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RECOMMENDATION. 
 
 THE " Sceptics Manual,** while going 
 through the press, has been seen by Dr. S. S. 
 Smithy of Princeton College, and the Rev. 
 James Armstrong, of Trenton, both of whom, 
 have sent the Publisher special written testi- 
 monies of their approbation. 
 
 A part of the language of one, which is also 
 the opinion (in sulDstance) of the other, is, that 
 " the nature of the work deserves approbation ; 
 also the manner in which it is treated ; and 
 the great object it is calculated to promote.*' 
 The same writer also adds : " I am inclined 
 to think it promises great usefulness ; espe- 
 cially if those for whom it is intended, could 
 be prevailed upon to give it an attentive and 
 unprejudiced perusal.'* 
 
 This work is well adapted to the confirma^ 
 tion and edification of Christians, though it is 
 more particularly designed for the instruction 
 ^f Unbelievers. 
 
^*Iie that heiircth reproof getteth understanding.'- 
 
; 
 
 SCEPTIC'S MAmi AL. 
 
 OR 
 
 CHRISTIANITY VERIFIED . 
 
 Being a new method of Appeal to the UnderstaAd= 
 
 ings and Consciences of Deists, Jews, Sceptics, 
 
 and Formal Professors : 
 
 Tor the truth, power, and efficacy of the Christian 
 Religion ; demonstrated in three parts : 
 
 BY THE 
 
 TRUTH OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE3> 
 
 BY THE CERTAINTY Ot THE 
 
 MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT, 
 
 AND BY THE 
 
 INFLUENCE AND POWER OF RELIGIOlj', 
 
 AS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE CONVERSION OF tNOT^- 
 
 RIOtrS SINNERS, AND IN THE LIVES OP 
 
 DISTINGUISHED SAINTS. 
 
 ** He that heareth reproof getteth xindetstanding!''' 
 
 Paov. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 PUBLISHED BY J. F. WATSON, 
 
 S. W. Comer of Third and Chesnut-streeta. 
 
 assr 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 IT is intended in the following pages, to oflfey to 
 "Unbelievers, after their own manner of rea- 
 soning, reasons for the truth and certainty of th« 
 Christian Religion, both in its theory, and in it$ 
 *' power," deduced from, and confirmed by, datUy to 
 be found m their own judgments and consciences. 
 
 Those who disbelieve the Bible, do not allow their 
 opponents to urge their arguments from prennses, 
 which their minds already reject, it is therefore the 
 purpose here to convince them from " topics of rea- 
 son" in which they can at once give their consent. 
 — In this manner the Bible is demonstrated to be true. 
 
 It is next endeavoured to show, ftoxv it is that God, 
 who is a Spirit, " and whom no man hath seen at 
 any time," doth yet as certainly ?ctid perceptibly mani- 
 fest Himself to the mind^ as does the radiance of the 
 natiu'al sun to our outward senses at noonday. This 
 being a doctrine of vital importance to Christianity, 
 though little regarded by some theoretical christians, 
 is here proposed to the reason and understanding 
 of all objectors, and enforced by suitable Scripture 
 concurrence. 
 
 Finally, as Religion is a Sa^'ptvr a! service, and is 
 an affection and feeling of the heart, wrought there, 
 perceptibly and preternaturally by the Holy Ghost, to 
 the sure and certain evidence and consolation of all 
 true Believers, it is endeavoured to show the energy 
 and transforming effect of that spiritual power in 
 convincing and convicting of Sin, and m " changing 
 the heart," by exhibiting the operations of that spirit 
 
iv PREFACE. 
 
 in the death of convicted Smners, dying in despair ; 
 in Sinners reformed ; and in Saints who lived and 
 died in the assurance of Faith.-^The persons selected 
 for this evidence, are such as are best known to the 
 literary world, and to the truth of whose lives his- 
 tory has affixed her sufficient testimony. 
 
 This work is chiefly derived from the Wi'itings of 
 Leslie, Fletcher, and Si|rapson. 
 
t,..«,^ 
 
 PART I. 
 
 A •& 
 
OF THE 
 
 BY Mr, CHARILES LESLIE. 
 
 ' " METHOl) WITIL THE 
 
 lXALETTERT<)ASKlENa , . 
 

 
 
INTROBtJCTION 
 
 METHOD WITH THE DEISTS. 
 
 THE controversy between Deists and Christians, 
 ijnot so much respecting- the morality or ethics of 
 tlie gospel, (for honest Deists admit its precepts to 
 be pure, and of real importance to the well being- of 
 society) as it is a dispute concerning- the integrity 
 and validity of the bible itself Christians kno-uj it 
 to be an inspired book, because, besides its other 
 evidences, it has ** demonstration and power.'* Biit 
 Infidels imagine it a delusive forgery, imposed upon 
 the credulity of Christians, by the craft of designing 
 
 The vaKdity of the bibi.e, being therefore, the 
 chief matter at issue, the force of the following ar- 
 guments of Leslie, supported (for this occasion) by 
 notes, chiefly from Fletcher, are pm-posely limited 
 to that kind of appeal to the understanding of unbe- 
 lievers, which will best encounter and subdue tlteir 
 unbelief and prejudices. 
 
 The excellence of the moral and perceptive part of 
 the gospel, is comparatively an easier task to prove. 
 Its beneficial, and even purifying tendency, has been 
 already conceded in a very remarkable manner, by 
 
X ^ INTRODUCTION. 
 
 both Rousseau and Bolingbroke.* If however, fur- 
 ther information is required upon this subject, the 
 honest inquirer may find his utmost scruples amply 
 combatted, by looking- into Mr. Bogue's excellent 
 "'Essay on the Divine authority of the New Testa- 
 ment," a little book drawn up as as'ift to the infidels 
 of France, and most admirably adapted to subdue 
 the anti-christian prejudices of any people. 
 
 Till yovi convince an Infidel that the word of.»GOD 
 is indeed genuine, you but " beat the air,"- to urge 
 him to read it as his great rule of life ; but when 
 convinced... 7je knows, he must not only study it, but 
 must obey it, or perish. 
 
 * Even Paine has not scrupled to say, that " Jesus 
 Christ was a virtuous, and an amiable man ; that the 
 morality he preached and practised, was of the most 
 benevolent kind ; and that it has not been exceeded 
 by any." Similar concessions have been made, at 
 different times, by Blount and Tindal, and by Mor- 
 gan, Toland, Chubb, jind otjiers. 
 
STIORT AND EASY IVIETHOT) 
 
 WITH THE 
 
 DEISTS. 
 
 SIP, 
 
 I, IN answer to your's of the 3d instant, 
 I much condole with your unhappy circum- 
 stances, of being placed amongst such com- 
 pany, where, as you say, you continually 
 hear the sacred scriptures, and the histories 
 therein contained, particularly of Moses, and 
 of Christ, and all revealed religion, turned 
 into ridicule, by men who set up for sense 
 and reason. And they say, that there is no 
 greater ground to believe in Christ than in 
 Mahomet : that all these pretences to reve- 
 lation are cheats, and ever have been, 
 among Pagans, Jews, Mahometans, and 
 Christians : that they are all alike imposi- 
 tions of cunning and designing men, upon 
 the credulity, at first, of simple and mi- 
 thinking people ; till, their numbers increas- 
 ing, their delusions grew popular, came at 
 last to be established by laws ; and thea. 
 
12 EASY METHOD 
 
 the force of education and custom gives a 
 bias to the judgments of after ages, till such 
 deceits come really to be believed, being 
 received upon trust from the ages forego- 
 ing, without examining into the original and 
 bottom of them. Which these our moderit 
 men of sense, (as they desire to be esteem- 
 ed) say, that they only do ; that they only 
 have their judgments freed from the slavish 
 authority of precedents and laws, in mat- 
 ters of truth ; which, they say, ought only 
 to be decided by reason : though, by a pru- 
 dent compliance with popularity and laws, 
 they preserve themselves from outrage, and 
 legal penalties ; for none of their complex- 
 ion are addicted to sufferings, or martyr- 
 dom. 
 
 Now, sir, that which ydu desire frorh 
 me, is, some short topic of reason, if such 
 can be found, without running to authori- 
 ties, and the intricate mazes of learning, 
 which breed long disputes ; and which 
 these men of reason deny by wholesale, 
 though they can give no reason for it, only 
 suppose that authors have been trump- 
 ed upon us, interpolated, and corrupted, so 
 that no stress can be laid upon them : 
 though it cannot be shown wherein they 
 are so corrupted ; which, in reason, ought 
 to lie upon, them to prove, who alledge it,;" 
 
WITH THE MIISTS. 13 
 
 otherwise it is not only a precarious, but a 
 guilty plea : and the more, that they refrain 
 npt to quote books on their side, for whose 
 authority there are ; no better, or not so 
 good grounds. However, you say, it makes 
 your disputes endless, and they go away 
 with noise and clamour, and a boast, that 
 there is nothing, at least nothing certain, to 
 be said on the Christian side. Therefore 
 you are desirous to find some one topic of 
 reason, wdiich should demonstrate the truth 
 of the Christian religion, and at the same 
 time distinguish it from the impostors of 
 Mahomet, and the old Pagan world; tl^at 
 our Deists may be brought to this test, and 
 be either obliged to renounce their reason, 
 and the common reason of mankind, or to 
 submit to the clear proof, from reason, of 
 the Christian religion : which must be such 
 a proof, as no imposture, can pretend to, 
 otherwise it cannot prove the Christian re- 
 ligion not to be an imposture. And w^hether 
 such a proof,: one single proof, (to avoid 
 confusion,) is not to be found out, you desire 
 to knov»^ from me. 
 
 And you say, that you cannot imagine 
 but there must be such a proof, because 
 every truth is in itself clear, and one. And 
 therefore that one reason for it, if it be the 
 true reason., must be sufficient ; and if suffi- 
 
14 EASY 3IETHQD 
 
 cient, It is better than many ; for muliipUcity 
 confounds, especially to weak judgments. 
 
 Sir, you have imposed a hard task upon 
 me. 1 vvish I could perform it. For though 
 every truth is one ; yet our sight is so feeble, 
 that we cannot (always) come to it directly, 
 but by many inferences, and laying -^^of 
 things togethfe-r. 
 
 But I think, thaty in the case before us, 
 there is such a proof as you require ; and 
 ' I will set it down as short and plain as I 
 ■''■can. -' 
 
 ii; First, then, I'-sappbse that the truth 
 
 of the doctrine O'f 'Christ will be sufficiently 
 
 Evinced, if the matters of fact which are 
 
 ■fiscorded of him in the gospels, be true : for 
 
 i-ftis miracles, if true, do vouch the truth of 
 
 what he delivered. 
 
 The same is to be said as to Moses. If 
 he brought the children of Israel through 
 the Red Sea, in that miraculous manner 
 which is related in Exodus, and did siich 
 other wonderful things as are there told of 
 him, it must necessarily follow, that he was 
 sent from God : these being the strongest 
 proofs we can desire ; and which every De- 
 ist will confess he would acquiesce in, if' he 
 saw them with his eyes. Therefore the stress 
 of this Cause will depend xipon the proof of 
 these iti^tters of fact. 
 
WITH THE DEJSTS. 15 
 
 1. And the method I will take, is, Firsts 
 To lay down such rules, as to the truth qi ^ 
 matters of fact in general, that, where they 
 all meet, such matters of fact cannot be 
 false. And then, Secondlij^ to show, that all , 
 these rules do meet in the matters of fact of , 
 M-oseSy and of Christ : and that they. do not 
 meet in the matters of fact of Mahomet, of 
 the heathen deities, or can possibly meet 
 in any. imposture, Avhatsoever. 
 
 2^ The rules ace these. 
 
 I. That the matter of fact be such, 
 as that men's oiitward senses, their eyes 
 and ears, may be judges of it, 
 
 II. That it be done publicly, in the 
 face of the world. 
 
 III. That not only public monu- 
 ments be kept up in memory of it, but 
 some outward actions be performed. 
 
 IV. That such monuments, and 
 such actions, or observances, be insti- 
 tuted, and do commence from the time 
 that the matter of fact was done. 
 
 3. The twQ first rules make it impossi- 
 ble for aay^such matter of fact to be impo- 
 sed upon men, at the time when such mat- 
 
15' EASY METltOT5 
 
 tef'^of fact was said to be done, because 
 ev^n^ Irian's eyes and senses would contra-^"" 
 diet it; For example, suppose any man 
 f-.hould pretend, that yesterday he divided 
 the Thames, iin presence of all the people 
 of London, and carried the whole city, men, 
 women, f»nd children, over to Soutliwark, 
 on dry lard ; the waters standing like walls 
 on bo^th. sides : J say, it is morally impos- 
 sible, that he could persuade the people of 
 luondon that this was true, when every man 
 woman, and child, could contradict him, 
 and say, 'that this was a notorious falsehood; 
 for that they had not seen the Thame's so 
 divided, or had gone over on dry lafid. 
 Therefore I take it lor granted, (and, 1 sup- 
 pose, with the allov/ance of all the Deists, 
 in the world) that no such imposition 
 could be put upon men, at the time, when 
 such public matter of fact was said to be 
 don^. 
 
 4. Therefore it only remains tliat suck 
 matter of fact inight be invented some time 
 after wiien the men of that generation 
 whei-ein^the thin^ was said to be done, are 
 all past and gone ; and the credulity of after 
 ages might be imposed upon, to believe 
 that things were done in former ages 'which 
 were not. , '*' ■'*'• 
 
 An^rfor thi«,' the two last rules seture 
 
AVXTH THK DEISTS. 17 
 
 lis as much as the two first rules in the 
 tormer case ; for whenever such a matter 
 of fact came to be invented, if not only 
 monuments were said to remain of it, but 
 likewise that public actions and observances 
 were constantly used, ever since the matter 
 of fact was said to be done, the deceit must 
 be detected, by no such monuments appear- 
 ing, and by the experience of every man, 
 woman, and child, who must know that no 
 such actions, or observances, were ever 
 used by them. For example, suppose I 
 should now invent a story of such a thing- 
 done a thousand years ago, I might perhaps 
 get some to believe it : but if I sa}- that not 
 only such a thing was done, but that from 
 that day to this, ev^rv man at the age of 
 twelve years had a joint of his little finger 
 cut off; and that every man in tlie nation 
 did want a joint of such a finger ; and that 
 this institution v/as said to be part of the 
 matter of fact done so many years ago, and 
 vouched as a proof and confirmation of it, 
 and as having descended, without interrup- 
 tion, and been constantly practised, in me- 
 mory of such matter of fact all along from the 
 time that such matter of fact was done : J 
 say, it is impossible I should be believed 
 in such a case; because every one could 
 contradict me, as to the mark, of cutting off 
 B 2 
 
13 EASY METHOD 
 
 a jomt of the firi^er';''afid that being part 
 of n'ly original matter of fact, must demon- 
 str^ite the whole to be false. 
 
 in. Let us now come to the second 
 point, to shov/, that the matters of fact of 
 Moses, and of Christ, have all these rules or 
 marks before mentioned : and that neither 
 the matter of fact of Mah<imet, or what is 
 reported of the heathen deities, have the 
 like : and that no impostui^ can have them 
 all. 
 
 ' .t. As to Moses, I suppose it will be al>- 
 lowed me, that he could not have persuad- 
 ed 600,000 men, that he had brought them 
 ■6tit of Egypt, through the Ked sea ; fed 
 them forty years, without Thread,' by raira* 
 culcus irianna ; and the other matters of fact 
 recorded in his books, if they had not been 
 true ; because every man's senses that were 
 then alive, must have contradicted it: and 
 therefore he must have imposed upon all 
 their senses, if he could have made them 
 believe it, when it was false, and no such 
 things done. So that here are the first and 
 seconcl of the above mentioned four marks. 
 
 For the same reason, it was equally im- 
 possible for him to have made them receive 
 his five books as truth, and not to have 
 rejected them, as a manifest imposture, 
 which toid of all these things as clone be- 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 19 
 
 fore their eyes, if they had not been so done. 
 See how positiv^ely he speaks to them, Deiit, 
 xi. 2 — 8. Arid know ye this day : for I 
 speak not imth your children which have 
 not knoxvn^ and which have not seen the 
 <:hastisement of the Lord your God^ his 
 greatness^ his mighttj hand^ and his stretch- 
 ed-out arm ; and his miracles^ and his acts 
 which he did in the midst of Egypt^ unto 
 Pharaoh the king of Egypt ^ and unto all 
 his land ; and what he did unto the armij 
 of Egypt^ unto their horses^ and to their 
 chariots^ how he made the water of the Red 
 sea to overjiorv them as they pursued after 
 yoii^ and how the Lord hath destroyed them 
 unto this day ; and rvhat he did unto you in 
 the ruilderjiess^ until ye came unto this 
 place ; and what he did unto Dathan and 
 Ahiram^ the sons of Eliah^ the son of Rhu- 
 ben : hoiv the earth opened her mouthy and 
 sxvallowed them up^ and their households^ 
 and their tents^ and all the substance that 
 was in their possession^ in the midst of all 
 Israel, But your eyes have seen all the 
 great a^ts of the Lord^ which he did^ Sec. 
 
 From hence we must suppose it impos- 
 sible, that these books of Moses, if an im- 
 posture, could have been invented, and put 
 upon the people who were then alive )Yhen 
 all these things -were said to be done. "^ 
 
20 EASY iVtETIIOJ> 
 
 The utmost therefore, that even ii supfios? 
 can stretch to, is, that these books wey^ 
 wrote in some age after Moses, and put 
 out in his name. 
 
 And to this I say, that if it was ro, it 
 was impossible that those books should have 
 been received as the books of Moses, in that 
 age wherein they may have been supposed 
 to have been first invented. Why ? Because 
 they speak of themselves as delivered by 
 Moses, and kept in the ark from his time. 
 And it came, to pass^ -when Moses had made 
 an end of writing the words of this laxu in 
 a book^ until theij -were finished ; that Moses 
 commanded the Levites ■which bear the ark 
 of the covenant of the Lor d^ sayings take this 
 hook of the laiv^ and put it in the side of tJie 
 ark of the covenant of the Lord your God^ that 
 it may be there for a rvitness against thee^ 
 Deut. xxxi. 24, 25, 26. And there was a 
 copy of this book to be left likewise with 
 the king. And it shall be when he sitteth up- 
 on the throne of his kingdom^ that he shall 
 write him a copy of this law in a book^ out 
 of that -which is before the priests the Le- 
 vites. And it shall be with him^ and he shall 
 read therein all the days of hi^- ife; that he 
 may learn to fear the Lord his God^ to- keep 
 ^llMe words of this law^ and these stakUtes^ 
 iq do themy Deut. xvii. 18, 19. 
 
AVITH THE DEISTS. *2l 
 
 Here you see that this book of the law 
 speaks of itself, not only as an history or 
 relation of what things were then done ; but 
 as the standing and municipal law and sta- 
 tutes of the nation of the Jews, binding the 
 king as well as the people. 
 
 Now, in whatever age after Moses you 
 will suppose this book to have been forged, 
 it was impossible it could be received as 
 truth ; because it was not then to be found, 
 cither in the ark, or with the king, or any 
 where else : for when first invented, every 
 body must know, that they had never heard 
 of it before. 
 
 And therefore they could less believe it 
 to be the book of their statutes, and the 
 standing law of the land, which they had all 
 along received, and by which they had been 
 governed. 
 
 Could any man, now at this day, invent 
 a book of statutes, or acts of parliament, for 
 England, and make it pass upon the nation 
 as the only book of statutes that ever they 
 had known ? As impossible was it for the 
 books of Moses (if they were invented in 
 any age after Moses) to have been received 
 for what they declare themselves to be, viz. 
 the statutes and municipal law of the nation 
 of the Jews ; and to have persuaded the 
 
2^ EASY METHOD 
 
 Jews, that they had owned and acknow- 
 ledged these books, all along from the day 
 of Moses, to that day in which thy were 
 first invented : that is, that they had owned 
 them before they had ever so much as heard 
 of them. Nay, more, the whole nation must, 
 In an instant, forget their former laws and 
 government, if they could receive theses 
 books, as being their former laws. And they 
 could not otherwise receive them, because 
 they vouch themselves so to he. Let me ask 
 the Deists but this one short question, was 
 there ever a book of sham laws, which were 
 not the laws of the nation, palmed^ upon 
 any people since the world began ? If not» 
 with what face can they say this of the book 
 of the laws of the Jews ? Why will they say 
 that of them, which they confess impossible 
 in any nation or among any people ? 
 * But they must be yet more unreasonable. 
 For the books of Moses have a further de- 
 monstration of their truth, than even other 
 law books have ; for they not only contain 
 the laws, but give an historical account of 
 their institution, and the practice of them 
 from that tirtie : as of the passover, in: me- 
 mory of the death of the first-born in Egypt* 
 and that the same day, all' the first-born of 
 Israel, both of man and beast, were, by a 
 
 * ^umb. viii. ir, 18. 
 
AVXTH THE DEISTS^. >^2J 
 
 perpetual law, dedicated to Crod ,* and the 
 -ijfevites taken for all the first-born of the 
 -iehildren of Israel : that Aaron's rod which 
 fibiidded; was kept in the ark, in memory bf 
 ^#ie rebellion and wonderful destruction of 
 ■^Korah, Dathan, and Abiram : and for the 
 r^^nfirmation of the priesthood to the tribe 
 'Aif J^evi : as likewise the pot of manna, in 
 -=4iEiemory of their having been fed with it 
 -forty years in the wilderness : that the bra- 
 zen serpent was kept (which remained to 
 the days of Hezekiah, 2 Kings xviii. 4) in 
 memory of that wonderful deliverance, by 
 -onlyiooking upon it, from the biting of the 
 ~^ery serpent. Numb. xxi. 9 : the feast of 
 '-Pentecost, in memory of the dreadful ap- 
 .-'pearance of God upon mount Horeb, ^c, 
 xVnd besides these remembrances of par- 
 ticular actions and occurrences, there were 
 other solemn institutions in memory of their 
 deliverance out of Egypt, in the general, 
 which included all the particulars ; as of 
 
 • the Sabbath, Deut, v. 1 5 ; their daily sacri- 
 ^-fices, and yearly expiation ; their new moons 
 -and several feasts and fasts. So that there 
 
 • were yearly, monthly, weekly, daily remem- 
 brances and recognitions of these things. 
 
 And not only so, but the books of the 
 same JMoses tell us, that a particular tribe 
 (of Levi) was appointed and consecraled 
 
24 EASY METHOD 
 
 by God, as his priests; by whose hands, 
 and none other, the sacrifices of the people 
 were to be offered, and these solemn insti- 
 .tLitions to be celebrated: that it was death 
 for any other to approach the altar: that 
 their high priest wore a glorious mitre, and 
 magnificent robes of God's own contrivance, 
 rJwith the miraculous Urim and Thummim 
 in his breast-plate, whence the divine res- 
 ponses were given"^ : that, at his word, the 
 king, and all the people, were to go out, 
 and to come in : that these Levites were 
 likewise the chief judges, even in all civil 
 causes ; and that it was death to resist their 
 sentence! . Now, whenever it can be suppo- 
 sed, tliat these books of Moses v/ere forged, 
 in some ages after Moses, it is impossible.^ 
 they could have been received as true, un- 
 less the forgers could have made the whole 
 nation believe, that they had received these 
 books from their fathers ; had been instruct- 
 ed in them when they were children, and 
 had taught them to their children; moreo- 
 ver, that they had all been circumcised, and 
 did circumcise their children in pursuance 
 ftp, what was commanded in these books ; 
 that they had observed the yearly passover, 
 the weekly sabbath, the new moons, and 
 all these several feasts, fasts, and ceremo- 
 
 *^Vx/7^. xxvi). 21. fBeit-t. xVii. 8. 1-31 C^rorj.xxili.4- 
 
UIXH THE DEISTS, 25 
 
 nies, commanded in these books : that they 
 had never eaten any swine's flesh, or other 
 meats prohibited in these books ; that they 
 **i h^d a magnificent tabernacle, with a visible 
 ■'priesthood to administer in it, which w^as 
 confined to the tribe of Levi; over whom 
 was placed a glorious high priest, clothed 
 with great and mighty prerogatives ; whpse 
 — death only could deliver those that.w^ere 
 -'^^fled to the cities of refuge'* ; and that these 
 priests were their ordinary judges, even in 
 civil matters : I say, was it possible to 
 have persuaded a whole nation of men, that 
 they had known and practised all these 
 things, if they had not done it? oy^ secondly^ 
 to have received a book for truth, which 
 said they had practised them, and appealed 
 to that practice ? so that here are the third 
 and fourth of the marks above men- 
 tioned. 
 
 But now let us descend to the utmost de- 
 gree of supposition, viz* That these things 
 were practised before these books of Mo- 
 £es were forged : and that these books did 
 only impose upon the nation, in making 
 them believe, that they had kept these obser- 
 vances in memory of such and such things 
 as were inserted in those books. 
 
 * Xiutib. XXXV. 25, ?8, . 
 C 
 
oG EASY METHOI) 
 
 -• ■ . ' . /■ 
 
 Well^ then, let us proceed upon thi$ sup- 
 position, however groundless. And now, 
 "*ViU not the same impossibilities occur as in 
 ■^^ the former casei* ioi\ firsty this must sup- 
 '•■•pose that the Jews kept all these obseryan- 
 • Ce^ in memory of nothing,.or without know- 
 ing any thing of their original, or the rea- 
 •^bn why they kept them: whereas these 
 Very observances did express the ground 
 - and reason of their being kept ; as the;pass- 
 over, in memory of God's passing over 
 "'the children of the Israelites, in that night 
 wherein he slew all the first-born of JE«ypt; 
 and so of the rest. But, 
 
 iSeeofidlfjy IjQt us suppose, contrary both 
 to reason and matter of fact, that the Jews 
 -did not know any reason at all why they 
 kept these observances ; yet was.it possible 
 to put it upon them, that they had kept 
 these observances in memory of what they 
 had never heard of before that day, when- 
 soever you will suppose that these books of 
 3Ioses were first forged ? For example, 
 suppose I should now forge some romantic 
 story, of strange things done a thousand 
 years ago ; and, in confirmation of this, 
 should efideavour to pursuade the Christian 
 world, that they had all along, from that 
 day to this, kept the first day of the week 
 
AVITH THE DETSTS. 27 
 
 in memon: of such a hero, an Apollonins, 
 a Barcosbas, or a Mahomet ; and had all 
 been baptised in his name ; and swore by 
 his name, and upon that very book, (which 
 I had then forged, and which they never 
 saw before) in their public judicatures ; that 
 this book was their gospel, and law, which 
 they had ever since that time, these thou- 
 sand years past, universally received and 
 owned, and none other : I would ask any 
 Deist, whether he thinks it possible, that 
 such a cheat could pass, or such a legend be 
 received, as the gospel of Christians ? and 
 that they could be made believe, that they 
 never had had any other gospel ? the same 
 reason is as to the books of Moses : and 
 must be as to every matter of fact which has 
 all the four marks before mentioned. And 
 these marks secure any such matter of fact 
 as much from being invented and imposed 
 in any after ages^ as at the time when such 
 matters of fact were said to be done. 
 
 Let me give one very familiar example 
 more in this case. There is the Stonhenge in 
 Salisbury plain, every body knows it ; and 
 yet none knows the reason -why those great 
 stones were set there, or by whom, or in- 
 memory of what. 
 
 • Now, suppose I should^, write a book to- 
 morrow, and tell there, thatthcse stones were 
 
28 , EASY METHOD 
 
 set up by Hercules, Polyphemus, or Gara- 
 grtntua, in memory of such and such of their 
 adtions ; and for a further confirmation of 
 this, should say in this book, that it was 
 wrote at the time when such actions were 
 done, and by the very actors themselves, or 
 eye- witnesses ; and that this book had been 
 received as truth, and quoted by authors of 
 the greatest reputation in all ages since ; 
 moreover that this book was well known 
 in England, and injoined by act of parlia- 
 ment to be taught our children ; and that 
 we did teach it to our children, and had 
 been taught it ourselves when we were chil- 
 dren : I ask any Deist, whether he thinks 
 this could pass upon England ? and w^hether 
 if I or any other, should insist upon it, we 
 should not, instead of being believed, be 
 sent to "Bedlam ? 
 
 Now let us compare this with the Ston- 
 hengc, as I may call it, or twelve great 
 stones set up at Gilgal, which is told in the 
 4th chapter of Joshva. I'hcre it is said, 
 V. 8. That the reason why they were set up 
 was, that when their children, in after ages, 
 should ask the meaning of it, it should be 
 told them. 
 
 And the thing iiv memory of which they 
 were set up, was such as could not possibly 
 be imposed upon that nation, at that time 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 29 
 
 when it was said to be done, it was as won- 
 derful and miraculous as their passage 
 through the Red sea. 
 
 And withal free from a very poor ob- 
 jection, which the Deists have advanced 
 against that miracle of the Red sea : think- 
 ing to salve it by a spring-tide with the con- 
 currence of a strong wind happening at the 
 same time ; which left the sand so dry, ap 
 that the Israelites, being all foot, might pass 
 through the oozy places and holes, which, 
 it must be supposed, the sea left behind it : 
 but that the Egyptians, being all horse and 
 chariots, stuck in those holes, and were in- 
 tangled, so that they could not march so 
 fast as the Israelites : and that this wras all 
 the meaning of its being said, that God 
 took off their (the Egpytians) chariot- 
 wheels, that they drove them heavily. So 
 that they would make nothing extraordi- 
 nary, at least not miraculous, in all this 
 action. 
 
 This is advanced in Le Clerc's disserta- 
 tions upon Genesis^ lately printed in Hol- 
 land.^ And that pan, with others of the 
 like tendency, endeavouring to resolve 
 other miracles, as that of Sodom and Go- 
 morrah, &c. into the mere natural causes, 
 
 ' I.c Clerc lived to recant his opmion. 
 
30 EASY METHOD 
 
 are put into English by the well known T». 
 Brown, for the edification of the Deiats in 
 England. ^ - • 
 
 Bat these gentlemen have forgot, that 
 'the Israelites had great herds of manv thou- 
 sand cattle with thtm ; which would be 
 apter to stray, and fall into those holes and 
 oozy places in the sand, than horses, with 
 riders, who might direct them. '^ ; 
 
 But such precarious and silly supposes 
 are not worth the answering. If there had 
 been no more in this passage through the 
 Red sea than that of a spring-tide, &c. it 
 had been impossible for Moses to hav.e 
 made the Israelites believe that relation 
 gtv^en-of it "in Exodus^ with so many parti- 
 culars, which themselves saw to be true. , 
 • And all those scriptures which magnify 
 this action, and appeal to it as a full de- 
 monstration of the miraculous power of 
 (jod, must be reputed as romance or le- 
 gend, 
 
 I say this for the sake of some Christi- 
 ans, who think it no prejudice to the truth 
 of the Holy Bible, but rather an advantage, 
 as renderingiit more easy to be believed, if 
 they can solve whatever seems miraculous 
 in it, by the power of second causes ; and 
 so to make all, as they speak, natural and 
 easy. Wherein, U' they could prjevail, the 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. CI 
 
 natural, and easy result would be, not to 
 believe one word in all those sacred ora- 
 cles : for if things be not as they are told 
 in any relation, that relation must be false,; 
 and if false in part, we cannot trust to it, 
 either in whole, or in part. 
 
 Here are to be excepted mistranslations 
 and errors, either in copy, or in press. But 
 where there is no room for supposing of 
 these, as where all copies do agree, there 
 we must either receive all, or reject all : I 
 mean in any book that pretends to be writ- 
 ten from the mouth of God ; for in other 
 €ommbii histories, we may believe part, and 
 ^Z^ect pai"t, as we see cause, 
 ^t,; But to return : The passage of the Isra- 
 elites over Jordan, in memory of which 
 those stones at Gilgal were set up, is free 
 from all those little carpings before-men- 
 tioned, that are made as to the passage 
 through the 1R.g(\ sea ; for notice was given 
 to the ,Isr,aelites the day before, of this great 
 miracle to be done, yos/i. iii. 5. It was 
 ,,done at noon-day, before the whole nation. 
 ^,And when the waters of Jordan were di- 
 ^'.Vided, it Avas not at any low ebb, but at 
 .'^the time when that river overflowed all his 
 banks, v. 15. And it was done, not by 
 winds, or in length of time, which winds 
 must take to do it ; but all on the sudden : 
 
^2 EASY METHOD 
 
 As soon as the feet of the priests that bare 
 the ark^ were dipped in the brim of the xva- 
 ter^ then the waters which came doxvnfrom 
 above^ stood and rose up upon an heap^ very 
 far from the city Adam^ that is beside Za~ 
 retan^ and those that came down toxvard the 
 sea of the plain^ even the salt-sea failed^ and 
 xvere cut off: and the people passed over 
 rig'ht against Jericho* The priests stood 
 in the midst of Jordan, until all the armies 
 of Israel had passed over. And it came to 
 pass^ xvhen the priests that bare the ark of 
 the covenant of the Lord^ "were come up out 
 of the midst of Jordan^ and the soles of the 
 priests'* feet xvere lift upon the dry kmd^ 
 that the xuaters of Jordan returned unto 
 their place^ and foxved over all his banks^ 
 as they did before. And the people came 
 up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the 
 first months and encamped in GilgcU in the 
 east border of Jericho* And those twelve 
 stories xvhich they ' took out of JordaUy 
 did Joshua pitch in GilgaL And he spake 
 unto the children of Israel^ sayings When 
 your children shall ask their fathers in time 
 to come, saying, What mean these stones ? 
 then ye shcill let your children knoxv, saying, 
 Israel came over this Jordan on dry land* 
 For the Lord your God dried up the waters 
 of Jordan from b fore you, until ye^xveve 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 33 
 
 passed over ^ as the Lord your Gcd didto tlie 
 Red sea^ which he dried up froni before uSy 
 until xve were ^one over ; that all the peo- 
 ple of the earth might' know the^hand of the 
 Lordy that it is mighty : that yemight fear 
 the Lord your God for ever, chap. iy. trom 
 V. 18. ^ 
 
 If the passage over the Red sea had been 
 only takmg advantage of a sprmg-tide,' or 
 the like ; how would this teach all the peo^ " 
 pie of the earth, that the hand of the Lord ' 
 was mighty ? How would a thing no more 
 remarkable, have been taken notice of 
 through all the world ? How would it 
 have taught Israel to fear the Lord, when 
 they mu&t know, that, notwithstanding of 
 all these big words, there was so little in 
 it ? How could they have believed, or re- 
 ceived a book as truth, which they knew 
 told the matter so far otherwise from what 
 it was ? , 
 
 But, as I said, this passage over Jordan, 
 which is here compared to that of the Red 
 sea, is free from all those cavils that are 
 made as to that of the Red sea ; and is a 
 further attestation to it, being said to be- 
 done in the same manner, as was that of 
 the Red sea. 
 
 Now, to form our argument, let us sup- 
 pose, that there never was any such thing 
 
54 KASY METHOD 
 
 as that passage over Jordan ; that these 
 stones at Gilgal were set up upon some 
 other occasion, in some after age ; and then 
 that some designing man invented this book 
 of Joshua^ and said, that it was wrote by 
 Joshua at that time ; and gave this stonage 
 at Gilgal, for a testimony of the truth of 
 it : Would not every body say to him,' We 
 know the stonage at Gilgal ; but we never 
 heard before of this reason for it, nor ofc; 
 this book of Joshua : Where has it been • 
 all this while ? and where, and how came 
 you, after so many ages, to find it? Be- 
 sides, this book tells us, that this passage 
 over Jordan was ordained to be taught our 
 children, from age to age ; and therefore 
 that they were always to be instructed in 
 the meaning of that stonage at Gilgal, as a 
 memorial of it : but we were never taught 
 it when we were children, nor did ever 
 teach our children any such thing : And it 
 is not likely chat could have been forgotten, 
 while so remarkable a stonage did conti- 
 nue, which was set up for that, Jlnd no 
 other end. 
 
 And if, for the reasons before given, no 
 such imposition could be put upon us as to 
 the stonage in Salisbury plain"; how much 
 less could it be as to the gtonage at Gilgal ? 
 
 And if, where we know not the reason 
 
\nTH THE DEISTS. 35 
 
 ot a bare naked monument, such a sham 
 reason cannot be imposed ; how much more 
 is it impossible to impose upon us in ac- 
 tions and observances v/hich we celebrate 
 in memory of particular passages ; how 
 iinipossible to make us forget those pas- 
 sages which we daily commemorate, and 
 persuade us, that we had always kept such 
 institutions in memory of what we never 
 heard of before ; that is, that we knew it 
 before we knew it. 
 
 And if we find it thus impossible for an 
 imposition to be put upon us, even in some 
 things which have not ali the four marks 
 before-mentioned ; how much more impos- 
 sible is it, that any deceit should be in. that 
 thing where all the four marks do meet ? 
 
 This has been showed, in the first place, 
 as to the matters of fact of Moses. - 
 
 2. Therefore I come now, secondly^ to 
 show, that, as in the matters of fact of 
 Moses, so likewise all these four marks do 
 meet in the matters of fact which are re- 
 corded in the gospel of our blessed Saviour. 
 And my work herein will be the shorter ; 
 because all that is said before, of Moses 
 ^and his books, is every way applicable to 
 Christ and his gospel. His works and mi- 
 racles are there said to be done publicly, 
 in the face of tlie world ; as he argued to 
 
, .;56 , EASY METHOD 
 
 h.)^SiCC}istYS, Ispake open^ly to the world, and 
 
 iji secret have I said nothings John xviii. 
 
 io. It is told, Acts lu 41. that three thou- 
 ^/sahd at one tjme, and, Acts iv. 4. that above 
 ^^^ 'iive thousand at anotlier time, were con- 
 
 y ertedji upon conviction of what themselves 
 f liad'Seen, what had been done publicly be- 
 ,jfpi*e their ej^es, w^herein it was impossible 
 ' to have ' imposed upon them. Therefore 
 J here.\v^ere the two first of the rules before- 
 
 ineritioiifed.* 
 
 ' * The instantaneous conversion of thousands was 
 .wrought by means of public appeals to notorious 
 matter ^f fact. Hear the lang-uage of the Apostles 
 to tlie Jews : 21iis ye ymirsehes Know, Acts it. 24. 
 Ye KNOW the thingg done thvoiigh all Jwffea, Acts 
 X, 37, 38. The king knoweth these 'things.. Tlds 
 thing ivas li or done in a corner. .^ Acts xxvi. 26. Now 
 jf Christianity is not founded upon indubitable facts, 
 might you not as well believe, that twelve men broke 
 loose from Bedlam, last year, brought thousands of 
 Deists over to Christianity, by saying to them, " Je 
 knoxv^' — what you are perfect strangers to; that is, 
 *' Ve kno-iv" — that we are a pack of bedlamites ? 
 
 If the gospel is forged, you believe that the Co- 
 rinthians, &c. handed do v/n to posterity, as a sacred 
 treasure. Epistles where St. Paul mentions their 
 amazing conversion from gross immoralities; con- 
 gratulates them about the spiritual or miraculous 
 gifts, in which they abounded, 1 Cor. xii. 1. and 
 gives them particular directions, how to use ihe gift 
 of tongues to edification ; when yet they were totally 
 imrxquainted with any such things? ' ' , 
 
 If you believe ^vit!^ some infidels, that tliS history 
 
 ■■ ■ ■■■-■■:- '■;. :.:iij 1 • .;.; 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. ^f 
 
 *rhen for the two second : Baptism and 
 the Lord's supper were instituted as perpe- 
 tual memorials of these things : and they 
 were not instituted in afar ages, but at the 
 i-ery time when these things were said to 
 be done ; and have been observed without 
 interruption in all ages through the whole 
 Christian world, down ail the way from 
 that time to this. And Christ himself did 
 ordain apostles, and other ministers of his 
 gospel, to preach, and administer these sa- 
 craments, and to govern his church ; and 
 that always, even unto the end of the 
 world.* Accordingly they, have continued 
 
 of Christ is " a mere fable," and that there never 
 was such an extraordinary person, you believe that 
 the Heachens, the Jews, and the Mahometans, have 
 agreed with the Christians, their sworn enemies, to 
 carry on a most amazing- imposture For Pliny, Ta- 
 citus, Lucian, and Suetonius, heathen authors, who 
 lived soon after Christ, make express mention of 
 him : as do also Mahomet, many of the Rabbies, and 
 Julian tlie Etnperor, that powerful and crafty apos- 
 tate, Av'ho not only never denied Christ's existence, 
 but openly acknowledged that Paul, Mark, Mat- 
 thew, and Petei*, were the authors of the g-ospels and 
 epistles, which bear their name. Now is not this a» 
 ridiculous as to believe, that the Pope, the Mufti, 
 and the inquisitors, have laid their heads with 
 Messrs. Voltaire, Hume, and Rousseau, to favour a 
 forgery subversive of popen-, mahometanisni, and 
 ijpfideiitv ? 
 
 • ^atth. xxviJU. 20^ 
 
 P 
 
38 EASY METIIOET 
 
 by regular succession, to this day ; and, no 
 doubt, ever shall, while the earth shall last* 
 So that the Christian clergy are as notori- 
 ous a matter of fact, as the tribe of L^vi 
 among the Jews. And the gospel is as. 
 much a law to the Christians," as the book 
 of Moses to the Jews : and it being part of 
 the matters of fact related in the gospel, 
 tliat such an order of men were appointed 
 b}' Christ, and to continue to the end of the 
 vvorld.; consequently, if the gospel was a 
 fiction, and invented (as it must be) in 
 some ages after Christ; then, at that time 
 when it was first invented, there could be 
 no such order of clergy as derived them- 
 selves from the institution of Christ ; which 
 lYiust give the lie to the gospel, and demon- 
 strate the whole to be false. And the mat- 
 ters of fact of Christ being pressed to be 
 true, no otherwise than as there was, at that 
 time, (whenever the Deists will suppose the 
 gospel to be forged) not only public sacra- 
 ments of Christ's institution, but an order 
 of clergy likewise, of his appointment, to 
 administer them ; and it being- impossible 
 there could be any such things before they 
 were invented, it is as impossible that they, 
 should be received wheri invented. Aiid 
 therefore, by what was said above,' it was 
 as impossible to have imposed upon man. 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 39 
 
 kind In this matter, by inventing of it in 
 after ages, as at the time when those things 
 were said to be done. 
 
