of life, and whole future converfation, are a continual teftimony to the fincerity of the profeffion they make, and to the credibility of the experiences, which they relate.

But it feems, you are especially prejudiced against religious experiences, by the irregular fancy and heated imagination,' which you have obferv'd in fome pretender to extraordinary attainments in religion; from whence you feem to argue, that because some of their preten⚫ded experiences are extravagant flights of a difturbed. brain, and evidently flow from pride, felf-esteem, and • uncharitablenefs towards others, and end in faction, divifion, and alienation of affection,' that therefore, fince fome of their pretences are manifeftly falfe and airy imaginations, you have just reason to conclude, that all the rest of their pretences are of the fame fort, and flow from the fame depraved mind.

I acknowledge, Sir, this is one of the most plausible objections that ever I heard of, against the internal evidences of Chriftianity. And no doubt our grand adverfary the devil has had an especial hand in blowing up this false fire, that he may turn away our eyes from the glory of the Lord arifen upon Zion. No doubt Satan bath transformed himself into an angel of light, in the late extravagant heats which have appeared in fome places, that fo by overdoing, he might undo, and might bring reproach on the wonderful work of divine grace, which has made fuch a glorious progrefs in these parts of the world. A permillion of thefe dreadful delufions may be esteemed a juft judgment of God upon fuch as have remained careless and fecure in a remarkable feafon of grace, who have refifted the calls of the Gofpel, the convictions of their confciences, and the strivings of the Holy Spirit: that they might thereby be hardened in their prejudices against vital and experimental religion, and perhaps finally stumble and fall.

But how plaufible foever your objection may be, your reafoning is far from conclufive. What inconfiftency is there in the fuppofal, that a true convert may have fome very falfe apprehenfions and imaginations? that the fame perfon may have a fanctified heart, and a confused head? and that he may build upon the true foun

dation, fuch wood, hay, and stubble, as must be burnt up? Our bleffed Saviour has undertaken to fanctify the hearts of all those who fincerely truft in him; but has never promised to make them infallible in all their conduct. If therefore from a principle of love to God, these men fhould zealously endeavour to ferve him, and yet through heated imaginations, or erroneous apprehenfions of their duty, in fome cafes, they should mistake their way, and fuppofe that they are doing God good fervice, when they are acting counter to the true intereft of of Chrift's kingdom, what then? Is it an abfurdity, to fuppofe they may act from a right principle, though in a wrong manner? The error is in their opinions; but not in their wills. Their hearts are engaged in God's fervice, though their heads millead them. They may have experienced a real change (in the manner described in my last letter) though through ignorance and miftake, their endeavours to ferve God are in fome inftances. irregular and finful. They may have had real experiences in true and vital piety, at prefent, though their imaginations are imposed on by enthusiasm, and delufion. These allowances may be made, and ought to be made, for those who hold fast the fundamental principles of Christianity and practical godlinefs; and for none but those. There ought to be fuch allowances made for those; because there is nothing in their cha-. racter inconfiftent with true and vital piety: yet there ought not to be fuch allowances made for any but those; because Christ has undertaken to lead his fincere followers into all neceffary truth. I think, I have good reason to conclude, that the cafe is truly, and in fact, just as I have here defcribed it, with respect to numbers of thofe who have run into fome of thofe irregularities you complain of. This appears, in that fome of thofe, who have been convinced of and penitently bewailed those mistakes, do yet (their former irregularities notwithstanding) walk worthy their profeffed experience of a faving change; and approve themselves holy, humble, and charitable Chriftians. And I have the more hope of others, who have not yet been convinced of their mistakes, upon account of their having been seduced into these errors, by such zea

leus leaders, of whofe piety they have fo great an opinion. But you'll perhaps enquire, what I can fay for thofe leaders, who have influenced others to thefe irregular heats? To which I must answer, that as far as I am acquainted with them, I have reason for a much better o pinion of the hearts of fome of them, than of their heads; and must bear them witnefs, that they have a zeal of God, tho' not in every thing according to knowledge.

