opinion. But you will, perhaps, inquire, what I can say for those leaders who have influenced others to these irregular heats? To which I must answer, that as far as I am acquainted with them, I have reason for a much better opinion of the hearts of some of them, than of their heads; and must bear them witness, that they have a zeal for God, though not in every thing according to knowledge.

But supposing, as you suppose, that some of the chief of these preachers were very wicked men, who cloaked their evil intentions under a show of zeal and extraordinary piety, the better to ensnare poor unwary souls into their delusions, to promote divisions and contentions in the land, and to compass their covert designs: My argument is, on this supposition, so much the stronger. Herein the power and love of the great Redeemer are so much the more conspicuous, that he has out-shot 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 visible, than that great numbers of poor sinners have been awakened; and brought to fly to Christ for refuge. Nothing is more apparent, than that the consequence of this has (in numerous instances) been the renovation of their lives and conversation, from a careless, sinful, sensual life, to a life of holiness, righteousness, kindness, and charity. In these, therefore, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is become glorious; whatever covert designs any of the instruments were actuated by. If these preached Christ even of envy and strife, What then? notwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in truth, Christ was preached; I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.—It is remarkable, that the doctrines of the gospel, particularly touching the misery of our natural state, the necessity of an interest in Christ, and the way of salvation 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 blessed Saviour has therein blessed his own institutions; and accomplished

the designs of his grace, whoever and whatever were the instruments, by whom these glorious effects have been produced. As far, therefore, as a sanctifying change in the hearts and lives of men has been effected, so far must 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 those were which were wrought by the other apostles.

But you tell me, that "many of these new converts pretend to mighty experiences of divine impulses, raptures, ecstacies, and the like: But show forth no moral virtues, nor true love either to God or man.” Well, sir, what follows from this? Are there not many others, who make no pretension to such mighty experiences of divine impulses, raptures, &c., that do show 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 enthusiasts, who pretend to such experiences which the Scriptures do not make the character of true Christians, therefore they are all mere enthusiasts, who even pretend to such experiences as the Scriptures do make the character of all true Christians? What is Christianity concerned with the ecstacies and heats of such men as you speak of? Where are these ecstatical heats described in the gospel, 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 enthusiastical, unscriptural and without foundation? But then on the other hand, the experiences which I have before described, are such as the Scriptures do make the marks and characters of the children of God: and many there are, that make no pretences to divine impulses, raptures, or ecstacies, who profess to have had these experiences, and justify their profession, by living in the love both of God and man. Now, I pray, how are

such concerned in the enthusiasm, of which you complain? Do not the experiences of these witness for them, as much as the experiences of the other witness against them? Here is a visible and effectual change wrought in them (just such a change as the Scriptures describe) by which they are brought into a conformity to the divine Nature, and live worthy of their profession and character.-Christ has promised the sanctification of the Spirit to his people, who depend upon him for it: and what greater evidence can there be of the faithfulness of the promise, than to see and feel its accomplishment?

But you further observe, that "the demeanour of many of these pretenders to religious experiences, is directly 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 are not acquainted with many others, that pretend to the religious experiences which I have described, who are the brightest patterns of those 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 whose experiences are, and whose are not, from the Spirit of God.

"They are," you say, "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, self-loathing, and self-condemning?

"They are changed," you say, "but it is to bitterness, reviling, censuring, and judging their neighbours, who are much better than they." I allow this charge to be agreeable to their pretended experiences: But then, do not you see (blessed be God, I am sure I have seen) many others changed to meekness, kindness, and love, and brought to esteem others much better than themselves?

"Their boasted experiences," you add, "only animate them to divisions, factions, and separations." But is this the case of all, who make a profession of

religious experiences? No: we have cause to be thankful it is quite otherwise.

"They are," you say, "often elated with rapturous joys and exultation, which seem to be the product of nothing but self-esteem, and an irregular heated imagination." Here you inquire, "Must I esteem these to be the joy of the Holy Ghost, of which your last letter speaks? If not, how shall I know, that all pretences of this kind are not equally fictitious and imaginary?" This (I confess) deserves some attention. For perhaps no one thing has raised such prejudices in the minds of men against spiritual and religious experiences, as those airy raptures and causeless exultation, that in some instances have been seen of late.

I would therefore observe to you, that your own representation of those joyful transports, of which you complain, is sufficient to distinguish them from those joys of the Holy Ghost, of which I wrote to you. You rightly observe, that these false raptures are the product of an excited imagination. But you have no room to conclude this to be the case with respect to those spiritual joys and comforts, of which I wrote in my last. I have known a wretched despicable beggar, covered with rags and vermin, who imagined himself a king's son, and expected to be treated accordingly: but how vain and ludicrous soever his imaginations were, I never thought it an argument, that there are no king's sons in the world. He might probably entertain more transporting apprehensions of his imagined royalty, than they who really possess that dignity, which he so vainly pretended to. But must these latter be rejected as vain pretenders, because of the crazed imagination of such a miserable vagrant!

To apply this to the present case, I really allow, that all those joys and comforts which flow from imagination only, are always airy and chimerical, false and delusive. Thus, for instance, some will rejoice and triumph, from only imagining themselves favourites of heaven; some from being able to paint upon their imaginations the miracles, sufferings, re

surrection, or ascension of Christ; some from an imaginary idea of the final appearing of Christ, and their own future glory, and the like: yet all this while the poor souls forget that there is one thing wanting, in order to make their joys reasonable and substantial; and that is good evidence of their interest in that Saviour, and his glorious salvation, of which they entertain such pleasing imaginations. They who have this evidence (in the manner described in my last) have a substantial foundation of comfort and joy, from having that salvation actually begun in their souls, which is the pledge and earnest of their eternal inheritance: while the others are like to find themselves as much deluded in their expectations of future happiness, as they are in the foundation of their hopes.

You further represent these rapturous joys to be the effect of self-esteem. And I readily acknowledge, that where it is so, it is always deceitful and vain. The divine influences are always humbling to the soul which enjoys them. They therefore are horribly profane who impute their own pride and vanity to the Spirit of God: and consequently they are miserably deceiving themselves, whose joy and comfort flow from an high opinion of their imaginary attainments in religion. They are a smoke in God's nostrils, who are saying, stand by thyself, come not nigh me, for I am holier than thou. But then on the contrary, when the humble soul is lying at God's feet, self-abasing and self-condemning, adoring the infinite riches of God's free grace to such a vile, worthless worm; and rejoicing in Jesus Christ without confidence in the flesh; these blessed effects are worthy the Spirit of God, by whom they are wrought. And it is always true, that the believer's sense of his own vileness, pollution and unworthiness, bears proportion to his joyful evidences of the divine favour.

You further object against the false pretenders you mention, that "their conduct does not justify their joyful assurance.” This is indeed a good evidence against their high pretences to extraordinary attainments in religion. For I believe every Christian does