SER M." fincere Penitent, art in a State of Grace "and Favour with GOD; for the Refoluti

VI.

on of the Cafe is nigh unto thee, and even “within thee, and to be sought after no fur

ther, than in thine own Heart and Con"fcience. If thou perceiveft, that thou "doft believe in the Lord Jefus Christ, with "all thine Heart, with a Faith working by "Love, Love to GOD, and Love to thy

Neighbour; thou mayest as certainly conclude, thou art in a State of Salvation, as "if a Voice from Heaven had told thee fo." We deny not, but grant, that the Spirit of GOD may sometimes, as he fees there is Occafion, strike the Minds of good Chriftians with a fudden Joy, enlightning their Understandings, difpelling their Clouds, enlivening their Affections, and enabling them to difcern the Graces of GOD fhining in their Brightness, and acting vigorously on their Souls. But these are Operations, which are only tranfient and occafional, neither vouchfafed, nor needful to all Men, nor to any Man at all Times.

On the contrary, we often meet with Chriftians of great Piety, though at the fame Time of great Diffidence, that have the Fruits of the Spirit flourishing in them, but

yet

VI.

yet have no Satisfaction from them, because SER M they do not fenfibly feel and difcern the Holy Spirit itself operating on their Minds *. And what would our new Apostles have us fay to fuch Men? Would they have us tell them, that if they feel not the Spirit, it is a plain Sign they are deserted of it; and fo throw them into Despair? Far be it from us! As to myself, I must own, should I meet with such a Christian, I would endeavour to encourage him: I would remind him, that the Sun, when it is rifen upon the Earth, does not always fhine out in it's full Brightness; but is fometimes overcaft with Clouds, and hidden from our Sight: But even then, it affords us fo much Light, as that we may chearfully perform the Works of the Day. And just so I would tell him, that the Spirit of GOD may be within him, and yet he himself not always be affected with Liveliness and Joy: He may fometimes, very probably, be overcaft with Fears and Miftrufts: and yet still it will enable him to distinguish himfelf from the Children of Darkness, and manifest him, by his Works, to be a Child of Light. The not feeling the Spirit therefore, should render no Man disconfolate, so long as * See Bishop Bull, as before, p. 893-896.

he

VL

SER M. he produces the Fruits of the Spirit, which no Man can do, who has not the Spirit dwelling in him. For a corrupt Tree can no more bring forth good Fruit, than a good Tree can bring forth corrupt Fruit, Luke vi. 43.

Let me, then, exhort you, not to be dif mayed, nor to heed them, if any rapturous Enthusiasts preach up, I know not what unaccountable Senfation, violent Emotion, and fudden Change, which a Man must feel, when he becomes regenerate, or is first adopted for a Child of GOD *. For fuch fenfible Emotions, a Man, who was regenerated by Baptifin in his Infancy, and was religiously brought up, and has led a regular Christian Life from his Cradle, will very probably never experience. A Man, indeed, that is reclaimed from a bad Life, and feriously and refolutely enters upon a new one, may, very likely, at first, perceive fome Transports of

* There is a very good Admonition to this Purpose, in Mr. Whitefield's fore-cited golden Book. None are to measure "their firft Regeneration, either by the Vehemence, or by the "Continuance of their Sorrow, but by the Effects it produ ❝ceth. If it makes them hate Sin, fo as moft carefully to "guard against it; if it makes them hate themselves, fo as "to become denied to all Self-Pleasure and Self Will, and re"figned to the Will of God; they are not to be fcrupulous "about any Thing further, but to examine these carefully †."

+ Bishop Burnet's Edition, 8vo, 1707, p. 113.

Joy

VI.

Joy for his happy Change: But to a Man uni- SERM. formly religious, and devout from his Childbood, the Spirit fpeaks, as the Lord did to Elijah, neither in ftrong Winds, nor in Earthquakes, nor in Fire, but in a ftill, Small Voice, 1 Kings xix. 11, 12.

As to the Broachers of these Doctrines, fhould any bear them Record, that they have a Zeal of GOD, Rom. x. 2. I would not fet myself to contest it with them: But we have abundant Reason to think, it is not according to Knowledge. For whatever Affurances they may have within them, to fatisfy themselves, that they are born of GOD, and Speak, and act by the Holy Spirit; it is apparent, that they give but very indifferent outward Proofs to convince others, that GOD is in them of a Truth. For the representing the ACTs of one only amongst them, as of greater Luftre than the Acts of all the Apostles together; the affuming to themselves, upon all Occafions, the peculiar Language of the Holy Ghost; the equalling themselves in every Thing they do, and in every trivial Civility done to them, to Prophets and Apoftles; the boafting of immediate Infpirations, and extraordinary Communications with GOD, and in Proof of it, laying a blafphemous Claim to

greater

SERM. greater Miracles than ever were performed VI. by our Bleffed Saviour himself *; the break

ing by Force into other Men's Lines, 2 Cor. x. 16. there inviting and gathering tumultuous Affemblies, turning Accufers of their Brethren, and diffuading their People from attending to the Inftructions of thofe, whom the facred Writers bid them to obey, thofe who have regularly the Rule over them, those who watch for their Souls, as they that muft give

* Any one that has read Mr. Whitefield's Journals, will want no Proofs of what I have here charged upon him. But because any one, who has not read them, may be apt to think I aggravate in what I lay concerning his Pretenfion to Miracles, I fhall here cite fome of his own Words, out of the last Continuation of his Journal. " "They defire to know (fays he) by "what Authority we preach; and afk, What Sign fheweft "thou, that thou doft thefe Things? But, alas! what further Sign would they require? We went not into the Fields, till "we were excluded the Churches: And has not God fet his "Seal to our Ministry in an extraordinary Manner? Have "not many, that were spiritually blind, received their Sight? "Many that have been lame, frengthened to run the Way of "God's Commandments? Have not the Deaf heard? The "Lepers been cleanfed? The Dead raised? And the Poor had "the Gospel preached unto them? That thefe NOTABLE "MIRACLES have been wrought, not in our own Names, or "by our own Power, but in the Name and by the Power of "Jefus of Nazareth, cannot be denied. And yet they re"quire a Sign? But verily there shall no other Sign be given to “this evil and adulterous Generation t." Again in his Letter

14

Journal IV. p. 10, 11,

to