DISCOURSE III, 307 whose deep sagacity, %%hose sedate judgment, and the superior excellence of his reasoning powers, leave no room to charge him with vain and delusive raptures of heated imagination. The name is the late venerable Mr. John Howe. The name eom- wands respect, and confirms the narrative.- He wrote the fol- lowing paragraphs in the blank leaf of his own bible " December 26, 1889, After that I had long, seriously, and repeatedly thought with myself, that, besides a full and un- doubted assent to the objects of faith, a vivifying savoury taste and relish of them was also necessary, that with stronger force, and more powerful energy, they might penetrate into the most inward centreof my heart, and there beingmost deeply fixedand rooted, govern my life ; and that there could be no other sure ground whereon to conclude and pass a sound judgment, on my good estate godward ; and after I had, in my course of preach- ing, being largely insistingon 2 Cor. i. 12. This is my rejoicing, the testimonyof'a good conscience, &c. this verymorning I awoke out of a most ravishing and delightful dream, that a wonderful andcopious stream ofcelestial rays, from the lofty throne of the divine Majesty did seem to dart into my open and expanded breast. I have often since, with great complacency, reflected n that very signal pledge of special divine favour, vouchsafed to me on that noted memorable day ; and have with repeated fresh pleasure, tasted the delights thereof." " But what of the samekind I sensibly felt through the ad- mirable bountyof my God, and the most pleasant comforting in- fluence ofthe Holy Spirit, on October 22, 1704, far surpassed the most expressive words my thoughts can suggest. I then experi- enced an inexpressibly pleasant melting of heart, tears gushing out of mine eyes for joy that God should shed abroad his love abundantly through the hearts of men ; and that for this very purpose mine ownheart should be so signallypossessed of and by his Blessed Spirit ; Rom. v. 5." Besides this instance of so sedate, so rational, and so judicious a person, there have been many others of our pious fathers in England, but especially, as I said before, in the church of Scotland, have enjoyed such divine visits, and given. very sensible evidence that the Holy .Spirit is not utterly withdrawn from men even as to his extraordinary in- fluences. If any thing could be added to this testimony of Mr. Howe, it should bethe instance of Mr. }lave], the fatuous practical di-. vine in the west of England, who in his treatise of the soul of man, gives us this account of himself, but with his name conceal- ed : " That, in a journey on horseback, he fell into a divine me- ditation, wherein he had such tokens Of the love of God, and his interest iñ the divine favour manifested to him, that greatlysur- passed all the rational and iuferiential evidences that ever he r 2
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