Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

Many have spoken much of their Hearts being drawn out in Love to God and Christ; and their Minds being wrapped up in delightful Contemplation of the Glory, and wonderful Grace of God, and the Excellency, and dying Love of Jesus Christ; and of their Souls going forth in longing Desires after God and Christ Several of our young Children have expressed much of this; and have manifested a Willingness to leave Father and Mother and all Things in the World, to go to be with Christ. Some Persons have had longing Desires after Christ, which have risen to that degree, as to take away their natural Strength. Some have been so overcome with a Sense of the dying Love of Christ, to such poor, wretched, and unworthy Creatures, as to weaken the Body. Several Persons have had so great a Sense of the Glory of God, and Excellency of Christ, that Nature and Life has seemed almost to sink under it; and in all probability, if God had showed them a little more of himself, it would have dissolved their Frame. I have seen some, and been in Conversation with them in such Frames, who have certainly been perfectly sober, and very remote from any thing like enthusiastic Wildness: And have talked, when able to speak, of the Glory of God's Perfections, and the wonderfulness of his Grace in Christ, and their own Unworthiness, in such a manner that can't be perfectly expressed after them. Their Sense of their exceeding littleness and vileness, and their Disposition to abase themselves before God, has appeared to be great in proportion to their Light and Joy. Such Persons amongst us as have been thus distinguished with the most extraordinary Discoveries of God, have commonly in no wise appeared with the assuming, & self-conceited, and self-sufficient Airs of Enthusiasts, but exceedingly the contrary; and are eminent for a Spirit of Meekness, Modesty, Self diffidence, and low Opinion of themselves: No Persons seem to be so sensible of their need of Instruction, and ⟨p. 46⟩so eager to receive it, as some of them; nor so ready to think others better than themselves. Those that have been thought to be converted amongst us have generally manifested a longing to lie low, and in the dust before God; withal complaining of their not being able to lie low enough.

Many have spoken much of their Hearts being drawn out in Love to God and Christ; and their Minds being wrapt up in delightful Contemplation of the Glory, and wonderful Grace of God, and the Excellency, and dying Love of Jesus Christ; and of their Souls going forth in longing Desires after God and Christ Several of our young Children have expressed much of this; and have manifested a Willingness to leave Father and Mother and all Things in the World, to go to be with Christ. Some Persons have had longing Desires after Christ, which have risen to that degree, as to take away their natural Strength. Some have been so overcome with a Sense of the dying Love of Christ, to such poor, wretched, and unworthy Creatures, as to weaken the Body. Several Persons have had so great a Sense of the Glory of God, and Excellency of Christ, that Nature and Life has seemed almost to sink under it; and in all probability, if God had shewed them a little more of himself, it would have dissolved their Frame. I have seen some, and been in Conversation with them in such Frames, who have certainly been perfectly sober, and very remote from any thing like enthusiastick Wildness: And have talk'd, when able to speak, of the Glory of God's Perfections, and the wonderfulness of his Grace in Christ, and their own Unworthiness, in such a manner that can't be perfectly expressed after them. Their Sense of their exceeding littleness and vileness, and their Disposition to abase themselves before God, has appeared to be great in proportion to their Light and Joy. Such Persons amongst us as have been thus distinguished with the most extraordinary Discoveries of God, have commonly in no wise appeared with the assuming, & self-conceited, and selfsufficient Airs of Enthusiasts, but exceedingly the contrary; and are eminent for a Spirit of Meekness, Modesty, Self diffidence, and low Opinion of themselves: No Persons seem to be so sensible of their need of Instruction, and