"this happy change is the Holy Spirit, but "that it is generally effected, and is always to "be fought after, in the diligent use of the appointed means of grace; that it is no inftantaneous operation, which finishes the "whole business of religion at once, but that it is the serious commencement of a work, "which it requires the vigorous exertions of "the whole life to complete":" confidering converfion, I fay, in this light, I can cheerfully concur with our brethren in maintaining the neceffity of fuch a change to every one, who is fatisfied with mere nominal Chriftianity, or with any thing short of true Chriftian holiness both of heart and life; although I cannot but be of opinion that we are adhering more closely to the fimplicity of evangelical truth, whilft, with our venerable Church, we imprefs the neceffity of fuch a change upon our hearers by the appellation of a true repentance; and that we are at the fame time more free from causing perplexity in the minds of those, who are of themselves little capable of discrimination; and that we more unequivocally discountenance the unwarranted conceits, by declining the phrafeology, of enthufiafm.

To proceed: As the Methodists err in re

P Overton, p. 162, 163.

spect of the extent, by multiplying the subjects, of conversion; they err no less in respect of the rapidity, with which it is to be effected. It is reprefented as an operation, which is completed always fuddenly; very frequently in a moment; instantaneously, and with the rapidity of lightning. "The Gospel," said one of their leaders, " like its Author, is the fame "yesterday, to-day, and for ever; and if preach"ed as it ought to be, will prick numbers to the heart, and extort the cry of the trembling gaoler, What muft I do to be faved? as furely now, as it did feventeen hundred "years ago. These are the fudden and furprifing effects I always defire to have; and "I heartily pray God," he adds, addreffing himself to a contemporary Prelate, "your

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Lordship and all your clergy may always fee "fuch effects in confequence of their preach'ing." And more fully, in order that the notion of an inftantaneous change may not appear deficient in parallels and unfupported by the authority of Scripture, we are informed by the other great leader of the schism, who once entertained doubts concerning the doctrine, of which he afterwards became a determined advocate, "I could not comprehend "what was meant by an instantaneous work;

q Whitefield's Works, vol. iv. p. 14.

"I could not understand, how this faith could "be given in a moment; how a man could at " once be thus turned from darkness to light; " from fin and misery to righteousness and joy

in the Holy Ghoft. I fearched the Scriptures "again, touching this very thing, particularly "the Acts of the Apoftles; but to my utter

aftonishment found fcarce any other in"ftances there of other than inftantaneous converfions; scarce any other fo flow as that " of St. Paul, who was three days in the pangs "of the new birth"."

Now that we may not lofe by fuch a fummary reference to Scripture the benefit of that light, which a more ample examination of the inftances there recorded is admirably calculated to supply; we will take a view of fome of the most striking examples, which it contains, of fudden and inftantaneous conversion : carrying with us at the fame time this, not unimportant, remark, that the converfions there recorded are for the most part, if not intirely, converfions of Jews and Heathens, that is of unbelievers, to a belief in the Chriftian revelation; and not of hardened finners to habits of piety and virtue. Their converfion indeed was followed by the fruits of a Chriftian

r

Wesley's Journals, No. II. p. 92. Coke's Life of Wefley, p. 143...

faith; but the converfion itself was a turning from darkness unto light; from the obscurity of heathen fuperftition, or the comparative twilight of the Jewish revelation, to the Chrif tian Dayspring, which vifited them from on high which firft enlightened their understandings, and then guided their feet into the way of peace.

:

In the first place then, I obferve, that, where the converfion was fudden or instantaneous, it was the confequence of miraculous evidence to the truth. When the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecoft added to the Church three thousand souls, they were men, who had been "amazed and confounded" by the effufion of the Holy Ghoft, and the fupernatural gift of tongues'. When five thousand men believed the word preached by Peter and John, it was whilst they were "filled with wonder "and amazement" at the restoration of him, who had been lame from his mother's womb'.. It was the fight of the paralytic, who had been restored to health by the word of Peter, which occafioned all the people of Lydda and Saron to "turn unto the Lord"." It was the blindness inflicted by Paul on Elymas the forcerer, which made the Proconful of Afia "believe, in astonishment at the doctrine of the

s A&ts ii.

t Ibid. iii. iv.

"Ibid, ix.

"Lord"." It was the fupernatural earthquake, and the compofure, little lefs fupernatural, of Paul and Silas, which forced from the jailor at Thyateira his earnest inquiry, "Sirs, what shall "I do to be faved"? It was "the light from "heaven above the brightness of the fun," and the voice of "the heavenly vision," which converted Paul himself from an active perfecutor, into a moft zealous propagator, of the truth'. Such are the most striking examples, which the evangelical hiftory affords, of fudden or inftantaneous converfions. And need I infift more fully on the causes, to which they are to be immediately referred? Need I repeat a former observation, that, where fuch caufes do not exist, fuch effects are not to be expected? And am I not warranted in affirming, notwithstanding the pretenfions which fome of the abettors of modern enthusiasm have advanced, that fuch caufes do not at prefent exift?

In cafes fuch as thefe, the chain of interrogatories employed heretofore by the Puritan, and now adopted by the Methodist, might easily have been answered; and the convert might have distinctly specified the place, the year, the month, the day, nay the very hour of the day, wherein he was wrought upon by the

* Acts xiii. y Ibid. xvi.

2 Ibid. ix. xxii, xxvi.