 3. The matters of fact of Mahomet, or 
 what is fabled of the Heathen deities, do 
 all want some of the aforesaid four rules, 
 whereby the certainty of matters of fact is 
 demonstrated. First, For Mahomet, he 
 pretended to no miracles, as he tells us in 
 his Alcoran, chap. 6, &c. and those which 
 ^^re commonly told of him, pass among the 
 Mahometans themselves but as legendary 
 fables ; and as such, are rejected by the 
 wise and learned among them, as the le- 
 gends of their saints are in the church of 
 Rome. See Dr. Prideaux's Life of Ma- 
 homet, p. 34. 
 
 But, in the next place, those v/hich are 
 told of him do all want the two first rules 
 before-mentioned. For his pretended con- 
 verse with the moon ; his mersa, or night- 
 journey from Mecca to Jerusalem,, and 
 thence to Heaven, &c. were not performed- 
 before any body. We have only his own 
 v/ord for them. And they are as ground- 
 less as the delusions of Fox, or Muggleton, 
 among ourselves. 
 
 The same is to be said, in the second 
 place, of the fcibles of the Heathen gods, 
 of Mercury's stealing sheep, Jupiter's turn- 
 
40 «. EASY METHOD 
 
 ing himself into a bull, and the like : be- 
 sides the folly and unworthiness of such 
 senseless pretended miracles. And more- 
 over, the wise among the Heathen did 
 reckon no otherwise of these but as fables, 
 which had a mythology, or mystical mean- 
 ing in them ; of which several of them have 
 given us the rationale^ or explication. And 
 it is plain enough, that Ovid meant no 
 other by all his metamorphoses. 
 
 It is true, the Heathen deities had their 
 priests : they had likewise feasts, games, 
 and other public institutions in memory of 
 them. But all these want the fourth mark, 
 viz. That such priesthood and institutions 
 should commence from the time that such 
 things as they commemorate were said to be 
 done, otherwise they cannot secure after ages 
 from the imposture, by detecting it at the 
 time when first invented, as hath been ar- 
 gued before. Bat the Bacckanalia, and 
 other Heathen feasts, were instituted many 
 ages after what was reported of these gods 
 was said to be done, and therefore can be 
 no proof of them. And the priests of Bac- 
 chus, Apollo, &c. were not ordained by 
 these supposed gods, but were appointed 
 by others, in after ages, only in honour to 
 them. And therefore these orders of priests 
 are no evidence to the truth of the matters 
 of fact which are reported of their gods. 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 41 
 
 IV. Now to apply what has been said, 
 vou may challenge all the Deists in the 
 world to show any action that is fabulous, 
 which has all the four rules or marks be- 
 fore-mentioned. No ; it is impossible. 
 And, to resume a little what is spoke to 
 before, the histories of Exodus, and the 
 gospel, could never have been received, if 
 they had not been true ; because the insti- 
 tution of the priesthood of Levi, and of 
 Christ, of the sabbath, the passo\'er, of cir- 
 cumcision, of baptism, and the Lord's sup- 
 per, &c. are there related, as descending all 
 the way down from those times without 
 interruption. And it is fall as impossible, 
 to persuade men that they had been cir- 
 cumcised, baptized, had circumcised, or 
 baptized their children, celebrated passo- 
 vers, sabbaths, sacraments, 8vC. under the 
 government and administration of a certain 
 order of priests, if they had done none of 
 these things, as to make them believe that 
 they had gone through seas upon dry land, 
 seen the dead raised, &c. And without be- 
 lieving of these, it was impossible that 
 either the law or the gospel could have 
 been received. 
 
 And the truth of the matters of fact of 
 Exodus and the gospel, being no othei'wise 
 pressed upon men, than as they have orac- 
 D 2 
 
42 ^ASY METHOD 
 
 tised such public institutions, it is appeal- 
 ing to the senses of mankind for the truth 
 of them : and makes it impossible for any 
 to have invented such stories in after ages, 
 without a palpable detection of the cheat, 
 when first invented; as impossible as to 
 have imposed upon the senses of mankind 
 at the time when such public matters of 
 fact were said to be done. 
 
 V. I do not say, that every thing which 
 wants these four marks, is false ; but that 
 nothing can be false which has them all. 
 
 There is no manner of doubt that there 
 was such a man as Julius Caesar, that he 
 fought at Pharsalia, was killed in the senate 
 house, and many other matters of fact of 
 ancient times, though we keep no public 
 observances in memory of them. 
 
 But this shows, that the matters of fact 
 of Moses, and of Christ, have come down 
 to us better guarded than any other mat- 
 ters of fact, how true soever. 
 
 And yet our Deists, who would laugh 
 any man out of the world, as an irrational 
 brute, that should offer to deny Caesar or 
 Alexander, Homer or Virgil, their public 
 works and actions, do, at the same time, 
 value themselves as the only men of wit 
 and sense, of free, generous, and unbiassed 
 judgments, for ridiculing the histories of 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 45 
 
 Moses and Christ, that are infinitely better 
 attested, and guarded with infallible marks, 
 which the others want. 
 
 VI. Besides, tliat the importance of the 
 subject would oblige all men to inquire 
 more narrowly into the one than the other. 
 For what consequence is it to me, or to the 
 world, v/hether there was such a man as 
 Caesar : whether he beat, or was beaten at 
 Pharsalia ; whether Homer or Virgil wrote 
 such books ; and whether what is related 
 in the Iliads or -Sineids, be true, or false ? 
 It is not two-pence up or down to any man 
 in the world. And therefore it is worth no 
 man's while to inquire into it, either to op- 
 pose or justify the truth of these relations. 
 
 But our very souls and bodies, both this 
 life and eternity, are concerned in the truth 
 of what is related in the Holy Scriptures ; 
 and therefore men would be more inquisi- 
 tive to search into the truth of these, than 
 of any other matters of fact, examine and 
 sift them narrowly, and find out the deceit, 
 if any such could be found : for it concern- 
 ed them nearly, and was of the last import- 
 ance to them. 
 
 How unreasonable, then, is it to reject 
 these matters of fact, so sifted, so examin- 
 ed, and so attested, as no other matters of 
 fact in the world ever were ; and yet to 
 
44 EASY METHOD 
 
 think it the most highly unreasonable, even 
 to madness, to deny other matters of fact, 
 which have not the thousandth part of their 
 evidence, and are of no consequence at all 
 to us whether true or false ? 
 
 VI T. There are several other topics, 
 from whence the truth of the Christian re- 
 ligion is evinced to all who will judge by 
 reason, and give themselves leave to con- 
 sider : As the improbability that ten or 
 twelve poor illiterate fishermen should 
 form a design of converting the whole 
 world to believe their delusions; and the 
 impossibility of their effecting it, without 
 force of arms, learning, oratory, or any one 
 visible thing that could recommend them ; 
 and to impose a doctrine quite opposite to 
 the lusts and pleasures of men, and all 
 worldly advantages or enjoyments ,• and 
 this in an age of so great learning and sa- 
 gacity, as that v/herein the gospel was first 
 preached : That these apostles should not 
 only undergo all the scorn and contempt, 
 but the severest persecutions, and most 
 cruel deaths, that could be inflicted, in at- 
 testation to what themselves knew to be a 
 mere deceit and forgery, of their own con- 
 triving. Some have suffered for errors 
 which the}^ thought to be truth ; but never 
 any for what themselves knew to be lies. 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 45 
 
 And the apostles must know what they 
 taught, to be lies, if it was so ; because they 
 spoke of those things which they had both 
 seen and heard, had looked upon and han- 
 dled with their hands, t<c,^ 
 
 Ntither can it be said, that they perhaps 
 might have proposed some temporal advan- 
 tages to themselves, but missed of them, 
 and met with sufferings instead of them : 
 for if it had been so, it is more than proba- 
 ble, that when they saw their disappoint- 
 ment, they would have discovered their 
 conspiracy ; es^pecially when they might hot 
 only have saved their lives, but got gredt 
 rewards for doing of it. How improbable, 
 then, is it, that not one of them should ever 
 have been brought to do this ?f 
 
 But this is not all. For they tell us, that 
 
 • Acts iv. 20. 1 John i. 1. 
 
 f If you believe, that the gospel is the production 
 of human deceit; and yet, that in the prodigious 
 number of apostates once concerned in canying- on 
 the amazing villany, such as Judas, Demas, Simon 
 Magus, ^llexander the coppersmith, lohn did St. Paul 
 much evil; &c. not one was ever foui d, that would 
 prove the forgery : miglit you not as reasonably be- 
 lieve, that if there v. ere two violent parties in a 
 state, and that one of them had been guilty of some 
 egregious villany, which was known to many of the 
 other party, yet that none of tlie latter could be pre- 
 vailed upon to disclose and prove it to the world ? 
 
46 EASY. METHOD 
 
 their Master bid them ex]x;ct nothing hut 
 sufferings in this world. This is the tenor 
 of all that gospel which they taught: ah(i 
 they told the same to all whom they coi^- 
 verted. So that here was no disappoint- 
 ment. 
 
 For all that were conycrted by them, were 
 converted upon the certain expectation of 
 sufferings, and bidden prepare for it. Christ 
 commanded his disciples to take up their 
 cross daily, and follow him ; and told them, 
 that in the world they should have tribula- 
 tion ; that whoever did not forsake father, 
 mother, wife, children, lands, and their 
 very lives, could not be his disciples ; that 
 he who sought to save his life in this worlxjij. 
 should lose it in the next. r 
 
 Now, that this despised doctrine of the 
 cross should prevail so universally, against 
 the allurements of flesh and blood, and all 
 the blandishments of this world, against 
 the rage and persecution of all the kings 
 and powers of the earth, must show its ori- 
 ginal to be divine, and its protector al- I 
 mighty. What is it else could conquer 
 without arms, persuade without rhetoric, 
 overcome enemies, disarm tyrants, and 
 subdue empires, without opposition ?* 
 
 * The sacred pen-men, the Prophets and Apos- 
 tles, were holv, excellent men, and would not ; art- 
 
^VITH THE. DEISTS. ' 47 
 
 YIII. We may add to all this, the testi- 
 monies of the most bitter enemies and per- 
 secutors of Christianit}', both Jews and 
 
 less, illiterate men, and therefore cotdd not, lay the 
 horrible scheme of dehiding- mankind. The hope 
 of gain did not influence them, for they were self- 
 denying men, that left all to follow a ^Master, who 
 had not iv/tere to lay his head ; and whose grand ini- 
 tiating" maxim was. Except a man forsake all that he 
 hath, he canvot be my disciple. They were so disin- 
 terested that they secured nothing- on earth but hun- 
 ger and nakedness, stocks and prisons, racks and 
 tortures ; which indeed was all that they could, or 
 did expect, in consequence of Clirist's express de- 
 clarations. Neither was a desire of honour the mo- 
 tive of their actions ; for ther Lord himself was 
 treated with the utmost contempt, and had more 
 than once assured them, that they should certainly 
 share the same fate : Besides, they were liumble 
 men, not above working as mechanics for a coarse 
 maintenance, and so little desirous of human regard, 
 that they exposed to the world the metmness of 
 their brth and occupations, their great ignorance 
 and scandalous falls. 
 
 Add to thi|, that they were so many, and lived at 
 such distance of time and place from each other, 
 that had they been impostors, it Avould have been 
 impracticable for them to contrive and carry on a 
 forgery without being detected. And as they nei- 
 ther vv'ould, nor could deceive the world; so they 
 neither could nor would be deceived themselves : 
 For they were days, months, and years, eye and ear 
 witnesses of the things which they relate; and when 
 they had not the fullest evidence of important facts, 
 they insisted upon new proofs, and even upon sen- 
 sible demonstrations ; as, for instajice, Thomas, in 
 
48 BAS^ MET^HO'p 
 
 Gentiles, to the truth of the matter of fact 
 of Christ ; such as Josephus and Tacitus ; 
 of which the first flourished about, forty 
 
 the matter of om* Lord's resurrection, /oAn xx. 25. 
 And to leave us no room to question their sincerity, 
 most of them joyfully sealed the trulh of their doc- 
 t^'ines with their own blood. Did so many and such 
 marks of veracity, ever meet in any other autliors ? 
 
 But even while they lived, they confirmed tiieir 
 testimony by a variety of miracles, wrought in di- 
 vers places, ftnd for a number of years ; sometimes 
 befoi-e thousands of their enemies, as the miracles 
 of Christ and his disciples ; sometimes before hun- 
 dreds of thousands, as those of Moses. These mira- 
 cles were so well known and attested, that when 
 both Christ and Moses appealed to their authenti- 
 citj^, before their bitterest opposers, mentioning- the 
 persons upon whom, as well as the particular times 
 when, and the places where, they had been perform- 
 ed ; the facts were never denied, but passed oveJr 
 in silence, or maliciously attributed to the Prince of 
 the Devils. By such a pitifid slander as this, Por- 
 phyry, Hierocles, Celsus, and Julian the Apostate, 
 those learned and inveterate enemies of Christianity, 
 endeavoured (as the Pharisees had done before 
 them) to sap the arguments founded upon the mira- 
 eles of Christ and his disciples So sure then as 
 God would never have displayed his arm, in the 
 most astonishing manner, for the support of impos- 
 ture, the sacred pen-men had their commission from 
 the Almighty, and their writings arc his lively ora- 
 cles. 
 
 To conclude : If the gospel (and consequently the 
 scripture) is an imposture, you suppose tliat some 
 poor Galilean fishermen, only by means of an ahsnrd 
 fit, wiiich they told witlwmt wit, antl wrote without 
 
AVITH THE DEISTS. 49 
 
 years after the death of Christ; and the 
 other about seventy years after* So that 
 they were capable of examining into the 
 troth, and wanted not prejudice and malice 
 suliicient to have inclined them to deny the 
 matter of fact itself of Christ. But their 
 confessing to it, as likewise Lucian, Celsus, 
 Porphyry, and Julian the Apostate, the 
 Mahometans since, and all other enemies 
 of Christianity that have arisen in the 
 world, is an undeniable attestation to the 
 tiTith of the matter of fact. 
 
 IX. But there is another argument more 
 strong and convincing than even this mat- 
 ter of fact ; more than the certainty of what 
 
 elegance, foiled the multitude of the Jewish and 
 Pa^an priests, who had prejudice, custom, posses- 
 sion, learning-, oratory, wealth, laws, governors, and 
 emperors oh" their side ; yea, and truth also, upon 
 your principles, at least when they decried tlie gos- 
 pel as a cheht. Would it be more ridicidous to be- 
 lieve, that David killed Goliah, with a grain of sand, 
 and cut off his head with a spire of gi-ass : or that 
 our sailors sink men of war with a puff of breath, 
 while our soldiers batter do^vn ramparts \\'itli snow- 
 ball's. • ' • 
 
 O ye sons of worldly wisdom, drop your unjust 
 prejudices ; candidly Weigh both sides of the ques- 
 tion, anciyou avIU soon see, that in rejecting the 
 gpgpeLas an imposture, you 'display Jl far greater 
 <fl^gTee of credulity, than we 'do in cordially receiv- 
 ino' it. 
 
50 EASY METHODi 
 
 I see with my eyes ; and which the apos- 
 tle Peter called a more sure xvord^ that is, 
 proof, than what he saw and heard upon 
 the holy mount, when Our blessed Saviour 
 was transfigured before him and two other 
 of the apostles ; for having repeated that 
 passage as a proof of that whereof they 
 were eye-witnesses, and heard the voice 
 from heaven giving attestation to our Lord 
 Christ, 2 Pet, i. 16, 17, 18, he says, v. 19* 
 We have also a more sure ivord of prophecy y 
 for th: proof of this Jesus being the Mes- 
 siah ', that is, the prophecies which had 
 gone before of him, from the beginning of 
 the world ; and all exactly fulfilled in him. 
 Men may dispute an imposition or delu- 
 sion upon our outward senses ; but how 
 can that be false which has been so long, 
 even from the beginning of the world, and 
 so often, by all the prophets, in several 
 ages, foretold ? how cc^n this be an imposi- 
 t^n, ©r a forgery r* 
 
 * Sometimes the plainest prophecies^ the most 
 public miracles, and the annals of kingdoms, well 
 known when those books were first received, won- 
 derfully concur to demonstrate their authenticity. 
 Take one instance out of many: A prophet out of 
 Judah, above ^00 years before the eventy thus fore- 
 told the pollution of Jeroboam's altar at Bethel, be- 
 fore Jexoboani himself, who was attended by his 
 J>ri*it«, his coartrers, and no doubt a vast number of 
 
WITH THE BEISTS. 5.I 
 
 This is particularly insisted on, in the 
 Method tvith the Jexvs. And even the De- 
 ists must confess, that that book we call the 
 Old Testament^ was in being, in tTie hands 
 of the JeAvs, long before our Saviour came 
 into the world.* And if they will be at 
 th(2 pains to compare the prophecies that 
 are there of the Messiah, with the fulfilling 
 of them, as to time, place, and all other 
 circumstances, in the person, birth, life, 
 death, resurrection, and ascension of our 
 
 idolatrous worshippers : O altavy altar ^ thus sa^8 the 
 JLn rd, behold, a child sJuiR be born tinto the house rtj 
 Dnvidy Josiah by name, -aho shall bum men*s bonei 
 i/pon thee: and this is the sig'n : Behold, this very 
 da y, the attar shall be rent, mid tlie ashes that are upon 
 it scattered. King Jeroboam inflamed \vith ang'er, 
 stretched forth his hand against the man of Godj say- 
 in^-^ to his guards, Lay Iwld on him : But his extend^ 
 ed hand -was dned up so that Jte coiddnot pull it in ag^ain 
 to Mm : the rending of the altar, and the scatter- 
 ing- of the iire, instantly took place ; and the capital 
 pro phecy ^as exactly fulfilled by pious king Josiah, 
 as Tou may see by comparing 1 Kings xiii. 1, with 
 2 kings xxiii. 15. Can we rciv^^onably suppose, that 
 books, containing accounts of inch public events, 
 would have been received as divine by a divided peo- 
 ple^ if tlieir authenticity had not been coniii*med. by 
 tndnbitable matter of fact ? 
 
 * Their wonderful preservation of that book, and 
 consequently the prophetic histoiy of Christ, whom 
 Ihey reject, is itself a proof, that infinite wisdom 
 even overrules enemies toJ^bear reluctant testimony 
 to the truth. 
 
52 EASY METHOD 
 
 blessed Saviour, they will find this prove 
 what our apostle here calls it, a light l;hm' 
 ing in a dark place^ until the daij dawn^ and 
 the daij-€tar arise in your hearts, W hich 
 God grant. Here is no possibility of cje,-, 
 ceit or imposture. ' ;* j 
 
 Old prophecies, and all so agreeing, coilld 
 not ha\'e been contriyecj to countenance; a 
 new^chtat ; and nothing could be a che|vt> 
 that could fulfil all these. j ; , 
 
 For this therefore, 1 refer the Deists jto 
 the Method xvith the Jezvs. \ 
 
 • J desire them likewise to look there, \9e<^^, 
 11, and consider the prophecies given iiO 
 long, a^'o, of which they see the fulfilling it 
 this day, with their own eyes, of •the state 
 of the Jews, for nvany ages past, and at 
 present ; without a king, or priest, or terii.f 
 pie, or sacrifice, scattered to the four winds, 
 fyifted.as with a sieve, among all nations ; 
 yet preserved, and ahvays so to be, a dis- 
 tinct 'people from\ ail; others of the whole 
 cjar-th. "^t'hereas those jnighty monarcl]ies 
 .which oppressed the Jews, and which c<;m- 
 manded the world,, in their turns, and hii.d 
 the greatest humah prospect of perpetuity^ 
 v/ere to be extinguished, as they have been, 
 even that their na^mes should be blotted out 
 fj-pm under Heaven, 
 
 As likewise, that as reniarkabie,.j9Lpm 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 5:; 
 
 blessed Saviour, concerning the pres^erva- 
 tion and progress of the Christian Churchy 
 when in her swaddling-clothes, consisting 
 only of a few poor fishermen ; not by the 
 sword, as that of Mahomet, but under all 
 the persecution of men and hell; which 
 yet should not prevail against her. 
 
 But though I offer these, as not to be 
 slighted by the Deists, to which they can 
 show nothing equal in all profane history, 
 and in which it is impossible any cheat can 
 lie ; yet I put them not upon the same foot 
 as the prophecies before-mentioned of the 
 marks and coming of the Messiah, which- 
 have been since the world began. (" 
 
 And that general expectation of the whole 
 earth at the time of his coming, insisted 
 upon in the Method xvitli the JezvSy sect, 5. 
 is greatly to be noticed. 
 
 But, I say, the foregoing prophecies of 
 our Saviour, are so strong a proof, as even 
 miracles' would not be sufficient to break 
 their authority. 
 
 I mean, if it were possible that a true 
 miracle could be v*rought in contradiction 
 to them : for that would be for God to con- 
 tradict himself. 
 
 But no sign, or wonder, that could if^' 
 sibly be solved, should shake this evidence. 
 
 It is this that keeps the Jews in their ob- 
 
 E 2 
 
54 EASY METHOD 
 
 stinacy./ Thobgh they caimot deny the mat- i 
 ters ol'ifact done by our blessed Saviour to I 
 be truly miracles, if so done as said ; nor i 
 can they deny that they were' so done, be-^ 
 cause they have all the four marks before-/ 
 mentix^ned : yet they cannot yield! Why ? 
 Because they think that the gospel is in_ 
 contradiction to the law. Which if it were, 
 the cousbquence would be unavoidable, that 
 both could not be true. To solve this, is 
 the business of the Method with the Jews* 
 But the contradiction Mhich they suppose, 
 is in their comments that they put upon the, 
 law ; especially they expect a literal fulfil- 
 ing of those promises of the restoration of 
 Jerusalem, and outward glories of the 
 church ; of v/hich there is such frequent 
 mention in the books of Moses, the Psalms^ 
 and ail the prophets. And many Christi- 
 ans do expect the same, and take those 
 texts as literally as the Jews do. We do 
 believe, and pray for the conversion of the 
 Jews. For this end they have been so 
 miraculously preserved, according to the 
 prophecies so long before of it. And when, 
 that time shall come, as they are the most 
 honourable and ancient of all the nations on 
 the.jearth ; so will their church return to Ipe 
 the mother christian church as she was at 
 first ; and Home must surrender to Jeruaa- 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 5S 
 
 lem. Then all nations will flow thither ; and 
 even Kzekiel's temple may be literaily built 
 there, in the metropolis of the whole earth ; 
 v/hich Jerusalem m.ust be, when the fulness 
 of the Gentiles shall meet with the conver- 
 sion of the Jews : for no nation will then 
 contend -with the Jews, nor church with 
 Jerusalem far supremucv. All nations will 
 be ambitious to draw their original from the 
 Jews,- whose are the fathers, and from 
 ithom, as concerning the flesh, Christ camev 
 ' Then will be fulfilled that outward gran- 
 deur and restoration of the Jews, and of 
 Jerusalem^ which they expect, pursuant to 
 the prophecies. 
 
 They pretend not that this is limited to 
 any particular time of the reign of the Mes- 
 siah. They are sure it will not be at the 
 beginning ; for they expect to go through 
 great conflicts and trials with their Mes- 
 siah, (as the Christian Church has done,) 
 before his final conquest, and that they come 
 to reign v/ith him. So that this is no ob- 
 struction to their embracing of Christianity. 
 They see the same things fulfilled in us, 
 which they expect themselves ; and we ex- 
 pect the same things they do. 
 
 I tell tins to the Deists, lest they may 
 think that the Jews have some stronger 
 arguments- than they know of; that they ^ 
 
^6 EASY METHOD 
 
 are not persuaded by the miracles of oiir 
 blessed Saviour, and by the fulfilling of all 
 the prophc'cies in him, that were made con- 
 cerninq; the Messiah. 
 
 As 1 said before, I would not plead even 
 miracles against these. 
 
 And if this is suliicient to persuade a 
 Jew, it is much more so to a Deist, who 
 labours not under these objections. 
 
 Besides, I would not seem to clash with 
 that (in a sound sense) reasonable caution, 
 used by Christian writers, not to put the 
 issue of the truth wholly upon miracles^ 
 without this addition, when not done in 
 contradiction to the revelations already 
 given in the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 And they do it upon this consideration^ 
 That though it is impossible to suppose, 
 that God would work a real miracle, in 
 contradiction to what he has already re- 
 v^ealed ; yet men may be imposed upon by 
 false and seeming miracles, and pretended 
 revelations, (as there are many examples, 
 especially in the church of Rome,) and so 
 may be shaken in the faith, if they keep 
 BOt to the Holy Scriptures as their rule. 
 
 We are told, 2 Thess, ii. 9. of hhn whose 
 coming' is after the ivorking of Satan., with 
 ail poiver, and signs., and lying wonders ; 
 and Rev, xiii. 14. xvi. 14« and xix. 20» of 
 
Wmr THE DEISTS. 5t 
 
 the devil and false prophets working mira- 
 cles. But the word in nil these places is 
 only Semeia^ signs^ that is as it is rendered; 
 Matth, XXV. 24 j which, though sometimes 
 it may be used to signify real miracles ; 
 ye^'niot always, not in these places : for 
 though every miracle be a sign, and a won- 
 der ; yet every sign, or wonder, is not a 
 miracle. 
 
 X. Here it may be proper to consider a 
 common topic of the Deists, who, when 
 they are not able to stand out against the 
 evidence of fact, that such and such mira- 
 cles have been done, then turn about, and 
 deny such things to be miracles, at least 
 that we can never be sure whether any 
 wonderful thing that is shown to us, be a 
 true or a false miracle. 
 
 And the great argument they go upon, 
 is this, That a miracle being that which 
 exceeds the power of nature, we cannot 
 know what exceeds it, unless we know the 
 utmost extent of the power of nature ; and 
 no man pretends to know that : therefore 
 that no man can certainly, know whether 
 any event be miraculous; and, consequent- 
 ly, he may be cheated in his judgment be- 
 twixt true and false miracles. 
 
 To v/hich I answer. That men may be 
 so cheated ; and there are many examples 
 of it. 
 
58 EASY METHOD 
 
 But that though Ave may not always know 
 when we are cbc^ated ; yet wc can certainly 
 tell, in many cases, when we are not cheat- 
 ed. 
 
 For though we do not know the utmost 
 extent of the power of nature, perhaps in 
 any one thing ; yet it does not follow, that 
 we know not the nature of any thing, in 
 some measure ; and that certainly too. F'or 
 example : though I do not know the utmost 
 extent of the power of fire ; yet I certainly 
 know, that ic is the nature of fire to burn ; 
 and that when proper fuel is administered 
 to it, jt is contrary to the nature of fire not- 
 to consume it. Therefore if I see three 
 men taken off the street, in their common 
 wearing apparel, and, without any prepara-* 
 lion, cast into the midst of a burning fiery 
 furnace ; and that the flame was so fierce, 
 that it burnt up those men that threw them 
 m ; and yet that those who were thrown in 
 should walk up and doNvn in the bottom of 
 the furnace, and I should see a fourth per- 
 son with them, of glorious appearance, like 
 the Son of God ; and that these men should 
 come up again out of the furnace, without 
 any harm, or so much as the smell of 6re 
 upon themselves, or their cloaths : I could 
 not be deceived, in thinking there v/as a 
 stop put to the nature of fire as to these 
 
^ATTH THE DEISTS. 59 
 
 raen ; and that it had its effect upon the 
 men whom it burned, at the same time. 
 
 Aeraixi, though i cannot tell how won- 
 derful and sudden an increase of corn might 
 be produced by the concurrence of many' 
 causes ; as a warm chmate, the fertihty of 
 the soil, &c. yet this I can certainly know, 
 that there is not that natural force in the 
 breath of two or three words spok n, to 
 multiply one small loaf of bread, so fast, in 
 the breaking of it, as truly and really, not 
 only in appearance and show to the eye, but 
 to fill the bellies of several thousand hun- 
 gry persons ; and that the fragments should 
 be much mpre than the bread was at lirst. 
 
 So neither in a word spoken, to raise the 
 dead, cure diseases, &c. 
 
 Therefore, though we know not the ut- 
 most extent of the power of nature ; yet 
 we can certainly know what is contrary to 
 the nature of several such things as we do 
 know. 
 
 And therefore, though we may be cheat- 
 ed and imposed upon in many seeming mi- 
 racles and wonders ; yet there are some 
 things wherein we may be certain. 
 
 But further, the Deists acknowledge a 
 God of an almighty power, who made all 
 things. 
 
 Yet they wpuld put it out of his power. 
 
60 EASY METHOD 
 
 to make any revelation of his will to man- 
 kind. For if we cannot be certain of anjr 
 miracle, how should we know when God 
 sent any thing extraordinary to us ? 
 
 Nay, how should we know the ordinary 
 power of nature, if we knew not what ex- 
 ceeded it ? If we knew not what is natural, 
 how, do we know there is such a thiiig as 
 nature t tiiat ail is not supernatural, all mi- 
 racles, and so disputable, till we come to 
 downright scepticism, and doubt the cer- 
 tainty of our outvv'ard senses, whether we 
 see, hear, or feel, or all be not a miraculous 
 illusion? 
 
 Which because I know the^ Deists are 
 not inclined to do, therefore I will return to 
 pursue my argument upon the conviction. 
 of our outward senses ; desiring only this, 
 that they would allow the senses of other 
 men to be as certain as their own. Which 
 they cannot refuse, since without this they 
 can have no certiiinty of their own. 
 - Xi. Therefore, from what has been said, 
 the cause is summed up shortly in this : 
 That though we cannot see what was done 
 before our time ; yet, by the marks which 
 I have laid down concerning the certainty 
 of matters of fact done before our time, we 
 may be as much ass'ured of the truth of 
 them, as if we saw them with our eyes ; be- 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 61 
 
 cause whatever matter of fact has all the 
 four marks before-mentioned, could never 
 have been invented, and received, but upon 
 the conviction of the outward senses of all 
 those vv^ho did receive it, as before is de- 
 monstrated. And therefore, this topic, 
 which I have chosen, does stand upon the 
 conviction even of mens outward senses. 
 And since you have confined me to one 
 topic, I have not insisted upon the other, 
 which I have only named. 
 
 XII. And now it lies upon the Deists, if 
 they would appear as men of reason, to 
 show some matter of fact of former ages, 
 which they allow to be true, that has greater 
 evidence of its truth, than the matters of 
 fact of Moses and of Christ, as no other 
 matters of fact of those times, however 
 true, have, but these only : and I put it 
 upon them to show any forgery that has all 
 these marks. 
 
 This is a short issue. Keep them close 
 to this. This determines the cause all at 
 once. 
 
 Let them produce their Apollonius Tya- 
 nseus, whose life was put into English by 
 the execrable Charles Blount ;'^ and com- 
 pared, with all the wit and malice he was 
 
 * Who became his ovn exeeutioner. 
 
62 EASY METHOD 
 
 master of, to the life and miracles of our 
 blessed Saviour. 
 
 Let them take aid from all the legends 
 in the church of Rome, those pious cheats, 
 the sorest disgraces of Christianity; aiid 
 which have bid the fairest, of any one con- 
 trivance, to overturn the certainty of the 
 Iniracles of Christ, and his apostles, and the 
 whole truth of the gospel, by putting tiieni 
 all upon the same footing ; at least, they are 
 so understood by the generality of their 
 devotees, though disowned and laughed at 
 by the learned, and men of sense, among 
 them. 
 
 Let them pick and choose the most pro- 
 bable of all the fables of the Heathen dei- 
 ties ; and see if they can find, in any of 
 these, the four marks before-mentioned. 
 
 Otherwise let them submit to the irrifra- 
 gable certainty of the Christian Religion. 
 
 XIII. But if, notwithstanding of all that 
 is said, the Deists will still contend. That 
 all this is but priestcraft, the invention of 
 priests, for their own profit, &c ,* then they 
 will give us an idea of priests far different 
 from what they intend : for then we must 
 look upon these priests, not only as the 
 cunningest and wisest of mankind, but we 
 shall be tempted to adore them as deities, 
 who have such power as to impose at their 
 
WITH THE DfelStS. 65 
 
 pleasure, upon the senses of manic irid, to 
 make them believe, that they had practised 
 such public institutions, enacted them b}^ 
 laws, taught them to their children, &c. 
 ivhen they had never done an\' of these 
 things, or ever so much as heard of them 
 before : and then, upon the credit of their 
 believing that they had done such thin<rs as 
 they never did, to make them further be- 
 lieve, upon the same foundation, whatever 
 tJiey pleased to impose upon them, as to 
 former ages : I say, such a power as this 
 must exceed all that is human ; and, conse- 
 quently, make us rank these priests far 
 above the condition of mortals. 
 
 2. Kay, this %vere to make them outdo 
 all that has ever been related of the infernal 
 powers : for though their legerdemain has 
 extended to deceive some unwary behold- 
 ers ; and their power of working some seem- 
 ing miracles has been great; yet it never 
 r'eached, nor ever was supposed to reach so 
 far, as to deceive the senses of all mankind, 
 in matters of such public and notorious na- 
 tdre as those of which we now speak ; to 
 iiiake them believe, that they had enacted 
 laws for such public observances, ccrtinu- 
 ally practised them, taught ihem to their 
 children, and had been instructed in them 
 themselves from their childhood, if they 
 
64 EA9V METHOD 
 
 had never enacted, practised, taught, or 
 been taught such things. 
 
 3. And as this exceeds all the power of 
 hell and devils, so is it more than ever God 
 almighty has done since the foundation of 
 the world. None of the miracles that he 
 has shown, or belief which he has required 
 to any thing that he has revealed, has ever 
 contradicted the outward senses of any one 
 man in the world, much less of all mankind 
 together : for miracles being appeals to our 
 outw^ard senses, if they should overthrow 
 the certainty of our outward senses must 
 destroy, with it, all their own certainty, as 
 to us; since we have no other way to judge 
 of a miracle exhibited to our senses, than 
 upon the supposition of the certainty of our 
 senses, upon which we give credit to a mir- 
 acle that is shown to our senses. 
 
 4. This, by the way, is a yet unanswered 
 argument against the miracle of transub- 
 stantiation, and shows the weakness of the 
 defence which the church of Rome offers 
 for it, (from whom the Socinians h:ive lick- 
 ed it up, and, of late, have gloried much in 
 it amongst us) That the doctrines of the 
 Trinity, or incarnation, contain as great 
 seeming absurdities as that of transubstan- 
 tiation: for 1 would ask, Which of our sen- 
 ses is it which the doctrines of the Trinitv, 
 
'NVITH TftE DEISTS. QS 
 
 or carnation, do contradict? Is it our see- 
 ing, hearing, feeling, taste, or smell ? 
 Whereas transubstantiation does contradict 
 all of these. Therefore the comparison is 
 exceedingly short, and out of purpose. 
 But to return. 
 
 - If the Christian religion be a cheat, and 
 nothing else but the invention of priests, 
 and carried on by their craft, it makes their 
 power and wisdom greater than that of 
 men, angels, or devils ; and more than God 
 hiniself ever yet showed or expressed, to 
 deceive and impose upon the senses of man- 
 kind, in such public and notorious mat- 
 ters of fact.* 
 
 * Reason itself dictates, that nothing but tlie 
 plainest ifiatter of fad could induce so many thou- 
 sands of prejudiced and persecuting- Jews, to em- 
 brace the humbling, self-denying doctrines of the 
 cross, which they so much despised and abhorred. 
 Nothing but ihe clearest evidence, arising from un- 
 doubted truth, could make multitudes of lawless, 
 luxurious heathens receive, follow, and trar.smit to 
 posterity the doctrines and \vritings of the Apos- 
 tles ; especially at a time when the vanity of their 
 pretensions to miracles, and the gift of tongues, 
 could be so easily discovered, had they been impos- 
 tors — at a time when the profession of Christianity 
 exposed persons of all ranks to the greatest con- 
 tempt, and most imminent danger. In this respect, 
 the case of the primitive Christians widely differed 
 from that of Mahomet's followers ; for those, wjio 
 adhpyed to the warlike, violent impostor, saved their 
 I 2 
 
66 EASY METHOD 
 
 XIV. And this miracle, which the Deists 
 must run into to avoid those recorded of 
 Moses .ind Christ, is much greater, and 
 more astonishing, than all the scriptures tell 
 of them. 
 
 So that these men, who laugh at all mir- 
 acles, are now obliged to account for the 
 greatest of all :..,.how the senses of mankind 
 could be imposed upon in such public mat- 
 ters of fact. 
 
 And how then can they make the priests 
 the most contemptible of all mankind, since 
 
 lives and properties, or attained to honour^ by their 
 new, easy, and fleshpleasing' religion: But those, 
 who devoted themselves to the meek, self-denying-, 
 crucified Jesus, were frequently spoiled of their 
 goods, and cruelly put to death ; or if they escaped 
 with their lives, were looked upon as the very dregs 
 of mankind. 
 
 Add to this; that some of the most profound parts 
 of the scriptures, were addressed to the inhabitants 
 of polite Greece, and triumphant Rome, among 
 whom philosophy and literature, with the fine arts 
 and sciences, were in the highest perfection; and 
 who, consequently, wei*e less liable to be the dupes 
 of forgery and imposture. On the contrary, gross 
 ignorance overspread those countries, where Ma- 
 homet first broached his absurd opinions, and pro- 
 pag-ated them with the sword : A sure sign this, that 
 the sacred writers did not, like that impostor, avail 
 themselves of the ignorance, weakness, and help- 
 lessness of dieir followers, to impose falsehood upon 
 them. 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 67 
 
 they make them the sole authors of this the 
 greatest of miracles ? 
 
 XV. And since the Deists (these men of 
 sense and reason) have so vile and mean an 
 idea of the priests of all religions, why do 
 they not recover the world out of the pos- 
 session and government of such blockheads ? 
 why do they suffer kings and' states to be 
 led by them ; to establish their deceits by 
 laws, and inflict penalties upon the opposers 
 of them ? Let the Deists try their hands ; 
 they have been trying, and are now busy 
 about it. And free liberty they have. Yet 
 have they not prevailed, nor ever yet did 
 prevail in any civilized or generous nation. 
 And though they have made some inroads 
 among the Hottentots, and some other the 
 most brutal part of mankind ; yet are they 
 still exploded ; and priests have, and do 
 prevail against them, among not only the 
 greatest, but best part of the w^orld, and the 
 most glorious for arts, learning, and war. 
 
 XYI. Por as the devil does ape God, in 
 his institutions of religion, his feasts, sacri- 
 fices, &c. so likewise in his priests; with- 
 out whom, no religion, whether true or false, 
 can stand. False religion is but a corruption 
 of the true. The true was before it, though 
 it be followed close upon the heels. 
 
 The revelation made to Moses is elder 
 
68 EASY METIKia> 
 
 than any historj^ extant in the Heathen 
 world. The Heathens, in imitation of him, 
 pretended, likewise, to their revelations. 
 But I have given those marks which distin- 
 guish them from the true. None of them 
 have those four marks before mentioned. 
 
 Now, the Deists think all revelations to 
 be equally pretended, and a cheat ; and the 
 priests of all religions to be the same con- 
 trivers and jugglers : and therefore they 
 proclaim war equally against all, and are 
 equally engaged to bear the briint of all. 
 
 And if the contest be only betwixt the 
 Deists and the priests, which of them are 
 the men of the greatest parts and sense, let 
 the effects determine it: and let the Deists 
 yield the victory to their conquerors, who^ 
 by their own confession, carry all the world 
 before them. 
 
 XYII. If the Deists say, That this is 
 because all the world are blockheads, as 
 well as those priests who govern them ; that 
 all are blockheads, except the Deists, who 
 vote themselves only to be men of sense ; 
 this (besides the modesty of it) will spoil 
 their great and beloved topic, in behalf of 
 what they call natural religion, against the 
 revealed, viz. appealing to the common rea- 
 son of mankind. This they set up against 
 revelation : think this to be sufficient for all 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 69 
 
 the uses of men, here or hereafter, (if there 
 be any after state) and therefore that there 
 is no use of revelation. This common rea- 
 son they advance as infallible, at least as 
 the surest guide; yet now cry out upon 
 it when it turns against them. V/hen this 
 common reason runs after revelation, as it 
 always has done, then common reason is a 
 beast; and we must look for reason, not 
 from the common sentiments of mankind, 
 but only among the beaux, the Deists.* 
 XYIII. Therefore if the Deists would 
 
 * J\''ot many J^i'oble, not many Wise are called, says 
 the Apostle; nevertheless some of both, even at the 
 rise of Christianity, openly stood up for its truth. 
 Among the noble we find Joseph, a member of the 
 great Jewish council, Dionysius, one of the Judges 
 at Athens, and Flavius Clemens, a Roman Senator; 
 and among the -adse, Quadratus, Avis c ides, and 
 Athenagoras, Athenian Philosophers; CiemenSj Ar- 
 nobius, Ammonius, Annatolius, &c, men of great 
 learning at Alexandria; and at Rome, Jostin martyr 
 and TertuUian, both famous apologists for the reli- 
 gion of Jesus, the latter of whom in the second cen- 
 tury told the Roman governors, that their corpoi-a- 
 tions, councils, and armies, and the emperor's palace, 
 were full of Christians : nor is this im.probable ; since 
 so early as St. Paul's days tJie saints of desar's house- 
 hold saluted those of the Roman provinces. PMl. iv. 
 22. How credulous are they who can beLeve that 
 persf.ns of such rank and learning, could be deliided 
 by Jewish fishermen, into the worship of a crucified 
 impostor I 
 
70 BASY METl^D 
 
 avoid the mortification, (which >vill be 
 very uneasy to them) to yield, and sul>mit 
 to be subdued and hewed down before the 
 priests, whom of all mankind they hate 
 and despise ; if they would avoid this, let 
 them confess, as the truth is, That religion 
 is no invention of priests, but of divine 
 original: That priests were instituted by 
 the same author of religion ; and that their 
 order is a perpetual and living monument 
 of the matters of fact of their religion, in- 
 stituted from the time that such matters of 
 fact were said to be done ; as the Levites 
 from Moses; the apostles and succeeding 
 fclergy from Christ to this day: That no 
 Heathen priest can say the same : they 
 were not appointed by the gods whom they 
 served, but by others m after ages : they 
 cannot stand the test ol the four rules be- 
 Fore mentioned; which the Christian priests 
 can do, and they only. Now, the Christiani 
 priesthood, as instituted by Christ himself^ 
 and continued by succession to this dhy^ 
 being as impregnable and flagrant a testi- 
 mony to the truth of the matters of fact of 
 Christ, as the sacraments, or any other 
 public institutions ; besides that, if the 
 priesthood were taken away, the sacra- 
 hients, and other public institutions, which 
 are administered by their hands, must fall 
 
WITH THE DEISTS. 71 
 
 with them : ihereiore the devil has been 
 most busy, and bent his greatest force, in 
 all i'-j^cs, against the priesthood; knowing, 
 that if that goes down, all goes with it. 
 
