NARY MESSENGERS to his Church, when, where, and howsoever he himself shall think it meet and good fo to do. Thus was it formerly with all the PROPHETS, under the Old Testament; and thus it has alfo been, from the Beginning to this very Day, under the New: For in every Chriflian Denomination there have, it may be, appeared, more or lefs, thofe, who, with great Propriety, have been ufually termed the WITNESSES OF THE TRUTH. (See Matt. xxi. 34. xxiii. 34. Rev. xi. 3, &c.) But as Stephen faid of the OLD PROPHETS," Which of "them have not your Fathers perfecuted?" (A&s vii. 52. Matt. v. 12.) fo may it now be well asked, which of the New-Teftament-WITNESSES OF THE TRUTH have not our Fathers perfecuted too?-Had we but a true and genuine Account of all THESE, from the very Beginning to this Day, what an invaluable Ecclefiaftical Hiftory would not that be?

To this CLASS then muft the Lutheran JOHN ENGELBRECHT be referred; who, with Refpect to his divine Call and Commiffion, like his PredecefforPROPHETS, and the other WITNESSES of GOD, and his facred Truth, is certainly a Character as ORIGINAL and EXTRAORDINARY as any of them all. In which Refpect, therefore, he is not here propounded as any Subject, or Pattern for ordinary Imitation. All Mimicry would in this Cafe be attended with Confequences no lefs abfurd than fatal.

Furthermore, altho' Vifions, together with other precious Gifts of the SPIRIT, are promifed us in Scripture, according to the various Exigencies of the Church of CHRIST; yet, (as in this Cafe) how true, how real, and how good foever they may be, they muft, by no Means, be efteemed and recommended merely for their own Sakes: Nor ought we ever to covet and afpire after them in any the most

fecret

fecret Pride and Ambition of our own Wills, whenfoever (as by this Account) they happen to be hiftorically related, and fet before us. The PREFERENCE must be given to, and the WHOLE STRESS, by every POOR SINNER, firft and laft, and always, laid upon the univerfal and infallible Ground and Foundation, JESUS CHRIST, and HIM CRUCIFIED: -In this there can be no Excefs.

Holy Paul was also a great and good VISIONARY (as may be feen, 2 Cor. xii. 1-4, and elsewhere) but yet he not only declares as above; but alfo, that "Charity, or Love, is the greatest of all." (1 Cor. xiii. 13.) And that "the End of the Law (and "thus for the very fame Reasons of all Visions and "other Gifts of the SPIRIT too) is Charity, out of "a pure Heart, and of a good Confcience, and of "Faith unfeigned." (1 Tim. i. 5.) Most remarkable it alfo is, that this our more modern, divine VISIONARY, or SEER, JOHN ENGELBRECHT, is fo far from contradicting, that he every where confirms and establishes the fame ancient and important Doctrine, in almost every Page of his divine Writings.

..

Had fome low SECTARIAN Views and Peculiarities, fome narrow, felf-appropriating, and partial Interests of contending Churches been the only, or the principal Drift and End aimed at, one might have been tempted to clafs, even thefe VISIONS of J. E. amongst feveral famous Romish LEGENDS, and other PIOUS FRAUDS and CONTRIVANCES of like Sort:-But in this Cafe, the glorious Univerfality and Impartiality of the great, the good, and the infinitely wife GOD plainly mark, and ftrongly diftinguish his own. univerfal and impartial Work, in and by this mean Man. For what, I pray, is here recommended and inculcated throughout, but the old Catholic and P, imitive Religion of "Repentance towards GoD, and

"Faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift?" (Acts xx. 21.) This is declared to be "the whole Counsel of GOD;" or at least the true and only Basis of it; it being a Doctrine effentially and fundamentally neceffary. Nothing can be alfo more univerfal, in it's very Nature, nor any Thing more expedient for all Times; for all Places; for all Circumftances; for all Orders and Degrees of Men; for all the prefent divided Parts, or Denominations of Christendom; and for every individual Perfon, how much foever he may, according to the Exhortation given, Heb. vi. I, be gone on unto Perfection. Neither has there been any real extraordinary Dispensation, or Vifitation, ever made, or carried on, by the bleffed GOD in his Church, without this Doctrine. (See Matt. iii. 1, 2, 8, 11. Chapt. iv. 17. comp. with Ver. 23, and Mark i. 14, 15. Chapt. vi. 12. Luke xxiv. 47. Acts ii. 38. iii. 26. xvii. 30. 2 Pet. iii. 9, &c. &c.) It will also be the infallibly diftinguishing Criterion and Characteristic of every one yet to come on Earth. For with this, it is plain, the EVERLASTING GOSPEL itself (fo much, and fo fenfibly now wanted) will begin, continue, and increase in it's Progrefs to endless Ages. (Rev. xiv. 6, 7. Chapt. xi. 3, and Ver. 10, compared with the Synchronical, Chapt. xvi. 9, 11, 21.)

