there gradually appeared so much of a work of God on 
 souls, as at another time would have been thought worthy 
 of much notice. For a short time there was also a very 
 great and general concern of the like nature at North- 
 field. And wherever this concern appeared, it seemed 
 not to be in vain ; but in every place God brought sav- 
 ing blessings with him, and his word, attended with his 
 Spirit, (as we have all reason to think,) returned not void. 
 It might well be said at that time in all parts of the coun- 
 ty, Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their 
 windows ? 
 
 As what other towns heard of and found in this, was 
 a great means of awakening them ; so our hearing of such 
 a swift and extraordinary propagation, and extent of this 
 work, did doubtless, for a time, serve to uphold the work 
 amongst us. The continual news kept alive the talk of 
 religion, and did greatly quicken and rejoice the hearts 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 21 
 
 of God's people, and mucli awaken those that looked on 
 themselves as still left behind, and made them the more 
 earnest that they also might share in the great blessing 
 that others had obtained. 
 
 This remarkable pouring out of the Spirit of God, 
 which thus extended from one end to the other of this 
 county, was not confined to it, but many places in Con-^ 
 necticut have partaken in the same mercy ; as for instance, 
 the first parish in Windsor, under the pastoral care of the 
 Rev. Mr. Marsh, was thus blest about the same time as 
 we in Northampton, while we had no knowledge of each 
 other's circumstances : there has been a very great inga- 
 thering of souls to Christ in that place, and something 
 considerable of the same work began afterwards In East 
 Windsor, my honored father's parish, which has in times 
 past been a place favored with mercies of this nature 
 above any on this western side of New England, except- 
 ing Northampton ; there having been four or five seasons 
 of the pouring out of the Spirit to the general awakening' 
 of the people there since my father's settlement amongst . 
 them. 
 
 There was also the last spring and summer a wonder- 
 ful work of God carried on at Coventry, under the minis- 
 try of the Rev. Mr. Meacham : I had opportunity to con- 
 verse with some of the Coventry people, who gave me a 
 very remarkable account of the surprising change that 
 appeared in the most rude and vicious persons there. A 
 similar work was also very great at the same time in a 
 part of Lebanon, called the Crank, where the Rev. Mr. 
 Wheelock, a young gentleman, is lately settled ; and 
 there has been much of the same at Durham, under the 
 ministry of the Rev. Mr. Chauncey ; and to appearance 
 
22 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 no small ingathering of souls there. And likewise amongst 
 many of the young people in the first precinct in Strat- 
 ford, under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Gould ; w^here 
 the v\^ork vi^as much promoted by the remarkable conver- 
 sion of a young woman that had been a great company- 
 keeper, as it was here. 
 
 Something of this work appeared in several other towns 
 in those parts, as I was informed when I was there the 
 last fall. And we have since been acquainted with some- 
 thing very remarkable of this nature at another parish in 
 Stratford, called Ripton, under the pastoral care of the 
 Rev. Mr. Mills. And there was a considerable revival of 
 religion last summer at New Haven old town, as I was 
 once and again informed by the Rev. Mr. Noyes, the mi- 
 nister there, and by others, and by a letter which I very 
 lately received from Mr. Noyes, and also by information 
 we have had otherwise. This flourishing of religion still 
 continues, and has lately much increased. Mr. Noyes 
 writes, that many this summer have been added to the 
 church, and particularly mentions several young persons 
 that belonged to the principal families of that town. 
 
 There has been a degree of the same work at a part 
 of Guilford ; and very considerable at Mansfield, under 
 the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Eleazar Williams ; and an 
 unusual religious concern at Tolland ; and something of 
 it at Hebron and Bolton. There was also no small effu- 
 sion of the Spirit of God in the north parish in Preston, 
 in the eastern part of Connecticut, which I was informed 
 of, and saw something of it when I was the last autumn 
 at the house and in the congregation of the Rev. Mr, 
 Lord, the minister there ; who with the Rev. Mr. Owen, 
 of Groton, came up hither in May, the last year, on pur- 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 23 
 
 pose to see the work of God here ; and having heard va- 
 rious and contradictory accounts of it, were careful when 
 they were here to infoim and satisfy themselves ; and to 
 that end particularly conversed v\rith many of our people ; 
 which they declared to be entirely to their satisfaction, 
 and that the one half had not been told them, nor could 
 be told them. Mr. Lord told me that, when he got home, 
 he informed his congregation of what he had seen, and 
 that they were greatly affected with it, and that it proved 
 the beginning of the same work amongst them, which 
 prevailed till there was a general awakening, and many 
 instances of persons who seemed to be remarkably con- 
 verted. I also have lately heard that there has been some- 
 thing of the same work at Woodbury. 
 
 But this shower of Divine blessing has been yet more 
 extensive : there was no smtill degree of it in some parts 
 of New Jersey, as I was informed when I was at New- 
 York, (in a long journey I took at that time of the year 
 for my health,) by some people of New Jersey, whom I 
 saw : especially the Rev. Mr. William Tennent, a minis- 
 ter, who seemed to have such things much at heart, told 
 me of a very great awakening of many in a place called 
 the Mountains, under the ministry of one Mr. Cross ; and 
 of a very considerable revival of religion in another place 
 under the ministry of his brother, the Rev. Mr. Gilbert 
 Tennent ; and also at another placfe, under the ministry 
 of a very pious young gentleman, a Reformed Dutch mi- 
 nister, whose name, as I remember, was Frelinghuysen. 
 
 This seems to have been a very extraordinary dispen- 
 sation of Providence : God has, in many respects, gone 
 out of, and much beyond his usual and ordinary way. />- 
 The work in this town, find some others about us, ha^ 
 
24 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 been extraordinary on account of the universality of jt, 
 affecting all classes, sober and vicious, high and lov^, rich 
 and poor, wise and unwise ; it reached the most consider- 
 able families and persons to all appearance as much as 
 others. In former awakenings the bulk of the young peo- 
 ple have been greatly affected ; but old men and little 
 children have been so now. Many of the last have, of their 
 own accord, formed themselves into religious societies, in 
 different parts of the town : a loose careless person could 
 scarcely find a companion in the whole neighborhood; 
 and if there was any one that seemed to remain senseless 
 or unconcerned, it would be spoken of as a strange thing. 
 This dispensation has also appeared extraordinary in 
 the numbers of those on whom we have reason to hope 
 it has had a saving effect : we have about six hundred and 
 twenty communicants, which include almost all our adult 
 persons. The church was very large before ; but persons 
 never thronged into it as they did in the late extraordina- 
 ry time. Our seasons of celebrating the Lord's Supper 
 were eight weeks asunder, and I received into our com- 
 munion about a hundred before one sacrament, and four- 
 score of them at one time, whose appearance, when they 
 presented themselves together to make an open, explicit 
 profession of Christianity, was very affecting to the con- 
 gregation : I took in near sixty before the next sacrament 
 day : and I had very sufficient evidence of the conversion 
 of their souls, through divine grace, though it is not the 
 custom here (as it is in many other churches in this coun- 
 try) to make a credible relation of their inward experi- 
 
 ^^v4^ jk" ences the ground of admission to the Lord's Supper. 
 , V^f^ \' I a^ ^^^' from pretending to be able to determine how 
 
 i*t '^**it'^ many have lately been the subjects of such mercy ; but 
 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 25 
 
 if I may be allowed to declare any thing that appears to 
 
 me probable in a thing of this nature, I hope that more 
 
 than three hundred souls were savingly brought home to 
 
 Christ in this town, in the space of half a year, (how 
 
 many more I don't guess,) and about the same number 
 
 of males as females ; which, by what I have heard Mr. 
 
 Stoddard say, was far from what has been usual in years ;- ' 
 ... v*^'^ 
 
 past, for he observed that in his time many more women ,i^yc ^'C- 
 
 were converted than men. Those of our young people -^^,.o-rHC^ 
 that are on other accounts most respected, are mostly, 
 as I hope, truly pious and leading persons in the way of / 
 religion.! Those that were formerly loose young persons, '. 
 are generally, to all appearance, become true lovers of 
 G-od and Christ, and spiritual in their dispositions. And I 
 hope that by far the greater part of persons in this town, 
 above sixteen years of age, are such as have the saving 
 knowledge of Jesus Christ; and so by what I have 
 heard I suppose it is in some other places, particularly 
 at Sunderland and South Hadley. 
 
 This has also appeared to be a very extraordinary 
 dispensation, in that the Spirit of God has so much ex- 
 tended not only his awakening but regenerating influen- 
 ces, both to elderly persons and also to those that are 
 very young. It has been a thing heretofore rarely heard 
 of that any were converted past middle age : but now 
 we have the same ground to tliink that many such have 
 in this time been savingly changed, as that others have 
 been so in more early years. I suppose there were up- 
 wards of fifty persons converted in this town above forty 
 years of age ; and more than twenty of them above fifty, 
 and about ten of them above sixty, and two of them 
 above seventy years of age. 
 
 Work of Go J. 2 
 
26 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 It has heretofore been looked on as a strange thing, 
 when any have seemed to be savingly wrought upon, 
 and remarkably changed in their childhood ; but now, I 
 suppose, near thirty were to appearance so wrought 
 upon between ten and fourteen years of age, and two 
 between nine and ten, and one about four years of age ; 
 and because, I suppose, this last will be with most diffi- 
 culty believed, I shall hereafter give a particular account 
 of it. The influences of God's Spirit have also been very 
 remarkable on children in some other places, particularly 
 at Sunderland and South Hadley, and the west part of 
 Suffield. There are several families in this town that are 
 all hopefully pious ; yea, there are several numerous fa- 
 milies, in which, I think, we have reason to hope that all 
 the children are truly godly, and that most of them have 
 lately become so : and there are very few houses in the 
 whole town into which salvation has not lately come, in 
 one or more instances. JThere are several colored per- 
 sons, that from what was seen in them then, and what is 
 discernible in them since, appear to have been truly 
 born again in the late remarkable season. 
 
 God has also seemed to have gone out of his usual 
 way in the quickness of his work, and the swift progress 
 his Spirit has made in his operation on the hearts of 
 many : 'tis wonderful that persons should be so sud- 
 denly and yet so greatly changed : many have been 
 taken from a loose and careless way of living, and 
 seized with strong convictions of their guilt and misery, 
 and in a very little time old things have passed away, 
 and all things have become new with them. 
 
 God's work has also appeared very extraordinary, in 
 the degrees of the influences of his Spirit, both in the 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 27 
 
 degree of awakening and conviction, and also in the 
 degree of saving light, and love, and joy, that many- 
 have experienced. It has also been very extraordinary 
 in the extent of it, and in its being so swiftly propagated 
 from town to town. In former times of the pouring out 
 of the Spirit of God on this town, though in some of 
 them it was very remarkable, yet it reached no further 
 than this town : the neighboring towns all around con- 
 tinued unmoved. 
 
 The work of God's Spirit seemed to be at its greatest 
 height in this town, in the former part of the spring, in 
 March and April; at which time God's work in the con- 
 version of souls was carried on amongst us in so wonder- 
 ful a manner, that so far as I, by looking back, can judge 
 from the particular acquaintance I have had with souls in 
 this work, it appears to me probable to have been at the 
 rate at least of four persons in a day, or near thirty in a 
 week, take one with another, for five or six weeks toge- 
 ther : when God in so remarkable a manner took the 
 work into his own hands, there was as much done in a day 
 or two, as at ordinary times, with all endeavors that men 
 can use, and with such a blessing as we commonly have, 
 is done in a year. 
 
 I am very sensible how apt many would be, if they 
 should see the account I have here given, presently to 
 think with themselves that I am very fond of making 
 a great many converts, and of magnifying and aggran- 
 dizing the matter ; and to think that, for want of judg- 
 ment, I take every religious pang and enthusiastic con- 
 ceit for saving conversion ; and I do not much wonder 
 if they should be apt to think so : and for this reason 
 I have forborne to publish an account of this gi'eat 
 
28 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 work of God, though I have often been urged to it ; 
 but having now as I thought a special call to give an 
 account of it, upon mature consideration I thought it 
 might not be beside my duty to declare this amazing 
 work, as it appeared to me, to be indeed divine, and to 
 conceal no part of the glory of it, leaving it with God to 
 take care of the credit of his own work, and running the 
 venture of any censorious thoughts which might be en- 
 tertained of me to my disadvantage. But that distant 
 persons may be under as great advantage as may be to 
 judge for themselves of this matter, I would be a little 
 more large and particular. 
 
 THE CHARACTER OF THE WORK AS ILLUSTRATED IN ITS 
 INFLUENCE UPON INDIVIDUALS. 
 
 I therefore proceed to give an account of the manner 
 of persons being wrought upon ; and here there is a vast 
 variety, perhaps as manifold as the subjects of the opera- 
 tion ; but yet in many things there is a great analogy in all. 
 ^~^ Persons are first awakened with a sense of their mise- 
 rable condition by nature, the danger they are in of pe- 
 rishing eternally, and that it is of great importance to 
 them that they speedily escape and get into a better 
 state. Those that before were secure and senseless, are 
 made sensible how much they were in the way to ruin in 
 their former courses. Some are more suddenly seized 
 with convictions ; it may be, by the news of others' con- 
 version, or something they hear in public or in private 
 conference, their consciences are suddenly smitten, as if 
 their hearts were pierced through with a dart : others 
 . have awakenings that come upon them more gradually ; 
 they begin at first to be more thoughtful and considerate, 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 29 
 
 SO as to come to a conclusion in their minds that it is 
 their best and wisest way to delay no longer, but to im- 
 prove the present opportunity ; and have accordingly set 
 themselves seriously to meditate on those things that have 
 the most awakening tendency, on purpose to obtain con- 
 victions ; and so their awakenings have increased, till a 
 sense of their misery, by God's Spirit setting in there- 
 with, has had fast hold of them. Others that, before this 
 wonderful time, had been something religious and con- 
 cerned for their salvation, have been awakened in a new 
 manner, and made sensible that their slack and dull way 
 of seeking was never like to attain their purpose, and so 
 have been roused up to a greater violence for the king- 
 dom of heaven. 
 
 These awakenings, when they have first seized on 
 persons, have had two effects : one was, that they have 
 brought them immediately to quit their sinful practices, 
 and the looser sort have been brought to forsake and 
 dread their former vices and extravagancies. When once 
 the Spirit of God began to be so wonderfully poured out 
 in a general way through the town, people had soon done 
 with their old quarrels, backbitings, and intermeddling 
 with other men's matters ; the tavern was soon left empty, 
 and persons kept very much at home ; none went abroad 
 unless on necessary business, or on some religious ac- 
 count, and every day seemed, in many respects, like a 
 Sabbath day. And the other effect was, that it put them 
 on earnest application to the means of salvation, reading, 
 prayer, meditation, the ordinances of God's house, and 
 private conference ; their cry was. What shall we do to 
 he saved ? The place of resort was now changed — it was 
 no longer the tavern, but the minister's house j and that 
 
30 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 was thronged far more than ever the tavern had been 
 wont to be. 
 
 There is a very great variety as to the degree of fear 
 and trouble that persons are exercised with before they 
 obtain any comfortable evidences of pardon and accept- 
 ance with God ; some are from the beginning carried 
 on with abundantly more encouragement and hope than 
 others; some have had ten times less trouble of mind 
 than others, in whom yet the issue seems to be the same. 
 Some have had such a sense of the displeasure of God, 
 and the great danger they were in of damnation, that 
 they could not sleep at night ; and many have said that 
 when they have lain down, the thoughts of sleeping in 
 such a condition have been frightful to them, and they 
 have scarcely been free from terror while they have been 
 asleep, and they have awaked with fear, heaviness, and 
 distress still abiding on their spirits. It has been very 
 common that the deep and fixed concern that has been 
 on persons' minds, has had a painful influence on their 
 bodies, and given disturbance to animal nature. 
 
 The awful apprehensions persons have had of their 
 misery have, for the most part, been increasing the near- 
 er they have approached to deliverance, though they 
 often pass through many changes in the frame and cir- 
 cumstances of their minds : sometimes they think them- 
 selves wholly senseless, and fear that the Spirit of God 
 has left them, and that they are given up to judicial hard- 
 ness ; yet they appear very deeply exercised about that 
 fear, and are in great earnest to obtain convictions again. 
 Together with those fears, and that exercise of mind 
 which is rational, and which they have just ground for, 
 they have often suffered many needless distresses ot 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 31 
 
 thought, in which Satan probably has a great hand to 
 entangle them and block up their way ; and sometimes 
 the disease of melancholy has been evidently mixed ; of 
 which, when it happens, the tempter seems to make great 
 advantage, and puts an unhappy bar in the way of any 
 good effect. One knows not how to deal with such per- 
 sons ; they turn every thing that is said to them the wiong 
 way, and most to their own disadvantage : and there is 
 nothing that the devil seems to make so great a handle 
 of as a melancholy humor, unless it be the real corrup- 
 tion of the heart. 
 
 But it has been very remarkable that there has been 
 far less of this mixture in this time of extraordinary 
 blessing, than there was wont to be in persons under 
 awakenings at other times ; for it is evident that many 
 that before had been exceedingly involved in such diffi- 
 culties, seemed now strangely to be set at liberty : some 
 persons that had before for a long time been exceedingly 
 entangled with peculiar temptations of one sort or other, 
 and unprofitable and hurtful distresses, were soon helped 
 over former stumbling-blocks that hindered any progress 
 towards saving good, and convictions have wrought more 
 kindly, and they have been successfully carried on in the 
 way to life. And thus Satan seemed to be restrained till 
 towards the latter end of this wonderful time, when God's 
 Spirit was about to withdraw. 
 
 Many times persons under great awakenings were con- 
 cerned because they thought they were not awakened, 
 but miserable, hard-hearted, senseless creatures still, and 
 sleeping upon the brink of hell : the sense of the need 
 they have to be awakened, and of their comparative hard- 
 ness, gi'ows upon them with their awakenings, so that 
 
32 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 tliey seem to themselves to be very senseless, when in- 
 deed most sensible. There have been some instances of 
 persons that have had as great a sense of their danger 
 and misery as their natures could well subsist under, so 
 that a little more would probably have destroyed them ; 
 and yet they have expressed themselves much amazed 
 at their own insensibility and dulness in such an extra- 
 ordinary time as it then was. 
 
 Persons are sometimes brought to the borders of de- 
 spair, and it looks as black as midnight to them a little 
 before the day dawns in their souls. Some few instances 
 there have been of persons who have had such a sense 
 of God's wrath for sin, that they have been overborne 
 and made to cry out under an astonishing sense of their 
 guilt, wondering that God suffers such guilty w^retches 
 to live upon earth, and that he doth not immediately 
 send them to hell ; and sometimes their guilt does so glare 
 them in the face, that they are in exceeding terror for 
 fear that God will instantly do it ; but more commonly 
 the distresses under legal awakenings have not been to 
 such a degree. In some these terrors do not seem to be 
 so sharp, when near comfort, as before ; their convictions 
 have not seemed to work so much that way, but they seem 
 to be led further down into their own hearts to a further 
 sense of their own universal depravity, and deadness 
 in sin. 
 
 The corruption of the heart has discovered itself in 
 various exercises in the time of legal convictions. Some- 
 times it appears in a great struggle like something rous- 
 ed by an enemy, and Satan, the old inhabitant, seems to 
 exert himself like a serpent disturbed and enraged. 
 Many, in such circumstances, have felt a great spirit of 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 83 
 
 envy towards the godly, especially towards those that 
 are thought to have been lately converted, and most of 
 all towards acquaintances and companions when they are 
 thought to be converted : indeed some have felt many 
 heart-risings against God, and murmurings at his ways of 
 dealing with mankind, and his dealings with themselves 
 in particular. It has been much insisted on, both in pub- 
 lic and private, that persons should have the utmost dread 
 of such envious thoughts, which, if allowed, tend exceed- 
 ingly to quench the Spirit of God, if not to provoke him 
 jfinally to forsake them. And when such a spirit has 
 much prevailed, and persons have not so earnestly strove 
 against it as they ought to have done, it has seemed to be 
 exceedingly to the hinderance of the good of their souls : 
 but in some other instances where persons have been 
 much terrified at the sight of such wickedness in their 
 hearts, God has brought good to them out of evil, and 
 made it a means of convincing them of their own despe- 
 rate sinfulness, and brino^inor them off from all self-confi- 
 dence. The drift of the Spirit of God in his legal striv- 
 ings with persons, has seemed most evidently to be to 
 make way for and to bring to a conviction of, their abso- 
 lute dependence on his sovei'eign power and grace, and 
 the universal necessity of a mediator, by leading them 
 more and more to a sense of their exceeding wickedness 
 and guiltiness in his sight ; the pollution and insufficien- 
 cy of their own righteousness, that they can in no wise 
 help themselves, and that God would be wholly just and 
 righteous in rejecting them and all that they do, and in 
 casting them off for ever, though there be a vast variety 
 as to the manner and distinctness of persons' convictions 
 of these things. 
 
 2* 
 
34 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 As they are gradually more and more convinced of the 
 corruption and w^ickedness of their hearts, they seem to 
 themselves to grow worse and worse, harder and blinder, 
 and more desperately wicked, instead of growing better : 
 they are ready to be discouraged by it, and oftentimes 
 never think themselves so far off from good, as when 
 they are nearest. Under the sense which the Spirit of 
 God gives them of their sinfulness, they often think that 
 they differ from all others ; their hearts are ready to sink 
 with the thought, that they are the worst of all, and that 
 none ever obtained mercy who were so wicked as they. 
 
 When awakenings first begin, their consciences are 
 commonly most exercised about their outward vicious 
 course, or other acts of sin ; but afterwards they are much 
 more burdened with a sense of heart sins, the dreadful 
 corruption of their nature, their enmity against God, the 
 pride of their hearts, their unbelief, their rejection of 
 Christ, the stubbornness and obstinacy of their wills, and 
 the like. In many, God makes much use of their own 
 experience, in the course of their awakenings and en- 
 deavors after saving good, to convince them of their own 
 vileness and universal depravity. 
 
 Very often under first awakenings, when they are 
 brought to reflect on the sin of their past lives, and have 
 something of a terrifying sense of God's anger, they set 
 themselves to walk more strictly, and confess their sins and 
 perform many religious duties, with a secret hope of ap- 
 ^_^^asing God's anger and making up for the sins they 
 V,A«-'^ have committed : and oftentimes, at first settins^ out, their 
 affections are moved, and they are full of tears, in their 
 confessions and prayers, which they are ready to make 
 very much of, as though they were some atonement, and 
 
 V 
 
 .> '•> 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 35 
 
 had power to move correspondent affections in God too : 
 and hence they have for awhile high expectations of 
 what God will do for them ; and conceive that they grow 
 better apace, and shall soon be thoroughly converted. 
 But these affections are but short-lived, they quickly find 
 that they fail, and then they think themselves to be grown 
 worse again ; they do not find such a prospect of being 
 soon converted as they thought ; instead of being nearer, 
 they seem to be farther off; their hearts they think are 
 grown harder, and by this means their fears of perishing 
 greatly increase. But though they are disappointed, they 
 renew their attempts again and again ; and still as their 
 attem23ts are multiplied, so are their disappointments ; all 
 fail, they see no token of having inclined God's heart to 
 them, they do not see that he hears their prayer at all, as 
 they expected he would ; and sometimes there have been 
 great temptations arising hence to leave off seeking, and 
 to yield up the case. But as they are still more terrified 
 with fears of perishing, and their former hopes of pre- 
 vailing on God to be merciful to them in a great measure 
 fail, sometimes their religious affections have turned into 
 heart-risings against God, because he would not pity 
 them, and seems to have Httle regard to their distress and 
 piteous cries, and to all the pains they take ; they think 
 of the mercy that God has shown to others, how soon, 
 and how easily others have obtained comfort, and those 
 too that were worse than they, and have not labored so 
 much as they have done, and sometimes they have had 
 even dreadful blasphemous thoughts in these circum 
 stances. 
 
 But when they reflect on these wicked workings of 
 heart against God, if their convictions are continued, and 
 
36 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 the Spirit of God is not provoked utterly to forsake them, 
 they have more distressing apprehensions of the anger 
 of God towards those whose hearts work after such a sin- 
 ful manner about him ; and it may be have great fears 
 that they have committed the unpardonable sin, or that 
 God will surely never show mercy to them that are such 
 vipers : and they are often tempted to leave off in despair. 
 But then perhaps, by something they read or hear of 
 the infinite mercy of God, and the all-sufficiency of Christ 
 for the chief of sinners, they have some encouragement 
 and hope renewed ; but think that as yet they are not fit 
 to come to Christ, they are so wicked that Christ will 
 never accept of them : and then it may be they set them- 
 selves upon a new course of fruitless endeavors in their 
 own strength to make themselves better, and still meet 
 with new disappointments : they are earnest to inquire 
 what they shall do. They do not know but there is some- 
 thing: else to be done, in order to their obtaininsr convert- 
 ing grace, that they have never done yet. It may be they 
 hope they are something better than they were ; but then 
 the pleasing dream all vanishes again. If they are told 
 that they trust too much to their own strength and righ- 
 teousness, they cannot unlearn this practice all at once, 
 and find not yet the appearance of any good, but all looks 
 as dark as midnight to them. Thus they wander about 
 from mountain to hill, seeking rest and finding none : 
 when they are beat out of one refuge they fly to another, 
 till they are, as it were, debilitated, broken, and subdued 
 with legal humblings ; in which God gives them a convic- 
 tion of their own utter helplessness and insufficiency, and 
 , discovers the true remedy in a clearer knowledge of 
 Christ and his Gospel. 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 37 
 
 When they begin to seek salvation they are commonly 
 profoundly ignorant of themselves ; they are not sensible 
 how blind they are, and how little they can do towards 
 bringing themselves to see spiritual things aright, and 
 towards putting forth gracious exercises in their own 
 souls ; they are not sensible how remote they are from 
 love to God and other holy dispositions, and how dead 
 they are in sin. When they see unexpected pollution in 
 their own hearts, they go about to wash away their own 
 defilements and make themselves clean ; and they weary 
 themselves in vain, till God shows them it is in vain, and 
 that their help is not where they have sought it, but 
 elsewhere. 
 
 But some persons continue wandering in such a kind 
 of labyrinth ten times as long as others, before their own 
 experience will convince them of their insufficiency ; and so« 
 it appears not to be their own experience only, but the 
 convincing influence of God's Spirit with their experience 
 that attains the effect : and God has of late abundantly 
 shown that he does not need to wait to have men con- 
 vinced by long and often-repeated fruitless trials ; for in 
 multitudes of instances he has made a shorter work of it ; 
 he has so awakened and convinced persons' consciences, 
 and made them so sensible of their exceeding great vile- 
 ness, and given them such a sense of his wrath against sin, 
 as has quickly overcome all their vain self-confidence, and 
 borne them down into the dust before a holy and righ- 
 teous God. 
 
 There have been some who have not had great terrors, 
 but have had avery quick work. Some of those that have 
 not had so deep a conviction of these things before their 
 con version, have, it may be, much more of it afterwards. 
 
38 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 God has appeared far fi'om limiting himself to any cer- 
 tain method in his proceedings with sinners under legal 
 convictions. In some instances it seems easy for our rea- 
 soning powers to discern the methods of divine wisdom 
 in his dealings with the soul under awakenings : in others 
 his footsteps cannot be traced, and his ways are past find- 
 ing out : and some that are less distinctly wrought upon, 
 in what is preparatory to grace, appear no less eminent 
 in gracious experiences afterwards. 
 
 There is in nothing a greater difference, in different 
 persons, than with respect to the time of their being in 
 distress ; some but a few days, and others for months or 
 years. There were many in this town that had been, be- 
 fore this effusion of God's Spirit upon us, for years, and 
 some for many years, concerned about their salvation; 
 • though probably they were not thoroughly awakened, 
 yet they were concerned to such a degree as to be very 
 uneasy, so as to live an uncomfortable, disquieted life, 
 and so as to continue in a way of taking considerable 
 pains about their salvation, but had never obtained any 
 comfortable evidence of a good estate, who now in this 
 extraordinary time have received light ; but many of them 
 were some of the last. They first saw multitudes of others 
 rejoicing, with songs of deliverance in their mouth, who 
 had seemed wholly careless and at ease, and in pursuit 
 of vanity, while they had been bowed down with solici- 
 tude about their souls ; yea, some had lived licentiously, 
 and so continued till a little before they were converted, 
 and gi'ew up to a holy rejoicing in the infinite blessings 
 God had bestowed upon them. 
 
 And whatever minister has a like occasion to deal 
 with souls, in a flock under such circumstances as this 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 39 
 
 was in the last year, I cannot but think he will soon find 
 himself under a necessity greatly to insist upon it with 
 them, that God is under no manner of obligation to show 
 mercy to any natural man whose heart is not turned to 
 God : and that a man can challenge nothing, either in 
 absolute justice or by free promise, from any thing he 
 does before he has believed on Jesus Christ, or has true 
 repentance begun in him. It appears to me that if I had 
 taught those that came to me under trouble any other 
 doctrine, I should have taken a most direct course utter- 
 ly to have undone them ; I should have directly crossed 
 what was plainly the drift of the Spirit of God in his in- 
 fluences upon them ; for if they had believed what I 
 said, it would either have promoted self-flattery and 
 carelessness, and so put an end to their awakenings ; or 
 cherished and established their contention and strife with 
 God, concerning his dealings with them and others, and 
 blocked up their way to that humiliation before the so- 
 vereign Disposer of life and death, whereby God is wont 
 to prepare them for his consolations. And yet those that i; 
 have been under awakenings, have oftentimes plainly ' ' 
 stood in need of being encouraged, by being told of the 
 infinite and all-sufficient mercy of God in Christ ; and 
 that it is God's manner to succeed diligence, and to bless 
 his own means, that so awakenings and encouragements, 
 fear and hope, may be duly mixed and proportioned to 
 preserve their minds in a just medium between the two ex- 
 tremes of self-flattery and despondence, both which tend 
 to slackness and negligence, and in the end to security. 
 I think I have found that no discourses have been 
 more remarkably blessed than those in which the doc- 
 trine of God's absolute sovereignty with regard to the 
 
40 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 salvation of sinners, and his just liberty, with regard to 
 answering the prayers or succeeding the pains of mere 
 natural men, continuing such, have been insisted on. 
 I never found so much immediate saving fruit, in any 
 measure, of any discourses I have offered to my congre- 
 gation, as some from these words, Rom. 3 : 19, '* That 
 every mouth may be stopped ;" endeavoring to show 
 from thence that it would be just with God for ever to 
 reject and cast off mere natural men. 
 
 In those in whom awakenings seem to have a saving 
 issue, commonly the first thing that appears after their 
 legal troubles, is a conviction of the justice of God in 
 their condemnation, and a sense of their own exceeding 
 sinfulness, and the vileness of all their performances. In 
 giving an account of this they expressed themselves very 
 variously : some, that they saw that God was sovereign, 
 and might receive others and reject them ; some, that 
 they were convinced that God might justly bestow mer- 
 cy on every person in the town, and on every person in 
 the world, and damn themselves to all eternity ; some, 
 that they saw that God might justly have no regard to all 
 the pains they have taken, and all the prayers they have 
 made ; some, that they saw that if they should seek, and 
 take the utmost pains all their lives, God might justly 
 cast them into hell at last, because all their labors, pray- 
 ers and tears cannot make an atonement for the least 
 sin, or merit any blessing at the hands of God ; some 
 have declared themselves to be in the hands of God, 
 that he can and may dispose of them just as he pleases ; 
 some that God may glorify himself in their damnation, 
 and they wonder that God has suffered them to live so 
 long, and has not cast them into hell long ago. 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 41 
 
 Some are brought to this conviction by a great sense 
 of their sinfulness in general, that they are such vile wick- 
 ed creatures in heart and life : others have the sins of 
 their lives in an extraordinary manner set before them, 
 multitudes of them coming just then fresh to their memo- 
 ry, and being set before them vv^ith their aggravations ; 
 some have their minds especially fixed on some particu- 
 lar wicked practice they have indulged ; some are espe- 
 cially convinced by a sight of the corruption and wicked- 
 ness of their hearts ; some from a view they have of the 
 horridness of some particular exercises of corruption 
 which they have had in the time of their awakening, 
 whereby the enmity of the heart against God has been 
 manifested ; some are convinced especially by a sense of 
 the sin 6f unbelief, the opposition of their hearts to the 
 way of salvation by Christ, and their obstinacy in reject- 
 ing him and his grace. 
 
 There is a great deal of difference as to persons' dis- 
 tinctness here ; some, that have not so clear a sight of 
 God's justice in their condemnation, yet mention things 
 that plainly imply it. They find a disposition to acknow- 
 ledge God to be just and righteous in his threatenings, 
 and that they are deserving of nothing ; and many times, 
 though they had not so particular a sight of it at the 
 beginning, they have very clear discoveries of it soon 
 afterwards, with great humblings in' the dust before God. 
 
 Commonly persons' minds immediately before this 
 discovery of God's justice are exceedingly restless and 
 in a kind of struggle and tumult, and sometimes in mere 
 anguish ; but generally, as soon as they have this convic- 
 tion, it immediately brings their minds to a calm, and a 
 before unexpected quietness and composure ; and most 
 
42 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 frequently, though not always, the pressing weight upon 
 their spirits is then taken away, and a general hope 
 arises, that some time or other God will be gracious, 
 even before they have any distinct and particular disco- 
 veries of mercy ; and often they then come to a conclu- 
 sion within themselves, that they will lie at God's feet 
 and wait his time ; and they rest in that, not being sensi- 
 ble that the Spirit of God has now brought them to a 
 frame whereby they are prepared for mercy ; for it is re- 
 markable that persons, when they first have this sense of 
 the justice of God, rarely, in the time of it, think any 
 thing of its being that humiliation that they have often 
 heard insisted on, and that others experience. 
 
 In many persons, the first convictions of the justice of 
 God in their condemnation which they take particular 
 notice of, and probably the first distinct conviction of it 
 that they have, is of such a nature as seems to be above 
 any thing merely legal: though it be after legal hum- 
 blings, and much of a sense of their own helplessness, 
 and of the insufiiciency of their own duties ; yet it does 
 not appear to be forced by mere legal terrors and con- 
 victions; but rather from a high exercise of grace, in 
 saving-repentance and evangelical humiliation; for there 
 is in it a sort of complacency of soul in the attribute of 
 God's justice, as displayed in his threatenings of eternal 
 damnation to sinners. Sometimes, at the discovery of it, 
 they can scarcely forbear crying out, 'Tis just ! 'Tis 
 JUST ! — Some express themselves, that they see the glory 
 of God would shine bright in their own condemnation; 
 and they are ready to think that if they are damned, they 
 could take part with God against themselves, and would 
 glorify his justice therein. And when it i§ thus, they 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 43 
 
 commonly have some evident sense of free and all-suffi- 
 cient grace, though they give no distinct account of it ; 
 but it is manifested by the great degree of hope and en- 
 couragement they then receive, though they were never 
 so sensible of their own vileness and ill-deserving as they 
 are at that time. 
 
 Some, when in such circumstances, have felt such a 
 sense of the excellency of God's justice appearing in 
 the vindictive exercise of it against such sinfulness as 
 theirs was, and have had such a submission of mind in 
 their idea of this attribute, and of those exercises of it, 
 together with an exceeding loathing of their own un- 
 worthiness, and a kind of indignation against themselves, 
 that they have sometimes almost called it a willingness 
 to be damned ; though it must be owned they had not 
 clear and distinct ideas of damnation, nor does any word 
 in the Bible require such self-denial as this. But the truth 
 is, as some have more clearly expressed it, that salvation 
 has appeared too good for them, that they were worthy 
 of nothing but condemnation, and they could not tell 
 how to think of salvation's being bestowed upon them, 
 fearing it was inconsistent with the glory of God's ma- 
 jesty that they had so much contemned and affronted. 
 
 That calm of spirit that some persons have found after 
 their legal distresses, continues some time before any 
 special and delightful manifestation's made to the soul 
 of the grace of God, as revealed in the Gospel ; but very 
 often some comfortable and sweet view of a merciful 
 God, of a sufficient Redeemer, or of some great and joy- 
 ful things of the Gospel, immediately follows, or in a very 
 little time ; and in some, the first sight of their just desert 
 of hell, and God's sovereignty with respect to their sal- 
 
44 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 vation, and a discovery of all-sufficient grace, are so near, 
 that they seem to go as it were together. 
 
 These gi'acious discoveries that are given, v^^hence the 
 first special comforts are derived, are in many respects 
 very various : more frequently Christ is distinctly made 
 the object of the mind, in his all-sufficiency and willing- 
 ness to save sinners : but some have their thoughts more 
 especially fixed on God, in some of his sweet and glori- 
 ous attributes manifested in the Gospel, and shining forth 
 in the face of Christ : some view the all-sufficiency of 
 the mercy and grace of God ; some chiefly the infinite 
 power of God, and his ability to save them, and to do all 
 things for them ; and some look most at the truth and 
 faithfulness of God : in some, the truth and certainty of 
 the Gospel in general is the first joyful discovery they 
 have; in others, the certain truth of some particular 
 promises ; in some, the grace and sincerity of God in his 
 invitations, very commonly in some particular invitation 
 in the mind, and it now appears real to them that God 
 does indeed invite them. Some are struck with the glory 
 and wonderfulness of the dying love of Christ : and some 
 with the sufficiency and preciousness of his blood, as 
 offered to make an atonement for sin ; and others with 
 the value and glory of his obedience and righteousness. 
 In some, the excellency and loveliness of Christ chiefly 
 engage their thoughts ; in some, his divinity, that he is 
 indeed the Son of the living God ; and in others, the 
 excellency of the way of salvation by Christ, and the 
 suitableness of it to their necessities. 
 
 Some have an apprehension of these things so given 
 that it seems more natural to them to express it by sight 
 or discovery ; others think what they experience better 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 45 
 
 expressed by the realizing conviction, or a lively or feel- 
 ing sense of heart ; meaning, as I suppose, no other dif- 
 ference but w^hat is merely circumstantial or gradual. 
 
 There is often, in the mind, some particular text of 
 Scripture, holding forth some evangelical ground of con- 
 solation ; sometimes a multitude of texts, gracious invi- 
 tations and promises flowing in one after another, filling 
 the soul more and more with comfort and satisfaction ; 
 and comfort is first given to some while reading some 
 portion of Scripture ; but in some it is attended with no 
 particular Scripture at all, either in reading or meditation. 
 In some, many divine things seem to be discovered to the 
 soul as it were at once ; others have their minds especial- 
 ly fixed on some one thing at first, and afterwards a 
 sense is given of others; in some with a swifter, and 
 others a slower succession, and sometimes with inter- 
 ruptions of much darkness. 
 
 The way that grace seems sometimes first to appear 
 after legal humiliation, is in earnest longings of soul after 
 God and Christ, to know God, to love him, to be hum- 
 bled before him, to have communion with Christ in his 
 benefits ; which longings, as they express them, seem 
 evidently to be of such a nature as can arise from no- 
 thing but a sense of the superlative excellency of divine 
 things, wdth a spiritual taste and relish of them, and an 
 esteem of them as their highest happiness and best por- 
 tion. Such longings as I speak of are commonly attend- 
 ed with firm resolutions to pursue this good for ever, 
 together with a hoping, waiting disposition. When per- 
 sons have begun in such frames, commonly other expe- 
 riences and discoveries have soon followed, which have 
 yet more clearly manifested a change of heart. 
 
46 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 It must needs be confessed that Christ is not always 
 distinctly and explicitly thought of in the first sensible 
 act of grace (though most commonly he is;) but some- 
 times he is the object of the mind only as implied in the 
 views they entertain. Thus sometimes when persons 
 have seemed evidently to be stripped of all their own 
 righteousness, and to have stood self-condemned as guilty 
 of death, they have been comforted with a joyful and 
 satisfying view, that the mercy and grace of God is suf- 
 ficient for them ; that their sins, though never so great, 
 shall be no hinderance to their being accepted ; that there 
 is mercy enough in God for the whole world, and the 
 like, when they give no account of any particular or dis- 
 tinct thought of Christ ; but yet when the account they 
 give is duly weighed, and they are a little interrogated 
 about it, it appears that the revelation of the mercy of 
 God in the Gospel is the ground of this their encourage- 
 ment and hope ; and that it is indeed the mercy of God 
 through Christ that is discovered to them, and that it is 
 depended on in him, and not in any wise moved by any 
 thing in them. 
 
 So sometimes disconsolate souls amonsi'st us have 
 been revived and brought to rest in God, by a sweet 
 sense given of his grace and faithfulness in some special 
 invitation or promise, in which is no particular mention 
 of Christ, nor is it accompanied with any distinct thought 
 of him in their minds ; but yet it is not received as out 
 of Christ, but as one of the invitations or promises made 
 of God to poor sinners through his Son J esus, as it is 
 indeed ; and such persons have afterwards had clear and 
 distinct discoveries of Christ a,ccompanied with lively and 
 special actings of faith and love towards him. 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 47 
 
 It has more frequently been so amongst us, that when 
 persons have first had the gospel ground of relief for lost 
 smners discovered to them, and have been entertaining 
 their minds w^ith the sweet prospect, they have thought 
 nothing at that time of their being converted : to see 
 that there is such an all-sufficiency in God, and such 
 plentiful provision made in Christ, after they have been 
 borne down and sunk with a sense of their guilt and 
 fears of wrath, exceedingly refreshes them ; the view is 
 joyful to them, as it is in its own nature glorious, and 
 gives them quite new and more delightful ideas of God 
 and Christ, and greatly encourages them to seek conver- 
 sion, and begets in them a strong resolution to give up 
 themselves, and devote their whole lives to God and his 
 Son, and patiently to wait till God shall see fit to make 
 all effectual ; and very often they entertain a strong 
 persuasion that he will in his own time do it for them. 
 
 There is wrought in them a holy repose of soul in God 
 through Christ, and a secret disposition to fear and love 
 him, and to hope for blessings from him in this way : and 
 yet they have no idea, that they are now converted, it 
 does not so much as come into their minds ; and very 
 often the reason is that they do not see that they do ac- 
 cept of this sufficiency of salvation which they behold in 
 Christ, having entertained a wrong notion of acceptance ; 
 not being sensible that the obedient and joyful entertain- 
 ment which their hearts give to this discovery of grace 
 is a real acceptance of it. They know not that the sweet 
 complacence they feel in the mercy and complete salva- 
 tion of God, as it includes pardon and sanctification, and 
 is held forth to them only through Christ, is a true re- 
 ceiving of this mercy, or a plain evidence of their receiv- 
 
48 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 ing it. They expected I know not what kind of act 
 of soul, and perhaps they had no distinct idea of it 
 themselves. 
 
 And indeed it appears very plainly in some of them, 
 that before their own conversion they had very iin'perfect 
 ideas what conversion is : it is all new and strange, and 
 what there was no clear conception of before. It is most 
 evident, as they themselves acknowledge, that the ex- 
 pressions that were used to describe conversion and the 
 graces of God's Spirit, such as a spiritual sight of Christ, 
 faith in Christ, poverty of spirit, trust in God, resigned- 
 ness to God, &c. were expressions that did not convey 
 those special and distinct ideas to their minds which they 
 were intended to signify : perhaps to some of them it 
 was but little more than the names of colors are to con- 
 vey the ideas to one that is blind from his birth. 
 
 This town is a place where there has always been a 
 great deal of talk of conversion and spiritual experien- 
 ces ; and therefore people in general had before formed 
 a notion in their own minds what these things were ; but 
 when they come to be the subjects of them themselves, 
 they find themselves much confounded in their notions, 
 and overthrown in many of their former conceits. And it 
 has been very observable that persons of the greatest un- 
 derstanding, and that had studied most about things of 
 this nature, have been more confounded than others. 
 Some such persons that have lately been converted, de- 
 clare that all their former wisdom is brought to nought, 
 and that they seem to themselves to have been mere 
 babes, who knew nothing. It has appeared that none 
 have stood more in need of enlightening and instruction, 
 even from their fellow-christians, concerning their own 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 49 
 
 circumstances and difficulties, than they, and it has seem- 
 ed to have been with deHght that they have seen them- 
 selves thus brought down and become nothing, that free 
 grace and divine power may be exalted in them. 
 
 It was very wonderful to see after what manner per 
 sons' affections were sometimes moved and wrought 
 upon, when God did, as ic were, suddenly open their 
 eyes and let into their minds a sense of the greatness of 
 his grace, and the fulness of Christ, and his readiness to 
 save, who before were broken with apprehensions of di- 
 vine wrath, and sunk into an abyss under a sense of guilt 
 which they were ready to think was beyond the mercy of 
 God : their joyful surprise has caused their hearts as it 
 were to leap, so that they have been ready to break forth 
 into laughter, tears often at the same time issuing like a 
 flood, and intermingling a loud weeping ; and sometimes 
 they have not been able to forbear crying out with a loud 
 voice, expressing their great admiration. In some even 
 the view of the glory of God's sovereignty in the exer- 
 cise of his grace has surprised the soul with such sweet- ■ 
 ness as to produce the same effects. I remember an in- 
 stance of one, who, reading something concerning God's 
 sovereign way of saving sinners, as being self-moved, 
 and having no regard to men's own righteousness as 
 the motive of his grace, but as mBgnifying himself and 
 abasing man, or to that purpose, felt a sudden rap- 
 ture of joy and delight in the consideration of it; and yet 
 then suspected himself to be in a christless condition, 
 and had been long in great distress for fear that God 
 would not have mercy on him. 
 
 Many continue a long time in a course of gracious ex- 
 ercises and experiences, 9,nd do not think themselves to 
 
 Revival of Rel, 3 
 
50 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 be converted, but conclude themselves to be otherwise ; 
 and none knows how long they would continue so, were 
 they not helped by particular instruction. There are un- 
 doubted instances of some that have lived in this way 
 for many years together ; and a continuing in these cir- 
 cumstances of being converted and not believing it, has 
 had various consequences with various persons, and with 
 the same persons at various times : some continue in 
 great encouragement and hope that they shall obtain 
 mercy, in a steadfast resolution to persevere in seeking 
 it, and in a humble waiting for it at God's feet ; but very 
 often w^hen the lively sense of the sufficiency of Christ 
 and the riches of divine grace begins to vanish, upon a 
 withdrawal of the influences of the Spirit of God they 
 return to greater distress than ever ; for they have now 
 a far greater sense of the misery of a natural condition 
 than before, being in a new manner sensible of the reality 
 of eternal thinsfs, and the srreatness of God, and his ex- 
 cellency, and how dreadful it is to be separated from him 
 and to be subject to his wrath ; so that they are some- 
 times swallowed up with darkness and amazement. Sa- 
 tan has a vast advantage in such cases to ply them with 
 various temptations, which he is not wont to neglect. In 
 such a case persons do very much need a guide to lead 
 them to an undorstandins; of what we are taus^ht in the 
 word of God of the nature of grace, and to help them to 
 apply it to themselves. 
 
 I have been much blamed and censured by many, that 
 I should make it my practice, when I have been satisfied 
 concerning persons' good estate, to signify it to them : 
 which thing has been greatly misrepresented abroad, as 
 innumerable other things concerning us, to prejudice the 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 51 
 
 country against the whole work. But let it be noted, that 
 what I have undertaken to judge of has rather been qua- 
 lifications and declared experiences than persons : not 
 but that I have thought it my duty as a pastor to assist 
 and instruct persons in applying Scripture rules and cha 
 racters to their own case, (in doing which I think many 
 greatly need a guide,) and have, where I thought the 
 case plain, used freedom in signifying my hope of them 
 to others ; but I have been far from doing this concern- 
 ing all that I have had some hopes of; and I believe 
 have used much more caution than many have supposed. 
 Yet I should account it a great calamity to be deprived 
 of the comfort of rejoicing with those of my flock that 
 have been in great distress, whose circumstances I have 
 been acquainted with, when there seems to be good evi- 
 dence that those that were dead are alive, and those that 
 were lost are found. I am sensible the practice would 
 have been safer in the hands of one of a riper judgment 
 and greater experience ; but yet there has seemed to bo 
 an absolute necessity of it on the forementioned accounts ; 
 and it has been found to be that which God has most re- 
 markably owned and blessed among us, both to the per- 
 sons themselves and others. 
 
 Grace in many persons, through this ignorance of their 
 state and their looking on themselves still as the objects 
 of God's displeasure, has been like' the trees in winter, 
 or like seed in the spring suppressed under a hard clod 
 of earth ; and many in such cases have labored to their 
 utmost to divert their minds from the pleasing and joyful 
 views they have had, and to suppress those consolations 
 and gracious affections that arose thereupon. And when 
 it has once come into their minds to inquire whether this 
 
62 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 was true grace, tliey have been much afraid lest they 
 should be deceived with common illuminations and 
 flashes of affection, and be eternally undone with a false 
 hope. But when they have been better instructed, and so 
 brought to allow of hope, this has awakened the gracious 
 disposition of their hearts into life and vigor, as the warm 
 beams of the sun in the spring have quickened the seeds 
 and productions of the earth : grace being now at liberty, 
 and cherished with hope, has soon flowed out to their 
 abundant satisfaction and increase. 
 
 There is no one thing that I know of that God has 
 made such a means of promoting his work among us as 
 the news of others' conversion^ in the awakening of sin- 
 ners, and engaging them earnestly to seek the same 
 blessing, and in the quickening of saints. Though I have 
 thought that a minister's declaring his judgment about 
 particular persons' experiences might from these things 
 be justified, yet I am often signifying to my people how 
 unable man is to know another's heart, and how unsafe 
 it is depending merely on the judgment of ministers or 
 others ; and have abundantly insisted on it with them, 
 that a manifestation of sincerity in fruits brought forth is 
 better than any manifestation they can make of it in 
 words alone can be; and that without this, all j^retences 
 to spiritual experiences are vain ; as all my congregation 
 can witness. And the people in general, in this late ex- 
 traordinary time, have manifested an extraordinary dread 
 of being deceived, being exceedingly fearful lest they 
 should build wrong, and some of them backward to re- 
 ceive hope, even to a great extreme, which has occasion- 
 ed me to dwell longer on this part of the narrative. 
 
 Conversion is a great and glorious work of God's 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 53 
 
 power, at once changing the heart and infusing life into 
 the dead soul ; though that grace that is then implanted 
 does more gradually display itself in some than in others. 
 But as to fixing on the precise time when they put forth 
 the very first act of grace, there is a great deal of differ- 
 ence in different persons : in some it seems to be very 
 discernible when the very time of this was ; but others 
 are more at a loss. In this respect there are very many 
 that do not know the time (as has been already observed) 
 when they have the first exercises of grace : they do not 
 know that it is the grace of conversion, and sometimes do 
 not think it to be so till a long time after ; and many, 
 even when they come to entertain great hope that they 
 are converted, if they remember what they experienced 
 in the first exercises of grace, are at a loss whether it was 
 any thing more than a common illumination ; or whether 
 some other more clear and remarkable experience that 
 they had afterwards was not the first that was of a saving 
 nature. And the manner of God's work on the soul is 
 (sometimes especially) very mysterious, and it is with the 
 kingdom of God as to its manifestation in the heart of a 
 convert, as it is said, Mark, 4 : 26, 27, 28, " So is the 
 kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the 
 ground, and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the 
 seed should spring, and grow up, he knoweth not how ; 
 for the earth bringeth forth of herself, first the blade, 
 then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." 
 
 In some, converting light is like a glorious brightness, 
 suddenly shining in upon a person and all around him : 
 they are in a remarkable manner brought out of darkness 
 into marvellous light. In mg,ny others it has been like the 
 dawning of the day, when at first but a little light ap- 
 
54 
 
 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 pears, and it may be is presently hid with a cloud ; and 
 then it appears again and shines a little brighter, and 
 gradually increases, with intervening darkness, till at 
 length, perhaps, it breaks forth more clearly from behind 
 the clouds. And many are, doubtless, ready to date their 
 conversion wrong, throwing by those lesser degrees of 
 light that appeared at first dawning, and calling some 
 more remarkable experience, that they had afterwards, 
 their conversion; which often in great measure arises 
 from a wrong understanding of what they have always 
 been taught, that conversion is a great change, wherein 
 old things are done away and all things become 7iew, or at 
 least from a false arguing from that doctrine. 
 
 Persons commonly at their first conversion, and after- 
 wards, have had many texts of Scripture brought to their 
 minds that are exceeding suitable to their circumstan- 
 ces, which often come with great power, and as the word 
 of God or Christ indeed ; and many have a multitude of 
 sweet invitations, promises, and doxologies flowing in 
 one after another, bringing great light and comfort with 
 them, filling the soul brim full, enlarging the heart, and 
 opening the mouth in religion. And it seems to me ne- 
 cessary to suppose that there is an immediate influence 
 of the Spirit of God oftentimes in bringing texts of 
 Scripture to the mind : not that I suppose it is done in a 
 way of immediate revelation, without any manner of use 
 of the memory ; but yet there seems plainly to be an 
 immediate and extraordinary influence in leading their 
 thoughts to such and such passages of Scripture, and ex- 
 citing them in the memory. Indeed, in some, God seems 
 to bring texts of Scripture to their minds no otherwise 
 than by leading them into such frames and meditations 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 55 
 
 as harmonize with those Scriptures ; but in many per- 
 sons there seems to be something more than this. 
 
 Those that while under legal convictions have had the 
 greatest terrors, have not always obtained the greatest 
 light and comfort ; nor have they always light most sud- 
 denly communicated ; but yet I think the time of con- 
 version has generally been -most sensible in such persons. 
 Oftentimes, the first sensible change after the extremity 
 of terrors, is a calmness, and then the light gradually 
 comes in : small glimpses at first, after their midnight 
 darkness, and a word or two of comfort, as it were softly 
 spoken to them ; they have a little taste of the sweetness 
 of divine grace and the love of a Savior, when terror and 
 distress of conscience begins to be turned into a humble 
 meek sense of their own unworthiness before God ; and 
 there is felt inwardly, perhaps, some disposition to praise 
 God; and after a little while the light comes in more 
 clearly and powerfully. But yet, I think, more frequently, 
 great terrors have been followed with more sudden and 
 great light and comfort ; when the sinner seems to be, as 
 it were, subdued and brought to a calm from a kind of 
 tumult of mind, then God gives an extraordinary sense 
 of his great mercy through a Redeemer. 
 
 The converting influences of God's Sjoirit very com- 
 monly bring an extraordinary con^vdction of the reality 
 and certainty of the great things of religion (though in 
 some this is much greater some time after conversion, 
 than at first :) they have a sight and taste of the divinity 
 or divine excellency there is in the things of the Gospel, 
 that is more to convince them than reading many volumes 
 of argument without it. It seems to me that in many in 
 stances among us, when the divine excellency and glory 
 
56 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 of the things of Christianity have been set before persons, 
 and they have at the same time, as it were, seen and tasted 
 and felt the divinity of them, they have been as far from 
 doubting of the truth of them as they are from doubting 
 whether there be a sun when their eyes are open in the 
 midst of a clear atmosphere, and the strong blaze of his 
 light overcomes all objections against his being. And yet 
 many of them, if we should ask them why they believe 
 those things to be true, would not be able well to ex- 
 press or communicate a sufficient reason to satisfy the 
 inquirer, and perhaps would make no other answer but 
 that they see them to be true ; but a person may soon 
 be satisfied, by a particular conversation with them, that 
 what they mean by such an answer is, that they have in- 
 tuitively beheld, and immediately felt, most illustrious 
 works and powerful evidence of divinity in them. 
 
 Some are thus convinced of the truth of the Gospel in 
 general, and that the Scriptures are the word of God : 
 others have their minds more especially fixed on some 
 particular great doctrine of the Gospel, some particular 
 truths that they are meditating on ; or are in a special 
 manner convinced of the divinity of the things they are 
 reading of in some portion of Scripture. Some have such 
 convictions in a much more remarkable manner than 
 others. And there are some that never had such a spe- 
 cial sense of the certainty of divine things impressed 
 upon them with such inward evidence and strength, who 
 have yet very clear exercises of grace, as love to God, 
 repentance and holiness : and if they be more particu- 
 larly examined, they appear plainly to have an inward, 
 firm persuasion of the reality of divine things, such as 
 they did not use to have before their conversion. And 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 57 
 
 those that have the most clear discoveries of divine truth, 
 in the manner that has been spoken of, cannot have this 
 always in view. When the sense and relish of the divine 
 excellency of these things fades on a withdraw ment of 
 the Spirit of God, they have not the medium of the con- 
 viction of their truth at command : in a dull frame they 
 cannot recall the idea and inward sense they had per- 
 fectly to mind ; things appear very dim to what they did 
 before ; and though there still remains an habitual, strong 
 persuasion of their good estate, yet it is not so as to ex- 
 clude temptations to unbelief, and all possibility of doubt- 
 ing as before ; but then at particular times, by God's help, 
 the same sense of things revives again like fire that lay 
 hid in ashes. 
 
 I suppose the grounds of such a conviction of the trutb 
 of divine things to be just and rational, but yet in some 
 God makes use of their own reason much more sensibly 
 than in others. Oftentimes persons have (so far as could 
 be judged) received the first saving conviction from rea- 
 soning which they have heard from the pulpit ; and often 
 in the course of reasoning which they are led into in their 
 own meditations. 
 
 The arguments are the same that they have heard hun- 
 dreds of times, but the force of the arguments, and their 
 conviction of them, is altogether new ; they come with a 
 new and before unexperienced power ; before, they heard 
 it was so, and they allowed it to be so ; but now they see 
 it to be so indeed. Things now look exceedingly plain 
 to them, and they wonder that they did not see them 
 before. They are so greatly taken with their new disco- 
 very, and things appear so plain and so rational to them, 
 that they are often at first ready to think they can con 
 
58 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 vince others, and are apt to engage in talk with almost 
 every one they meet to this end ; and w^hen they are dis- 
 appointed, are ready to w^onder that their reasonings 
 seem to make no more impression. 
 
 Many fall under such a mistake as to be ready to doubt 
 of their good estate because there was so much use made 
 of their oicn reason in the convictions they have received ; 
 they are afraid that they have no illumination above the 
 natural force of their own faculties ; and many make it 
 an objection against the spirituality of their convictions 
 that it is so easy to see things as they now see them. They 
 have often heard that conversion is a work of mighty 
 power, manifesting to the soul what no man nor angel 
 can give such a conviction of; but it seems to them that 
 the things that they see are so plain, and easy, and ra 
 tional, that any body can see them : and if they are in- 
 quired of why they never saw so before, they say it seems 
 to them it was because they never thought of it. But 
 very often these difficulties are removed by those of an- 
 other nature ; for, when God withdraws, they find them- 
 selves as it were blind again, they for the present lose 
 their realizing sense of those things that looked so plain 
 to them, and by all that they can do they cannot recover 
 it till God renews the influences of his Spirit, 
 
 Persons after their conversion often speak of things of 
 religion as seeming new to them ; that preaching is a new 
 thing ; that it seems to them they never heard preaching 
 before ; that the Bible is a new book ; they find there new 
 chapters, new psalms, new histories, because they see 
 them in a new light. There was a remarkable instance 
 of an aged woman of above seventy years that had spent 
 most of her days under Mr. Stoddard's powerful ministry. 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 59 
 
 who reading in the New Testament concerning Christ s 
 sufferings for sinners, seemed to be surprised and aston- 
 ished at what she read, as at a thing that was real and 
 very wonderful, but quite new to her, insomuch that at 
 first before she had time to turn her thoughts, she wonder- 
 ed within herself that she had never heard of it before ; 
 but then immediately recollected herself, and thought that 
 she had often heard of it and read it, but never until now 
 saw it as a thing real ; and then cast in her mind how 
 wonderful this was, that the Son of God should undergo 
 such things for sinners, and how she had spent her time 
 in ungratefully sinning against so good a God and such a 
 Savior ; though she was a person, as to what was visible, 
 of a very blameless and inoffensive life. And she was so 
 overcome by those considerations that her nature was 
 ready to fail under them. Those that were about her, 
 and knew not what was the matter, were surprised, and 
 thought she was dying. 
 
 Many have spoken much of their hearts being drawn 
 out in love to God and Christ, and their minds being 
 wrapt up in delightful contemplation of the glory and 
 wonderful grace of God, and the excellency and dying 
 love of Jesus Christ, and of their souls going forth in 
 longing desires after God and Christ. Several of our 
 young children have expressed rnuch of this, and have 
 manifested a willingness to leave father and mother, and 
 all things in the world, to go to be with Christ. Some 
 persons have had longing desires after Christ, which 
 have risen to such a degree as to take away their natu- 
 ral strength. Some have been so overcome with a sense 
 of the dying love of Christ to such poor, wretched, and 
 unworthy creatures, as to weaken the body. Several per- 
 
60 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 sons have had so great a sense of the glory of God and 
 excellency of Christ, that nature and life have seemed 
 almost to sink under it ; and in all probability if God had 
 showed them a little more of himself it would have dis- 
 s<^lved their frame. I have seen some, and been in conver- 
 saiion with them in such frames, who have certainly been 
 peifectly sober, and very remote from any thing like en- 
 thusiastic wildness, and have talked, when able to speak 
 of the glory of God's perfections and the wonderfulness 
 of his grace in Christ, and their own unworthiness, in 
 such a manner as cannot be perfectly expressed after 
 them. Their sense of their exceeding littleness and vile- 
 ness, and their disposition to abase themselves before 
 God, has appeared to be great in proportion to their light 
 and joy. 
 
 Such persons among us as have been thus distinguish- 
 ed with the most extraordinary discoveries of God and 
 the fulness of the Gospel, have commonly in no wise ap- 
 peared with the assuming, and self-conceited, and self- 
 sufficient airs of enthusiasts, but exceedingly the contrary; 
 and are eminent for a spirit of meekness, modesty, self- 
 diffidence, and a low opinion of themselves. No persons 
 seem to be so sensible of their need of instruction, and 
 so eager to receive it, as some of them ; nor so ready to 
 think others better than themselves. Those that have 
 been thought to be converted among us, have generally 
 manifested a longing to lie low, and in the dust before 
 God, withal complaining of their not being able to lie 
 low enough. 
 
 They very often speak much of their sense of the ex- 
 cellency of the way of salvation, by free and sovereign 
 grace, through the righteousness of Christ alone; and 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 61 
 
 how it is with delight that they renounce their own righ- 
 teousness, and rejoice in having no account made of it 
 Many have expressed themselves to this purpose, that it 
 would lessen the satisfaction they hope for in heaven, to 
 have it by their own righteousness, or in any other way 
 than as bestowed by free grace, and for Christ's sake 
 alone. They speak much of the inexpressibleness of what 
 they experience, how their words fail, so that they can 
 in no wise declare it ; and particularly speak with ex- 
 ceeding admiration of the superlative excellency of that 
 pleasure and delight of soul which they sometimes enjoy ; 
 how a little of it is sufficient to pay them for all the pains 
 and trouble they have gone through in seeking salvation, 
 and how far it exceeds all earthly pleasures ; and some 
 express much of the sense which these spiritual views 
 give them of the vanity of earthly enjoyments, how mean 
 and worthless all these things appear to them. 
 
 Many, while their minds have been filled with spiritual 
 delights, have, as it were, forgotten their food ; their bo- 
 dily appetite has failed, while their minds have been en- 
 tertained with meat to eat that others kncio not of. The 
 light and comfort which some of them enjoy gives a new 
 relish to their common blessings, and causes all things 
 about them to appear as it were beautiful, sweet and plea- 
 sant to them : all things abroad, the sun, moon and stars, 
 the clouds and sky, the heavens alid earth, appear as it 
 were with a cast of divine glory and sweetness upon them. 
 The sweetest joy that these good people amongst us ex- 
 press, though it include in it a dehghtful sense of the safe- 
 ty of their own state and that now they are out of danger 
 of hell, yet frequently in times of their highest spiritual 
 entertainment this seems not to be the chief object of 
 
62 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 their fixed thought and meditation : the supreme atten- 
 tion of their minds is to the glorious excellencies of God 
 and Christ, which they have in vievv^ ; not but that there 
 is very often a ravishing sense of God's love accompany- 
 ing a sense of his excellency, and they rejoice in a sense 
 of the faithfulness of God's promises as they respect the 
 future eternal enjoyment of God. 
 
 The joy that many of them speak of as that to which 
 none is to be paralleled, is that which they find when 
 they are lowest in the dust, emptied most of themselves, 
 and as it were annihilating themselves before God ; when 
 they are nothing, and God is all ; when they see their own 
 unworthiness, depending not at all on themselves, but 
 alone on Christ, and ascribing all glory to God : then their 
 souls are most in the enjoyment of satisfying rest ; ex- 
 cepting that, at such times, they apprehend themselves to 
 be not sufficiently self-abased ; for then above all times 
 do they long to be lower. Some speak much of the ex- 
 quisite sweetness and rest of soul that is to be found in 
 the exercise of a spirit of resignation to God, and hum- 
 ble submission to his will. Many express earnest long- 
 ings of soul to praise God ; but at the same time complain 
 that they cannot praise him as they would do, and they 
 want to have others help them in praising him : they want 
 to have every one praise God, and are ready to call upon 
 every thing to praise him. They express a longing desire 
 to live to God's glory and to do something to his honor ; 
 but at the same time cry out of their insufficiency and bar- 
 renness, that they are poor impotent creatures, can do 
 nothing of themselves, and are utterly insufficient to glo- 
 rify their Creator and Redeemer. 
 
 While God was so remarkably present among us by his 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 63 
 
 Spirit, there was no book so delighted in as the Bible j 
 especially the book of Psalms, the prophecy of Isaiah, 
 and the New Testament. Some, by reason of their esteem 
 and love to God's word, have at some times been great- 
 ly and wonderfully delighted and affected at the sight of 
 a Bible ; and then, also, there was no time so prized as „,- 
 the Lord's day, and no place in this world so desired as 
 God's house. Our converts then appeared remarkably 
 united in dear affection to one another, and many have 
 expressed much of the spirit of love which they felt to all 
 mankind, and particularly to those that had been least 
 friendly to them. Never, I believe, was so much done in 
 confessing injuries and making up differences as the last 
 year. Persons after their own conversion have common- 
 ly expressed an exceeding desire for the conversion of 
 others : some have thought that they should be willing to 
 die for the conversion of any soul, though of one of the 
 meanest of their fellow-creatures, or of their worst ene- 
 mies ; and many have indeed been in great distress with 
 desires and longings for such a blessing. This work of 
 God had also a good effect to unite the people's affections 
 much to their minister. 
 
 There are some persons that I have been acquainted 
 with, but more especially two, that belong to other towns, 
 who have been swallowed up exceedingly with a sense 
 of the awful greatness and majesty of God; and both of 
 them told me to this purpose, that if they in the time of it 
 had had the least fear that they were not at peace with 
 tl is so great a God, they should instantly have died. 
 
 It is worthy to be remarked that some persons by their 
 conversion seem to be greatly helped as to their doctrinal 
 notions of religion. This was particularly remarkable in 
 
. f 
 
 64 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 one, who having been taken captive in his childhood, was 
 trained up in Canada, in the popish religion ; and some 
 years since returned to this his native place, and was in 
 a measure brought off from popery, but seemed very awk- 
 ward and dull as to receiving any true and clear notion 
 of the protestant scheme till he was converted ; and then 
 he was remarkably altered in this respect. 
 
 There is a vast difference, as has been observed, in the 
 degree and also in the particular manner of persons' ex- 
 periences, both at and after conversion ; some have grace 
 working more sensibly in one way, others in another. 
 Some speak more fully of a conviction of the justice of 
 God in their condemnation ; others more of their consent- 
 ing to the way of salvation by Christ; some, more of the 
 actings of love to God and Christ; some, more of acts of 
 affiance, in a sweet and assured conviction of the truth and 
 faithfulness of God in his promises ; others more of their 
 choosing and resting in God as their whole and everlast- 
 ing portion, and of their ardent and longing desires after 
 God to have communion with him ; others more of their 
 abhorrence of themselves for their past sins, and earnest 
 longings to live to God's glory for the time to come ; 
 some have their minds fixed more on God, others on 
 Christ, as I have observed before, (and I am afraid of too 
 much repetition,) but it seems evidently to be the same 
 work, the same thing done, the same habitual change 
 wrought in the heart ; it all tends the same way, and 
 to the same end ; and it is plainly the same Spirit that 
 breathes and acts in various persons. There is an endless 
 variety in the particular manner and circumstances in 
 which persons are wrought on, and an opportunity of see- 
 ing so much of such a work of God will show that God is 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 65 
 
 further from confining himself to certain steps, and a par- 
 ticular method in his work on souls, than it may be some 
 imagine. I believe it has occasioned some good people 
 amongst us, that were before too ready to make their 
 own experience a rule to others, to be less censorious and 
 more extended in their charity, and this is an excel- 
 lent advantaQ:e indeed. The work of God has been o^lori- 
 JUS in its variety : it has the more displayed the manifold- 
 ness and unsearchableness of the wisdom of God, and 
 wrought more charity among his people. 
 
 There is a great difference among those that are con- 
 verted as to the degree of hope and satisfaction that they 
 have concerning their own state. Some have a high de- 
 gree of satisfaction in this respect, almost constantly : 
 and yet it is rare that any do enjoy so full an assurance 
 of their interest in Christ that self-examination should 
 seem needless to them ; unless it be at particular seasons, 
 while in the actual enjoyment of some great discovery 
 that God gives of his glory and rich grace in Christ, to 
 the drawing forth of extraordinary acts of grace. But the 
 greater part, as they sometimes fall into dead frames of 
 spirit, are frequently exercised with scruples and fears 
 concerning their condition. 
 
 They generally have an awful apprehension of the 
 dreadfulness and undoing nature of a false hope ; and 
 there has been observable in most a great caution, lest in 
 giving an account of their experiences, they should say 
 too much and use too strong terms : and many, after they 
 have related their experiences, have been greatly afflicted 
 with fears lest they have played the hypocrite and used 
 stronger terms than their case would fairly allow of; and 
 yet could not find how they could correct themselves. 
 
66 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 I think that the main ground of the doubts and fears 
 that persons, after their conversion, have been exercised 
 with about their own state, has been that they have found 
 so much corruption remaining in their hearts. At first their 
 souls seem to be all alive, their hearts are fixed and 
 their affections flowing ; they seem to live quite above the 
 world, and meet with but little difficulty in religious ex- 
 ercises ; and they are ready to think it will always be so. 
 Though they are truly abased under a sense of their 
 vileness by reason of former acts of sin, yet they are not 
 then sufficiently sensible what corruption still remains in 
 their hearts ; and therefore are surprised when they find 
 that they begin to be in dull and dead frames, to be 
 troubled with wandering thoughts in the time of public 
 and private worship, and be utterly unable to exclude 
 them ; also, when they find themselves unaffected at 
 seasons in which they think there is the greatest occasion 
 to be affected ; and when they feel worldly dispositions 
 working in them, it may be pride, and envy, and stir- 
 rings of revenge, or some ill spirit towards some person 
 that has injured them, as well as other workings of in- 
 dwelling sin ; their hearts are almost sunk with disap- 
 pointment, and they are ready presently to think that 
 all which they have met with is nothing, and that they 
 are mere hypocrites. 
 
 They are ready to argue, that if God had indeed done 
 such great things for them as they hoped, such ingrati- 
 tude would be inconsistent with it ; they cry out of the 
 hardness and wickedness of their hearts, and say there 
 is so much corruption that it seems to them impossible 
 that there should be any goodness there. Many of them 
 seem to be much more sensible how corrupt their hearts 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 67 
 
 are, than ever they were before they were converted ; 
 and some have been, too ready to be impressed with fear, 
 that instead of becoming better, they are grown much 
 worse, and make it an argument against the goodness of 
 their state. But in truth the case seems plainly to be, 
 that now they feel the pain of their own wound ; they 
 have a watchful eye upon their hearts that they did not 
 use to have ; they take more notice what sin is there, 
 and sin is now more burdensome to them ; they strive 
 more against it and feel more of the strength of it. 
 
 They are somewhat surprised that they should in 
 this respect find themselves so different from the idea 
 that they generally had entertained of godly persons ; for 
 though grace be indeed of a far more excellent nature 
 than they imagined, yet those that are godly have much 
 less of it, and much more remaining corruption than they 
 thought. They never realized it that persons were wont 
 to meet with such difficulties after they were once con- 
 verted. When they are thus exercised with doubts about 
 their state through the deadness of their frames of spirit^ 
 as long as these frames last they are commonly unable to 
 satisfy themselves that they truly have grace, by all their 
 self-examination. When they hear the signs of grace 
 laid down for them to try themselves by, they are often 
 so clouded that they do not know how to apply them ; 
 they hardly know whether they have such and such 
 things in them or not, and whether they have experienced 
 them or not : that which was sweetest and best and most 
 distinguishing in their experiences they cannot recover a 
 sense or idea of. But on a return of the influences of the 
 Spirit of God to revive the lively actings of grace, the 
 light breaks through th^ cloud, and doubting and dark-" 
 ness soon vanish away. 
 
68 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 Persons are often revived out of their dead and dark 
 frames by religious conversatio7i : while they are talking 
 of divine things, or ever they are aware, their souls are 
 carried away into holy exercises with abundant plea- 
 sure. And oftentimes, while they are relating their past 
 experiences to their christian brethren, they have a fresh 
 sense of them revived, and the same experiences in a de- 
 gree again renewed. Sometimes while persons are exer- 
 cised in mind with several objections against the good- 
 ness of their state, they have Scriptures one after another 
 coming to their minds to answer their scruples and unra- 
 vel their difficulties, exceedingly apposite and proper to 
 their circumstances, by which means their darkness is 
 scattered ; and often before the bestowment of any new 
 remarkable comfort, especially after long-continued dead- 
 ness and ill frames, there are renewed humblings in a 
 great sense of their own exceeding vileness and unwor- 
 thiness, as before their first comforts were bestowed. 
 
 Many in the country have entertained a mean thought 
 of this great work that there has been amongst us, fi-om 
 what they have heard of impressions that have been made 
 on persons' imaginations. But there have been exceed- 
 ing great misrepresentations and innumerable false re- 
 ports concerning that matter. It is not that I know of the 
 profession or opinion of any one person in the town, that 
 any weight is to be attached to any thing seen with the 
 bodily eye : I know the contrary to be a received and 
 established principle amongst us. I cannot say that there 
 have been no instances of persons that have been ready 
 to give too much heed to vain and useless imaginations, 
 but they have been easily corrected, and I conclude it 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 69 
 
 will not be wondered at that a congregation should need 
 a guide in such cases to assist them in distinffuishino- 
 wheat from chaff. But such impressions on the imagina- 
 tion as have been more usual, seem to me to be no other 
 than what is to be expected in human nature in such cir- 
 cumstances, and what is the natural result of the strong 
 exercise of the mind and impressions on the heart. 
 
 I do not suppose that they themselves imagined that 
 they saw any thing with their bodily eyes ; but only have 
 had within them ideas strongly impressed, and as it were 
 lively pictures in their minds : as for instance, some when 
 in great terrors through fear of hell have had lively ideas 
 of a dreadful furnace. Some when their hearts have been 
 strongly impressed, and their affections greatly moved 
 with a sense of the beauty and excellency of Christ, it 
 has wrought on their imaginations so, that together with 
 a sense of his glorious spiritual perfections, there has 
 risen in the mind an idea of one of glorious majesty and 
 of a sweet and gracious aspect : so some, when they 
 have been greatly affected with Christ's death, have at 
 the same time a lively idea of Christ hanging upon the 
 cross, and of his blood running from his wounds ; which 
 things will not be wondered at by them that have ob- 
 served how strong affections about temporal matters will 
 excite lively ideas and pictures of different things in 
 the mind. 
 
 But yet the vigorous exercise of the mind does doubt- 
 less more strongly impress it with imaginary ideas in some 
 than in others, which probably may arise from the differ- 
 ence of constitution, and seems evidently in some partly 
 to arise from their peculiar circumstances. When per- 
 sons have been exercised with extreme terrors, and there 
 
70 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 is a sudden change to light and joy, the imagination 
 seems more susceptive of strong ideas, and the inferior 
 powers, and even the frame of the body, are much more 
 affected and wrought upon than when the same persons 
 have as great spiritual light and joy afterwards ; of which 
 it might perhaps be easy to give a reason. The foremen- 
 tioned Rev. Messrs. Lord and Owen, who, I believe, are 
 esteemed persons of learning and discretion where they 
 are best known, declared that they found these impres- 
 sions on persons' imaginations very different from what 
 fame had represented to them, and that they were what 
 none need to wonder at, or be stumbled by, or to that 
 purpose. 
 
 There have indeed been some few instances of im- 
 pressions on persons' imaginations, that have been 
 something mysterious to me, and I have been at a loss 
 about them ; for though it has been exceeding evident 
 to me, by many things that appeared in them, both then 
 (when they related them) and afterwards, that they in- 
 deed had a great sense of the spiritual excellency of 
 divine things accompanying them ; yet I have not been 
 able well to satisfy myself, whether their imaginary 
 ideas have been more than could naturally arise from 
 their spiritual sense of things. However, I have used 
 the utmost caution in such cases ; great care has been 
 taken, both in public and in private, to teach persons the 
 difference between what is spiritual and what is imagi- 
 nary. I have often warned persons not to lay the stress 
 of their hope on any ideas of any outward glory, or any 
 externctl thing whatsoever, and have met with no oppo- 
 sition in such instructions. But it is not strange if some 
 weaker persons, in giving an account of their experi 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 71 
 
 ences, have not so prudently distinguished between the 
 spiritual and imaginary part ; which some, that have not 
 been well affected to religion, might take advantage of. 
 There has been much talk in many parts of the coun- 
 try, as though the people here have symbolized with 
 certain wild and fanatical sects, some of whom have visit- 
 ed us in the hope of adding to their number, but with- 
 out the least success, and they seem to be discouraged, 
 and have left off coming. — There have also been reports 
 spread about the country, as though the first occasion of 
 so remarkable a concern on people's minds here, was 
 an apprehension that the world was near to an end, 
 which was altogether a false report : indeed after this 
 stirring and concern became so general and extraordi- 
 nary as has been related, the minds of some were filled 
 with speculation what so great a dispensation of divine 
 Providence might forebode; and some reports were 
 heard from abroad, as though certain divines and others 
 thought the conflagration was nigh : but such reports 
 were never generally looked upon as worthy of notice. 
 
 The work that has now been wrought on souls is evi- 
 dently the same that was wrought in my venerable pre- 
 decessor's days ; as I have had abundant opportunity 
 to know, having been in the ministry here two years 
 with him, and so conversed with ^ considerable number 
 that my grandfather thought to be savingly converted in 
 that time ; and having been particularly acquainted with 
 the experiences of many that were converted under his 
 ministry before. And I know no one of them that in the 
 least doubts of its being of the same Spirit, and the same 
 work. Persons have now no otherwise been subject to 
 
72 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 impressions on their imaginations than formerly : the 
 work is of the same nature, and has not been attended 
 with any extraordinary circumstances, excepting such as 
 are analogous to the extraordinary degree of it before 
 described. — And God's people that were formerly con- 
 verted, have now partaken of the same shower of divine 
 blessing, in the renewing, strengthening, edifying influ- 
 ences of the Spirit of God, that others have in his con- 
 verting influences ; and the work here has also been 
 plainly the same with that which has been wrought in 
 individuals of other places that have been mentioned, as 
 partaking of the same blessing. I have particularly con- 
 versed with persons about their experiences, that belong 
 to all parts of the county, and in various parts of Con- 
 necticut, where a religious concern has lately appeared ; 
 and have been informed of the experiences of many 
 others by their own pastors. 
 