 X'X. And now, last of all, if one word 
 of advice vvoald not be lost upon men \\ ho 
 think so unme^surably of themselves as the 
 Deists, you may represent to them, what a 
 condition they are in, who spend that life 
 and sense which God has given them, in 
 ridiculing the greatest of his blessings, his 
 revela.tiono of Christ, and by Christ, to re- 
 deem those from eternal misery who shall 
 beli&ve in him and obey his laws : and that 
 God, in his vvonderful mercy and v/isdom, 
 has so guarded his revelations, as that it is 
 past the power of men or devils to counter- 
 feit: and that there is no denying of them, 
 unless we will be so absurd as to deny, not 
 only the reason, but the certainty of the 
 outward senses, not only of one, or two, or 
 three, !)ut of mankind in general : That this 
 case is so veiy plain, that nothing but want 
 of thought can hinder any to discover it : 
 That they must yield it to be so plain, un- 
 less they can show some forgery which has 
 all the four marks before set down. But if 
 they cannot do this, they must quit their 
 cause, and yield a happy victory oyer 
 themselves ; or else sit dovvn undqr all tnat 
 
^2 EA-SY METHOD 
 
 ignominy, vAth which they have loaded the 
 priests, of being, not only the most perni- 
 cious, but ^what will gall them more) the 
 most inconsiderate, and inconsiderable of 
 mankind. 
 
 Therefore let them not think it an un- 
 dervaluing of their worthiness, that their 
 whole cause is comprised within so narrow 
 a compass, and no more time bestowed 
 upon it than it is worth. 
 
 But let them rather reflect, how far they 
 have been all this time from Christianity, 
 whose rudiments they are yet to learn ; how 
 far from the way of salvation ; how far the 
 race of their lives is run, before they have 
 set one step in the road to heaven; and 
 therefore how much diligence they ought 
 to use, to redeem all that time they have 
 lost, lest they lose themselves for ever: and 
 be convinced, by a dreadful experience, 
 when it is too late, that the gosy^el is a 
 truth, and of the last consequence.^^ 
 
 * It is exceedingly remarkable, that the more 
 humble and holy people ai-e, the more they read, 
 admire, and value the scriptures; and on ^he con- 
 trajy, the more self-conceived, worldly-minded, and 
 wicked, the more they neg-lcct, despise, and asperse 
 them. 
 
 As for the objections which are raised ag-ainst 
 their persplcui'y and consistency, those who are 
 both pious and learned, know, .hut chey are »-eneral- 
 ly founded on prepossession, and the want of undet- 
 
WITH THE DEIS.T3. 73 
 
 ;....i-.v.ling in spiritual things; or on our ignorance of 
 sevei'ul customs, idioms, and circumstances, which 
 were perfectly known when those books were writ- 
 ten. Frequently also the immaterial error arises 
 merely from a wrong punctuation, or a mistake of 
 copiers, printers, or translators; as the daily discov- 
 eries of pious critics, and ingenuous confLSiions of 
 unprejudiced enquirers, abundantly prove. 
 
 Sect. XlX:h is omitted, as containing sentiments 
 not essential to the subject of the letter, 
 
PART II. 
 
SIX LETTERS 
 
 SPIRITUAL MAMFESTATION 
 
 SOX OF GOD. 
 
 Bv THE Rev. JOHN FLETCHER, 
 
 Vicar of JMaddey. 
 
 I am not mad, most noble Festus ; but speak the 
 words of truth and soberness. Acts xxvi. 25. 
 
 Wisdom is justified of her children. Matt. xi. 19. 
 
 G 2r 
 
IXTRODUCTION 
 
 TO THE 
 
 MANIFESTATION OF THE SPIRIT. 
 
 HAVING in the " method with infidels" demon- 
 strated, as it is believed, the truth and certain 
 xialidity of the Holy Scriptures, we come next, in 
 order, to prove the certiiinty of the manifestation of 
 the Spirit of the Son of God to the souls and percep- 
 tions of men. 
 
 This is a doctrine every where taught in those 
 Scriptures ; and its belief is therefore vital to Chris- 
 tianity, Fletcher has, we conceive, proved the sound- 
 ness of this doctrine in a most inimitable manner. 
 A« it is matter but little better understood by some 
 Professors, than it is misconceived by all Unbelievers, 
 (for some Professors " have the form of godliness, 
 hut deny the poiver thereof;") it is therefore sustain- 
 ed throughout, by the confession of Faith of the 
 Episcopal Church, (of which he was an eminent 
 Pastor,) as well as by the word of God. 
 
 Were the doctrine of regeneration more inforced, 
 and of course better understood, even among many 
 of those who assume the name of christians, Iniidelity 
 would be spoiled of many of its weapons against 
 Christianity. Sceptics have often but too much rea- 
 son to cry out mystery ! mystery ! when they find 
 tjlose wbo sk)uld be al^tb to speak intelligibly q£ tb« 
 
ixxx IXTRODUCTION. 
 
 w«^(» birth ! a^to'^^ally ignorant, of the Scriptural ac- 
 ceplation of being" "born again" as was Nicodcmus, 
 the marveHing- " masier in Israel." 
 
 The operation of the nciu birth (" being born 
 again") is Ihe gi*and commission which the Holy 
 Ghost the Comforter w:is sent to effec-.. For this, 
 Christ, the Son of God gave up Jus life upon the 
 Cross ! Let its importance ihercfore be estimated by 
 the means taken to cause it ! Proportionate to the 
 meavs must be the end. Tlie End is, that millions 
 and millions of the human race have felt tliis rene^val 
 in their hearts hy spiritual tokens, so sensible and 
 certain, that had there been no Bible revelation, they 
 would not have been the less certain of their commu- 
 nion and fellowship with God by his spijit. This is 
 strange doctrine to the unbeliever, all of whom we 
 may ask without expectation of answer, " whojuith' 
 believed our report?" The trutli, is,^ " Spiritval 
 thing's are Spirituality discerned,*' and thosfe who 
 have '*eyes which see not, and ears that hear not," are 
 as preposterous in their endeavours at spiritual dis- 
 cernn>ents, as would be the blind at setting them- 
 selves up for judges of colours. So sure it 'is, that 
 *''the world, by (i^s) wisdom, knows not God." But," 
 God has imparted this sure and certain testimony to 
 the really good and great in every nation in Christen- 
 dom : and the End which we would now wish to 
 make of this gracious jneans is to avail ourselves of 
 the evidence whicii the manifestation affords, of offer-, 
 ing certain and rational assurance to the understand-:, 
 ing of Deists in general, and Jews in particular, thaCr^ 
 Christ Las really risen, and that the Comforter has ac- 
 tually come ! The witnesses for this truth, are nume- 
 rous, and evr at hand! Yea, they are actually living- 
 throughout Christendom, and will be living en the 
 earth to the end of time. TJiey are to be found in al- 
 most every societ} nnming the name of Jesus'! sure, 
 certain, witnesses iu-e they, to whom the evidence im- 
 
INTRODUCTION. Isxxi 
 
 parted has been so grom, ilial tliey would not cease 
 to believe, were the same manner of internal evi- 
 dence perpetuated, though there should be no Kible ! 
 These are truths which every Christian " k-iiorjs" 
 because he has " the witness of the Sph'it, tcstifyiug" 
 with his Spirit, that he has pns.ied from death unto 
 iife." This tlien is Ihe vital doctrine to chargx; home 
 most upon unbt;lievers ; but how shall they believe 
 who have no spiri-ual faculties with which to a})prc- 
 tiend ? There is certainly an impediment on t/ieir 
 part. But there is yet ample means for preliminary 
 convincemeut, if they will be governed b} svch rules 
 as prevail in every other kmd of received testimony. 
 The evidences i1k;ti, are sucli, as may be found in 
 every objectors city, village, or neighbourhood. 
 There many have borne testimony to all around, tJiat 
 a sensible preternatural change has been wrought 
 upon their heart. — That they know that all their 
 former sinful affections and desires have been totally- 
 changed for those that are pure and holy — indeed, 
 the world itself acknowledges the change of tlieir 
 manners and conduct ; they see and confess the re- 
 form of a notorious debauchee and drunkard — Whea 
 challenged with these obvious facts, the answer of 
 the unbel'.ever is, it is mere €iiih<uswsm ! On other 
 occasions they perhaps witness tlie tears and cries 
 of "penientijU sorrow," or the "joy unspeak- 
 able" of the sold *' delivered from tlie bm-then of 
 sin too intolerabie to be borne" (both of which, the 
 Scriptures continually teacli,) and they cry out shear 
 efithvsiasm .' This is a loord^ wluch having no kiK)Wu 
 derivation, is well adapted to so vague a use; since 
 it IS evident those who use it, never consider its 
 import, even in their own use of it. They offer it 
 as an explication of the cause, when in fact they ha\Te 
 at most but named the effect. The cause is still a 
 mystery to all but the chrisaan, to whom the Bible 
 and the Spirit have revealed it. Cries and tears^ let it 
 
Ixxxii INTllODUCTION. 
 
 be well considered, are not volmitary emotions ; 
 neither are the opposite emotions of joy: they must 
 therefore be affected by some //oice^/w/ag-cncy oi- cavsc. 
 This therefore brinp^s us to the orig-inal subject un- 
 der consideration, to wit : the certain manifestation 
 of the Spirit. 
 
 Where then shall we look for the explication of 
 tlie mystery, but to the possessors of this " chang'c of 
 heart," and to the concurrence of Scripture ? .On 
 what pretext could the testimony of these ivitnesses be 
 rejected, but by taking- out a statute of lunacy a- 
 gainst them ; and who would be so liardy and absurd as 
 to eitlier ask it, or to g-rant it ! They would tell you 
 with Saint Paul, 'l am not mad, but speak foi'th the 
 words of truth and soberness :" Yea, you yourselves 
 do know that all of these persons are at least rational 
 in all their other concerns in life — And you your- 
 selves also know, they make better members of So- 
 ciety — Perhaps many of these witnesses are members 
 of your own families ; perhaps your parents, your 
 husbands, your wives, or your brethren — These you 
 may have seen surprisingly transformed from g-ross 
 wickedness to exemplar}- piety. In this state they 
 continue uniform for their whole lives, during* aU 
 which time they testify Xheh' certain, perceptible, com- 
 Kumicution with the lioly Spirit — nay, m^uiy^ have 
 sealed tliis truth with their blood ; and many whom 
 you may now familiarly know are still ready to offer 
 their bodies as a wHness — The.se are not maniacs, 
 but as discreet^ sober men, as you perhaps esteem 
 yourselves lo be. In short, if tlie case could be set- 
 tled ov judicial judgmetit, it would forever be put at 
 rest: for competentira*iona^ , c-ood and p-reanvitncsses, 
 Avould come even from the ends of the earth, to tes- 
 tify on oath, the aertain, sensible, perceptible m.'.nifes- 
 tationsof f'od o tvielr several souis : and whac would 
 be still more confirmatoi-j", diversity of lang-uag-cs 
 
INTRODUCTION. Ixxsiii 
 
 and nations, would uU have one spirit to speuk. of 
 ur.d to g-lonfy I* 
 
 Reader, is it strange, tl>at God who is a Spiri^, 
 and whom no man hath seen at any time, should have 
 a sure and certain means of imparting" a knowledge 
 of himself to his creatures ; or rather would it not be 
 Hranjer if lie coi/W not, or even wouWnot? Anyrhing 
 contrary to this scripturaf, and even necessary means 
 of keeping- up the intercourse between God,Hnd his 
 creaturts, since bpirit must communicate with spirit, 
 W'juid be making tlic christian dispensation less locl- 
 come and less " glorwus,^^ (which is the revei-se of the 
 promise) ihan it was under the Mosa'c Era. Then 
 Christ came jn person and revealed hmiseif : but no-w 
 iiiat he has risen, we have only the meaiis of behold- 
 ii g him^'in letters cast at the foundery and impressed 
 .'•t the printer's ! And how many are they of us who 
 cannot avail ourselves even of these helps; some have 
 no money, and some cannot rei'd. Alas ! if thert- be no 
 vavifesiation of the Spirit, wiio does not say, " Loid 
 we beseech thee, brmg us back to the times of 
 Moses, whence thou didst converse with thy people : 
 they btheld thy glory, and received thy answers 
 Irom between the cherubim ; but we, alas, can nei- 
 tlier see thee, feel tliet;, nor communicate wivh 
 thee !" 
 
 Reader be not self-willed and obsthiate : but 
 prepare thy heart for the reception of the truili as 
 it will be ofttred in the fodowing paues, which was 
 written for one, wlio, Ijke } ou, could not believe that 
 Crod's spirit could dxvell in liie hearts of men ! 
 
 * If objectors 7vi.ll still obstinately persist in imbe- 
 lirf, we will ask sucli, even on their own vieiy of 
 thing's, to discover some cause for tlie effects thus 
 exhibiied, which philosophy (which is never .contrary 
 io religion) may sanction. Surely we know of no 
 delusion (if it be such) in any manner analogous • 
 Men both sane and insane, at the same time ! 
 
LETTER I. 
 
 God, for purposes worthy of his wisdom, maniffsfs 
 uinisclt, sooner or ia.ler,"io all iiis since) e i'oliowers, 
 in a spiviniul itianncr, whitk thf li-orld knows not 
 cf. 
 
 SJK, 
 
 WIIKX I had the pleasure of seeing 
 you lust, you seemed ^urprhtd to hear me 
 say, that rhe Son of God, for purposes 
 worthy of his \\ isdom, mctn'ifests himself, 
 sooner or later," to all his sincere followers, 
 in a spiritual manner, which the world 
 i<nows not of. The Ctssertion appeared to 
 ijou unscriptural, enthusiastical, and dan- 
 gerous. What I then advanced to prove, 
 that it was scriptural, rational, and of the 
 greatest importance, made you desire I 
 would write to } ou onVtie mysterious sub- 
 ject. I declined it, as being unequal to the 
 t.isk; but having since considered, that a 
 mistake here may endanger your soul or 
 mine, I sit down to comply with 5'our re- 
 quest : And the end 1 propose by it is, ei- 
 ther to give you a fair opportunit)^ of point- 
 ing out my error, if I am wrong; or to en- 
 gage you, if I am right, to seek what I es- 
 teem the most ixiv alua'ole of all blessings,— 
 
80 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 the revelations of Christ to your own soul, 
 productive of the experimental knowledge 
 of him, and the present enjoyment of his 
 salvation. 
 
 As an architect cannot build a palace, 
 unless he is allowed a proper spot to erect 
 it upon, so I shall not be able to establish 
 the doctrine I maintain, unless you allow 
 me the existence of the proper senses, to 
 which our Lord manifests himself. The 
 manifestation I contend for, being of a 
 spiritual nature, must be made to spiritual 
 senses ; and that such senses exist, and are 
 opened in, and exercised by regeneratii 
 souls, is what 1 design to prove in this let- 
 ter, by the joint testimony of scripture, our 
 churchy and reason, 
 
 I. The scriptures inform us, that Adam 
 lost the experimental knowledge of God by 
 the fail. His foolish attempt to hide him- 
 self from his Creatcu. whose eyes are in 
 every place, evidences the total blindness of 
 his understanding. The same veil of un- 
 belief, which hid God from his mind, was 
 drawn over his heart and all his spiritual 
 senses. He died the death, the moral, 
 spiritual death, in consequence of which the 
 corruptible body sinks into the grave, and 
 the unregenerate soul into hell. 
 
 J h this deplorable stute Adam begat his 
 
SPiniTUAL MAXIFESTATIOK, g/ 
 
 children. We, like him are not only void of 
 the life of God, but alienated from it, 
 through the ignorance that is in us. llence 
 at is, that though we are possessed of such 
 an animal and rational life, as he retained 
 sifter the commission of his sin, yet we are, 
 by naturCy utter strangers to the holiness 
 and bliss he enjoyed in a state of innocence. 
 Though we have, in common with beasts, 
 bodily organs of sight, hearing, tasting, 
 smelling, and feeling, adapted to outward 
 objects ; though we enjoy, in common with' 
 devils, the faculty of reasoning upon natu- 
 ral truths, and mathematical propositions, 
 yet we do not understand supernatural and 
 divine things. Notwithstanding all our 
 speculations about them, we pan neither see 
 nor taste them truly, unless we are arisen 
 with Christ, and taught of God. We may, 
 indeed, speak and ivnte about them, as the 
 blind may speak of colours, and the deaf 
 dispute of sounds, but it is all guess-work^ 
 hear-say, and mere conjecture. The things 
 of the Spirit of God camiot be discovered, 
 but by spiritual^ internal senses, which are, 
 with regard to the spiritual world, what our 
 bodily, external senses are v/ith regard to 
 the material Avorld. They are the on/ij 
 medium, by which an intercourse between 
 Christ and our souls can be opened and 
 maintained. 
 
88 SPIRITUAL jMANlFESTA.TION. 
 
 The exercise of these senses is peculiar 
 to these who are born of (iod. They be- 
 long to wh'it the Apostles ccill the new man^ 
 , the imvard man^ the new creature^ the hid- 
 den man of the heart. In believers, this 
 hidden man is awakened and raised from 
 the dead, by the power of Christ's resurrec- 
 tion. Christ is his life, the Spirit of God 
 is his spirit, prnver or praise his breath, 
 h.oliness his health, and Icve his element. 
 We read of his hunger and thirst, food and 
 drink, garment and habitation, arm.our and 
 conflicts, pain and pleasure, fainting and 
 reviving, growing, walking, and working. 
 All this supposes senses, and the more 
 these senses are quickened by God, and 
 exercised by the new born soul, the clearer 
 and stronger* is his perception of divine 
 things. 
 
 On the other hand, in unbelievers, the 
 inward man is deaf, blind, naked, asleep ; 
 yea, dead in trespasses and sins : and cf 
 course, as incapable of perceiving spiritvcl 
 things, as a person in a deep sleep, or a 
 dead man of discovering outward objects. 
 St. Paul's language to liim is, "Awake, 
 thou that sh'epest^ arise from the dead, and 
 Christ shall give thee light." He calls him 
 a natural man, one who hath no higher life, 
 than that his parents conve}ed to him by 
 
SPIRITUAL MAMf^STATIOX. $9 
 
 natural generation— one who follows the 
 dictates of his own sensual soul, and is nei- 
 ther horn of God, nor led by the spirit of 
 God. " The natural man,*' says the Apos- 
 tle, "receivcth not the things of the Spirit, 
 for they are foolishness '2/7?fo //z;??, neither 
 can he know them, because they are spirit- 
 ually discerned." He has no sen.s-e proper- 
 ly exercised for this kind of discernment, 
 his " eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nei- 
 ther have entered into his heart, the things 
 which God hath prepared for them that 
 love him." 
 
 The revers« of the natural man is the 
 spiritual, so called, because God hath re- 
 veaied sniritual things to him by his Spirit, 
 who is nrow in him a principle of spiritual 
 and eternal life. " The spiritual man,"says 
 the Apdstle, " judgeth, i, e. discerneth all 
 things, H^et he himself is discerned of no 
 one." ^he high state he is in, can no more 
 be dis^med by the natural man, than the 
 conditmn of the natural man can be discern- 
 ed by a brute.=^' f '• 
 
 St. Paul not oriiy describes the spiritual 
 man, but speaks particularly of his i?iternal 
 moral senses^ Christians, says he, of full age, 
 by reason of tise, have their senses exercised 
 
 • lCor.il. J)— 15.- ' ' "< 
 
 t TovainmPa this is'-amost humiliating doctrine, ' 
 H 2 
 
90 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 to disqern good and evil. '^. He prays, tha.t the 
 love of the Philippians ^Mnay abound more 
 and more in knowledge, and £v ttxth eciTB^va-ei 
 in all sense or feeling."! The scriptures 
 constantly mention, or allude to one or other 
 of these spiritual senses ;-— Give me leave 
 to produce some instances. ; . 
 
 1. To begin with the Sight. Sti. Paul 
 prays, that the eyes of his converts being 
 enlightened, they mi^^ht know what is the 
 hope of their calling. He reminds, jdiem,' 
 that Christ had been evidently set forth 
 crucified before their eyes. He assures 
 them, that the God of this world hath blihd- 
 ed the eyes of them that believe not the 
 gospel ; and declares that his commission 
 was to open the eyes of the Gentiles, and 
 tarn them from darkness to light. Abra- 
 ham saw Christ's day, and was glad. ]\foses, 
 persevered, as seeing him v/ho is invlsibifi, 
 David prayed, Open my eyes that I 'may 
 see wonders out of thy Law. Our liord 
 complains, that the heart of unUlievers.ia/ 
 waxed gross, that thtAr ears are dull' i>f 
 hearing, and that they Jiave closet! tMir 
 ■ei/es^ lest they should see with their e.y.es,> 
 understand with their hearts, and be .jconv, 
 verted. Re counsels the Tiaodiceans^. to 
 anoint their eyes with eyi -salve, that they 
 might see. He 5J^clar^s,;.t.hat the world can- 
 * Heb.v. 14. * • t Phil. i. 9. 
 
SPIRITUAL MANtFESTATIOX 91 
 
 not receive the Spirit of truth, becnuse it 
 sees him not ; that the tilings which belong 
 to the p;.^ace of obstin:Ue unbehet:£rs, are^ 
 at last, judiciaUy hid from their eyes'; 
 and that the Jji've in heart shall see God. 
 St. John testifies, that he who does evil, 
 hath not sct^n God ; -and that darkness hath' 
 blinded the ejes of him, that loves not his 
 brother* The lloly Ghost informs us, that 
 btlievers T'j^y^ at the things uhich are'7?cf 
 seen^ and behold the glory of God, shining 
 in»the' face oi Jesus Christ. These are th'^ 
 eyes-, with which believers see the salvation 
 of God. They are- so distinct from thosft 
 of the- Z'^////, that when our Lord opened 
 theni'm St. Paul's :90z.7fhe suffered scales to 
 gi'ow 'ov-r his bodilif eyes. And no doubt',' 
 when. Christ gave bntxvard s\^t to the, 
 blitKl,'it v;as chiefly to'cohvince the worlyl, 
 that it is he v/ho ciin say to hlind sinner?'. 
 Receive j^our sight; see the goodness of the 
 Lord in the land of the living; look mito 
 me and he saved. ■' 
 
 2. If you do not admit of k spiritual 
 He A-KiNo;'what cati'y'ou make'cf our Lord's \ 
 repeated caution, hVth:\t hath/an car to hear, 
 let him hear ? And what c'lmbe the meaningof 
 the follow ihg scriptures— Hear, O foolish 
 people, who have e^ars arid hear not.] Ye iin- 
 circumcii^ed in heart ?:hd 'eafs. Ye cannot 
 
92 SPIHITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 hear my words ; ye are of ydur father tHt; 
 Devil. lie that is of God heareth God's 
 words; ye, therefore, hear them not, be- 
 cause ye are not of God ? Can it be suppos- 
 ed, that our Lord spake of outward hear- 
 ing, when he said. The hour cometh, and " 
 now is, that the dead shall hear the voic^ of 
 the 8on of God and live. My sheep hear 
 my voice. He that hath heard and learn-ed 
 of the Father, cometh unto me. Do not all 
 sinners stand spiritually in need of Christ's 
 powerful Ephphatha, Be thou opened ? Is 
 that man truly converted, who cannot wit- 
 ness with Isaiah, The Lord hath wakened 
 my ear to hear as the learned ; and with 
 the Psalmist, Mine ears hast thou opened? 
 Had not tlie believers at Ephesus heard 
 Christ, and been taught of him ? "Wh^ St. 
 Paul was caught up into the third heaven; 
 did he not hear words unspeakable ? And 
 far from thinking spiritual hearing absurd, . 
 or impossible, did he not question, whether- 
 he was not then out of the body ? And does 
 not St. John positively declare, tha.t be 
 was in the Spirit, when he heard Jesus say, 
 I am the first and the laat ? 
 
 '3. How void of meiining are the foUoW" \ 
 in^' passages, if they do. not allude to that 
 SENSE, which is calculated for the reception 
 of, what the barrenness of human language 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 93 
 
 compels me to call spirfh(al\)erhime^ ? The 
 s?7:ell of thy ointments is hetter^than all 
 spices. The ^??7f//of thv g:arments is like the 
 smell of Lebanon. All thy garments S77iell 
 of mvrrh, aloes, and cassia ; and because of 
 the favour of thv^ good ointments, thy name 
 is as ointment poured forth. 
 
 4. If believers have not a spiritual facul- 
 ty of TASTING divine things, what delusion 
 must they be under, when they say, Christ's 
 fruit is sweet to their taste ; and cry out, 
 How svjeet are thy rvords- to my taste ! they 
 are sweeter than honey to my mouth ? But 
 how justlv can they speak thus, if they have 
 tasted the hea^'enlT gift, and the good word 
 of God, and, as new born babes, desire the 
 sincere milk of it? vSurely, if they 6'<7? the 
 fle<^h of the Son of God, drmk his blood 
 and taste that the liOrd is gracious, they 
 have a right to testify, tliat his love is bet- 
 ter than wine ; and to invite those that hun- 
 ge:r and tl^irst after righteousness, to taste 
 that the liOrd is good, that they also maj' 
 he sntisficd with hi? goodness and mercv, as 
 with marrow and fatness. 
 
 5. If ve are not to be nf-^fect stoics in 
 religion, if we should have one degree more 
 of devotion, than the marble statutes, which 
 adorn our churches, we should have, I 
 think, some feeling of our unworthiness. 
 
94 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIOK. 
 
 some SENSE of God's majesty. Christ's 
 tender heart ,was pierced to atone for, and 
 to remove the hardnesfi oi ours, God pro- 
 mises to take from us the heart of stone, 
 and to give us an heart of flesh, a broken 
 and contrite heart, the sacrifice of which, 
 he will not despise. Good king Josiah 
 was praised, because his heart was tender. 
 The conversion of the three thousand, on 
 the day of pentecost, began by their being 
 pricked in their heart. We are directed to 
 feel after God, if haply we might find him. 
 Our Lord himself is not ashamed to be 
 touched, in heaven^ with a feeling of otir 
 infirmities. And St. Paul, intimates, that 
 the highest degree of obduracy and aposta- 
 cy, is to be past feeling, and to have our 
 conscience seared as with a hot iron. 
 
 I hope, Sir, you will not attempt to set 
 aside so many plain passages, by saying, 
 they are unfit to support a doctrine, as con- 
 taining empty metaphcrs^ which amount just 
 to nothing. This would be pouring the 
 greatest contempt on the. perspicuity of the 
 oracles of God, the integ'ritij of the sacred 
 writers, and the xvrsdoin of the Holy Ghost, 
 who inspired them. As certainly as there is 
 a spiritual life, th^re art senses calculated for 
 the display nnd enjoyment of it; and these 
 spises exist no more in metaphor, than the 
 
SPIRITUAL MAKIFESTATION. 95 
 
 life that exerts itself by them. Our Lord set- 
 tied the point, when he declared to Nicode- 
 mus, that no man can see the kingdom of God ^ 
 the kingdom of grace here, and of glory here- 
 after, except he is first born of God, born of 
 the Spirit; just as no child can see this world, 
 except he is first born of a woman, born of 
 the flesh. Hence it appears, that a regenerate 
 soul hath his spiritual senses opened^ and 
 made capable of disserning what btrlongs to 
 the spiritual world, as a new born infant 
 hath his natural senses unlocked, and begins 
 to see, hear, and taste, what belongs to the 
 material world into which he enters. 
 
 II. These declarations of the Lord, his 
 prophets, and apostles, need no confirma- 
 tion. Nevertheless, to show you, Sir, that 
 1 do not mistake their meaning, I shall add 
 the testimony of our own excellent church. 
 As she strictly agrees with the scripture, 
 she makes also frequent mention of spiritual 
 sensations^ and you know, Sir, that sensa^ 
 tioiis necessarily suppose senses. She prays, 
 that God would " give us a due sense of his 
 inestimable love in the redemption of the 
 world, by our Lord Jesus Christ."* She 
 begs, that he would " make us know and 
 feel there is no other name than that of Je- 
 
 * Tbanksg'ivlng. 
 
96 S P1R1TU*.^L MANIFESTATION. 
 
 ♦ ■■■•- • .- 
 
 sus, whereby we must be saved."'^ She af- 
 firms, that true penitents ftel " the burdeu 
 of their sias mtokrable ;"f that godly per- 
 sons " feel in themselves the workings of 
 Christ's S()ini;"^ that *•' the Lord speaks 
 presently to us in the scriptures, to the great 
 and endless coiidort oi all that have any 
 feeling of God in them at ail ;" tiiat " god- 
 ly tncnjelt^ imvurJ/t/^ the Holy Ghost ///- 
 fiiim'ing their hearts with the fear and love 
 of God, and that they are miserable wretch- 
 es, who have no feeling of God withia 
 them at ail :"§ And, that '^ if we feel the 
 heavy burden oi our s'ms pressing- our souis, 
 and tormtntini^- us with the tear of death, 
 hell, and damnation, we must steadiastiy 
 behold Christ crucified, with t\\Q eyes of 
 our heart.'^fl Our church farther declares, 
 x.W.i.i^'' true fa'it'ii is not in the mouUi and 
 outivard prolession onlv, but livviti and 
 stirrcth inwan/ic/ in iha hearty and that if 
 we feel and perceive such a iaitii in lis, wc 
 7nu!it rejoice ;"'^* tha: '•'• correction, though 
 jjainiul, briugeth wun it a ta^Le ot Goa's 
 goodness ;"[f 'i/hat '*• if a'ter comruion, we 
 feel our consciences at peave witli God, 
 
 * OfRce for tlie sick. \ Coinnuiuiun ^ IT -V ■ ,cle 
 § Horn, on cei'tuiii plur^s of scrip; ui-e. ^j 2 Hosn. on 
 ihe p;issi{>n. ** flom. on faith, 1st and 3d piirc 
 i;-^ \\<m\ on the fear of de:iUi, 2d part. 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 97 
 
 through the remission of our sin, it Is God 
 who xvorketh that great miracle in us ;" and 
 she prays, that, *'as this knowledge 'And feel- 
 ing- is not in ourselves, and as by ourselves, 
 it is not possible to come by it, the Lord 
 would give us grace to know these things, 
 and j^^/ them in our hearts."-^ She begs, 
 that '^ God would assist us widi his Holy 
 Spirit, that we may hearken to the voice of 
 the good Shepherd."! ^^^ ^^^^ ^s upon 
 asking continually^ that the Lord would 
 " lighten our darkness," and deliver us from 
 the two heaviest plagues of Pharaoh, 
 "blindness and hardness of heart.":}: And 
 she affirms, that if we will be profitable 
 hearers of the scriptures, we must keep un- 
 der our C(2r7z«/ senses, taken by the outward 
 words, search the inward meaning, and 
 give place to the Holy Ghost," whose pe- 
 ailiar office it is to open our spiritual senses, 
 as he opened Lydia's heart.§ 
 
 If I did not think the testimony of our 
 blessed reformers, founded upon that of the 
 sacred writt rs,of suffici :nt weight to turn the 
 scale of your sentiments, I could throw in 
 the declarations of mimy ancient and mo- 
 
 * Horn, for Rog-ation week, 3d part, f Horn, on 
 repent, 2d part, t Even, prayer and Litany. § Hom 
 ou certain places of sciipture. 
 T 
 
98 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIOK. 
 
 dern divines. To instance in two or thrfec 
 oniy : St. Cyrill, in the xiii Book of his 
 Treasure, affirms, that, " nitin know Jesus 
 is the Lord, by the Holy Ghost, no other- 
 wise than they, who taste honey, know it is 
 sweet,even by its proper quality." Dr. Smith 
 of Queen's College, Cambridge, in his select 
 discourses, observes, after Plotinus, that 
 " God is best discerned voe'pa, rt] ci(pn by Intel' 
 lectual touch of him." We must, says he, 
 "see with our eyes, to use St. John's 
 words ; we niust hear with our ears, and 
 our hands must handle the word of life, 
 ecrri ytt^ '4<^x^^ citfrh.'ri; m for the soiil hath its 
 sense as well as the body." And bishop 
 Hopkins, in his treatise on the new birt/iy 
 accounts for the papists denying the know- 
 ledge of salvation, by saying, " It is no 
 wonder, that they w^ho will not trust their 
 natural senses in the doctrine of transub- 
 stantiation, should not their spiritual ones 
 in the doctrine of assurance,'^'' 
 
 III. But instead of proving the point by 
 multiplying quotations, let me intreat you, 
 sir, to weigh the following observations in 
 the balance of reason. 
 
 I . Do not all grant, there is such a thing 
 as hioral sense in the M^orld, and that to be 
 utterly void of it, is to be altogether unfit 
 for social life? If you had given a friend 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 09 
 
 the greatest prooffc ol yo^ur love, woukl not 
 he be inexcusable, if he felt no gratitude, 
 and had absohitely no sense of your kind- 
 ness. Now, if moral sense and feeling are 
 universally allowed, between man and man, 
 in civil life, why should it appear incredi- 
 ble or irrational, that there should be such 
 a thing, between God and man, in the di- 
 vine life t 
 
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 4. To conclude, if material objects can- 
 not be perceived by man in his present state, 
 but through the medium of one or other of 
 his bodily senses ; by 7i. parity of reason, 
 spiritual objects cannot be discovered, but 
 through one or other of the senses, which 
 belong to the inward man. God being a 
 Spirit^ cannot be worshipped in truth, un- 
 less he is known in spirit. You may as 
 soon imagine, how a blind man, by reason- 
 ing on what he feels or tastes can get true 
 ideas of light and colours, as how one, w ho 
 has no spiritual senses opened, can, by all 
 his reasoning and guessing, attain an expe- 
 rimental knowledge of , the invisible Ged. 
 
 Thus, from the joint testimony of scrip- 
 
100 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 ture, of our church, and of reason, it appears 
 that spiritual senses are a blessed reality. 
 1 have dwelt so long on the proof of their 
 existence for two reasons. First, They 
 ajre of infinite use in religion. Saving faith 
 cannot subsist and act \yithout them. If 
 St. Paul's definition of that grace be just, 
 if it is " the substance of things hoped for, 
 the evidence of things not seen," it must 
 be a principle of spiritual life, more or less, 
 attended with the exercise of these senses ; 
 according to the poetic and evangelical lines 
 of Dr. Young, 
 
 " My heart awake. 
 Feels the g^reat truths : To Feel to be fir'd, 
 And to believe, Lorenzo, is to feel." 
 
 Till professors see the necessity of believ- 
 ing, in this manner, they rest in a refined 
 form of godliness. To the confidence of 
 the Antinomians, they may indeed, join the 
 high profession of the foolish virgins. They 
 may even crown their partial assent to the 
 truths of the gospel with the zeal of Phari- 
 sees, and the regularity of moralists ,* but 
 still they stop short of the new creation, 
 the new hirth^ the life of God in the soul 
 of man. Nay more, they stumble at some 
 of the most important truths of Christiani- 
 ty, and think the discoveries, that sound 
 believers have of Christ and the spiritual 
 
SPIRITUAL MAXIFESTATIOX. joi 
 
 'f ■' 
 
 world, .u-c cnthustasizcal delusions, or, at 
 least, extraordinary favours^ which they 
 can very well do without. .Thus, even 
 while the)' allow the power of godliness 
 in others^ they rest satisfied without experi- 
 encing it i^n themselves, ' 
 
 Secondiv, What I shall write will depend 
 very much on die existence or spiritual 
 senses ; and if this letter convinces you, 
 that thev arc opened in every newborn soul, 
 you will more easily beiie\'e, Christ can 
 and does manifest himself by that proper 
 medium ; and my letter on divine manifes- 
 tations will meet with a less prejudiced 
 reader. 
 
 That Emmanuel, the light of the world, 
 may direct me to write with soberness and 
 truth, and you to read with attention and 
 candour, is the sincere prayer of. Sir, 
 Yours, &;c. 
 
 1 .2 
 
LETTER II. 
 
 What is the nature of that manifestation, which makes 
 the believer more than conqueror over sin and 
 death. 
 
 SIR, 
 HAVING proved in my first letter, 
 the existence of the spiritual senses, to 
 which the Lord manifests himself; 1 shall 
 now enter upon that subject, by letting you 
 know, as far as my pen can do it, 
 
 I. What is the nature of that manifesta- 
 tion, which makes the believer more than 
 conqueror over sin and deaths 
 
 1. Mistake me not, Sir, for the pleasure 
 of calling me enthusiast, I do not insist, 
 as you may imagine, upon a manifestation 
 of the voice, body, or blood of our Lord to 
 our external senses. Pilate heard Christ's 
 voice, the Jews saw his body, the soldiers 
 handled it, and some of them were literally 
 sprinkled with his blood ; but this answered 
 no spiritual end : They knew not God 
 manifest in the flesh. 
 
 2. Nor do I understand such a knowledge 
 of our Redeemer's doctrine, offices, pro- 
 mises and performances, as the natural 
 man can attain, by the force of his under- 
 standing and memory. All carnal profes- 
 
 ^rs, all foolish virgins, by conversing with 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 103 
 
 true Christians, hearing gospel sermons, 
 and reading evangelical books, attain to 
 the historical^ and doctrinal knowledge of 
 Jesus Christ. Their understandings are 
 informed ; but, alas ! their hearts remain 
 unchanged. Acquainted with the letter^ 
 they continue ignorant of the Spirit, Boast- 
 ing, perhaps, of the greatness of Christ's 
 salvacion, they remain altogether unsaved ; 
 and, full of talk about what he hath done 
 for thcm^ they know nothing of Christ in 
 them^ the hope of glory. 
 
 3. Much less do V mean such a repre- 
 sentation of our LonTs person and suifer- 
 ings, as the natural man can form to him- 
 self, by the force of a warm imagination, 
 Manv, bv seeing a striking picture oi Jesus 
 bleeding on the cross, or hearing a pathetic 
 discourse on his agony in the garden, are 
 deeply affvicted and melted into tears. 
 Thev raise in themselves a lively idea of a 
 great and good man unjustly tortured to 
 death ; their soft passions are wrought up- 
 on, and />?45/ fills their heaving breasts. 
 But, alas ! they remain strangers^ to the 
 revelation of the Son of God by the Holy 
 Ghost. The murder of Julius Cicsar, pa- 
 tlietically described, would have the same 
 effect upon them, as the crucifixion of Jesus 
 Christ. A deep play would touch them as 
 
104 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATI^. 
 
 easily as a deef) sermon, and much to tli.r 
 ^«?;«e purpose ; for in either case, their. im- 
 pressions and their tears arc geiierally 
 wiped away together. 
 
 4. Nor yet do I understand good desires, 
 mehings of heart, victories over particular 
 cprruptions, a confidence that the Lord can 
 Jlind will save us, power to stay ourselves 
 on some promises, gleams of joy, rays of 
 comfort, enlivening hopes, touches of love ; 
 no, not even foretastes of christian liberty, 
 and of the good word of God. These are 
 rather the delightful drawings of the Father 
 than the powerful revelation of the Son. 
 These, like the star, that led the wise men 
 for a time, then disappeared^ and appeared 
 again, are helps and encouragement to come 
 to Christ, and not a divine-union with him, 
 by the revelation of himself. 
 
 I can more easily tell j^ou, Sir, what this 
 revelation is not^ than what it is. The 
 tongues of men and angels vf^nt proper 
 words to express the siveetness and glory y 
 with which the Son of God visits the' souls 
 that cannot rest without him.* This bless- 
 
 * Let the reader mark the fervor and energy of 
 those words, as well as many more, which will be 
 f6tind in the following' letters. They are the common 
 language of christians, and must not by any means 
 be considweil as hjiierboles or metaphors of speecji. 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 10 j 
 
 ing is not to be ditscrihed^ but enjoyed. It 
 is to be written^ not xvitli irik^ but uit/i the 
 Spirit of the living' God^ not on pciper^ or 
 tables of stone, but in the fleshly tables of 
 the heart. May the Lord himself exphtiu 
 the mystery, by giving you to eat ot the 
 hidden manna, and bestowing upon you 
 the new name, which no man knows, savo 
 he that receives it! In the mean time, take 
 a view of the following rough draft of this 
 mercy ; and, if it is agreeable to the letter 
 of the word, pray that it may be engraved 
 on your heart, by the power of the Spirit. 
 
 The revelation of Christ, by which a 
 carnal professor becomes a holy and happy 
 possessor of the faith, is a supernatural^ 
 spiritual^ experimental^ manifestation of 
 the Spirit^ poxver^ and love^ and sometimes 
 of \}i\<: per^^on of God manifest in the flesh, 
 w hereby he is knoxvn and enjoyed in a man- 
 ner altogether nexv : as new, as the know- 
 ledge a mjtn v.ho never tasted any thin^r 
 but bread and water, would have of honey 
 and wine, suppose, being dissatisfied with 
 
 dealer, can a save man, so far fancy himself hapfy 
 when he is not ! And is it christians only, who use 
 etter^etic words without import ! The truth is, they 
 use words with the most studious selfcHov^ and yet 
 find the fittest s'yle buideqnate to the full expression 
 of their consciousness. 
 
106 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 the best descriptions of those rich produc- 
 tions of nature, he actually tasted them for 
 himself. 
 
