The Marks of a Work of the True Spirit

1 John 4:1. Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God; because many false Prophets are gone out into the World.

The apostolical Age, or the Age in which the Apostles lived and preached the Gospel, was an Age of the greatest outpouring of the Spirit of God that ever was; and that both as to the extraordinary Influences and Gifts of the Spirit, in Inspiration and Miracles, and also as to his ordinary Operations, in convincing, converting, enlightening and sanctifying the Souls of Men. But as the Influences of the true Spirit abounded, so Counterfeits did also then abound: The Devil was abundant in mimicking, both the ordinary and extraordinary Influences of the Spirit of God, as is manifest by innumerable Passages of the Apostles Writings. This made it very necessary that the Church of Christ should be furnished with some certain Rules, and distinguishing and clear Marks by which she might proceed safely in judging of Spirits, and distinguish the true from the false, without Danger of being imposed upon. The giving such Rules is the plain Design of this Chapter, where we have this Matter more expressly and fully treated of than anywhere else in the Bible. The Apostle here, of set Purpose, undertakes to supply the Church of God with such Marks of the true Spirit as may be plain, and safe, and surely distinguishing, and well accommodated to Use and Practice; and that the Subject might be clearly and sufficiently handled, he insists upon it throughout the Chapter: Which makes it wonderful that what is said in this Chapter, is no more taken notice of in this extraordinary Day, when that which is so remarkable appears; such an uncommon Operation on the Minds of People, that is so extensive; and there is such a Variety of Opinions concerning it, and so much Talk about the Work of the Spirit.

The Apostle is led to discourse on this Subject by an occasional Mention of the indwelling of the Spirit, as the sure Evidence of an Interest in Christ, in the last Verse of the foregoing Chapter. And he that keeps his commandments dwells in him, and he in him; and hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us. Whence we may infer, That the Design of the Apostle in this Chapter is not only to give Marks whereby to distinguish the true Spirit from false in his extraordinary Gifts of Prophecy and Miracles, but also in his ordinary Influences on the Minds of his People, in order to their Union to Christ, and being built up in him; which is also manifest from the Marks themselves that are given, which we shall hereafter take Notice of.

The Words of the Text are an Introduction to this Discourse, of the distinguishing Signs of the true and false Spirit. Before the Apostle proceeds to lay down these Signs, he exhorts the Christians he writes to, to Care in this Matter. And, first, here is the Duty of trying the Spirits urged, with a Caution annexed, against an over Credulousness, and a Forwardness to admit every Thing as the Mark of a true Spirit that has that Show or Pretext; Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits, whether they are of God. Second, the Necessity of this Duty is shown from this, That there were many Counterfeits: because many false Prophets are gone out into the World. The false Apostles, and false Prophets, that were in those Days, did not only pretend to have the Spirit of God in his extraordinary Gifts of Inspiration, but also to be the great Friends and Servants of Heaven, and to be eminently holy Persons, and so to have much of the ordinary, saving, sanctifying Influences of the Spirit of God on their Hearts; and we are to look upon these Words as a Direction to examine and try their Pretences to the Spirit of God, in both these Respects.

After the Apostle had thus counseled and warned the Christians he wrote to, with Respect to the Trial of Spirits, he immediately proceeds to give them Rules, by which they may safely proceed in judging of every Thing that had the Pretext of being either the ordinary or extraordinary Work of the Spirit of God.

My Design therefore at this Time is to show what are the true, certain, and distinguishing Evidences of a Work of the Spirit of God, by which we may proceed safely in judging of any Operation we find in ourselves, or see in others.

And here I would observe that we are to take the Scriptures as our Guide in such Cases: This is the great and standing Rule which God has given to his Church, to guide them in all Things relating to the great Concerns of their Souls; and it is an infallible and sufficient Rule. There are undoubtedly sufficient Marks given to guide the Church of God in this great Affair of judging of Spirits, without which it would lie open to woeful Delusion, and would be remedilessly exposed to be imposed on and devoured by its Enemies: And what Rules soever we may find in the holy Scriptures to this end, we need not be afraid to trust to. Doubtless that Spirit that indited the Scriptures knew how to give us good Rules, by which to distinguish his Operations from all that is falsely pretended to be from him.

This, as I observed before, the Spirit of God has done of set purpose, in the Chapter wherein is the Text; and done it more particularly and fully than anywhere else: so that in my present Discourse, I shall go nowhere else for Rules or Marks for the Trial of Spirits, but shall confine myself to those that I find here.

But before I proceed particularly to speak to these, I would prepare my Way by first observing negatively, in some Instances, What are not Signs that we are to judge of a Work by, whether it be the Work of the Spirit of God or no; and especially, what are no Evidences that a Work that is wrought amongst a People, is not the Work of the Spirit of God.

First, nothing can certainly be concluded from this, That the Work that appears is carried on in a Way very unusual and extraordinary. It is no Sign that a Work is not the Work of the Spirit of God, that it is carried on in such a Way as the same Spirit of God heretofore has not been accustomed to carry on his Work, provided the Variety or Difference be such, as may still be comprehended within the Limits of those Rules which the Scriptures have given to distinguish a Work of the Spirit of God by. What we have been used to, or what the Church of God has been used to, is not a Rule by which we are to judge whether a Work be the Work of God, because there may be new and extraordinary Works of God. God has heretofore wrought in an extraordinary Manner; he has brought those Things to pass that have been new Things, strange Works; and has wrought in such a Manner as to surprise both Men and Angels: And as God has done thus in Times past, so we have no Reason to think but that he will do so still. The Prophecies of Scripture give us Reason to think that God has still new Things to accomplish, and Things to bring to pass that have never yet been seen. No Deviation from what has hitherto been usual, let it be never so great, is an Argument that a Work is not the Work of the Spirit of God, if it be no Deviation from the Rule that God has given, to judge of a Work of his Spirit by. The Spirit of God is sovereign in his Operations; and we know that he uses a great Variety; and we cannot tell how great a Variety he may use, within the Compass of the Rules he himself has fixed. We ought not to limit God where he has not limited himself. If a Work be never so different from the Work of God's Spirit that has formerly been, yet if it only agrees in those Things that the Word of God has given us as the distinguishing Signs of a Work of his Spirit, that is sufficient to determine us entirely in its Favour.

Therefore it is not reasonable to determine that a Work is not the Work of God's Spirit, because of the extraordinary Degree in which the Minds of Persons are influenced and wrought upon. If they seem to have an extraordinary Conviction of the dreadful nature of Sin, and a very uncommon Sense of the Misery of a Christless Condition, or seem to have extraordinary Views of the certainty and glory of divine Things; and consequent on these Apprehensions, are proportionably moved with very extraordinary Affections of Fear and Sorrow, Desire, Love or Joy: Or if the Change that seems to be made in Persons, the Alteration in their Affections and Frames, be very sudden, and the Work that is wrought on People's Minds seems to be carried on with very unusual Swiftness, and the Persons that are thus strangely affected are very many, and many of them are very young; and also be very unusual in many other Circumstances, not infringing upon Scripture Marks of a Work of the Spirit; these Things are no Argument that the Work is not a Work of the Spirit of God.

The extraordinary and unusual Degree of Influence, and Power of Operation, if in its Nature it be agreeable to the Rules and Marks given in the Scripture, is rather an Argument in its Favour; for by how much the higher Degree that is in, which is in its Nature agreeable to the Rule, so much the more is there of Conformity to the Rule, and so much the more evident and manifest is that Conformity. When Things are in small Degrees, though they be really agreeable to the Rule, yet the Nature of them is more difficultly discerned, and it is not so easily seen whether it agrees with the Rule or no.

There is a great Aptness in Persons to doubt of Things that are Strange; especially it is difficult for elderly Persons, those that have lived a great while in the World, to think that to be right which they have been never used to in their Day, and have not heard of in the Days of their Fathers. But if it be a good Argument that a Work is not from the Spirit of God, that it is very unusual, then it always was so, and was so in the Apostles' Days. The Work of the Spirit of God that was wrought then, was carried on in a Manner that, in very many Respects, was altogether new: There were such Things then that the Jews, then living, nor their Fathers, had never seen nor heard, yea such as never had been since the World stood: The Work was then carried on with more visible and remarkable Power than ever had been before; never were there seen before such mighty and wonderful Effects of the Spirit of God, in such sudden Changes, and such great Engagedness and Zeal in such Multitudes; such a great and sudden Alteration in Towns, Cities and Countries; such a swift Progress, and vast Extent of the Work; and many other extraordinary Circumstances might be mentioned. The great Unusualness of the Work surprised the Jews; they knew not what to make of it, but could not believe it to be the Work of God; many looked upon the Persons that were the Subjects of it as bereft of Reason; as you may see in Acts 2:13 and 26:24 and 1 Corinthians 4:10.

And we have Reason from Scripture Prophecy to suppose, That at the Commencement of that last and greatest Outpouring of the Spirit of God, that is to be in the latter Ages of the World, the Manner of the Work will be very extraordinary, and such as never has yet been seen; so that there shall be Occasion then to say, as in Isaiah 66:8. Who has heard such a Thing? Who has seen such Things? Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one Day? Shall a Nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her Children. It may be reasonably expected that the extraordinary Manner of the Work then, will bear some Proportion to the very extraordinary Events, and that glorious Change in the State of the World, God will be about to bring to pass by it.

2. A Work is not to be judged of by any Effects on the Bodies of Men; such as Tears, Trembling, Groans, loud Outcries, Agonies of Body, or the failing of bodily Strength. The Influence the Minds of Persons are under, is not to be judged of one Way or the other, whether it be from the Spirit of God or no, by such Effects on the Body; and the Reason is, Because the Scripture nowhere gives us any such Rule. We cannot conclude that Persons are under the Influence of the true Spirit, because we see such Effects upon their Bodies, because this is not given as a Mark of the true Spirit: nor on the other Hand, ... any Reason to conclude, from any ... Appearances, that Persons ... that does, either expressly or ... Body; nor does Reason exclude them. It is easily accounted for from the Consideration of the Nature of divine and eternal Things, and the Nature of Man, and the Laws of the Union between Soul and Body, how a right Influence, a true and proper Sense of Things, should have such Effects on the Body, even those that are of the most extraordinary Kind; such as taking away the bodily Strength, or throwing the Body into great Agonies, and extorting loud Outcries. There are none of us but what suppose, and would have been ready at any Time to say it, That the Misery of Hell is doubtless so dreadful, and Eternity so vast, that if a Person should have a clear Apprehension of that Misery as it is, it would be more than his feeble Frame could bear; and especially, if at the same Time he saw himself in great Danger of it, and to be utterly uncertain whether he should be delivered from it, yea, and to have no Security from it one Day or Hour. If we consider human Nature, we need not wonder that when Persons have a very great Sense of that which is so amazingly dreadful, and also have a great View of their own Wickedness and God's Anger, that Things seem to them to forebode speedy and immediate Destruction. We see the Nature of Man to be such, that when he is in Danger of some Calamity that is very terrible to him, and that he looks upon himself greatly exposed to, he is ready upon every Occasion to think that now it is coming: As when Persons Hearts are full of Fear, in Time of War, looking upon themselves eminently exposed; they are ready to tremble at the shaking of a Leaf, and to expect the Enemy every Minute, and to say within themselves, now I shall be slain. If we should suppose that a Person saw himself hanging over a great Pit, full of fierce and glowing Flames, by a Thread that he knew to be very weak, and not sufficient long to bear his Weight, and knew that Multitudes had been in such Circumstances before, and that most of them had fallen and perished; and saw nothing within Reach, that he could take hold of to save him; What Distress would he be in? How ready to think that now the Thread was breaking—now this Minute he should be swallowed up in these dreadful Flames? And would not he be ready to cry out in such Circumstances? How much more those that see themselves in this Manner hanging over an infinitely more dreadful Pit, or held over it in the Hand of God, who at the same Time they see to be exceedingly provoked? No wonder they are ready to expect every Moment when this angry God will let them drop; and no Wonder they cry out of their Misery; and no Wonder that the Wrath of God when manifested but a little to the Soul, overbears human Strength.

So it may be easily accounted for, that a true Sense of the glorious Excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of his wonderful dying Love, and the Exercise of a truly spiritual Love and Joy, should be such as very much to overcome the bodily Strength. We are all ready to own that no Man can see God and live; and that it is but a very small Part of that Apprehension of the Glory and Love of Christ, and Exercise of Love to him and Joy in him, which the Saints in Heaven are the Subjects of, that our present Frame can bear: Therefore it is not at all strange that God should sometimes give his Saints such Foretastes of Heaven, as to diminish their bodily Strength. If it was not unaccountable that the Queen of Sheba fainted, and had her bodily Strength taken away, when she came to see the Glory of Solomon, much less is it unaccountable that she who is the Antitype of the Queen of Sheba, namely the Church, that is brought as it were from the utmost Ends of the Earth, from being an Alien and Stranger, far off, in a State of Sin and Misery, should faint when she comes to see the Glory of Christ, who is the Antitype of Solomon; and especially will be so in that prosperous, peaceful, glorious Kingdom, which he will set up in the World in its latter Age.

Some object against such extraordinary Appearances, that we have no Instances of them recorded in the New Testament, in the Time of the extraordinary Effusions of the Spirit that were then. If this should be allowed, I can see no Force in the Objection, if neither Reason, nor any Rule of Scripture excludes such Things; especially considering what was observed under the foregoing Particular. I do not know that we have any express mention in the New Testament of any Person's weeping, or groaning, or sighing, through Fear of Hell, or a Sense of God's Anger; but is there any Body so foolish as from hence to argue, that in whomsoever these Things appear, their Convictions are not from the Spirit of God? And the Reason why we do not argue thus is, Because these are easily accounted for, from what we know of the Nature of Man, and from what the Scriptures do inform us in general concerning the Nature of eternal Things, and the Nature of the Convictions of God's Spirit; so that there is no need that any Thing should be said in particular concerning these external, circumstantial Effects. No Body supposes that there is any need of express Scripture for every external, accidental Manifestation of the inward Motion of the Mind: And though such Circumstances are not particularly recorded in sacred History, yet there is a great deal of Reason to think, from the general Accounts we have, that it could not be otherwise than that such Things must be in those Days. And there is also Reason to think that that great Outpouring of the Spirit that then was, was not wholly without those more extraordinary Effects on Persons Bodies. The Jailer in particular, seems to have been an Instance of that Nature, when he, in the utmost Distress and Amazement, came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas: His falling down at that Time, does not seem to be a designed putting himself into a Posture of Supplication, or humble Address to Paul and Silas, for he seems not to have said any Thing to them then; but he first brought them out, and then he says to them, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Acts 16:29, 30. But his falling down, seems to be from the same Cause as his Trembling. The Psalmist gives an Account of his crying out aloud, and a great weakening of his Body under Convictions of Conscience, and a Sense of the Guilt of Sin, Psalm 32:3, 4. When I kept Silence my Bones waxed old, through my roaring all the Day long; for Day and Night thy Hand was heavy upon me, my Moisture is turned into the Drought of Summer. We may at least argue so much from it, That such an Effect of Conviction of Sin, may well in some Cases be supposed: for if we should suppose any Thing of an Auxesis in the Expressions made use of, yet the Psalmist would not represent what was, by that which would be absurd, and which no Degree of that Exercise of Mind he spoke of, would have any Tendency to.

We read of the Disciples, Matthew 14:26, that when they saw Christ coming to them in the Storm, and took him for some terrible Enemy, threatening their Destruction in that Storm, they cried out for Fear: Why therefore should it be thought strange, that Persons should cry out for Fear, when God appears to them as their terrible Enemy, and they see themselves in great Danger of being swallowed up in the bottomless Gulf of eternal Misery?

The Spouse once and again speaks of herself as overpowered with the Love of Christ, so as to weaken her Body, and make her ready to faint. Canticles 2:5. Stay me with Flagons, comfort me with Apples, for I am sick of Love. And Chapter 5:8. I charge you, O ye Daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my Beloved, that ye tell him that I am sick of Love. From whence we may at least argue, that such an Effect may well be supposed to arise from such a Cause in the Saints in some Cases, and that such an Effect will sometimes be seen in the Church of Christ.

It is a weak Objection, That the Impressions that Enthusiasts are under, have been wont to have a great Effect on their Bodies. That the Quakers used to tremble, is no Argument that Saul, afterwards Paul, and the Jailer, did not tremble from real Convictions of Conscience. Indeed all such Objections from Effects on the Body, let them be greater or less, seem to be exceeding frivolous: they that argue from hence, are going in the Dark; they know not what Ground they go upon, nor what Rule they go by. The Root and Cause of Things is to be looked at, and the Nature of the Operations and Affections that Persons Minds are under, are what are to be inquired into, and examined by the Rule of God's Word, and not the Motions of the Blood and animal Spirits.

3. It is no Argument that an Operation that appears on the Minds of a People, is not the Work of the Spirit of God, That it occasions a great Ado, and a great deal of Noise about Religion. For though true Religion be of a contrary Nature to that of the Pharisees, that was ostentatious, and delighted to set itself forth to the View of Men, for their Applause; yet such is human Nature, that it is morally impossible that there should be a great Concern, and strong Affection, and Engagedness of Mind amongst a People, that should be general, and what most of them agree in, and yet there be but little said or done that should be publicly observable; or that it should not cause a notable, visible, and open Commotion and Alteration amongst that People.

Surely it is no Argument that the Minds of Persons are not under the Influence of God's Spirit, that they are very much moved: for indeed spiritual and eternal Things are so great, and of such vast and infinite Concern, that there is a great Absurdity in Men's being but moderately moved and affected by them; and it is no Argument that they are not moved by the Spirit of God, that they are affected with these Things properly, and in some Measure, as they deserve, or in some Proportion to their Importance. And when was there ever any such Thing, since the World stood, as a People in general being greatly affected, in any Affair whatsoever, without Noise or Stir? The Nature of Man will not allow it.

Indeed Christ says, Luke 17:20. The Kingdom of God comes not with Observation. That is, it won't consist in what is outward and visible; it shall not be like the Kingdoms of earthly Kings, set up with outward Pomp, in some particular Place, which shall be especially the Royal City, and Seat of the Kingdom; as Christ explains himself in the Words next following, Neither shall they say, lo here, or lo there; for behold the Kingdom of God is within you. Not that the Kingdom of God shall be set up in the World, on the Ruins of Satan's Kingdom, without a very notable, observable, great Effect; a mighty Change in the State of Things; to the Observation and Astonishment of the whole World: For such an Effect as this is even held forth in the Prophecies of Scripture, and is so by Christ himself, in this very Place, and even in his own Explanation of those forementioned Words, verse 24. For as the Lightning, that lightens out of one Part under Heaven, shines unto the other Part under Heaven, so shall also the Son of Man be in his Day. This is to distinguish Christ's coming to set up his Kingdom, from the coming of false Christs, which Christ tells us will be in a private Manner, in the Deserts, and in the secret Chambers; whereas this Event of sitting up the Kingdom of God, should be open and public, in the Sight of the whole World, with clear Manifestation, like Lightning that can't be hid, but glares in everyone's Eyes, and shines from one Side of Heaven to the other.

And we find that when Christ's Kingdom came, by that remarkable pouring out of the Spirit in the Apostles' Days, it occasioned a great Stir and Ado everywhere. What a mighty Opposition was there in Jerusalem, on Occasion of that great Effusion of the Spirit that was there? And so what a great Ado in Samaria, Antioch, Ephesus, and Corinth, and other Places? The Affair filled the World with Noise, and gave Occasion to some to say of the Apostles, that they had turned the World upside down, Acts 17:6.

4. It is no Argument that an Operation that appears on the Minds of a People, is not the Work of the Spirit of God, That many that are the Subjects of it, have great Impressions on their Imaginations. That Persons have many Impressions on their Imaginations, doesn't prove that they have nothing else. It is easy to be accounted for, that there should be much of this Nature amongst a People, where a great Multitude, of all Kinds of Constitutions, have their Minds engaged with intense Thought and strong Affection about those Things that are invisible; yea, it would be Strange if there should not. Such is our Nature that we can't think of Things invisible, without a Degree of Imagination. I dare appeal to any Man, of the greatest Powers of Mind, Whether or no he is able to fix his Thoughts on God or Christ, or the Things of another World, without imaginary Ideas, attending his Meditations? And the more engaged the Mind is, and the more intense the Contemplation and Affection, still the more lively and strong will the imaginary Idea ordinarily be; especially when the Contemplation and Affection of the Mind is attended with any Thing of Surprise; as when the View a Person has is very new, and takes strong hold of the Passions, either Fear or Joy; and when the Change of the State and Views of the Mind is sudden, from a contrary Extreme, as from that which was extremely dreadful, to that which is extremely ravishing and delightful: And it is no Wonder that many Persons don't distinguish between that which is imaginary, and that which is intellectual and spiritual; and that they are apt to lay too much Weight on the imaginary Part, and are most ready to speak of that in the Account they give of their Experiences, especially Persons of less Understanding and Capacity of Distinction.

As God has given us such a Faculty as the Imagination, and has so made us that we can't think of Things spiritual and invisible, without some Exercise of this Faculty, so it appears to me that such is our State and Nature, that this Faculty is really subservient and helpful to the other Faculties of the Mind, when a proper Use is made of it; though oftentimes when the Imagination is too strong, and the other Faculties weak, it overbears them, and much disturbs them in their Exercise. It appears to me manifest in many Instances I have been acquainted with, that God has really made Use of this Faculty to truly divine Purposes; especially in some that are more ignorant: God seems to condescend to their Circumstances, and deal with them as Babes; as of old he instructed his Church while in a State of Ignorance and Minority by Types and outward Representations. I can see nothing unreasonable in such a Supposition. Let others that have much Occasion to deal with Souls in spiritual Concerns, judge whether Experience doesn't confirm it.

It is no Argument that a Work is not the Work of the Spirit of God, that some that are the Subjects of it, have in some extraordinary Frames, been in a kind of Ecstasy, wherein they have been carried beyond themselves, and have had their Minds transported into a Train of strong and pleasing Imaginations, and kind of Visions, as though they were rapt up even to Heaven, and there saw glorious Sights. I have been acquainted with some such Instances; and I see no Manner of Need of bringing in the Help of the Devil into the Account that we give of these Things; nor yet of supposing them to be of the same Nature with the Visions of the Prophets, or Saint Paul's Rapture into Paradise. Human Nature, under these vehement and intense Exercises and Affections of Mind, which some Persons are the Subjects of, is all that need be brought into the Account. If it may well be accounted for, that Persons under a true Sense of the glorious and wonderful Greatness and Excellency of divine Things, and Soul-ravishing Views of the Beauty and Love of Christ, should have the Strength of Nature overpowered, as I have already shown that it may; then I think it is not at all strange, that amongst great Numbers that are thus affected and overborne, there should be some Persons of particular Constitutions that should have their Imaginations thus affected: When it is thus, the Effect is no other than what bears a Proportion and Analogy to other Effects of the strong Exercise of their Minds. It is no Wonder that when the Thoughts are so fixed, and the Affections so strong, and the whole Soul so engaged and ravished and swallowed up, that all other Parts of the Body are so affected as to be deprived of their Strength, and the whole Frame ready to dissolve; I say, it is no Wonder that in such a Case, the Brain in particular, (especially in some Constitutions) which is a Part of the Body which we know is next and most especially affected by intense Contemplations and Exercises of Mind, should be overborne and affected, so that its Strength and Spirits should for a Season be diverted, and so taken off from Impressions made on the Organs of external Sense, and wholly employed in a Train of pleasing delightful Imaginations, such as the Frame the Mind is then in disposes it to.

Some Persons are ready to interpret such Things wrong, and to lay too much Weight on them, as though they were prophetical Visions, and to look upon what they imagine they see or hear in them as divine Revelations, and sometimes Significations from Heaven of what shall come to pass; which the Issue, in some Instances I have known, has shown to be otherwise: But yet it appears to me that such Things are evidently sometimes, from the Spirit of God, though indirectly; that is, as that extraordinary Frame of Mind they are in, and that strong and lively Sense of divine Things that is the Occasion of them, is from his Spirit; and also as the Mind continues in its holy Frame, and retains a divine Sense of the Excellency of spiritual Things, even in its Rapture: which holy Frame and Sense is from the Spirit of God, though the Imaginations that attend it are but accidental, and therefore there is commonly something or other in them that is confused, improper and false.

5. It is no Sign that a Work that appears, and is wrought on the Minds of People, is not from the Spirit of God, That Example is made use of as a great Means of it. It is surely no Argument that an Effect is not from God, that Means are made use of in producing it; for we know that it is God's Manner to make use of Means in carrying on his Work in the World: and it is no more an Argument against the Divinity of an Effect, that this Means is made use of, than if it was by any other Means. It is agreeable to Scripture that Persons should be influenced by one another's good Example: The Scripture directs us to set good Examples to that End, Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 3:1, 1 Timothy 4:12, Titus 2:7, and also directs us to be influenced by the good Examples that others set, and to follow them, 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, Hebrews 6:12, Philippians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 4:16, and Chapter 11:1, 2 Thessalonians 3:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:7. By which it appears that Example is one of God's Means; and certainly it is no Argument that a Work is not the Work of God, that God's own Means are made Use of to effect it.

And as it is a scriptural Way of carrying on God's Work, to carry it on by Example, so it is a reasonable Way. It is no Argument that Men are not influenced by Reason, that they are influenced by Example. This Way of Persons holding forth Truth to one another, has a Tendency to enlighten the Mind, and to convince Reason. None will deny but that for Persons to signify Things one to another by Words, may rationally be supposed to tend to enlighten each other's Minds; but the same Things may be signified by Actions, and signified much more fully and effectually. Words are of no Use any otherwise than as they convey our own Ideas to others; but Actions, in some Cases, may do it much more fully. There is a Language in Actions; and in some Cases, much more clear and convincing than in Words.

It is therefore no Argument against the Goodness of the Effect, that one affects and stirs up another; or that Persons are greatly affected by seeing others so; yea, though the Impression that is made upon them should be only by seeing the Tokens of great and extraordinary Affection in others in their Behaviour, taking for granted what they are affected with, without hearing them say one Word. There may be Language sufficient in such a Case in their Behaviour only, to convey their Minds to others, and to signify to them the Sense of Things they have, more than can possibly be done by Words only. If a Person should see another under some extreme bodily Torment, he might receive much clearer Ideas, and more convincing Evidence what he suffered by his Actions in his Misery, than he could do only by the Words of an unaffected indifferent Relator. In like Manner he might receive a greater Idea of any Thing that is excellent and very delightful, from the Behaviour of one that is in actual Enjoyment, or one that is sensible through Sight and Taste, than by the dull Narration of one that is inexperienced and insensible himself. I desire that this Matter may be examined by the strictest Reason.

And there is this Argument, that Effects that are produced in Persons Minds by Example are rational, that it is manifest that not only weak and ignorant People are much influenced by it, but nothing can be more evident to any one that observes the World of Mankind, than that all sorts of Persons, wise and unwise, and even those that make the greatest Boasts of Strength of Reason, are more influenced by Reason held forth in this Way than almost any other Way.

Indeed when religious Affections are raised by this Means, it is as when Persons affected in hearing the Word preached, or any other Means, the Affections of many prove flashy, and soon vanish, as Christ represents of the stony Ground Hearers; but the Affections of some that are thus moved by Example are abiding, and prove to be of saving Issue.

There never yet was a Time of remarkable pouring out of the Spirit, and great Revival of Religion, but that Example had a main Hand; so it was in the Time of the Reformation, and so it evidently was in that great Out-pouring of the Spirit that was in the Apostles Days, in Jerusalem, and Samaria, and Ephesus, and other Parts of the World, as will be most manifest to any one that attends to the Accounts we have in the Acts of the Apostles: As in those Days one Person was moved by another, so one City or Town was influenced by the Example of another, 1 Thessalonians 1:7, 8. So that ye were Examples to all that believe in Macedonia,and Achaia; for from you sounded out the Word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every Place your Faith to Godward is spread abroad.

It is no valid Objection against Examples being made so much use of, that the Scripture speaks of the Word of God as the principal Means of carrying on God's Work; for the Word of God is the principal Means nevertheless, as that is the Means by which other Means operate, and are made effectual: The Sacraments have no Effect but by the Word. And so it is that Example becomes effectual; for all that is visible to the Eye is unintelligible and vain, without the Word of God to instruct and guide the Mind: It is the Word of God that is indeed held forth and applied by Example, as the Word of the Lord sounded forth to other Towns in Macedonia and Achaia, by the Example of those that believed in Thessalonica.

