the pfalms, the rapturous ftyle of prophecy, are proofs that those who have been fingularly favoured by God, were of tempers which the modern philofophers would call enthufiaftical. Their fire was kindled at the altar. St. John was a burning and a fhining light. St. Paul was avowedly of an ardent temper, and a glowing imagination; nor did our Saviour himself exprefs his fentiments in the cold language of the Ariftotelian school, but with emphasis and pathos.

They who rail at enthufiafm, in general terms, and without making a due distinction between the fcriptural and the falfe kind, confist either of those who laudably endeavour to difcredit the pretenfions of the hypocrite, and the weak brother; or of those who, from their fpeculative habits, their cold tempers, or irreligious lives, labour to difcountenance all pretenfions to an excellence and purity, which they never felt, and to which they could not rise.

Whoever believes what the fcriptures indifputably affirm, that the body is the TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, and that he actually refides in it, when it is purified fufficiently for his reception, is fo far an ENTHUSIAST: but let him glory in the appellation; for he is such an one as every Chriftian, who thinks and feels in conformity to the gofpel he profeffes, must be of neceffity. If he denies the agency of the Spirit of God on the foul of man, he denies the most important doctrine of revelation, and must be a ftranger to its fineft effects on the human bofom.

But fince fuch is the cafe, let those who very laudably write against enthusiasm * of the falfe kind,

* There is an old saying, "Give a dog an ill name, and they'll "hang him." Thus alfo, give the doctrine of grace, though plainly EVANGELICAL,

kind, take care not to confound truth with falfehood; and not to proceed to fuch an extreme in refuting the pretenfions of hypocrites, fools, or knaves, as to infringe on the genuine and fublime doctrine of grace, the glory of the everlasting gofpel.

S°

SECTION XXXVIII.

Cautions concerning Enthusiasm.

o many and fo melancholy are the effects of mistaken and exceffive enthusiasm, recorded in the annals of mankind, that wife men are juftly alarmed at every appearance of it, and little inclined to give it indulgence.

Whatever there has been of favage cruelty, whatever of public violence, and tumult, and confusion, the utmost extremes of all these evils, in all their confequences, have been equalled by the frantic extravagance of falfe enthusiasm. It has exhibited, in fome tempers, all the symptoms of a malignant disease, and terminated, at last, in real and most deplorable infanity.

If then it be wisdom to obviate the approaches of diftemper, thofe men have evinced themselves

EVANGELICAL, the name of ENTHUSIASM or METHODISM, and a very great part of mankind will immediately explode it, without the flighteft examination.

The name of methodift has been given to all the clergy, who preach or profefs the doctrines of the reformation, as expreffed in the articles, homilies, and liturgy of the church, to which they have folemnly affented and confented, in the prefence of God and man.

wife, who have laboured to difcourage, by all the arts of ridicule and argument, the earliest tendencies among the people to religious phrenzy. There are innocent follies, and there is a madness, which is only the object of compaffion; but the folly and madness of the bigot are deteftable, because they are destructive as a peftilence. Against such an enemy to human happiness, philosophy has urged her beft reason, juftice has unfheathed her fword, and the stage, to complete the triumph, has played all the batteries of derifion.

But argumentation, coercive force, and even ridicule, have been found ineffectual. All these are claffed, by the bigot, under the term persecution; and perfecution, like a current of air, adds violence to fire. The gentler, the kinder, the more Christian mode of expoftulation and rational conceffion, wherever conceffion can be made, may, like a balsamic vulnerary, heal the fore which oppofition would caufe to rankle.

I therefore do not deny the justice of the enthufiaft's pretenfions, who profeffes himself actuated by a belief that the Holy Spirit condescends to aflift him in virtuous endeavours, by a facred influence from Heaven. But I caution him against entertaining, for a moment, the presumptuous idea, that the fame Spirit which affifts him, does not, with equal readiness and efficacy, affift his pious neighbour alfo, and all fincere believers, throughout Christendom, however diftinguished by fect, church, or perfuafion *.

I urge him to try his spirit by the infallible touchstone of fcripture. Is it pure, is it peaceable, is it gentle, eafy to be entreated, full of mercy

*The fault of the methodists feems to be, that they arrogate to themselves EXCLUSIVE privileges of grace.

and

and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify? If it fhould be deficient in any of thefe amiable qualities, let him be cautious of indulging it, left the spirit should be of a diabolical, and not of a heavenly nature.

And in what manner is he to form a judgment of himself, fince the heart is deceitful, and to know oneself is the most difficult of fciences? If his high pretenfions are accompanied with a bad life; if he be difpofed to contend with rancour and violence in fupport of his pretenfions; if he be difpofed to involve all who think differently from him in perdition; if he decry good works; and if, with every appearance of fanctity, and many external acts of piety and benevolence, he referves to himself fome fecret and favourite vice, he may reft affured, that the fpirit which actuates him is not from above.

If he be inclined to neglect, defpife, and revile decent and useful ordinances, fuch as are countenanced by fcripture, and have a direct tendency to preferve peace, benevolence, and piety; if he prefer himself to all regular and learned ministers, whether in the establishment or out of it, and preach to ignorant and deluded multitudes in the fields, with the air and voice of phrenzy, he may have juft reafon to fear, though he fhould have ten thousand in his train, that he has carried his pretenfions to the Spirit beyond that wisdom, moderation, and love of order, which the Author of our religion taught, both by precept and example.

If, in his writings, he apply the fcriptural language to himself, and affume the authority of a primitive apostle; if, at the fame time, he ex

prefs his ideas in fuch a manner as to excite the laughter and contempt of men of sense and approved goodness, he may infer that his spiritual pride has hurried him to the verge of infanity; and, as he values his health and happiness, should exert himself to remove the febrile fymptoms, which are at once contagious and fatal.

When mechanics, of confined education, and not remarkable for natural difcernment, or peculiar virtue and goodnefs, think themselves better able to inftruct the people than a numerous clafs of their fellow-citizens, who have been feparated, from their youth, for facred offices, inftructed in learning of various kinds, verfed in the original languages of fcripture; the very idea implies fo great a degree of pride and felf-conceit, that it cannot come from the gentle, unaffuming fpirit of Him who was himself meek and lowly, and who everywhere taught his difciples the leffon of humility.

If such persons urge, in defence of their extravagant behaviour, their dereliction of their trades and daily labours, and their affumption of the prieft's office, a particular CALL, from Heaven itself, louder than reaches the ears of others; let them, before they believe themfelves, or perfuade others, produce, as a credential of their commission, a miracle. If they find themselves utterly unable to do this, let them return to the workshop and warehouse, renounce the deceitful spirit, and evince their attainment of the true, by humility,

* I will never join in what has been called St. Auftin's Litany. A logicâ libera nos, Domine.-From found reasoning, good Lord, deliver us.

One may reprobate the proud pretenfions of the boafting rationalist, who would fubject revelation to his own reason, without at the fame time encouraging or approving the nonsense of a ranter.

charity,