Latest / Philosophy and Faith / 37 - The Nature of Enthusiasm - Sermons on Several Occasions

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37 - The Nature of Enthusiasm - Sermons on Several Occasions · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: The nature of enthusiasm, and Festus said with a loud voice, Paul,
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  Speaker 1: thou art beside thyself, Acts twenty six, twenty four. And
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  Speaker 1: so say all the world, the men who know not God,
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  Speaker 1: of all that are of Paul's religion, of every one
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  Speaker 1: who is so a follower of him as he was
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  Speaker 1: of Christ. It is true. There is a sort of religion, nay,
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  Speaker 1: and it's called Christianity too, which may be practiced without
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  Speaker 1: any such imputation, which is generally allowed to be consistent
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  Speaker 1: with common sense. That is, a religion of form, a
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  Speaker 1: round of outward duties performed in a decent, regular manner.
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  Speaker 1: You may add orthodoxy there too a system of right opinions, yea,
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  Speaker 1: in some quantity of heathen morality. And yet not many
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  Speaker 1: will pronounce that much religion hath made you mad. But
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  Speaker 1: if you aim at the religion of the heart, if
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  Speaker 1: you talk of righteousness and peace and joy in the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, then it will not be long before your
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  Speaker 1: sentences passed. Thou art beside thyself. And it is no
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  Speaker 1: compliment which the men of the world pay you. Here.
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  Speaker 1: They for once mean what they say. They not only affirm,
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  Speaker 1: but cordially believe that every man is beside himself who
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  Speaker 1: says the love of God is shed abroad in his
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  Speaker 1: heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him, and that
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  Speaker 1: God has enabled him to rejoice in Christ with joy
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  Speaker 1: unspeakable and full of glory. If a man is indeed
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  Speaker 1: alive to God and dead to all things here below,
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  Speaker 1: if he continually sees Him that is invisible, and accordingly
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  Speaker 1: walks by faith and not by sight, and they accounted
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  Speaker 1: a clear case beyond all dispute, much religion hath made
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  Speaker 1: him mad. It is easy to observe that the determinant
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  Speaker 1: thing which the world account madness is that utter contempt
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  Speaker 1: of all temporal things, and steady pursuit of things eternal,
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  Speaker 1: that divine conviction of things not seen, that rejoicing in
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  Speaker 1: the favor of God, that happy, holy love of God,
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  Speaker 1: and that testimony of His spirit with our spirit, that
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  Speaker 1: we are the children of God, that is, in truth,
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  Speaker 1: the whole spirit and life and power of the religion
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  Speaker 1: of Jesus Christ. They will, however, allow, in other respects
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  Speaker 1: the man acts and talks like one. In his senses
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  Speaker 1: and other things, he is a reasonable man. It is
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  Speaker 1: in these instances only his head is touched. It is
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  Speaker 1: therefore acknowledged that the madness under which he labors is
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  Speaker 1: of a particular kind, and accordingly they are accustomed to
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  Speaker 1: distinguish it by a particular name, aim enthusiasm, a term
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  Speaker 1: this which is exceeding frequently used, which is scarce ever
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  Speaker 1: out of some men's mouths, and yet it is exceeding
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  Speaker 1: rarely understood even by those who use it most. It
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  Speaker 1: may be therefore not unacceptable to serious men to all
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  Speaker 1: who desire to understand what they speak or hear. If
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  Speaker 1: I endeavor to explain the meaning of this term, to
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  Speaker 1: show what enthusiasm is, it may be an encouragement to
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  Speaker 1: those who are unjustly charged therewith there may possibly be
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  Speaker 1: of use to some who are justly charged with it,
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  Speaker 1: at least to others who might be so were they
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  Speaker 1: not cautioned against it. As to the word itself, to
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  Speaker 1: generally allow to be of Greek extraction. But whence the
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  Speaker 1: Greek word and thousiasmos is derived, none has yet been
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  Speaker 1: able to show. Some have endeavored to derive it from
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  Speaker 1: an theo in God, because all enthusiasm has reference to him,
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  Speaker 1: but this is quite forced, there being small resemblance between
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  Speaker 1: the word derived and those they strived to derive it
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  Speaker 1: from others would derive it from an ethiciae in sacrifice.
