apon many perfons at Cambuslang, a place within four miles of Glasgow; it is as life from the dead, after a long time of barrennefs and formality; and though a conftant lively courfe of religion may in itself be more valuable, yet the fudden converfion of many careless finners, from the way of fin and wrath, muft yield a more surprising pleasure, and none but men very much strangers to a heavenly fpirit, or under the influence of fearful prejudices, will do any thing to reproach fuch a work, to hinder it, or be exafperated and grieved at it. I am confident this Narrative will afford a very high pleasure and fatisfaction, to all in the United Provinces, who love our Lord Jefus in fincerity, and long for his coming and kingdom. They will be glad to hear of the converfion of poor finners, because it accomplishes God's great defign of grace and love, and is the bringing of thofe to Chrift, whom the Father has given him from eternity, and in whom he will be for ever glorified: in this confidence I have cheerfully promoted the tranflation of this Narrative, into the Dutch tongue, that fo I might fome way contribute to help the joy of those, whose happiness in time and eternity, I moft fincerely pray for. I know the minifters, who have attefted this Narrative, to be men of fuch excellent knowledge, in the truths and ways of God, fuch folid piety, and of fuch fidelity and integrity, that their teftimony in this matter is worthy of all credit, and may safely be depended on, while others are speaking and publishing their fentiments concerning this work with all freedom, thefe faithful minifters of Jefus Chrift judge themfelves obliged to do so also. They had more opportunity than any others, to inform themselves concerning the ways of the Lord with these people, and their manner of life, purpose, faith, charity; and what they have feen and heard that declare they unto us; and I for my part do cheerfully receive their teftimony, becaufe I know them to be men of good fenfe, and learning, and of ftrict veracity, and alfo free from Enthufiaftic impreffions, unless ferious religion and experimental piety be fo called, as, alas, we have melancholy occafion to observe they often are! There appear plain marks of fincerity and impartiality in the following account; and the fame things have been written to me by other friends of unqueftionable capacity and integrity, whom I know and correfpond with, and who have diligently vifited that people, among whom the Redeemer is now riding forth in the chariot of the everlasting gospel, conquering and to conquer. And this bleffed work is, fince the publication of this Narrative, fpreading and going forward in feveral other places, particularly Kilfyth, a parish about fix miles to the North of Glafgow, there are above an hundred carelefs finners, lately awakened to a deep concern about their fouls and eternity, and appear to be in a hopeful way. I am perfuaded, that all who really make God's pure and perfect word the only rule of their religion; who believe the great and univerfal guilt, corruption, and impotency of the human nature in its fallen ftate, and the abfolute neceffity of the Spirit of God, to convince men effectually of fin and righteousness, and judgment to come; to enlighten the blind mind, to awaken the fecure fleepy conscience, to bow the stubborn will, and open the hard natural heart to receive Jefus Chrift; I fay, all who believe these things, will own the work of God mentioned in this Narrative, to be highly confiftent with the fcripture account of converfion, and with all just obfervation of the doings of the Lord in the churches, when he is about to carry on falvation-work with any remarkable fuccefs; and I am very fure, the common fenfe and reafon of mankind cannot show the contrary, but that the fame almighty power, which firft breathed a living foul into man, can by a further inspiration and influence, coming along with the pure and faithful dispensation of the gofpel, raise men to a higher and nobler condition, than that in which they find themselves by nature. The wifeft of the Heathen philofophers were fo far fenfible of the horrible depravity of human nature, in its present ftate, that to the reforming of the heart and lives of men, they were perfuaded, there was need of a fupernatural and divine affiftance, or of the immediate interpofition of God himself; but the doctrines concerning the univerfal corruption of the human nature, fince the fall of man, and of the abfolute impotency, nay, enmity of corrupted nature, to any thing spiritually good, and confequently of the abfolute, indifpenfible neceffity of the Spirit and grace of God; to begin, to carry on, and to perfect, the whole work of a poor finner's converfion, fanctification and falvation, are principles moft clearly revealed, and strongly established by the word of God, juftified by the experience of all the faints, and allowed in fpeculation by all who call themselves reformed chriftians. I confefs, the Holy Spirit has been in a great and lamentable measure fo long departed from the churches called christian, that many who wear that name, are tempted to think, that all his affecting mighty operations upon the fouls of men by the preaching of the gospel, belonged only to the firft ages of chriftianity, and to the extraordinary ministrations of the apoftles; and that now, no more is neceffary to make men good christians, but a mere rational conviction, of the deformity of vice, and of the beauty and excellency of virtue, nor any other christianity necef fary, but an external profeffion of the name of Chrift, with a general affent to the truths of christianity, and a life unblameable in the eye of human laws, E that declare they unto us; and I for my part do cheerfully receive their teftimony, because I know them to be men of good fenfe, and learning, and of ftrict veracity, and alfo free from Enthufiaftic impreffions, unless serious religion and experimental piety be fo called, as, alas, we have melancholy occafion to observe they often are! There appear plain marks of fincerity and impartiality in the following account; and the fame things have been written to me by other friends of unqueftionable capacity and integrity, whom I know and correfpond with, and who have diligently vifited that people, among whom the Redeemer is now riding forth in the chariot of the everlafting gofpel, conquering and to conquer. And this bleffed work is, fince the publication of this Narrative, fpreading and going forward in feveral other places, particularly Kil fyth, a parish about fix miles to the North of Glafgow, there are above an hundred careless finners, lately awakened to a deep concern about their souls and eternity, and appear to be in a hopeful way. I am perfuaded, that all who really make God's pure and perfect word the only rule of their religion; who believe the great and univerfal guilt, corruption, and impotency of the human nature in its fallen ftate, and the a' rit of God, to convin righteousness, and the blind mind fcience, to bo e neceffity of the Spieffectually of fin and to come; to enlighten the fecure fleepy conwill, and open the hard ius Chrift; I fay, all who l own the work e, to be highly men juft ches, ork with re, the ot fhow the contrary, but that the fame almighty power, which firft breathed a living foul into man, can by a further infpiration and influence, coming along with the pure and faithful difpenfation of the golpe, raise men to a higher and nobler condition, than that in which they find themselves by nature. The wifeft of the Heathen philofophers were fo far fenfible of the horrible depravity of human nature, in its prefent ftate, that to the reforming of the heart and lives of men, they were perfuaded, there was need of a fupernatural and divine affiftance, or of the immediate interpofition of God himseif; but the doctrines concerning the univerfal corruption of the human nature, fince the fall of man, and ví the abfolute impotency, nay, enmity of corrupted nature, to any thing spiritually good, and confequently of the abfolute, indifpenfible neceflity of the 5t and grace of God; to begin, to carry on, and to perfect, the whole work of a poor finner's converfion, fanctification and falvation, are principles moit clearly revealed, and ftrongly eftablished by the word of God, juftified by the experience of all the faints, and allowed in fpeculation by all who call themfelves reformed chriftians. Iconfefs, the Holy Spirit has been in a great and lamentable measure fo long departed from thechurches called chriftian, that many who wear that name, are tempted to think, that all his affecting mighty ope it of all ey will I truth, e king 1 of the at the 3, fhall repent: >on the lory of convulas the nerica, in this hurch of the is in 5, 17. Loft is the d be on the fouls of men by the preaching of f the ie of ove ere, and red ek. he of ke -Y un |