You go on. _Again, you mention “as an awful providence, the case of a poor wretch who was last week cursing and blaspheming, and had boasted to many, that he would come again on_ Sunday, _and no man should stop his mouth then――――But on_ Friday _God laid his hand upon him, and on_ Sunday _he was buried_.” (page 66.) I answered, “I look on this as a manifest judgment of God, on a hardened sinner, for his complicated wickedness”. (page 42.) You reply, page 133. _Add, if you please, “His labouring with all his might to hinder the word of God.” Here therefore is a confest judgment, for his opposition to you._――――There is, for his _thus_ opposing with curses and blasphemy. This was part of his complicated wickedness. Here then you _think I plead guilty_.――――Not of _enthusiasm_; till you prove, this was not “an awful providence.”
_Again, “One was just going to beat his wife (which he frequently did) when God smote him in a moment, so that his hand dropped, and he fell down upon the ground, having no more strength than a new-born child.” Have we any warrant either from scripture, or the common dispensations of providence, to interpret misfortunes of this nature as judgments?_ page 67. I answered, “Can you, Sir, consider this, as one of the common dispensations of providence? Have you known a parallel one in your life? But it was never cited by me (as it is by you) as an immediate punishment on a man for _opposing me_”. page 42.――――You reply, _As if what is not common, or what I have not known, must be a miraculous judgment_.――――I believe it was, whether miraculous or no, a judgment mixed with mercy.
You now add to the rest the following instance: “One _John Haydon_, a man of a regular life and conversation, being informed, that _people fell into strange fits at the_ societies, came to see and judge for himself. But he was still less satisfied than before; insomuch that he went about to his acquaintance one after another, and laboured above measure to convince them, it was a delusion of the devil. We were going home, when one met us in the street, and informed us, that _J. H._ was fallen raving mad. It seems he had sat down to dinner, but had a mind first to end the sermon on salvation by faith. In reading the last page he changed colour, fell off his chair, and began screaming terribly, and beating himself against the ground. The neighbours were alarmed, and flocked into the house. I came in and found him upon the floor, ♦the room being full of people, whom his wife would have kept without, but he cried aloud, No; let them all come; let all the world see the just judgment of God. Two or three men were holding him as well as they could. He immediately fixed his eyes upon me, and cried, Ay, this is he, who I said was a deceiver of the people. But God has overtaken me. I said, it was all a delusion. But this is no delusion. He then roared out, O thou devil! Thou cursed devil! Yea, thou legion of devils! Thou canst not stay! Christ will call thee out. I know his work is begun. Tear me to pieces if thou wilt, but thou canst not hurt me. He then beat himself against the ground again, his breast heaving at the same time, as in the pangs of death, and great drops of sweat trickling down his face. We all betook ourselves to prayer. His pangs ceased, and both his body and soul were set at liberty.” _Journal 3._ page 44.
♦ duplicate word “the” removed
If you had pleased, you might have added from the next paragraph, “Returning to _J. H._ we found his voice was lost, and his body weak as that of an infant. But his soul was in peace, full of love, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.”
You subjoin, _this you may desire for ought I know, to pass as a trifle too_. (page 134.) No: it is so terrible an instance of the judgment of God, (tho’ at length _mercy rejoiced over judgment_) as ought never to be forgotten by those who fear God, so long as the sun or moon endureth.