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in mind with several objections against the goodness of their
state, they have Scriptures one after another coming to their minds, to
answer their scruples, and unravel their difficulties, exceedingly
apposite and proper to their circumstances. By these means, their
darkness is scattered and often, before the bestowment of any new
remarkable comfort, especially after longcontinued deadness and ill
frames, there are renewed humblings, in a great sense of their own
exceeding vileness and unworthiness, as before their first comforts were
bestowed.
Many in the country have entertained a mean thought of this great work,
from what they have heard of impressions made on persons' imaginations.
But there have been exceeding great misrepresentations, and innumerable
false reports, concerning that matter. It is not, that I know of, the
profession or opinion of any one person in the town, that any weight is
to be laid on any thing seen with the bodily eyes. I know the contrary
to be a received and established principle amongst us. I cannot say that
there have been no instances of persons who have been ready to give too
much heed to vain and useless imaginations but they have been easily
corrected, and I conclude it will not be wondered at, that a
congregation should need a guide in such cases, to assist them in
distinguishing wheat from chaff. But such impressions on the
imaginations as have been more usual seem to me to be plainly no other
than what is to be expected in human nature in such circumstances, and
what is the natural result of the strong exercise of the mind, and
impressions on the heart.
I do not suppose, that they themselves imagine they saw any thing with
their bodily eyes but only have had within them ideas strongly
impressed, and as it were lively pictures in their minds. For instance,
some when in great terror
state, they have Scriptures one after another coming to their minds, to
answer their scruples, and unravel their difficulties, exceedingly
apposite and proper to their circumstances. By these means, their
darkness is scattered and often, before the bestowment of any new
remarkable comfort, especially after longcontinued deadness and ill
frames, there are renewed humblings, in a great sense of their own
exceeding vileness and unworthiness, as before their first comforts were
bestowed.
Many in the country have entertained a mean thought of this great work,
from what they have heard of impressions made on persons' imaginations.
But there have been exceeding great misrepresentations, and innumerable
false reports, concerning that matter. It is not, that I know of, the
profession or opinion of any one person in the town, that any weight is
to be laid on any thing seen with the bodily eyes. I know the contrary
to be a received and established principle amongst us. I cannot say that
there have been no instances of persons who have been ready to give too
much heed to vain and useless imaginations but they have been easily
corrected, and I conclude it will not be wondered at, that a
congregation should need a guide in such cases, to assist them in
distinguishing wheat from chaff. But such impressions on the
imaginations as have been more usual seem to me to be plainly no other
than what is to be expected in human nature in such circumstances, and
what is the natural result of the strong exercise of the mind, and
impressions on the heart.
I do not suppose, that they themselves imagine they saw any thing with
their bodily eyes but only have had within them ideas strongly
impressed, and as it were lively pictures in their minds. For instance,
some when in great terror