 It is easily perceived by the foregoing account, that it 
 is very much the practice of the people here to converse 
 freely one with another of their spiritual experiences, 
 which is a thing that to many has given offence. But 
 however our people may have, in some respects, gone 
 to extremes in it, yet it is doubtless a practice that the 
 circumstances of this town, and neighboring towns, have 
 naturally led them into. Whatsoever people are in such 
 circumstances, where all have their minds engaged to 
 such a degree in the same work that is ever uppermost 
 in their thoughts, they will naturally make it the subject 
 of conversation one with another when they get together, 
 in which they will grow more and more free : restraints 
 will soon vanish, and they will not conceal from one 
 another what they meet with. And it has been a prac- 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 73 
 
 tice, which, in the general, has been attended with many- 
 good effects, and which God has greatly blessed amongst 
 us : but it must be confessed, there may have been some 
 ill consequences of it, which yet are rather to be laid to 
 the indiscreet management of it, than to the practice it 
 self; and none can wonder, if, among such a multitude, 
 some fail of exercising as much prudence in choosing 
 the time, manner and occasion of such discourse, as is 
 desirable. 
 
 THE CONVERSION OF ABIGAIL HUTCHINSON. 
 
 But to give a clearer idea of the nature and manner of 
 the operations of God's Spirit in this wonderful effusion 
 of it, I would give an account of two particular instances. 
 The first is an adult person, a young woman whose name 
 was Abigail Hutchinson. I select her case especially, 
 because she is now dead, and so it may be more fit to 
 speak freely of her than of lining instances ; though I am 
 under far greater disadvantages on other accounts, to 
 give a full and clear narrative of her experiences than I 
 mio-ht of some others ; nor can any account be given but 
 what has been retained in the memories of her near 
 friends and some others, of what they have heard her 
 express in her lifetime. 
 
 She was of a rational, intelligent family ; there could be 
 nothing in her education that tended to enthusiasm, but 
 rather to the contrary extreme. It is in no wise the 
 temper of the family to be ostentatious of experiences, 
 and it was far from being her temper. She was, before 
 her conversion, to the observation of her neighbors, of a 
 sober and inoffensive conversation, and was a still, quiet, 
 reserved person. She had long been infirm of body, but her 
 
 Revival of R el. ^ 
 
74 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 infirmity had never been observed at all to incline her to 
 be notional or fanciful, or occasion anything of religious 
 melancholy. She was under awakenings scarcely a week 
 before there seemed to be plain evidence of her being 
 savingly converted. 
 
 She was first awakened in the winter season, on Mon- 
 day, by something she heard her brother say of the ne- 
 cessity of being in good earnest in seeking regenera- 
 ting grace, together with the news of the conversion of 
 the young woman before mentioned, whose conversion 
 so generally affected most of the young people here. 
 This news wrought much upon her, and stirred up a 
 spirit of envy in her towards this young woman, whom 
 she thought very unworthy of being distinguished from 
 others by such a mercy, but withal it engaged her in a 
 firm resolution to do her utmost to obtain the same bless- 
 ing ; and, considering wuK herself what course she should 
 take, she thought that she had not a sufficient knowledge 
 of the principles of religion to render her capable of con- 
 version ; whereupon she resolved thoroughly to search 
 the Scriptures, and accordingly immediately began at the 
 beginning of the Bible, intending to read it through. She 
 continued thus till Thursday, and then there was a sud- 
 den alteration, by a great increase of her concern, in an 
 extraordinary sense of her own sinfulness, particularly the 
 sinfulness of her nature, and the wickedness of her heart, 
 which came upon her (as she expressed it) as a flash of 
 lightning, and struck an exceeding terror upon her. Upon 
 which she left off reading the Bible in course as she had 
 begun, and turned to the New Testament, to see if she 
 could not find some relief there for her distressed soul. 
 Her great terror, she said, was that she had sinned 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 75 
 
 against God : her disti'ess grew more and more for three 
 days, until (as she said) she saw nothing but the black- 
 ness of darkness before her, and her very flesh trembled 
 for fear of God's wrath ; she wondered and was aston- 
 ished at herself, that she had been so concerned for her 
 body, and had applied so often to physicians to heal that, 
 and had neglected her soul. Her sinfulness appeared 
 with a very awful aspect to her, especially in three 
 things, viz. her original sin in murmuring at God's pro- 
 vidence in the weakness and afflictions she had been 
 under, and in want of duty to parents, though others had 
 regarded her as excelling in dutifulness. On Saturday 
 she was earnestly engaged in reading the Bible and 
 other books, and continued in it, searching for something 
 to relieve her, till her eyes were so dim that she could 
 not distinguish the letters. Whilst she was thus engaged 
 in reading, prayer, and other religious exercises, she 
 thought of those words of Christ, wherein he warns us 
 not to be as the heathen, that think they shall be heard 
 for their much speaking ; which, she said, led her to see 
 that she had trusted to her own prayers and religious 
 performances, and now she knew not which way to turn 
 herself, or where to seek relief. 
 
 While her mind was in this posture, her heart, she 
 said, seemed to fly to the minister for refuge, hoping that 
 he could give her some relief. Slie came the same day 
 to her brother with the countenance of a person in dis- 
 tress, expostulating with him why he had not told her 
 more of her sinfulness, and earnestly inquiring of him 
 what she should do. She seemed, that day, to feel in 
 herself an enmity against the Bible, which greatly af- 
 frighted her. Her sense of her own exceeding sinfulness 
 
76 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 continued increasing from Thursday till Monday, and 
 she gave this account of it, that it had been an opinion, 
 w^hich till now she had entertained, that she was not 
 guilty of Adam's sin nor any way concerned in it, be- 
 cause she was not active in it ; but that now she saw she 
 was guilty of that sin, and all over defiled by it, and that 
 the sin which she brought into the world with her was 
 alone sufficient to condemn her. 
 
 On the Sabbath she was so ill that her friends thought 
 it not best that she should go to public worship, of which 
 she seemed very desirous ; but when she went to bed on 
 Sabbath night, she formed a resolution that she would, 
 the next morning, go to the minister, hoping to find some 
 relief there. As she awaked on Monday morning a little 
 before day, she wondered within herself at the easiness 
 and calmness she felt in her mind, which was of a kind 
 which she never felt before. As she thought of this, such 
 words as these were in her mind : " The words of the 
 Lord are pure words, health to the soul and marrow to 
 the bones ;" and then these words came to her mind — 
 ** The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin ;" which 
 were accompanied with a lively sense of the excellency of 
 Christ, and his sufficiency to satisfy for the sins of the 
 whole world. She then thought of that expression — " It 
 is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the sun " — 
 which words then seemed to her to be very applicable to 
 Jesus Christ. By these things her mind was led into 
 such contemplations and views of Christ as filled her 
 with exceeding joy. She told her brother in the morning 
 that she had seen (i. e. in realizing views by faith) Christ 
 the last night, and that she had really thought that she 
 had not knowledge enough to be converted ; but, said 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 77 
 
 she, God can make it quite easy ! On Monday she felt 
 all day a constant sweetness in her soul. She had a re- 
 petition of the same discoveries of Christ three mornings 
 together, that she had on Monday morning, and much in 
 the same manner at each time, waking a little before day, 
 but brighter and brighter every time. 
 
 At the last time, on Wednesday morning, while in the 
 enjoyment of a spiritual view of Christ's glory and ful- 
 ness, her soul was filled with distress for chiistless per- 
 sons, considering what a miserable condition they were 
 in ; and she felt in herself a strong inclination immediate- 
 ly to go forth to warn sinners, and proposed it the next 
 day to her brother to assist her in going from house to 
 house, but her brother restrained her, urorinor the unsuit- 
 ableness of such a method. She told one of her sisters 
 that day, that she loved all mankind, but especially the 
 people of God. Her sister asked her why she loved all 
 mankind ] She replied, because God has made them. 
 After this there happened to come into the shop where 
 she was at work, three persons that were thought to have 
 been lately converted ; her seeing them, as they stepped 
 one after another into the door, so affected her, and so 
 drew forth her love to them, that it overcame her, and 
 she almost fainted ; and when they began to talk of the 
 things of religion, it was more than she could bear — they 
 were obliged to cease on that account. It was a very 
 frequent thing with her to be overcome with a flow of af- 
 fection to them that she thought godly, in conversation 
 with them, and sometimes only at the sight of them. 
 
 She had many extraordinary discoveries of the glory 
 of God and Christ ; sometimes in some particular attri- 
 butes, and sometimes in many. She gave an account, 
 
78 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 that once, as those four words passed through her mind, 
 WISDOM, JUSTICE, GOODNESS, TRUTH, her soul was filled 
 with a sense of the glory of each of these divine attri- 
 butes, but especially the last. — Truth, she said, sunk the 
 deepest ! and, therefore, as these words passed, this was 
 repeated, truth, truth! Her mind was so swallowed 
 up with a sense of the glory of God's truth and other 
 perfections, that she said it seemed as though her life 
 was going, and that she saw it was easy with God to 
 take away her life by discoveries of himself. Soon 
 after this she went to a private religious meeting, and 
 her mind was full of a sense and view of the glory of 
 God all the time ; and when the exercise was ended, 
 some asked her concerning what she had experienced ; 
 and she began to give them an account, but as she was 
 relating it, it revived such a sense of the same things, 
 that her strength failed, and they were obliged to take 
 her and lay her upon the bed. Afterwards she was greatly 
 affected, and rejoiced with these words : Worthy is the 
 Lainh that was slain. 
 
 She had several days together a sweet sense of the ex- 
 cellency and loveliness of Christ in his meekness, which 
 disposed her continually to be repeating over these 
 words, which were sweet to her, meek and lowly in 
 
 HEART, meek AND LOWLY IN HEART. She OUCO exprOSSod 
 
 herself to one of her sisters to this purpose, that she had 
 continued whole days and whole nights, in a constant 
 ravishing view of the glory of God and Christ, having en- 
 joyed as much as her life could bear. Once as her bro- 
 ther was speaking of the dying love of Christ, she told 
 him that she had such a sense of it that the mere men- 
 tioning it was ready to overcome her. 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 79 
 
 Once when she came to me, she told how that at such 
 and such a time she thought she saw as much of God, and 
 had as much joy and pleasure as was possible in this life, 
 and yet that afterwards God discovered himself far more 
 abundantly, and she saw the same things that she had 
 seen before, yet more clearly, and in another and far 
 more excellent and delightful manner, and was filled 
 with a more exceeding joy. She likewise gave me such 
 an account of the sense she once had from day to day of 
 the glory of Christ and of God in his various attributes, 
 that it seemed to me she dwelt for days together in a kind 
 of beatific vision of God, and seemed to have, as I thought, 
 as immediate an intercourse with him as a child with a 
 father ; and at the same time she appeared most remote 
 from any high thoughts of herself or of her own suf- 
 ficiency, but was like a little child, and expressed a great 
 desire to be instructed, telling me that she longed very 
 often to come to me for instruction, and wanted to live at 
 my house that I might tell her her duty. 
 
 She often expressed a sense of the glory of God ap- 
 pearing in the trees and growth of the fields, and other 
 works of God's hands. She told her sister that lived near 
 the heart of the town, that she once thought it a pleasant 
 thing to live in the middle of the town, but now, said 
 she, I think it much more pleasant to sit and see the 
 wind blowing the trees, and to l^ehold in the country 
 what God has made. She had sometimes the powerful 
 breathings of the Spirit of God on her soul while read- 
 ing the Scripture, and would express a sense that she 
 had of the certain truth and divinity thereof. She some- 
 times would appear with a pleasant smile on her coun- 
 tenance : and once when her sister took notice of it, and 
 
80 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 asked why she smiled, she replied, I am brimful of a 
 sweet feeling within ! She often used to express how 
 good and sweet it was to lie low before God ; and the 
 lower, said she, the better ! and that it was pleasant to 
 think of lying in the dust all the days of her life mourn- 
 ing for sin. She was wont to manifest a great sense of her 
 own meanness and dependence. She often expressed an 
 exceeding compassion and pitiful love which she found 
 in her heart towards persons in a christless condition, 
 which was sometimes so strong, that as she was passing 
 by such in the streets, or those that she feared were such, 
 she would be overcome by the sight of them. She once 
 said that she longed to have the whole world saved ; she 
 wanted, as it were, to pull them all to her — she could not 
 bear to have one lost. 
 
 She had great longings to die, that she might be with 
 Christ, which increased till she thought she did not know 
 how to be patient to wait till God's time should come. 
 But once, when she felt those longings, she thought with 
 herself, if I long to die, why do I go to physicians 1 
 Whence she concluded that her longings for death were 
 not well regulated. After this she often put it to herself 
 which she should choose, whether to live or die, to be 
 sick or to be well, and she found she could not tell, till at 
 last she found herself disposed to say these words : " I 
 am quite willing to live, and quite willing to die ; quite 
 willing to be sick, and quite willing to be well ; and quite 
 willing for any thing that God will bring upon me." And 
 then, said she, I felt myself perfectly easy in a full sub- 
 mission to the will of God. She then lamented much 
 that she had been so eager in her longings for death, as 
 it argued the want of an entire resignation to God. She 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 81 
 
 seemed henceforward to continue in this resigned frame 
 till death. 
 
 After this her illness increased upon her ; and once, 
 after she had before spent the greater part of the night 
 in extreme pain, she awaked out of a little sleep with 
 these words in her heart and mouth : ** I am willing to 
 suffer for Christ's sake ; I am willing to spend and be 
 spent for Christ's sake ; I am willing to spend my life, 
 even my very life for Christ's sake !" And though she 
 had an extraordinary resignation with respect to life or 
 death, yet the thoughts of dying were exceeding sweet 
 to her. At a time when her brother was reading in Job, 
 *•' Though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall 
 I see God," she appeared with a pleasant smile, and be- 
 ing inquired of about it, she said it was sweet to her to 
 think of her being in such circumstances. At another 
 time when her brother mentioned to her the danger there 
 seemed to be that her present illness might be the occa- 
 sion of her death, it filled her with joy that almost over- 
 came her. At another time, when she met a company fol- 
 lowing the body- of one departed to the grave, she said it 
 was sweet to her to think that they would in a little time 
 follow her in like manner. 
 
 Her illness, in the latter part of it, was seated much 
 in her throat, and swelling inward she could swallow no- 
 thing but what was perfectly liquid, and very little of that, 
 and with great and long strugglings and strangling?, that 
 which she took in flying out at her nostrils, till she at last 
 could swallow nothing at all : she had a raging appetite 
 for food, so that she told her sister, when talking with her 
 about her circumstances, that the worst bit she threw to 
 her swine would be sweet to her ; but yet when she saw 
 
82 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 that she could not swallow it, she seemed to be as per- 
 fectly contented without it as if she had no appetite for 
 it. Others were greatly moved to see what she suffered, 
 and were filled with admiration at her unexampled pa- 
 tience. At a time when she was striving in vain to get 
 down a little food, and was very much spent with it, she 
 looked upon her sister with a smile, saying, ** O sister, 
 this is for my good !" At another time when her sister 
 was speaking of what she suffered, she told her that she 
 lived a heaven upon earth for all that. She used some- 
 times to say to her sister, under her extreme sufferings, 
 " It is good to be so." Her sister once asked her why she 
 said so. She replied, " Because God would have it so ; 
 j^* . , it is best that things should be as God would have them ; 
 •jj it looks best to me." After her confinement, as they were 
 
 i''^y leading her from the bed to the door, she seemed over- 
 j>^ tJ^ v^ome by the sight of things abroad, as shov/ing forth the 
 ^^V'^ glory of the Being that had made them. As she lay on 
 fo'^ ' her death-bed she would often say these words : "God 
 is my friend!" And once, looking upon her sister with a 
 smile, she said, *' O sister, how good it is ! How sweet 
 and comfortable it is to consider and think of heavenly 
 things !" And she used this argument to persuade her sis- 
 ter to be much in such meditation. 
 
 She expressed on her death-bed an exceeding longing 
 
 both for persons in a natural state, that they might be 
 
 c »/^^ converted, and for the godly, that they might see and 
 
 ^r<^*^ftO-'know more of God. And when those that looked on 
 
 ^ ^^jLr themselves as in a christless state came to see her, she 
 
 '^^'-A^'^^' would be greatly moved with compassionate affection. 
 
 One in particular that seemed to be in great distress 
 
 about the state of her soul, and had come to see her from 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 83 
 
 time to time, she desii^ed her sister to persuade not to 
 come any more, because the sight of her so wrought 
 on her compassion that it overcame her nature. The 
 same week that she died, when she was in distressing 
 circumstances as to her body, some of the neighbors that 
 came to see her asked if she was willing to die 1 She 
 replied that she was " quite willing either to live or die ; 
 she was willing to be in pain ; she was willing to be so 
 always as she was then, if that was the will of God. She 
 willed what God willed." They asked her whether she 
 was willing to die that night. She answered, *' Yes, if it 
 be God's will;" and seemed to speak all with such a per- 
 fect composure of spirit, and with such a cheerful and 
 pleasant countenance, that it filled them with admiration. 
 She was very weak a considerable time before she 
 died, having pined away with famine and thirst, so that 
 her flesh seemed to be dried upon her bones, and there- 
 fore could say but little, and manifested her mind very 
 much by signs. She said she had matter enough to fill up 
 all her time with conversation, if she had but strength. A 
 few days before her death some asked her whether she 
 held her integrity still ] Whether she was not afraid of 
 death 1 She answered to this purpose, that she had not 
 the least degree of fear of death. They asked her why 
 she would be so confident 1 She answered, " If I should 
 say otherwise, I should speak contrary to what I know ; 
 there is indeed a dark entry that looks something dark, 
 but on the other side there appears such a bright shining 
 lio-ht that I cannot be afraid !" She said, not long before 
 she died, that she used to be afraid how she should grap- 
 ple with death; but added, **God has showed me that 
 he can make it easy in great pain." Several days before 
 
84 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 she died she could scarcely say any thing but yes and 
 no to questions that were asked her, for she seemed to 
 be dying for three days together ; but seemed to con- 
 tinue in an admirably sweet composure of soul, without 
 any interruption, to the last, and died as a person that 
 went to sleep, without any struggling, about noon, on 
 Friday, June 27, 1735. 
 
 She had long been infirm, and often had been exer- 
 cised with great pain ; but she died chiefly of famine. 
 It was, doubtless, partly owing to her bodily weakness 
 that her nature was often overcome, and ready to sink 
 with gracious affection ; but yet the truth was, that she 
 had more grace, and greater discoveries of God and 
 Christ, than the present frail state did well consist with. 
 She wanted to be where strong grace might have more 
 liberty, and be without the clog of a weak body ; there 
 she longed to be, and there she doubtless now is. She 
 was looked upon among us as a very eminent instance of 
 Christian experience ; but this is a very broken and im- 
 perfect account I "have given of her : her eminence would 
 much more appear, if her experiences were fully related 
 as she was wont to express and manifest them while 
 living. I once read this account to some of her pious 
 neighbors who were acquainted with her, who said to 
 this purpose, that the picture fell much short of the life, 
 and particularly that it much failed of duly representing 
 her humility, and that admirable lowliness of heart that 
 at all times appeared in her. But there are (blessed be 
 God !) many living instances of much the Vike nature, 
 and in some things no less extraordinary. 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 85 
 
 CONVERSION OF PHEBE BARTLET. 
 
 I now proceed to the other instance that 1 would give 
 an account of, which is of the little child forementioned 
 Her name is Phebe Bartlet, daughter of William 
 Bartlet. I shall give the account as I took it from the 
 mouth of her parents, whose veracity none that know 
 them doubt of. 
 
 She was born in March, in the year 1731. About the 
 latter end of April, or the beginning of May, 1735, she 
 was greatly affected by the talk of her brother, who had 
 been hopefully converted a little before, at about eleven 
 years of age, and then seriously talked to her about the 
 great things of religion. Her parents did not know of it 
 at that time, and v/ere not wont, in the counsels they 
 gave to their children, particularly to direct themselves 
 to her, by reason of her being so young, and, as they 
 supp'osed, not capable of understanding ; but after her 
 brother had talked to her, they observed her very ear- 
 nestly to listen to the advice they gave to the other chil- 
 dren, and she was observed very constantly to retire, se- 
 veral times in a day, as was concluded for secret prayer, 
 and grew more and more engaged in religion, and was 
 more frequently in her closet, till at last she was wont to 
 visit it five or six times in a day, and was so engaged in 
 it that nothing would at any time divert her from her 
 stated closet exercises. Her mother often observed and 
 watched her, when such things occurred as she thought 
 most likely to divert her, either by putting it out of her 
 thoughts or otherwise engaging her inclinations, but 
 never could observe her to fail. She mentioned some 
 very remarkable instances. 
 
ob NARRATIVE OP 
 
 She once, of her own accord, spoke of her want of 
 success, in that she could not find God, or to that pur- 
 pose. But on Thursday, the last day of July, about the 
 middle of the day, the child being in the closet where it 
 used to retire, its mother heard it speaking aloud, which 
 was unusual, and never had been observed before ; and 
 her voice seemed to be as of one exceeding importunate 
 and engaged, but her mother could distinctly hear only 
 these words (spoken in her childish manner, but which 
 seemed to be spoken with extraordinary earnestness and 
 out of distress of soul,) " Pray, blessed Lord, give me 
 salvation ! I pray, beg, pardon all my sins !" When the 
 child had done prayer she came out of the closet, and 
 came and sat down by her mother, and cried out aloud. 
 Her mother very earnestly asked her several times what 
 the matter was before she would make any answer, but 
 she continued crying, and wreathing her body to and fro 
 like one in anguish of spirit. Her mother then asked her 
 whether she was afraid that God would not give her sal- 
 vation. She answered, " Yes, I am afraid I shall go to'^ 
 hell !" Her mother then endeavored to quiet her, and 
 told her she would not have her cry ; she must be a good 
 girl, and pray every day, and she hoped God would give 
 her salvation. But this did not quiet her at all — but she 
 continued thus earnestly crying for some time, till at 
 length she suddenly ceased crying and began to smile, 
 and presently said, with a smiling countenance, " Mother, 
 the kingdom of heaven is come to me !" Her mother 
 was surprised at the sudden alteration, and at the speech, 
 and knew not what to make of it, but at first said nothing 
 to her. The child presently spoke again, and said, 
 " There is another come to me, and there is another— 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 87 
 
 there is three ;" and being asked what she meant, she 
 answered, " One is, iliy will he done, and there is another, 
 enjoy him for ever ;'^ by which it seems that when the 
 child said there is three come to me, she meant three 
 passages of her catechism that came to her mind. 
 
 After the child had said this she retired again into her 
 closet, and her mother went over to her brother's, who 
 was next neighbor; and when she came back, the child 
 being come out of the closet, met her mother with this 
 cheerful speech, " I can find God now !" referring to 
 what she had before complained of that she could not 
 find God. Then the child spoke again, and said, " I love 
 God!" Her mother asked her how well she loved God, 
 whether she loved God better than her father and mother: 
 she said " Yes." Then she asked her whether she loved 
 God better than her little sister Rachel : she answered, 
 *' Yes, better than any thing !" Then her eldest sister, 
 referring to her saying she could find God now, asked 
 her where she could find God ; she answered, ** In hea- 
 ven." Why, said she, have you been in heaven 1 *' No," 
 said the child. By this it seems not to have been any 
 imagination of any thing seen with bodily eyes that she 
 called God, when she said I can find God now. Her 
 mother asked her whether she was afraid of going to 
 hell, and if it was that that had made her cry. She an- 
 swered, "Yes, I was ; but now I shall not." Her mother 
 asked her whether she thought that God had given her 
 salvation : she answered, " Yes." Her mother asked 
 her when : she answered, " To-day." She appeared all 
 that afternoon exceeding cheerful and joyful. One of the 
 neighbors asked her how she felt herself? She answer- 
 ed, " I feel better than I did." The neighbor asked her 
 
S8 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 what made her feel better ; she answered, " God makes 
 me." That evening as she lay in bed, she called one of 
 her little cousins to her that was present in the room, as 
 having something to say to him ; and when he came she 
 told him that heaven was better than earth. The next 
 day being Friday, her mother in examining her in her 
 catechism, asked her what God made her for ; she an- 
 swered, " To serve him ;" and added, *' every body should 
 serve God and get an interest in Christ." 
 
 The same day the elder children when they came 
 home from school seemed much affected with the extra- 
 ordinary change that seemed to be made in Phebe ; and 
 her sister Abigail standing by, her mother took occasion 
 to counsel her now to improve her time to prepare for 
 another world ; on which Phebe burst into tears, and 
 cried out "Poor Nabby!" Her mother told her she 
 would not have her cry, she hoped that God would give 
 Nabby salvation : but that did not quiet her, but she con- 
 tinued earnestly crying for some time ; and when she 
 had in a measure ceased, her sister Eunice being by her, 
 she burst out again, and cried ** Poor Eunice !" and cried 
 exceedingly ; and when she had almost done she went 
 into another room and there looked upon her sister Na- 
 omi, and burst out again crying " Poor Amy !" Her 
 mother was greatly affected at such a behavior in the 
 child, and knew not what to say to her. One of the 
 neighbors coming in a little after asked her what she had 
 cried for. She seemed, at first, backward to tell the rea- 
 son : her mother told her she might tell that person ; 
 upon which she said she " cried because she was afraid 
 they would go to hell." 
 
 At night a certain minister that was occasionally in the 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 89 
 
 town was at the house, and talked considerably with her 
 of the things of religion ; and after he was gone, she sat 
 leaning on the table, with tears falling from her eyes ; 
 and being asked what made her cry, she said it was 
 " thinking about God." The next day being Saturday, 
 she seemed a great part of the day to be in a very affec- 
 tionate frame, had four turns of crying, and seemed to 
 endeavor to curb herself and hide her tears, and was 
 very backward to talk of the occasion of it. On the Sab- 
 bath she was asked whether she believed in God ; she 
 answered yes ; and being told that Christ was the Son of 
 God, she made ready answer, and said I know it. 
 
 From this time there has appeared a very remarkable 
 abiding change in the child : she has been very strict 
 upon the Sabbath, and seems to long for the Sabbath-day 
 before it comes, and will often in the week-time be in- 
 quiring how long it is to the Sabbath-day, and must have 
 the days particularly counted over that are between be- 
 fore she will be contented. And she seems to love God's 
 house, and is very eager to go thither. Her mother once 
 asked her why she had such a mind to go ] Whether it 
 was not to see fine folks 1 She said no, it was to hear Mr. 
 Edwards preach. When she is in the place of worship. 
 she is very far from spending her time there as children 
 at her age usually do, but appears with an attention that 
 is very extraordinary for such a child. She also appears 
 very desirous at all opportunities to go to private reli- 
 gious meetings, and is very still and attentive at home in 
 prayer time, and has appeared affected in time of family 
 prayer. She seems to delight much in hearing religious 
 conversation. When I once was there with some others 
 that were strangers, and talked to her something of reli- 
 
90 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 gion, she seemed more than ordinarily attentive ; and 
 when w^e were gone, she looked out very wistfully after 
 us, and said, *' I wish they would come again!" Her 
 mother asked her why : says she, " I love to hear them 
 talk !" 
 
 She seems to have very much of the fear of God before 
 her eyes, and an extraordinary dread of sin against him ; 
 of which her mother mentioned the following remarkable 
 instance. Some time in August, the last year, she went 
 with some larger children to get some plums in a neigh- 
 bor's lot, knowing nothing of any harm in what she did ; 
 but when she brought some of the plums into the house 
 her mother mildly reproved her, and told her that she 
 must not get plums without leave, because it was sin ; 
 God had commanded her not to steal. The child seemed 
 greatly surprised, and burst into tears, and cried out — " I 
 will not have these plums !" And turning to her sister 
 Eunice, very earnestly said to her — "Why did you ask 
 me to go to that plum-tree ] I should not have gone it 
 you had not asked me." The other children did not 
 seem to be much affected or concerned ; but there was 
 no pacifying Phebe. Her mother told her she might go 
 and ask leave, and then it would not be sin for her to 
 eat them, and sent one of the children to that end ; and 
 when she returned, her mother told her that as the owner 
 had given leave, now she might eat them, and it would 
 not be stealing. This stilled her a little while, but pre- 
 sently she broke out again into an exceeding fit of crying. 
 Her mother asked her what made her cry again ] why 
 she cried now, since they had asked leave ? what it was 
 that troubled her now 1 and asked her several times 
 very earnestly, before she made any answer ; but at last 
 
THE WORK OF ODD. 91 
 
 said it was because — " because it was sin." She con- 
 tinued a considerable time crying, and said she would 
 not go again if Eunice asked her a hundred times ; and 
 she retained her aversion to that fruit for a considerable 
 time, under the remembrance of her former sin. 
 
 She, at some times, appeared greatly affected and de- 
 lighted with texts of Scripture that came to her mind. 
 Particularly about the beginning of November, the last 
 year, that text came to her mind, Rev. 3 : 20, Behold I 
 stand at the door and knock : if any man hear my xoice^ 
 and open the door, I tvill come in, and sup with him and he 
 with me. She spoke of it to those of the family, with a 
 great appearance of joy, a smiling countenance, and ele- 
 vation of voice ; and afterwards she went into another 
 room, where her mother overheard her talking very 
 earnestly to the children about it, and particularly heard 
 her say to them, three or four times over, with an air of 
 exceeding joy and admiration — " Why it is to sup with 
 God." At some time about the middle of winter, very 
 late in the night, when all were in bed, her mother per- 
 ceived that she was awake, and heard her as though she 
 was weeping. She called to her, and asked what was the 
 matter. She answered with a low voice, so that her mo- 
 ther could not hear what she said ; but thinking it might 
 be occasioned by some spiritual affection, she said no more 
 to her ; but perceived her to lie awake, and to continue in 
 the same frame for a considerable time. The next morn- 
 ing she asked her whether she did not cry the last night ; 
 the child answered *' Yes, I did cry a little, for I was think- 
 ing about God and Christ, and they loved me." Her mo- 
 ther asked her, whether to think of God and Christ's lov- 
 ing her made her cry : she answered ''Yes, it does some- 
 times." 
 
92 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 She has often manifested a great concern for the good 
 of other souls, and has been wont many times affection- 
 ately to counsel the other children. Once about the lat- 
 ter end of September, the last year, when she and some 
 others of the children were in a room by themselves 
 husking Indian corn, the child, after a while, came out 
 and sat by the fire. Her mother took notice that she ap- 
 peared with a more than ordinary serious and pensive 
 countenance, but at last she broke silence and said, '* I 
 have been talking to Nabby and Eunice." Her mother 
 asked her what she had said to them. Why, said she, '* I 
 told them they must pray, and prepare to die ; that they 
 had but a little while to live in this world, and they must 
 be always ready." AVhen Nabby came out her mother 
 asked her whether she had said that to them. Yes, said 
 she, she said that and a great deal more. At other times 
 the child took her opportunities to talk to the other chil- 
 dren about the great concern of their souls ; sometimes 
 so as much to affect them, even to tears. She was once 
 exceeding importunate with her mother to go with her 
 sister Naomi to pray : her mother endeavored to put her 
 off, but she pulled her by the sleeve and seemed as if she 
 would by no means be denied. At last her mother told 
 her that Amy must go and pray herself; but, said the 
 child, she will not go, and persisted earnestly to beg of 
 her mother to go with her. 
 
 She has discovered an uncommon degree of a spirit of 
 charity, particularly on the following occasion : A poor 
 man that lives in the woods had lost a cow that the 
 family much depended on, and being at the house, he was 
 relating his misfortune and telling of the straits and diffi- 
 culties they were reduced to by it. She took much notice 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 93 
 
 of it, and it wrought exceedingly on her compassion ; and 
 after she had attentively heard him awhile, she went 
 away to her father, who was in the shop, and entreated 
 him to give that man a cow ; and told him that the poor 
 man had no cow ! that the hunters or something else 
 had killed his cow ! and entreated him to give him one 
 of theirs. Her father told her that they could not spare one. 
 Then she entreated him to let him and his family come 
 and live at his house ; and had much talk of the same 
 nature, whereby she manifested compassion to the poor. 
 She has manifested great love to her minister; parti- 
 cularly when I returned from my long journey for my 
 health last fall : when she heard of it she appeared very 
 joyful at the news, and told the children of it with an 
 elevated voice, as the most joyful tidings, repeating it 
 over and over, " Mr. Edwards is come home ! Mr. Ed- 
 wards is come home !" She still continues very constant 
 in secret prayer, so far as can be observed (for she seems 
 to have no desire that others should observe her when 
 she retires, but seems to be a child of a reserved temper,) 
 and every night before she goes to bed will say her cate- 
 chism, and will by no means miss of it : she never forgot 
 it but once, and then after she was abed thought of it, and 
 cried out in tears, " I have not said my catechism !" and 
 would not be quieted till her mother asked her the cate- 
 chism as she lay in bed. She sometimes appears to be in 
 doubt about the condition of her soul, and when asked 
 whether she thinks that she is prepared for death, speaks 
 something doubtfully about it : at other times seems to 
 have no doubt, but when asked, replied yes, without 
 hesitation.* 
 
 * This child adorned religion in future life. She married Mr. Noah Par- 
 sons, and died triumphantly at the age of about 70. 
 
94 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 GRADUAL WITHDRAWING OF THE SPIRIT. 
 
 In the former part of this gi'eat work of God amongst 
 us, till it got to its height, we seemed to be wonderfully- 
 smiled upon and blessed in all respects. Satan (as has 
 been already observed) seemed to be unusually restrain- 
 ed ; persons that before had been involved in melancholy 
 seemed to be as it were waked up out of it, and those 
 that had been entangled with extraordinary temptations 
 seemed wonderfully to be set at liberty, and not only so, 
 but it was the most remarkable time of health that ever I 
 knew since I have been in the town. We ordinarily 
 have several bills put up every Sabbath for persons that 
 are sick, but now we had not so much as one for many 
 Sabbaths together. But after this it seemed to be other- 
 wise, when this work of God appeared to be at its great- 
 est height. A poor weak man that belongs to the town, 
 being in great spiritual trouble, was hurried with violent 
 temptations to cut his own throat, and made an attempt, 
 but did not do it effectually. He after this continued a 
 considerable time exceedingly overwhelmed with melan- 
 choly, but has now, of a long time, been very greatly de- 
 livered by the light of God's countenance lifted up upon 
 him, and has expressed a great sense of his sin in so far 
 yielding to temptation, and there are in him all hopeful 
 evidences of his having been made a subject of saving 
 mercy. 
 
 In the latter part of May it began to be very sensible 
 that the Spirit of God was gradually withdrawing from 
 us, and after this time Satan seemed to be more let loose, 
 and raged in a dreadful manner. The first instance 
 wherein it appeared, was a person's putting an end to 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 95 
 
 his own life by cutting his throat. He was a gentleman 
 of more than common understanding, of strict morals, re- 
 ligious in his behavior, and a useful, honorable person 
 in the town ; but was of a family that are exceedingly 
 prone to the disease of melancholy, and his mother was 
 killed with it. He had, from the beginning of this ex- 
 traordinary time, been exceedingly concerned about the 
 state of his soul, and there were some things in his ex- 
 perience that appeared very hopeful, but he durst enter- 
 tain no hope concerning his own good estate. Towards 
 the latter part of his time he grew much discouraged, 
 and melancholy grew amain upon him, till he was wholly 
 overpowered by it, and was, in great measure, past a 
 capacity of receiving advice, or being reasoned with to 
 any purpose : the devil took the advantage, and drove him 
 into despairing thoughts. He was kept awake at nights 
 meditating terror, so that he had scarce any sleep at all 
 for a long time together. And it was observable at last 
 that he was scarcely capable of managing his ordinary 
 business, and was judged delirious by the coroner's in- 
 quest. The news of this extraordinarily affected the 
 minds of people here, and struck them as it were with 
 astonishment. After this, multitudes in this and other 
 towns seemed to have it strongly suggested to them, and 
 pressed upon them, to do as this person had done. And 
 many that seemed to be under no melancholy, some 
 pious persons that had no special darkness or doubts 
 about the goodness of their state, nor were under any 
 special trouble or concern of mind about any thing spirit- 
 ual or temporal, yet had it urged upon them, as if some- 
 body had spoken to them, Cut your own throat, now is 
 a good opportunity. Now ! Now ! So that they were 
 
96 NARRATIVE OP 
 
 obliged to fight with all their might to resist it, and yet 
 no reason was suggested to them why they should do it. 
 
 About the same time there were two remarkable in- 
 stances of persons led away with strange enthusiastic 
 delusions ; one at Suffield and another at South Hadley : 
 that which has made the greatest noise in the country 
 was of the man at South Hadley, whose delusion was, 
 that he thought himself divinely instructed to direct a 
 poor man in melancholy and despairing circumstances, 
 to say certain words in prayer to God, as recorded in 
 Psalm 116 : 4, for his own relief. The man is esteemed 
 a pious man : I have, since this error of his, had a parti- 
 cular acquaintance with him, and I believe none would 
 question his piety that had had such an acquaintance. 
 He gave me a particular account of the manner how he 
 was deluded, which is too long to be here inserted. But 
 in short, he was exceedingly rejoiced and elevated with 
 this extraordinary work, so carried on in this part of the 
 country, and w^as possessed with an opinion that it was 
 the beginning of the glorious times of the church spoken 
 of in Scripture : and had read it as the opinion of some 
 divines, that there would be many in these times that 
 should be endued with extraordinary gifts of the Holy 
 Ghost, and had embraced the notion ; though he had at 
 first no apprehensions that any besides ministers would 
 have such gifts. But he since exceedingly laments the 
 dishonor he has done to God, and the wound he has 
 given religion in it, and has lain low before God and 
 man for it. 
 
 After these things the instances of conversion were 
 rare here in comparison of what they had before been, 
 (though that remarkable instance of the little child was 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 97 
 
 after this ;) and the Spirit of God after that time appear- 
 ed very sensibly withdrawing from all parts of the coun- 
 ty (though we have heard of its going on in some places 
 of Connecticut, and that it continues to be carried on 
 even to this day.) But religion remained here, and, I be- 
 lieve in some other places, the main subject of conversa- 
 tion for several months after this. And there were some 
 turns, wherein God's work seemed in a degree to revive, 
 and we were ready to hope that all was going to be re- 
 newed again ; yet in the main there was a gradual de- 
 cline of that general, engaged, lively spirit in religion 
 which had been before. Several things have happened 
 since that which have diverted people's minds and turned 
 conversation more to other affairs, as particularly his 
 Excellency the Governor's coming up, and the Commit- 
 tee of the General Court, an the treaty with the Indians ; 
 and afterwards the Springfield controversy; and since 
 that, our people in this town have been engaged in the 
 building of a new meeting-house ; and some other occur- 
 rences might be mentioned that have seemed to have 
 this effect. 
 
 But as to those that have been thought to be converted 
 among us in this time, they generally seem to be persons 
 that have had an abiding change wrought in them. I 
 have had particular acquaintance with many of them 
 since, and they generally appear to'be persons that have 
 a new sense of things, new apprehensions and views of 
 God, of the divine attributes, of Jesus Christ, and the 
 great things of the Gospel : they have a new sense of ' 
 the truth of them, and they affect them in a new man- 
 ner ; though it is very far from being always alike with 
 them, neither can they revive a sense of things when . 
 
 Hevival of Rcl. 5 
 
98 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 tliey please. Their hearts are often touched, and some- 
 times filled with new sweetness and delight ; there 
 seems to be an inward ardor and burning of heart that 
 they express, such as they never experienced before ; 
 sometimes, perhaps, occasioned only by the mention of 
 Christ's name, or some one of the divine perfections : 
 there are new appetites and a new kind of breathings 
 and pantings of heart, and groanings that cannot be utter- 
 ed. There is a new kind of inward labor and struggle of 
 soul towards heaven and holiness. 
 
 Some that before were very rough in their temper 
 and manners, seem to be remarkably softened and sweet- 
 ened. And some have had their souls exceedingly filled 
 and overwhelmed with light, love, and comfort, long 
 since the work of God has ceased to be so remarkably 
 carried on in a general way ; and some have had much 
 greater experiences of this nature than they had before. 
 And there is still a great deal of religious conversation 
 continued in the town, among young and old; a reli- 
 gious disposition appears to be still maintained amongst 
 our people, by their upholding frequent private religious 
 meetings; and all classes are generally worshipping God 
 at such meetings, on Sabbath nights, and in the evening 
 after our public lecture. Many children in the town do 
 still keep up such meetings among themselves. I know 
 of no one young person in the town that has returne.djo 
 former ways of looseness and extravagance in any re- 
 spect, but w^e still remain a reformed people, and God 
 has evidently made us a new people. 
 
 I cannot say there has been no instance of any one 
 person that has so deported himself that others should 
 justly be stumbled concerning his profession; nor am I 
 
THE WORK OF GOD. 99 
 
 SO vain as to imagine that we have not been mistaken 
 concerning any that we have entertained a good opinion 
 of, or that there are none that pass amongst us for sheep 
 that are indeed wolves in sheep's clothing, who probably 
 may, some time or other, discover themselves by their 
 fruits. We are not so pure but that we have great cause 
 to be humbled and ashamed that we are so impure ; nor 
 so religious, but that those that watch for our halting may 
 see things in us whence they may take occasion to re- 
 proach us and religion ; but in the main there has been 
 a great and marvellous work of conversion and sanctifica- 
 tion among the people here, and they have paid all due 
 respect to those who have been blest of God to be the 
 instruments of it. Both old and young have shown a for- 
 wardness to hearken not only to my counsels, but even 
 to my reproofs from the pulpit. 
 
 A great part of the country have not received the most 
 favorable impressions of this work, and to this day many 
 retain a jealousy concerning it and prejudice against it. I 
 have reason to think that the meanness and weakness of 
 the instrument that has been made use of in this town 
 has prejudiced many against it ; it does not appear to 
 me strange that it should be so : but yet this circum- 
 stance of this great work of God is analogous to other 
 circumstances of it. God has so ordered the manner of 
 the work in many respects, as very signally and remarka- 
 bly to show it to be his own peculiar and immediate 
 work, and to secure the glory of it wholly to his own 
 almighty power and sovereign grace. And whatever the 
 circumstances and means have been, and thouQ:h we are 
 so unworthy, yet so hath it pleased God to work ! And 
 we are evidently a people blessed of the Lord! And 
 
100 NARRATIVE OF 
 
 here, in this corner of the world, God dwells and ma- 
 nifests his glory. 
 
 Thus, Rev. Sir, I have given a large and particular ac- 
 count of this remarkable work, and yet considering hov/ 
 manifold God's works have been amongst us, that are 
 worthy to be written, it is but a very brief one. I should 
 have sent it much sooner, had I not been greatly hinder- 
 ed by illness in my family and also in myself. It is proba- 
 bly much larger than you expected, and it may be than 
 you would have chosen. I thought that the extraordinari- 
 ness of the thing and the innumerable misrepresentations 
 which have gone abroad of it, many of which have doubt- 
 less reached your ears, made it necessary that I should be 
 particular. But I would leave it entirely with your wis- 
 dom to make what use of it you think best, to send a part 
 of it to England, or all, or none if you think it not worthy: 
 or otherwise dispose of it as you may think most for God's 
 glory and the interest of religion. If you are pleased to 
 send any thing to the Rev. Dr. Guyse, I should be glad to 
 have it signified to him as my humble desire that since he 
 and the congregation to which he preached have been 
 pleased to take so much notice of us as they have, that 
 they would also think of us at the Throne of Grace, and 
 seek there for us that God would not forsake us, but en- 
 able us to bring forth fruit answerable to our profession 
 and our mercies, and that our light may so shine before 
 men, that others, seeing our good works, may glorify our 
 Father which is in heaven. 
 
 When first I heard of the notice the Rev. Dr. Watts 
 and Dr. Guyse took of God's mercies to us, I took occa- 
 sion to inform our congregation of it in a discourse from 
 
THE WORK OP GOD. 101 
 
 these words : A city that is set upon a hill ca7inot he hid. 
 And having since seen a particular account of the notice 
 which the Rev. Dr. Guyse, and the congregation he 
 preached to, took of it in a letter you wrote to my ho- 
 nored uncle Williams, I read that part of your letter to 
 the congregation, and labored as much as in me lay to 
 enforce their duty from it. The congregation were very 
 sensibly moved and affected at both times. 
 
 I humbly request of you, Rev. Sir, your prayers for 
 this county, in its present melancholy circumstances into 
 which it is brought by the Springfield contention, which 
 doubtless, above all things that have happened, has tend- 
 ed to put a stop to the glorious work here, and to preju- 
 dice this county against it, and hinder the propagation of 
 it. I also ask your prayers for this town, and would par- 
 ticularly beg an interest in them for him who is, 
 Honored Sir, with humble respect. 
 
 Your obedient son and servant, 
 
 JONATHAN EDWARDS. 
 
 Northampton, Nov. 6, 1736. 
 
 END OF THE NARRATIVE. 
 
THOUGHTS 
 
 REYIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 NEW ENGLAND, A.D. 1740 
 
 THE WAY IN WHICH IT OUGHT TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED 
 AND PROMOTED. 
 
 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in tlie desert 
 iLigh-way for our God." — Isaiah 40 : 3 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE 
 
 AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 
 
 150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW-YORK. 
 
AD VERTISEMEN T 
 
 INSERTED IN THE WORCESTEK EDITION OF PRES. EDWAKDs' WORKS. 
 
 The occasion of the following treatise will be seen, in part, in the pre- 
 ceding narrative. The gracious influences of the Holy Spirit with which 
 Northampton was so abundantly enriched, and which spread through many 
 towns in its vicinity, were soon followed with a very extensive revival over 
 the land. An extraordinary zeal was excited in many gospel ministers. 
 Itinerants travelled the country and preached daily. They addressed their 
 crowded audiences not in the dull monotony of a mere moral lecture, but 
 in the demonstration of the Spirit, and with power. Their indefatigable 
 labors were crowned with the most desirable success. Zion put on her 
 robes of salvation. Converts to Jesus were multiplied as the drops of the 
 morning dew. Religion became almost the only subject of concern. Many 
 indulged the hope that the millennial glory was commencing. This glorious 
 work had its opposers. Advantage was taken of the errors of some of its 
 most zealous promoters to cry it down and render it altogether suspicious. 
 Mr. Edwards' design was to vindicate it as undoubtedly a work of God, 
 and among the most admirable of his triumphs over the hearts of his ene- 
 mies ; to correct errors which attended it, and to excite augmented efforts 
 for its increase. 
 
 The scene which he describes is past. Let it live however in our memo- 
 ries. Let it excite our fervent gratitude, and call forth the devout aspira- 
 tions of our souls for the spread of the victories of our glorious King in 
 these days. Let the pertinent and instructive sentiments wrought ihto the 
 treatise, the most of which are adapted to every condition in which the 
 church and the individual believer can be placed, take deep hold of our 
 hearts and be carried out in their proper effects in our lives. 
 
 This work had a second edition in Scotland soon after it was first pub- 
 lished in this country. 
 
THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 In tlie ensuing treatise, I condemn ministers assuming, or tak- 
 ing too much upon them, and appearing as though they supposed 
 that they were the persons to whom it especially belonged to 
 dictate, direct, and detennine ; but perhaps shall be thought to 
 be veiy guilty of it myself: and some, when they read this trea- 
 tise, may be ready to say that I condemn this in others, that I 
 may have the monopoly of it. I confess that I have taken great 
 liberty freely to express my thoughts concerning almost every 
 thing appertaining to the wonderful work of God that has of 
 late been carried on in the land, and to declare what has appear- 
 ed to me to be the mind of God concerning the duty and obhga- 
 tions of all classes of persons, and even those that are my supe- 
 riors and fathers, ministers of the Gospel, and ci\dl rulers. But 
 yet I hope the liberty I have taken is not greater than can be 
 justified. In this nation, such liberty of the press is allowed, that 
 every author takes leave, without offence, freely to speak his 
 opinion concerning the management of public affairs, and the 
 duty of the legislature, and those that are at the head of the ad- 
 ministration, though vastly his superiors : as now at this day, 
 private subjects offer their sentiments to the public, from the 
 press, concerning the management of the war with Spain ; freely 
 declaring what they think to be the duty of Parliament and the 
 principal ministers of state. 
 
 We in New England are at this day engaged in a more im- 
 portant war ; and I am sure, if we consider the sad janghng and 
 confusion that has attended it, we shall confess that it is highly 
 requisite that somebody should speak his mind concerning the 
 way in which it ought to be managed ; and that not only a few 
 of the many particulars that are the matter of strife in the land, 
 should be debated, on the one side and the other, in pamphlets 
 (as has of late been done with heat and fierceness enough) which 
 does not tend to bring the contention in general to an end, but 
 rather to inflame it, and increase the uproar ; but that something 
 
 5* 
 
106 THE author's preface. 
 
 should be published to bring the work in general, and the many 
 things that attend it that are the subjects of debate, under a par- 
 ticular consideration. Certainly it is high time that this was 
 done. 
 
 If private persons may speak their minds without aiTogance, 
 much more may a minister of the kingdom of Christ speak freely 
 about things of this nature, which do so nearly concern the inte- 
 rest of the kingdom of his Lord and Master at so important a 
 juncture. If some elder minister had undertaken this, I acknow- 
 ledge it would have been more proper ; but I have heard of no 
 such thing doing, or like to be done. I hope therefore I shall be 
 excused for undertaking such a piece of work. I think nothing 
 that I have said can justly be interpreted as though I would im- 
 pose my thoughts upon any, or did not suppose that others have 
 equal right to think for themselves, with myself. We are not 
 accountable one to another for our thoughts ; but we must all 
 give an account to Him who searches our hearts, and has doubt- 
 less his eye especially upon us at such an extraordinary season 
 as this. If I have well confirmed my opinion concerning this 
 work, and the way in which it should be acknowledged and pro- 
 moted, with Scripture and reason, I hope others that read it will 
 receive it as a manifestation of the mind and will of God. If 
 others would hold forth further hght to me in any of these par- 
 ticulars, I hope I should thankfully receive it. I think I have 
 been made in some measure sensible, and much more of late than 
 formerly, of my need of more wisdom than I have. I make it 
 my rule to lay hold of light and embrace it wherever I see it, 
 though held forth by a child or an enemy. If I have assumed too 
 much in the follo^ving discourse, and have spoken in a manner 
 that savors of a spirit of pride, no wonder that others can better 
 discern it than I mj^self. If it be so, I ask pardon, and beg the 
 praj^ers of every Christian reader that I may have more light, 
 humility and zeal ; and that I may be favored with such mea- 
 sures of the divine Spirit as a minister of the Gospel stands in 
 need of at such an extraordinary season. 
 
REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 IN 
 
 NEW ENGLAND. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 SHOWING THAT THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK THAT HAS OF LATE 
 BEEN GOING ON IN THIS LAND IS A GLORIOUS WORK OF GOD. 
 
 The ERROR of those v^ho have had ill thoughts of the 
 great religious operations on the minds of men that have 
 been carried on of late in New England (so far as the 
 ground of such an error has been in the understanding, 
 and not in the disposition-,) seems fundamentally to lie 
 in three things : 1. In judging of this work a priori. 
 2. In not taking the Holy Scriptures as a whole rule 
 whereby to judge of such operations. 3. In not justly 
 separating and distinguishing the good from the bad. 
 
 1, Error in judging of this work a priori. 
 Some have greatly erred in the way in which they 
 have gone about to try this work, whether it be a work 
 of the Spirit of God, by judging of it a priori, from the 
 way that it began, the instruments t-hat have been employ- 
 ed, the means that have been made use of, and the methods 
 that have been taken and succeeded in carrying it on. 
 Whereas, if we duly consider the matter, it will evident- 
 ly appear that such a work is not to be judged of a priori, 
 but a posteriori : we are to observe the effect wrought ; 
 and if, upon examination of it, it be found to be agree- 
 
108 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 able to the word of God, we are bound, without more 
 ado, to rest in it as God's work ; and shall be like to 
 be rebuked for our arrogance, if we refuse so to do 
 till God shall explain to us how he has brought this effect 
 to pass, or why he has made use of such and such means 
 in doing it. 
 
 These texts are enough to cause us with trembling to 
 forbear such a way of proceeding in judging of a work 
 of God's Spirit : " Who hath directed the Spirit of the 
 Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him % With 
 whom took he counsel % And who instructed him, and 
 who taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him 
 knowledge, and showed to him the way of understand- 
 in o- ?" " The wind bloweth where it listeth ; and thou 
 hearest the sound thereof; but canst not tell whence it 
 cometh, and whither it goeth." Isa. 40 : 13, 14 ; John, 
 3 : 8. We hear the sound, we perceive the effect, and 
 from thence we judge that the wind does indeed blow ; 
 without waiting, before we pass this judgment, first to 
 be satisfied what should be the cause of the wind's blow- 
 in or from such a part of the heavens, and how it should 
 come to pass that it should blow in such a manner, at 
 such a time. 
 
 To judge a priori, is a wrong way of judging of any of 
 the works of God. We are not to resolve that we will 
 first be satisfied liow God brought this or the other ef- 
 fect to pass, and why he hath made it thus, or why it has 
 pleased him to take such a course, and to use such and 
 such means, before we will acknowledge his work and 
 give him the glory of it. This is too much for the day 
 to take upon it with respect to the Potter. God gives 
 not account of his matters : his judgments are a great 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 109 
 
 deep : he hath his way in the sea, and his path in the 
 great waters, and his footsteps are not known ; and who 
 shall teach God knowledge, or enjoin him his way, or 
 say unto him, what doest thou ? We know not what is 
 the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the 
 womb of her that is with child ; even so we know not 
 the works of God who maketh all. No wonder, there- 
 fore, if those that go this forbidden way to work in judg- 
 ing of the present wonderful operation, are perplexed 
 and confounded. We ought to take heed that we do 
 not expose ourselves to the calamity of those who pried 
 into the ark of God, when God mercifully returned it to 
 Israel after it had departed from them. 
 
 Indeed God has not taken that course, nor made use 
 of those means to begin and carry on this great work, 
 which men in their wisdom .would have thought most ad- 
 visable, if he had asked their counsel ; but quite the con- 
 trary. But it appears to me that the great God has 
 wrought like himself, in the manner of his carrying on 
 this work ; so as very much to show his own glory, and 
 exalt his own sovereignty, power, and all-sufficiency, and 
 pour contempt on all that human strength, wisdom, pru- 
 dence and sufficiency that men have been wont to trust, 
 and to glory in ; so as greatly to cross, rebuke, and chas- 
 tise the pride and other corruptions of men ; in a fulfil- 
 ment of Isa. 2 : 17 : "And the loftiness of man shall be 
 bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made 
 low, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day." 
 God doeth thus, in intermingling in his providence so 
 many stumbling-blocks with this work; in suffering so 
 much of human weakness and infirmity to appear ; and 
 in ordering so many things that are mysterious to men's 
 
110 REVIVAL OP RELIGION 
 
 wisdom : in pouring out his Spirit chiefly on the com- 
 mon people, and bestowing his greatest and highest fa- 
 vors upon them, admitting them nearer to himself than 
 the great, the honorable, the rich, and the learned, agree- 
 ably to that prophecy, Zech. 12 : 7, " The Lord also shall 
 save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house 
 of David, and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem 
 do not magnify themselves against Judah." Those that 
 dwelt in the tents of Judah were the common people, 
 that dwelt in the country, and were of inferior rank. The 
 inhabitants of Jerusalem were their citizens, their men 
 of wealth and figure : and Jerusalem also was the chief 
 place of the habitation or resort of their priests, and 
 Levites, and their officers and judges ; there sat the 
 great Sanhedrim. The house of David were the highest 
 rank of all, the royal family, and the great men that were 
 round about the king. It is evident by the context that 
 this prophecy has respect to something further than 
 saving the people out of the Babylonish captivity. 
 
 God in this work has begun at the lower end, and he 
 has made use of the weak and foolish things of the world 
 to carry on his work. The ministers that have been 
 chiefly employed, have some of them been mere babes 
 in age and standing, and some of them such as have not 
 been so high in reputation among their brethren as many 
 others ; and God has suffered their infirmities so to ap- 
 pear in the sight of others as much to displease them ; 
 and at the same time it has pleased God to employ 
 them, and greatly to succeed them, while he has not 
 so succeeded others that are generally reputed vastly 
 their superiors. Yea, there is reason to think that 
 it has pleased God to make use of the infirmities 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. HI 
 
 and sins of some that he has employed and suc- 
 ceeded ; as particularly their imprudent and rash zeal, 
 and censorious spirit, to chastise the deadness, negli- 
 gence, earthly-mindedness and vanity that have been 
 found among ministers in the late times of general de- 
 clension and deadness, wherein wise virgins and foolish, 
 ministers and people have sunk into such a deep sleep. 
 These things in ministers of the Gospel, that go forth as 
 the ambassadors of Christ, and have the care of immortal 
 souls, are extremely offensive to God ; vastly more hate- 
 ful in his sight than all the imprudence and intemperate 
 heats, wildness and distraction (as some call it) of these 
 zealous preachers. A supine carelessness, and a vain, 
 carnal, worldly spirit, in a minister of the Gospel, is the 
 worst madness and distraction in the sight of God. God 
 may also make use at this day of the unchristian censo- 
 riousness of some preachers, the more to humble and 
 purify some of his own children and true servants that 
 have been wrongfully censured, to fit them for more emi- 
 nent service and future honor for which he designs them. 
 
 2. Erro7' i?i not judging of the work hy Scripture as 
 a ichole. 
 
 Another foundation error of those that do not acknow- 
 ledge the divinity of this work, is not taking tlie Holy 
 Scripture as a wJiole, and in itself a'sirfficient rule to judge 
 of such things by. They that have one certain consis- 
 tent rule to judge by, are like to come to some clear de- 
 termination ; but they that have half a dozen different 
 rules to make the thing they would judge of agree to, 
 no wonder that instead of justly and clearly determining, 
 they do but perplex and darken themselves and others. 
 
112 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 They that would learn the true measure of any thing, 
 and vs'ill have many different measures to try it by, and 
 find in it a conformity to, have a task that they will 
 not accomplish. 
 
 Those that I am speaking of will indeed make some 
 use of Scripture, so far as they think it serves their turn ; 
 but do not make use of it alone, as a rule sufficient hy it- 
 self, but make as much, and a great deal more use of 
 other things, diverse and wide from it, to judge of this 
 work by. As particularly, 
 
 1. Some make philosophy, instead of the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, their rule of judging of this work ; particularly the 
 philosophical notions they entertain of the nature of the 
 soul, its faculties and affections. Some are ready to say, 
 " There is but little sober, solid religion in this work : it 
 is little else but flash and noise. Religion now-a-days 
 all runs out into transports and high flights of the pas- 
 sions and affections." In their philosophy, the affections 
 of the soul are something diverse from the will, and not 
 appertaining to the noblest part of the soul, but the 
 meanest principles that it has, that belong to man, as par- 
 taking of animal nature, and what he has in common 
 with the brute creation, rather than any thing whereby 
 he is conformed to angels and pure spirits. And though 
 they acknowledge that a good use may be made of the 
 affections in religion, yet they suppose that the substan- 
 tial part of religion does not consist in them, but that 
 they are rather to be looked upon as something adventi- 
 tious and accidental in Christianity. 
 
 But I cannot but think that these gentlemen labor un- 
 der great mistakes both in their philosophy and divinity. 
 It is true, distinction must be made in affections or pas- 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 113 
 
 sions. There is a great diversity in high and raised af- 
 fections, which must be distinguished by the skill of the 
 observer. Some are much more solid than others. 
 There are many exercises of the affections that are very 
 flashy and little to be depended on ; and oftentimes there 
 is a great deal that appertains to them, or rather that is 
 the effect of them, that has its seat in animal nature, and 
 is very much owing to the constitution and frame of the 
 body; and that which sometimes more especially obtains 
 the name of passion, is nothing solid or substantial. But 
 it is false philosophy to suppose this to be the case 
 with all exercises of affection in the soul, or with all great 
 and high affections ; and false divinity to suppose that re- 
 ligious affections do not appertain to the substance and es- 
 sence of Christianity : on the contrary, it seems to me that 
 the very life and soul of all tirue religion consists in them. 
 I humbly conceive that the affections of the soul are 
 not properly to be distinguished from the luill, as though 
 they were two faculties in the soul. All acts of the affec- 
 tions of the soul are in some sense acts of the will, and 
 all acts of the will are acts of the affections. All exercises 
 of the will are, in some degiee or other, exercises of the 
 soul's appetition or aversion ; or which is the same thing, 
 of its love or hatred. The soul wills one thing rather 
 than another, or chooses one thing rather than another, no 
 otherwise than as it loves one thing more than another ; 
 but love and hatred are affections of the soul : and there- 
 fore all acts of the will are truly acts of the affections ; 
 though the exercises of the will do not obtain the name 
 of passions, unless the will, either in its aversion or op- 
 position, be exercised in a high degree, or in a vigorous 
 and lively manner. 
 
114 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 All vv^ill allow that true virtue or holiness has its seat 
 chiefly in the heart rather than in the head : it therefore 
 follows, from what has been said already, that it consists 
 chiefly in holy affections. The things of religion take 
 place in men's hearts no further than they are affected 
 with them. The informing of the understanding is all 
 vain, any farther than it affects the heart : or which is the 
 same thing, has influence on the affections. 
 
 Those gentlemen that make light of these raised affec- 
 tions in religion, will doubtless allow that true religion 
 and holiness, as it has its seat in the heart, is capable of 
 very high degrees and high exercises in the soul. As 
 for instance, they will doubtless allow that the holiness 
 of the heart or will is capable of being raised to a hun- 
 dred times as great a degree of strength as it is in the 
 most eminent saint on earth, or being exerted in a hundred 
 times as strong and vigorous exercises of the heart; 
 and yet being true religion or holiness still, but only 
 in a high degree. Now therefore I would ask them by 
 what name they will call these high and vigorous exer- 
 cises of the will or heart? Are they not high affections 1 
 What can they consist in, but in high acts of love ; strong 
 and vigorous exercises of benevolence and complacence; 
 high, exalting and admiring thoughts of God and his per- 
 fections ; strong desires after God ? &c. And now what 
 are we come to but high and raised affections ] yea, those 
 very same high and raised affections that before they ob- 
 jected against, or made light of, as worthy of little regard ] 
 
 I suppose furthermore that all will allow that there is 
 nothing but solid religion in heaven : but that there re- 
 ligion and holiness of heart is raised to an exceeding 
 great height, to strong, high, exalted exercises of heart. 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 115 
 
 Now, what other kinds of such exceeding strong and 
 high exercises of the heart, or of hoHness, as it has its 
 seat in their hearts, can we imagine for them, but only 
 holy affections, high degrees of actings of love to God, 
 rejoicing in God, admiring of God? &c. Therefore 
 these things in the saints and angels in heaven are not 
 to be despised and cashiered by the name of great heats 
 and transports of the passions. 
 
 And it will doubtless be yet further allowed, that the 
 more eminent the saints are on earth, and the stronger 
 their gi'ace is, and the higher its exercises are, the more 
 they are like the saints in heaven ; that is, (by what has 
 been just now observed,) the more they have of high or 
 ra,ised affections in religion. 
 
 Though there are false affections in religion, and af- 
 fections that in some respects are raised high, which are 
 flashy, yet undoubtedly there are also true, holy and solid 
 affections ; and the higher these are raised, the better : 
 and if they are raised to an exceeding great height, they 
 are not to be thought meanly of or suspected merely be- 
 cause of their great degree, but on the contrary to be es- 
 teemed and rejoiced in. Charity, or divine love, is in 
 Scripture represented as the sum of all the religion of 
 the heart ; but this is nothing but a holy affection : and 
 therefore in proportion as this is firmly fixed in the soul, 
 and raised to a great height, the more eminent a person 
 is in holiness. Divine love or charity is represented as 
 the sum of all the religion of heaven, and that wherein 
 mainly the religion of the church in its more perfect state 
 on earth shall consist, when knowledge, and tongues, and 
 prophesyings shall cease ; and therefore the higher this 
 holy affection is raised in the church of God, or in a gra- 
 
116 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 cious soul, the more excellent and perfect is the state of 
 the church or a particular soul. 
 
 If we take the Scriptures for our rule, then the great- 
 er and higher are the exercises of love to God, delight 
 and complacence in God, desires and longings after God, 
 delight in the children of God, love to mankind, broken- 
 ness of heart, abhorrence of sin, and self-abhorrence for 
 sin ; and the peace of God, w^hich passeth all understand- 
 ing, and joy in the Holy Ghost, joy unspeakable and full 
 of glory, admiring thoughts of God, exulting and glorying 
 in God ; so much the higher is Christ's religion, or that 
 virtue which he and his apostles taught, raised in the soul. 
 
 It is an occasion of stumbling to some, that religious 
 affections should seem to be so powerful^ or that they 
 should be so violent (as they express it) in some persons : 
 they are therefore ready to doubt whether it can be the 
 Spirit of God, or whether this vehemence be not rather 
 a sign of the operation of an evil spirit. But why should 
 such a doubt arise from no other ground than this % What 
 is represented in Scripture as more powerful in its effects 
 than the Spirit of God % which is therefore called ike 
 fower of the Highest, Luke, 1 : 35 ; audits saving effect in 
 the soul called the power of godliness. So we read of the 
 demonstration of the Spirit and of power. 1 Cor. 2 : 4. 
 And it is said to operate in the minds of men with the ex- 
 ceeding greatness of divine power, and according to the 
 working of God's mighty power, Eph. 1 : 19 ; so we read 
 of the effectual working of his power, Eph. 3:7; and of 
 the power that worketh in christians, 5 : 20 ; and of the 
 glorious power of God in the operations of the Spirit, 
 Col. 1:11; and of the work of faith, its being wrought 
 with power, 2 Thes. 1 : 11; and in 2 Tim. 1 : 7, the 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 117 
 
 Spirit of God is called the spirit of power, and love, and 
 of a sound mind. So the Spirit is represented by a mighty- 
 wind, and by fire, things most powerful in their operation. 
 2. Many are guilty of not taking the Holy Scriptures 
 as a sufficient and wJiole rule whereby to judge of this 
 work whether it be the work of God, in that they judge 
 by those things which the Scripture does not give as any 
 signs or marks whereby to judge one way or the other, 
 and therefore do in no wise belong to the Scripture rule 
 of judging ; namely, the effects that religious exercises 
 and affections of mind have upon the body. Scripture rules 
 respect the state of the mind, and persons' moral con- 
 duct and voluntary behavior, and not the physical state 
 of the body. The design of the Scripture is to teach us 
 divinity, and not physic and anatomy. Ministers are made 
 the watchmen of men's souls, and not of their bodies j 
 and therefore the great rule which God has committed 
 into their hands, is to make them divines, and not physi- 
 cians. Christ knew what instructions and rules his church 
 would stand in need of better than we do ; and if he had 
 seen it needful in order to the church's safety, he doubt- 
 less would have given ministers rules to judge of bodily 
 effects, and would have told them how the pulse should 
 beat under such and such religious exercises of mind ; 
 when men should look pale, and when they should shed 
 tears ; when they should tremble, and whether they 
 should ever be faint or cry out; or whether the body 
 should ever be put into convulsions : he probably would 
 have put some book into their hands that should have 
 tended to make them excellent anatomists and physicians; 
 but he has not done it, because he did not see it to be 
 needful. He judged that if ministers thoroughly did their 
 
118 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 duty as watchmen and overseers of the state and frame 
 of men's souls, and of their voluntary conduct according 
 to the rules he had given, his church would be well pro- 
 vided for as to its safety in these matters : and therefore 
 those ministers of Christ and overseers of souls that busy 
 themselves and are full of concern about the involuntary 
 motions of the fluids and solids of men's bodies, and from 
 thence are full of doubts and suspicions of the cause, 
 when nothing appears but that the state and frame of 
 their minds and their voluntary behavior is good and 
 agi'eeable to God's word ; I say, such ministers go out 
 of the place that Christ has set them in, and leave their 
 proper business as much as if they should undertake to 
 tell who are under the influence of the Spirit by their 
 looks or their gait. I cannot see which way we are in 
 danger, or how the devil is like to get any notable advan- 
 tage against us, if we but thoroughly do our duty with 
 respect to these two things, viz. the state of persons' minds 
 and their moral conduct, seeing to it that they be main- 
 tained in an agreeableness to the rules that Christ has 
 given us. If things are but kept right in these respects, 
 our fears and suspicions arising from extraordinary bodily 
 effects seem wholly groundless. 
 
 The most specious thing that is alleged against these 
 extraordinary effects on the body, is, that the body is im- 
 paired and health wronged ; and that it is hard to think 
 that God, in the merciful influences of his Spirit on men, 
 would wound their bodies and impair their health. But 
 if it were so pretty commonly, or in multiplied instances, 
 (which I do not suppose it is,) that persons received a 
 lasting wound to their health by extraordinary religious 
 impressions made upon their minds, yet it is too much 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 119 
 
 for us to determine that God shall never bring an out- 
 ward calamity in bestowing a vastly greater spiritual and 
 eternal good. 
 
 Jacob, in doing his duty in wrestling with God for the 
 blessing, and while God was striving with him, at the same 
 time that he received the blessing from God, suffered a 
 great outward calamity from his hand. God impaired his 
 body so that he never got over it as long as he lived ; he 
 gave him the blessing, but sent him away halting on his 
 thigh, and he went lame all his life after. And yet this is 
 not mentioned as if it were any diminution of the great 
 mercy of God to him, when God blessed him and he re- 
 ceived his name Israel, because as a prince he had power 
 with God, and had prevailed. 
 
 But, say some, the operations of the Spirit of God are 
 of a benign nature ; nothing is of a more kind influence 
 on human nature than the merciful breathings of God's 
 own Spirit. But it has been generally suj)posed and al- 
 lowed in the church of God till now, that there is such a 
 thing as being sick of love to Christ, or having the bodily 
 strength weakened by strong and vigorous exercises of 
 love to him. And however kind to human nature the in- 
 fluences of the Spirit of God are, yet nobody doubts but 
 that divine and eternal things, as they maybe discovered, 
 would overpower the nature of man in its j)resent weak 
 state; and that therefore the body 'in its present weak- 
 ness is not fitted for the views, and pleasures, and em- 
 ployments of heaven ; and that if God did discover to 
 us but a little of that which is seen by the saints and an- 
 gels in heaven, our frail natures would sink under it. In- 
 deed I know not what persons may deny now, to defend 
 themselves in a cause they have had their spirits long en- 
 
120 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 gaged in ; but I know these things have not usually been 
 denied or doubted of. Let us rationally consider w^hat 
 we profess to believe of the infinite greatness of the 
 things of God, the divine wrath, the divine glory, and 
 thn divine infinite love and grace in Jesus Christ, and 
 the vastness and infinite importance of the things of 
 eternity ; and how reasonable it is to suppose that if it 
 pleases God a little to withdraw the veil and let light 
 into the soul, and give something of a view of the great 
 things of another World in their transcendent and infinite 
 greatness, human nature, which is as the grass, a shaking 
 leaf, a weak withering flower, should totter under such a 
 discovery 1 Such a bubble is too weak to bear the weight 
 of a view of things that are so vast. Alas ! what is such 
 dust and ashes that it should support itself under the 
 view of the awful wrath or infinite glory and love of Je- 
 hovah 1 No wonder therefore that it is said, no man can 
 see God and live, and flesh and blood cannot inherit the 
 kingdom of God. 
 
 That external glory and majesty of Christ which Daniel 
 saw, when there remained no strength in him, and his 
 comeliness was turned in him into corruption, Dan. 10 : 
 6, 7, 8 ; and which the apostle John saw, when he fell at 
 his feet as dead ; was but an image or shadow of that spi- 
 ritual glory and majesty of Christ which will be mani- 
 fested in the souls of the saints in another world, and 
 which is sometimes, in some degree, manifested to the 
 soul in this world by the influences of the Spirit of God. 
 And if the beholding of the image and external repre- 
 sentation of this spiritual majesty and glory did so over- 
 power human nature, is it unreasonable to suppose that 
 a sight of the spiritual glory itself, which is the substance 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 121 
 
 of which that was but the shadow, should have as power- 
 ful an effect 1 The prophet Habakkuk, speaking of the 
 awful manifestations God made of his majesty and wrath 
 at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, and at Mount Sinai, 
 where he gave the law ; and of the merciful influence 
 and strong impression God caused it to have upon him, 
 to the end that he might be saved from that wrath, and 
 rest in the day of trouble ; says, Hab. 3 : 16, •* When I 
 heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, 
 rottenness entered into my bones, I trembled in myself, 
 that I might rest in the day of trouble." Which is much 
 such an effect as the discovery of the same majesty and 
 wrath, in the same awful voice from Mount Sinai, has had 
 upon many in these days ; and to the same purposes, viz. 
 to give them rest in the day of trouble, and save them 
 from that wrath. The Psalmist also speaks of very much 
 such an effect as I have often seen on persons under reli- 
 gious affections of late, Psalm 119 : 131, " I opened my 
 mouth and panted, for I longed for thy commandments." 
 God is pleased sometimes, in dealing forth spiritual 
 blessings to his people, in some respect to exceed the 
 capacity of the vessel in its present scantiness, so that he 
 does not only fill it full, but he makes their cuj) to run over; 
 agreeable to Psalm 23 : 5. He pours out a blessing some- 
 times in such a manner and measure that there is not 
 room enough to receive it, Mai. 3 : 10, and gives them 
 riches more than they can carry away ; as he did to Je- 
 hoshaphat and his people in a time of great favor, by 
 the word of his prophet Jehaziel in answer to earnest 
 prayer, when the people blessed the Lord in the valley 
 of Berachah, 2 Chron, 20 : 25, 26. It has long been with 
 the disciples of Christ a time of great emptiness in re- 
 Revival of Rel 6 
 
122 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 spect to spiritual tilings : they have gone hungry, and 
 have been toiling in vain during a dark season, a time 
 of night vrith the church of God ; as it was with the dis- 
 ciples of old, when they had toiled all night for some- 
 thing to eat, and caught nothing, Luke, 5 : 5, and John 
 21:3. But now, the morning being come, Jesus appears 
 to his disciples, and takes a compassionate notice of their 
 wants, and says to them, Childreii, have ye any meati and 
 gives some of them such abundance of food that they 
 are not able to draw their net; yea, so that their net 
 breaks, and their vessel is overloaded, and begins to 
 sink ; as it was with the disciples of old. Luke, 5:6,7, 
 and John, 21 : 6. 
 
 We cannot determine that God shall never give any 
 person so much of a discovery of himself, as not only to 
 weaken the body but to take away life. It is supposed 
 by very learned and judicious divines, that Moses' life was 
 taken away after this manner ; and this has also been sup- 
 posed to be the case with some other saints. Yea, I do 
 not see any solid sure grounds any have to determine 
 that God shall never make such strong impressions on 
 the mind by his Spirit as shall be an occasion of so im- 
 pairing the frame of the body, and particularly that part 
 of the body, the brain, that persons shall be deprived of 
 the use of reason. As I said before, it is too much for us 
 to determine that God will not bring an outward cala- 
 mity in bestowing spiritual and eternal blessings : so it is 
 too much for us to determine how great an outward cala- 
 mity he will bring. If God gives a great increase of dis- 
 coveries of himself, and of love to him, the benefit is in- 
 finitely greater thS,n the calamity, though life should pre- 
 sently after be taken away ; yea, though the soul should 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 123 
 
 not immediately be taken to heaven, but should lie some 
 years in a deep sleep, and then be taken to heaven : or, 
 which is much the same thing, if it be deprived of the use 
 of its faculties, and be inactive and unserviceable, as if it 
 lay in a deep sleep for some years, and then should pass 
 into glory. We cannot determine how great a calamity 
 distraction is, when considered with all its consequences, 
 and all that might have been consequent if the distrac- 
 tion had not happened ; nor indeed whether (thus con- 
 sidered) it may be any calamity at all, or whether it be 
 not a mercy, by preventing some great sin, or some more 
 dreadful thing, if it had not been. It is a great fault in 
 us to limit a sovereign, all-wise God, whose judgments 
 are a great deep, and his ways past finding out, where he 
 has not limited himself, and in things concerning which 
 he has not told us what his way shall be. 
 
 It is remarkable, considering in what multitudes of in- 
 stances, and to how great a degree the frame of the body 
 has been overpowered of late, that persons' lives have 
 notwithstanding been preserved, and that the instances 
 of those that have been deprived of reason have been so 
 very few, and those, perhaps all of them, persons under 
 the peculiar disadvantage of a weak, vapory habit of body. 
 A merciful and careful divine hand is very manifest in it, 
 that in so many instances where the ship has begun to 
 sink, yet it has been upheld, and has not totally sunk. 
 The instances of such as have been deprived of reason 
 are so few, that certainly they are not enough to cause us 
 to be in any fright, as though this work that has been car- 
 ried on in the country was hke to be of baneful influence; 
 unless we are disposed to gather up all that we can to 
 darken it, and set it forth in frightful colors. 
 
124 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 There is one particular kind of exercise and concern 
 of mind that many have been overpowered by, which has 
 been especially stumbling to some ; and that is, the deep 
 concern and distress that they have been in for the souls 
 of others. I am sorry that any put us to the trouble of do- 
 ing that which seems so needless, as defending such a 
 thing as this. It seems like mere trifling in so plain a case, 
 to enter into a formal and particular debate in order to 
 determine whether there be any thing in the greatness 
 and importance of the case that will answer and bear a 
 proportion to the greatness of the concern that some have 
 manifested. Men may be allowed, from no higher a prin- 
 ciple than common ingenuousness and humanity, to be 
 very deeply concerned and greatly exercised in mind at 
 seeing others in great danger of no greater a calamity 
 than drowning, or being burned up in a house on fire. 
 And if so, then doubtless it will be allowed to be equally 
 reasonable, if they saw them in danger of a calamity ten 
 times greater, to be still much more concerned : and so 
 much more still, if the calamity was still vastly greater. 
 And why then should it be thought unreasonable, and 
 looked upon with a very suspicious eye, as if it must 
 come from some bad cause, when persons are extremely 
 concerned at seeing others in very great danger of suffer- 
 ing the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God to all eter- 
 nity % And besides, it will doubtless be allowed that those 
 that have very great degrees of the Spirit of God, that is a 
 sjjirit of love, may w^ell be supposed to have vastly more 
 of love and compassion to their fellow-creatures than those 
 that are influenced only by common humanity. Why 
 should it be thought strange that those that are full of the 
 Spirit of Christ should be proportionably, in their love to 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 125 
 
 souls, like Christ 1 who had so strong a love and concern 
 for them as to be willing to drink the dregs of the cup 
 of God's fury for them ; and at the same time that he of- 
 fered up his blood for souls, offered up also, as their high 
 priest, strong crying and tears, with an extreme agony, 
 wherein the soul of Christ was as it were in travail for 
 the souls of the elect ; and therefore in saving them he is 
 said to see of the travail of his soul. 
 