That Example should be a great Means of propagating the Church of God seems to be several Ways signified in Scripture: It is signified by Ruth's following Naomi out of the Land of Moab, into the Land of Israel, when she resolved that she would not leave her; but would go whether she went, and would lodge where she lodged; and that Naomi's People should be her People, and Naomi'**s God her God. Ruth who was the Mother of David** and of Christ, was undoubtedly a great Type of the Church; upon which Account her History is inserted in the Canon of the Scripture: In her leaving the Land of Moab and its Gods, to come and put her Trust under the Shadow of the Wings of the God of Israel, we have a Type, not only of the Conversion of the Gentile Church, but the Conversion of every Sinner, that is naturally an Alien and Stranger, but in his Conversion forgets his own People, and Father's House, and is made nigh, and becomes a Fellow-Citizen with the Saints, and a true Israelite. The same seems to be signified in the Effect the Example of the Spouse, when she was sick of Love, has on the Daughters of Jerusalem, that is, visible Christians, who are represented as being first awakened by seeing the Spouse in such extraordinary Circumstances, and then converted. See Song of Solomon 5:8, 9 and 6:1. And this is undoubtedly one Way that the Spirit and the Bride says, come, Revelation 22:17, that is, the Spirit in the Bride. It is foretold, that the Work of God should be carried on very much by this Means, in the last great Out-pouring of the Spirit, that should introduce the glorious Day of the Church, so often spoken of in Scripture. Zechariah 8:21, 22, 23. And the Inhabitants of one City, shall go to another, saying, let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts; I will go also. Yea many People, and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, in those Days it shall come to pass, that ten Men shall take hold, out of all Languages of the Nations, even shall take hold of the Skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

6. It is no Sign that a Work that is wrought amongst a People is not from the Spirit of God, That many that seem to be the Subjects of it, are guilty of great Imprudences and Irregularities in their Conduct. We are to consider that the End for which God pours out his Spirit, is to make Men holy, and not to make them Politicians. It is no Wonder at all, that in a mixed Multitude of all sorts, wise and unwise, young and old, of weak and strong natural Abilities, that are under strong Impressions of Mind, there are many that behave themselves imprudently. There are but few that know how to conduct them under vehement Affections of any Kind, whether they be of a temporal or spiritual Nature: to do so requires a great deal of Discretion, and strength and steadiness of Mind. A thousand Imprudences will not prove a Work not to be the Work of the Spirit of God; yea if there be not only Imprudences, but many Things prevailing that are irregular, and really contrary to the Rules of God's holy Word. That it should be thus may be well accounted for from the exceeding Weakness of human Nature, together with the remaining Darkness and Corruption of those that are yet the Subjects of the saving Influences of God's Spirit, and have a real Zeal for God.

We have a remarkable Instance in the New Testament, of a People that partook largely of that great Effusion of the Spirit there was in the Apostles Days, among whom, there nevertheless abounded Imprudences and great Irregularities; and that is the Church of the Corinthians. There is scarce any Church more celebrated in the New Testament for being blessed with large Measures of the Spirit of God, both in his ordinary Influences, in convincing and converting Sinners, and also in his extraordinary and miraculous Gifts; yet what manifold Imprudences, and great and sinful Irregularities, and strange Confusion did they run into, at the Lord's Supper, and in the Exercise of Church Discipline, and their indecent Manner of attending other Parts of public Worship, and in Jarring and Contention about their Teachers, and even in the Exercise of their extraordinary Gifts of Prophecy, speaking with Tongues, and the like, wherein they spake and acted by the immediate Inspiration of the Spirit of God?

And if we see great Imprudences, and even sinful Irregularities in some that are improved as great Instruments to carry on the Work, it will not prove it not to be the Work of God. The Apostle Peter himself, that was a great and eminently holy and inspired Apostle, and one of the chief Instruments of setting up the Christian Church in the World, and one of the Chief of the Apostles, when he was actually engaged in this Work, was guilty of a great and sinful Error in his Conduct; of which the Apostle Paul speaks, Galatians 2:11, 12, 13. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the Face, because he was to be blamed; for before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles, but when they were come, he withdrew, and separated himself, fearing them that were of the Circumcision; and the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their Dissimulation. If the great Pillar of the Christian Church, and he who was one of the Chief of those that are the very Foundations on which, next to Christ, the whole Church is said to be built, was guilty of such an Irregularity; is it any Wonder if other lesser Instruments, that have not that extraordinary Conduct of the divine Spirit that he had, should be guilty of many Irregularities?

And here in particular, it is no Evidence that a Work is not the Work of God, if many that are the Subjects of it, or are improved as Instruments to carry it on, are guilty of too great a forwardness to censure others as Unconverted, through Mistakes they have embraced concerning the Marks by which they are to judge of others Hypocrisy and Carnality; either not duly apprehending the Latitude the Spirit of God uses in the Methods of his Operations, or for want of making due Allowance for that Infirmity and Corruption that may be left in the Hearts of the Saints; as well as through want of a due Sense of their own Blindness and Weakness, and remaining Corruption, whereby spiritual Pride may have a secret Vent, this Way, under some Disguise, and not be discovered.

If we allow that truly pious Men may have a great deal of remaining Blindness and Corruption, and may be liable to Mistakes about the Marks of Hypocrisy, as undoubtedly all will allow; then it is not unaccountable that they should sometimes run into such Errors as these: It is as easy, and upon some Accounts, more easy to be accounted for, why the remaining Corruption of good Men should sometimes have an unobserved Vent this Way, than most other Ways, (though it be exceeding unhappy,) and without Doubt many holy Men have erred this Way.

Lukewarmness in Religion is abominable, and Zeal an excellent Grace; yet above all other Christian Virtues, it needs to be strictly watched and searched; for it is that with which Corruption, and particularly Pride and human Passion, is exceeding apt to mix unobserved. And it is observable that there never was a Time of great Reformation, to cause a Revival of much of a Spirit of Zeal in the Church of God, but that it has been attended in some notable Instances, with Irregularity, running out some Way or other into an undue Severity. Thus in the Apostles Days, a great deal of Zeal was spent about unclean Meats, with heat of Spirit in Christians one against another, both Parties condemning and censuring one another, as not true Christians; when the Apostle had Charity for both, as influenced by a Spirit of real Piety: He that eats, says he, to the Lord he eats, and giveth God Thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God Thanks. So in the Church of Corinth, they had got into a Way of extolling some Ministers, and censuring others, and were puffed up for one against another: but yet these Things were no Sign that the Work that was then so wonderfully carried on, was not the Work of God. And after this, when Religion was still greatly flourishing in the World, and a Spirit of eminent Holiness and Zeal prevailed in the Christian Church, the Zeal of Christians run out into a very improper and undue Severity, in the Exercise of Church Discipline towards Delinquents; in some Cases they would by no Means admit them into their Charity and Communion, though they appeared never so humble and penitent. And in the Days of Constantine the Great, the Zeal of Christians against Heathenism, run out into a Degree of Persecution. So in that glorious Revival of Religion, in the Time of the Reformation, Zeal in many Instances appeared in a very improper Severity, and even a Degree of Persecution; yea in some of the most eminent Reformers; as in the great Calvin in particular: and many in those Days of the flourishing of vital Religion, were guilty of severely censuring others that differed from them in Opinion in some Points of Divinity.

7. Nor are many Errors in Judgment, and some Delusions of Satan intermixed with the Work, any Argument that the Work in general is not the Work of the Spirit of God. However great a pouring out of the Spirit there may be, it is not to be expected that the Spirit of God should be given now in the same Manner that it was to the Apostles, infallibly to guide them in Points of Christian Doctrine, so that what they taught might be relied on as a Rule to the Christian Church. And if many Delusions of Satan appear at the same Time that a great religious Concern prevails, it is not an Argument that the Work in general is not the Work of God, any more than it was an Argument in Egypt that there were no true Miracles wrought there, by the Hand of God, because Jannes and Jambres wrought false Miracles at the same Time by the Hand of the Devil. Yea the same Persons may be the Subjects of much of the Influences of the Spirit of God, and yet in some Things be led away by the Delusions of the Devil; and this be no more of a Paradox than many other Things that are true of real Saints, in the present State, where Grace dwells with so much Corruption, and the new Man and the old Man subsist together in the same Person; and the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the Devil remain for a while together in the same Heart. Many godly Persons have undoubtedly in this and other Ages, exposed themselves to woeful Delusions, by an Aptness to lay too much Weight on Impulses and Impressions, as if they were immediate Revelations from God, to signify something future, or to direct them where to go and what to do.

8. If some such as were thought to be wrought upon, fall away into gross Errors or scandalous Practices, it is no Argument that the Work in general is not the Work of the Spirit of God. That there are some Counterfeits, is no Argument that nothing is true: such Things are always expected in a Time of Reformation. If we look into Church History, we shall find no Instance of great Revival of Religion, but what has been attended with many such Things. Instances of this Nature in the Apostles Days were innumerable, both of those that fell away into gross Heresies, and also vile Practices; that yet seemed to be the Subjects of that Work of the Spirit of God that was then, and were accepted for a while amongst those that were truly so, as their Brethren, and some of their Company, and were not suspected not to be of them, till they went out from them. And they were not only private Christians, but Teachers and Officers, and eminent Persons in the Christian Church; and some that God had endowed with miraculous Gifts of the Holy Ghost; as appears by the Beginning of the Sixth Chapter of Hebrews. An Instance of these was Judas, who was one of the twelve Apostles, and had long been constantly united to, and intimately conversant with a Company of truly experienced Disciples, without being discovered or suspected, till he discovered himself by his scandalous Practice; and had been treated by Jesus himself, in all external Things, as if he had truly been a Disciple, even to the investing him with the Character of Apostle, and sending him forth to preach the Gospel, and endowing him with miraculous Gifts of the Spirit. For though Christ knew him, yet he did not then clothe himself with the Character of Omniscient Judge, and Searcher of Hearts, but acted the Part of a Minister of the visible Church of God, (for he was his Father's Minister;) and therefore rejected him not, till he had discovered himself by his scandalous Practice; thereby giving an Example to other Guides and Rulers of the visible Church, not to take it upon them to act the Part of Searcher of Hearts, but to be influenced in their Administrations by what is visible and open.

There were some Instances then of such Apostates, not only in some that for a while were thought true Christians, but some that were esteemed eminently full of the Grace of God's Spirit. An Instance of this Nature was Nicolas, one of the seven Deacons; who was looked upon by the Christians in Jerusalem, in the Time of that extraordinary pouring out of the Spirit, as a Man full of the Holy Ghost, and was chosen out of the Multitude of Christians to that Office, for that Reason; as you may see in Acts 6:3, 5. Yet he afterwards fell away, and became the Head of a Set of vile Heretics, of gross Practices, called from his Name the Sect of the Nicolaitans, Revelation 2:6, and 15.

So in the Time of the Reformation from Popery, how great was the Number of those that for a while seemed to join with the Reformers, that fell away into the grossest and most absurd Errors, and abominable Practices.

And it is particularly observable that in Times of great pouring out of the Spirit to revive Religion in the World, a Number of those that for a while seemed to partake in it, have fallen off into whimsical and extravagant Errors, and gross Enthusiasm, boasting of high Degrees of Spirituality and Perfection, censuring and condemning others as Carnal. Thus it was with the Gnostics in the Apostles Times; and thus it was with the several Sects of Anabaptists in the Time of the Reformation, as Anthony Burgess observes, in his Book called Spiritual Refining, Part 1, Sermon 23, Page 132. The first worthy Reformers, and glorious Instruments of God found a bitter Conflict herein, so that they were exercised not only with Formalists, and traditionary Papists on the one Side, but Men that pretended themselves to be more enlightened than the Reformers were, on the other Side. Hence they called those that did adhere to the Scripture, and would try Revelations by it, Literists, and Vowelists, as Men acquainted with the Words and Vowels of the Scripture, having nothing of the Spirit of God. And wheresoever, in any Town, the true Doctrine of the Gospel broke forth to the displacing of Popery, presently such Opinions arose, like Tares that came up among the good Wheat; whereby great Divisions were raised, and the Reformation made abominable and odious to the World; as if that had been the Sun to give Heat and Warmth to those Worms and Serpents to crawl out of the Ground. Hence they inveighed against Luther, and said he had only promulgated a carnal Gospel. Some of the Leaders of those wild Enthusiasts, had been for a while, highly esteemed by the first Reformers, and peculiarly dear to them.

So in England at the Time when vital Religion did much prevail in the Days of King Charles the First, the Interregnum, and Oliver Cromwell, such Things as these abounded. And so in the beginning of New England, in her purest Days, when vital Piety flourished, such Kind of Things as these broke out. Therefore the Devil's sowing such Tares is no Proof that a true Work of the Spirit of God is not gloriously carried on.

9. It is no Argument that a Work is not from the Spirit of God, That it seems to be promoted by Ministers insisting very much on the Terrors of God's holy Law, and that with a great deal of Pathos and Earnestness. If there be really a Hell of such dreadful, and never ending Torments, as is generally supposed, that Multitudes are in great Danger of, and that the greater Part of Men in Christian Countries do actually from Generation to Generation fall into, for want of a Sense of the Terribleness of it, and their Danger of it, and so for want of taking due Care to avoid it; then why is it not proper for those that have the Care of Souls, to take great Pains to make Men sensible of it? Why should not they be told as much of the Truth as can be? If I am in Danger of going to Hell, I should be glad to know as much as possibly I can of the Dreadfulness of it. If I am very prone to neglect due Care to avoid it, he does me the best Kindness, that does most to represent to me the Truth of the Case, that sets forth my Misery and Danger in the liveliest Manner.

I appeal to every one in this Congregation, whether this is not the very Course they would take in Case of Exposedness to any great temporal Calamity? If any of you that are Heads of Families, saw one of your Children in an House that was all on Fire over its Head, and in eminent Danger of being soon consumed in the Flames, that seemed to be very insensible of its Danger, and neglected to escape, after you had often spoke to it, and called to it, would you go on to speak to it only in a cold and indifferent Manner? Would not you cry aloud, and call earnestly to it, and represent the Danger it was in, and its own Folly in delaying, in the most lively Manner you were capable of? Would not Nature itself teach this, and oblige you to it? If you should continue to speak to it only in a cold Manner, as you are wont to do in ordinary Conversation about indifferent Matters, would not those about you begin to think you were bereft of Reason yourself? This is not the Way of Mankind, nor the Way of any one Person in this Congregation, in temporal Affairs of great Moment, that require earnest Heed and great Haste, and about which they are greatly concerned, to speak to others of their Danger, and warn them but a little; and when they do it at all, do it in a cold indifferent Manner: Nature teaches Men otherwise. If we that have the Care of Souls, knew what Hell was, had seen the State of the Damned, or by any other Means, become sensible how dreadful their Case was; and at the same Time knew that the greater Part of Men went thither; and saw our Hearers in eminent Danger, and that they were not sensible of their Danger, and so after being often warned neglected to escape, it would be morally impossible for us to avoid abundantly and most earnestly setting before them the Dreadfulness of that Misery they were in Danger of, and their great Exposedness to it, and Warning them to fly from it, and even to cry aloud to them.

When Ministers preach of Hell, and warn Sinners to avoid it, in a cold Manner, though they may say in Words that it is infinitely terrible; yet (if we look on Language as a Communication of our Minds to others) they contradict themselves; for Actions, as I observed before, have a Language to convey our Minds, as well as Words; and at the same Time that such a Preacher's Words represent the Sinner's State as infinitely dreadful, his Behaviour and Manner of speaking contradict it, and show that the Preacher does not think so; so that he defeats his own Purpose; for the Language of his Actions, in such a Case, is much more effectual than the bare Signification of his Words.

Not that I think that the Law only should be preached: Ministers may preach other Things too little. The Gospel is to be preached as well as the Law, and the Law is to be preached only to make Way for the Gospel, and in order to an effectual preaching of that; for the main Work of Ministers of the Gospel is to preach the Gospel: it is the End of the Law; Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousness: So that a Minister would miss it very much if he should insist so much on the Terrors of the Law, as to forget his End, and neglect to preach the Gospel; but yet the Law is very much to be insisted on, and the preaching of the Gospel is like to be in vain without it.

And certainly such Earnestness and Affection in speaking is beautiful, as becomes the Nature and Importance of the Subject. Not but that there may be such a Thing as an indecent Boisterousness in a Preacher, that is something besides what naturally arises from the Nature of his Subject, and in which the Matter and Manner do not well agree together.

Some talk of it as an unreasonable Thing to think to frighten Persons to Heaven; but I think it is a reasonable Thing to endeavour to frighten Persons away from Hell, that stand upon the Brink of it, and are just ready to fall into it, and are senseless of their Danger. It is a reasonable Thing to frighten a Person out of an House on Fire. The Word Fright is commonly used for sudden causeless Fear, or groundless Surprise; but surely a just Fear, that there is good Reason for, though it be very great, is not to be spoken against under any such Name.

Having thus shown, in some Instances, what are not Evidences that a Work that is wrought among a People, is not a Work of the Spirit of God,

I now proceed in the Second Place, as was proposed, to show positively, What are the sure, distinguishing, Scripture Evidences and Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, by which we may proceed in judging of any Operation we find in ourselves, or see among a People, without Danger of being misled.

And in this, as I said before, I shall confine myself wholly to those Marks which are given us by the Apostle in the Chapter wherein is my Text, where this Matter is particularly handled, and more plainly and fully than anywhere else in the Bible. And in speaking to these Marks, I shall take them in the Order in which I find them in the Chapter.

1. When that Spirit that is at work amongst a People is observed to operate after such a Manner, as to raise their Esteem of that Jesus that was born of the Virgin, and was crucified without the Gates of Jerusalem; and seems more to confirm and establish their Minds in the Truth of what the Gospel declares to us of his being the Son of God, and the Saviour of Men; it is a sure Sign that that Spirit is the Spirit of God. This Sign the Apostle gives us in the second and third Verses thereby know ye the Spirit of God; every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh, is of God; and every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the Flesh, is not of God. This implies a confessing, not only that there was such a Person that appeared in Palestine, and did and suffered those Things that are recorded of him, but that that Person was CHRIST, that is the Son of God, the Anointed of God to be Lord and Saviour, as the Name Jesus Christ implies. That thus much is implied in the Apostle's Meaning, is confirmed by the 15th Verse, where the Apostle is still on the same Subject of Signs of the true Spirit, Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

And it is to be observed that the Word confess, as it is often used in the New Testament, signifies more than merely allowing: It implies an establishing and confirming a Thing by Testimony, and declaring it with manifestation of Esteem and Affection: so Matthew 10:32. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before Men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. Romans 15:9. I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy Name. And Philippians 2:11. That every Tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father. And that this is the Force of the Expression, as the Apostle John uses it in this Place, is confirmed by that other Place in the same Epistle, in the next Chapter, at the first Verse, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. And by that parallel Place of the Apostle Paul, where we have the same Rule given to distinguish the true Spirit from all Counterfeits, 1 Corinthians 12:3. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no Man speaking by the Spirit of God, calleth Jesus accursed, (or will show an ill or mean Esteem of him) and that no Man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

So that if the Spirit that is at work among a People, is plainly observed to work after that Manner, as to convince them of Christ, and lead them to Christ; more to confirm their Minds in the Belief of the Story of Christ, as he appeared in the Flesh, and that he is the Son of God, and was sent of God to save Sinners, and that he is the only Saviour, and that they stand in great need of him; and seems to beget in them higher and more honourable Thoughts of him than they used to have, and to incline their Affections more to him; it is a sure Sign that it is the true and right Spirit; and that whether we can determine whether that Conviction and Affection be in that Manner, or to that Degree, as to be saving or no.

But the Words of the Apostle are remarkable; The Person that the Spirit gives Testimony to and to whom he raises their Esteem and Respect, must be that Jesus that appeared in the Flesh, and not another Christ in his Stead; not any mystical, fantastical Christ; such as the Light within, which the Spirit of the Quakers extols, while it diminishes their Esteem of, and Dependence upon an outward Christ, or Jesus as he came in the Flesh, and leads them off from him; but the Spirit that gives Testimony for that Jesus, and leads to Him, can be no other than the Spirit of God.

The Devil has the most bitter and implacable Enmity against that Person, especially in his Character of the Saviour of Men; he mortally hates the Story and Doctrine of his Redemption; he never would go about to beget in Men more honourable Thoughts of him, and so to incline them more to fear him, and lay greater Weight on his Instructions and Commands. The Spirit that inclines Mens Hearts to the Seed of the Woman, is not the Spirit of the Serpent, that has such an irreconcileable Enmity against him. He that heightens Mens Esteem of the glorious Michael, that Prince of the Angels, is not the Spirit of the Dragon that is at War with him.

2. When the Spirit that is at work operates against the Interest of Satan's Kingdom, which lies in encouraging and establishing Sin, and cherishing Mens worldly Lusts; this is a sure Sign that it is a true, and not a false Spirit. This Sign we have given us in the fourth and fifth Verses. Ye are of God, little Children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the World. They are of the World, therefore speak they of the World, and the World heareth them. Here is a plain Antithesis: It is evident that the Apostle is still comparing those that are influenced by the two opposite Kinds of Spirits, the true and the false, and showing the Difference; the one are of God, and overcome the Spirit of the World; the other are of the World, and speak and savour the Things of the World. The Spirit of the Devil is here called, He that is in the World. Christ says, My Kingdom is not of this World. But it is otherwise with Satan's Kingdom; he is the God of this World.

What the Apostle means by the World, or the Things that are of the World, we learn by his own Words, in the second Chapter of this Epistle 15th and 16th Verses. Love not the World, neither the Things that are in the World: If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him: For all that is in the World, the Lust of the Flesh, and the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life, is not of the Father, but is of the World. So that by the World, the Apostle evidently means every Thing that appertains to the Interest of Sin, and comprehends all the Corruptions and Lusts of Men, and all those Acts and Objects by which they are gratified. In these Things lies the Interest of his Kingdom, who is the Spirit that is in the World, and is the God of the World.

So that we may safely determine, from what the Apostle says, that the Spirit that is at work amongst a People, that is observed to work after such a Manner, as to lessen Mens Esteem of the Pleasures, Profits and Honours of the World, and to take off their Hearts from an eager Pursuit after these Things; and to engage them in a deep Concern about a future and eternal Happiness in that invisible World, that the Gospel reveals; and puts them upon earnest seeking the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness; and convinces them of the Dreadfulness of Sin, the Guilt that it brings, and the Misery that it exposes to: I say, the Spirit that operates after such a Manner, must needs be the Spirit of God.

It is not to be supposed that Satan would go about to convince Men of Sin, and awaken the Conscience; it can no Way serve his End, to make that Candle of the Lord shine the brighter, and to open the Mouth of that Vicegerent of God in the Soul: It is for his Interest, whatever he does, to lull Conscience asleep, and keep that quiet; to have that, with its Eyes and Mouth open in the Soul, will tend to clog and hinder all his Designs of Darkness, and ever more to be disturbing his Affairs, and crossing his Interest in the Soul, and disquieting him, so that he can manage nothing to his Mind without Molestation. Would the Devil when he is about to establish Men in a Way and State of Sin, take such a Course, in the first Place to enlighten and awaken the Conscience to see the Dreadfulness of Sin, and make them exceedingly afraid of Sin, and sensible of their Misery by Reason of their past Sins, and their great Need of Deliverance from the Guilt of them, and more careful, inquisitive and watchful to discern what is sinful; and to avoid future Sins; and so more afraid of the Devil's Temptations, and careful to guard against them? What do those Men do with their Reason, that suppose that the Spirit that operates thus, is the Spirit of the Devil?

Possibly some may say, That the Devil may even awaken Mens Consciences to deceive them, and make them think they have been the Subjects of a saving Work of the Spirit of God, while they are indeed still in the Gall of Bitterness. But to this it may be replied, That the Man that has an awakened Conscience is the least likely to be deceived of any Man in the World: It is the drowsy, insensible, stupid Conscience, that is most easily blinded. The more sensible Conscience is in a diseased Soul, the less easily is it quieted without a real Healing. The more sensible Conscience is made of the Dreadfulness of Sin, and of the Greatness of a Man's own Guilt of it, the less likely is he to rest in his own Righteousness, or to be pacified with nothing but Shadows. A Man that has been thoroughly terrified with a Sense of his Danger and Misery, is not easily flattered and made to believe himself safe, without any good Grounds.

To awaken Conscience, and convince of the Evil of Sin, cannot tend to establish Sin, but certainly tends to make Way for Sin and Satan's being cast out. Therefore this is a good Argument that the Spirit that operates thus, cannot be the Spirit of the Devil; if Christ knew how to argue, who told the Pharisees, that supposed that the Spirit that he wrought by, was the Spirit of the Devil, that Satan would not cast out Satan, Matthew 12:25, 26.

And therefore if we see Persons made sensible of the dreadful Nature of Sin, and of the Displeasure of God against it, and of their own miserable Condition as they are in themselves, by Reason of Sin, and earnestly concerned for their eternal Salvation, and sensible of their Need of God's Pity and Help, and engaged to seek it in the Use of the Means that God has appointed, we may certainly conclude that it is from the Spirit of God, whatever Effects this Concern has on their Bodies; though it causes them to cry out aloud, or to shriek, or to faint, or though it throws them into Convulsions, or whatever other Way the Blood and Spirits are moved.

The Influence of the Spirit of God is yet more abundantly manifest, if Persons have their Hearts drawn off from the World, and weaned from the Objects of their worldly Lusts, and taken off from worldly Pursuits, by the Sense they have of the Excellency of divine Things, and the Affection they have to those spiritual Enjoyments of another World, that are promised in the Gospel.

3. That spirit that operates in such a manner, as to cause in men a greater regard to the holy Scriptures, and establishes them more in their truth and divinity, is certainly the Spirit of God. This rule the Apostle gives us in the sixth verse: We are of God; he that knows God hears us: He that is not of God, hears not us: Hereby we know the Spirit of Truth, and the Spirit of Error. We are of God; that is, We, the Apostles, are sent forth of God, and appointed of him, to teach the world, and to deliver that doctrine, those instructions that are to be their rule; therefore he that knows God, hears us and so forth. The Apostle's argument in the verse equally reaches all that in the same sense are of God, that is, all those that God has appointed and inspired to deliver to his Church its rule of faith and practice; all the Prophets and Apostles, whose doctrine God has made the foundation on which he has built his Church, as in Ephesians 2:20; all the penmen of the holy Scriptures. The Devil never would go about to beget in persons a regard to that divine Word, which God has given to be the great and standing rule for the direction of his Church in all religious matters and concerns of their souls, in all ages. A spirit of delusion will not incline persons to go to seek direction at the mouth of God. To the Law and to the Testimony, is never the cry of those evil spirits that have no light in them; for it is God's own direction to discover their delusions, Isaiah 8:19, 20. And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the Law, and to the Testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. The Devil does not say the same as Abraham did, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them: Nor the same that the voice from Heaven did concerning Christ, Hear ye him. Would the spirit of error, in order to deceive men, beget in them a high opinion of the infallible rule, and incline them to think much of it, and be very conversant with it? Would the Prince of Darkness, in order to promote his kingdom of darkness, lead men to the sun? The Devil has ever shown a mortal spite and hatred towards that holy Book, the Bible: He has done all that has been in his power to extinguish that light, and to draw men off from it: He knows that it is that light by which his kingdom of darkness is to be overthrown. He has had for many ages experience of its power to defeat his purposes, and baffle his designs: It is his constant plague: It is the main weapon which Michael uses in his war with him: It is the sword of the Spirit, that pierces him, and conquers him: It is that great, and sore, and strong sword, with which God punishes Leviathan, that crooked Serpent: It is that sharp sword that we read of, Revelation 19:15, that proceeds out of the mouth of him that sat on the horse, with which he smites his enemies. Every text is a dart to torment the old Serpent: He has felt the stinging smart thousands of times; therefore he is enraged against the Bible, and hates every word in it: And therefore we may be sure that he never will go about to raise persons' esteem of it, or affection to it. And accordingly we see it to be common in enthusiasts, that they depreciate this written rule, and set up the light within, or some other rule above it.