 This majtifestation is, sooner or later, in 
 a higher or lower degree, vouchsafed to 
 every sincere seeker, through the medium 
 of one or more of the spiritual senses open- 
 ed m his soul, in a gradual or instantaneous 
 manner, as it pleases God. No sooner is 
 the veil of unbelief which covers the heart 
 rent, through the agency of the Spirit, and 
 the efforts of the soul struggling into a 
 living belief of the word : no sooner, I say, 
 is the door of faith opened, than Christ, 
 who stood at the door and knocked, comes 
 in, -and discovers himself full of grace and 
 truth. Then the tabernacle of God is witfi 
 man. His kingdom comes with poxveff 
 Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy 
 Ghost spread through the nexv born soul'| 
 eternal life begins ; heaven is opened otj 
 earth; the conscious heir of glory cries 
 Abba, Father; and from blessed experience 
 can witness, that he is come to " mount 
 Sion, and to the city of the living God, the 
 heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable 
 company of angels ; to the general assem- 
 bly and church of the first born, which are 
 written in heaven, and to God the judge of 
 uU, and to the spirits of just men made per- 
 
SPIRITUAL MANW'SSTATIOX, lor 
 
 feet, and to Jesus the mediator of the new 
 covenant, and to the blood of sprinklmg, 
 which speaketh better things than the blood 
 of Abel." 
 
 If this manifestation is duly improved, 
 the effects of it are admirable. The believ- 
 er's hearty now set at libertij from the guilt 
 and dominion of sin, and drawn by the love 
 of Jesus, pants after great conformity to 
 his holy will, and mounts up to him in 
 prayer and praise. His life is a course of 
 cheerful evangelical obedience, and his 
 most common actions become good works, 
 done to the glory of God.* If he walks 
 
 * The Sceptic may, if he chooses to make the crc- 
 periDieiit, become himself a convert to this trutli. 
 Let him but impose upon himself the task of " proyer 
 and pt^aiscy* (which all mankind acknowledg-e (hie 
 fi-om the creature to the creator) and he will soon 
 discover, he vntst have iie~o dispositions to be even 
 able to endure tlie painful toil thoug'h it be but a duty 
 of a sing-le week. Such an experiment might coj}- 
 ttince the imtvUlm^ devotee, that even, heaven itself, 
 where prayer and praise is the perpetual business of 
 spirits, would be a misery too intolerable to be 
 borne! But sinners hope to be ^* changeiV in llecn- 
 en ! Alas ! they must be changed here^ or never be 
 with God. "Who does not see their certain, though 
 indirect, confession of the necessity/ of a change of 
 heart? Sinners, \ owr pleas%ire or painy m prayer and 
 praise f is the test by which wo?/ m&y hnoiv whether 
 you are depraved and unfitted for death and judge- 
 ment, or not. 
 
108; SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 up to his privileges, outward objects entan- 
 gle him no more. Having found the great 
 1 AM, the eternal substance, he looks upon 
 all created things as shadows. Man, the 
 most excellent of all, appears to him alto- 
 gether lighter than vanity. Yea, doubtless, 
 he counts all things but loss for the excel- 
 lency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his 
 Lord ; esteeming them but dung, that he 
 may win Christ, and, to the last, be found 
 in him, not having his own righteousness, 
 but that which is through the faith of 
 Christ : that, by new discoveries of him- 
 self, he may know him and the power of 
 his resurrection every day more clearly. 
 In the mean time, he casts his sins and 
 miseries upon Jesus, and Jesus bestows his 
 righteousness and happiness upon him Jle 
 puts on Christ, and becomes the partaker of 
 the divine nature. Thus, they are mutu- 
 ally interested in each other ; and to use 
 
 It may not be amiss here, to say further, that if 
 the sinner woiiUl make the experiment of sincere 
 prayers. to his creator, for his enlightening wisdom 
 to be bestowed upon him, in the discernment of his 
 ii)itl, and granting he is but willing" to follow tliat 
 -will, if revealed, such a one shall surely feel in him- 
 self /acw emotions to which he was all his lift before a 
 stranger. Sinner make the evperiment unfclgnedly, 
 and " you shall (surely) know of the doctrine, whetlier 
 it be of God or of mua." 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. tQ9 
 
 St. Paul's endearing expressions, they are 
 espoused and married. Joined by the 
 double band of redeeming love and saving 
 faith, they are one spirit, as Adam aixi 
 Eve, by matrimony were one flesh. '* This 
 is a great mystery," says the Apostle, bu^ 
 thanks be to Ood, it is made manifest tp 
 his saints."* 
 
 II. If you ask, Sir, how can these things 
 be ? Describe to me the particular manner 
 of these manifestations, I reply in our 
 Lord's words to Nicodemus, " Art thou a 
 master in Israel," nay more, a Christian, 
 " and knowest not these things ?" Verily, I 
 say unto you, though we cannot fix the ex^ 
 act mode, and /?r^ we manner of the breath- 
 ing of the Spirit, yet we speak what we do 
 know^ and testify what we have seen^ but 
 you receive not our witness. Marvel not, 
 however, if we find it impossible to tell you 
 all the particulars of a divine manifestation. 
 You yourself though yow feel the wind, see 
 its amazing effects^ and hear the sound of 
 it, cannot tell whence it cometh, and whi- 
 ther it goeth : much less could you describe 
 it to the satisfaction of one^ who never 
 heard or felt it himself. Many earthhj 
 things cannot be conceived by earthly me^*. 
 
 * Eph. V. Z2. 
 K 
 
110 SPIUITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 The blind, for example, can never conceive 
 the difference of colours; Svhat wonder then 
 if natural men do not understand us, when 
 we tell them oi heavenly things ? 
 
 Nevertheless, I would in general observe, 
 that the manner^ in which the manifesta- 
 tion of the Son of God is vouchsafed, is 
 not the same in all persons, nor in the same 
 person at all times. The wind bloweth 
 where it listeth, much more he spirit of the 
 living God. His thoughts iri not as our 
 thoughts : he dispensethhis'^l essings, not as 
 we expect them, but as it pleases him. Most 
 commonly, however, the sinner, driven out 
 jof all his refuge of lies, feels an aching void 
 in his soul. Unable to satisfy himself any 
 'longer, with the husks of empty vanity, dry 
 morality, and speculative Christianity; and 
 tried with the hc^t form of godliness which 
 is not attended with the power of it, he is 
 brought to a spiritual famine, and hungers 
 after heavenly food. Convinced of unbelief, 
 he feels the want of the faith of God's ope- 
 ration. He sees, that nothing short of an 
 immediate display of the Lord's arm can 
 bring his soul into the kingdom of God, and 
 fill it with righteousness, peace and joy in 
 the Holy Ghost. Sometimes, encouraged 
 by lively hojjes, he struggles into liberty of 
 heart, and prays with grounin^s, which can- 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. HI 
 
 not be uttered : at other times, almost sink- 
 ing- unaer a burden of guilty fear, or stu- 
 pid unbelief, he is violently tempted to, 
 throw away his hope, and go back to Kgypt ; 
 but an invisible hand supports him, and, 
 far from yielding to the base suggestions, hc; 
 resumes courage, and deterniincs to follow 
 on to know the Lord, or to die seeking 
 him. Thus he continues wandering up and 
 down in a spiriiual wilderness, until the 
 Lord gives him the rest of iaiih, the sub- 
 stance of things hoped for, the evidence of 
 things not seen. 
 
 This evidence comes various ways. 
 Sometimes the spiritual eye is first opened, 
 and chiefly, though not only, wrought upon. 
 Then the believer, in a divine, transform- 
 ing light, discovers God in the man Christ, 
 perceives unspeakable glories in his despis- 
 ed person, and admires infinite wisdom, 
 power, justice and mercy in the blood of the 
 cross. He reads the scriptures with neiv 
 eyes. The mysterious book is unsealed^ and 
 every where testifies of him whom his soul 
 loves. lie views experimentally^ as well as 
 doctrinally the suitableness of the Redeem- 
 er's offices, the firmness of his promises, the 
 sufficiency of his righteousness, the preci- 
 ousness of his atonement, and the complete- 
 ness of his salvation. He sees, and fe»els his 
 
112 SPIRITUAL MANlt'ESTATiON. 
 
 interest in all. Thus he beholds, believes^ 
 wonders, and adores. Sight being the no- 
 blest sense, this sort of manifestation is ge- 
 nerally the brightest. 
 
 Perhaps his spirtual ear is first opened, 
 and that voice, which raises, the dead^ " Go 
 in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee," passes 
 with power through his waiting soul. He 
 knows, by the gracious effect, it is the voice 
 of him, who said once, " Let there be light, 
 and there was light." He is sensible of a 
 new creation, and can say, by the testimony 
 of God's Spirit, bearing witness with his 
 spirit,—- This is my beloved's voice ; he is 
 mine, and 1 am his. I have redemption, 
 through his blood, even the forgiveness of 
 my sins : and having much forgiven, he 
 loves much, and obeys in propJbrtion. 
 
 Frequently also Christ manifests himself^ 
 first and chiefly to the spiritual feeling. He 
 takes the burden of guilt, dejection, and sin, 
 from the heavy-laden soul; and, in the 
 room of it, imparts a strong sense of liber- 
 ty, peace, love, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 
 The ransomed sinner, enabled to overcome 
 racking doubts or dull insensibility, believes 
 now with the heart unto righteousness, and 
 makes confession with the mouth vmto sal- 
 vation. Surely, says he, In the Lord, I 
 have righteousness and strength. This is 
 
SrmiTUAL MANIFESTATION. 113 
 
 the finger of God. This day is salvation 
 come to my souL None but Jesus can do 
 this for me. The Lord he is God ; he is 
 my Lord and my God. This manifestation 
 is generally the lowest, as being made to a 
 lower sense ; therefore great care ought to 
 be taken, not to confound it with the strong 
 drawings of the father, on which it borders. 
 Some babes in Christ, who, like young. 
 Samuel, have not yet their senses properly, 
 exercised to know the things freely given to 
 them of God, are often made uneasy on 
 this very account. Nor can they be fully 
 satisfied, until they find the effects of this 
 manifestation are lasting, or they dbtain 
 clearer ones by means of the nobler senses, 
 the sight or hearing of the heart. 
 
 II L Though I contend only for those dis- 
 coveries o£ Christ, which are made by the 
 internal senses, because such only are pro- 
 mised to all ; yet I cannot without contra- 
 dicting scripture, deny, that the external 
 senses have been wrought upon in some 
 manifestations. "When Abraham saw his 
 Saviour's day, he was, it seems, allowed to 
 wash his feet with water,* as afterwards 
 the penitent harlot did with her tears. And 
 Saul, in his way to Damascus, saw Jesus's 
 glory, and heard his voice both externally 
 * Gen. xviii. 3. 
 K 2 
 
il4 SPIRITUAL IMANIfESTATION. 
 
 4nd iatefnally, for they, "that journeyed 
 with him, saw the light, and heard a voice," 
 though they could not distinguish the words 
 which were spoken. 
 
 Sometimes also manifestations, though 
 trterely internal, have appeared external to 
 those, who were favoured with them. 
 When the Lord called Samuel, in Shiloh, 
 the pious youth supposed the call was out- 
 ward, and ran to Eli, saying, Thou calledst 
 irte : but it seems the voice had struck his 
 spiritual ear only, otherwise the high priest, 
 who was within hearing, would have heard 
 it, as well as the young prophet. And 
 though Stephen stedfastly looked up to 
 heaven, as if he really saw Christ there with 
 his bodily eyes, it is plain he discovered 
 him only with those of his faith, for the 
 /'dp/* of the house where the court was held, 
 bounded his outward sight ; and had Christ 
 Appeared in the room, so as to be visible to 
 common eyes, the council of the Jews 
 would have seen him, as well as the pious 
 prisoner at the bar. 
 
 Hence we learn— 1st, That the knowl- 
 edge of spiritual things received by spiritual 
 sense, is as clear as the knowledge of natu- 
 ral things, obtained by bodily sense. 2dly, 
 'Hiat it is sometimes possible to be doubt- 
 ful, whether the outward eye or ear is not 
 concerned in particular revelations ; since 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION, 115 
 
 this was not only the case of Samuel, but of 
 St. Paul himself, who could not tell whether 
 the unspeakable words, he heard in paradise, 
 struck his bodily ears, or only those of hfs 
 soul.* 3dly, That no stress is to be laid 
 upon the external circumstances, which 
 have sometimes accompanied the revelation 
 of Christ. If aged Simeon had been as 
 blind as old Isaac, and as much disabled 
 from taking the child Jesus in his arms as 
 the paralytic, the internal revelation he had 
 of Christ could have made him say with 
 the same assurance, now let thy servant 
 depart in peace, for my eyes have seen 
 thy salvation. If the Aj^ostle had not been 
 struck to the ground, and his eyes dazzled 
 by outward light, his conversion would not 
 have been less real, provided he had been 
 inwardly humbled and enlightened. And, 
 if Thomas, waving the carnal demonstra- 
 tion he insisted upon, had experienced only 
 in his inrfer man, that Christ is the resur- 
 rection and the life, he could have confessed 
 him, with as great a consciousness he was not 
 mistaken, as when he cried out. My Lord, 
 and my God ! I am. Sir, Yours, &c. 
 
 * Let the reader, see a strong- parallel case in the 
 remarkable conversion of Col. Gardner, '[vide bis life. 3 
 
 Every man who disbelieves the power of God to 
 " chimge*' the heart, should read that book. He be- 
 came emplutically a "renewed" man ! 
 
LETTER III. 
 
 Why the Lord^manifests himself to the children of 
 men. 
 
 WHY the Lord manifests himself to 
 the children of men is an important ques- 
 tion, which 1 now come to consider. It is 
 not, we may easily think, for the gratifica- 
 tion of their curiosity, but for purposes 
 worthy of his wisdom : and whet these are, 
 we shall soon learn, if we reduce divine 
 manifestations to three general classes, ex- 
 traordinarify ordinary^ and mixed ones ; 
 and then consider the design and use of 
 each, as it may be collected from scripture, 
 
 I. To begin v/ith manifestations of the 
 Extraordinary kind : they are such as are 
 either merely external or vouchsafed to a 
 few only on particular occasions, and are by 
 no means essential to salvation. 
 
 1. Some of these are calculated to rouse 
 the thoughtless into consideration. Of this 
 kind was the manifestation some were 
 favoured with, a little before our Lord's 
 passion. " As he prayed, there came a 
 voice from heaven, saying, I have glorified 
 
SPIRITUAL ^L\XIFESTATION. 1 1 7 
 
 my name, and will glorify it again. The 
 people, that stood by, and heard it, said, it 
 thundered ;" they looked upon the extraor- 
 ordinary call as something common and 
 natural, " Others said, An angel spake to 
 him. But Jesus said, this voice came not 
 because of me, but for your sakes." 
 
 2. Others are intended as a last warning 
 to notorious sinners. Of this nature was 
 the terrifying sight Nebuchadnezzar had, 
 in his second dream of " a Watcher and 
 Holy One coming down from heaven, and 
 crying aloud, cut down the tree." And 
 that of the mysterious hand, which wrote 
 Belshazzar's doom on the wall, while he 
 profaned the sacred vessels in his night 
 revels. 
 
 3. Some are designed for the protection 
 of God's people, and the destruction or 
 humiliation of their proud enemies. As 
 when the " Lord looked to the Eg\-ptians, 
 through the pillar of fire, and troubled their 
 host :" When "he cast down great stones 
 from heaven" upon the armies of the five 
 kings, who fought against Israel ; Or when 
 he manifested his presence in Nebuchad- 
 nezzar's furnace, to quench the violence of 
 the flame, preserve the three confessors, 
 and convince the raging tyrant, that God's 
 kingdom ruleth over all. 
 
its SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 4. The design of others is to encourage 
 the children of God in dangerous enter- 
 prises, or direct them in important steps. 
 Of this kind was that to Joshua, before he 
 began the conquest of Canaan ; and that to 
 St. Paul, when the Lord stood by him in 
 the prison, and informed him he must bear 
 witness to him also at Rome. 
 
 5. Some are calculated to appoint some 
 persons to uncommon services and trials, 
 ©r to the prophetic and ministerial offices. 
 As that in which Noah was commissioned 
 to build the ark, Abraham to offer up Isaac, 
 Moses to deliver Israel, Nathan to reprove 
 David, Balaam to bless Israel, and Jere- 
 miah to preach to the Jews. 
 
 6. Others again are designed to answer 
 providential ends for the deliverance of the 
 people of God, as those of Gideon ; or 
 spiritual ends of reproof, instruction, and 
 consolation to the church throughout all 
 ages, as most of the revelations vouchsafed 
 to the prophets, and to St. John. 
 
 II. The manifestations essential either 
 to the conversion of sinners, or edification 
 of saints, and which the word of God, and 
 the experiences of christians show to be 
 common to all believers, in all ages of the 
 church, are of the Ordinary kind, and their 
 use or design is, 
 
 1. To make the word spirit and life, 
 
SriRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 119 
 
 '^ quick and powerful, sharper than any 
 two-edged sword, piercing even to the di- 
 viding ris under soul and spirit," that the 
 gospel may not come to sinners " in word 
 only, but also in power, and in the Holy 
 Ghost, ancl in much assurance." 
 
 2. To ease an anguished conscience, and 
 impart the peace of God to a troubled 
 mind : as in the case of broken-hearted 
 David, mourning Hezekiah, weeping Pe- 
 ter, and Paul agonizing in prayer. 
 
 3. To reveal Christ to us, and in us, so 
 as to make us savingly belieVe, and know, 
 in whom we have believed, according to 
 the experiences of Peter, Lydia, Cornelius, 
 and ever}' living member of Christ. 
 
 4. To open a blessed intercourse, and 
 keep up a delightful communion with 
 Christ ; as appears from the experiences of 
 believers illustrated in the Canticles. 
 
 5. To silence the remains of self-righte- 
 ousness, and deepen the humiliation of our 
 souls ; as in the case of Job. I'o make us 
 grow in grace, and in the knowledge of oiir 
 Lord Jesus Christ. To bruise satan under 
 our feet, yea, to bruise the serpent's head 
 in our hearts, and seal the exceeding great 
 and precious promises given to us, that we 
 might be partakers of the divine nature, 
 and continue immoveable, always abound- 
 
120 SPIRITUAL MAmFESTA-mOi^f. 
 
 ing in the work of faith, the patience of 
 hope, and the labour of love. In a word, 
 to '^ strengthen us with might, by God's 
 Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may 
 dwell in our hearts by faith, and we may 
 be filled with all the fulness of God." 
 
 6. To prepare us for great trials, support 
 us under them, and comfort us after them. 
 This was our Lord's experience before his 
 temptation, after he had overcome the temp- 
 ter, and when he was in the height of his 
 agony. This was also the case of David, 
 St. Paul, and of all the apostles, when they 
 had been scourged for the name of Jesus ; 
 and it is still the case of all true and deep 
 mourners in Sion. 
 
 7. And lastly, to make us depart in peace, 
 as Simeon ; or die in perfect love with our 
 enemies, and the full triumph of faith, as 
 St. Stephen. All who live and die in the 
 Lord partake, more or less, of these ordi- 
 nary displays of hi&powerful presence, and 
 I desire you. Sir, to remember, that it is 
 chiefly, if not only, in support of these im- 
 portant manifestations I take up the pen. 
 
 III. The third class of manifestations is 
 that of Mixed Ones; so called, because they 
 are partly extraordinary and partly ordina- 
 ry. Some are ordinary in their design, and 
 extraordinary ih their circumstances. Oi 
 
SPIRITUAL MAXIFESTATIOX. 121 
 
 this sort was the manifestation to the apos- 
 tles, Acts iv. 31. The design of it was 
 merely common, i. e. to comfort them un- 
 der contempt, and encourage them to do 
 good and suffer evil ; but the shaking the 
 place where they xuere assembled was an 
 uncommon circumstance. The same thing 
 may be said of the descent of the Holy 
 Ghost on the 120 who were assembled 
 in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, 
 and some time after upon Cornelius and 
 his soldiers. That they should be baptized 
 ^vith the Holy Ghost and spiritual fire was 
 not extraordinary, since it is the common 
 blessing, w-hich can a.lone make a man a 
 Christian, or confirm him in the faith : l)ut 
 that the sound of a rushing wind should be 
 heard, and luminous appearances seen rest- 
 ing upon them, and that they should have 
 been enabled to speak the wonderful works 
 of God in other tongues, were uncommon 
 circumstances attending their spiritual bap- 
 tism. 
 
 Some maciifestations are mixed, both as 
 to their design and circumstances. That 
 the iniquity of Isaiah should be put away, 
 and St. Paul converted, were not uncom- 
 mon things ; thev are the common effects 
 of ordinary manifestations : But that the 
 prophet should be commissioned to preach 
 
 L 
 
1,22 SPJfTRITUAL MANIFESTATIOX. 
 
 tp the Jews, and the apostle to open th^ 
 eyes of the Gentiles were extraordinary 
 circumstances, as also, a flying cherub ap- 
 pearing to the one, and a light brighter 
 than the sun, blinding the other. 
 
 For want of distinguishing properly be- 
 tween v/hat is ordinary and extraordinary 
 in mixed manifestations, persons who are 
 not possessed of a clear head^ or what is 
 worse, of an honest hearty conclude, that 
 none but enthusiasts speak now of divine 
 manifestations. If they hear it affirmed, 
 they must be converted as well as St. Paul, 
 they pertly ask, Whether they are Jews, 
 and whether they must be struck to the 
 earth by a voice from heaven ? They wil- 
 fully forget, that our Lord spake to his 
 hearers as sinfid men, and not as bigoted 
 Jews, when he said, " Except ye be con- 
 verted, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of 
 heaven." They obstinately refuse to see, 
 that the circumstances of the apostle's fall- 
 ing to the ground, &c. were not essential to 
 his conversion, and had no other use, 
 than to make his call more remarkable for 
 the conversion of the Jews, and comfort 
 of the Christians. When the same prejudi- 
 ced persons are told, that they must be 
 born of the Spirit,, and receive the Holy 
 Ghost, as well as Cornelius and his ser- 
 ^-ants^ overlooking the ordinary baptism of 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 123 
 
 the Spirit, they pitch upon the extraordina- 
 ry circumstance of the gift of tongues, im- 
 parted for a season, to remove the prejudi- 
 ces of the Jews, and to draw the attention 
 of the Gentiles; and think, with a sneer, 
 and a charge of enthusiasm, to overturn the 
 apostolic saying, " If any man hath not the 
 Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.'^ Be not 
 deceived^ Sir^ by these persons. Acknow- 
 ledge that, so sure as you want the regene- 
 rating knowledge of Christ, you want the 
 manifestation of his Spirit, without which 
 he can never be known savingly. To re- 
 turn, 
 
 1'hough I contend only for the ordinary 
 manifestations of Christ, I am far from 
 supposing, that all extraordinary or mixed 
 manifestations have ceased. Such a con- 
 cession would favour too much of the spirit 
 of infidelity^ which prevails in the church. 
 They are more frequent than many ima- 
 gine. To instance in one particular how far 
 I am from acquiescing with that infidel 
 spirit, I am so attached to that old book 
 the Bible, as to say of many^ who pass for 
 ministers of Christ, Woe to the foolish pro- 
 phets, that follow their own spirit and have 
 seen nothing: that say, The Lord saj^s, and 
 the Lord hath not sent them. I think the 
 desire of being stiled Reverend, or Right 
 Reverend, and the prospect of a living or a 
 
124 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION^ 
 
 mitre, are very improper motives for as- 
 suming the sacred character. And I am 
 such an enthusiast as to believe our church 
 in the right, for requiring that all her mini- 
 sters should not only be called^ but even 
 MOVED by the Holy (Ihostto take the office 
 of Ambassador for Christ upon themselves. "^ 
 ly. Having mentioned the design and use 
 of ordinary manifestations, i^ may not be 
 improper, to touch upon the abuse of them. 
 Their genuine tendency is to humble- to the 
 dust. The language of those, who are fa- 
 voured with them, is, — Will God indeed 
 dwell on the earth ! Lord what is man, that 
 thou art mindful of him, and the son of 
 
 * Ordination.* 
 * The " ordination" requires that the carididate 
 should have been " movecT^ by the Holy Ghost : yet 
 such is sometimes the spiritual ignorance of some, 
 that they have regarded that moving as either a dead 
 letter, or at most an unimportant metaphor. All such 
 are doubtless "blind leaders, of the blind." Many 
 it is feared have gone into orders thus unqualified 
 and of course as ignorant of the neio birth as was 
 Nicodemus. But thank fiod, some of them have liv- 
 ed to havt that "change*^ pass upon themselves, and 
 to bear their testimony to \YiQ.\v former "unrenewed" 
 state. This was he case with tlic celebrated Wes- 
 ley, with Ills iVitnd Dr. Coke, with Creighton, with 
 Grimshaw, wirh W^alker, wilh Iloe, with Cowper, 
 the brotlier of the poet : and even tlit poet himself, 
 owed his long disconsolate spirit tb the want of that 
 change of hetirt. 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFEST ATIOK. 125 
 
 man, that thou visitest him ! Now, that I 
 see thee, I abhor myself. I am not worthy 
 of the least of thy mercies. I am dust and 
 ashes. — But as there is nothing, which the 
 heart of man cannot be tempted to corrupt 
 and pervert, so as soon as the power attend- 
 ing the manifestation is a little abated, Sa- 
 tan begins to shoot his fiery darts of spirit- 
 ual pride, You are a peculiar favourite of 
 heaven, whispers that old serpent, few are 
 so highly blessed.* All your enemies are 
 
 * It is obvious -front what is here said, that there 
 is also a danger throug'li spiritual pride, of men 
 fancying- themselves moved by the Holy Ghost, to 
 teach others when they are most moved by self con- 
 ceit. This is a *' temptation :" for satan can trans- 
 form himself into an angel of lig-ht. Bvit this error, 
 does no more invalidate real inspiration, than base 
 coin corrupts the purity of the genuine. Such 
 preachers, however who like Ahimaaz, run loithout 
 their errand, are soon apt to faint and to perceive 
 their barrenness and retire. But the really moved 
 say *' woe ^is me, if I preach not the gospel" in 
 season and out of season." Such " continue'* and 
 " give themselves lokolly to reading, exhortation, 
 and doctrine." 
 
 St. Paul has summed up the requisities of a 
 preacher in his advice to Timothy. Such an one 
 must " desire" the office as " not greedy of filthy 
 lucre," but, because " he desireth a good work" or 
 v.'ishes above all things, to see tlie work of the Lord 
 abound and prosper. He must therefore be *' vigilant** 
 in all his '^* good work \* and lastly "he must be apt 
 to teach." If he has not this aptness in teaching 
 
 a 2 
 
126 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 scattered; you need not be so watchful in 
 prayer, and so strict in self-denial ; you shall 
 never fall. If the believer is not upon his 
 guard, and repels not these fiery darts with 
 his shield, as fast as the enemy throws them, 
 he is soon wounded, and pride kindles a- 
 gain upon him. 
 
 St. Paul himself was in danger from this 
 quarter. " There was given him a thorn in 
 the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him, 
 lest he should be exalted above measure, 
 through the abundance of the revelations." 
 Aaron and Miriam, fell into this snare, when 
 they spake against Closes, saying, " Hath 
 the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses ? 
 
 either by natural, acquired, or inspired abilities, he 
 amnot he dh'hh'ly "moved" to the office: For "no 
 man goeth at his own charg-e." 
 
 For wan t of dvlv considering* wliat an aptness to teach 
 does imply, there are probably also many humble and 
 g-ood souls, who mistake their vtoving^ because they 
 /t^eZthe "desire''* to preach Christ in an ardent de- 
 gree, and yet Aar<? not the aptness which is eqxudly 
 required. Such do not sufficiently consider, that 
 the "desire*^ to win souls to Clirist is wot special ov 
 peculiar to them, but is an emotion common to ever}'' 
 regenerate soul, and is most especially felt in those 
 who are most rcceiitly and most poiverfaUy, brought 
 into the light of the Gospel. 
 
 For further notice of the office, and call to the 
 ministry, see Fietcher's masterly " i*or trait of St 
 l»uul-" 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 127 
 
 Ilath not he spoken by us also ?" David 
 likewise acknowledges his error in this 
 respect : " In my prosperity, I said, I shall 
 never be moved, thou, Lord, of thy good- 
 ness hast made my hill so strong;" but my 
 heart was lifted up, and my confidence part- 
 ly carnal, therefore, " thou didst turn thy 
 face from me, and I was troubled." The 
 way to avoid the danger is to foresee it ; to 
 look much to the lowly Jesus, and upon the 
 first approach of a temptation to pride, to 
 give, with double diligence, all the glory 
 to him that graciously bestowed all, and to 
 take, with doublfi care, all the shame of our 
 sins to ourselves. St. PaulV, direction in this 
 case is excellent : '* Because of unbelief 
 some were broken off, and thou standest by 
 faith. Be not high minded, but fear." 
 
 Another genuine effect of divine manifts- 
 tations is an increase of confidence in the 
 Lord, and of activity in his service. What 
 holy boldness filled the souls of those wor- 
 thies, who, through faith, wrought righte- 
 ousness, and turned to flight the armies of 
 the aliens ? How did the love of Christ con- 
 strain the disciples to speak and act for 
 God after the day of Pentecost ? Nothing 
 could exceed their fortitude and diligence. 
 Nevertheless, if the tem))tation to pride is 
 yielded to, the Comforter is gi'ieved, and 
 
12^ SPIRITUAL MiVNlFESTATIOX. 
 
 carnal security, indolence of spirit, and in- 
 dulgence of the flesh, insensibly prevail. 
 The deluded professor, though shorn of his 
 strength, like Sampson, fancies himself the 
 same. Soul, says he, thou hast goods laid 
 up for many 5 ea'-s, even for everj though 
 the Lord manifests liimself to thee no more, 
 be neither uneasy nor afraid; he changes 
 not. Sometimes the delusion grows to that 
 height, that the farther he goes from the 
 kingdom of God the stronger he imagines 
 his faith. He even speaks contemptuously 
 of that kingdom. He calls righteousness, 
 peace and joy in the Holy jGhost, a frame, a 
 sensli>lc feeling, a low dispensation, beyond 
 which he has happily got. He thanks God 
 he can now rest upon the bare word, with- 
 out an application of it to his heart j that is 
 to say, he can be fully satisfied with the 
 letter without the Spirit, he can feed upon 
 the empty husks of notions, and opinions, 
 as if they were power and life. 
 
 The end of this dreadful mistake is gen- 
 erally a relapse into gross sin ; witness the 
 falls of David and Solomon ; or what is not 
 much better, a settling in a form, without 
 the power of godliness, as the Laodiceans 
 of old, and too many now, who have a 
 name to live and are dead. The only way 
 tb av.oid this precipice, is to follow the light 
 
SPIRITCAL MANIFESTATION. 129 
 
 of the 'first manifestation, and look daily for 
 new visits from Christ, till he makes his 
 abode with us, and we walk in the light, as 
 he is in the light. A manifestation of the 
 Spirit last year will no more support a soul 
 this year^ than air breathed yesterday will 
 nourish the flame of life to day. The sun 
 which warmed us last week, must shine a- 
 gain this week. Old light is dead light. 
 A notion of old warmth is a very cold no- 
 tion. We must have fresh food daily, and 
 though we need not a new Christ, we need, 
 perpetually, new displays of his eternal love 
 and power. The Lord taught us this im- 
 portant lesson, by making the manna he 
 ^i\.\t Israel in the wilderness to disappear 
 every day, and causing that which was not 
 gathered afresh, to breed worms and stink. 
 Nevertheless, as the mysterious food kept 
 sweet in the golden pot in the ark, so does 
 the heavenly power in Christ, to whom eve- 
 ry true Israelite will come daily for new 
 supplies of hidden manna ; for fresh mani- 
 festations of the Holy Spirit. Thousands by 
 not considering thi*, seek the living among 
 the dead, fancying that a living Saviour is 
 to be found iirdead experiences, and that all 
 is well though they live after the flesh, and 
 are perhaps, led captive by the devil at his 
 will. But when their souls awake out of this 
 
130 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 dangerous dream, they will be sensible of 
 their mistake, and frankly acknowledge, 
 " God IS not the God of the dead, but of the 
 living j'Vand that, '* if after they have escap- 
 ed the pGliatioins of the worl^., through the 
 knov/ledge of the Lord and SaCX'ipur Jesus 
 Christ, they a^'e again entangled therein, 
 and overcome^ the latter end is worse with 
 them than the beginning." 
 
 Leaving these lukewarm, formal, Laodi- 
 cean professors to the mercy of God, Isub- 
 acribf myself, Sir, Yours, &c. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Our Lord suits the manifestations of himself to the 
 various states of the church, and considers vis as 
 rational creatures, in a state of probation. 
 
 SIR, 
 V. THAT some persons are blessed 
 with clearer, stronger, or earlier manifesta- 
 tions than others, is undeniable ; and why 
 it is so, is one of the n.iysteries of God's 
 kingdom, that shall not be explained until 
 the day of judgment. In tLt mean time, 
 the following reflections may possibly cast 
 some light on that dark subject, and help 
 us to say, He does all things well* 
 
SPlRITUtU. MANIFEST ATIOlsr. 131 
 
 1. Our Lord suits the manifestations of 
 himself to the various states of the church. 
 Under the Mosaic dispensation, which con- 
 sisted much in externals, divine manifesta- 
 tions had, generally, some external circum- 
 stances : but the Christian church, being 
 formed upon a more spiritual plan, is fa- 
 voured with revelations of a more spiritual 
 and internal nature. 
 
 2. The Lord considers us as rational 
 creatures, in a state of probation. "Were he 
 to induljje us with powerful, incessant, 
 overwhelming discoveries of himself, he 
 would rather violently force, than gently 
 lead us to repentance and obedience. Eve- 
 ry day is not a day of Pentecost. Soon after 
 the Son of God had seen the heavens open, 
 he was led into the wilderness to be tempted 
 of the devil; and so is his spouse after 
 hlm.=^ St. Paul, bv observing, that he was 
 not disobedient to che heavenly vision, and 
 that he kept his body under, lest he should 
 become a cast- way, intimates his bright 
 manifestation was not of such continuance 
 and force, but he might have disobeyed, as 
 Jonah did in a similar case. Some have, in 
 fact, resisted bright manifestations in their 
 
 * Hos ii. 14. 
 
132 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 day: witness Cain, Judas, Balaam, Saul, 
 Nebuchadnezzar, and the Israelites who 
 perished in the wilderness ; and too many 
 backsliders are resisting them now. So 
 sure, then, as there is a time of trial for 
 faith, hope, and patience, there is also an 
 abatement of the power, which attends di- 
 vine manifestations. 
 
 3. Our wise Redeemer proportions the 
 means to the end. If the effect of a mani- 
 festation of his love is to be exceeding great,, 
 the manifestation must be exceeding bright* 
 Suppose the burden of guilt and hardness,, 
 temptation, and sorrow, under which one 
 groans is ten times greater than that, which 
 oppresses another, it is plain the manifesta- 
 tion, which is to remove the tenfold weight 
 is to be ten times stronger. I'he same rule 
 holds also with regard to sufferings and la- 
 bours. The hotter the fight of afflictions 
 God*s children are to go through, the stron- 
 ger and the brighter also is the celestial ar- 
 mour put upon them, at the revelation of 
 the Captain of their salvation. 
 
 4. Neither can it be doubted, but that 
 our good God, in fixing the degree of di- 
 vine manifestations, hath a peculiar respect 
 to the state and capacity of the souls to 
 whom he discovers himself. The deeper 
 sinners mourn for hina, the deeper he makes 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. I33 
 
 them drink of the cup of salvation at his 
 appearing^ Blessed are they that greatly 
 hunger and thirst after righteousness ; their 
 souls are thereby greatly enlarged to receive 
 the oil of gladness, and the wine of the 
 kingdom. Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
 those, whose souls are empty as the vessels 
 of the desolate widow, in the days of Eli- 
 sha : when the heavenly Prophet shall visit 
 them, the streams of his fulness shall cer- 
 tainly flow according to the degree of their 
 emptiness. 
 
 5. A skilful physician prescribes weaker 
 or stronger medicines, according to the 
 state of his patients. So does the Physician 
 of souls ; he weighs, if I may so speak, 
 every dram of the heavenly power in th^ 
 scales of goodness and wisdom. He knows 
 what quantity of the heavenly cordial our 
 spirits can bear, and will not, without the 
 greatest care, put the strong wine of his 
 powerful love into a weak vessel. lie sees, 
 that as some persons can stand, for a time, 
 the sight of the meridian sun, when others 
 are hurt by the first appearance of a taper, 
 so some Christians can bear the strong 
 beams of his gracious presence, while others 
 are almost overpowered by his fainter rays, 
 
 6. If some live and die without any 
 manifestations of the Redeemer's love and 
 
 M 
 
134 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIOJJ'. 
 
 glory, the reasons of it may possibly be 
 tpund in the abysses of his justice and 
 goodness. They gi'ieve and quench the 
 Spirit, that convinces the world of sin ; and 
 it is very fit they should not have him as a 
 Comforter, whom they obstinately reject as 
 a reprover. Add to this, that as our Lord 
 foresees, that if such people were favouredl 
 with tokens of his more distinguishing con* 
 descension, they would only abuse them, as 
 Cain and the Pharisees did, he puts them 
 not to the trial, nor suffers them to enhance 
 their guilt by trampling richer mercy and 
 love under foot : so that this seeming seve- 
 rity is, in fact, real benignity. 
 
 7. The Lord not only proportions the de- 
 gree of his powerful appearance to the 
 weakness of Our souls, but also to that of 
 6ur bodies. He knoweth whereof we are 
 m^de, and remembers that we are but flesh. 
 If the natural sun, that glorious emblem of 
 our Emmanuel, was to approach as near 
 our earth, and shine as bright aso possible, 
 the insufferable blaze and heat would in- 
 stantly blind and consume \is. By a parity 
 of" reason, w as our bright Sun of righteous- 
 ness to manifest his unclouded glory, of to 
 iippear without the tempering medium of 
 his manhood, no flesh could support the 
 sight. The brain, unable to bear the high 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. J 33 
 
 operations of the soul, would turn ; the 
 heart of the wicked, swelled with intolera- 
 ble pangs of fear, and that of the righteous, 
 dilated by overwhelming transports of joy, 
 would instantly burst. Crod therefore says, 
 " No man can see my face," without some 
 dimming veil, " and live." Hence arose 
 likewise the grateful exclamations of Ma- 
 noah and others, when the Lord had mani- 
 fested himself to them concealed under hu- 
 man appearance, We have seen God, and 
 live ! AVe have beheld him aijd are not con- 
 sumed ! 
 
 8. This may, perhaps, help us to account 
 why the Lord still hides his face from some 
 of his sincere seekers. They sit begging by 
 the vray side of his ordinances, and yet he 
 does not pass by, so as to restore to them 
 their spiritual sight, that they might know 
 him. In all probability he designs theni 
 such a bright manifestation, as they are not 
 yet able to bear. When their hearts are 
 strengthened for the heavenly vision, it 
 shall speak. Let them only wnit for it. 
 Let patience have its perfect work, and faith 
 in the word be tried to the uttermost; and 
 he that cometh, will come and will not tar- 
 ry. He will bring his reward with him, and 
 a moment of his presence will make them 
 abundant amends for the \\ra.itii>g of an age. 
 
136 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 Were he to appear, before they are prepar- 
 ed by the humiliation of repentance and the 
 patience of hope, they would be in the case 
 bf those carnal Israelites, who, far from be- 
 ing able to commune with God, could not 
 so much as speak to Moses, when he came 
 down from the mount, without first oblig- 
 ing him to put a veil over his shining face, 
 Peter, James, and John were, it seems, 
 the foremost of the apostles in spiritual 
 strength and boldness ; nevertheless, the 
 manifestation they had of Christ on the 
 mount almost overwhelmed them. Their 
 body sunk under the weight of his glory, 
 and when they came out of their sleep or 
 trance, they could not recover themselves, 
 " they knew not what they said." This had 
 been before the case of Daniel, and was 
 once more that of St. John. The comeli- 
 ness of the man greatly beloved was turned 
 to corruption ; he retained no strength. 
 And the beloved Apostle, when he saw his 
 Saviour with some additional beams of 
 glory, fell at his feet as dead. St. Paul not 
 only lost his sight on such an occasion, but 
 was near losing his life, being unable to 
 take any refreshment for three days and 
 three nights. And it is also generally sup- 
 posed, that Moses actually died under the 
 overpowering display^ of the Redeemer's 
 
SPIRITUAL MAXlFtS TATIOX, I37 
 
 love. Hence we learn, that Gcxl's way and 
 time are best, and that we are to leave both 
 to his gracious wisdom ; using the means, 
 in which he has promised to manifest him- 
 self to those who diligently seek him. 
 
 YI. What those means are, is what I 
 come in the last place to consider. The 
 agent or author of every divine manifesta- 
 tion is the eternal God, one in three, and 
 three in one. The Father reveals the Son 
 freely, the Son freely discovers himself, 
 and the Holy Ghost freely testifies of him. 
 Nevertheless, the Scriptures, in general 
 attribute this wonder of grace to the blessed 
 Spirit. " No man can," experimentally 
 say, " that Jesus is the Lord but by the 
 Holy Ghost." It is his peculiar office to 
 convince the world of righteousness, by 
 giving us to know savingly the Lord our 
 righteousness. " He shall glorify me," 
 says Christ, " for he shall take of mine, 
 and show'it unto you" And this he does, 
 without any merit of ours, in the means 
 which God hath appointed, and which he 
 enables us to use aright. 
 
 These means are both outward and in- 
 ward. The outward are what our church 
 calls " the means of grace ;" particularly 
 hearing or reading the word, partaking of 
 the sacraments, and praying together with 
 M 2 
 
138 SPIRITUAL MANIFEST ATIO^^ 
 
 one accord for the manifestation of the 
 Spirit, as the primitive Christians did.* 
 Thesis means are to be used with the great- 
 est diligence, but not to be trusted to ; the 
 only proper object of our confidence is God, 
 who works all in all. It was not Moses's 
 ryd, which parted the red sea, but that Al- 
 mighty arm, which once divided the water 
 from the water without a rod. Neverthe- 
 less, as Moses was not to throw his rod away, 
 under pretence of trusting in God alone, 
 neither was he to rely on the weak instru- 
 ment, as if the divine power resided in it. 
 