 As such a spirit of love to and concern for souls was 
 the spirit of Christ, so it is the spirit of the church ; and 
 therefore the church, in desiring and seeking that Christ 
 might be brought forth in the world and in the souls of 
 men, is represented, Rev. 12, as a " woman crying, tra- 
 vailing in birth, and pained to be delivered." The spirit 
 of those that have been in distress for the souls of others, 
 so far as I can discern, seems not to be different from 
 that of the apostle, who travailed for souls, and was rea- 
 dy to wish himself accursed from Christ for others. And 
 that of the Psalmist, Psalm 119 : 53, " Horror hath taken 
 hold upon me, because of the wicked that forsake thy 
 law." And ver. 136, " Rivers of waters run down mine 
 eyes, because they keep not thy law." And that of the 
 prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 4 : 19, ** My bowels ! My bow- 
 els ! I am pained at my very heart ! My heart maketh 
 a noise in me ! I cannot hold my peace ! Because thou 
 hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the 
 alarm of war!" And so chap. 9 : 1, and 13 : 17, and 14 : 
 17, and Isa. 22 : 4. We read of Mordecai, when he saw 
 his people in danger of being destroyed with a temporal 
 destruction, Esth. 4 : 1, that "he rent his clothes, and 
 put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst 
 of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry." And 
 
126 REVIVAL OF RELI(5lON 
 
 why then should persons be thought to be out of their 
 right mind when they cannot forbear crying out at the 
 consideration of the misery of those that are going to 
 eternal destruction ] 
 
 3. Another thing that some make their rule to judge 
 of this work by, instead of the Holy Scriptures, is his- 
 tory, or former observation. Herein they err in two ways ; 
 
 First, if there be any thing new and extraordinary in 
 the circumstances of this work that was not observed in 
 former times, that is a rule with them to reject this work 
 as not the work of God. Herein they make that their 
 rule that God has not given them for their rule ; and 
 limit God where he has not limited himself. And this 
 is especially unreasonable in this case : for whosoever 
 has well weighed the wonderful and mysterious me- 
 thods of divine wisdom in can-ying on the work of the 
 new creation, or in the progress of the work of redemp- 
 tion, from the first promise of the seed of the woman to 
 this time, may easily observe that it has all along been 
 God's manner to open new scenes, and to bring forth 
 to view things new and wonderful, such as eye had 
 not seen, nor ear heard, nor had entered into the heart 
 of men or angels, to the astonishment of heaven and 
 earth, not only in the revelation he makes of his mind 
 and will, but also in the works of his hands. As the old 
 creation was carried on through six days, and appeared 
 all complete, settled in a state of rest on the seventh ; so 
 the new creation, which is immensely the greatest and 
 most glorious work, is carried on in a gradual progress, 
 from the fall of man to the consummation of all things at 
 the end of the world. And as in the progress of the old 
 creation there were still new things accomplished j new 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 127 
 
 wonders appeared every day in the sight of the angels, 
 the spectators of that work ; while those " morning stars " 
 sang together, new scenes were opened, or things that 
 they had not seen before, till the whole was finished ; so 
 it is in the progress of the new creation. So that the 
 promise, Isa. 64 : 4, " For since the beginning of the 
 world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, 
 neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he 
 hath prepared for him that waiteth for him," though it 
 had a glorious fulfilment in the days of Christ and the 
 apostles, as the words are applied, 1 Cor. 2:9; yet it 
 always remains to be fulfilled, in things that are yet be- 
 hind, until the new creation is finished, at Christ's deliv- 
 ering up the kingdom to the Father. And we live in 
 those latter days wherein we may be especially warrant- 
 ed to expect that things will be accomplished, concern- 
 ing which it will be said, TV/io Tiath heard such a thing ? 
 Who hath seen such things ? 
 
 And besides, those things in this work that have been 
 chiefly complained of as new, are not so new as has been 
 generally imagined : though they have been much more 
 frequent lately, in proportion to the uncommon degree, 
 extent and swiftness, and other extraordinary circumstan- 
 ces of the work, yet they are not new in their kind ; but 
 are things of the same nature as have been found and 
 well approved of in the church of 'God before, from time 
 to time. 
 
 We have a remarkable instance in Mr. Bolton, that 
 noted minister of the church of England, who, being 
 awakened by the preaching of the famous Mr. Perkins, 
 minister of Christ in the University of Cambridge, was 
 subject to such terrors as threw him to the ground and 
 
128 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 caused him to roar with anguish ; and the pangs of the 
 new birth in him were such, that he lay pale and without 
 sense, like one dead ; as we have an account in the Ful- 
 ailing of the Scripture, the 5th edition, p. 103, 104. — We 
 have an account in the same page of another, whose 
 comforts under the sunshine of God's presence were so 
 great, that he could not forbear crying out in a transport, 
 and expressing in exclamations the great sense he had 
 of forgiving mercy and his assurance of God's love. And 
 we have a remarkable instance in the life of Mr. George 
 Trosse, written by himself, (who, from being a notorious- 
 ly vicious, profligate liver, became an eminent saint and 
 minister of the Gospel,) of terrors occasionally, by awak- 
 enings of conscience, so overpowering the body as to de- 
 prive, for some time, of the use of reason. 
 
 Yea, such extraordinary external effects of inward im- 
 pressions have not only been found in here and there a 
 single person, but there have also been times wherein 
 many have been thus affected in some particular parts of 
 the church of God ; and such effects have appeared in 
 congregations, in many at once. So it was in the year 
 1625, in the west of Scotland, in a time of a great out- 
 pouring of the Spirit of God. It was then a frequent 
 thing for many to be so extraordinarily seized with ter- 
 ror in the hearing of the word, by the Spirit of God con- 
 vincing them of sin, that they fell down and were car- 
 ried out of the church, who afterwards proved most solid 
 and lively christians ; as the author of the Fuljilling of 
 the Scripture informs us, p. 185. The same author in the 
 preceding page informs of many in France that were so 
 . wonderfully affected with the preaching of the Gospel, 
 in the time of those famous divines, Farel and Viret, that 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 129 
 
 for a time they could not follow their secular business ; 
 and p. 186, of many in Ireland, in a time of the great 
 outpouring of the Spirit there, in the year 1628, that 
 were so filled with divine comforts and a sense of God, 
 that they made but little use of either meat, drink, or 
 sleep, and professed that they did not feel the need 
 thereof. The same author gives an account of very much 
 Buch things in Mrs. Catherine Brettergh, of Lancashire, 
 in England (p. 391, 392,) as have been complained of, 
 here amongst us, as wild and distracted : how that after 
 great distress, which very much affected her body, the 
 sweat sometimes bursting out upon her, God did so break 
 in upon her mind with light and discoveries of himself, 
 that she was forced to burst out crying, " O the joys, 
 the joys, the joys that I feel in my soul ! O they be 
 wonderful, they be wonderful ! The place where I now 
 am is sweet and pleasant ! How comfortable is the sweet- 
 ness I feel that delights my soul ! The taste is precious ; 
 do you not feel it 1 Oh so sweet as it is !" And at other 
 times, ** O my sweet Savior, shall I be one with thee, as 
 thou art one with the Father 1 And dost thou so love me 
 that am but dust, to make me partaker of glory with 
 Christ 1 O how wonderful is thy love ! And oh that my 
 tongue and heart were able to sound forth thy prais- 
 es as I ought." At another time slie burst forth thus : 
 *' Yea, Lord, I feel thy mercy, and am assured of thy 
 love ! And so certain am I thereof, as thou art the God 
 of truth : even so certainly do I know myself to be thine, 
 O Lord my God ; and this my soul knoweth right well !" 
 Which last words she again repeated. To a grave min- 
 ister, one Mr. Harrison, then with her, she said, " My 
 soul hath been compassed with the terrors of death, the 
 
 6* 
 
.130 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 sorrow^s of hell were upon me, and a v\^ilderness of wo 
 was in me ; but blessed, blessed, blessed be the Lord 
 my God ! he hath brought me to a place of rest, even to 
 the sweet running waters of life. The way I now go in 
 is a sweet and easy way, strewed with flowers ; he hath 
 brought me into a place more sweet than the garden of 
 Eden. O the joy, the joy, the delights and joy that I 
 feel ! O how wonderful !" 
 
 Great outcries under awakenings were more fre- 
 quently heard of in former times in this country than 
 they have been of late, as some aged persons now liv- 
 ing do testify : particularly I think fit here to insert a 
 testimony of my honored father, Rev. Timothy Edwards, 
 written at Windsor, Connecticut, May 5, 1742, of 
 what he remembers formerly to have heard. He says, 
 
 " I well remember that one Mr. Alexander Allyn, a 
 Scotch gentleman of good credit, that dwelt formerly in 
 this town, showed me a letter that came from Scotland 
 that gave an account of a sermon preached in the city of 
 Edinburgh (as I remember) in the time of the sitting of 
 the general assembly of divines in that kingdom, that so 
 affected the people, that there was a great and loud cry 
 made throughout the assembly. I have also been credi- 
 bly informed, and how often I cannot now say, that it 
 was a common thing, when the famous Mr. John Rogers, 
 of Dedham, in England, was preaching, for some of his 
 hearers to cry out ; and by what I have heard, I conclude 
 that it was usual for many that heard that very awaken- 
 ing and rousing preacher of God's word to make a great 
 cry in the congregation." 
 
 Mr. Flavel gives a remarkable instance of a man that 
 he knew, who was wonderfully overcome with divine 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 131 
 
 comforts ; which it is supposed he knew, as the apostle 
 Paul knew the man that was caught up to the third hea- 
 ven. He relates, that 
 
 " As the person was travelling alone, with his thoughts 
 closely fixed on the great and astonishing things of another 
 world, his thoughts began to swell higher and higher, 
 like the water in Ezekiel's vision, until at last they be- 
 came an overflowing flood : such was the intenseness of 
 his mind, such the ravishing tastes of heavenly joys, and 
 such his full assurance of his interest therein, that he ut- 
 terly lost all sight and sense of this world, and the con- 
 cernments thereof; and for some hours knew not where 
 he was nor what he was about : but having lost a great 
 quantity of blood at the nose, he found himself so faint 
 that it brought him a little more to himself. And after he 
 had washed himself at a spring, and drank of the water 
 for his refreshment, he continued to the end of his jour- 
 ney, which was thirty miles ; and all this while was 
 scarcely sensible : and says he had several trances of 
 considerable continuance. The same blessed frame was 
 preserved all that night, and in a lower degree a great 
 part of the next day : the night passed without one wink 
 of sleep ; and yet he declares he never had a sweeter 
 night's rest in all his life. Still the joy of the Lord over- 
 flowed him, and he seemed to be an inhabitant of another 
 world. And he used for many years after to call that day 
 one of the days of heaven ; and professed that he under- 
 stood more of the life of heaven by it than by all the books 
 he ever read or discourses he ever entertained about it." 
 
 There have been instances before now of persons cry- 
 ing out in transports of divine joy in New England. We 
 have one in Capt, Clap's memoirs, published by the Rev. 
 
132 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 Mr. Prince, not of a silly woman or child, but a man of 
 solid understanding, that in a high transport of spiritual 
 joy was made to cry out aloud on his bed. His words 
 are, page 9, " God's Holy Spirit did witness (I do be- 
 lieve) together with my spirit, that I was a child of God, 
 and did fill my heart and soul with such full assurance 
 that Christ was mine, that it did so transport me as to 
 make me cry out upon my bed with a loud voice. He is 
 come, He is come .'" 
 
 There has, before now, been both crying out and fall- 
 ing down in this town, under awakenings of conscience 
 and in the pangs of the new birth, and also in some of 
 the neighboring towns. In one of them, more than seven 
 years ago, was a great number together that cried out 
 and fell down under convictions ; in most of which, by 
 good information, was a hopeful and abiding good issue. 
 And the Rev. Mr. Williams, of Deerfield, gave me an ac- 
 count of an aged man in that town, many years before, 
 who being awakened by his preaching cried out aloud in 
 the congregation. There have been many instances in 
 this and some neighboring towns before now, of persons 
 fainting with joyful discoveries made to their souls : once 
 several together in this town. And there also formerly 
 have been several instances here of persons' flesh waxing 
 cold and benumbed and their hands being clenched, yea, 
 their bodies being set into convulsions, being overpower- 
 ed with a strong sense of the astonishingly great and ex- 
 cellent things of God and the eternal world. 
 
 Secondly. Another way that some err in makincr history 
 and former observation their rule to judge of this work 
 instead of the Holy Scripture, is in coinparing some exter- 
 nal, accidental c'rcumstances of this icorli with what has ap- 
 
IN NEW-ENGLAND. 133 
 
 peared sometimes i?i enthusiasts ; and as they find an agi'ee- 
 ment in some such things, so they reject the whole work, 
 or at least the substance of it, concluding it to be enthusi- 
 asm. So great use has been made to this purpose of many 
 things that are found amongst some fanatics among us, 
 however totally and essentially different in its nature this 
 work is, and the principles it is built upon, from all that 
 they profess. So, to the same purpose, some external ap- 
 pearances that were found amongst the French prophets, 
 and some other enthusiasts in former times, have been of 
 late trumped up with great assurance and triumph. 
 
 4. I would propose it to be considered, whether some, 
 instead of making the Scriptures their only rule to judge 
 of this work, do not make tJieir own experience the rule, 
 and reject such and such things as are now professed and 
 experienced, because they never felt them themselves. 
 Are there not many that chiefly on this ground have en- 
 tertained and vented suspicions, if not peremptory con- 
 demnations of those extreme terrors, and those great, 
 sudden and extraordinary discoveries of the glorious per- 
 fections of God and of the beauty and love of Christ, 
 and such vehement affections, such high transports of 
 love and joy, such pity and distress for the souls of others, 
 and exercises of mind that have produced great effects 
 on persons' bodies, — I say, have^ they not condemned 
 these things merely or chiefly because they knew nothing 
 about them by experience 1 Persons are very ready to 
 be suspicious of what they have not felt themselves. It is 
 to be feared many good men have been guilty of this 
 error ; which yet does not make it the less unreasonable. 
 And perhaps there are some that upon this ground do 
 not only reject these extraordinary things, but all such 
 
134 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 conviction of sin, and such discoveries of the glory of 
 God and the excellency of Christ, and the inward convic- 
 tion of the truth of the Gospel by the immediate influ- 
 ence of the Spirit of God, as now supposed to be neces- 
 sary to salvation. 
 
 These persons that thus make their own experiences 
 their rule of judgment, instead of bowing to the wisdom 
 of God and yielding to his word as an infallible rule, are 
 guilty of casting a great reflection upon the understand- 
 ing of the Most High. 
 
 3. Error in rejecting the work as a whole on account of in- 
 cidental defects iii it. 
 Another foundation error of those that reject this work, 
 is their not duly distinguishing the good from the had, and 
 very unjustly judging of the whole hy a part ; and so re- 
 jecting the work in general or in the main substance of 
 it, for the sake of some things accidental to it that are 
 evil. They look for more in men that are divinely influ- 
 enced, because subject to the operations of a good Spirit, 
 than is justly to be expected from them for that reason in 
 this imperfect state and dark world where so much blind- 
 ness and corruption remain in the best. When any pro- 
 fess to have received light and influence and comfort from 
 heaven, and to have had sensible communion with God, 
 many are ready to expect that now they appear like 
 angels, and not still like poor, feeble, blind and sinful 
 worms of the dust. There being so much corruption left 
 in the hearts of God's own children, and its prevailing as 
 it sometimes does, is indeed a mysterious thing, and al- 
 ways a stumbling-block to the world ; but it will not be 
 so much wondered at by those that are well versed in and 
 duly mindful of two things : 1, the word of God, which 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 135 
 
 teaches us the state of true christiaus in this world, and 
 2, their own hearts, at least if they have any grace, and 
 have experience of its conflicts with corruption. They 
 that are true saints are most inexcusable in making a 
 great difficulty of a great deal of blindness and many 
 sinful errors in those that profess godliness. If all our 
 conduct, both open and secret, should be known, and our 
 hearts laid open to the world, how should we be even 
 ready to fly from the light of the sun and hide ourselves 
 from the view of mankind ! And what greater allowan- 
 ces would it be found that we should need that others 
 should make for us 1 perhaps much greater than we are 
 willing to make for others. 
 
 The great weakness of the larger part of mankind, in 
 any matter that is new and uncommon, appears in not 
 distinguishing, but either approving or condemning all in 
 the lump. They tKat highly approve of the thing in ge- 
 neral, cannot bear to have any thing at all found fault 
 with ; and on the other hand, those that fasten their eyes 
 upon some things in it that are amiss and appear very 
 disagreeable to them, at once reject the whole. Both 
 which errors oftentimes arise from want of persons' due 
 acquaintance with themselves. It is rash and unjust 
 when we proceed thus in judging either of a particular 
 person or a people, or of such a work as the present 
 wonderful influence on the minds of the people of this 
 land. Many, if they see any thing very ill in a particular 
 person, a minister or private professor, will at once brand 
 him as a hypocrite. And if there be two or three of a 
 people or society that behave themselves very irregularly, 
 the whole must bear the blame of it. And if there be a 
 few, though not above one in a hundred, that professed 
 
136 REVIVAL OP RELIGION 
 
 and had a sliow of being the happy partakers of what are 
 called the saving benefits of this work, who prove naught, 
 and give the world just grounds to suspect them, the 
 whole work must be rejected on their account ; and those 
 in general that make the like profession must be con- 
 demned for their sakes. 
 
 So careful are some persons lest this work should be 
 defended, that now they will hardly allow that the influ- 
 ences of the Spirit of God on the heart can so much 
 as indirectly and accidentally be the occasion of the exer- 
 cise of corruption, and commission of sin. Thus far is 
 true, that the influence of the Spirit of God, in his saving 
 operations, will not be an occasion of the increase of the 
 corruption of the heart in general, but on the contrary, 
 of the weakening of it : but yet there is nothing unrea- 
 sonable in supposing, that at the same time that it weak- 
 ens corruption in general, it may be an occasion of turn- 
 ing what is left into a new channel, and so of there being 
 more of some certain kinds of the exercise of corruption 
 than there was before ; as that which tends to hinder 
 and stop the course of a stream, if it does not do it 
 wholly, may give a new course to so much of the water 
 as gets by the obstacle. The influences of the Spirit, for 
 instance, may be an occasion of new ways of the exer- 
 cise of pi'idc, as has been acknowledged by orthodox di- 
 vines in general. That spiritual discoveries and comforts 
 may, through the corruption of the heart, be an occasion 
 of the exercise of spiritual pride did not use to be doubt- 
 ed of, until now it is found to be needful to maintain the 
 war against this work. 
 
 ' They that will hardly allow that a work of the Spirit 
 of God can be a remote occasion of any sinful behavior 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 137 
 
 or unchristian conduct, I suppose will allow that the 
 truly gracious influences of the Spirit of God, yea, and a 
 high degree of love to God, is consistent with these two 
 things, namely, a considerable degree of remaining cor- 
 ruption, and also many errors in judgment in matters of 
 religion and in matters of practice. And this is all that 
 need to be allowed, in order to its being most demonstra- 
 tively evident that a high degree of love to God may ac- 
 cidentally move a person to that which is very wrong 
 and contrary to the mind and will of God. For a high 
 degree of love to God will strongly move a person to do 
 that which he beUeves to be agreeable to God's will ; 
 and therefore, if he be mistaken, and be persuaded that 
 that is agreeable to the will of God which indeed is very 
 contrary to it, then his love will accidentally, but strong- 
 ly, incline him to that which is indeed very contrary to 
 the will of God. 
 
 They that are studied in logic have learned that the 
 nature of the cause is not to be judged of by the nature 
 of the effect, nor the nature of the effect from the nature 
 of the cause, when the cause is only causa sine qua non, 
 or an occasional cause ; yea, that in such a case often- 
 times the nature of the effect is quite contrary to the na- 
 ture of the cause. 
 
 True disciples of Christ may have a great deal of false 
 zeal, such as the disciples had of old when they would 
 have fire called from heaven to come down on the Sama- 
 ritans because they did not receive them. And even so 
 eminently holy, and great, and divine a saint as Moses, 
 who conversed with God from time to time as a man 
 speaks with his fi'iend, and concerning whom God gives 
 his testimony that he was very meek, above any man on the 
 
138 RETIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 face of tlie earth, yet may be rash and sinful in his zeal 
 when his spirit is stirred by the hard-heartcdness and 
 opposition of others, so as to speak very unadvisedly with 
 his lips and greatly to offend God, and shut himself out 
 from the possession of the good things that God is about 
 to accomplish for his church on earth ; as Moses was 
 excluded Canaan, though he had brought the people out 
 of Egypt, Psalm 106 : 32, 33. And men, even in those 
 very things wherein they are influenced by a truly pious 
 principle, yet, through error and want of due considera- 
 tion and caution, may be very rash with their zeal. It 
 was a truly good spirit that animated the excellent gene- 
 ration of Israel in Joshua's time, in the proceedings we 
 have an account of in the 22d chapter of Joshua ; and 
 yet they were rash and heady with their zeal, to go about 
 to gather all Israel together to go up so furiously to war 
 with their brethren of the two tribes and a half, about 
 their building the altar Ed, without first inquiring into 
 the matter, or so much as sending a messenger to be in- 
 formed. So the christians that were of the circumcision, 
 with warmth and contention condemned Peter for re- 
 ceiving Cornelius, as we have account. Acts 11. This 
 their heat and censure was unjust, and Peter was wrong- 
 ed in it ; but there is all appearance in the story that 
 they acted from a real zeal and concern for the will and 
 honor of God. So the primitive christians, from their 
 zeal for and against unclean meats, censured and con- 
 demned one another : this was a bad effect, and yet the 
 apostle bears thera witness, or at least expresses his cha- 
 rity towards them, that both sides acted from a good 
 principle and true respect to the Lord. Rom. 14 : 6. The 
 zeal of the Corinthians with respect to the incestuous 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 139 
 
 man, though the apostle highly commends it, was yet 
 such that at the same time he saw that they needed a 
 caution, lest they should carry it too far to an undue se- 
 verity, and so as to fail of christian meekness and for- 
 giveness, 2 Corinthians 2 : 6 — 11, and chap. 7 : 11, to 
 the end. Luther, that great Reformer, had a gi'eat deal 
 of bitterness with his zeal. 
 
 It surely cannot be wondered at by considerate per- 
 sons, that at a time when multitudes all over the land 
 have their affections greatly moved, great numbers should 
 run into many errors and mistakes with respect to their 
 duty, and consequently into many acts and practices that 
 are imprudent and irregular. I question whether there be 
 a man in New England of the strongest reason and great- 
 est learning, but would be tried to keep master of him- 
 self, thoroughly to weigh his words and consider all the 
 consequences of his behavior, so as to conduct himself 
 in all respects prudently, if he were so strongly impress- 
 ed with a sense of divine and eternal things, and his af- 
 fections so exceedingly moved as has been frequent of 
 late among the common people. How little do they con- 
 sider human nature who look upon it as so insuperable a 
 stumbling-block, when such multitudes of all kinds of 
 capacities, natural tempers, educations, customs and man- 
 ners of life are so greatly and variously affected, that 
 imprudences and irregularities of conduct should abound, 
 especially in a state of things so uncommon, and when 
 the degree, extent, swiftness and power of the operation 
 is so very extraordinary and so new that there has not 
 been time and experience enough to give birth to rules 
 for people's conduct, and so unusual in times past, that 
 .the writings of divines do not afford rules to direct us in 
 such a state of things ? 
 
140 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 A great deal of noise and tumult, confusion and up- 
 roar, and darkness mixed with light, and evil with good, 
 is always to be expected in the beginning of something 
 very extraordinary and very glorious in the state of things 
 in human society or the church of God : as after nature 
 has long been shut up in a cold dead state in time of win- 
 ter, when the sun returns in the spring, there is, together 
 with the increase of the light and heat of the sun, very 
 unpleasant and tempestuous weather before all is settled 
 calm and serene, and all nature rejoices in its bloom and 
 beauty. It is in the new creation as it was in the old, the 
 Spirit of God first moved upon the face of the waters, 
 which was an occasion of great uproar and tumult, and 
 things were gradually brought to a settled state, until at 
 length all stood forth in beautiful peaceful order, when 
 the heavens and the earth were finished, and God saw 
 every thing that he had made, and behold it was very 
 good. When God is about to bring to pass something 
 great and glorious in the world, nature is in a ferment 
 and struggle, and the world, as it were, in travail. As 
 when God was about to introduce the Messiah into the 
 world, and that new and glorious dispensation that he 
 set up, he shook tlie heavens and the earth, and shook all 
 natio7is. There is nothing that the church of God is in 
 Scripture more frequently represented by than the tree, 
 the vine, corn, &c. which gradually bring forth their fruit, 
 and are first green before they are ripe. A great revival 
 of religion is expressly compared to this gradual produc- 
 tion of vegetation, Isaiah, 61 : 11 ; "As the earth bring- 
 eth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things 
 that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will 
 cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 141 
 
 the nations." The church is in a special manner com- 
 pared to a palm-tree. Cant. 7:7, 8 ; Exod. 15 : 27 ; 1 
 Kings, 6 : 29 ; Psalm 92 : 12. Of which tree this peculiar 
 thing is observed, that the fruit of it, though it be very- 
 sweet and good when it is ripe, yet before it has had time 
 to ripen has a mixture of poison. 
 
 The weakness of human nature has always appeared, 
 in times of the great revival of religion, by a dispositiov.i 
 to run to extremes and get into confusion ; and especially 
 in these three things, enthusiasm, superstition, and intem- 
 perate zeal. So it appeared in the time of the Reforma- 
 tion very remarkably; and also in the days of the apos- 
 tles : many were then exceedingly disposed to lay weight 
 on those things that were very notional and chimerical, 
 giving heed to fables and whimsies, as appears by 1 Tim. 
 1 : 4, and 4 : 7; 2 Tim. 2 : 16, and ver. 23, and Tit. 1 : 14, 
 and 3 : 9. Many, as ecclesiastical history informs us, fell 
 off into the most wild enthusiasm and extravagant no- 
 tions of spirituality and extraordinary illumination from 
 heaven beyond others; and many were prone to super- 
 stition, will worship, and a voluntary humility, giving 
 heed to the commandments of men, being fond of an un- 
 profitable bodily exercise, as appears by many passages 
 in the apostles' writings : and what a proneness then ap- 
 peared among professors to swerve from the path of duty 
 and the spirit of the Gospel in the exercise of a rash, in- 
 discreet zeal, censuring and condemning ministers and 
 people ; one saying, I am of Paul ; another, I of Apol- 
 los ; another, I of Cephas: judging one another for dif- 
 ferences of opinion about smaller matters, unclean meats, 
 holy days and holy places, and their different opinions 
 and practices rcvspecting civil intercourse and communi- 
 
142 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 cation with their heathen neighbors 1 And how much 
 did vain jangling, and disputing, and confusion prevail 
 through undue heat of spirit under the name of a reli- 
 gious zeal 1 2 Tim. 6 : 4, 5 ; 2 Tim. 2 : 16, and Tit. 3 : 
 9. And what a task had the apostles to keep them within 
 bounds, and maintain good order in the churches ! How 
 often are they mentioning their irregularities ! 
 
 The prevailing of such disorders seems to have been the 
 special occasion of writing many of their Epistles. The 
 church, in the great effusion of the Spirit at that time, and 
 the strong impressions that God's people were then under, 
 was under the care of infallible guides that watched over 
 them day and night ; but yet so prone were they, through 
 the weakness and corruption of human nature, to get out 
 of the way, that irregularity and confusion rose in some 
 churches, where there was an extraordinary outpouring 
 of the Spirit, to a very great height, even in the apostles* 
 lifetime, and under their eye. And though some of the 
 apostles lived long to settle the state of things, yet pre- 
 sently after they were dead the christian church ran into 
 many superstitions and childish notions and practices, 
 and in some respects into a great severity in their zeal. 
 
 And let any wise person that has not, in the midst of 
 the disputes of the present day, got beyond the calm- 
 ness of consideration, impartially consider to what lengths 
 we may reasonably suppose many of the primitive chris- 
 tians, in their heat of zeal, and under their extraordinary 
 impressions, would soon have gone if they had had no 
 inspired guides ; and whether it is not probable that the 
 church of Corinth, in particular, by an increase of their 
 irregularities and contentions, would not in a little time 
 have broke to pieces and dissolved in a state of the ut- 
 
IN NEW-ENGLAND. 143 
 
 most confusion 1 And yet this would have been no evi- 
 dence that there had not been a most glorious and re- 
 markable outpouring of the Spirit in that city. But, as 
 for us, we have no infallible apostle to guide us, to rec- 
 tify disorders, and reclaim us when we are wandering ; 
 but every one does what is right in his own eyes ; and 
 they that err in judgment, and are got into a WTong path, 
 continue to wander till experience of the mischievous 
 issue convinces them of their error. 
 
 If we look at this work, and seriously weigh it in its 
 circumstances, it will appear a matter of no great difficul- 
 ty to account for the errors that have occurred, supposing 
 the work in general to be from a very great outpouring 
 of the Spirit of God. It may easily be accounted for, that 
 many have run into great errors, and into just such errors 
 as they have. It is known that some that have been em- 
 ployed as great instruments to promote this work, have 
 been very young ; and how natural is it for such as are 
 themselves newly awaked out of sleep, and brought out 
 of that state of darkness, insensibility and spiritual death 
 which they had been in ever since they were born ; and 
 have a new and wonderful scene opened to them ; and 
 have in view the reality, the vastness and infinite im- 
 portance and nearness of spiritual and eternal things : 
 and at the same time are surprised to see the world asleep 
 about them ; and have not the advantage of age and ex- 
 perience, and have had but little opportunity to study di- 
 vinity, or to converse with aged experienced christians 
 and divines — I say, how natural is it for such to fall into 
 many errors with respect to the state of mankind with 
 which they are so surprised, and with respect to the 
 means and methods of their relief? Is it any wonder 
 
144 REVIVAL UF RELIGION 
 
 that they have not at once learned how to make all the 
 allowances that are to be made, and that they do not at 
 once find out that method of dealing with the world that 
 is adapted to the mysterious state and nature of mankind *? 
 Is it any wonder that they cannot at once foresee what 
 ths consequences of things will be, what evils are to be 
 guarded against, and what difficulties are like, to arise 
 that are to be provided for ] 
 
 "We have long been in a strange stupor ; the influences 
 of the Spirit of God upon the heart have been but little 
 felt, and the nature of them but little taught ; so that they 
 are in many respects new to great numbers of those that 
 have lately fallen under them. And is it any wonder that 
 they, who never before had experience of the supernatu- 
 ral influence of the divine Spirit upon their souls, and 
 never were instructed in the nature of these influences, 
 do not so well know how to distinguish one extraordinary 
 new impression from another, and so (to themselves in- 
 sensibly) run into enthusiasm, taking every strong im- 
 pulse or impression to be divine 1 How natural is it to 
 suppose that, among the multitudes of illiterate people 
 (most of which are in their youth) who find themselves so 
 wonderfully changed, and brought into such new and 
 before (to them) almost unheard of circumstances, many 
 should pass wrong and very strange judgments of both 
 persons and things that are about them ; and that, now 
 they behold them in such a new light, they in their sur- 
 prise should go further from the judgment that they were 
 wont to make of them than they ought, and in their great 
 change of sentiments should pass from one extreme to 
 •another] And why should it be thought strange, that 
 those that scarce ever heard of any such thing as an out- 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 145 
 
 pouring of the Spirit of God before j or if they did, had 
 no correct idea of it ; do not know how to behave them- 
 selves in such a new and strange state of things 1 And is 
 it any wonder that they are ready to hearken to those 
 that have instructed them, that have been the means of 
 delivering them from such a state of death and misery as 
 they were in before, or have a name for being the happy 
 instruments of promoting the same work among others ? 
 Is it unaccountable that persons in these circumstances 
 are ready to receive every thing they say, and to drink 
 down error as well as truth from them ] And why should 
 there be all indignation and no compassion towards those 
 that are thus misled 1 
 
 When these persons are extraordinarily affected with 
 a new sense and recent discovery they have received of 
 the greatness and excellency of the divine Being, the cer- 
 tainty and infinite importance of eternal things, the pre- 
 ciousness of souls, and the dreadful danger and madness 
 of mankind, together with a great sense of God's distin- 
 guishing kindness and love to them ; no wonder that now 
 they think they must exert themselves and do something 
 extraordinary for the honor of God and the good of the 
 souls of their fellow-creatures, and know not how to sit 
 still and forbear speaking and acting with uncommon 
 earnestness and vigor. And in these circumstances, if 
 they be not persons of more than common steadiness 
 and discretion, or have not some person of wisdom to 
 direct them, it is a wonder if they do not proceed with- 
 out due caution, and do things that are irregular, and 
 that will, in the issue, do much more hurt than good. 
 
 Censuring others is the worst disease with which this 
 work has been attended : but yet such a time as this is 
 
 Revival of Rel. 7 
 
146 REVIVAL OP RELIGfON 
 
 indeed a time of great temptation to tliis sinful error. 
 When there has been such a time of great and long-con- 
 tinued deadness, and many are brought out of a state of 
 nature into a state of grace in so extraordinary a manner, 
 and filled with such uncommon degi'ees of light, it is na- 
 tural for such to form their notions of a state of grace 
 wholly from what they experience : many of them know 
 no other way; for they never have been taught much 
 about a state of grace, and the different degrees of grace, 
 and the degrees of darkness and corruption that grace is 
 consistent with, nor concerning the manner of the influ- 
 ences of the Spirit in converting a soul, and the variety 
 of the manner of his operations : they therefore forming 
 their ideas of a state of grace only by their own experi- 
 ence, no wonder that it appears an insuperable difficulty 
 to them to reconcile such a state, of w^hich they have this 
 idea, with what they obsei-^'e in professors that are about 
 them. It is indeed in itself a very great mystery, that 
 grace should be consistent with so much and such kind 
 of corruption as sometimes prevails in the truly godly ; 
 and no wonder that it especially appears so to uninstruct- 
 ed new converts, that have been converted in an extraor- 
 dinary manner. 
 
 Though censoriousness is very sinful, and is most com- 
 monly found in hypocrites and persons of a pharisaical 
 spirit, yet it is not so inconsistent with true godliness as 
 some imagine. We have remarkable instances of it in 
 those holy men that we have an account of in the Book 
 of Job : not only were Job's three friends, that seem to 
 have been eminently holy men, guilty of it in very unrea- 
 sonably censuring the best man on earth, very positively 
 determining that he was an unconverted man ; but Job 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 147 
 
 himself, that was not only a man of true piety, but ex- 
 celled all men in piety, and particularly excelled in a 
 humble, meek and patient spirit, was guilty of bitterly 
 censuring his three friends, as wicked, vile hypocrites. 
 Job, 16 : 9, 10, 11, " He teareth me in his wrath who 
 hateth me, he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine 
 enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me : they have gaped 
 upon me with their mouth. God hath delivered me to the 
 ungodly and turned me over into the hands of the wick- 
 ed." So he is very positive in it that they are hypocrites, 
 and shall be miserably destroyed as such : in the next chap- 
 ter, verses 2,3, 4: " Are there not mockers with me 1 and 
 doth not mine eye continue in their provocation 1 Lay 
 down now, put me in surety with thee ; who is he that 
 will strike hands with me ] For thou hast hid their heart 
 from understanding : therefore shalt thou not exalt them." 
 And again, verses 8, 9, 10 : " Upright men shall be as- 
 tonished at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself 
 against the hypocrite : the righteous also shall hold on his 
 way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and 
 stronger. But as for you all, do ye return and come 
 now; for I cannot find one wise man (i. e. one good man) 
 among you." 
 
 Thus I think the errors and irregularities that attend 
 this work may be accounted for from the consideration 
 of the infirmity, and weakness, and common corruption 
 of mankind, together with the circumstances of the work, 
 though we should suppose it to be the work of God. And 
 it. would not be a just objection in any to say. If these 
 powerful impressions and great affections are from the 
 Spirit of God, w/ii/ does 7iot the same Spirit give strength 
 of understanding and capacity in proportion to those per 
 
148 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 sons that are the subjects of them, so that strong affec- 
 tions may not, through their error, drive them to an irre- 
 gular and sinful conduct 1 for I do not know that God 
 has any where obliged himself to do it. The end of the 
 influences of God's Spirit is to make men spiritually 
 knowing, wise to salvation, which is the most excellent 
 wisdom ; and he has also appointed means for our gain- 
 ing such degrees of other knowledge as we need to con- 
 duct ourselves regularly, which means should be care- 
 fully used : but the end of the influence of the Spirit of 
 God is not to increase men's natural capacities, nor has 
 God obliged himself immediately to increase civil pru- 
 dence in proportion to the degrees of spiritual light. 
 
 If we consider the errors that attend this work, not 
 only as from man and his infirmity, but also as from God, 
 and by his permission and disposal, they are not strange, 
 upon the supposition of its being, as to the substance of 
 it, a work of God. If God intends this great revival of 
 religion to be the dawning or a forerunner of a happy 
 state of his church on earth, it may be an instance of the 
 divine wisdom in the beginning of it to suffer so many 
 irregularities and errors in conduct, to which he knew 
 men in their present weak state were most exposed un- 
 der great religious affections, and when animated with 
 great zeal ; for it will be very likely to be of excellent 
 benefit to his church in the continuance and progress of 
 the work afterwards : their experience in the first setting 
 out of the mischievous consequences of these errors, and 
 smarting for them in the beginning, may be a happy de- 
 fence to them afterwards for many generations from these 
 errors, which otherwise they might continually be ex- 
 posed to. As when David and all Israel went about to 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 149 
 
 bring back the ark into the midst of the land, after it had 
 been long absent, first in the land of the Philistines, and 
 then in Kirjathjearim in the utmost borders of the land; 
 they at first sought not the Lord after the due order, and 
 they smarted for their error; but this put them upon 
 studying the law, and more thoroughly acquainting them- 
 selves with the mind and will of God, and seeking and 
 serving him with greater circumspection, and the conse- 
 quence was glorious : their seeking God in such a man- 
 ner as was accepted of him ; and the ark of God ascend- 
 ing into the heights of Zion with those great and extra- 
 ordinary rejoicings of the king and all the people, with- 
 out any frown or rebuke from God intermixed ; and 
 God's dwelling thenceforth in the midst of the people, to 
 those glorious purposes that are expressed in the 68th 
 Psalm. 
 
 And it is very analogous to the manner of God's deal- 
 ing with his people, to permit a great deal of error, and 
 suffer the infirmity of his people much to appear in the 
 beginning of a glorious work of his grace for their feli- 
 city, to teach them what they are, to humble them, 
 and fit them for that glorious prosperity he is about to 
 advance them to, and the more to secure to himself the 
 honor of such a glorious work ; for by man's exceeding 
 weakness appearing in the beginning of it, it is evi- 
 dent that God does not lay the foundation of it in man's 
 strength or wisdom. 
 
 And as we need not wonder at the errors that attend 
 this work, if we look at the hand of men that are guilty 
 of them, and the hand of God in permitting them, so 
 neither shall we see cause to wonder at them if we con- 
 gider them with regard to the hand that Satan has in 
 
150 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 them. For as the work is much greater than any other 
 outpouring of the Spirit that ever has been in New Eng- 
 land, so no wonder that the devil is more alarmed and 
 enraged, and exerts himself more vigorously against it, 
 and does more powerfully endeavor to tempt and mislead 
 those that are the subjects of it, or are its promoters. 
 
 4. Evidence that, 7iot withstanding defects, this is a real 
 work of God. 
 
 Whatever imprudences there have been, and whatever 
 sinful irregularities ; whatever vehemence of the pas- 
 sions and heats of the imagination, transports and ecsta- 
 sies ; and whatever error in judgment, and indiscreet 
 zeal ; and whatever outcries, and faintings, and agita- 
 tions of body, yet it is manifest and notorious that there 
 has been of late a very uncommon influence upon the 
 minds of a very great part of the inhabitants of New 
 England from one end of the land to the other, that has 
 been attended with the following effects : namely, 
 
 A great increase of a spirit of seriousness and sober 
 consideration of the things of the eternal world ; a dis- 
 position to hearken to any thing that is said of things of 
 this nature with attention and affection ; a disposition to 
 treat matters of religion with solemnity, and as matters 
 of great importance ', a disposition to make these things 
 the subject of conversation ; and a great disposition to 
 hear the word of God preached, and to take all oppor- 
 tunities in order to it ; and to attend on the public wor- 
 ship of God and all external duties of religion in a more 
 solemn and decent manner ; so that there is a remarka- 
 ble and general alteration in the face of New England 
 in these respects. Multitudes in all parts of the land, of 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 151 
 
 vain, thoughtless persons, are quite changed, and become 
 serious and considerate. There is a vast increase of con- 
 cern for the salvation of the precious soul, and of that 
 inquiry, W/iai shall I do to he saved 2 
 
 The hearts of multitudes have been greatly taken off 
 from the things of the world, its profits, pleasures, and 
 honors ; and there has been a great increase of sensible- 
 ness and tenderness of conscience : multitudes in all 
 parts have "had their consciences awakened, and have 
 been made sensible of the pernicious nature and conse- 
 quences of sin, and what a dreadful thing it is to lie un- 
 der guilt and the displeasure of God, and to live without 
 peace and reconciliation with him ; they have also been 
 awakened to a sense of the shortness and uncertainty of 
 life, and the reality of another world and future judg- 
 ment, and of the necessity of an interest in Christ; they 
 are more afraid of sin, more careful and inquisitive that 
 they may know what is contrary to the mind and will of 
 God, that they may avoid it, and what he requires of 
 them, that they may do it ; more careful to guard against 
 temptations, more watchful over their own hearts, earn- 
 estly desirous of being informed what are the means that 
 God has directed to for their salvation, and diligent in 
 the use of the means that God has appointed in his word 
 in order to it. 
 
 Many very stupid, senseless sinners, and persons of a 
 vain mind, have been greatly awakened. There is a 
 strange alteration almost all over New England among 
 young people ; by a powerful, invisible influence on their 
 minds, they have been brought to forsake those things in 
 a general way, as it were at once, that they were ex- 
 tremely fond of and greatly addicted to, and that they 
 
152 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 seemed to place the happiness of their lives in, and that 
 nothing before could induce them to forsake ; as their 
 frolicking, vain company-keeping, night-v^alking, their 
 mirth and jollity, their impure language and lewd songs. 
 In vain did ministers preach against those things before, 
 and in vain were laws made to restrain them, and in 
 vain was all the vigilance of magistrates and civil officers; 
 but now they have almost every where dropped them 
 as it were of themselves. And there is a great alteration 
 amongst old and young as to drinking, tavern haunting, 
 profane speaking, and extravagance in apparel. Many 
 notoriously vicious persons have been reformed and be- 
 come externally quite new creatures : some that are 
 wealthy, and of a fashionable, gay education ; some great 
 beaus and fine ladies, that seemed to have their minds 
 swallowed up with nothing but the vain shows and plea- 
 sures of the world, have been wonderfully altered, and 
 have relinquished these vanities, and are become serious 
 and humble in their conversation. 
 
 It is astonishing to see the alteration in some towns, 
 where before was but little appearance of religion or any 
 thing but vice and vanity : and so remote was all that was 
 to be seen or heard amongst them from any thing that 
 savored of vital piety or serious religion, or that had any 
 relation to it, that one would have thought, if they had 
 judged only by what appeared in them, that they had 
 been some other species from the serious and religious, 
 which had no concern with another world, and whose na- 
 tures were not made capable of those things that apper- 
 tain to christian experience and pious conversation ; espe- 
 cially was it thus among young persons : and now they 
 are transformed into another sort of people ; their former 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 153 
 
 vain, worldly and vicious conversation and dispositions 
 seem to be forsaken, and they are, as it were, gone over 
 to a new world : their thoughts, and their talk and their 
 concern, affections and inquiries, are now about the favor 
 of God, an interest in Christ, a renewed, sanctified heart, 
 and a spiritual blessedness, and acceptance and hapj^iness 
 in a future world. 
 
 And through the greater part of New England the 
 Holy Bible is in much greater esteem and use than it used 
 to be ; the great things that are contained in it are much- 
 more regarded as things of the greatest consequence, and 
 are much more the subjects of meditation and conversa- 
 tion ; and other books of piety that have long been of es- 
 tablished reputation, as the most excellent and most tend- 
 ing to promote true godliness, have been abundantly more 
 in use : the Lord's day is more religiously observed : and 
 abundance has been lately done at making up differences 
 and confessing faults one to another, and making restitu- 
 tion ; probably more within these two years than was 
 done in thirty years before — it has been so undoubtedly 
 in many places. And surprising has been the power of 
 that Spirit that has been poured out on the land, in many 
 instances to destroy old grudges and make up long-con- 
 tinued breaches, and to bring those that seemed to be in 
 a confirmed irreconcilable alienation, to embrace each 
 other in a sincere and entire amity. 
 
 Great numbers under this influence have been brought 
 to a deep sense of their own sinfulness and vileness : the 
 sinfulness of their lives, the heinousness of their disregard 
 of the authority of the great God, and the heinousness of 
 their living in contempt of a Savior : they have lamented 
 their former negligence of their souls and neglecting and 
 
 7* 
 
154 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 losing precious time. Their sins of life have been extra- 
 ordinarily set before them ; and they have also had a great 
 sense of their sins of heart ; their hardness of heart and 
 enmity against that w^hich is good, and proneness to all 
 evil ; and also of the worthlessness of their own religious 
 performances, how unworthy their prayers, praises, and 
 all that they did in religion was to be regarded of God : 
 and it has been a common thing that persons have had 
 such a sense of their own sinfulness that they have 
 thought themselves to be the worst of all, and that none 
 ever was so vile as they : and many seem to have been 
 greatly convinced that they were utterly unworthy of any 
 mercy at the hands of God, however miserable they were, 
 and though they stood in extreme necessity of mercy; and 
 that they deserved nothing but eternal burnings : and have 
 been sensible that God would be altogether just and righ- 
 teous in inflicting endless damnation upon them, at the 
 same time that they have had an exceedingly affecting 
 sense of the dreadfulness of such endless torments, and 
 have apprehended themselves to be greatly in danger of 
 them. And many have been deeply affected with a sense 
 of their own ignorance, and blindness, and exceeding 
 helplessness, and so of their extreme need of the divine 
 pity and help. 
 
 And so far as we are worthy to be credited one by an- 
 other in what we say, (and persons of good understand- 
 ing and sound mind, and known and experienced probity, 
 have a right to be believed by their neighbors, when they 
 speak of things that fall under their observation and ex- 
 perience,) multitudes in New England have lately been 
 brought to a new and great conviction of the truth and 
 certainty of the things of the Gospel ; to a firm persuasion 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 155 
 
 tliat Christ Jesus is the Son of God, and the great and 
 only Savior of the world ; and that the great doctrines of 
 the Gospel touching reconciliation by his blood and ac- 
 ceptance in his righteousness, and eternal life and salva- 
 tion through him, are matters of undoubted truth ; toge- 
 ther with a most affecting sense of the excellency and suf- 
 ficiency of this Savior, and the glorious wisdom and grace 
 of God shining in this way of salvation ; and of the won- 
 ders of Christ's dying love, and the sincerity of Christ in 
 the invitations of the Gospel, and a consequent affiance 
 and sweet rest of soul in Christ, as a glorious Savior, a 
 strong rock and high tower, accompanied with an admir- 
 ing and exalting apprehension of the glory of the divine 
 perfections, God's majesty, holiness, sovereign grace, &c. 
 with a sensible, strong and sweet love to God, and delight 
 in him, far surpassing all temporal delights or earthly 
 pleasures ; and a rest of soul in him as a portion and the 
 fountain of all good, attended with an abhorrence of sin 
 and self-loathing for it, and earnest longings o£ soul after 
 more holiness and conformity to God, with a sense of the 
 great need of God's help in order to holiness of life ; to- 
 gether with a most dear love to all that are supposed to 
 be the children of God, and a love to mankind in general, 
 and a most sensible and tender compassion for the souls 
 of sinners, and earnest desires for the advancement of 
 Christ's kingdom in the world. ' And these things have 
 appeared to be in many of them abiding, now for many 
 months, yea, more than a year and a half; with an abid- 
 ino- concern to live a holy life, and great complaints of 
 remaining corruption, longing to be more free from the 
 body of sin and death. 
 
 And not onlv do these effects appear in new converts, 
 
156 REVIVAL OP RELIGION 
 
 but great numbers of those that were formerly esteemed 
 the most sober and pious people, have, under the in- 
 fluence of this vs^ork, been greatly quickened, and their 
 hearts renewed with greater degrees of light, renewed 
 repentance and humiliation, and more lively exercises of 
 faith, love and joy in the Lord. Many, as I am well know- 
 ing, have of late been remarkably engaged to watch and 
 strive, and fight against sin, and cast out every idol, and 
 sell all for Christ, and give up themselves entirely to God, 
 and make a sacrifice of every worldly and carnal thing to 
 the welfare and prosperity of their souls ; and there has 
 of late appeared in some places an unusual disposition to 
 bind themselves to it in a solemn covenant with God. 
 
 And now instead of meetings at taverns and drinking 
 houses, and meetings of young people in frolicks and vain 
 company, the country is full of meetings of all sorts and 
 ages of persons, young and old, men, women and little 
 children, to read and pray, and sing praises, and to con- 
 verse of the things of God and another world. In very 
 many places the main of the conversation in all compa- 
 nies turns on religion and things of a spiritual nature. 
 Instead of vain mirth amongst young people, there is now 
 either mourning under a sense of the guilt of sin, or holy 
 rejoicing in Christ Jesus ; and instead of their lewd songs 
 are now to be heard from them songs of praises to God 
 and the Lamb that was slain to redeem them by his blood. 
 And there has been this alteration abiding on multitudes 
 all over the land for a year and a half, without any ap- 
 pearance of a disposition to return to former vice and 
 vanity. 
 
 ■ And under the influence of this work there have been 
 many of the remains of those wretched people and dregs 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 157 
 
 of mankind, the poor Indians, that seemed to be next 
 to a state of brutality, and with whom, till now, it seem- 
 ed to be to little more purpose to use endeavors for their 
 instruction and awakening than with the beasts ; whose 
 minds have now been strangely opened to receive in- 
 struction, and have been deeply affected with the con- 
 cerns of their precious souls, and have reformed their 
 lives and forsaken their former stupid, barbarous and 
 brutish way of living ; and particularly that sin to which 
 theyjhave been so exceedingly addicted, their drunken- 
 ness ; and are become devout and serious persons ; and 
 many of them to appearance brought tinily and greatly to 
 delight in the things of God, and to have their souls very 
 much engaged and entertained with the great things of 
 the Gospel. And many of the poor negroes also have 
 been in like manner wrought upon and changed. And 
 the souls of very many little children have been remark- 
 ably enlightened, and their hearts wonderfully affected 
 and enlarged, and their mouths opened, expressing them- 
 selves in a manner far beyond their years, and to the just 
 astonishment of those that have heard them ; and some 
 of them from time to time, for many months, have been 
 greatly and delightfully affected with the glory of divine 
 things and the excellency and love of the Redeemer, 
 with their hearts greatly filled With love to and joy in 
 him, and have continued to be serious and pious in their 
 behavior. 
 
 The divine power of this work has marvellously ap- 
 peared, in some instances I have been acquainted with, 
 in supporting and fortifying the heart under great trials, 
 such as the death of children and extreme pain of body; 
 wonderfully maintaining the serenity, calmness and joy 
 
158 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 of the soul in an immovable rest in God, and sweet 
 resignation to him. There also have been instances of 
 some that have been the subject of this work, that under 
 the blessed influences of it have, in such a calm, bright 
 and joyful frame of mind, been carried through the val- 
 ley of the shadow of death. 
 
 And now let us consider — Is it not strange that in a 
 christian, orthodox country, and such a land of light as 
 this is, there should be many at a loss whose worl^ this 
 is, whether the work of God or the work of the devil 1 
 Is it not a shame to New England that such a work 
 should be much doubted of here ] Need we look over 
 the histories of all past times, to see if there be not some 
 circumstances and external appearances that attend this 
 work, that have been formerly found amongst enthusi- 
 asts 1 Whether the Montanists had not great transports 
 of joy, and whether the French Prophets had not agita- 
 tions of body ? Blessed be God ! he does not put us to 
 the toil of such inquiries. We need not say, Who shall 
 ascend into heaven to bring us down something whereby 
 to judge of this work 1 Nor does God send us beyond 
 the seas, nor into past ages, to obtain a rule that shall 
 determine and satisfy us. But we have a rule near at 
 hand — a sacred hook that God himself has put into our 
 hands, with clear and infallible marks sufficient to re- 
 solve us in things of this nature ; which book I think we 
 must reject, not only in some particular passages, but in 
 the substance of it, if we reject such a work as has now 
 been described, as not b^ing the work of God, The 
 whole tenor of the Gospel proves it \ all the idea of reli- 
 gion that the Scripture gives us confirms it. 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND^ 159 
 
 I suppose there is scarcely a minister in this land but 
 from Sabbath to Sabbath used to pray that God would 
 pour out his Spirit and work a reformation and a revival 
 of religion in the country, and turn us from our intem- 
 perance, profaneness, uncleanness, worldliness and other 
 sins ; and we have ke^Dt, from year to year, days of public 
 fasting and prayer to God, to acknowledge our backslid- 
 ings and humble ourselves for our sins, and to seek of 
 God forgiveness and reformation : and now when so 
 great and extensive a reformation is so suddenly and 
 wonderfully accomplished in those very things that we 
 have sought to God for, shall we not acknowledge itl 
 Or when we do, shall we do it with great coldness, cau- 
 tion and reserve, and scarcely take any notice of it in 
 our public prayers and praises, or mention it but slightly 
 and cursorily, and in such a manner as carries an appear- 
 ance as though we would contrive to say as little of it as 
 ever we could, and were glad to pass from it % And that 
 because (although, indeed, there be such a work attended 
 with all these glorious effects, yet) the work is attended 
 with a mixture of error, imprudences, darkness and sin ; 
 because some persons are carried away with impressions, 
 and are indiscreet and too censorious with their zeal ; 
 and because there are high transports of religious affec- 
 tion ; and because of some effects on persons' bodies that 
 we do not understand the reason' of ] 
 
160 REVIVAL OF RELIGION. 
 
 5. Genuineness of the work illustrated hy examples^ pm - 
 ticidarly in the case of one individual* 
 
 I have been particularly acquainted with many persons 
 that have been the subjects of the high and extraordinary 
 transports of the present day ; and in the highest trans- 
 ports of any of the instances that I have been acquainted 
 with, and where the affections of admiration, love and 
 joy, so far as another could judge, have been raised to a 
 higher pitch than in. any other instances I have observ- 
 ed or been informed of, the following things have been 
 united : namely, 
 
 A very frequent dwelling, for some considerable time 
 together, in such views of the glory of the divine perfec- 
 tions and Christ's excellencies, that the soul in the mean 
 time has been as it were perfectly overwhelmed and 
 swallowed up with light and love, and a sweet solace, 
 rest and joy of soul that was altogether unspeakable; 
 and more than once continuing for five or six hours to- 
 gether without interruption in that clear and lively view 
 or sense of the infinite beauty and amiableness of Christ's 
 person, and the heavenly sweetness of his excellent and 
 transcendent love ; so that (to use the person's own ex- 
 pressions) the soul remained in a kind of heavenly ely- 
 sium, and did as it were swim in the rays of Christ's love, 
 like a little mote swimming in the beams of the sun or 
 streams of his light that come in at a window ; and the 
 heart was swallowed up in a kind of glow of Christ's 
 love coming down from Christ's heart in heaven as a 
 constant stream of sweet light, at the same time the soul 
 
 • This individual was doubtless Mrs. Edwards, the wife of the author, 
 a woman of uncommon endowments and excellence. See Edwards' Life. 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 161 
 
 was all flowing out in love to him ; so that there seemed 
 to be a constant flowing and reflowing from heart to heart. 
 The soul dwelt on high, and was lost in God, and seem- 
 ed almost to leave the body ; dwelling on a pure de- 
 light that fed and satisfied the soul ; enjoying pleasure 
 without the least sting or interruption ; a sweetness 
 that the soul was lost in ; so that (so far as the judgment 
 and word of a person of discretion may be taken, speak- 
 ing upon the most deliberate consideration) what was 
 enjoyed in each single minute of the whole space, which 
 was many hours, was undoubtedly worth more than all 
 the outward comfort and pleasure of the whole life put 
 together ; and this without being in any trance, or being 
 at all deprived of the exercise of the bodily senses : and 
 the like heavenly delight and unspeakable joy of soul, 
 enjoyed from time to time for years together ; though 
 not frequently so long together, to such a height : extra- 
 ordinary views of divine things and religious affections 
 being frequently attended with very great' effects on the 
 body, nature often sinking under the weight of divine dis- 
 coveries, the strength of the body taken away, so as to de- 
 prive of all ability to stand or speak ; sometimes the hands 
 clinched and the flesh cold, but sense still remaining ; 
 animal nature often in a great emotion and agitation, and 
 the soul very often, of late, so overcome with great admi- 
 ration and a kind of omnipotent joy, as to cause the 
 person (wholly unavoidably) to leap with all the might, 
 with joy and mighty exultation of soul ; the soul at the 
 same time being so strongly drawn towards God and 
 Christ in heaven, that it seemed to the person as though 
 soul and body would, as it were of themselves, of neces- 
 sity mount up, leave the earth and ascend thither. 
 
162 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 These effects on the body did not begin now in this 
 wonderful season, that they should be owing to the in- 
 fluence of the example of the times, but about seven years 
 ago ; and began in a much higher degree and greater fre- 
 quency, near three years ago, when there was no such 
 enthusiastical season, as many account this, but it was a 
 very dead time through the land : they arose from no dis- 
 temper catched from Mr. Whitefield or Mr. Tennent, be- 
 cause they began before either of them came into the 
 country ; they began, as I said, near three years ago, in 
 a great increase, upon an extraordinary self-dedication, 
 and renunciation of the world, and resignation of all to 
 God, made in a great view of God's excellency, and high 
 exercise of love to him, and rest and joy in him; since 
 which time they have been very frequent. They began 
 in a yet higher degree and greater frequency about a 
 year and a half ago, upon another new resignation of all 
 to God, with a yet greater fervency and delight of soul ; 
 since which time the body has been very often fainting 
 with the love of Christ ; and they began in a much higher 
 degree still, the last winter, upon another resignation and 
 acceptance of God as the only portion and happiness of 
 the soul, wherein the whole world, with the dearest en- 
 joyments in it, were renounced as dirt and dung, and all 
 that is pleasant and glorious, and all that is terrible in 
 this world, seemed perfectly to vanish into nothing, and 
 nothing to be left but God, in whom the soul was per- 
 fectly swallowed up, as in an infinite ocean of blessed- 
 ness : since which time there have often been great agita- 
 tions of body and an unavoidable leaping for joy ; and 
 the soul as it were dwelling, almost without interruption, 
 in a kind of paradise j and very often, in high transports, 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 163 
 
 disposed to speak of those great and glorious things of 
 God and Christ and the eternal world that are in view, 
 to others that are present, in a most earnest manner and 
 with a loud voice, so that it is next to impossible to avoid 
 it ; these effects on the body not arising from any bodily 
 disease or weakness, the most distinguished of all having 
 been in a good state of health. 
 
 This great rejoicing has been a rejoicing with trem- 
 bling, that is, attended with a deep and lively sense of 
 the greatness and majesty of God, and the person's own 
 exceeding littleness and vileness : spiritual joys in this 
 person never were attended, either formerly or lately, 
 with the least appearance of any laughter or lightness of 
 countenance or manner of speaking; but with a peculiar 
 abhorrence of such appearances in spiritual rejoicings, 
 especially since joys have been greatest of all : these high 
 transports when they have been past, have had abiding 
 effects in the increase of the sweetness, rest and humility 
 that they have left upon the soul ; and a new engagedness 
 of heart to live to God's honor, and watch and fight against 
 sin. And these things not in one that is in the giddy age 
 of youth, nor in a new convert and unexperienced chris- 
 tian, but in one that was converted above twenty-seven 
 years ago ; and neither converted nor educated in that en- 
 thusiastical town of Northampton, (as some may be ready 
 to call it,) but in a town and family that none that I know 
 of suspected of enthusiasm ; and in a christian that has 
 been long, in an uncommon manner, growing in grace, 
 and rising, by very sensible degrees, to higher love to 
 God, and weanedness from the world, and mastery over 
 sin and temptation, through great trials and conflicts, and 
 iong-continued struggling and fighting with sin, and earn- 
 
164 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 est and constant prayer and labor in religion, and engag- 
 edness of mind in the use of all means, attended w^ith a 
 great exactness of life : which growth has been attended 
 not only with a great increase of religious affections, but 
 with a wonderful alteration of outward behavior, in many 
 things visible to those who are most intimately acquaint- 
 ed, so as lately to have become as it were a new person ; 
 and particularly in living so much more above the world, 
 and in a greater degree of steadfastness and strength in 
 the way of duty and self-denial, maintaining the christian 
 conflict against temptations, and conquering from time to 
 time under great trials ; persisting in an unmoved, un- 
 touched calm and rest, under the changes and accidents 
 of time. The person had formerly, in lower degrees of 
 grace, been subject to unsteadiness, and many ups and 
 downs in the frame of mind ; the mind being under great 
 disadvantages through want of bodily health, and often 
 subject to melancholy, and at times almost overborne 
 with it, it having been so even from early youth : but 
 strength of grace and divine light has of a long time 
 wholly conquered these disadvantages, and carried the 
 mind in a constant manner quite above them. 
 
 Since that resignation spoken of before, made near 
 three years ago, every thing of that nature seems to be 
 overcome and crushed by the power of faith and trust in 
 God, and resignation to him ; the person has remained in 
 a constant uninterrupted rest and humble joy in God, 
 and assurance of his favor, without one hour's melancho- 
 ly or darkness from that day to this ; diseases have had 
 great effects on the body, such as they used to have 
 before, but the soul has been always out of their reach. 
 And this steadfastness and constancy has remained 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 165 
 
 through great outward changes and trials ; such as times 
 of the most extreme pain and apparent hazard of imme- 
 diate death. What has been felt in late great transports 
 is known to be nothing new in kind, but to be of the same 
 nature with what was felt formerly, when a little child 
 of about five or six years of age, but only in a vastly 
 higher degree. 
 
 These transporting views and rapturous affections are 
 not attended with any enthusiastic disposition to follow 
 impulses or any supposed prophetical revelations; nor 
 have they been observed to be attended with any appear- 
 ance of spiritual pride, but very much of a contrary dis- 
 position, an increase of a spirit of humility and meekness, 
 and a disposition in honor to prefer others ; and it is wor- 
 thy to be remarked, that at a time remarkably distinguish- 
 ed from all others, wherein discoveries and holy affections 
 were evidently at the greatest height that ever happened, 
 the greatness and clearness of divine light being over- 
 whelming, and the strength and sweetness of divine love 
 altogether overpowering, which began early in the morn- 
 ing of the holy Sabbath, and lasted for days together, 
 melting all down in the deepest humility and poverty of 
 spirit, reverence and resignation, and the sweetest meek- 
 ness and universal benevolence ; I say, it is worthy to be 
 observed, that there were these two things in a remark- 
 able manner felt at that time, namely, a peculiarly sensible 
 aversion to a judging of others, that were professing chris- 
 tians of good standing in the visible church, that they 
 were not converted, or with respect to their degrees of 
 grace ; or at all intermeddling with that matter, so much 
 as to determine against and condemn others in the thought 
 of the heart ; it appearing hateful, as not agreeing with 
 
166 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 that lamblike humility, meekness, gentleness and charity 
 M^hich the soul then, above other times, saw the beauty 
 of, and felt a disposition to. The disposition that was 
 then felt was, on the contrary, to prefer others to self, and 
 to hape that they saw more of God and loved him better ; 
 though before, under smaller discoveries and feebler ex- 
 ercises of divine affection, there had been felt a disposi- 
 tion to censure and condemn others. And another thing 
 that was felt at that time, was a very great sense of the 
 importance of moral social duties, and how great a part 
 of religion lay in them : there was such a new sense and 
 conviction of this beyond what had been before, that it 
 seemed to be as it were a clear discovery then made to 
 the soul ; but in general there has been a very great in- 
 crease of a sense of these two things, as divine views and 
 divine love have increased. The things already mentioned 
 have been attended also with the following : namely, 
 
 An extraordinary sense of the awful majesty and great- 
 ness of God, so as oftentimes to take away the bodily 
 strength ; a sense of the holiness of God, as of a flame 
 infinitely pure and bright, so as sometimes to overwhelm 
 soul and body ; a sense of the piercing all-seeing eye of 
 God, so as sometimes to take away the bodily strength ; 
 and an extraordinary view of the infinite terribleness of 
 the wrath of God, which has very frequently been strong- 
 ly impressed on the mind, together with a sense of the in- 
 effable misery of sinners that are exposed to this wrath, 
 that has been overpowering. Sometimes the exceeding pol- 
 luUon of the person's own heart, as a sink of all manner 
 of abomination and a nest of vipers, and the dreadful- 
 ness of an eternal hell of God's wrath opened to view 
 both together ; with a clear view of a desert of that mi 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 167 
 
 sery without the least degree of divine pity, and that by 
 the pollution of the best duties, yea, only by the pollu- 
 tion, and irreverence, and want of humility that attended 
 once speaking of the holy name of God, when done in 
 the best manner that ever it was done ; the strength of 
 the body very often taken away, with a deep mourning 
 for sin as committed against so holy and good a God, 
 sometimes with an affecting sense of actual sin, sometimes 
 especially indwelling sin, sometimes the consideration of 
 the sin of the heart as appearing in a particular thing, as 
 for instance, in that there was no greater forwardness 
 and readiness to self-denial for God and Christ that had 
 so denied himself for us ; yea, sometimes the considera- 
 tion of the sin, in only speaking one word concerning the 
 infinitely great and holy God, has been so affecting as to 
 overcome the strength of nature — 
 
 A very great sense of the certain truth of the great 
 things revealed in the Gospel; an overwhelming sense 
 of the glory of the work of redemption, and the way of 
 salvation by Jesus Christ ; the glorious harmony of the 
 divine attributes appearing therein, as that wherein mer- 
 cy and truth are met together, and righteousness and 
 peace have kissed each other ; a sight of the fulness and 
 glorious sufficiency of Christ that has been so aflfecting 
 as to overcome the body : a constant immovable trust in 
 God through Christ, with a great sense of his strength 
 and faithfulness, the sureness of his covenant and the im- 
 mutability of his promises, so that the everlasting moun- 
 tains and perpetual hills have appeared as mere shadows 
 to these things : sometimes the sufficiency and faithful- 
 ness of God, as the covenant God of his people, appear- 
 ing in these words, I AM THAT I AM, in so affecting 
 
168 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 a manner as to overcome the body : a sense of the glori- 
 ous, unsearchable, unerring w^isdom of God in his works, 
 both of creation and providence, so as to swallow up the 
 soul and overcome the strength of the body : a sweet re- 
 joicing of soul at the thoughts of God's being infinitely 
 and unchangeably happy, and an exulting gladness of 
 heart that God is self-sufficient and infinitely above all 
 dependence, and reigns over all, and does his will with 
 absolute and uncontrollable power and sovereignty ; a 
 sense of the glory of the Holy Spirit as the great com- 
 forter, so as to overwhelm both soul and body ; only 
 mentioning the word the Comforter has immediately taken 
 away all strength ; that word, as the person expressed it, 
 seemed great enough to fill heaven and earth : a most 
 vehement and passionate desire of the honor and glory 
 of God's name ; a sensible, clear and constant preference 
 of it, not only to the person's own temporal interest, but 
 spiritual comfort in this world ; and a willingness to suf- 
 fer the hidings of God's face, and to live and die in dark- 
 ness and horror if God's honor should require it, and to 
 have no other reward for it but that God's name should 
 be glorified, although so much of the sweetness of the 
 light of God's countenance had been experienced : a 
 great lamenting of ingratitude and the lowness of the 
 degree of love to God, so as to deprive of bodily strength ; 
 and very often vehement longings and faintings after 
 more love to Christ and greater conformity to him ; espe- 
 cially longing after these two things, to be more perfect 
 in liumiliiy and adoration; the flesh and heart seems often 
 to cry out for a lying low before God, and adoring him 
 with greater love and humility : the thoughts of the per- 
 fect humility with which the saints in heaven worship 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 169 
 
 God and fall down before his throne have often over- 
 come the body and set it into a great agitation— ' 
 
 A great delight in singing praises to God and Jesus 
 Christ, and longing that this present life may be, as it 
 were, one continued song of praise to God ; longing, as 
 the person expressed it, to sit and sing this life away ; 
 and an overcoming pleasure in the thoughts of spending 
 an eternity in that exercise ; a living by faith to a great 
 degree ; a constant and extraordinary distrust of our own 
 strength and wisdom ; a great dependence on God for 
 his help, in order to the performance of any thing to 
 God's acceptance, and being restrained from the most 
 horrid sins, and running upon God, even on his neck and 
 on the thick bosses of his buckler : such a sense of the 
 black ingratitude of true saints' coldness and deadness 
 in religion, and their setting their hearts on the things of 
 this world, as to overcome the bodily frame : a great 
 longing that all the children of God might be lively in 
 religion, fervent in their love and active in the service of 
 God ; and when there have been appearances of it in 
 others, rejoicing so in beholding the pleasing sight that 
 the joy of soul has been too great for the body : taking 
 pleasure in the thoughts of watching and striving against 
 sin, and fighting through the way to heaven, and filling 
 up this life with hard labor, and bearing the cross for 
 Christ, as an opportunity to give God honor ; not desir- 
 ing to rest from labors till arrived in heaven, but abhor- 
 ring the thoughts of it, and seeming astonished that God's 
 own children should be backward to strive and deny 
 themselves for God — 
 
 Earnest longings that all God's people might be clothed 
 with humility and meekness, like the Lamb of God, and 
 
 Revival of Rel g 
 
170 RETIVAL OF RELIGION' 
 
 feel nothing in their hearts but love and compassion to 
 all mankind ; and great grief when any thing to the con- 
 trary seems to appear in any of the children of God, as 
 any bitterness or fierceness of zeal, or censoriousness, or 
 reflecting uncharitably upon others, or disputing with any 
 appearance of heat of spirit ; a deep concern for the 
 good of others' souls ; a melting compassion to those 
 that looked on themselves as in a state of nature, and 
 to saints under darkness, so as to cause the body to 
 faint ; a universal benevolence to mankind, with a long- 
 ing as it were to embrace the whole world in the arms of 
 pity and love ; ideas of suffering from enemies the utmost 
 conceivable rage and cruelty, with a disposition felt to 
 fervent love and pity in such a case, so far as it could be 
 realized in thought ; fainting with pity to the world that 
 lies in ignorance and wickedness : sometimes a disposi- 
 tion felt to a life given up to mourning alone in a wilder- 
 ness over a lost and miserable world; compassion to- 
 wards them being^ often to such a deo^ree as would allow 
 of no support or rest but in going to God and pouring 
 out the soul in prayer for them ; earnest desires that the 
 work of God now in the land may be carried on, and 
 that with greater purity and freedom from all bitter zeal, 
 censoriousness, spiritual pride, or hot disputes ; a vehe- 
 ment and constant desire for the setting up of Christ's 
 kingdom through the earth, as a kingdom of holiness, 
 purity, love, peace and happiness to mankind — 
 
 The soul often entertained with unspeakable delight, 
 and bodily strength overborne at the thoughts of heaven, 
 as a world of love, where love shall be the saints' eter- 
 nal food, and they shall dwell in the light of love, and 
 swim in an ocean of love, and where the very air and 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 171 
 
 breath will be nothing but love ; love to the people of 
 God, or God's true saints, as those who have the image 
 of Christ, and as those who will in a very little time 
 shine in his perfect image, that has been attended with 
 an endearment and oneness of heart and a sweetness 
 and ravishment of soul that has been altogether inex- 
 pressible ; the strength very often taken away with long- 
 ings that others might love God more, and serve God bet- 
 ter, and have more of his comfortable presence than the 
 person that was the subject of these longings, desiring to 
 follow the whole world to heaven, or that every one 
 should go before and be higher in grace and happiness, 
 not by this person's diminution, but by others' increase : 
 a delight in conversing of the things of religion, and in 
 seeing christians together talking of the most spiritual 
 and heavenly things in a lively and feeling manner, and 
 very frequently overcome with the pleasure of such con- 
 versation : a great sense often expressed of the import- 
 ance of the duty of charity to the poor, and how much 
 the generality of christians come short in the practice of 
 it : a great sense of the need God's ministers have of 
 much of the Spirit of God, at this day especially ; and 
 most earnest longings and wrestlings with God for them, 
 so as to take away the bodily strength — 
 
 The greatest, fullest, longest-continued and most con- 
 stant assurance of the favor of tirod, and of a title to 
 future glory, that ever I saw any appearance of in any 
 person, enjoying, especially of late, (to use the person's 
 own expression,) the riches of full assurance : formerly 
 longing to die with something of impatience, but lately, 
 since that resignation forementioned about three years 
 ago, having an uninterrupted entire resignation to God 
 
172 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 with respect to life or death, sickness or health, ease or 
 pain, which has remained unchanged and unshaken 
 when actually under extreme and violent pains, and in 
 times of theatenings of immediate death ; but though 
 there be this patience and submission, yet the thoughts 
 of death and the day of judgment are always exceeding 
 sweet to the soul : this resignation is also attended with 
 a constant resignation of the lives of dearest earthly 
 friends, and sometimes when some of their lives have 
 been imminently threatened ; often expressing the sweet- 
 ness of the liberty of having wholly left the world and 
 renounced all for God, and having nothing but God, in 
 whom is an infinite fulness — 
 
 These things have been attended with a constant sweet 
 peace and calm and serenity of soul, without any cloud 
 to interrupt it ; a continual rejoicing in all the works of 
 God's hands, the works of nature, and God's daily works 
 of providence, all appearing with a sweet smile upon 
 them ; a wonderful access to God by prayer, as it were 
 seeing him, and sensibly immediately conversing with 
 him, as much oftentimes (to use the person's own ex- 
 pressions) as if Christ were here on earth, sitting on a 
 visible throne, to be approached to and conversed with ; 
 frequent, plain, sensible and immediate answers of pray- 
 er ; all tears wiped away ; all former troubles and sor- 
 rows of life forgotten, and all sorrow and sighing fled 
 away, excepting grief for past sins and for remaining 
 corruption, and that Christ is loved no more, and that 
 God is no more honored in the world, and a compassion- 
 ate grief towards fellow- creatures ; a daily sensible do- 
 ing and suffering every thing for God for a long time 
 past, eating for God, and working for God, and sleeping 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 173 
 
 for God, and bearing pain and trouble for God, and do 
 ing all as the service of love, and so doing it v\^itli a con- 
 tinual uninterrupted cheerfulness, peace and joy. Oh 
 how^ good, said the person once, is it to work for God in 
 the day-time, and at night to lie down under his smiles ! 
 high experiences and religious affections in this person 
 have not been attended with any disposition to neglect 
 the necessary business of a secular calling, to spend the 
 time in reading and prayer, and other exercises of devo- 
 tion ; but worldly business has been attended with great 
 alacrity, as part of the service of God : the person declar- 
 ing that it being done thus, it is found to be as good as 
 prayer — 
 
 These things have been accompanied with an exceed- 
 ing concern and zeal for moral duties, and that all pro- 
 fessors may with them adorn the doctrine of God their 
 Savior ; and an uncommon care to perform relative and 
 social duties, and a noted eminence in them ; a great 
 inoffensiveness of life and conversation in the sight of 
 others; a great meekness, gentleness, and benevolence 
 of spirit and behavior ; and a great alteration in those 
 things that formerly used to be the person's failings ; 
 seeming to be much overcome and swallowed up by the 
 late great increase of grace, to the observation of those 
 that are most conversant and most intimately acquainted : 
 in times of the brightest light and highest flights of love 
 and joy, finding no disposition to any opinion of being 
 now perfectly free from sin, (agreeably to the notion of 
 some high pretenders to spirituality in these days,) but 
 exceedingly the contrary : at such times especially, see- 
 ing how loathsome and polluted the soul is, soul and 
 body and every act and word appearing like rottenness 
 
174 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 and corruption in that pure and holy light of God's 
 glory; not slighting instruction or means of grace any 
 more for having had great discoveries ; on the contrary, 
 never more sensible of the need of instruction than now. 
 And one thing more may be added, that these things 
 have been attended w^ith a particular dislike of placing 
 religion much in dress, and spending much zeal about 
 those things that in themselves are matters of indiffer- 
 ence, or an affecting to show humility and devotion by a 
 mean habit, or a demure and melancholy countenance, 
 or any thing singular and superstitious. 
 
 6. The work not only genuine^ but glorious. 
 
 Now if such things are enthusiasm, and the fruits of a 
 distempered brain, let my brain be evermore possessed 
 of that happy distemper ! If this be distraction, I pray 
 God that the world of mankind may be all seized with 
 this benign, meek, beneficent, beatifical, glorious distrac- 
 tion ! If agitations of body were found in the French 
 prophets, and ten thousand prophets more, it is little to 
 their purpose who bring it as an objection against such 
 a work as this, unless their purpose be to disprove the 
 whole of the christian religion. The great affections and 
 high transports that others have lately been under, are in 
 general of the same kind with those in the instance that 
 has been given, though not to so high a degree, and 
 many of them not so pure and unmixed and so well 
 regulated. I have had opportunity to observe many in- 
 stances here and elsewhere ; and though there are some 
 instances of great affections in which there has been a 
 great mixture of nature with grace, and in some a sad 
 degenerating of religious affections; yet there is such 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 175 
 
 uniformity observable, that it is easy to be seen that in 
 general it is the same Spirit from whence the work in all 
 parts of the land has originated. 
 
 And what notions have they of religion who reject 
 what has been described as not true religion ] What 
 shall we find to answer those expressions in Scripture, 
 " The peace of God that passeth all understanding : re- 
 joicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory, in believ- 
 ing and loving an unseen Savior : all joy and peace in 
 believing : God's shining into our hearts, to give the light 
 of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
 Christ ; with open face beholding, as in a glass, the glory 
 of the Lord, and being changed into the same image, 
 from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord : 
 having the love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the 
 Holy Ghost giveQ to us : liaving the Spirit of God and 
 of glory rest upon us : a being called out of darkness 
 into marvellous light ; and having the day-star arise in 
 our hearts :" I say, if those things that have been men- 
 tioned do not answer these expressions, what else can 
 we find out that does answer them 1 Those that do not 
 think such things as these to be the fruits of the true 
 Spirit, would do well to consider what kind of spirit 
 they are waiting and praying for, and what sort of fruits 
 they expect he should produce when he comes. I sup- 
 pose it will generally be allowed that there is such a 
 thing as a glorious outpouring of the Spirit of God to be 
 expected, to introduce very joyful and glorious times in 
 religion ; times wherein holy love and joy will be raised 
 to a great height in true christians : but if those things 
 that have been mentioned be rejected, what is left that 
 we can find wherewith to patch up a notion or form an 
 
176 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 idea of tlie liigli, blessed, joyful religion of those times 1 
 What is it that any have a notion of, that is very sweet, 
 excellent and joyful, of a religious nature, that is entirely 
 of a different nature from these things 1 
 
 Those that are vs^aiting for t?i,e fruits in order to deter- 
 mine whether this be the work of God, would do well 
 to consider two things : 
 
 1. What they are waiting for : whether it be not this ; 
 to have this wonderful religious influence that is on the 
 minds of people over and past, and then to see how they 
 will behave themselves. That is, to have grace subside, 
 and the actings of it in a great measure cease, and to 
 have persons grow cold and dead, and then to see wheth- 
 er after that they will behave themselves with such exact- 
 ness and brightness of conversation as is to be expected 
 of lively Christians, or those that are in the vigorous ex- 
 ercises of grace. There are many that will not be satis- 
 fied with any exactness or laboriousness in religion now, 
 while persons have their minds much moved and their 
 affections are high ; for they lay it to their flash of affec- 
 tion and heat of zeal, as they call it ; they are waiting 
 to see whether they will carry themselves as well when 
 these affections are over : that is, they are waiting to 
 have persons sicken and lose their strength, that they 
 may see whether they will then behave themselves like 
 healthy strong men. I would desire that they w^ould also 
 consider whether they be not waiting for more than is 
 reasonably to be expected, supposing this to be reall}^ a 
 great work of God, and much more than has been found 
 in former great outpourings of the Spirit of God that 
 have been universally acknowledged in the christian 
 church % Do not they expect fewer instances of apostacy 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 177 
 
 and evidences of hypocrisy in professors, and those that 
 for the present seem to be under the influences of the 
 Spirit, than were after that great outpouring of the Spirit 
 in the apostles' days, or that which was in the time of 
 the Reformation 1 And do not they stand prepared to 
 make a mighty argument of it against this work, if there 
 should be half so many 1 And, 
 
 2. They would do well to consider hoio long they will 
 wait to see the good fruit of this work before they will 
 determine in favor of it. Is not their waiting unlimited 1 
 The visible fruit that is to be expected of a pouring out 
 of the Spirit of God on a country, is a visible reformation 
 in that country : how great a reformation has lately been 
 brought to pass in New England by this work, has been 
 before observed. And has it not continued long enough 
 already to give reasonable satisfaction ] If God cannot 
 work on the hearts of a people after such a manner as 
 to show his hand so plainly as reasonably to expect it 
 should be acknowledged in a year and a half or two 
 years' time ; yet surely it is unreasonable that our ex- 
 pectations and demands should be unlimited, and our 
 waiting without any bounds. 
 