4. Another rule to judge of spirits may be drawn from those opposite compellations given to the two opposite spirits, in the last words of the sixth verse, The SPIRIT OF TRUTH, and the SPIRIT OF ERROR. These words do exhibit the two opposite characters of the Spirit of God, and other spirits that counterfeit his operations. And therefore, if by observing the manner of the operation of a spirit that is at work among a people, we see that it operates as a Spirit of Truth, leading persons to truth, convincing them of those things that are true, we may safely determine that it is a right and true spirit. As for instance, if we observe that the spirit that is at work, makes men more sensible than they used to be, that there is a God, and that he is a great God, and a sin-hating God; and makes them more to realize it, that they must die, and that life is short, and very uncertain; and confirms persons in it that there is another world, that they have immortal souls, and that they must give account of themselves to God; and convinces them that they are exceedingly sinful by nature and practice; and that they are helpless in themselves; and confirms them in other things that are agreeable to sound doctrine: The spirit that works thus, operates as a spirit of truth: He represents things as they are indeed: He brings men to the light; for whatever makes truth manifest, is light; as the Apostle Paul observes, Ephesians 5:13. But all things that are reproved (or discovered, as it is in the margin) are made manifest by the light; for whatsoever does make manifest is light. And therefore we may conclude that it is not the spirit of darkness, that does thus discover, and make manifest the truth. Christ tells us that Satan is a liar, and the father of lies; and his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness. It is upheld and promoted only by darkness and error: Satan has all his power and dominion by darkness. Hence we read of the power of darkness, Luke 22:53 and Colossians 1:13. And devils are called the rulers of the darkness of this world. Whatever spirit removes our darkness, and brings up to the light; undeceives us, and convinces us of the truth; does us a kindness. If I am brought to a sight of truth, and am made sensible of things as they be, my duty is immediately to thank God for it, without standing first to inquire by what means I have such a benefit.

5. If the spirit that is at work among a people operates as a spirit of love to God and man, it is a sure sign that it is the Spirit of God. This sign the Apostle insists upon from the sixth verse to the end of the chapter: Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God: He that loves not, knows not God, for God is love and so forth. Here it is evident, that the Apostle is still comparing those two sorts of persons that are influenced by the opposite kinds of spirits; and mentions love as a mark by which we may know who has the true spirit: But this is especially evident by the twelfth and thirteenth verses, If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love is perfected in us: Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. In these verses love is spoken of as if it were that wherein the very nature of the Holy Spirit consisted; or as if divine love dwelling in us, and the Spirit of God dwelling in us, were the same thing; as it is also in the two last verses of the foregoing chapter; as also in the sixteenth verse of this chapter. Therefore this last mark which the Apostle gives of the true spirit, he seems to speak of as the most eminent; and so insists much more largely upon it, than upon all the rest; and speaks expressly of both love to God and men; of love to men, in the seventh, eleventh and twelfth verses; and of love to God, in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth verses; and of both together, in the two last verses; and of love to men, as arising from love to God, in these two last verses.

Therefore when the spirit that is at work amongst a people, tends this way, and brings many of them to high and exalting thoughts of the divine Being, and his glorious perfections; and works in them an admiring, delightful sense of the excellency of Jesus Christ; representing Him as the chief among ten thousands, altogether lovely, and makes him precious to the soul; winning and drawing the heart with those motives and incitements to love, which the Apostle speaks of in that passage of Scripture we are upon, namely the wonderful, free love of God in giving his only begotten Son to die for us, and the wonderful dying love of Christ to us, who had no love to him, but were his enemies; as Verses 9 and 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And Verse 16: And we have known, and believed the love that God has to us. And Verse 19: We love him, because he first loved us. The spirit excites to love on these motives, and makes the attributes of God as revealed in the Gospel, and manifested in Christ, delightful objects of contemplation; and makes the soul to long after God and Christ, after their presence and communion, and acquaintance with them, and conformity to them; and to live so as to please and honor them: And also quells contentions among men, and gives a spirit of peace and good-will, excites to acts of outward kindness, and earnest desires of the salvation of others' souls; and causes a delight in those that appear as the children of God, and followers of Christ: I say when a spirit operates after this manner among a people, there is the highest kind of evidence of the influence of a true and divine Spirit.

Indeed there is a Counterfeit of Love, that often appears amongst those that are led by a Spirit of Delusion: There is commonly in the wildest Enthusiasts a Kind of Union and Affection that appears in them one towards another, arising from Self-Love, occasioned by their agreeing one with another in those Things wherein they greatly differ from all others, and for which they are the Objects of the Ridicule of all the rest of Mankind; which naturally will cause them so much the more to prize the Esteem they observe in each other, of those Peculiarities that make them the Objects of others Contempt: So the ancient Gnostics and the wild Fanatics, that appeared in the Beginning of the Reformation, boasted of their great Love one to another: One Sect of them in particular, calling themselves the Family of Love. But this is quite another Thing than that Christian Love that I have just described; it is only the working of a natural Self-Love, and no true Benevolence, any more than the Union and Friendship which may be among a Company of Pirates, that are at War with all the rest of the World. There is sufficient said in this Passage of Saint John, that we are upon, of the Nature and Motive of a truly Christian Love, thoroughly to distinguish it from all such Counterfeits. It is Love that arises from an Apprehension of the wonderful Riches of free Grace, and Sovereignty of God's Love to us, in Christ Jesus; being attended with a Sense of our own utter Unworthiness, as in ourselves the Enemies and Haters of God and Christ, and with a Renunciation of all our own Excellency and Righteousness. See Verse 9, 10, 11, and 19. The surest Character of true divine supernatural Love, distinguishing it from Counterfeits that do arise from a natural Self-Love, is that That Christian Virtue shines in it, that does above all others renounce and abase and annihilate Self, namely Humility. Christian Love, or true Charity, is an humble Love, 1 Corinthians 13:4, 5. Charity vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked. When therefore we see Love in Persons attended with a Sense of their own Littleness, Vileness, Weakness, and utter Insufficiency; and so with Self-Diffidence, Self-Emptiness, Self-Renunciation, and Poverty of Spirit, there are the manifest Tokens of the Spirit of God: He that thus dwells in Love, dwells in God, and God in him. The Love the Apostle speaks of as a great Evidence of the true Spirit, is God's Love, or Christ's Love; as Verse 12.—His Love is perfected in us. What Kind of Love that is, we may see best in what appeared in Christ, in the Example he set us, when he was here upon Earth. The Love that appeared in that Lamb of God, was not only a Love to Friends, but to Enemies, and a Love attended with a meek and humble Spirit. Learn of me, says he, for I am meek and lowly in Heart.

Love and Humility are two Things the most contrary to the Spirit of the Devil, of any Thing in the World; for the Character of that Evil Spirit, above all Things, consists in Pride and Malice.

Thus I have spoken particularly to the several Marks the Apostle gives us of a Work of the true Spirit. There are some of these Things the Devil would not do if he could: Thus, he would not awaken the Conscience, and make Men sensible of their miserable State by Nature, by Reason of Sin, and sensible of their great Need of a Savior: And he would not confirm Men in a Belief that Jesus is the Son of God, and the Savior of Sinners, or raise Men's Value and Esteem of Him: He would not beget in Men's Minds an Opinion of the Necessity, Usefulness and Truth of the Holy Scriptures, or incline them to hearken to them, or make much Use of them; nor would he go about to show Men the Truth, in Things that concern their Souls Interest; to undeceive them, and lead them out of Darkness into Light, and give them a View of Things as they are indeed. And there are other Things that the Devil neither can nor will do: He will not give Men a Spirit of Divine Love, or Christian Humility and Poverty of Spirit; nor could he if he would: He cannot give those Things which he has not himself: These Things are as contrary as possible to his Nature. And therefore when there is an extraordinary Influence or Operation appearing on the Minds of a People, if these Things are found in it, we are safe in determining that it is the Work of God, whatever other Circumstances it may be attended with, whatever Instruments are improved, whatever Methods are taken to promote it; whatever Means a sovereign God, whose Judgments are a great Deep, makes Use of to carry it on; and whatever Motions there may be of the animal Spirits, whatever Effects may be wrought on Men's Bodies. These Marks, that the Apostle has given us, are sufficient to stand alone, and support themselves; and wherever they be, they plainly show the Finger of God, and are sufficient to outweigh a Thousand such little Objections, as many make from Oddities, Irregularities, and Errors in Conduct, and the Delusions and Scandals of some Professors.

Objection. But here some may object against the Sufficiency of the Marks given, what the Apostle Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 11:13, 14. For such are false Apostles, deceitful Workers, transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ; and no Marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light.

To which I Answer, That this can be no Objection against the Sufficiency of these Marks to distinguish the true Spirit from the false Spirit, in those false Apostles and false Prophets, which the Apostle speaks of, in whom the Devil was transformed into an Angel of Light, because it is principally with a View to them that the Apostle gives these Marks; as appears by the Words of the Text, Believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits, whether they are of God: And this is the Reason he gives, Because many false Prophets are gone out into the World: There are many gone out into the World that are the Ministers of the Devil, that transform themselves into the Prophets of God, in whom the Spirit of the Devil is transformed into an Angel of Light; therefore try the Spirits by these Rules that I shall give you, that you may be able to distinguish the true Spirit from the false Spirit, under such a crafty Disguise. Those false Prophets the Apostle John speaks of, are doubtless the same Sort of Men with those false Apostles, and deceitful Workers, that the Apostle Paul speaks of, in that Place in the second of Corinthians, in whom the Devil was transformed into an Angel of Light: And therefore we may be sure that these Marks the Apostle gives, are especially adapted to distinguish between the true Spirit, and the Devil transformed into an Angel of Light, because they are given especially for that End; that is the Apostle's declared Purpose and Design, to give Marks by which the true Spirit may be distinguished from that Sort of Counterfeits.

And if we look over what is said about these false Prophets, and false Apostles, (as there is much said about them in the New Testament) and take Notice in what Manner the Devil was transformed into an Angel of Light in them, we shall not find any Thing that in the least injures the Sufficiency of these Marks to distinguish the true Spirit from such Counterfeits. The Devil transformed himself into an Angel of Light, as there was in them a Show, and great Boasts of extraordinary Knowledge in divine Things; Colossians 2:8; 1 Timothy 1:6, 7 and Chapter 6:3, 4, 5; 2 Timothy 2:14, 16, 17, 18; Titus 1:10, 16. Hence their Followers called themselves Gnostics, from their great pretended Knowledge: And the Devil in them mimicked the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit, in Visions, Revelations, Prophecies, Miracles, and the immediate Conduct of the Spirit in what they did: Hence they are called false Apostles, and false Prophets: See Matthew 24:24. Again, there was a false Show of, and lying Pretenses to great Holiness and Devotion in Words: Romans 16:17, 18; Ephesians 4:14. Hence they are called deceitful Workers, and Wells, and Clouds without Water. 2 Corinthians 11:13; 2 Peter 2:17; Jude 12. There was also in them a Show of extraordinary Piety and Righteousness in their superstitious Worship: Colossians 2:16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23. So they had a false, proud, and bitter Zeal; Galatians 4:17, 18; 1 Timothy 1:6 and Chapter 6:4, 5. And likewise a false Show of Humility, in affecting an extraordinary outward Meanness and Dejection, when indeed they were vainly puffed up with their fleshly Mind; and made a Righteousness of their Humility, and were exceedingly lifted up with their eminent Piety: Colossians 2:18, 23. But how do such Things as these, in the least injure those Things that have been mentioned as the distinguishing Evidences of the true Spirit?

Besides such vain Shows which may be from the Devil, there are common Influences of the Spirit, which are often mistaken for saving Grace: But these are out of the Question, because though they are not saving, yet are the Work of the true Spirit.

Having thus fulfilled what I at first proposed, in considering what are the certain, distinguishing Marks, by which we may safely proceed in judging of any Work that falls under our Observation, whether it be the Work of the Spirit of God or not. I now proceed to the APPLICATION.

I. From what has been said, I will venture to draw this Inference, namely That that extraordinary Influence that has lately appeared on the Minds of the People abroad in this Land, causing in them an uncommon Concern and Engagedness of Mind about the Things of Religion, is undoubtedly, in the general, from the Spirit of God. There are but two Things that need to be known in order to such a Work's being judged of, namely Facts and Rules. The Rules of the Word of God we have had laid before us; and as to Facts, there are but two Ways that we can come at them, so as to be in a Capacity to compare them with the Rules, either by our own Observation, or by Information from others that have had Opportunity to observe.

As to this work that has lately been carried on in the land, there are many things concerning it that are notorious, and known by everybody, (unless it be some that have been very much out of the way of observing and hearing indeed) that unless the Apostle John was out in his rules, are sufficient to determine it to be in general, the work of God. It is notorious that the Spirit that is at work, takes off persons' minds from the vanities of the world, and engages them in a deep concern about a future and eternal happiness in another world, and puts them upon earnestly seeking their salvation, and convinces them of the dreadfulness of sin, and of their own guilty and miserable state as they are by nature. It is notorious that it awakens men's consciences, and makes them sensible of the dreadfulness of God's anger, and causes in them a great desire, and earnest care and endeavor to obtain his favor. It is notorious, that, in general, it puts them upon a more diligent improvement of the means of grace which God has appointed. It is also notorious, that, in general, it works in persons a greater regard to the word of God, and desire of hearing and reading of it, and to be more conversant with the holy Scriptures than they used to be. And it is notoriously manifest that the Spirit that is at work, in general, operates as a Spirit of Truth, making persons more sensible of what is really true, in those things that concern their eternal salvation: As that they must die, and that life is very short and uncertain; that there is a great, sin-hating God, that they are accountable to, and will fix them in an eternal state in another world, and that they stand in great need of a Savior. It is furthermore notorious, that the Spirit that is at work makes persons more sensible of the value of that Jesus that was crucified, and their need of him; and that it puts them upon earnestly seeking an interest in him. It cannot be but that these things should be apparent to people in general through the land: for these things are not done in a corner; the work that has been wrought has not been confined to a few towns, in some remoter parts of the land, but has been carried on in many places in all parts of the land, and in most of the principal, and most populous, and public places in it, (Christ in this respect has wrought amongst us, in the same manner that he wrought his miracles in Judea) and has now been continued for a considerable time; so that there has been a great deal of opportunity to observe the manner of the work. And all such as have been much in the way of observing the work, and have been very conversant with those that have been the subjects of it, do see a great deal more that, by the rules of the Apostle, does clearly and certainly show it to be the work of God.

And here I would observe, that the nature and tendency of a Spirit that is at work, may be determined with much greater certainty, and less danger of being imposed upon, when it is observed in a great multitude of people of all sorts, and in various different places, than when it is only seen in a few, in some particular place, that have been much conversant one with another. A few particular persons may agree to put a cheat upon others, by a false pretense, and professing things that they never were conscious to in their own minds: But when the work is spread over great part of a country, in places distant one from another, among people of all sorts, and all ages, and in multitudes of persons, of sound mind, good understanding, and known integrity; there would be the greatest absurdity in supposing that, by all the observation that can be made by all that is heard from them and seen in them, for many months together, by those that are most intimate with them in these affairs, and have long been acquainted with them, that yet it cannot be determined what kind of influence the operation they are under, has upon people's minds, whether it tends to awaken their consciences, or to stupefy them; whether it tends to incline them more to seek their salvation, or neglect it; whether it seems to confirm them in a belief of the Scriptures, or to lead them to Deism; whether it makes them have more regard to the great truths of religion, or less; and so in other things. There is probably no particular person here present, that thinks himself to have a right to be treated as one of a sound mind, and common sense, and veracity, but would think himself abused, if he should declare to others, that he had altered his mind in these and those particulars; he now found himself convinced of the truth of this or that, that formerly he did not believe; and that he found in himself such and such fears, that he did not use to have; or found a greater aversion than he was wont to have, or a greater esteem and affection to such and such things; and those that he made such a profession to would not believe him, though they had long been conversant with him, and though he persisted in this profession for many months together, and nothing appeared in him but what agreed thereto. But much more unreasonable it would be, when such professions are made, not by a particular person only, but a great part of a people in a land, to suppose that they all agree in professing what indeed they do not feel in their souls.

And here it is to be observed, that for persons to profess that they are convinced of these or those divine truths; or that they esteem and love such divine things, in a saving manner; and for them to profess, that they are more convinced or confirmed in the truth of them, than they used to be, and find that they have a greater regard to them than before they had, are two very different things. Persons of honesty and common sense, have much greater right to demand credit to be given to the latter profession, than to the former; (though in the former it is vastly less likely that a people in general should be deceived, than some particular persons.) But whether persons' convictions, and the alteration in their dispositions and affections, be in a degree and manner that is saving, is beside the present question. If there be such effects on people's judgments, dispositions and affections, as have been spoken of, whether they be in a degree and manner that is saving or no, it is nevertheless a sign of the influence of the Spirit of God. Scripture rules serve to distinguish the common influences of the Spirit of God, as well as those that are saving, from the influence of other causes.

And as I am one that, by the providence of God, have for some months past, been much amongst those that have been the subjects of that work, that has of late been carried on in the land; and particularly, have been abundantly in the way of seeing and observing those extraordinary things that many persons have been much stumbled at; such as persons crying out aloud, shrieking, being put into great agonies of body, and deprived of their bodily strength, and the like; and that in many different towns; and have been very particularly conversant with great numbers of such, both in the time of their being the subjects of such extraordinary influences, and afterwards, from time to time, and have seen the manner and issue of such operations, and the fruits of them, for several months together; many of them being persons that I have long known, and have been intimately acquainted with them in soul concerns, before and since: So I look upon myself called on this occasion to give my testimony, that so far as the nature and tendency of such a work is capable of falling under the observation of a bystander, to whom those that have been the subjects of it have endeavored to open their Hearts, or can be come at by diligent and particular inquiry, this work has all those marks that have been spoken of; in very many instances, in every article; and particularly in many of those that have been the subjects of such extraordinary operations, all those marks have appeared in a very great degree.

Those in whom have been these uncommon appearances, have been of two sorts; either those that have been in great distress, in an apprehension of their sin and misery; or those that have been overcome with a sweet sense of the greatness, wonderfulness and excellency of divine things. Of the multitude of those of the former sort, that I have had opportunity to observe, and have been acquainted with, there have been very few, but that by all that could be observed in them, in the time of it, or afterwards, their distress has arisen from real, proper conviction, and a being in a degree sensible of that which was the truth. And though I do not suppose, when such things were observed to be common, that persons have laid themselves under those violent restraints, to avoid outward manifestations of their distress, that perhaps they otherwise would have done; yet there have been very few in whom there has been any appearance of feigning or affecting such manifestations, and very many for whom it would have been undoubtedly utterly impossible for them to avoid them. Generally those that have been in these agonies have appeared to be in the perfect exercise of their reason; and those of them that have been able to speak, have been well able to give an account of the circumstances of their minds, and the cause of their distress, in the time of it, and well able to remember, and give an account afterwards. I have known a very few instances of those, that in their great extremity, have for a short space been deprived, in some measure of the use of reason; but among the many hundreds, and it may be thousands, that have lately been brought to such agonies, I never yet knew one, lastingly deprived of their reason. In some that I have known, melancholy has evidently been mixed; and when it is so, the difference is very apparent; their distresses are of another kind, and operate quite after another manner, than when their distress is from mere conviction: It is not truth only that distresses them, but many vain shadows and notions, that will not give place either to Scripture or reason. Some in their great distress, have not been well able to give an account of themselves, or to declare the sense they have of things, or to explain the manner and cause of their trouble to others, that yet I have had no reason to think were not under proper convictions, and in whom there has been manifested a good issue. But this will not be at all wondered at, by those who have had much to do with souls under spiritual difficulties. Some things that they are sensible of are altogether new to them, their ideas and inward sensations are new, and what they therefore knew not how to accommodate language to, or to find words to express. And some who on first inquiry, say they know not what was the matter with them, on being particularly examined and interrogated, have been able to represent their case, though of themselves they could not find expressions, and forms of speech to do it.

Some say they think that the terrors that such persons are in, that have such effects on their bodies, is only a Fright. But certainly there ought to be a distinction made between a very great fear, and extreme distress, arising from an apprehension of some dreadful Truth, that is a cause that is fully proportionable to such an effect, and a needless causeless fright: which is of two kinds; either when persons are terrified with that which is not the truth; (of this I have seen very few instances, unless in case of melancholy;) Or secondly, when persons are under a childish fright, only from some terrible outward appearance and noise, and a general notion thence arising, that there is something or other terrible, they know not what; without having in their minds the apprehension of any particular terrible truth whatsoever; of such a kind of fright I have seen very little appearance, either among old or young.

Those that are in such extremity, commonly express a great sense of their exceeding wickedness, the multitude and aggravations of their actual sins, and the dreadful pollution, enmity and perverseness of their hearts, and a dreadful obstinacy and hardness of heart; a sense of their great guilt in the sight of God; and the dreadfulness of the punishment that sin exposes to. Very often they have a lively idea of the horrible pit of eternal misery; and at the same time it appears to them, that a Great God that has them in his hands, is exceeding angry with them; his wrath appears amazingly terrible to them. God appearing to them so much provoked, and his great wrath so incensed, they are apprehensive of great danger, that he will not bear with them any longer; but will now, forthwith, cut them off, and send them down to the dreadful pit they have in view; at the same time seeing no refuge. They see more and more of the vanity of every thing they used to trust to, and flatter themselves in; till they are brought wholly to despair in all, and to see that they are at the disposal of the mere will of the God that is so angry with them. Very many, in the midst of their extremity, have been brought to an extraordinary sense of their fully deserving that wrath and destruction, which is then before their eyes; and at the same time, that they have feared every moment, that it would be executed upon them, they have been greatly convinced that it would be altogether just that it should, and that God is indeed absolutely Sovereign. And very often, some text of Scripture expressing God's Sovereignty, has been set home upon their minds, whereby their minds have been calmed and they have been brought as it were to lie at God's foot; and after great agonies, a little before light has arisen, they have been composed and quiet, in a kind of submission to a Just and Sovereign God; but their bodily strength much spent; and sometimes their lives, to appearance almost gone; and then light has appeared, and a glorious Redeemer, with his wonderful, all-sufficient grace, has been represented to them, often, in some sweet invitation of Scripture. Sometimes the light comes in suddenly, sometimes more gradually, filling their souls with love, admiration, joy and self-abasement; drawing forth their hearts in longing after the excellent lovely Redeemer, and longings to lie in the dust before him; and longings that others might behold him, and embrace him, and be delivered by him; and longings to live to his glory: but sensible that they can do nothing of themselves; appearing vile in their own eyes, and having much of a jealousy over their own hearts. And all the appearances of a real change of heart have followed; and grace has acted, from time to time, after the same manner that it used to act in those that were converted formerly, with the like difficulties, temptations, buffetings, and like comforts; excepting that in many, light and comfort has been in higher degree than ordinary. Many very young children have been thus wrought upon. There have been some instances very much like those Demoniacs that we read of, Mark 1:26 and Chapter 9:26 of whom we read, that when the Devil had cried with a loud voice, and rent them sore, he came out of them. And probably those instances were designed for a type of such things as these. Some have several turns of great agonies, before they are delivered: and some have been in such distresses, and it has passed off, and no deliverance at all has followed.

Some object against it, as great confusion, when there is a number together, in such circumstances, making a noise; and say, God cannot be the author of it, because he is the God of order, not of confusion. But let it be considered, what is the proper notion of confusion, but the breaking that order of things whereby they are properly disposed, and duly directed to their end, so that the order and due connection of means being broken, they fail of their end; but conviction and conversion of sinners is the obtaining the end of religious means. Not but that I think that persons that are thus extraordinarily moved should endeavour to refrain from such outward manifestations, what they well can, and should refrain to their utmost, in the time of the solemn worship. But if God is pleased to convince the consciences of persons, so that they cannot avoid great outward manifestations, even to the interrupting, and breaking off those public means they were attending, I do not think this is confusion, or an unhappy interruption, any more than if a company should meet on the field to pray for rain, and should be broken off from their exercise by a plentiful shower. Would to God that all the public assemblies in the land were broken off from their public exercises with such confusion as this the next Sabbath Day! We need not be sorry for the breaking the order of the means, by obtaining the end to which that order is directed. He that is going a journey to fetch a treasure, need not be sorry that he is stopped by meeting the treasure in the midst of his journey.

Besides those that are overcome with conviction and distress, I have seen many of late, that have had their bodily strength taken away with a sense of the glorious excellency of the Redeemer, and the wonders of his dying love; with a very uncommon sense of their own littleness, and exceeding vileness attending it, with all expressions and appearances of the greatest abasement and abhorrence of themselves. And not only new converts, but many that were, as we hope, formerly converted, whose love and joy has been attended with a flood of tears, and a great appearance of contrition and humiliation, especially for their having lived no more to God's glory since their conversion; with a far greater sight of their vileness, and the evil of their hearts than ever they had; with an exceeding earnestness of desire to live better for the time to come, but attended with greater self-diffidence than ever. And many have been even overcome with pity to the souls of others, and longing for their salvation.

And many other things I might mention in this extraordinary work, answering to every one of those marks that have been insisted on. So that if the Apostle John knew how to give signs of a work of the true Spirit, this is such a work.

Providence has cast my lot in a place where the work of God has formerly been carried on. I had the happiness to be settled in that place two years with the venerable STODDARD; and was then acquainted with a number that, during that season, were wrought upon, under his ministry, and have been intimately acquainted with the experiences of many others, that were wrought upon before under his ministry, in a manner agreeable to his doctrine, and the doctrine of all orthodox divines; and of late that work has been carried on there, with very much of these uncommon operations: but it is apparent to all to be the same work, not only that was wrought there six or seven years ago, but elder Christians there know it to be the same work that was carried on there, in their former Pastor's days, though there be some new circumstances. And certainly we must throw by all the talk of conversion and Christian experience; and not only so, but we must throw by our Bibles, and give up revealed religion, if this be not in general the work of God. Not that I suppose that the degree of the influence of the Spirit of God, is to be determined by the degree of effect on men's bodies, or that those are always the best experiences, that have the greatest influence on the body.

And as to the imprudences and irregularities and mixture of delusion that have been; it is not at all to be wondered at that a reformation, after a long continued, and almost universal deadness, should at first when the revival is new, be attended with such things. In the first creation God did not make a complete world at once; but there was a great deal of imperfection, darkness, and mixture of Chaos and confusion, after God first said, Let there be Light, before the whole stood forth in perfect form. When God at first began his great work for the deliverance of his people, after their long continued bondage in Egypt, there were false wonders mixed with true, for a while; which hardened the unbelieving Egyptians, and made them to doubt of the divinity of the whole work. When the children of Israel first went about bringing up the Ark of God, after it had long been neglected, and had been long absent, they sought not the Lord after the due order, 1 Chronicles 15:13. At the time when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan came also among them. And Solomon's ships when they brought Gold and Silver and Pearls, also brought Apes and Peacocks. When day light first appears, after a night of darkness, we must expect to have darkness mixed with light, for a while, and not to have perfect day, and the sun risen at once. The fruits of the earth are first green before they are ripe, and come to their proper perfection gradually; and so Christ tells us, is the Kingdom of God. 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 knows not how: for the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade; then the ear; then the full corn in the ear.

