and in fome Places, "a Union with the "divine Celeftial Principle:" "I "I am (speaking of himself in this State of glorious Liberty) Incola Cæli, an Inhabitant of "Heaven; He that is come hither, God

hath taken him to be his own familiar "Friend, and tho' He fpeaks to others "aloof off in outward Religions and Pa❝rables, yet He leads this Man by the Hand, "fpeaks to him plainly in his own Language, fweetly infinuates himself into and

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poffeffes all his Faculties, Understanding, "Reason, and Memory: This is the Darling of God, and a Prince amongst Men, far above the Dispensation of either Mi"racle or Prophecy *."

The Doctor was well aware that the Relation of fuch high Experiences would meet with but a very indifferent Reception from those cold ftiff Religionists, whose icy Hearts were unthawed by the Fervors of divine Love, and never tafted the Sweetnefs of an elevated Piety, and therefore in his Mystery of Godlinefs, Book VIII. Ch. xiv. intituled, A Vindication of the true Members of Chrift from Pharifaical Afperfions, he obviates their Charge of Madness Life of Dr. Hen, More by Ward.

and

and Phrenzy upon the Children of God, The whole Chapter is fo pat to the Purpose, that I had much ado to forbear tranfcribing the Whole; but I content myself with gi ving the Reader an Abftract of the xith Section. It must needs be that those who "speak with much Zeal and Vigour things "true in themselves, yet to others unintelli❝gible, must be by them reputed no better "than Madmen: And hence it was that "Feftus told Paul that much Learning had "made him mad. Here probably may be "the Ground of that ordinary Saying→ "Nullum magnum Ingenium fine admixturâ

Dementia, and according to Analogy it may well be faid that Nullus infignis Chrif “tianus, &c. that there is no eminent Christian that will not feem to have fome Spice of Madness in him, efpecially if he "be judged by the formal ftiff Pharifee, "where Poftures and Actions are always

kept, as it were, in an outward wooden "Frame, as a Child in a standing Stool; "his Traditions and cuftomary Opinions "being as deeply fcored and carved in his

Memory as the outward Shows of Things "are fcrawled out in the rude Furrows of "an Idiot's Brain: and as the unfkilful Ruf

**tic would fufpect him fcarce found in his Senfes that should confidently speak any thing that palpably crossed those grofs Scrawlings written in his Imagination: "So certainly would the formal Pharifee not stick to judge him mad that should with Zeal and Boldness pronounce fuch things as were not parallel nor agreeable "to the Prefigurations of his prejudiced "Mind, but most of all, if they were "fuch as are above the Reach of his Appre"henfion: Surely the more earnest a true "Member of Christ should be in such “Points, the more mad he would appear "in the Eyes of the cool, prudential Pha« risee.”.

It is obferved with regard to this Difpenfation by those who have been raised to it, that it is feldom of any long Duration, being rather a fhort Earneft or Prelibation of the Beatific State afforded to pure and holy Souls, than any permanent Difpenfation; and it is generally, if not always, followed by fome humbling Trial; accordingly we read in the Cafe of St. Paul's being caught up to the third Heaven, that immediately after this Rapt or Vision there was given him a Thorn in the Flefb, the Messenger of Satan

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Satan to buffet him, left he should be exalted above Meafure; by which we cannot understand lefs than that he was exercifed with fome sharp bodily Affliction for his Humiliation: And this may help to explain what frequently happens to those who belong to an inferior State, according to their more remote or nearer Approaches to this refpectively, who find their joyous and delectable Intervals fucceeded by Fits of Heaviness and gloomy Overcasts, whence their Complaints of Aridities, Desertions, &c. which People of a moderate Experience in the divine Life cannot be unacquainted with, tho' many, for want of Light into the Methods and Reasons of God's Dealings with Souls, are apt to be troubled above Meafure upon thefe Occafions, as tho' fome ftrange thing had happened unto them, not knowing, or not confidering, that the fame Afflictions åre accomplished in their Brethren, and that they are fent, after they have suffered a while, to perfect, ftablish, ftrengthen, fettle them.1

It will be proper to obfèrve here, that the Way to any good Degree of Perfection in the divine Life lies through great Mortification and Self-denial: Some think it

enough

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enough to get Doctrines into the Head, but till the Heart is in fome Meafure' purified by Faith nothing is rightly done: And in order to this the Children of Anak, thofe corrupt Paffions and Inclinations that war against the Soul, must be driven out, the Perverseness of the Will broken, the Understanding fimplified, the Pride of our Hearts pluckt up by the Roots, and all the Cords that bind us to the World and the Things of it untwifted; in a word, our Idols must be caft out, and every curfed thing removed that feparates betwixt God and us, for the pure in Heart and they only fhall fee God: It was by this kind of holy Violence practised on themselves that the Worthies both of the Old and New Teftament, in all Ages of the Church, have laid hold on the Kingdom of Heaven, been favoured with fuch rich Communications from God, and enabled to work fuch Wonders as furpass the Belief of many in this degenerate incredulous Age: And that a preparatory Difcipline of Strictness and Severity is neceffary in order to qualify us for any extraordinary Vouchfafements of Illumination and Grace, we may learn from the Schools inftituted among the Jews for the training

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