 As there is the clearest evidence, from those things 
 that have been observed, that this is the work of God, so 
 it is evident that it is a very great, and wonderful, and ex- 
 ceedingly glorious work of God. This is certain, that it 
 is a great and wonderful event, a strange revolution, an 
 unexpected, surprising overturning of things suddenly 
 brought to pass; such as never has been seen in New 
 England, and scarce ever has been heard of in any land. 
 Who that saw the state of things in New England a few 
 years ago, the state of things which had become settled, 
 
 8* 
 
178 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 and the way that we had been so long going on in, would 
 have thought that in so little a time there would be such 
 a change ] This is undoubtedly either a very great work 
 of God, or a great work of the devil, as to the main sub- 
 stance of it. For though, undoubtedly, God and the devil 
 may work together at the same time and in the same 
 land ; and when God is at work, especially if he be very 
 remarkably at work, Satan will, to his utmost endeavor, 
 intrude, and by intermingling his work, darken and 
 hinder God's work ; yet God and the devil do not work 
 together in producing the same event, and in effecting 
 the same change in the hearts and lives of men : but it is 
 apparent that there are some things wherein the main 
 substance of this work consists, a certain effect that is 
 produced and alteration that is made in the apprehen- 
 sions, affections, dispositions and behavior of men, in 
 which there is a likeness and agreement every where : 
 now this, I say, is either a wonderful work of God, or a 
 mighty work of the devil ; and so is either a most happy 
 event, greatly to be admired and rejoiced in, or a most 
 awful calamity. Therefore if what has been said be suf- 
 ficient to determine it to be, as to the main, the work of 
 God, then it must be acknowledged to be a very wonder- 
 ful and glorious work of God. 
 
 Such a work is, in its nature and kind, the most glorious 
 of any work of God whatsoever ; and is always so spo- 
 ken of in Scripture. It is the work of redemption (the 
 great end of all other works of God, and of which the 
 work of creation was but a shadow,) in the event, success 
 and end of it : it is the work of new creation, that is in- 
 finitely more glorious that the old. I am bold to say 
 that the work of God in the conversion of one soul, con- 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 179 
 
 Bidered together with the source, foundation and pur- 
 chase of it, and also the benefit, end and eternal issue of 
 it, is a more glorious work of God than the creation of 
 the whole material universe ; it is the most glorious of 
 God's works, as it above all others manifests the glory of 
 God. It is spoken of in Scripture as that which shows 
 the exceeding greatness of God^s power^ and the glory and 
 riches of divine grace, and wherein Christ has the most 
 glorious triumph over his enemies, and wherein God is 
 mightily exalted : and it is a work above all others glo- 
 rious, as it concerns the happiness of mankind ; more 
 happiness and a greater benefit to man is the fruit of 
 each single drop of such a shower, than all the temporal 
 good of the most happy revolution in a land or nation 
 amounts to, or all that a people could gain by the con- 
 quest of the world. 
 
 And as this work is very glorious in its nature, so it is 
 in its degree and circumstances. It will appear very glori- 
 ous, if we consider the unworthiness of the people that 
 are the subjects of it ; what obligations God has laid us 
 under by the special privileges we have enjoyed for our 
 souls' good, and the great things God did for us at our 
 first settlement in che land ; and how he has followed us 
 with his goodness to this day, and how we have abused 
 his goodness : how long we have been revolting more and 
 more, (as all confess,) and how very corrupt we were be- 
 come at last ; in how great a degree we had cast off God 
 and forsaken the fountain of living waters : how obstinate 
 we have been under all manner of means that God has 
 used with us to reclaim us ; how often we have mocked 
 God with hypocritical pretences of humiliation, as in our 
 annual days of public fasting and other things, while, in- 
 
180 REVIVAL OF RELIGION 
 
 Stead of reforming, we only grevir vi^orse and vv^orse ; liow 
 dead a time it was every where before this work began 
 
 if we consider these things, we shall be most stupidly 
 
 ungrateful if we do not acknowledge God's visiting of 
 us as he has done, as an instance of the glorious triumph 
 of free and sovereign grace. 
 
 The work is very glorious, if we consider the exterit of 
 it ; being in this respect vastly beyond any former out- 
 pouring of the Spirit that ever was known in New Eng- 
 land. There has formerly sometimes been a remarkable 
 awakening and success of the means of grace in some 
 particular congregation ; and this used to be much taken 
 notice of and acknowledged to be glorious, though the 
 towns and congregations round about continued dead ; 
 but now God has brought to pass a new thing, he has 
 wrought a great work of this nature that has extended 
 from one end of the land to the other, besides what has 
 been wrought in other British Colonies in America. 
 
 The work is very glorious in the great numhers that 
 have, to appearance, been t\3rned from sin to God, and so 
 delivered from a wretched captivity to sin and Satan, 
 saved from everlasting burnings and made heirs of eter- 
 nal glory. How high an honor and great reward of their 
 labors have some eminent persons of note in the church 
 of God signified that they should esteem it, if they should 
 be made the instruments of the conversion and eternal 
 salvation of but one soul ! And no greater event than 
 that is thought worthy of great notice in heaven among 
 the hosts of glorious angels who rejoice and sing on such 
 an occasion ; and when there are many thousands of 
 souls thus converted and saved, shall it be esteemed 
 worth but little notice, and be mentioned with coldness 
 
 1 
 
IN NEW ENGLAND. 181 
 
 and indifference here on earth by those among whom 
 such a work is wrought ] 
 
 The work has been very glorious and wonderful in 
 many circumstances and events of it that have been ex- 
 traordinary, wherein God has in an uncommon manner 
 made his hand visible and his power conspicuous ; as in 
 the extraordinary degrees of awakening, the suddenness 
 of conversions in innumerable instances, in which, thouo-h 
 the work was quick, yet the thing wrought is manifestly 
 durable. How common a thing has it been for a great 
 part of a congregation to be at once moved by a mighty 
 invisible power ; and for six, eight or ten souls to be con- 
 verted to God (to all appearance) in an exercise, in 
 whom the visible change still continues ! How great 
 an alteration has been made in some towns, yea, some 
 populous towns; the change still abiding! And how 
 many very vicious persons have been wrought upon, so 
 as to become visibly new creatures ! God has also made 
 his hand very visible and his work glorious in the multi- 
 tudes of little children that have been wrought upon : I 
 suppose there have been some hundreds of instances of 
 this nature of late, any one of which formerly would 
 have been looked upon so remarkable as to be worthy 
 to be recorded and published through the land. The 
 work is very glorious in its influences and effects on 
 many that have been very ignorant and barbarous, as I 
 before observed of the Indians and Negroes. 
 
 The work is also exceeding glorious in the high attain- 
 ments of christians, in the extraordinary degrees of light, 
 love and spiritual joy that God has bestowed upon great 
 multitudes. In this respect, also, the land in all parts has 
 abounded with such instances, any one of which if they 
 
182 REVIVAL IN NEW ENGLAND. 
 
 had happened formerly would have been thought worthy 
 to be taken notice of by God's people throughout the 
 British dominions. The new Jerusalem in this respect 
 has begun to come down from heaven, and perhaps never 
 were more of the prelibations of heaven's glory given 
 upon earth. 
 
 There being a great many errors and sinful irregu- 
 larities mixed with this work of God, arising from our 
 weakness, darkness and corruption, does not hinder this 
 work of God's power and grace from being very glorious. 
 Our follies and sins that we mix, do in some respects 
 manifest the glory of it : the glory of divine power and 
 grace is set off with the greater lustre by what appears 
 at the same time of the weakness of the earthen vessel. 
 It is God's pleasure that there should be something re- 
 markable to manifest the weakness and un worthiness of 
 the subject, at the same time that he displays the excel- 
 lency of his~ power and the riches of his grace. And I 
 doubt not but some of those things that make some of us 
 here on earth to be out of humor, and to look on this 
 work with a sour, displeased countenance, do heighten the 
 songs of the angels when they praise God and the Lamb 
 for what they see of the glory of God's all-sufficiency 
 and the efficacy of Christ's redemption. And how un- 
 reasonable is it that we should be backward to acknow- 
 ledge the glory of what God has done, because withal 
 the devil, and we in hearkening to him, have done a 
 great deal of mischief! 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 183 
 
 PART II 
 
 SHOWING THE OBLIGATIONS THAT ALL ARE UNDER TO 
 ACKNOWLEDGE, REJOICE IN, AND PROMOTE THIS WORK, 
 AND THE GREAT DANGER OP THE CONTRARY. 
 
 1. The danger of being sloiu to acknowledge the work 
 of God. 
 
 There are many things in the word of God which 
 show that when God remarkably appears in any great 
 work for his church, and against his enemies, it is a most 
 dangerous thing, and highly provoking to God, to he slow 
 and backward to acknowledge and honor God in the work, 
 and to lie still and not give a helping hand. Christ's 
 people are in Scripture represented as his army ; he is 
 the Lord of hosts or armies : he is the Captain of the host 
 of the Lord, as be called himself when he appeared to 
 Joshua with a sword drawn in his hand. Josh. 5 : 13, 14, 
 15. He is the Captain of his people's salvation ; and there- 
 fore it may well be highly resented if they do not resort 
 to him when he orders his banner to be displayed ; or if 
 they refuse to follow him when he blows the trumpet 
 and gloriously appears going forth against his enemies. 
 God expects that every living soul should have his at- 
 tention roused on such an occasion, and should most 
 cheerfully yield to the call, and heedfully and diligently 
 obey it : *' All ye inhabitants of the world and dwellers 
 
184 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the 
 mountains ; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye." 
 Isa. 18 : 3. 
 
 Especially should all Israel be gathered after their 
 Captain, as we read they were after Ehud, when he blew 
 the trumpet in mount Ephraim when he had slain Eglon, 
 king of Moab. Judg. 3 : 27, 28. How severe is the mar- 
 tial law in such a case, when any one of an army refuses > 
 to obey the sound of a trumpet and follow his general s^ 
 to the battle ! God at such a time appears in peculiar S' 
 manifestations of his glory ; and therefore not to be ;3^ 
 affected and animated, and to lie still and refuse to 
 follow God, will be resented as a high contempt of him. -^ *" 
 If a subject should stand by and be a spectator of the 
 solemnity of his prince's coronation, and should appear 
 silent and sullen when all the multitude were testifying 
 their loyalty and joy with loud acclamations ; how great- 
 ly would he expose himself to be treated as a rebel, and 
 quickly to perish by the authority of the prince that he 
 refuses to honor ! 
 
 At a time when God manifests himself in such a great 
 work for his church, there is no such thing as being ncu^ ^-^ 
 tral ; there is a necessity of being either for or against 
 the King that then gloriously appears. As when a king 
 is crowned, and there are public manifestations of joy on 
 that occasion, there is no such thing as standing by as an 
 indifferent spectator; all must appear as loyal subjects, 
 and express their joy on that occasion, or be accounted 
 enemies : so it always is when God, in any great dispen- 
 sation of his providence, does remarkably set his King 
 on his holy hill of Zion, and Christ in an extraordinary 
 manner comes down from heaven to the earth, and ap- 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 185 
 
 pears in his visible church in a great work of salvation 
 for his people. So it vv^as w^hen Christ came down from 
 heaven in his incarnation, and appeared on earth in his 
 human presence ; there was no such thing as being neu- 
 tral, neither on his side nor against him : those that sat 
 still and said nothing, and did not declare for him, and 
 come and join with him, after he, by his word and works, 
 had given sufficient evidence who he was, were justly- 
 looked upon as his enemies ; as Christ says, Matt. --" 
 12 : 30, ** He that is not with me is against me ; and he 
 that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad." So it is 
 in a time when Christ is remarkably present spiritually, 
 as well as when he is present bodily; and when he 
 comes to carry on the work of redemption in the appli- 
 cation of it, as well as in the revelation and purchase. 
 
 If a king should come into one of his provinces that 
 had been oppressed by its foes, where some of his sub- 
 jects had fallen off to the enemy and joined them against 
 their lawful sovereign and his loyal subjects ; I say, if 
 the lawful sovereign himself should come into the pro- 
 vince, and should ride forth there against his enemies, 
 and should call upon all that were on his side to come 
 and gather themselves to him ; there would be no such 
 thing, in such a case, as standing neutral : they that lay 
 still and staid at a distance would undoubtedly be looked 
 upon and treated as rebels. So in the day of battle, when 
 two armies join, there is no such thing for any present as 
 being of neither party, all must be on one side or the 
 other ; and they that are not found with the conqueror in 
 such a case, must expect to have his weapons turned 
 against them, and to fall with the rest of his enemies. 
 
 When God manifests himself with such glorious powerl/^ 
 
186 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 in a work of this nature, he appears especially deter- 
 mined to put honor upon his Son, and to fulfil his oath 
 I that he has sworn to him, that he would make every knee 
 ) to bow and every tongue to confess to him. God hath 
 had it much on his heart, from all eternity, to glorify his 
 dear and only begotten Son ; and there are some special 
 / seasons that he appoints to that end, wherein he comes 
 forth with omnipotent power to fulfil his promise and 
 oath to him ; and these times are times of the remarka- 
 ble pouring out of his Spirit, to advance his kingdom. 
 Such a day is a day of his power, wherein his people 
 shall be made willing, and he shall rule in the midst of 
 his enemies ; these especially are the times wherein God 
 declares his firm decree that his Son shall reign on his 
 holy hill of Zion ; and therefore those that at such a time 
 ^ do not kiss the Son, as he then manifests himself and ap- 
 pears in the glory of his majesty and grace, expose them- 
 selves to j^erish from the ^oay, and to be dashed in pieces 
 with a rod of iron. 
 
 As at such a time God eminently sets his King on his 
 holy hill of Zion, so it is a time wherein he remarkably 
 fulfils the prophecy, Isa. 28 : 16, '* Therefore thus saith 
 the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a 
 stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foun- 
 dation ;" which the two apostles, Peter and Paul, (1 Pet. 
 2 : 6, 7, 8, and Rom. 9 : 33) join with the prophecy, Isa. 
 8 : 14, 15, " And he shall be for a sanctuary ; but for a 
 stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the 
 houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabi- 
 tants of Jerusalem : and many among them shall stumble 
 and fall, and be broken, and be snared and taken " — sig- 
 nifying that both are fulfilled together: yea, both are 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 18T 
 
 joined together by the prophet Isaiah himself; as you 
 may see in the context of the passage first cited. In verse 
 13, preceding, it is said, ** But the word of the Lord was 
 unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept ; 
 Hnc upon line, line upon line ; here a little and there a 
 little, that they might go, and fall backward, and be bro-^ 
 ken, and snared and taken," Accordingly it always is so, 
 that when Christ is in a peculiar and eminent manner 
 manifested and magnified, by a glorious work of God in 
 his church, as a foundation and sanctuary for some, he is 
 remarkably a stone of stumbling and a rock of ••offence, a 
 gin and a snare to others. They that continue long to 
 stumble and be offended and ensnared in their minds at 
 such a great and glorious work of Christ in God's ac- 
 count stumble at Christ and are offended in him ; for the 
 work is that by which he makes Christ manifest and 
 shows his glory, and by which he makes the stone that the 
 builders refused to become the head of the corner. This 
 shows how dangerous it is to continue always stumbling 
 at such a work, for ever doubting of it, and forbearing 
 fully to acknowledge it and give God the glory of it. 
 Such persons are in danger to go, and fall backward, and 
 be broken, and snared and takeri, and to have Christ a 
 stone of stumbling to them, that shall be an occasion of 
 their ruin ; while he is to others a^ sanctuary and a sure 
 foundation. 
 
 The prophet Isaiah, 29 : 14, speaks of God's proceed- 
 ing ta do a marvellous work and a wonder, which should 
 stumble and confound the wisdom of the wise and pru- 
 dent; which the apostle, in Acts, 13 : 41, applies to the 
 glorious work of salvation wrought in those days by the 
 redemption of Christ, and the glorious outpouring of the 
 
188 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 Spirit to apply it that foUov^^ed ; the prophet, in the con- 
 r text, speaking of the same thing, and of the prophets and 
 j rulers and seers, those wise and prudent vv^hose eyes God 
 'f had closed, says to them, verse 9, " Stay yourselves and 
 wonder." In the original it is. Be ye slow and luonder. I 
 leave it to others to consider w^hether it is not natural to 
 interpret it thus, " Wonder at this marvellous work ; let 
 it be a strange thing, a great mystery that you know not 
 what to make of, and that you are very slow and back- 
 ward to acknowledge, long delaying to come to a deter- 
 mination concerning it." And what persons are in dan- 
 Ager of that wonder, and are thus slow to acknowledge 
 God in such a work, we learn by the apostle, Acts, 13 : 
 < 41, " Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish ; for 
 / I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no 
 ^^ wise believe though a man declare it unto you." 
 
 The church of Christ is called upon greatly to rejoice 
 when at any time Christ remarkably appears coming to 
 his church to carry on the work of salvation, to enlarge 
 his own kingdom, and to deliver poor souls out of the pit 
 wherein there is no water, Zech. 9 : 9, JO, 11 : " Rejoice 
 greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter of Jeru- 
 salem ; behold thy king cometh unto thee ; he is just and 
 having salvation. His dominion shall be from sea to sea. 
 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent 
 forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water." 
 Christ was pleased to give a notable typical or symboli- 
 cal representation of such a great event as is spoken of in 
 this prophecy, in his solemn entry into the literal Jerusa- 
 lem, which was a type of the church or daughter of Zion 
 there spoken of; probably intending it as a figure and 
 prelude of the great actual fulfilment of this prophecy that 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 189 
 
 was to be after his ascension, by the pouring out of the 
 Spirit in the days of the apostles, and the more full ac- 
 complishment that should be in the latter ages of the 
 christian church. 
 
 We have an account, that when Christ made this his 
 solemn entry into Jerusalem, and the whole multitude of 
 the disciples were rejoicing and praising God with loud 
 voices for all the mighty works that they had seen, the 
 Pharisees from among the multitude said to Christ, Mas- 
 ter, rebuke thy disciples ; but we are told, Luke, 19 : 39, 
 40, Christ " answered and said unto them, I tell you, 
 that if these should hold their peace, the stones would 
 immediately cry out:" signifying, that if Christ's pro- 
 fessing disciples should be unaffected on such an occasion, 
 and should not appear openly to acknowledge and rejoice 
 in the glory of God therein appearing, it would manifest 
 such fearful hardness of heart, so exceeding that of the'^ 
 stones, that the very stones would condemn them. Should 
 not this make those consider, who have held their peace 
 so long since Christ has come to our Zion having salva- 
 tion, and so wonderfully manifested his glory in this 
 mighty work of his Spirit, and so many of his disciples 
 have been rejoicing and praising God with loud voices % 
 
 It must be acknowledged that so great and wonderful 
 a work of God's Spirit is a work wherein God's hand is 
 remarkably lifted up, and wherein he displays his ma- 
 jesty, and shows great favor and mercy to sinners in the 
 glorious opportunity he gives them ; and by which he 
 makes our land to become much more a land of upright- 
 ness ; therefore that place, Isa. 26: 10, 11, shows the 
 great danger of not seeing God's hand and acknowledg- 
 ing his glory and majesty in such a work : "Let favor _. 
 
190 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 be shown to the vv^icked, yet w^ill he not learn righteous- 
 ness ; in the land of uprightness he v^^ill deal unjustly, 
 and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when 
 thy hand is lifted up they will not see ; but they shall 
 see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people ; yea, 
 the fire of thine enemies shall devour them." 
 
 2. Reasons Jor believing that the great work of God for the 
 world's conversion may hegin in America. 
 
 It is not unlikely that this work of God's Spirit which 
 is so extraordinary and wonderful, is the dawning, or at 
 least a prelude of that glorious work of God so often 
 foretold in Scripture, which in the progress and issue of 
 it shall renew the loorld of mankind. If we consider how 
 long since the things foretold as what should precede 
 this great event have been accomplished ; and how long 
 this event has been expected by the church of God, and 
 thought to be nigh by the most eminent men of God in 
 the church ; and withal consider what the state of things 
 now is, and has for a considerable time been, in the 
 church of God and the world of mankind, we cannot 
 reasonably think otherwise than that the beginning of 
 this great work of God must be near. 
 
 And there are many things that make it probable that 
 this work will begin in America. It is signified that it shall 
 begin in some very remote part of the world, that the 
 rest of the world have no communication with but by 
 navigation, in Isa. GO : 9 ; " Surely the Isles will wait for 
 me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring my sons 
 from far." It is exceeding manifest that this chapter is a 
 prophecy of the prosperity of the church in its most glo- 
 rious state on earth in the latter days ; and I cannot 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 191 
 
 think that any thing else can be here intended but 
 America, by the isles that are afar off, from whence the 
 first born sons of that glorious day shall be brought. 
 Indeed by the Isles, in prophecies of gospel times, is 
 very often meant Europe : it is so in prophecies of that 
 great spreading of the Gospel that should be soon after 
 Christ's time, because it was far separated from that part 
 of the world where the church of God had until then 
 been by the sea. But this prophecy cannot have respect 
 to the conversion of Europe in the time of that great 
 work of God in the primitive ages of the christian 
 church ; for it was not fulfilled then : the isles and ships 
 of Tarshish, thus understood, did not wait for God first ; 
 that glorious work did not begin in Europe, but in Jeru- 
 salem, and had for a considerable time been very won- 
 derfully carried on in Asia before it reached Europe. 
 And as it is not that work of God that is chiefly intended 
 in this chapter, but that more glorious work that should 
 be in the latter ages of the christian church, therefore 
 some other part of the world is here intended by the 
 Isles, that should be, as Europe then was, far separated 
 from that part of the world where the church had be- 
 fore been by the sea, and with which it can have no 
 communication but by the ships of Tarshish. What is — 
 chiefly intended is not the British , Isles, nor any isles 
 near the other continent ; for they are spoken of as at a 
 great distance from that part of the world where the 
 church had till then been. This prophecy therefore 
 seems plainly to point out America as the first fruits of / 
 that glorious day. 
 
 God has made as it were two worlds here below, the old 
 and the new (according to the names they are now called 
 
,.--f" 
 
 
 xl/^'^ffrJ 192 THOUGHTS ON THE HEVIVAL. 
 
 Zff^ ^' by,) two great habitable continents, far separated one 
 ^Q^ from the other. The latter is but newly discovered ; it 
 
 e^ was formerly wholly unknown from age to age, and is 
 
 .y H^^"^^ ^^ ^^ were now but newly created ; it has been, until of 
 1^'' jjf/ C^dle, wholly the possession of Satan, the church of God 
 %^^ ^r" 'having never been in it, as it has been in the other con- 
 y ^ _^P« • tinent from the beginning of the world. This new world 
 o^ is probably now discovered, that the new and most glori- 
 
 ous state of God's church on earth might commence 
 there ; that God might in it begin a new world in a 
 spiritual respect, when he creates the neiv heavens and 
 new earth. 
 
 God has already put that honor upon the other conti- 
 nent, that Christ was born there literally, and there made 
 the purchase of redemption : so, as Providence observes a 
 kind of equal distribution of things, it is not unlikely that 
 the great spiritual birth of Christ and the most glorious 
 ■aK' application of redemption is to begin in this : as the elder 
 
 y f-\ sister brought forth Judah, of whom came Christ, and so 
 
 **. i.i she was the mother of Christ; but the younger sister, 
 
 after long barrenness, brought forth Joseph and Benja- 
 min, the beloved children — Joseph, that had the most 
 glorious apparel, the coat of many colors, who was sepa- 
 rated from his brethren, and was exalted to such glory 
 out of a dark dungeon, and fed and saved the world 
 when ready to perish with famine, and was as a fruitful 
 bough by a well, whose branches ran over the wall, and 
 was blessed with all manner of blessings and precious 
 things of heaven and earth, through the good will of 
 Him that dwelt in the bush ; and was, as by the horns of 
 a unicorn, to push the people together to the ends of 
 the earth, i. e. conquer the world. See Gen. 49 : 22, &c. 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 193 
 
 and Deut. 33 : 13, &c. and Benjamin, whose mess was 
 five times so great as that of any of his brethren, and to 
 whom Joseph, the type of Christ, gave wealth and rai- 
 ment far beyond all the rest. Gen. 45 : 22. 
 
 The other continent hath slain Christ, and has from 
 age to age shed the blood of the saints and martyrs of/ ?^^le 
 Jesus, and has often been as it were deluged with the j 'o. M^t^ 
 church's blood : God has therefore probably reserved the '^^' 
 
 honor of building the glorious temple to the daughter 
 that has not shed so much blood, when those times of the 
 peace, and prosperity, and glory of the church shall 
 commence, that were typified by the reign of Solomon. 
 
 The Gentiles first received the true religion from the 
 Jews : God's church of ancient times had been among ^ ■ 
 them, and Christ was of them : but that there might be '^'j^^'^^ 
 a kind of equality in the dispensations of Providence, "^rJ^^j^> 
 God has so ordered it, that when the Jews come to be '^'^/i'S^ f 
 admitted to the benefits of the evangelical dispensation, c^.\^]^ 
 and to receive their highest privileges of all, they should 
 receive the Gospel from the Gentiles. Though Christ 
 was of them, yet they have been guilty of crucifying him ; 
 it is therefore the will of God that that people should 
 not have the honor of communicating the blessings of the 
 kingdom of God in its most glorious state to the Gentiles, 
 but, on the contrary, they shall receive the Gospel in the 
 beginning of that glorious day from the Gentiles. In 
 some analogy to this I apprehend God's dealings will be ^ ^ ,, 
 with the two continents. America has received the true JKf^*'^' - 
 religion of the old continent ; the church of ancient times 
 has been there, and Christ is from thence ; but that there 
 may be an equality, and inasmuch as that continent has 
 crucified Christ, they shall not have the honor of commu- 
 
 Revival of Ilel 9 
 
194 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 nicating religion in its most glorious state to us, but we 
 to them./ 
 
 The old continent has been the source and original of 
 mankind in several respects. The first parents of man- 
 kind dwelt there ; and there dwelt Noah and his sons ; 
 /^i?^^ and there the second Adam was born, and was crucified 
 -^ ^ iit\^'^' and rose again : and it is probable that, in some measure 
 ' '^ to balance these things, the most glorious renovation of 
 .the world shall originate from the new continent, and the 
 t^^^ c^- church of God in that respect be from hence. And so it 
 ^^*' o-jt is probable that that will come to pass in spirituals that 
 i^'^'^.A^ has in temporals, with respect to America ; that whereas, 
 ^'z***^'*^ till of late, the world was supplied with its silver and 
 i^*^. ' gold and earthly treasures from the old continent and now 
 ^ ' is supplied chiefly from the new, so the course of things 
 
 in spiritual respects will be in like manner turned. 
 ' < ^^ t^ ^'^^ ^^ ^^ worthy to be noted that America was discov- 
 '*'■ f * ered about the time of the Reformation, or but little be- 
 fore : which Reformation was the first thing that God did 
 towards the glorious renovation of the world, after it had 
 sunk into the depths of darkness and ruin under the 
 great antichristian apostacy. So that as soon as this new 
 ^k; world is (as it were) created and stands forth in view, 
 
 jH"''*].; God presently goes about doing some great thing to 
 '>^\{^'^^^t make way for the introduction of the church's latter day 
 ^jj'-^ ..f>''^ fflorv, that is to have its first seat in, and is to take its rise 
 J- (^^^^' from that new world. 
 
 0^ V : '■ It is agreeable to God's manner of working, when he 
 
 accomplishes any glorious work in the world, to intro- 
 duce a new and more excellent state of his church, to 
 begin his work where his church had not been till then, 
 / and where was no foundation already laid, that the power 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 195 
 
 of God might be the more conspicuous ; that the work 
 might appear to be entirely God's, and be more mani- 
 festly a creation out of nothing; agreeably to Hos. 1 : 10, 
 ** And it shall come to pass that in the place where it was 
 said unto them, ye are not my people, there it shall be 
 said unto them, ye are the sons of the living God." 
 When God is about to turn the earth into a paradise, he 
 does not begin his work where there is some good growth 
 already, but in a wilderness, where nothing grows and 
 nothing is to be seen but dry sand and barren rocks; that 
 the light may shine out of darkness and the world be re- 
 plenished from emptiness, and the earth watered by 
 springs from a droughty desert ; agreeably to many pro- 
 phecies of Scripture, as Isa. 32 : 15, ** Until the Spirit be 
 poured from on high and the wilderness become a fruit- 
 ful field ;" and chap. 41 : 18, " I will open rivers in high 
 places and fountains in the midst of the valleys ; I will 
 make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land 
 springs of water : I will plant in the wilderness the ce- 
 dar, the_shi_ttah tree, and the myrtle and oil tree ; I will 
 set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box 
 tree together;" and chap. 43 : 20, " I will give waters in 
 the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to 
 my people, my chosen." Many other parallel Scriptures 
 might be mentioned. 
 
 I observed before, that when God is about to do some 
 great work for his church, his manner is to begin at the 
 lower end ; so when he is about to renew the whole ha- 
 bitable earth, it is probable that he will begin in this ut- 
 most, meanest, youngest and weakest part of it, where 
 the church of God has been planted last of all ; and so 
 the first shall be last, and the last first ; and that will be 
 
196 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 fulfilled in an eminent manner in Isa. 24 : 16, " From the 
 uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even 
 glory to the righteous." 
 
 There are several things that seem to me to argue that 
 when the Sun of Righteousness, the Sun of the new hea- 
 vens and new earth, comes to rise, and comes forth as the 
 bridegroom of his church, " rejoicing as a strong man to 
 run his race, having his going forth from the end of hea- 
 ven, and his circuit to the end of it, that nothing may be 
 hid from the light and heat of it,"* the sun shall rise in the 
 west, contrary to the course of this world, or the course 
 of things in the old heavens and earth. The course of 
 God's providence shall in that day be so wonderfully al- 
 tered in many respects, that God will as it were change 
 the course of nature in answer to the prayers of his 
 church ; as God changed the course of nature and cau- 
 ^jit$^-A.sed the sun to go from the west to the east when Heze- 
 ^^ ji\ tiah was healed, and God promised to do such great 
 V,. '■"" * things for his church, to deliver it out of the hand of the 
 king of Assyria, by that mighty slaughter by the angel ; 
 a '•'^'^^^ which is often used by the prophet Isaiah as a type of 
 ^ ii^. the glorious deliverance of the church from her enemies 
 ,ji»'^^^ in the latter days : the resurrection of Hezekiah, the 
 > ^^ 0' king and captain of the church (as he is called, 2 Kings, 
 ^ »**^/ 20 : 5,) as it were from the dead, is given as an earnest 
 ^^ ^ of the church's resurrection and salvation, Isa. 38 : 6, and 
 
 '^ • VI. — — 
 
 ^^^ jS' . "^ It is evident that the Holy Spirit in these expressions, Psalm 19 : 4, 
 I A^y 5, 6, has respect to something else besides the natural sun ; and that an 
 
 '' eye is had to the Sun of Righteousness, that by his light converts the soul, 
 
 makes wise the simple, enlightens the eyes, and rejoices the heart ; and by 
 his preached Gospel enlightens and warms the world of mankind. Such is 
 the Psalmist's own application m verse 7, and the apostle's application of 
 verse 4, in Rom. 10 : 18. 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 197 
 
 is a type of the resurrection of Christ. At the same time 
 there is a resurrection of the sun, or coming back and 
 rising again from the west, whither it had gone down ; 
 which is also a type of the Sun of Righteousness. The 
 sun was brought back ten degrees, which probably 
 brought it to the meridian. The Sun of Righteousness 
 has long been going down from east to west ; and proba- 
 bly when the time comes of the church's deliverance^) 
 from her enemies, so often typified by the Assyrians, thej. 
 light will rise in the west, until it shines through the 
 world like the sun in its meridian brightness. 
 
 The same seems also to be represented by the course 
 of the waters of the sanctuary, Ezek. 47, which was 
 from west to east; which waters undoubtedly represent 
 the Holy Spirit, in the progress of his saving influences, 
 in the latter ages of the world : for it is manifest that 
 the whole of those last chapters of Ezekiel are con- 
 cerning the glorious state of the church that shall then be. 
 
 And if we may suppose that this glorious work of God 
 shall begin in any part of America, I think if we consider 
 the circumstances of the settlement of New England, it 
 must needs appear the most likely of all the American 
 colonies to be the place whence this work shall princi- 
 pally take its rise. 
 
 And if these things are so, it gives more abundant 
 reason to hope that what is now seen in America, and 
 especially in New England, may prove the dawn of that 
 glorious day; and the very uncommon and wonderful 
 circumstances and events of this work seem to me 
 strongly to argue that God intends it as the beginning or 
 forerunner of something vastly great. 
 p I have thus long insisted on this point, because if these 
 
 
198 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 things are so, it greatly manifests how much it behooves 
 us to encourage and promote this work, and how danger- 
 ous it will be to forbear so to do. 
 
 3. The peril of coming not to the help of the Lord in the 
 great happy day of his power and salvation. 
 
 It is very dangerous for God's professing people to lie 
 still and not to come to the help of the Lord, whenever 
 he remarkably pours out his Spirit, to cany on the work 
 of redemption in the application of it ; but above all 
 when he comes forth in that last and greatest outpouring 
 of his Spirit, to introduce the happy day of God's power 
 and salvation so often spoken of. That is especially the 
 appointed season of the application of the redemption of 
 Christ : it is the proper time of the kingdom of heaven 
 upon earth, the appointed time of Christ's reign : the 
 reign of Satan as god of this world lasts till then : this 
 is the proper time of the actual redemption, or the new 
 creation, as is evident by Isa. Q5 : 17, 18, and QQ : 12, and 
 Rev. 21:1. All the outpourings of the Spirit of God that 
 are before this are as it were by way of anticipation. 
 
 There was indeed a glorious season of the application 
 of redemption in the first ages of the christian church, 
 that began at Jerusalem on the day of pentecost ; but that 
 was not the proper time of ingathering ; it was only as it 
 were the feast of the first fruits ; the ingathering is at the 
 end of the year, or in the last ages of the christian church, 
 as is represented Rev. 14 : 14, 15, 16, and will probably 
 as much exceed what was in the first ages of the chris- 
 tian church, though that filled the Roman empire, as that 
 exceeded all that had been before, under the Old Testa- 
 ment, confined only to the land of Judea. 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 199 
 
 The great danger of not appearing openly to acknow- 
 ledge, rejoice in, and promote that great work of God 
 in bringing in that glorious harvest, is represented, in Zech- 
 arlah 14 : 16 — 19 ; '* And it shall come to pass, that every 
 one that is left, of all the nations which come against Je- 
 rusalem, shall even go up, from year to year, to worship 
 the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of ta- 
 bernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up, 
 of all the families of the earth, unto Jerusalem, to wor- 
 ship the King, the Lord of hosts, even unto them shall be 
 no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come 
 not, that have no rain, there shall be the plague where- 
 with the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up 
 to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punish- 
 ment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that 
 come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles." It is evi- 
 dent by all the context, that the glorious day of the church 
 of God in the latter ages of the world is the time spoken 
 of: the feast of tabernacles here seems to signify that glo- 
 rious spiritual feast which God shall then make for his 
 church, the same that is spoken of, Isaiah, 25 : 6, and the 
 great spiritual rejoicings of God's people at that time. 
 
 There were three great feasts in Israel, at which all 
 the males were appointed to go up to Jerusalem : the 
 feast of the passover ; and the feast of the first fruits, or 
 the feast of pentecost ; and the feast of ingathering, at the 
 end of the year, or the feast of tabernacles. In the first 
 of these, the feast of the passover, was represented the pur- 
 chase of redemption by Jesus Christ, the paschal Lamb, 
 that was slain at the time of that feast. The other two 
 that followed it, were to represent the two great seasons 
 of the application of the purchased redemption : in the 
 
200 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 former of them, the feast of the first fruits, vs^hicli w^as 
 called the feast of pentecost, was represented that time 
 of the outpouring of the Spirit, that was in the first ages 
 of the christian church, for the bringing in the first fruits 
 of Christ's redemption, which began at Jerusalem on the 
 day of pentecost : the other, which was the feast of in- 
 gathering, at the end of the year, which the children of 
 Israel were appointed to keep on the occasion of their 
 gathering in their corn and their wine, and all the fruit 
 of their land, and was called the feast of tabernacles, re- 
 presented the other more joyful and glorious season of 
 the application of Christ's redemption, which is to be in 
 the latter days ; the great day of the ingathering of the 
 elect, the proper and appointed time of gathering in God's 
 fruits, when the angel of the covenant shall thrust in his 
 sickle and gather the harvest of the earth ; and the clus- 
 ters of the vine of the earth shall also be gathered. This 
 was upon many accounts the greatest feast of the three : 
 there were much greater tokens of rejoicing in this feast 
 than any other : the people then dwelt in booths of green 
 boughs, and were commanded to take boughs of goodly 
 trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick 
 trees and willows of the brook, and to rejoice before the 
 Lord their God : which represents the flourishing, beau- 
 tiful, pleasant state the church shall be in, rejoicing in 
 God's grace and love, triumphing over all her enemies at 
 the time typified by this feast. The tabernacle of God 
 was first set up among the children of Israel at the time 
 of the feast of tabernacles ; but in that glorious time of 
 the christian church God will above all other times set 
 up his tabernacle amongst men. ** I heard a great voice 
 out of heaven, saying. The tabernacle of God is with men, 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 201 
 
 and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, 
 and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." 
 Rev. 21 : 3. 
 
 The world is supposed to have been created about the 
 time of the year wherein the feast of tabernacles was ap- 
 pointed ; so in that glorious time God will create a new 
 heaven and a new earth. The temple of Solomon was de- 
 dicated at the time of the feast of tabernacles, when God 
 descended in a pillar of cloud and dwelt in the temple ; 
 so at this happy time the temple of God shall be glori- 
 ously built up in the world, and God shall in a wonderful 
 manner come down from heaven to dwell with his church. 
 Christ is supposed to have been born at the feast of ta- 
 bernacles ; so at the commencement of that glorious day 
 Christ shall be born ; then above all other times shall the 
 " woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her 
 feet, that is in travail and pained to be delivered, bring 
 forth her son to rule all nations." Rev. 12. The feast of 
 tabernacles was the last feast that Israel had in the whole 
 year, before the face of the earth was destroyed by the 
 winter. Presently after the rejoicings of that feast were 
 past, a tempestuous season began. " Sailing was now 
 dangerous, because the feast was now already past." Acts, 
 27 : 9. So this great feast of the christian church will be 
 the last feast she shall have on earth : soon after it is past 
 this lower world will be destroyed. 
 
 At the feast of tabernacles Israel left their houses to 
 dwell in booths or green tents, which signifies the great 
 weanedness of God's people from the world, as pilgrims 
 and strangers on the earth, and their great joy therein. 
 Israel were prepared for the feast of tabernacles by the 
 feast of trumpets and the day of atonement both on the 
 
 9* 
 
202 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 same month ; so a way shall be made for the joy of the 
 church of God in its glorious state on earth, by the ex- 
 traordinary preaching of the Gospel, and deep repentance 
 and humiliation for past sins and the great and long- 
 continued deadness and carnality of the visible church. 
 Christ at the great feast of tabernacles stood in Jerusa- 
 lem, " and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come 
 unto me and drink : he that believeth on me, as the Scrip- 
 ture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living 
 waters ;" signifying the extraordinary freedom and riches 
 of divine grace towards sinners at that day, and the ex- 
 traordinary measures of the Holy Spirit that shall be then 
 given; agreeable to Rev. 21 : 6, and 22 : 17. 
 
 It is threatened here in this 14th chapter of Zechariah, 
 that those who at that time shall not come to keep this 
 feast, who shall not acknowledge God's glorious works, 
 and praise his name, and rejoice with his people, but 
 should stand at a distance, as unbelieving and disaffected ; 
 U2)on them shall he no raiii; and that this shall be the 
 plague wherewith they shall all be smitten ; that is, they 
 shall have no share in that shower of divine blessing 
 that shall then descend on the earth, that spiritual rain 
 spoken of, Isaiah, 44 : 3. But God would give them over 
 to hardness of heart and blindness of mind. 
 
 The curse is yet in a more awful manner denounced 
 against such as shall appear as opposers at that time, 
 verse 12 : " And this shall be the plague wherewith the 
 Lord shall smite all the people that have fought against 
 Jerusalem, their flesh shall consume away while they 
 stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away 
 in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their 
 mouth." Here also in all probability it is a spiritual judg- 
 
OBI.IGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 203 
 
 ment or a plague and curse from God upon the soul, ra- 
 ther than upon the body, that is intended ; that such per- 
 sons who at that time shall oppose God's people in his 
 work shall in an extraordinary manner be given over to 
 a state of spiritual death and ruin, that they shall remark- 
 ably appear dead w^hile alive, and shall be as vi^alking rot- 
 ten corpses while they go about amongst men. 
 
 The great danger of not joining with God's people at 
 that glorious day is also represented, Isa. 60 : 12 ; ** For 
 the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall 
 perish ; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." 
 
 Most of the gi'eat temporal deliverances that were 
 wrought for Israel of old, as divines and expositors ob- 
 serve, were typical of the great spiritual works of God 
 for the salvation of men's souls and the deliverance 
 and prosperity of his church in the days of the Gospel ; 
 and especially did they represent that greatest of all de- 
 liverances of God's church, and chief of God's works, 
 the actual salvation that shall be in the latter days ; 
 which, as has been observed, is, above all others, the ap- 
 pointed time and proper season of actual redemption of 
 men's souls. But it may be observed that if any ap- 
 peared to oppose God's work in those great temporal de- 
 liverances ; or if there were any of his professing peo- 
 ple that on such occasions lay still, and stood at a dis- 
 tance, and did not arise and acknowledge God in his 
 work and appear to promote it ; it was what in a re- 
 maa'kable manner incensed God's anger, and brought his 
 curse upon such persons. 
 
 So when God wrought the great work of bringing ilie 
 children of Israel ou( of Egypt (which was a type of God's 
 delivering his church out of the spiritual Egypt at the 
 
204 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 time of the fall of Antichrist, as is evident by Rev. 11 : 8, 
 and 15 : 3;) how highly did God resent it when the 
 Amalekites appeared as opposers of that work ! and 
 how dreadfully did he curse them for it ! ** And the 
 Lord said unto Moses, write this for a memorial in a 
 book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua ; for I will 
 utterly put out the remembrance of Am alek from un- 
 der heaven. And Moses built an altar and called the 
 name of it Jehovah Nissi ; for he said, because the 
 Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to 
 generation." Exod. 17 : 14, 15. And accordingly we find 
 that God remembered it a long time after, 1 Sam. 15 : 3. 
 And how highly did God resent it in the Moabites and 
 Ammonites that they did not lend a helping hand and 
 encourage and promote the work. *' An Ammonite or 
 Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; 
 even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into 
 the congregation of the Lord for ever; because they met 
 you not with bread and with water in the way when ye 
 came forth out of Egypt." Deut. 23 : 3, 4. And how 
 were the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, 
 and the half tribe of Manasseh threatened if they did not 
 go and help their brethren in their wars against the Ca- 
 naanites : "And Moses said unto them, if ye will do this 
 thing, if ye will go armed before the Lord to war, and 
 will go all of you armed over Jordan before the Lord, 
 until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, and 
 the land be subdued before the Lord, then afterward ye 
 shall return and be guiltless before the Lord and before 
 Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the 
 Lord : but if ye will not do so, behold ye have sinned 
 against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out." 
 Num. 32 : 20-23. 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 205 
 
 That was a glorious work of God that he wrought for 
 Israel when he delivered them from the Canaanites by 
 the hand of Deborah and Barak : almost every thing 
 about it showed remarkably the hand of God. It was a 
 prophetess, one immediately inspired by God, that called 
 the people to the battle and conducted them in the whole 
 affair. The people seem to have been miraculously ani- 
 mated and encouraged in the matter, when they willingly 
 offered themselves and gathered together to the battle ; 
 they jeoparded their lives in the high places of the field 
 without being pressed or hired, when one would have 
 thought they would have but little courage for such an 
 undertaking ; for what could a number of poor, weak, 
 defenceless slaves do, without a shield or spear to be seeri 
 among forty thousand of them, to go against a great prince 
 with his mighty host and nine hundred chariots of iron 1 
 And the success did wonderfully show the hand of God ; 
 which makes Deborah exultingly say, Judg. 5 : 21, ** O 
 my soul, thou hast trodden down strength !" Christ with 
 his heavenly host was engaged in that battle ; and there- 
 fore it is said, ver. 20, " They fought from heaven, the 
 stars in their courses fought against Sisera." 
 
 The work of God therefore in this victory and deliver- 
 ance that Christ and his host wrought for Israel, was a 
 type of that victory and deliverance which he will ac- 
 complish for his church in that great battle, that last con- 
 flict the church shall have with her open enemies, which 
 shall introduce the church's latter day glory; as ap- 
 pears by Rev. 16 : 16, (speaking of that great battle:) 
 " And he gathered them together into a place called, 
 in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon," that is, the moun- 
 tain of Megiddo; alluding, as is supposed by expositors, 
 
206 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 to the place where the battle was fought with the host 
 of Sisera, Judg. 5 : 19 : '* The kings came and fought, 
 the kings of Canaan, in Taanach by the waters of Me- 
 giddo." Which can signify nothing else than that this 
 battle, which Christ and his church shall have with their 
 enemies, is the antitype of the battle that w^as fought there. 
 But what a dreadful curse from Christ did some of God's 
 professing people Israel bring upon themselves, by lying 
 still at that time and not giving a helping hand ! ** Curse 
 ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly 
 the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the 
 help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the 
 mighty." Judg. 5 : 23. 
 
 The Ange] of the Lord was the captain of the host ; 
 he that had led Israel and fought for them in that battle, 
 w^ho is very often called the angel of the Lord in Scrip- 
 ture ; the same that appeared to Joshua vv^ith a sword 
 drawn in his hand, and told him that he was come as the 
 Captain of the host of the Lord; and the same glorious 
 Captain that we have an account of as leading forth his 
 hosts to that battle, of which this w^as the type, Rev. 
 19 : 11, &c. It seems the inhabitants of Meroz were un- 
 believing concerning this great work, nor w^ould they 
 hearken to Deborah's pretences, nor did it enter into them 
 that such a poor defenceless company should ever prevail 
 against those that were so mighty ; they did not acknow- 
 ledge the hand of God, and therefore stood at a distance 
 and did nothing to promote the work : but what a bitter 
 curse from God did they bring upon themselves by it ! 
 
 It is very probable that one great reason why the in- 
 habitants of Meroz were so unbelieving concerning this 
 work, was that they argued a priori ; they did not like 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 207 
 
 the beginning of it, it being a woman that first led the way 
 and had the chief conduct in the affair; nor could they 
 believe that such despicable instruments as a company 
 of unarmed slaves were ever like to effect so great a 
 thing ; and pride and unbelief wrought together in not 
 being willing to follow Deborah to the battle. 
 
 It was another glorious work of God that he wrought 
 for Israel in the victory that was obtained by Gideon 
 over the Midianites and Amalekites, and the children of 
 the east, when they came up against Israel like grass- 
 hoppers, a multitude that could not be numbered. This 
 also was a remarkable type of the victory of Christ and 
 his church over his enemies, by the pouring out of the 
 Spirit with the preached Gospel, as is evident by the 
 manner of it, to which Gideon was immediately directed 
 of God ; which was not by human sword or bow, but 
 only by blowing of trumpets, and by lights in earthen 
 vessels. We read that on this occasion Gideon called 
 the people together to help in this great affair ; and that 
 accordingly great numbers resorted to him and came to 
 the help of the Lord. Judg. 7 : 23, 25. But there were 
 some also at that time that were unbelieving, and would 
 not acknowledge the hand of God in that work though 
 it was so great and wonderful, nor would they join to 
 promote it; and they were the inhabitants of Succoth 
 and Penuel. Gideon desired their help when he was 
 pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna; but they despised 
 his pretences, and his confidence of the Lord's being on 
 his side to deliver those two great princes into the hands 
 of such a despicable company as he and his three hundred 
 men, and would not own the work of God, nor afford 
 Gideon any assistance : God proceeded in this work in a 
 way exceedingly humbling to their pride. 
 
208 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 And they also refused to own the work, because they 
 argued a priori ; they could not believe that God would 
 do such great things by such a despicable instrument ; 
 one of such a poor mean family in Manasseh, and he the 
 least in his father's house ; and the company that was 
 with him appeared very wretched, being but three hun- 
 dred men, and they weak and faint : but we see how 
 they suffered for their folly in not acknowledging and 
 appearing to promote this work of God. Gideon, when 
 he returned from the victory, " took them, and taught 
 them with the briers and thorns of the icilderness, and heat 
 down the tower of Penuel,^^ (he brought down their pride 
 and their false confidence,) *^ and slew the men of the city,''* 
 Judg. chap. 8. This, in all probability, Gideon did, as 
 moved and directed by the angel of the Lord, that is 
 Christ, that first called him, and sent him forth in this 
 battle, and instructed and directed him in the whole 
 affair. 
 
 The return of the ark of God to dwell in Zion, in the 
 midst of the land of Israel, after it had been long absent, 
 first in the land of the Philistines, and then in Kirjath- 
 jearim, in the utmost borders of the land, strikingly repre- 
 sented the return of God to a professing people in the 
 spiritual tokens of his presence, after long absence from 
 them ; as well as the ark's ascending up into a mountain 
 typified Christ's ascension into heaven. It is evident by 
 the Psalms that were penned on that occasion, especially 
 the 68th Psalm, that the exceeding rejoicings of Israel on 
 that occasion represented the joy of the church of Christ 
 on his returning to it, after it has been in a low and dark 
 state, to revive his work, bringing his people hack, as it 
 were, from Bashan, and from the depth of the sea, scat- 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 209 
 
 tering their spiritual enemies, and causing that " though 
 they had lain among the pots, yet they should be as the 
 wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers 
 with yellow gold;" and giving the blessed tokens of his 
 presence in his house, that his people may see the goings 
 of God the King in his sanctuary ; and that the gifts which 
 David with such royal bounty distributed amongst the 
 people on that occasion, (2 Sam. 6 : 18, 19, and 1 Chron. 
 16 ; 2, 3,) represent spiritual blessings that Christ libe- 
 rally sends down on his church by the outpourings of his 
 Spirit. See Psalm 68 : 1, 3, 13, 18-24. And we have an 
 account how that all the people, from Shihor of Egypt 
 even unto the entering in of Hamath, gathered together 
 and appeared to join and assist in that great affair ; and 
 that all Israel " brought up the ark of the covenant of the 
 Lord, with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and 
 with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with 
 psalteries and harps." 1 Chiron. 13 : 2, 5, and 15 : 28. And 
 not only the men, but the women of Israel, the daugh- 
 ters of Zion, appeared as publicly joining in the praises 
 and rejoicings of that occasion. 2 Sam. 6 : 19. 
 
 But we read of one of David's wives, even Michal, 
 Saul's daughter, whose heart was not engaged in the af- 
 fair, and who did not appear with others to rejoice and 
 praise God on the occasion, but kept away and stood at 
 a distance, as disaffected and disliking the management 
 of it ; she despised and ridiculed the transports and ex- 
 traordinary manifestations of joy ; and the curse that she 
 brought upon herself by it was that of being barren to 
 the day of her death. Let this be a waraing to us : let 
 us take heed, in this day of the bringing up of the ark of 
 God, that while we are in visibility and profession the 
 
210 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 spouse of the spiritual David, we do not show ourselves 
 to be indeed the children of false-hearted and rebellious 
 Saul by our standing aloof and not joining in the joy and 
 praises of the day, and disliking and despising the joys 
 and affections of God's people because they are to so 
 high a degree, and so bring the curse of perpetual bar- 
 renness upon our souls. 
 
 Let us take heed that we be not like the son of the 
 bond woman, that was born after the flesh, that persecu- 
 ted him that was born after the Spirit, and mocked at the 
 feasting and rejoicings that were made for Isaac when 
 he was weaned ; lest we should be cast out of the family 
 of Abraham, as he was. Gen. 21 : 8, 9. That aflair con- 
 tained spiritual mysteries, and was typical of things that 
 come to pass in these days of the Gospel ; as is evident 
 by the apostle's testimony, Gal. 4 : 23-31. And particu- 
 larly it seems to have been typical of two things : 
 
 The weaning of the church from its milk of carnal or- 
 dinances, ceremonies, shadows, and beggarly elements, 
 upon the coming of Christ and the pouring out of the 
 Spirit in the days of the apostles. The church of Christ, 
 in the times of the Old Testament, was in its minority, 
 and was a babe ; and the apostle tells us that babes must 
 be fed with milk, and not with strong meat ; but when 
 God weaned his church from these carnal ordinances, on 
 the ceasing of the legal dispensation, a glorious Gospel 
 feast was provided for souls, and God fed his people 
 with spiritual dainties, and filled them with the Spirit, 
 and gave them joy in the Holy Ghost. Ishmael, in mock- 
 ing at the time of Isaac's feast, by the apostle's testimo- 
 ny, represented the carnal Jews, the children of the lite- 
 ral Jerusalem, who, when they beheld the rejoicings of 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 211 
 
 christians in their spiritual and evangelical privileges, 
 were filled with envy, deriding, contradicting and blas- 
 pheming, Acts, 2 ; 13, and chap. 13 : 45, and 18 : 6. And 
 therefore were cast out of the family of Abraham, and 
 out of the land of Canaan, to wander through the earth. 
 
 This weaning of Isaac seems also to represent the 
 conversion of sinners, which is several times represented 
 in Scripture by the weaning of a child ; as in Psalm 
 131, and Isa. 28 : 9. Because in conversion the soul is 
 weaned from the enjoyments of the world, which are as 
 it were the breast of our mother earth ; and is also 
 weaned from the covenant of our first parents, which we 
 as naturally hang upon as a child on its mother's breast : 
 and the great feast that Abraham made on that occasion 
 represents the spiritual feast, the heavenly privileges 
 and holy joys and comforts which God gives souls at 
 their conversion. 
 
 Now is the time when God is in a remarkable manner 
 bestowing the blessings of such a feast. Let every one 
 take heed that he does not now show himself to be the 
 son of the bond woman, and born after the fllesh, by stand- 
 ing and deriding with mocking Ishmael ; lest they be 
 cast out as he was, and it be said concerning them, these 
 sons of the bond woman shall not be heirs with the sons 
 of the free woman. Do not let us stumble at the things 
 that have been because they are so great and extraordi- 
 nary ; for if we have run with the footmen, and they 
 have wearied us, how shall we contend with horses % 
 There is doubtless a time coming when God will ac- 
 complish things vastly greater and more extraordinary 
 than these. 
 
 And that we may be warned not to continue doubting 
 
212 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 and unbelieving concerning this work, because of the ex- 
 traordinary degree of it, and the suddenness and swift- 
 ness of the accomplishment of the great things that per- 
 tain to it, let us consider the example of the unbeUeving 
 lord in Samaria, who could not believe so extraordinary 
 a work of God to be accomplished so suddenly as was 
 declared to him. The prophet Elisha foretold that the 
 great famine in Samaria should very suddenly, even in 
 one day, be turned into an extraordinary plenty ; but the 
 work was too great and too sudden for him to believe : 
 Jf the Lord should make windows iri heaven, might this 
 thing be ? And the curse that be brought upon himself 
 by it was, that he saw with his eyes and did not eat 
 thereof, but miserably perished, and was trodden down 
 as the mire of the streets, when others were feasting and 
 rejoicing. 2 Kings, chap. 7. 
 
 When God redeemed his people from their Babylonish 
 captivity, and they rebuilt Jerusalem, it was, as is univer- 
 sally owned, a remarkable type of the spiritual redemp- 
 tion of God's church ; and particularly it was an eminent 
 type of the great deliverance of the christian church from 
 spiritual Babylon, and their rebuilding the spiritual Je- 
 rusalem in the latter days ; and therefore they are often 
 spoken of under one by the prophets : and this probably 
 was the main reason that it was so ordered in Providence, 
 and particularly noted in Scripture, that the children of 
 Israel on that occasion kept the greatest feast of taher- 
 nacles that ever had been kept in Israel since the days of 
 Joshua, when the people were first settled in Canaan, 
 Neh. 8 : 16, 17, because at that time happened that res- 
 toration of Israel, which had a greater resemblance of the 
 great restoration of the church of God of which \}i\q feast 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 213 
 
 of tabernacles was the type, than any that had been since 
 Joshua first brought the people out of the wilderness and 
 settled them in the good land. 
 
 But we read of some that opposed the Jews in that 
 affair, and weakened their hands, and ridiculed God's 
 people and the instruments that were employed in that 
 work, and despised their hope, and made as though their 
 confidence was little more than a shadow, and would ut- 
 terly fail them. " What do these feeble Jews V say they : 
 *' Will they fortify themselves 1 Will they sacrifice ] Will 
 they make an end in a day 1 Will they revive the stones 
 out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned ] Even 
 that which they build, if a fox go up he shall even break 
 down their stone wall." Let us not be in any measure like 
 them, lest it be said to us, as Nehemiah said to them, Neh. 
 2 : 20, " We his servants will arise and build ; but you 
 have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem." 
 And lest we bring Nehemiah's imprecation upon us, chap. 
 4:5, " Cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be 
 blotted out from before thee ; for they have provoked 
 thee to anger before the builders." 
 
 As persons will greatly expose themselves to the curse 
 of God by opposing or standing at a distance and keep- 
 ing silence at such a time as this ; so for persons to arise 
 and readily to acknowledge God and honor him in such 
 a work, and cheerfully and vigorously to exert them- 
 selves to promote it, will be to put themselves much in 
 the way of the divine blessing. What a mark of honor 
 does God put upon those in Israel that willingly offered 
 themselves and came to the help of the Lord against the 
 mighty, when the angel of the Lord led forth his armies 
 and they fought from heaven against Sisera 1 Judges, 5 : 
 
214 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 2, 9, 14, 15, 17, 18. And what a great blessing is pro- 
 nounced on Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, for her 
 appearing on the Lord's side, and for what she did to 
 promote this work, verse 24, which was no less than the 
 curse pronounced in the preceding verse against Meroz 
 for lying still : " Blessed above women shall Jael the wife 
 of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in 
 the tenty And what a blessing is pronounced on those 
 which shall have any hand in the destruction of Babylon, 
 which was the head city of the kingdom of Satan and of 
 -y the enemies of the church of God ! Psalm 137 : 9, " Hap- 
 
 1^r'^^7py shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones 
 
 ^ agamst the stones. 
 
 "^ ,itS What a particular and honorable notice is taken in the 
 
 i^*' records of God's word of those that arose and appeared 
 
 f^^ as David's helpers to introduce him into the kingdom 
 ,^^ of Israel, in the twelfth chapter of 1 Chron. The host of 
 
 ^ those that thus came to the help of the Lord in that work 
 
 of his, and glorious revolution in Israel, by which the 
 kingdom of that great type of the Messiah was set up in 
 Israel, is compared to the host of God, verse 22 : " At 
 that time, day by day, there came to David, to help him, 
 until it was a great host, like the host of God." And 
 doubtless it was intended to be a type of that host of God 
 that shall appear with the spiritual David as his helpers, 
 when he shall come to set up his kingdom in the world ; 
 the same host that we read of. Rev. 19 : 14. The Spirit 
 of God then pronounced a special blessing on David's 
 helpers, as those that were co-workers with God : verse 
 18, " Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief 
 of the captains, and he said. Thine are we, David, and on 
 thy side, thou son of Jesse; peace, peace be unto thee, 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 215 
 
 and peace be to thine helpers, for thy God helpeth thee." 
 So we may conclude that God will much more give his 
 blessing to such as come to the help of the Lord when 
 he sets his own dear Son as King on his holy hill of Zion; 
 and they shall be received by Christ, and he will put pe- 
 culiar honor upon them, as David did on those his helpers; 
 as we have an account in the following words, verse 18 : 
 " Then David received them, and made them captains of 
 the band." It is particularly noted of those that came to 
 David to Hebron, ready armed to the war, to turn the 
 kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the 
 Lord, that " they were men that had understanding of 
 the times, to know what Israel ought to do," verses 23 
 and 32. Herein they differed from the pharisees and 
 other Jews, that did not come to the help of the Lord at 
 the time that the great Son of David appeared to set up 
 his kingdom in the world, whom Christ condemns, that 
 they had not understanding of those times, Luke, 7 : bQ, 
 " Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and 
 of the earth ; but how is it that ye do not discern these 
 times ]" So it always will be, when Christ remarkably 
 appears on earth on a design of setting up his kingdom 
 here, there will be many that will not understand the 
 times, nor what Israel ought to do, and so will not come 
 to turn about the kingdom to David. 
 
 The favorable notice that God will take of such as ap- 
 pear to promote the work of God at such a time as this, 
 may also be argued from such a very particular notice 
 being taken in the sacred records of those that helped in 
 rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, upon the return from 
 the Babylonish captivity. Neh. chap. 3. 
 
216 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 4. Men in authority, and especially Ministers of the Gospel, 
 bound to acknowledge the work of God. 
 
 At such a time as this, w^hen God is setting his King 
 on his holy hill of Zion, or establishing his dominion, 
 or showing forth his regal glory from thence, he expects 
 that his visible people, without exception, should openly 
 appear to acknowledge him in such a work, and bow be- 
 fore him, and join with him. But especially does he ex- 
 pect this of civil rulers : God's eye is especially upon 
 them, to see how they behave themselves on such an oc- 
 casion. If a new king comes to the throne, when he comes 
 from abroad, and enters into his kingdom, and makes his 
 solemn entry into the royal city, it is expected that all 
 sorts should acknowledge him; but above all others is it 
 expected that the great men and public officers of the 
 nation should then make their appearance and attend on 
 their sovereign with suitable congratulations and mani- 
 festations of respect and loyalty : if such as these stand 
 at a distance at such a time, it will be much more taken 
 notice of, and will awaken the prince's jealousy and dis- 
 pleasure much more than such a behavior in the common 
 people. And thus it is when the eternal Son of God and 
 Heir of the world, by whom kings reign and princes de- 
 cree justice, whom his Father has appointed to be King 
 of kings, comes as it were from far, and in the spiritual 
 tokens of his presence enters into the royal city Zion. 
 God has his eye at such a time especially upon those 
 princes, nobles, and judges of the earth spoken of Prov. 
 8 : 16, to see how they behave themselves, whether they 
 bow to him that he has made the head of all principality 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 217 
 
 and power. This is evident by the 2d Psalm, verses 6, 7, 
 10-12 : ** Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of 
 Zion. I will declare the decree; the Lord hath said unto 
 me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Be 
 wise now therefore, O ye kings, be instructed, ye judges 
 of the earth; serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with 
 trembling ; kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish 
 from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little." 
 There seems to be in the words an allusion to a new 
 king's coming to the throne, and making his solemn en- 
 try into the royal city (as Zion was the royal city in Is- 
 rael;) when it is expected that all, especially men in pub- 
 lic office and authority, should manifest their loyalty by 
 some open and visible token of respect hy the way, as he 
 passes along ; and those that refuse or neglect it are in 
 danger of being immediately struck down and perish- 
 ing yrww the way by which the king goes in solemn 
 procession. 
 
 The day wherein God in an eminent manner sends 
 forth the rod of Christ's strength out of Zion, that he may 
 rule in the midst of his enemies, the day of his power, 
 wherein his people shall be made willing, is also eminent- 
 ly a day of his wrath, especially to such rulers as oppose 
 him, or will not bow to him ; a day wherein he " shall 
 strike through kings and fill the places with the dead bo- 
 dies, and wound the heads over many countries." Psalm 
 110. And thus it is that when the Son of God ^^ girds 
 his sword upon his thigh, with his glory and his majesty, 
 and in his majesty rides prosperously, because of truth, meek- 
 ness and righteousness, his right hand teaches him, terrible 
 things.''^ It was the princes of Succoth especially that suf- 
 fered punishment when the inhabitants of that city re- 
 Revival of Rei. 10 
 
218 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 fused to come to the help of the Lord as Gideon vv^as 
 pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna; we read that Gideon 
 took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness 
 and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 
 It is especially taken notice of that the rulers and chief 
 men of Israel were called upon to assist in the work of 
 bringing up the ark of God ; they were chiefly consulted, 
 and W€re principal in the management of the affair. 1 
 Chron. 13 : 1, " And David consulted with the captains 
 of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader." And 
 chap. 15 : 25, '* So David and the elders of Israel and 
 the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of 
 the covenant of the Lord out of the house of Obed-Edom 
 with joy." So 2 Sam. 6 : 1. And so it was when the 
 ark was brought mto the temple. 1 Kings, 8 : 13 j and 
 2 Chron. 5 : 2-4. 
 
 And as rulers, by neglecting their duty at such a time, 
 will especially expose themselves to God's great displea- 
 sure, so by fully acknowledging God in such a work, and 
 by cheerfully and vigorously exerting themselves to pro- 
 mote it, they will especially be in the way of receiving 
 peculiar honors and rewards at God's hands. It is noted 
 of the princes of Israel, that they especially appeared to 
 honor God with their princely offering on the occasion 
 of the setting up the tabernacle of God in the congrega- 
 tion of Israel, (which I have observed already was done 
 at the time of the feast of tabernacles, and was a type of 
 the tabernacle of God's being with men, and his dwell- 
 ing with men in the latter days ;) and with what abundant 
 particularity is it noted of each prince, how much he 
 offered to God on that occasion, for their everlasting ho- 
 nor, in the 7th chapter of Numbers. And with how much 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 219 
 
 favor and honor does the Spirit of God take notice of 
 those princes in Israel that came to the help of the Lord 
 in the war against Sisera. Judges, 5:9. " My heart is 
 towards the governors of Israel that offered themselves 
 willingly among the people ;" and verse 14, " Out of Ma- 
 chir came down governors ;" and verse 15, *' The princes 
 of Issachar were with Deborah." 
 
 In the account that we have of the rebuilding of the 
 wall of Jerusalem, in the third chapter of Nehemiah, it is 
 particularly noted what part one and another of the ru- 
 lers had in the work : we have an account that such a 
 part of the wall was repaired by the ruler of the half part 
 of Jerusalem, and such a part by the ruler of the other 
 half part of Jerusalem, and such a part by the ruler of 
 part of Bethhaccerem, and such a part by the ruler of part 
 of Mizpah, and such a part by the ruler of the half part 
 of Bethzur : and such a part by the ruler of Mizpah, verses 
 9-19. And there it is particularly noted of the rulers of 
 one of the cities, that they put not their necks to the work 
 of the Lord, though the common people did ; and they 
 are stigmatized for it in the sacred records to their ever- 
 lasting reproach, verse 5 : *' And next unto them, the 
 Tekoites repaired ; but their nobles put not their necks 
 to the work of the Lord." So the Spirit of God with 
 special honor takes notice of princes and rulers of se- 
 veral tribes that assisted in bringing up the ark. Psalm 
 68 : 27. 
 
 And I humbly desire that it may be considered whether 
 we have not reason to fear that God is provoked with 
 this land that no more notice has been taken of this glo- 
 rious work of the Lord, that has been lately carried on, 3y 
 the ciinl mithorities ; that there has been no more done by 
 
 ) 
 
220 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 them as a public acknowledgment of God in this work, 
 and no more improvement of their authority to promote 
 it, either by appointing a day of public thanksgiving to 
 God for so unspeakable a mercy, or a day of fasting and 
 prayer, to humble ourselves before God for our past dead- 
 ness and unprofitableness under the means of grace, and 
 to seek the continuance and increase of the tokens of his 
 presence ; or so much as to enter upon any public consul- 
 tation what should be done to advance the present revival 
 of religion and great reformation that is begun in the land. 
 Is there not danger that such a behavior, at such a time, 
 will be interpreted by God as a denial of Christ 1 If but 
 a new governor comes into a province how much is there 
 done, especially by those that are in authority, to put 
 honor upon him, to arise and appear publicly, and go 
 forth to meet him, to address and congratulate him, and 
 vnth great expense to attend upon him and aid him 1 If 
 the authority of the province, on such an occasion, should 
 all sit still and say and do nothing, and take no notice of 
 their new governor, would there not be danger of its be- 
 ing interpreted by him, and his prince that sent him, as 
 a denial of his authority, or a refusing to receive him and 
 honor him as their governor ] And shall the head of the 
 angels and Lord of the universe come down from hea- 
 ven in so wonderful a manner into the land, and shall all 
 stand at a distance and be silent and inactive on such an 
 occasion ? I would humbly recommend it to our rulers 
 to consider whether God does not now say to them. Be 
 wise noio, ye rulers, he instructed, ye judges of Neia Eng- 
 land ; kiss the Son, lest he he angry, and ye perish from 
 the way. 
 . ' It is prophesied, Zech. 12 : 8, that in the glorious day 
 
J^'- 
 
 
 OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 221 
 
 of the christian church the house of David, or the rulers 
 in God's Israel, shall be as God, as tlie angel of the Lord 
 before his people. But how can such rulers expect to have 
 any share in this glorious promise, that do not so much 
 as openly acknowledge God in the work of the Spirit by 
 which the glory of that day is to be accomplished 1 The 
 days are coming so often spoken of, when the saints shall 
 reign on earth, and all dominion and authority shall be 
 given into their hands : but if our rulers would partake , /T^lf^ 
 of this honor, they ought at such a day as this to bring 
 their glory and honor into the spiritual Jerusalem, agreea- 
 bly to Rev. 21 : 24. 
 
 But above all others is God's eye upon ministers of the 
 Gospel, as expecting of them that they should arise and 
 acknowledge and honor him in such a work as this, and 
 do their utmost to encourage and promote it; for to pro- ^.^^' ^^^^ 
 mote such a work is the very business which they are^ '^l^t*^'^ 
 called and devoted to ; it is the office to which they are -^^^^ 
 appointed as co-workers with Christ, and as his ambassa- 
 dors and instruments to awaken and convert sinners, and 
 establish, build up, and comfort saints ; it is the business 
 they have been solemnly charged with before God, an- 
 gels and men, and that they have given up themselves to 
 by the most sacred vows. These especially are the offi- - 
 cers of Christ's kingdom that, above all other men upon y 
 earth, do represent his person, into whose hands Christ / 
 has committed the sacred oracles and holy ordinances, \ 
 and all his appointed means of grace to be administered 
 by them ; they are the stewards of his household, into 
 whose hands he has committed his provision ; the im- 
 mortal souls of men are committed to them, as a flock of 
 
 ^•^ 
 
( 
 
 222 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 sheep are committed to the care of a shepherd, or as a 
 master commits a treasure to the care of a servant, of 
 v^rhich he must give an account : it is expected of them, 
 above all others, that they should have understanding of 
 the times, and know what Israel ought to do ; for it is 
 their business to acquaint themselves with things pertain- 
 ing to the kingdom of God, and to teach and enlighten 
 others in things of this nature. 
 
 We that are employed in the sacred work of the Gos- 
 pel ministry, are the watchmen over the city, to whom 
 God has committed the keys of the gates of Zion ; and if 
 when the rightful King of Zion comes to deliver his peo- 
 ple from the enemy that oppresses them, we refuse to 
 open the gates to him, how greatly shall we expose our- 
 selves to his wrath ! We are appointed to be the captains 
 of the host in this war ; and if a general will highly re- 
 sent it in a private soldier if he refuses to follow him 
 when his banner is displayed and his trumpet blown, how 
 much more will he resent it in the officers of his army ! 
 The work of the Gospel ministry consisting in the ad- 
 ministration of God's word and ordinances, is the princi- 
 pal means that God has appointed for carrying on his 
 work in the souls of men ; and it is his revealed will, that 
 whenever that glorious revival of religion and reforma- 
 tion of the world, so often spoken of in his word, is ac- 
 complished, it should be principally by the labors of his 
 ministers ; and therefore how heinous will it be in the 
 sight of God, if when a work of that nature is begun, we 
 appear unbelieving, slow, backward, and disaffected'? 
 '^There was no class of persons among the Jews that was 
 in any measure treated with such manifestations of God's 
 great displeasure and severe indignation for not acknow- 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 223 
 
 lodging Christ and the work of his Spirit, in the days of 
 Christ and his apostles, as the ministers of religion : see 
 how Christ deals with them for it, in the 23d chapter of 
 Matthew. With what gentleness did Christ treat publi- 
 cans and harlots, in comparison of them ! 
 
 When the tabernacle was erected in the camp of Israel, 
 and God came down from heaven to dwell in it, the 
 priests were above all others concerned and busily em- 
 ployed in the solemn transactions of that occasion, Levit. 
 chap. 8 and 9. And so it was at the time of the dedication 
 of the temple of Solomon, 1 Kings, chap. 8, and 2 Chron. 
 chap. 5, 6 and 7, which was at the time of the feast of ta- 
 bernacles, at the same time that the tabernacle was erect- 
 ed in the wilderness : and the Levites were primarily 
 and most immediately concerned in bringing up the ark 
 into mount Zion ; the business properly belonged to them, 
 and the ark was carried upon their shoulders, 1 Chron. 
 15 : 2, " Then David said. None ought to carry the ark 
 of God but the Levites ; for them hath the Lord chosen 
 to carry the ark of God and to minister unto him for 
 ever." And v. 11, 12, " David called for Zadok and Abi- 
 athar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, 
 and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Aminadab, and said 
 unto them. Ye are the chief of the fathers of the Le- 
 vites ; sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, 
 that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Is- 
 rael unto the place that I have prepared for it." So we 
 have an account that the priests led the way in rebuild- 
 ing the wall of Jerusalem after the Babylonish captiv- 
 ity, Neh. 3. 
 
 If ministers preach never so good doctrine, and are 
 never so active and laborious in their work, yet, if at such 
 
 fvi£>ti 
 
224 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 a day as this they show to their people that they are not 
 w^ell affected to this work, but are very doubtful and sus- 
 picious of it, they will be very likely to do their people a 
 great deal more hurt than good : for the very fame of 
 such a great and extraordinary work of God, if their 
 people were suffered to believe it to be his work, and the 
 example of other towns, together with what preaching 
 they might hear occasionally, would be likely to have a 
 much greater influence upon the minds of their people 
 ^i to awaken them and animate them in religion than all 
 ^ their labors with them. And besides, their minister's 
 opinion will not only beget in them a suspicion of the 
 work they hear of abroad, whereby the mighty hand of 
 God that appears in it loses its influence upon their 
 minds, but it will also tend to create a suspicion of every 
 ^-^ , thing of the like nature that shall appear among them- 
 ■'^ selves, as being something of the same distemper that has 
 ^ ,/w become so epidemical in the land ; and that is, in effect, 
 ^'^ to create a suspicion of all vital religion, and to put the 
 people upon talking against it and discouraging it wher- 
 ^ ever it appears, and knocking it in the head as fast as it 
 jp rises. And we that are ministers, by looking on this work, 
 ^^ from year to year, with a displeased countenance, shall 
 ^^ effectually keep the sheep from their pasture, instead^f 
 /^ doing the part of shepherds to them by feeding thenpi j 
 I>'«''*^ and our people had a great deal better be without any 
 \^^ settled minister at all at such a day as this. 
 i«^^/ We that are in this sacred office have need to take 
 ^ Jf heed what we do, and how we behave ourselves at this 
 ,^ time : a less thing in a minister will hinder the work of 
 ■^ " God than in others. If we are very silent, or say but 
 little about the work in our public prayers and preach- 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 225 
 
 mg, or seem carefully to avoid speaking of it in our con- 
 versation, it will and justly may be interpreted by our 
 people, that we who are their guides, to whom they are 
 to have their eye for spiritual instruction, are suspicious 
 of it ; and this will tend to raise the same suspicions in 
 them ; and so the forementioned consequences will fol- 
 low. And if we really hinder and stand in the way of 
 the work of God, whose business above all others it is to 
 promote it, how can we expect to partake of the glorious 
 benefits of it 1 And by keeping others from the benefit of 
 it we shall keep them out of heaven ; therefore those 
 awful words of Christ to the Jewish teachers should be 
 considered by us. Matt. 23 : 13, " Wo unto you, for ye > 
 shut up the kingdom of heaven ; for ye neither go in 7 
 yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go \ 
 in." If we keep the sheep from their pasture, how shall '^ 
 we answer it to the great Shepherd that has bought the 
 flock with his precious blood, and has committed the care J 
 of them to us 1 I would humbly desire of every minister 
 that has thus long remained disaffected to this work, and 
 has had contemptible thoughts of it, to consider whether fs,,^^ »- 
 he has not hitherto been like Michal, without any child, ^''?^**', 
 or at least in a sfreat measure barren and unsuccessful in k>»c-^<+«* 
 his work : I pray God it may not be a perpetual barren- #rdr>rtf^«i 
 ness, as hers was -'^''-^2^^ 
 
 The times of Christ's remarkably appearing in behalf *"»"'«*n. 
 of his church and to revive religion>and advance his king- 
 dom in the world, are often spoken of in the prophecies 
 of Scripture, as times wherein he will remarkably exe- 
 cute judgments on such ministers or shepherds as do not 
 feed the flock, but hinder their being fed, and so deliver 
 his flock from them, as Jer. 23, and Ezek. 34, and Zech. 
 
 10* 
 
226 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 10 : 3, and Isa. 56 : 7, 8, 9, &c. I observed before that 
 Christ's solemn, magnificent entry into Jerusalem, seems 
 to be designed as a representation of his glorious 
 coming into his church, the spiritual Jerusalem ; and 
 therefore^ it is v^orthy to be noted, to our present pur- 
 pose/that Christ at that time cast out all them that sold 
 and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of 
 the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 
 signifying that w^hen he should come to set up his king- 
 dom on earth, he would cast those out of his house who, 
 instead of being faithful ministers, officiated there only 
 for worldly gain. Not that I determine that all ministers 
 that are suspicious of this work do so ; but I mention 
 these things to show that it is to be expected that a 
 time of a glorious outpouring of the Spirit of God 
 to revive religion, will be a time of remarkable judg- 
 ments on those ministers that do not serve the end of 
 their ministry. 
 
 The example of the unbelieving lord in Samaria 
 should especially be for the warning of ministers and 
 rulers : at the time when God turned an extreme famine 
 into a great plenty by a wonderful work of his, the king 
 appointed this lord to have the charge of the gate of the 
 city; where he saw the common people in multitudes 
 entering with great joy and gladness, loaded with provi- 
 sion to feed and feast their almost famished bodies ; but 
 he himself, though he saw it with his eyes, never had one 
 taste of it, but being weak with famine, sunk down in 
 the crowd, and was trodden to death, as a punishment of 
 God for his not giving credit to that great and wonder- 
 ful work of God, when sufficiently manifested to him to 
 require his belief. Ministers are those that the King of 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 227 
 
 the church has appointed to have the charge of the gate 
 at which his people enter into the kingdom of heaven, 
 there to be entertained and satisfied v^ith an eternal 
 feast : ministers have the charge of the house of God, 
 which is the gate of heaven. 
 