This, then, of Courfe, confirms the Reality, enhances the Valuc, and recommends the Ufe of this fimple, plain, and undefigning Man's Divine Vifions. Were they even fabulous, or only the AUTHOR'S Own good Conceits, they would be wonderful in him; and might be acceptable, innocentlyentertaining, and profitable, for the Sake of their good Moral:-But as they clearly appear to be really divine Openings or Revelations, and the Reports of a fpiritual Traveller of unimpeached Veracity; the more they have in them of the Strange, the Extraor

dinary, and the Marvellous to the Eyes and Ears of. human Wisdom, fo much the more likely are they to be true; (Joh. iii. 11-13, 31, 32. 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10. 2 Cor. xii. 4.) and fo much the more loud and emphatical is the Call of God by them unto UNIVERSAL REPENTANCE. O may this, and such like, mild Voices, and condefcending Means, be duly attended to; left, fooner or later, they might be followed, and feconded by fome fudden Clap, or Shock from the THUNDER of his Power! (See Prov. i. 20--33. in this Point of View.)

Extenfive is the Meaning, and great the Condefcenfion of the Lord by that affectionate Expoftulation made Ifai. v. 4. "What could have been ❝ done more for my Vineyard, that I have not done

in it?"Many a bold and fcoffing Infidel has not only thought in his Heart, but spoke openly with his Mouth-Has he however yet fent us one from the Dead? -If then, our bleffed GOD, (whofe Sovereignty admits of no other Bounds but what he is pleafed to fet to it himself; and who therefore worketh all Things according to the Counsel of his own Will) fhould have deigned thefe laft perilous Times fuch a Favour, as, befides Mofes and the Prophets, and even after CHRIST and his Apoftles, to cut off this Pretext alfo for Unbelief, and to add every poffible Incentive to our Faith;-who are we, that we fhould arraign GOD, and fay to him, "What doeft thou?" Certainly, if the MATTER of FACT be only well attefted and incontrovertible, (as in the prefent Cafe it is, if in any other in the World) it would better. become us Child-likely to acquiefce in, and to be led (if poffible) to REPENTANCE by it; rather than, in the Perverfenefs of our own Spirits, and in the felf-fufficient, trifling Vanity of our darkened Ratiocinations, to go on cavilling and ftriving with our Maker about the Poffibility and Expediency of a

Fact

Fact fo plain and indifputable: Let them alfo who might be inclined to wrangle from Abraham's Declaration, (Luke xvi. 30, 31.) that if, "Dives's

five Brethren did not hear Mofes and the Prophets, * neither would they be perfuaded, though one rose "from the Dead;" rather do their utmoft, that Unbelief may not, after actual Trial, verify it in more Cafes ftill: For which, however, there can be no other fatal Neceffity, but that, which a perverse and cavilling Spirit of Unbelief may create to every one, that gives in to it.

Now, if the modern SADDUCEE, equally averfe to all Revelation, is fuch a " Lover of Truth, fuch "a Friend of Reason, and fuch a Detector of "Fraud," as he would fain persuade himself and others to believe he is; let him then contemplate and acknowledge the moft fimple, undifguifed, and effectual Proof that could poffibly by God himself be given, that his own Soul is fomething of a very different Nature, and vaftly diftin&t from, ORGANIZED MATTER :-That it doth not, therefore, fleep, but live, in the highest and most perfect Activity, after the Death of it's Body;-and that there afluredly is both a Heaven and a Hell, after this Life. And oh, that he may be even thus led to Repentance for a Sin deeper than he yet dreams of; and fo to Faith in a crucified Chrift! For all this, being here confirmed to him by an indubitable Eyeand Ear-Witness; by one alfo, who, for the Sake of this very Teftimony, was ever after perfecuted by the Priests of his own, and of every other Perfuafion he had to do with; his Depofition, or Evidence, can reasonably be as little excepted againft, for Want of competent Knowledge of the Fact; as it could be fufpected and impeached of partial and finifter private Views, or of Prieftcraft: Nor is it lefs unreasonable to furmife, that a Man

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