Mr. Sam. White of Taunton | The Rev. Mr. War. Williams Mr. Thomas White Mr. Elnathan Whitman of Mr. Bennet Wood of Littleton J. Williams of Taunton Efq; Mr. John Wood of Concord The Rev. Mr. B.Woodbridge of Amity Benjamin Woodbridge M.A. Dudley Woodbridge M. A of Groton (for fix) Mr. Thomas Woodbridge Mr. J. Woodman of Newbury Mr. J. Woodman of Newbury Mr.D. Woodward ofSudbury Mr.J. Woodward of Sudbury Mr. John Worth of Hampton The Rev. Mr. William Worthington for two) Mr. Abijah Wyman Y Mr.M.Yeomans ofCelchefter A confiderable Number of Subfcribers to this Book fending too late, their Names could not be inferted. CORRECTIONS. Pag. 85.1.15. after of r. Mr. P. 89. 1. 7. of the Notes r. propinquo. P.go. 1. 5. of the Notes for me r. mi. P.239 1.15 after been r. fo. P. 279. 1. 23. after which 1. he. P. 384 L. 22. for exceptionable 1. unexceptionable. INTRODUCTION. O NE of the firft Fathers of this Country, the memorable SHEPARD (whofe Wri tings have been, of late, fo highly com mended) thought it needful to caution People, not to truft Men too far, nor boast of any Man too much; efpecially, in Regard of his glorious Profeffion and Affections at first. "GOD (fays he) fends divers of his faithful Servants to a Place; and many, at firft hearing, "are wrought upon, battered down, convinc'd, "mourning after Peace, going to Ministers, De"light in Ordinances: Now many blefs GOD for their Converfion; and many a Chriftian is put "out of Doubt of it, Parents of their Children, and Children of their Parents; one Brother of another, and one Chriftian Neighbour of ano❝ther. O take Heed of boasting too much! It "may be they may, and will fall down (before "they have liv'd many Years) when at their "Height. What Man was ever more fought unto "than JOHN ? All JUDEA came unto him; yet, at. laft they forfake him, rejoiced but a Seafon in his Light: They went alfo from him to CHRIST, "(John 7. 26. 32.) yet, JOHN complains, none re"ceived his Teftimony. CHRIST himfelf preached * See his Parable of the Ten Virgins, second Part, Page 61. B "in CAPERNAUM, and never fuch exalting a Man : They boafted in him: Yet only a few Babes "which the LORD wrought upon. The GALATI"ANS would loose their Eyes for PAUL; yet, af"terward they flight him, and join with falfe "Teachers against him. O therefore pray for "them, and weep for them, but do not trust them "too far! Neither truft yourselves too much. "Then are ye my Difciples, (Joh. 8. 31.) if ye continue. DEMAS forfakes PAUL: All in Afia forfake me.' Had this obfervable Caution been the Product of a Spirit of Prophefy, I can fcarce fee, how it could, in a more pointed Manner, have admonished us in thefe Days. There never was a Time, in this Land, wherein there was fuch flocking after fome particular Minifters, and glorying in them, as though they were Gods rather than Men; never a Time, wherein Men's Profeffions and Affections rofe higher; never a Time, wherein Converfions, numerous Converfions were fo much boasted of: Would to God, there was no Reafon to fufpect the Truth of any one of them! But it ought always to be remembred, there may be a very specious Shew, where there is not the Subftance of Religion: Nor are Perfons without Danger of refting in the former, to the Neglect of the latter: And, it may be feared, whether this Danger han't been greatly increased, while fo many have been encouraged to look upon themselves as in a State of Grace, without that Proof of the Reality of their Converfion, which might reasonably be expected. There has certainly been too much Hafte, as well as Pofitiveness, in declaring thefe and thofe, in this and the other Place, to have palled from Death to Life: A Judgment has been too commonly formed of Men's Jpiritual Condition, more 1 per more from their Affections, than the permanent Temof their Minds difcovered in the habitual Conduct of their Lives; not duly confidering, how precarious that Religion must be, which has its Rife from the Paffions, and not any thorow Change in the Understanding and Will. Much, I am fenfible, has been faid, in these Days, of a Work of GOD going on in the Land: And I trust, this has all along been the Case with this People, from the Days of our Fathers: And I doubt not, 'tis fo now; nay, I charitably hope, there have been more numerous Inftances of saving Converfion, in the Years paft, than ufual: But muft it not be faid, at the fame Time, that there have been more Disorders and greater Extravagances, than common: And what is of ftill more dangerous Tendency, han't the great Talk of a Revival of Religion arifen more from the general Appearance of fome Extraordinaries, (which there may be where there is not the Power of Godliness) than from fuch Things as are fure Evidences of a real Work of GOD in Men's Hearts? I am clearly fatisfied, this is the Truth of the Cafe, however unwilling fome may be to own it. Nor have People been fo plainly and faithfully taught, as it were to be wifht, what a Work of GOD is, or how to diftinguish between thofe Things which are undoubted Marks of fuch a Work, and those which are not. They have often been told of the glorious Work of GOD; his Work, fo as was never before seen in our own, or Father's Days. But have they not been too much left to think, as if the Thing hereby intended was, the late religious Appearance, taken in the Grofs? This, I believe, B 2 believe, is the Idea Multitudes have of what is called, the Work of GOD going on in the Land; which, if it be, they certainly include that in their Notion of GOD's Work, which is highly difhonorary to him: Nor is it any Wonder, if, from this miftaken Tho't of what is truly the Work of God, they should speak of thofe as its OPPOSERS, who are its greatest FRIENDS; and have proved themfelves to be fo, by their Endeavours to discountenance fuch Things as are dangerous to Men's Souls, and may prove a Hindrance to the Progrefs of real Religion. People muft have in their Minds fome diftinct Conception of the Nature of a Work of GOD, or they will act in the Dark, while they embrace thefe as the Friends of it, and stand aloof from thofe as its Enemies: They will, in this Cafe, neither know what they fay, nor whereof they affirm. What I propofe therefore, by way of Introduction, is, to exhibit, in as brief a Manner as I can, a diftinct and clear Idea of a Work of GOD, with the Appearance it will make; especially, when it is remarkable. Now, in a Senfe, every Thing that comes to pafs, may be call'd the Work of GOD; for as our SAVIOUR faid to his Difciples, A Sparrow fhall not fall to the Ground without your Father: The very Hairs of your Head are all number'd. All great Events in Providence, whether in a Way of Judgment or Mercy, are. more efpecially the Work of GOD; according to that, † I form the Light, and create Darkness: I make Peace and create Evil: I the LORD do all thefe Things. Creation and Redemption * Matth. 10. 29, 30. † Ifa. 45. 7. are |