 Ministers should especially take heed of a spirit of 
 envy towards other ministers that God is pleased to 
 make more use of in this work than themselves ; and 
 that they do not, from such a spirit, reproach some 
 preachers that have the true spirit, ^s though they were 
 influenced by a false spirit, or were bereft of reason, and 
 were mad, and were proud, false pretenders, and de- 
 served to be put in prison or the stocks, as disturbers of 
 the peace ; lest they expose themselves to the curse of 
 Shemaiah the Nehelamite, who envied the prophet Jer- 
 emiah, and in this manner reviled him in his letter to 
 Zephaniah the priest, Jer..29 : 26, 27 : " The Lord hath 
 made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, 
 that ye should be officers in the house of the Lord, for 
 every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, 
 that thou shouldst put him in prison, and in the stocks. 
 Now therefore, why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of 
 Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you V 
 His curse is denounced in the 32d verse : " Therefore, 
 thus saith the Lord, behold, I will punish Shemaiah the 
 Nehelamite, and his seed ; he shall not have a man to 
 dwell among his people, neither shall he behold the good 
 that I will do for my people, saith the Lord, because 
 he hath taught rebellion against the Lord." All those that 
 are others' superiors or elders, should take heed that at 
 this day they be not like the elder brother, who could 
 not bear it that the prodigal should be made so much of, 
 
228 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 and should be so sumptuously entertained, and would 
 not join in the joy of the feast ; who was, like Michal, 
 Saul's daughter, offended at the music and dancing_lhat 
 he heard ; the transports of joy displeased him ; it seem- 
 ed to him to be an unseemly and unseasonable noise and 
 ado that was made ; and therefore he stood at a distance, 
 sullen and much offended, and full of invectives against 
 the young prodigal. 
 
 It is our wisest and best way fully, and without reluc- 
 tance, to bow to the great God in this work, and to be 
 entirely resigned to him with respect to the manner in 
 which he carries it on, and the instruments he is pleased 
 to make use of, and not to show ourselves out of humor, 
 and sullenly to refuse to acknowledge the work in the 
 full glory of it, because we have not had so great a hand 
 in promoting it, or have not shared so largely in the bless- 
 ings of it as some others ; and not to refuse to give all 
 that honor that belongs to others as instruments, because 
 they are young, or are upon other accounts much infe- 
 rior to ourselves and many others, and may appear to us 
 very unworthy that God should put so much honor upon 
 them. When God comes to accomplish any great work 
 for his church, and for the advancement of the kingdom 
 of his Son, he always fulfils that scripture, Isa. 2 : 17 : 
 "And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the 
 haughtiness of men shall be made low, and the Lord 
 alone shall be exalted in that day." If God has a desio*u 
 of carrying on this work, every one, whether he be great 
 or small, must either bow to it, or be broken before it : 
 it may be expected that God's hand will be upon every 
 thing that is high, and stiff, and strong in opposition, as in 
 Isaiah, 2 : 12— 15 :" For the day of the Lord of hosts 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 229 
 
 shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and 
 upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought 
 low ; and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high 
 and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon 
 all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are 
 lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every 
 fenced wall." 
 
 Not only magistrates and ministers, but every living 
 soul is now obliged to acknowledge God in this work, 
 and join to promote it, as they would not expose them- 
 selves to God's curse. All sorts of persons throughout 
 the whole congregation of Israel, great and small, rich 
 and poor, men and women, helped to build the taberna- 
 cle in the wilderness ; some in one way, others in ano- 
 ther ; each one according to his own capacity ; every 
 one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom 
 his spirit made willing ; all classes contributed, all were 
 employed in that affair in labors of their hands, both men 
 and women ; some brought gold and silver ; others blue, 
 purple and scarlet, and fine linen ; others offered an of- 
 fering of brass ; others, with whom was found Shittim 
 wood, brought it an offering to the Lord : the rulers 
 brought onyx stones, and spice, and oil ; and some 
 brought goats' hair; and some rams' skins, and others 
 badgers' skins. See Exod. 35 : 20, &c. And we are 
 told, verse 29, " The children of Israel brought a will- 
 ing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman whose 
 heart made them willing." And thus it ought to be in 
 this day of building the tabernacle of God ; with such a 
 willing and cheerful heart ought every man, woman and 
 child to do something to promote this work : those that 
 
230 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 have not onyx stones, or are not able to bring gold or 
 silver, yet may bring goats' hair. 
 
 As all sorts of persons v^ere employed in building the 
 tabernacle in the wilderness, so the vv^hole congregation 
 of Israel were called together to set up the tabernacle in 
 Shiloh, after they came into Canaan. Josh. 18 : 1. And 
 so again, the whole congregation of Israel were gathered 
 together to bring up the ark of God from Kirjathjearim ; 
 and again, they were all assembled to bring it up out of 
 the house of Ohed-Edom into mount Zion ; so again, all 
 Israel met together to assist in the great affair of the 
 dedication of the temple, and bringing the ark into it ; 
 and so we have an account how that all sorts assisted in 
 rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, not only the proper 
 inhabitants of Jerusalem, but those that dwelt in other 
 parts of the land ; not only the priests and rulers, but 
 the Nethinims and merchants, husbandmen, and me- 
 chanics, and women, Neh. 3 : 5, 12, 26, 31, 32. And 
 we have an account of one and another, that he repaired 
 over against his house, ver. 10, and 23, 28, and of one 
 that repaired over against his chamber, ver. 30. 
 
 So now, at this time of the rebuilding the walls of Je- 
 rusalem, every one ought to promote the work of God 
 within his own sphere, and by doing what belongs to him 
 in the place in which God has set him ; men in a private 
 capacity may repair over against their houses ; and even 
 those that have not the government of families, and have 
 but part of a house belonging to them, should repair, each 
 one over against his chamber ; and every one should be 
 engaged to do the utmost that lies in his power, laboring 
 with the utmost watchfulness, care and diligence, with 
 united hearts and united strength, and the greatest readi- 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 231 
 
 ness to assist one another in this work : as God's people 
 rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem ; who were so diligent in 
 the work that they wrought from break of day till the 
 stars appeared, and did not so much as put off their clothes 
 in the night ; and wrought with such care and watchful- 
 ness, that with one hand they wrought in the work, and 
 with the other hand held a weapon; besides the guard 
 they set to defend them ; and were so well united in it 
 that they took care that one should stand ready with a 
 trumpet in his hand, that if any were assaulted in one 
 part those in the other parts at the sound of the trumpet 
 might resort to them and help them. Neh. 4. 
 
 Great care should be taken that the press should be im- 
 proved to no pui^pose contrary to the interest of this work. 
 We read that when God fought against Sisera for the de- 
 liverance of his oppressed church, they that handle the pen 
 of the icriter came to the help of the Lord in that affair. 
 Judges, 5 : 14. Whatever class of men in Israel they 
 were that were intended, yet as the words were indited 
 by a Spirit that had a perfect view of all events to the 
 end of the world, and had a special eye in this song to 
 that great event of the deliverance of God's church in the 
 latter days, of which this deliverance of Israel was a type, 
 it is not unlikely that they have respect to authors, those 
 that should fight against the kingdom of Satan with their 
 pens. Those therefore that publish pamphlets to the dis- 
 advantage of this work, and tending either directly or in- 
 directly to bring it under suspicion, and to discourage or 
 hinder it, would do well thoroughly to consider whether 
 this be not indeed the work of God ; and whether, if it be, 
 it is not likely that God will go forth as fire to consume 
 all that stands in his way, and so burn up those pamphlets; 
 
232 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 and whether there be not danger that the fire that is kin- 
 dled in them w^ill scorch the authors. 
 
 When a people oppose Christ in the w^ork of his Holy 
 Spirit, it is because it touches them in something that is 
 dear to their carnal minds ; and because they see the ten- 
 dency of it is to cross their pride and deprive them of the 
 objects of their lusts. We should take heed that at this 
 day we be not like the Gadarenes, w^ho, w^hen Christ 
 came into their country, in the exercise of his glorious 
 powder and , grace triumphing over a legion of devils and 
 delivering a miserable creature that had long been their 
 captive, were all alarmed because they lost their swine 
 by it, and the whole multitude of the country came and 
 besought him to depart out of their coasts : they loved 
 their filthy swine better than Jesus Christ, and had rather 
 have a legion of devils in their country, with their herd 
 of swine, than Jesus Christ without them. 
 
 This work may be opposed without directly speaking 
 against the whole of it ; persons may say that they believe 
 there is a good work carried on in the country, and may 
 sometimes bless God in their public prayers, in general 
 terms, for any awakenings or revivals of religion there 
 have lately been in any parts of the land ; and may pray 
 that God would carry on his own work and pour out his 
 Spirit more and more ; and yet, as I apprehend, be in the 
 sight of God great opposers of his work. Some will ex- 
 press themselves after this manner, that are so far from 
 acknowledging and rejoicing in the infinite mercy and 
 glorious grace of God in causing so happy a change in 
 the land, that they look upon the religious state of the 
 country, take it in the whole of it, as much more sorrow- 
 ful than it was ten years ago ; and whose conversation to 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 233 
 
 those that are well acquainted with them evidently shows 
 that they are more out of humor with the state of things, 
 and enjoy themselves less than they did before ever this 
 work began. If it be manifestly thus with us, and our talk 
 and behavior with respect to this work be such as has 
 (though but) an indirect tendency to beget ill thoughts 
 and suspicions in others concerning it, we are opposers 
 of the work of God. 
 
 Instead of coming to the help of the Lord, we shall ac- 
 tually fight against him if we are abundant in insisting 
 on and setting forth the blemishes of the work, so as to 
 manifest that we rather choose and are more forward to 
 take notice of what is amiss than what is good and glori- 
 ous in the work. Not but that the errors that are com- 
 mitted ought to be observed and lamented, and a proper 
 testimony borne against them, and the most probable 
 means used to have them amended : but an insisting much 
 upon them, as though it were a pleasing theme, or speak- 
 ing of them with more appearance of heat of spirit or with 
 ridicule, or an air of contempt, than grief for them, has 
 no tendency to correct the errors ; but has a tendency to 
 darken the glory of God's power and grace appearing 
 in the substance of the work, and to beget jealousies 
 and ill thoughts in the minds of others concerning the 
 whole of it. 
 
 Whatever errors many zealous persons have run into, 
 yet if the work, in the substance of k, be the work of God, 
 then it is a joyful day indeed ; it is so in heaven, and ought 
 to be so among God's people on earth, especially in that 
 part of the earth where this glorious work is carried on. 
 It is a day of great rejoicing with Christ himself, the good 
 Shepherd, when he finds his sheep that was lost, lays it 
 
234 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 on his shoulders rejoicing, and calls together his friends 
 and neighbors, saying, rejoice with me. If w^e therefore 
 are Christ's friends it should now be a day of great re- 
 joicing with us ; if we viewed things in a just light, so 
 great an event as the conversion of such a multitude of 
 sinners would draw and engage our attention much more 
 than all the imprudences and irregularities that have ex- 
 isted ; our hearts would be swallowed up with the glory 
 of this event, and we should have no great disposition to 
 attend to any thing else. The imprudences and errors of 
 poor feeble worms do not hinder or prevent great rejoic- 
 ing, in the presence of the angels of God, over so many 
 poor sinners that have repented ; and it will be an argu- 
 ment of something very ill in us, if they prevent our 
 rejoicing. 
 
 Who loves in a day of great joy and gladness to be 
 much insisting on those things that are uncomfortable 1 
 Would it not be very improper, on a king's coronation 
 day, to be much in taking notice of the blemishes of the 
 royal family ] Or would it be agreeable to the bride- 
 groom on the day of his espousals, the day of the glad- 
 ness of his heart, to be much insisting on the blemishes 
 of his bride 1 We have an account how that, at the time 
 of that joyful dispensation of Providence, the restoration 
 of the church of Israel after the Babylonish captivity, and 
 at the time of the feast of tabernacles, many wept at the 
 faults that were found amongst the people, but were re- 
 proved for taking so much notice of the blemishes of that 
 affair as to overlook the cause of rejoicing. Neh. 8, : 9, 
 10, 11, 12, " And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and 
 Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that taught 
 the people, said unto all the people, this day is holy unto 
 
OBLIGATIONS TO PROMOTE IT. 235 
 
 the Lord your God, mourn not nor weep ; for all the peo- 
 ple wept when they heard the words of the law. Then 
 he said unto them, go your way, eat the fat and drink the 
 sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is 
 prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord ; neither be 
 ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the 
 Levites stilled all the people, saying, hold your peace, for 
 the day is holy, neither be ye grieved. And all the peo- 
 ple went their way, to eat, and to drink, and to send por- 
 tions, and to make great mirth, because they had under- 
 stood the words that were declared unto them." 
 
 God doubtless now expects that all classes of persons 
 in New England, rulers, ministers and people, high and 
 low, rich and poor, old and young, should take great no- 
 tice of his hand in this mighty work of his grace, and 
 should appear to acknowledge his glory in it and greatly 
 to rejoice in it, every one doing his utmost in the place 
 that God has set them in to promote it. And God, ac- 
 cording to his wonderful patience, seems to be still wait- ( 
 ing to give us opportunity thus to acknowledge and ha—!; 
 nor him. But if we finally refuse, there is not the least [ 
 reason to expect any other than that his awful curse will 
 pursue us, and that the pourings out of his wrath will be 
 proportionable to the despised outpourings of his Spirit 
 and grace. 
 
236 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 PART III. 
 
 SHOWING, IN MANY INSTANCES, WHEREIN THE SUBJECTS, 
 OR ZEALOUS PROMOTERS OP THIS WORK, HAVE BEEN 
 INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 
 
 This work, that has lately been carried on in the land, 
 is the work of God and not the work of man. Its begin- 
 ning has not been of man's power or device, and its being 
 carried on depends not on our strength or wisdom ; but 
 yet God expects of all that they should use their utmost 
 endeavors to promote it, and that the hearts of all should 
 be greatly engaged in it, and that we should improve our 
 utmost strength in it, however vain human strength is 
 without the power of God ; and so he no less requires 
 that we should improve our utmost care, wisdom and 
 prudence, though human wisdom of itself be as vain as 
 human strength. Though God is wont to carry on such a 
 work in such a manner as, many ways, to show the 
 weakness and vanity of means and human endeavors in 
 themselves ; yet at the same time he carries it on in such 
 a manner as to encourage diligence and vigilance in the 
 use of proper means and endeavors, and to punish the 
 neglect of them. Therefore in our endeavors to promote 
 this great work we ought to use the utmost caution, vigi- 
 lance and skill in the measures we take in order to it. 
 
 A great work should be managed with great prudence : 
 this is the most important work that ever New England 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 237 
 
 was called to be concerned in. When a people are enga-— 
 ged in war with a powerful and crafty nation, it concerns 
 them to manage an affair of such consequence with the 
 utmost discretion. Of what vast importance then must it 
 be that we should be vigilant and prudent in the manage- 
 ment of this great war that New England now has with 
 so great a host of such subtle and cruel enemies, wherein 
 we must either conquer or be conquered, and the conse- 
 quence of the victory, on one side, will be our eternal 
 destruction in both soul and body in hell, and on the 
 other side, our obtaining the kingdom of heaven and 
 reigning in it in eternal glory 1 We had need always to 
 stand on our watch and to be well versed in the art of 
 war, and not to be ignorant of the devices of our ene- 
 mies, and to take heed lest by any means we be beguiled 
 through their subtlety. 
 
 Though the devil be strong, yet in such a war as this 
 he depends more on his craft than his strength ; and the 
 course he has chiefly taken, from time to time, to clog, 
 hinder and overthrow revivals of religion in the church 
 of God, has been, by his subtle, deceitful management, 
 to beguile and mislead those that have been engaged 
 therein ; and in such a course God has been pleased, in 
 his holy and sovereign providence, to suffer him to suc- 
 ceed, oftentimes in a great measure to overthrow that 
 which in its beginning appeared most hopeful and glo- 
 rious. The work that is now beguji in New England is,> 
 as I have shown, eminently glorious, and if it should go ^ 
 on and prevail, would make New England a kind of.^ 
 heaven upon earth : is it not therefore greatly to be de- 
 precated that it should be overthrown through wrong and 
 improper management that we are led into by our subtle 
 adversary in our endeavors to promote it 1 
 
238 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 In proceeding to treat of the methods that ought to be 
 taken to promote this vv^ork, I would, 
 
 1. Notice some instances wherein fault has been found 
 with the conduct of those that have appeared to be the 
 subjects of it, or have been zealous to promote it (as I 
 apprehend) beyond just cause. 
 
 2. I would show what things ought to be corrected or 
 avoided. 
 
 3. I would show positively what ought to be done to 
 promote this glorious work of God. 
 
 I would now notice some things at which offence 
 
 HAS BEEN TAKEN WITHOUT OR BEYOND JUST CAUSE. 
 
 1. The complaint that ministers address themselves too 
 much to the affections, and with great earnestness of voice 
 and manner. 
 
 One thing that has been complained of, is ministers ad- 
 dressing themselves rather to the affections of their hearers 
 than to their understandings, and striving to raise their 
 passions to the utmost height rather by a very affection- 
 ate manner of speaking and a great appearance of ear- 
 nestness in voice and gesture, than by clear reasoning 
 and informing their judgment : by which means it is ob- 
 jected that the affections are moved without a propor- 
 tionable enlightening of the understanding. 
 
 To which I would say, I am far from thinking that it 
 is not very profitable for ministers in their preaching to 
 endeavor clearly and distinctly to explain the doctrines of 
 religion and unravel the difficulties that attend them, and 
 to confirm them with strength of reason and argumenta- 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 239 
 
 tion, and also to observe some easy and clear method and 
 order in their discourses for the help of the understand- 
 ing and memory; and it is very probable that these 
 things have been of late too much neglected by many 
 ministers ; yet, I believe that the objection that is made, 
 of affections raised without enlightening the understand- 
 ing, is in a great measure built on a mistake and confu- 
 sed notions that some have about the nature and cause of 
 the affections and the manner in v^^hich they depend on 
 the understanding. All affections are raised either by 
 light in the understanding or by some error and delusion 
 in the understanding ; for all affections do certainly arise 
 from some apprehension in the understanding ; and that 
 apprehension must either be agreeable to truth or else 
 be some mistake or delusion ; if it be an apprehension 
 or notion that is agreeable to truth, then it is light in the 
 
 Therefore the thing to be inquired into is, w^hether the 
 apprehensions or notions of divine and eternal things 
 that are raised in people's minds by these affectionate 
 preachers, w^hence their affections are excited, be appre- 
 hensions that are agreeable to truth, or w^hether they are 
 mistakes. If the former, then the affections are raised the 
 way they should be, by informing the mind or conveying 
 light to the understanding. 
 
 They go away with a wrong notion that think that 
 those preachers cannot affect their hearers by enlighten- 
 ing their understandings, that do not do it by such a dis- 
 tinct and learned handling of the doctrinal points of reli- 
 gion as depends on human discipline or the strength of 
 natural reason, and tends to enlarge their hearers' learn- 
 ing and speculative knowledge in divinity. The manner 
 
240 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 of preaching without this, may be such as shall tend very 
 much to set divine and eternal things in a right vievr, 
 and to give the hearers such ideas and apprehensions of 
 them as are agreeable to truth, and make such impres- 
 sions on their hearts as are answerable to the real nature 
 of things : and not only the words that are spoken, but 
 the manner of speaking, is one thing that has a great ten- 
 dency to this. 
 
 I think an exceedingly affectimiate way of preaching 
 about the great things of religion has in itself no ten- 
 dency to beget false apprehensions of them ; but, on the 
 contrary, a much greater tendency to beget true appre- 
 hensions of them than a moderate, dull, indiiferent way 
 of speaking of them. An appearance of affection and 
 earnestness in the manner of delivery, if it be very great 
 indeed, yet if it be agreeable to the nature of the subject, 
 and be not beyond a proportion to its importance and 
 worthiness of affection, and if there be no appearance of 
 its being feigned or forced, has so much the greater ten- 
 dency to beget true ideas or apprehensions in the minds 
 of the hearers of the subject spoken of, and so to enlight- 
 en the understanding ; and that for this reason, that such 
 a way or manner of speaking of these things does in fact 
 more truly represent them than a more cold and indiffer- 
 ent way of speaking of them. If the subject be in its own 
 nature worthy of very great affection, then a speaking of 
 it with very great affection is most agreeable to the nature 
 3f that subject, or is the truest representation of it, and 
 therefore has most of a tendency to beget true ideas of it 
 in the minds of those to whom the representation is made. 
 And I do not think ministers are to be blamed for raising 
 the affections of their hearers too high, if that which 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 241 
 
 they are affected with be only that which is worthy of 
 affection, and their affections are not raised beyond a pro- 
 portion to its importance or worthiness of affection. 
 
 I should think myself in the way of my duty to raise 
 the affections of my hearers as high as I possibly can, 
 provided that they are affected with nothing but truth 
 and with affections that are not disagreeable to the nature 
 of what they are affected with. I know it has long been 
 fashionable to despise a very earnest and pathetical way 
 of preaching : and they, and they only, have been valued 
 as preachers that have shown the greatest extent of 
 learning, and strength of reason, and correctness of me- 
 thod and language ; but I humbly conceive it has been 
 for want of understanding or duly considering human 
 nature that such preaching has been thought to have the 
 greatest tendency to answer the ends of preaching : and 
 the experience of the present and past ages abundantly 
 confirms the same. 
 
 Though, as I said before, clearness of distinction and 
 illustration, and strength of reason, and a good method 
 in the doctrinal handling of the truths of religion, is many 
 ways needful and profitable and not to be neglected, yet 
 an increase in speculative knowledge in divinity is not 
 what is so much needed by our people as something else. 
 Men may abound in this sort of light and have no heat. 
 How much has there been of this sort of knowledge in 
 the christian world in this age ! Was there ever an age 
 wherein strength and penetration of reason, extent of 
 learning, exactness of distinction, correctness of style, 
 and clearness of expression did so abound "i And yet was 
 there ever an age wherein there has been so little sense 
 of the evil of sin, so little love to God, heavenly-minded- 
 
 Revival of Rel. H 
 
2i2 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 ness and holiness of life among the professors of true 
 religion ] Our people do not so much need to have their 
 heads stored as to have their hearts touched ; and they 
 stand in the greatest need of that sort of preaching that 
 has the greatest tendency to do this. 
 
 Those texts, Isa. 58 : 1, " Cry aloud, spare not, lift up 
 thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their 
 transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins ;" and 
 Ezek. 6:11, " Thus saith the Lord God, smite v^^ith 
 thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, alas, for all 
 the evil abominations of the house of Israel!" I say 
 these texts (however the use that some have made of 
 them has been laughed at) will fully justify a great de- 
 gree of pathos and manifestation of zeal and fervency in 
 preaching the word of God : they may indeed be abused, 
 to justify that which would be odd and unnatural amongst 
 us, not making due allowance for difference of manners 
 and customs in different ages and nations ; but let us in- 
 terpret them how we will, they at least imply that a most 
 affectionate and earnest manner of delivery, in many 
 cases, becomes a preacher of God's word. 
 
 Preaching the word of God is commonly spoken of in 
 Scripture in such expressions as seem to import a loud 
 and earnest speaking; as in Isa. 40 : 2, " Speak ye com- 
 fortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her iniquity 
 is pardoned ;" and verse 3, " The voice of him that 
 crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord." 
 Ver. 6, " The voice said cry : and he said, what shall I 
 cry ? All flesh is grass, and all the gobdliness thereof as 
 the flower of the field." Jer. 2:2, " Go and cry in the 
 ears of Jerusalem, saying, thus saith the Lord," &c. 
 Jonah, 1:2, " Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 243 
 
 cry against it." Isa. 61 : 1,2, " The Spirit of the Lord 
 God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to 
 preach good tidings to the meek, to proclaim liberty to 
 the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that 
 are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, 
 and the day of vengeance of our God." Isa. 62 : 11, 
 " Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the 
 world, say ye to the daughter of Zion, behold thy salva- 
 tion cometh." Rom. 10 : 18, '' Their sound went into all 
 the earth, and their words to the end of the world." Jer. 
 11:6, *' Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, 
 and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, hear ye the 
 words of this covenant, and do them." So chap. 19 : 2, 
 and 7 : 2. Prov. 8:1, " Doth not wisdom cry, and un- 
 derstanding put forth her voice V ver. 3, 4, " She cri- 
 eth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in 
 at the doors ; unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to 
 the SODS of men !" And chap. 1 : 20, "Wisdom crieth 
 without, she uttereth her voice in the streets." Chap. 
 9:3, " She hath sent forth her maidens, she crieth upon 
 the high places of the city." John, 7 : 37, " 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." 
 
 It seems to be foretold that the Gospel should be espe- 
 cially preached in a loud and earnest manner, at the in- 
 troduction of the prosperous state of religion in the lat- 
 ter days. Isa. 40 : 9, " O Zion, that bringest good tidings, 
 get thee up into the high mountain ! O Jerusalem, that 
 bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength ! 
 Lift up, and be not afraid ! Say unto the cities of Judah, 
 behold your God !" Isa. 52 : 7, S, " Row beautiful upon 
 
244 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good ti- 
 dings ! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice." Isa. 27 : 
 13, ** And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great 
 trumpet shall be blow^n, and they shall come which were 
 ready to perish." And this will be one way that the 
 church of God will cry at that time, like a travailing 
 woman, when Christ mystical is going to be brought 
 forth ; as Rev. 12, at the beginning. It will be by minis- 
 ters that are her mouth : and it will be this way that 
 Christ will then cry like a travailing woman, as in Isa. 
 42 : 14, "I have long time holden my peace ; I have 
 been still, and refrained myself; now will I cry like a 
 travailing woman." Christ cries by his ministers, and the 
 church cries by her officers. And it is worthy to be noted 
 that the word commonly used in the New Testament, 
 that we translate 'preachy properly signifies to proclaim 
 aloud like a crier. 
 
 2. The comjplaint of speaking terror to those already alarm- 
 ed, instead of comforting them. 
 
 Another thing that some ministers have been greatly 
 blamed for, and I think unjustly, is speaking terror to 
 them that are already under great terrors, instead of com- 
 forting them. Indeed if ministers in such a case go about 
 to terrify persons with that which is not true, or to affi'ight 
 them by representing their case worse than it is, or in 
 any respect otherwise than it is, they are to be condemn- 
 ed ; but if they terrify them only by still holding forth 
 more light to them, and giving them to understand more 
 of the truth of their case, they are altogether to be justi- 
 fied. When sinners' consciences are greatly awakened by 
 the Spirit of God, it is by light imparted to the conscience, 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 245 
 
 enabling them to see their case to be, in some measure, 
 as it is ; and if more light be let in, it will terrify them 
 still more : but ministers are not therefore to be blamed 
 because they endeavor to hold forth more light to the con- 
 science, and do not rather alleviate the pain they are un- 
 der, by intercepting and obstructing that light that shines 
 already. 
 
 To say any thing to those who have never believed in 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, which represents their case any 
 otherwise than exceeding terrible, is not to preach the 
 word of God to them ; for the word of God reveals no- 
 thing but truth, but this is to delude them. Why should 
 we be afraid to let persons that are in an infinitely mise- 
 rable condition know the truth, or to bring them into the 
 light for fear it should terrify them ] It is light that must 
 convert them, if ever they are converted. The more we 
 bring sinners into the light while they are miserable and 
 the light is terrible to them, the more likely it is that by 
 and by the light will be joyful to them. The ease, peace 
 and comfort that natural men enjoy, have their founda- 
 tion in darkness and blindness ; therefore as that dark- 
 ness vanishes and light comes in, their peace vanishes and 
 they are terrified : but that is no good argument why we 
 should endeavor to bring back their darkness that we may 
 promote their present comfort. 
 
 The truth is, that as long as men reject Christ and do 
 not savingly believe in him, ho^i^ever they may be awak- 
 ened, and however strict and conscientious and laborious 
 they may be in religion, they have the wrath of God abid- 
 ing on them, they are his enemies and the children of the 
 devil, (as the Scripture calls all that be not savingly con- 
 verted, Matt. 13 : 38 ; 1 John, 3 ; 10 ;) and it is uncerr 
 
246 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 tain whether they shall ever obtain mercy. God is under 
 no obligation to show them mercy, nor will he be if they 
 fast and pray and cry never so much ; and they are then 
 especially provoking God under those terrors, in that 
 they stand it out against Christ, and will not accept of an 
 offered Savior, though they see so much need of him ; 
 and seeing this is the truth, they should be told so, that 
 they may be sensible what their case indeed is. 
 
 To blame a minister for thus declaring the truth to 
 those who are under awakenings, and not immediately 
 administering comfort to them, is like blaming a surgeon 
 because, when he has begun to thrust in his lance, where- 
 by he has already put his patient to great pain, and he 
 shrieks and cries out with anguish, he is so cruel that he 
 will not stay his hand, but goes on to thrust it in further, 
 until he comes to the core of the wound. Such a compas- 
 sionate physician, who, as soon as his patient began to 
 flinch, should withdraw his hand and go about immediate- 
 ly to apply a plaster to skin over the wound and leave 
 the core untouched, would be one that would heal the 
 hurt slightly, crying " peace, peace, when there is no 
 peace." 
 
 Indeed something else besides terror is to be preached 
 to them whose consciences are awakened. The Gospel is 
 to be preached to them : they are to be told that there is 
 a Savior provided, that is excellent and glorious, who has 
 shed his precious blood for sinners, and is every way 
 sufficient to save them; that stands ready to receive them, 
 if they will heartily embrace him ; for this is also the truth, 
 as well as that they now are in an infinitely dreadful con- 
 dition : this is the word of God. Sinners, at the same time 
 that they are told how miserable their case is, should be 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 247 
 
 earnestly invited to come and accept of a Savior, and yield 
 their hearts to him, with all the w^inning, encouraging ar- 
 guments for them so to do that the Gospel affords. But 
 this is to induce them to escape from the misery of the 
 condition that they are now in ; but not to make them 
 think their present condition less miserable than it is, or 
 at all to abate their uneasiness and distress while they are 
 in it. That would be the way to quiet them and fasten 
 them in it, and not to excite them to fly from it. 
 
 Comfort, in one sense, is to be held forth to sinners un- 
 der awakenings of conscience, that is, comfort is to be 
 offered to them in Christ, on condition of their flying front 
 their present miserable state to him : but comfort is not to 
 be administered to them in their present state, as any thing 
 that they have now any title to while out of Christ. No 
 comfort is to be administered to them from any thing in 
 them, any of their qualifications, prayers or other per- 
 formances, past, present, or future ; but ministers should, 
 in such cases, strive to their utmost to take all such com- 
 forts from them, though it greatly increases their terror. 
 A person that sees himself ready to sink into hell is ready 
 to strive, some way or other, to lay God under some ob- 
 ligation to him ; but he is to be beat off from every thing 
 of that nature, though it greatly increases his terror to see 
 himself wholly destitute, on every side, of any refuge, or 
 any thing of his own to lay hold of; as a man that sees 
 himself in danger of drowning is in terror and endeavors 
 to catch hold on every twig within his reach, and he that 
 pulls away those twigs from him increases his terror ; yet 
 if they are insufficient to save him, and by being in his 
 way prevent his looking to that which will save him, to 
 pull them away is necessary to save his life. 
 
248 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 If sinners are in distress from any error that they em 
 brace, or mistake they are under, that is to be removed : 
 for instance, if they are in terror from an apprehension 
 that they have committed the unpardonable sin, or that 
 those things have happened to them that are certain signs 
 of reprobation, or any other delusion, such terrors have 
 no tendency to do them any good ; for these terrors are 
 from temptation and not from conviction. But that terror 
 which arises from conviction, or a sight of truth, is to be 
 increased ; for those that are most awakened have great 
 remaining stupidity, they have a sense of but little of the 
 truth of God ; and it is from remaining blindness and 
 darkness that they see no more : and that remaining blind- 
 ness is a disease that we ought to endeavor to remove. 
 
 I am not afraid to tell sinners that are most sensible of 
 their misery, that their case is indeed as miserable as they 
 think it to be, and a thousand times more so ; for this is 
 the truth. Some may be ready to say, that though it be 
 the truth, yet the truth is not to be spoken at all times, 
 and seems not to be seasonable then ; but, it seems to me, 
 such truth is never more seasonable than at such a time, 
 when Christ is beginning to open the eyes of conscience. 
 Ministers ought to act as co-workers with him : to take 
 that opportunity, and to the utmost to improve that ad- 
 vantage, and strike while the iron is hot ; and when the 
 light has begun to shine, then to remove all obstacles, and 
 use all proper means that it may come in more fully, and 
 the work be done thoroughly then. And experience abun- 
 dantly shows that to take this course is not of a hurtful 
 tendency, but very much the contrary. I have seen, in 
 very many instanc-es, the happy effects of it, and often 
 times a very speedy happy issue, and never knew any ill 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 249 
 
 consequence in case of real conviction, and when distress 
 has been only from thence. 
 
 I know of but one case wherein the truth ought to be 
 withheld from sinners in distress of conscience, and that 
 is the case of melancJioly : and it is not to be withheld 
 from them then because the truth tends to do them hurt, 
 but because if we speak the truth to them, sometimes 
 they v/ill be deceived and led into eiTor by it through 
 the strange disposition there is in them to take things 
 wrong ; so that that which as it is spoken is truth, as it is 
 heard, and received, and applied by them is falsehood ; 
 and the truth will be thus misapplied by them, unless it be 
 spoken with abundance of caution and prudence, and 
 consideration of their disposition and circumstances. 
 
 But the most awful truths of God's word ought not to 
 be withheld from a public congregation because it may 
 happen that some such melancholic persons may be in 
 it, any more than the Bible is to be withheld from the 
 christian world because it is manifest that there are a 
 great many melancholic persons in Christendom that ex- 
 ceedingly abuse the awful things contained in the Scrip- 
 ture to their own wounding. Nor do I think that to be of 
 weight which is made use of by some as a great and 
 dreadful objection against the terrifying preaching that 
 has of late been in New England, namely, that there 
 have been some instances of melancholic persons that 
 have so abused it that the issue has been the murder of 
 themselves. The objection from hence is no stronger 
 against awakening preaching, than it is against the Bible 
 itself; hundreds, and probably thousands of instances 
 might be produced of persons that have murdered them- 
 selves under religious melancholy; and these murders 
 11* 
 
250 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 probably never would have been if it had not been for 
 the Bible, or if the world had remained in a state of 
 heathenish darkness. The Bible has not only been the 
 occasion of these sad effects, but of thousands and 1 
 suppose millions of other cruel murders that have been 
 committed, in the persecutions that have been raised, that 
 never would have been if it had not been for the Bible : 
 many whole countries have been, as it were, deluged with 
 innocent blood, which would not have been if the Gospel 
 never had been preached in the world. It is not a good 
 objection against any kind of preaching, that some men 
 abuse it greatly to their hurt. 
 
 It has been acknowledged by all divines as a thing 
 common in all ages and all christian countries, that a very 
 great part of those that sit under the Gospel do so abuse 
 it that it only proves an occasion of their far more aggra- 
 vated damnation, and so of men's eternally murdering 
 their souls, which is an effect infinitely more tenible than 
 the murder of their bodies. It is as unjust to lay the 
 blame of these self-murders to those ministers who have 
 declared the awful truths of God's word in the most lively 
 and affecting manner they were capable of, as it would 
 be to lay the blame of hardening men's hearts and blind- 
 ing their eyes, and their more dreadful eternal damna- 
 tion, to the prophet Isaiah, or Jesus Christ, because this 
 was the consequence of their preaching with respect to 
 many of their hearers. Isaiah, 6 : 10; John, 9 : 39 ; Mat. 
 13 : 14. Though a very few have abused the late awak- 
 ening preaching to so sad an effect as to be the cause of 
 their own temporal death, yet it may be, to one such in- 
 stance there have been hundreds, yea, thousands that have 
 been saved by this means from eternal death. 
 
ITS FRIKNnS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 251 
 
 What has more especially given offence to many, and 
 raised a loud cry against some preachers, as though their 
 conduct were intolerable, is theiv frigJitmg 2>oor innocent 
 children with talk of hell-fire and eternal damnation. But 
 if those that complain so loudly of this really believe, 
 what is the general j^rofession of the country, that all are 
 by nature the children of wrath and heirs of hell ; and 
 that every one that has not been born again, whether he 
 be young or old, is exposed every moment to eternal de- 
 struction under the wrath of Almighty God; I say, if 
 they really believe this, then such a complaint and cry as 
 this bewrays a great deal of weakness and inconsidera- 
 tion. As innocent as children seem to us to be, yet if they 
 are out of Christ they are not so in God's sight, but are 
 in a most miserable condition as well as grown persons ; 
 they are naturally very senseless and stupid, being horn 
 as the wild ass^ colt, and need much to awaken them. Why 
 should we conceal the truth from them 1 
 
 Will those children, that have been dealt so tenderly 
 with as to hide from them their sin, and that have lived 
 and died insensible of their misery until they come to 
 feel it in hell, ever thank parents and others for their ten- 
 derness in not letting them know what they were in dan- 
 ger of? If parents' love towards their children was not 
 blind, it would affect them much more to see their chil- 
 dren every day exposed to eternal burnings, and yet 
 senseless, than to see them suffer the distress of that 
 awakening that is necessary in order to their escape 
 from them, and that tends to their being eternally happy 
 as the children of God. A child that has a dangerous 
 wound may need the painful lance as well as grown per- 
 sons ; and that would be a foolish pity, in such a case, 
 
252 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 that should hold back the lance and throw away the life. 
 I have seen the happy effects of dealing plainly and tho- 
 roughly with children in the concerns of their souls, with- 
 out sparing them at all in many instances, and never knew 
 any ill consequences of it in any one instance. 
 
 3. The complaint of having too frequent meeth^ gs, and spend- 
 ing too much time in religion. 
 
 Another thing that a great deal has been said against, 
 is having so frequent religious meetings, and spending so 
 much time in religion. And indeed there are none of the 
 externals of religion but what are capable of excess ; 
 and I believe it is true that there has not been a due pro- 
 portion observed in religion of late. We have placed re- 
 ligion too much in external duties of the first table ; we 
 have abounded in religious meetings, and in prayer, read- 
 ing, hearing, singing, and religious conference ; and there 
 has not been a proportionable increase of zeal for deeds 
 of charity and other duties of the second table, though it 
 must be acknowledged that they are also much increased. 
 But yet it appears to me that this objection of persons 
 spending too much time in religion, has been in the gene- 
 ral groundless. 
 
 Though worldly business must be done, and persons 
 ought not to neglect the business of their particular call- 
 ings, yet it is to the honor of God that a people should 
 be so much in outward acts of religion, as to carry in it 
 a visible public appearance of a great engagedness of 
 mind in it as the main business of life ; and especially 
 is it fit that, at such an extraordinary time, when God 
 appears unusually present with a people in wonderful 
 works of power and mercy, they should spend more time 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 253 
 
 than usual in religious exercises, to put honor upon that 
 God that is then extraordinarily present, and to seek his 
 face, as it was with the christian church in Jerusalem on 
 occasion of that extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit 
 soon after Christ's ascension. Acts, 2 : 46, " And they 
 continued daily with one accord in the temple, and break- 
 ing bread from house to house." And so it was at Ephe- 
 sus, at a time of the great outpouring of the Spirit there ; the 
 christians there attended public religious exercises every 
 day for two years together. Acts, 19 : 8, 9, 10, ''And he 
 went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space 
 of three months, disputing and persuading the things 
 concerning the kingdom of God : but when divers were 
 hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way 
 before the multitude, he departed from them, and sepa- 
 rated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one 
 Tyrannus ; and this continued by the space of two years ; 
 so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of 
 the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." 
 
 As to the grand objection of six days slialt thou labor, 
 all that can be understood by it, and all that the very ob- 
 jectors themselves understand by it, is that we may follow 
 our secular labors in those six days that are not the Sab- 
 bath, and ought to be diligent in them ; not but that some- 
 times we may turn from them, even within those six days, 
 to keep a day of fasting, or thanksgiving, or to attend a 
 lecture ; and that more frequently or rarely, as God's pro- 
 vidence and the state of things sliall call us, according to 
 our best judgment or discretion. 
 
 Though secular business, as I said before, ought not to 
 be neglected, yet I cannot see how it can be maintained 
 that religion ought not to be attended so as in the least to 
 
254 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 injure our temporal affairs, on any other principles than 
 those of infidelity. None object against injuring one tem- 
 poral affair for the sake of another temporal affair of much 
 greater importance ; and therefore if eternal things are as 
 real as temporal things, and are indeed of infinitely greater 
 importance, then why may w^e not voluntarily suffer in 
 some measure in our temporal concerns while we are 
 seeking eternal riches and immortal glory ? 
 
 It is looked upon as not improper for a whole nation 
 to spend considerable time and much of their outward 
 substance on some extraordinary temporal occasions, for 
 the sake only of the ceremonies of a public rejoicing ; 
 and it would be thought dishonorable to be very exact 
 about what we spend, or careful lest we injure our es- 
 tates on such an occasion ; and why should we be exact 
 only with Almighty God, so that it should be a crime to 
 be otherwise than scrupulously careful lest we injure our- 
 selves in our temporal interests, to put honor upon him 
 and seek our own eternal happiness ] We should take 
 heed that none of us be in any wise like Judas, who 
 greatly complained of needless expense and waste of out- 
 ward substance to put honor upon Christ, when Mary 
 broke her box and poured the precious ointment on his 
 head ; he had indignation within himself on that account, 
 and cried out, ** Why was this waste of the ointment 
 made ? for it might have been sold for more than three 
 hundred pence, and have been given to the poor." Mark, 
 14: 3; John, 12 : 4. 
 
 And besides, if the matter be justly considered and ex- 
 amined, I believe it will be found that the country has 
 lost no time from their temporal affairs by the late revi- 
 val of religion, but have rather gained time ; and that 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 255 
 
 more time has been saved from frolicking and tavern- 
 haunting, idleness, unprofitable visits, vain talk, fruitless 
 pastimes, and needless diversions, than has lately been 
 spent in extraordinary religion, and probably five times 
 as much has been saved in avoiding expense at the ta- 
 vern, and in apparel, as has been spent by religious 
 meetings. 
 
 The great complaint that is made against so much time 
 spent in religion, cannot be in general from a real concern 
 that God may be honored, and his will done, and the best 
 good of men promoted, as is very manifest from this, that 
 now there is a much more earnest and zealous outcry 
 made in the country against this extraordinary religion, 
 than was before against so much time spent in tavern- 
 haunting, vain company-keeping, night walking, and other 
 things which wasted both our time and substance, and 
 injured our moral virtue. 
 
 The frequent preaching of late has, in a particular 
 manner, been objected against as unprofitable and pre- 
 judicial. It is objected that when sermons are heard so 
 very often, one sermon tends to thrust out another, so 
 that persons lose the benefit of all : they say, two or three 
 sermons in a week is as much as they can remember and 
 digest. Such objections against frequent preaching, if they 
 are not from an enmity against religion, are for want of 
 duly considering the way that sermons usually profit an 
 auditory. The main benefit that is obtained by preaching 
 is by impression made upon the mind in the time of it, 
 and not by any effect that arises afterwards by a remem- 
 brance of what was delivered. And though an after re- 
 membrance of what was heard in a sermon is oftentimes 
 very profitable, yet, for the most part, that remembrance 
 
256 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 is from an impression the words made on the heart in the 
 time of it ; and the memory profits as it renews and in- 
 creases that impression, and a frequent inculcating of the 
 more imj^ortant things of rehgion in preaching has no 
 tendency to rase out such impressions, but to increase 
 them and fix them deeper and deeper in the mind, as is 
 found by experience. 
 
 It never used to be objected against, that persons upon 
 the Sabbath, after they have heard two sermons that day, 
 should go home and spend the remaining part of the Sab- 
 bath in reading the Scriptures and printed sermons, which, 
 in proportion as it has a tendency to affect the mind at 
 all, has as much of a tendency to drive out what they 
 have heard, as if they heard another sermon preached. 
 It seems to have been the practice of the apostles to 
 preach every day in places where they went, yea, though 
 sometimes they continued long in one place. Acts, 2 : 42 
 and 46 ; 19 : 8, 9, 10. They did not avoid preaching one 
 day for fear they should thrust out of the minds of their 
 hearers what they had delivered the day before ; nor did 
 christians avoid going every day to hear for fear of any 
 such bad effect, as is evident by Acts, 2 : 42, 46. 
 
 There are some things in Scripture that seem to signify 
 as much as that there should be preaching in an extraor- 
 dinary frequency at the time when God should be about 
 to introduce the flourishing state of religion that should 
 be in the latter days, as in Isaiah, 62, " For Zion's sake 
 will I not hold my peace, for Jerusalem's sake I will not 
 rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as bright- 
 ness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burnetii : 
 and the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings 
 thy glory." And ver. 5, 6, *' For as a young man marrieth 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 257 
 
 a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee ; and as the bride- 
 groom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice 
 over thee. I have set w^atchmen upon thy walls, O Jeru- 
 salem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night." 
 
 The destruction of the city of Jericho is evidently, in 
 all its circumstances, intended by God as a great type of 
 the overthrow of Satan's kingdom ; the priests blowing 
 with trumpets at that time, represents ministers preach- 
 ing the Gospel ; the people compassing the city seven 
 days, the priests blowing the trumjDets ; but when the day 
 was come that the walls of the city were to fall, the priests 
 were more frequent and abundant in blowing their trum- 
 pets ; there was as much done in one day then, as had 
 been done in seven days before. They compassed the 
 city seven times that day, blowing their trumpets, until at 
 length it came to one long and perpetual blast, and then 
 the walls of the city fell down flat. 
 
 The extraordinary preaching that shall be at the begin- 
 ning of that glorious jubilee of the church, is represented 
 by the extraordinary sounding of trumpets throughout 
 the land of Canaan at the beginning of the year of jubi- 
 lee, and by the reading of the law before all Israel, in the 
 year of release, at the feast of tabernacles. And the crow- 
 ing of the cock at break of day, which brought Peter to 
 repentance, seems to me to be intended to signify the 
 awakening of God's church out of their lethargy wherein 
 they had denied their Lord, by thp extraordinary preach- 
 ing of the Gospel that shall be at the dawning of the 
 day of the church's light and glory. And there seems at 
 this day to be an uncommon hand of divine Providence 
 in animating, enabling, and upholding some ministers in 
 such abundant labors. 
 
258 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 4. The complaint that too much is made of outcries and 
 effects on the body. 
 
 Another thing wherein I think some ministers have 
 been injured, is in being very much blamed for making 
 so mzccJi of outcries, faintings, and other bodily effects ; 
 speaking of them as tokens of the presence of God and 
 arguments of the success of preaching, seeming to strive 
 to their utmost to bring a congregation to that state, and 
 seeming to rejoice in it, yea, even blessing God for it 
 when they see these effects. 
 
 Concerning this I would observe, in xhejlrst place, that 
 there are many things with respect to cryings out, falling 
 down, &c. that are charged on ministers, which they ai'e 
 not guilty of. Some would have it that they speak of these 
 things as certain evidences of a work of the Spirit of 
 God on the hearts of their hearers, or that they esteem 
 these bodily effects themselves to be the work of God, 
 as though the Spirit of God took hold of and agitated the 
 bodies of men ; and some are charged with making these 
 things essential, and supposing that persons cannot be 
 converted without them ; whereas I never yet could see 
 the person that held either of these things. 
 
 But for speaking of such effects as probable tokens of 
 God's presence, and arguments of the success of preach- 
 ino-, it seems to me that they are not to be blamed, be- 
 cause I think they are so indeed ; and therefore when 1 
 see them excited by preaching the important truths of 
 God's word, urged and enforced by proper arguments 
 and motives, or as consequent on other means that are 
 good, I do not scruple to speak of them, and to rejoice 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 259 
 
 in them, and bless God for tliem as such ; and that for 
 this (as I think) good reason, namely, that from time to 
 time, upon proper inquiry, and examination, and ob- 
 servation of the consequences and fruits, I have found 
 that these are all evidences that persons in whom these 
 effects appear are under the influences of God's Spirit in 
 such cases. Cryings out, in such a manner and with such 
 circumstances as I have seen them from time to time, is 
 as much an evidence to me of the general cause it pro- 
 ceeds from as language : I have learned the meaning of 
 it, the same way that persons learn the meaning of lan- 
 guage, by use and experience. 
 
 I confess that when I see a great crying out in a con- 
 gregation, in the manner that I have seen it, when those 
 things are held forth to them that are worthy of their be- 
 ing greatly affected by, I rejoice in it much more than 
 merely in an appearance of solemn attention and a show 
 of affection by weeping; and that because when there 
 have been those outcries, I have found from time to time 
 a much greater and more excellent effect. To rejoice 
 that the work of God is carried on calmly without much 
 ado, is in effect to rejoice that it is carried on with less 
 power, or that there is not so much of the influence of 
 God's Spirit ; for though the degree of the influence of 
 the Spirit of God on particular j^ersons is by no means to 
 be judged of by the degree of external appearances, be- 
 cause of the different constitution^, tempers, and circum- 
 stances of men ; yet if there be a very powerful influ- 
 ence of the Spirit of God on a mixed multitude, it will 
 cause, some way or other, a great visible commotion. 
 
 And as to ministers aiming at such effects, and striving 
 by all means to bring a congregation to such a state that 
 
260 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 there should be such an uproar among them, I suppose 
 none aim at it any otherw^ise than as they strive to raise the 
 affections of their hearers to such a height as very often 
 appears in these effects : and if it be so that those affec- 
 tions are commonly good, and it be found by experience 
 that such a degree of them commonly has a good effect, 
 I think they are to be justified in so doing. 
 
 Again : some ministers have been blamed for keeping 
 persons together that have been under great affections, 
 which have appeared in such extraordinary outward ma- 
 nifestations. Many think this promotes confusion ; that 
 persons in such circumstances do but discompose each 
 other's minds, and disturb the minds of others ; and that 
 therefore it is best they should be dispersed ; and that 
 when any in a congregation are strongly seized, so that 
 they cannot forbear outward manifestations of it, they 
 should be removed that others' minds may not be diverted. 
 
 But I cannot but think that those that thus object act 
 upon quite wrong notions of things \ for though persons 
 ought to take heed that they do not make an ado without 
 necessity, for this will be the way in time to have such 
 appearances lose all their effect, yet the unavoidable ma- 
 nifestations of strong religious affections tend to a happy 
 influence on the minds of by-standers, and are found by 
 experience to have an excellent and durable effect ; and 
 so to contrive and order things that others may have op- 
 portunity and advantage to observe them, has been found 
 to be blessed as a great means to promote the work of 
 God ; and to prevent their being in the way of observa- 
 tion, is to prevent the effect of that which God makes 
 use of as a principal means of carrying on his work at 
 such an extraordinary time, namely, example, which ia 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 261 
 
 often spoken of in Scripture as one of the chief means 
 by which God would carry on his work in the time of the 
 prosperity of religion in the latter days. 
 
 I have mentioned some texts already to this purpose, 
 in what I published before of the marks of a work of 
 the true Spirit ; but would here mention some others. In 
 Zech. 9 : 15, 16, those that in the latter days should be 
 filled in an extraordinary manner with the Holy Spirit, 
 so as to appear in outward manifestations and making a 
 noise, are spoken of as those that God, in these uncom- 
 mon circumstances, will set up to the view of others as a 
 prize or ensign, by their example and the excellency of 
 their attainments to animate and draw others as men ga- 
 ther about an ensign and run for a prize, a crown and 
 precious jewels set up in their view. The words are : 
 ** And they shall drink, and make a noise, as through 
 wine ; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the cor- 
 ners of the altar : and the Lord their God shall save them 
 in that day, as the flock of his people ; for they shall be as 
 the stones of a crown lifted up as an ensign upon his 
 land." (But I shall have occasion to say something more 
 of this Scripture afterwards.) Those that make the ob- 
 jection I am upon, instead of suffering this prize or en- 
 sign to be in public view, are for having it removed and 
 hid in some corner. 
 
 To the like purpose is Isaiah, 62 : 3, " Thou shalt be 
 a crown of glory in the hand of J;he Lord, and a royal 
 diadem in the hand of thy God." Here it is observable 
 that it is not said, thou shalt be a crown upon the heady 
 but in the hand of the Lord ; that is, held forth in thy 
 beauty and excellency as a prize to be bestowed upon 
 others that shall behold thee, and be animated by the 
 
262 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 brightness and lustre with which God shall endow thee. 
 The great influence of the example of God's people in 
 their bright and excellent attainments to propagate reli- 
 gion in those days, is further signified in Isaiah, 60 : 3. 
 " And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to 
 the brightness of thy rising." With verse 22, " A little 
 one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong 
 nation." And Zech. 10 : 8, 9, " They shall increase as 
 they have increased ; and I will sow them among the 
 people." And Hosea, 2 : 23, *' I will sow her unto me in 
 the earth." So Jeremiah, 31 : 27. 
 
 5. The complaint of merCs earnestness in warning and 
 entreating one another. 
 
 Another thing that gives great disgust to many, is the 
 disposition that persons show, under great affections, to 
 speak so much, and with such earnestness and vehemence 
 to be setting forth the greatness and wonderfulness and 
 importance of divine and eternal things ; and to be so 
 passionately warning, inviting and entreating others. 
 
 Concerning which I would say, that I am far from 
 thinking that such a disposition should be wholly without 
 any limits or regulation (as I shall more particularly show 
 afterwards;) and I believe some have erred in setting no 
 bounds and indulging and encouraging this disposition 
 without any kind of restraint or direction ; but yet, it 
 seems to me, that such a disposition in general is what 
 both reason and Scripture will justify. Those that are 
 offended at such things as though they were unreasonable,' 
 are not just : upon examination it will probably be found 
 that they have one rule of reasoning about temporal 
 things, and another about spiritual things. 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 263 
 
 They would not at all wonder if a person, on some very- 
 great and affecting occasion of extraordinary danger or 
 great joy that eminently and immediately concerns him 
 and others, is disposed to speak much and with great 
 earnestness, especially to those to whom he is united in 
 the bonds of dear affection and great concern for their 
 good. And therefore if they were just, why would not 
 they allow it in spiritual things ] And much more in them, 
 according to the vastly greater importance and more af- 
 fecting nature of spiritual things, and the concern which 
 true religion causes in men's minds for the good of others, 
 and the disposition it gives and excites to speak God's 
 praises, to show forth his infinite glory, and talk of all his 
 glorious perfections and works % 
 
 That a very great sense of the right kind, of the im- 
 portance of the things of religion and the danger sinners 
 are in, should sometimes cause an almost insuperable dis- 
 position to speak and warn others, is agreeable to 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 toge- 
 ther ; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, 
 the aged with him that is full of days." And that true 
 christians, when they come to be as it were waked out 
 of sleep, and to be filled with a sweet and joyful sense 
 of the excellent things of religion by the preaching of 
 the Gospel, or by other means of grace, should be dis- 
 posed to be much in speaking of divine things, though 
 
264 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 before they were dumb, is agreeable to w^hat Christ says 
 to his church, Cant. 7 : 9, "And the roof of thy mouth 
 is like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down 
 sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to 
 speak." The roof of the church's mouth is the officers 
 in the church that preach the Gospel ; their word is to 
 Christ's beloved like the best wine that goes down 
 sweetly — extraordinarily refreshing and enlivening the 
 saints, causing them to speak, though before they were 
 mute and asleep. 
 
 It is said by some that the people that are the subjects 
 of this work, when they get together, talking loud and 
 earnestly in their pretended great joys, several in a 
 room talking at the same time, make a noise just like a 
 company of drunken persons. On which I would ob- 
 serve, that it is foretold that God's people should do so, 
 in that forementioned place, Zech. 9 : 15, 16, 17, of 
 which I shall now take more particular notice. The 
 words are as follows : " The Lord of hosts shall defend 
 them ; and they shall devour and subdue with sling- 
 stones ; and they shall drink, and make a noise, as 
 through wine, and they shall be filled like bowls, and as 
 the coraers of the altar : and the Lord their God shall 
 save them in that day, as the flock of his people ; for 
 they shall be as the stones of a crown lifted up as an 
 ensign upon his land : for how great is his goodness ! 
 and how great is his beauty ! Corn shall make the 
 young men cheerful, and new wine the maids." The 
 words are very remarkable : here it is foretold that at 
 the time when Christ shall set up a universal kingdom 
 upon earth (verse 20), the children of Zion shall drink 
 until they are filled like the vessels of the sanctuary ; 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 265 
 
 and if we would know what they shall be filled with, 
 the prophecy does in effect explain itself: they shall be 
 filled, as the vessels of the sanctuary that contained the 
 drink offering, which was wine ; and yet the words im- 
 ply that it shall not literally be wine that they shall 
 drink and be filled with, because it is said they shall 
 drink and make a noise as through tvine, as if they had 
 drank wine : which implies that they had not literally 
 done it ; and therefore w^e must understand the words, 
 that they shall drink into that, and be filled with that, 
 which the wine of the drink offering represented, or was 
 a type of, which is the Holy Spirit, as well as the blood 
 of Christ, that new wine that is drunk in our heavenly 
 Father's kingdom : they shall be filled with the Spirit, 
 which the apostle sets in opposition to a being drunk 
 with wine, Ephesians, 5 : 18. This is the new wine 
 spoken of, verse 17. It is the same with that best wine 
 spoken of in Canticles, that goes down sweetly, causing 
 the lips of those that are asleep to speak. 
 
 It is here foretold that the children of Zion, in the 
 latter days, should be filled with that which should make 
 them cheerful, and cause them to make a noise as through 
 wine, and by which these joyful happy persons that are 
 thus filled shall be as the stones of a crown lifted up as 
 an ensign upon God's land, being made joyful in the 
 extraordinary manifestations of the beauty and love of 
 Christ : as it follows, Hoiv great^ is his goodness ! and 
 how great is his beauty ! And it is further remarkable 
 that it is here foretold that it should be thus especially 
 amongst young people : Corn shall make the young men 
 cheerful, and neio wine the maids. It would be ridiculous 
 to understand this of literal bread and wine : without 
 
 Kevival of llcl 1^ 
 
266 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 doubt, the same spiritual blessings are signified by bread 
 and wine here, which were represented by Melchize- 
 deck's bread and wine, and are signified by the bread 
 and wine in the Lord's supper. One of the marginal 
 readings is, shall make the young men to speak, which is 
 agreeable to that in Canticles, of the hest wine^s causing 
 the lijps of those that are asleep to speak. 
 
 We ought not to be in any measure like the unbe- 
 lieving Jews in Christ's time, v/ho were disgusted both 
 with crying out with distress and with joy. When the 
 poor blind man cried out before all the multitude, Jesus, 
 thou son of David, have mercy on me, and continued 
 instantly thus doing, the multitude rebuked him, and 
 charged him that he should hold his tongue, Mark, 10 : 
 46, 47, 48, and Luke, 18 : 38, 39. They looked upon it 
 to be a very indecent noise that he made ; a thing very 
 ill becoming hiiji, to cause his voice to be heard so much 
 and so loud among the multitude. And when Christ 
 made his solemn and triumphant entry into Jerusalem 
 (which, I have before observed, was a type of the glory 
 and triumph of the latter days,) the whole multitude of 
 the disciples, of all classes, especially young people, 
 began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for 
 all the mighty works that they had seen, saying. Blessed 
 he the King that cometh in the name of the Lord ! Peace 
 in heaven, and glory iri the highest ! The Pharisees said 
 to Christ, Master, rebuke thy disciples. They did not 
 understand such great transports of joy ; it seemed to 
 them a very unsuitable and indecent noise and clamor 
 that they made, a confused uproar, many crying out to- 
 gether, as though they were out of their wits ; they 
 wondered that Christ would tolerate it. But what says 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 267 
 
 Christ ? / tell you, that if these should hold their peace, 
 the stones would immediately cry out. The words seem to 
 intimate as much as that there was cause enough to con- 
 strain those, whose hearts were not harder than the very- 
 stones, to cry out and make a noise ; which is something 
 like that other expression, of causing the lips of those that 
 are asleep to speak. 
 
 When many under great religious affections are earn- 
 estly speaking together of divine wonders, in various 
 parts of a company, to those that are next to them; 
 some attending to what one says and others to another, 
 there is something very beautiful in it, provided they do 
 not speak so as to drown each other's voices, that none 
 can hear what any say : there is a great and affecting 
 appearance of a joint engagedness of heart in the love 
 and praises of God ; and I had rather see it, than to see 
 one speaking alone, and all attending to what he says ; 
 it has more of the appearance of conversation. When 
 a multitude meet on any occasion of temporal rejoicing, 
 freely and cheerfully to converse together, they are not 
 wont to observe the ceremony of but one speaking at a 
 time, while all the rest, in a formal manner, set them- 
 selves to attend to what he says ; that would spoil all 
 conversation, and turn it into the formality of set 
 speeches and the solemnity of preaching. 
 
 It is better for lay persons, when they speak one to 
 another of the things of God as> they meet together, 
 to speak after the manner of christian conversation, 
 than to observe the formality of but one speaking at a 
 time, the whole multitude silently and solemnly attend- 
 ing to what he says ; which would carry in it too much 
 of the air of the authority and solemnity of preaching. 
 
268 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 What the apostle says, 1 Cor. 14 : 29, 30, 31, " Let the 
 prophets speak, two or three, and let the other judge : 
 if any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let 
 the first hold his peace : for ye may all prophesy, one 
 by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted," 
 does not reach this case ; because what the apostle is 
 speaking of is the solemnity of their religious exercises 
 in public worship, the persons speaking in the church 
 by immediate inspiration, and in the use of the gift of 
 prophesy or some gift of inspiration, in the exercise of 
 which they acted as extraordinary ministers of Christ. 
 
 6. The com'plaint of too much singing, and of religious 
 meetings of children. 
 
 Another thing that some have found fault with, is 
 abounding so much in singing, in religious meetings. 
 Objecting against such a thing as this seems to arise 
 from a suspicion already established of this w^ork : they 
 doubt of the pretended extraordinary love and joys that 
 attend this work, and so find fault with the manifesta- 
 tions of them. If they thought persons were truly the 
 subjects of an extraordinary degree of divine love and 
 heavenly rejoicing in God, I suppose they would not 
 wonder at their having a disposition to be much in 
 praise. They will not object against the saints and 
 angels in heaven singing praises and hallelujahs to God, 
 without ceasing, day or night ; and therefore doubtless 
 will allow that the more the saints on earth are like 
 them in their dispositions, the more they will be dis- 
 posed to do like them. They will readily own that the 
 generality of christians have great reason to be ashamed 
 that they have so little thankfulness, and are no more in 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 269 
 
 praising God, whom they have such infinite cause to 
 praise. And why therefore should christians be found 
 fault with for showing a disposition to be much in prais- 
 ing God and manifesting a delight in that heavenly ex- 
 ercise '? To complain of this, is to be too much like the 
 Pharisees, who were disgusted when the multitude of 
 the disciples began to rejoice, and with loud voices to 
 praise God, and cry Hosanna, when Christ was enterino- 
 into Jerusalem. 
 
 There are many things in Scripture that seem to inti- 
 mate that praising God, both in speeches and songs, 
 will be what the church of God will very much abound 
 in in the approaching glorious day. So on the seventh 
 day of compassing the walls of Jericho, when the priests 
 blew with the trumpets in an extraordinary manner, the 
 people shouted with a great shout, and the wall of the 
 city fell down flat. So the ark was brought back from 
 its banishment with extraordinary shouting and singing 
 of the whole congregation of Israel. And the places in 
 the prophecies of Scripture that signify that the church 
 of God, in that glorious jubilee that is foretold, shall 
 greatly abound in singing and shouting forth the praises 
 of God, are too many to be mentioned. And there will 
 be cause enough for it : I believe it will be a time 
 wherein both heaven and earth will be much more full 
 of joy and praise than ever they were before. 
 
 But what is more especially found fault with in the 
 singing that is now practised, is making use of hymns 
 of human composition. I am far from thinking that the 
 book of Psalms should be thrown by in our public wor- 
 ship ; it should always be used in the christian church 
 to the end of the world ; but I know of no obligation w^ 
 
270 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 are under to confine ourselves to it. I can find no com- 
 mand or rule of God's w^ord that does any more confine 
 us to the vv^ords of the Scripture in our singing, than it 
 does in our praying ; we speak to God in both : and I 
 can see no more reason why we should limit ourselves 
 to the particular forms of words that we find in the 
 Bible, in speaking to him by way of praise, in metre, 
 and with music, than when we speak to him in prose, by 
 way of prayer and supplication. And it is really need- 
 ful that we should have some other songs besides the 
 psalms of David : it is unreasonable to suppose that the 
 christian church should for ever, and even in times of 
 her greatest light, in her praises of God and the Lamb, 
 be confined only to the words of the Old Testament, 
 wherein all the greatest and most glorious things of the 
 Gospel, that are infinitely the greatest subjects of her 
 praise, are spoken of under a vail, and not so much as 
 the name of our glorious Redeemer ever mentioned, but 
 in some dark figure, or as hid under the name of some 
 type. And as to our making use of the words of others, 
 and not those that are conceived by ourselves, it is no 
 more than we do in all our public prayers ; the whole 
 worshipping assembly, excepting one only, make use of 
 the words that are conceived by him that speaks for the 
 rest. 
 
 Another thing that many have disliked, is the religious 
 tncetings of children, to read and pray together, and per- 
 form religious exercises by themselves. What is ob- 
 jected is children's want of that knowledge and discre- 
 tion that is requisite in order to a decent and profitable 
 management of religious exercises. But it appears to 
 me the objection is not sufficient : children, as they have 
 
ITS FRIENDS INJURIOUSLY BLAMED. 271 
 
 the nature of men, are inclined to society ; and those of 
 them that are capable of society one with another, are 
 capable of the influences of the Spirit of God in its ac- 
 tive fruits ; and if they are inclined, by a religious dispo- 
 sition that they have from the Spirit of God, to improve 
 their society one w^ith another in a religious manner 
 and to religious purposes, w^ho should forbid them 1 If 
 they have not discretion to observe . method in their re- 
 Jigious performances, or to speak sense in all that they 
 say in prayer, they may notwithstanding have a good 
 meaning, and God understands them, and it does not 
 spoil or interrupt their devotion with one another. 
 
 We that are grovni persons, have defects in our prayers 
 that are a thousand times worse in the sight of God, and 
 are a greater confusion and more absurd nonsense in 
 his eyes, than their childish indiscretions. There is not 
 so much difference before God, between children and 
 grown persons, as we are ready to imagine ; we are all 
 poor, ignorant, foolish babes, in his sight : our adult age 
 does not bring us so much nearer to God as we are apt 
 to think. God in this work has shown a remarkable re- 
 gard to little children ; never was there such a glorious 
 work amongst persons in their childhood, as has been of 
 late in New England : he has been pleased in a won- 
 derful manner to perfect praise out of the mouths oi 
 babes and sucklings; and many of them have more ot 
 that knowledge and wisdom that pleases him, and ren- 
 ders their religious worship acceptable, than many of 
 the great and learned men of the world; it is they who, 
 in the sight of God, are the ignorant and foolish chil- 
 dren : these are grown men, and a hundred years old, in 
 comparison with them ; and it is to be hoped that the 
 
272 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 days are coming, prophesied of Isaiah, 65 : 20, when 
 ** the child shall die a hundred years old." 
 
 I have seen many happy effects of children's religious 
 meetings ; and God has seemed often remarkably to 
 own them in their meetings, and really descended from 
 heaven to be amongst them : I have known several pro- 
 bable instances of children's being converted at such 
 meetings. I should therefore think, that if children ap- 
 pear to be really moved to it by a religious disposition, 
 and not merely from a childish affectation of imitating 
 grown persons, they ought by no means to be discour- 
 aged or discountenanced ; but yet it is fit that care 
 should be taken of them, by their parents and pastors, 
 to instruct and direct them, and to correct imprudent 
 conduct and irregularities, if they are perceived ; or 
 any thing by which the devil may pervert and destroy 
 the design of their meetings. 
 
 All should take heed that they do not find fault with 
 and despise the religion of children from an evil prin- 
 ciple, lest they should be like the chief priests and 
 scribes, who were sore displeased at the religious wor- 
 ship and praises of little children, and the honor they 
 gave Christ in the temple. We have an account of it, 
 and what Christ said upon it, in Matthew, 21 : 15, 16, 
 " And when the chief priests and scribes saw the won- 
 derful things that he did, and the children crying in the 
 temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they 
 were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou 
 what these say 1 And Jesus saith unto them. Yea : have 
 ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings 
 thou hast perfected praise ]" 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 273 
 
 PART IV. 
 
 SHOWING WHAT THINGS ARE TO BE CORRECTED OR 
 AVOIDED IN PROMOTING THIS WORK, OR IN OUR BE- 
 HAVIOR UNDER IT. 
 
 Having thus observed, in some instances, wherein the 
 conduct of those that have appeared to be the subjects 
 of this work, or have been zealous to promote it, has 
 been objected against, or complained of, without or be- 
 yond just cause, I proceed now, in the second place, to 
 
 show WHAT THINGS OUGHT TO BE CORRECTED OR AVOIDED. 
 
 1. The duty to considei' and guard against errors into 
 which the promoters of religion may fall. 
 
 Many that are zealous for this glorious work of God, 
 are heartily sick of the great noise there is in the 
 country about imprudences and disorders : they have 
 heard it so often from the mouths of opposers that they 
 are prejudiced against the sound ; and they look upon it 
 that what is called being prudent and regular, which is 
 so much insisted on, is no other than being asleep, or 
 cold and dead in religion, and that-the great imprudence 
 that is so much cried out against, is only being alive and 
 engaged in the things of God. They are therefore ra- 
 ther confirmed in any practice, than brought off from it, 
 by the clamor they hear against it as imprudent and ir- 
 
 regular. 
 
 12* 
 
274 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 And to tell the truth, the cry of irregularity and im- 
 prudence has been much more in the mouths of those 
 that have been enemies to the main of the work than 
 others ; for they have watched for the halting of the 
 zealous, and eagerly catched at any thing that has been 
 wrong, and have greatly insisted on it, made the most 
 of it and magnified it ; especially have they watched for 
 errors in zealous preachers, that are much in reproving 
 and condemning the wickedness of the times : they 
 would therefore do well to consider that scripture, Isaiah, 
 29 : 20, 21, *' The scomer is consumed, and all that 
 watch for iniquity are cut off, that make a man an of- 
 fender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth 
 in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought." 
 They have not only too much insisted on and magnified 
 real errors but have very injuriously charged those en- 
 gaged in the work as guilty in things wherein they have 
 been innocent and have done their duty. This has so 
 prejudiced the minds of some, that they have been ready 
 to think that all that has been said about errors and im- 
 prudences was injurious and from an ill spirit; and has 
 confirmed them in the impression that there is no such 
 thing as any prevailing imprudence ; and it has made 
 them less cautious and suspicious of themselves lest 
 they should err. 
 
 Herein the devil has had an advantage put into his 
 hands, and has improved it; and doubtless has been 
 too subtle for some of the true friends of religion. It 
 would be a strange thing indeed, if in so great a com- 
 motion and revolution, and such a new state of things, 
 wherein so many have been engaged, none have been 
 guilty of any imprudence ; it would be such a revival of 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 275 
 
 religion as never was yet, if among so many men, not 
 guided by infallible inspiration, there had not been pre- 
 vailing many errors in judgment and conduct ; our 
 young preachers and young converts must in general 
 vastly exceed Luther, the head of the Reformation, who 
 was guilty of a great many excesses in that great work 
 in which God made him the chief instrument. 
 
 If we look back into the history of the church of God 
 in past ages, we may observe that it has been a common 
 device of the devil to overset a revival of religion, when 
 he finds he can keep men quiet and secure no longer, 
 then to drive them to excesses and extravagances. He 
 holds them back as long as he can, but when he can do 
 it no longer, then he will push them on, and if possible 
 run them headlong. And it has been by these means 
 chiefly that he has been successful, in several instances, 
 to overthrow most hopeful and promising beginnings : 
 yea, the principal means by which the devil was success- 
 ful, by degrees, to overset that grand religious revival 
 of the world in the primitive ages of Christianity, and 
 in a manner to overthrow the christian church through 
 the earth, and to make way for and bring on the great 
 antichristian apostacy, that masterpiece of the devil's 
 work, was to improve the indiscreet zeal of christians, 
 to drive them into those three extremes, of enthusiasm^ 
 su])ersiition, and severity toiuards opposers ; which should 
 be enough for an everlasting warning to the christian 
 church. 
 
 Though the devil will do his diligence to stir up the 
 open enemies of religion, yet he knows what is for his 
 interest so well, that in a time of revival of religion his 
 main strength shall be tried with the friends oi it, and 
 
276 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 he will chiefly exert himself in his attempts upon them 
 to mislead them. One truly zealous person in the time 
 of such an event, that seems to have a great hand in the 
 w^ork and draws the eyes of many upon him, may do 
 more, through Satan's being too subtle for him, to hinder 
 the work, than a hundred great, and strong, and open 
 opposers. 
 
 In the time of a great work of Christ, his hands, with 
 which he works, are often wounded in the house of his 
 friends, and his work hindered chiefly by them : so that 
 if any one inquires, as in Zech. 13 : 6, " What are those 
 wounds in thine hands V he may answer, ** Those with 
 which I was wounded in the house of my friends." 
 
 The errors of the friends of the work of God, and es- 
 pecially of the great promoters of it, give vast advantage 
 to the enemies of such a work. Indeed there are many 
 things that are no errors, but are only duties faithfully 
 and thoroughly done, that wound the minds of such per- 
 sons more and give more offence to them than real errors : 
 but yet one real error gives opposers as much advantage 
 and hinders and clogs the work as much as ten that are 
 only supposed ones. Real errors do not fret and gall the 
 enemies of religion so much as those things that are strict- 
 ly right ; but they encourage them more ; they give them 
 liberty and open a gap for them ; so that some that before 
 kept their enmity burning in their own breasts and durst 
 not show themselves, will on such an occasion take cou- 
 rage and give themselves vent, and their rage will be like 
 that of an enemy let loose ; and those that lay still before, 
 having nothing to say but what they would be ashamed 
 of (agreeable to Titus, 2 : 8,) when they have such a wea- 
 pon put into their hands will fight with all violence. And 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 277 
 
 indeed the enemies of religion would not know what to 
 do for weapons to fight with were it not for the errors of 
 the friends of it, and must soon fall before them. And 
 besides in real eiTors, things that are truly disagreeable 
 to the rules of God's word, we cannot expect the divine 
 protection, and that God will appear on our side, as if 
 our errors were only supposed ones. 
 
 Since therefore the errors of the friends and promoters 
 of such a glorious work of God are of such dreadful con- 
 sequence, and seeing the devil being sensible of this is 
 so assiduous, and watchful and subtle in his attempts with 
 them, and has thereby been so successful to overthrow 
 religion heretofore, certainly the friends of the work ought 
 to be exceedingly circumspect and vigilant, diffident and 
 jealous of themselves, and humbly dependent on the guid- 
 ance of the good Shepherd. 1 Pet. 4:7," Be sober, and 
 watch unto prayer." And. chap. 5 : 8, "Be sober, be vi- 
 gilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, 
 walketh about." For persons to go on resolutely in a kind 
 of heat and vehemence, despising admonition and correc- 
 tion, being confident that they must be in the right be- 
 cause they are full of the Spirit, is directly contrary to the 
 import of these words, he sober, he vigilant. 
 
 It is a mistake I have observed in some, by which they 
 have been gi'eatly exposed to their wounding, that they 
 think they are in no danger of going astray or being mis- 
 led by the devil hecause they are ntarto God; and so have 
 no jealous eye upon themselves, and neglect vigilance 
 and circumspection as needless in their case. They say 
 they do not think that God will leave them to dishonor 
 him and wound religion as long as they keep near to him : 
 and I believe so too, as long as they keep near to God in 
 
278 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 this respect, that they maintain a universal and diligent 
 watch and care to do their duty, and avoid sin and snares, 
 with diffidence in themselves and humble dependence 
 and prayerfulness ; but they are not safe merely because 
 they are near to God, in that they now are receiving 
 blessed communications from God in refreshing views of 
 him, if at the same time they let down their watch and 
 are not jealous over their own heart, by reason of its re- 
 maining blindness and corruption and a subtle adversary. 
 It is a grand error for persons to think they are out of 
 danger of the devil and a corrupt; deceitful heart, even 
 in their highest flights and most raised frames of spiri- 
 tual joy. For persons in such a confidence to cease to be 
 jealous of themselves, and to neglect watchfulness and 
 care, is a presumption by which I have known many wo- 
 fully ensnared. However highly we may be favored with 
 divine discoveries and comforts, yet as long as we are in 
 the world we are in the enemy's country, and therefore 
 that direction of Christ to his disciples is never out of date 
 in this world, Luke, 21 : 36 ; *' Watch and pray always, 
 that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these 
 things, and to stand before the Son of man." 
 
 This direction was not out of date with the disciples, 
 to whom it was given, after they came to be filled with 
 the Holy Ghost, and out of their bellies flowed rivers of 
 living water, by that great effusion of the Spirit upon 
 them that began on the day of pentecost. And though 
 God stands ready to protect his people, especially those 
 that are near to him, yet he expects of all great care and 
 labor ; and that we should put on the whole armor of God, 
 that we may stand in the evil day : and whatever spiri- 
 tual privileges we are raised to, we have no warrant to 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 279 
 
 expect protection in any other way; for God has ap- 
 pointed this whole life as a state of labor, to be all as a 
 race or a battle. The state of rest wherein we shall be so 
 out of danger as to have no need of watching and fight- 
 ing, is reserved for another world. 
 
 I have known it in abundance of instances, that the de- 
 vil has come in very remarkably, even in the midst of the 
 most exalted and, upon some accounts, excellent frames : 
 it may seem a great mystery that it should be so ; but it 
 is no greater mystery than that Christ should be taken 
 captive by the devil and carried into the wilderness, im- 
 mediately after the heavens had been opened to him, and 
 the Holy Ghost descended like a dove upon him, and he 
 heard that comfortable, joyful voice from the Father, say- 
 ing, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am icell pleased. 
 In like manner Christ in the heart of a christian is often- 
 times as it were taken by the devil and carried captive 
 into a wilderness, presently after heaven has been as it 
 were opened to the soul, and the Holy Ghost has de- 
 scended upon it like a dove, and God has been sweetly 
 owning the believer and testifying his favor to him as 
 his beloved child. 
 
 It is therefore a great error and sin in some persons 
 at this day, that they are fixed in their way in some 
 things that others account errors, and will not hearken 
 to admonition and counsel, but are confident that they 
 are in the right in those practices that they find them- 
 selves disposed to, because God is much with them, and 
 they have great degrees of the Spirit of God. There were 
 some such in the apostles' days : the Apostle Paul, v/rit- 
 ing to the Corinthians, was sensible that some of them 
 would not be easily convinced that they had been in any 
 
280 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 error, because they looked upon themselves as spiritual^ 
 or full of the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. 11 : 37, 38, " If any 
 man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him 
 acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are 
 the commandment of the Lord; but if any man be igno- 
 rant, let him be ignorant." 
 
 And although those that are spiritual amongst us have 
 no infallible apostle to admonish them, yet let me entreat 
 them, by the love of Christ, calmly and impartially to 
 weigh what may be said to them by one that is their 
 hearty and fervent friend (although an inferior worm,) in 
 giving his humble opinion concerning the errors that have 
 been committed, or that we may be exposed to in me- 
 thods or practices that have been or may be fallen into 
 by the zealous friends or promoters of this great work 
 of God. 
 
 In speaking of the errors that have existed, or that we 
 are in danger of, I would, 
 
 First, notice the causes whence the errors that attend a 
 great revival of religion usually arise : and as I go along, 
 notice some particular errors that arise from each of those 
 C9.uses. 
 
 Secondly, observe some errors that some have lately 
 gone into, that have been owing to the iiijluence of several 
 of those causes conjunctly. 
 