 Though the Lord in general works by 
 means, he ties himself to none, and some- 
 tiittes works without any. The same spi- 
 rit, which fell from Cornelius, while Peter 
 preached, fell upon Peter on the day of 
 Pentecost without any preaching. And the 
 same Lord, who opened Lydia's heart by 
 the ministry of St. Paul, opened the heart 
 of St. Paul by the sole exertion of his pow- 
 er. We hence learn, that as on the one 
 hand, we ought not with the profane and 
 enthusiasts to tempt the Lord, by neglect- 
 ing the use of any of the means he hath ap- 
 pointed ; so on the other hand, we must 
 beware of confining God to particular 
 Eieans, times, and places, as the bigotted 
 * Acts ii. 1. 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 139 
 
 and superstitious do ; remembering, that 
 when we are cut off from all outward 
 means, it is our privilege to wait for the 
 immediate display of God*s arm, in the use 
 of the inward means. 
 
 Of these the first is a believing 'there will 
 be a performance of the Lord's promise, 
 and that he is willing and able to manifest 
 himself to us as he does not to the world : 
 this is the very root of prayer, fervency, 
 hope, and expectation. AVithout the actings 
 of this preparatory^ faith, the soul droops, 
 and becomes an easy prey to despondency, 
 vanit}^, or sloth. Where this talent is bu- 
 ried, the Xiord seldom works. Believest 
 thou, that I am able to do this for thee ? is 
 generally the first question, that he puts to 
 the seeker's heart. If it is answered in the 
 negative, he can do no great miracle, be- 
 cause of this unbelief. Nevertheless, it 
 must be acknowledged, that St. Paul was 
 blessed with the revelation of the Son of 
 God, without any previous desire or ex- 
 pectation of it. In him, and others was 
 this scripture fulfilled, "I was found of 
 them that sought me not, I was manifested 
 to them that asked not after me."* But, 
 
 * In confirmatioTi, let the r</ader read the wonder- 
 l>il providential life of the late Rev. John Newton. 
 A more interesting life of lire kind is not to Ue foiind 
 
140 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 the Lord will be enquired of by the house 
 of Israel to do this ; and if he visits any 
 with conviction, as he did St. Paul, it is 
 only to make them pray, as that apostle did, 
 until he manifests himself, by the Holy 
 Ghost, in a way of consolation and love. 
 
 The 2d inward means of the manifesta- 
 tion of Christ is resignation, as to the par- 
 ticular manner, time, and place of it. 
 Through patience, as well as faith and 
 prayer, we inherit this promised blessing; 
 Some, according to their carnal wisdom 
 and forward imagination, mark out the way 
 in which salvation is to come to their 
 hearts ; but the Lord, generally, disappoints 
 those unhumbled seekers, though, as in the 
 case of Gideon, he may gratify one in a 
 thousand . for believers are " not born of 
 the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, 
 but of God." The Jews expected the 
 Messiah, and there they were right: but 
 they expected him in their own fvay^ and 
 there they stumbled and fell. While they 
 looked for a mighty conqueror, another 
 Alexander, to make them grtat^ they over- 
 looked the lowly Prince of peace, who came 
 
 in any language. Its incident are so various and 
 striking, as to be capable q{ pleasing those who most 
 love adventures and romances. — lieatler, do not fail 
 to read it. 
 
SPDirrUAL MANIFESTATION. 141, 
 
 to make them good ; and, at last, they cru^ 
 cified him as a base impostor. This Jew- 
 ish disposition, is in all by nature. Hence 
 Christ is commonly rejected in the Spirit 
 by Christians, as he was in the Jlesh by the 
 Jews. AVe would have him come to give 
 us an idle rest, but he appears to teach us 
 to deny ungodliness, and fight the good 
 fight of faith : this we do not like. Our 
 nature wants to step at once into a throne ; 
 but he offers first to nail us to the tree, and 
 to crucify our flesh with its affections and 
 lusts : and from this we shrink as from the 
 grave. We expect to be carried at once 
 to the top of mount Tabor, to see unutter- 
 able glory ; but he leads to Gethsemane to 
 watch and pray, or to calvarj^ to suffer and 
 die with him : here we recoil, and do not 
 chuse to know him. Our forward impatience 
 dictates, that he shall instantaneously turn 
 our midnight into noonday ; but instead of 
 manifesting himself at once as the meridian 
 sun, he will, perhaps, appear as the morn- 
 ing star, that our light may shine more and 
 more unto the perfect day. This defeats 
 our counsel, v/e despise the day of small 
 things, and do not think so low an appear- 
 ance worth our notice and thanks. If you, 
 Sir, ever seek the saving knowledge of 
 Jesus, never stop till }'ou can witness yovir 
 
142 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION.. 
 
 sun goes down no more ; but, in the mean 
 fime, never slight the least ray of heavenly 
 light. The least may open into the broad 
 day of eternity. Cease from your own false 
 wisdom, and become as a little child, of' 
 you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, 
 and see the king in his beauty. 
 
 The 3d and last inward means, 1 would 
 recommend to mourners in Sion, is a ten- 
 der regard for the reproofs of the Spirit, a 
 constant attention to the drawings of the 
 Father, obedience to the calls they have to 
 secret prayer, and a fear of depending upon 
 their duties, and not solely upon the faith- 
 fulness of Jesus. Whoever follows these 
 directions, according to the grace given 
 him, will of course cease from outward 
 evil, and do, as he can, the little good liis 
 hand finds to do. This is a better way of 
 waiting for the revelation of Christ, than 
 to lie down in dejection and hopeless unbe- 
 lief. All those, who sullenly bury their 
 one talent, and wilfully retain the accursed 
 thing, complain in vain that their Lord 
 makes long tarrying. They obstinately 
 grieve his convincing Spirit, and then ab* 
 surdly clamour, because he does not reward 
 them for it, by the comforts of his heaven- 
 ly presence. Let us not be so unreason- 
 able. Let us " strive to enter in at the 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 143 
 
 strait gate," remembermg, that "many- 
 shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able." 
 But let us strive lawfully, not making our- 
 selves a righteousness of our own seeking, 
 knocking, and striving. The sun shines 
 not because we deserve it, by undrawing 
 our curtains, but because it is its nature. 
 Jesus visits us, not because of any merit in 
 our prayers, &c. but for his own sake, be- 
 cause his truth and compassion fail not. 
 Free grace opens the door of mercy, not 
 to works and merit, but to want and misery. 
 That you and I may knock and press in, 
 with all needy, penitent, believing sinners, 
 is the earnest wish of a heart, which 
 prompts me to subscribe myself, Sir, 
 Yours, &c. 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 JManifestatlons recorded in the Old Testament. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 WHEN I told you, that, in all ages, 
 Jehovah Jesus manifests himself in a pe- 
 culiar manner to his people, you exclaimed 
 against the assertion as altogether new and 
 unecriptural. It lies upon me therefore to 
 prove, that antiquity and scripture are on 
 
144 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 my side. I shall then in this letter appeal 
 to the manifestation recorded in the Old 
 Testament. You cannot expect all the re- 
 Viilations of any child of God, much less 
 those of every one, to be mentioned in so 
 short a history as that of the Bible. Never- 
 theless, enough is said on the point to con- 
 vince us^ that, in every age of the church, 
 (rod has favoured the sons of men with 
 peculiar displays of his presence. 
 
 Let us go back as far as Adam himself. 
 Did not the Lord familiarly converse with 
 him before the fall, both when he presented 
 him with a partner, and when he brought 
 every beast of the field before him, to see 
 what he would call them ? Did he not visit 
 him after the fall, to pronounce his sentence, 
 and to promise, that he would become the 
 w^oman's seed, and bruisi the serpent's 
 head t Was not this manifestation granted 
 to Abel, when the Lord had respect to his 
 sacrifice, the very cause of Cain's envy, 
 wrath, and murder? Did not Enoch's walk- 
 ing with God imply a constant union and 
 communion with Emmanuel? And how 
 could this union have taken place, if the 
 Lord had not first revealed himself to the 
 Patriarch ? Must not two persons meet and 
 agree, before they can walk and conversi; 
 together ? 
 
SPiBlTUAL MANIPJ^STAXIOX. 14^ 
 
 Xoah found grace in the eyes of the 
 Lord, and, in consequence of it, >vas made 
 acquainted with his righteous designs, and 
 received directions how to escape from a 
 perishing world. The history of Abraham 
 is full of accounts of such manifestations. In 
 one of them, the Lord called him out of his 
 sins, and from his kindred to go both to the 
 heavenly and earthly Canaan, In others he 
 promised him Isaac and Isaac's mysterious 
 seed. Several }'ears after, for the trial of 
 his faith, he commanded him to sacrifice 
 that favourite son ; and when the trial was 
 over, he testified his approbation of Abra- 
 ham's conduct. He went farther. Read 
 Gen. ch. 1 8, and you will see, how the di- 
 vine Philanthrophy, or the love of God to- 
 wards man appeared, in condescending to 
 clothe himself, before hand, w^ith the nature 
 he was to assume in the virgin's womb, and 
 to converse in this undress with the father 
 of the faithful, as a prince with his favour- 
 ite, or a friend with his confident. 
 
 Sarah and Agar, Isaac and Rebekah, had 
 their divine manifestations ; hut those of 
 Jacob deserve our particular attentio^i. 
 When he fled to Syria from the face of his 
 brother Esau, and lay desolate in a field, 
 having only a heap ofjjstones for his pillow^ 
 the ^od of a^Ii consolatfen appeaEed to him ; 
 
146 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 " and behold the Lord stood above the mys- 
 terious ladder, on which the angels of God 
 ascended, and descended, and said, 1 am the 
 Lord — behold, I am with thee, and will keep 
 thee in all places, whither thou goest. And 
 Jacob called that place Bethel, the house of 
 God, and the gate of heaven;" as if he had 
 wanted to intimate, no one ever found the 
 gate of heaven, but by a manifestation of 
 Christ, who is alone the way to the Father^ 
 and the door into glory. When the same 
 patriarch returned to Canaan, and was left 
 alone one night, there wrestled a man with 
 him till the breaking of the day. And when 
 this extraordinary person said, " Let me go 
 for the day breaketh; he replied, I will not 
 let thee go, unless thou bless me ;" and he 
 blessed him there, acknowledging that he 
 had power with man and God, even with 
 him, whose name is Emmanuel, God with 
 us. " And Jacob called the name of the 
 place Peniel (the /ace of God) for he said I 
 have seen God face to face, and my life is 
 preserved." The design of this manifesta- . 
 tion was merely to strengthen his faith, and 
 we learn from it, that the children of faith- 
 ful Abraham wresde in prayer with the 
 God-man, as Jacob did, till they prevail, 
 and ^re blessed as he was. 
 
 Moses was favoured with numberless 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 147 
 
 manifestations, sometimes as prime minis- 
 ter of the King of the Jews, and at other 
 times only^ as a common believer. " There 
 appeared to him, in the wilderness of 
 mount Sinai, the angel of the Lord in a 
 flame of fire in a bush ; and when Moses 
 saw it, he drew near, and the voice of the 
 Lord came unto him saying, I am the God 
 of thy fathers," &c.* Many partook of a 
 sight equally glorious : " Moses, Aaron, 
 Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the eld- 
 ers of Israel went up and saw the God of 
 Israel, and there was under his feet as it 
 were a paved work of sapphire stone, and 
 as it were of the body of heaven in his clear- 
 ness ; and upon the nobles of the children 
 of Israel he laid not his hand ; also they 
 SAW God, and did eat and drink. "f " Be- 
 hold," said Moses upon this occasion, " the 
 Lord our God hath showed us his glory, 
 and we have heard his voice out of the 
 midst of the fire, and "we have seen this da^^ 
 that G od doth talk with man and he liveth.":j: 
 All Israel shared sometimes in the glo- 
 rious manifestation* They all drank of that 
 spiritual rock thai followed them, says St. 
 Paul, and that rock was Christ. The cloud 
 of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, 
 
 ^ Acts vu. TO. t Ex. xxiv. 10, 11. t Deut. v. 2i, 
 
148 SPiRlTUAL MANIFfc^STATlO^i. 
 
 says the Jewish historian, and fire was 
 upon it by night, in the sight of all the 
 hoiise of Israel. " It came to pass as Mo- 
 ines entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy 
 pillar descended, and stood at the door of 
 the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with 
 Moses, and all the people saw the cloudy 
 pillar, and rose up and worshipped every 
 man in the door of his tent. And the Lord 
 spake to Moses face to face, as a man 
 speaketh to his friend."* So indulgent 
 was Emmanuel to him, that when he said, 
 ''^ I beseech thee show me thy glory, the 
 Lord answered, I will make all my good- 
 ness pass before thee ; but thou canst 
 not see my face (without some veil) and 
 live. And (Oh astonishing condescension !) 
 the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood 
 with him, and proclaimed the name of the 
 Lord." Jehovah, Jesus passed before him, 
 and proclaimed Jehovah, Jehovah, ^. e. 
 revealed to him the Father and the Holy 
 Ghost one merciful God together with him- 
 self. And Closes made haste, bowed his 
 head towards the earth and worshipped. 
 These displays of divine goodness and glory 
 left a divine impression on the countenance 
 of the man of God j his face shone so traii- 
 scendently glorious, that the children of 
 * Ex. xxsiii.'^. 
 
•SHniTUAL MANIFEST ATIOX. 149 
 
 Israel were afraid to come nigh him ; and 
 he was obliged to put a veil upon it, before 
 he could converse with them. Though 
 this appears very extraordinary, the apos- 
 tles inform us, that what happened to the 
 countenance of Moses, happens to the souls 
 of all believers. By faith they behold the 
 Lord through the glass of gospel promises, 
 and beholding him they are made partakers 
 of the divine nature; — they are changed 
 into the same image from glory to glory. 
 
 Joshua, Moses's successor, was blessed 
 w^ith many such manifestations, each of 
 which conveyed to him new degrees of 
 courage and wisdom. To instance in one 
 only : " When he was by Jericho, he lift 
 up his eyes and looked, and behold, there 
 stood a man over against him, with his 
 s\\rord drawn in his hand. And Joshua 
 went to him, and, said. Art thou for us, or 
 for our adversaries ? And he said, nay, but 
 as Captain of the Lord's host am I come. 
 And Joshua (sensible it was Jehovah) fell 
 on his face to the earth, worshipped, and 
 said to him, What says my Lord to his 
 suervant? And the Captain of the Lord's 
 host said to Joshua, Loose thy shoe from 
 off thy foot, for the place whereon thou 
 standest is holy ground ; and Joshua did 
 N 2 
 
150 = SPIRITUAL MANIFEST ATIOK- 
 
 so."^ Every true discovery of Christ hatti 
 a similar effect. It humbles the sinner, and 
 makes him worship in the dust. He sees 
 holiness to the Lord written upon every 
 surrounding object : he is lodsed from earth 
 and earthly things, and the towering walls 
 of sin fall before him, as those of Jericho, 
 soon after this m^mifestation, did before 
 Joshua. 
 
 When that chief was dead, the same 
 heavenly Person, called the angel of the 
 Lord, came from Gilgal to Bochim and 
 spake such words to all the children of 
 Israel, that the people were universally 
 melted ; they lift up their voice, wept, and 
 sacrificed.! Nothing can so eflfectually 
 make sinners relent as a sight of him whom 
 they have pierced. When they have it, 
 whatever place they are in, becomes a Bo- 
 chim, a valley of tears and adoration. 
 
 Not long after the Lord manifested him- 
 self to Deborah, and by the wisdom and 
 fol'titude communicated to her in that reve- 
 lation, she was enabled to judge Israel, and 
 lead desponding JJarak to certain victory 
 through nine hundred chariots of iron. 
 
 The condescenjiian of our Kmmanuel 
 ^{^a^s^ijti a still more striking light, in the 
 
 * Josh. y. 1 '. T J'id^. i\ 1. 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIOX. 151 
 
 manifestation, which he vouchsafed to 
 Gideon. This mysterious " Angel of the 
 Lord (again and again called Jehovah) 
 came and sat under an oak in Ophrah, ap- 
 peared to Gideon and said, The Lord is 
 with thee and thou shalt smite the Midian- 
 ites as one man. And the Lord looked 
 upon him, (what a courage-inspiring look 
 was this ! as powerful no doubt, as that 
 which met cursing Peter's eye, and darted 
 repentanse to his heart I) and he said, Go 
 in this thy might ; have not I sent thee ? 
 And Gideon said, Alas ! O Lord God, for 
 because I have seen the angel of the Lord 
 face to face. And the Lord said unto him, 
 Peace be unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not 
 die. Thus strengthened and comforted, 
 he built an altar to Jehovah-Shalom, and 
 threw down the altar of Baal.*^ Hence we 
 learn, that, when Jesus manifests himself 
 to a sinner, he fills him with a noble con- 
 tempt of Baal, an effectual resolution to 
 break down his altars, and a divine courage 
 to shake off the yoke of the spiritual Mi- 
 dianites. He imparts to him a comfortable 
 assurance, that the bitterness of death is 
 past, and that Jehovah Shalom, the God of 
 peace, even Christ our peace, is with him • 
 
 • Jud^. vl. XI. k^. 
 
1J2 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIOl/. 
 
 and the sinner, constrained by the love of 
 Christ, gives him his believing hearty and 
 offers sacrifices of thanksgiving on that best 
 of altars. Here begins such a free inter- 
 course between the Redeemer and the re- 
 deemed, as we find began between the Lord 
 and Gideon, only of a far more spiritual 
 aiid delightful nature. 
 
 Some years after, the same Angel of God 
 appeared to Manoah's wife and promised 
 her a son. Her husband prayed for the 
 saipe manifestation. God hearkened to his 
 voice. The heavenly Personage manifest- 
 ed himself a second time. Manoah asked 
 him his name, and the " Angel said to him. 
 Why askest thou after my name, seeing it 
 is a secret :" I am not yet called jesus. 
 Manoah offered a burnt-offering, the Angel 
 received it at his hands : and, while he as- 
 cended in the flame of the altar, Manoah 
 fell on his face to the ground, knew that 
 he was the Aiigel Jehovah, and said to his 
 wife. We shall surely die, because we have 
 seen God. She comforted him under his 
 fears ; and the birth of Sampson, instead 
 of their death, was the consequence of this 
 tvvofold manifestation. 
 
 There was a time when Samuel did not 
 yet know the Lord, neither was the wojd 
 of the Lord, that Word which was after- 
 
SPIRITUAL MAXIFESTATIOX. I55 
 
 'vards made flesh, yet revealed unto him. 
 'I'he devoted youth worshipped in the dark, 
 till "the Lord appeared again in Shiloh, 
 came, stood, and called, Samuel, SamUel ; 
 for the Lord revealed himself to him there, 
 by the Word of the Lord." From that 
 memorable time, " the Lord was with him, 
 and did let none of his words fall to the 
 ground." The intercourse between God 
 and his prophet soon grew to so great a 
 degree, that the sacred historian says, " the 
 Lord told him in his ear" what he wanted 
 him to be informed of.^ 
 
 David had many manifestations of Christ, 
 and his pardoning love ; and, far from sup- 
 posing this blessing peculiar to himself as a 
 prophet, he declares that " for this every 
 one that is godly shall pray to God, when 
 he may be found."f He knew his Shep- 
 herd's inward voice so well, that, without 
 it, no outward message, though ever so 
 comfortable, could restore peace to his 
 troubled mind. When he had been con- 
 ivinced of his crimes of adultery and mur- 
 ider, by^ the close application of Nathan's 
 [parable, the prophet assured him the Lord 
 pad put away his sin, he should not die. 
 This report would have contented many of 
 
 *■ 1 SSm. ill. 7. and ix. 15. f Ps. xxxii. 6. 
 
154 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 our modern penitents ; but nothing short of 
 an immediate manifestation of the forgiving 
 God, could comfort the royal mourner. 
 " Wash thou me, says he, and I shall be 
 clean." Nathan's words, though ever so 
 true, cannot do this ; speak thyself merciful 
 Lord, " make me hear joy and gladness, 
 that the bones which thou hast broken may 
 rejoice." 
 
 Exceedingly remarkable was the revela- 
 tion his son Solomon was favoured with. 
 ^' In Gibeon, where he was gone to sacri- 
 fice, the Lord appeared unto him, in a 
 dream by night, and God said. Ask what 
 I shall give thee." Conscious of his greatest 
 want, "he asked an understanding heart. 
 The speech pleased the Lord, and God 
 said. Because thou hast asked this thing, I 
 have done according to thy word; lo, I 
 have given it thee ; and that also which 
 thou hast not asked, both riches and ho- 
 nour." Though this promise was made to 
 him in a dream, he knew by the change, 
 which he found in himself, when he awa- 
 ked, and by the powerful evidence, which 
 accompanies divine manifestations, that it 
 was a glorious reality. Fully persuaded of 
 it, he scrupled not to offer peace-offerings. 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. IJJ 
 
 and make a fea*t to all his servants on the 
 occasion*. Nor was this the only time So- 
 lomon was thus favoured. When he had 
 built the temple, and prayed for a blessings 
 upon it, " the Lord appeared to him a se- 
 cond time, as he had appeared to him in 
 Gibeon, and said, " I have heard thy pray- 
 er."t^^ 
 
 Elijah is so famous for the power he had 
 to obtain divine manifestations by the pray- 
 er of faith, that St. James, who had seen 
 him on the mount with Christ and Moses, 
 proposes him to the church for a pattern of 
 successful wrestling with God. And who 
 is the Lord God of Elijah, but the God 
 that manifests himself to his worshippers, 
 in opposition to Baal and other false gods, 
 from whom neither visits nor answers can 
 be obtained ? the Lord answered him by 
 fire at the foot of IMount Carmel, and by 
 showers on the top ; and " when he lodg- 
 ed in Mount Horeb in a cave, behold, the 
 Word of the Lord (Jehovah Jesus) came 
 to him and said. What doest thou here Eli- 
 jah ? Go forth, stand upon the mount be- 
 fore the Lord. And behold, the Lord pas- 
 sed by ;" and in his still small voice com- 
 forted, supported, and directed him.t 
 
 * 2 Kings iii. f i Kings iii 2. 
 
loTG SmRVlUAL MANUESTATIQ}^. 
 
 3Iicaiah, another man of God, " saw the 
 liord sitting on his thrcine, and all the host 
 of heaven standing by him on his right hand 
 and on his left."'^ Elisha was not only 
 blessed with frequent manifestations of the 
 Lord and his power, but of his heavenly re- 
 tinue also. He saw in an hour of danger, 
 " the mountain full of horses and chariots 
 of fire," ready to protect him ; imd at his 
 request, the Lord condescended to open his 
 servant's eyes, that his drooping spirits 
 might revive at the sight.f 
 
 Eiiphaz, one of Job's friends, related to 
 him, that " in thoughts from visions of the 
 night, when deep sleep falleth on men, fear 
 and trembling came upon him. Then ar 
 spirit passed before his face ; it stood still, 
 but he could not discern, i. e. cleai'ly dis- 
 tinguish the form thereof. An image was 
 before his face, and he heard a voice say- 
 ing. Shall mortal man be more pure than 
 irod ?" As for Job, when he had long con- 
 tended with his friends, the Lord answer- 
 ed him out of the whirlwind, and manifes- 
 ted himself in a manner, to which that good 
 man was before a stranger. ** I have heard 
 of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now 
 mine eye seeth thee ; wherefore, I abhor 
 
 * X Kings XX ii. l^.- f 2-Kiug?> vi IT 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. IS7 
 
 myself, and repent in dust and ashes*" 
 Hence we learn, that nothing but a disco- 
 very of the Lord can silence the vain rea- 
 sonings of self-righteous pleas and unbe- 
 lieving fears : this alone makes us to lie in 
 deep prostration at our Maker's feet. 
 
 St. John informs us, that Isaiah saiv 
 Christ's glory, and spake of him, when he 
 described the glorious manifestation, in 
 which he received a new seal of pardoning 
 and sanctifying love. "I saw the Lord, 
 says he, sitting upon his throne, high and 
 lifted up ; his train filled the temple. The 
 Seraphims covering their faces with their 
 wings, cried one to another, Holy, Holy, 
 Holy is the Lord of Hosts. Then said I, 
 wo is me, for I am undone, because I am 
 a man of unclean lips ; and I dwell in the 
 midst of people of unclean lips ; for mine 
 eyes have seen the King, the Lord of 
 Hosts. Then flew one of the Seraphims, 
 -and touching me with a live coal from off 
 the altar, he said. Thine iniquity is taken a- 
 way aud thy sin purged."* Many never wit- 
 ness the foregiveness of their sins, till they 
 jsee by faith the Lord of Hosts, and ar6 
 melted into repentance, and inflamed with 
 teve at the glorious sight. Isaiah not only 
 
 * jba. vi. 1. &c. 
 o 
 
158 SnmTUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 beheld Christ's glory ,«»but was blessed with 
 the clearest views of his sufferings. He 
 saw him as " a man of sorrows, and ac- 
 quainted with griefs ;" and asked him; 
 " Why he was red in his apparel, and his 
 garments like him that treadeth the wine 
 vat ?" These revelations were not only cal- 
 culi\Jed for the good of the Church, but al- 
 so for the establishment of the prophet's 
 faith. 
 
 I shall not mention those of Ezekiel ; 
 they are so numerous, that a particular ac- 
 count of them would alone fill a letter. I 
 refer you to the book itself. Jeremiah, 
 speaking of God's people says, in express 
 terms, The Lord hath appeared of old 
 unto me saying, " Yea, I have loved thee 
 with an everlasting love ; therefore with 
 loving kindness have I drawn thee." Da- 
 niel enjoyed the same favour. " He saw 
 the ancient of days, and one like the son of 
 man coming with the clouds of heaven." 
 We may naturally suppose, that Daniel's 
 three companions, Shadrach, Meshach, and 
 Abednego, were sensible of their heavenly 
 deliverer's presence. They were more con- 
 cerned in the discovery than Nebuchadnez- 
 zar, who cried out, " Lo, I see four men 
 loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and 
 the form of the fourth is like the Son of 
 God." 
 
SPHIITUAI. MANIFESTATION. tS9 
 
 It would be absurd to suppose, that the 
 lesser prophets, and other men of God, to 
 whom the word of the Lord came, had no 
 discovery of the Lord himself, the essen- 
 tial word. If some display of his presence 
 "ad not attended their every revelation, 
 might they not have said, Thus says my 
 warm imagination,^ — thus says my enthusi- 
 astic brain, as well as. Thus says the Lord ? 
 From the variety and authenticity of these 
 manifestations left upon sacred record, I 
 conclude, that the doctrine I maintain, far 
 from being new and unscriptural, is sup- 
 ported by the experiences of God's children 
 for 3600 years, viz. from the creation of 
 the world till the close of the Old Testa- 
 ment. 
 
 With respect to what is extraordinary, 
 as to the design, and barely external, as to 
 the circumstances of some of these mani- 
 festations, I refer you to the distinctions I 
 made on that subject in my second letter. 
 Should you object, that the contents of this 
 prove only, that God favoured the Patri- 
 archs and Jews with immediate revelations 
 of himself, because they had neither the 
 gospel nor the scriptures : I answer, 
 
 1. The gospel was preached to them, as 
 well as to us. The Patriarchs had tradition, 
 which answered the end of xht scriptures, 
 
160 SPIRiJUAL IMANIFESTATION 
 
 in their day. The Jews, in the time of the^ 
 judges, had not only tradition, but a consi- 
 derable part of the scriptures, even all the 
 writings of Moses. Under the kings, they 
 had the Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes, the Pro- 
 verbs, and a thousand and five songs of So- 
 lomon, one of which only has been handed 
 down to our times. They had also tl^e 
 book of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy 
 of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the visions of 
 Iddo the seer, which are now lost. These 
 Contained the substance of the Bible. 
 
 2. When the Lord answered S^ Yio 
 more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams, 
 the reason assigned for it by the Holy 
 Ghost is, not that the canon of scripture 
 was filled, and there was no more occasion 
 for immediate revelations ; but that the Lord 
 was departed from him, and was become 
 his enemy. 
 
 3. David, who had the honour of being 
 a sacred writer himself, after his relapse 
 into sin, could not be satisfied with the 
 Psalms he had penned down, but mourned, 
 prayed, and watered his bed with his tears, 
 inconsolable till the Lord immediately re- 
 vealed his pardoning love, and said to his 
 soul, I am thy salvation. 
 
 4. If, because we have the letter of scrip- 
 ture, we must be deprived of all immedi- 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION, 16i 
 
 ate manifestations of Christ and his Spirit, 
 we are great losers by that blessed book, 
 and we might reasonably say — " Lord bring 
 us back to the dispensation of Moses. Thy 
 Jewish servants could formerly converse 
 with thee face to face, but now we can know 
 nothing of thee, but by their writings. They 
 viewed thy glory in various wonderful ap- 
 pearances, but we are indulged only with 
 black lines telling us of thy glory. They 
 Jiad the bright Shekinnh, and we have only 
 obscure descriptions of it. They were bles- 
 sed with lively oracles, aqd we only with a 
 dead letter. Tlie ark of thy covenant went 
 before them, and struck terror into all their 
 adversaries ; but a book, of which our ene- 
 mies make daily sport, is the only revela- 
 tion of thy power among us. They made 
 their boast of Urim and Thummim, and 
 received particular,immediate answers from 
 betweeivthe Cherubim ; hut we have only 
 general ones, by means of Hebrew and 
 Greek writings, which many do not under- 
 stand. They conversed familiarly with jMo- 
 ses, their mediator, widi Aaron their high 
 priest, and Samuel their prophet ; these ho- 
 ly ni en gave them unerring directions in 
 doubtful cases ; but, alas I the apostles and 
 inspired men are all dead, iind thou Jesus, 
 our Mediator, Priest, and Prophet, canst 
 o 2 
 
162 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 not be consulted to any purpose, for thou 
 manifestest thyself no more. As for- thy 
 sacred book, thou knowest that sometimes 
 the want of money to purchase it, the want 
 of learning to consult the original, the want 
 of wisdom to understand the translation, 
 the want of skill or sight to read it, prevent 
 our improving it to the best advantage, and 
 keep some from reaping any benefit from 
 it at all. O Lord, if, because we have this 
 blessed picture of thee, we must have no 
 discovery of the glorious original, have 
 compassion on us, take back thy precious 
 book, and impart thy more precious self to 
 us, as thou didst to thy ancient people." 
 
 5. St. Paul declares, that though the Mo- 
 saic dispensation was glorious, that of Christ 
 exceeds it in glory. But if Christ revealed 
 himself immediately to the Jews, and to 
 Christians only mediately, by the letter of 
 a book, it is plain, the apostle was mista- 
 ken ; for no one can deny, it is far more 
 glorious to see the light of God's counte- 
 nance and hear his voice, than merely to 
 read something about them in a book. 
 
 6. That particular manifestations of Christ, 
 far from ceasing with the Jewish, have in- 
 creased in brightness and spirituality under 
 theChristian dispensation, I shall endeavour 
 to prove in my" next. I atn, Sir, &c. 
 
LETTER VI. 
 
 Manifestations ofClirisl, have increased in brightness 
 and spirituality under the Christian dispensation. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 ACCORDING to my promise, I shall 
 now prove, that the New Testament a- 
 bounds, as well as the Old, with accounts of 
 particular revelations of the Son of God. 
 
 Before his birth, he manifested himself to 
 the blessed virgin, by the overshadowing 
 , power of the- Holy Ghost. She rejoiced 
 in God her Saviour, and glorified more, in 
 having him revealed as God in her soul, 
 than in finding him conceived as man in 
 her womb. Soon after Joseph, her hus- 
 band, was assured in a heavenly dream, 
 that the child she bore was Emmanuel, 
 God v/ith us. He revealed himself next to 
 Elizabeth. When she heard the salutation 
 of Mary, she was filled with the Holy Ghost, 
 and made sensible, that the virgin was the 
 mother of her Lord. So powerful was this 
 manifestation, that her unborn son was af- 
 fected by it — ^^rhe babe leaped in her womb 
 for joy, and was filled with the Holy Ghost 
 even from his mother's womb. 
 
164 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 So important is a particular knowledge 
 of Jesus, that an angel directed the shep- 
 herds, and a miraculous star the wise men, 
 to the place where he was born : and there 
 the Holy Ghost so revealed him to their 
 hearts^ that they hesitated not to worship 
 the seemingly despicable infant, as the ma- 
 jestic God, whom the heaven of heavens 
 cannot contain, 
 
 Simeon who waited for the consolation 
 of Israel, had it revealed to him by the 
 Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, 
 before he had seen the Lord's Christ. TJie 
 promise was fulfilled ; and while his bodily 
 eyes discovered nothing but a poor infant, 
 presented without pomp in the temple, his 
 spiritual eyes perceived him to be the light 
 of Israel, and the salvation of God. Nor 
 was this extraordinary favour granted only 
 to Simeon ; for it is written, all flesh shall 
 see the salvation of God ; and St. Luke in- 
 forms us, that Anna partook of the sight 
 with the old Israelite, gave thanks to her 
 new born Lord, and spake of him to all 
 that waited for redemption in Jerusalem. 
 : When he entered upon his ministry, he 
 first manifested himself to his forerunner, 
 " 1 knew;hira not": personally, said John ; 
 'Vbut he that sentnie to baptize with water, 
 said unto me^,*|LJppij .W'hom thou sh^alt set*. 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. ie,3 
 
 the Spirit descending, and remaining on 
 him, the same is he, who baptizes with the 
 Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bear record, 
 that this is the Son of God, the Lamb, that 
 taketh away the sins of the world." 
 
 Jesus had manifested himself spiritually 
 to Nathaniel under the fig tree ; and the 
 honest Israelite, being reminded of that 
 divine favour, confessed the author of it : 
 Rabbi, said he, thou art the Son of God, 
 thou art the King of Israel. Our Lord 
 pleased with his ready confession, promised 
 that he should see greater things, enjoy 
 brighter manifestations, than these; that 
 he should even see heaven open, and the 
 angels of God ascending and descending 
 Aipon the Son of man. 
 
 The bare outzvard s'lQht of our Saviour's 
 person and miracles rather confounded than 
 converted the beholders. What glorious 
 beams of 'his Godhead pierced through the 
 veil of his mean appearances, when, with 
 supreme authority, he turned the bi^yers 
 and sellers out of the temple : When he en- 
 tered Jerusalem in triumph, and all the 
 city was moved, saying. Who is this ? And 
 when he said to those who apprehended 
 him, I am HE, and they went backw^ard, 
 and fell to the ground ! Nevertheless, we do 
 not find, that one person was blessed with 
 
X6B SPIRITUAl. manifestation: 
 
 the saving knowledge of him, on any of 
 these solemn occasions. The people of Gal- 
 ilee saw most of him, and yet belie'ved least 
 in him. " AV hat wisdom is this, which is 
 given to this man, said they, that such migh- 
 ty works are wrought by his hands ? Is not 
 this the carpenter the son of Mary? and 
 they were oifended at him." Some went 
 even so far as to ascribe his miracles to a 
 diabolical power, affirming, that he cast out 
 devils by Belzebub the prince of the devils. 
 Hence it appears, that if he had not in some 
 degree, revealed himself to the hearts of his 
 disciples, when he said to them. Follow me, 
 they would never have forsaken all imme- 
 diately and followe(lhim. He manifested 
 forth his glor}^, sayj^t. John, and his dis- 
 ciples believed on hiUb^nd yet, when the 
 manifestation was chiefly external, how 
 weak was the ej^ect it produced even upon 
 them ? How was our I^ord, after all, oblig- 
 ed to upbraid them with their unbelief, their 
 little faidi, and, on a particular occasion 
 with their having no faith? If we know, 
 savingly, that Jesus is God with us, flesh 
 and blood, i. e. mere man with all his best 
 pov/ers, hath not revealed this to us, but 
 our Father, who is in heaven. As no man. 
 knoweth the Father save the Son and he to 
 whom the Son will reveal him; so no m^n 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIOX. 16^ 
 
 knoweth the Son but the Father, and he to 
 whom the Spirit proceeding from the Fa- 
 ther does reveal him. For no man can sav- 
 ingly say, that Jesus is Jehovah, the Lord, 
 but by the Holy Ghost : and he, that hath 
 seen me, by this divine revelation, says Je- 
 sus, hath seen the Father also ; for I and 
 the Father are one. 
 
 Had not our Lord revealed himself in a 
 peculiar manner to sinners, no one would 
 have suspected him to be God manifest in 
 the •flesh. Till he discovers himself, as he 
 does not unto the world, he hath no form 
 nor comeliness, says Isaiah, and when we 
 see him, there is no beauty in him, that we 
 should desire him ,* we hide as it were our 
 faces from him ; he is despised, and we 
 esteem him not. He was obliged to say to 
 the woman of Samaria, I that speak to 
 thee am he; and to say it with a power 
 that penetrated her heart, before she could 
 believe with her heart unto righteousness. 
 Then, indeed, divinely wrought upon, she 
 ran and invited her neighbours to draw liv- 
 ing water out of the well of salvation she 
 had so happily found. 
 
 If our Lord had not called Zaccheus in- 
 ivardly as well as outwardly; if he had not 
 made him come down from the pinnacle of 
 proud nature, as well as from the sycamore 
 
168 SPIBITUAL MANIFESTAxfeN. 
 
 tree ; if he had not honoured his heart with 
 his spiritual, as he did his house with his 
 bodily presence ; the rich publican would ne- 
 ver have received him gladly, nor would 
 the Lord have said, This day is salvation 
 come to thy house, forasmuch as thou art 
 a son of faithful Abraham. 
 
 Salvation did not enter into the heart of 
 Simon, who admitted our Lord to his house 
 and table, as well as Zaccheus. The peni- 
 tent woman, who kissed his feet, and wash- 
 ed them with her tears, obtained the bless- 
 ing, which the self-righteous Pharisee de- 
 spised. It was to her contrite spirit, and not 
 to his callous heart, that the Lord revealed 
 himself, as the pardoning God. 
 
 The blind man, restored to his bodily 
 sight, knew not his heavenly benefactor, till 
 a second and greater miracle was wrought 
 upon the eyes of his blind understanding. 
 When Jesus found him, some time after he 
 was cured, he said to him, " Doest thou be- 
 lieve on the Son of God ? He answered, 
 Who is he Lord, that I might believe on 
 him ?" And Jesus, opening the eyes of his 
 mind, and manifesting himself to him, as he 
 does not unto the world, said, " Thou hast 
 both seen him, and it is he that talketh with 
 thee.'* Then, and not till then, he could ?ay 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 169 
 
 from the heart, Lord, I believe, and he wor- 
 shipped him. 
 
 Both the thieves, who were crucified with 
 him, heard his prayers and strong cries ; 
 both saw his patience and his meekness, his 
 wounds and his blood. One continued to 
 make sport of his sufferings, as though he 
 had been a worse malefactor than himself; 
 while the other, blessed with an internal 
 revelation of his godhead, implored his mer- 
 cy, tisusted him with his soul, and confes- 
 sed him to be the King of glory, at the very 
 moment, when he hung tortured and dying 
 as the basest of slaves. 
 
 St. Peter speaks so highly of the mani- 
 festation, with which he and the two sons 
 of Zebedee were favoured on mount Tabor, 
 that we ought not to pass over it in silence. 
 They saw the kingdom of God coming with 
 power ; they beheld the king in his beauty. 
 " His face did shine like the sun, and his 
 raiment became white as light; a bright 
 cloud overshadowed him, and behold, a 
 voice out of the cloud, which said. This is 
 my beloved Son in whom I am well pleas- 
 ed ; hear ye him." 
 
 Nor did our Lord reveal himself less 
 after his resurrection. Mary sought him 
 at the grave with tears. As she turned her- 
 self, she saw him standing, but knew not 
 p 
 
170 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 that it was Jesus. He said unto her, Why 
 deepest thou i Whom seekest thou ? She, 
 supposing him to be the gardener, enquired 
 aft'jr the object of her love ; until Jesus, 
 calling her by her name, manifested him- 
 self to her as alive from the dead. Then 
 she cried out, Master ! and in her trans- 
 port, would have taken her old place at his 
 feet. 
 
 With equal condescension he appeared 
 to Simon, that he might not be swallowed 
 up with overmuch sorrow. True mourn- 
 ers in Sion weep, some for an absent God, 
 as Mary, others for their sins as Peter; 
 and they will not be comforted, no not by 
 angels ; but only by him, who is nigh to 
 all chat call upon him, and is health to those 
 that are broken in heart. He, that aj)pear- 
 ed first to weeping Mary, and next to sor- 
 rowing Peter, will shortly visit them v/ith 
 his salvation. He is already with them, as 
 he was with Mary, though they know it 
 not ; and he will soon be in them the sure 
 and comfortable hope of glory. 
 
 This observation is farther confirmed by 
 the experience of the two disciples, who 
 walked to Kmmaus, and were sad, Jesus 
 drew near, joined and comforted them. He 
 made their hearts to burn within them 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 1 ft 
 
 while he talked with them by the way, and 
 opened to them the scriptures.* But still 
 their eyes were held, that they should not 
 know him, before they were prepared for 
 the overwhelming favour. And it was not 
 until he sat at meat with them, that their 
 eyes were opened, and they knew him in 
 the breaking of bread. By a fatal mistake, 
 raariy professors in our day I'est satisjicd 
 with what did not satisfy the two disciples. 
 They understood the Scriptures, their 
 hearts burnt with love and joy ; Jesus was 
 v/ith theni, but they knew him not, until 
 the happy moment, when he fully opened 
 the eye of their faith, and poured the light 
 of his countenance on their ravished spirits ! 
 H-appy those, who, like them, constrain an 
 unknown Jesus by mighty prayers to tarry 
 with them, until the veil is taken away from 
 their hearts and they know in whom they 
 hjfVe believed ! 
 
 Frequent were the manifestations of 
 Jesus to his disciples before his ascension. 
 An angel appeared to two of the holy 
 mourners, and said to them, "Fear not; for 
 I know, that ye seek Jesus who was cnici- 
 fied. He is risen from the dead. As they 
 
 * This bnrniiig' expres^ses the ntiotions of the heartt 
 \vhi(fii till this day, is fdt in believers. 
 
1 /2 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 ran with fear and great joy to tell his dis- 
 ciples, Jesus met them saying, All hail! 
 and they came, held him by the feet, and 
 worshipped him." The same day in the 
 evening, when the doors were shut where 
 the disciples were assembled for fear of the 
 Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst. 
 They were terrified, but with his wonted 
 goodness he said, Peace be unto you ! He 
 showed them his hands and his feet ; ate 
 with them as he had done of old with Abra- 
 ham ; and, to testify an inward manifesta- 
 tion of the Holy Ghost, which he imparted 
 to them, breathed upon them, as his Spirit 
 breathed upon their minds : and thus he 
 opened their understandings, that they 
 might understand the scriptures. Out of 
 condescension to Thomas he showed him- 
 self to them a second time, in the like man- 
 ner ; and a third time at the sea of Tibe- 
 rias : and afterwards he was seen of abo\^e 
 five hundred brethren at once. 
 
