What! fhall any human being arrogate to himself that peculiar and awful falutation, by which the miffion of the Son of God, fent indeed to fave and to inftruct the world, was acknowledged? Shall any one affect to imitate that holy triumph, in which the Blessed Jefus afcended to Jerufalem, furrounded by the multitudes, whom he had healed in his mercy; had fupported by his miracles; and had enlightened by his truth?

But no comparison need here be made. It is not even to be believed that the Enthufiaft in question intended, when he applied Hofanna's to himself, any wilful irreverence or impiety. We must insist, however, that one who could deliberately adapt to his own perfon fuch marks of divine diftinction as he found had characterized in Scripture, not merely the Apostles and Prophets', but even

promised Salvation to mankind, by his only begotten Son. Gen. iii. 15.

he was

+ Thus Mr. Whitefield tells us, that, previous to ordination, "so restrained, that he could not compose a fermon." He made importunate fupplication to God to know whether this reftraint came from him. And at last he is made quite easy, by being directed to the paffage in Ezekiel, wherein God faid to that young Prophet, just after he had given him a divine and public commiffion, "Thou shalt be dumb; but when I speak unto thee, then thou shalt speak out." Early Dealings, &c. p. 40. The reftraint however remaining, fo that he could not even preach,

though

the Son of God, must be confidered as having been ftimulated to make the application by pride, and vanity; for those were the only paffions by which it could have been fuggested.

Abfolute indeed was the afcendancy which fpiritual pride and vanity appear to have gained over the Founders of this new Communion. For we find, that when they were employed in the folemn office of religious worship, and addreffing their Creator in prayer, even then their minds were, but too often, intent on marking their own fuperiority; and in fondly grafping at every little circumstance that could give them importance. If the Scriptures recorded particular inftances of patience, or of virtue; if they announced the appearance of the Meffengers of Heaven; or if they spoke of eminent trials to be endur

though much folicited, he waited upon God in prayer, to know what he would have him do: "Upon which," he adds, " these "words,' Speak out, Paul,' then came with great power to my "foul. God spoke to me by his fpirit, and I was no longer

46

dumb." Ibid. p. 41. When being ordained, he fays, "As I "went up to the altar, I could think of nothing but Samuel's ftanding, a little child, before the Lord, with a linen Ephod." Ibid. And after ordination his language is," I feel the Holy "Ghost as much as Elisha did, when Elijah dropt his mantle;

a double portion of his spirit is upon me indeed." Bp. Lavington's Entbuf. &c. Vol. I. part ii. p. 29.

ed,

ed, and eminent glory to be obtained, they but too clearly fhewed that they themfelves believed, and that they wished that others fhould believe, that thofe Scriptures fpoke of them. "While I was reading St. "Paul's defcription of himself," fays one of the Authors of the Sect, "I could not forbear blushing much: the people were intent upon me; their eyes bespoke the language of "their hearts; each feemed to fay, Thou "art the man "." Surely if we can ever be juftified in arguing from the nature of the effect, to the caufe, we are authorised to infer, that the delufion of this Enthusiast must have proceeded from an eager longing after fpiritual diftinction; must have been excited by the belief that he was in fome shape wor

u "The leffons were very remarkable, and the people made "an application for me: the first was, the opposition made "against Aaron's priesthood, and God's determining who was "in the right, by caufing his rod to bloffom, when the other "rods produced nothing. So let it happen, O Lord, to me, thy unworthy fervant! The fecond was, 2 Cor. xi. where St, "Paul recounted his fufferings for Chrift, against the infinua"tions of the falfe Apostles. Bleffed be God, in most of the "things there recorded, I have in fome fmall degree had fel"lowship with the Apoftle: and before I die, I doubt not but "I shall fympathise with him in other articles." Whitefield's Third Journal, p. 30. Mr. W. frequently declared, that he expected to fuffer martyrdom, for preaching the Gofpel, as he did.

thy

thy to enjoy the glorious pre-eminence of the Apoftolic character *.

If more pofitive proof than deductions fuch. as these be required, we may ask, and let every one answer the question impartially for himself, whether it be likely that more pofitive proof can ever be expected? Each Enthusiast, no doubt, will think that he is worthy to receive the diftinction which he fancies he has obtained. It is not to be expected however that any one, in whom the rational faculties remain entire, fhould fo far forget all

There are few inftances in which the application of Scripture events, made by thefe Enthufiafts to themselves, is more offenfive than in the following. It is recorded, (Acts ii. 2.) that "the Holy Ghoft defcended with a found as of a mighty "rufhing wind:" and (iv. 31.) that when they had prayed, "the place was fhaken, where they were affembled together, " and they were filled with the Holy Ghoft." So Mr. Whitefield fays, "The Spirit at length came down, like a mighty rufhing wind, and carried all before it.-In my prayer the "power of God came down, and gave a great shock-such an abiding univerfal fhock I never knew before. In the after

"

noon the shock was very great-the place was almost rent by "the power and prefence of God." See Bp. Lavington's Enthufiafm, &c. Vol. I. part i. p. 6c. who juftly remarks, "Some "of thefe expreffions imply, that the Holy Ghost descended on "the Methodists, in the fame manner as upon the Apostles at "Pentecoft. Which, without much better proof than they "have given of their inspiration, I will by no means undertake "to excufe from blafphemy."

humility,

humility, fhould fo entirely overlook the finfulness of human nature as to affert, that he grounded his belief in the reality of his miffion, upon the conviction that the Almighty could not have felected a more fit perfon, on whom to confer it. If holy David is known to have faid, "Who am I, Lord God, "that thou fhouldeft beftow on me the promise of "the kingdom?" if he, who was miraculously called to deliver the Children of Ifrael, fhould exclaim, "Who am I, that I should bring them

forth?" it feems in no fhape probable, that any one could ever arrogate to himself a peculiar fitnefs to receive a divine commiffion. Were he to do fo, doubtlefs this would be confidered as a decifive proof both of his Enthusiasm, and of the caufe which had produced it but is this a proof which ever can be reasonably expected? Certainly it is not. Yet even this proof has been afforded us by one of the Authors of the Sect in question.

"I know," he fays, " that the establish"ment of our Communion may be oppofed, "because many of its Teachers are reputed "bad. But with regard to myself, the wif"dom of God has guarded against this "tence in a remarkable manner."

preThen

y 2 Samuel vii. 18.

2 Exodus iii. 11.

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