1 as by a judicial fentence to afcribe to the devil fuch a gracious Godlike work, as that before defcribed; when they cannot bring an inftance from Scripture, or any other hiftory, of the devil's being permitted to work in the like manner before. Surely it may make us tremble to think what kind of a fin it must be to make the devil the reprover of fin, and minifter of righteousness, and fo to affign the office and work of the Holy Ghost to that wicked one! Doth it not look like a fearful limiting of God, for a few men to act as if they would confine the holy Spirit's workings to themfelves, and give up the miniftry of all their brethren throughout the Inland to the devil? As Jefus Chrift himself, fo his minifters, Mofes, John Baptift, the apostles Peter and Paul, were of quite different tempers and difpofitions; they rejoiced to fee the Spirit poured down upon others, and to fee Chrift preached, finners brought in to him, and his kingdom enlarged, whoever were the infiru ment of it. 4. As for the effects of this work upon the bodies of fome of the awakened, fuch as outcrying, trembling, falling down, or fainting; these are not at all new in this land: for many inftances of fuch like fymptoms in perfons under piercing convictions of fin, or under ravishing views of Chrift, can be given, even fince our happy Revolution, as well as in former times; as is evident from Meffrs Robe, Currie, and Webster's writings on this fubject. And yet we hear not of any heretofore afcribing the work in those people to the devil, nor condemning it as contrary to Scripture, upon account of these fymptons: No-for the Scripture gives frequent inftances of fuch impreffions made on the body, by the great inward exercife and concern of the mind. The fharp convictions of the three thousand, Acts ii. brought them under great agonies, being pricked as with a sword in their hearts, and forced to cry out, and fay to the apoftles, "Men and brethren, and what thall we do?" The auditory being great, they must have cried in fuch a manner that the apostles heard them; for Peter was forced to cry aloud, that they might hear him, A&ts ii. 14. So Paul, when he was thoroughly convinced σε convinced of his fin of perfecuting Chrift, and the wrath due to him for it, he was feized with trembling and aftonishment, and fell to the ground," Acts ix. 4. 6. Alfo the jaylor, when awakened to see hig finful and loft ftate under wrath, "trembled and fell down," saying, “ What must I do to be saved ?" A&s vi. 29. 30. And it appears to have been usual in the apoftles days for finners to "fall down before God," when they were first convinced, and got the fecret wickednefs of their heart laid open to them by the Word, 1 Cor. xiv. 24. 25. Even that great man, Felix, was made to tremble under his conviction of fin and apprehenfion of wrath, while Paul preached to him, Acts xxiv. 25. And that mighty king, Belfhazzar, was ftrangely affected when he saw the hand writing on the wall, which he took to be a prefage of wrath againft him, Dan. v. 6. "His countenance was changed, his joints loofed, and his knees fmote one against another." A view of the wrath of a fin-revenging God, is enough to throw the ftoutest finner into the most terrible disorder, and to overwhelm all his fenfes and faculties. We fee Baruch, when in danger of the wrath of man, was fo overwhelmed with grief, that he fainted under it, and cries out, Jer. xiv. 3. "Wo is me now, for the Lord hath added grief to my forrow: I fainted in my figh ing, and had no reft." And how much more would he have been diftreffed with the immediate views and approaches of the wrath of God! for, "Who knoweth the power of his anger?" Job, when under the apprehenfion of God being his enemy, and his terrors pur fuing him, was fo little mafter of himself, that he "tood up, and cried in the congregation," Job xxx 15.3 28. King David fays, he "roared by reason of the dif quietnefs of his heart," Pfal. xxxviii. 8. Nay, he had fuch impreffions of the wrath of God upon his foul, that they made all his fiefh to tremble, Pfal. cxxix. 120. My fleth trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments." Heman faith, "While I fuffer thy terrors, I am distracted," Pfal. lxxxviii. 15. We fee alfo how the prophet Habakkuk was feized with the greatest bodily diftrefs, with "quivering lips, and trembling," 66 trembling" over all his body, at the view of approaching wrath, Hab. iii. 16 Again, it ought to be re membered, that God hath told us, that in the New Teftament days he would pour qut his Spirit upon people in fuch a manner, that they should "look upon him they pierced by their fins, and mourn, and be in bitternefs," as parents "for an only fon or firft born." Now, it is well known that fome parents will not only cry out bitterly, but also faint, upon fuch occafions; nay, fome will be brought to fuch agonies and faintings, by the mere apprehenfion and profpect of man's wrath and of temporal difficulties: and have they not much greater caufe for them, who get a clear and manifeft difcovery of the heinous guilt of their fins, and of the wrath of an angry God hanging over them? Who can paint forth the diftrefs of thefe poor creatures, whofe fpirits are wounded by the amazing apprehenfions of God's wrath for fin, and the fearful expectations of judgments and fiery indignation, without having any view of relief? Such a wife man as Solomon would not have been surprised to fee fuch perfons tremble, cry out, or faint; for, faith he, "A wounded fpirit who can bear" Prov. xviii. 