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meaning performance of it with thy lips, whilst thy heart hath been disengaged, and thy thoughts allowedly wandering to the ends of the earth; if thou hast not been accustomed by fervent prayer to seek wisdom from God by his teaching Spirit; if thou knowest not what it is to exercise faith upon the promises pointed out to thee, nor to plead them in prayer to a promise-keeping God; if all thy knowledge of divine things hath been acquired by leaning to thy understanding; if in reading the Scriptures thou hast looked more to learned critics, commentators, and expositors than to the illuminating Spirit of God, sought in humble prayer, to open thy understanding, to take the veil from thine heart and to give thee that wisdom, which is from above; then be as sure as the word of God is true, and we are concerned in it, that thou art in the wrong, the light that is in thee, is darkness, and thou knowest nothing yet as thou oughtest to know. May the Lord effectually incline thine heart to take a contrary course, and to seek wisdom, where alone it can be found, from the Lord, the Father of

Lights, and the giver of every good and perfect gift, who hath invited thee to ask, that it may be given thee!

VI. I would observe, that there is nothing in this Narrative, which can reasonably be condemned as enthusiasm.

It is allowed, that there is such a thing as enthusiasm; that it is a frequent attendant on religious zeal; that in some of its operations it is a grievous evil, (I speak of the faulty enthusiasm ;) in all, attended with many inconveniences; and that it ought very carefully to be guardcd against by every religious professor and zealous preacher. It would also be in vain to pretend that the late revivals of religion, which indiscriminately have been stigmatized with the name of Methodism, have been, in opinion and practice, entirely free from enthusiasm. What revivals of religion ever were free from such scandals? Where the Lord sows his good seed, there the enemy will be sure to scatter his tares. It must be confessed, that some of the most eminent instruments in this work, whose names, when prejudice shall vanish, will be handed down with honor, as burning and

shining lights to the latest periods of the church, have, by the greatness of their zeal, through human frailty, been be trayed into sentiments, expressions, and deportment, in some instances justly to be censured, as enthusiastical; of which their enemies have not failed sufficiently to avail themselves. But whatever indiscretions and mistakes particular per sons, who have preached these doctrines, may have fallen into, this doth not, in the judgment of candid and impartial persons, in the least effect the general cause, or prove the doctrines erroneous. We would not contend for the credit of individuals, or the interests of a party; but for the doctrines of God's word, and of the established church of England. These will continue true and important, though many of those, who have zealously and successfully preached them, should have justly incurred the charge of enthu siasm. All, that I would intimate, is this, that a man may be led to the belief of those doctrines which are branded as Methodistical, in a way of sober, ration al inquiry; and zealously preach them without being an enthusiast.

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It would be very well, if some of those, who so readily accuse whole bodies of apparently religious persons, of enthusiasm, would favor us with their determinate definition of an enthusiast. In its original meaning, the word has a vefavorable sense, and implies that by a divine influence upon the soul, a man is filled with an ardor and warmth of zeal in the cause, he is engaged in. Now it is good to be zealously effected always in a good thing, and, if our ardor of soul 'be from the Spirit of God, according to the revealed will of God, and for the glory of God, it is the noblest, most desirable, most heavenly, and most beneficial exertion of the human mind, In every thing but religion, an ardor, described by the term enthusiasm, is allowed and commended; a poetical, a military, a patriotic enthusiasm, even when they carry men beyond the strict bounds of cold reasonings and exact prudence, fail not to meet with admirers. Our zeal may be fervent in every thing without censure, save when we are zealous for the glory of God, and the salvation of immortal souls. But there is an enthusi

asm of this sort, which forms the highest elevation, and the noblest effort of the human soul. Such an enthusiasm animated the apostle Paul, in all his self denying labors and sufferings, and filled (under the guidance of the Holy Ghost,) his writings, with such ardent zeal for the honor of his dear Savior, and affection for the souls of men.. Such an enthusiasm, he expresses, when he says, (2 Corinth. c. v. v. 13, 14.) " Whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God, or whether we be sober, it is for your cause; for the love of Christ constraineth us." Of such an enthusiasm as this I wish I were far from guilty. But on the other hand, there is danger of a counterfeit, pernicious enthusiasm, and about that we are now enquiring. Now I apprehend, that in order to constitute this culpable enthu siasm, some one or more of the follow. ing things must appear; either the ardor of the soul, which is excited,must proceed from a heated imagination, or from a delusion of Satan, instead of being produced by a divine influence; or the cause, in which this ardor is employed, must be the cause of self and error, instead of the

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