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  Speaker 1: Because many of the enthusiasts of old were affected in
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  Speaker 1: the same violent manner during the time of sacrifice, Perhaps
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  Speaker 1: is a fictitious word invented from the noise which some
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  Speaker 1: of those made who were so affected. It is not
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  Speaker 1: improbable that one reason why this uncouth word has been
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  Speaker 1: retained in so many languages was because men were not
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  Speaker 1: better agreed concerning the meaning than concerning the derivation of it.
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  Speaker 1: They therefore adopted the Greek word because they did not
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  Speaker 1: understand it. They did not translate it into their own
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  Speaker 1: tongues because they knew not how to translate it. Having
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  Speaker 1: been always a word of a loose, uncertain sense, to
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  Speaker 1: which no determinate meaning was affixed, it is not therefore
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  Speaker 1: at all surprising that it is so variously taken at
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  Speaker 1: this day, different persons understanding it in different senses, quite
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  Speaker 1: inconsistent with each other. Some take it in a good
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  Speaker 1: sense for a divine impulse or impression superior to all
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  Speaker 1: the natural faculties in suspending for the time, either in
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  Speaker 1: whole or in part, both the reason and the outward senses.
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  Speaker 1: In this meaning of the word, both the prophets of
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  Speaker 1: Old and the apostles were proper enthusiasts, being at divers
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  Speaker 1: times so filled with the spirit, and so influenced by
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  Speaker 1: Him who dwelt in their hearts, that the exercise of
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  Speaker 1: their own reason, their senses, and all their natural faculties
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  Speaker 1: being suspended, they were wholly actuated by the power of God,
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  Speaker 1: and spake only as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
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  Speaker 1: Others taking the word in an indifferent sense, such as
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  Speaker 1: is neither morally good nor evil. Thus they speak of
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  Speaker 1: the enthusiasm of the poets of Homer and Virgil in particular.
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  Speaker 1: And this a late eminent writer extends so far as
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  Speaker 1: to assert, there is no man excellent in his profession,
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  Speaker 1: whatsoever it be, who has not in his temper a
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  Speaker 1: strong tincture of enthusiasm. By enthusiasm, these appear to understand
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  Speaker 1: all uncommon vigor of thought, a peculiar fervor of spirit,
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  Speaker 1: a vivacity and strength not to be found in common men,
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  Speaker 1: elevating the soul to greater and higher things than cool
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  Speaker 1: reason could have attained. But neither of these of the
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  Speaker 1: sense wherein the word enthusiasm is most usually understood the
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  Speaker 1: generality of men. If no farther agreed, had least agree
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  Speaker 1: thus far concerning it, that it is something evil, And
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  Speaker 1: this is plainly the sentiment of all those who call
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  Speaker 1: the religion of the heart enthusiasm. Accordingly I shall take
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  Speaker 1: it in the following pages as an evil a misfortune.
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  Speaker 1: If not a fault as to the nature of enthusiasm,
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  Speaker 1: it is undoubtedly a disorder of the mind, and such
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  Speaker 1: a disorder as greatly hinders the exercise of reason. Nay,
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  Speaker 1: sometimes it wholly sets it aside, that only dims but
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  Speaker 1: shuts the eyes of the understanding. It may therefore well
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  Speaker 1: be a countered a species of madness, of madness rather
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  Speaker 1: than of folly. Seeing a fool is properly one who
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  Speaker 1: draws wrong conclusions from right premisses, whereas a madman draws
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  Speaker 1: right conclusions but from wrong premises. And so does an enthusiast.
