9. O that sinners would give up their own wisdom, and become fools, that they may be made wise! Cannot the Lord do a great work in a little time? In the hour that he convinced _me_ of the necessity of it, before that hour was expired, I was justified. Thirteen months after (as I before observed,) I was convinced of the necessity of full sanctification. That night, before I slept, God gave me the blessing. And is he a _respecter of persons_? Who then would not cry unto him? Who would not spend a few hours in fervent prayer? O let your hearts yield! Draw near unto the Lord, and he will draw near unto _you_. He will draw you after him by the cords of his love, and you will begin to _smell the sweet odour of his ointments_. Then open your hearts to my beloved; for _his voice is sweet, and his countenance comely. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruit._ He says, _Arise, my love, and come away!_ I will chide thee no more for thy past follies. Only now _give me thy heart_. Thou shalt then find, _the winter is past, the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land_. Then will you get new eyes, new hearts, new delights, and every thing will have a satisfying relish. Then will you chide yourselves, for having been so long in pursuit of the things that perish in the using! Then will he give you the pearl that _Adam_ lost, that heart-felt union with God, whereby you shall steadily enjoy his immediate presence: and his presence makes our paradise. You shall walk in the light, having his bright beams ever shining upon you. So that
Not a cloud shall arise, To darken the skies, Or hide for a moment the Lord from your eyes.
An EARNEST APPEAL TO MEN OF REASON and RELIGION.
JOHN vii. 51.
_Doth our law judge any man BEFORE it HEAR him, and KNOW WHAT HE DOTH?_
ALTHOUGH it is with us a _very small thing to be judged of you or of man’s judgment_, seeing we know God will _make our innocency as clear as the light, and our just dealing as the noon-day_; yet are we ready to give any that are willing to hear, a plain account, both of our principles and actions: as having _renounced the hidden things of shame_, and desiring nothing more, _than by manifestation of the truth to commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of_ God.
*2. We see (and who does not?) the numberless follies and miseries of our fellow-creatures. We see on every side, either men of no religion at all, or men of a lifeless, formal religion. We are grieved at the sight, and should greatly rejoice, if by any means we might convince some, that there is a better religion to be attained, a religion worthy of God that gave it. And this we conceive to be no other than love; the love of God, and of all mankind; the loving God with all our heart and soul, and strength, as having first loved _us_, as the fountain of all the good we have received, and of all we ever hope to enjoy; and the loving every soul which God hath made, every man on earth, as our own soul.
*3. This love we believe to be the medicine of life, the never-failing remedy, for all the evils of a disordered world, for all the miseries and vices of men. Wherever this is, there are virtue and happiness, going hand in hand. There is humbleness of mind, gentleness, long suffering, the whole image of God, and at the same time a peace that passeth all understanding, and joy unspeakable and full of glory.
“Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind; Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d: Desires compos’d, affections ever even, Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to heav’n.”
4. This religion we long to see established in the world, a religion of love, and joy, and peace, having its seat in the inmost soul, but ever shewing itself by its fruits, continually springing forth not only in all innocence, (for love worketh no ill to his neighbour) but likewise in every kind of beneficence, spreading virtue and happiness all around it.
5. This religion have we been following after for many years, as many know, if they would testify: but all this time, seeking wisdom we found it not; we were spending our strength in vain. And being now under full conviction of this, we declare it to all mankind: for we desire not that others should wander out of the way, as we have done before them; but rather that they may profit by our loss, that they may go (tho’ we did not, having then no man to guide us) the straight way to the religion of love, even by faith.