Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

to suspect her communications were evil; because they corrupted good manners. However, it is those persons who awake to imputed righteousness, and they only, of whom it may with propriety be said, they sin not; but scorners have not the knowledge of God. I speak this to their shame.

After this instruction I very seldom saw them under my ministry; and it was best so, for these reasons, those who can prove the salvation of Cain, the devil's offspring, and Judas, the son of perdition, are wise far above all that is written; and who can teach them? However, the woman went on like the rest of the world; and, as for the husband, he was often reproved for being drunk in the streets after they had mounted the scorner's chair. And, with respect to the zealous Arminian that seduced them, she was indeed a universal lover of flesh and blood, and had only three enemies; the first is a sovereign God, the second, his sovereign grace, and the third is a mystical body of obedient subjects. But we had a carnal parson in ThamesDitton, who was seldom sober a day in the year; yet this tutoress could hear him preach, and receive the sacrament at his hands with pleasure; and no marvel, for the world loves its own. However, since that she is dead, and left but little encouragement to those that survived her, of her religion having done any great things for her soul.

I was once in company with a man and his wife at Sunbury in Middlesex, at a house where I was

preach that night. They were visitors, and

came from London. We soon entered into conversation about religion, when I perceived the man's notes were quite wild, and had nothing in them of the heavenly dove's pleasing melody. He was a man who had read much, especially the works of heathens, mystics, and free-willers.

I believe he had been for many years in legal convictions; and his greatest trouble had been to find out what would become of heathens, blacks, and infidels. These things had better be left with God; for his judgment of the world will, no doubt, be according to truth; and I believe that both the righteous and the wicked will be constrained to jus tify their Maker. I gave great attention to him, and soon discerned he had been a pupil at the foot of Satan, where I had formerly sat to my sorrow. He appeared a man of good abilities, strong memory, quick wit, of a studious turn of mind, and not without a smatch of the original languages, and wonderfully versed in scholastic and bombastic phrases. I said but little to him, finding he was wiser in his own eyes than seven men who could render a reason.

Howbeit, at dinner he began again; and I found he had been happily delivered from his convictions and troubles about the whole race of mankind by this doctrine, that all who entered hell were to be purged by the fire of wrath, and that Christ would, after they had paid Justice the debt of suffering, instate them in the favour of God. And this was the doctrine that had delivered his soul, and he was

at liberty in this belief, and at peace in his own conscience.

Hearing this, and finding it to be the same snare out of which my soul had been marvellously deliyered, I was sure his judgment was established in the doctrines of devils, his peace was nothing but a benumbed conscience, and his liberty was a casting off all convictions, fear of God, and light of truth. I asked him if he had any hope of a gaol-delivery for all the damned. He told me, Yes, Christ would restore all things. I asked him if he believed that the devils would be included in this universal reprieve; and he told me, Yes, as sure as I was alive, I told him, according to his doctrine, the unfathomable and impassable gulf, which God hath fixed for ever, is to be sounded and waded through; the never dying worm is to expire, eternal death resign his sceptre, and the ever-ascending smoke of sinners' torments to find a period. To which he answered, The word never must be limited. I told him, if it would bear a limitation in behalf of the damned, it would also against the eternal establish ment of the redeemed; and, if so, even in heaven we should stand in jeopardy,

Of all that ever I heard open their mouths, I never found any one so instructed in perverting, wresting, turning, and explaining away, the sense of the scriptures; and in contending with him I found I had been delivered from many of those temptations in answer to prayer which he seemed to be so confirmed in; I therefore was enabled to chase him

warmly through all the labyrinths, shades, dens; bogs, mists, fogs, obscure straits, and ambiguous turnings, in this wilderness of universal charity, which, as Pharaoh said, had hemmed him in.

I told him, if he lived and died in those princi ples he would be damned, if either God or his word were true, He told me not to judge, nor think of disputing him out of his confidence. I told him I had no hope of that; for, if God sent a strong delusion that a man should believe a lie, it was that he might be damned for not believing the truth, but having pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thes. ii. 11, 12. However, I preached before him that evening, and stopped his mouth; and he told the people, preach where I might, he would attend my ministry; but I cannot say I have any hope of being made so useful an instrument as to disentangle one so embarrassed in errors. O what a blessed thing it is to be taught by the Spirit of God, and to be guided into all truth by him that never erred! Reader, if thou lackest wisdom, ask it of God, who giveth liberally and upbraideth not.

It would be endless for me to rehearse all the wonderful effects that I have seen of this Arminian charity since I have appeared in a public capacity. However, to rob souls of God's truth, and establish them in errors, is a very inhospitable act, call it what you will. I confess my very soul has been grieved within me when I have heard such strange phantoms of experience as some relate; such as seeing of ghosts, fighting with devils, which have

appeared in view, as they say, and then fathering such devilish imaginations, fancies, and false doctrines, upon the ever blessed Spirit of God. Such wickedness is great; but no marvel, for God says, when the sinner's itching ears are turned from the truth, they shall be turned unto fables, 2 Tim. iv. 4.

Some time ago I was begging money for the little

chapel we built at Sunbury in Middlesex, and a friend who went with me advised me to call at a china shop near Oxford-market. The man I found was a brother preacher, only he was of the Arminian persuasion. He began very warmly with me; and told me he used to hear me with pleasure, but now. I did nothing but rail in the pulpit. I told him there was no preaching the gospel faithfully without railing against the devil. He told me he had read all sorts of opinions about religion, and he could teach me better than I knew of that matter.

Perceiving a large share of human wisdom in him, I asked him what he knew of the Holy Spirit's work, what doctrines the Spirit had taught him, how they were applied, and what he felt under his operations, and when liberty was proclaimed to his soul? for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." These things being strange to him, he thought proper to wave them, and get upon another subject; in order to which he asked me what the soul of man was. I began to tell him what the word of God said about it; but he interrupted me, and brought matters to a

« ZurückWeiter »