And to see other gentlemen of the like knowledge, parts and principles, and of sober, just and religious lives, as far as their meer reason with outward revelation are able to carry them, and prepossessed against this work as imagined enthusiasm, yet at once surprizingly to find themselves intirely destitute of that inward sanctity, and supreme love to GOD, and holiness, which the gospel teaches as absolutely needful to see the kingdom of grace and glory; to find themselves no more than conceited Pharisees, who had been working out a righteousness of their own for justification; and to have a clear discovery of their inward enmity to CHRIST, and the nature and way of redemption by him, with the native vileness of their hearts and lives, they had never seen before: in short, to find themselves yet unrenewed in the spirit of their minds, and under the heavy wrath and curse of GOD; to open into the clear discovery of their past delusions; to find the hardness of their hearts, the blindness of their minds, and their utter impotence to convert themselves, or believe in CHRIST; to lose all their former confidence, give up their beloved schemes, see themselves undone and helpless, and sink into a great distress: and then condemning themselves as guilty wretches, humbly lying at the foot of absolute and sovereign Grace, and looking up to CHRIST the only Mediator to reconcile them to the glorious GOD, to justify them wholly by his own most perfect righteousness, and to enlighten, quicken, sanctify, dwell in, and govern them by his Almighty Spirit; and there to wait till they find a new and mighty life and power come into their souls, enabling them to embrace, trust in, and love this divine Redeemer, rejoice with satisfaction in him, and perform every kind of duty both to GOD and man with pleasure, and with quite another frame and spirit than before.
Such great and sudden turns as these, are as evident demonstration as we can possibly conceive of the truth of the inspired scriptures, and in particular of those scripture doctrines, of the sovereign and victorious grace of CHRIST, received and taught among us: we see with our eye, that when he rideth forth on the word of truth, conquering and to conquer, his right-hand teaches terrible things. He makes his arrows so sharp and piercing in the hearts of his stoutest enemies, as oblige them to fall down under him; and when the day of his power comes on any people, he makes the most obstinate to be most gladly willing and obedient to him. And these _principles of grace_, and these _works of_ GOD, do most invincibly confirm each other.
And though it must be owned with sorrow, that some few who see these wondrous works continue unconvinced, yet this is no more strange than that some of the most learned and religious men, as were the Scribes and Pharisees, who saw the wondrous works of CHRIST on earth, yet continued unconvinced that they were the works of GOD, yea pursued him with unrelenting enmity and violence. However, it is a reviving consolation to us, that as this work surprizingly goes on from town to town, it goes on more and more to silence the most fierce opposers: though mighty oppositions rise at first, it bears them down before it, and our more mighty Saviour seems resolved to go on still from conquering to conquer.
In vain do its remaining enemies attempt to brand it with the name enthusiasm. For this is like the gentile _Romans_ branding the _Jewish_ religion with the hated name of superstition; and if this work is truly enthusiasm, then we have been wholly mistaken in the meaning of the word: and what they call enthusiasm, is a glorious and blessed work of GOD, most powerfully and suddenly changing the very hearts and lives of men; making them in a great degree like to CHRIST in love, and righteousness, and holiness, and meekness, and humility; filling their hearts with holy joy, and their mouths with praises.
But we must remit the remaining opposers to the law and testimony of GOD himself in the inspired oracles; as doth our reverend and dear brother the author of the following valuable sermon. And we are glad on this occasion to join our testimony with him, both to the same doctrines of grace, and to the wondrous work of GOD agreeable to them; as also to declare our great satisfaction to see him and others of our said presbyterian brethren concurring with us in them; with our apprehension that our uniting in these important points, is such a powerful band of union in christian love and fellowship, as should overcome the remains of every kind of prejudice that may yet subsist among our people: and our earnest wishes, that with a tender and meek forbearance of each other in different sentiments about church order and government, we may all unite in maintaining and promoting these more excellent and momentous points of grace, and vital piety.