24. We read alfo in Scripture of perfons fainting upon other occafions. Jacob fainted for joy, when he heard that his fon was alive and highly exalted; fo Daniel, after fingular manifeftations from God, fainted and was fick certain days, Dan viii. 27. and x. 8 9. And the apostle John, when he faw the Lord in his glory, fell at his feet as a dead man. So it is no wonder that a poor foul, that was like to link in despair under a fenfe of fin and wrath, when coming out of this plunge to a furprising view of Chrift's mercy, lovelinefs, and fulness, fhould in like manner be overwhelmed and faint for love and joy. Wherefore it is our duty to put favourable conftructions upon the various cafes of awakened and exercifed fouls, when thereby they are thrown into extafies, faintings, or bodily diftreffes. The holy Spirit is a free fovereign agent; and, in times of large effufions, he may, for his own wife ends, take an uncommon latitude in his way of dealing with finners, for VOL. IV. bringing 3 0 bringing them into Chrift. And as their difcoveries of fin and wrath, and the commotion in their affections, prove very different; fo the impreffions upon their bodies must be either lefs or more, and exceeding various, according to the meafure and degree of inward exercife and concern of their minds; for as their forrow for piercing Chrift by their fins is compared to that of parents for an only fon, which admits of many different degrees, and produceth very different effects in different perfons; fo it must be unreasonable in any to require inftances in Scripture for every minute circumftance of the innumerable various cafes of perfons brought in to Chrift; for then the Spirit of God muft have enlarged the Scriptures into very many different volumes, which had not been convenient for us. If we read the accounts given us of the converfions of Auguftine, Luther, Junius, Beza, Latimer, Bolton, Profeffor Halyburton, and many other eminent faints, we will find particular circumftances in them for which no Scripture precedent can be fhewn; but no wife man will fay upon that account, that the work in them was delufive or diabolical. But let fome object what they will against the converfions in the West, because of the outward impreffions attending them in feverals (for in many the changes are wrought without any noife at all): It is our judgment, if these bitter throws and agonies of fome, have a merciful iffue in landing them in Jefus Chrift and true holinefs, as it is vifible they do in the moft part; then there is great matter of praife, whatever way the Lord take for awakening and humbling them before-hand. But feeing worthy Mr Edwards of Northampton hath written two treaties concerning this extraordinary work of the Spirit of God, and hath taken notice of all the prejudices and objections of adverfaries, we judge it unneceffary to add any more to what he hath written fo fully and to fuch excellent purpofe. May the Lord, by new fhowers from above, continue, revive, increase, and spread this bleffed work through the land and all corners of the earth! Amen and Amen. That That we may draw to a conclufion, we fhall briefly fum up the principal fins, errors, evils and defections in the church and land, which we think ourfelves bound to lament and mourn over, declare, warn, and bear teftimony against, in order to promote reformation, and healing in the land :. For although God, in his boundlefs fovereignty and rich grace, be pleased in a backfliding time to grant fome remarkable reviving to his work in particular corners, to fhew his willingness to return to his ancient dwelling place; yet we defpair of any general reviving or national reformation, until we are made fenfible of public fins, errors and defections, as well as thefe of a more private nature. Wherefore we defire to be humbled for, declare and teftify against, all doctrines and practices which are oppofite to the Bible, and to our Confeffion of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechifms, Directories for Worship and Church government, which we judge drawn out of, and founded upon, the Scriptures of truth. And particularly, against all Deiftical and Socinian errors, and doctrines, which tend to decry the neceffity of fupernatural revelation, and cry up the fufficiency of reafon or the light of nature to guide men to eternal happiness. And againft all Arian errors, and thefe doctrines which any ways, difparage the Christian revelation, or derogate from the fcheme of falvation through the mediation and righteousness of Jefus Christ our only Saviour; or from the doctrine of the glorious Trinity, and the oneness of the Godhead; or from Christ's true fupreme Deity, his felf existence, neceffary existence, independence, and equality with the Father; or from the true Deity of the Holy Ghoft, and his equality with the Father and the Son; or from the truth of Chrift's manhood, and, of his Prieftly office, and the neceffity of his death as a real and proper facrifice to fatisfy Divine justice for our fins. Ali Popish errors, idolatry and fuperftition, maintained either by profeffed Papifts, or by Protestants who are making advances towards Popery, by pleading for a middle ftate for fouls departed; prayers for the dead; 302 the |