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  Speaker 1: Suppose his premises true, and his conclusions would necessarily follow.
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  Speaker 1: But here lies his mistake. His premises are false. He
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  Speaker 1: imagines himself to be what he is not, and therefore
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  Speaker 1: sitting out wrong. The farther he goes, the more he wanders.
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  Speaker 1: Out of the way. Every enthusiasm, then is properly a madman.
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  Speaker 1: Yet his is not an ordinary but a religious madness.
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  Speaker 1: By religious, I do not mean that it is any
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  Speaker 1: part of religion. Quite the reverse. Religion is the spirit
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  Speaker 1: of a sound mind, and consequently stands in direct opposition
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  Speaker 1: to madness of every kind. But I mean it has
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  Speaker 1: religion for its object. It is conversant about religion, and
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  Speaker 1: so the enthusiast is generally talking of religion of God,
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  Speaker 1: or of the things of God, but talking in such
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  Speaker 1: a manner that every reasonable Christian may discern the disorder
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  Speaker 1: of his mind. Enthusiasm in general may then be described
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  Speaker 1: in some such manner as this, a religious madness, arising
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  Speaker 1: from some falsely imagined influence or inspiration of God, at
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  Speaker 1: least from imputing something to God which ought not to
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  Speaker 1: be imputed to him, or expecting something from God which
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  Speaker 1: ought not to be expected from him. There are innumerable
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  Speaker 1: sorts of enthusiasm. Those which are most common and for
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  Speaker 1: that reason most dangerous, I shall endeavor to reduce under
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  Speaker 1: a few general heads, that they may be more easily
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  Speaker 1: understood and avoided. The first sort of enthusiasm, which I
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  Speaker 1: shall mention is that of those who imagine they have
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  Speaker 1: the grace which they have not. Thus some imagine, when
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  Speaker 1: it is not so, that they have redemption through Christ,
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  Speaker 1: even the forgiveness of sins. These are usually such as
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  Speaker 1: have no root in themselves, no deep repentance or thorough conviction.
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  Speaker 1: Therefore they receive the Word with joy. And because they
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  Speaker 1: have no deepness of earth, no deep work in their heart,
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  Speaker 1: therefore the seed immediately springs up. There is immediately a
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  Speaker 1: superficial change, which, together with that light joy striking in
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  Speaker 1: with the pride of their unbroken heart, and with their
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  Speaker 1: inordinate self love, easily persuades them that they have already
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  Speaker 1: tasted the good word of God and the powers of
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  Speaker 1: the world to come. This is properly an instance of
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  Speaker 1: the first sort of enthusiasm. It is a kind of madness,
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  Speaker 1: arising from the imagination that they have that grace, which
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  Speaker 1: in truth they have not, So they only deceive their
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  Speaker 1: own souls. Madness, it may be justly termed, for the
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  Speaker 1: reasonings of these poor men aright were their premises good.
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  Speaker 1: But as those are a mere creature of their own imagination,
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  Speaker 1: so all that is built of them falls to the ground.
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  Speaker 1: The foundation of all their reveries is this. They imagine
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  Speaker 1: themselves to have faith in Christ. If they had this,
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  Speaker 1: they would be kings and priests to God, possessed of
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  Speaker 1: a kingdom which cannot be moved. But they have it not. Consequently,
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  Speaker 1: all their following behavior is as wide of truth and
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  Speaker 1: soberness as that of the ordinary madman, who, fancying himself
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  Speaker 1: an earthly king, speaks and acts in that character. There
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  Speaker 1: are many other enthusiasts of this sort. Such, for instance,
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  Speaker 1: is the fiery zealot for religion, or more properly, for
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  Speaker 1: the opinions and modes of worship which he dignifies with
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  Speaker 1: that name. This man also strongly imagines himself to be
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  Speaker 1: a believer in Jesus. He that he is a champion
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  Speaker 1: for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. Accordingly,
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  Speaker 1: all his conduct is formed upon that vain imagination, and
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  Speaker 1: allowing his supposition to be just, he would have some
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  Speaker 1: tolerable plea for his behavior, whereas now it is evidently
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  Speaker 1: the effect of a distempered brain, as well as of
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  Speaker 1: a distempered heart. But the most common of all the
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  Speaker 1: enthusiasts of this kind are those who imagine themselves Christians
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  Speaker 1: and are not. These abound not only in all parts
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  Speaker 1: of our land, but in most parts of the habitable earth.