The Imprudences and Errors that have attended this Work, are the less to be wondered at, if it be considered, that it is chiefly young Persons that have been the Subjects of it, who have less Steadiness and Experience, and are in the Heat of Youth, and much more ready to run to Extremes. Satan will keep Men secure as long as he can; but when he can do that no longer, he often endeavors to drive them to Extremes, and so to dishonor God, and wound Religion that Way. And doubtless it has been one Occasion of much of the Misconduct there has been, that in many Places, People that are the Subjects of this Work of God's Spirit, see plainly that their Ministers have an ill Opinion of the Work; and therefore with just Reason, durst not apply themselves to them as their Guides in this Work; and so are without Guides: and no Wonder that when a People are as Sheep without a Shepherd, they wander out of the Way. A People, in such Circumstances especially, stand in great and continual Need of Guides, and their Guides stand in continual Need of much more Wisdom than they have of their own. And if a People have Ministers that favor the Work, and rejoice in it, yet it is not to be expected that, either People or Ministers should know so well how to conduct themselves in such an extraordinary State of Things, while it is new, and what they never had any Experience of before, as they may, after they have had Experience, and Time to see the Tendency, Consequences and Issue of Things. The happy Influence of Experience is very manifest at this Day, in the People among whom God has settled my Abode. The Work of God that has been carried on there this Year, has been much purer than that which was wrought there six Years before: It has seemed to be more purely spiritual; freer from natural and corrupt Mixtures, and any Thing savoring of enthusiastic Wildness and Extravagance: It has wrought more by deep Humiliation and Abasement before God and Men; and they have been much freer from Imprudences and Irregularities. And particularly there has been a remarkable Difference in this Respect, That whereas many before, in their Comforts and Rejoicings, did too much forget their Distance from God, and were ready in their Conversation together of the Things of God, and of their own Experiences, to talk with too much of an Air of Lightness, and something of Laughter; now they seem to have no Disposition to it, but rejoice with a more solemn, reverential, humble Joy; as God directs the Princes of the Earth, Psalm 2:11. It is not because the Joy is not as great, and in many of them much greater: There are many among us, that were wrought upon in that former Season, that have now had much greater Communications from Heaven than they had then; but their Rejoicing operates in another Manner: it only abases and solemnizes them; breaks their Hearts, and brings them into the Dust: Now when they speak of their Joys, it is not with Laughter, but a Flood of Tears. Thus those that laughed before, weep now; and yet, by their united Testimony, their Joy is vastly purer and sweeter than that which before did more raise their animal Spirits. They are now more like Jacob, when God appeared to him at Bethel, when he saw the Ladder that reached to Heaven, and said, How dreadful is this Place; and like Moses, when God showed him his Glory on the Mount, when he made haste, and bowed himself unto the Earth.

2. Let us all be hence warned, by no Means to oppose, or do any Thing, in the least to clog or hinder that Work that has lately been carried on in the Land, but on the contrary, to do our utmost to promote it. Now Christ is come down from Heaven into this Land, in a remarkable and wonderful Work of his Spirit, it becomes all his professed Disciples to acknowledge him, and give him Honor.

The Example of the Jews in Christ's and the Apostles' Times, is enough to beget in those that do not acknowledge this Work, a great Jealousy of themselves, and to make them exceedingly cautious of what they say or do. Christ then was in the World, and the World knew him not: He came to his own professing People, and his own received him not. That coming of Christ had been much spoken of in the Prophecies of Scripture that they had in their Hands, and had been long expected, and yet because Christ came in a Manner that they did not expect, and that was not agreeable to their carnal Reason, they would not own him, but opposed him, counted him a Madman, and the Spirit that he wrought by the Spirit of the Devil. They stood and wondered at the great Things that were done, and knew not what to make of them; but yet they met with so many stumbling Blocks, that they finally could not acknowledge him. And when the Spirit of God came to be so wonderfully poured out in the Apostles' Days, they looked upon it to be Confusion and Distraction. They were astonished by what they saw and heard, but not convinced. And especially was the Work of God then rejected by those that were most conceited of their own Understanding and Knowledge, agreeable to Isaiah 29:14. Therefore behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous Work amongst this People, even a marvelous Work and a Wonder; for the Wisdom of their wise Men shall perish, and the Understanding of their prudent Men shall be hid. And many of them that had been in Reputation for Religion and Piety, had a great Spite against the Work, because they saw it tended to diminish their Honor, and to reproach their Formality and Lukewarmness. Some upon these Accounts maliciously and openly opposed and reproached the Work of the Spirit of God, and called it the Work of the Devil, against inward Conviction; and so were guilty of the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost.

There is another Coming of Christ, a spiritual Coming, to set up his Kingdom in the World, that is as much spoken of in Scripture Prophecy, as that first Coming of Christ was, and that has been long expected by the Church of God; that we have Reason to think, from what is said of it, will be, in many Respects, parallel with the other. And certainly, that low State that the visible Church of God has lately been sunk into, is very parallel with the State of the Jewish Church, when Christ came: and therefore no Wonder at all, that when Christ comes, his Work should appear a strange Work to most; yea, it would be a Wonder if it should be otherwise. Whether the Work that is now wrought, be the Beginning of that great Coming of Christ to set up his Kingdom, that is so much spoken of, or no; yet it is evident from what has been said, that it is a Work of the same Spirit, and of the same Nature. And there is no Reason to doubt but that, for Persons to continue long to refuse to acknowledge Christ in the Work, especially those that are set to be Teachers in his Church, will be in like Manner provoking to God, as it was in the Jews of old to refuse to acknowledge Christ; and that notwithstanding what they may plead of the great stumbling Blocks that are in the Way, and the Cause they have to doubt of the Work. The Teachers of the Jewish Church found innumerable stumbling Blocks, that were to them insuperable: there were many Things appeared in Christ, and in the Work of the Spirit after his Ascension, that were exceeding strange to them; they were assured that they had just Cause for their Scruples: Christ and his Work were to the Jews a stumbling Block: But blessed is he, says Christ, whosoever shall not be offended (or stumbled) in me. As strange and as unexpected as the Manner of Christ's Appearance was, yet he had not been long in Judea, working Miracles, before all those that had Opportunity to observe, and yet refused to acknowledge him, brought fearful Guilt upon themselves in the Sight of God; and Christ condemned them, that though they could discern the Face of the Sky, and of the Earth, yet they could not discern the Signs of these Times: and why, says he, Even of your selves, judge ye not what is right? Luke 12 at the latter End.

It is not to be supposed that the great JEHOVAH has bowed the Heavens and come down into this Land, and appeared here now for so long a Time, in such a glorious Work of his Power and Grace, in so extensive a Manner, in the most public Places of the Land, and almost all Parts of it, without giving such Evidences of his Presence, that great Numbers, and even many Teachers in his Church, can remain guiltless in his Sight, without ever receiving and acknowledging him, and giving him Honor, and appearing to rejoice in his gracious Presence; or without so much as once giving him Thanks for so glorious and blessed a Work of his Grace, wherein his Goodness does more appear, than if he had bestowed on us all the temporal Blessings that the World affords. A long continued Silence in such a Case is undoubtedly provoking to God; especially in Ministers: it is a secret Kind of Opposition, that really tends to hinder the Work: such silent Ministers stand in the Way of the Work of God; as Christ said of old, He that is not with us is against us. Those that stand wondering at this strange Work of God, not knowing what to make of it, and refusing to receive it, and ready it may be sometimes to speak contemptibly of it, as it was with the Jews of old, would do well to consider and tremble at Saint Paul's Words to them, Acts 13:40-41. Beware therefore lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the Prophets, Behold ye Despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a Work in your Days, which you shall in no wise believe, though a Man declare it unto you. And those that cannot believe the Work to be true, because of the extraordinary Degree and Manner of it, should consider how it was with the unbelieving Lord in Samaria, who said, Behold, if the Lord would make Windows in Heaven, might this Thing be? To whom Elisha said, Behold thou shalt see it with thine Eyes, but shall not eat thereof. Let all to whom this Work is a Cloud and Darkness, as the Pillar of Cloud and Fire was to the Egyptians, take heed that it be not their Destruction, as that was theirs, while it gave Light to God's Israel.

I would pray those that quiet themselves with that, that they proceed on a Principle of Prudence, and are waiting to see what the Issue of Things will be, and what Fruits those that are the Subjects of this Work will bring forth in their Lives and Conversations, would consider, whether this will justify a long refraining from acknowledging Christ when he appears so wonderfully and graciously present in the Land. It is probable that many of those that are thus waiting, know not what they are waiting for: If they wait to see a Work of God without Difficulties and stumbling Blocks, that will be like the Fool's waiting at the River Side to have the Water all run by. A Work of God without stumbling Blocks is never to be expected: It must needs be that Offences come. There never yet was any great Manifestation that God made of himself to the World, without many Difficulties attending it. It is with the Works of God, as it is with the Word of God; they are full of those Things that seem strange and inconsistent and difficult to the carnal unbelieving Hearts of Men. Christ and his Work always was, and always will be a Stone of Stumbling, and Rock of Offence; a Gin and a Snare to many. The Prophet Hosea, in the last Chapter of his Prophecy, speaking of a glorious Revival of Religion in God's Church, when God would be as the Dew unto Israel, and he should grow as the Lily, and cast forth his Roots as Lebanon, his Branches should spread, etc. concludes all thus, in the last Verse, Who is wise? and he shall understand these Things; prudent? and he shall know them. For the Ways of the Lord are right, and the Just shall walk in them, but the Transgressors shall fall therein.

It is probable that the stumbling Blocks that now attend this Work, will in some Respects be increased, and not diminished. Particularly, we probably shall see more Instances of Apostacy and gross Iniquity among Professors. And if one Kind of stumbling Blocks are removed, it is to be expected that others will come. It is with Christ's Works, as it was with his Parables: Things that are difficult to Men's dark Minds, are ordered of purpose, for the Trial of Person's Dispositions and spiritual Sense, and that Persons of corrupt Minds, and of an unbelieving, perverse, caviling Spirit, seeing might see and not understand. Those that are now waiting to see the Issue of this Work, think they shall be better able to determine by and by; but they are probably, many of them, mistaken. The Jews that saw Christ's Miracles, waited to see better Evidences of his being the Messiah; they wanted a Sign from Heaven; but they waited in vain; their stumbling Blocks did not diminish, but increase; they found no End to them; and so were more and more hardened in their Unbelief. Many have been praying for that glorious Reformation spoken of in Scripture, that knew not what they have been praying for, (as it was with the Jews when they prayed for the Coming of Christ) if it should come, they would not acknowledge or receive it.

This pretended Prudence of Persons, in waiting so long before they acknowledge this Work, will probably in the End prove the greatest Imprudence, in this Respect, that hereby they will fail of any Share of so great a Blessing, and will miss the most precious Opportunity of obtaining divine Light, Grace and Comfort, and heavenly and eternal Benefits, that ever God gave in New England: While the glorious Fountain is set open in so wonderful a Manner, and Multitudes flock to it, and receive a rich Supply of the Wants of their Souls, they stand at a Distance doubting and wondering, and receive nothing, and are like to continue thus till the precious Season is past.

It is to be wondered at, that those that have doubted of the Work that has been attended with such uncommon extensive Appearances, should be easy in their Doubts, without taking thorough Pains to inform themselves, by going where such Things have been to be seen, and narrowly observing them, and diligently inquiring into them; not contenting themselves only with observing two or three Instances, nor resting till they were fully informed by their own Observation. I do not doubt but that if this Course had been taken, it would have convinced all whose Minds are not shut up against Conviction, in a great Degree indeed. How greatly have they erred, who only from the uncertain Reports of others, have ventured to speak slightingly of these Things? That Caution of an unbelieving Jew might teach them more Prudence, Acts 5:38, 39. Refrain from these Men, and let them alone; for if this Counsel, or this Work be of Men, it will come to naught; but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it: lest perhaps ye be found to fight against God. Whether what has been said in this Discourse be enough to convince all that have heard it, that the Work that is now carried on in the Land, is the Work of God, or not, yet I hope that for the future, they will at least hearken to the Caution of Gamaliel that has been now mentioned; for the future not to oppose it, or say any Thing against it, or any Thing that has so much as an indirect Tendency to bring it into Discredit, lest they should be found to be Opposers of the Holy Ghost. There is no Kind of Sins so hurtful and dangerous to the Souls of Men, as those that are committed against the Holy Ghost. We had better speak against God the Father, or the Son, than to speak against the Holy Spirit in his gracious Operations on the Hearts of Men: nothing will so much tend for ever to prevent our having any Benefit of his Operations in our own Souls.

If there are any that will still resolutely go on to speak contemptibly of these Things, I would beg of them to take heed that they be not guilty of the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost. A Time when the Holy Spirit is much poured out, and Men's Lusts, Lukewarmness and Hypocrisy reproached by its powerful Operations, is the most likely Time of any whatsoever, for this Sin to be committed. If the Work goes on, it is well if among the many that show an Enmity against it, and reproach it, some be not guilty of this Sin, if none have been already. Those that maliciously oppose and reproach this Work, and call it the Work of the Devil, want but one Thing of the unpardonable Sin, and that is doing it against inward Conviction. And though some are so prudent, as now openly to oppose and reproach the Work, yet it is to be feared, at this Day when the Lord is going forth so gloriously against his Enemies, that many that are silent and inactive, especially Ministers, will bring that Curse of the Angel of the Lord upon themselves, Judges 5:23. 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.

Since the Great God has come down from Heaven, and manifested himself in so wonderful a Manner in this Land, it is in vain for any of us to expect any other, than to be greatly affected by it in our spiritual State and Circumstances, respecting the Favour of God, one Way or the other. Those that do not become more happy by it, will become far more guilty and miserable. It is always so: such a Season that proves an acceptable Year, and a Time of great Grace and Favour to them that will accept it and improve it, proves a Day of Vengeance to others. Isaiah 61:2. When God sends forth his Word it shall not return to him void; much less his Spirit. When Christ was upon Earth in Judea, many slighted and neglected him; but it proved in the Issue to be no Matter of Indifference to them: God made all that People to feel that Christ had been among them; those that did not feel it to their Comfort, felt it to their Sorrow with a Witness. When God only sent the Prophet Ezekiel to the Children of Israel, he declared that whether they would hear, or whether they would forbear, yet they should know that there had been a Prophet among them. How much more may we suppose that when God has appeared so wonderfully in this Land, that he will make every one to know that the great Jehovah has been in New England.

I come now in the

Third and last Place, to apply myself to those that are the Friends of this Work, and have been Partakers of it, and are zealous to promote it. Let me earnestly exhort such to give diligent heed to themselves to avoid all Errors and Misconduct, and whatsoever may darken and obscure the Work, and give Occasion to those that stand ready to reproach it. The Apostle was careful to cut off Occasion from those that desired Occasion. The same Apostle exhorts Titus, to maintain that strict Care and Watch over himself, that both his Preaching and Behaviour might be such as could not be condemned; that he that was of the contrary Part might be ashamed, having no evil Thing to say of them, Titus 2:7, 8. We had need to be wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves. It is of no small Consequence that we should at this Day behave ourselves innocently and prudently. We must expect that the great Enemy of this Work will especially try his utmost with us; and he will especially triumph if he can prevail against any of us, in any Thing to blind and mislead us: He knows it will do more to further his Purpose and Interest, than if he prevailed against an hundred others. We had need to watch and pray, for we are but little Children; this roaring Lion is too strong for us, and this old Serpent too subtle for us.

Humility and Self-Diffidence, and an entire Dependence on our Lord Jesus Christ, will be our best Defense. Let us therefore maintain the strictest Watch against spiritual Pride, or a being lifted up with extraordinary Experiences and Comforts, and high Favours of Heaven that any of us may have received. We had need after such Favours, in a special Manner to keep a strict and jealous Eye upon our own Hearts, lest there should arise Self-exalting Reflections upon what we have received, and high Thoughts of ourselves as being now some of the most eminent of Saints and peculiar Favourites of Heaven, and that the Secret of the Lord is especially with us, and that we above all are fit to be improved as the great Instructors and Censors of this evil Generation: And in an high Conceit of our own Wisdom and Discerning, should as it were naturally assume to ourselves the Airs of Prophets or extraordinary Ambassadors of Heaven. When we have great Discoveries of God made to our Souls, we should not shine bright in our own Eyes. Moses when he had been conversing with God in the Mount, though his Face shone so as to dazzle the Eyes of Aaron and the People, yet he did not shine in his own Eyes; he knew not that his Face shone. Let none think themselves out of Danger of this spiritual Pride, even in their best Frames. God saw that the Apostle Paul, (though probably the most eminent Saint that ever lived) was not out of Danger of it, no not when he had just been conversing with God in the third Heaven: See 2 Corinthians 12:7. Pride is the worst Viper that is in the Heart; it is the first Sin that ever entered into the Universe, and it lies lowest of all in the Foundation of the whole Building of Sin, and is the most secret, deceitful and unsearchable in its Ways of working, of any Lust whatsoever: it is ready to mix with every Thing; and nothing is so hateful to God, and contrary to the Spirit of the Gospel, or of so dangerous Consequence; and there is no one Sin that does so much let in the Devil into the Hearts of the Saints, and expose them to his Delusions. I have seen it in many Instances, and that in eminent Saints. The Devil has come in at this Door presently after some eminent Experience and extraordinary Communion with God, and has woefully deluded and led them astray, till God has mercifully opened their Eyes and delivered them; and they themselves have afterwards been made sensible that it was Pride that betrayed them.

Some of the true Friends of the Work of God's Spirit have erred in giving too much heed to Impulses and strong Impressions on their Minds, as though they were immediate Significations from Heaven, to them, of something that should come to pass, or something that it was the Mind and Will of God that they should do, which was not signified or revealed anywhere in the Bible without those Impulses. These Impressions, if they are truly from the Spirit of God, are of a quite different Nature from the gracious Influences of the Spirit of God on the Hearts of the Saints; they are of the Nature of the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, and are properly Inspiration, such as the Prophets and Apostles, and others had of old; which the Apostle distinguishes from the Grace of the Spirit, in the 13th Chapter of the first of Corinthians.

One Reason why some have been ready to lay Weight on such Impulses, is an Opinion they have had, That the Glory of the approaching happy Days of the Church would partly consist in restoring those extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit: which Opinion I believe arises partly through Want of duly considering and comparing the Nature and Value of those two Kinds of Influences of the Spirit namely his ordinary gracious Influences, and his extraordinary Influences in Inspiration and miraculous Gifts. The former are by far the most excellent and glorious; as the Apostle largely shows in the first of Corinthians beginning, with the thirty-first Verse of the twelfth Chapter; speaking of the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, he says, But covet earnestly the best Gifts; and yet I show you a more excellent Way. that is a more excellent Way of the Influence of the Spirit: And then he goes on in the next Chapter, to show what that more excellent Way is, even that which is in the Grace of the Spirit, which summarily consists in Charity, or divine Love. And throughout that Chapter he shows the great Preference of that above Inspiration. God communicates himself in his own Nature more to the Soul in saving Grace in the Heart, than in all miraculous Gifts: The blessed Image of God consists in that, and not in these: The Excellency, Happiness and Glory of the Soul, does immediately consist in that, and not in those: That is a Root that bears infinitely more excellent Fruit: Salvation and the eternal Enjoyment of God is promised to divine Grace, but not to Inspiration: A Man may have those extraordinary Gifts, and yet be abominable to God, and go to Hell: The spiritual and eternal Life of the Soul do not consist in the extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit, but the Grace of the Spirit: This, and not those, is that Influence of the Spirit of God which God bestows only on his Favorites and dear Children: He has sometimes thrown out the other to Dogs and Swine, as he did to Balaam, Saul, and Judas; and some that in the primitive Times of the Christian Church committed the unpardonable Sin, as Hebrews 6. Many wicked Men at the Day of Judgment will plead, Have we not prophesied in thy Name, and in thy Name cast out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful Works. The greatest Privilege of the Prophets and Apostles, was not their being inspired and working Miracles, but their eminent Holiness. The Grace that was in their Hearts, was a thousand Times more their Dignity and Honor, than their miraculous Gifts. The Things that we find David comforting himself in, in the Book of Psalms, are not his being a King, or a Prophet, but the holy Influences of the Spirit of God in his Heart, communicating to him divine Light, Love and Joy. The Apostle Paul abounded in Visions and Revelations and miraculous Gifts, above all the Apostles; but yet he esteems all Things but Loss for the Excellency of the spiritual Knowledge of Christ. It was not the Gifts but the Grace of the Apostles, that was the proper Evidence of their Names being written in Heaven, which Christ directs them to rejoice in, much more, than in the Devils being subject to them. To have Grace in the Heart is an higher Privilege than the blessed Virgin her self had, in having the Body of the second Person in the Trinity conceived in her Womb, by the Power of the Highest overshadowing her; Luke 11, 27, 28. And it came to pass as he spoke these Things, a certain Woman of the Company lift up her Voice, and said unto them, Blessed is the Womb that bear thee, and the Paps that thou hast sucked! But he said, yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it. See also to the same Purpose, Matthew 12. 47, etcetera

The Influence of the Holy Spirit, or divine Charity in the Heart, is the very greatest Privilege and Glory of the highest Arch-Angel in Heaven; yea, this is the very Thing by which the Creature has Fellowship with God himself, with the Father and the Son, in their Beauty and Happiness, and are made Partakers of the divine Nature, and have Christ's Joy fulfilled in themselves.

The ordinary sanctifying Influences of the Spirit of God are the End of all extraordinary Gifts, as the Apostle shows, Ephesians 4: 11, 12, 13. They are good for nothing, any further than as they are subordinate to this End; they will be so far from profiting any without it, that they will only aggravate their Misery. This is as the Apostle observes, the most excellent Way of God's communicating his Spirit to his Church; it is the greatest Glory of the Church in all Ages. This Glory is what makes the State of the Church on Earth most like the State of the Church in Heaven, where Prophecy and Tongues, and other miraculous Gifts cease, and are vanished away, and God communicates his Spirit only in that more excellent Way that the Apostle speaks of, namely Charity, or divine Love, which never fails. Therefore the Glory of the approaching happy State of the Church does not at all require these extraordinary Gifts. As that State of the Church will be the nearest of any to its perfect State in Heaven, so I believe it will be like it in this, that all extraordinary Gifts shall have ceased and vanished away; and all those Stars and Moon, with the reflected Light they gave in the Night, or a more dark Season, shall be swallowed up in the Sun of divine Love. The Apostle speaks of those Gifts of Inspiration as childish Things, in comparison of the Influence of the Spirit in divine Love, Things given to the Church only to support it in its Minority, till the Church should have a complete, standing Rule established, and all the ordinary Means of Grace should be settled; but as Things that should cease; as the Church advanced above its childish State, and should entirely vanish when the Church should come to the State of Manhood; which will be in the approaching glorious Times, above any other State of the Church on Earth. 1 Corinthians 13. 11. When I was a Child, I spoke as a Child, I understood as a Child, I thought as a Child: but when I became a Man, I put away childish Things: Compared with the three preceding Verses.

When the Apostle in this Chapter, speaks of Prophecies, Tongues and Revelations ceasing and vanishing away in the Church, when the Christian Church should be advanced from a State of Minority to a State of Manhood, he seems to have Respect to its coming to an adult State in this World as well as in Heaven; for he speaks of such an adult State, or State of Manhood, wherein those three Things, Faith, Hope, and Charity, should abide or remain after Miracles and Revelations had ceased; as you may see in the last Verse, And now abideth (remaineth) Faith, Hope, Charity; these three. The Apostle's Manner, of speaking here shows an evident Reference to what he had just been saying before; and here is a manifest Antithesis between that remaining spoken of here, and that failing, ceasing, and vanishing away, spoken of in the eighth Verse. The Apostle had been showing how that all those Gifts of Inspiration, that were the Leading-Strings of the Christian Church in its Infancy, should vanish away, when the Church came to a State of Manhood; and when he has done, then he returns to observe, what Things remain after those had failed and ceased; and he observes that those three Things shall remain in the Church, Faith, Hope, and Charity: And therefore the adult State of the Church he speaks of, is the more perfect State which it shall arrive at in this World, which will be above all in that glorious State it shall be brought to in the latter Ages of the World. And this was the more properly observed to the Church of the Corinthians, upon two Accounts; Because the Apostle had before observed to that Church that they were in a State of Infancy, Chapter 3. 1, 2. And because that Church seems above all others to have abounded with miraculous Gifts. When the expected glorious State of the Church comes, the Increase of Light shall be so great, that it will in some Respect answer what is said verse 12. of seeing Face to Face. See Isaiah 24. 23, and 25. 7.

Therefore I do not expect a Restoration of these miraculous Gifts in the approaching glorious Times of the Church, nor do I desire it: It appears to me that it would add nothing to the Glory of those Times, but rather diminish from it. For my Part, I had rather enjoy the sweet Influences of the Spirit, showing Christ's spiritual divine Beauty, and infinite Grace, and dying Love, drawing forth the holy Exercises of Faith, and divine Love, and sweet Complacence, and humble Joy in God, one Quarter of an Hour, than to have prophetical Visions and Revelations for a whole Year. It appears to me much more probable that God should give immediate Revelations to his Saints in the dark Times of Popery, than now in the Approach of the most glorious and perfect State of his Church on Earth. It does not appear to me that there is any Need of those extraordinary Gifts, to introduce this happy State, and set up the Kingdom of God through the World: I have seen so much of the Power of God in a more excellent Way, as to convince me that God can easily do it without.

I would therefore entreat the People of God to be very cautious how they give Heed to such Things. I have seen them fail in very many Instances; and know by Experience that Impressions being made with great Power, and upon the Minds of true Saints, yea eminent Saints; and presently after, yea in the midst of, extraordinary Exercises of Grace, and sweet Communion with God, and attended with Texts of Scripture strongly impressed on the Mind, are no sure Signs of their being Revelations from Heaven: for I have known such Impressions fail, and prove vain by the Event, in some Instances attended with all these Circumstances. I know that they that leave the sure Word of Prophecy, that God has given us to be a Light shining in a dark Place, to follow such Impressions and Impulses, leave the Guidance of the Pole Star, to follow a Jack with a Lantern. And no wonder therefore that sometimes they are led a dreadful Dance, and into woful Extravagancies.

And seeing Inspiration is not to be expected, let us not despise human Learning. They that say human Learning is of little or no Use in the Work of the Ministry, do not consider what they say; if they did, they would not say it. By human Learning I mean, and suppose others mean, that Improvement of that common Knowledge which Men have, by human and outward Means. And therefore to say that human Learning is of no Use, is as much as to say that the Education of a Child, or that the common Knowledge that a grown Man has, more than a little Child, is of no Use; and so that a Child of four Years old, is as fit for a Teacher in the Church of God, with the same Degree of Grace, and capable of doing as much to advance the Kingdom of Christ, by his Instruction, as a very understanding knowing Man of thirty Years of Age. If adult Persons have greater Ability and Advantage to do Service, because they have more human Knowledge than a little Child, then doubtless if they have more human Knowledge still, with the same Degree of Grace, they would have still greater Ability and Advantage to do Service. An increase of Knowledge, without doubt, increases a Man's Advantage either to do Good or Hurt, according as he is disposed. It is too manifest to be denied, that God made great Use of human Learning in the Apostle Paul, as he also did in Moses and Solomon.

And if Knowledge, obtained by human Means, is not to be despised, then it will follow that the Means of obtaining it are not to be neglected, namely Study; and that this is of great Use in order to a Preparation for a public instructing others. And though undoubtedly, an having the Heart full of the powerful Influences of the Spirit of God, may at some Times enable Persons to speak profitably, yea very excellently, without Study; yet this will not warrant us needlessly to cast ourselves down from the Pinnacle of the Temple, depending upon it that the Angel of the Lord will bear us up, and keep us from dashing our Foot against a Stone, when there is another Way to go down, though it be not so quick. And I would pray that Method in public Discourses, which tends greatly to help both the Understanding and Memory, may not be wholly neglected.

