riences which I have before defcribed, are fuch as the Scriptures do make the marks and characters of the children of God; and many there are that make no pretences to divine impulfes, raptures, or ecftafies, who profefs to have had thofe experiences, and justify their profeffion, by living in the love both of God and man. Now, I pray, how are fuch concerned in the enthufiafm of which you complain? Do not the experiences of thefe witnefs for them, as much as the experiences of the other witness against them?-Here is a visible and effectual change wrought in them, (juft fuch a change as the Scriptures defcribe), by which they are brought into a conformity to the divine nature, and live worthy their profeffion and character.Chrift has promised the fanctification of the Spirit to his people, who depend upon him for it: And what greater evidence can there be of the faithfulness of the promife, than to fee and feel its accomplishment. But you further obferve, that "the demeanour of many of thefe pretenders to religious experi. ences, is directly contrary to that morality, be"neficence and charity, which are the ornament "and glory of human nature."- -And is not this a ftrong confirmation of my argument? I appeal to you yourself, Sir, whether you be not acquainted with many others, that pretend to the religious experiences which I have defcribed, who are the brightest patterns of thofe graces and virtues which are the ornament and glory of human nature.Here then is a plain and vifible criterion, by which it may be known whose experiences are, and whofe are not, from the Spirit of God. "They are (you fay) indeed converted, but it is to "pride and vanity, to felf-esteem, and self-applaufe." But are there not many others, who are converted to deep humility, felf-loathing, and felf-condemning! "They "They are changed, (you say), but it is to bit"terness, reviling, cenfuring, and judging their "neighbours, who are much better than they." -I allow this charge to be agreeable to their pretended experiences: But then, do not you fee (bleffed be God, I am sure I have feen) many others changed to meeknefs, kindness and love, and brought to efteem others much better than themfelves? "Their boasted experiences (you add), only ani"mate them to divifions, factions, and feparations." But is this the cafe of all who make a profeffion of religious experiences? No: We have cause to be thankful, the cafe is quite otherwise. "They are (you say) often elated with raptu"rous joys and exults, which feem to be the pro"duct of nothing but self-esteem, and an irregular "heated imagination."-Here you inquire, “Must "I esteem thefe to be the joys of the Holy Ghost, "of which your laft letter fpeaks? If not, how "fhall I know, that all pretences of this kind are "not equally fictitious and imaginary ?"This (I confefs) deserves fome attention: For perhaps no one thing has raised fuch prejudices in the minds of men against spiritual and religious experiences, as those airy raptures and causeless exults, that in fome inftances have been seen of late. I would therefore obferve to you, that your own representation of thofe joyful transports of which you complain, is fufficient to diftinguish them from thofe joys of the Holy Ghoft, of which I wrote to you.You rightly obferve, that these false raptures are the product of an exalted imagination. -But you have no room to conclude this to be the cafe with refpect to thofe fpiritual joys and comforts, of which I wrote in my laft.I have known a wretched despicable beggar, covered with H 2 rags rags and vermin, who imagined himself a King's fon, and expected to be treated accordingly: But how vain and ludicrous foever his imaginations were, I never thought it an argument, that there are no King's fons in the world. He might probably entertain more tranfporting apprehenfions of his imagined royalty, than they who really poffefs that dignity, which he fo vainly pretended But must these latter be rejected as vain pretenders, because of the crazed imagination of fuch a miferable vagary? to. To apply this to the prefent cafe, I readily allow, that all thofe joys and comforts which flow from the imagination only, are always but airy and chimerical, falfe and delufive. Thus, for in. ftance, fome will rejoice and triumph, from only imagining themselves favourites of heaven; fome from being able to paint upon their imaginations the miracles, fufferings, refurrection, or ascenfion of Chrift; fome from an imaginary idea of the final appearing of Chrift, and their own future glory, and the like: Yet, all this while, the poor fouls forget, that there is one thing wanting, in order to make their joys reafonable and fubftantial, and that is, good evidence of their intereft in that Saviour, and his glorious falvation, of which they entertain such pleafing imaginations.-They who have this evidence, (in the manner defcribed in my last), have a substantial foundation of comfort and joy, from having that falvation actually begun in their fouls, which is the pledge and earneft of their eternal inheritance, while the others are like to find themselves as much deluded in their expectation of future happiness, as they are in the foundation of their hopes. You further reprefent these rapturous joys to be the effect of felf-efleem. And I readily ac knowledge, > knowledge, that where it is fo, it is always deceit. ful and vain. The divine influences are always. humbling to the foul which enjoys them.-They therefore are horribly profane, who impute their own pride and vanity to the Spirit of God; and confequently they are miferably deceiving themfelves, whose joy and comfort flow from an high opinion of their imaginary attainments in religion. They are a fmoke in God's noftrils, who are faying, Stand by thyfelf, come not nigh me, for I am holier than thou. But then, on the contrary, when the humble foul is lying at God's foot, felf-abafing, and felf-condemning, adoring the infinite riches of God's free grace to fuch a vile, worthlefs worm, ́and rejoicing in Chrift Jefus, without confidence in the flesh; thefe bleffed effects are worthy of the Spirit of God, by whom they are wrought.And it is always true, that the believer's fenfe of his own. vilenefs, pollution and unworthinefs, bears proportion to his joyful evidences of the divine favour. You further object against the falfe pretenders you mention," that their conduct does not justify their joyful affurance."This indeed is a good evidence against their high pretenfions to extraor dinary attainments in religion.--For I believe, every Chriftian does certainly make the fame progrefs in holiness, as he does in well-grounded comfort and joy. The objection, therefore, can nowife affect thofe with whom this is an experienced truth; who always find, that their hope and joy quicken them in their fpiritual courfe, invigorate their duties, and enlarge their defires and endeavours after a conformity to the whole will of God. I must now leave this matter to your own reflections; you yourfelf muft judge the validity of your exceptions.Compare the picture you have drawn of fome empty enthufiaftical preten H 3 ders ders to religious experiences, with the defcription I have given you of thofe, who have indeed experienced the divine life; and confider whether there be any real fimilitude, in any marks and lineaments of their countenances.-In those is found pride and petulance; but in thefe humility and felf-abafement. In thofe cenforioufnefs and uncharitablenefs are the diftinguishing characters; in thefe a charitable preferring others to themselves. -There you fee fchifm, contention, and faction; here is kindness, peace, and brotherly love.-There imaginary impulfe; but here the word of God alone is confidered as the rule of life. -There joy and comfort are confidered as the evidence of a good state; here they are confidered as the fruit of good evidence of faith in Christ, and of a renewed nature. There religion is fuppofed to confift in rapture and ecftafy; here in fpiritual affections, and in a heavenly converfation.-There we find men building their hope and comfort upon their imaginary attainments; but here we find them making Chrift Jefus their only refuge and hope.-And, to fum up all in a word, There are high pretences to religious experiences, without the fruits of holiness; but here the happy effects of this change appear in the heart and life, and juftify the profeffion to be true, and the experiences to be indeed what they are pretended to be. Upon the whole, there is nothing more certain, than that the Scriptures do reprefent what I have fet before you, as the real characters of the children of God.-It is equally certain, that as an actual experience of the renewing change is, from the nature of things, abfolutely neceffary to falvation, so a fense of this change wrought in us is requifite to true peace and comfort; and there can be nothing but a want of due attention to this experience, or ignorance |