Part 87

The distracting people’s minds to such a degree as to occasion sudden roarings, agonies, screamings, tremblings, dropping-down, ravings, and such like, is by no means the great end proposed by these itinerants preaching, much less was it ever urged by them as an _essential mark_ of the co-operation of the Spirit of GOD. And therefore, my Lords, is not our Author very unfair in stating his _4th Query_, page 10, as he has done: “Whether a due and regular attendance on the public offices of religion, paid by good men in a serious and composed way, does not better answer the true ends of devotion, and is not a better evidence of the co-operation of the Holy Spirit, than those sudden agonies, roarings and screamings, tremblings, droppings-down, ravings and madnesses, into which their hearers have been cast; according to the relations given of them in the Journals referred to?” Would not one imagine by this Query, that these itinerants laid down such things as screamings, tremblings, &c. as essential marks of the co-operations of the Holy Spirit? But can any such thing be proved? Are they not looked upon by these itinerants themselves, as extraordinary things, proceeding generally from soul-distress, and sometimes it may be from the agency of the evil spirit, who labours to drive poor souls into despair? Does not this appear from the relation given of them in one of the Journals referred to? Are there not many relations of the co-operation of the Spirit in the same Journal, where no such bodily effects are so much as hinted at? And does not this give ground to suspect, that “the due and regular attendance on the public offices of religion, paid by (what our Author calls) good men, in a serious and composed way,” is little better than a dead formal attendance on outward ordinances, which a man may continue in all his life-time, and be all the while far from the kingdom of GOD? Did ever any one before hear this urged as an evidence of the co-operation of the Spirit? Or would any one think, that the Author of the observations ever read the relations that are given of the conversion of several in the holy scriptures? For may we not suppose, my Lords, that many were cast into sudden agonies and screamings, _Acts_ ii. 37. when “they were pricked to the heart, and said unto _Peter_ and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?” Or what would this Author think of the conversion of the Jailor, _Acts_ x. 29, 30. “who _sprang in_, and came _trembling_ and _fell down_ before _Paul_ and _Silas_; and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Or what would he think of _Paul_, who _trembling_ and _astonished_, _Acts_ ix. 6. said, “LORD, what wilt thou have me to do?” and was afterwards, verse 9, “three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink?” Is it not to be feared, that if this Author had been seated upon the bench, and heard this Apostle give an account of his own conversion, he would have joined with _Festus_ in crying out with a loud voice, “_Paul_, much learning hath made thee mad?” And are not all these things, and whatever else is recorded in the book of GOD, written for our learning? Is not GOD the same yesterday, to-day, for ever? And may he not now, as well as formerly, reveal his arm and display his power in bringing sinners home to himself as _suddenly_ and _instantaneously_ as in the first planting of the gospel church?