And another Thing I would beg the dear Children of God more fully to consider of, is; How far, and upon what Grounds, the Rules of the holy Scriptures will truly justify their passing Censures upon others that are professing Christians, as Hypocrites and ignorant of any Thing of real Religion. We all know that there is a judging and censuring of some Sort or other, that the Scripture very often, and very strictly forbids. I desire that those Rules of Scripture may be looked into, and thoroughly weighed, and that it may be considered whether or not taking it upon us to discern the State of the Soul of others, and to pass Sentence upon them as wicked Men, that are professing Christians, and of a good visible Conversation, be not really forbidden by Christ in the New Testament: If it is, then doubtless the Disciples of Christ ought to avoid it, however sufficient they may think themselves for it; or however needful, or of good Tendency, they may think it. It is plain that that Sort of Judging is forbidden, that God claims as his Prerogative, whatever that be. We know that there is a certain Judging of the Hearts of the Children of Men, that is often spoken of as the great Prerogative of God, and which belongs only to him; as in 1 Kings 8:39. Forgive, and do, and give to every Man according to his Ways, whose Heart thou knowest: for thou, even thou only, knowest the Hearts of all the Children of Men. And if we examine, we shall find that that Judging of Hearts that is spoken of as God's Prerogative, is not only the judging of the Aims and Disposition of Men's Hearts in particular Actions, but chiefly a judging the State of the Hearts of the Professors of Religion, with Regard to that Profession. This will appear very manifest, by looking over the following Scriptures; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 7:9, 10, 11; Psalm 26 throughout; Proverbs 16:2 and 17:3 and 21:2; John 2:23, 24, 25; Revelation 2:22, 23. That Sort of Judging which is God's proper Prerogative, is forbidden, as Romans 14:4. Who art thou that judgest another Man's Servant? to his own Master he standeth or falleth. James 4:12. There is one lawgiver that is able to save and to destroy; who art thou that judgest another? 1 Corinthians 4:3, 4. But with me it is a very small Thing, that I should be judged of you, or of Man's Judgment; yea I judge not mine own self; but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

Again; Whatsoever Kind of Judging is the proper Work and Business of the Day of Judgment, is a Judging that we are forbidden, as in 1 Corinthians 4:5. Therefore judge nothing before the Time, until the Lord come; who both will bring to Light the hidden Things of Darkness, and will make manifest the Counsels of the Hearts; and then shall every Man have Praise of God. But to distinguish Hypocrites, that have the Form of Godliness, and the visible Conversation of godly Men, from true Saints; to separate the Sheep from Goats, is the proper Business of the Day of Judgment; yea, is represented as the main Business and End of that great Day. They therefore do greatly err that take it upon them positively to determine who are sincere, and who not, and to draw the dividing Line between true Saints and Hypocrites, and to separate between Sheep and Goats, setting the one on the Right and the other on the Left, and to distinguish and gather out the Tares from amongst the Wheat: Many of the Servants of the Owner of the Field are very ready to think themselves sufficient for this, and are forward to offer their Service to this End; but their Lord says Nay, lest while ye gather up the Tares, ye root up the Wheat also. Let both grow together until the Harvest; and in the Time of the Harvest I will take Care to see a thorough Separation made; as Matthew 13:28, 29, 30. Agreeably to that forementioned Prohibition of the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 4:5. Judge nothing before the Time. In this Parable by the Servants that have the Care of the Fruit of the Field, is doubtless meant the same with the Servants that have the Care of the Fruit of the Vineyard, Luke 20; and those that are elsewhere represented as Servants of the Lord of the Harvest, that are appointed as Labourers in his Harvest, which we know are Ministers of the Gospel. Now that Parable in the 13th of Matthew is fulfilled; While Men slept, (during that long sleepy, dead Time that has been in the Church,) the Enemy has sowed Tares; and now is the Time when the Blade is sprung up, and Religion is reviving; now some of the Servants that have the Care of the Field, say, Let us go and gather up the Tares. I know by Experience that there is a great Aptness in Men, that think they have had some Experience of the Power of Religion, to think themselves sufficient to discern and determine the State of others' Souls, by a little Conversation with them; and Experience has taught me that it is an Error. I once did not imagine that the Heart of Man had been so unsearchable as I find it is. I am less charitable, and less uncharitable than once I was. I find more Things in wicked Men that may Counterfeit, and make a fair Show of Piety, and more Ways that the remaining Corruption of the Godly may make them appear like carnal Men, Formalists and dead Hypocrites, than once I knew of. The longer I live, the less I wonder that God challenges it as his Prerogative to try the Hearts of the Children of Men, and has directed that this Business should be let alone till the Harvest. I find that God is wiser than Men. I desire to adore the Wisdom of God, and his Goodness to me and my fellow Creatures, that he has not committed this great Business into the Hands of such poor, weak, dim-sighted a Creature as I am; of so much Blindness, Pride, Partiality, Prejudice, and Deceitfulness of Heart; but has committed it into the Hands of one infinitely fitter for it, and has made it his Prerogative.

The Talk of some Persons, and the Account they give of their Experiences is exceeding satisfying, and such as forbids and banishes the least Thought of their being any other, than the precious Children of God; it obliges and as it were forces full Charity: But yet we must allow the Scriptures to stand good, that speak of every Thing in the Saint, that belongs to the spiritual and divine Life, as hidden. Their Life is said to be hidden, Colossians 3:3, 4. Their Food is the hidden Manna; they have Meat to eat that others know not of; a Stranger intermeddles not with their Joys: The Heart in which they possess their divine distinguishing Ornaments, is the hidden Man, and in the Sight of God only, 1 Peter 3:4. Their new Name, that Christ has given them, No Man knows but he that receives it, Revelation 2:17. The Praise of the true Israelites, whose Circumcision is that of the Heart, is not of Men but of God, Romans 2:29. That is; they can be certainly known and discerned to be Israelites, so as to have the Honour that belongs to such, only of God; as appears by the Use of the like Expression by the same Apostle, 1 Corinthians 4:5. Speaking there of its being God's Prerogative to judge who are upright Christians, and that which he will do at the Day of Judgment, he adds, and then shall every Man have Praise of God.

The Instance of Judas is remarkable; who though he had been so much amongst the rest of the Disciples, who were all Persons of true Experience, yet never seemed to have entertained a Thought of his being any other than a true Disciple, till he discovered himself by his scandalous Practice.

And the Instance of Achitophel is also very remarkable; whom David did not discern, though he was so wise and holy a Man, a Person of such great Experience, and so great a Divine, and had such great Acquaintance with the Scriptures, and knew more than all his Teachers, and more than the Ancients; and was grown old in Experience, and was in the greatest Ripeness of his Judgment, and was a great Prophet; and though he was so intimately acquainted with Achitophel, he being his familiar Friend, and most intimate Companion in religious and spiritual Concerns: yet David not only never discovered him to be an Hypocrite, but relied upon him as a true Saint, thought he relished and felt his religious Discourse, it was sweet to him, and he counted him an eminent Saint; so that he made him above any other Man his Guide and Counselor in Soul Matters: but yet he was not only, no Saint, but a notoriously wicked Man, a murderous, vile Wretch. Psalm 55:11, 12, 13, 14. Wickedness is in the midst thereof; Deceit and Guile depart not from her Streets: For it was not an Enemy that reproached me, then I could have borne it; neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a Man mine Equal, my Guide and mine Acquaintance: We took sweet Counsel together, and walked unto the House of God in Company.

To suppose that Men have Ability and Right to determine the State of the Souls of visible Christians, and so to make an open Separation between Saints and Hypocrites, that true Saints may be of one visible Company, and Hypocrites of another, separated by a Partition that Men make, carries in it an Inconsistency: for it supposes that God has given Men Power to make another visible Church, within his visible Church; for by visible Christians, or those that are of God's visible Church, can be understood nothing else, than that Company that are Christians or Saints, visibly so; that is, that have a Right to be received as such, in the Eye of a public Charity. None can have Right to exclude any one of this visible Church, but in the Way of that regular ecclesiastical Proceeding, which God has established in his visible Church.

I beg of those that have a true Zeal for promoting this Work of God, that God has begun in the Land, well to consider these Things. I am persuaded that as many of them as have much to do with Souls, if they don't hearken to me now, yet will be of the same Mind when they have had more Experience.

And another Thing that I would entreat the zealous Friends of this glorious Work of God to avoid, is managing the Controversy with Opposers with too much Heat, and Appearance of an angry Zeal; and particularly insisting very much in public Prayer and Preaching, on the Persecution of Opposers. If their Persecution were ten Times so great as it is, methinks it would not be best to say so much about it. It becomes Christians to be like Lambs, not to be apt to complain and cry when they are hurt; to be dumb and not open their Mouth, after the Example of our dear Redeemer; and not to be like Swine, that are apt to scream aloud when they are touched. We should not be ready presently to think and speak of Fire from Heaven, when the Samaritans oppose us, and won't receive us into their Villages. God's zealous Ministers would do well to think of the Direction the Apostle Paul gave to a zealous Minister, 2 Timothy 2:24, 25, 26. 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 themselves, if God peradventure will give them Repentance, to the acknowledging of the Truth. And that they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil, who are taken Captive by him at his Will.

And another thing that I would humbly recommend to those that love the Lord Jesus Christ, and would advance his kingdom, is a good attendance to that excellent rule of prudence Christ has left us, Matthew 9:16, 17. No man puts a piece of new cloth into an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up, takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles; else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish. But they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. I am afraid that the wine is now running out in some parts of this land, for want of attending to this rule. For though I believe we have confined ourselves too much to a certain stated method and form in the management of our religious affairs; which has had a tendency to cause all our religion to degenerate into mere formality; yet whatsoever has the appearance of a great innovation, that tends much to shock and surprise people's minds, and to set them a talking and disputing, tends greatly to hinder the progress of the power of religion, by raising the opposition of some, and diverting the minds of others, and perplexing the minds of many with doubts and scruples, and causing people to swerve from their great business, and turn aside to vain jangling. Therefore that which is very much beside the common practice, unless it be a thing in its own nature of considerable importance, had better be avoided. Herein we shall follow the example of one, who had the greatest success in propagating the power of religion in the world, of any man that ever lived, that he himself gives us an account of, 1 Corinthians 9:20, 21, 22, 23. Unto the Jews, I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews: to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law: To them that are without law, (being not without law to God, but under law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law: To the weak, became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means, save some. And this I do for the Gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

Finis.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The apostolic age — the age in which the apostles lived and preached the gospel — was an age of the greatest outpouring of the Spirit of God that had ever occurred. This was true both in the extraordinary influences and gifts of the Spirit, in inspiration and miracles, and also in His ordinary work of convincing, converting, enlightening, and sanctifying the souls of people. But as the influences of the true Spirit abounded, so did counterfeits. The Devil was active in mimicking both the ordinary and extraordinary influences of the Spirit of God, as is evident from countless passages in the apostles' writings. This made it vitally necessary that the church of Christ be given certain clear and distinguishing marks by which she could safely judge spirits and tell the true from the false, without danger of being deceived. Providing such marks is the plain purpose of this chapter, where this matter is more expressly and fully handled than anywhere else in the Bible. The apostle here, with deliberate intent, undertakes to supply the church of God with marks of the true Spirit that are plain, safe, clearly distinguishing, and well suited to practical use. To make the subject clear and complete, he develops it throughout the whole chapter — which makes it all the more remarkable that what is said in this chapter receives so little attention in this extraordinary day, when such an uncommon operation on the minds of people has appeared, so extensive in its reach, and there is such a variety of opinions about it, and so much talk about the work of the Spirit.

The apostle is led to address this subject by a passing reference to the indwelling of the Spirit as the sure evidence of union with Christ, in the last verse of the preceding chapter. And he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him; and by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us. From this we may gather that the apostle's purpose in this chapter is not only to give marks for distinguishing the true Spirit from the false in His extraordinary gifts of prophecy and miracles, but also in His ordinary working on the minds of His people in order to unite them to Christ and build them up in Him. This is also evident from the marks themselves that are given, which we will note as we go.

The words of the text serve as an introduction to this discussion of the distinguishing signs of the true and false spirit. Before the apostle proceeds to lay down these signs, he urges the Christians he is writing to, to be careful in this matter. First, he presses the duty of testing the spirits, with a caution against excessive credulity and eagerness to accept everything as a mark of the true Spirit simply because it has that appearance or claim: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Second, the necessity of this duty is shown by the fact that there were many counterfeits: because many false prophets have gone out into the world. The false apostles and false prophets of those days not only claimed to possess the Spirit of God in His extraordinary gift of inspiration, but also claimed to be great friends and servants of heaven, eminently holy persons possessing much of the ordinary, saving, sanctifying influence of the Spirit of God in their hearts. We should understand these words as a direction to examine and test their claims to the Spirit of God in both of these areas.

After thus counseling and warning the Christians he wrote to concerning the testing of spirits, the apostle immediately proceeds to give them rules by which they may safely evaluate anything claiming to be either the ordinary or extraordinary work of the Spirit of God.

My purpose at this time, therefore, is to show what are the true, certain, and distinguishing evidences of a work of the Spirit of God — by which we may safely judge any operation we find in ourselves or observe in others.

Here I would observe that we must take the Scriptures as our guide in such matters. This is the great, standing rule God has given to His church to guide them in all things relating to the vital concerns of their souls, and it is an infallible and sufficient rule. There are undoubtedly sufficient marks given in Scripture to guide the church of God in the important task of judging spirits. Without such guidance the church would lie open to terrible delusion and be helplessly exposed to being deceived and destroyed by its enemies. Whatever rules we find in the holy Scriptures for this purpose, we need not be afraid to trust them. Certainly the Spirit who inspired the Scriptures knew how to give us reliable rules by which to distinguish His operations from everything that is falsely claimed to come from Him.

As I observed, the Spirit of God has done this deliberately in the chapter containing my text, and has done it more particularly and fully there than anywhere else. So in my present discourse I will go nowhere else for rules or marks for the testing of spirits, but will confine myself to those I find here.

Before I proceed to these specifically, I want to clear the way by first observing — negatively, in several instances — what are not signs by which we should judge a work, whether it be the work of the Spirit of God or not. In particular, I will address what are not evidences that a work carried on among a people is not the work of the Spirit of God.

First, nothing certain can be concluded from the fact that a work is carried on in a very unusual and extraordinary way. It is no sign that a work is not the work of the Spirit of God if it is carried on in a manner different from how the same Spirit has worked in the past — provided the difference falls within the limits of the rules Scripture gives for distinguishing a work of the Spirit of God. What we or the church of God have been accustomed to is not the standard by which we are to judge whether a work is from God, because there may be new and extraordinary works of God. God has worked in extraordinary ways before; He has brought about things that were new and strange, working in ways that surprised both men and angels. As God has done this in the past, we have no reason to think He will not do so again. The prophecies of Scripture give us reason to believe that God still has new things to accomplish — things that have never yet been seen. No departure from what has previously been usual, however great, is an argument that a work is not from the Spirit of God, if it is no departure from the rule God has given for judging a work of His Spirit. The Spirit of God is sovereign in His operations; we know that He uses great variety, and we cannot know how great a variety He may use within the compass of the rules He has set. We should not limit God where He has not limited Himself. If a work differs greatly from what has been seen before from God's Spirit, yet still agrees with the distinguishing signs God's word has given for a work of His Spirit, that agreement is entirely sufficient for us to embrace it.

Therefore it is not reasonable to conclude that a work is not from the Spirit of God simply because of the extraordinary degree to which people's minds are influenced and affected. If they appear to have an extraordinary sense of the dreadful nature of sin, an unusual awareness of the misery of a Christless condition, or seem to have exceptional views of the certainty and glory of divine things — and if, flowing from these impressions, they are proportionally moved by very strong emotions of fear, sorrow, desire, love, or joy — that does not disprove the work. Likewise, if the change in people seems very sudden, if the work on their minds appears to move with unusual speed, if those so strangely affected are very numerous, many of them very young, or if the work is unusual in many other circumstances that do not violate Scripture's marks of a work of the Spirit — none of these things are evidence that the work is not from the Spirit of God.

An extraordinary degree of influence and power, if its nature agrees with the rules and marks given in Scripture, is actually an argument in its favor. The higher the degree of what is in its nature agreeable to the rule, the greater the conformity to the rule, and the more evident and clear that conformity becomes. When things appear in small degrees, even when they genuinely agree with the rule, their nature is harder to discern and it is not as easy to see whether they agree with the rule or not.

People are naturally prone to doubt things that are strange. Elderly people especially — those who have lived long in the world — find it difficult to accept as right something they have never seen in their own day, or heard of in the days of their fathers. But if it were a good argument that a work is not from the Spirit of God simply because it is very unusual, then it always was so — including in the days of the apostles. The work of the Spirit of God in that era was carried on in ways that were, in very many respects, entirely new. There were things then that the Jews of that generation, and their fathers before them, had never seen or heard of — things that had never occurred since the world began. The work was then carried on with more visible and remarkable power than ever before; never had there been seen such mighty and wonderful effects of the Spirit of God — such sudden changes, such intense engagement and zeal in such multitudes, such a swift and sweeping transformation of towns, cities, and entire regions, such rapid progress and vast extent. The striking unusualness of the work surprised the Jews; they did not know what to make of it and could not believe it to be the work of God. Many looked upon those who were the subjects of it as out of their minds, as you can see in Acts 2:13 and 26:24 and 1 Corinthians 4:10.

And we have reason from Scripture prophecy to expect that when the last and greatest outpouring of the Spirit of God comes — the one prophesied for the latter ages of the world — the manner of the work will be very extraordinary, unlike anything ever seen before. There will then be occasion to say, as in Isaiah 66:8: Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. It may reasonably be expected that the extraordinary manner of that work will in some proportion match the very extraordinary events and the glorious change in the state of the world that God will be bringing about through it.

2. A work is not to be judged by any effects on the bodies of people — such as tears, trembling, groans, loud crying out, physical agonies, or the loss of bodily strength. Whether the influence on a person's mind is from the Spirit of God or not cannot be determined, one way or the other, by such physical effects. The reason is that Scripture nowhere gives us such a rule. We cannot conclude that people are under the influence of the true Spirit because of such effects on their bodies, since this is not given as a mark of the true Spirit. Nor, on the other hand, does Scripture give us any reason to conclude that people who experience such physical effects are not under the true Spirit. Scripture neither expressly endorses nor excludes such bodily responses. It is easy to understand, from what we know of the nature of divine and eternal things, the nature of man, and the laws of the connection between soul and body, how a right and genuine sense of truth could produce such effects on the body — even those of the most extraordinary kind, such as the loss of bodily strength, throwing the body into great agony, or wringing out loud cries. All of us would readily grant that the misery of hell is so dreadful, and eternity so vast, that if a person had a clear vision of that misery as it truly is, it would be more than his frail constitution could bear — especially if at the same time he saw himself in great danger of it and had no certainty of being delivered, not even from one day to the next. When we consider human nature, we need not wonder that when people have a very vivid sense of something so overwhelmingly dreadful, and such a clear view of their own wickedness and God's anger, things seem to them to signal swift and immediate destruction. We see that human nature is such that when a person faces some terrible calamity and feels greatly exposed to it, he is ready on the slightest occasion to think it is upon him now. Those who are full of fear in time of war, feeling deeply exposed, tremble at every noise and expect the enemy any minute, saying within themselves: now I will be killed. Suppose a person saw himself hanging over a great pit full of fierce, glowing flames, by a thread he knew to be very weak and incapable of bearing his weight, and knew that multitudes before him had hung in the same situation and most had fallen to their destruction, and saw nothing within reach to take hold of to save himself. What distress would he be in? How ready to think that now the thread is breaking — now this very moment he will be swallowed up in those dreadful flames? And would he not cry out in such circumstances? How much more will those cry out who see themselves hanging in this manner over an infinitely more dreadful pit, or held over it in the hand of God, who they at the same time see to be intensely provoked? No wonder they expect every moment that this angry God will let them drop; no wonder they cry out in their misery; no wonder that God's wrath, when even partially revealed to the soul, overpowers human strength.

Similarly, it is easy to understand how a true sense of the glorious excellence of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of His wonderful dying love, and the experience of truly spiritual love and joy, could very much overcome bodily strength. We all readily acknowledge that no man can see God and live, and that even a very small portion of the apprehension of the glory and love of Christ — far less than the saints in heaven enjoy — is more than our present frame can bear. Therefore it is not at all strange that God should sometimes give His saints such foretastes of heaven as to diminish their bodily strength. If it was not remarkable that the Queen of Sheba fainted and lost her bodily strength when she came to see the glory of Solomon, it is even less remarkable that she who is the antitype of the Queen of Sheba — namely the church, brought as it were from the uttermost ends of the earth, from being an alien and stranger, far off in a state of sin and misery — should faint when she comes to see the glory of Christ, who is the antitype of Solomon; and especially will this be so in that prosperous, peaceful, glorious kingdom He will establish in the world in its latter age.

Some object against such extraordinary physical responses by noting that no examples of them are recorded in the New Testament during the great outpourings of the Spirit that occurred then. Even if that were granted, I see no force in the objection, since neither reason nor any rule of Scripture excludes such things — especially in light of what was observed under the previous point. We do not find in the New Testament any specific mention of persons weeping, groaning, or sighing from fear of hell or a sense of God's anger. But is anyone so unreasonable as to argue from this that whenever such things appear, the convictions producing them are not from the Spirit of God? The reason we do not argue this way is that such responses are easily accounted for from what we know of human nature, and from what the Scriptures tell us in general about the nature of eternal things and the nature of the Spirit's convicting work. There is no need for Scripture to speak specifically to these outward, incidental effects. No one supposes that express Scripture is required for every outward, circumstantial expression of inward spiritual movement. And though such circumstances are not specifically recorded in sacred history, there is good reason to think, from the general accounts we have, that such things certainly occurred in those days. There is also reason to believe that the great outpouring of the Spirit in that era was not entirely without more extraordinary physical effects. The jailer in particular seems to be an instance of this, when in extreme distress and amazement he came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas. His falling down at that moment does not appear to have been a deliberate act of supplication or humble address to Paul and Silas, for he seems to have said nothing to them at that point. He first brought them out, and then said to them, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? — Acts 16:29-30. His falling down seems to have had the same cause as his trembling. The psalmist also describes his crying out aloud and a great weakening of his body under conviction of conscience and a sense of the guilt of sin, in Psalm 32:3-4: When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long; for day and night Your hand was heavy upon me, my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. We may at least draw from this that such physical effects of conviction of sin may reasonably be supposed in some cases; for even if there is some degree of heightened expression in the language used, the psalmist would not describe his experience with imagery that bore no relationship to what he actually went through.

We read of the disciples in Matthew 14:26 that when they saw Christ coming to them in the storm and took Him for some terrible enemy threatening their destruction, they cried out for fear. Why then should it be thought strange that people cry out for fear when God appears to them as their terrible enemy, and they see themselves in great danger of being swallowed up in the bottomless pit of eternal misery?

The bride in the Song of Solomon more than once speaks of herself as overcome with the love of Christ, to the point of weakening her body and making her ready to faint. Song of Solomon 2:5: Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love. And Song of Solomon 5:8: I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am sick of love. From this we may at least conclude that such an effect from such a cause may well occur in the saints at times, and that such an effect will sometimes be seen in the church of Christ.

It is a weak objection that enthusiasts under false impressions have often been greatly affected in their bodies. The fact that the Quakers used to tremble is no argument that Saul — afterward Paul — and the jailer did not tremble from real conviction of conscience. Indeed all such objections based on physical effects, whether greater or lesser, seem extremely weak. Those who argue from such things are reasoning in the dark; they do not know what ground they stand on or what rule they are following. The root and cause of things is what must be examined. The nature of the operations and affections that people's minds are under — that is what must be inquired into and tested by the rule of God's Word, not the movements of the blood and animal spirits.

3. It is no argument that an operation on the minds of a people is not the work of the Spirit of God simply because it occasions great commotion and a great deal of noise about religion. Though true religion is of an entirely different character from the ostentatious religion of the Pharisees, which loved to display itself before others for applause, yet such is human nature that it is morally impossible for there to be deep concern, strong affection, and intense engagement of mind among a large number of people — all agreeing in this together — without its being publicly noticeable. It would be impossible for such a work not to produce a visible, observable, open stir and change among that people.

Surely it is no argument that people's minds are not under the influence of God's Spirit that they are greatly moved. Spiritual and eternal things are so vast and so infinitely important that there is something almost absurd about people being only moderately moved by them. And it is no argument that they are not moved by the Spirit of God that they are affected by these things appropriately — in some measure proportionate to their true importance. And when has there ever been a time, from the beginning of the world, when a large group of people was greatly stirred in any matter whatsoever, without noise or commotion? Human nature does not allow for it.

Indeed, Christ says in Luke 17:20: The kingdom of God does not come with observation. That is, it will not consist in what is outward and visible in the manner of earthly kingdoms — established with outward pomp in some particular place serving as the royal city and seat of government. Christ explains this in the very next words: Neither shall they say, lo here, or lo there; for behold the kingdom of God is within you. But this does not mean that the kingdom of God will be established in the world on the ruins of Satan's kingdom without a very striking, observable, and mighty effect — a great change in the state of things, to the astonishment of the whole world. Such an effect is clearly anticipated in Scripture prophecy, and even by Christ Himself in this very passage, in His own explanation of His earlier words, in verse 24: For as the lightning that lights up one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so shall also the Son of Man be in His day. This is to distinguish Christ's coming to establish His kingdom from the coming of false Christs, which Christ tells us will happen privately, in the deserts and in the secret chambers. By contrast, the establishment of the kingdom of God will be open and public, in plain sight of the whole world — clear and unmistakable, like lightning that cannot be hidden but blazes in everyone's eyes and flashes from one side of heaven to the other.

And indeed, when Christ's kingdom came through the remarkable outpouring of the Spirit in the apostles' days, it caused a great stir and commotion everywhere. What a mighty opposition arose in Jerusalem on account of that great outpouring of the Spirit! And what great commotion in Samaria, Antioch, Ephesus, and Corinth, and other places! The whole affair filled the world with noise, and gave occasion to some to say of the apostles that they had turned the world upside down — Acts 17:6.

4. It is no argument that an operation on the minds of a people is not the work of the Spirit of God that many who are subjects of it have strong impressions on their imaginations. That people have many impressions on their imaginations does not prove that they have nothing beyond imagination. It is easy to explain why there would be much of this among a large group of all kinds of people whose minds are intensely engaged and deeply stirred about invisible things. In fact, it would be strange if there were not. Such is our nature that we cannot think about invisible things without exercising imagination. I would challenge any person, of whatever intellectual capacity, to direct his thoughts to God or Christ or the things of another world, without some mental images accompanying his meditation. And the more engaged the mind is, and the more intense the thought and emotion, the more vivid and strong those mental images will ordinarily be — especially when the contemplation and feeling is accompanied by surprise, as when what a person sees is very new and seizes the emotions strongly, whether in fear or joy. This is also especially true when the change of a person's inner state and perspective is sudden and comes from a contrary extreme, as from something overwhelmingly dreadful to something overwhelmingly wonderful and delightful. It is no wonder that many people do not distinguish between what is imaginary and what is intellectual and spiritual, or that they are apt to place too much weight on the imaginative element and are quickest to speak of that when giving an account of their experience — particularly people of less understanding and ability to make such distinctions.

Since God has given us the faculty of imagination, and has made us such that we cannot think about spiritual and invisible things without exercising it, it appears to me that in our present state and nature this faculty genuinely serves and helps the other faculties of the mind when properly used — even though when the imagination is too strong and the other faculties weak, it overrides them and greatly disturbs their exercise. It appears clear to me from many instances I have known that God has genuinely used this faculty for truly divine purposes — especially in the case of simpler and less educated people. God seems to condescend to their circumstances and deal with them as children — as He once instructed His church during its state of spiritual immaturity through types and outward representations. I see nothing unreasonable in this. Let others who have much to do with souls in spiritual matters judge whether experience does not confirm it.

It is no argument that a work is not from the Spirit of God that some who are subjects of it have, in extraordinary states, experienced something like an ecstasy — being carried beyond themselves and having their minds transported into a series of strong and pleasant imaginings, a kind of vision, as though they were caught up to heaven and saw glorious sights. I have been acquainted with some such instances, and I see no need whatsoever to bring in the Devil to explain them, nor to suppose them to be of the same nature as the visions of the prophets or Paul's rapture into paradise. Human nature, under these intense and powerful exercises of mind and emotion that some people experience, is all that needs to be brought into the account. If it may well be explained that people under a true sense of the glorious greatness and excellence of divine things, and soul-captivating views of the beauty and love of Christ, would have their natural strength overpowered — as I have already shown it may — then it is not at all strange that among a large number so affected and overcome, some individuals of particular temperaments should have their imaginations so affected. When this happens, the effect is nothing more than what bears a proportion and analogy to other effects of the intense exercise of their minds. It is no wonder that when the thoughts are so fixed, and the emotions so strong, and the whole soul so engaged and enraptured and absorbed — when all other parts of the body are so affected as to be deprived of their strength, and the whole frame is on the verge of giving way — the brain in particular (especially in some constitutions), which is the part of the body most directly and immediately affected by intense thought and mental exercise, should be overtaxed and affected. Its strength and energy would for a season be diverted away from impressions received through the external senses, and entirely occupied in a stream of pleasant and delightful mental images, such as the mind's present state disposes it to.