 As to the first of these, the errors that attend a great 
 revival of religion usually arise from these three things : 
 1. Undiscerned spiritual pride. 2. Wrong principles. 
 3. Ignorance of Satan's advantages and devices. 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 281 
 
 2. Spiritual pride a prominent cause of errors in a revival 
 of religion. 
 
 The first, and the worst cause of errors that prevail 
 in such a state of things, is spiritual pride. This is the 
 main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of 
 those that are zealous for the advancement of religion. 
 It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit, to 
 darken the mind and mislead the judgment : this is the 
 main handle by which the devil has hold of religious 
 persons, and the chief source of all the mischief that he 
 introduces to clog and hinder a work of God. This 
 cause of error is the main-spring, or at least the main 
 support of all the rest. Until this disease is cured, 
 medicines are in vain applied to heal other diseases. It 
 is by this that the mind defends itself in other errors, 
 and guards itself against light, by which it might be cor- 
 rected and reclaimed. 
 
 The spiritually proud man is full of light already ; he 
 does not need instruction, and is ready to despise the 
 offer of it. But if this disease be healed, other things 
 are easily rectified. The humble person is like a little 
 child, he easily receives instruction ; he is jealous over 
 himself, sensible how liable he is to go astray ; and there- 
 fore if it be suggested to him that he does so, he is ready 
 most narrowly and impartially to inquire. Nothing sets 
 a person so much out of the devjl's reach as humility, 
 and so prepares the mind for true divine light, without 
 darkness, and so clears the eye to look on things as they 
 truly are. Psalm 25 : 9, " The meek will he guide in 
 judgment, and the meek he will teach his way." There 
 fore we should fight, neither with small nor with great, 
 
282 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 but with the king of Israel : our first care should be to 
 rectify the heart, and pull the beam out of our eye, and 
 then we shall see clearly. 
 
 I know that a great many things at this day are very 
 injuriously laid to the pride of those that are zealous in 
 the cause of God. AVhen any person appears, in any 
 respect, remarkably distinguished in religion from others, 
 if he professes those spiritual comfoi'ts and joys that are 
 greater than ordinary, or if he appears distinguishingly 
 zealous in religion, if he exerts himself more than others 
 do in the cause of religion, or if he seems to be distin- 
 guished with success, ten to one but it will immediately 
 awaken the jealousy of those that are about him ; and 
 they will suspect (v/hether they have cause or no) 
 that he is very proud of his goodness, and that he 
 affects to have it thought that nobody is so good as he ; 
 and all his talk is heard, and all his behavior beheld 
 with this prejudice. Those that are themselves cold and 
 dead, and especially such as never had any experience 
 of the power of godliness in their own hearts, are ready 
 to entertain such thoughts of the best christians ; which 
 arises from a secret enmity against vital and fervent piety. 
 
 But then those that are zealous christians should take 
 heed that this injuriousness of those that are cold in re- 
 ligion does not prove a snare to them, and that the devil 
 does not take advantage from it to blind their eyes from 
 beholding what there is indeed of this nature in their 
 hearts, and make them think, because they are charged 
 with pride wrongfully and from an ill spirit in many 
 things, that therefore it is so in every thing. Alas, how 
 much pride have the best of us in our hearts ! It is the 
 worst part of the body of sin and death : it is the first 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 283 
 
 sin that ever entered into the universe, and the last that 
 is rooted out : it is God's most stubborn enemy. 
 
 The corruption of nature may all be resolved into two 
 things, jn'ide and icorldly-inindedness, the devil and the 
 hcast^ or self and the ivorld. These are the two pillars of 
 D agon's temple on which the whole house leans. But 
 tlie former of these is every way the worst part of the 
 corruption of nature ; it is the first-bom son of the devil, 
 and his image in the heart of man chiefly consists in it; 
 it is the last thing in . a sinner that is overborne by con- 
 viction in order to conversion ; and here is the saint's 
 hardest conflict, it is the last thing that he obtains a good 
 degree of conquest over and liberty from ; it is that 
 which most directly militates against God, and is most 
 contrary to the Spirit of the Lamb of God ; and it is 
 most like the devil its father, in a serpentine deceitful- 
 ness and secrecy : it lies deepest, and is most active and 
 most ready secretly to mix itself with every thing. 
 
 And of all kinds of pride, spiritual pride is upon many 
 accounts the most hateful : it is most like the devil ; it is 
 most like the sin that he committed in a heaven of light 
 and glory, where he was exalted high in divine know- 
 ledge, honor, beauty and happiness. Pride is witli much 
 more difficulty discerned than any other corruption, for 
 this reason, that the nature of it very much consists in a 
 person's having too high a thought of himself. No won- 
 der that he that has too high a thought of himself does 
 not know it ; for he necessarily thinks that the opinion 
 he has of himself is what he has just grounds for, and 
 therefore is not too high ; if he thought such an opinion 
 of himself was without just grounds, he would then 
 cease to have it. 
 
284 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 But of all kinds of pride, spiritual pride is the most 
 hidden, and with most difficulty discerned ; and that for 
 this reason, because the pride of those that are spirit- 
 ually proud consists much in a high conceit of these two 
 things, their light and their humility ; both which are 
 a strong prejudice against a discovery of their pride. 
 Being proud of their light, that makes them not jealous 
 of themselves ; he that thinks a clear light shines around 
 him, is not suspicious of any enemy lurking near hira 
 unseen : and then being proud of their humility, that 
 makes them least of all jealous of themselves in that par- 
 ticular, namely, as being under the prevalence of pride. 
 
 There are many sins of the heart that are very secret 
 in their nature, and with great difficulty discerned. The 
 Psalmist says, Psalm 19 : 12, *' Who can understand his 
 errors ] Cleanse thou me from secret faults." But spi- 
 ritual pride is the most secret of all sins. The heart is 
 so deceitful and unsearchable in nothing in the world as 
 it is in this matter, and there is no sin in the world that 
 men are so confident in, and with so much difficulty con- 
 vinced of: the very nature of it is to work self-confi- 
 dence, and drive away self-diffidence and jealousy of any 
 evil of that kind. 
 
 There is no sin so much like the devil as this for 
 secrecy and subtlety, and appearing in a great many 
 shapes undiscerned and unsuspected, even appearing as 
 an angel of light. It takes occasion to arise from every 
 thing ; it perverts and abuses every thing, even the exer- 
 cises of real grace and real humility, as an occasion to 
 exert itself: it is a sin that has, as it were, many lives ; 
 if you kill it, it will live still ; if you mortify and sup- 
 press it in one shape, it rises in another ; if you think it 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 285 
 
 is all gone, yet it is there still : there are a great many 
 kinds of it, that lie in different forms and shapes, one 
 under another, and encompass the heart like the coats 
 of an onion ; if you pull off one there is another under- 
 neath. We need therefore to have the greatest v\^atch 
 imaginable over our hearts w^ith respect to this matter, 
 and to cry most earnestly to the great Searcher of 
 hearts for his help. He that trusts his own heart is a fool. 
 
 God's own people should be the more jealous of them- 
 selves, with respect to this particular, at this day, be- 
 cause the temptations that many have to this sin are ex- 
 ceeding great : the great and distinguishing privileges to 
 which God admits many of his saints, and the high honor 
 that he puts on some ministers, are great trials of per- 
 sons in this respect. It is true that great degrees of the 
 spiritual presence of God tend greatly to mortify pride 
 and all corruption ; but yet, though in the experience of 
 such favors there be much to restrain pride one way, 
 there is much to tempt and provoke it another ; and we 
 shall be in great danger thereby without great watchful- 
 ness and prayerfulness. 
 
 There was much in the circumstances of the angels 
 that fell in heaven, in their great honors and high privi- 
 leges, in beholding the face of God, and the view of his 
 infinite glory, to cause in them exercises of humility, 
 and to keep them from pride ; yet, through want of 
 watchfulness in them, their great' honor and heavenly 
 privileges proved to be to them an undoing temptation 
 to pride, though they had no principle of pride in their 
 hearts to expose them. Let no saint therefore, however 
 eminent, and however near to God, think himself out of 
 danorer of this : he that thinks himself most out of dan- 
 
286 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 ger, is indeed most in danger. The apostle Paul, w^ho 
 doubtless w^as as eminent a saint as any are now, was 
 not out of danger, even just after he was admitted to 
 see God in the third heaven, by the information he him- 
 self gives us, 2 Cor. chap. 12. And yet, doubtless, what 
 he saw in heaven of the ineffable glory of the divine 
 Being had a direct tendency to make him appear ex- 
 ceeding little and vile in his own eyes. 
 
 3. Spiritual Pride — some of its Effects and Traits. 
 
 Spiritual pride in its own nature is so secret, that it 
 is not so well discerned by immediate intuition on the 
 thing itself, as by the effects and fruits of it ; some of 
 which I would mention, together with the contrary fruits 
 of pure christian humility. 
 
 Spiritual pride disposes to speak of other persons'' sins, 
 their enmity against God and his people, the miserable 
 delusion of hypocrites and their enmity against vital 
 piety, and the deadness of some saints, with bitterness, 
 or with laughter and levity, and an air of contempt ; 
 whereas pure christian humility rather disposes either 
 to be silent about them, or to speak of them with grief 
 and pity. 
 
 Spiritual pride is very apt to suspect others : whereas 
 a humble saint is most jealous of himself; he is so sus- 
 picious of nothing in the world as he is of his own 
 heart. The spiritually proud person is apt to find fault 
 with other saints that they are low in grace, and to be 
 much in observing how cold and dead they are, and cry- 
 ing out against them for it, and to be quick to discern 
 and take notice of their deficiencies : but the eminently 
 humble christian has so much to do at home, and sees 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 287 
 
 SO much evil in his own heart, and is so concerned about 
 it, that he is not apt to be very busy with others' hearts ; 
 he complains most of himself, and cries out of his own 
 coldness and lowness in grace, and is apt to esteem 
 others better than himself, and is ready to hope that 
 there is nobody but has more love and thankfulness 
 to God than he, and cannot bear to think that others 
 should bring forth no more fruit to God's honor than he. 
 
 Some that have spiritual pride mixed with high dis- 
 coveries and great transports of joy, disposing them in 
 an earnest manner to talk to others, are apt, in such 
 frames, to be calling upon other christians that are about 
 them, and sharply reproving them for their being so cold 
 and lifeless. And there are some others that behave 
 themselves very differently from these : who in their rap- 
 tures are overwhelmed with a sense of their own vile- 
 ness ; and when they have extraordinary discoveries of 
 God's glory, are all taken up about their own sinfulness ; 
 and though they also are disposed to speak much and 
 very earnestly, yet it is very much in crying out of them- 
 selves, and exhorting fellow-christians, but in a charita- 
 ble and humble manner. Pure christian humility dis- 
 poses a person to take notice of every thing that is in 
 any respect good in others and to make the best of it, 
 and to diminish their failings ; but to have his eye chiefly 
 on those things that are bad in himself and to take much 
 notice of every thing that aggravates them. 
 
 In a contrariety to this, it has been the manner in 
 some places, or at least the manner of some persons, to 
 speak of almost every thing that they see amiss in others 
 in the most harsh, severe and terrible language. It is 
 frequent with them to say of others' opinions or conduct 
 
288 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 or advice, or of their coldness, their silence, their caution, 
 their moderation, and their prudence, and many other 
 things that appear in them, that they are from the devil, 
 or from hell ; that such a thing is devilish, or hellish, or 
 cursed, and that such persons are serving the devil, or 
 the devil is in them, that they are soul-murderers, and 
 the like ; so that the words devil and hell are almost con- 
 tinually in their mouths. And such kind of language 
 they will commonly use not only towards wicked men, 
 but towards them that they themselves allow to be the 
 true children of God, and also towards ministers of the 
 Gospel and others that are very much their superiors. 
 And they look upon it a virtue and high attainment thus 
 to behave themselves. Oh, say they, we must he plairi- 
 liearted and hold for Christ, we must declare war against 
 sin wherever we see it, ice must not mince the matter in the 
 cause of God, and when speaking for Christ. And to 
 make any distinction in persons, or to speak the more 
 tenderly, because that which is amiss is seen in a supe- 
 rior, they look upon as very mean for a follower of 
 Christ, when speaking in the cause of his Master. 
 
 What a strange device of the devil is here to over- 
 throw all christian meekness and gentleness, and even 
 all show and appearance of it, and to defile the mouths 
 of the children of God, and to introduce the language of 
 common sailors among the followers of Christ, under a 
 cloak of high sanctity and zeal and boldness for Christ ! 
 And it is a remarkable instance of the weakness of the 
 human mind, and how much too cunning the devil is 
 for us ! 
 
 The grand defence of this way of talking is, that they 
 say no more than what is true ; they only speak the truth 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 289 
 
 without mincing the matter; and that true christians 
 who have a great sight of the evil of sin and acquaint- 
 ance with their own hearts know it to be true, and there- 
 fore will not be offended to hear such harsh expressions 
 made use of concerning them and their sins ; it is only 
 (say they) hypocrites, or cold and dead christians, that aro 
 provoked and feel their enmity rise on such an occasion. 
 But it is a grand mistake to think that we may com- 
 monly use concerning one another all such language as 
 represents the worst of each other, according to strict 
 truth. It is really true that every kind of sin, and every 
 degree of it, is devilish and from hell, and is cursed, 
 hellish, and condemned or damned : and if persons had 
 a full sight of their hearts they would think no terms too 
 bad for them ; they would look like beasts, like serpents, 
 and like devils to themselves ; they would be at a loss 
 for language to express what they see in themselves, the 
 worst terms they could think of would seem as it were 
 faint to represent what they see in themselves. But 
 shall a child therefore, from time to time, use such lan- 
 guage concerning an excellent and eminently holy father 
 or mother, as that the devil is in them, that they have 
 such and such devilish, cursed dispositions, that they 
 commit every day hundreds of hellish, damned acts, and 
 that they are cursed dogs, hell-hounds, and devils 1 And 
 shall the meanest of the people be justified in com- 
 monly using such language concerning the most excel- 
 lent magistrates or the most eminent ministers 1 I hope 
 nobody has gone to this height : but the same pretences 
 of boldness, plain-heartedness, and declared war against 
 sin will as well justify these things as the things they 
 are actually made use of to justify. 
 
 Rp^•^val of Rol, 1-^ 
 
290 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 If we proceed in such a manner, on sucli principles as 
 these, w^hat a face w^ill be introduced upon the church 
 of Christ, the little beloved flock of that gentle shepherd 
 the Lamb of God ! What a sound shall we bring into 
 the house of God, into the family of his dear children ! 
 How far off shall we soon banish that lovely appearance 
 of humility, sweetness, gentleness, mutual honor, bene- 
 volence, complacence, and an esteem of others above 
 themselves, which ought to clothe the children of God 
 all over ! Not but that christians should watch over one 
 another, and in any wise reprove one another, and be 
 much in it, and do it plainly and faithfully ; but it does 
 not thence follow that dear brethren in the family of 
 God, in rebuking one another should use worse language 
 than Michael the archangel durst use when rebuking the 
 devil himself. 
 
 Christians that are but fellow-worms ought at least to 
 treat one another with as much humility and gentleness 
 as Christ that is infinitely above them treats them. But 
 how did Christ treat his disciples when they were so 
 cold towards him and so regardless of him at the time 
 when his soul was exceeding sorrowful even unto 
 death, and he in a dismal agony was crying and sweat- 
 ing blood for them, and they would not watch with 
 him and allow him the comfort of their company one 
 hour in his great distress, though he once and again de- 
 sired it of them ? One would think that then was a 
 proper time if ever to have reproved them for a devilish, 
 hellish, cursed and damned slothfulness and deadness. 
 But after what manner does Christ reprove them 1 Be- 
 hold his astonishing gentleness ! Says he. What, could ye 
 not loatch with me one hour ? The spirit indeed is wiUi??g, 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 291 
 
 but the JlesJi is weak. And how did he treat Peter when 
 he was ashamed of his Master, while he was made a 
 mocking-stock and a spitting-stock for him '? Why he 
 looked upon him with a look of love, and melted his 
 heart. 
 
 And though we read that Christ once turned and said 
 unto Peter, on a certain occasion, Get thee behind rne, 
 Satan ; and this may seem like an instance of harshness 
 and severity in reproving Peter ; yet I humbly conceive 
 that this is by many taken wrong, and that this is indeed 
 no instance of Christ's severity in his treatment of Peter, 
 but on the contrary, of his wonderful gentleness and 
 grace, distinguishing between Peter and the devil in 
 him, not laying the blame of what Peter had then said, 
 or imputing it to him, but to the devil that influenced 
 him. Christ saw the devil then present, secretly influ- 
 encing Peter to do the part of a tempter to his Master ; 
 and therefore Christ turned him about to Peter, in whom 
 the devil then was, and spake to the devil and rebuked 
 him. Thus the grace of Christ does not behold iniquity 
 in his people, imputes not what is amiss in them to 
 them, but to sin that dwells in them, and to Satan that 
 influences them. But to return : 
 
 Spiritual pride often disposes persons to singularity in 
 external appearance, to affect a singular way of speaking, 
 to use a different sort of dialect from others, or to be 
 singular in voice, or air of countenance or behavior : but 
 he that is an eminently humble christian, though he will 
 be firm to his duty, however singular he is in it, and 
 will go in the way that leads to heaven alone, though all 
 the world forsake him ; yet he delights not in singularity 
 for singularity's sake, he docs not aff'ect to set up him- 
 
292 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 self to be viewed and observed as one distinguished, as 
 desiring to be accounted better than others, or despising 
 their company or a union and conformity to them ; but 
 on the contrary is disposed to become all things to all 
 men, and to yield to others, and to conform to them and 
 please them in every thing but sin. Spiritual pride 
 commonly occasions a certain stiffness and inflexibility in 
 persons, in their own judgment and their own ways ; 
 whereas the eminently humble person, though he be in- 
 flexible in his duty and in those things wherein God's 
 honor is concerned ; and with regard to temptation to 
 those things he apprehends to be sinful, though in never so 
 small a degree, he is not at all of a yielding spirit, but is 
 like a brazen wall ; yet in other things he is of a pliable 
 disposition, not disposed to set up his own opinion or 
 his own will ; he is ready to pay deference to others' 
 opinions, and loves to comply with their inclinations, and 
 has a heart that is tender and flexible, like a little child. 
 Spiritual pride disposes persons to aflect separation, to 
 stand at a distance from others, as better than they, and 
 loves the show and appearance of the distinction : but on 
 the contrary, the eminently humble christian is ready to 
 look upon himself as not worthy that others should be 
 united to him, to think himself more brutish than any 
 man, and worthy to be cast out of human society, and 
 especially unworthy of the society of God's children ; 
 and though he will not be a companion with one that is 
 visibly Christ's enemy, and delights most in the company 
 of lively christians, and will choose such for his com- 
 panions and be most intimate with them, and does not at 
 all delight to spend much time in the company of those 
 that seem to relish no conversation but about worldly 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 293 
 
 things ; yet he does not love the appearance of an open 
 separation from visible christians, as being a kind of dis- 
 tinct company from them that are one visible company 
 vv^ith him by Christ's appointment, and wrill as much as 
 possible shun all appearance of a superiority, or distin- 
 guishing himself as better than others. His universal 
 benevolence delights in the appearance of union w^ith his 
 fellow-creatures, and will maintain it as much as he pos- 
 sibly can without giving open countenance to iniquity or 
 wounding his own soul ; and herein he follows the ex- 
 ample of his meek and lowly Redeemer, who did not 
 keep up such separation and distance as the Pharisees, but 
 freely ate with publicans and sinners, that he might win 
 them. 
 
 The eminently humble christian is as it were clothed 
 with lowliness, mildness, meekness, gentleness of spirit 
 and behavior, and with a soft, sweet, condescending, win- 
 ning air and deportment ; these things are like garments 
 to him, he is clothed all over with them. 1 Peter, 5 : 5, 
 *' Be clothed with humiUty." Col. 3 : 12, " Put on there- 
 fore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of 
 mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long- 
 suffering." 
 
 Pure christian humility has no such thing as roughness 
 or contempt, or fierceness or bitterness in its nature ; it 
 miakes a person like a little child, harmless and innocent, 
 and that none need to be afraid of-; or like a lamb, des- 
 titute of all bitterness, wrath, anger and clamor, agree- 
 able to Eph. 4 : 31. 
 
 With such a spirit as this ought especially zealous 
 ministers of the Gospel to be clothed, and those that 
 God is pleased to employ as instruments in his hands of 
 
294 THOUGHTS Oi\ THE REVIVAL. 
 
 promoting his work. They ought indeed to be thorough 
 in preaching the word of God without mincing the mat- 
 ter at all ; in handling the sword of the Spirit as the 
 ministers of the Lord of Hosts, they ought not to be 
 mild and gentle ; they are not to be gentle and moderate 
 in searching and awakening the conscience, but should 
 be sons of thunder : the word of God, which is in itself 
 sharper than any two-edged sword, ought not to be 
 sheathed by its ministers, but so used that its sharp edges 
 may have their full effect, even to the dividing asunder 
 of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, (provided they do 
 it without judging particular persons, leaving it to con- 
 science and the Spirit of God to make the particular 
 application;) but all their conversation should savor of 
 nothing but lowliness and good will, love and pity to all 
 mankind; so that such a spirit should be like a sweet 
 odor diffused around them wherever they go, or like a 
 light shining about them ; their faces should as it were 
 shine with it ; they should be like lions to guilty con- 
 sciences, but like lambs to men's persons. 
 
 This would have no tendency to prevent the awaken- 
 ing of men's consciences, but on the contrary would have 
 a very great tendency to awaken them ; it would make 
 way for the sharp sword to enter ; it would remove the 
 obstacles and make a naked breast for the arrow. Yea, 
 the amiable, Christ-like conversation of such ministers in 
 itself would terrify the consciences of men, as well as 
 their terrible preaching ; both would co-operate, one with 
 the other, to subdue the hard and bring down the proud 
 heart. If there had been constantly and universally ob- 
 servable such a behavior as this in itinerant preachers, it 
 would have terrified the consciences of sinners ten times 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 295 
 
 as much as all the invectives and the censorious talk there 
 has been concerning particular persons for their opposi- 
 tion, hypocrisy, delusion and pharisaism. These things in 
 general have rather stupified sinners' consciences : they 
 take them up and make use of them as a shield where- 
 with to defend themselves from the sharp arrows of the 
 word that are shot by these preachers : the enemies of 
 the present work have been glad of these things with all 
 their hearts. Many of the most bitter of them are proba- 
 bly such as in the beginning of this work had their con- 
 sciences somewhat galled and terrified with it ; but these 
 errors of awakening preachers are the things they chiefly 
 make use of as plasters to heal the sore that was made in 
 their consciences. 
 
 Spiritual pride takes gi'eat notice of opposition and in- 
 juries that are received, and is apt to be often speaking 
 of them, and to be much in taking notice of the aggrava- 
 tions of them, either with an air of bitterness or contempt : 
 whereas pure unmixed christian humility disposes a per- 
 son rather to be like his blessed Lord when reviled, dumb, 
 not opening his mouth, but committing himself in silence 
 to Him that judgeth righteously. The eminently humble 
 christian, the more clamorous and furious the world is 
 against him the more silent and still will he be — unless 
 it be in his closet, and there he will not be still. Our 
 blessed Lord Jesus seems never to have been so silent 
 as when the world compassed him round, reproaching, 
 buffeting and spitting upon him, with loud and virulent 
 outcries and horrid cruelties. 
 
 There has been a great deal too much talk of late among 
 many of the true and zealous friends of religion about op- 
 position and persecution. It becomes the followers of the 
 
296 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 Lamb of God, w^hen the world is in an uproar about them 
 and full of clamor against them, not to raise another noise 
 to ansv^er it, but to be still and quiet : it is not beautiful 
 at such a time to have pulpits and conversation ring with 
 the sound persecution, persecution, or with abundant talk 
 about pharisees, carnal persecutors, and the seed of the 
 serpent. 
 
 Meekness and quietness among God's people when op- 
 posed and reviled, would be the surest way to have God 
 remarkably appear for their defence. It is particularly 
 observed of Moses, on the occasion of Aaron and Miriam 
 envying him, and rising up in opposition against him, that 
 he was very meek, above all men upon the face of the earth. 
 Num. 12 : 3. Doubtless because he remarkably showed 
 his meekness on that occasion, being wholly silent under 
 the abuse. And how remarkable is the account that fol- 
 lows of God's being as it were suddenly roused to appear 
 for his vindication ! And what high honor did he put upon 
 Moses ! And how severe were his rebukes of his oppo- 
 sers ! The story is very remarkable, and worth every 
 one's observing. Nothing is so effectual to bring God 
 down from heaven in the defence of his people as their 
 patience and meekness under sufferings. When Christ 
 " girds his sword upon his thigh, with his glory and ma- 
 jesty, and in his majesty rides prosperously, his right hand 
 teaching him terrible things, it is because of truth and 
 meekness and righteousness." Psalm 45 : 3, 4. *' God will 
 cause judgment to be heard from heaven ; the earth shall 
 fear and be still, and God will arise to judgment, to save 
 all the meek of the earth:' Psalm 76 : 8, 9. " He will lift 
 up the meek, and cast the wicked down to the ground." 
 Psalm 147 : 6. " He will reprove with equity, for tht 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 297 
 
 meek of the earth, and v/ill srnite the earth with the rod 
 of his mouth, and with the breath of his Ups will he slay 
 the wicked." Isaiah, 11 : 4. 
 
 The great commendation that Christ gives the church 
 of Philadelphia is, Thou Jiast kept the word of 7ny patience. 
 Rev. 3 : 10. And we may see what reward he promises 
 her in the preceding verse, *' Behold, I will make them 
 of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and 
 are not, but do lie ; behold, I will make them to come 
 and worship at thy feet, and to know that I have loved 
 thee." And thus it is that we might expect to have 
 Christ appear for us, if under all reproaches we are load- 
 ed with, we behave ourselves with a lamb-like meekness 
 and gentleness, but if our spirits are raised and we are 
 vehement and noisy with our complaints under color of 
 (Siristian zeal, this will be to take upon us our own de- 
 fence, and God will leave it with us to vindicate our 
 cause as well as we can : yea, if we go on in a way of 
 bitterness and high censuring, it will be the way to have 
 him rebuke us, and put us to shame before our enemies. 
 
 Here some may be ready to say, ** It is not in our own 
 cause that we are thus vehement, but it is in the cause 
 of God ; and the apostle directed the primitive christians 
 to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the 
 saints." But how was it that the primitive christians con- 
 tended earnestly for the faith % They defended the truth 
 with arguments and a holy conversation ; but yet gave 
 their reasons with meekness and fear : they contended 
 earnestly for the faith by fighting violently against their 
 own unbelief and the corruptions of their hearts, yea, 
 they resisted unto blood, striving against sin ; but the 
 olood that was shed in this earnest strife was their owt:- 
 
 13* 
 
298 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 blood, and not the blood of their enemies. It was in the 
 cause of God that Peter w^as so fierce, and drev^ his sword, 
 and began to smite with it ; but Christ bids him put up 
 his sword again, telling him that they that take the sword 
 shall perish by the sword ; and while Peter wounds Christ 
 heals. They contend the most violently, and are the 
 greatest conquerors in a time of persecution, who bear 
 it with the greatest meekness and patience. 
 
 Great humility improves even the reflections and re- 
 proaches of enemies for serious self-examination, whether 
 there be not some just cause, whether they have not in 
 some respect given occasion to the enemy to speak re- 
 proachfully : whereas spiritual pride improves such re- 
 flections to make men the more bold and confident, and 
 to go the greater lengths in that for which they are found 
 fault with. I desire it may be considered whether there 
 has been nothing amiss of late among the true friends 
 of vital piety in this respect; and whether the words of 
 David, when reviled by Michal, have not been misinter- 
 preted and misapplied to justify them in it, when he said, 
 " I will be yet more vile, and will be base in mine own 
 sight." The import of his words is, that he would humble 
 himself yet more before God, being sensible that he was 
 far from being sufficiently abased ; and he signifies this to 
 Michal, and that he longed to be yet lower, and had de- 
 signed already to abase himself more in his behavior : 
 not that he would go the greater lengths to show his re- 
 gardlessness of her revilings ; that would be to exalt him- 
 self, and not more to abase himself as more vile in his 
 own sight. 
 
 Another effect of spiritual pride is a certain unsuitable 
 and self-conjident boldness before God and men. Thus 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 299 
 
 some in their great rejoicings before God have not paid 
 a sufficient regard to that rule in Psalm 2 : 11. They 
 have not rejoiced w^ith a reverential trembling, in a pro- 
 per sense of the awful majesty of God and the av^^ful dis- 
 tance between God and them. And there has also been 
 an improper boldness before men, that has been encou- 
 raged and defended by a misapplication of that Scripture, 
 Prov. 29 : 25, " The fear of man bringeth a snare ;" as 
 though it became all persons, high and low, men, women 
 and children, in all religious conversation, wholly to di- 
 vest themselves of all manner of shamefacedness, modes- 
 ty or reverence towards man ; which is a great error, and 
 quite contrary to Scripture. 
 
 There is a fear of reverence that is due to some men, 
 Rom. 13 : 7, "Fear, to whom fear; honor, to whom 
 honor." And there is a fear of modesty and shamefaced- 
 ness in inferiors towards superiors that is amiable and re- 
 quired by christian rules : 1 Pet. 3:2," While they be- 
 hold your chaste conversation, coupled with fear;" and 
 1 Tim. 2:9, *' In like manner also, that women adorn 
 themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and 
 sobriety." And the apostle means that this virtue shall 
 have place not only in civil communication, but also in 
 spiritual communication, and in our religious concerns 
 and behavior, as is evident by what follows : " Let the 
 woman learn in silence, with all subjection. But I suffer 
 not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the 
 man, but to be in silence." Not that I would hence infer 
 that women's mouths should be shut up from christian 
 conversation ; but all that I mean from it at this time is, 
 that modesty or shamefacedness and reverence towards 
 men ought to have some place even in our religious 
 
300 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 communication one with another. The same is also evi- 
 dent by 1 Pet. 3 : 15, " Be ready alv^ays to give an an- 
 swer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope 
 that is in you, with meekness and fear." It is well if 
 that very fear and shamefacedness which the apostle re- 
 commends, has not been sometimes condemned under 
 the name of a cursed fear of man. 
 
 It is beautiful for persons when they are at prayer, as 
 the mouth of others, to make God only their fear and 
 their dread, and to be wholly forgetful of men that are 
 present, who, let them be great or small, are nothing in 
 the presence of the great God. And it is beautiful for a 
 minister, when he speaks in the name of the Lord of 
 hosts, to be bold and put off all fear of men. And it is 
 beautiful in private christians, though they are women 
 and children, to be bold in professing the faith of Christ, 
 and in the practice of all religion, and in owning God's 
 hand in the work of his power and grace, without any 
 fear of men, though they should be reproached as fools 
 and madmen, and frowned upon by great men, and cast 
 off by parents and all the world. But for private chris- 
 tians, women and others, to instruct, rebuke and exhort 
 with the same kind of boldness as becomes a minister 
 when preaching, is not beautiful. 
 
 Some have been bold in some things that have really 
 been errors ; and have gloried in their boldness in prac- 
 tising them, though condemned as odd and irregular. 
 And those that have gone the greatest lengths in these 
 things have been by some most highly esteemed, as those 
 that come out and appear bold for the Lord Jesus Christ 
 and fully on his side ; and others that have professed to 
 be godly, that have condemned such things, have been 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 301 
 
 spoken of as enemies of the cross of Christ, or at least 
 very cold and dead; and many that of themselves were not 
 inclined to such practices, have by this means been driven 
 on, being ashamed to be behind and accounted poor sol- 
 diers far Christ. 
 
 Another effect of spiritual pride is that it renders men 
 assuming : it oftentimes makes it natural to persons so 
 to act and speak as though it in a special manner be- 
 longed to them to be taken notice of and much regarded. 
 It is very natural to a person that is much under the in- 
 fluence of spiritual pride, to take all the respect that is 
 paid him : if others show a disposition to submit to him 
 and yield him the deference of a preceptor, he is open 
 to it and freely admits it ; yea, it is natural for him to 
 expect such treatment and to take much notice of it if 
 he fails of it, and to have an ill opinion of others that do 
 not pay him that which he looks upon as his prerogative. 
 He is apt to think that it belongs to him to speak and to 
 clothe himself with a judicial and dogmatical air in con- 
 versation, and to take it upon him as what belongs to him, 
 to give forth his sentence and to determine and decide : 
 whereas christian humility vaunteth not itself, doth not 
 behave itself unseemhj, and is apt to jprefer others in honor. 
 
 One under the influence of spiritual pride is more apt 
 to instruct others than to inquire for himself, and natural- 
 ly puts on the airs of a master : whereas one that is full 
 of pure humility, naturally has tlie air of a disciple ; his 
 voice is, " What shall I do ] What shall I do that I may 
 live more to God's honor 1 What shall I do with this 
 wicked heart ?" He is ready to receive instruction from 
 any body, agreeably to James 1 : 19, "Wherefore, my be- 
 loved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow 
 
302 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 to speak." The eminently humble christian thinks he 
 wants help from every body, v^hereas he that is spiritu- 
 ally proud thinks that every body wants his help. Chris- 
 tian humility, under a sense of others* misery, entreats 
 and beseeches ; spiritual pride affects to command and 
 warn with authority. 
 
 There ought to be the utmost watchfulness against all 
 such appearances of spiritual pride in all that profess to 
 have been the subjects of this work, and especially in the 
 promoters of it, but above all in itinerant preachers : the 
 most eminent gifts and highest tokens of God's favor and 
 blessing will not excuse them. Alas ! what is man at his 
 best estate 1 What is the most highly favored christian 
 or the most eminent and successful minister, that he 
 should now think he is sufficient for something, and some- 
 body to be regarded, and that he should go forth and act 
 among his fellow-creatures as if he were wise and strong 
 and good ] 
 
 Ministers that have been the principal instruments of 
 carrying on this glorious revival of religion, and that God 
 has made use of as it were to bring up his people out of 
 Egypt, as he did of Moses, should take heed that they 
 do not provoke God, as Moses did, by assuming too 
 much to themselves, and by their intemperate zeal to 
 shut them out from seeing the good things that God is 
 going to do for his church in this world. The fruits of 
 Moses' unbelief, which provoked God to shut him out of 
 Canaan and not to suffer him to partake of those great 
 things God was about to do for Israel on earth, were 
 chiefly these two things : 
 
 His mingling biUer?iess with his zeal : he had a great 
 zeal for God, and he could not bear to see the intolera- 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 303 
 
 ble stifF-neckedness of the people, that they did not ac- 
 knowledge the work of God, and were not convmced by- 
 all his wonders that they had seen ; but human passion 
 was mingled with his zeal. Psalm 106 : 32, 33, " They 
 angered him also at the waters of strife ; so that it went 
 ill with Moses for their sakes ; because they provoked 
 his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips." 
 " Hear now, ye rebels," says he, with bitterness of lan- 
 guage. 
 
 He also behaved himself and spake with an assuming 
 air : he assumed too much to himself: Hear now, yerehels^ 
 must WE fetch water out of this rock ? Spiritual pride 
 wrought in Moses at that time : his temptations to it 
 were very great, for he had had great discoveries of God, 
 and had been privileged with intimate and sweet com- 
 munion with him, and God had made him the instrument 
 of great good to his church ; and though he v/as so hum- 
 ble a person, and, by God's own testimony, meek above 
 all men upon the face of the whole earth, yet his tempta- 
 tions were too strong for him : which surely should make 
 our young ministers that have of late been highly fa- 
 vored and have had great success, exceeding careful and 
 distrustful of themselves. Alas ! how far are we from 
 having the strength of holy, meek, aged Moses ! 
 
 The temptation at this day is exceeding great to both 
 those errors that Moses was guilty of; there is great 
 temptation to bitterness and corrupt passion with zeal ; 
 for there is so much unreasonable opposition made 
 against this glorious work of God, and so much stifT- 
 neckedness manifested in multitudes of this generation, 
 notwithstanding all the great and wonderful works in 
 which God has passed before them, that it greatly tends 
 
304 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 to provoke the spirits of such as have the interest of this 
 vvork at heart, so as to move them to speak unadvisedly 
 w^ith their lips. 
 
 And there is also great temptation to an assumirig be- 
 havior in some persons. When a minister is greatly suc- 
 ceeded from time to time, and so draw^s the eyes of the 
 multitude upon him, and he sees himself flocked after 
 and resorted to as an oracle, and people are ready to 
 adore him and to offer sacrifice to him, as it was with 
 Paul and Barnabas at Lystra, it is almost impossible for 
 a man to avoid taking upon him the airs of a master or 
 some extraordinary person : a man had need to have a 
 gi'eat stock of humility and much divine assistance to 
 resist the temptation. But the greater our dangers are 
 the more ought to be our watchfulness and prayerful- 
 ness and diffidence of ourselves, lest we bring ourselves 
 into mischief. Fishermen that have been very successful 
 and have caught a great many fish, had need to be care- 
 ful that they do not at length begin to burn incense to 
 their net. And we should take warning by Gideon, who, 
 after God had highly favored and exalted him and made 
 him the instrument of working a wonderful deliverance 
 for his people, at length made a god of the spoils of his 
 enemies, which became a snare to him and to his house, 
 so as to prove the ruin of his family. 
 
 All young ministers in this day of bringing up the ark 
 of God should take warning by the example of a young 
 Levite in Israel, Uzzah the son of Abinadab. He seemed 
 to have a real concern for the ark of God, and to be 
 zealous and engaged in his mind on that joyful occasion 
 of bringing up the ark, and God made him an instru- 
 ment to bring the ark out of its long-continued obscurity 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 305 
 
 in Kirjathjearim, and he was succeeded to bring it a con- 
 siderable way towards mount Zion ; but for his want of 
 humility, reverence and circumspection, and assuming 
 to himself, or taking too much upon him, God broke forth 
 upon him and smote him for his error, so that he never 
 lived to see and partake of the great joy of his church 
 on occasion of the carrying up the ark into mount Zion, 
 and the great blessings of heaven upon Israel that were 
 consequent upon it. Ministers that have been employed 
 to carry on this work have been chiefly the younger, 
 who have doubtless (as Uzzah had) a real concern for 
 the ark ; and it is evident that they are much animated 
 and engaged in their minds (as he was) in this joyful 
 day of bringing up the ark ; and they are afraid what 
 will become of the ark under the conduct of its minis- 
 ters (that are sometimes in Scripture compared to oxen;) 
 they see the ark shakes, and they are afraid these blun- 
 dering oxen will throw it ; and some of them it is to be 
 feared have been over-officious on this occasion, and have 
 assumed too much to themselves, and have been bold to 
 put forth their hand to take hold of the ark, as though 
 they were the only fit and worthy persons to defend it. 
 If young ministers had great humility without a mix- 
 ture, it would dispose them especially to treat aged min- 
 isters with respect and reverence as their fathers, not- 
 withstanding that a sovereign God may have given them 
 greater assistance and success than the fathers have had. 
 1 Pet. 5:5," Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves 
 unto the elder ; yea, all of you, be subject one to ano- 
 ther ; and be clothed with humility ; for God resisteth 
 the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." Lev. 19 : 
 32, " Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and ho> 
 
306 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 nor the face of the old man, and fear thy God ; 1 am 
 the Lord." 
 
 As spiritual pride disposes persons to assume much. 
 to themselves, so it also disposes them to treat others 
 with 7ieglect: on the contrary, pure christian humility 
 disposes persons to honor all men, agi-eeably to that 
 rule, 1 Pet. 2 : 17, 
 
 There has been in some that I believe are true friends 
 of religion, too much of an appearance of this fruit of 
 spiritual pride in their treatment of those that they 
 looked upon to be carnal men ; and particularly in re- 
 fusing to enter into any discourse or reasoning with them. 
 Indeed to spend a great deal of time in jangling and 
 w^arm debates about religion, is not the way to propagate 
 religion, but to hinder it : and some are so dreadfully set 
 against this work that it is a dismal task to dispute with 
 them, all that one can say is utterly in vain : T have found 
 it so by experience ; and to go to enter into disputes 
 about religion at some times is quite unseasonable, as 
 particularly in meetings for religious conference or exer- 
 cises of worship. But yet we ought to be very careful 
 that we do not refuse to discourse with men with any 
 appearance of a supercilious neglect, as though we 
 counted them not worthy to be regarded ; on the contra- 
 ry, we should condescend to carnal men as Christ has con- 
 descended to us, to bear with our unteachableness and 
 stupidity, and still to follow us with instructions, line 
 upon line and precept upon precept, saying, " Come let 
 us reason together;" setting light before us, and using all 
 manner of arguments with us, and waiting upon such dull 
 scholars as it were hoping that we should receive light. 
 
 We should be ready with meekness and calmness. 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 307^ 
 
 without hot disputing, to give our reasons why we think 
 this work is the work of God, to carnal men when they 
 ask us, and not turn them by as not worthy to be talked 
 with ; as the apostle directed the primitive christians to 
 be ready to give a reason of the christian faith and hope 
 to the enemies of Christianity : 1 Pet. 3 : 15, ** Be ready 
 always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a 
 reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and 
 fear." And we ought not to condemn all reasoning about 
 things of religion under the name of carnal reason. For 
 my part I desire no better than that those that oppose 
 this work should come fairly to submit to have the cause 
 betwixt us tried by strict reasoning. 
 
 One qualification that the Scripture speaks of once and 
 again as requisite in a minister is, that he should be 
 hSdLKTiKuzy apt to teach, 1 Tim. 3 : 2. And the apostle seems 
 to explain what he means by it in 2 Tim. 2 : 24, 25 ; 
 or at least he there expresses one thing he intends by it, 
 that a minister should be ready meekly to condescend to 
 and instruct opposers. " And the servant of the Lord 
 must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, 
 patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose them- 
 selves, if God peradventure will give them repentance, 
 to the acknowledging of the truth." 
 
 4. hifluence of wrong principles — Claims to immediate reve- 
 lation — Incorrect views of the prayer of faith. 
 
 A second source from which errors in conduct that 
 attend such a revival in religion arise, is wrong principles. 
 
 And one erroneous principle, than which scarcely any 
 has proved more mischievous to the present glorious 
 work of God, is a notion that it is God's manner, now in 
 
308 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 these days, to guide his saints, at least some that are 
 more eminent, by inspiration or immediate revelation, and 
 to make known to them w^hat shall come to pass hereaf- 
 ter, or what it is his will that they should do, by impres- 
 sions that he by his Spirit makes upon their minds, either 
 with or without texts of Scripture ; whereby something is 
 made known to them that is not taught in the Scripture 
 as the words lie in the Bible. By such a notion the devil 
 has a great door open for him ; and if once this opinion 
 should come to be fully yielded to, and established in the 
 church of God, Satan would have an opportunity there- 
 by to set up himself as the guide and oracle of God's 
 people, and to have his word regarded as their infallible 
 rule, and so to lead them where he would, and to intro- 
 duce what he pleased, and soon to bring the Bible into 
 neglect and contempt. Late experience in some in- 
 stances has shown that the tendency of this notion is to 
 cause persons to esteem the Bible as a book that is in a 
 great measure useless. 
 
 This error will defend and support all errors. As long 
 as a person has a notion that he is guided by immediate 
 direction from heaven, it makes him incorrigible and im- 
 pregnable in all his misconduct : for what signifies it for 
 poor blind worms of the dust to go to argue with a man, 
 and endeavor to convince him and correct him, that is 
 guided by the immediate counsels and commands of the 
 great Jehovah ] 
 
 This great work of God has been exceedingly hindered 
 by this error ; and until we have quite taken this handle 
 out of the devil's hands the work of God will never go 
 on without great clogs and hinderances. But Satan will 
 always have a vast advantage in his hands against it, and 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 309 
 
 as he has improved it hitherto, so he will do still : and it 
 is evident that the devil knows the vast advantage he has 
 by it that makes him exceeding loth to let go his hold. 
 
 It is strange what a disposition there is in many well- 
 disposed and religious persons to fall in with and hold 
 fast this notion. It is enough to astonish one that such 
 multiplied plain instances of the failing of such supposed 
 revelations in the event do not open every one's eyes. I 
 have seen so many instances of the failing of such im- 
 pressions that they would almost furnish a history : I 
 have been acquainted with them when made under all 
 kinds of circumstances, and have seen them fail in the 
 event, when made with such circumstances as have been 
 fairest and brightest and most promising : as when they 
 have been made upon the minds of such as there was all 
 reason to think were true saints, yea, eminent saints, and 
 at the very time when they have had great divine dis- 
 coveries, and have been in the high exercise of true com- 
 munion with God, and made with great strength and with 
 great sweetness accompanying, and I have had reason to 
 think, with an excellent heavenly frame of spirit yet con- 
 tinued, and made with texts of Scripture that seemed to 
 be exceeding apposite, yea, many texts following one 
 another, extraordinarily and wonderfully brought to the 
 mind, and with great power and majesty, and the imjDres- 
 sions repeated over and over, after prayer to be directed; 
 and yet all has most manifestly come to nothing, to the 
 full conviction of the persons themselves. And God has 
 in so many instances of late in his providence covered 
 such things with darkness, that one would think it should 
 be enough quite to blank the expectations of such as have 
 been ready to think highly of such things : it seems to be 
 
1310 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 a testimony of God that he has no design of reviving 
 revelations in his church, and a rebuke from him to the 
 groundless expectations of it. 
 
 It seems to me that scripture, Zech. 13 : 5, is a pro- 
 phecy concerning ministers of the Gospel in the latter 
 and glorious day of the christian church, which is evi- 
 dently spoken of in this and the foregoing chapters : "I 
 am no prophet ; I am a husbandman ; for man taught me 
 to keep cattle from my youth." The words I apprehend 
 are to be interpreted in a spiritual sense : I am a hus- 
 handman ; the work of ministers is very often in the New 
 Testament compared to the business of husbandmen that 
 take care of God's husbandry, to whom he lets out his 
 vineyard and sends them forth to labor in his field, where 
 one plants and another waters, one sows and another 
 reaps ; so ministers are called laborers in God's harvest. 
 And as it is added, Man taught me to keep cattle from my 
 youth ; so the work of a minister is very often in Scrip- 
 ture represented by the business of a shepherd or pastor. 
 And whereas it is said, 1 am no prophet ; hut man taught 
 me from my youth ; it is as much as to say, I do not pre- 
 tend to have received my skill whereby I am fitted for 
 the business of a pastor or shepherd in the church of 
 God by immediate inspiration, but by education, by 
 being trained up to the business by human learning, and 
 instructions I have received from my youth or childhood 
 by ordinary means. 
 
 And why cannot we be contented with the divine ora- 
 cles, that holy, pure word of God which we have in such 
 abundance, and such clearness now since the canon of 
 Scripture is completed ? Why should we desire to have 
 any thing added to them by impulses from above % Why 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 311 
 
 should not we rest in that standing rule that God has 
 given to his church, w^hich the apostle teaches us is surer 
 than a voice from heaven 1 And why should we desire 
 to make the Scripture speak more to us than it does '? Or 
 why should any desire any higher kind of intercourse 
 with heaven than that which is by having the Holy Spirit 
 given in his sanctifying influences, infusing and exciting 
 grace and holiness, love and joy, which is the highest 
 kind of intercourse that the saints and angels in heaven 
 have with God, and the chief excellency of the glorified 
 man Christ Jesus 1 
 
 Some that follow impulses and impressions go away 
 with a notion that they do no other than follow the 
 guidance of God's word and make the Scripture their 
 rule, because the impression is made tvitJi a text of Scrip- 
 ture that comes to their mind, though they take that text 
 as it is impressed on their minds, and improve it as a 
 new revelation to all intents and purposes, or as the re- 
 velation of a particular thing that is now newly made, 
 while the text in itself, as it is in the Bible, implies no 
 such thing, and they themselves do not suppose that any 
 such revelation was contained in it before. 
 
 For instance, suppose that text should come into a 
 person's mind with strong impression. Acts, 9:6, ** Arise 
 and go into the city ; and it shall be told thee what thou 
 must do ;" and he should interpret it as an immediate 
 siijnification of the will of God that he should now forth- 
 with go to such a neighboring town, and as a revelation 
 of the future event, that there he should meet with a fur- 
 ther discovery of his duty. If such things as these are 
 revealed by the impression of these words, it is to all 
 intents a new revelation, not the less because certain 
 
312 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 w^ords of Scripture are made use of in the case : here 
 are propositions or truths entirely new that are sup- 
 posed now to be revealed, which those words do not 
 contain in themselves, and which till now there was no 
 revelation of any where to be found in heaven or earth. 
 These propositions, that it is God's mind and will that 
 such a person by name should arise at such a time and 
 go from such a place to such a place, and that there he 
 should meet with discoveries, are entirely new proposi- 
 tions, wholly different from the propositions contained in 
 that text of Scripture : they are no more contained, or 
 consequentially implied in the words themselves, with- 
 out a new revelation, than it is implied that he should 
 arise and go to any other place, or that any other person 
 should arise and go to that place. The propositions sup- 
 posed to be now revealed are as really different from 
 those contained in that Scripture as they are from the 
 propositions contained in that text, Gen. 5:6: " And 
 Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begat Enos." 
 
 This is quite a different thing from the Spirit's enlight- 
 ening the mind to understand the precepts or proposi- 
 tions of the word of God, and know what is contained 
 and revealed in them, and what consequences may justly 
 be drawn from them, and to see how they are applicable 
 to our case and circumstances ; which is done without 
 any new revelation, only by enabling the mind to under- 
 stand and apply a revelation already made. 
 
 Those texts of Scripture that speak of the children of 
 God as led hy the Spirit, have been by some brought to 
 defend a being guided by such impulses : as particularly 
 those, Rom. 8 : 14, " For as many as are led by the Spi- 
 rit of God, they are the sons of God;" and Gal. 5 ; 18, 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 313 
 
 " But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the 
 law." But these texts themselves confute them that bring 
 them, for it is evident that the leading of the Spirit v^hich 
 the apostle speaks of, is a gracious leading, or w^hat is 
 peculiar to the children of God, and that natural men 
 cannot have, for he speaks of it as a sure evidence of 
 their being the sons of God and not under the law. But 
 a leading or directing a person, by immediately revealing 
 to him where he should go, or what shall hereafter come 
 to pass, or what shall be the future consequence of his 
 doing thus or thus, if there be any such thing in these 
 days, is not of the nature of the gracious leading of the 
 Spirit of God that is peculiar to God's children ; it is 
 no more than a common gift ; there is nothing in it but 
 what natural men are capable of; and many of them 
 have had in the days of inspiration. A man may have 
 ten thousand such revelations and directions from the 
 Spirit of God, and yet not have a jot of grace in his 
 heart ; it is no more than the gift of prophecy which im- 
 mediately reveals what will be or should be hereafter, 
 and which is but a common gift, as the apostle expressly 
 shows, 1 Cor. 13 : 2, 8. 
 
 If a person has any thing revealed to him from God, 
 or is directed to any thing by a voice from heaven, or a 
 whisper, or words immediately suggested and put into 
 his mind, there is nothing of the nature of grace merely 
 in this ; it is of the nature of a cornmon influence of the 
 Spirit, and is but dross in comparison of the excellency 
 of that gracious leading of the Spirit that the saints have. 
 Such a way of being directed where one shall go, and 
 what he shall do, is no more than what Balaam had from 
 God, who from time to time revealed to him what he 
 
 Revival of Rcl. 14 
 
314 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 should do, and w^hen he had done one thing, then direct- 
 ed him what he should do next ; so that he vras in this 
 sense led by the Spirit for a considerable time. There is 
 a more excellent way in which the Spirit of God leads the 
 sons of God that natural men cannot have, and that is by 
 inclining them to do the will of God, and go in the shining 
 path of truth and christian holiness from a holy heavenly 
 disposition, which the Spirit of God gives them and enliv- 
 ens in them, which inclines them and leads them to those 
 things that are excellent and agreeable to God's mind, 
 whereby they are transfmmed hy the renewing of their 
 minds f and 'prove what is that good^ and oxceytahle, and per- 
 fect will of God, as in Rom. 12 : 2. 
 
 Thus the Spirit of God does, in a gracious manner, 
 teach the saints their duty ; and teaches them in a higher 
 manner than ever Balaam, or Saul, or Judas were taught, 
 or any natural man is capable of while such. The Spirit 
 of God enlightens them with respect to their duty, by 
 making their eye single and pure, whereby the whole 
 body is full of light. The sanctifying influences of the 
 Spirit of God rectify the taste of the soul, whereby it sa- 
 vors those things that are of God, and naturally relishes 
 and delights in those things that are holy and agreeable 
 to God's mind, and like one of a distinguishing taste, 
 chooses those things that are good and wholesome, and 
 rejects those things that are evil ; for the sanctified ear 
 tries words, and the sanctified heart tries actions as the 
 mouth tastes meat. And thus the Spirit of God leads and 
 guides the meek in his way agreeably to his promises ; 
 he enables them to understand the commands and coun- 
 sels of his word, and rightly to apply them. Christ blames 
 the Pharisees that they had not this holy distinguishing 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 315 
 
 taste to discern and distinguish what was right and wrong. 
 Luke, 12 : 57, " Yea, and why, even of your own selves, 
 judge ye not what is right 1" 
 
 The leading of the Spirit which God gives his children, 
 which is peculiar to them, is that teaching them his sta- 
 tutes, and causing them to understand the way of his pre- 
 cepts, which the Psalmist so very often prays for, espe- 
 cially in the 119th Psalm ; and not giving them riew sta- 
 tutes and neio precepts : he graciously gives them eyes to 
 see, and ears to hear, and hearts to understand ; he caus- 
 es them to understand the fear of the Lord, and so brings 
 the blind by a way they knew not, and leads them in paths 
 that they had not known, and makes darkness light be- 
 fore them, and crooked things straight. 
 
 So the assistance of the Spirit in praying and preach- 
 ing seems by some to have been greatly misunderstood, 
 and they have sought after a miraculous assistance of in- 
 spiration by the immediate suggestion of words to them, 
 by such gifts and influences of the Spirit in praying and 
 teaching as the apostle speaks of, 1 Cor. 14 : 14, 26, 
 (which many natural men had in those days,) instead of 
 a gracious holy assistance of the Spirit of God, which is 
 the far more excellent way, as 1 Cor. 12 : 31, and 13 : 1. 
 The gracious and most excellent kind of assistance of the 
 Spirit of God in praying and preaching, is not by imme- 
 diate suggesting of words to the apprehension, which may 
 be with a cold dead heart, but by warming the heart and 
 filling it with a great sense of those things that are to be 
 spoken of, and with holy aflections that that sense and those 
 affections may suggest words. Thus indeed the Spirit of 
 God may be said indirectly and mediately to suggest words 
 to us, to indite our petitions for us, and to teach the 
 
316 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 preacher v^^hat to say ; he fills the heart, and that fills the 
 mouth : as we know that w^hen men are greatly affected 
 in any matter, and their hearts are very full, it fills them 
 with matter for speech, and makes them eloquent upon 
 that subject; and much more have spiritual affections 
 this tendency, for many reasons that might be given. 
 
 When a person is in a holy and lively frame in secret 
 prayer, it will wonderfully supply him with matter and with 
 expressions, as every true christian knows ; and so it will 
 fill his mouth in christian conversation, and it has the like 
 tendency to assist a person in public prayer and preach- 
 ing. And if he has these holy influences of the Spirit 
 on his heart in a high degree, nothing in the world will 
 have so great a tendency to make both the matter and 
 manner of his public performances excellent and profita- 
 ble. But since there is no immediate suggesting of words 
 from the Spirit of God to be expected or desired, they 
 who neglect and despise study and premeditation, in or- 
 der to a preparation for the pulpit, in such an expecta- 
 tion are guilty of presumption ; though doubtless it may 
 be lawful for some persons in some cases (and they may 
 be called to it) to preach with very little study, and 
 the Spirit of God, by the heavenly frame of heart that he 
 gives them, may enable them to do it to excellent pur- 
 pose. Besides this most excellent way of the Spirit of 
 God assisting ministers in public performances, which 
 (considered as the preacher's privilege) far excels inspi- 
 ration, there is a common assistance which natural men 
 may have in these days, and which the godly may have 
 intermingled with a gracious assistance, which is also 
 very different from inspiration, and that is his assisting 
 natural principles, as his assisting the natural apprehen- 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 317 
 
 sion, reason, memory, conscience, and natural affection. 
 
 But to return to the head of impressions and immediate 
 revelations : many lay themselves open to a delusion, by 
 expecting direction from heaven in this w^ay, and waiting 
 for it ; in such a case it is easy for persons to imagine that 
 they have it. They are perhaps at a loss concerning some- 
 thing, undetermined w^hat they shall do, or what course 
 they should take in some affair, and they pray to God to 
 direct them, and make known to them his mind and will; 
 and then instead of expecting to be directed, by being 
 assisted in consideration of the rules of God's word, and 
 their circumstances, and God's providence, and to be en- 
 abled to look on things in a true light, and justly to weigh 
 them, they are waiting for some secret immediate influ- 
 ence on their minds, unaccountably swaying their minds 
 and turning their thoughts or inclinations that way that 
 God would have them go, and are observing their own 
 minds to see what arises there, whether some texts of 
 Scripture do not come into the mind, or whether some 
 ideas or inward motions and dispositions do not arise in 
 something of an unaccountable manner that they may 
 call a divine direction. Hereby they are exposed to two 
 tilings : 
 
 They lay themselves open to the devil, and give him a 
 fair opportunity to lead them where he pleases; for they 
 stand ready to follow the first extraordinary impulse 
 that they shall have, groundlessly concluding it is from 
 God. 
 
 And they are greatly exposed to be deceived hy their 
 own imaginations ; for such an expectation awakens and 
 quickens the imagination ; and that oftentimes is called 
 an uncommon impression, that is no such thing ; and they 
 
318 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 ascribe that to the agency of some invisible being, that is 
 owing only to themselves. 
 
 Again, another v^^ay that many have been deceived is, 
 by drawing false conclusions from true 'premises. Many 
 true and eminent saints have been led into mistakes and 
 snares by arguing too much from this, namely, that they 
 have prayed in faith, and that oftentimes when the pre- 
 mises are true : they have indeed been greatly assisted 
 in prayer for such a particular mercy, and have had the 
 true spirit of prayer in exercise in their asking it of God ; 
 but they have concluded more from these premises than 
 is a just consequence from them. That they have thus 
 prayed is a sure sign that their prayer is accepted and 
 heard, and that God will give a gracious answer accord- 
 ing to his own wisdom, and that the particular thing that 
 was asked shall be given, or that which is equivalent : this 
 is a just consequence from it; but it is not inferred by 
 any new revelation now made, but by the revelation that 
 is made in God's word, the promises made to the prayer 
 of faith in the holy Scriptures. But that God will an- 
 swer them in that individual thing that they ask, if it be 
 not a thing promised in God's word, or they do not cer- 
 tainly know that it is that which will be most for the good 
 of God's church and the advancement of Christ's king- 
 dom and glory, nor whether it will be best for them, is 
 more than can be justly concluded from it. 
 
 If God remarkably meets one of his children while he 
 is praying for a particular mercy of great importance for 
 himself or some other person, or any society of men, and 
 does by the influences of his Spirit greatly humble him, 
 and empty him of self in his prayer, and manifests him- 
 self remarkably in his excellency, sovereignty, and his 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 319 
 
 all-sufficient power and grace in Jesus Christ, and in a 
 remarkable manner enables the person to come to him for 
 that mercy, poor in spirit, and with humble resignation 
 to God, and with a great degree of faith in the divine 
 sufficiency and the sufficiency of Christ's mediation, that 
 person has indeed a great deal the more reason to hope 
 that God will grant that mercy than otherwise he would 
 have : the greater probability is justly inferred from all 
 this, that, agreeably to the promises of the holy Scripture, 
 the prayer is accepted and heard ; and it is much more 
 probable that a prayer that is heard will be returned 
 with the particular mercy that is asked, than one that is 
 not heard. 
 
 And there is no reason at all to doubt but that God 
 sometimes especially enables to the exercises of faith, 
 when the minds of his saints are engaged in thoughts of 
 and prayers for some particular blessing they greatly 
 desire ; that is, God is pleased especially to give them a 
 believing frame, a sense of his fulness, and a spirit of 
 humble dependence on him, at such times when they are 
 thinking of and praying for that mercy more than for other 
 mercies ; he gives them a particular sense of his ability 
 to do that thing, and of the sufficiency of his power to 
 overcome such and such obstacles, and the sufficiency of 
 his mercy and of the blood of Christ for the removal of 
 the guilt that is in the way of the bestowment of such a 
 mercy in particular. When this is Jbhe case, it makes the 
 probability still much greater that God intends to bestow 
 the particular mercy sought, in his own time and his 
 own way. 
 
 But here is nothing of the nature of a revelation in the 
 case, but only a drawing rational conclusions from the 
 
320 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 particular manner and circumstances of the ordinary- 
 gracious influences of God's Spirit. And as God is 
 pleased sometimes to give his saints particular exercises 
 of faith in his sufliciency with regard to particular 
 mercies they seek, so he is sometimes pleased to make 
 use of his word in order to it, and helps the actings of 
 faith with respect to such a mercy by texts of Scripture 
 that especially exhibit the sufficiency of God's power or 
 mercy in such a like case, or speak of such a manner of 
 the exercise of God's strength and grace. The strength- 
 ening of their faith in God's sufficiency in this case is 
 therefore a just improvement of such Scriptures : it is 
 no more than what those Scriptures as they stand in the 
 Bible hold forth just cause for ; but to take them as new 
 whispers or revelations from heaven, is not making a just 
 improvement of them. If persons have thus a spirit of 
 prayer remarkably given them concerning a particular 
 mercy from time to time, so as evidently to be assisted 
 to act faith in God in that particular in a very distinguish- 
 ing manner, the argument in some cases may be very 
 strong that God does design to grant that mercy, not 
 from any revelation now made of it, but from such a 
 kind and manner of the ordinary inffuence of his Spirit 
 with respect to that thing. 
 
 But here a great deal of caution and circumspection must 
 be used in drawing inferences of this nature : there are 
 many ways that persons may be misled and deluded. 
 The ground on which some expect that they shall receive 
 the thing they have asked for, is rather a strong imagina- 
 tion than any true humble faith in the divine sufficiency. 
 They have a strong persuasion that the thing asked shall 
 be granted (which they can give no reason for) without 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 321 
 
 uny remarkable discovery of that glory and fulness of 
 God and Christ that is the gi'ound of faith. And some- 
 times the confidence persons have that their prayers shall 
 be answered, is only a self-righteous confidence and no 
 true faith : they have a high conceit of themselves as 
 eminent saints and special favorites of God, and have 
 also a high conceit of the prayers they have made, be- 
 cause they v^^ere much enlarged and affected in them ; 
 and hence they are positive in it that the thing w^ill come 
 to pass. And sometimes when once they have conceived 
 such a notion they grow stronger and stronger in it ; and 
 this they think is from an immediate divine hand upon 
 their minds to strengthen their confidence : whereas it is 
 only by their dwelling in their minds on their own ex- 
 cellency and high experiences and great assistances, 
 whereby they look brighter and brighter in their own 
 eyes. Hence it is found by observation and experience 
 that nothing in the world exposes so much to enthusiasm 
 as spiritual pride and self-righteousness. 
 
 In order to drawing a just inference from the supposed 
 assistance we have had in prayer for a particular mercy, 
 and judging of the probability of the bestowment of that 
 individual mercy, many tilings must he C07isidered. We 
 must consider the importance of the mercy sought and 
 the principle whence we so earnestly desire it : how far 
 it is good and agreeable to the mind and will of God ; 
 the degree of love to God that we exercise in our 
 prayer ; the degree of discovery that is made of the 
 divine sufficiency, and the degree in which our assistance 
 is manifestly distinguishing with respect to that mercy. 
 And there is nothing of greater importance in the argu- 
 ment than the degree of humility, poverty of spirit, sfl^- 
 14* 
 
322 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 emptiness and resignation to the holy will of God which 
 God gives us the exercise of in our seeking that mercy : 
 praying for a particular mercy with much of these things, 
 I have often seen blessed with a remarkable bestowment 
 of the particular thing asked for. 
 
 From what has been said we may see how God may, 
 only by the ordinary gracious influences of his Spirit, 
 sometimes give his saints special reason to hope for the 
 bestowment of a particular mercy they desire and have 
 prayed for, and which we may suppose he oftentimes 
 gives eminent saints that have great degrees of humility 
 and much communion with God. And here I humbly 
 conceive some eminent servants of Jesus Christ that have 
 appeared in the church of God that we read of in eccle- 
 siastical story, have been led into a mistake ; and through 
 want of distinguishing such things as these from imme- 
 diate revelations, have thought that God has favored them 
 in some instances with the same kind of divine influences 
 that the apostles and prophets had of old. 
 
 5. Wrong principles — Perversion of the teachings of the 
 Spirit — Securmg a present good^ regardless of conse- 
 
 Another erroneous principle that some have embraced, 
 which has been a source of many errors in their conduct, 
 is, that persons ought always to do whatsoever the Spirit of 
 God (though hut i^idirectly ) inclines them to. Indeed the 
 Spirit of God in itself is infinitely perfect, and all his im- 
 mediate actings, simply considered, are perfect, and there 
 can be nothing wrong in them ; and therefore all that the 
 Spirit of God inclines us to directly and immediately, 
 without the intervention of any other cause that shall 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 323 
 
 pervert and misimprove w^hat is from the Spirit of God, 
 ought to be done ; but there may be many things that we 
 may be disposed to do, which disposition may indirectly 
 be from the Spirit of God, that we ought not to do : the 
 disposition in general may be good, and be from the Spi- 
 rit of God, but the particular determination of that dis- 
 position, as to particular actions, objects and circum- 
 stances, may be ill, and not from the Spirit of God, but 
 may be from the intervention or interposition of some 
 infirmity, blindness, inadvertence, deceit or corruption of 
 ours ; so that although the disposition in general ought 
 to be allowed and promoted, and all those actings of it 
 that are simply from God's Spirit, yet the particular ill 
 direction or determination of that disposition which is 
 from some other cause, ought not to be followed. 
 
 As for instance, the Spirit of God may cause a person 
 to have a dear love to another, and so a great desire of 
 and delight in his comfort, ease and pleasure : this dispo- 
 sition in general is good, and ought to be followed ; but 
 yet, through the intervention of indiscretion, or some 
 other bad cause, it may be ill directed and have a bad de- 
 termination as to particular acts ; and the person indi- 
 rectly, through that real love that he has to his neighbor, 
 may kill him with kindness ; he may do that out of sin- 
 cere good will to him which may tend to ruin him. A 
 good disposition may, through some inadvertence or delu- 
 sion, strongly incline a person to that which, if he saw all 
 things as they are, would be most contrary to that dispo- 
 sition. The true loyalty of a general, and his zeal for 
 the honor of his prince, may exceedingly animate him 
 in war ; but yet this that is a good disposition, through 
 indiscretion and mistake, may push him forward to those 
 
324 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 things that give the enemy great advantage, and may ex- 
 pose him and his army to ruin, and may tend to the ruin 
 of his master's interest. 
 
 The apostle does evidently suppose that the Spirit of 
 God in his extraordinary, immediate and miraculous in- 
 fluences on men's minds, may in some respect excite incli- 
 nations in men that, if gratified, w^ould tend to confusion, 
 and therefore must sometimes be restrained, and in their 
 exercise must be under the government of discretion. 
 1 Cor. 14 : 31, 32, 33, " For ye may all prophesy, one 
 by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And 
 the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets ; for 
 God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all 
 the churches of the saints." Here by the spirits of the pro- 
 phets, according to the known phraseology of the apostle, 
 is meant the Spirit of God acting in the prophets accord- 
 ing to those special gifts v^^ith w^hich each one was en- 
 dowed. And here it is plainly implied that the Spirit of 
 God thus operating in them, may be an occasion of their 
 having, sometimes, an inclination to do that, in the exercise 
 of those gifts, which it was not proper, decent or profitable 
 that they should, and that therefore the inclination, though 
 indirectly from the Spirit of God, should be restrained, 
 and that it ought to be subject to the discretion of the 
 prophets as to the particular time and circumstance of 
 its exercise. 
 
 I can make no doubt but that it is possible for a minis- 
 ter to have given him by the Spirit of God such a sense 
 of the importance of eternal things and of the misery of 
 mankind, that are so many of them exposed to eternal 
 destruction, together with such a love to souls that he 
 might find in himself a disposition to spend all his time. 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 325 
 
 (lay and night, in warning, exhorting and calling upon 
 men, and so that he must be obliged as it were to do vio- 
 lence to himself ever to refrain, so as to give himself any 
 opportunity to eat, drink or sleep. And so I believe 
 there may be a disposition in like manner indirectly ex- 
 cited in lay persons, through the intervention of their in- 
 firmity, to do what belongs to ministers only ; yea, to do 
 those things that would not become either ministers or 
 people. Through the influence of the Spirit of God, to- 
 gether with want of discretion and some remaining cor- 
 ruption, women and children might feel themselves in- 
 clined to break forth and scream aloud to great congre- 
 gations, warning and exhorting the whole multitude, and 
 to go forth and halloo and scream in the streets, or to 
 leave the families they belong to and go from house to 
 house earnestly exhorting others ; but yet it would by no 
 means follow that it was their duty to do these things, or 
 that they would not have a tendency to do ten times as 
 much hurt as good. 
 
 Another wrong principle from whence have arisen 
 errors in conduct is, that whatsoever is found to be of 
 present and immediate bencjit, may and ought to be prac- 
 tised without looking forward to future consequences. 
 Some persons seem to think that it sufficiently justifies 
 any thing that they say or do, that it is found to be for 
 their present edification and the edification of those that 
 are with them : it assists and promotes their present af- 
 fection, and therefore they think they should not concern 
 themselves about future consequences, but leave them 
 with God. Indeed in things that are in themselves our 
 duty, being required by moral rules or absolute posi- 
 tive commands of God, they must be done, and future 
 
326 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 consequences be left with God ; our choice and discre 
 tion have no place here : but in other things we are to 
 be governed by discretion, and must not only look at the 
 present good, but our view must be extensive, and we 
 must look at the consequences of things. 
 
 It is the duty of ministers especially to exercise this 
 discretion. In things wherein they are not determined 
 by an absolute rule, and that are not enjoined them by a 
 wisdom superior to their own, Christ has left them to 
 their own discretion, with the general rule, that they 
 should exercise the utmost wisdom they can obtain in 
 pursuing that which, upon the best view of the conse- 
 quences of things, will tend most to the advancement of 
 his kingdom. This is implied in those words of Christ 
 to his disciples, when he sent them forth to preach the 
 Gospel, Matt. 10 : 16, '* Be ye wise as serpents." The 
 Scripture always represents the work of a Gospel minis- 
 ter by those employments that especially require a wise 
 foresight and provision for the future. So it is compared 
 to the business of a steivard, which is a business that in an 
 eminent manner requires forecast and a wise laying in of 
 provision for the supply of the needs of the family, ac- 
 cording to its future necessities ; and a good minister is 
 called a wise steward. So it is compared to the busi- 
 ness of a Tiushandman, that almost wholly consists in 
 things done with a view to the future fruits and conse- 
 quences of his labor : the husbandman's discretion and 
 forecast is eloquently set forth in Isaiah, 28 : 24—26, 
 " Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow ? doth he 
 open and break the clods of his ground 1 When he hath 
 made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the 
 fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 327 
 
 wheat, and the appointed barley, and the rye, in their 
 place ] For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and 
 doth teach him." 
 
 So the work of the ministry is compared to that of a 
 wise huilder or architect, who has a long reach and com- 
 prehensive view, and for whom it is necessary that when 
 he begins a building he should have at once a view of the 
 whole frame and all the future parts of the structure, even 
 to the pinnacle, that all may be fitly framed together. So 
 also it is compared to the business of a trader or mer- 
 chant, who is to gain by trading with the money that he 
 begins with : this also is a business that exceedingly re- 
 quires forecast, and without it is never like to be followed 
 with any success for any long time : so it is represented 
 by the business of a fisherman, which depends on craft 
 and subtlety: it is also compared to the business of a sol- 
 dier that goes to war, which is a business that perhaps, 
 above any other secular business, requires great foresight 
 and a wise provision for future events and consequences. 
 
 And particularly ministers ought not to be careless how 
 much they discompose and ruffle the minds of those that 
 they esteem natural men, or how great an uproar they raise 
 in the carnal world, and so lay blocks in the way of the 
 propagation of religion. This certainly is not to follow 
 the example of the zealous apostle Paul, who, though 
 he would not depart from his enjoined duty to please 
 carnal men, yet wherein he might with a good conscience, 
 did exceedingly lay out himself to please them, and if 
 possible to avoid raising in the multitude prejudices, op- 
 positions and tumults against the Gospel ; and looked 
 upon it that it was of great consequence that it should be, 
 if possible, avoided. 1 Cor. 10 : 32, 33, *' Give none of- 
 
328 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 fence, neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles, nor to the 
 church of God : even as I please all men in all things, 
 not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that 
 they may be saved." Yea, he declares that he laid him- 
 self out so much for this, that he made himself a kind of 
 a servant to all sorts of men, conforming to their customs 
 and various humors, in every thing wherein he might, 
 even in things that were very burdensome to him, that 
 he might not frighten men away from Christianity, and 
 cause them to stand as it were braced and armed against 
 it, but on the contrary, if possible, might with condescen- 
 sion and friendship win and draw them to it ; as you may 
 see, 1 Cor. 9 : 19-23. 
 
 Agreeably hereto are the directions he gives to others, 
 both ministers and people : so he directs the christian 
 Romans not to please themselves, hut every one please his 
 neighbor for his good to edification, Rom. 15 : 1, 2 ; and 
 to follow after the tilings that make for peace, chap. 14 : 19. 
 And he expresses it in terms exceedingly strong, Rom. 
 12 : 18, ** If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live 
 peaceably with all men." And he directs ministers to en- 
 deavor if possible to gain opposers by a meek, conde- 
 scending treatment, avoiding all appearance of strife or 
 fierceness, 2 Tim. 2 : 24-26. To the like purpose the 
 same apostle directs christians to icalk in wisdom towards 
 them that are ivithout, Eph. 4:5. And to avoid giving 
 offence to others, if we can, that our good may not he evil 
 syoheji of, Rom. 14 : 16. So that it is evident that the 
 great and most zealous and most successful propagator 
 of vital religion that ever was, looked upon it to be of 
 great consequence to endeavor as much as possible, by 
 all the methods of lawful meekness and gentleness, to 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 329 
 
 avoid raising the prejudice and opposition of the world 
 against religion. When we have done our utmost there 
 v^rill be opposition enough against vital religion, against 
 which the carnal mind of man has such an enmity ; we 
 should not, therefore, needlessly increase and raise that 
 enmity, as in the apostle's days, though he took so much 
 pains to please men, yet because he was faithful and 
 thorough in his work, persecution almost every where 
 was raised against him. 
 
 A fisherman is careful not needlessly to ruffle and dis- 
 turb the water, lest he should drive the fish away from 
 his net ; but he will rather endeavor, if possible, to draw 
 them into it. Such a fisherman was the apostle. 2 Cor. 
 12 : 15, 16, " And I will very gladly spend and be spent 
 for you ; though the more abundantly I love you, the less 
 I be loved. But be it so ; I did not burden you; neverthe- 
 less, being crafty, I caught you with guile." 
 
 The necessity of sKffering persecution in order to being 
 a true christian, has undoubtedly by some been carried 
 to an extreme, and the doctrine has been abused. It has 
 been looked upon as necessary to uphold a man's credit 
 amongst others as a christian, that he should be perse- 
 cuted. I have heard it made an objection against the sin- 
 cerity of particular persons that they were no more hated 
 and reproached. And the manner of glorying in perse- 
 cution or the cross of Christ has in some been very 
 wrong, having too much the appearance of priding them- 
 selves that they were very much hated and reviled, more 
 than most, as an evidence of their excelling others in be- 
 ing good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Such an improvement 
 of the doctrine of the enmity between the seed of the 
 woman and the seed of the serpent, and of the necessity 
 
330 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 of persecution, becoming credible and customary, has a 
 direct tendency to cause those that would be accounted 
 true christians so to behave themselves towards those 
 that are not well affected to religion as to provoke their 
 hatred, or at least to be but little careful to avoid it, and 
 not very studiously and earnestly to strive (after the apos- 
 tle's example and precepts) to please them to their edi- 
 fication, and by meekness and gentleness to win them, 
 and by all possible means to live peaceably with them. 
 I believe that saying of our Savior, I came not to send, 
 peace on earthy hut division, has been abused; as though 
 when we see great strife and division arise about religion, 
 and violent heats of spirit against the truly pious, and a 
 loud clamor and uproar against the work of God, it was 
 to be rejoiced in, because it is that which Christ came to 
 send. It has almost been laid down as a maxim by some, 
 that the more division and strife the better sign ; which 
 naturally leads persons to seek it and provoke it, or leads 
 them to and encourages them in such a manner of beha- 
 vior, such a roughness and sharpness, or such an affected 
 neglect as has a natural tendency to raise prejudice and 
 opposition, instead of striving, as the apostle did to his 
 utmost, by all meekness, gentleness and benevolence of 
 behavior, to prevent or assuage it. Christ came to send 
 a sword on earth, and to cause division, no otherwise than 
 he came to send damnation ; for Christ, who is set for the 
 glorious restoration of some, is set for the fall of others, 
 and to be a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to them, 
 and an occasion of their vastly more aggravated and ter- 
 rible damnation ; and this is always the consequence of a 
 great outpouring of the Spirit and revival of vital religion : 
 it is the means of the salvation of some and the more ag- 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 331 
 
 gravated damnation of others. But certainly this is no 
 lust argument that men's exposedness to damnation is 
 not to be lamented, or that we should not exert ourselves 
 to our utmost, in all the methods that we can devise, that 
 others might be saved, and to avoid all such behavior 
 towards them as tends to lead them down to hell. 
 
 I know there is naturally a gi'eat enmity in the heart 
 of man against vital religion ; and I believe there would 
 have been a great deal of opposition against this glorious 
 work of God in New England if the subjects and pro- 
 moters of it had behaved themselves never so agreeably 
 to christian rules ; and I believe, if this work goes on and 
 spreads much in the world, so as to begin to shake king- 
 doms and nations, it will dreadfully stir up the rage of 
 earth and hell, and will put the world into the greatest 
 uproar that ever it was in since it stood : I believe Satan's 
 dying struggles will be the most violent : but yet I be- 
 lieve a great deal might be done to restrain this opposi- 
 tion, by a good conformity to that of the apostle James, 
 Chap. 3 : 13 : " Who is a wise man, and endued with 
 knowledge 1 Let him show out of a good conversation 
 his works, with meekness of wisdom." And I also be- 
 lieve that if the rules of christian charity, meekness, gen- 
 tleness and prudence had been duly observed by the gene- 
 rality of the zealous promoters of this work, it would 
 have made three times the progress that it has ; that is, if 
 it had pleased God in such a case_ to give a blessing to 
 means in proportion as he has done. 
 
 Under this head of carelessness of the future conse- 
 quences of things, it may be proper to say something of 
 introducing things new and strange, and that have a ten- 
 dency by their novelty to shock and surprise people. No- 
 
332 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 thing can be more evident from the New Testament than 
 that such things ought to be done w^ith great caution and 
 moderation, to avoid the offence that may be thereby 
 given, and the prejudices that might be raised to clog 
 and hinder the progress of rehgion : yea, that it ought to 
 be thus in things that are in themselves good and excel- 
 lent, and of great weight, provided they are not things 
 that are of the nature of absolute duty, which, though 
 they may appear to be innovations, yet cannot be neg- 
 lected without immorality or disobedience to the com- 
 mands of God. What great caution and moderation did 
 the apostles use in introducing things that were new, and 
 abolishing things that were old in their day ! 
 