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  Speaker 1: That they are not Christians is clear and undeniable, if
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  Speaker 1: we believe the oracles of God. For Christians are holy,
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  Speaker 1: these are unholy. Christians love God, These love the world.
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  Speaker 1: Christians are humble, these are proud. Christians are gentle, These
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  Speaker 1: are passionate. Christians have the mind which was in Christ,
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  Speaker 1: these are at the utmost distance from it. Consequently, they
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  Speaker 1: are no more Christians than they are archangels. Yet they
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  Speaker 1: imagine themselves so to be, and they can give several
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  Speaker 1: reasons for it, For they have been called so ever
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  Speaker 1: since they can remember. They were Christened many years ago.
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  Speaker 1: They embrace the Christian opinions of vulgarly termed the Christian
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  Speaker 1: or Catholic faith. They use the Christian modes of worship
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  Speaker 1: as their fathers did before them. They live what is
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  Speaker 1: called a good Christian life, as the rest of their
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  Speaker 1: neighbors do. And who shall presume to think or say
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  Speaker 1: that these men are not Christians though without one grain
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  Speaker 1: of true faith in Christ or of real inward holiness,
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  Speaker 1: without ever having tasted the love of God or been
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  Speaker 1: made partakers the Holy Ghost, Ah poor self deceivers, Christians,
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  Speaker 1: ye are not, But you are enthusiasts in a high degree. Physicians,
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  Speaker 1: heal yourselves, but first know your disease. Your whole life
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  Speaker 1: is enthusiasm, as being all suitable to the imagination that
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  Speaker 1: you have received that grace of God, which you have not.
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  Speaker 1: In consequence of this grand mistake, you blunder on day
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  Speaker 1: by day, speaking and acting under a character which does
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  Speaker 1: in no wise belong to you. Hence arises that palpable,
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  Speaker 1: glaring inconsistency that runs through your whole behavior, which is
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  Speaker 1: an awkward mixture of real Heathenism and imaginary Christianity. Yet still,
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  Speaker 1: as you have so vast majority on your side, he
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  Speaker 1: will always carry it by mere dint of numbers, that
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  Speaker 1: you are the only men in your senses, and all
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  Speaker 1: the lunatics who are not as you are. But this
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  Speaker 1: alters not the nature of things and the sight of
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  Speaker 1: God and his holy angels, yea, and all the children
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  Speaker 1: of God upon earth. You are mere madmen, mere enthusiasts all,
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  Speaker 1: are you not? Are you not walking in a vain shadow,
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  Speaker 1: a shadow of religion, a shadow of happiness? Are you
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  Speaker 1: not still disquieting yourselves in vain, with misfortunes as imaginary
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  Speaker 1: as your happiness or religion. Do you not fancy see
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  Speaker 1: yourselves great or good, very knowing, and very wise? How long,
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  Speaker 1: perhaps till death brings you back to your senses to
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  Speaker 1: bewail your folly for ever and ever. A second sort
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  Speaker 1: of enthusiasm is that of those who imagine they have
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  Speaker 1: such gifts from God as they have not. Thus, some
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  Speaker 1: have imagined themselves to be endured with the power of
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  Speaker 1: working miracles, of healing the sick by a word or
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  Speaker 1: a touch, of restoring sight to the blind, yea even
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  Speaker 1: of raising the dead, a notorious instance of which is
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  Speaker 1: still fresh in our own history. Others have undertaken to prophesy,
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  Speaker 1: to foretell things to come, and that with the utmost
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  Speaker 1: certainty and exactness. But a little time U should convinces
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  Speaker 1: these enthusiasts. When plain facts run counter to their predictions,
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  Speaker 1: experience performs what reason could not and sinks them down
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  Speaker 1: into their senses. To the same class belong those who,
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  Speaker 1: in preaching or prayer, imagine themselves to be so influenced
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  Speaker 1: by the spirit of God, as in fact they are not.