 You will perhaps say. Sir, that these 
 manifestations ceased when Clirist was as- 
 cended to heaven. This is true with re- 
 spect to the manifestation of a body of such 
 gross flesh and blood, as may be touched 
 with material hands. In this sense believ- 
 ers know Christ after the flesh no more. 
 Our Lord, by his gentle reproof to Thomas, 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. I73. 
 
 discountenanced our looking for carnal 
 manifestations of his person, and I have 
 declared again and again, that they are not 
 what I contend for. 
 
 But, that spiritual manifestations of 
 Christ ceased at his ascension is what I 
 must deny, if I receive the scripture. On 
 the contrary they became more frequent. 
 Three thousand were pricked to the heart 
 on the day of Pentecost, and felt their need 
 of a visit from the heavenly Physician. He 
 then came revealed in the power of his 
 Spirit, with whom he is one. -They receiv- 
 ed the gift of the Holy Ghost, whose office 
 it is to manifest the Son. For the promise 
 was unto them and their children, and to 
 as many, as the Lord our God shall call; 
 witness the last words of Christ in St. Matr 
 thew's gospel, Lo, I am with you always, 
 even unto the end of the world. 
 
 Time Would fail me to tell of the five 
 thousand converted some days after, of 
 Cornelius and his household, Lydia and 
 her household; in a word, of all who were 
 truly brought to Christ in the first age of 
 Christianity. '' The Lord opened their 
 hearts. The Holy Ghost fell upon them ; 
 and they walked in his comforts. Christ 
 was evidently set forth crucified before 
 their spiritual eves. He dwelt in their 
 P 2 
 
jy4 SPIRITUAL maniVestation. 
 
 hearts by faith ; they lived not, but Christ 
 lived in them." They agreed in saying, 
 with St. Paul, If any man have not the 
 Spirit of Christ, by whom he is savingly 
 known, he is none of his. 
 
 Stephen's experience is alone sufficient 
 to decide the point. When brought before 
 the council they all saw his face, as it had 
 been the face of an angel. Being full of 
 the Holy Ghost, he wrought no miracle, 
 he . spake no new tongue ; but " looked 
 steadfastly up into heaven, and saw the 
 glory of God, and Jesus standing at. the 
 right hand of God ; and said, Behold, I see 
 the heavens opened and the Son of man 
 standing on the right hand of God." This 
 manifestation was calculated only for the 
 private encouragement and comfort of the 
 pious Deacon. It answered no other end, 
 but to enrage the Jews and make them 
 account him a greater blasphemer and a 
 wilder enthusiast, than they did before. 
 Accordingly they cried aloud, stopped their 
 ears, ran upon him, cast him out of the 
 city, and stoned hinv; while Stephen under 
 the powerful influence of the manifestation, 
 kneeled dowil, called upon God, saying, 
 liord Jesus receive my spirit, and lay not 
 this sin to their charge. Hence we learn, 
 5rst, that nothing- appears so absurd and 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 173 
 
 tvkked to Pharisees and formalists, as the 
 doctrine I maintain. They lose all patience^ 
 when they hear that Christ really manifests 
 himself" to his servants. No blasphemy like 
 this in the account of those, who are wis^, 
 learned and prudent in their own eyes.* 
 Secondly, that the most exalted saints need 
 TV fresh manifestation of the glory, love, and 
 presence of Christ, that they may depart 
 this life in the triumph of faith. 
 
 If you object, that Stephen was thus fa- 
 voured, because he was about to suffer for 
 Christ, and, that it would be great presump- 
 tion to expect the like support, I reply, in 
 the five following observations. 1. We are 
 called to suffer for Christ as well as Stephen, 
 though perhaps not in the same manner and 
 degree. 2. We often need as much support 
 from Christ, to stand against the Children 
 of men that are set on fire, whose teeth are 
 spears and arrows, and their tongues a 
 sharp sword ; and to quench the fiery darts 
 of the devil, as the mart}T did to stand a 
 shower of stones. 3. It is perhaps as hard 
 to be racked with the gout, or to burn sev- 
 eral days in a fever on a sick bed, as f ou 
 or I may be forced to do, as to be for a few 
 
 * Reader, if this appear so to thee, thou hast need 
 of better teaching^. 
 
IfQ SPIRITUAL MA^%ESTAT^ON. 
 
 minutes with Shadrach and his companions 
 in a burning furnace, or to feel for a fleet- 
 ing moment the anguish of bruised flesh 
 and a fractured skull, with our triumphant 
 martyr. No one knows, what pangs of body 
 and agonies of soul may accompany him 
 through the valley of the shadow of death. 
 If our Lord himself was not above being 
 strengthened by an angel that appeared to 
 him from heaven, surely it is no enthusiasm 
 to say, that such feeble creatui*es as we are, 
 stand in need of a divine manifestation, to 
 enable us to fight our last battle manfully, 
 and to come off more than conquerors. 4. 
 We betray unbelief, if we suppose, that 
 Christ cannot do for us what he did for 
 Stephen ; and we betray our presumption, 
 if we say, zue want not the assistance, 
 which this bold champion stood in need of. 
 5. The language of our church is far differ- 
 ent : " Grant," says she, in her collect for 
 that saint's day, " O Lord, that in all our 
 sufferings here on earth for the testimony 
 of thy truth, we may steadfastly look up to 
 heaven, and, by faith, behqld the glory that 
 shall be revealed ; and, hem^ Ji lied with, the 
 Holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless 
 our persecutors, by the example of thy first 
 martyr, St. Stephen, who prayed for . his 
 murderers, ' O blessed Jesus, who stand- 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. l^^' 
 
 ^st at the right hand of God to succour all 
 those, who suffer for thee." 
 
 You see, Sir, that I have the suffrage of 
 the Church of England ; and yours too, if 
 you do not renounce our excellent liturgy ; 
 so that, if I am an enthusiast for expecting 
 to be Jilled with the Holy Ghost, and by 
 faith to behold the glory that shall be re- 
 vealed, as well as St. Stephen, I am coun- 
 tenanced by a multitude of the best and 
 greatest men in the world. 
 
 But suppose you reject the testimony of 
 St. Stephen, and of all our Clergy (when 
 in the desk) touching the reality and the 
 necessity too of our Lord's manifesting 
 himself on earth, after his ascension into 
 heaven, receive at least that of St. Luke 
 and St. Paul. They both inform us, that 
 " as Saul of Tarsus went to Damascus, 
 the Lord, even Jesus, appeared to him in 
 the way." Suddenly there shone a light 
 from heaven above the brightness of the 
 sun, so that he fell to the earth, and heard 
 a voice, saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest 
 thou me ? xlnd he said, who art thou Lord ? 
 And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom 
 thou persecutest. So powerful was the ef- 
 fect of this manifestation of Christ, that the 
 sinner was turned into a saint, and the 
 
178 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 fierce, blaspheming persecutor, into a weep- 
 ing, praying apostle. 
 
 Methinks I hear you say. True, into an 
 apostle ; but are we called to be apostles I 
 No, Sir, but we are called to be christians — 
 to be converted from sin to holiness, and 
 from the kingdom of darkness to the king- 
 dom of God's dear Son. St. Paul's call 
 to the apostleship is nothing to his being 
 v/iade a child of God. Judas was a Chris- 
 tian by profession, an apostle by call, and 
 a devil by nature. And what is Judas in 
 his own place to the meanest of God's chil- 
 dren? — ^to poor Lazarus in Abraham's 
 bosom ? All, who go to heaven, are first 
 turned from darkness to light, and from 
 the power of Satan unto God. This turn- 
 ing sometimes begins by a, manifestation of 
 Christ; witness the authentic account of 
 Colonel Gardner's conversion, published 
 "by his judicious friend Dr. Doddridge ; and 
 the more autlientic one of our apostle's con- 
 version, recorded three times by St. Luke. 
 And 1 dare advance upon the authority of 
 one greater than. St. Luke, that no one's 
 conversion ever was completed without the 
 revelation of the Son of God to his heart.^ 
 \ am the way and the door, says Jesus, no 
 
 * Reader! believest thou this ? 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 1/9 
 
 man cometh to the Father but by me. 
 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends 
 of the earth. Our lookmg to him for sal- 
 vation would be to as little purpose, was he 
 not to manifest himself to us, as our look- 
 ing towards the east for light, if the sun 
 were not to rise upon us. 
 
 The revelation of Christ, productive of 
 St. Paul's conversion, was not the only one 
 with which the apostle was favoured. " At 
 Corinth the Lord encouraged and spake to 
 him in the night by a vision. Be not afraid 
 but speak and hold not thy peace ; for I am 
 with thee, and no man shall hurt thee." On 
 another occasion, to wean him more from 
 earth, Christ favoured him with the near- 
 est views of heaven. " I knew a man in 
 Christ, says he, whether in the body or out 
 of the body, I cannot tell, who was caught 
 up into the third heaven into paradise, and 
 heard words, which it is not possible for 
 man to utter." And he informs us farther, 
 that lest he should be exalted above mea- 
 sure through the abundance of the revela- 
 tions, a messenger of Satan was suffered to 
 buffet him. When he had been brought 
 before the Sanhedrim for preaching the 
 gospel, St. Luke informs us, that " the 
 night following, the Lord stood by him, 
 2lnd said, be of good cheer, Paul; for a$" 
 
180 SPHIITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, s© 
 must thou bear witness also at Rome." The 
 ship, in which he sailed, being endangered 
 by a storm, there stood by him, " the angel 
 of God, whose he was, and whom he serv- 
 ed, saying, Fear not, Paul, &c." 
 
 St. Paul was not the only one to whom 
 Christ manifested himself in this familiar 
 manner. Ananias of Damascus was neither 
 an apostle, nor a deacon ; nevertheless, to 
 him " said the Lord in a visio?iy Ananias. 
 And he said, Behold, I am here. Lord; and 
 the Lord said. Arise, and go into the street, 
 which is called Straight, and enquire in the 
 house of Judas for one called Saul of Tar- 
 sus ; for behold he prayeth." In like man- 
 ner Philip was directed to go near and join 
 himself to the Eunuch's chariot. And St. 
 Peter being informed, that three men sought 
 him, Arise, said the Lord, and go with 
 them, doubting nothing, for I have sent 
 them. 
 
 Whether we place these manifestations 
 in the class of the extraordinary, or of the 
 mixt ones, we equally learn from them, 
 1st, That the Lord Jesus revealed himself 
 as much after his ascension as he did before, 
 2dly, That if he does it to send his ser- 
 vants with a gospel message to particular 
 persons, he will do it much more to make 
 
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. fSl 
 
 that message effectual, and to bring salva- 
 tion to those who wait for him. 
 
 As for the revelations of Christ to St. 
 John, they were so many, that the last book 
 of the New Testament is called the Revela- 
 tion, as containing chiefty an account of 
 them. " I was in the spirit on the Lord's 
 day, says the apostle ; and I heard behind 
 me a great voice, as of a trumpet saying, I 
 am the first and the last. I turned to see 
 the voice, that spake with me, and I saw 
 one like unto the Son of man, clothed with 
 a garment down to the foot, and girt with 
 a golden girdle. His head and hair were as 
 white as snow, and his eyes as a flame of fire, 
 his feet like unto fine brass burning in a 
 furnace, his voice as the sound of many 
 waters, and his countenance as the sun 
 shining in his strength. "When I saw him, 
 I fell at his feet as dead ; and he laid his 
 hand upon me, saying. Fear not, I am the 
 first and the last. I am he, that liveth and 
 was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever- 
 more ; and have the keys of hell and deatli. 
 Write the things which are and shall be," 
 One of the things, which our Lord com- 
 manded John to write, is a most glorious 
 promise^ that he stands at the door of the 
 human hearty ready to manifest himself 
 even to poor lukewarm Laodiceans; and 
 
182 SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATION. 
 
 that, if any man hear his voice and open,i-i-' 
 if they are made conscious of their need of 
 him, so as to open their hearts by the prayer 
 of faith, he will come in, and feast them 
 with his gracious presence, and the delici- 
 ous fruits of his blessed Spirit. Therefore 
 the most extraordinary of all the revela- 
 tions, that of St. John in Patmos, not only 
 shows, that the manifestations of Christ run 
 parallel to the canon of scripture^ but also 
 giv^s a peculiar sanction to the ordinary 
 revelations of him, for which I contend. 
 
 Having thus led you from Genesis to 
 Revelations, I conclude by two inferences, 
 which appear to me undeniable. The first, 
 that it is evident our Lord before his incar- 
 nation, during his stay on earth, and after 
 his ascension into heaven, hath been pleas- 
 ed, in a variety of manners, to manifest 
 himself to the children of men, both for the 
 benefit of the Church in general, and for 
 the conversion of sinners and the establish- 
 ment of saints in particular. Secondly, that 
 the doctrine^ I maintain^ is as old as Ada7n^ 
 as modern, as St, Johny the last of the in- 
 spired rvriterSy and as scriptural as the Old 
 and New Testament^ which is what I 
 ivanted to demonstrate^ I am, Sir, Scc< 
 
( 183 ) 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 SUCH, reader, was the language of tiiat 
 great, good, and wise man, John Fletcher, 
 when he was yet but a young man in years, 
 and a child in grace. All his after experi- 
 ence, as has been manifested in his various 
 writings, tend more and more to convince 
 us of the divine realities of all these things. 
 Those who are curious to see this subject 
 still further extended and enlarged upon, 
 may gratify themselves in the perusal of 
 Pearson " on the Creed"-^It conveys a 
 death stroke to all tmptyfor?nal Religion. 
 
 The reader too, will do well to remem- 
 ber how eloquently both Cowper and Young 
 have written upon this subject. The latter, 
 as if in bitterness at the blindness and folly 
 of his formal-professing readers, exclaims, 
 
 *'0, ye cold-hearted, (rozen foi^naUsts ! 
 On mch a theme, 'tis impious to be calm : 
 Passion, is reason ; transport, temper here. 
 Shall Heav'n, which ^ave us ardour, and has shown 
 Her oTVJi for man so strongly, not disdain 
 What smooth emollients in Theology, 
 Recumbent- r/rf zi^'s-downy-doctors^ preach ;r— 
 Thzl prose of piety, a Ivheivarm praise ! 
 Ilise odours sweet from incense vninflam'd ? 
 Devotion, when Ivke^vnrm, is umdevout ; 
 But when it^lows, its heat, is struck to H«av*n ; 
 To human hearts the golden harps are strung ; 
 High Heav'n's orchestra chaunts amen to man" 
 
PART III. 
 
 ^2 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 INFLUENCE AND POWER OF RELIGION 
 
 Contrasted Lives and Deaths' 
 
 OS 
 
 SAINTS AND SINNERS 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 INFLUENCE AND POWER OF RELIGION, 
 
 THE reader, who has bestowed his attention thus 
 far, has, no doubt, discovered that the Scriptures 
 do really teach the doctrine of the " Manifestation of 
 The Spirit," and that men can, and do, know, that they 
 have, through the agency of the Holy Ghost, a sensible, 
 perceptible, intercourse with an rmseen God. It now 
 only remains to confirm this doctrine, by \\\»X further 
 evidence which results from the declarations, expe- 
 riences, and conduct of those who have lived and 
 died under its influence. To illustrate this import- 
 ant truth, the life, death, and general testimony of 
 Cliristians are adduced : and as a contrast to these,.... 
 the life, remorse, and death of distinguished Infidels 
 are given. The names selected for this purpose, are 
 such as are most generally known. As death scenes 
 are best calculated to develope the real character of 
 the man, so most of the characters chosen, strongly 
 pourtray the good man's hope, or the bad man's 
 fear. The truth, if ever, is then made manifest : 
 *' Fools men may live, but fools they cawTio^ die". The 
 hour of death is a solemn time, when the soundness 
 of principles can be best estimated by their result. 
 \V hilst the Christian goes off in triumph ; the Infidel 
 sighs out his last, in bitterest reflections, or in dis- 
 tracting despairl The Christian has a preterrMtural 
 
cxc INTRODUCTION. 
 
 hope of heaven, and a real consciousness of prer^ent 
 hi^ppiness, even though his body be in pain ; while 
 the D^ist, if not in miserable ravings, has, at best, 
 a misplaced "heroic want of thought," or an ill-timed 
 affectation of indifference, like Gibbon and Hume. If 
 he has not these, he either feigns levity, like Dide- 
 rot ; or cherishes a vain ostentation, like Rosseau. 
 The best actions of the most philosophic Infidels 
 have been no more than apathy. 
 
 But even granting that some Deists, through 
 ** hardness of heart" haxG really encountered death 
 without concern ; still the comparison must utterly 
 fail, when we challenge Unbelievers to bring one 
 solitary instance of a Deist who was ever desirous to 
 dicy that he might enjoy the retuard of his good ileeds : 
 But Christians wc see, ^' long \o depart," and re- 
 ceive theia* expected " immortal crown." Again, 
 while none, on the one hand, ever lament a loss of 
 time in practising the good works required by the 
 Gospel, so none, on the other hand, have ever rejoic- 
 ed in the contemplation of their success in rooting 
 out supposed error, or in implanting the germ ot' 
 their baleful Infidelity. 
 
 This evident differeiice in times "which try men's 
 souls," asks the understandings and consciences of 
 men, with a voice as alarming as a Spirit's risen 
 from the dead, -why these things are so ? There is 
 a Cause : and that cause, is the effect of Religion.* 
 Those who bear this testimony, know in themselves 
 •tliat Religion is true — Besides, they have been in 
 
 * " Tell, if thou knowest, why conscience acts 
 With tenfold force, when sickness, age, or pain 
 Stands tott'ring on the precipice of death ? 
 Or why such horror gnaios the guilty soul 
 Of dying sinners, while the good man sleeps 
 Peaceful and calm; and with a smile expires ?" 
 
 Dr. Glvnn' 
 
INTRODUCTION. cxcl 
 
 tiis secret of Sin, and have therefore tivo sides of 
 comparison in themselves, whilst the unreg-enerate, 
 know only their own,.. ..one dark side. 
 
 Reader, behold the following Examples, and de- 
 termine as you shall answer hereafter before God, 
 which are the lives and deaths, you would chuse to 
 be yours. An ancient sinner beholding- tlie ways of 
 the li.^hteous, could not forbear to exclaim, " may I 
 die the death of the rig-liteous, and may my last end 
 be like his !" 
 
EXAMPLES 
 
 Of the happiness and reality of Religion^ as 
 exemplified in the conducty declarations^ lives, 
 and deaths of Christians. 
 
 ** The chamber where the good-man meets his fate, 
 
 Is privileg-'d beyond the common walk 
 
 Of virtuous life, quite in the verge of heav'n." 
 
 " What is death, that I shoukl fear it ? 
 I'o die! Avhy it is to triumph ; 'tis to join 
 The great assembly of the good and just; 
 Immortal worthies, heroes, prophets, saints \ 
 'Tis to behold, oh, rapture to conceive ! 
 Those we have known, and lov'd, and lost below ! 
 
 — who would not die for this? 
 
 A\ ho would not die, that they might live for ever P' 
 
 Rev. JOHN JANEWAY. 
 
 IF :tv^x. mortal lived the life of an angel 
 upon earth, (says Simpson) Janeway seems 
 to have been the man. Though he had at 
 an early age run the round of human learn- 
 ing, he could say of it, (though he had no 
 wish to disparage it,) " all this I count 
 but dung and dross, in comparison of the 
 more excellent knowledge of Christ, and 
 him ci^uciiied." Though but young wh^n 
 li 
 
194 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 he died (in 1757,) he had learned miich, 
 and studied deep, in the school of his 
 adored master. During the greater part 
 of his illness he talked as if he had been 
 in the third Heavens : breaking out, every 
 liow and then into ectacies of joy and 
 praise. At one time he said : " Come 
 look upon a dying man and wonder! Was 
 there ever greater kindness ? "Were there 
 ever more sensible manifestations of rich 
 graee ? Why me. Lord ? Why me I Sure 
 this is a kin to Heaven. If I were never 
 to enjoy more than this, it were well worth 
 all the torments men and devils could invent. 
 If this is dying, dying' is szveet. Christ's 
 arms, his smiles, and visits ; sure they 
 would turn hell into lieaven t Oh ! that 
 you did but see and feel what I do ! Come 
 and behold a dying man, 7nore cheerful 
 than ev6r yoit -s'aw, any healthful, man in 
 the midst of his sxveetest enjoyments ! Ah, 
 why should any of you be so ^d^/, whfen I 
 am so glad !'^^ 
 
 - * After such raptnroits exprcssions as these, and 
 the sober appeal to the eyes, earsj and senses of men, 
 which is made immediately following', by Halybur- 
 ton, how is it that men of sense, and soi disant philo- 
 sophers, will still discredit their testimony ? Surely 
 the recipient of pleasure or pain is himself the best, 
 and indeed only competent judge of its effect an,d 
 deg^ree. To say, such men arc cnthusic^iit and/arjc- 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 1 95 
 
 A little before his dissolution he again 
 said, " Come let us lift our voices in praise. 
 — It is now my work. — I have done with 
 prayer^ and almost done conversing with 
 mortals. — In a few hours I shall be in eter- 
 nity, singing the song of Moses, and the 
 song of the Lamb. 1 shall hear the voice of 
 much people ; and be one amongst them 
 who say. — Hallelujah ! salvation, glory, and 
 honour, and power unto the Lord our 
 God ! Who, (exclaims he,) can choose but 
 rejoice in all this !" 
 
 In this rapturous frame he continued full 
 of joy and admiration, 'till he expired. 
 
 HALYBURTON, 
 
 Professor of Divinity, in the college of St. 
 Andrews, bom in 1674, died in 1712. His 
 memoirs written by himself, have long been 
 held in the highest estimation in the Chris- 
 tian world. They were so much esteemed 
 for their usefulness, by Dr. Watt's, as to 
 have received a very large recommendatory 
 epistle from his pen. He died as he lived, 
 in the full comfort and confidence of his 
 
 ticy when they make -n'llls and other sane acts, obli- 
 g-atory in law, (the g-iuirdian of right) is making- the 
 objector, as ivild an observer as ever offered insans 
 opinions to sane men. 
 
196 exemplification: 
 
 God— When on his death bed, he said to a 
 friend, *■'• 1 have fought the good fight ; I 
 have kept the faith. The Lord hath filled 
 my mouth with a new song. I shall shortly 
 get a different sight of God from what I 
 have ever had. 'I'he thoughts of an incarnate 
 God are sweet imd ravishing/ And Oh ! 
 how I wonder that I do not love him more I 
 I bless the Lord, 1 have seen that holiness 
 yields peace and comfort^'* He then said, — 
 " here is a demonstration of the reality and 
 power of faith and godliness ! I, a poor, 
 weak, and timorous man, once as much 
 afraid of death as any one; I who was 
 many years under the terrors of death, 
 come, in the mercy of God, and by the 
 power of his grace, composedly and with 
 joy to look death in the face. O, Sirs, I 
 could not have believed that I should bear, 
 and bear cheerfully, as 1 have done, this 
 rod which hath lain on me so long. This 
 is a miracle : pain without pain ! and this 
 is not the fancy of a man disordered, but 
 of one who is fully composed. I know 
 that a great deal of what is said by a dying 
 man will pass for canting and raving : But 
 I bless God, he hath so preserved the little 
 judgment I had, that I have been able to 
 reflect with composure on his dealings with 
 me. I am sober and composed, if ever 
 
exe:m plific ation 1 9 r 
 
 I was sober. And " whether men will for- 
 bear, or whether they will hear," this is a 
 testimony. The death of the saints is made 
 a derision in our day ; But if i am laughed 
 at, 1 can laugh again — " A few moments 
 before his end, when unable to speak^ being 
 asked if he encouraged himself still in the 
 Lord, he raised his feeble hands, and clapped 
 them and expired ! Such was the end of a 
 Saint. 
 
 TOPLADY 
 
 Was supported with divine consolations 
 -during his last sickness. A few days be- 
 fore his death he said to a friend, " It is 
 impossible to describe how good God is to 
 me. This afternoon I have enjoyed such a 
 season, such sweet communion with God, 
 and such delightful manifestations of his 
 presence with, and love to my soul, that it is 
 impossible for words, or any language to 
 express them. 1 have had peace and joy 
 unutterable. The comforts and manifesta- 
 tions of God's love are so abundant, as to 
 render my state and condition the most de^ 
 sirable in the world. I would not exchange 
 my condition with any one upon earth." 
 
 The same friend calling upon him a day 
 or two before his death, he said, with hands 
 R 2 
 
198 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 clasped, and his eyes lifted up and starting 
 with tears of the most evident joy : " I can- 
 not tell you the comforts I feel in my soul. 
 They are past expression. The consolations 
 of God to such an unworthy wretch are so 
 abvuidant, that he leaves me nothing to pray 
 for, but a continuance of them. I enjoy a 
 heaven already in my soul. My prayers 
 are all converted into praise.- 
 
 " O how this soul of mine longs to be 
 gone ! Like a bird imprisoned in a cage, it 
 longs to take its flight. O that I had wings 
 like a dove, then would I flee away to the 
 realms of bliss, and be at rest for ever ! O 
 that some guardian angel might be commis- 
 sioned ; for I long to be absent from this 
 body, and to be with my Lord for ever. 
 
 '' O what a day of sun-shine has this 
 been to me ! I have not words to express it. 
 It is unutterable. O, my friends, how good 
 is God! Almost wiihout interruption his 
 presence has been with me. 
 
 '' O what delights ! Who can fathom the 
 joys of the third heaven ? The sky is clear ; 
 there is no cloud ; come, Lord Jesus, come 
 quickl}'." 
 
LXExMPLIFiCATION. 199 
 
 Rev. JOHN WESLEY. 
 
 The life of this great apostle of Metho- 
 dism has been written by Dr. Whitehead, 
 as well as by Dr. Coke and Mr. Moore. 
 Friends and foes agree that he was the most 
 cxti'aordinary character of modern times ; 
 whether we regard him as a scholar pos- 
 sessed of various talents, or as a saint en- 
 lightened by grace, and stimulated by pious 
 zeal. After a wellspent life of 88 years, 
 more than 60 of which were most usefully 
 employed in the public ministry, the bene- 
 fits of which will even be felt by genera- 
 tions yet unborn, he died as became his 
 saint-like character. When he came to be 
 upon his dying bed, and was so weak as to 
 be scarce able to speak, his desire to his 
 friends around him, was, that they should 
 ** pray and praise." He even feebly sang 
 
 **I*11 praise my maker while Vve breath. 
 And when my voice is lost hi death. 
 Praise shall employ my vobler powers.'* 
 
 After this, endeavouring to say something 
 to those near him, which they could not 
 comprehend, he paused a little as conscious 
 of his inability to be understood, and then 
 with his utmost energ)' exclaimed — '*• I'he 
 best of all is, God is with us" ! and again 
 lifting his hands with increased emphasis. 
 
200 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 he on(;e more repeated the "best of all is, 
 God is with us" ! Soon after he articula- 
 ted the word "Farewell," and expired 
 without a groan, or the slightest token of 
 pain. , 
 
 His last words, (" God is with us" !) 
 have been considered so prophetic^ as weU 
 as characteristic of the subsequent success- 
 ful spread of his Religious principles, as 
 to have given idea to the inscription on the 
 society's official seal, the motto of which is, 
 " God is with us" ! 
 
 This circumstance has given occasion to 
 one to observe, that when the patriarch Jo- 
 seph was about to expire, he said, " I die, 
 but God shall be with you : but the patri- 
 arch Wesley's words were, " The best of 
 all is, God /y with us"! 
 
 Rev. JOHN FLETCHER, 
 
 A native of Geneva, and many years Vicar 
 of Madeley, (born in 1729, and died in 
 1785) has been greatly distinguished in the 
 Christian world as a peculiarly acute writer 
 in polemic divinity ; but above all, as possess- 
 ing the deepest communion with God, and 
 the highest measure of inward holiness, that 
 has distinguished any modern Saint. From 
 the aspiring disposition of a soldier^ to 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 201 
 
 which life he hnd originally intended to 
 devote himself, he became the most extra- 
 ordinary example of hiimilttif. By nature 
 of a fiery and passionate spirit, he became 
 meek^ like his master, as well as ioxviif in 
 heart. In short, through the power of 
 divine grace, he became " blameless and 
 harmless, a Son of God, without rebuke^ 
 in the midst of a crooked and a perverse 
 generation*, shining among them as a light 
 in the world." Such a one, was prepared 
 to meet his reward with joy. Accordingly 
 we find him welcoming death's embrace 
 with Christian triumph. We are indebted 
 to the Rev. Mr. Gilpin, Vicar of Wrock- 
 wardine, for some notice of his dissplution. 
 " He appeared (says he) a few days beforp 
 his death, to have reached that desirable 
 point, where the last rapturous discoveries 
 are rnade to the souls of dying saints. 
 Roused as it were with the shouts of angels, 
 and kindled into rapture with visions of 
 glory, he broke into a song of holy triumph, 
 which began and ended with the praises of 
 God's unfathomable love. He laboured 
 to declare the secret manifestations he en- 
 joyed, but his sensations were too power- 
 ful for utterance ; and after locking inex^ 
 pressible things, he contented himself with 
 calling upon all .around him, to celebrate 
 
202 EXEMPLIFICATION- 
 
 and shout that adorable love, which can 
 never bd faily comprehended, nor adequate- 
 ly, expressed. While he could speed, he 
 spake as one whose Hps had been touched 
 with a live coal front the altar ; arid wh«n 
 deprived of that power, his countcnaiice 
 discovered that he was sweetly engaged in 
 the contemplation of heavenly things." 
 
 Rev. SAMUEL PIERCE, ; 
 
 Who, next to the celebrated Dr. Gill, wAs 
 ^mong the most conspicuous characters in 
 the Baptist Society, has most deservedly 
 had his memoirs preserved for our edifica- 
 tion and Chistian comfort, by Dr. Full6rl 
 When this laborious and highly useful sei!<- 
 vant of the Most High, came to give an 
 account of his stewardship, he could re- 
 joice in the pains of death. He was eh^i- 
 bled to say to a friend — "This sick bed is 
 a Bethel to me ; it is notie other than the 
 house of God and the ^.\\^ of Heaven !_ I 
 can scarcely express tlie pleasures thatTl 
 have enjoyed in this aflliction. The near- 
 er I draw to my dissolution the. happitv 
 lam. It can scarcely be called ^h affliKw 
 tion, it is so counterbalanced with ^0?/."" ^* • 
 So true it is, 
 
 •' Jesus can make a dying- bed 
 FcqI soft as downii pillows are.'* 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 203 
 
 Rev. SAMUEL WALKER, 
 
 Was a Tninister of no ordinary rank in the 
 church of Christ. His excessive labours 
 speedily ruined his constitution, and he 
 died at the age of- forty-eight. When his 
 dissolution! drew near, after much former 
 darkness, but the^ most assured confidence 
 in God, he broke out to his nurse in this 
 rapturous expression : — "I have been up- 
 on the wings of the cherubim! Heaven has 
 in a manner been opened to me ! I shall 
 soon be there !"— Next.day to a friend who 
 came to see him he said, with a joy in his 
 €Ountenance more than words can utter ; — 
 *':0 had I strength to speak, I could tell 
 you such news as would rejoice your very 
 soul ! 1 have had such views of heaven ! 
 But I am not able to say more."" 
 
 HERVEY 
 
 Was an excellent scholar, and a believer in 
 the bible, with its most distinguishing truths. 
 When he apprehended himself to be near 
 the close of life, and stood, as it were, on 
 the brink of the grave, with eternity full in 
 view, he wrote to a friend at a distance to 
 tell him what were his sentiments in that 
 awful situation. " I have been too fond,'' 
 
204- EAillMPLIFICATIOX. 
 
 said h^t ^*' of reading every thing valuable 
 and elegant that has been penned in our 
 language, and been peculiarly charmed with 
 the historians, orators, and poets of antiqui«« 
 ty: but were I to renew my studies, 1 
 would take leave of tliose accomplished 
 trifles ; I would resign the delights of mod** 
 em wits, amusement, and eloquence, and 
 devote my attention to the scripture of 
 truth. I would sit with much greater as- 
 siduity at my divine Master's feet, and de- 
 sire to know nothing in comparison of Je- 
 sus Christ, and him crucified." 
 
 After this, when his dissolution drew 
 still nearer, he said to them about him: — 
 " How thankful am I for death ! It is the 
 passage to the Lord and Giver of eternal 
 life.— 'O welcome, welcome, welcome 
 death ! thou mayest well be reckoned a- 
 mong the treasures of the christian ! To 
 live is Christ, but to die is gain ! Lord, now 
 lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, 
 according to thy most holy and comfortable 
 word ; for mine eyes have seen thy pre- 
 vious salvation.'' 
 
 LEEGHMAlNr, 
 
 Late principal of the college of Glasgow, 
 at the close of his life, thus addressed the 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. ^OS 
 
 son of a worthy nobleman, who was design* 
 ed for the church, and the early part of 
 whose education had been much under the 
 doctor's eye: 
 
 " You see the situation I am in : I have 
 not many days to live : I am glad you have 
 had an opportunity of witnessing the tran- 
 quillity of my last moments. But it is not 
 tranquillity and composure alone ; it is joy 
 and triumph ; it is complete exultation."—* 
 His features kindled, his voice rose as he 
 spoke. " And whence," says he, *« does 
 this exultation spring? — From that book, 
 pointing to a bible that lay on the table — 
 from that book, too much neglected indeed, 
 but which contains invaluable treasures! 
 treasures of joy and rejoicing! for it makes 
 us certain chat this mortal shall put on im- 
 mortality." 
 
 GROTIUS, 
 
 Possessed the brightest genius ever re- 
 corded of a youth in the learned world, and 
 was a profound admirer, and a daily rea- 
 der, of the sacred writings ; yet after all his 
 attainments, reputation, and labour in the 
 cause of learning, he was constrained at last 
 to cry out, " Ah ! I have consumed my life 
 io a laborious doing of nothing !— ^I would 
 
206 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 give all my learning and honour for the 
 plain integrity of John Urick ! 
 
 This John Urick was a religious poor 
 man, who spent eight hours of the day in 
 prayer, eight in labour, and but eight in 
 meals, sleep, and other necessaries.* 
 
 Grotius had devoted too much of his 
 time to worldly company, secular business, 
 and learned trifles ; too little to the exercises 
 of the closet. This is forsaking the foun- 
 tain of living waters, and hewing out to 
 ourselves broken cisterns that can hold no 
 water. 
 
 ADDISON 
 
 Was a very able and elegant advocate for 
 the bible, in life and death. Just before his 
 departure, having sent for a young noble- 
 man nearly related to him, who requested 
 to know his dying commands — his answer 
 was — " See in what peace a christian can 
 die!" 
 
 * Alfred, king of England, who foug-ht fifty-six 
 batUes witli the Danes, many of which were gained 
 by his own personal courage and great example, de- 
 dicated, wiUi strict punctuality, eight hours every 
 d.iy to acts of devotion, eight hours to public affairs, 
 and c fl many to slee^, stlidy, and necessary refresh- 
 irent. 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 207 
 
 He spake with ditiiculty, and soon ex- 
 pired. — Through grace divine, how great 
 is man ! Through divine mercy, how sting- 
 less is death ! 
 
 ** He taught us how to live ; and, oh ? too hig-h 
 A price for knowledg-e, taug-ht us how to die." 
 
 LELAND 
 
 After spending a long and exemplary life 
 in the service of the gospel, closed it with 
 the following words : — "I give my dying 
 testimony to the truth of Christianity. The 
 promises of the gospel are my support and 
 consolation. They, alone yield me satis- 
 faction in a dying hour : I am not afraid 
 to die. The gospel of Christ has raised me 
 above the fear of death ; for I know that 
 my Redeemer liveth." 
 
 PASCAii f 
 
 Was one of the most humble and devout he^ 
 lievers in Jesus that ever lived. Kayle saith 
 of..hi,5 lil-e, that *Van hundred volumes of 
 sermons are not worth so much as this sin- 
 gle life, and are far less capable of disarm- 
 ing men of impiety. The extraordinaiy 
 humijity and devotio^n of Pascal gives a 
 mors sensible mortification to the libertijies 
 
a^^ EXEMPLmCATION. 
 
 of the age, than if one was to let loose up- 
 on them a dozen missionaries. They can 
 now no longer attack us with their favour- 
 ite and darling objection, that there are 
 none but little and narrow spirits, who pro- 
 fess themselves the votaries of piety and 
 religion : for we can now tell them, and 
 boldly tell them, that both the maxims and 
 practice thereof, have been pushed to the 
 strongest degree, and carried to the greatest 
 height, by one of the profoundest geome- 
 tricians, by one of the most subtile meta- 
 physicians, and by one of the most solid 
 and penetrating geniuses that ever yet ex- 
 isted on this earth." 
 
 " This great man, during some of the 
 latter years of his life, spent his whole time 
 in prayer, and reading the Holy Scriptures; 
 and in this he took incredible delight." 
 
 LEIGHTON 
 
 Was a most exemplary character, both in 
 his private and puF)lic capacity. The life 
 and writings of few men are more worthy 
 of imitation and perusal. He laboured hard 
 to bring about some reformation in the state 
 of things in his own day, and when he 
 found all his ejfforts ineffectaal, he quietly 
 withdrew, resigned his preferment, and 
 
EXEMPLIFICATIOX. 209 
 
 lived in private. What Burnet says of him 
 can never be too often repeated, and too 
 generally known. — " He had the greatest 
 elevation of soul, the largest compass of 
 knowledge, the most mortified and heaven- 
 ly disposition, that I ever yet saw in mortal. 
 He had the greatest parts, as well as virtue, 
 with the most perfect humility that I ever 
 saw in man ; and had a sublime strain in 
 preaching, with so grave a gesture,, and 
 such a majesty both of thought, of language^ 
 and pronunciation, that I never once saw 
 a wandering eye where he preached, and I 
 have seen whole assemblies often melt in 
 tears before him ; and of whom I can say 
 with great truth, that in a free and frequent 
 conversation with him for above two and 
 twenty years, I never knew him to say an 
 idle word, or one that had not a direct 
 tendency to edification ; and I never once 
 saw him in any other temper, but that 
 which I wished to be in, in the last moments 
 of my life.'' 
 
 POCOCKE. 
 
 Locke gives us a similar account of Pococke. 
 " I can say of him what few men can say 
 of any friend of theirs, nor I of any other 
 of my acquaintance ; that I do not remefli- 
 s 2 
 
210 RXEMPUFICATION. 
 
 ber that I ever saw him in one action, that 
 I did, or could in my own mind blame, or 
 thought amiss in him." 
 
 LAW. 
 
 "When Law came to die, he seemed to en- 
 joy the fall assurance of faith : " Away 
 with these filthy garments," said the expir- 
 ing saint ; " I feel a sacred fire kindled in 
 my soul, which will destroy every thing 
 contrary to itself, and burn as a flame of 
 divine love to all eternity." 
 
 RALEIGH, 
 
 One of the most illustrous heroes that En- 
 gland ever bred, a man equally celebrated 
 for valour, for genius, and for learning, 
 was not ashamed to address his wife in the 
 views of approaching dissolution in the 
 following pious strain : — " Love God, and 
 begin betimes. In him you shall find true, 
 everlasting, and endless comfort. When 
 you have travelled and wearied yourself 
 with all sorts of worldly cogitations, you 
 shall sit down by sorrow in the end. Teach 
 your son also to serve and fear God whilst 
 he is young, that the fear of God may grow 
 up m him. Thtn will God be an husband 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 211 
 
 to you, aiid a father to him ; an husband 
 and father that can never be taken from 
 you." 
 
 This is true heroism! Such was Sir 
 Waher Raleigh ! 
 
 LOCKE. 
 
 For fourteen or fifteen years he appUed 
 himself closely to the study of the holy 
 scriptures, and employed the last period of 
 his life hardly in any thing beside. He 
 was never weary of admiring the grand 
 views of that sacred book, and the just 
 relation of all its parts. He every day 
 made discoveries in it, that gave him fresh 
 cause of admiration. And so earnest was 
 he for the comfort of his friends, and the 
 diffusion of sacred knowledge among them, 
 that even the day before he died he very 
 particularly exhorted all about him to read 
 the holy scriptures, exalting the love which 
 God showed to man in justifying him by 
 faith in Jesus Christ, and returning him 
 special thanks for having called him to the 
 knowledge of that Divine Saviour. To 
 a person who asked him, which was the 
 shortest and surest way for a young gen- 
 tleman to attain to the true knowledge of 
 the christian j^ligion, in the full and just 
 
212 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 extent of it, .he replied — " Let hira study 
 the holy scripture, especially the New Tes- 
 tament. Therein are contained the words 
 of eternal life. — It hath God for its au- 
 thor — Salvation for its end — and Truth, 
 without any mixture of error, for its mat- 
 ter." 
 
 LOUIS, 
 
 One of the late dukes of Orleans, expressed 
 the delight he found in piety and devotion 
 in the following terms ; " i know by ex- 
 perience, that sublunary grandeur and sub- 
 lunary pleasure are deceitful and vain, and 
 are always infinitely below the conceptions 
 we form of them. But, on the contrary^ 
 such happiness and such complacency may 
 be found in devotion and piety, as the sen- 
 sual mind has no idea of." 
 
 OLYMPIA FULVIA MOBATA, 
 
 Was one of the earliest and brightest orna- 
 ments of the reformation. She could de- 
 claim in Latin, converse in Greek, and 
 was a critic in the most difficult classicks. 
 But after it pleased God, by his grace, to 
 open the eyes of her mind to discover the 
 truth, she became enamoured of the sacred 
 
iEXEMPLIFICATION. 2 1 a 
 
 scriptures, above all other books in the 
 world, and studied them by day and by 
 night. And when dissolution approached, 
 she declared she felt nothing but " an inex- 
 pressible tranquillit)' and peace with God 
 through Christ." — Her mouth was full of 
 the praises of God, and she emphatically 
 expressed herself by saying — " I am noth- 
 ing but joy." 
 