Some people are prone to misinterpret such things and place too much weight on them — treating them as prophetic visions, or regarding what they imagine they see or hear in them as divine revelations and heavenly announcements of future events. In some instances I have known, experience proved otherwise. Yet it appears to me that such things are sometimes, in an indirect sense, from the Spirit of God — that is, the extraordinary frame of mind in which they occur, and the strong and vivid sense of divine things that occasions them, is from His Spirit. Also, the mind continues in its holy frame and retains a divine sense of the excellence of spiritual things even within the rapture — and that holy frame and sense is from the Spirit of God. The mental images that accompany it are incidental, and therefore there is commonly something in them that is confused, improper, or mistaken.

5. It is no sign that a work on the minds of people is not from the Spirit of God that example is used as a major means of it. It is certainly no argument that an effect is not from God that means are used in producing it, since we know that God's pattern is to use means in carrying on His work in the world. Using means does not make an effect any less divine than if it came about through any other means. It is consistent with Scripture for people to be influenced by one another's good example. Scripture directs us to set good examples for that very purpose — Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 3:1, 1 Timothy 4:12, Titus 2:7. It also directs us to be influenced by the good examples others set and to follow them — 2 Corinthians 8:1-7, Hebrews 6:12, Philippians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 4:16 and 11:1, 2 Thessalonians 3:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:7. This shows that example is one of God's own means, and it is certainly no argument that a work is not from God that God's own means are being used to carry it forward.

And just as it is a scriptural way of carrying on God's work through example, so it is also a reasonable way. It is no argument that people are not influenced by reason that they are influenced by example. This way of people conveying truth to one another has a real tendency to enlighten the mind and convince reason. No one would deny that conveying things to one another in words tends to enlighten minds; but the same things can be conveyed by actions, and often far more fully and effectively. Words are useful only insofar as they communicate our own understanding to others; but actions can sometimes do this far more completely. There is a language in actions, and in some cases it is much clearer and more convincing than words.

Therefore it is no argument against the validity of an effect that one person stirs and influences another, or that people are greatly affected by seeing others so affected — even if the impression is made simply by observing the signs of deep and unusual emotion in others' behavior, taking for granted what they are moved about, without hearing them say a single word. In such a case their behavior alone may carry enough meaning to convey what is in their minds to others, and to communicate their sense of things more powerfully than words alone ever could. If a person saw someone in extreme physical pain, he would receive far clearer and more convincing ideas of what that person was suffering from watching his actions in his distress than from the words of an unmoved, detached observer. In the same way, he might receive a greater sense of something excellent and deeply delightful from the behavior of someone actually experiencing it — someone who can see and taste it directly — than from the flat account of someone who has never experienced it himself. I invite that this matter be examined by the strictest reason.

There is also this argument that effects produced in people's minds by example are rational: it is evident that not only weak and ignorant people are greatly influenced by it. Nothing is more plain to anyone who observes the human race than that all kinds of people — the wise and the unwise, even those who most boast of their strength of reason — are more influenced by reason presented through example than by almost any other means.

It is true that when religious affections are stirred by this means — as when people are affected while hearing the word preached or through other means — the emotions of many prove shallow and soon fade, as Christ illustrates in the stony-ground hearers. But the emotions of some who are moved by example are lasting and prove to be saving.

There has never yet been a time of remarkable outpouring of the Spirit and great revival of religion in which example did not play a major role. This was true at the time of the Reformation, and it was clearly true in that great outpouring of the Spirit in the apostles' days in Jerusalem, Samaria, Ephesus, and other parts of the world, as will be plain to anyone who attends carefully to the accounts in the Acts of the Apostles. Just as in those days one person was moved by another, so one city or town was influenced by the example of another — 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8: So that you became examples to all who believe in Macedonia and Achaia; for from you the word of the Lord sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out.

It is not a valid objection to say that example is made so much use of when Scripture speaks of the word of God as the principal means of carrying on God's work. The word of God remains the principal means nonetheless, because it is the means through which all other means operate and become effective. The sacraments have no effect apart from the word. And it is the same with example: it becomes effective because all that is visible to the eye is meaningless and empty without the word of God to instruct and direct the mind. It is the word of God that is truly held forth and applied through example, just as the word of the Lord sounded forth to the other towns of Macedonia and Achaia through the example of those who believed in Thessalonica.

That example should be a major means of building up the church of God appears to be signified in several ways in Scripture. It is signified by Ruth's following Naomi out of the land of Moab into the land of Israel, when she resolved that she would not leave her but would go wherever she went and lodge wherever she lodged; and that Naomi's people would be her people, and Naomi's God her God. Ruth, who was the mother of David and of Christ, was undoubtedly a great type of the church, which is why her story is included in the canon of Scripture. In her leaving the land of Moab and its gods to come and put her trust under the shadow of the wings of the God of Israel, we have a type not only of the conversion of the Gentile church, but of the conversion of every sinner who is naturally an alien and stranger — one who in conversion forsakes his own people and father's house, is brought near, and becomes a fellow citizen with the saints and a true Israelite. The same is signified in the effect the spouse's lovesickness has on the daughters of Jerusalem — that is, visible Christians — who are first awakened by seeing the bride in such extraordinary circumstances, and then converted. See Song of Solomon 5:8-9 and 6:1. This is undoubtedly one way that the Spirit and the bride say, come — Revelation 22:17 — that is, the Spirit speaking through the bride. It is also prophesied that God's work would be carried on greatly by this means in the last great outpouring of the Spirit that will usher in the glorious day of the church, spoken of so often in Scripture. Zechariah 8:21-23: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go at once to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts; I will go also. Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. Thus says the Lord of Hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

6. It is no sign that a work among a people is not from the Spirit of God that many who appear to be subjects of it are guilty of great imprudence and irregularity in their conduct. We must consider that the purpose for which God pours out His Spirit is to make people holy, not to make them politically shrewd. It is no wonder at all that in a mixed crowd of all kinds — wise and unwise, young and old, those of weak and strong natural ability — under strong impressions of mind, many behave imprudently. Few people know how to conduct themselves well under intense emotion of any kind, whether of a worldly or spiritual nature. It requires a great deal of wisdom, stability, and steadiness of mind. A thousand imprudences will not prove that a work is not from the Spirit of God — nor will many things that are irregular and genuinely contrary to the rules of God's holy word. That such things should occur is easily explained from the great weakness of human nature, together with the remaining darkness and corruption in those who are nonetheless subjects of the Spirit's saving influence and have a genuine zeal for God.

We have a striking example in the New Testament of a people who participated greatly in the outpouring of the Spirit in the apostles' days, and yet abounded in imprudences and serious irregularities — the church at Corinth. There is scarcely any church in the New Testament more celebrated for having received large measures of the Spirit of God, both in His ordinary work of convincing and converting sinners and in His extraordinary and miraculous gifts. Yet what manifold imprudences, grave and sinful irregularities, and strange confusion they fell into — at the Lord's Supper, in the exercise of church discipline, in their improper manner of attending to public worship, in disputes and divisions over their teachers, and even in the exercise of their extraordinary gifts of prophecy, speaking in tongues, and the like — gifts exercised by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit of God himself.

And if we see great imprudences and even sinful irregularities in some who are used as significant instruments in carrying on the work, that will not prove it is not the work of God. The apostle Peter himself — a great, eminently holy, and inspired apostle, one of the chief instruments of establishing the Christian church in the world, and one of the foremost of the apostles — while actively engaged in this work, was guilty of a great and sinful error in his conduct, as the apostle Paul describes in Galatians 2:11-13: But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned; for before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles, but when they came he withdrew and held himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision; and the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. If the great pillar of the Christian church — one of those who are the very foundations on which, next to Christ, the whole church is said to be built — was guilty of such an irregularity, is it any wonder that lesser instruments who do not have the same extraordinary guidance of the divine Spirit should be guilty of many irregularities?

And here in particular, it is no evidence that a work is not from God if many who are subjects of it, or are used as instruments to carry it on, are guilty of too great a readiness to label other professing Christians as unconverted. This fault arises through mistakes they have embraced concerning the marks by which to judge others as hypocrites or carnally minded — either from not duly grasping the latitude the Spirit of God uses in His methods of operation, or from failing to make proper allowance for the infirmity and corruption that may remain in the hearts of true saints. It also arises from a lack of due awareness of their own blindness and weakness and remaining corruption, whereby spiritual pride may find a secret outlet in this direction, under some disguise and without being detected.

If we accept that truly godly people may have a great deal of remaining blindness and corruption, and may be prone to errors about the marks of hypocrisy — as everyone undoubtedly would allow — then it is understandable that they would sometimes fall into such errors. It is as easy to understand, and in some ways easier, why the remaining corruption in good people should sometimes find an undetected outlet this way than in most others. Though it is deeply unfortunate, there is no doubt that many holy people have erred in this direction.

Lukewarmness in religion is abominable, and zeal is an excellent grace; yet above all other Christian virtues, it needs to be strictly watched and examined, for it is the one in which corruption — and particularly pride and human passion — is most likely to mix in undetected. It is observable that there has never been a time of great reformation and much of a spirit of zeal in the church of God that was not accompanied by some notable instances of irregularity, where zeal ran out into excessive severity. In the apostles' days, a great deal of zeal was expended over unclean meats, with heated feelings among Christians toward one another, each party condemning and censuring the other as not truly Christian. Yet the apostle had charity for both as genuinely motivated by true piety. He who eats, says he, eats to the Lord and gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. Similarly in the church at Corinth, people had gotten into the habit of lifting up some ministers and criticizing others, and were arrogantly taking sides. Yet none of these things were a sign that the work so wonderfully carried on at that time was not the work of God. And afterward, when religion was still greatly flourishing in the world and a spirit of eminent holiness and zeal prevailed in the Christian church, that zeal ran out into very improper and excessive severity in the exercise of church discipline toward those who had fallen into sin. In some cases, people refused by any means to restore them to fellowship, however humble and repentant they appeared. In the days of Constantine the Great, the zeal of Christians against paganism ran out into a degree of persecution. And in that glorious revival of religion at the time of the Reformation, zeal appeared in many instances in very improper severity and even a degree of persecution — even in some of the most eminent reformers, such as the great Calvin. Many in those days of flourishing vital religion were guilty of harshly condemning others who differed from them in certain points of theology.

7. Nor are many errors in judgment and some delusions of Satan mixed in with the work any argument that the work in general is not from the Spirit of God. However great an outpouring of the Spirit there may be, we should not expect the Spirit of God to be given now in the same manner He was to the apostles — infallibly guiding them in points of Christian doctrine, so that their teaching could be relied upon as a rule for the whole church. And if many of Satan's delusions appear at the same time that a great religious concern prevails, this is no more an argument that the work in general is not from God than the fact that false miracles occurred in Egypt was an argument that the true miracles worked by God's hand were not genuine — even though Jannes and Jambres were working false miracles at the same time through the power of the Devil. The same people may be greatly influenced by the Spirit of God and yet in some things be led away by Satan's delusions. This is no more of a paradox than many other things true of real saints in the present age, where grace dwells alongside much corruption, and the new man and the old man coexist in the same person, and the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the Devil remain for a time together in the same heart. Many godly people have in this and other ages exposed themselves to terrible delusions by being too quick to treat impulses and impressions as though they were direct revelations from God — signaling future events or directing them where to go and what to do.

8. If some who were thought to have been genuinely affected fall away into serious errors or scandalous behavior, that is no argument that the work in general is not from the Spirit of God. The existence of counterfeits is no argument that nothing is genuine. Such things are always to be expected in a time of reformation. Looking into church history, we find no instance of a great revival of religion that was not accompanied by many such things. Instances of this kind in the apostles' days were countless — both those who fell into serious heresies, and those who fell into shameful practices — who had nevertheless appeared to be subjects of the work of the Spirit of God at that time. They had been accepted for a time by truly converted believers as brothers, members of their company, not suspected to be otherwise until they went out from them. These were not only ordinary Christians but teachers, officers, and prominent people in the Christian church — some endowed with miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, as appears from the beginning of Hebrews 6. One such was Judas, who was one of the twelve apostles and had long been constantly united with and intimately among a company of truly experienced disciples, without being discovered or suspected, until he revealed himself through his scandalous act. He had been treated by Jesus Himself, in all outward things, as a true disciple — even to being given the role of apostle, being sent out to preach the gospel, and being endowed with miraculous gifts of the Spirit. Though Christ knew him, He did not at that time act in the character of the omniscient Judge and searcher of hearts, but acted as a minister of the visible church of God. Therefore He did not exclude Judas until he had revealed himself through his scandalous behavior — setting an example for other guides and rulers of the visible church not to take upon themselves the role of heart-searcher, but to be governed in their decisions by what is visible and open.

There were instances then of such apostates not only among those who had been thought to be true Christians, but some who had been regarded as especially full of the grace of God's Spirit. One such instance was Nicolas, one of the seven deacons, who was seen by the Christians in Jerusalem — during that extraordinary outpouring of the Spirit — as a man full of the Holy Ghost, and was chosen from among the multitude of Christians to that office for that very reason. See Acts 6:3, 5. Yet he afterward fell away and became the founder of a set of corrupt heretics known for shameful practices, called from his name the sect of the Nicolaitans — Revelation 2:6, 15.

Similarly, at the time of the Reformation from Popery, how great was the number of those who for a time appeared to join with the reformers, yet fell away into the most extreme and absurd errors and shameful practices.

And it is particularly noteworthy that in times of great outpouring of the Spirit to revive religion in the world, a number of those who for a time appeared to share in it have fallen off into strange and extravagant errors and extreme enthusiasm — boasting of high degrees of spirituality and perfection, condemning and looking down on others as carnal. This happened with the Gnostics in apostolic times. And it happened with the various sects of Anabaptists at the time of the Reformation, as Anthony Burgess observes in his book Spiritual Refining, Part 1, Sermon 23, page 132. The first worthy reformers and glorious instruments of God found bitter conflict in this — they were pressed not only by formalists and tradition-bound Catholics on one side, but also by men on the other side who claimed to be more enlightened than the reformers themselves. These men called those who adhered to Scripture and tested revelations by it "Literists" and "Vowelists" — meaning they were acquainted only with the words and vowels of Scripture but had nothing of the Spirit of God. And wherever in any town the true doctrine of the gospel broke through and displaced Popery, such opinions immediately sprang up like weeds among good wheat, causing great divisions and making the Reformation appear abominable and repugnant to the world — as if the Reformation were the sun that gave warmth to those worms and serpents, causing them to crawl out of the ground. Hence they attacked Luther, saying he had only proclaimed a carnal gospel. Some of the leaders of these wild enthusiasts had for a time been highly regarded by the early reformers and were especially dear to them.

The same pattern appeared in England in the time when vital religion flourished greatly during the days of King Charles the First, the Interregnum, and Oliver Cromwell. And in the early days of New England, in her purest times when vital piety flourished, such things broke out as well. Therefore the Devil's sowing such weeds is no proof that a true work of the Spirit of God is not being gloriously carried forward.

9. It is no argument that a work is not from the Spirit of God that it is promoted by ministers insisting very much on the terrors of God's holy law, and doing so with great earnestness and feeling. If there is really a hell of such dreadful and endless torments as is generally believed — a place that multitudes are in great danger of, and into which the majority of people in Christian nations have in fact fallen generation after generation for want of a proper sense of its terror and their own danger — then why would it be improper for those with the care of souls to take great pains to make people feel how serious it is? Why should they not be told as much of the truth as possible? If I am in danger of going to hell, I would want to know as much as possible about how dreadful it is. If I am prone to neglect taking proper steps to avoid it, then the person who does the most to lay before me the truth of my situation — who sets forth my misery and danger in the most vivid manner — does me the greatest kindness.

I appeal to everyone present: is this not exactly what you would do in the face of any great earthly danger? If any of you who are parents saw one of your children in a house that was all on fire overhead, in imminent danger of being consumed in the flames — a child who seemed unaware of the danger and was refusing to flee, despite your having spoken to him repeatedly — would you go on speaking to him only in a calm, detached manner? Would you not cry aloud, call to him urgently, and describe the danger and his foolishness in delaying in the most vivid terms you were capable of? Would not natural instinct itself teach you this and compel you to it? If you continued to speak to him in a cool tone, as you would in ordinary conversation about insignificant matters, would not the people around you begin to think you had lost your mind? This is not how people in this room or anywhere else handle serious earthly dangers that call for urgent attention and swift action. No one warns about such things only briefly, or warns in a cold, detached manner when deeply concerned. Nature teaches people otherwise. If those of us who have the care of souls truly knew what hell was — if we had seen the state of the damned, or by any other means had become fully aware of how dreadful it is — and at the same time knew that the greater part of people were headed there, and saw our hearers in imminent danger, unaware of that danger, and so after repeated warnings continuing to neglect escape, it would be morally impossible for us to avoid earnestly and repeatedly setting before them the dreadfulness of that misery, their great exposure to it, and urging them to flee from it — even crying aloud to them.

When ministers preach about hell and warn sinners to avoid it in a cold manner — though they may say in words that it is infinitely terrible — they contradict themselves. Actions, as I observed before, carry meaning just as words do. When a preacher's words represent the sinner's condition as infinitely dreadful while his behavior and tone say otherwise, his manner cancels out his message. The language of his actions in such a case is far more powerful than the bare meaning of his words.

I do not think that only the law should be preached — ministers may fail to preach other things sufficiently as well. The gospel is to be preached alongside the law, and the law is to be preached only to make way for the gospel and to enable the gospel to be preached effectively. The main task of gospel ministers is to preach the gospel; it is the purpose of the law. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness. A minister would therefore err greatly if he dwelt so heavily on the terrors of the law that he forgot his true aim and neglected to preach the gospel. Yet the law must be insisted on a great deal, and the preaching of the gospel is likely to be without effect without it.

And certainly earnestness and emotion in speaking is fitting and appropriate when it matches the nature and importance of the subject. That said, there can be such a thing as an unseemly loudness in a preacher — something beyond what naturally arises from his subject, where the content and manner do not suit each other well.

Some speak as if it were unreasonable to think of frightening people into heaven; but I think it is entirely reasonable to try to frighten people away from hell when they are standing on its very edge, about to fall in, and are not even aware of it. It is entirely reasonable to frighten a person out of a burning house. The word fright is commonly used to describe sudden, groundless fear or unwarranted alarm; but surely a well-founded fear, with good reason behind it, however great it may be, should not be dismissed by that label.

Having shown, in several instances, what are not evidences that a work among a people is not a work of the Spirit of God,

I now proceed in the second place — as I proposed — to show positively what are the sure, distinguishing, scriptural evidences and marks of a work of the Spirit of God, by which we may safely judge any operation we find in ourselves or observe among a people, without danger of being misled.

As I said before, I will confine myself entirely to those marks the apostle gives us in the chapter containing my text, where this matter is handled more plainly and fully than anywhere else in the Bible. In addressing these marks I will take them in the order in which I find them in the chapter.

1. When the Spirit at work among a people operates in such a way as to raise their esteem for that Jesus who was born of the virgin and was crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem — and seems to confirm and strengthen their minds in the truth of what the gospel declares to us, that He is the Son of God and the Savior of men — that is a sure sign that the Spirit at work is the Spirit of God. The apostle gives us this sign in verses 2 and 3: By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This implies a confession not merely that a person appeared in Palestine who did and suffered those things recorded of Him, but that that person was Christ — that is, the Son of God, the Anointed of God to be Lord and Savior, as the name Jesus Christ implies. That this is the apostle's meaning is confirmed by verse 15, where he is still on the same subject of signs of the true Spirit: Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

It is also important to observe that the word confess as it is often used in the New Testament means more than merely allowing or acknowledging. It implies establishing and confirming something by testimony, and declaring it with a sense of esteem and affection. So in Matthew 10:32: Whoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father who is in heaven. Romans 15:9: I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name. And Philippians 2:11: That every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. That this is the force of the expression as the apostle John uses it here is confirmed by another passage in the same letter, in the next chapter, verse 1: Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and everyone who loves Him who begets also loves Him who is begotten of Him. It is also confirmed by the parallel passage in the apostle Paul, where the same rule is given for distinguishing the true Spirit from all counterfeits — 1 Corinthians 12:3: Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus is accursed (that is, shows a low or contemptuous regard for Him); and no one can say that Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

So then, if the Spirit at work among a people is clearly seen to operate in such a way as to convince them of Christ and lead them to Christ — to strengthen their minds in believing the story of Christ as He appeared in the flesh, that He is the Son of God, sent by God to save sinners, that He is the only Savior, and that they stand in great need of Him — and if it seems to produce in them higher and more honorable thoughts of Him than they previously had, and to draw their affections more toward Him, that is a sure sign that it is the true and right Spirit. This is true regardless of whether we can determine whether that conviction and affection is of the kind and degree that is saving.

The apostle's words are notable: the person the Spirit gives testimony to — the one whose esteem and honor the Spirit elevates — must be that Jesus who appeared in the flesh, and not some substitute. Not any mystical or imaginary Christ. The Spirit of the Quakers, for example, exalts the inner light while diminishing their esteem for and dependence on the outward Christ — Jesus as He came in the flesh. But the Spirit that gives testimony to that Jesus and leads people to Him can be none other than the Spirit of God.

The Devil has the most bitter and relentless hatred toward that person, especially in His role as the Savior of men. The Devil mortally hates the story and doctrine of redemption; he would never try to produce in people more honorable thoughts of Christ, or to draw them to fear Him more and give greater weight to His instructions and commands. The Spirit that inclines people's hearts toward the seed of the woman is not the spirit of the serpent, who has such irreconcilable enmity against Him. He who raises people's esteem for the glorious Michael, that prince of the angels, is not the spirit of the dragon who is at war with Him.

2. When the Spirit at work operates against the interest of Satan's kingdom — which is maintained by encouraging and establishing sin and feeding people's worldly desires — that is a sure sign it is a true and not a false spirit. The apostle gives us this sign in verses 4 and 5: You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. Here there is a clear contrast. The apostle is still comparing those influenced by the two opposite kinds of spirits — the true and the false — and pointing out the difference. The one is from God and overcomes the spirit of the world; the other is from the world and speaks and savors the things of the world. The spirit of the Devil is here called he who is in the world. Christ says: My kingdom is not of this world. It is otherwise with Satan's kingdom; he is the god of this world.

What the apostle means by the world, or the things that are of the world, we learn from his own words in the second chapter of this epistle, verses 15 and 16: Do not love the world or the things in the world; if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. So by the world the apostle clearly means everything that belongs to the interest of sin — all the corruptions and lusts of people, and all the actions and objects that gratify them. In these things lies the interest of his kingdom — the spirit that is in the world, the god of this world.

We may therefore safely conclude, from what the apostle says, that the Spirit at work among a people — when observed to operate in such a way as to lessen people's esteem for the pleasures, profits, and honors of the world; to wean their hearts from an eager pursuit of these things; to engage them in a deep concern about a future and eternal happiness in that invisible world the gospel reveals; to put them on earnestly seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and to convince them of the dreadfulness of sin, the guilt it brings, and the misery it exposes them to — that Spirit must be the Spirit of God.

We should not suppose that Satan would go about to convince people of sin and awaken their consciences. It can in no way serve his purposes to make that candle of the Lord burn brighter, or to open the mouth of God's representative in the soul. Whatever else he does, it is in his interest to lull conscience to sleep and keep it quiet. To have conscience wide awake and active in the soul will tend to obstruct and hinder all his plans of darkness, and will constantly disturb his schemes and undermine his interests in the soul, throwing everything into disorder whenever he tries to move forward. Would the Devil, when attempting to establish people in a course and state of sin, first go about to enlighten and awaken conscience to see the dreadfulness of sin, make people deeply afraid of sin, make them feel keenly their misery on account of past sins, fill them with a great desire and need to be delivered from their guilt, and make them more careful, watchful, and attentive to recognize sin and avoid future sins — and more afraid of the Devil's temptations and more careful to guard against them? What do those people do with their reason who suppose that the Spirit producing all this is the spirit of the Devil?

Someone might say that the Devil could awaken consciences as a deception — to make people think they have experienced a saving work of the Spirit while still in fact remaining in the gall of bitterness. But to this it may be replied that the person with an awakened conscience is the least likely of anyone to be deceived. It is the drowsy, insensible, numbed conscience that is most easily blinded. The more sensitive conscience is in a diseased soul, the less easily it is quieted without genuine healing. The more fully conscience is made aware of the dreadfulness of sin and of a person's own great guilt in it, the less likely he is to rest in his own righteousness or be satisfied with mere shadows. A person who has been thoroughly shaken by a sense of his danger and misery is not easily flattered into believing himself safe without solid grounds.

To awaken conscience and convince a person of the evil of sin cannot tend to establish sin; it certainly tends instead to make way for sin and Satan to be cast out. Therefore this is a good argument that the Spirit producing these effects cannot be the spirit of the Devil — if Christ knew how to reason, who told the Pharisees who claimed the Spirit He worked by was the spirit of the Devil, that Satan would not cast out Satan — Matthew 12:25-26.

Therefore, if we see people made sensible of the dreadful nature of sin, and of God's displeasure against it, and of their own miserable condition by reason of sin, and earnestly concerned for their eternal salvation, and sensible of their need of God's pity and help, and engaged in seeking it through the means God has appointed — we may certainly conclude that it is from the Spirit of God. This is true whatever physical effects this concern produces in them, whether it causes them to cry out aloud, or shriek, or faint, or throws them into convulsions, or whatever other way the blood and spirits are moved.

The influence of the Spirit of God is even more unmistakably evident when people have their hearts drawn away from the world and weaned from the things they previously longed for — and drawn instead toward the excellent spiritual enjoyments of another world promised in the gospel, by a genuine sense of the excellence of divine things and a real love for them.

3. A spirit that operates in such a way as to cause people a greater regard for the holy Scriptures, and to establish them more firmly in their truth and divine authority, is certainly the Spirit of God. The apostle gives us this rule in verse 6: We are of God; he who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. We are of God — that is, we apostles are sent forth and appointed by God to teach the world, to deliver the doctrines and instructions that are to be their rule. Therefore he who knows God hears us, and so on. The apostle's argument in this verse applies equally to all who in the same sense are of God — that is, all those whom God has appointed and inspired to deliver to His church its rule of faith and practice. This includes all the prophets and apostles whose teaching God made the foundation on which He built His church, as in Ephesians 2:20 — all the writers of the holy Scriptures. The Devil would never try to produce in people a regard for that divine word which God has given as the great, standing rule for the direction of His church in all religious matters and all the concerns of their souls throughout all ages. A spirit of delusion will not incline people to seek direction from the mouth of God. To the law and to the testimony is never the cry of those evil spirits that have no light in them; for it is God's own direction for exposing their delusions — Isaiah 8:19-20: And when they say to you, Inquire of the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony — if they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no light in them. The Devil does not say what Abraham said — They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. Nor does he say what the voice from heaven said concerning Christ: Hear Him. Would the spirit of error, in order to deceive people, produce in them a high opinion of the infallible rule and incline them to think much of it and be very familiar with it? Would the prince of darkness, in order to advance his kingdom of darkness, lead people to the sun? The Devil has always shown a fierce and deadly hostility toward that holy book, the Bible. He has done everything in his power to extinguish that light and to draw people away from it, knowing that it is the very light by which his kingdom of darkness is to be overthrown. For many ages he has experienced its power to defeat his purposes and overthrow his designs. It is his constant torment. It is the main weapon Michael uses in the war against him. It is the sword of the Spirit that pierces and conquers him. It is that great and sharp sword spoken of in Revelation 19:15, that proceeds out of the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, with which He strikes His enemies. Every text of Scripture is a dart to torment the old serpent. He has felt its stinging force thousands of times; therefore he rages against the Bible and hates every word in it. We may be sure, then, that he will never go about to raise people's esteem for it or their love of it. And accordingly we see that it is common among enthusiasts to belittle this written rule and to set up the inner light or some other standard above it.

