I grant a deist might rank both us and them, in the number of religious madmen: Nay, ought so to do, on his supposition, that the gospel is but a cunningly-devised fable. And on this ground, some of them have done so in fact. One of them was asking me, some years since, “What! are you one of the knight-errants? How, I pray, got this quixotism into your head? You want nothing: you have a good provision for life; and are in a fair way of preferment. And must you leave all, to fight windmills; to convert savages in America?” I could only reply, “Sir, if the bible is a lie, I am as very a madman as you can conceive. But if it be true, I am in my senses. I am neither a madman nor enthusiast. For there is no man who hath left father, or mother, or wife, or house, or land, for the gospel’s sake; but he shall receive an hundred fold, in this world, with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life.”
Nominal, outside Christians too, men of form, may pass the same judgment. For we give up all our pretensions to what they account happiness, for what they (with the deists) believe to be a mere dream. We expect, therefore, to pass for enthusiasts, with these also. But wisdom is justified of all her children.
32. I cannot conclude this head without one obvious remark. Suppose we really were enthusiasts; suppose our doctrines were false and unsupported either by reason, scripture, or authority: Then why hath not some one, who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you, attempted at least, to shew us our fault in love and meekness of wisdom? Brethren, if ye have bitter zeal in your hearts, your wisdom descendeth not from above. The wisdom that is from above, is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy or pity. Does this spirit appear in one single tract of all those which have been published against us? Is there one writer that has reproved us in love? Bring it to a single point. Love hopeth all things. If you had loved us in any degree, you would have hoped, that God would some time give us the knowledge of his truth. But where shall we find even this slender instance of love? Has not every one who has wrote at all (I do not remember so much as one exception) treated us as incorrigible? Brethren, how is this? Why do ye labour to teach us an evil lesson against yourselves? O may God never suffer others to deal with you, as ye have dealt with us!
VI. 1. Before I enter upon the consideration of those objections, which have been made to the manner of our preaching, I believe it may be satisfactory to some readers, if I relate how I began to preach in this manner.
I was ordained deacon in 1725, and priest in the year following. But it was many years after this, before I was convinced of the great truths above recited. During all that time I was utterly ignorant of the nature and condition of justification. Sometimes I confounded it with sanctification (particularly when I was in Georgia.) At other times I had some confused notion about the forgiveness of sins: but then I took it for granted, the time of this must be, either the hour of death, or the day of judgment.
I was equally ignorant of the nature of saving faith; apprehending it to mean no more, than a “firm assent to all the propositions contained in the old and new Testament.”
2. As soon as, by the great blessing of God, I had a clearer view of these things, I began to declare them to others also. I believed, and therefore I spake. Wherever I was now desired to preach, salvation by faith was my only theme. My constant subjects were, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins. These I explained and inforced with all my might, both in every church where I was asked to preach, and occasionally in the religious societies of London and Westminster; to some or other of which I was continually pressed to go, by the stewards or other members of them.
Things were in this posture, when I was told, “I must preach no more in this, and this, and another church:” The reason was usually added without reserve, “Because you preach such doctrines.” So much the more those who could not hear me there, flocked together when I was at any of the societies; where I spoke more or less, though with much inconvenience, to as many as the room I was in would contain.
3. But after a time, finding those rooms could not contain a tenth part of the people that were earnest to hear, I determined to do the same thing in England, which I had often done in a warmer climate: namely, when the house would not contain the congregation, to preach in the open air. This I accordingly did, first at Bristol, where the society rooms were exceeding small, and at Kingswood, where we had no room at all; afterwards in or near London.
And I cannot say, I have ever seen a more awful sight, than when on Rose-green, or the top of Hanham-mount, some thousands of people were calmly joined together in solemn waiting upon God, while