 LORD RIjSSEL 
 
 Delivered himself, just before his execu- 
 tion, in the strongest terms of faith and 
 confidence. He said : — " Neither my im- 
 prisonment nor fear of death have been 
 able to discompose me in any degree. On 
 the contrary I have found the assurances 
 of the love and mercy of God in and 
 through my blessed Redeemer ; in whom 
 I only trust. And I do not question but 
 I am going to partake of that fullness of 
 joy, which is in his presence ; the hopes of 
 which do so wonderfully delight me, that 
 I think this is the happiest time of my life, 
 though others may look upon it as the 
 saddest." 
 
2 1 4 EXEMPLIFIC ATIOX, 
 
 OXENSTIERN, 
 
 Chancellor of Sweden, was one of the most 
 able and learned men of his time, and yet 
 he was not too great and too wise to be 
 above being taught by the sacred writings. 
 '* After all my troubles and toilings in the 
 world," says' he, "I find that my priv*ite 
 life in the country, has afforded me more 
 contentment, than ever I met with in all 
 my public employments. I have lately 
 applied myself to the study of the bible, 
 wherein all wisdom, and the greatest de- 
 lights are to be found. I therefore counsel 
 you to make the study and practice of the 
 word of God your chief delight ; as indeed 
 it will be to every soul that savours the 
 truths of God, which infinitely excel all 
 worldly things.*' 
 
 SELDEN, 
 
 The lawyer, whom Grotius calls " the glory 
 of the English nation," was, as Hale de- 
 clared, " a resolved serious christian, and 
 a great adversary to Hobbes's errors." . He 
 was one of the most eminent philosophers, 
 and most learned men of his time. He had 
 tiil>en a diligent survey of all kinds of 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION*. 215 
 
 learning, and had read as much, perhaps, 
 as any man ever did ; and yet, towards the 
 latter end of his days, he declared to Usher, 
 that notwithstanding he had been so labo- 
 rious in his inquiries, and curious in his 
 collections, and had possessed himself of a 
 treasure of books and manuscrips upon all 
 ancient subjects; yet "he could rest his 
 soul on none, save the scriptures. '^ 
 
 SIR JOHN MASON, 
 
 On his death-bed, said, " I have lived to 
 see five princes, and have been privy-coun- 
 sellor to four of them. I have seen the 
 most remarkable things in foreign parts, 
 and have been present at most state trans- 
 actions for thirty years together ; and I 
 have learnt this after many years experi- 
 ence — That seriousness is the greatest wis- 
 dom, temperence . the best physic, and a 
 good conscience the best estate. And, 
 were I to live again, I would change the 
 court for a cloister, my privy-counsellor's 
 bustle for a hermit's retirement, and the 
 whole life I have lived in the palace, for an 
 hour's enjoyment of God in the chapel," 
 
216 ETXEMPLIFICAtlON- 
 
 ROMAINE 
 
 Was a zealous and successful preacher of 
 the gospel of Jesus Christ, and adorned it 
 by a suitable character, above fifty years. 
 In his last illness not one fretful or murmur- 
 ing word ever escaped his lips. " I have," 
 said he, " the peace of God in my con- 
 science, and the love of God in my heart. 
 I knew before the doctrines I preached to 
 be truths, but now I experience them to be 
 blessings. Jesus is more precious thaij^ 
 rubies, and all that can be desired on the 
 earth, is not to be compared to him/' He 
 was in full possession of his mental powers 
 to the last moment, and near his dissolution 
 cried out, " Holy, holy, holy, Lord God 
 Almighty ! Glory be to thee on high, for 
 such peace on earth, and good will to men." 
 
 These Examples could have been 
 easily increased without end. They 
 are multiplying in every age and in 
 every nation in Christendom. Even 
 in these United States, we might, were 
 we disposed to seek them, see, week- 
 ly, and perhaps daily instances of like 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 217 
 
 christian assurance and triuhipli. We 
 will, however, add the bare names of 
 some few other distinguished men and 
 women, who believed in the christian 
 Religion and adorned the Gospel they 
 professed : such were the divines New- 
 combe, Warburton, Cotes, Beveridge, 
 Tillotson, Burtler, Bentley, Lowman, 
 Hales, Baxter, Lardn^r, Robertson^ 
 Doddridge, Pearson, Berkeley, Sher* 
 lock, Taylor, Clarke, Barrow, Usher, 
 Chillingworth, Wilkins, Bochart, Cud- 
 worth, Watts, Hervey, &c. &c. Such 
 were the statesmen-, Hyde, Somers, 
 Culien, Pulteney, Howard, Harrington, 
 King, Barrington, Littleton, and others, 
 and last, though not less esteemed, our 
 beloved Washington was a sincere and 
 serious christian — Such too, were the 
 Poets, Spencer, Waller, Cowley, 
 Prior, Thompson, Gray, Young, Mil- 
 tcHi, Cowper, &c. So also were the 
 moralists, Steele, Hawkesworth, John- 
 son, &c. — also, \ht physicians, Arbuth- 
 not, Cheyne, Browne, Boerhave, Prin- 
 gle, Hartley, Haller, Mead, Fothergill, 
 
218 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 &c. — ^ndlastly, Such were \k)ftlawy'ers^ 
 Hale, Melmoth, Forbes, Hailesy Priitt^ 
 Blackstone, Jones, kc. — not to omit 
 the philosophers^ Ray, Cotes, Fergu- 
 son, Adams, Euler, Newton, Boyle, &c. 
 Of female characters we name Queen 
 Catharme Parr, Queen Mary, Lady 
 C. Courten, Lady M. Houghton, Lady 
 Cutts, Lady E. Hastings, Lady M. 
 Armyne, Lady; A. Halket, Lady Jane 
 Gray, Lady Larigham, Lady E. Brooke, 
 Lady M. Vere, Lady GuioUj Mrs. C. 
 Phillips, Mrs. L Ratcliffe, Mrs. C. 
 Bretterg, Mrs. A. Baynard, Mrs. A. 
 M. Schurman, Mrs. E. Bury, Mrs. E. 
 Burnet, Mrs. E. Rowe, Mrs. Carter. 
 
EXAMPLES 
 
 of the cheerless, and even wretched nature of infi- 
 delity, as exemplified in the life, conduct, dying 
 sayings, lind death of thoug-hiless, impenixeni sin-: 
 ners, oi* m the bitter reflections of untimely re- 
 morse. Also, in the dismay and anguish of those 
 who have sti-ove by repentance to effuce their 
 conscious .guilt, or have been deeply sensible ot 
 a great change wrought upon their heart an4 
 manners by Divjue grace. ' 
 
 " In that dread moment, how. the frantic Soul 
 Raves round the walls of her clay tenement, 
 Huns to each avenue and shrieks for help ; 
 But shrieks in vain ! ..^How wishfully slie looks 
 On all she's leaving, now no longer hers : 
 Oh might she stay to wash away her stains. 
 
 And fit her for her passage ! Mournful sight ! 
 
 lier very eyes weep blood;. ...and every groan 
 
 She heaves is big with horror Bui the foe 
 
 Pursues her close through every lane of life. 
 Till forc'd at last to the tremendous verge. 
 At once she sinks to everlasting ruin !" 
 
 IIOEBES 
 
 Was a celebrated mfidel in the last age, 
 who^ in bravado, would sometimes speak 
 Vety unbecoming things ot God and his 
 word. Yet, when alone, he was haunted 
 
220 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 with the most tormenting reflections, and 
 would awake in great terror, if his candle 
 happened but to go out in the night. He 
 could never bfeat '^itif discourse of death, 
 and seemed to cast off all thoughts of it. 
 He lived to be upwards of ninety. His 
 last sensible words were, when he found 
 he could live no longer, *^ I shall be glad 
 then to find a hole to creep out of the world 
 at." And, notwithstanding all his high 
 pretensions to learning and philosophy, his 
 uneasiness constrained him to confess, 
 when he drew near to the grave, that " he 
 was about to take a leap in the dark." 
 The writings of" this old sinner, ruined the 
 earl of Rochester, and many other gentle- 
 men. As that nobleman himself declared, 
 after his conversion. 
 
 SERVIN. 
 
 " He was" says Sully, "both a wonder and 
 a monster ; I can give no other idea of that 
 assemblage of the most excellent and most 
 pernicious qualities. Let the reader repre- 
 sent to himself a man of genius so lovely, 
 and an understanding so extensive, as reti- 
 dered him scarce ignorant of any thing 
 that could be known ; of so vast and ready 
 a comprehension, that he immediately 
 
EXEMPlilFlCATION. 221 
 
 made himself master of what he attempt* 
 ed ; and of so prodigious a memory, that 
 ^e never forgot what he had once learned ; 
 he possessed all parts of philosophy and 
 the inathemati<:s, particularly fortification 
 and drawing :' eveh in theology hie was So 
 well skilled, that he was an excellent preach- 
 er whenever he had a mind to exert that 
 talent, and an able disputant for and against 
 the reformed religion iiidifferently ; he not 
 only understood Greeic, H'ebrew, and all 
 the' languages which we call learned, but 
 -also the different jargons or modern dia- 
 lects ; he accented and pronounced them 
 so naturally, and so perfectly imitated the 
 gestures and manners both of the several 
 nations of Kurope, and the particular pro- 
 vinces of France, that he might have been 
 taken for a native of ail or of any of these 
 countries ; and this quality he applied' to 
 counterfeit all sorts of persons, wherein he 
 succeeded wonderfully : he was, moreover, 
 the best comedian and greatest droll that 
 perhaps ever appeared; he had a genius 
 for poetry, and had written many verses ; 
 he played upon almost all instruments, was 
 a perfect master of music, and sung most 
 agreeably and justly ; he was of a disposi- 
 tion to do, as well as to know, all things : 
 his body was perfectly well suited to his 
 T 2 
 
^22 EXEMPLI*^IGATION, 
 
 mind, he was light, Dimble, dextrous, and 
 ilt for all exercises ; he could ride well^ 
 ar^d in dancing, wrestling, and leaping, he 
 was ad^nired : there are not any recrear 
 |l^v;e ganxes that he did not know ; and Wiis 
 islfilled in almost all ,|he mechanic arts. 
 3^ut now for the reverse of the medal ; 
 here it appeared that he was treacherous, 
 cruel, cowardly, deceitful ; a liar, a cheat, 
 a drunkard and glutton : a sharper ir playi, 
 irpnaersed in every species of vice, a blas- 
 phemer, an atheist; in a word, in: him 
 might be found all the vices contrary to 
 nature, honour, religion, and society ; the 
 truth of which he himself evinced with his 
 latest breath, for he died in the flower of 
 his age, in a common brothel, perfectly 
 corrupted by his debaucheries, and expired 
 with a glass in his hand, cursing and deny- 
 ing God." 
 
 It is evident from this extraordinary 
 case, that "with the talent of an angel, a 
 man may be a fool." — There is no neces- 
 sary connection between great natural abili- 
 ties and religious qualifications. They 
 may go together, but they are frequently 
 found assunder. 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION; \<i^ 
 
 ,^^^ ^..,, ^ AN ATHEIgT. 
 
 'Harnaby, a Physician in London, was iix- 
 timately acquainted with an atheist. After 
 some time, he was seized with a violent 
 fever, and sent for the doctor. He came, 
 and prescribed several medicines, but none 
 of them took effect. At length he told him 
 plainly, " Sir, I know nothing more that 
 can be done ,* you must die. Upon this, 
 he clenched his fists, gnashed his teeth, and 
 said with the utmost fury, God ! God ! J. 
 won't die !" and immediately expired. , « 
 
 FRANCIS NEWPORT, 
 
 Who died in the year 1692, was favoured 
 both with a liberal and religious education. 
 After spending five years in the university, 
 he was entered in one of the Inns of the 
 Court. Here he fell into the hands of in- 
 fidels, lost all his religious impressions, 
 commenced infidel himself, and became a 
 most abandoned character, uniting himself 
 to a club of wretches who met together 
 constantly to encourage each other in being 
 critically wicked. In this manner he con- 
 ducted himself for several years, till at 
 length his intemperate courses brought oii 
 
<;224 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 an illness, which revived all his former re- 
 ligious impressions, accompanied with an 
 horror of mind inexpressible. The yio- 
 ience of his torments Was such, that 'he 
 sweat in the most prodigious manner.' 'In 
 nine days he was reduced from a robust 
 state of health to perfect weakness, during 
 all which time his language was the most 
 dreadful that imagination can conceive. 
 At one time, looking towards the fire, he 
 6Uid, "^ Oh ! that I was to lie and broil up- 
 'on the fire for a hundred thousand years, 
 to purchase the favour of God, and to be 
 reconciled to him again ! But it is a fruit- 
 less vain wish ; millions of millions of years 
 will bring me no nearer the end of my tor- 
 tures, than one poor hour. O eternity ! 
 eternity ! who can properly paraphrase 
 upon the words — fbrever and ever !" 
 
 In this kind of strain he continued till 
 his strength was exhausted, and his disso- 
 lution approached ; when, recovering a 
 little breath, with a groan so dreadful and 
 loud^ as if it had not been human, he cried 
 out, " Oh ! the insufferable pangs of hell 
 and damnation !" and so died ; death set- 
 tling the visage of his face in such a form, 
 as if the body, though dead, was sensible 
 of the extremity of torments. 
 
JiXEMPLIFIOATION. 225 
 
 EMERBON 
 
 Was an infidel, and orje. of the first mathe^ 
 maticians of bis age. Though, in some 
 respects; he might be considered a worthy 
 iBsm, his condujct through Hfe, was rude, 
 vulgar, and frequeixtly immoral. He paid 
 jio, attention to religious, duties, and both 
 intoxication and profane language were fa- 
 miliar to him. Towards the close of his 
 days, being afflicted with the stone; he 
 would crawl about the floor on his bandg 
 and knees, sometimes praying, and some- 
 times swearing. What a poor creature is 
 man without religion ! Newton died of the 
 same disorder, which was attended, at 
 times, with such severe paroxysms as forced 
 out large drops of sweat down his face. 
 In these trying circumstances, however, he 
 was never observed to utt<ir the smallest 
 complaint^ or to express the least impa- 
 tience. What a striking contrast between 
 the conduct of the infidel and the christian! 
 
 VOLTAIRE, 
 
 During a long life, was continually treating 
 the Holy Scriptures with contempt, and 
 endeavouring to spread the ppison of infi- 
 delity among t^e nations,:, In his last illr 
 
226 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 ncss he sent for ^Tronchin. When the 
 Doctor came, he found Yoltaire in the 
 greatest agonies, * exclaimhig with the ut- 
 most horror— ^I am abandoned by God and 
 man. Doctor, I will give yoii half of what 
 I am worthy if yoii will give ine six months 
 life. The dcictor ansWtired,' Sir, you can- 
 not live six weeks. Voltaire replied) Then 
 I shall go to hell, and you will gowitlvnle ! 
 and soon after expired.- ,. : . 
 
 - <'^ This * is the hero -of * modern infidds ! 
 '!Dare atiy of them say^^^Let me die the 
 tleath of Voltaire, and let my last end be 
 iike his? That he wash, man of great and 
 various talents, none ■ can deny ; but his 
 want of sound learning, and moral qualifi- 
 tions, will ever prevent him fi^om being 
 ranked with the benefactors of mankind. 
 If the reader has felt himself injured by 
 the poison of this man's writing's, he may 
 find relief for his woiinded mind, by peru- 
 sing Findlay's Vindication of the Saered 
 Books from the misrepresentations and 
 cavils of Voltaire ; and Lefanu's Letters of 
 certain Jews to Voltaire. The hoary infi- 
 del cuts but a very sorry figure in the 
 hands of these Sons of Abraham. 
 ' DuHng VoUaire^s last visit to Paris, 
 when his triumph was complete, and he 
 had even feared that he should die with 
 
EXEMFl.IFICAION. - 227 
 
 glory, amidst the acclamations of an infa- 
 tuated theatre, he was struck by the hand 
 of Providence, and fated to make a very 
 different termination of his career. 
 .^, In the midst of his triumphs, a violent 
 hemorrhage raised apprehensions for his- 
 life. D'Alembert, Diderot, and Marmoi^-jy 
 tetl, hastened to support his resolution in 
 his last moments, but were only witnesses 
 to their mutual ignominy, as well as to his 
 own. Rage, remorse, reproach, and blas- 
 phemy, all accompany and ch?iracterize the 
 long agony of the dying atheist. 
 
 On his return from the theatre, and in 
 the midst of the toils he was resuming to 
 acquire fresh applause, Voltaire was warn- 
 ed, that the long career of his impiety was 
 drawing to an end. 
 
 In spite of all the sophisters flocking 
 around him, in the first days of illness, he 
 gave signs of wishing to return to the God 
 whom he had so often blasphemed. Ke 
 called for the priest. His danger increas- 
 ing, he wrote the following note to the 
 Abbe Gaultier :■ — " You had premised me 
 Sir, to come and hear me. 1 intreat you 
 would take the trouble of calling.on me as 
 soon as possible. — Signed Voltaire. Pa- 
 ris, 26th Feb. 1 778. " 
 
 A few days after he wrote the following 
 
228 EXEMPLIlf'tGAtlOX. 
 
 dteblaration^ in presence of the Abb 6 Gaul- 
 tieri the Abb6 Mignot, and the Marquis de 
 Yillevieille, copied from the miniites depo- 
 sited with Mr. Momet, notary at Paris : 
 
 ''I the underwritten, declare, that for 
 these four days past, having been afflicted 
 ^vhh. a vomiting of bloodf at the age of 
 eighty-four, and not having been able to 
 drag myself to the church, the Rev. the 
 Rector of Sulpice, having been pleased to 
 add to his good works, that of sending to 
 -me the Abbe Gaultier ; I confess^ to him ; 
 and if it pleases God to dispose of me, I 
 die in the Church, in which I was born; 
 hoping that the divine mercy will deign to 
 pardon all my faults. Second of March, 
 1778. Signed Voltaire ; in presence of 
 the Abbe Mignot, my nephew, and the Mar- 
 quis de Villevieille, my friend." 
 
 After the two witnesses had signed this 
 declaration, Voltaire added these words, 
 copied from the same minutes : — " The 
 Abb6 Gaultier, my confessor, having ap- 
 prized me, that it was said among a certain 
 set of people, that I ' should protest against 
 every thing I did at my death ;' I declare 
 that I never made such a speech, and that 
 it is an old jest, attributed long since to 
 many of the learned, more enlightened than 
 I am." 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 229 
 
 This declaration is also signed fay the 
 Marquis de Villevieille, to whom, eleven 
 years before, Voltaire wrote, " Conceal 
 your march from the enemy, in your endea- 
 vours to crush the wretch !"-* 
 
 Voltaire had permitted this declaration to 
 be carried to the rector of Sulpice and to 
 the archbishop of Paris, to know whether 
 it would be sufficient. When the Abbe 
 Gaultier returned with the answer, it was 
 impossible for him to gain admittance to 
 the patient. The conspirators strained eve- 
 ry nerVe to hinder the Chief from consum- 
 mating his recantation, and every avenue 
 was shut to the priest, whom Voltaire 
 himself had sent for. The demons haunt- 
 ed every access : rage succeeded to fury, 
 and fury to rage again, during the remain- 
 der of his life. 
 
 D'Alembert, Diderot, and about twenty 
 others of the conspirators, who had beset 
 his apartment, never approached him, but. 
 to witness their own ignominy, and often he 
 would curse them, and exclaim : " Retire ! 
 It is you that have brought me to my pre- 
 
 * It had been customary during many years for 
 Voltaire to call our blessed Saviour — ^The Wretch. 
 And he vowed tliat he would crush him. He closes 
 many of his letters to his infidel-friends with the 
 same words — crush the wretch ! 
 
230 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 sent state ! Begone ! I could have done 
 without you all ; but you could not exist 
 without me ! And what a wretched glory 
 have you procured me !" 
 
 Then would succeed the horrid remem- 
 brance of his conspiracy. They could 
 hear him, the prey of anguish and dread, 
 alternately supplicating or blaspheming that 
 God against whom he had conspired ; and 
 in plaintive accents would he cry out, " Oh 
 Christ ! Oh Jesus Christ !" And then com- 
 plain that he was abandoned by God and 
 man. The hand which had traced in an- 
 cient writ the sentence of an impious and 
 reviling king, seemed to trace before his 
 eyes, " Crush then, do crush the Wretch." 
 In vain he turned his head away ; the time 
 was coming apace, when he was to appear 
 before the tribunal of him whom he had 
 blasphemed; and his physicians, particu- 
 larly Mr. Tronchin, calling to administer 
 relief, thunderstruck, retired declaring the 
 death of the impious man to be terrible in*!- 
 deed. The pride of the conspirators would 
 willingly have suppressed these declara- 
 tions, but it was in vain. The Mareschal 
 de Richelieu fled from the bed side, decla- 
 ring it to be a sight too terrible to be sus- 
 tained ; and Mr. Tronchin, that the furies. 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 231 
 
 of Orestes could give but a faint idea of 
 those of Voltaire.* 
 
 HUME. 
 
 The last days of David Hume were spent 
 in playing at whist, in cracking his jokes 
 about Charon and his boat, and in reading 
 liUcian, and other entertaining books, 'i his 
 was a consummatum est worthy of a clever 
 fellow, whose conscience was seared as with 
 an hot iron ! Dr. Johnson observes upon 
 this impenitent death-bed scene — ^'Hume 
 owned he had never read the New Testa- 
 ment with attention. Here then was a 
 
 * Diderot and D'Alembert, his friends and com- 
 panions in infidelity, died with remorse of conscience 
 somewhat similar to tlie above. 
 
 This account of the unhappy end of Voltaire is 
 confirmed by a letter by M. de Luc, an eminent 
 philosopl^r, and a man of the strictest honour and 
 probity. 
 
 Cowper has alluded to the above circumstances 
 in the character of this arch-infidel. 
 
 " The Frenchman first in literary fame. 
 Mention him if you please — rVoltaire !— The same, 
 Willi spirit, g-enius, eloquence supplied, 
 Liv'd long, wrote much, laugh'd heartily, and died ; 
 The Scripture was his jest-book, whence he drew 
 Bon-mots to g-all the Christian and the Jew. 
 An infidel in health ; but what when sick ? 
 Oh then, a text would touch him to the quick." 
 
2a2 ^ EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 man, who had been at no pains to inquire 
 into the truth of religion, and had continu- 
 ally turned his mind the other way. It was 
 not to be expected that the prospect of 
 death should alter his way of thinking, un- 
 less God should send an angel to set him 
 right. He had a vanity in being thought 
 easy." Dives fared sumptuously every 
 day, and saw no danger: But — ^the next 
 thing we hear of him is — In hell he lifted 
 up his eyes, being in torments ! 
 
 It is much to be lamented that a man of 
 Hume's abilities should have so prostituted 
 his talents. With all his pretensions to 
 philosophy, he was an advocate for adulte- 
 ry and suicide. The reader will find a suf- 
 ficient answer to his sophistry in Home's 
 letters on infidelity, Beattie's essay on the 
 nature and immutability of truth, and 
 Campbell on the miracles of Christ. 
 
 Gibbon says, " He died the death of a 
 philosopher !" If philosophers die in such 
 a manner, may it be our happy lot to die 
 like an old fashioned and enthusiastic 
 christian ! 
 
 GIBBOiSr 
 Was one of the most respectable Deists 
 of the present age, and more like Hume, 
 than any other of the opposers of Christiani- 
 ty. Very sufficient reasons, however, arc 
 
EXEMPLIPICATIOl!,. 233 
 
 to be given for his infidelity. Porson, in 
 the preface to his letters to Travis, after 
 giving a character of Gibbon's history, 
 seems to account for his rejecting the gos- 
 pel in a satisfactory manner, from the state 
 of his mind. " He shows, so strong a dis- 
 like to Christianity, as visibly disqaaiifies 
 him for that society, of which he h;,.-. v;re- 
 ated Ammianus Marcellinus president : and 
 we must blame him for carrying on the 
 attack in an insidious manner, and with 
 improper motives. He often makes, when 
 he cannot readily find an occasion to insult 
 our religion : which he hates so cordially, 
 that he might seem to revenge some per- 
 sonal injury. Such is his eagerness in the 
 cause, that he stoops to the most despicable 
 pun, or to the most awkward perversion of 
 language, for the pleasure of turning scrip- 
 ture into ribaldry, or of calling Jesus an 
 impostor. — A rage for indecency pervades 
 the whole work, but especially the last 
 volumes. — If the history were anonymous, 
 I should guess that these disgraceful ob- 
 scenities were written by some debauchee, 
 who, having from age, or accident, or ex- 
 cess, survived the practice of lust, still 
 indulged himself in the luxury of specula- 
 tion ; and exposed the impotent imbecility, 
 after he had lost the vigour of the passions." 
 u 2 
 
234 EXEIVIPLIFICATION. 
 
 Such are the opposers of Jesus and his 
 gospel ? — Let us see how this sneering an- 
 tagonist of Christianity terminated his mor- 
 tal career. 
 
 Eager for the continuation of his present 
 existence, having little expectation of any 
 future one, he declared to a friend about 
 twenty-four hours previous to his departure, 
 in a flow of self-gratulation, that he thought 
 himself a good life for ten, twelve, or per- 
 haps twenty years. — -And during his short 
 illness, it is observable, that he never gave 
 the least intimation of a future state of ex- 
 istence. This insensibility at the hour of 
 dissolution, is in the language of scepticism, 
 dying like a cleyer fellow; the death of a 
 philosopher ! ' 
 
 Among all the numerous volumes that 
 Gibbon read, it does not appear that he 
 ever perused any able defence, or judicious 
 explication of the christian religion. — Con- 
 sult his memoirs and diary written by him- 
 self. — His conversion and re-conversion 
 terminated in deism ; or rather perhaps in 
 a settled indifterence to all religion. He 
 never gave himself any concern about it. 
 
EXEMPUFICATION. 2o5 
 
 CHESTERFIKLD. 
 
 Of all the accounts which are left us, of 
 the latter end of those, who are gone before 
 into the eternal state, several are more hor- 
 rible, but few so affecting as that which is 
 given us, by his own pen, of the late lord 
 Chesterfield. It shows us incontestably, 
 what a poor creature man is, notwithst?.nd- 
 ing the highest polish which he is capable 
 of receiving, without the knowledge and 
 •experience of those satisfactions which true 
 religion yields ; and what egregious fools 
 all those persons are, who squander av/av 
 their precious time, in what the world, by 
 a strange perversion of language, call plea- 
 sure. 
 
 " I have enjoyed all the pleasures of this 
 world, and consequently know their futili- 
 ty, and do not regret their loss. I appraise 
 them ac their real value, which in truth, is 
 very low ; whereas those who have not ex- 
 perienced, always over-rate them. They 
 only see their gay outside, and are dazzled 
 with their glare ; but I liave been behind 
 the scenes. It is a common notion, and 
 like many common ones, a very false one, 
 that those, who have led a life .of pleasure 
 and business, can never be easy in retire- 
 ment ; whereas I am persuaded that they 
 
236 EXEMPLIFICATIOX. 
 
 are the only people who can, if they have 
 any sense and reflection. — ^They can look 
 back without an evil eye upon what they 
 from knowledge despise ; others have al- 
 ways a hankering after what they are not 
 acquainted with. I look upon all that has 
 passed, as one of those romantic dreams 
 that opium commonly occasions, and I do 
 by no means desire to repeat the nauseous 
 dose, for the sake of the fugitive dream, — 
 When I say that I have no regret, I do not 
 mean that I have no remorse ; for a life 
 either of business, or still more of pleasure, 
 never was, and neVer will be, a state of in- 
 nocence. But God, who knows the strength 
 of human passions, and the weakness of 
 human reason, will, it is to be hoped, ra- 
 ther mercifully pardon, than justly punish, 
 acknowledged errors. I have been as 
 wicked and as vain, though not so wise as 
 Solomon : but am now at last wise enough 
 to feel and attest the truth of his reflection, 
 that all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 
 This truth is never sufficiently discovered 
 or felt by mere speculation : experience in 
 this case is necessary for conviction, though 
 perhaps at the experience of some morality. 
 My health is always bad, though some- 
 times better and sometimes worse ; and 
 my deafness deprives me of the comforts 
 
E3SEMPLmCATI0N. 237 
 
 of society, which other people have in theif 
 ilinesstfs. This you must allow, is an un- 
 fortunate latter end of life, and consequent- 
 ly a tiresome one; but I must own too, 
 that it is a sort of ballance to the tumultu- 
 ous and imaginary pleasures of the former 
 part of it. I consider my present wretched 
 old age as a just compensation for the 
 follies, not to say, sins of my youth. At 
 the same time I am thankful that I feel 
 none of those torturing ills, which frequent- 
 ly attend ihe last stage of life ; and 1 flatter 
 myself that I shall go off quietly, and with 
 resignation. My stay in this world cannot 
 be long ; God, who placed me here, only 
 knows when he will order me out of it; 
 but whenever he does, I shall willingly 
 obey his command. I wait for it, imploring 
 the mercy of my Creator, and deprecating 
 his justice. The best of us must trust to 
 the former, and dread the latter. — 1 think 
 I am not afraid of my journey's end; but 
 will not answer for myself, when the object 
 draws very near, and is very sure : For 
 when one does see death near, let the best 
 or the v.orst people say what they please, 
 it is a serious consideration. The divine 
 attribute of mercy, which gives us com- 
 fort, cannot make us forget the attribute 
 of Justice, which must blend someT^ears 
 
258 ' EXEMPLIFICATION, 
 
 with our hope. Life, is neither a burden 
 
 nor a pleasure to me ; but a certain degree 
 of ennui necessarily attends that neutral 
 state, which makes me very willing to part 
 with it, when He who placed me here^ 
 thinks fit to call me away. When I reflect, 
 however, upon the poor remainder of my 
 life, I look upon it as a burden that must 
 every day grow heavier, from the natural 
 progression of physical ills, the usual com- 
 panions of increasing years ; and my reason 
 tells me, that I should wish for the end of 
 it ; but instinct, often stronger than reason, 
 and perhaps oftener in the right, makes me 
 take all proper methods to put it off. This 
 innate sentiment alone makes me bear life 
 with patience : for I assure you I have nb 
 farther hopes, but, on the contrary, many 
 fears from it. None of the primitive Ana- 
 choretes in the Theebais could be more 
 detached from life than I am. I consider 
 it as one who is wholly unconcerned in it; 
 and even when J reflect upon what I have 
 seen, what I have heard, and what I have 
 done myself, I can hardly persuade myself 
 that all the frivolous hurry and bustle, and 
 pleasures of the world, had any reality, but 
 they seem to have been the dreams of rest- 
 less nights. This philosophy, howevxr, I 
 thank God, neither makes me sour nor 
 
EXEMPLIFICATIOX. 239 
 
 melancholy ; I see the folly and absurdity 
 of mankind, without indignation or pee- 
 vishness. I wish them wiser, and conse- 
 quently better than they are." 
 
 The letters of this nobleman, which he 
 wrote to his son, contain positive evidence, 
 that, with all his honours, learning, wit, 
 politeness, he was a thorough bad man, 
 with a heart full of deceit and uncleanness. 
 Those letters have been a pest to nations. 
 It may be questioned whether Rochester's 
 poems ever did more harm. This noble- 
 man was accounted, not only the most po- 
 lite and well-bred man of his time, but the 
 greatest wit. 
 
 This is the life, these are the mortifying 
 acknowledgments, and this is the poor 
 sneaking end of the best bred man of the 
 age ! Not one word about Mediator ! He 
 acknowledges, indeed, his frailties ; but 
 yet in such a way as to extenuate his offen- 
 ces. One would suppose him to have been 
 an old heathen philosopher, that had never 
 heard the name of Jesus, rather than a 
 penitent christian, whose life had abpunded 
 with a varietv of vices. 
 
240 EXEMPUPICATJON« 
 
 ALTAMONT. 
 
 Says Dr. Young, the sad evening before 
 the death of the noble Altamont, I was with 
 him. No one was there, but his physician, 
 and an intimate friend whom he loved, and 
 whom he had ruined. At my coming in, 
 he said; — "You and the physician, are 
 come too late. I have neither life, nor 
 hope. You both aim at miracles. Yoa 
 would raise the dead." — Heaven I said wa!> 
 merciful. " Or I could not have been thus 
 guilty. What has it not done to bless, and 
 to save me : — I have been too strong for 
 omnipotence ! I plucked down ruin !" I 
 said. The blessed Redeemer — Hold ! hold ! 
 you wound me ! — This is the rock on which 
 I split — I denied his name." Refusing to 
 hear any thing from me, or take any thing 
 from the physician, he lay silent, as far as 
 sudden darts of pain would permit, till the 
 clock struck. Then with vehemence ; " Oh, 
 time ! time ! it is fit thou shouldst strike 
 thy murderer to the heart. — How art thou 
 fled forever ! — A month !-— Oh, for a single 
 week ! I ask not for years ; though an age 
 were too little for the much I have to do." 
 On my saying, wx could not do too much : 
 that heaven was a blessed place — " So 
 nuich the worse^ *Tis lost ! — ^Heaven is to 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. '241 
 
 me the severest part of hell !" Soon after 
 I proposed prayer. — " Pray you that can. 
 I never prayed. 1 cannot pray — Nor need 
 I. Is not heaven on my side already ? It 
 closes with my conscience. Its severest 
 strokes but second my own." His friend 
 being much touched, even to tears, at this— 
 who could forbear ? I could not ; — with a 
 most affectionate look he s?id : "Keep those 
 tears for thyself. I have undone thee.— 
 Dost weep for me ? That's cruel.-*-What 
 can pain me more ?" Here his friend, too 
 much affected, would have left him. " No, 
 stay. Thou still mayest hope. Therefore 
 hear me. How madly have I talked ? How 
 madly hast thou listened and believed ? But 
 look on my present state, as a full answer 
 to thee, and to myself. This body is all 
 weakness and pain ; but my soul, as if 
 strung up by torment to greater strength 
 and spirit, is full powerful to reason, full 
 mighty to suffer. And that which thus 
 triumphs within the jaws of mortality is 
 doubtless, immortal. — And, as for a deity, 
 nothing less than an Almighty could inflict 
 what I feel." — I was about to congratulate 
 this passive, involuntary confessor on his 
 asserting the two prime articles of his creed, 
 extorted by the rack of nature ; when he 
 thus said, very passionately : " No, no ! let 
 
^43* eXEMPUFICATIQN 
 
 me spe^k on. I have not long to speak. — 
 My much injured friend ! my soul, as my 
 body, Ues in ruins ; and scattered fragments 
 pf broken thought : remorse for the past, 
 throws my thoughts on the future. Worse 
 dread of the future, strikes it back on the 
 past. I turn, and turn, and find no ray. 
 Pidst thou feel the mountain that is on me, 
 thou wouldst struggle with the martyr for 
 his stake, and bless heaven for the flames : 
 that )s not everlasting flame ; that is not an 
 unquenchable fire." How were we struck ? 
 Yet, soon after, still more. With what an 
 eye of distraction, what a face of despair, 
 he cried out; "My principles have poison- 
 ed my friend ; my extravagance has beg- 
 gared my boy ; my unkindness has mur- 
 dered my wife ! And is there another hell ? 
 Qh ! tliou blasphemed, yet most indulgent, 
 J^ord (jod ! Hell is a refuge, if it hides me 
 from thy frown." • 
 
 ^oon after his understar d-ng failed. His 
 terrified imagination uttered horrors not to 
 be repeated, or ever forgotten. And ere the 
 sun arose, the gay, young, noble, ingenuous, 
 and irust wretched AHamont expired. 
 
 {t if. not easy for imagination itself to 
 form 'a more affecting i c presentation of a 
 death-bed scene than that of this noble 
 youtli. 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 243 
 
 CASE OF A GENTLEMAN, 
 
 Says the Rev. D. Simpson, who was an 
 eye and ear witness, and also saw his body 
 borne to the grave,— I found him tio tnore 
 that sprightly and vivacious son of joy 
 which he used to be ; but languishing, 
 pining away, and withering under the chas- 
 tising hand of God. His limbs feeble and 
 trembling : his countenance forlorn and 
 ghastly ; and the little breath he had left, 
 sobbed out in sorrowful sighs ! his body 
 hastening apace to the dust, to lodge in the 
 silent grave, the land of darkness and deso- 
 lation. His soul just going to God who 
 gave it; preparing itself to wing away unto 
 its long home ; to enter upon an unchange- 
 able and eternal state. When I was come 
 up into his chamber, and had seated my- 
 self on his bed, he first cast a wishful look 
 upon me, and then began as w ell as he was 
 able to speak : '' Oh ! that I had been wise, 
 that i had known this, that I had consider- 
 ed my latter end. Ah ! death is knocking 
 at my doors : in a few hours more I shall 
 draw my last gasp ; and then judgment, the 
 tremendous judgment ! How shall I ap- 
 pear, unprepared as I am, before the all- 
 knowing and omnipotent God ? How shall 
 I endure the day of his coming !" When I 
 
{a4-4 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 mentioned among many other things, that 
 strict holiness, which he had formerly so 
 slightly esteemed, he replied with a hasty 
 eagerness : '•' Oh ! that holiness is the only 
 thing I now long for. I would gladly part 
 with all my estate, large as it is, or a world 
 to obtain it. Now my benighted eyes are 
 enlightened, I clearly discern the things 
 that are excellent. What is there in the 
 place whither I am going l)at God ? Or 
 what is there to be desired on earth but 
 religion ?" — But if this God should restore 
 you to health, said I, think you that you 
 should alter your former course ? " I call 
 heaven arid earth to witness," said he, "I 
 would labour for holiness, as I shall soon 
 labour for life. As for riches and plea- 
 sures, and the applauses of men, 1 account 
 them as dross and dung, no more to my 
 happiness than the feathers that lie on the 
 floor. Oh ! if the righteous Judge would 
 try me once more ; if he would but reprieve 
 and spare me a little longer ; in what a 
 spirit would I spend the remainder of my 
 days ! I would know no other business, aim 
 at no other end, than perfecting myself in 
 holiness. Whatever contributed to that; 
 every means of grace, every opportunity of 
 spiritual improvement, should be dearer to 
 me, than thousands of gold and silver. But 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 2.45 
 
 alas ! why do I amuse myself with fond 
 imaginations I The best resolutions arc 
 now insignificant, because they are too late. 
 The day in which I should have worked is 
 over and gone, and I see a sad, horrible 
 night approaching, bringing with it the 
 blackness of darkness for ever. Heretofore^ 
 woe is me ! when God called, I refused ; 
 when he invited, I was one of them that 
 made excuse. Now, therefore I meet the 
 reward of my deeds ; fearfulness and trem- 
 bling have come upon me : I smart, and 
 am in sore anguish already ! and yet this 
 is but the beginning of sorrows ! it doth not 
 yet appear what I shall be ; but sure I shall 
 be ruined, undone, and destroyed with an 
 everlasting destruction !" 
 
 ANTITHEUS. 
 
 Cumberland, gives us a most mournful 
 tale concerning a gentleman of infidel-prin- 
 ciples. " I remember him, in the height 
 of his fame, the hero of his party ; no man 
 so caressed, followed and applauded : he 
 was a little loose, his friends would own, 
 in his moral character, but then he was the 
 honestest fellow in the world ; it was not 
 to be denied, that he was rather free in his 
 notions, but then he was the best creature 
 
246 KXEMPLIFICATIQN. 
 
 living. I have seen men of the gravest 
 character wink at his sallies ; because he 
 was so pleasant and so well bred, it was 
 impossible to be angry with him. Every- 
 thing went well with him, and Antitheus 
 seemed to be at the summit of human pros- 
 perity, when he was suddenly seized with 
 the most alarming symptoms ; he was at his 
 country house, and which had rarely hap- 
 pened to him, at that time alone ; wife or 
 family he had none, and out of the multi- 
 tude of his friends no one happened to be 
 near him at the moment of his attack. A 
 neighbouring physician was called out of 
 bed in the night to come to him with all 
 haste in this extremity : he found him sit- 
 ing up in his bed supported by pillows, his 
 countenance full of horror, his breath strug- 
 gling as in the article of death, his pulse 
 intermitting, and at times beating with such 
 rapidity as could harldly be counted. An- 
 titheus dismissed the attendants he had 
 about him, and eagerly demanded of the 
 physician, if he thought him in danger ; 
 the physician answered that he must fairly 
 tell him he was in eminent danger. — Ho-(v 
 so ! how so ! do you think me dying? — He 
 was sorry to say, the symptoms indicated 
 dtaxh,— Impossible / you must 7iot let me 
 die: Idare not die: doctor / save 7ne if 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 247 
 
 zjou can. — ^Your situation, sir, is such, that 
 it is not in mine, or any other man's art, to 
 save you ; and I think I should not do my 
 duty, if I gave you any false hopes in these 
 moments, which, if I am not mistaken, will 
 not more than suffice for any worldly or 
 other concerns, which you may have upon 
 your mind to settle. — My mind is full of 
 horror^ and I am incapable of preparing it 
 for death, — He now fell into an agony, ac- 
 companied with a shower of tears ; a cordial 
 was administered, and he revived in a de- 
 gree ; when turning to the physician, who 
 had his fingers upon his pulse, he eagerly 
 demanded of him, if he did not see that 
 blood upon the feet-curtain of his bed. 
 There was none to be seen, the physician 
 assured him ; it was nothing but a vapour 
 of his fancy. — I see it plainly^ in the shape 
 of a human hand: I have been visited with 
 a tremendous aparition. As I zvas lying 
 sleepless in my bed this nighty I took up a 
 letter of a diseased friend^ to dissipate cer' 
 tain thoughts that made me uneasy : I be- 
 lieved hirn to be a great philosopher^ and 
 was converted to his opinions : persuaded 
 by his arguments and my own experience., 
 that the disorderly affairs of this evil world 
 woidd not be administered by any wise., just 
 or provident being, I had brought myself 
 
248 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 to think that no such being could exists and 
 that a life produced by chance^ must termi- 
 nate in annihilation ; this is the reasoning 
 of tliat letter^ and such -were the thoughts I 
 •was resolving in my 7?iifid^ when the appa- 
 rition of my dear friend presented itself 
 before me ; and unfolding the curtains of 
 my bedj stood at my feet^ looking earnestly 
 upon me for a considerable space of time. 
 My heart sunk within me ; for his face was 
 ghastly^ fidl of horror^ xvith an expression 
 of such an anguish as I can never describe} 
 his eyes were fixed upon me^ and at length 
 with a mourriful motion of his head-^Alas^ 
 alas ! he cried, we are in a fatal error ! — - 
 and taking hold of the curtains with his 
 hand, shook them violently and disappeared. 
 This I protest to you, I both saw and 
 heard; and look / where the print of his 
 hand is left in blood upon the curtains /" 
 
 Antitheus survived the relation of this 
 vision very few hours, and died delirious 
 in great agonies. 
 