4. Another rule for judging spirits may be drawn from the opposite names given to the two opposite spirits in the last words of verse 6: the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. These names express the two opposite characters of the Spirit of God and the other spirits that counterfeit His work. Therefore, if by observing the manner in which a spirit at work among a people operates, we see that it works as a spirit of truth — leading people to truth, convincing them of things that are true — we may safely determine it is the right and true spirit. For instance, if we observe that the spirit at work makes people more sensible than before that there is a God, that He is a great God and a God who hates sin, and makes them realize more fully that they must die, that life is short and very uncertain, and that there is another world — that they have immortal souls and must give account of themselves to God — and if it convinces them that they are deeply sinful by nature and practice, and that they are helpless in themselves, and confirms them in other things that agree with sound doctrine, then that spirit operates as a spirit of truth. It represents things as they truly are. It brings people to the light; for whatever makes truth visible is light, as the apostle Paul observes in Ephesians 5:13: But all things that are exposed are made visible by the light; for whatever makes visible is light. We may therefore conclude that it is not the spirit of darkness that thus exposes and makes truth manifest. Christ tells us that Satan is a liar and the father of lies, and that his kingdom is a kingdom of darkness. It is sustained and advanced only by darkness and error. Satan holds all his power and authority through darkness. Hence we read of the power of darkness in Luke 22:53 and Colossians 1:13. And devils are called the rulers of the darkness of this world. Whatever spirit removes our darkness and brings us to the light — undeceives us and convinces us of truth — does us a genuine kindness. If I am brought to see truth, and made to perceive things as they truly are, I should immediately thank God for it, without first stopping to ask by what means I received such a benefit.

5. If the spirit at work among a people operates as a spirit of love to God and man, that is a sure sign it is the Spirit of God. The apostle dwells on this sign from verse 6 to the end of the chapter: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love, and so forth. It is clear here that the apostle is still comparing those two kinds of people influenced by opposite spirits, and points to love as the mark by which we can know who has the true spirit. This is especially evident in verses 12 and 13: If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. In these verses love is spoken of as if it were the very nature of the Holy Spirit Himself — as if divine love dwelling in us and the Spirit of God dwelling in us were the same thing. This is also the case in the last two verses of the preceding chapter and in verse 16 of this chapter. Therefore this last mark, which the apostle gives of the true spirit, he seems to regard as the most significant; he insists on it at much greater length than on all the rest, and speaks explicitly of both love to God and love to people. He speaks of love to people in verses 7, 11, and 12; of love to God in verses 17, 18, and 19; and of both together in the last two verses; and of love to people as flowing from love to God in those same two verses.

Therefore, when the spirit at work among a people tends in this direction — bringing many of them to high and exalting thoughts of the divine being and His glorious perfections; producing in them an admiring, delightful sense of the excellency of Jesus Christ; representing Him as the chief among ten thousands, altogether lovely, and making Him precious to the soul; winning and drawing the heart through those motives and incentives to love which the apostle speaks of in this passage — namely, the wonderful and free love of God in giving His only begotten Son to die for us, and the wonderful dying love of Christ toward us who had no love for Him but were His enemies, as in verses 9 and 10: In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. And verse 16: And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. And verse 19: We love Him because He first loved us. When the spirit moves people to love on these grounds, and makes the attributes of God as revealed in the gospel and manifested in Christ into delightful objects of contemplation; makes the soul long after God and Christ, after their presence and fellowship, knowledge of them, and conformity to them; and stirs the soul to live in a way that pleases and honors them; and also quiets hostility among people, produces a spirit of peace and goodwill, stirs people to acts of kindness and earnest longing for the salvation of others' souls, and produces a delight in those who appear as children of God and followers of Christ — when a spirit operates in all these ways among a people, there is the highest kind of evidence of the influence of a true and divine Spirit.

There is indeed a counterfeit of love that often appears among those led by a spirit of delusion. Among the wildest enthusiasts there is commonly a kind of unity and affection toward one another, arising from self-love — produced by their agreement with each other in those things wherein they differ greatly from everyone else, and for which they are ridiculed by the rest of mankind. This naturally makes them prize all the more highly the mutual esteem they find in each other for the peculiarities that make them the objects of others' contempt. The ancient Gnostics and the wild enthusiasts who appeared at the beginning of the Reformation boasted in the same way of their great love for one another; one such group even called themselves the Family of Love. But this is an entirely different thing from the Christian love I have just described. It is nothing more than the working of natural self-love — no more a true goodwill than the bond and friendship among a company of pirates who are at war with all the rest of the world. The passage of John we are considering says enough about the nature and motive of truly Christian love to thoroughly distinguish it from all such counterfeits. It is a love that arises from an appreciation of the wonderful riches of free grace and the sovereignty of God's love toward us in Christ Jesus — accompanied by a sense of our own utter unworthiness, as those who are by nature enemies and haters of God and Christ, and with a renunciation of all our own goodness and righteousness. See verses 9, 10, 11, and 19. The surest mark of true divine and supernatural love, distinguishing it from counterfeits that arise from natural self-love, is that Christian virtue which above all others renounces, abases, and empties self — namely humility. Christian love, or true charity, is a humble love — 1 Corinthians 13:4-5: Charity is not boastful; is not arrogant; does not act improperly; does not seek its own; is not easily provoked. Therefore, when we see love in people attended by a sense of their own smallness, vileness, weakness, and utter insufficiency — along with self-distrust, self-emptying, self-renunciation, and poverty of spirit — there are the plain marks of the Spirit of God. He who thus dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. The love the apostle speaks of as great evidence of the true spirit is God's love or Christ's love, as in verse 12: His love is perfected in us. What kind of love that is, we can see most clearly in what appeared in Christ, in the example He set when He was here on earth. The love that appeared in that Lamb of God was not only love for friends, but for enemies — and love accompanied by a meek and humble spirit. Learn of me, says He, for I am meek and lowly in heart.

Love and humility are the two things most contrary to the spirit of the Devil of anything in the world; for the character of that evil spirit consists above all things in pride and malice.

I have now spoken in detail to the several marks the apostle gives us of a work of the true Spirit. Some of these things the Devil would not do even if he could. He would not awaken conscience and make people sensible of their miserable state by nature on account of sin, and sensible of their great need of a Savior. He would not confirm people in a belief that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of sinners, or raise people's esteem and regard for Him. He would not produce in people's minds a high opinion of the necessity, usefulness, and truth of the holy Scriptures, or incline them to listen to them or make much use of them. Nor would he go about to show people the truth about the things that concern their soul's welfare — to undeceive them, lead them out of darkness into light, and give them a view of things as they truly are. And there are other things that the Devil neither can nor will do. He will not give people a spirit of divine love, or Christian humility and poverty of spirit. Nor could he give these things even if he wanted to, for he cannot give what he does not himself possess. These things are as contrary as possible to his nature. Therefore, when there is an extraordinary influence or operation appearing on the minds of a people, and these things are found in it, we are safe in concluding that it is the work of God. This holds regardless of what other circumstances it may be attended with, what instruments are used, what methods are taken to promote it, what means a sovereign God — whose judgments are a great deep — employs to carry it on, or whatever movements may be seen in the animal spirits, or whatever effects may be produced on people's bodies. These marks the apostle has given are sufficient to stand on their own and support themselves. Wherever they are found, they plainly show the finger of God and are sufficient to outweigh a thousand minor objections arising from oddities, irregularities, errors in conduct, and the delusions and scandals of some who profess to be affected.

Objection. But here some may object against the sufficiency of the marks given, citing what the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

To this I answer: this can be no objection against the sufficiency of these marks to distinguish the true Spirit from the false — even in those false apostles and false prophets in whom the Devil was disguised as an angel of light — because it is precisely with them in view that the apostle gives these marks. This appears from the words of the text: Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. And the reason he gives is: Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. There are many who have gone out into the world who are ministers of the Devil, disguising themselves as prophets of God, in whom the spirit of the Devil has taken on the appearance of an angel of light. Test the spirits, therefore, by these rules I will give you, so that you may be able to distinguish the true Spirit from the false under such a crafty disguise. The false prophets the apostle John speaks of are clearly the same kind of people as the false apostles and deceitful workers the apostle Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians — those in whom the Devil was disguised as an angel of light. We may therefore be sure that the marks the apostle gives are specially designed to distinguish the true Spirit from the Devil disguised as an angel of light, for that is the apostle's declared purpose and design — to give marks by which the true Spirit may be recognized even in the face of such counterfeits.

If we look at what is said about these false prophets and false apostles throughout the New Testament and observe how the Devil was disguised as an angel of light in them, we will find nothing that in the slightest weakens the sufficiency of these marks to distinguish the true Spirit from such counterfeits. The Devil disguised himself as an angel of light in that there was a show — and great boasts — of extraordinary knowledge in divine things among them; Colossians 2:8; 1 Timothy 1:6-7 and 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:14, 16-18; Titus 1:10, 16. Hence their followers called themselves Gnostics, from their great pretended knowledge. The Devil in them also mimicked the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit in visions, revelations, prophecies, miracles, and the immediate leading of the Spirit in what they did. Hence they are called false apostles and false prophets; see Matthew 24:24. There was also a false show of and lying pretense to great holiness and devotion in words: Romans 16:17-18; Ephesians 4:14. Hence they are called deceitful workers, and wells, and clouds without water — 2 Corinthians 11:13; 2 Peter 2:17; Jude 12. There was also a show of extraordinary piety and righteousness in their superstitious worship: Colossians 2:16-18, 21-23. So they had a false, proud, and bitter zeal; Galatians 4:17-18; 1 Timothy 1:6 and 6:4-5. And likewise a false show of humility in affecting an extraordinary outward lowliness and dejection, when they were in fact vainly puffed up with their fleshly mind — making a righteousness of their humility and being exceedingly lifted up with their supposed piety: Colossians 2:18, 23. But how do any of these things in the slightest undermine the distinguishing evidences of the true Spirit that have been set forth?

Beyond such empty shows that may come from the Devil, there are also common influences of the Spirit which are often mistaken for saving grace. But these are outside the present question, because though they are not saving, they are still the work of the true Spirit.

Having now fulfilled what I first proposed — considering what are the certain, distinguishing marks by which we may safely judge any work under our observation, whether it is from the Spirit of God or not — I now proceed to the application.

I. From what has been said, I will venture to draw this inference: that the extraordinary influence that has lately appeared on the minds of people throughout this land — causing in them an unusual concern and deep engagement with the things of religion — is undoubtedly, in general, from the Spirit of God. There are only two things needed in order to judge such a work: facts and rules. The rules of God's word have been laid before us. As for facts, there are only two ways to arrive at them so as to be in a position to compare them with the rules: either through our own observation, or through reliable accounts from others who have had the opportunity to observe.

As for this work that has lately been carried on in the land, there are many things about it that are widely known — that is, unless someone has been entirely out of the way of observation and hearing — which, unless the apostle John was mistaken in his rules, are sufficient to identify it in general as the work of God. It is well known that the Spirit at work draws people's minds away from the vanities of the world and engages them in a deep concern about future and eternal happiness in another world, putting them on earnestly seeking their salvation and convincing them of the dreadfulness of sin and of their own guilty and miserable condition by nature. It is well known that it awakens people's consciences and makes them keenly aware of the dreadfulness of God's anger, and produces in them a great desire, earnest care, and active effort to obtain His favor. It is well known that in general it puts them on more diligent use of the means of grace God has appointed. It is also well known that in general it produces in people a greater regard for the word of God, a desire to hear and read it, and to be more familiar with the holy Scriptures than they used to be. And it is plainly evident that the Spirit at work in general operates as a spirit of truth, making people more fully aware of what is really true about things that concern their eternal salvation — such as that they must die, that life is very short and uncertain, that there is a great sin-hating God to whom they are accountable and who will fix them in an eternal state in another world, and that they stand in great need of a Savior. It is furthermore well known that the Spirit at work makes people more sensible of the value of the Jesus who was crucified and of their need of Him, and puts them on earnestly seeking an interest in Him. These things cannot be hidden from people throughout the land, since the work has not been confined to a few towns in some remote corner but has been carried on in many places across all parts of the land — and in most of the principal, most populated, and most public places in it. Christ in this respect has worked among us in the same manner He worked His miracles in Judea. The work has now continued for a considerable time, affording ample opportunity to observe its nature. And all who have been much engaged with the work and have been closely acquainted with those who are subjects of it see a great deal more which, by the apostle's rules, clearly and certainly shows it to be the work of God.

And here I would observe that the nature and tendency of a spirit at work may be determined with much greater certainty, and with far less danger of being deceived, when it is observed across a large and varied multitude of people of all kinds in various different places, than when it is seen only in a few people in some particular location who have been much in each other's company. A small number of people might agree to deceive others by a false pretense and by professing things they never actually experienced in their own minds. But when the work is spread across a large part of a country — in places distant from one another, among people of all sorts and all ages, in multitudes of persons of sound mind, good understanding, and known integrity — it would be the greatest absurdity to suppose that from all the observation that can be made, all that is heard from them and seen in them over many months by those who know them most intimately in these matters and have long been acquainted with them, one still cannot determine what kind of influence the operation they are under has on their minds — whether it tends to awaken their consciences or to numb them; whether it tends to make them more concerned for their salvation or more neglectful of it; whether it seems to confirm them in a belief of the Scriptures or to lead them toward unbelief; whether it makes them more or less attentive to the great truths of religion. There is probably no one in this room who considers himself to have sound judgment and honest character who would not feel insulted if, after declaring to others that he had changed his mind on certain matters — that he now found himself convinced of things he formerly did not believe, that he experienced certain fears he had not previously had, or found himself with a greater or lesser esteem for certain things — those he told it to simply refused to believe him, even though they had long known him well and he had consistently maintained the same profession for many months. But it would be far more unreasonable when such professions are made not by one person alone but by a great portion of the people in a land, to suppose that they all agree in professing what they do not actually feel in their souls.

Here it is worth observing that for persons to profess that they are convinced of certain divine truths, or that they esteem and love certain divine things in a saving manner, is very different from professing that they are more convinced or confirmed in those truths than they used to be, and find they regard them more than before. Honest people of common sense have far greater right to have the latter profession believed than the former — though even in the former case it is vastly less likely that a whole people in general would be deceived than that some particular individuals would be. But whether people's convictions and the change in their dispositions and affections are of the kind and degree that is saving is beside the present question. If there are such effects on people's judgments, dispositions, and affections as have been described, whether they be saving in their degree and manner or not, it is nonetheless a sign of the influence of the Spirit of God. The scriptural rules serve to identify the common influences of the Spirit of God — as well as those that are saving — and to distinguish them from the influence of other causes.

As one whom God's providence has placed for some months past much among those who have been subjects of the work that has lately been carried on in the land — and particularly one who has had abundant opportunity to see and observe those extraordinary things that many have been much troubled by, such as people crying out aloud, shrieking, being seized with great bodily agonies, and being deprived of their physical strength, and the like — and having done so in many different towns, and having been closely acquainted with great numbers of such people both during and after those extraordinary experiences, repeatedly over time, observing the manner and outcome of those operations and their fruits over several months — many of them being persons I have known for a long time and been intimately acquainted with in matters of the soul, both before and since — I regard myself as called on this occasion to give my testimony. So far as the nature and tendency of such a work is capable of falling under the observation of a bystander — to whom those affected have opened their hearts, or as it may be reached by diligent and thorough inquiry — this work has all the marks that have been described. This is true in very many instances in every article. In particular, in many of those who have been subjects of such extraordinary physical effects, all those marks have appeared to a very great degree.

Those in whom these unusual appearances have been seen have been of two kinds: those who have been in great distress from a sense of their sin and misery, and those who have been overcome with a sweet sense of the greatness, wonderfulness, and excellency of divine things. Of the many in the first category that I have had opportunity to observe and become acquainted with, there have been very few in whom — by everything observable in them at the time or afterward — the distress did not arise from real, genuine conviction, and from being to some degree sensible of what was actually true. Though I do not suppose that when such things were commonly seen, people subjected themselves to the same violent restraint in suppressing outward expressions of their distress that they might otherwise have exercised, yet there were very few in whom there was any appearance of feigning or performing such expressions, and very many for whom avoiding them would have been utterly impossible. Generally, those who have been in these agonies have appeared to be in full possession of their reason; and those who have been able to speak have been well able to describe the state of their minds and the cause of their distress at the time, and to remember and give a clear account of it afterward. I have known a very few instances where someone in extreme distress was for a short time somewhat deprived of the use of reason; but among the many hundreds — perhaps thousands — who have lately been brought to such agonies, I have never yet known one who was lastingly deprived of their reason. In some I have known, melancholy has clearly been mixed in; and when that is the case, the difference is very apparent. Their distresses are of a different character and operate in a different manner than when the distress is from genuine conviction alone. It is not truth only that disturbs them, but many groundless fears and notions that will yield to neither Scripture nor reason. Some in their great distress have not been able to give a clear account of themselves or to describe the sense they had of things, or to explain the nature and cause of their trouble to others — yet I have had no reason to think they were not under genuine conviction, and in them there has been a good outcome. But this will not surprise anyone who has had much to do with souls under spiritual distress. Some things they are aware of are entirely new to them; their inner experiences and sensations are new, and they therefore do not know how to match language to them, or find words to express them. And some who at first say they do not know what was the matter with them, when carefully questioned and drawn out, have been able to describe their condition — though left to themselves they could not find the expressions to do so.

Some say they think the terror that such persons experience — producing these effects on their bodies — is nothing more than fright. But a distinction must certainly be made between very great fear and extreme distress arising from a genuine perception of some dreadful truth — a cause fully proportionate to such an effect — and a needless, groundless fright. Groundless fright is of two kinds. First, when persons are terrified by something that is not true — of this I have seen very few instances, except in cases of melancholy. Second, when persons are under a childish alarm arising merely from some frightening outward appearance or noise, producing only a vague, general impression that something or other is terrible without any specific dreadful truth in their minds. Of this second kind of fright I have seen very little evidence among either old or young.

Those in such extremity commonly express a deep sense of their great wickedness, the number and severity of their actual sins, and the dreadful corruption, enmity, and perverseness of their hearts, along with a dreadful stubbornness and hardness of heart. They sense their great guilt before God, and the dreadfulness of the punishment that sin exposes them to. Very often they have a vivid sense of the horrible pit of eternal misery, and at the same time it appears to them that the great God who holds them in His hands is intensely angry with them. His wrath appears overwhelmingly terrible to them. Seeing God so greatly provoked and His wrath so aroused, they fear they are in great danger — that He will not put up with them any longer but will cut them off at any moment and send them down to that dreadful pit before them. At the same time they see no refuge. They see more and more the emptiness of everything they previously trusted in and flattered themselves with, until they are brought to despair in everything, and to see that they are entirely at the disposal of the mere will of the God who is so angry with them. Very many, in the midst of their extremity, have been brought to an extraordinary sense that they fully deserve the wrath and destruction that loom before them. Even while fearing every moment that it would be executed upon them, they have been strongly convinced that it would be entirely just if it were, and that God is indeed absolutely sovereign. Very often some text of Scripture expressing God's sovereignty has been impressed powerfully on their minds, bringing them a measure of calm, and they have been brought as it were to lie at God's feet. After great agonies, just before light has broken through, they have been composed and quiet in a kind of submission to a just and sovereign God, though their bodily strength is much spent and sometimes their life itself seems nearly gone. Then light has appeared — a glorious Redeemer with His wonderful, all-sufficient grace has been set before them, often through some sweet invitation in Scripture. Sometimes the light comes suddenly, sometimes more gradually, filling their souls with love, wonder, joy, and self-abasement. Their hearts are drawn out in longing after the excellent and lovely Redeemer — longing to lie in the dust before Him, longing that others might see and embrace and be delivered by Him, and longing to live to His glory — yet sensible that they can do nothing of themselves. They appear vile in their own eyes and maintain a watchful, jealous eye over their own hearts. All the appearances of a real change of heart have followed, and grace has acted from time to time in the same manner it has always acted in those who were converted in former times — with the same kinds of struggles, temptations, buffetings, and comforts — except that in many, the light and comfort have been of a higher degree than usual. Many very young children have been so affected. There have been some instances very much like those demon-possessed individuals we read of in Mark 1:26 and 9:26, of whom we read that when the demon had cried out with a loud voice and thrown them into convulsions, he came out of them. Those instances were probably designed to foreshadow such things as these. Some go through several rounds of great agony before they find relief; and some have experienced such distress and it has passed off without any deliverance following at all.

Some object that it is great confusion when a number of people in such states are gathered together, making noise; and say that God cannot be the author of it because He is a God of order, not of confusion. But let it be considered: what is the proper meaning of confusion but the disruption of an order of things whereby they are rightly arranged and properly directed toward their end, so that the orderly connection of means is broken and they fail of their purpose? But conviction and conversion of sinners is the obtaining of the very end of religious means. I do not mean that people who are extraordinarily moved should not try to restrain such outward expressions as much as they well can, and should especially restrain themselves during solemn public worship. But if God is pleased to so powerfully work on consciences that people cannot avoid great outward expressions — even to the point of interrupting and breaking off the public service they were attending — I do not think this is confusion or an unfortunate interruption, any more than if a company had gathered in a field to pray for rain, and were interrupted by a plentiful shower. Would to God that all the public assemblies in the land were broken off from their public services with such confusion as this next Sabbath day! We need not grieve over the breaking of the order of means when the end to which that order is directed is being obtained. A man going on a journey to fetch a treasure need not be sorry if he meets the treasure in the middle of his journey.

Beyond those overcome with conviction and distress, I have lately seen many whose bodily strength has been taken away by a sense of the glorious excellency of the Redeemer, and the wonders of His dying love — accompanied by a very unusual sense of their own littleness and exceeding unworthiness, along with all the expressions and appearances of the deepest abasement and self-abhorrence. And not only new converts, but many who were, as we hope, previously converted — whose love and joy have been attended with a flood of tears and a great appearance of contrition and humiliation, especially for having lived so little to God's glory since their conversion. They have had a far greater sight of their own vileness and the evil of their hearts than ever before, with an intensely earnest desire to live better going forward, yet attended with greater distrust of themselves than ever. And many have been entirely overcome with compassion for the souls of others, and longing for their salvation.

And many other things I might mention in this extraordinary work, answering to every one of the marks that have been discussed. So if the apostle John knew how to give signs of a work of the true Spirit, this is such a work.

God's providence has placed me in a location where His work has previously been carried on. I had the blessing of being settled in that place for two years with the venerable Stoddard, and became acquainted during that time with a number who were affected under his ministry, and have been closely acquainted with the experiences of many others who were affected before under his ministry — in a manner consistent with his doctrine and the doctrine of all orthodox theologians. Of late that work has been carried on there with very much of these unusual effects; but it is clear to all that it is the same work — not only as what was carried on there six or seven years ago, but older Christians there recognize it as the same work that was carried on under their former pastor's ministry, though there are some new circumstances. Certainly we must set aside all talk of conversion and Christian experience — and not only that, but also set aside our Bibles and give up revealed religion altogether — if this is not in general the work of God. I do not mean that the degree of the Spirit's influence is to be measured by the degree of its effects on people's bodies, or that those experiences which most powerfully affect the body are always the best.

As for the imprudences, errors, and mixture of delusion that have occurred, it is not at all surprising that a reformation — following a long and nearly universal spiritual deadness — should at its first outbreak be attended with such things. In the first creation, God did not make a complete world all at once. There was a great deal of imperfection, darkness, and a mixture of chaos and confusion after God first said, Let there be light, before the whole stood forth in perfect form. When God first began His great work of deliverance for His people after their long bondage in Egypt, false wonders were mixed with true for a time, which hardened the unbelieving Egyptians and caused them to doubt the divine origin of the entire work. When the children of Israel first set about bringing up the ark of God, after it had long been neglected and had long been absent, they sought not the Lord after the due order — 1 Chronicles 15:13. At the time when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan came also among them. And Solomon's ships, when they brought gold and silver and pearls, also brought apes and peacocks. When daylight first appears after a night of darkness, we must expect darkness to be mixed with light for a time, and not expect perfect day with the sun fully risen all at once. The fruits of the earth are first green before they are ripe, and come to their proper perfection gradually. And Christ tells us the kingdom of God is the same, in Mark 4:26-28: 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 does not know how; for the earth produces fruit by itself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

The imprudences and errors that have accompanied this work are the less surprising when we consider that it is chiefly young people who have been the subjects of it — people who have less stability and experience, are in the heat of youth, and are much more prone to run to extremes. Satan will keep people in spiritual complacency as long as he can; but when he can no longer do that, he often tries to drive them to extremes, to dishonor God and damage religion in that way. And doubtless one cause of much of the misconduct has been that in many places, people who are subjects of this work of God's Spirit clearly see that their ministers have a poor opinion of the work. With good reason, they dare not turn to those ministers as their guides in it, and so are left without guidance. It is no wonder that when a people are like sheep without a shepherd, they wander off the path. People in such circumstances especially need constant guidance, and their guides need far more wisdom than they possess on their own. And even if a people have ministers who favor the work and rejoice in it, we should not expect either people or ministers to know as well how to conduct themselves in such an extraordinary state of affairs — while it is new and unlike anything they have experienced before — as they may after experience and time to observe the tendencies, consequences, and outcomes of things. The beneficial influence of experience is very evident today in the people among whom God has placed me. The work of God carried on there this year has been much purer than that which was carried on there six years before. It has appeared more purely spiritual, freer from natural and corrupt mixtures and from anything savoring of enthusiastic wildness and extravagance. It has worked more through deep humiliation and self-abasement before God and people, and they have been much freer from imprudences and irregularities. And there has been a remarkable difference in this particular: whereas many before, in their seasons of comfort and rejoicing, were too ready to forget the proper reverence owed to God, and in their conversations with one another about the things of God and their own experiences were apt to speak with too much levity and even laughter, they now seem to have no inclination toward this at all. They rejoice with a more solemn, reverent, humble joy — as God directs the princes of the earth in Psalm 2:11. This is not because the joy is less great — indeed in many of them it is much greater. Many among us who were affected in that former season have now received far greater communications from heaven than they had then. But their rejoicing operates in a different manner: it only abases and solemnizes them, breaks their hearts, and brings them into the dust. Now when they speak of their joys, it is not with laughter but with a flood of tears. Those who laughed before now weep; and yet by their united testimony, their joy is vastly purer and sweeter than what before more stirred their animal spirits. They are now more like Jacob when God appeared to him at Bethel, when he saw the ladder that reached to heaven and said, How awesome is this place; and like Moses when God showed him His glory on the mountain, when he made haste and bowed himself to the earth.

2. Let us all therefore be warned by no means to oppose, or do anything in the slightest to hinder the work that has lately been carried on in the land, but on the contrary to do our utmost to advance it. Now that Christ has come down from heaven into this land in a remarkable and wonderful work of His Spirit, it is fitting that all His professing disciples should acknowledge Him and give Him honor.

The example of the Jews in Christ's and the apostles' time is enough to put great fear into those who do not acknowledge this work, and to make them extremely cautious about what they say or do. When Christ was in the world, the world did not know Him. He came to His own professing people, and His own did not receive Him. That coming of Christ had been much spoken of in the prophecies of Scripture which they had in their hands, had long been expected, and yet because Christ came in a manner they did not expect — one that did not suit their worldly reasoning — they would not own Him. Instead they opposed Him, called Him a madman, and attributed the Spirit He worked by to the spirit of the Devil. They stood and marveled at the great things being done and did not know what to make of them. But they encountered so many stumbling blocks that in the end they could not acknowledge Him. And when the Spirit of God was so wonderfully poured out in the apostles' days, they regarded it as confusion and frenzy. They were astonished at what they saw and heard but were not convinced. And the work of God was especially rejected by those who were most proud of their own understanding and knowledge — in keeping with Isaiah 29:14: Therefore behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden. And many of those who had been regarded as religious and devout felt a deep hostility toward the work because they saw that it tended to diminish their honor and expose their formalism and lukewarmness. Some of them maliciously and openly opposed and reproached the work of the Spirit of God, calling it the work of the Devil against their own inward convictions, and so became guilty of the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit.