But fuppofing, as you suppose, that fome of the chief of these preachers were very wicked men, who cloak⚫ed their evil intentions under a fhew of zeal and extra• ordinary piety, the better to infnare poor unwary fouls ' into their delufions, to promote divisions and conten

tions in the land, and to compass their covert designs:' My argument is, on this fuppofal, fo much the stronger. Herein the power and love of the great Redeemer are fo much the more confpicuous, that he has outshot Satan with his own bow; and over-ruled those attempts, for the promotion of his own kingdom and interest, which were levelled against it. Nothing is more vifible, than that great numbers of poor finners have been awakened; and brought to fly to Chrift for refuge. Nothing is more apparent than that the confequence of this has (in numerous inftances) been the renovation of their lives, and their converfion from a careless, finful, fenfual life, to a life of holinefs, righteousness, kindness, and charity. In these therefore the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift is become glorious; whatever covered designs any of the inftruments were acted by. If thefe preached Chrift even of envy and ftrife, what then? notwithstanding every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Chrift was preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice, It is remarkable that the great doctrines of the Gospel, parti. cularly touching the mifery of our natural flate, the ne. ceffity of an intereft in Chrift, and the way of falvation by faith in him, were preached by them all (whatever human imaginations were mixed with them) and these had their effect in a peculiar manner. Our bleffed Saviour has therein bleffed his own inftitutions; and accomplished the defigns of his grace, whoever and whatover were the inftruments, by whom thefe glorious ef

fects have been produced. As far therefore as a fanctifying change in the hearts and lives of men has been effected, fo far muft we acknowledge this to be a work of God: and a display of the divine power of our blessed Saviour. The miracles of divine grace, which might be wrought by Judas, were as bright a discovery of the Redeemer's power and goodness, as thofe were which were wrought by the other apoftles.

But you tell me, that many of these new converts pretend to mighty experiences of divine impulfes, raptures, extafies, and the like: but fhew forth no mo 'ral virtues, nor true love either to God or man.' Well, Sir, what follows from this? Are there not many others, who make no pretenfion to such mighty experiences of divine impulfes, raptures, &c. that do fhew forth all moral virtues; and have a true love both to God and man? Is it a good argument, that because there are some mere enthufiafts, who pretend to fuch experiences which the fcriptures do not make the character of true Chriftians, therefore they are all mere enthusiasts, even who pretend to fuch experience as the fcriptures do make the character of all true Chriftians? What is Chriftianity concerned with the extafies and heats of fuch men as you speak of? Where are these extatical heats described in the Gofpel, as the marks of the children of God? Be their experiences allowed to be according to their pretences, what follows from thence, but that if they have no moral virtues, these men's religion is vain; it is all enthufiaftical, unfcriptural, and without any foundation? But then on the other hand, the experiences which I have before described, are fuch as the fcriptures do make the marks and characters of the children of God: and many there are that make no pretences to divine impulfes, raptures, or extafies, who profefs to have had these experiences, and juftify their profeffion, by living in the love both of God and man. Now, I pray, how are fuch concerned in the enthusiasm of which you complain?" Do not the experiences of thefe witnefs for them, as much as the experiences of the others witness against them? Here is a vifible and effectual change wrought in them, (just such a change as the fcriptures defcribe) by which

they are brought into a conformity to the divine nature, and live worthy their profeffion and character. Chrift has promised the fanctification of the fpirit to his people, who depend upon him for it: and what greater evidence can there be of the faithfulness of the promife, than to fee and feel its accomplishment?

But you further obferve, that the demeanor of ma· ny of thefe pretenders to religious experiences, is di" rectly contrary to that morality, beneficence, and charity, which are the ornament and glory of human nature. And is not this a strong confirmation of my argument? I appeal to you yourself, Sir, whether you be not acquainted with many others, that pretend to the religious experiences which I have defcribed, who are the brightest patterns of thofe graces and virtues which are the ornament and glory of human nature. Here then is a plain and visible criterion, by which it may be known whofe experiences are, and whose are not, from the Spirit of God.

They are (you fay) indeed converted, but it is to • pride and vanity, to self-esteem and self-applause.' But are there not many others, who are converted to deep humility, felf-loathing, and felf condemning?

They are changed (you fay) but it is to bitterness, • reviling, cenfuring, and judging their neighbours who are much better than they.' I allow this charge to be agreeable to their pretended experiences; but then, don't you fee (bleffed be God, I am fure I have feen) many others changed to meekness, kindness, and love, and brought to esteem others much better than themfelves?

.

Their boafted experiences (you add) only animate them to divifions, factions, and feparations." But is this the cafe of all, who make a profeflion of religious experiences? No; we have caufe to be thankful, the cafe is quite otherwise.

They are (you fay) often elated with rapturous joys and exults, which feem to be the product of nothing * but self-esteem, and an irregular heated imagination. Here you inquire. Muft I efteem these to be the joys

of the Holy Ghoft, of which your last letter fpeaks? • If not, how fhall I know, that all pretences of this kind are not equally fictitious and imaginary? This (I G