 What a forsaken and disconsolate crea- 
 ture is man without his God and Saviour. 
 
 ROUSSEAU 
 
 Was bom at Geneva ; and, at a proper age, 
 was bound apprentice to an artist. During 
 his apprenticeship he frequently robbed his 
 
EXEMPUFICATIOX. 249 
 
 master as well as other persons. Before 
 his time was expired he decamped, fled in- 
 to the dominions of the king of Sardinia, 
 where he professed to be a catholic. By 
 an unexpected turn of fortune he became a 
 footman ; in which capacity he forgot not 
 his old habit of stealing. He was detected 
 with the stolen goods ; swore that they were 
 given him by a maid servant of tl^ie house ; 
 the girl was confronted with him ; she de- 
 nied the fact, and, weeping, pressed him to 
 confess the truth ; but the young philoso- 
 pher still persisted in the lie, and the poor 
 girl was driven from her place in disgrace. 
 Tired of being a serving man, he went to 
 throw himself on the protection of a lady, 
 whom he had seen once before, and who, 
 he protests, was the most virtuous creature 
 of her sex. The lady had so great a re- 
 gard for him, that she called him her little 
 darling, and he called her mamma. Mam- 
 ma had a footman, who served her besides, 
 in another capacity, very much resembling 
 that of a husband ; but she had a most ten- 
 der aifection for her adopted son Rousseau ; 
 and, as she feared he was forming connec- 
 tions with a certain lady which might spoil 
 his morals, she herself, out of pure virtue, 
 took him — to bed with her ! — ^This virtuous 
 eftbrt to preserve the purity of Rousseau's 
 
230 EXEMPLIFICATIOK. 
 
 heart, had a dreadful effect upon the poor 
 footman, for he poisoned himself. — Rous- 
 seau fell sick*, and mamma was obliged to 
 part with little darling, while he performed 
 a journey to the south of France, for the 
 recovery of his health. On the road he 
 dined with a gentleman, and debauched his 
 wife. As he was returning back, he debated 
 with himself whether he should pay his 
 lady a second visit or not ; but fearing he 
 might be tempted to seduce her dau^ter 
 also, virtue got the better, and determined 
 the little darling to fly home into the arms 
 of his mamma : but, alas ! those arms were 
 filled with another. Mamma's virtue had 
 prompted her to take a substitute, whom 
 she liked too well to part with, and our 
 philosopher was obliged to shift for himself. 
 "While the little darling resided with his 
 mamma, he made a tour with a young mu- 
 sician. Their friendship was warm, like 
 that of most young men, and they were, 
 besides, enjoined to take particular care of 
 each other during their travels. — They 
 went for some time together, agreed per- 
 fectly well, and vowed an everlasting friend- 
 ship for each other. But the musician, be- 
 ing one day taken in a fit, fell down in the 
 street, which furnished the faithful Rous- 
 seau with an opportunity of slipping off 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 251 
 
 with some of his things, and leaving him to 
 the mercy of the people, in a town where 
 he was a total stranger. 
 
 We seldom meet with so much villainy 
 as this in a youth. His manhood was, how- 
 ever, worthy of it. He turned apostate a 
 second time, was driven from within the 
 walls of his native city Geneva, as an in- 
 cendiary, and an apostle of anarchy and 
 infidelity : nor did he forget how to thieve. 
 At last the philosopher marries ; but like a 
 philosopher. He has a family of children, 
 and like a kind philosophical father, for 
 fear they should want after his death, he 
 sends them to the poor-house during his 
 life time ! — The philosopher dies and leaves 
 the philosophress his wife to the protection 
 of a friend ; she marries a footman and is 
 turned into the street. 
 
 This man has the impudence to say, in 
 the work written by himself, which contains 
 a confession of these his crimes, that no 
 man can come to the throne of God, and 
 say, I am a better man than Rousseau. 
 
 Notwithstanding the above circumstan- 
 ces, it must be owned that Rousseau's wri- 
 tings have great literary merit, but they 
 contain principles the most vitiating. He 
 has exhausted all the powers of reasoning, 
 and all the charms of eloquence in the cause 
 
252 EXEMPLIFICATIOK. 
 
 of irreligion. And his writings are so much 
 the more dangerous, as he winds himself 
 into favour with the unwary, by an eternal 
 cant about virtue and liberty. He assumed 
 the mask (»f virtue for no other purpose 
 than that of propagating with more certain 
 success the blackest and most incorrigible 
 vice. 
 
 llousseau expired with a lie in his mouth, 
 and the most impious appeal to the Divine 
 Being, that was ever made by moital man. 
 
 *^ Ah ! my dear," said he just before he 
 expired, '* how happy a thing it is to die 
 when one has no reason for remorse or self- 
 reproach !" — And then addressing himself 
 to the Almighty, he said, " Eternal Being ! 
 the soul that I am going to give thee back, 
 is as pure at this moment, as it was when it 
 proceeded from thee ; render it a partaker 
 of thy felicity!" 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 25-: 
 
 OKELY. 
 
 Dr. Okely published an octavo volume, 
 entitled, " Pyrology, or the connection be- 
 tween natural and moral Philosophy, with 
 a Disquisition on the Origin of Christiani- 
 ty ;" in which it was completely exploded, 
 together with the doctrine of a future state. 
 It has pleased God, however, to show Dr. 
 Okely, the vanity of his philosophy, and he 
 has done himself the honour to publish the 
 following manly renunciation of his errors:'-^ 
 
 '■'■ The author of Pyrology feels himself 
 irresistibly impelled to make known, that 
 he is now thoroughly convinced of the 
 moral governmeat of God, the immortality 
 
 * There arc other convevslors In the present day 
 from deism to Christianity, besides this oV Dr. Okely. 
 Dr. Vanderkemp, a Dutch physician, was convinced 
 and recovered from infidelity by an alarming' provi- 
 dence, and devoted himself as a missionary for tlie 
 conversion of the Heathen. Captain Wilson is another 
 remarkable instance, who, in gratitude to God for his 
 g-oodnes3 to him, undertook to convey the missiona- 
 ries to the Southern Ocean, and has accomplished 
 the undertaking- with great and surprising success, 
 without putting- the Society to the smallest expense; 
 
 Henry Redhead Yorke, wl\o was sentenced to is. 
 
 long- imprisonment for sedition, is another instance 
 
 of a person, wliose mind has underj^one a gTeat 
 
 ' hange during^ his imprisonment, and hf^ has hc^. 
 
 ■yn and honest cnoujfli to .v o\v 1'-. 
 
254 EXEMPL1FICATI02\. 
 
 of the human soul, or future state, and of 
 the truth of Christianity in its fullest extent. 
 For his involuntary error he confidently 
 hopes to be pardoned by Almighty God, 
 through the merits of Jesus Christ; but at 
 the same time he thinks it his duty, in this 
 public manner to solicit the pardon of his 
 readers for having, as much as in him lay, 
 though he trusts ineffectually, contributed 
 to lead them astray." 
 
 THOMAS PAINE. 
 
 This grand champion of modern infidel- 
 ity, m whom its thoughtless abettors, placed 
 their last, best hopes, expired at New York, 
 in the year 1809. No deist, so slenderly 
 acquainted with his subject, had ever so 
 fatally succeeded to corrupt the generation 
 of his day, as Paine. Presumptuous, wit- 
 ty, and bad at heart, he v/as enabled by a 
 style at once popular and nervous, to sneer, 
 revile, and ridicule, with sad effect, the 
 most sacred, and most valued truths. 
 
 One v/ho had so maliciously aimed to 
 plunge his poisoned arrov/s into the vitals 
 of Christianity, and had so destructively 
 succe-eded to debauch the understandings 
 of the giddy, rash, and tuuiultous i)opulace, 
 (who are ever bad enough, even under the- 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 255 
 
 restraints of Civil as well as Religious obli- 
 gations,) could not fail to call the attention 
 of the Christian world to his expiring mo- 
 ments. It was therefore generally antici- 
 pated that something signally awful would 
 distinguish his death : and so indeed there 
 was, though not in the manner most gene- 
 rally expected. Like one given up to the 
 " strongest delusions to believe a ^ie*," and 
 " with a conscience seared as with an hot 
 iron*", he seemed, in his last illness to ac- 
 quire an awful insensihilitij to every thnig 
 of a religious nature ; or at best, seemed 
 most concerned, to keep out the intrusion 
 of those visitors, and those reflections, 
 which mostly press upon the sick and the 
 needy at the appt-o.ich of death. He there- 
 fore lingered out a dark and gloomy pe- 
 riod of several months, in a sullen, deter- 
 mined opposition, to every religious thought 
 or suggestion. The very name of Christ 
 was dreadful to his ear: whether from fear, 
 or from scorn, or from anguish, is not so 
 certainly known. It is certain, he showed 
 a continued and marked hpstility to the 
 Clerical character, and would not endure 
 that any of them, under any pretext, should 
 visit him. The Rev. Mr. Ketchum how- 
 iCver, in the common garb of a citizen, suc- 
 ceeded to approach him, and to bring him 
 
<^S6 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 into some desultory conversation ; but he 
 had no sooner drawn towards the object of 
 his visiti, by indirectly naming the nafne of 
 J esus, than the enraged infidel, fired at the 
 sound, and lost to all sense of decorum, 
 actually drove him from his presence ! He 
 would not endure any expostulation. But, 
 though dreadful was the sound of that 
 name, whom he had pierced, yet he after- 
 wards actually repeatedly exclaimed in his 
 agonies of pain, in the presence of his 
 physician Doctor Manly, O, liord help me, 
 O Jesus help me ! Upon being questioned 
 by the Doctor, as to his confidence in the 
 succour of that name, he would make no 
 reply. But being further urged, he said 
 with a previous thoughtful pause : " I have 
 310 wish to believe on that subject.""^ 
 
 It has been the opinion of those who had 
 the best means of seeing the last days of 
 this hoary incendiary, that it was his labour 
 ;ind aim to maintain to his last, the appear - 
 
 * Doctor Manly, has writlen a letter explanatory 
 of his deatl). We are informed by him, that when- 
 ever he fell into pai'oxysms of pain, which were fre- 
 quent before his death, he would cry out without 
 intermission, O Lord help me, O Jesus lielp me ! 
 fiod help me, Jesus Christ help me,&c. Mis conduct 
 was as singular as his conversation was equivocal. 
 He would not be left alone nig-ht or day. He would 
 actually scream and holloa if left alone but for oji^ 
 moment. 
 
EXEMPLIFICATIOX. 257 
 
 aiice of firmness and undisma}^ in his prin- 
 <:iples. This false and vainglorious pride, 
 was natural to such an heart ,; and makes 
 the opinion extremely probable. But the 
 inquietude and uncertainty consequent to 
 a mind so alienated from God, kept him 
 awakened to continued fear, lest his cou- 
 rage, which was forced and fluctuating, 
 might be overruled by his distrusting, 
 though feeble conscience, if he once sub- 
 mitted to hear the arguments which a 
 Christian could at such a time enforce. 
 Besides he was too conscious of his blas- 
 phemy against Christ to even hope \i\ his 
 name. He had thei-efore no alternative but 
 to sustain his character, or loose his wretch- 
 ed fame. 
 
 All concur in describing him as possessing 
 the most peculiarly awful visage that ever 
 saddened a dying bed. It was an unique 
 face ; possessing an assemblage of every 
 vitious and dismal passion. It was indeed 
 too terrific to suffer some who knew him, 
 to repeat their visits. 
 
 As he would never tolerate any conversa- 
 tion respecting religion, so he died leaving 
 no other evidence behind him, than his 
 general aversion to Christ and his disciples. 
 He has now gone to his reward, where the 
 realities of eternity are made known to him. 
 
-j8 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 {[Those who are curious to learn more of Paiiic, 
 i-nay find enough in Cheetham's "life of Paine" late^ 
 ly published, to g'ive them a complete disgust of his 
 character. He was insincer;:^ us a politician, was 
 too aspiring- for names and titles to be a real Repub- 
 lican, and was an habitual drunkard and a most 
 disg-usting sloven. He was also avaricious, and base in 
 the fulfilment of his pecuniary promises. In sliort, 
 he was a compound of all those vices which are 
 generated in the breast of every infidel who wan- 
 tonly sets tjie laws of God at defiance.] 
 
 [The names zvhtchfolloxv^ are such Unbe- 
 Uevers as reformed their IJves^ and bore 
 their testimony to the truth,'] 
 
 CHARLES GILD ON, 
 
 Author of a book called the Oracles of 
 Reason, was convinced of the fallacy of his 
 own arguments against religion, and the 
 danger of his situation, by reading Leslie's 
 Short Method with a Deist. He after- 
 wards wrote a defence of Revealed Reli- 
 don, entitled the Deist's Manual, and died 
 in the christian faith. 
 
 LORD LYTTLETON, 
 
 Author of the History of Henr}^ the Second, 
 and Gilbert West, had both imbibed the 
 principles of unbelief, and had agreed to- 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 259 
 
 ^cther to write something in favour of in- 
 fidelity. To do this more effectually, they 
 judged it necessary to acquaint themselves 
 pretty well with the Bible. By the perusal 
 of that book, however, they were both con- 
 vinced of their error : both became converts 
 to the religion of Christ Jesus ; both took 
 i^p their pens and wrote in favor of it : the 
 former his Observations on the Conversion 
 of St. Paul ; the latter, his Observations 
 on the resurrection of Christ ; and both 
 died in peace. 
 
 Johnson tells us, that, " Lord Lyttleton, 
 in the pride of juvenile confidence, with the 
 help of corrupt conversation, entertained 
 doubts of the truth of Christianity ; but he 
 thought afterwards it was no longer fit to 
 doubt, or believe by chance, he therefore 
 applied himself seriously to the great ques- 
 tion. His studies being honest, ended in 
 convictiom He found, that religion was 
 true, and, what he had learned, he endea- 
 voured to teach, by observations on the con- 
 x^ersion of St. Paul; a treatise to which in- 
 fidelity has never been able to fabricate a 
 specious answer." — Two days previous to 
 his dissolution, this great and good man 
 addressed his physician in these memorable 
 words : — " Doctor, you shall be my con- 
 fessor. When I first set out in the world. 
 
260 ^ EXEMPLIFICATION^. 
 
 I had friends who endeavoured to shake 
 my belief in the christian religion. I saw 
 difficulties which staggered me, but I kept 
 my mind open to conviction. The evidence 
 and doctrines of Christianity, studied with 
 attention, made me a most firm and per- 
 suaded believer of the christian religiop. I 
 have made it the rule of my life, and — it is 
 the ground of my future hopes." 
 
 PRINGLE, 
 
 One of the first characters of the present 
 age, though blessed with a religious educa- 
 tion, contracted the principles of infidelity, 
 when he travelled abroad. But as he scorn- 
 ed to be an implicit believer, he was equal- 
 ly averse from being an implicit unbeliever. 
 He therefore set himself to examine the 
 principles of the gospel of Christ, with all 
 caution and seriousness. The result of his 
 investigation was, a full conviction of the 
 divine original and autliority of the gospel. 
 The evidence of revelation appeared to him 
 to be solid and invincible; and the nature 
 of it to be such as demanded his warmest 
 acceptance. 
 
EXEMPLIFICATIOX. 261 
 
 SOAME JENYNS, 
 
 By some means had been warped aside in- 
 to the paths of infidelity, and continued in 
 this state of mind several years. Finding 
 his spirit, hov/ever, not at rest, he was m- 
 duced to examine the grounds upon which 
 his unbelief was founded. He discovered 
 his error ; was led to believe in the Saviour 
 of mankind; and wrote a small treatise in 
 the defence of the gospel, entitled, a view 
 of the internal evidences of Christianity; a 
 work worthy the perusal of every man, who 
 wishes to understand the excellency of 
 the religion which he professes. 
 
 OLIVER, 
 
 A famous physician, was a zealous unbe- 
 liever till within a short time of his death. 
 Being convinced of his error, and the dan- 
 ger of his situation, he bev/ailed his past 
 conduct ^v1th strong compunction of heart, 
 and gave up his spirit at last, in confident 
 expectation of mercy from God, through 
 the merit of that Saviour, whom, for many 
 years, he had ridiculed and opposed. "Oh," 
 said he, " that I could undo the mischief 
 that I have done ! 1 was more ardent to poi- 
 son people with the principles of irreligion 
 and unbelief, than almost any christian can 
 be to spread the doctrines of Christ." 
 
262 EXEMPLIFICATIOX. 
 
 GENERAL DYKERN 
 
 Received a mortal wound at the battle of 
 Bergen, in Germany, A. D. 1759. He was 
 of a noble family, and possessed equal 
 abilities as a minister in the closet, and a 
 general in the field, being favoured with a 
 liberal education. Havmg imoioea the 
 principles of infidelity, he continued a pro- 
 fessed deist, till the time he received his 
 fatal wound. During his illness, howei^er, 
 a great and effectual change was wrought 
 upon his mind by the power of divine grace, 
 and he died in the full assurance of faith, 
 glorying in the salvation of Jesus, and won- 
 dering at the happy change which had 
 taken place in his soul. 
 
 EARL OF ROCHESTER 
 
 was I great scholar, a great poet, a great 
 sinner, and a great penitent. His life was 
 written by Burnet, and his funeral sermon 
 was preached and published by Mr. Par- 
 sons. JDr Johnson, speaking of Burnet's 
 life of this nobleman, says, " The critic 
 ought to read it for its elegance, the philo- 
 sopher for its argument, and the saint for 
 its piety." 
 
 His lordship, it appears, had advanced to 
 an uncommon height of wickedness, having 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 263 
 
 been an advocate in the black cause of 
 atheism, and an encomiast to Beelzbub. 
 He had raked too in the ven^ bottom oi the 
 Jakes of debauchery, and had been a satyrist 
 against religion itself. But when, like the 
 prodigal in the gospel, he came to himself, 
 his mind was filled with the most extreme 
 horror, which forced sharp and bitter invec- 
 tives from him against himself; terming 
 himself the vilest wretch that the sun ever 
 shone upon ; wishing he had been a crawl- 
 ing leper in a ditch, a linkboy, or a begg-ar, 
 or had lived in a dungeon, rather than of- 
 fended God in the manner he had done. 
 
 Upon the first visit of Mr. Parsons to 
 him, on May 26di, 1680, after a journey 
 from the West, he found him laboui ing un- 
 der great trouble of mind, and his con- 
 science full of terror. The earl told him — 
 " When on his journey, he had been argu- 
 ing with gre:,ter vigour against God and 
 religion, than ever he had done in his life- 
 time before, and that he had been resolved 
 to run them down with all the argument and 
 spite in the world; but like the great con- 
 vert, Paul, he found it hard to kick against 
 God." At this time, however, his heart 
 was so powerfully affected, that he argued 
 as much tor God and religion, as ever he 
 had done against them. — lie had such tre- 
 
264 exe:mpufication. 
 
 mendous apprehensions of the Divine Ma- 
 jesty, mingled with such delightful contem- 
 plations of his nature and perfections, and 
 of the amiableness of religion, that he said, 
 — " I never was advanced thus far towards 
 happiness in my life before : though upon 
 the commission of some sins extraordinary, 
 I have had some considerable checks and 
 warnings from within ; but still 1 struggled 
 with them, and so wore them o{f again. 
 One day, at an atheistical meeting in the 
 house of a person of quality, I undertook to 
 manage the cause, and was the principal 
 disputant against God and religion; and 
 for my performances received the applause 
 of the whole company. — Upon this my 
 mind was terribly struck, and I immediately 
 replied thus to myself — '•' Good God, that 
 a man that walks upright, that sees the 
 wonderful works of God, and has the use 
 of his senses and reason, should use them 
 to the defying of his Creator ! — But though 
 this was a good beginning towards my con-, 
 version, to find my conscience touched for 
 my sins, yet it went off again : nay, all my 
 life long, I had a secret value and reverence 
 for an honest man, and loved morality in 
 others. But I had formed an odd scheme 
 of religion to myself, which would solve all 
 that God or conscience might force upo 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 265 
 
 me ♦ yet I was never reconciled to the busi- 
 ness of Christianity ; nor had I that reve- 
 rence for the gospel of Christ, which I 
 ought to have had." 
 
 This state of mind continued till the fifty- 
 third chapter of Isaiah was read to him, to- 
 gether with some other parts of the sacred 
 scriptures ; when it pleased God to fill his 
 mind with such peace and joy in believing, 
 that it was remarkable to all about him, up- 
 on which he used to enlarge in a very fami- 
 liar and affectionate manner, applying the 
 whole to his own humiliation and encour- 
 agement. 
 
 " O blessed God, would he say, " can 
 such a horrid creature as I am be accepted 
 by thee, who have denied thy Being, and 
 contemned thy power? Can there be mer- 
 cy and pardon for me ? AVill God own such 
 a wretch as I?" 
 
 In the^ middje of his sickness he said still 
 farther : — " Shall the unspeakable joys of 
 heaven be conferred on me ? O mighty Sa-- 
 viour, never but through thine infinite love 
 and satisfaction ! O never but by the pur- 
 chase of thy blood!" — adding — " that with 
 all abhorrence he reflected upon his former 
 life — that from his heart he repented of all 
 that folly and madness of which he had been 
 guiltv.'^ 
 
266 EXEMPLIFICATIOIS^. 
 
 He had a strong and growing esteem for 
 the sacred scriptures, and evidently saw 
 their divine fidness and excellency : '' For, 
 having spoken to his heart, he acknow- 
 ledged, all the seeming absurdities and con- 
 tradictions fancied by men of corrupt and 
 reprobate judgments, were vanished; and 
 the excellency and beauty of them appeared 
 conspicuously, now that he was come to re- 
 ceive the truth in the love of it." 
 
 During his illness he had a hearty con- 
 cern for the pious education of children_, 
 wishing " his son might never be a wit, one 
 of those wretched creatures who pride them- 
 selves in abusing God and religion, deny- 
 ing his Being or his Providence ; but that 
 he might become an honest man ; and of a 
 truly religious character, which only could 
 be the support and blessing of his family." 
 
 One of his companions coming to see him 
 on his death-bed, he said to him : — " O re- 
 member that you contemn God no more. 
 He is an avenging God, and will visit you 
 for your sins ; and will^ I hope, in mercy 
 touch your conscience, sooner or later, as 
 he has done mine. — ^You and I have been 
 friends and sinners together a great while, 
 therefore I am the more free with you. — 
 We have been all mistaken in our conceits 
 and opinions; our persuasions have been 
 
KXEMPLIFICATIOK. 267 
 
 false and groundless ; therefore I pray God 
 grant you repentance." 
 
 When he drew towards the last stage of 
 his sickness, he said, " If God should spare 
 me yet a little longer time here, I hope to 
 bring glory to his name, proportionably to 
 the dishonour I have done to him in my 
 whole life ; and particularly by my endea- 
 vours to convince others, and to a&sure 
 them of the danger of their condition, if 
 they continued impenitent ; and to tell them 
 how graciously God hath dealt with me." 
 
 And when he came within still nearer 
 views of dissolution, about three or four 
 days before it, he said, — " I shall now die : 
 but. Oh; what unspeakable glories do I see ! 
 AVhat joys, beyond thought or expression 
 iim I sensible of! I am assured of God's 
 mercy to me through Jesus Christ ! Oh ! 
 how I long to die, and to be with my Sa- 
 viour! " 
 
 For the admonition of others, and to undo 
 as much as was in his power, the mischief 
 of his former conduct, he subscribed the 
 following recantation, and ordered it to be 
 published after his death ; 
 
 " For the benefit of all those, whom I may 
 have drawn into sin by my example and en- 
 couragement, I leave to the world this my 
 last declaration : which 1 deliver in the 
 
268 EXEMPLIFICATION". 
 
 presence of the great God, who knows the 
 secrets of nil hearts, and before whom I 
 am now appearing to be judged ; That 
 from the bottom of my soul I detest and 
 abhor the whole course of my former wick- 
 ed life ; that I think I can never sufficiently 
 admire the goodness of God, who has given 
 me a true sense of my pernicious opinions 
 and vile practices, by which I have hitherto 
 lived without hope, and without God in 
 the world : have been an open enemy to 
 Jesus Christ, doing the utmost despite to 
 the holy Spirit of grace ; and the greatest 
 testimony of my charity to such, is to warn 
 them, in the name of God, as they regard 
 the welfare of their immortal souls, no more 
 to deny his Being or his Providence, or 
 despise his goodness ; no more to make a 
 mock of sin, or contemn the pure and ex- 
 cellent religion of my ever-blessed Redeem- 
 er, through whose merits alone, I, one of 
 the greatest of sinners, do yet hope for 
 mercy and forgiveness. Amen." 
 
 DUNCOMB COLCHESTER. 
 
 The case of Bucomb Colchester was 
 somewhat like this of Rochester. He was 
 a gentleman of excellent parts, a generous 
 spirit, and undaunted courage. Having, 
 
EXE^fPUFICATlON. 2&^ 
 
 however, spent many years in sundry ex- 
 travagances, he was at length, by a long 
 and painful sickness, brougltt to a very 
 serious sense of the excellency of religion, 
 and of his own great sin and folly in the 
 neglect and contempt of it. He according- 
 ly, by way of making some small reparation 
 for the mischief he had done by his wick- 
 edness, drew up an address to his friends 
 and the public, somewhat like to the above 
 of Rochester, signed by divers witnesses, 
 and caused it to be read in two neighbour- 
 ing churches, and spread abroad among all 
 his friends and neighbours through the 
 country, as extensively as he was able. 
 
 GEORGE VILLIERS, 
 
 Duke of Buckingham, was the richest man, 
 and one of the greatest wits in the court of 
 Charles II ; and yet such were his vices 
 and extravagances, that before he died, he 
 was reduced to poverty and general con- 
 tempt. In this situation, however, he 
 seems to have been brought to a sense of his 
 folly, and the danger of his condition, from 
 the letter which he wrote to Dr. Barrow, 
 of whom he had an high opinion, on his 
 death bed ; and which is worthy the atten- 
 tion of every man of pleasure and dissipa- 
 tion. 
 
2 70 EXEM PLIFIC ATIOX. 
 
 " Dear Doctor^ 
 I always looked upon you as a man of 
 true virtue : and know you to be a person 
 of sound judgment. For, however I may 
 act in opposition to the principles of re- 
 ligion, or the dictates of reason, I can 
 honestly assure you, I had always the high- 
 est veneration for both. The world and I 
 may shake hands ; for I dare affirm, we are 
 heartily weary of each other. O what a 
 prodigal have I been of the most valuable 
 of all possessions, time ! I have squandered 
 it away, with a persuasion it was lasting ; 
 and now, when a few days would be worth 
 a hecatomb of worlds, I cannot flatter my- 
 self with a prospect of half a dozen hours. 
 How despicable is that man who never 
 prays to God, but in the time of his dis- 
 tress ! In what manner can he supplicate 
 that omnipotent Being in his affliction, with 
 reverence, whom in the tide of his pros- 
 perity, he never remembered with dread ? 
 Do not brand me with infidelity, when I 
 tell you, I am almost ashamed to offer up 
 my petitions to the throne of grace ; or of 
 imploring that divine mercy in the next 
 world, which I have so scandalously abused 
 in this. Shall ingratitude to man be looked 
 on as the blackest of crimes, and not in- 
 gratitude to Godf Shall an insult offered 
 
EXEMPLIFICATIOI^. 271 
 
 to the king be looked on in the most offen- 
 sive light ; and yet no notice taken when 
 the King of kings is treated with indignity 
 and disrespect ? The companions of my 
 former libertinism would scarce believe 
 their eyes, were you to show them this 
 epistle. They would laugh at me as a 
 dreaming enthusiast, or pity me as a timo- 
 rous wretch, who was shocked at the ap- 
 pearance of futurity. They are more en- 
 titled to my pity than my resentment. A 
 future state may very well strike terror in- 
 to any man who has not acted well in this 
 life ; and he must have an uncommon share 
 -of courage indeed, who does not shrink at 
 the presence of his God. You see the ap- 
 prehensions of death, will soon bring the 
 most profligate to a proper use of their 
 •understanding. I am haunted by remorse, 
 •despised by my acquaintance, and, I fear, 
 forsaken by itiy God. There is nothing so 
 dangerous, as extraordinary abilities. I 
 cannot be accused of vanity now, by being 
 sensible that I was once possessed of un- 
 common qualifications ; as I sincerely re- 
 gret that I ever was blest with any at all. 
 My rank in life still made these accom- 
 plishments more conspicuous ; and, fasci- 
 nated with the general applause which they 
 procured, I never considered about the 
 
2 72 EXEMPLIFlCx\T10N , 
 
 proper means by which they should be dis- 
 played. Hence, to purchase a smile from 
 a blockhead whom 1 despised, 1 have fre- 
 quently treated the virtuous with disre- 
 spect ; and sported with the holy name of 
 heaven, to obtain a laugh from a parcel of 
 fools, who were entitled to nothing but my 
 contempt. Men of wit look on themselves 
 as discharged from the duties of religion ; 
 and confine th'e doctrines of the Gospel to 
 people of meaner understandings ; and look 
 on that man to be of narrow genius who 
 studies to be good. What a pity that the 
 holy writings are not made the criterion of 
 true judgment ! — ^I'^'avour me with a visit 
 as soon as possible. Writing to you gives 
 me some ease. I am of opinion this is the 
 last visit I shall ever solicit from you. My 
 distemper is powerful. Come and pray 
 for the departing spirit of the unhappy 
 Buckingham." 
 
 DILLON, 
 
 Earl of Roscommon, contemporary with 
 Buckingham, was also a man of consider- 
 able learning and abilities, but a man of 
 dissipation and licentious principles. He 
 addicted himself immoderately to gaming, 
 by which he was engaged in frequent quar- 
 
EXEMPLIPIC ATION. 273 
 
 rels and brought into no little distress. 
 But, however we miiy be disposed to play 
 the devil when we are in no apparent dan- 
 ger, there is a time coming, when we shall 
 see all things in a more serious point of 
 view. Accordingly, we are told, at the 
 moment this merry nobleman expired, he 
 was constrained to utter, with an energy 
 of voice that expressed the most ardent 
 devotion — 
 
 " My God, my Father, and my Friend, 
 Do not forsake me in the end." 
 
 A NOBLEMAN. 
 
 "We have also an uncommon alarm given 
 lis in a letter from another nobleman on his 
 death-bed, to an mtimate companion ; 
 which no man can seriously read, and not 
 be deeply affected. 
 
 ^' Dear Sir^ 
 " Before you receive this, my final state 
 will be determined by the judge of all the 
 ^arth. In a few days at most, perhaps in 
 a few hours, the inevitable sentence will be 
 passed, that shall raise me to the heights of 
 happiness, or sink me to the depths of 
 misery. While you read these lines, I shall 
 be either groaning under the agonies of 
 
274 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 absolute despair, or triumphing in fullness 
 of joy. 
 
 It is impossible lor me to express the 
 present disposition of my soul—the vast 
 uncertainty I am struggling with ! 'No 
 words can paint the force and vivacity of 
 my apprehensions. Every doubt wears the 
 face of horror, and would perfectly over- 
 whelm me, but for some faint beams of 
 hope, which dart across the tremendous 
 gloom ! What tongue can utter the anguish 
 of a soul suspended between the extremes 
 of infinite joy, and eternal misery ? I am 
 throwing my last stake for eternity, and 
 tremble and shudder for the important 
 event. 
 
 Good God I how have I employed my- 
 self ! v/hat enchantment hath held me ? In 
 what delirium hath my life been past ? 
 "What have I been doing, while the sun in 
 its race, and the stars in their courses, have 
 lent their beams, perhaps, only to light me 
 to perdition ! 
 
 I never awakened till now. I have but 
 just commenced the dignity of a rational 
 being. Till this instant I had a wrong ap- 
 prehension of every thing in nature. I 
 have pursued shadows, and entertained 
 myself with dreams. 1 have been treasur- 
 ing up dust, and sporting mj'self with the 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 575 
 
 wind. I look back on my past life, and 
 but for some memorials of guilt and infamy, 
 it is all a blank — a perfect vacancy ! I 
 might have grazed with the beasts of the 
 field, or smig with the winged inhabitants 
 in the woods to much better purpose, than 
 any for v/hich I have lived. And oh ! but 
 for some faint hope, a thousand times more 
 blessed had I been, to have slept with the 
 clods of the valley, and never heard the 
 Almighty's fiat, nor waked into life at his 
 command ! 
 
 I n^ver had a just apprehension of the 
 solemnity of the part 1 am to act till now. 
 I have often met death insulting on the 
 hostile plain, and, with a stupid boast, de- 
 fied his terrors : with a courage as brutal 
 as that of the warlike horse, I have rushed 
 into the field of battle, laughed at the glit- 
 tering spear, and rejoiced at the sound of 
 the trumpet ; nor had a thought of any state 
 beyond the grave, nor the great tribunal to 
 which I must have been summoned ; 
 
 " Vv'here all my secret guilt had been veveal'cl. 
 Nor the minutest circumstance conceal'd." 
 
 It is this which arms death with all its 
 terrors ; else I could still mock at fear, and 
 >mile in the face of the gloomy monarch. 
 ft is not giving un my breath ; it is not being 
 
270^ EXEMPUFICATION. 
 
 forever insensible, that is the thought at 
 which I shrink : it is the terrible hereafter, 
 the something beyond the grave at which 
 I recoil. Those great realities, which, in 
 the hours of mirth and vanity, I have treated 
 as phanthoms, as the idle dreams of super- 
 stitious beings ; these start forth, and dare 
 me now in their most terrible demonstra- 
 tion. My awakened conscience feels some- 
 thing of that eternal vengeance I have oft^ 
 en defied. 
 
 To what heights of madness is it possi- 
 ble for human nature to reach ? What ex- 
 travagance is it to jest With death ! to laugh 
 at damnation ! to sport with eternal chains, 
 and recreate a jovial fancy with the scenes 
 of infernal misery ! 
 
 Were there no impiety in this kind of 
 mirth, it would be as ill-bred as to enter- 
 tain a dying friend with the sight of a har'- 
 lequin, or the rehearsal of a farce. Every 
 thing in nature seems to reproach this levity 
 in human creatures. The whole creation^ 
 man excepted, is serious : man, who has 
 the highest reason to be so, while his affairs 
 of infinite consequence are depeiiding on this 
 short uncertain duration. A condemned 
 wretch may with as good a grace go danc- 
 ing to his execution, as the greatest part of 
 mankinrl go on with such a thoughtless gay- 
 ety to their grave. 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 277 
 
 Oh ! with what horror do I recall those 
 hours of vanity which we have wasted to* 
 gether ! Return, ye lost neglected moments! 
 How should 1 prize you above the Eastern 
 treasures ! Let me dwell with hermits ; let 
 me rest on the cold earth ; let me. converse 
 in cottages ; may I but once more stand a 
 candidate for an immortal crown, and have 
 my probation for celestial happiness. 
 
 Ye vain grandeurs of a court ! Ye sound- 
 ing titles, and perishing riches ! what do 
 ye now signify ! what consolation, what re- 
 lief can ye give me ? I have a splendid pas- 
 sage to the grave ; I die in state, and lan- 
 guish under a gilded canopy ; I am expir- 
 ing on soft and downy pillows, and am 
 respectfully attended by my servants and 
 physicians : my dependents sigh, my sisters 
 weep, my father bends beneath a load of 
 5'ears and grief; my lovely wife pale and 
 silent, cbnceals her inward anguish ; my 
 friend, who was as my own soul, suppresses 
 his sighs, and leaves me to his secret grief. 
 But, oh ! who of these will ansv/er my 
 summons at the high tribunal ? Who of them 
 will bail me from the arrests of death? 
 Who will descend into the dark prison of 
 the grave for me ? 
 
 Here they all leave me, after having paid 
 ^ a few idle ceremonies to the breathless clav 
 A a 
 
278 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 which perhaps may lie reposed in state, 
 while my soul, my only conscious part, may 
 stand trembling before my judge. 
 
 My afflicted friends, it is very probable, 
 with great solemnity will lay the senseless 
 corpse in a stately monument, inscribed 
 with, 
 
 Hete lies the Great — — ^ 
 
 But could the pale carcase speak, it would 
 soon reply : — 
 
 False marble, where ? 
 Nothing' but poor sordid dust lies here 1 
 
 While some flattering panegyric is pro- 
 nounced at my interment, I may perhaps 
 t)e hearing my just condemnation at a su- 
 perior tribunal ; where an unerring verdict 
 may sentence me to everlasting infamy. 
 ©lit I cast myself on his absolute mercy, 
 through the infinite merits of the Redeemer 
 of lost mankind. Adieu, till we meet in the 
 world of spirits." 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 279 
 
 LACKINGTON. 
 
 This man, celebrated as the greatest book- 
 seller in the world, as well as for the many 
 and large editions of his own " Memoirs," 
 written generally to bring Religion, particu- 
 larly the more spiritual part of it, into ridi- 
 cule and disrepute, furnishes us with a very 
 remarkable exhibition of the power of Di- 
 vine Grace. These "Memoirs,'' and his 
 subsequent " Confessions" of remorse and 
 repentance, display in a very conspicuous 
 manner, why and how^ men can contemn 
 the truth : and how confused and ashamed 
 they may be by Grace, at their supposed 
 best and most extolled sinful performances. 
 
 From a very humble origin, he rose 
 through the assistance of religious friends, 
 to an elevation seldom equalled in men of 
 his low sphere and scanty education. Being 
 of an acute and enquiring mind, he read 
 with eager avidit}^ an astonishing variety 
 of books, which by a very tenacious memo- 
 ry, soon gave him a stock of knowledge, 
 which because not well chosen, nor received 
 with becoming humility, puffed up his as- 
 piring vanity, till like a full blown bladder 
 it burst in infidelity. He had in humbler 
 life, when he needed the consolations of 
 
280 EXEMPLIFICATION. 
 
 the Spirit, been an engaged and sincere 
 christian ; but frbm the causes just men- 
 tioned, and an inattention to the seductions 
 which a flattering world can use, he lost 
 not only his sense of Religion, but even 
 became so forg-etful^ perverted, and base, 
 as to write his " memoirs" on purpose to 
 vilify and disparage that same religion he 
 had professed and enjoyed. So true it is, 
 as he himself afterwards confessed, that 
 men can forget that they "were purged 
 from their sins," and can like Peter, even 
 curse and swear, that " they know not the 
 man." In doing this, he hoped to have 
 effected much by slandering the character 
 of the Rev. Mr. Wesley, his former bene- 
 factor ,• so ungrateful is infidelity ! But in 
 process of time, Mr. Wesley died, and his 
 '4ife and death" being published, Mr. Lack- 
 ington was induced to look into it, that he 
 might ascertain how he died. In reading 
 this Book, behold how strange are the 
 ways of Providence ! he felt himself alter- 
 nately " delighted, confounfled, instructed 
 and troubled." That divine power (says he, 
 in his ^' confessions,") which has been felt by 
 thousands under the preaching of Mr. 
 Wesley and his preachers, again humbled 
 me in the dust. I sunk down at the feet 
 of Christ and washed them with my tears. 
 
EXEMPLIFICATION. 081 
 
 Sorrow, joy and love, were sweetly mingled 
 together in my soul. " I was now con- 
 vinced that the pardoning love of God 
 which wsLsJirst manifested to my soul, was 
 a divine reality, and not the effect of a 
 heated imagination." 
 
 From that time as the reading world all 
 knows, he has been doing his utmost, by 
 the publication of Religious tracts and the 
 spread of his recantations, to atone for his 
 wretched endeavours to vilify the power 
 and efficacy of the most Holy Scriptures. 
 
 Every infidel ought to read Lackington's 
 " Confessions." They are a mirror, in 
 which they may often see themselves re- 
 flected ; particularly if they have previously 
 read his conceited and reproachful " me- 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 The patient reader, who has accompanied 
 us to a close, must now determine for him- 
 self, whether the Religion of Jesus be a 
 divine reality, or a base imposition upon the 
 credulity of mankind. 
 
 The comparison of the lives and deaths 
 of sinners and of saints, sufficiently demon- 
 strate the superior degree of happiness en- 
 joyed by the christian. If it be a delusion, 
 
ii82 EXEMPLlFiCATION. 
 
 facts still declare, that no such measure of 
 joy and transport encircle the languishing 
 bed of the infidel. Even that elegant ge- 
 nius, the aspiring, disappointed, young 
 Chatterton, (who impiously terminated his 
 own existence) could not forbear, as a token 
 of his best wishes to a friend, to wish him 
 " all the consolations which the christian 
 Religion affords to those who can believe 
 it, but of which (alluding to his own sup- 
 posed superior sagacity) / can have none." 
 Those who are still incredulous, we aw- 
 fully fear, will discover their error when it 
 lis forever too late to remedy it. The error 
 of such an one:'* s^ judgment will not serve his 
 defence'; it will be proved to be nothing 
 short of the depravity of his heart. Those 
 who remain firm and unshaken in their in- 
 fidelity, under the still small voice of peace- 
 ful reason and the ordinary teachings of 
 grace, must be considered as hopeless, un- 
 less awakened from their dream of damn- 
 ing illusion, by the tremenduous thunders 
 of Mount Sinai ! 
 
 " Since then we die but once, and after death 
 Th' immortal spirit goes 
 Tx) endless joys, or everlasting woes ; 
 Wise is the man, who labours to secure 
 The mig-hty and important stake." 
 
 FINIS 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 page 65, — 1st lioe — carnation read incarnation. 
 
 „ 80,13th „ after the words "Bible revelation" 
 read in parent/ieses, (the necessity for which 
 is not, however, the less to be required). 
 
 „ 100, 15th line— read, to Feel is to be fir'd. 
 
 ,4 loi8, 17th do.— from, read, on Cornelius- 
 
m'