of his hire.* And when the false teachers in the days of St. Paul accused him of preaching the gospel for hire, he justified himself by saying, Even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the gospel should live by the gospel. Therefore, seeing all who claim to be the ministers of Christ have a right to follow this rule, we should not have noticed the above facts, if we had not deemed it necessary in order to screen ourselves from the charge of hypocrisy, especially from those who have a much greater temptation to it than ourselves. Besides, in this way many are misled: they think that if men are so zealous as to work for nothing, they must be right in the doctrine they teach.

Once more. Many Methodist preachers are often declaiming in public against learned ministers and now we are told that they are about building a college, and have already employed Mr. Kean as a teacher. If any of these students should profess to become pious, and are disposed, they will no doubt go into the ministry. That is the rule upon which most Protestant denominations act: we always consider both true piety and a certain portion of learning (the more the better) to be absolutely necessary to qualify a man for this work. We now hope that the Methodists are about (as far as may be) to proceed upon the same plan. And we have no objections to the college-we

*Luke x. 7.

+ 1 Cor. ix. 14.

wish it well; but we hope that all their preachers will hereafter be consistent enough to be silent on this subject.

2dly. No doubt many honest people are deceived by the Methodists in consequence of their falling down, and lying apparently senseless, as they often do in their camp and other meetings. But this we consider to be no test of truth, although in this book we have often spoken of it as though it were true religion-because if it were, as they say, it would completely establish the doctrines of election, effectual calling, or special grace-provided they would be consistent with themselves; yet it is evident to every attentive observer, that a great part of this falling is mere pretence. Some other cases which are not pretence, may be produced by second causes, and could be accounted for upon philosophical principlesalthough they may appear as strange to many who are unacquainted with philosophy, as it would be to see a snake charm a bird, and make it a prey. There are many such things in nature of which most people are quite ignorant. The Roman Catholics are said to have long availed themselves of this fact, much to their advantage, by pretending to work miracles.

But we will waive, for the present, all these considerations, and will suppose that every case of falling was real; that the subject of it could not help it--but that it was produced by some superior and unseen power. Even then

it would by no means be any real test of truth in this age of the church, when we have the Bible in our hands: because the Lord hath given his word to mankind, and made all essential truths plain, to the honest, humble inquirer ; and if men will rise in rebellion against them, because they do not suit their feelings, it would be no wonder if God should permit Satan to exercise his power, and deceive them. Indeed, the Lord says of him whom we now call the Pope, (and who is a freewiller,) that his coming should be after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders; and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. The plain meaning of this text is easy to be understood.

*

However, we do not say that all this falling at camp-meeting is produced by the power of the adversary. But what we say is this: that if there be external power manifested, which is neither pretence nor the effect of natural causes, this power may be either of God or of Satan; and the word of God must determine whose power it is, for by this the spirits are

2 Thes. ii. 9, 12.

to be tried. When a people are worshipping God agreeably to his word, if then the Lord should please to make a special display of his power among them, and produce bodily exercise, and it should end in the natural fruit of the spirit, then we may suppose that this power was of God. But if, on the contrary, a worshipping assembly should boldly violate the word of God, and any visible and supernatural power should be manifest among them, then we must conclude that that power is of Satan.

is

There is no doubt that the power of Satan

very great he was once an angel of light, and it is certain that angels possess great power-because, when the Lord made that awful display of his glory on Mount Sinai, which filled all Israel with astonishment, the apostle tells us that it was performed by the ministry of angels.*

The Lord in his word hath told us much concerning the power of angels; and Satan was once one of them. If he has now fallen, and his mind and will become vitiated, so that he is a devil, we have no reason to believe that he has lost any of his natural powers, but is only restrained, by the superior power of aGod, from exercising them to the injury of all

In proof of this we find, that when the Lord gave Satan permission to go against Job, he exercised his power in different and strange ways. He caused the fire to descend and consume the sheep and servants; and the servant that remained was deceived by the appearance, and called it the fire of God. It is a common idea in the world, to suppose that Satan is a poor weak creature, who has no power-and it will answer his purpose exceedingly well to make men believe this. But the word of God represents him in a different light. That, represents him as going about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; as a strong man, armed, that keepeth the palace; as leading the children of men captive at his will; yea, so much so, that God represents himself as the only being in the universe who is able to deliver them.Hence," says the Father to the Son, "1 will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong." Here we see that the Bible represents Satan as both great and strong, and only to be overcome or restrained by the power of the Almighty. In the New Testament we read much of the power of Satan over those upon whom he was permitted to exercise it. Therefore, if men will rise in rebellion against the plain truths of God's word, because they do not suit the feelings of the carnal heart, it would be no wonder if the Lord, according to the declarations

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