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  Speaker 1: I am sensible indeed that without him we can do
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  Speaker 1: nothing more, especially in our public ministry, that all our
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  Speaker 1: preaching is utterly vain unless it be attended with His power,
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  Speaker 1: and all our prayer unless He is spirit therein help
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  Speaker 1: our infirmities. I know, if we do not both preach
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  Speaker 1: and pray by the Spirit, it is all but lost labor.
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  Speaker 1: Seeing the help that is done upon earth, he doeth
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  Speaker 1: it himself, who worketh all in all. But this does
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  Speaker 1: not affect the case before us. Though there is a
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  Speaker 1: real influence of the Spirit of God, there is also
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  Speaker 1: an imaginary one, and many there are who mistake the
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  Speaker 1: one for the other. Many suppose themselves to be under
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  Speaker 1: that influence when they are not, when it is far
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  Speaker 1: from them, And many others suppose they are more under
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  Speaker 1: that influence than they really are. Of this number, I
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  Speaker 1: fear are all they who imagine that God dictates the
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  Speaker 1: very words they speak, and the consequently it is impossible
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  Speaker 1: they should speak anything amiss, either as to the matter
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  Speaker 1: or manner of it. It is well known how many
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  Speaker 1: enthusiasts of this sort also have appeared during the present century,
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  Speaker 1: some of whom speak in a far more authoritative manner
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  Speaker 1: than either Saint Paul, or any of the apostles. The
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  Speaker 1: same sort of enthusiasm, though in a lower degree, is
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  Speaker 1: frequently found in men of a private character. They may
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  Speaker 1: likewise imagine themselves to be influenced or directed by the Spirit,
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  Speaker 1: when they are not. I allow, if any man have
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  Speaker 1: not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his,
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  Speaker 1: and that if ever we either think, speak, or act,
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  Speaker 1: or write, it is do the assistance of that blessed Spirit.
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  Speaker 1: But how many impute things do him or expect things
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  Speaker 1: from Him? Without any rational or scriptural ground. Such are
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  Speaker 1: they who imagine they either do or shall receive particular
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  Speaker 1: directions from God, not only in points of importance, but
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  Speaker 1: in things of no moment, in the most trifling circumstances
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  Speaker 1: of life. Whereas in these cases God has given us
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  Speaker 1: our own reason for a guide, though never excluding the
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  Speaker 1: secret assistance of His Spirit. To this kind of enthusiasm,
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  Speaker 1: they are peculiarly exposed to expect to be directed of God,
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  Speaker 1: either in spiritual things or in common life, in what
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  Speaker 1: is justly called an extraordinary manner. I mean, by visions
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  Speaker 1: or dreams, by strong impressions or sudden impulses on the mind.
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  Speaker 1: I do not deny that God has of old times
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  Speaker 1: manifested his will in this manner, or that he can
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  Speaker 1: do so now? Nay, I believe he does in some
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  Speaker 1: very rare instances. But how frequently do men mistake herein?