 How gradually were the ceremonial performances of 
 the law of Moses removed and abolished among the chris- 
 tian Jews ! And how long did even the apostle Paul him- 
 self conform to those ceremonies which he calls weak 
 and beggarly elements ! Yea, even to the rite of circum- 
 cision, (Acts, 16 : 3,) that he speaks so much in his epis- 
 tles of the worthlessness of, that he might not prejudice 
 the Jews against Christianity ! So it seems to have been 
 very gradually that the Jewish Sabbath was abolished 
 and the christian Sabbath introduced for the same reason. 
 And the apostles avoided teaching the christians in those 
 early days, at least for a great while, some high and ex- 
 cellent divine truths, because they could not bear them 
 yet, 1 Cor. 3 : 1, 2; Heb, 5 : 11-14. Thus strictly did 
 the apostles observe the rule that their blessed Master 
 gave them, of not putting new v/ine into old bottles, lest 
 they should burst the bottles and lose the wine. 
 
 And how did Christ himself while on earth forbear so 
 plainly to teach bis disciples the great doctrines of chris- 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 333 
 
 tianity, concerning his satisfaction, and the nature and 
 manner of a sinner's justification and reconciliation with 
 God, and the particular benefits of his death, resurrection 
 and ascension, because in that infant state the minds of 
 the disciples were not prepared for such instructions; 
 and therefore the more clear and full revelation of these 
 things was reserved for the time when their minds should 
 be further enlightened and strengthened by the outpour- 
 ing of the Spirit after his ascension ; John, 16 : 12, 13, 
 " I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot 
 bear them now : howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth, is 
 come, he will guide you into all truth ;" and Mark, 4 : 33, 
 " With many such parables spake he the word unto them, 
 as they were able to bear it." These things might be 
 enough to convince any one, that does not think himself 
 wiser than Christ and his apostles, that great prudence 
 and caution should be used in introducing things into the 
 church of God that are very uncommon, though in them- 
 selves they may be very excellent, lest by our rashness 
 and imprudent haste we hinder religion much more than 
 we help it. 
 
 Persons that are influenced by an indiscreet zeal are 
 always in too much haste ; they are impatient of delays, 
 and therefore are for jumping to the uppermost step first, 
 before they have taken the preceding steps ; whereby 
 they expose themselves to fall and break their bones : it 
 is a thing very taking with them to, see the building rise 
 very high, and all their endeavor and strength is em- 
 ployed in advancing the building in height, without tak- 
 ing care withal proportionably to enlarge the foundation ; 
 whereby the whole is in danger of coming to the ground ; 
 or they are for putting on the cupola and pinnacle before 
 
334 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 they are come to it, or before the low^er parts of the 
 building are done ; which tends at once to put a stop to 
 the building, and hinder its ever being a complete struc- 
 ture. Many that are thus imprudent and hasty v^^ith 
 their zeal, have a real eager appetite for that w^hich is 
 good ; but are like children, that are impatient to wait 
 for the fruit until the proper season of it, and therefore 
 snatch it before it is ripe : oftentimes in their haste they 
 overshoot their mark, and frustrate their own end ; they 
 put that which they would obtain further out of reach 
 than it was before, and establish and confirm that which 
 they would remove. 
 
 Things must have time to ripen : the prudent husband- 
 man waits until he has received the former and the latter 
 rain, and till the harvest is ripe, before ho reaps. We are 
 now just as it were beginning to recover out of a dread- 
 ful disease that we have been long under : and to feed a 
 man recovering from a fever with strong meat at once, 
 is the ready way to kill him. The reformation from 
 Popery was much hindered by this hasty zeal : many 
 were for immediately rectifying all disorders by force, 
 which was condemned by Luther, and was a great trouble 
 to him. See Sleiden's History of the Reformation, page 
 52, &c. and Book V. throughout. It is a vain prejudice 
 that some have lately imbibed against such rules of pru- 
 dence and moderation : they will be forced to come to 
 them at last ; they will find themselves that they are not 
 able to maintain their cause without them ; and if they 
 will not hearken before, experience will convince them 
 at last, when it will be too late for them to rectify their 
 mistake. 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 335 
 
 6. Wrong principles — Incorrect views of an attestation of 
 Providence — Undervaluing external order. 
 
 Another error, that is of the nature of an erroneous 
 principle, into which some have fallen, is a wrong notion 
 that they have of an attestation of divine Providence to 
 persons or things. We go too far when we look upon the 
 success that God gives to some persons, in making them 
 the instruments of doing much good, as a testimony of 
 God's approbation of those persons and all the courses 
 they take. It is a main argument that has been made use 
 of to defend the conduct of some of those ministers that 
 have been blamed as imprudent and irregular, that God 
 has smiled upon them and blessed them, and given them 
 great success, and that however men charge them as 
 guilty of many wrong things, yet it is evident that God 
 is with them, and then who can be against them 1 And 
 probably some of those ministers themselves, by this very 
 means, have had their ears stopped against all that has 
 been said to convince them of their misconduct. But 
 there are innumerable ways that persons may be misled 
 in forming a judgment of the mind and will of God from 
 the events of Providence. If a person's success be a re- 
 ward of something that God sees in him that he approves 
 of, yet it is no argument that he approves of every thing 
 in him. Who can tell how far divine grace may go in 
 greatly rewarding some small good that he sees in a per- 
 son, a good meaning, something good in his disposition, 
 while he at the same time, in sovereign mercy, hides his 
 eyes from a great deal that is bad, that it is a pleasure to 
 forgive, and not to mark against the person, though in 
 itself it be verv ill ] 
 
336 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 God has not told us after w^hat manner he will proceed 
 in this matter, and w^e go upon most uncertain grounds 
 when we undertake to determine. It is an exceedingly- 
 difficult thing to know how far love or hatred is exercised 
 towards persons or actions by all that is before us. God 
 was pleased in his sovereignty to give such success to 
 Jacob in what from beginning to end was a deceitful, 
 lying contrivance and proceeding, that in that way he ob- 
 tained the blessing that was worth infinitely more than 
 the fatness of the earth and the dew of heaven which 
 was given to Esau in his blessing, yea, worth more than 
 all that the world can afford. God was for a while with 
 Judas, so that he, by God's power accompanying him, 
 wrought miracles and cast out devils ; but this could not 
 justly be interpreted as God's approbation of his person, 
 or the theft that he practised at the same time. 
 
 The dispensations and events of Providence with their 
 reasons are too little understood by us to be improved 
 by us as our rule instead of God's word ; God has his 
 way in the sea and his path in the mighty waters, and his 
 footsteps are not known, and he gives us no account of any 
 of his matters ; and therefore we cannot safely take the 
 events of his providence as a revelation of his mind con- 
 cerning a person's conduct and behavior. We have no 
 warrant so to do ; God has never appointed those things, 
 but something else to be our rule ; we have but one rule 
 to go by, and that is his holy word, and when we join any 
 thing else with it as having the force of a rule, we are 
 guilty of that which is strictly forbidden. Deut. 4 : 2, 
 Prov. 30 : 6, and Rev. 22 : 18. 
 
 They who make what they imagine is pointed forth to 
 them in Providence their rule of behavior, do err, as 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 337 
 
 well as those that follow impulses and impressions : we 
 should put nothing in the room of the word of God. It 
 is to be feared that some have been greatly confirmed 
 and emboldened by the great success that God has given 
 them in some things that have really been contrary to 
 the rules of God's holy word. If it has been so, they 
 have been guilty of presumption, and abusing God's 
 kindness to them and the great honor he has put upon 
 them ; they have seen that God was with them and made 
 them victorious in their preaching ; and this it is to be 
 feared has been abused by some to a degree of self- 
 confidence ; it has prevented a proper jealousy of them- 
 selves ; they have been bold therefore to go great lengths 
 in a presumption that God was with them, and would 
 defend them and finally baflfle all that found fault with 
 them. 
 
 Indeed there is a voice of God in his providence that 
 may be interpreted and well understood by the rule of 
 his word ; and Providence may, to our dark minds and 
 weak faith, confirm the word of God as it fulfils it. But 
 to improve divine Providence thus, is quite a different 
 thing from making a rule of Providence. A good use 
 may be made of the events of Providence, of our own 
 observation and experience, and human histories, and the 
 opinion of the fathers and other eminent men ; but final- 
 ly all must be brought to one rule, the word of God, and 
 that must be regarded as our only rule. 
 
 Nor do I think that they go upon sure ground that 
 conclude that they have not been in an error in their con- 
 duct, because at the time of their doing a thing for which 
 they have been blamed and reproached by others, they 
 were favored with special comforts of GoiVs Spirit. God's 
 
 Revival of ReL 1 '5 
 
338 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 bestow^ing special spiritual mercies on a person at such a 
 time, is no sign that he approves of every thing that he 
 then sees in him. David had very much of the pre- 
 sence of God while he lived in polygamy : and Solo- 
 mon had some very high favors and peculiar smiles 
 of heaven, and particularly at the dedication of the 
 temple, while he greatly multiplied wives to himself, 
 and horses, and silver and gold ; all contrary to the 
 most express command of God to the king, in the law 
 of Moses, Deut. 17 : 16, 17. We cannot tell how far 
 God may hide his eyes from beholding iniquity in Jacob, 
 and seeing perverseness in Israel. We cannot tell what 
 are the reasons of God's actions any further than he in- 
 terprets for himself. God sometimes gave some of the 
 primitive christians the extraordinary influence of his 
 Spirit when they were out of the way of their duty ; and 
 continued it while they were abusing it ; as is plainly im- 
 plied, 1 Cor. 14 : 31—33. 
 
 Yea, if a person has done a thing for which he is re- 
 proached, and that reproach be an occasion of his feeling 
 sweet exercises of grace in his soul, and that from time 
 to time, I do not think that is a certain evidence that 
 God approves of the thing he is blamed for. For un- 
 doubtedly a mistake may be the occasion of stirring up 
 the exercise of grace in a man that has grace. If a per- 
 son through mistake thinks he has received some parti- 
 cularly great mercy, that mistake may be the occasion of 
 stirring up the sweet exercises of love to God and true 
 thankfulness and joy in God. As for instance, if one 
 that is full of love to God should hear credible tidings 
 concerning a remarkable deliverance of a child or other 
 dear friend, or some glorious thing done for the city of 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 339 
 
 God, no wonder if, on such an occasion, the sweet act- 
 ings of love to Grod and delight in God should be excited, 
 though indeed afterwards it should prove a false re- 
 port that he heard. So if one that loves God is much 
 maligned and reproached for doing that which he thinks 
 God required and approves, no wonder that it is sweet 
 to such a one to think that God is his friend though men 
 are his enemies ; no wonder at all that this is an occasion 
 of his, as it were, leaving the world and sweetly be- 
 taking himself to God as his sure friend, and finding 
 sweet complacence in God, though he be indeed in a 
 mistake concerning that which he thought was agreeable 
 to God's will. 
 
 As I have before shown that the exercise of a truly 
 good aifection may be the occasion of error, and may in- 
 directly incline a person to do that which is wrong ; so, 
 on the other hand, error, or a doing that which is wrong, 
 may be an occasion of the exercise of a truly good affec- 
 tion. The reason is, that however all exercises of grace 
 be from the Spirit of God, yet the Spirit of God dwells 
 and acts in the hearts of the saints in some measure 
 after the manner of a vital, natural principle, a principle 
 of new nature in them, whose exercises are excited by 
 means in some measure as other natural principles are. 
 Though grace be not in the saints as a mere natural prin- 
 ciphy but as a sovereign agent, and so its exercises are 
 not tied to means by an imiiiutable law of nature, as in 
 mere natural principles; yet God has so constituted, that 
 grace should so dwell in the hearts of the saints that its 
 exercises should have some degree of connection with 
 means, after the manner of a principle of nature. 
 
 Another erroneous principle that there has been some- 
 
340 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 thing of, and that has been an occasion of some mischief 
 and confusion, is that external order in matters of religion 
 and the use of the means of grace is but little to be re- 
 garded : it is spoken lightly of under the names of cere- 
 monies and dead forms, &c. ; and is probably the more 
 despised by some because their opposers insist so much 
 upon it, and because they are so continually hearing 
 from them the cry of disorder and confusion. 
 
 It is objected against the importance of external order, 
 that God does not look at the outv^ard form, he looks at 
 the heart : but it is a weak argument against its import- 
 ance that true godliness does not consist in it ; for it 
 may be equally made use of against all the outw^ard 
 means of grace whatsoever. True godliness does not 
 consist in ink and paper, but yet that would be a foolish 
 objection against the importance of ink and paper in re- 
 ligion, when without it we could not have the word of 
 God. 
 
 If any external means are at all needful, any outward 
 actions of a public nature, or wherein God's people are 
 jointly concerned in public society, without doubt exter- 
 nal order is needful : the management of an external 
 affair that is public, or wherein a multitude is concerned 
 without order, is in every thing found impossible. With- 
 out order there can be no general direction of a multi- 
 tude to any particular designed end, their purposes will 
 cross one another, and they will not help but hinder one 
 another. A multitude cannot act in union one with 
 another without order : confusion separates and divides 
 them, so that there can be no concert or agreement. If 
 a multitude would helj? one another in any affair, they 
 must unite themselves one to another in a reffular subor- 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 341 
 
 dination of members, in some measure as it is in the 
 natural body ; by this means they will be in some capa- 
 city to act with united strength : and thus Christ has 
 appointed that it should be in the visible church, as 
 1 Cor. 12 : 14-31, and Rom. 12 : 4—8. 
 
 Zeal without order will do but little, or at least it will 
 be effectual but a little while. Let a company that are 
 very zealous against the enemy go forth to war without 
 any manner of order, every one rushing forward as his 
 zeal shall drive him, all in confusion, if they gain some- 
 thing at the first onset by surprising the enemy, yet how 
 soon do they come to nothing and fall an easy, helpless 
 prey to their adversaries ! Order is one of the most ne- 
 cessary of all external means for the spiritual good of 
 God's church ; and therefore it is requisite, even in hea- 
 ven itself, where there is the least need of any external 
 means of giace : order is maintained among the glorious 
 angels there. The necessity of it for carrying on any 
 design, wherein a multitude are concerned, is so great 
 that even the devils in hell are driven to something of it 
 that they may carry on the designs of their kingdom. 
 And it is very observable that those kinds of irrational 
 creatures for whom it is needful that they should act in 
 union and join a multitude together, to carry on any 
 work for their preservation, they do, by a wonderful in- 
 stinct that God has put into them, observe and maintain 
 a most regular and exact order among themselves : such 
 as bees and some others. 
 
 And order in the visible church is not only necessary 
 to carrying on the designs of Christ's glory and the 
 church's prosperity, but it is absolutely necessary to its 
 defence : without it, it is like a city without walls, and 
 
342 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 can be in no capacity to defend itself from any kind of 
 mischief; and so, how^ever order be an external thing, 
 yet it is not to be despised on that account ; for though 
 it be not the food of souls, yet it is in some respect 
 their defence. The people of Holland w^ould be very 
 foolish to despise the dikes that keep out the sea from 
 overwhelming them, under the names of dead stones and 
 vile earth, because the matter of v^hich they are built is 
 not good to eat. 
 
 It seems to be partly on the foundation of this notion 
 of the w^orthlessness of external order, that some have 
 seemed to act on the principle that the power of judging 
 and openly censuring others should not be reserved in 
 the hands of particular persons, or consistories ap- 
 pointed thereto, but ought to be left at large for any that 
 please to take it upon them, or that think themselves fit 
 for it : but more of this afterwards. 
 
 On this foundation also, an orderly attending on the 
 stated worship of God in families has been made too 
 light of; and it has been in some places too much of a 
 common and customary thing to be absent from family 
 worship, and to be abroad late in the night at religious 
 meetings or to attend religious conversation. Not but 
 that this may be, on certain extraordinary occasions. I 
 have seen the case to be such in many instances, that I 
 have thought it afforded sufficient warrant for persons to 
 be absent from family prayer, and to be from home until 
 very late in the night : but we should take heed that this 
 does not become a custom or common practice ; if it 
 should be so, we shall soon find the consequences to be 
 very ill. 
 
 It seems to be on the same foundation of the supposed 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 343 
 
 unprofitableness of external order, that it has been 
 thought by some that there is no need that such and such 
 religious services and performances should be limited to 
 any certain office in the church (of which more afterwards.) 
 And also that those offices themselves, as particularly 
 that of the Gospel ministry, need not be limited, as it 
 used to be, to persons of a liberal education ; but some 
 of late have been for having others that they have sup- 
 posed to be persons of eminent experience, publicly li- 
 censed to preach, yea, and ordained to the work of the 
 ministry ; and some ministers have seemed to favor such 
 a thing: but how little do they seem to look forward 
 and consider the unavoidable consequences of opening 
 such a door ! If once it should become a custom, or 
 a thing generally approved and allowed of, to admit 
 persons to the work of the ministry, that have had no 
 education for it, because of their remarkable experiences, 
 and being persons of good understanding, how many lay 
 persons would soon appear as candidates for the work 
 of the ministry ! I doubt not but that I have been ac- 
 quainted with scores that would have desired it. 
 
 And how shall we know where to stop % If one is ad- 
 mitted because his experiences are remarkable, another 
 will think his experiences also remarkable ; and we, 
 perhaps, shall not be able to deny but that they are near 
 as great : if one is admitted because, besides expe- 
 riences, he has good natural abilities, another by himself 
 and many of his neighbors may be thought equal to him. 
 It will be found of absolute necessity that there should 
 be some certain, visible limits fixed, to avoid bringing 
 odium upon ourselves, and breeding uneasiness and strife 
 amongst others j and I know of none better, and indeed 
 
344 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 no Other that can w^ell be fixed, than those that the pro- 
 phet Zechariah fixes, namely, that those only should be 
 appointed to be pastors or shepherds in God's church 
 that have been taught to keep cattle from their youth, or 
 that have had an education iox that purpose. 
 
 Those ministers that have a disposition to break over 
 these limits, if they should do so, and make a practice of 
 it, v7ould break dov^Ti that fence vs^hich they themselves 
 after a while, after they had been wearied with the ill 
 consequences, would be glad to have somebody else 
 build up for them. Not but that there may probably be 
 some persons in the land that have had no education at 
 college, that are in themselves better qualified for the 
 work of the ministry than some others that have taken 
 their degrees and are now ordained. But yet I believe 
 the breaking over those bounds that have hitherto been 
 set in ordaining such persons, would in its consequences 
 be a greater calamity than the missing such persons in 
 the work of the ministry. The opening of a door for the 
 admission of unlearned men to the work of the ministry, 
 though they should be persons of extraordinary expe- 
 rience, would on some accounts be especially prejudicial 
 at such a day as this ; because such persons, for want of 
 an extensive knowledge, are oftentimes forward to lead 
 others into those things which a people are in danger of 
 at such a time above all other times, namely, impulses, 
 vain imaginations, superstition, indiscreet zeal, and such 
 like extremes ; instead of defending them from them, for 
 which a people especially need a shepherd at such an 
 extraordinary season. 
 
 Another erroneous principle that it seems to me some 
 have been at least in danger of, is, that ministers, because 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 345 
 
 they speak as Christ's ambassadors, may assume the same 
 style and speak as with the same authority that the pro- 
 phets of old did, yea, that Jesus Christ himself did in the 
 23d of Matthew, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, &c. 
 and other places ; and that not only when they are speak- 
 ing to the people, but also to their brethren in the minis- 
 try. Which princi23le is absurd, because it makes no dif- 
 ference in the different degrees and orders of messengers 
 that God has sent into the world, though God has made 
 a very great difference ; for though they all come in some 
 respect in the name of God, and with something of his 
 authority, yet certainly there is a vast difference in the 
 degree of authority with which God has invested them. 
 Jesus Christ was one that was sent into the world as 
 God's messenger, and so was one of his apostles, and so 
 also is an ordinary pastor of a church : but yet it does not 
 follow that because Jesus Christ and an ordinary minis- 
 ter are both messengers of God, that therefore an ordi- 
 nary minister in his office is vested with the same degree 
 of authority that Christ was in his. 
 
 As there is a great difference in their authority, and as 
 Christ came as God's messenger in a vastly higher man- 
 ner, so another style became him, more authoritative than 
 is proper for us worms of the dust, though we also are 
 messengers of inferior degree. It would be strange if 
 God, when he has made so great a difference in the de- 
 gree in which he has invested different messengers with 
 his authority, should make no difference as to the outward 
 appearance and show of authority, in style and behavior, 
 which is proper and fit to be seen in them. Though God 
 has put great honor upon ministers, and they may speak 
 as his ambassadors, yet he never intended that thev 
 15* 
 
346 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 should have the same outward appearance of authority 
 and majesty, either in their behavior or speech, that his 
 Son shall have when he comes to judgment at the last 
 day ; though both come, in different respects and degrees, 
 in the name of the Lord : alas ! can any thing ever make 
 it enter into the hearts of worms of the dust that it is fit 
 and suitable that it should be so ? 
 
 Thus I have considered the two first of the three causes 
 of error in conduct that were mentioned. 
 
 7. Errors from neglect of some things which the devil im- 
 2>roves to our hurt — In the inward experiences of chris- 
 tians, and their external effects. 
 
 I come now to the third and last cause of the errors 
 of those that have appeared to be the subjects or zealous 
 promoters of this work, namely, being ignorant or un- 
 observant OF SOME PARTICULAR THINGS BY WHICH THE 
 DEVIL HAS SPECIAL ADVANTAGE. 
 
 And here I would particularly notice, 1. some things 
 with respect to the inward experiences of christians them- 
 selves, and 2. something with regard to the external 
 effects of experiences. 
 
 There are three things I would notice with regard to 
 the experiences of christians, by which the devil has many 
 advantages against us. 
 
 1. The mixture there oftentimes is in the experiences 
 of true christians ; whereby when they have truly gra- 
 cious experiences and divine and spiritual discoveries 
 and exercises, they have something else mixed with 
 them besides what is spiritual : there is a mixture of that 
 which is natural and that which is corrupt with that which 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 347 
 
 is divine. This is what christians are liable to in the 
 present exceedingly imperfect state : the great imperfec- 
 tion of grace, the feebleness and infancy of the new na- 
 ture, and the great remains of corruption, together with 
 the circumstances we are in in this world, where we are 
 encompassed all around with what tends to pollute us, 
 expose to this. 
 
 And indeed it is not to be supposed that christians 
 ever have any experiences in this world that are wholly 
 pure, entirely spiritual, without any mixture of what is 
 natural and carnal : the beam of light, as it comes from 
 the fountain of light upon our hearts, is pure, but as it is 
 reflected thence it is mixed : the seed, as sent from heaven 
 and planted in the heart, is pure, but as it springs up out 
 of the heart, is impure ; yea, there is commonly a much 
 greater mixture than persons for the most part seem to 
 have any imagination of. I have often thought that the 
 experiences of true christians are very frequently as it is 
 with some kinds of frui£s that are enveloped in several 
 coverings of thick shells or pods, which are thrown away 
 by him that gathers the fruit, and but a very small part 
 of the whole bulk is the pure kernel that is good to eat. 
 
 The things, of all which there is frequently some mix- 
 ture with gracious experiences, yea, with very great and 
 high experiences, are these three, human, or natural af- 
 fection and passion ; impressions on the imagination; and 
 a degree of self-righteousness or spiritual pride. There is 
 very often with that which is spiritual a great mixture of 
 that affection or passion which arises from natural prin- 
 ciples ; so that nature shares largely in those vehement 
 motions and flights of the passions that appear. Hence 
 the same degrees of divine communications from heaven 
 
348 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 will have vastly different effects in what outwardly ap- 
 pears in persons of different natural tempers. 
 
 The great mixture of that which is natural with that 
 which is spiritual, is very manifest in the peculiar effects 
 that divine influences have in some certain families, or 
 persons of such a blood, in the peculiar manner of the 
 operating of the passions and affections, and the manner 
 of the outward expression of them. I know some re- 
 markable instances of this. The same is also evident by 
 the different effects of divine communications on the 
 same person at different times and in different circum- 
 stances : the novelty of things, or the sudden transition 
 from an opposite extreme, and many other things that 
 might be mentioned, greatly contribute to the raising of 
 the passions. 
 
 And sometimes there is not only a mixture of that 
 which is common and natural with gracious experience, 
 but even that which is animal, that which is in a great 
 measure from the body, and is properly the result of the 
 animal frame. In what true christians feel of affections 
 towards God, all is not always purely holy and divine; 
 every thing that is felt in the affections does not arise 
 from spiritual principles, but common and natural prin- 
 ciples have a very great influence ; an improper self- 
 love may have a great share in the effect : God is not 
 loved for his own sake, or for the excellency and beauty 
 of his own perfections, as he ought to be ; nor have these 
 things in any wise that proportion in the effect that they 
 ought to have. 
 
 So in the love that true christians have one to another, 
 very often there is a great mixture of what arises from 
 common and natural principles, with grace ; and self-love 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 349 
 
 has a great influence : the children of God are not loved 
 purely for Christ's sake, but there may be a great mix- 
 ture of that natural love that many sects of heretics have 
 boasted of, w^ho have been greatly united one to another 
 because they vv^ere of their company, on their side against 
 the rest of the world ; yea, there may be a mixture of 
 natural love, to the opposite sex, w^ith christian and di- 
 vine love. So there may be a great mixture in that sor- 
 row for sin that the godly have ; and also in their joys ; 
 natural principles may greatly contribute to what is felt, 
 a great many ways, as might easily be shown, would it 
 not too much extend my discourse. 
 
 There is nothing that belongs to christian experience 
 that is more liable to a corrupt mixture than zeal ; though 
 it be an excellent virtue, a heavenly flame, when it is 
 pure : but as it is exercised in those who are so little 
 sanctified and so little humbled as we are in the present 
 state, it is very apt to be mixed with human passion, yea, 
 with corrupt hateful affections, pride and uncharitable 
 bitterness, and other things that are not from heaven but 
 from hell. 
 
 Another thing that is often mixed with what is spiritual 
 in the experiences of christians, is impressions on the 
 imagination ; whereby godly persons, together with a 
 spiritual understanding of divine things, and conviction 
 of their reality and certainty, and a strong and deep sense 
 of their excellency or great importance upon their hearts, 
 have strongly impressed on their minds external ideas or 
 images of things. A degree of imagination in such a 
 case, as I have observed elsewhere, is unavoidable, and 
 necessarily arises from human nature as constituted in 
 the present state ; and a degree of imagination is really 
 
350 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 useful, and often is of great benefit ; but when it is in 
 too great a degree, it becomes an impure mixture that is 
 prejudicial. This mixture very often arises from the con- 
 stitution of the body. It commonly greatly contributes 
 to the other kind of mixture mentioned before, of natural 
 affections and passions ; it helps to raise them to a great 
 height. 
 
 Another thing that is often mixed with the experien- 
 ces of true christians, which is the worst mixture of all, 
 is a degree of self-righteousness or spiritual pride. This 
 is often mixed with the joys of christians ; the joy that 
 they have is not purely the joy of faith, or a rejoicing in 
 Christ Jesus, but is partly a rejoicing in themselves ; 
 there is oftentimes in their elevations a looking upon 
 themselves, and a viewing of their own high attainments ; 
 they rejoice partly because they are taken with their 
 own experiences and great discoveries, which makes 
 them in their own apprehensions so to excel ; and this 
 heightens all their passions, and especially those effects 
 that are more external. 
 
 There is a much greater mixture of these things in the 
 experiences of some christians than others ; in some the 
 mixture is so great as very much to obscure and hide 
 the beauty of grace in them, like a thick smoke that hin- 
 ders all the shining of the fire. 
 
 These things we ought to be well aware of, that we 
 may not take all for gold that glistens, and that we may 
 know what to countenance and encourage, and what to 
 discourage ; otherwise Satan will have a vast advantage 
 against us, for he works in the corrupt mixture. Some- 
 times, for want of persons distinguishing the ore from the 
 pure metal, those experiences are most admired by the 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 351 
 
 persons themselves that are the subjects of them and by 
 others, that are not the most excellent. The great ex- 
 ternal effects and vehemence of the passions, and violent 
 agitations of the animal spirits, are sometimes much 
 owing to the cori'upt mixture (as is very apparent in some 
 instances,) though it be not always so. 
 
 I have observed a great difference among those that 
 are under high affections, and seem disposed to be earn- 
 estly talking to those that are about them : some insist 
 much more, in their talk, on what they behold in God 
 and Christ, the glory of the divine perfections, Christ's 
 beauty and excellency and wonderful condescension and 
 grace, and their own unworthiness, and the great and in- 
 finite obligations that they themselves and others are un- 
 der to love and serve God : others insist almost wholly 
 on their own high privileges, their assurance of God's love 
 and favor, and the weakness and wickedness of opposers, 
 and how much they are above their reach. The latter may 
 have much of the presence of God, but their experiences 
 do not appear to be so solid and unmixed as the former. 
 
 And there is a great difference in persons' earnestness 
 in their talk and behavior : in some it seems to come in- 
 deed from the fulness of their hearts, and from the great 
 sense they have of truth, a deep sense of the certainty 
 and infinite greatness, excellency and importance of di- 
 vine and eternal things, attended with all appearances 
 of great humility : in others their earnestness seems to 
 arise from a great mixture of human passion, and an un- 
 due and intemperate agitation of the spirits, which ap- 
 pears by their earnestness and vehemence not being pro- 
 portioned to the nature of the subject they insist on, but 
 they are violent in every thing they say, as much when 
 
352 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 they are talking of things of smaller importance as v^hen 
 speaking of things of greater weight. I have seen it thus 
 in an instance or two, in which this vehemence at length 
 issued in distraction. And there have been some few in- 
 stances of a more extraordinary nature still, even of per- 
 sons finding themselves disposed earnestly to talk and 
 cry out, from an unaccountable kind of bodily pressure, 
 without any extraordinary view of any thing in their 
 minds, or sense of any thing upon their hearts, wherein 
 probably there was the immediate agency of the devil. 
 
 2. Another thing by which the devil has great advan- 
 tage, is the unheeded defects there sometimes are in the 
 experiences of true christians, and in those high affec- 
 tions wherein there is much that is truly good. 
 
 What I now have respect to, is something diverse from 
 the defect or imperfection of degree, which there is in 
 every holy disposition and exercise in this life, in the 
 best of the saints. What I aim at is experiences being 
 especially defective in some particular thing that ought 
 to be in them ; which, though it be not an essential de- 
 fect, or such a defect as is in the experiences of hypo- 
 crites, which renders them utterly vain, monstrous, and 
 altogether abominable to God, yet is such a defect as 
 maims and deforms the experience : the essence of truly 
 christian experiences is not wanting, but yet that is want- 
 ing which is very needful in order to the proper beauty 
 of the image of Christ in such a person's experiences ; 
 things are very much out of a due proportion : there is 
 indeed much of some things, but at the same time there 
 is so little of some other things that should bear a pro- 
 portion, that the defect very much deforms the christian, 
 and is truly odious in the sight of God. 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 353 
 
 What I observed before was something that deformed 
 the christian, as it was too much, something mixed, that 
 is, not belonging to the christian as such ; what I speak 
 of now is something that deforms the christian the other 
 way, by there not being enougJit something wanting, that 
 does belong to the christian as such : the one deforms 
 the christian as a monstrous excrescence ; the other as 
 thereby the new creature is maimed, and some member 
 is in a great measure wanting, or is so small and wither- 
 ing as to be very much out of due proportion. This is 
 another spiritual calamity that the saints are liable to, 
 through the great imperfection of grace in this life ; like 
 the chicken in the egg, in the beginning of its forma- 
 tion, in which, though there are indeed the rudiments or 
 lineaments of all the parts, yet some few parts are plain to 
 be seen, when others are hid, so that without a micro- 
 scope it appears very monstrous. 
 
 When this deficiency and disproportion is great, as 
 sometimes it is in real saints, it is not only a great de- 
 formity in itself, but has many ill consequences : it gives 
 the devil great advantage, and leaves a door open for 
 corruption, and exposes to very deformed and unlove- 
 ly actions, and issues often in the great wounding of 
 the soul. 
 
 For the better understanding of this matter, we may 
 observe that God, in the revelation that he has made of 
 himself to the world by Jesus Christ, has taken care to 
 give a proportionable manifestation of two kinds of ex- 
 cellencies or perfections of his nature, namely, those that 
 especially tend to possess us with awe and reverence, 
 and to search and humble us ; and those that tend to 
 win, and draw, and encourage us : by the one, he ap- 
 
354 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 pears as an infinitely great, pure, holy, and heart-search 
 ing judge ; by the other ^ as a gentle and gracious father 
 and a loving friend : by the one he is a pure, searching, 
 and burning flame ; by the other, a sweet refreshing light. 
 
 These two kinds of attributes are, as it were, admira- 
 bly tempered together in the revelation of the Gospel ; 
 there is a proportionable manifestation of justice and 
 mercy, holiness and grace, majesty and gentleness, autho- 
 rity and condescension. God hath thus ordered that his 
 diverse excellencies, as he reveals himself in the face of 
 Jesus Christ, should have a proportionable manifestation, 
 herein providing for our necessities. He knew it to be of 
 great consequence that our apprehensions of these diverse 
 perfections of his nature should be duly proportioned one 
 to another : a defect on the one hand, having much of a 
 discovery of his love and grace without a proportionable 
 discovery of his awful majesty and his holy and search- 
 ing purity, would tend to spiritual pride, carnal confidence 
 and presumption ; and a defect on the other hand, having 
 much of a discovery of his holy majesty without a pro- 
 portionable discovery of his grace, tends to unbelief, a 
 sinful fearfulness and spirit of bondage, and therefore 
 herein chiefly consists that deficiency of experiences that 
 I am now speaking of. 
 
 The revelation God has made of himself in his word, 
 and the provision made for our spiritual welfare in the 
 Gospel is perfect, but yet the actual light and communi- 
 cations we have are not perfect, but many ways exceed- 
 ing imperfect and maimed. And experience plainly shows 
 that christians may have high experiences in some re- 
 spects, and yet their circumstances may be unhappy in this 
 respect, that their experiences and discoveries are no more 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 2t&9i 
 
 general. There is a great difference among christians in 
 this respect ; some have much more general discoveries 
 than others, who yet are, upon many accounts, the most 
 amiable christians. 
 
 Christians may have experiences that are very high, 
 and yet there may be very much of this deficiency and 
 disproportion ; their high experiences are truly from the 
 Spirit of Grod, but sin comes in by this defect, (as indeed 
 all sin is originally from a defective privative cause.) In 
 such a case, high discoveries, at the same time that they 
 are enjoyed, may be, and sometimes are the occasion or 
 causa sine qua non of sin ; sin may come in at that back 
 door, the gap that is left open, as spiritual pride often 
 does : and many times the Spirit of God is quenched by 
 this means, and God punishes the pride and presumption 
 that rises, by bringing such darkness, and suffering such 
 awful consequences and horrid temptations as are enough 
 to make one's hair stand on end to hear them. Christians 
 therefore should diligently observe their own hearts as 
 to this matter, and should pray to God that he would 
 give us experiences in which one thing may bear a pro- 
 portion to another, that God may be honored and their 
 souls edified thereby ; and ministers should have an eye 
 to this in their private dealings with the souls of their 
 people. 
 
 It is chiefly from such a defect of experiences that some 
 things have arisen that have been pretty common among 
 true christians of late, which have' been supposed by 
 many to have risen from a good cause, as particularly talk- 
 ing of divine and heavenly things, and expressing divine 
 joys with laughter or a light behavior. I believe, in many 
 instances, such things have arisen from a good cause, as 
 
356 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 their causa sine quanon, that high discoveries and gracious 
 joyful affections have been the occasion of them ; but the 
 proper cause has been sin, even that odious defect in their 
 experience whereby there has been v\^anting a sense of 
 the awful and holy majesty of God as present with them, 
 and their nothingness and vileness before him, propor- 
 tionable to the sense they have had of God's grace and 
 the love of Christ. And the same is true in many cases 
 of persons' unsuitable boldness, their disposition to speak 
 with authority, their intemperate zeal, and many other 
 things that sometimes appear in true christians under 
 great religious affections. 
 
 And sometimes the vehemence of the motion of the 
 animal spirits under great affections is owing, in consi- 
 derable measure, to experiences being thus partial. I have 
 known, in several instances, that persons have been 
 greatly affected with the dying love of Christ, and the 
 consideration of the happiness of the enjoyment of him 
 in heaven, and other things of that nature, and their ani- 
 mal spirits at the same time have been in a great emo- 
 tion : but in the midst of it they have had given them a 
 deep sense of the awful, holy majesty of God, and it has 
 at once composed them and quieted animal nature with- 
 out diminishing their comfort, but only making it of a 
 better and more solid nature : when they have had a 
 sense both of the majesty and grace of God, one thing 
 has, as it were, balanced another, and caused a more 
 happy sedateness and composure of body and mind. 
 
 From these things we may learn how to judge of ex- 
 periences, and to estimate their goodness. Those are not 
 always the best experiences that are attended with the 
 most violent affections and most vehement motions of the 
 
 i 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 357 
 
 animal spirits, or that have the greatest effects on the 
 body ; nor are they always the best that most dispose 
 persons to abound in talk to others, and to speak in the 
 most vehement manner, (though these things often arise 
 from the greatness of spiritual experiences :) but those 
 are the most excellent experiences that are qualified as 
 follows : 
 
 1. That have the least mixture, or are the most purely 
 spiritual. 
 
 2. That are the least deficient and partial, in which the 
 diverse things that appertain to christian experience are 
 proportionable one to another : and, 
 
 3. That are raised to the highest degree ; it is no mat- 
 ter how high they are raised, if they are qualified as before 
 mentioned — the higher the better. Experiences thus qua- 
 lified will be attended with the most amiable behavior, 
 and will bring forth the most solid and sweet fruits, and 
 will be the most durable, and will have the greatest effect 
 on the abiding temper of the soul. 
 
 If God is pleased to carry on this work, and it should 
 prove to be the dawning of a general revival of the chris- 
 tian church, it may be expected that the time will come 
 before long, when the experiences of christians shall be 
 much more generally thus qualified. We must expect 
 green fruits before we have ripe ones. It is probable that 
 hereafter the discoveries which the saints shall have of 
 divine things, will be in a much higher degree than yet 
 have been, but yet shall be so ordered by an infinitely 
 wise and all-sufficient God, that they shall not have so 
 great an effect in proportion on the body, and will be less 
 oppressive to nature ; and that the outward manifesta- 
 tions will rather be like those in Stephen, when he was 
 
358 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 full of the Holy Ghost, when all that sat in the council, 
 looking steadfastly on him, saw his face, as it had been the 
 face of an angel. Their inward fulness of the Spirit of 
 Grod, in his divine, amiable, and sweet influences, shall, 
 as it were, shine forth in a heavenly aspect, and manner 
 of speech and behavior. But, 
 
 3. There is another thing concerning the experiences 
 of christians, of which it is of yet greater importance 
 that we should be aware than either of the preceding, 
 and that is the degenerating of experiences. What I mean 
 is something diverse from the mere decay of experiences, 
 or their gradually vanishing, by persons losing their sense 
 of things : it is persons' experiences growing by degrees 
 worse and worse in their kind, more and more partial 
 and deficient, in which things are more out of due pro- 
 portion, and also have more and more of a corrupt mix- 
 ture ; the spiritual part decreases, and the other useless 
 and hurtful parts greatly increase. There is such a thing, 
 and it is very frequent, as experience abundantly evi- 
 dences : I have seen it in very many instances ; and great 
 are the mischiefs that have arisen through want of being 
 more aware of it. 
 
 There is commonly, as I observed before, in high ex- 
 periences, besides that which is spiritual, a mixture of 
 three things : natural or common affections, workings of 
 the imagination, and a degree of self-righteousness or 
 spiritual pride. Now it often comes to pass, that through 
 persons not distinguishing the wheat from the chaff, and 
 for want of watchfulness and humble jealousy of them- 
 selves, and laying great weight on the natural and ima- 
 ginary part, and yielding to it and indulging it, that part 
 grows and increases, and the spiritual part decreases ; the 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 35'9 
 
 devil sets in and works in the corrupt part, and cherishes 
 it to his utmost ; until at length the experiences of some 
 persons who began well, come to but little else but vio- 
 lent motions of carnal affections, with great heats of the 
 imagination, and a great degree of enthusiasm and swell- 
 ing of spiritual pride ; very much like some fruits which 
 bud, blossom and kernel well, but afterwards are blasted 
 with an excess of moisture ; so that though the bulk is 
 monstrously great, yet there is little else in it but what 
 is useless and unwholesome. It appears to me very pro- 
 bable that many of the heresies that have arisen and sects 
 that have appeared in the christian world, in one age and 
 another, with wild enthusiastical notions and practices, 
 began at first by this means : that it was such a degene- 
 rating of experiences that first gave rise to them, or at 
 least led the way to them. 
 
 There is nothing in the world that so much exposes to 
 this degenerating of experiences as an unheeded spiritual 
 pride and self-confidence, and persons being conceited 
 of their own attainments, without a humble, daily, and 
 continued dependence on God. And this very thing 
 seems to be typified of old, by the corrupting of the 
 manna. Some of the children of Israel, because they 
 had gathered a store of manna, trusted in it, there being, 
 as they apprehended, sufiicient in the store they had 
 gathered and laid up, without humbly looking to heaven 
 and stooping to the earth for daily supplies; and the 
 consequence was, that their manna bred worms and 
 stank. Exod. 16 : 20. Pride, above all things, promotes 
 this degeneracy of experiences, because it grieves and 
 quenches the Spirit of the Lamb of God, and so kills 
 the spiritual part ; and it cherishes the natural part, 
 
360 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 inflames the carnal affections, and heats the imagina- 
 tion. 
 
 The unhappy person that is the subject of such a de- 
 generacy of experiences, for the most part is not sensible 
 of his own calamity ; but because he finds himself still 
 violently moved vv^ith greater heats of zeal and more ve- 
 hement motions of his animal spirits, thinks himself fuller 
 of the Spirit of God than ever. But indeed it is v^^ith 
 him, as the apostle says of the Galatians, Gal. 3 : 3, 
 " Having begun in the Spirit, they are made perfect by 
 the flesh." 
 
 By the mixture there is of common affection with love 
 to God, the love of true christians is liable to degenerate, 
 and to be more and more built on the foundation of a 
 supposition of their being his high and peculiar favorites, 
 and less and less on an apprehension of the excellency 
 of God's nature, as he is in himself. So the joy of chris- 
 tians, by reason of the mixture there is with spiritual joy, 
 is liable to degenerate, and to come at last to be little 
 else but joy in self, joy in a person's own supposed emi- 
 nency and distinction from others in the favor of God. 
 So zeal, that at first might be in a great part spiritual, 
 yet, through the mixture there is in a long continuance 
 of opposition and conti'oversy, may degenerate more and 
 more into human and proud passion, and may come to 
 bitterness, and even a degree of hatred. 
 
 And so love to the brethren may by degrees come to 
 little else but fondness and zeal for a party ; yea, through 
 a mixture of a natural love to the opposite sex, may de- 
 generate more and more until it issues in that which is 
 criminal and gross. And I leave it with those who are 
 better acquainted with ecclesiastical history to inquire 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 361 
 
 whether such a degeneracy of affections as this might 
 not be the first thing that led the way and gave occasion 
 to the rise of the abominable notions of some sects that 
 have arisen, concerning the community of women. How- 
 ever that is, yet certainly the mutual embraces and kisses 
 of persons of different sexes, under the notion of chris- 
 tian love and holy kisses, are utterly to be disallowed, as 
 having the most direct tendency quickly to turn christian 
 love into unclean and brutish lust, which will not be the 
 better, but ten times the worse, for being christened by 
 the name of christian love. 
 
 I should also think it advisable that meetings of young 
 people, of both sexes, in the evening, by themselves, 
 without a minister or any elder people amongst them, for 
 religious exercises, should be avoided ; for though for 
 the present, while their minds are greatly solemnized 
 with lively impressions and a deep sense of divine things, 
 there may appear no ill consequences, yet we must look 
 to the further end of things, and guard against future 
 dangers and advantages that Satan might gain against 
 us. As a lively, solemn sense of divine things on the 
 minds of young persons may gradually decay, so there 
 will be danger that an ill improvement of these meetings 
 may gradually prevail ; if not in any unsuitable behavior 
 v/hile together in the meeting, yet when they break up to 
 go home, they may naturally consort together in couples 
 for other than religious purposes ; and it may at last come 
 to that, that young persons may go to such meetings, 
 chiefly for the sake of such an opportunity for company 
 keeping. 
 
 The defect there sometimes is in the experiences of 
 christians exposes them to degenerate, as well as the 
 
 Revival of Rel. \^ 
 
362 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 mixture tliat they have. Deficient maimed experiences 
 sometimes become more and more so : the mind being 
 w^holly intent upon those things that are in viev\^, and 
 those that are most w^anting being neglected, there is less 
 and less of them, and so the gap for corruption to come 
 in grows wider and wider. And commonly both these 
 causes of the degenerating of experiences operate to- 
 gether. 
 
 We had need to be jealous over ourselves with a godly 
 jealousy, as the apostle was over the christian Corin- 
 thians, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve 
 through his subtlety, so our minds should be corrupted 
 from the simplicity that is in Christ. God indeed w411 
 never suffer his true saints totally and finally to fall away, 
 but yet he may punish their pride and self-confidence, by 
 suffering them to be long led into a dreadful wilderness 
 by the subtle serpent, to the great wounding of their 
 own souls and the interest of religion. 
 
 And before I dismiss this head of the degenerating of 
 exjDeriences, I would mention one thing more that tends 
 to it ; and that is, persons aiming in their experience to 
 go beyond the rule of God's word, aiming at that wliicJi 
 is indeed, in some respects, beyond the rule. Thus some 
 persons have endeavored utterly to root out and abolish 
 all natural affection, or any special affection or respect to 
 their near relations, under a notion that no other love 
 ought to be allowed but spiritual love, and that all other 
 love is to be abolished as carnal, and that it becomes 
 christians to love none upon the account of any thing else 
 but the image of God ; and that therefore love should go 
 out to one and another only in the proportion in which 
 the image of God is seen in them. They might as well 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 363 
 
 argue that a man ought utterly to disallow of and en- 
 deavor to abolish all love or appetite to his daily food, 
 under a notion that it is a carnal appetite, and that no 
 other appetite should be tolerated but spiritual appetites. 
 Why should the saints strive after that, as a high attain- 
 ment in holiness, which the apostle, in Rom. 1 : 31, men- 
 tions as one instance wherein the heathen had got to the 
 most horrid pass in wickedness, a being without natural 
 affection ? 
 
 Some have doubted whether they might pray for the 
 conversion and salvation of the souls of their children 
 any more than for the souls of others ; because the salva- 
 tion of the souls of others would be as much to God's 
 glory as the salvation of their children ; and they have 
 supposed that to pray most for their own would show a 
 selfish disposition. So they have been afraid to tolerate 
 a compassionate grief and concern for their nearest 
 friends, for fear it would be an argument of want of re- 
 signation to God. 
 
 And it is true, there is great danger of persons setting 
 their hearts too much upon their earthly friends : our 
 love to earthly friends ought to be under the government 
 of the love of God, and should be attended with a spirit 
 of submission and resignation to his will, and every thing 
 should be subordinated to his glory : but that is no argu- 
 ment that these affections should be entirely abolished, 
 which the Creator of the world hag put within mankind 
 for the good of mankind, and because he saw they would 
 be needful for them as they must be united in society in 
 the present state, and are of great use when kept in their 
 proper place ; and to endeavor totally to root them out, 
 would be to reproach and oppose the wisdom of the 
 
364 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 Creator. Nor is the existence of these natural inclina- 
 tions, if v^ell regulated, inconsistent with any part of our 
 duty to God, or any argument of a sinful selfishness, any 
 more than the natural abhorrence there is in the human 
 nature of pain and the natural inclination to ease that 
 was in the man Christ Jesus himself. 
 
 It is the duty of parents to be more concerned, and to 
 pray more for the salvation of their children than for the 
 children of their neighbors ; as much as it is the duty of 
 a minister to be more concerned for the salvation of the 
 souls of his flock, and to pray more for them than those 
 of other congregations, because they are committed to his 
 care. So our near friends are more committed to our 
 care than others, and our near neighbors than those that 
 live at a great distance ; and the people of our land and 
 nation are more in some sense committed to our care 
 than the people of China, and we ought to pray more for 
 them, and to be more concerned that the kingdom of 
 Christ should flourish among them than in another coun- 
 try, where it would be as much and no more for the 
 glory of God. 
 
 Compassion ought to be especially exercised towards 
 friends. Job, 6 : 14. Christ did not frown upon a special 
 affection and compassion for near friends, but counte- 
 nanced and encouraged it, from time to time, in those 
 that in the exercise of such an affection and compassion 
 applied to him for relief for their friends ; as in the in- 
 stance of the woman of Canaan, Jairus, Mary and Mar- 
 tha, the centurion, the widow of Nain, and many others. 
 The apostle Paul, though a man as much resigned and 
 devoted to God and under the power of his love per- 
 haps as any mere man that ever lived, yet had a peculiar 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 365 
 
 concern for his countrymen the Jews, the rather on this 
 account, that they were his brethren and kinsmen according 
 to the flesh ; he had a very high degree of compassionate 
 grief for them, insomuch that he tells us he had great 
 heaviness and continual sorrow of heart for them, and 
 could wish himself accursed from Christ for them. 
 
 There are many things that are proper for the saints 
 in heaven, that are not suitable to the state God has set 
 us in in this world : and for christians, in these and 
 other instances, to affect to go beyond the present state 
 of mankind and what God has appointed as fit for it, is 
 an instance of that which the wise man calls a heing 
 righteous over7nuch, and has a tendency to open a door for 
 Satan, and to cause religious affections to degenerate in- 
 to something very unbecoming christians. 
 
 Thus I have, as I proposed, noticed some things with 
 regard to the inward experiences of christians, by which 
 Satan has an advantage. 
 
 I now proceed in the second place to notice something 
 with regard to the external effects of experiences, which 
 also gives Satan an advantage. What I have respect to 
 is the secret and unaccountable influence that custom 
 has upon persons, with respect to the external effects and 
 manifestations of the inward affections of the mind. By 
 custom, I mean both a person's being accustomed to a 
 thing in himself, in his own common, allowed, and in- 
 dulged practice, and also the countenance and approba- 
 tion of others amongst whom he dwells, by their general 
 voice and practice. It is well known, and appears suffi- 
 ciently by what I have said already in this treatise and 
 elsewhere, that I am far from ascribing all the late un- 
 common effects and outward manifestations of inward 
 
366 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 experiences to custom and fashion, as some do ; I know 
 it to be otherwise, if it be possible for me to know any- 
 thing of this nature by the most critical observation, 
 under all manner of opportunities of observing. But yet 
 this also is exceedingly evident by experience, that cus- 
 tom has a strange influence in these things : I know it by 
 the different manners and degrees of exteiTial effects and 
 manifestations of great affections and high discoveries in 
 different towns, according to what persons are gradually 
 led into, and insensibly habituated to by example and cus- 
 tom ; and also in the same place, at different times, ac- 
 cording to the conduct that they have : if some person is 
 among them to conduct them, that much countenances and 
 encourages such kind of outward manifestations of great 
 affections, they naturally and insensibly prevail, and grow 
 by degrees unavoidable ; but when afterwards they come 
 under another kind of conduct, the manner of external 
 appearances will strangely alter : and yet it seems to be 
 without any proper design or contrivance of those in 
 whom there is this alteration ; it is not properly affected 
 by them, but the influence of example and custom is se- 
 cret and insensible to the persons themselves. 
 
 These things have a vast influence in the manner of 
 persons manifesting their joys, whether with smiles or an 
 air of lightness, or with more solemnity and reverence ; 
 and so they have a great influence as to the disposition 
 persons have, under high affections, to abound in talk ; 
 and also as to the manner of their speaking, the loudness 
 and vehemence of their speech ; (though it would be ex- 
 ceedingly unjust, and against all the evidence of fact and 
 experience and the reason of things, to lay all disposi- 
 tions persons have to be much in speaking to others, and 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED, 367 
 
 to speak in a very earnest manner, to custom.) It is 
 manifest that example and custom have some way or 
 other a secret and indefinable influence on those actions 
 that are involuntary, by the difference that there is in 
 different places, and in the same places at different times, 
 according to the diverse examples and conduct that 
 they have. 
 
 Therefore, though it would be very unreasonable, and 
 prejudicial to the interests of religion, to frown upon all 
 these extraordinary external effects and manifestations 
 of great religious affections (for a measure of them is 
 natural, necessary and beautiful, and the effect in no 
 wise disproportioned to the spiritual cause, and is of 
 great benefit to promote religion,) yet I think they greatly 
 err who think that these things should be wholly unli- 
 mited, and that all should be encouraged in going in 
 these things to the utmost length that they feel themselves 
 inclined to. The consequence of this will be very bad. 
 
 There ought to be a gentle restraint held upon these 
 things, and a prudent care should be taken of persons in 
 such extraordinary circumstances ; they should be mode- 
 rately advised, at proper seasons, not to make more ado 
 than there is need of, but rather to hold a restraint upon 
 their inclinations : otherwise extraordinary outward ef- 
 fects will grow u23on them, they will be more and more 
 natural and unavoidable, and the extraordinary outward 
 show will increase, without any iiicrease of the internal 
 cause ; persons will find themselves under a kind of ne- 
 cessity of making a great ado, with less and less affection 
 of soul, until at length almost any slight emotion will set 
 them going, and they will be more and more violent and 
 boisterous, and will grow louder and louder, until their 
 
36S THOUGUTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 actions and behavior become indeed very absurd. These 
 things experience proves. 
 
 Thus I have noticed the more general causes whence 
 the errors that have attended this great revival of religion 
 have risen, and under each head have observed some 
 particular errors that have flowed from these fountains. 
 
 8. Some particular errors icldcli have arisen from several 
 of the ahovementioned causes — Censuring others as micon- 
 verted. 
 
 I now proceed as I proposed in the second place, to 
 notice some particular errors that have risen from seve- 
 ral OF THESE CAUSES j in somc perhaps they have been 
 chiefly owing to one, and in others to another, and in 
 others to the influence of several, or all conjunctly. 
 
 And here the first thing I would notice, is censuring 
 others that are professing christians, in good standing in 
 the visible church, as unconverted. I need not repeat 
 what I have elsewhere said to show this to be against 
 the plain, and frequent, and strict prohibitions of the 
 word of God : it is the worst disease that has attended 
 this work, most contrary to the spirit and rules of Chris- 
 tianity, and of the worst consequences. There is a 
 most unhappy tincture that the minds of many, both 
 ministers and people, have received that way. The man- 
 ner of many has been, when they first enter into conver- 
 sation with any person that seems to have any show or 
 make any pretences to religion, to discern him, or to fix 
 a judgment of him, from his manner of talking of things 
 of religion, whether he be converted, or experimentally 
 acquainted with vital piety or not, and then to treat him 
 accordingly, and freely to express their thoughts of him 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 369 
 
 to Others, especially those that they have a good opinion 
 of as true christians, and accepted as brethren and com- 
 panions in Christ; or if they do not declare their minds 
 expressly, yet by their manner of speaking of them, at 
 least to their friends, they will show plainly what their 
 thoughts are. So when they have heard any minister 
 pray or preach, their first work has been to obsen-e hira 
 on a design of discerning him, whether he be a converted 
 man or no ; whether he prays like one that feels the 
 saving power of God's Spirit in his heart, and whether 
 he preaches like one that knows what he says. 
 
 It has been so much the way in some places, that many 
 new converts do not know but it is their duty to do so ; 
 they know no other way. And when once persons yield 
 to such a notion, and give in to such a humor, they will 
 quickly grow very discerning in their own apprehension, 
 they think they can easily -tell a hypocrite : and when 
 once they have passed their censure, every thing seems 
 to confirm it, they see more and more in the person that 
 they have censured, that seems to them to show plainly 
 that he is an unconverted man. And then, if the person 
 censured be a minister, every thing in his public per- 
 formances seems dead and sapless, and to do them no 
 good at all, but, on the contrary, to be of deadening influ- 
 ence and poisonous to the soul ; yea, it seems worse and 
 worse to them, his preaching grows more and more in- 
 tolerable : which is owing to a secret, strong prejudice, 
 that steals in more and more upon the mind, as expe- 
 rience plainly and certainly shows. 
 
 When the Spirit of God was wonderfully poured out 
 in this place more than seven years ago, and near thirty 
 souls in a week, take one with another, for five or six 
 
 lo* 
 
570 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 weeks together, were to appearance brought home to 
 Christ, and all the town seemed to be alive and full of 
 God, there was no such notion or humor prevailing here ; 
 when ministers preached here, as very many did at that 
 time, young and old, our people did not go about to dis- 
 cern whether they were men of experience or not ; they 
 did not know that they must : Mr. Stoddard never brought 
 them up in that way ; it did not seem natural to them to 
 go about any thing of that nature, nor did any such thing 
 enter into their hearts ; but when any minister preached, 
 the business of every one was to listen and attend to 
 what he said, and apply it to his own heart, and make 
 the utmost improvement of it. 
 
 And it is remarkable, that never did there appear such 
 a disposition in the people to relish, approve of, and ad- 
 mire ministers' preaching as at that time : such expres- 
 sions as these were frequent in the mouths of one and 
 another, on occasion of the preaching of strangers here : 
 " That they rejoiced that there were so many such emi- 
 nent ministers in the country ; and they wondered they 
 had never heard the fame of them before : they were 
 thankful that other towns had so good means," and the 
 like. And scarcely ever did any minister preach here, but 
 his preaching did some remarkable service ; as I had good 
 opportunity to know, because at that time I had particular 
 acquaintance with most of the persons in the town, in 
 their soul concerns. That it has been so much otherwise 
 of late in many places in the land, is another instance of 
 the secret and powerful influence of custom and example. 
 
 There has been an unhappy disposition in some minis- 
 ters toward their hrethren in the mimstry in this respect, 
 which has encouraged and greatly promoted such a spirit 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 371 
 
 among some of their people. A wrong improvement has 
 been made of Christ's scourging the buyers and sellers 
 out of the temple J it has been expected by some that 
 Christ was now about thus to purge his house of uncon- 
 verted ministers, and this has made it more natural to 
 them to think that they should do Christ service, and act 
 as co-workers with him, by exerting themselves, and 
 endeavoring by all means to cashier those ministers that 
 they thought to be unconverted. Indeed, it appears to 
 me probable that the time is coming when awful judg- 
 ments will be executed on unfaithful ministers, and that 
 no sort of men in the world will be so much exposed to 
 divine judgments ,• but then we should leave that work 
 to Christ, who is the searcher of hearts, and to whom 
 vengeance belongs ; and not, without warrant, take the 
 scourge out of his hand into our own. 
 
 There has been too much of a disposition in some, as 
 it were to give ministers over as reprobates that have 
 been looked upon as wolves in sheep's clothing; which 
 has tended to promote and encourage a spirit of bitter- 
 ness towards them, and to make it natural to treat them 
 too much as if they knew God hated them. If God's 
 children knew that others were reprobates, it would not 
 be required of them to love them ; we may hate those 
 that we know God hates ; as it is lawful to hate the devil, 
 and as the saints at the day of judgment will hate the 
 wicked. Some have been too apt to look for fire from 
 heaven upon particular ministers ; and this has naturally 
 excited the disposition to call for it, that Christ rebuked 
 in his disciples at Samaria. For my part, though I be- 
 lieve no sort of men on earth are so exposed to spiritual 
 judgments as wicked ministers, yet I feel no disposition 
 
372 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 to treat any minister as if I supposed that he was finally 
 rejected of God; for I cannot but hope that there is 
 coming a day of such great grace, a time so appointed 
 for the magnifying of the riches and sovereignty of divine 
 mercy beyond what ever was, that a great number of 
 unconverted ministers will obtain mercy. 
 
 There was no class of persons in Christ's time that 
 were so guilty, and so hardened, and towards whom 
 Christ manifested such great indignation as the priests 
 and scribes, and there were no such persecutors of Christ 
 and his disciples as they ; and yet in the great outpouring 
 of the Spirit that began on the day of pentecost, though 
 it began with the common people, yet in the progress of 
 the work, after a while, a great compoMy of priests in Jeru- 
 salem were obedient to the faith, Acts, 6 : 7. And Saul, 
 one of the most violent of all the persecuting pharisees, 
 became afterwards the greatest promoter of the work of 
 God that ever was. I hope we shall yet see in many in- 
 stances a fulfilment of Isaiah, 29 : 24, " They also that 
 erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that 
 murmured shall learn doctrine. 
 
 Nothing has been gained by this practice. The end 
 that some have aimed at in it has not been obtained, nor 
 is ever like to be. Possibly some have openly censured 
 ministers, and encouraged their people's uneasiness un- 
 der them, in hopes it would soon come to that, that the 
 uneasiness would be so general and so great, that uncon- 
 verted ministers in general would be cast off, and that 
 then things would go on happily ; but there is no likeli- 
 hood of it. The devil indeed has obtained his end ; this 
 practice has bred a great deal of unhappiness among mi- 
 nisters and people, has spoiled christians' enjoyment of 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 373 
 
 Sabbaths, and made them their most uneasy, uncomfort- 
 able and unprofitable days, and has stirred up great con- 
 tention and set all in a flame ; and in one place and ano- 
 ther where there was a glorious work of God's Spirit be- 
 gun, it has, in a great measure, knocked all in the head, 
 and their ministers hold their places. 
 
 Some have aimed at a better end in censuring minis- 
 ters ; they have supposed it to be a likely means to awaken 
 
 them : whereas indeed there is no one thinor has had so 
 
 o 
 
 great a tendency to prevent the awakening of disaffected 
 ministers in general ; and no one thing has actually had 
 such influence to lock up the minds of ministers against 
 any good eflect of this great work of God in the land 
 upon their minds in this respect : I have known instances 
 of some that seemed to be much moved by the first ap- 
 pearance of this work, but since have seemed to be 
 greatly deadened by what has appeared of this nature. 
 And if there be one or two instances of ministers that 
 have been awakened by it, there are ten to one on whom 
 it has had a contrary influence. The worst enemies of this 
 work have been inwardly eased by this practice ; they 
 have made a shield of it to defend their consciences, and 
 have been glad that it has been carried to so great a 
 length ; at the same time that they have looked upon it, 
 and improved it, as a door opened for them to be more 
 bold in opposing the work in general. 
 
 There is no such dreadful danger of natural men's be- 
 ing undone by our forbearing thus to censure them, and 
 treating them as visible christians : it will be no bloody, 
 hell-peopling charity, as some seem to suppose, when it 
 is known that we treat them as christians, not because 
 we have taken it upon us to pass a judgment on their 
 
374 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 State on any trial or exercise of our skill in examining 
 and discerning them, but only as allowing them to be 
 worthy of a public charity on their profession and good 
 external behavior, any more than Judas was in danger of 
 being deceived by Christ's treating him a long time as a 
 disciple, and sending him forth as an apostle, because he 
 did not then take it upon him to act as the Judge and 
 Searcher of hearts, but only as the Head of the visible 
 church. Indeed, such a charity as this may be abused by 
 some, as every thing is and will be, that is in its own na- 
 ture proper, and of never so good tendency. 
 
 I say nothing against dealing thoroughly with con- 
 science, by the most convincing and searching dispensa- 
 tion of the word of God : I do not desire that that sword 
 should be sheathed, or gently handled by ministers ; but 
 let it be used as a two-edged sword, to pierce, even to 
 the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of the joints and 
 marrow ; let conscience be dealt with without any com- 
 pliments ; let ministers handle it in flaming fire, without 
 having any more mercy on it than the furnace has on 
 those metals that are tried in it. But let us let men's per- 
 sons alone : let the word of God judge them, but do not 
 let us take it upon us until we have warrant for it. 
 
 Some have been ready to censure ministers because 
 they seem, in comparison of some other ministers, to be 
 very cold and lifeless in their ministerial performances. 
 But then it should be considered that, for aught we know, 
 God may hereafter raise up ministers of so much more 
 excellent and heavenly qualifications, and so much more 
 spiritual and divine in their performances, that there may 
 appear as great a difference between them and those that 
 now seem the most lively, as there is now between them 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 375 
 
 and others that are called dead and sapless ; and those 
 that are now called lively ministers may aj^pear to their 
 hearers, when they compare them with others that shall 
 excel them, as wretchedly mean, and their performances 
 poor, dead, and dry ; and many may be ready to be pre- 
 judiced against them, as accounting them good for no- 
 thing, and perhaps calling them soul-murderers. What a 
 poor figure may we suppose the most lively of us, and 
 those that are most admired by the people, do make in 
 the eyes of one of the saints of heaven, any otherwise 
 than as their deadness, deformity, and rottenness is hid 
 by the veil of Christ's righteousness ] 
 
 Another thing that has been supposed to be sufficient 
 warrant for openly censuring ministers as unconverted, 
 is their opposing this work of God that has lately been 
 carried on in the land. And there can be no doubt with 
 me but that opposition against this work may be such as 
 to render either ministers or people truly scandalous, and 
 expose them to public ecclesiastical censure ; and that 
 ministers hereby may utterly defeat the design of their 
 ministry, as I observed before ; and so give their people 
 just cause of uneasiness. I should not think that any 
 person had power to oblige me constantly to attend the 
 ministry of one who did from time to time plainly pray 
 and preach against this work, or speak reproachfully of 
 it frequently in his public performances, after all chris- 
 tian methods had been used for a remedy, and to no 
 purpose. 
 
 But as to determining how far opposing this work is 
 consistent with a state of grace, or how far and for how 
 long a time some persons of good experience in their 
 own souls, through prejudices they have received from 
 
3'5'6 THOUoaTs on the revival, 
 
 the errors that have been mixed with this work, or 
 through some peculiar disadvantages they are under to 
 behold things in a right view of them, by reason of the 
 persons they converse with, or their own cold and dead 
 frames, it is, as experience shows, a very difficult thing : 
 I have seen that which abundantly convinces me that the 
 business is too high for me ; I am glad that God has not 
 committed such a difficult task to me ; I can joyfully leave 
 it wholly in his hands who is infinitely fit for it, without 
 meddling at all with it myself. We may represent it as 
 exceeding dangerous to oppose this work, since for this 
 we have good warrant in the word of God ; but I know 
 of no necessity we are under to determine whether it be 
 possible for those that are guilty of it to be in a state of 
 grace. 
 
 God seems so strictly to have forbidden this practice 
 of our judging our brethren in the visible church, not 
 only because he knew that we were too much of babes, 
 infinitely too weak, fallible and blind, to be well capaci- 
 tated for it, but also because he knew that it was not a 
 work suited to our proud hearts ; that it would be setting 
 us vastly too high, and making us too much lords over 
 our fellow-creatures. Judging our brethren, and passing 
 a condemnatory sentence upon them, seems to carry in 
 it an act of authority, especially in so great a case, to 
 sentence them with respect to the state of their hearts, 
 on which depends their liableness to eternal damnation ; 
 as is evident by such interrogations as these (to hear 
 w^hich from God's mouth is enough to make us shrink 
 into nothing with shame and confusion, and a sense of 
 our own blindness and worthlessness,) Romans, 14 : 4, 
 "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 377 
 
 his own master he standeth or falleth ;" and James, 4 : 12, 
 ** There is one lawgiver that is able to save and to de- 
 stroy ; who art thou that judgest another "?" Our wise 
 and merciful Shepherd has graciously taken care not to 
 lay in our way such a temptation to pride ; he has cut up 
 all such poison out of our pasture ; and therefore we 
 should not desire to have it restored. Blessed be his 
 name, that he has not laid such a temptation in the way 
 of my pride ! I know that in order to be fit for this busi- 
 ness I must not only be vastly more knowing, but more 
 humble than I am. 
 
 Though I believe some of God's own children have of 
 late been very guilty in this matter, yet by what is said 
 of it in the Scripture, it appears to me very likely, that 
 before these things which God has lately begun have an 
 end, God will awfully rebuke that practice : may it in 
 sovereign and infinite mercy be prevented, by the deep 
 and open humiliation of those that have openly prac- 
 tised it. 
 
 As this practice ought to be avoided, so should all such 
 open, visible marks of distinction and separation as im- 
 ply it; as particularly distinguishing such as we have 
 judged to be in a converted state with the appellations 
 of hrotlier or sister ; any further than there is a visible 
 ecclesiastical distinction. In those places where it is the 
 manner to receive such and such only to the communion 
 of the visible church, as recommend themselves by giv- 
 ing a satisfying account of their inward experiences, 
 there christians may openly distinguish such persons, in 
 their speech and ordinary behavior, with a visible sepa- 
 ration, without being inconsistent with themselves : and 
 I say nothing now on the question whether such an ac- 
 
o/S THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 count of experience be requisite to church fellov^^ship : 
 but certainly, to admit persons to communion with us as 
 brethren in the visible church, and then visibly to reject 
 them, and to make an open distinction between them and 
 others, by different names or appellations, is to be incon- 
 sistent with ourselves : it is to make a visible church 
 within a visible church, and visibly to divide between 
 sheep and goats, setting one on the right hand and the 
 other on the left. 
 
 This bitter root of censoriousness must be totally 
 rooted out, as we would prepare the way of the Lord. 
 It has nourished and upheld many other things contrary 
 to the humility, meekness and love of the Gospel. The 
 minds of many have received an unhappy turn, in some 
 respects, with their religion : there is a certain point or 
 sharpness, a disposition to a kind of warmth that does 
 not savor of the meek, lamblike, sweet disposition that 
 becomes christians : many have now been so long habi- 
 tuated to it that they do not know how to get out of it : 
 but we must get out of it; the point and sharpness must 
 be blunted, and we must learn another way of manifest- 
 ing our zeal for God. 
 
 There is a way of reflecting on others, and censuring 
 them in open prayer, that some have ; which though it 
 has a fair show of love, yet is indeed the boldest way of 
 reproaching others imaginable, because there is implied 
 in it an appeal to the most high God concerning the 
 truth of their censures ^nd reflections. 
 
 And here I would also observe by the way, that some 
 have a way of joining a sort of imprecations with their 
 petitions for others, though but conditional ones, that ap- 
 pear to me wholly needless and improper : they j^ray 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 37^ 
 
 that others may either be converted or removed. I never 
 heard nor read of any such thing practised in the church 
 of God until now, unless it be w^ith respect to some of 
 the most visibly and notoriously abandoned enemies of 
 the church of God. This is a sort of cursing men in our 
 prayers, adding a curse w^ith our blessing; w^hereas the 
 rule is, bless and curse not. To pray that God would kill 
 another, is to curse him with the like curse wherewith 
 Elisha cursed the children that came out of Bethel. And 
 the case must be very great and extraordinary indeed to 
 warrant it, unless we were prophets, and did not speak 
 our own words, but words indited by the immediate in- 
 spiration of the Spirit of God. 
 
 It is pleaded that if God has no design of converting 
 others, it is best for them, as well as best for others, that 
 they should be immediately taken away and sent to hell 
 before they have contracted more guilt. To which I 
 would say, that so it was best that those children that 
 met Elisha, seeing God had no design of converting 
 them, should die immediately as they did ; but yet Eli- 
 sha's imprecating that sudden death upon them, was 
 cursing them ; and therefore, would not have been law- 
 ful for one that did not speak in the name of the Lord 
 as a prophet. 
 
 And then if we give way to such things as these, where 
 shall we stop 1 A child that suspects he has an uncon- 
 verted father and mother, may pray openly that his father 
 and mother may either be converted or taken away and 
 sent to hell now quickly, before their guilt is greater. 
 (For unconverted parents are as likely to poison the souls 
 of their family in their manner of training them up, as 
 u^iconverted ministers are to poison their people.) And 
 
380 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 SO it might come to this, that it might be a common thing 
 all over the country for children to pray after this man- 
 ner concerning their parents, and brothers and sisters 
 concerning one another, and husbands concerning their 
 wives, and v^ives concerning husbands ; and so for per- 
 sons to pray concerning all their unconverted fi-iends and 
 neighbors : and not only so, but we may also pray con- 
 cerning all those saints that are not lively christians, that 
 they may either be enlivened or taken away, if what is 
 often said by some at this day be true, that these cold 
 dead saints do more hurt than natural men, and lead 
 more souls to hell, and that it would be well for mankind 
 if they were all dead. 
 
 How needless are such petitions or imprecations as 
 these ] What benefit is there in them 1 Why is it not 
 sufficient for us to pray that God would provide for his 
 church and the good of souls, and take care of his own 
 flock, and give it needful means and advantages for its 
 spiritual prosperity 1 Does God need to be directed by 
 us in what way he shall do it 1 What need we ask of 
 God to do it by killing such and such persons, if he does 
 not convert them 1 Unless we delight in the thoughts of 
 God's answering us in such terrible ways, and with such 
 awful manifestations of his wrath to our fellow-creatures. 
 
 And why do not ministers direct sinners to pray for 
 themselves, that God would either convert them or kill 
 them, and send them to hell now before their guilt is 
 greater ! In this way we should lead persons in the next 
 place to self-murder ; for many probably would soon be- 
 gin to think that that which they may pray for they may 
 seek and use the means of. 
 
 Soros with whom I have discoursed about this way of 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 381 
 
 praying, have said that the Spirit of God, as it were, 
 forces them to utter themselves thus, as it v^ere forces 
 out such words from their mouths, when otherwise they 
 should not dare to utter them. But such a kind of im- 
 pulse does not look like the influence of the Spirit of 
 God. The Spirit of God sometimes strongly inclines 
 men to utter words : but not by putting expressions into 
 the mouth, and urging to utter them ; but by filling the 
 heart with a sense of divine things and holy affections ; 
 and those affections and that sense incline the mouth to 
 speak. That other way of men's being urged to use cer- 
 tain expressions, by an unaccountable force, is very pro- 
 bably from the influence of the spirit of the devil. 
 
 9. Sojne 'particular errors — Lay exhorting — Mismaiiage- 
 vient of singing the praises of God. 
 
 A second thing I would notice, in the management of 
 which there has been much error and misconduct, is lay 
 exhorting ; about which there has been abundance of dis- 
 puting, jangling and contention. 
 
 In the midst of all the disputes that have been, I sup- 
 pose that all are agreed as to these two things : 1. That 
 all exhorting one another of laymen is not unlawful or 
 improper, but on the contrary, that some exhorting is a 
 christian duty. And, 2. I suppose, also, all will allow 
 that there is something that is proper only for ministers ; 
 that there is some kind or way of- exhorting and teach- 
 ing or other, that belongs only to the office of teachers. 
 All will allow that God has appointed such an office as 
 that of teachers in the christian church, and therefore, 
 doubtless will allow that something or other is proper 
 and peculiar to that ofiice, or some business of teaching 
 
382 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 that belongs to it, that does not belong as much to 
 others as to them. 
 
 If there be any way of teaching that is peculiar to that 
 office, then, for others to take that upon them, is to in- 
 vade the office of a minister ; w^hich doubtless is very 
 sinful, and is often so represented in Scripture. But the 
 great difficulty is to settle the bounds, and to tell exactly 
 how far laymen may go, and when they exceed their 
 limits ; which is a matter of so much difficulty that I do 
 not wonder if many in their zeal have transgressed. 
 The two ways of teaching and exhorting, the one of 
 which ought ordinarily to be left to ministers, and the 
 other of which may and ought to be practised by the 
 people, may be expressed by those two names of freacli- 
 ing, and exhorting in a way of christian conversation. But 
 then a great deal of difficulty and controversy arises to 
 determine what is preaching and what is christian conver- 
 sation. However, I will humbly offer my thoughts con- 
 cerning this subject of lay exhorting, as follows. 
 
 1. The common people in exhorting one another ought 
 not to clothe themselves with the like authority with that 
 which is proper for ministers. There is a certain autho- 
 rity that ministers have, and should exercise in teaching 
 as well as governing the flock. Teaching is spoken of in 
 Scripture as an act of authority, 1 Tim. 2 : 12. In order 
 to a man's preaching, special authority must be commit- 
 ted to him. Rom. 10 : 15, " How shall they preach ex- 
 cept they be sent ]" Ministers in this work of teaching 
 and exhorting are clothed with authority, as Christ's 
 messengers (Mai. 2 : 7,) and as representing him, and so 
 speaking in his name and in his stead, 2 Cor. 5 : 18, 19, 
 20. And it seems to be the most honorable thing that 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 3SS 
 
 belongs to the office of a minister of the Gospel, that to 
 him is committed the word of reconciliation, and that he 
 has power to preach the Gospel, as Christ's messenger, 
 and speaking in his name. The apostle seems to speak 
 of it as such, 1 Cor. 1 : 16, 17. Ministers therefore, in 
 the exercise of this power, may clothe themselves with 
 authority in speaking, or may teach others in an au- 
 thoritative manner. Tit. 2 : 15, " These things speak 
 and exhort, and rebuke with all authority : let no man 
 despise thee." 
 
 But the common people in exhorting one another, 
 ought not thus to exhort in an authoritative manner. 
 There is a great deal of difference between teaching as 
 a father amongst a company of children, and counselling 
 in a hrotherly way, as the children may kindly counsel 
 and admonish one another. Those that are mere bre- 
 thren, ought not to assume authority in exhorting, though 
 one may be better and have more experience than 
 another. Laymen ought not to exhort as though they 
 were the ambassadors or messengers of Christ, as minis- 
 ters do ; nor should they exhort and warn and charge i7i 
 his name, according to the ordinary import of such an 
 expression, when applied to teaching : indeed, in one 
 sense, a christian ought to do every thing he does in re- 
 ligion in the name of Christ ; he ought to act in a de- 
 pendence on him as his head and mediator, and do all 
 for his glory ; but the expression ^as it is usually under- 
 stood when ajDplied to teaching or exhorting, is sj)eaking 
 in Christ's stead, and as having a message from him. 
 
 Persons may clothe themselves with authority in sjDeak- 
 ing, either by the authoritative words they use, or in the 
 manner and autJiorifative air of their speaking : though 
 
384 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 some may think that this latter is a matter of indifference, 
 or at least of small importance, yet there is indeed a 
 great deal in it : a person may go much out of his place, 
 and be guilty of a great degree of assuming in the man- 
 ner of his speaking those words which, as they might be 
 spoken might be proper for him : the same words spo- 
 ken in a different manner, may express what is very 
 diverse. Doubtless there may be as much hurt in the 
 manner of a person's speaking as there may be in his 
 looks ; but the wise man tells us, that a high look is an 
 abomination to the Lord, Prov. 21 : 4. 
 
 Again, a man may clothe himself with authority, in 
 the circumstances under which he speaks ; as for instance, 
 if he sets himself up as a public teacher. Here I would 
 have it observed, that I do not suppose that a person is 
 guilty of this merely because he speaks in the hearing 
 of many : persons may speak, and speak only in a way 
 of conversation, and yet speak in the hearing of a gi-eat 
 number, as they often do in their common conversa- 
 tion about temporal things, at feasts and entertainments, 
 where women as well as others converse freely together 
 about worldly things, in the hearing of a considerable 
 number, and it may happen to be in the hearing of a 
 great number, and yet without offence : and if their 
 conversation on such occasions should turn on spiritual 
 things, and they should speak as freely and openly, I do 
 not see why it would not be as harmless. 
 
 Nor do I think that if besides a great number being 
 present, persons speak with a very earnest and loud 
 voice, this is for them to set up themselves as public 
 teachers, if they do it from no contrivance or premedi- 
 tated design, or as purposely directing themselves to a 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 385 
 
 congregation or multitude, and not speaking to any that 
 are composed to the solemnity of any public service ; but 
 speaking in the time of conversation, or a time vv^hen all 
 freely converse one with another, they express what they 
 then feel, directing themselves to none but those that are 
 near them and fall in their way, speaking in that earnest 
 and pathetical manner to which the subject they are 
 speaking of and the affecting sense of their souls natu- 
 rally leads them, and as it were constrains them : I say 
 that for persons to do thus, though many happen to hear 
 them, does not appear to me to be a setting themselves 
 up as public teachers : yea, if this be added to these other 
 circumstances, that all this happens to be in a meeting- 
 house, I do not think that merely its being in such a 
 place much alters the case, provided the solemnity of 
 public service and divine ordinances be over, and the 
 solemn assembly broken up, and some tarry in the house 
 for mutual religious conversation; provided also that 
 they speak in no authoritative way, but in a humble 
 manner becoming their degree and station, though they 
 speak very earnestly and pathetically. 
 