There is another coming of Christ — a spiritual coming to establish His kingdom in the world — that is spoken of as frequently in Scripture prophecy as that first coming of Christ, and that has long been awaited by the church of God. From what is said of it, we have reason to think it will be, in many respects, parallel with the other. And certainly the low state to which the visible church of God has lately sunk is very parallel to the state of the Jewish church when Christ came. Therefore it is no wonder at all that when Christ comes, His work would appear strange to most people. Indeed it would be a wonder if it were otherwise. Whether the work now being carried on is the beginning of that great coming of Christ to establish His kingdom, spoken of so much in Scripture, or not — it is evident from what has been said that it is a work of the same Spirit and of the same nature. And there is every reason to believe that for people to continue long in refusing to acknowledge Christ in this work — especially those who are set as teachers in His church — will be just as offensive to God as it was for the Jews of old to refuse to acknowledge Christ. This remains true despite all the stumbling blocks they may point to and all the reasons they claim to have for doubting the work. The teachers of the Jewish church found countless stumbling blocks that they considered insurmountable. Many things appeared in Christ, and in the work of the Spirit after His ascension, that were deeply perplexing to them. They were sure they had just cause for their reservations. Christ and His work were to the Jews a stumbling block. But blessed is he, says Christ, who is not offended — or stumbled — in me. As strange and unexpected as the manner of Christ's appearing was, yet He had not been long in Judea working miracles before all those who had opportunity to observe but refused to acknowledge Him brought fearful guilt upon themselves in the sight of God. Christ condemned them, saying that though they could discern the face of the sky and of the earth, yet they could not discern the signs of these times; and why, He said, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? — Luke 12, near the end.

It is not to be supposed that the great God has bowed the heavens and come down into this land — appearing here now for so long a time in such a glorious work of His power and grace, so extensive in its scope, in the most public places in the land and in almost every part of it — without giving such evidence of His presence that large numbers, including many teachers in His church, cannot remain innocent in His sight by continuing to refuse to receive and acknowledge Him, give Him honor, and appear to rejoice in His gracious presence. Nor can they remain innocent without at least once giving Him thanks for so glorious and blessed a work of His grace — a work in which His goodness is more fully displayed than if He had given us all the material blessings the world could offer. A long and continued silence in such a case is undoubtedly provoking to God, especially in ministers. It is a quiet kind of opposition that genuinely tends to hinder the work. Silent ministers stand in the way of the work of God, as Christ said of old: He who is not with Me is against Me. Those who stand marveling at this strange work of God — not knowing what to make of it, refusing to receive it, and sometimes ready to speak contemptuously of it, as the Jews of old did — would do well to consider and tremble at the words of Paul in Acts 13:40-41: Beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets: Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, though a man declares it to you. And those who cannot believe the work to be genuine because of its extraordinary degree and manner should consider how it was with the unbelieving lord in Samaria who said, Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be? — to whom Elisha said: Behold, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it. Let all to whom this work is a cloud and darkness — as the pillar of cloud and fire was to the Egyptians — take heed that it not be their destruction, as that was the Egyptians' destruction, while it gave light to God's Israel.

I would ask those who quiet themselves by claiming to proceed on a principle of prudence — waiting to see what the outcome of things will be and what fruit those who are subjects of this work will bring forth in their lives and conduct — to consider whether this justifies a long refusal to acknowledge Christ when He appears so wonderfully and graciously present in the land. It is likely that many who are waiting in this manner do not know what they are waiting for. If they wait to see a work of God without difficulties and stumbling blocks, that is like the fool who waits beside the river for all the water to flow by. A work of God without stumbling blocks is never to be expected. It must needs be that offenses come. There has never yet been any great manifestation of God to the world that was not attended with many difficulties. It is with the works of God as it is with the word of God — both are full of things that seem strange, inconsistent, and difficult to the worldly and unbelieving hearts of people. Christ and His work always have been and always will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, a snare and a trap to many. The prophet Hosea, in the last chapter of his prophecy — speaking of a glorious revival of religion in God's church, when God would be as the dew to Israel, and Israel would grow as the lily and send its roots down as Lebanon, and his branches would spread, and so on — concludes with these words in the last verse: Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is discerning? Let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them.

It is likely that the stumbling blocks attending this work will in some respects increase rather than diminish. We will probably see more instances of those falling away and committing gross sin among those who profess to be affected. And if one kind of stumbling block is removed, others will take its place. It is with Christ's works as it was with His parables: things that are difficult to people's darkened minds are arranged by design, for the testing of people's dispositions and spiritual understanding, and so that people of corrupt minds — with an unbelieving, contentious spirit — seeing might see and not understand. Those who are now waiting to see how things turn out think they will be better able to judge by and by, but many of them are probably mistaken. The Jews who saw Christ's miracles waited for better evidence of His being the Messiah; they wanted a sign from heaven. But they waited in vain. Their stumbling blocks did not diminish but increased; they found no end to them and so became more and more hardened in their unbelief. Many have prayed for the glorious reformation spoken of in Scripture without knowing what they were praying for — as it was with the Jews when they prayed for the coming of Christ. If it came, they would not acknowledge or receive it.

This claimed prudence of persons in waiting so long before they acknowledge this work will probably in the end prove to be the greatest imprudence — in that they will thereby miss any share in so great a blessing, and will lose the most precious opportunity of obtaining divine light, grace, comfort, and heavenly and eternal benefit that God has ever given in New England. While the glorious fountain is set open in so wonderful a manner, and multitudes flock to it and receive a rich supply for the needs of their souls, they stand at a distance doubting and wondering, receiving nothing, and are likely to remain so until the precious season has passed.

It is remarkable that those who have doubted this work — attended as it has been with such widespread and extraordinary appearances — have been content to remain in their doubts without taking thorough pains to inform themselves. They have not gone where such things were occurring to see them closely, observe them carefully, and inquire into them diligently. They have not contented themselves only with observing two or three instances, nor persisted until they were fully informed by their own observation. I have no doubt that if this course had been taken, it would have convinced all whose minds are not closed against conviction, to a very great degree. How greatly have those erred who, based only on uncertain reports from others, have ventured to speak dismissively of these things? The caution of an unbelieving Jew might teach them more wisdom — Acts 5:38-39: Refrain from these men and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it — lest perhaps you be found to fight against God. Whether what has been said in this discourse is enough to convince all who have heard it that the work now being carried on in the land is the work of God or not, I hope that for the future they will at least heed the caution of Gamaliel just mentioned. Going forward, let them not oppose it, or say anything against it, or anything that has even an indirect tendency to bring it into disrepute, lest they be found to be opponents of the Holy Spirit. There is no kind of sin so harmful and dangerous to the souls of people as sins committed against the Holy Spirit. We would do better to speak against God the Father or the Son than to speak against the Holy Spirit in His gracious work on the hearts of people. Nothing will so effectively prevent us from ever benefiting from His work in our own souls.

If there are any who will still persist in speaking contemptuously of these things, I would urge them to beware lest they be guilty of the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. A time when the Holy Spirit is greatly poured out — when people's lusts, lukewarmness, and hypocrisy are exposed by His powerful working — is the most likely time of all for this sin to be committed. If the work goes on, it is well to consider whether, among the many who show hostility toward it and reproach it, some may not be guilty of this sin — if none have been already. Those who maliciously oppose and reproach this work and call it the work of the Devil lack only one thing to make their sin unpardonable, and that is doing it against inward conviction. And though some are now cautious enough not to openly oppose and reproach the work, yet it is to be feared that at this day — when the Lord is going forth so gloriously against His enemies — many who are silent and inactive, especially ministers, will bring upon themselves that curse of the Angel of the Lord in Judges 5:23: Curse Meroz, said the Angel of the Lord; curse its inhabitants bitterly, because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

Since the great God has come down from heaven and manifested Himself in so wonderful a manner in this land, it is vain for any of us to expect anything other than to be greatly affected by it in our spiritual condition — one way or another, in terms of God's favor. Those who are not made more blessed by it will become far more guilty and miserable. This is always the pattern: a season that proves an acceptable year and a time of great grace and favor to those who receive and make use of it, proves a day of vengeance to others — Isaiah 61:2. When God sends forth His word it shall not return to Him empty; how much less His Spirit. When Christ was on earth in Judea, many slighted and neglected Him, but it ultimately proved to be no matter of indifference for them. God made all that people feel that Christ had been among them. Those who did not feel it in comfort felt it in sorrow, and with a witness. When God merely sent the prophet Ezekiel to the children of Israel, He declared that whether they would hear or whether they would forbear, yet they would know that there had been a prophet among them. How much more may we expect that when God has appeared so wonderfully in this land, He will make everyone know that the great God has been in New England.

I come now to the

third and last part — addressed to those who are friends of this work, have shared in it, and are zealous to advance it. Let me earnestly urge such people to give diligent attention to themselves, to avoid all errors and misconduct, and to avoid whatever may dim and obscure the work and give occasion to those who are ready to reproach it. The apostle was careful to cut off occasion from those who were looking for occasion. The same apostle urged Titus to maintain such careful watch over himself that both his preaching and his behavior would be beyond reproach — so that those opposed might be put to shame, having nothing evil to say against them — Titus 2:7-8. We need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. It matters greatly that we conduct ourselves innocently and wisely at this day. We must expect that the great enemy of this work will use his utmost effort especially against us. He will especially triumph if he can gain any advantage over any of us — to blind or mislead us — for he knows it will do more to advance his purpose and interest than if he prevailed against a hundred others. We need to watch and pray, for we are but little children; this roaring lion is too strong for us, and this old serpent is too subtle for us.

Humility, self-distrust, and an entire dependence on our Lord Jesus Christ will be our best defense. Let us therefore keep the strictest watch against spiritual pride — against being lifted up with extraordinary experiences, comforts, and high favors from heaven that any of us may have received. After such favors, we especially need to keep a watchful, suspicious eye on our own hearts, lest self-exalting reflections arise on what we have received, and we begin to think highly of ourselves as now being among the most eminent saints and special favorites of heaven — as those to whom the secret of the Lord is especially revealed, and who above all others are fitted to be the great instructors and censors of this evil generation. In a proud conceit of our own wisdom and discernment, we might naturally begin to assume the manner of prophets or extraordinary ambassadors of heaven. When God has made great discoveries of Himself to our souls, we should not shine bright in our own eyes. Moses, when he had been conversing with God on the mountain — though his face shone so as to dazzle the eyes of Aaron and the people — did not shine in his own eyes; he did not know that his face shone. Let no one think themselves free from danger of spiritual pride, even in their best and highest moments. God saw that the apostle Paul — though probably the most eminent saint who ever lived — was not free from this danger, even immediately after he had been conversing with God in the third heaven. See 2 Corinthians 12:7. Pride is the worst viper in the heart. It is the first sin that ever entered the universe, and it lies deepest of all at the foundation of the whole structure of sin. It is the most hidden, deceptive, and untraceable in its ways of working of any lust whatsoever — always ready to mix with everything. Nothing is so hateful to God, so contrary to the spirit of the gospel, or of such dangerous consequence. And there is no other single sin that so much lets the Devil into the hearts of the saints and exposes them to his delusions. I have seen this in many instances, including in eminent saints. The Devil has come in through this door immediately after some exceptional experience or extraordinary communion with God, terribly deluding and leading them astray, until God mercifully opened their eyes and delivered them. They themselves afterward recognized that it was pride that had betrayed them.

Some true friends of the work of God's Spirit have erred by giving too much weight to impulses and strong impressions on their minds, treating them as though they were direct signals from heaven about things that would come to pass, or about what God's will was for them to do — things not signified or revealed anywhere in the Bible without those impulses. These impressions, if they are truly from the Spirit of God, are of an entirely different nature from the gracious influences of the Spirit on the hearts of the saints. They are of the nature of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit and are properly inspiration — such as the prophets and apostles and others had of old — which the apostle distinguishes from the grace of the Spirit in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians.

One reason why some have been quick to place weight on such impulses is an opinion they have held — that the glory of the approaching blessed days of the church would partly consist in the restoration of those extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. This opinion, I believe, arises partly from a failure to carefully consider and compare the nature and value of the two kinds of the Spirit's influences, namely His ordinary gracious influences and His extraordinary influences in inspiration and miraculous gifts. The former are by far the most excellent and glorious, as the apostle shows at length in 1 Corinthians beginning with the thirty-first verse of the twelfth chapter. Speaking of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, he says: But covet earnestly the best gifts; and yet I show you a more excellent way. That is, a more excellent way of the Spirit's influence. Then he goes on in the next chapter to show what that more excellent way is — namely the grace of the Spirit, which consists chiefly in charity, or divine love. Throughout that chapter he shows the great superiority of that over inspiration. God communicates Himself in His own nature more fully to the soul through saving grace in the heart than through all miraculous gifts. The blessed image of God consists in saving grace, not in those gifts. The excellence, happiness, and glory of the soul consist immediately in saving grace, not in those gifts. Saving grace is a root that bears infinitely more excellent fruit. Salvation and the eternal enjoyment of God are promised to divine grace, but not to inspiration. A person may have those extraordinary gifts and yet be abominable to God and go to hell. The spiritual and eternal life of the soul consists not in the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit but in the grace of the Spirit. It is saving grace, and not those gifts, that God bestows only on His favorites and dear children. He has sometimes given those gifts to people as unworthy as dogs and swine, as He did to Balaam, Saul, and Judas — and to some in the primitive times of the Christian church who committed the unpardonable sin, as seen in Hebrews 6. Many wicked people at the day of judgment will plead: Have we not prophesied in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name done many mighty works? The greatest privilege of the prophets and apostles was not their being inspired and working miracles, but their eminent holiness. The grace in their hearts was a thousand times more their dignity and honor than their miraculous gifts. The things David comforts himself with in the book of Psalms are not his being a king or a prophet, but the holy influences of the Spirit of God in his heart, communicating to him divine light, love, and joy. The apostle Paul abounded in visions, revelations, and miraculous gifts above all the apostles, and yet he counted all things as loss for the excellence of the spiritual knowledge of Christ. It was not the gifts but the grace of the apostles that was the proper evidence of their names being written in heaven — the thing Christ directs them to rejoice in far more than in the demons being subject to them. To have grace in the heart is a higher privilege than even what the blessed virgin herself had in having the body of the second person of the Trinity conceived in her womb by the power of the Highest overshadowing her. See Luke 11:27-28: And it came to pass as He spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said to him, Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You! But He said, Yes, rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. See also to the same purpose Matthew 12:47 and following.

The influence of the Holy Spirit — divine charity in the heart — is the greatest privilege and glory of the highest archangel in heaven. Indeed, it is the very thing by which the creature has fellowship with God Himself, with the Father and the Son, in their beauty and happiness; and by it creatures are made partakers of the divine nature and have Christ's joy fulfilled in themselves.

The ordinary sanctifying influences of the Spirit of God are the ultimate end of all extraordinary gifts, as the apostle shows in Ephesians 4:11-13. Those gifts are of no value beyond their service to this end; apart from this end they will not merely fail to profit anyone but will only make their condemnation worse. This, as the apostle observes, is the most excellent way for God to communicate His Spirit to His church — it is the greatest glory of the church in all ages. This glory is what makes the state of the church on earth most resemble the state of the church in heaven, where prophecy and tongues and other miraculous gifts have ceased and vanished away, and God communicates His Spirit only in that more excellent way the apostle describes — namely charity, or divine love, which never fails. Therefore the glory of the approaching blessed state of the church does not require these extraordinary gifts at all. As that state of the church will be the nearest to its perfect heavenly state of any state it will reach on earth, I believe it will resemble heaven in this as well — that all extraordinary gifts will have ceased and vanished away, and all those stars and moon with their reflected light given in the night or in a dark season will be swallowed up in the sun of divine love. The apostle speaks of those gifts of inspiration as childish things compared to the influence of the Spirit in divine love — things given to the church only to support it in its infancy, until the church had a complete and established written rule and all the ordinary means of grace were settled. But they were things that would cease as the church advanced beyond its childhood state, and would entirely vanish when the church arrived at the state of maturity, which will be in the approaching glorious times — above any other state of the church on earth. 1 Corinthians 13:11: When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I thought as a child, I reasoned as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Compared with the three preceding verses.

When the apostle in this chapter speaks of prophecies, tongues, and revelations ceasing and vanishing from the church when the Christian church advances from a state of immaturity to a state of maturity, he seems to have in view its arrival at a mature state in this world as well as in heaven. He speaks of such an adult state — a state of maturity — in which those three things, faith, hope, and charity, would remain after miracles and revelations had ceased, as you may see in the last verse: And now abides faith, hope, charity — these three. The apostle's manner of speaking here shows a clear reference to what he had just been saying, and there is a plain contrast between the remaining spoken of here and the failing, ceasing, and vanishing away spoken of in verse 8. The apostle had been showing how all those gifts of inspiration — the leading-strings of the Christian church in its infancy — would vanish away when the church came to maturity. Having finished that point, he then returns to note what things would remain after those had failed and ceased, and he identifies three: faith, hope, and charity. Therefore the adult state of the church he speaks of is the more perfect state it will arrive at in this world — a state that will reach its highest expression in that glorious condition the church will be brought to in the latter ages of the world. This observation was all the more fitting for the church at Corinth on two accounts. First, the apostle had already noted to that church that they were in a state of infancy — chapter 3:1-2. Second, that church appears to have abounded above all others in miraculous gifts. When the expected glorious state of the church arrives, the increase of light will be so great that it will in some respect answer what is said in verse 12 about seeing face to face. See Isaiah 24:23 and 25:7.

Therefore I do not expect a restoration of these miraculous gifts in the approaching glorious times of the church, nor do I desire it. It appears to me that such a restoration would add nothing to the glory of those times, but would rather diminish it. For my own part, I would rather enjoy the sweet influences of the Spirit showing Christ's spiritual and divine beauty, His infinite grace and dying love — drawing out the holy exercises of faith and divine love and sweet contentment and humble joy in God — for one quarter of an hour, than to have prophetic visions and revelations for a whole year. It appears to me far more likely that God should have given immediate revelations to His saints in the dark times of Popery than now, in the approach of the most glorious and perfect state of His church on earth. It does not appear to me that there is any need for those extraordinary gifts to introduce this blessed state and establish the kingdom of God throughout the world. I have seen so much of the power of God working in a more excellent way as to convince me that God can easily accomplish it without them.

I therefore urge the people of God to be very cautious about giving weight to such impulses. I have seen them fail in very many instances. I know by experience that an impression being made with great power on the mind of a true saint — even an eminent saint — immediately after, or even in the midst of, extraordinary seasons of grace and sweet communion with God, and attended by texts of Scripture strongly impressed on the mind, is no sure sign that it is a revelation from heaven. I have known such impressions fail and prove false in their outcome, in some instances attended with all these circumstances. I know that those who leave the sure word of prophecy God has given us as a light shining in a dark place — to follow such impressions and impulses — are leaving the guidance of the north star to follow a will-o'-the-wisp. No wonder, then, that they are sometimes led on a dreadful course and into terrible extravagances.

And since inspiration is not to be expected, let us not despise human learning. Those who say human learning is of little or no use in the work of the ministry do not consider what they are saying; if they did, they would not say it. By human learning I mean — and suppose others mean — the improvement of the common knowledge people have through ordinary human and outward means. To say that human learning is of no use is as much as to say that the education of a child or the common knowledge that a grown person has beyond a small child is of no use. That would mean a four-year-old child, with the same degree of grace, is as fit to be a teacher in the church of God and as capable of advancing the kingdom of Christ by his instruction as a very knowledgeable and understanding person of thirty years of age. If adult persons have greater ability and advantage for service because they have more knowledge than a small child, then clearly even more knowledge — with the same degree of grace — would give still greater ability and advantage for service. Greater knowledge undoubtedly increases a person's advantage either to do good or harm, depending on the direction of his heart. It is too plain to be denied that God made great use of human learning in the apostle Paul, as He did in Moses and Solomon.

And if knowledge gained through ordinary means is not to be despised, it follows that the means of gaining it are not to be neglected — namely, study — and that this is of great value in preparation for publicly instructing others. It is true that having a heart full of the powerful influences of the Spirit of God may at times enable people to speak profitably and even excellently without study. But this does not warrant us to needlessly throw ourselves from the pinnacle of the temple, depending on the angel of the Lord to bear us up and keep our foot from striking a stone — when there is another way down, even if it is not as quick. I would also urge that orderly structure in public discourses — which greatly aids both understanding and memory — not be entirely neglected.

Another thing I would urge the dear children of God to think through more fully is how far, and on what grounds, the rules of the holy Scriptures will truly justify their passing judgment on other professing Christians as hypocrites who are ignorant of any real religion. We all know that there is some kind of judging and condemning that Scripture very often and very strictly forbids. I would ask that these scriptural rules be looked into and carefully weighed, and that it be considered whether taking it upon ourselves to assess the spiritual condition of others and pass sentence upon professing Christians — those with a good outward life — as wicked people is not in fact forbidden by Christ in the New Testament. If it is, then the disciples of Christ ought to avoid it, however capable they may think themselves of it, or however necessary or beneficial they may believe it to be. It is clear that whatever kind of judging God claims as His own prerogative is forbidden to us. We know that a certain judging of the hearts of the children of men is often spoken of as the great prerogative of God alone — as in 1 Kings 8:39: Forgive, and act, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know; for You, even You only, know the hearts of all the children of men. And if we examine carefully, we will find that the judging of hearts spoken of as God's prerogative is not only the judging of the motives and dispositions behind particular actions, but chiefly the judging of the spiritual state of professing believers with respect to their profession. This will be very clear from looking over the following Scriptures: 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 7:9-11; Psalm 26 throughout; Proverbs 16:2 and 17:3 and 21:2; John 2:23-25; Revelation 2:22-23. That kind of judging which is God's proper prerogative is forbidden, as in Romans 14:4: Who are you that judge another man's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. James 4:12: There is one lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy; who are you to judge another? 1 Corinthians 4:3-4: But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's judgment; yes, I do not even judge myself; for he who judges me is the Lord.

Furthermore, whatever kind of judging is the proper work and task of the day of judgment is a judging we are also forbidden to do — as in 1 Corinthians 4:5: Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes; who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the purposes of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God. But to distinguish hypocrites — those who have the outward form of godliness and the visible life of godly people — from true saints; to separate the sheep from the goats — that is the proper business of the day of judgment, and is in fact represented as the main business and purpose of that great day. Those who take it upon themselves to positively determine who is sincere and who is not, to draw the dividing line between true saints and hypocrites, to separate and sort them — setting the one on the right and the other on the left, and distinguishing and pulling the weeds from among the wheat — greatly err. Many of the servants of the owner of the field are very ready to think themselves capable of this and are quick to offer their services to that end. But their Lord says: No, lest while you gather the weeds you root up the wheat also. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will take care to see a thorough separation made — Matthew 13:28-30. This agrees with the prohibition of the apostle in 1 Corinthians 4:5: Judge nothing before the time. In this parable, the servants who have the care of the fruit of the field are doubtless the same as the servants who have the care of the fruit of the vineyard in Luke 20, and those elsewhere described as servants of the Lord of the harvest, appointed as workers in his harvest — which we know refers to ministers of the gospel. Now this parable in Matthew 13 is being fulfilled. While men slept — during that long, drowsy, dead season in the church — the enemy sowed weeds. Now is the time when the blade has sprung up and religion is reviving. Now some of the servants who have the care of the field say: Let us go and gather the weeds. I know from experience that men who think they have had some experience of the power of religion tend to consider themselves capable of discerning and judging the spiritual condition of others from a brief conversation with them. Experience has taught me that this is an error. I once did not imagine that the human heart was as unsearchable as I now find it to be. I am less ready to be charitable and less ready to be uncharitable than I once was. I find more things in wicked people that can counterfeit and create a convincing appearance of piety, and more ways that the remaining corruption of the godly can make them appear like carnal people, formalists, and dead hypocrites, than I once knew of. The longer I live, the less I wonder that God claims it as His own prerogative to test the hearts of the children of men, and has directed that this business be left alone until the harvest. I find that God is wiser than people. I desire to adore the wisdom of God and His goodness to me and my fellow creatures, that He has not committed this great business into the hands of such a poor, weak, dim-sighted creature as I am — of so much blindness, pride, partiality, prejudice, and deceitfulness of heart — but has committed it into the hands of One infinitely more fitted for it, and has made it His own prerogative.

The accounts some people give of their experiences are deeply satisfying — the kind that forbid and drive away any thought that they could be anything other than precious children of God, and that seem to require full confidence. Yet we must allow the Scriptures to stand firm in their repeated declaration that everything in the saint that belongs to the spiritual and divine life is hidden. Their life is said to be hidden — Colossians 3:3-4. Their food is the hidden manna; they have food to eat that others do not know of; a stranger does not share in their joy. The heart in which they possess their divine and distinctive adornments is the hidden man — seen only by God — 1 Peter 3:4. Their new name, which Christ has given them, no one knows except the one who receives it — Revelation 2:17. The praise of the true Israelites, whose circumcision is that of the heart, is not of men but of God — Romans 2:29. That is, they can be truly and certainly recognized and acknowledged as Israelites — and receive the honor belonging to such — only by God, as appears from the same apostle's use of similar language in 1 Corinthians 4:5. Speaking there of it being God's prerogative to judge who are genuine Christians — which He will do at the day of judgment — he adds: and then shall every man have praise of God.

The case of Judas is remarkable: though he had been so long among the rest of the disciples — all of them people of true experience — none ever seemed to have thought him anything other than a true disciple, until he revealed himself through his scandalous act.

And the case of Ahithophel is also very striking. David did not discern his true character — though David was so wise and holy a man, a person of great experience and theological depth, deeply familiar with the Scriptures, knowing more than all his teachers and more than the ancients, mature in judgment, a great prophet — and though David was intimately acquainted with Ahithophel, his closest friend and most trusted companion in religious and spiritual matters. David not only never discovered Ahithophel to be a hypocrite, but relied on him as a true saint. He felt the warmth and sweetness of Ahithophel's religious conversation, and counted him an eminent man of God, making him his closest counselor in matters of the soul above any other man. Yet he was not only no saint, but a notoriously wicked man — a murderous and vile wretch. Psalm 55:11-14: Wickedness is in the midst of it; deceit and guile do not depart from its streets. For it was not an enemy who reproached me — then I could have borne it. Neither was it one who hated me who exalted himself against me — then I could have hidden myself from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my guide and my companion. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company.

To suppose that people have the ability and right to determine the spiritual condition of visible Christians — and so to make an open separation between saints and hypocrites, such that true saints form one visible company and hypocrites another, divided by a line that people draw — involves an inconsistency. It supposes that God has given people the power to create another visible church within His visible church. Visible Christians — those of God's visible church — can mean nothing other than the company of those who are Christians or saints visibly, that is, who have a right to be received as such in the eyes of public charity. No one has the right to exclude anyone from this visible church except through the regular church process that God has established in His visible church.

I urge those who have a true zeal for advancing the work of God that He has begun in this land to consider these things carefully. I am persuaded that as many of them as have much to do with souls — if they do not heed me now — will come to hold the same view after they have had more experience.

Another thing I would urge the zealous friends of this glorious work of God to avoid is managing the controversy with opponents with too much heat and with the appearance of angry zeal — and particularly dwelling at length in public prayer and preaching on the persecution they face from opponents. If their opposition were ten times as severe as it is, I think it would still not be best to speak of it so much. Christians should be like lambs — not quick to complain and cry out when hurt; silent and not opening their mouths, following the example of our dear Redeemer. They should not be like animals that scream loudly at the slightest touch. We should not be ready to call for fire from heaven when the Samaritans oppose us and refuse to receive us into their villages. God's zealous ministers would do well to take to heart the direction the apostle Paul gave to a zealous minister in 2 Timothy 2:24-26: And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient; in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves, if perhaps God will grant them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Another thing I would humbly recommend to those who love the Lord Jesus Christ and desire to advance His kingdom is careful attention to that excellent rule of wisdom Christ has given us in Matthew 9:16-17: No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment and a worse tear is made. Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or the wineskins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. I am afraid the wine is running out in some parts of this land for want of attention to this rule. Though I believe we have confined ourselves too narrowly to certain set forms and methods in conducting our religious affairs — which has had a tendency to make all our religion degenerate into mere formalism — yet anything that has the appearance of a great innovation, tending to shock and disturb people's minds and set them talking and disputing, greatly hinders the advance of the power of religion. It stirs up opposition in some, diverts the attention of others, and troubles the minds of many with doubts and scruples, causing people to swerve from their great business and turn aside to pointless controversy. Therefore anything that departs substantially from common practice, unless it is in itself of considerable importance, is better avoided. In this we will follow the example of the one who had the greatest success in spreading the power of religion in the world of any person who ever lived — as he himself describes in 1 Corinthians 9:20-23: To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those under the law, as under the law, so that I might win those under the law; to those outside the law, as outside the law — though not being outside God's law but under Christ's law — so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. And I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Finis.