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  Speaker 1: How are they misled by pride, no warm imagination to
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  Speaker 1: ascribe such impulses or impressions, dreams or visions to God
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  Speaker 1: as are utterly unworthy of him. Now this is all
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  Speaker 1: pure enthusiasm, all as wide of religion as it is
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  Speaker 1: of truth and soberness. Perhaps some may ask, ought we
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  Speaker 1: not then, to inquire what is the will of God
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  Speaker 1: in all things? And ought not his will to be
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  Speaker 1: the rule of our practice? Unquestionably it ought? But how
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  Speaker 1: is a sober Christian to make this inquiry? To know
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  Speaker 1: what is the will of God? Not by waiting for
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  Speaker 1: supernatural dreams, by expecting God to reveal it in visions,
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  Speaker 1: Not by looking for any particular impressions or sudden impulses
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  Speaker 1: on his mind. No, but by consulting the oracles of God,
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  Speaker 1: to the law and to the testimony. This is the
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  Speaker 1: general method of knowing what is the holy and acceptable
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  Speaker 1: will of God? But how shall I know what is
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  Speaker 1: the will of God in such and such a particular case,
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  Speaker 1: the thing proposed is in itself of an indifferent nature,
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  Speaker 1: and so left undetermined in scripture. I answer, the scripture
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  Speaker 1: itself gives you a general rule applicable to all particular cases.
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  Speaker 1: The will of God is our sanctification. It is his
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  Speaker 1: will that we should be inwardly and outwardly holy, that
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  Speaker 1: we should be good and do good in every kind,
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  Speaker 1: and in the highest degree whereof we are capable. Thus
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  Speaker 1: far we tread upon firm ground. This is as clear
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  Speaker 1: as the s finding of the sun. In order therefore,
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  Speaker 1: to know what is the will of God in a
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  Speaker 1: particular case, we have only to apply this general rule. Suppose,
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  Speaker 1: for instance, it were proposed to a reasonable man to
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  Speaker 1: marry or to enter into a new business. In order
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  Speaker 1: to know whether this is the will of God. Being
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  Speaker 1: assured it is the will of God concerning me, that
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  Speaker 1: I should be as holy and do as much good
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  Speaker 1: as I can, he has only to inquire in which
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  Speaker 1: of these states can I be most holy and do
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  Speaker 1: the most good. And this is to be determined partly
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  Speaker 1: by reason and partly by experience. Experience tells him what
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  Speaker 1: advantages he has in his present state, either for being
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  Speaker 1: or doing good and reason is to show what he
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  Speaker 1: certainly or probably will have in the state proposed. By
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  Speaker 1: comparing these, he is to judge which of the two
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  Speaker 1: may most conduce to his being and doing good. And
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  Speaker 1: as far as he knows is this, so far he
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  Speaker 1: is certain what is the will of God. Meantime, the
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  Speaker 1: assistance of his spirit is supposed during the whole process
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  Speaker 1: of the inquiry. Indeed, it is not easy to say
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  Speaker 1: in how many ways that assistance is conveyed. He may
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  Speaker 1: bring many circumstances to our remembrance, may place others in
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  Speaker 1: a stronger and clearer light, may insensibly open our mind
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: to receive conviction and fix that conviction upon our heart,
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: and to a concurrence of many circumstances of this kind
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: in favor of what is acceptable in his sight. He
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: may superadd such an unutterable peace of mind, and so
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: uncommon a measure of His love as will leave us
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: no possibility of doubting that this, even this, is His
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: will concerning us. This is the plain, scriptural, rational way
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: to know what is the will of God in a
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: particular case. But considering how seldom this way is taken,
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: and what a flood of enthusiasm ast needs break in
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: on those who endeavor to know the will of God
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: by unscriptural, irrational ways. It were wished that the expression
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: itself were far more sparingly used. The using it as
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: some do on the most trivial occasions is a plain
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: breach to the third Commandment, tis a gross way of
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: taking the name of God in vain, and betrays great
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: irreverence toward him. Would it not be far better then
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: to use other expressions which are not liable to such objections.