 Indeed modesty might, in ordinary cases, restrain 
 some persons, as women and those that are young, from 
 so much as speaking when a great number are present, 
 at least when some of those present are much their su- 
 jDcriors, unless they are spoken to; and yet the case may 
 be so extraordinary as fully to warrant it. If something 
 very extraordinary happens to persons, or if they are in 
 extraordinary circumstances ; as if a person be struck 
 with lightning in the midst of a great company, or if he 
 lies dying, it appears to none any violation of modesty 
 for him to speak freely before those that are much his 
 
 Rev. ofRpl. 17 
 
386 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL, 
 
 superiors. I have seen some women and children in 
 such circumstances in respect to rehgion, that it has ap- 
 peared to me no more a transgression of the law^s of 
 humility and modesty for them to speak freely, let v^ho 
 vs^ill be present, than if they were dying. 
 
 But a man may be said to set up himself as a public 
 teacher, when he in a set speech, of design, directs him- 
 self to a multitude, either in the meeting-house or else- 
 where, as looking that they should compose themselves 
 to attend to what he has to say ; and much more when 
 this is a contrived and premeditated thing, without any 
 thing hke a constraint by any extraordinary sense or af- 
 fection that he is then under ; and more still, when meet- 
 ings are appointed on purpose to hear lay persons ex- 
 hort, and they take it as their businesss to be speakers, 
 while they expect that others should come and compose 
 themselves and attend as hearers ; when private chris- 
 tians take it upon them in private meetings to act as the 
 masters or presidents of the assembly, and accordingly 
 from time to time to teach and exhort the rest, this has 
 the appearance of authoritative teaching. 
 
 When private christians, that are no more than mere 
 brethren, exhort and admonish one another, it ought to 
 be in a humble manner, rather by way of entreaty than 
 with authority ; and the more according as the station of 
 persons is lower. Thus it becomes women, and those 
 that are young, ordinarily to be at a greater distance from 
 any appearance of authority in speaking than others : 
 thus much at least is evident by the scripture, 1 Tim. 
 2 : 9, 11, 12. 
 
 That lay persons ought not to exhort one another as 
 clothed with authority, is a general rule ; but it cannot 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 387 
 
 justly be supposed to extend to heads of families in their 
 own families. Every christian family is a little church, 
 and the heads of it are its authoritative teachers and 
 governors. Nor can it extend to school-masters among 
 their scholars ; and some other cases might perhaps be 
 mentioned, that ordinary discretion will distinguish, 
 where a man's circumstances do properly clothe him 
 with authority, and render it fit and suitable for him to 
 counsel and admonish others in an authoritative manner. 
 2. No man but a minister that is duly appointed to 
 that sacred calling, ought to follow teaching and exhort- 
 ing as a calling, or so as to neglect that which is his pro- 
 per calling. Having the office of a teacher in the church 
 of God implies two things : 1. Being invested with the 
 authority of a teacher; and, 2. Being called to the htisi- 
 7iess of a teacher, to make it the business of his life. 
 
 Therefore the man that is not a minister, who takes 
 either of these upon him, invades the office of a minister. 
 Concerning assuming the authority of a minister I have 
 spoken already. But if a layman does not assume authority 
 in his teaching, yet if he forsakes his proper calling, or 
 does so at least in a great measure, and spends his time in 
 going about from house to house to counsel and exhort, 
 he goes beyond his line, and violates christian rules. Those 
 that have the office of teachers or exhorters, have it for 
 their calling, and should make it their business, as a bu- 
 siness proper to their office ; and none should make it 
 their business but such. Rom. 12 : 3-8, " For I say, 
 through the grace given unto me, to every man that is 
 among you, not to think of himself more highly than he 
 Ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God 
 hath dealt to every man the proportion of faith. For as we 
 
388 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 have many members in one body, and all members have 
 not the same office ; so w^e being many, are one body in 
 Christ. He that teacheth, let him wait on teaching, or 
 he that exhorteth, on exhortation." 1 Cor. 12 : 29, *' Are 
 all apostles 1 Are all prophets ] Are all teachers V* 1 
 Cor. 7 ; 20, ** Let every man abide in the same calling 
 wherein he was called." 1 Thes. 4 : 11, "And that ye 
 study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to 
 work with your own hands, as we commanded you." 
 
 It will be a very dangerous thing for laymen, in either 
 of these respects, to invade the office of a minister. If 
 this be common among us, we shall be in danger of hav- 
 ing a stop put to the word of God, and the ark's turning 
 aside from us before it comes to mount Zion, and of 
 God's making a breach upon us : as of old there was an 
 unhappy stop put to the joy of the congregation of 
 Israel in bringing up the ark of God, because others 
 carried it besides the Levites ; and therefore David, 
 when the error was found out, says, 1 Chron. 15 : 2, 
 " None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites 
 only ; for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the ark of 
 God, and to minister unto him for ever." And because 
 one presumed to touch the ark that was not of the sons 
 of Aaron, therefore the Lord made a breach upon 
 them, and covered their day of rejoicing with a cloud 
 in his anger. 
 
 Before I dismiss this head of lay exhorting, I would 
 notice three things relating to it, upon which there 
 ought to be a restraint. 
 
 1. Speaking in the time of the solemn worship of 
 God, as public prayer, singing, or preaching, or adminis- 
 tration of the holy supper ; or any duty of social wor- 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 389 
 
 ship : this should not be allowed. I know it will be said 
 that in some cases, when persons are exceedingly affect- 
 ed, they cannot help it ; and I believe so too : but then 
 I also believe, and know by experience, that there are 
 several things that contribute to that inability besides 
 merely and absolutely the sense of divine things they 
 have upon their hearts. Custom and example, or the 
 thing's being allowed, have such an influence, that they 
 actually help to make it impossible for persons under 
 strong aflections to avoid speaking. If it were disallow- 
 ed, and persons at the time that they were thus disposed 
 to break out, had the apprehension that it would be a 
 very unbecoming, shocking thing for them so to do, it 
 would be a help to them as to their ability to avoid it : 
 their inability arises from their strong and vehement dis- 
 position; and so far as that disposition is from a good 
 principle, it would be weakened by the coming in of this 
 thought to their minds, viz. " What I am going to do 
 will be for the dishonor of Christ and religion :" and so 
 that inward vehemence that pushed them forward to 
 speak, would fall, and they would be enabled to avoid 
 it. This experience confirms. 
 
 2. There ought to be a moderate restraint on the 
 loudness of persons talking under high affections ; for if 
 there be not, it will grow natural and unavoidable for 
 persons to be louder and louder, without any increase of 
 their inward sense ; until it becomes natural to them, at 
 last, to scream and halloo to almost every one they see 
 in the streets when they are much affected : but this is 
 certainly a thing very improper, and what has no ten- 
 dency to promote religion. The man Christ Jesus when 
 he was upon earth had doubtless as great a sense of the 
 
390 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 infinite greatness and importance of eternal things, and 
 the w^orth of souls, as any have at present ; but there is 
 not the least appearance in his history of his taking any 
 such course or manner of exhorting others. 
 
 3. There should also be some restraint on the abun- 
 dance of persons' talk, under strong affections ; for if 
 persons give themselves an unbounded liberty to talk 
 just so much as they feel an inclination to, they will in- 
 crease and abound more and more in talk beyond the 
 proportion of their sense or affection ; until at length it 
 will become ineffectual on those that hear them, and by 
 the commonness of their abundant talk they will defeat 
 their own end. 
 
 One thing more that I would notice before I conclude 
 this part, is the mismanagement in some places of the duty 
 of singing praises to God. I believe it to have been one 
 fruit of the extraordinary degrees of the sweet and joyful 
 influences of the Spirit of God which have been lately 
 given, that there has appeared such a disposition to 
 abound in that duty, and frequently to fall into this di- 
 vine exercise, not only in appointed solemn meetings, 
 but when christians occasionally meet together at each 
 other's houses. But the mismanagement I have respect 
 to, is the getting into a way of performing it almost with- 
 out any appearance of the reverence and solemnity with 
 which all visible, open acts of divine worship ought to be 
 attended : it may be two or three in a room singing 
 hymns of praise to God, others that are present talking 
 at the same time, others about their work, with little more 
 appearance of regard to what is doing than if some were 
 only singing a common song for their amusement and 
 diversion, There is danger, if such things are continued. 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED, 391 
 
 of its coming to that by degrees, that a mere nothing will 
 be made of this duty, to the great violation of the third 
 commandment. Let christians abound as much as they 
 will in this holy, heavenly exercise, in God's house and 
 in their own houses ; but when it is performed, let it be 
 performed as a holy act, wherein they have immediately 
 and visibly to do with God. When any social open act 
 of devotion, or solemn worship of God is performed, God 
 should be reverenced as visibly present, by those that 
 are present. As we would not have the ark of God de- 
 part from us, nor provoke God to make a breach upon 
 us, we should take heed that we handle the ark with 
 reverence. 
 
 With respect to companies singing in the streets, go- 
 ing to or coming from the place of public worship, I 
 would humbly offer my thoughts in the following par- 
 ticulars. 
 
 1. The rule of Christ concerning ^putting new wine into 
 old hottles does undoubtedly apply in things of this na- 
 ture, supposing it to be a thing that in itself is good, but 
 not essential, and not particularly enjoined or forbidden. 
 For things so very new and uncommon, and of so open 
 and public a nature, to be suddenly introduced and set 
 up and practised in many parts of the country, without 
 the matter's being so much as first proposed to any pub- 
 lic consideration, or giving any opportunity for the peo- 
 ple of God to weigh the matter, or to consider any rea- 
 sons that might be offered to support it, is putting new 
 wine into old bottles with a witness ; as if it were with 
 no other design than to burst them directly. Nothing else 
 can be expected to be the consequence of this, than up- 
 roar and confusion, and great offence, and unhappy mis- 
 
392 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 cliievous disputes even among the children of God them- 
 selves. 
 
 Not that that w^hich is good in itself, and is nev7, ought 
 to be forborne until there is nobody that will dislike it ; 
 but it ought to be forborne until the visible church of 
 God is so prepared for it, at least, that there is a proba- 
 bility that it will not do more hurt than good, or hinder 
 the work of God more than promote it ; as is most evi- 
 dent from Christ's rule and the apostles' practice. If it 
 be brought in, when the country is so unprepared that 
 the shock and surprise on persons' minds, and the con- 
 tention and prejudice against religion that it is like to be 
 an occasion of, will do more to hinder religion than the 
 practice of it is like to do to promote it, then the fruit is 
 picked before it is ripe. And indeed such a hasty en- 
 deavor to introduce such an innovation, supposing it to 
 be good in itself, is the likeliest way to retard the effectu- 
 al introduction of it : it will hinder its being extensive- 
 ly introduced much more than it will promote it, and 
 so will defeat its own end. But, 
 
 2. As to the thing itself, if a considerable part of a 
 congregation hare occasion to go in company together 
 to a place of public worship, and they should join togeth- 
 er in singing praises to God as they go, I confess that, 
 after long consideration, and endeavoring to view the 
 thing every way with the utmost diligence and impar- 
 tiality I am capable of, I cannot find any valid objection 
 against it. As to the common objection from Matt. 6 : 5, 
 "When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites 
 are ; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, 
 and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen 
 of men;" it is strong against a single person's singing in 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 393 
 
 the streets, or in the meeting-house, by himself, as offer- 
 ing to God personal worship?, but as it is brought against 
 a considerable company thus publicly worshipping God, 
 it appears to me to have no weight at all : surely, it is of 
 no more force against a company's thus praising God in 
 the streets, than against their praising him in the syna- 
 gogue or meeting-house, for the streets and the syna- 
 gogues are both put together in these words of our 
 Savior, as parallel in the case that he had respect to. It 
 is evident that Christ speaks of personal, and not public 
 worship. If to sing in the streets be ostentatious, then it 
 must be because it is a public place, and it cannot be 
 done there without being very open ; but it is no more 
 public than the synagogue or meeting-house is when full 
 of people. Some worship is in its nature private, as that 
 which is proper to particular persons, or families, or 
 jjrivate societies, and has respect to their particular con- 
 cerns : but that which I now speak of, is performed 
 under no other notion than a part of God's public wor- 
 ship, without any relation to any private, separate socie- 
 ty, or any chosen or picked number, and in which every 
 visible christian has equal liberty to join, if it be con- 
 venient for him, and he has a disposition, as in the wor- 
 ship that is performed in the meeting-house. 
 
 When persons are going to the house of public wor- 
 ship to serve God there with the assembly of his people, 
 they are upon no other design thaii that of putting public 
 honor upon God, that is the business they go from home 
 upon, and even in their walking the streets on this er- 
 rand they appear in a public act of respect to God ; and 
 therefore if they go in company with public praise, it is 
 not being public when they ought to be private. It is 
 17* 
 
394 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL, 
 
 one part of the beauty of public worship, that it be very 
 public ; the more public it is, the more open honor it 
 puts upon God; and especially is it beautiful in that part 
 of public w^orship, public praise : for the very notion of 
 public praising of God, is to declare abroad his glory, to 
 publish his praise, to make it known and proclaim it 
 aloud, as is evident by innumerable expressions of Scrip- 
 ture. It is fit that God's honor should not be concealed, 
 but made known in the great congregation, and pro- 
 claimed before the sun, and upon the house-tops, before 
 kings and all nations, and that his praises should be 
 heard to the utmost ends of the earth. 
 
 I suppose none will condemn singing God's praises, 
 merely because it is performed in the open air, and not in 
 a close place : and if it may be performed by a company 
 in the open air, doubtless they may do it moving as well 
 as standing still. So the children of Israel praised God, 
 when they went to mount Zion with the ark of God ; 
 and so the multitude praised Christ, when they entered 
 with him into Jerusalem a little before his passion; and 
 so the children of Israel were wont, from year to year, to 
 go up to Jerusalem, when they went in companies, from 
 all parts of the land, three times in the year, when they 
 often used to manifest the engagedness of their minds 
 by travelling all night, and manifested their joy and glad- 
 ness by singing praises, with great decency and beauty, 
 as they went towards God's holy mountain ; as is evident 
 by Isa. 30 : 29 : " Ye shall have a song, as in the night, 
 when a holy solemnity is kept, and gladness of heart ; as 
 when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain 
 of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel ;" and Psalm 42 : 
 4, " When I remember these things I pour out my soul 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 395 
 
 in me ; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with 
 them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and 
 praise, with a multitude that kept holy day;" and Psalm 
 100 : 4, " Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and 
 into his courts with praise." 
 
 When God's people are going to his house, the occa- 
 sion is so joyful to a christian in a lively frame (the lan- 
 guage of whose heart is. Come, let us go up to the house 
 of the Lord, and who is glad when it is so said to him,) 
 tliat the duty of singing praises seems to be peculiarly 
 beautiful on such an occasion. So that if the state of the 
 country was ripe for it, and it should be so that there 
 should be frequent occasion for a considerable part of the 
 congregation to go together to the places of public wor- 
 ship, and there was in other respects a proportionable 
 appearance of fervency of devotion, it appears to me that 
 it would be ravishingly beautiful if such things were prac- 
 tised all over the land, and would have a great tendency 
 to enliven, animate and rejoice the souls of God's saints, 
 and greatly to propagate vital religion. I believe the time 
 is coming when the world will be full of such things. 
 
 3. It seems to me to be requisite that there should be 
 the consent of the governing part of the worshipping so- 
 cieties to which persons have joined themselves, and of 
 which they own themselves a part, in order to the intro- 
 ducing of things in public worship, so new and uncom- 
 mon, and not essential, nor partigularly commanded, into 
 the places where those worshipping societies belong : the 
 peace and union of such societies seem to require it. See- 
 ing they have voluntarily united themselves to these wor- 
 shipping societies, to the end that they might be one in 
 the aifairs of God's public worship, and oblige themselves 
 
396 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 in covenant to act as brethren and mutual assistants and 
 members of one body in those affairs, and all are hereby 
 naturally and necessarily led to be concerned with one 
 another in matters of religion and God's worship ; and 
 seeing that this is a part of the public worship, and wor- 
 ship that must be performed from time to time in the 
 view of the whole, being performed at a time when they 
 are meeting together for mutual assistance in worship, 
 and is therefore what all must unavoidably be in some 
 measure concerned in, so at least as to show their appro- 
 bation and consent, or open dislike and separation from 
 them in it : I say, it being thus, charity and a regard to 
 the union and peace of such societies seems to require a 
 consent of the governing part, in order to the introducing 
 of any thing of this nature ; (unless they think those so- 
 cieties unworthy that they should be joined to them any 
 longer, and so first renounce them, as the worshipping 
 societies of which they are members.) Certainly if we are 
 of the spirit of the apostle Paul, and have his discretion, 
 we sliall not set up any such practice without it : he, for 
 the sake of peace, conformed, in things wherein he was 
 not particularly forbidden, to the Jews, when among 
 them; and so, when among those that were without the 
 law, conformed to them wherein he might. To be sure, 
 those go much beyond proper limits, who, coming from 
 abroad, do immediately of their own heads, in a strange 
 place, set up such a new and uncommon practice among 
 a people. 
 
 In introducing any thing of this nature among a people, 
 their minister especially ought to be consulted and his 
 voice taken, as long as he is owned for their minister. 
 Ministers are pastors of worshipping societies, and their 
 
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED. 397 
 
 heads and guides in the affairs of public worship. They 
 are called in Scripture iliose that rule over them, and their 
 people are commanded to ohey them, because they ivatch 
 for their souls as those that must give account. If it belongs 
 to these shepherds and rulers to direct and guide the 
 flock in any thing at all, it belongs to them so to do in the 
 circumstantials of their public worship. 
 
 Thus I have taken particular notice of many of those 
 things that have appeared to me to be amiss in the man- 
 agement of our religious concerns relating to the pre- 
 sent revival of religion, and have taken liberty freely to 
 express my thoughts upon them. Upon the whole it ap- 
 pears manifest to me that things have as yet never been 
 set a going in their right channel ; if they had, and means 
 had been blessed in proportion as they have been now, 
 this work would have so prevailed as before this time to 
 have carried all before it, and have triumphed over New 
 England as its conquest. 
 
 The devil, in driving things to these extremes, besides 
 the present hinderance of the work of God, has, I believe, 
 had in view a twofold mischief hereafter in the issue of 
 things. One with respect to those that are more cold in 
 religion, to carry things to such an extreme that people 
 in general, at length having their eyes opened by the 
 great excess, and seeing that things must needs be wrong, 
 he might take the advantage to tempt them entirely to 
 reject the whole work, as being all nothing but delusion 
 and distraction. And another is with respect to those of 
 God's own children that have been very warm and zea- 
 lous, and have been out of the way, to sink them down in 
 unbelief and darkness. The time is coming, I doubt not, 
 when the greater part of them will be convinced of their 
 
398 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 errors, and then probably the devil will take advantage 
 to lead them into a dreadful w^ilderness, and to puzzle 
 and confound them about their own experiences and the 
 experiences of others ; and to make them doubt of many 
 things they ought not to doubt of, and even to tempt them 
 with atheistical thoughts. I believe if all true christians 
 all over the land should now at once have their eyes 
 opened fully to see all their errors, it would seem for 
 the present to damp religion : the dark thoughts that it 
 would at first be an occasion of, and the inward doubts, 
 difficulties and conflicts that would rise in their souls, 
 would deaden their lively affections and joys, and would 
 cause an appearance of a present decay of religion. But 
 yet it would do God's saints great good in their latter 
 end ; it would fit them for more spiritual and excellent 
 experiences, more humble and heavenly love and unmix- 
 ed joys, and would greatly tend to a more powerful, ex- 
 tensive, and durable prevalence of vital piety. 
 
 I do not know but we shall be in danger by and by, 
 after our eyes are fully opened to see our errors, to go 
 to contrary extremes. The devil has driven the pendu- 
 lum far beyond its proper point of rest ; and when he has 
 carried it to the utmost length that he can, and it begins 
 by its own weight to swing back, he probably will set in 
 and drive it with the utmost fury the other way, and so 
 give us no rest ; and if possible prevent our settling in a 
 proper medium. What a poor, blind, weak and misera- 
 ble creature is man at his best estate ! We are like poor 
 helpless sheep ; the devil is too subtle for us. What is our 
 strength ! What is our wisdom ! How ready are we to 
 go astray ! How easily are we drawn aside into innume- 
 rable snares, while we in the mean time u.e bold and con- 
 
HOW IT SHOULD Bfi PROMOTED. 399 
 
 fident, and doubt not but that we are right and safe ! We 
 are foolish sheep in the midst of subtle serpents and cruel 
 wolves, and do not know it. Oh ! how unfit are we to be 
 left to ourselves ! and how much do we need the wisdom, 
 the power, the condescension, patience, forgiveness and 
 gentleness of our good Shepherd ! 
 
 PART V. 
 
 SHOWING POSITIVELY WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE TO PRO- 
 MOTE THIS WORK. 
 
 In considering 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 show 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 inquiry. 
 
 1. StuinbUng-hlocks or hinderances should he removed. 
 
 And that which I think we ought to set ourselves 
 
400 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 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 w^orld, this is proclaimed, 
 " Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the 
 desert a highway for our God," Isa. 40 : 3 ; and again, 
 Isa. 51 : 14, '* Cast ye up, cast ye up ; prepare the way ; 
 take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my peo- 
 ple;" and chap. 62 : 10, "Go through, go through the 
 gates ; prepare ye the way of the people : cast up, cast 
 up the highway; 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 mor- 
 tifying to the pride of man ; but it must be clone. Re- 
 pentance of faults is, in a peculiar manner, a proper duty, 
 when the kingdom of heaven is at hand, or when we es- 
 pecially expect or desire that it should come ; as appears 
 by John the Baptist's preaching. And if God does now 
 loudly call upon us to repent, then he also calls upon us 
 to make proper manifestations of our repentance. 
 
 I am persuaded that those that have openly opposed this 
 work, or have from time to time spoken lightly of it, 
 cannot be excused in the sight of God without openly 
 confessing their fault therein ; especially if they be mi- 
 nisters. If they have any v/ay, either directly or indi- 
 rectly, opposed the work, or have so behaved, in their 
 public performances or private conversation as has pre- 
 judiced the minds of their people against the work, if 
 hereafter they shall be convinced of the goodness and 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 401 
 
 divinity of what they have opposed, they ought by no 
 means to palliate the matter and excuse themselves, and 
 pretend that they always thought so, and that it was only 
 such and such imprudences that they objected against ; 
 but they ought openly to declare their conviction, and 
 condemn themselves for what they have done ; for it is 
 Christ that they have spoken against, in speaking lightly 
 of, and prejudicing others against this work ; yea, worse 
 than that, it is the Holy Ghost. And though they have 
 done it ignorantly and in unbelief, yet when they find 
 out who it is that they have opposed, undoubtedly God 
 will hold them bound publicly to confess it. 
 
 And on the other hand, if those that have been zealous 
 to promote the work have, in any of the forementioned 
 instances, openly gone much out of the way, and done 
 that which is contrary to christian rules, whereby they 
 have openly injured others or greatly violated good or- 
 der, and so done that which has wounded religion, they 
 must publicly confess it, and humble themselves, as they 
 would gather out the stones and prepare the way of 
 God's people. They who have laid great stumbling- 
 blocks in others' way by their open transgression, are 
 bound to remove them by their open rcpefttance. 
 
 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 re- 
 ligion. And indeed, to the shame of some, they have 
 taken advantage by such things ; as of the good spirit 
 that Mr. Whitefield showed in his retractions, and so of 
 some others. But if there are some imbittered enemies 
 of religion that stand ready to improve every thing to 
 its disadvantage, yet that ought not to hinder doing an 
 
402 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 enjoined christian duty ; though it be in the manifesta- 
 tion of humiUty 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 conse- 
 quence is much greater on the other side : to commit sin, 
 and then stand in it, is what w^ill give the enemy the 
 greatest advantage. For christians to act like christians, 
 in openly humbling themselves w^hen they have openly 
 offended, in the end brings the gi^eatest honor to Christ 
 and religion; and in this w^ay are persons most likely to 
 have God appear for them. 
 
 Again, at such a day as this, God especially calls his 
 people to the exercise of extraordinary meekness and mu- 
 tual forbearance ; for at such a time Christ appears as it 
 were coming in his kingdom, which calls for great mode- 
 ration in our behavior 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 ma- 
 jesty 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 bit- 
 terness one towards another, when He who is the search- 
 er of all hearts, to whom we must all give an account, 
 appears so remarkably present, is exceedingly unsuitable. 
 Our business at such a time should be at home, search- 
 ing ourselves, and condemning ourselves, and taking heed 
 to our own behavior. If there be glorious prosperity to the 
 church of God approaching, those that are the most meek 
 will have the largest share in it ; for when Christ " rides 
 forth in his glory and majesty," it is "because of truth, 
 meekness, and righteousness," Psal. 45 : 3, 4. And when 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 403 
 
 God remarkably arises to execute judgment, it is ** to save 
 all the meek of the earth," Psalm 76 : 9. And it is '* the 
 meek " that " shall increase their joy in the Lord," Isaiah, 
 29 : 19. And when the time comes that God will give 
 this lower world into the hands of his saints, it is " the 
 meek" that " shall inherit the earth," Psalm 37 : 11, and 
 Matt. 5:9," but with the froward, God will show him- 
 self unsavory." 
 
 Those, therefore, that have been zealous for this work, 
 and have greatly erred and been injurious with their zeal, 
 ought not to be treated with bitterness. There is abun- 
 dant reason to think that most of them are the dear chil- 
 dren 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 them 
 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 indig- 
 nation towards them, but should influence all of us that 
 hope that we are the children of God, to humble ourselves, 
 and become more entirely dependent on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, when we see those that are God's own people 
 so ready to go astray. And those ministers that have 
 been judged, and injuriously dealt with, will do the part 
 of Christ's disciples not to judge and revile again, but 
 to receive such injuries with meekness and forbearance, 
 making a good improvement of them, more strictly ex- 
 amining their hearts and ways, and committing them- 
 selves to God. This will be the way to have God vindi- 
 cate them in his providence, if they belong to him. We 
 have not yet seen the end of things ; nor do we know 
 who will be most vindicated and honored of God in the 
 
404 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 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 stig- 
 matizing 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 espe- 
 cially require of us the exercise of a great deal of for- 
 bearance one towards another ; so there is peculiarly re- 
 quisite in God's people the exercise of great 'patience in 
 waiting on God, under any special difficulties and disad- 
 vantages they may be under as to the means of grace. 
 The beginning of a revival of religion will naturally and 
 necessarily be attended with a great many difficulties of 
 this nature ; many parts of the reviving church will, for a 
 while, be under great disadvantages by reason of what 
 remains of the old disease, of a general corruption of the 
 visible church. We cannot expect that, after a long time 
 of degeneracy and depravity in the state of things in the 
 church, things should all come to be right 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 them- 
 selves by breaches and separations, is the way to hinder 
 things coming right as they otherwise would, and to keep 
 them 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 that God's 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 405 
 
 people cannot continue in the state wherein they were 
 without violating the absolute commands of God. But 
 otherwise, though the difficulty may be very great, an- 
 other course should be taken. God's people should have 
 their recourse directly to the throne of grace, to repre- 
 sent 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 betray their want of faith, and will dis- 
 honor God, and cannot have such reason to hope that 
 Christ will appear for them as they have desired, but 
 have reason to fear that he will leave them to manage 
 their affairs for themselves as well as they can : when 
 otherwise, if they had waited on Christ patiently, con- 
 tinuing 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 it is for those 
 that are found patiently waiting on the Lord, under diffi- 
 culties, that he will especially appear, when he comes to 
 do great things for his church, as is evident by Isaiah, 
 30 : IS, and chap. 40, at the latter end, and 49 : 23, and 
 Psalm 37 : 9, and many other places. 
 
 I have somewhere, not long since, met with an expo- 
 sition 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 until he please," which is the only satisfying ex- 
 position I have met, and to this purpose : that when the 
 church of God is under great difficulties, and in distress, 
 
406 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 and Christ does not appear for her help, but seems to 
 neglect her, as though he were asleep, God's people, or 
 the daughters of Jerusalem, in such a case should not 
 show a hasty spirit; and without patience to wait for 
 Christ to awake for their help until his time comes, take 
 indirect courses for their own deliverance, and use vio- 
 lent means for their escape before Christ appears to open 
 the door for them ; and so, as it were, stir up and awake 
 Christ before his time. When the church is in distress, 
 and God seems not to appear for her in his providence, 
 he is very often represented in Scripture as being asleep ; 
 as Christ was asleep in the ship when the disciples were 
 tossed by the storm and the ship covered with waves : 
 and God's appearing afterwards for his people's help is 
 represented as his awaking out of sleep. Psalm 7 : 6, and 
 35 : 23, and 44 : 23, and 59 : 4, and 63 : 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 impa- 
 tient fit, stir him up before his time. 
 
 It is worthy to be observed how strictly this charge is 
 given to the daughters of Jerusalem, which is repeated 
 three times in the book of Canticles, chap. 2 : 7, and 3 : 5, 
 and 8:4. In the second chapter and first six verses is 
 represented the supports Christ gives his church while 
 she is in a suffering state, as the lily among thorns. In the 
 seventh 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 until he please, hy 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, do not fight 
 with their enemies, but fly from them, and are of a plea- 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 407 
 
 sant, loving nature. Prov. 5 : 19. In the next verse v^^e 
 see the church's success in this way of waiting under 
 sufferings, with meekness and patience : Christ soon 
 awakes, speedily appears, and swiftly comes ; the voice of 
 my heloved ! 'Behold, he cometh, leaping tipon the mountains^ 
 skipping upon the hills ! 
 
 2. Things that must he done more directly to advance 
 the work. 
 
 What has been mentioned hitherto has relation to the 
 behavior we are obliged to, as we would prevent the hin- 
 derance of the work ; but besides these, there are things 
 that must be done more directly 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 pro- 
 moted in his own soul. Now is a most glorious opportu- 
 nity for the good of souls. It is manifestly with respect 
 to a time of the great revival of religion in the world 
 that we have that gracious, earnest, and moving invitation 
 proclaimed in the 55th of Isaiah. Ho, every one that 
 thirsteth ! &c. as is evident by what precedes in the fore- 
 going chapter, and what follows in this. Here in the 6th 
 verse it is said, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be 
 found ; call ye upon him while he is near." And it is 
 with special reference to such a time that Christ pro- 
 claims 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, " 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 freelv." And it seems to be with reference to such 
 
408 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 a time, w^liich is typified by the feast of tahernacles, that 
 Jesus at that feast stood and cried, as we have an account, 
 John, 7 ; 37, 38, " In the last day, that great day of the 
 feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let 
 him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, 
 out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." And it is 
 with special reference to God's freeness and readiness to 
 bestow grace at such a time, that it is said in Isaiah, 60 : 11, 
 of the spiritual Jerusalem, Thy gates shall be open con- 
 tinually, they shall not he shut day nor night. 
 
 And though I judge not those that have opposed this 
 work, and would not have others judge them, yet, if any 
 such shall happen to read this treatise, I would take the- 
 liberty to entreat them to leave off concerning themselves 
 so much about others, and look into their own souls, and 
 see to it that they are the subjects of a true, saving work 
 of the Spirit of God. If they have reason to think they 
 never have been, or it be but a very doubtful hope that 
 they have, then how can they have any heart to be busily 
 and fiercely engaged about the mistakes and the sup- 
 posed false hopes of others 1 And I would now beseech 
 those that have hitherto been inclining to doubt the reali- 
 ty of any such work of grace, seriously to weigh the mat- 
 ter 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 pai?t of this treatise must not be, as 
 to the substance of it, the work of God, and the flourish- 
 ing of that religion that is taught by Christ and his apos- 
 tles ; and whether any good medium can be found where 
 a man can rest, with any stability, between owning this 
 work and being a deist j and also to consider whether, 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 409 
 
 if it be indeed so that, tin's be tbe worl< of God, it does not 
 entirely overthrow their scheme of religion; and therefore 
 whether it does not infinitely concern them, as they would 
 be partakers of eternal salvation, to relinquish their 
 scheme. Now is a good time for them to change their prin- 
 ciples. I would now, as one of the friends of this work, 
 humbly invite them 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, Numb. 10 : 29, " We are 
 journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, 1 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 great ; so the danger of neglecting and 
 misimproving it is proportionably great. It is abundantly 
 evident by the Scriptures, that as a time of the great out- 
 pouring of the Spirit is a time of great favor to those 
 that are partakers of the blessing ; so it is always a time 
 of remarkable vengeance to others. So in Isa. 61 : 2, the 
 same that is called the acceptable year of the Lord, is call- 
 ed 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, Luke, 21 : 22, " These are the days of vengeance." 
 At the same time that the blessings of the kingdom of 
 heaven were given to some, there was an axe laid at the 
 root of the trees, that those that did not bear fruit might 
 be hewn down and cast into the fire. Matt. 3 : 9, 10, 11. 
 Then was glorified both the goodness and severity of 
 God in a remarkable manner. Rom. 11 : 22. The har- 
 vest and the vintage go together : at the same time that 
 
 Rev. of Rcl. 3 g 
 
410 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 the earth is reaper!, and God's elect are gathered into the 
 gamer of God, the angel that has povrer over fire thrusts 
 in his sickle and gathers the clusters of the vine of the 
 earth, and casts them into the great v\^ine-press of the 
 v^rath of God, Rev. 14 : 18, 19. 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 be 
 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 bum as an oven to the wicked, Mai. 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 the 
 pouring out of the Spirit, and the fruits of divine mercy, 
 is evermore also a time of the great outpouring of some- 
 thing else, namely, divine vengeance on those that ne- 
 glect and raisimprove such a season. 
 
 The state of the present revival of religion has an 
 awful aspect in respect to those that are advanced in 
 years. The work has been chiefly amongst those that 
 are young ; and comparatively but a few others have 
 been made partakers of it. And indeed it has commonly 
 been so when God has begun any great work for the re- 
 vival of his church ; he has taken the young people, and 
 has cast off* the old and stiff'-necked generation. There 
 was a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit of God on the 
 children of Israel in the wilderness, on the vounefer sren- 
 eration, their little ones, that they said, shonld be a prey, the 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 411 
 
 generation that entered into Canaan with Joshua ; which 
 is evident by many things in Scripture. 
 
 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 evil spoken in Scripture ; as might be shown. In 
 that generation, that were under twenty years when they 
 went out of Egypt, was that M7tdness of youth and love 
 of espousals spoken of, Jer. 2 ; 2, 3. But the old genera- 
 tion were passed by and remained obstinate and stiff- 
 necked, were always murmuring, and would not be con- 
 vinced by all God's wondrous works that they beheld. 
 God, by his awful judgments that he executed in the wil- 
 derness, and the affliction that the people suffered there, 
 convinced and humbled the younger generation, and fittpd 
 them for great mercy; as is evident by Deut. 2 : 16 ; but 
 he destroyed the old generation ; lie sivore in his tvrath 
 that they should not enter info his rest, and their carcasses 
 fell in the unlderness. When it was a time of great mer- 
 cy and the pouring out of God's Spirit on their children, 
 it was remarkably a day of vengeance unto them, as ap- 
 pears by the 90th Psalm. 
 
 Let the old generation in this land take warning from 
 hence, and take heed that they do not refuse to be con- 
 vinced by all God's wonders that he works before their 
 eyes, and that they do not continue for ever objecting, mur- 
 muring and cavilling against the work of God, lest, while 
 God is bringing their children into a land flowing with 
 milk and honey, he should swear in his wrath concerning 
 them, that their carcasses shall fall in the wilderness. 
 
 So when God had a design of great mercy to the 
 Jews, in bringing them out of the Babylonish captivity 
 
412 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 and returning them to their own land, there was a blessed 
 outpouring of the Spirit upon them in Babylon, to bring 
 them 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 ob- 
 stinate, 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. There- 
 fore, I am full of the fury of the Lord ; I am weary with 
 holding in ; I will pour it out upon the children abroad, 
 and upon the assembly of the young men together ; for 
 even the husband with the wife (i. e. the heads of fami- 
 lies and parents of these children) shall be taken, the 
 aged with him that is full of days." 
 
 Blessed be God ! there are some of the elder people 
 that have been made partakers of this work ; and those 
 that are most awakened by these warnings of God's 
 word, and the awful frown 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. 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 413 
 
 3. Duties of ministers, cmd of men of ivfluence and wealthy 
 ifi advancing this zvork. 
 But above all others whatsoever does it concern us 
 that are ministers to see to it that w^e are partakers of 
 this work, or that we have experience of the saving ope- 
 rations 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 con- 
 gregation 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 con- 
 verted, and many of God's saints are filled with divine 
 light, love and joy, and to undertake to instruct and lead 
 them all, under all these various circumstances, and to be 
 constrained continually to play the hypocrite and force 
 the airs of a saint in preaching ; and from time to time 
 in private conversation, and particular dealing with souls, 
 to undertake to judge of their circumstances, to try to 
 talk with those that come to him, as if he knew what they 
 said ; to try to talk with persons of experience, as if he 
 knew how to converse with them, and had experience as 
 well as they ; to make others believe that he rejoices when 
 others are converted, and to force a pleased and joyful 
 countenance and manner of speech when there is nothing 
 in the heart, what sorrowful work is here ! Oh ! how mise- 
 rably 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 the displeasure of his Lord and Master 
 that he incurs by continuing a secret enemy to him in his 
 
414 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 heart in such circumstances. I think there is a gi-eat 
 deal of reason from the Scripture to conclude that no 
 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 classes, may he more guilty than some of these. 
 And what great disadvantages are unconverted minis- 
 ters 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 them- 
 selves that they have no zeal at all ! If enthusiasm or 
 wildness comes in like a flood, what poor, weak instru- 
 ments are such ministers to withstand it ! With what 
 courage can they open their mouths when they look .in- 
 ward and consider how it is with them ! 
 y- We that are ministers not only have need of some true 
 
 experience of the saving influence of the Spirit of God 
 upon our hearts, but we need a double portion of the Spirit 
 of God at such a time as this : we had need to be as full 
 of light as a glass is that is held out in the sun; and with 
 respect to love and zeal, we had need at this day to be 
 like the angels that are a flame of fire. The state of the 
 times extremely requires a fulness of the divine Spirit in 
 ministers, and we ought to give ourselves no rest until 
 we have obtained it. And in order to this, I should think 
 ministers, above all persons, otight to be much in secret 
 prayer and fasting, and also much in praying and fasting 
 one with another. It seems to me it would be becoming 
 the circumstances of the present day, if ministers in a 
 neighborhood would often meet together and spend days 
 in fasting and fervent prayer among themselves, ear- 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 415 
 
 nestly seeking for those extraordinary supplies of divine 
 gi'ace from heaven that vv^e need at this day : and also, 
 if on their occasional visits one to another, instead of 
 spending their time in sitting and smoking, and in di- 
 verting, or worldly, unprofitable conversation, telling 
 news, and making their remarks on this and the other 
 trifling subject, they would spend their time in praying 
 together, and singing praises, and religious conference. 
 How much do many of the common people shame many 
 of us that are in the work of the ministry, in these 
 respects 1 Surely we do not behave ourselves so much 
 like christian ministers and the disciples and ambas- 
 sadors of Christ as we ought to do. And while we con- 
 demn zealous persons for their doing so much at cen- 
 suring ministers at this day, it ought not to be without 
 deep reflections upon and great condemnation of our- 
 selves ; for indeed we do very much to provoke censo- 
 riousness, and lay a great temptation before others to 
 the sin of judging; and if we can prove that those that 
 are guilty of it do transgress the Scripture rule, yet our 
 indignation should be chiefly against ourselves. 
 
 Ministers at this day in a special manner should act as 
 Jellow-helpers in their gi'eat work. It should be seen that 
 they are animated and engaged, and exert themselves 
 with one heart and soul, and with united strength, to 
 promote the present glorious revival of religion : and to 
 that end they should often meet together and act in con- 
 cert. And if it were a common thing in the country for 
 ministers to join in public exercises, and second one 
 another in their preaching, I believe it would be of great 
 service. I mean that ministers, having consulted one 
 another as to the subjects of their discourses before 
 
416 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 they go to the house of God, should there speak (two or 
 three of them) in short discourses, as seconding each 
 other, and earnestly enforcing each other's warnings and 
 counsels. Only such an appearance of united zeal in 
 ministers would have a great tendency to awaken atten- 
 tion, an.d much to impress and animate the hearers, as 
 has been found by experience in some parts of the 
 country. 
 
 Ministers should carefully avoid weakening one ano- 
 ther's hands ; and therefore every thing should be avoid- 
 ed by which their interest with their people might be 
 diminished, or their union with them broken. On the 
 contrary, if ministers have not forfeited their acceptance 
 in that character in the visible church by their doctrine 
 or behavior, their brethren in the ministry ought stu- 
 diously to endeavor to heighten the esteem and affection 
 of their people towards them, that they may have no 
 temptation to repent their admitting other ministers to 
 come and preach in their pulpits. 
 
 Two things that are exceedingly needful in ministers, 
 as they would do much to advance the kingdom of Christ, 
 are zeal and resolution. The influence and power of these 
 things to bring to pass great effects, is gi'eater than can 
 well be imagined : a man of but an ordinary capacity 
 will do more with them than one of ten times the parts 
 and learning without them : more may be done with 
 them in a few days, or at least weeks, than can be done 
 without them in many years. Those that are possessed 
 of these qualities commonly carry the day in almost all 
 affairs. Most of the great things that have been done in 
 the world of mankind, the great revolutions that have 
 been gxcomplished in the kingdoms and empires of the 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 417 
 
 eartli, have been chiefly owing to these things. The very 
 sight or appearance of a thoroughly engaged spirit, to- 
 gether with fearless courage and unyielding resolution, 
 in any person that has undertaken the managing of any 
 affair amongst mankind, goes a great way towards ac' 
 complishing the effect aimed at. It is 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 Cromwell did, owing to these things ! 
 And the greater things that Mr. "Whitefield has done 
 every where, as he has run through the British domi- 
 nions (so far as they are owing to means,) are very much 
 owing to the appearance of these things which he is 
 eminently possessed of. When the people see these 
 things apparently in a person, and to a great degree, it 
 awes them, and has a commanding influence upon their 
 minds ; it seems to them that they must yield ; they na- 
 turally fall before them, without standing to contest or 
 dispute the matter ; they are conquered as it were by 
 surprise. But while we are cold and heartless, and only 
 go on in a dull manner, in an old formal round, we shall 
 never do any great good. 
 
 Our feeble attempts, the appearance of such coldness 
 and irresolution, will not so much as make persons think 
 of yielding ; they will hardly be sufficient to put it into 
 their minds ; and if it be put in their minds, the appear- 
 ance of such indifference and cowardice does as it were 
 call for and provoke opposition. Our misery is want 
 of zeal and courage ; for not only through want of them 
 does all fail that we seem to attempt, but it prevents our 
 attempting any thing very remarkable for the kingdom 
 18* 
 
418 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL 
 
 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 public good, 
 many difficulties are found out that are in the way, and 
 a great many objections are started, and it may be it is 
 put off from one to another; but nobody does any thing. 
 After this manner good designs or proposals have often- 
 times failed, and have sunk as soon as proposed. Where- 
 as if we had but Mr. Whitefield's zeal and courage, what 
 could not we do, with such a blessing as we might 
 expect ] 
 
 Zeal and courage will do much in persons of but an 
 ordinary capacity; but especially would they do great 
 things if joined with gi'eat abilities. If some great men 
 that have appeared in our nation had been as eminent 
 in divinity as they were in philosophy, and had engaged 
 in the christian cause with as much zeal and fervor as 
 some others have done, and \yiih. a proportionable bless- 
 ing of heaven, they would have conquered all Christen- 
 dom, and turned the world upside down. "We have 
 many ministers in the land that do not want for abil- 
 ities, they are persons of bright parts and learning ; they 
 should consider how much is expected and will be re- 
 quired of them by their Lord and Master, and how much 
 they might do for Christ, and what great honor, and how 
 glorious a reward they might receive, if they had in 
 theii* hearts a heavenly warmth and divine heat propor- 
 tionable to their light. 
 
 With respect to candidates Jo?- the mbiistnj, I will not 
 undertake particularly to determine what kind of exam- 
 ination or trial they should pass under, in order to their 
 admission to that sacred work : but I think this is evi^ 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PRGIVIOTED. 419 
 
 dent from the Scripture, that another sort of trial, with 
 regard to their virtue and piety, is requisite, than is re- 
 quired in order to persons being admitted into the visible 
 church. The apostle directs that hands he laid suddenly 
 on no man ; but that they should^r*^ he tried before they 
 are admitted to the work of the ministry : but it is evi- 
 dent that persons were suddenly admitted, by baptism, 
 into the visible church, from time to time, on their pro- 
 fession of their faith in Christ, without such caution and 
 strictness in their probation. And it seems to me, those 
 would act very unadvisedly that should enter on this 
 great and sacred work before they had comfortable sat- 
 isfaction concerning themselves that they have had a 
 saving v/ork of God on their souls. 
 
 And though it may be thought that I go out of my pro- 
 per sphere to intermeddle in the affairs of the colleges^ 
 yet I will take the liberty of an Englishman (that speaks 
 his mind freely concerning public affairs) and the liberty 
 of a minister of Christ (who doubtless may speak his 
 mind as freely about things that concern the kingdom of 
 his Lord and INI aster) to give ray opinion in some things 
 with respect to those societies or institutions ; the origin- 
 al and main design of which is to train up persons and 
 fit them for the work oi the ministry. And I would say 
 in general, that it appears to me that care should be 
 taken, some way or other, that those societies should be 
 so regulated that they should, in fact, be nurseries of 
 piety : otherwise, they are fundamentally ruined and 
 undone, as to their main design and most essential end. 
 They ought to be so constituted that vice and idleness 
 should have no living there : they are intolerable in so- 
 cieties whose main design is to train up youth in chris- 
 
420 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 tian knowledge and eminent piety, to fit them to be pas- 
 tors of the flock of the blessed Jesus. 
 
 I have heretofore had some acquaintance with the af- 
 fairs of a college, and experience of what belonged to its 
 tuition and government ; and I cannot but think that it is 
 practicable enough so to constitute such societies that 
 there should be no being there without being virtuous, 
 serious, and diligent. It seems to me to be a reproach 
 to the land that ever it should be so with our colleges, 
 that instead of being places of the greatest advantages 
 for true piety, one -cannot send a child thither without 
 great danger of his being infected, as to his morals ; as it 
 has certainly sometimes been with these societies : it is 
 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 socie- 
 ties for bringing persons up to be ambassadors of Jesus 
 Christ, and to lead souls to heaven, and to have them 
 places of so much infection, is the greatest absurdity 
 imaginable. 
 
 And, as thorough and effectual care should be taken 
 that vice and idleness are not tolerated in these societies, 
 so certainly the design of them requires that extraordi- 
 nary means should be used in them, for training up the 
 students in vital religion and experimental and practical 
 godliness ; so that they should be holy societies, the very 
 place should be as it were sacred ; they should be, in 
 the midst of the land, fountains of piety and holiness. 
 There is a great deal of pains taken to teach the scholars 
 human learning : there ought to be as much, and more 
 
HOW IT SHOtlLD BE PROMOTED. 421 
 
 care, thoroughly to educate them in religion, and lead 
 them to true and eminent holiness. If the main design 
 of these nurseries is to bring up persons to teach Christ, 
 then it is of the greatest importance that there should be 
 care and pains taken to bring those that are there edu- 
 cated, to the knowledge of Christ. It has been common 
 in our public prayers to call these societies the schools 
 of the prophets; and if they are schools to train up young 
 men to be prophets, certainly there ought to be extra- 
 ordinary care taken to train them up to be christians. 
 
 And I cannot see why it is not on all accounts fit and 
 convenient for the governors and instructors of the col- 
 leges, particularly, singly and frequently to converse 
 with the students about the state of their souls ; as is the 
 practice of the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, one of the most 
 noted of the present dissenting ministers in England, 
 who keeps an academy at -Northampton, as he himself 
 informs the Rev. Mr. Wadsworth, of Hartford, in Connec- 
 ticut, in a letter dated at Northampton, March 6, 1741. 
 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 : 
 
 " Through the Divine goodness, I have every year the 
 pleasure to see some plants taken out of my nursery and 
 set in neighboring congregations ; where they generally 
 settle with a unanimous consent, and that to a very re- 
 markable degree, in some very' large and once-divided 
 congregations : a circumstance in which I own and 
 adore the hand of a wise and gracious God ; and cannot 
 but look upon it as a token for good. I have at present 
 a greater proportion of pious and ingenious youth under 
 my care than I ever before had. So that I hope the 
 
422 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 church may reasonably expect some considerable relief 
 from hence, if God spare their lives a few years, and con- 
 tinue 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 acade- 
 mical education : only would observe that I think it of 
 vast importance to instruct them carefully in the Scrip- 
 tures ; and not only endeavor to establish them in the 
 great truths of Christianity, but to labor to promote their 
 practical influence on their hearts. For which purpose 
 I frequently converse with each of them alone, and con- 
 clude the conversation with prayer. This does indeed 
 take up a great deal of time ; but I bless God it is am- 
 ply repaid in the pleasure I have in seeing my labor is 
 not in vain in the Lord." 
 
 There are some that are not ministers, nor are concern- 
 ed immediately in those things that appertain to their 
 office, or in the education of persons for it, that are under 
 great advantages to promote such a glorious work as this. 
 Some laymen,, though it be not their business publicly 
 to exhort and teach, yet are, in some respects, under 
 greater advantage to encourage and forward this work 
 than ministers. As particularly men that are high in 
 honor and influence. How much might such do to en- 
 courage religion, and open the way for it to have free 
 course, and bear down opposition, if they were but in- 
 clined ! There is commonly a certain unhappy shyness 
 in great men, with respect to religion, as though they 
 were ashamed of it, or at least ashamed to do very much 
 for it ; whereby they dishonor and doubtless greatly pro- 
 voke the King of kings, and very much wound religion 
 among the common people. They are careful of their 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 423 
 
 honor, and seem to be afraid of appearing openly for- 
 ward and zealous in religion, as though it were what 
 would debase their character and expose them to con- 
 tempt. But in this day of bringing up the ark they ought 
 to be like David, that great king of Israel, who made 
 himself vile before the ark ; and as he was the highest in 
 honor and dignity among God's people, so he thought it 
 became him to appear foremost in the zeal and activity 
 he manifested on that occasion ; thereby animating and 
 encouraging the whole congregation to praise the Lord, 
 and rejoice before him with all their might : and though 
 it diminished him in the eyes of scoffing Michal, yet 
 it did not at all abate the honor and esteem of the con- 
 gregation 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 pro- 
 mote such a work as this, if they were so disposed. They 
 are far beyond others under advantages to do good, and 
 lay up for themselves treasures in heaven. What a cause 
 of lamentation is it, that for want of a heart they com- 
 monly have no share at all there, but heaven is peopled 
 mostly with the poor of this world ! One would think 
 that our rich men, that call themselves christians, might 
 devise some notable things to do with their money, to 
 advance the kingdom of their professed Redeemer and 
 the prosperity of the souls of men, at this time of such 
 extraordinary opportunities for it. It seems to me, that 
 in this age most of us have but very narrow, penurious 
 notions of Christianity, as it respects our use and disposal 
 of our temporal goods. 
 
 The primitive christians had not such notions : they 
 
424 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 were trained up by the apostles in another way. God 
 has greatly distinguished some of the inhabitants of New 
 England from others, in the abundance that he has given 
 them of the good things of this life. If they could now be 
 persuaded to lay out some considerable part of that which 
 God has given them for the honor of God, and lay it up 
 in heaven, instead of spending it for their own honor or 
 laying it up for their posterity, they would not repent of 
 it afterwards. How liberally did the heads of the tribes 
 contribute of their wealth at the setting up the tabernacle, 
 though it was in a barren w^ilderness ! These are the days 
 of the erecting of the tabernacle of God amongst us. We 
 have a particular account how the goldsmiths and the mer- 
 chants 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, hringing tJieir silver and their gold icith 
 them, unto the name of the Lord their God, and to the Holy 
 One of Israel ; and when the merchants of the earth 
 shall trade for Christ more than for themselves, and their 
 merchandise and hire shall be holiness to the Lord, and 
 shall not be treasured or laid up for posterity, but shall 
 be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, 
 and for durable clothing ; and when the ships of Tarshish 
 shall bring the wealth of the distant parts of the earth to 
 the place of God's sanctuary, and to make the place of 
 his feet glorious ; and the abundance of the sea shall be 
 converted into the use of God's church, and she shall 
 suck the milk of the Gentiles, and suck the breasts of 
 kings. The days are coming, when the great and rich 
 men of the world shall bring their honor and glory into the 
 church, and shall, as it were, strip themselves to spread 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 425 
 
 their garments under Christ's feet, as he enters trium- 
 phantly into Jerusalem ; and when those that will not 
 do so shall have no glory, and their silver and gold shall 
 be cankered, and their garments moth-eaten ; for the 
 saints shall then inherit the earth, and they shall reign 
 on earth, and those that honor God he will honor, and 
 those that despise him shall be lightly esteemed. 
 
 If some of our rich men would give one quarter of their 
 estates to promote this work, they would act a little as 
 if they were designed for the kingdom of heaven, and 
 a little as rich men will act by and by, that shall be 
 partakers of the spiritual wealth and glories of that 
 kingdom. 
 
 Great things might be done for the advancement of 
 the kingdom of Christ at this day, by those that have 
 ability, by establishing funds for the support a7id propaga- 
 tion of religion : by supporting some that are eminently 
 qualified with gifts and grace, in preaching the Gospel in 
 certain parts of the country that are more destitute of the 
 means of grace ; in searching out children of promising 
 abilities, and their hearts full of love to Christ, but of 
 poor families (as doubtless there are such now in the 
 land,) and bringing them up for the ministry ; and in dis- 
 tributing books that are remarkably fitted to promote 
 vital religion, and have a great tendency to advance this 
 work; or if they would only bear the trouble, expense, 
 and loss of sending such books into various parts of the 
 land to be sold, it might be an occasion that ten times so 
 many of those books should be bought as otherwise 
 would be ; and in establishing and supporting schools in 
 poor towns and villages ; which might be done on such 
 a foundation, as not only to bring up children in common 
 
426 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 learning, but also might very much tend to their convic- 
 tion and conversion, and being trained up in vital piety ; 
 and doubtless something might be done in this way in 
 old and more populous places, that might have a great 
 tendency to the flourishing of religion in the rising gen- 
 eration. 
 
 4. Some duties devolving upon all in general. 
 
 But I vv^ould 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 them of the worth of his presence, and of 
 the blessed fruits of the effusions of his Spirit, to excite 
 them to pray for the continuance, and increase, and great- 
 er extent of such blessings ; or whether they consider the 
 great encouragement God has lately given them to pray 
 for the outpourings of his Spirit, and the carrying on this 
 work, by the great manifestations he has lately made of 
 the freeness and riches of his grace ; and how mueh there 
 is, in v/hat we have seen of the glorious works of God's 
 power and grace, to put us in mind of the yet greater 
 things of this nature that he has spoken of in his word, 
 and to excite our longings for those things, and hopes of 
 their approach ; or whether we consider the great oppo- 
 sition that Satan makes against this work, and the many 
 difficulties with which it is clogged, and the distressing 
 circumstances that some parts of God's church in this 
 land are under at this day, on one account and another 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 427 
 
 So is God's will, through this wonderful grace, that 
 the prayers of his saints should be one great and princi- 
 pal means of carrying on the designs of Christ's kingdom 
 in the world. When God has something very great to 
 accomplish for his church, it is 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 in- 
 quired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them ;" to- 
 gether with the context. And it is revealed that when 
 God is about to accomplish great things for his church, 
 he will begin by remarkably pouring out the Spirit of 
 grace and supplication, 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 and the world 
 without it. 
 
 I am sensible that considerable has been done in duties 
 of this nature in some places ; but I do not think so much 
 as God, in the present dispensations of his providence, 
 calls fbr. 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 be- 
 long ; but that God would appear for his church, and in 
 mercy to miserable men carry on his work in the land, 
 and in the world of mankind, and fulfil the things that he 
 has spoken in his word, that his church has been so long 
 wishing and hoping and waiting for. They that make 
 mention of the Lord at this day, ought not to keep silence^ 
 and should give God no rest until he estahlish, and until 
 
428 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth, agreeably to 
 Isaiah, 62 : 6, 7. 
 
 Before the first great outpouring of the Spirit of God 
 on the christian church, w^hich began at Jerusalem, the 
 church of God gave themselves to incessant prayer, Acts, 
 1 : 13, 14. There is a time spoken of, w^herein God will 
 remarkably and wonderfully appear for the deliverance 
 of his church from all her enemies, and when he will 
 avenge his oirni elect; and Christ reveals that this will be 
 in answer to their incessant prayers, or crying day and 
 night, Luke, 18 : 7. In Israel, the day of atonement, 
 which was their great day of fasting and prayer, preced- 
 ed and made way for the glorious and joyful feast oj 
 tabernacles. When Christ is mystically born into the 
 world, to rule over all nations, it is represented in the 
 12th chapter of Revelation as being in consequence of 
 the church's crying, and travailing i?i birth, and being pain- 
 ed 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 gi'eat bless- 
 ing on his church, it is often his manner, in the first place, 
 so to order things in his providence as to show his church 
 their great need of it, and to bring them into distress for 
 want of it, and so put them upon crying earnestly to him 
 for it. And let us consider God's present dispensations 
 towards his church in this land. A glorious work of his 
 grace has been begun and earned on ; and God has, of 
 late, suffered innumerable difficulties to arise that do in 
 a great measure clog and hinder it, and bring many of 
 God's dear children into great distress. And yet he does 
 not wholly forsake the work of his hand ; there are re* 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 429 
 
 markable tokens of his presence still to be seen here 
 and there ; as though he was not forward to forsake us, 
 and (if I may so say) as though he had a mind to carry 
 on his work ; but only was waiting for something that he 
 expected in us as requisite in order to it. And we have 
 a great deal of reason to think that one thing at least is, 
 that we should further acknowledge the greatness and 
 necessity of such a mercy, and our dependence on God 
 for it, in earnest and importunate prayer to him. By the 
 many errors that have been run into, and the wounds we 
 have thereby given ourselves and the cause that we 
 would promote, and the mischief and confusion we have 
 thereby made, God has hitherto been remarkably show- 
 ing us our great and universal dependence on him, and 
 exceeding need of his help and grace : which should en- 
 gage 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 wo- 
 men, children, and servants may have a public influence. 
 Let persons be never so weak, and never so mean, and 
 under never so poor advantages to do much for Christ and 
 the souls of men otherwise ; yet, if they have much of the 
 spirit of grace and supplication, in this way they may 
 have power with Him that is infinite in power, and has 
 the government of the whole world : and so a poor man 
 in his cottage may have a blessed influence all over the 
 world. God is, if I. may so say, at the command of the 
 prayer of faith; and in this respect is, as it were, under 
 the power of his people ; as princes, they have poioer luith 
 God, and prevail : though they may be private persons, 
 their prayers are put up in the name of a Mediator, that 
 
430 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 is a public person, being the head of the whole church 
 and the Lord of the universe : and if they have a great 
 sense of the importance of eternal things, and concern 
 for-the precious souls of men, yet they need not regret it 
 that they are not preachers ; they may go in their ear- 
 nestness 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, and may vent themselves before a prayer-hearing 
 Father, without any restraint. 
 
 If the people of God at this day, instead of spending 
 time in fruitless disputing, and talking about opposers, 
 and judging them, and animadverting upon the unreason- 
 ableness of their talk and behavior, and its inconsistence 
 with true experience, would be more silent in this way, 
 and open their mouths much more before God, and spend 
 more time in fasting and prayer, they would be more in 
 the way of a blessing. And if some christians in the land, 
 that have been complaining of their ministers and strug- 
 gling in vain to deliver themselves from the difficulties 
 they have complained of under their ministry, had said 
 and acted less before men, and had applied themselves 
 with all their might to cry to God for their ministers, had 
 as it were risen and stormed heaven with their humble, 
 fervent, and incessant prayers for them, they would have 
 been much more in the way of success. 
 
 God in his providence appearing in the present state 
 of things, especially calls on his people in New England 
 to be very much in praying to him for the •pouring out of 
 the Spirit upon ministers in the land. For though it is not 
 for us to determine, concerning particular ministers, how 
 
 1^ • 
 
now IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 431 
 
 mucli 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 v^^ith the ministry 
 in New England, much greater degrees of it than have 
 hitherto been granted : they need it for themselves, and 
 the church of God stands in extreme need of it. 
 
 In days of fasting and prayer, wherein the whole church 
 or congregation is concerned, if the whole day, besides 
 what is spent in our families, was not spent in the meet- 
 ing-house, but j)art of it in particular praying companies 
 or societies, it would have a tendency to animate and en- 
 gage devotion more than if the whole day were spent in 
 public, where the people are no way active themselves in 
 the worship any otherwise than as they join with the 
 minister. The inhabitants of many of our towns are now 
 divided into particular praying societies, most of the peo- 
 ple, young and old, have voluntarily associated them- 
 selves in distinct companies for mutual assistance in so- 
 cial 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 : in the forenoon, after the duties of 
 the family and closet, as early as might be, all the people 
 of the congregation have gathered in their particular re- 
 ligious societies; companies of men by themselves, and 
 companies of women by themselves ; young men by them- 
 selves, and young women by themselves, and companies 
 of children in all parts of the town by themselves, as many 
 as were capable of social religious exercises ; the boya 
 by themselves, and girls by themselves : and about the 
 middle of the day, at an appointed hour, all have met 
 
432 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 together in the house of God, to offer up public prayers, 
 and to hear a sermon suitable to the occasion : and then 
 they have retired from the house of God again into their 
 private societies, and spent the remaining part of the day 
 in praying together there, excepting so much as was re- 
 quisite 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 desirable 
 and very likely to be followed with a great blessing, if 
 there could be some contrivance that there should be an 
 agreement of all God's people in America that are well 
 affected to this work, to keep a day of fasting and prayer 
 to God, wherein we should all unite on the same day in 
 humbling ourselves before God for our past long-conti- 
 nued lukewarmness and unprofitableness, not omitting 
 humiliation for the errors that so many of God's people 
 that have been zealously affected towards this work, 
 through their infirmity and remaining blindness and cor- 
 ruption, have run into ; and together with thanksgivings 
 to God for so glorious and wonderful a display of his 
 power and grace in the late outpourings of his Spirit, to 
 address the Father of mercies, with prayers and suppli- 
 cations and earnest cries, that he would guide and direct 
 his own people, and that he would continue and still cai'- 
 ry on this work, and more abundantly and extensively 
 pour out his Spirit, and particularly that he would pour 
 out his Spirit upon ministers ; and that he would bow the 
 heavens and come down, and erect his glorious kingdom 
 through the earth. 
 
 Some perhaps may think that its being all on the same 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 433 
 
 day is a circumstance of no great consequence ; but I can- 
 not be of that mind : such a circumstance makes the union 
 and agreement of God's people in his worship the more 
 visible, and puts the greater honor upon God, and would 
 have a great tendency to assist and enliven the devotions 
 of christians. It seems to me it would mightily encourage 
 and animate God's saints, in humbly and earnestly seek- 
 ing to God for such blessings which concern them all ; 
 and that it would be much for the rejoicing of all to think 
 that at the same time such multitudes of God's dear 
 children, far and near, were sending up their cries to the 
 same common Father for the same mercies. Christ 
 speaks of agreement in asking, as what contributes to 
 the prevalence of the prayers of his people. Matt. 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 agree- 
 ment 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 mentioned 
 is practicable without a great deal of trouble. Some con- 
 siderable number of ministers might meet together and 
 draw up the proposal, wherein a certain day should be 
 pitched upon, at a sufficient distance, endeavoring therein 
 to avoid any other public day that might interfere with 
 the design in any of the provinces, and the business of 
 
 the day should be particularly mentioned, and these pro- 
 Rev, of Rei. J 9 
 
434 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 posals should be published and sent abroad into all parts, 
 with a desire that as many ministers as are disposed to 
 fall in with them would propose the matter to their con- 
 gregations, and having taken their consent, would sub- 
 scribe their names, together with the places of which 
 they are ministers, and send back the proposals thus sub- 
 scribed to the printer (the hands of many ministers might 
 be to one paper;) and the printer having received the 
 paper 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 them in the affair : one 
 of the ministers of Boston might be desired to have the 
 oversight of 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 peo- 
 ple as is spoken of, Zech. 12, with which the church's 
 glorious day is to be introduced. And such a day might 
 be something like the day of atonement in Israel, before 
 the joyful ye«5^ of taber7iacles. 
 
 One thing more I would mention concerning fasting 
 and prayer, wherein I think there has been a neglect in 
 ministers, and that is, that although they recommend and 
 much insist on the duty of secret prayer in their preach- 
 ing, so little is said about secret fasting. It is a duty re- 
 commended by our Savior to his followers, just in like 
 manner as secret prayer is, as may be seen by comparing 
 the 5th and 6th verses of the 6th chapter of Matthew with 
 verses 16-18. Though I do not suppose that secret fast- 
 ing is to be practised in a stated manner and steady course 
 as secret prayer, yet it seems to me it is a duty that all 
 professing christians should practise, and frequently prac- 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 435 
 
 tise. There are many occasions of both a spiritual and 
 temporal nature that properly require it, and there are 
 many particular mercies that we desire for ourselves or 
 friends, that it would be proper in this manner to seek 
 of God. 
 
 Another thing I would also mention, wherein it ap- 
 pears to me that there has been an omission with respect 
 to the external worship of God. There has been of late 
 a great increase of preaching the word, and a great in- 
 crease 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 cannot 
 imderstand that there is any increase of the administra- 
 tion of the Lord's supper^ or that God's people do any 
 more frequently commemorate the dying love of their 
 Redeemer in this sacred memorial of it than they used 
 to do : though I do not 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 their 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 ap- 
 proaching. And whether we attend this holy and sweet 
 ordinance so often now or not, yet I cannot but think it 
 would become us at such a time as this to attend it much 
 oftener than is commonly done in the land. 
 
436 THOUflHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 5. We should he faitliful in moral duties. 
 
 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 the external du- 
 ties of devotion, such as praying, hearing, singing and at- 
 tending religious meetings, there be a proportionable care 
 to abound in moral duties, such as acts of righteousness, 
 truth, meekness, forgiveness, and love towards our neigh- 
 bor; which are of much greater importance in the sight 
 of God than all the externals of his worship. Of this our 
 Savior was particularly careful that men should be well 
 aware : Matt. 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 con- 
 demned the guiltless." 
 
 The internal acts and princi^^les 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 whatso- 
 ever ; for therein consists the essence of all religion. But 
 of this inward religion there are two sorts of external 
 manifestations or expressions. The one sort are outward 
 acts of worship, such as meeting in religious assemblies, 
 attending ordinances, or outward institutions, and honor- 
 ing God with gestures, such as bowing or kneeling before 
 him, or with words, in speaking honorably of him, in 
 prayer, praise, or religious conference. And the other 
 sort are the expressions of our love to God, by obeying 
 his moral commands, of self-denial, righteousness, meek- 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 437 
 
 ness and christian love, in our behavior among men. And 
 the latter are of vastly the greatest importance in the 
 christian life. God makes little account of the former in 
 comparison of them. They are abundantly more insisted 
 on by the prophets in the Old Testament, and by Christ 
 and his apostles in the New. 
 
 When these two kinds of duties are spoken of together, 
 the latter are ever more greatly preferred. As in Isaiah, 
 
 1 : 12-18, and Amos, 5 : 21, &c. and Micah, 6 : 7, 8, and 
 Isaiah, 58 : 5-7, and Zechariah, 7 : 1-10, and Jeremiah, 
 
 2 : 1-7, and Matthew, 15 : 3, &c. Often when the times 
 were very corrupt in Israel the people abounded in the 
 former kind of duties, but they were at such times always 
 notoriously deficient in the latter; as the prophets com- 
 plain, Isa. 58 : 1-4 ; Jer. 6 : 13, compared with verse 20. 
 Hypocrites and self-righteous persons much more com- 
 monly abound in the former kind of duties than the lat- 
 ter ; as Christ remarks of the pharisees. Matt. 23 : 14, 
 25 and 34. When the Scripture directs us to shozv our 
 faith hy our works, it is principally the latter sort are in- 
 tended, as appears by James, 2 : 8-26, and 1 John, 2 : 3, 
 7-11. And we are to be judged at the last day, especial- 
 ly by these latter sort of works, as is evident by the ac- 
 count we have of the day of judgment in the 25th of Mat- 
 thew. External acts of worship in words, and gestures, 
 and outward forms, are of little use but as signs of some- 
 thing else, or as they are a profession of inward worship : 
 they are not so properly showing our religion by our 
 deeds, for they are only showing our religion by words 
 or an outward profession. But he that shows religion in 
 the other sort of duties, shows it is something more than 
 a profession of words, he shows it in deeds. And though 
 
 19* 
 
438 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 deeds may be hypocritical as well as v^ords, yet in them- 
 selves they are of greater importance, for they are much 
 more profitable to ourselves and our neighbor. 
 
 We cannot express our love to God by doing any thing 
 that is profitable to God ; God v^ould therefore have us 
 do it in those things that are profitable to our neighbors, 
 whom he has constituted his receivers ; our goodness ex- 
 tends not to God but to our fellow-christians. The latter 
 sort of duties puts greater honor upon God, because there 
 is greater self-denial in them. The external acts of wor- 
 ship, 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 does 
 not lie in them. Let wicked men enjoy their covetous- 
 ness and their pride, their malice, envy and revenge, and 
 their sensuality and voluptuousness in their behavior 
 amongst men, and they will be willing to compound the 
 matter with God, and submit to what forms of worship 
 you please, and as many as you please, as is manifest in 
 the Jews of old, in the days of the prophets, and the pha- 
 risees in Christ's time, and the papists and Mohammedans 
 at this day. 
 
 At a time when there is an appearance of the approach 
 of any glorious revival of God's church, God especially 
 calls his professing people to the practice of moral duties. 
 Isaiah, 56 : 1, " Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment 
 and do justice ; for my salvation is near to come, and my 
 righteousness to be revealed." So when John preached 
 that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and cried to the 
 people, " Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths 
 straight," as we have an account, Luke, 3 : 4, the people 
 asked him, What they should do ? He answers, " He that 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 439 
 
 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 vio- 
 lence to no man ; neither accuse any falsely ; and be con- 
 tent with your wages." verses 10-14. 
 
 God's people, at such a time as this, ought especially 
 to abound in deeds of charity or alms-givmg. We gene- 
 rally, in these days, seem to fall far below the true spirit 
 and practice of Christianity with regard to this duty, and 
 seem to have but little notion of it so far as I can under- 
 stand the New Testament, At a time when God is so 
 liberal of spiritual things, we ought not to be strait-handed 
 towards him and sparing of our temporal things. So far 
 as I can judge by the Scripture, there is no external duty 
 whatsoever by which persons will be so much in the way, 
 not only of receiving temporal benefits but also spiritual 
 blessings, the influences of God's Holy Spirit in the heart, 
 in divine discoveries and spiritual consolations, I think 
 it would be unreasonable to understand those promises, 
 made to this duty, in the 58th chapter of Isaiah, in a sense 
 exclusive of spiritual discoveries and comforts : ** Is it 
 not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring 
 the poor that are cast out to thy house ] when thou seest 
 the naked that thou cover him, and that thou hide not 
 thyself from thine own flesh % Then shall thy light break 
 forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth 
 speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and 
 the glory of the Lord shall be thy rere-ward ; then shalt 
 thou call, and the Lord shall answer ; thou shalt cry, and 
 he shall say. Here I am. If thou take away from the 
 
440 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, 
 and speaking vanity ; and if thou draw out thy soul to the 
 hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light 
 rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day ; 
 and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy 
 soul in drought, and make fat thy bones ; and thou shalt 
 be like a w^atered garden, and like a spring of water, 
 whose waters fail not." 
 
 So, that giving to the poor is the way to receive spiri- 
 tual blessings, is manifest by Psalm 112 : 4, &c. " Unto 
 the upright there ariseth light in the darkness ; he is gi*a- 
 cious, and full of compassion, and righteous : a good man 
 showeth favor, 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 dis- 
 persed, he hath given to the poor ; his horn shall be ex- 
 alted with honor." That this is one likely means to ob- 
 tain assurance is evident by 1 John, 3 : 18, 19, " My lit- 
 tle 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 him- 
 self, when he had been remarkably charitable to his bro- 
 ther Lot and the people that he had redeemed out of cap- 
 tivity with him, by exposing his life to rescue them, and 
 had retaken not only the persons but all the goods, the 
 spoil that had been taken by Chedorlaomer and the kings 
 that were with him, and the king of Sodom offered him. 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 441 
 
 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 shoe latchet, but returned all. He 
 might have greatly enriched himself if he had taken the 
 spoils to himself, for they w^ere the spoils of five w^ealthy 
 kings and their kingdoms, yet he coveted them not : the 
 king and people of Sodom vv^ere now become objects of 
 charity, having been stripped of all by their enemies, 
 therefore Abraham generously bestowed all upon them ; 
 as we have an account in Genesis, 14 : 21-24. 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 Abraham in a vision, saying, Fear not, 
 Abraham, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great re- 
 ward," " I am thy shield, to defend thee in battle, as I 
 have now done ; and though thou hast charitably refused 
 to take any reward for exposing thy life to rescue this 
 people, yet fear not, thou shalt not lose, thou shalt have 
 a reward, I am thy exceeding great reward." 
 
 When Christ was upon earth he was poor and an ob- 
 ject of charity; and during the time of his public minis- 
 try he was supported by the charity of some of his fol- 
 lowers, and particularly certain women, of whom we 
 read, Luke, 8 : 2, 3. And these women were rewarded, 
 by being peculiarly favored with gracious manifesta- 
 tions which Christ made of himself to them. He disco- 
 vered himself first to them after his resurrection, before 
 the twelve disciples : they first saw a vision of glorious 
 angels, who spake comfortably to them ; and then Christ 
 appeared to them, and spake peace to them, saying, All 
 hail, be not afraid; and they were admitted to come and 
 
442 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 hold Mm hy the feet, and worship him. Matt. 28. And 
 though we cannot now be charitable in this way to Christ 
 in person, who in his exalted state is infinitely above the 
 need of our charity, yet we may be charitable to Christ 
 now as well as they then ; for though Christ is not here, 
 yet he has left others in his room to be his receivers, and 
 they are the poor. Christ is yet poor in his members ; 
 and he that gives to them lends to the Lord ; 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, agreeably to the prayer of Abraham's servant, 
 who prayed that this might be the thing that might dis- 
 tinguish and mark out the virgin that was to be Isaac's 
 wife. So Cornelius was brought to the knowledge of 
 Christ in this way. " He was a devout man, and one that 
 feared God, with all his house ; which gave much alms to 
 the people, and prayed to God alway. And an angel ap- 
 peared to him, and said to him, thy prayers and thine 
 alms are come up for a memorial before God ; and now 
 send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose sur- 
 name i« Peter," &c. Acts, 10 : 2-5. And we have an ac- 
 count in the following parts of the chapter, how God by 
 Peter's preaching revealed Christ to Coraelius and his 
 family, and of the Holy Ghost's descending upon and fill- 
 ing their hearts with joy and their mouths with praises. 
 
 Some may possibly object that for persons to do deeds 
 of charity, in hope of obtaining spiritual blessings and 
 comforts in this way, would seem to show a self-righteous 
 spirit, as though they would offer something to God to 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 443 
 
 purchase these favors. But if this be a good objection, it 
 may be made against every duty whatsoever. All exter- 
 nal 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 offered to God, and 
 therefore persons are more ready to expect something 
 from God for them. But no duty is to be neglected for 
 fear of making a righteousness of it ; and I have always 
 observed that those professors that are most partial in 
 their duty, most exact and abundant in external duties 
 of the first table, and slack as to those of the second, are 
 the most self-righteous. 
 
 If God's people in this land were once brought to 
 abound in such deeds of love, as much as in praying, hear- 
 ing, singing, and religious meetings and conference, it 
 would be a most blessed omen : there is nothing that 
 would have a greater tendency to bring the God of love 
 dovni 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 do not remember ever 
 to have read of any remarkable outpouring of the Spirit, 
 that continued any long time, but what was attended 
 with an abounding in this duty. So we know it was with 
 that great effusion of the Spirit that began at Jerusalem 
 in the apostles' days ; and so in the late remarkable re- 
 vival of religion in Saxony, which began by the labors 
 of the famous Professor Francke, and has now been car- 
 
444 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 ried on for about thirty years, and has spread its happy 
 influences into many parts of the world ; it w^as begun 
 and has been carried on by a wonderful practice of this 
 duty. And the remarkable blessing that God has given 
 Mr. Whitefield, and the great success with which he has 
 crowned his labors, may well be thought to be very much 
 owing to his laying out himself so abundantly in charita- 
 ble designs. And it is foretold that God's people shall 
 abound in this duty in the time of the great outpouring 
 of the Spirit that shall be in the latter days. Isa. 32 : 5 
 and 8, *' The vile person shall no more be called liberal, 
 nor the churl said to be bountiful. But the liberal devis- 
 eth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand." 
 To 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, public rejiewing their covenant 
 toith God. And doubtless it would greatly tend to pro- 
 mote 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, where- 
 in there should be an express mention of those particular 
 duties that the people of the respective congregations 
 have been observed 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 un- 
 derstanding, particularly to subscribe the covenant, and 
 
HOW IT SHOULD BE PROMOTED. 445 
 
 also should all appear together, on a day of prayer and 
 fasting, publicly to own it before God in his house, as 
 their vow to the Lord ; hereby congregations of chris- 
 tians would do that which would be beautiful, and would 
 put honor upon God, and be very profitable to them- 
 selves. 
 
 Such a thing as this was attended with a very wonder- 
 ful blessing in Scotland, and followed with a great in- 
 crease of the blessed tokens of the presence of God and 
 remarkable outpourings of his Spirit ; as the author of 
 The Fulfilling of tJie ScrijJlu?^ informs, p. 186, 5th edition. 
 It must be proposed to a people when they are in a 
 good mood, when considerable religious impressions are 
 prevailing among them; 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 a history should he published once a 
 month, or once a fortnight, of the progress of it, by one of 
 the ministers of Boston, who are near the press, and 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 and engage the minds 
 of persons in other places. It is much to be regretted, 
 therefore, that some means should not be used for the 
 most speedy, most extensive and certain giving informa- 
 tion of such things, that the country should not be left 
 only to the slow, partial, and doubtful information, and 
 false representations of common report. 
 
 Thus I have (I hope by the help of God) finished what 
 
 Revival of Eel. 20 
 
r^ 
 
 446 THOUGHTS ON THE REVIVAL. 
 
 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 a universal reformation that 
 ever was given in New England. And it is a thing most 
 deeply to be deprecated, 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 ob- 
 tain 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 the country of his hand in this 
 work, and bringing them fully and freely to acknowledge 
 his glorious power and grace in it, and to engage with 
 one heart and soul, and by due methods, to endeavor to 
 promote it, it would be a dispensation of divine Provi- 
 dence 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 ! 
 
 THE END. 
 
 
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DATE DUE 
 
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 GAYLORO 
 
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