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: For example, instead of saying, on any particular occasion, I
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: want to know what is the will of God, would
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: it not be better to say, I want to know
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: what will be most for my improvement and what will
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: make me most useful. This way of speaking is clear
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: and unexceptionable. It is putting the matter on a plain
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: scriptural issue, and that without any danger of enthusiasm. A third,
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: very common sort of enthusiasm, if it does not coincide
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: with the former, is that of those who think to
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: attain the end without using the means by the immediate
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: power of God. If indeed those means were providentially withheld,
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: they would not fall under this charge. God can and
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: sometimes does, in cases of this nature, exert his own
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: immediate power. But they who expect this when they have
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: those means and will not use them, are proper enthusiasts.
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: Such are they who expect to understand the Holy scriptures
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: without reading them and meditating thereon yea, without using all
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: such helps as are in their power, and may probably
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: conduce to that end. Such are they who designedly speak
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: in the public assembly without any premeditation. I say designedly,
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: because there may be such circums senses as at sometimes
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: make it unavoidable. But whoever despises that great means of
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: speaking profitably is so far an enthusiast. It may be
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: expected that I should mention what some have accounted a
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: fourth sort of enthusiasm, namely the imagining those things to
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: be owing to the providence of God which are not
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: owing there too. But I doubt I know not what
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: things they are which are not owing to the providence
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: of God in ordering, or at least in governing, of
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: which this is not either directly or remotely concerned. I
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: accept nothing but sin, and even in the sins of
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: others I see the providence of God to me. I
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: do not say his general providence, For this I take
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: to be a sounding word which means just nothing. And
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: if there be a particular providence, it must extend to
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: all persons in all things. So our Lord understood it,
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: or he could never have said, even the hairs of
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: your head are all numbered, and not a sparrow fullest
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: to the ground without the will of your Father, which
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: is in heaven. But if it be so, if God
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: preside universas toungu quam singulis had singulous tang quum universes
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: over the whole universe, as over every single person, and
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: over every single person, as over the whole universe, what
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: is it except only our own sins, which we are
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: not to ascribe to the providence of God, so that
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: I cannot apprehend there is any room here for the
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: charge of enthusiasm. If it be said, the charge lies here.
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: When you impute this to providence, you imagine yourself the
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: peculiar favorite of Heaven. I answer, you have forgot some
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: the last words I spoke, praycede it universes tongu qum
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: singulus providences over all men in the universe, as much
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: as over any single person. Do you not see that
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: he who, believing this, imputes anything which befalls him to providence,
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: does not therein make himself any more the favorite of
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: Heaven than he supposes every man under heaven to be. Therefore,
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: you have no pretense upon this ground to charge him
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: with enthusiasm against every sort of this. It behooves us
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: to guard with the utmost diligence, considering the dreadful effects
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: it has so often produced, and which indeed naturally result
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: from it. Its immediate offspring is pride. It continually increases
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: the source from whence it flows, and hereby it alienates
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: us more and more from the favor and from the
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: life of God. It dries up the very springs of
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: faith and love, of righteousness and true holiness, seeing all
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: these flow from grace. But God resists, disteth the proud,
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: and giveth grace only to the humble. Together with pride,
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: there will naturally arise an unadvisable and unconvincible spirit, so
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: that into whatever error or fault the enthusiast falls, there
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: is small hope of his recovery, For reason will have
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: little weight with him, as has been frequently unjustly observed,
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: who imagines he is led by a higher guide by
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: the immediate wisdom of God. And as he grows in pride,
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: so he must grow in unadvisableness, and in stubbornness. Also
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: he must be less and less capable of being convinced,
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: less susceptible of persuasion, more and more attached to his
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: own judgment and his own will, till he is altogether
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: fixed and immovable. Being thus fortified both against the grace
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: of God, against all advice and help from man, he
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: is wholly left to the guidance of his own heart
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: and of the King of the children of Pride. No
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: marvel then that he is daily more rooted and grounded
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: in contempt of all mankind, in furious anger, in every
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: unkind disposition, in every earthly and devilish temper. Neither can
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: we wonder at the terrible outward effects which have flowed
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: from such dispositions, in all ages, even all manner of wickedness,
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: all the works of darkness committed by those who called
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: themselves Christians, while they wrought with greediness, such things as
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: were hardly named even among the Heathens. Such is the nature,
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: such the dreadful effects of that many headed monster enthusiasm.
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: The consideration of which we may now draw some plain
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: inferences with regard to our own practice. And first, if
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: enthusiasm be a term, though so frequently used, yet so
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: rarely understood, take you care not to talk of you
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: know not what not to use the words you understand it.
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: As in all other points, so likewise in this, learn
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: to think before you speak, first, knowing the meaning of
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: this hard word, and then use it if need require.
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: But if so few, even among men of education and learning,
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: much more among the common sort of men, understand this dark,
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: ambiguous word, or of any fixed notion of what it means,
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: then secondly, beware of judging or calling any man an
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: enthusiast upon common report. This is by no means a
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: sufficient ground for giving any name of reproach to any man.
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: Least of all, is it a sufficient ground for so
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: black a term of reproach as this. The more evil
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: it contains, the more cautious you should be how you
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: apply it to any one, to bring so heavy an
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: accusation without full proof, being neither concent insistent, nor with
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: justice nor mercy. But if enthusiasm be so great an evil,
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: beware you are not entangled therewith yourself watch and pray
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: that you fall not into the temptation. It easily besets
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: those who fear or love God. Oh, beware you do
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: Do not imagine you have attained that grace of God
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: which you have not attained. You may have much joy,
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: you may have a measure of love, and yet not
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: have living faith. Cry unto God that He would not
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: suffer you, blind as you are, to go out of
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: the way. That you may never fancy yourself a believer
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: in Christ till Christ is revealed in you, and till
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: His spirit witnesses with your spirit that you are a
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: child of God. Beware you are not a fiery, persecuting enthusiast.
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: Do not imagine that God has called you just contrary
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: to the spirit of Him. You style your master to
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: destroy men's lives, and not to save them. Never dream
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: of forcing men to the ways of God. Think yourself,
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: and let think use no constraint in matters of religion.
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: Even those who are farthest out of the way, never
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: compel to come in by any other means than reason, truth,
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: and love. Beware you do not run with the common
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: herd of enthusiast fancying you are a Christian when you
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: are not, presume not to assume that venerable name unless
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: you have a clear scriptural title there too, unless you
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: have the mind which was in Christ and walk as
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: He also walked. Beware you do not fall into the
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: second sort of enthusiasm, fancying you have those gifts from
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: God which you have not trust. Not in visions, are dreams,
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: and sudden impressions, or strong impulses of any kind. Remember
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: it is not by these you are to know what
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: is the will of God in any particular occasion, but
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: by applying the plain scripture rule, with the help of
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: experience and reason, and the ordinary assistant the Spirit of God.
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: Do not lightly take the name of God in your mouth.
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: Do not talk of the will of God in every
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: trifling occasion. But let your words, as well as your actions,
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: be all tempered with reverence and godly fear. Beware lastly
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: of imagining you shall obtain the end without using the
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: means conducive to it. God can give the end without
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: any means at all, but you have no reason to
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: think He will, therefore constantly and carefully use all those
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: means which he has appointed to be the ordinary channels
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: of His grace. Use every means which either reason or
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: scripture recommends as conducive to the free love of God
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: in Christ, either to the obtaining or increasing any of
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: the gifts of God. Thus expect a daily growth in
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: that pure and holy religion which the world always did
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: and always will call enthusiasm, but which to all who
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: are saved from real enthusiasm, for merely nominal Christianity is
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: the wisdom of God and the power of God, the
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: glorious image of the most High righteousness and peace, a
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: fountain of living water spring up into everlasting life. End
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: of Section thirty seven.