Wesley Corpus

On principles of reason. For, how easy is it to sup pose, that a strong, lively, and sudden apprehension of the heinousness of sin, the wrath of God, and the bitter pains of eternal death, should affect the body as well as the soul, during the present laws of vital union, should interrupt or disturb the ordinary circulations, and put mature out of its course ! Yea, we may question, whether, while this union subsists, it be pos sible for the mind to be affected, in so violent a degree, without some or other of those bodily symptoms following. It is likewise easy to account for these things, on principles of Scripture. For when we take a view of them in this light, we are to add, to the consideration of natural causes, the agency of those spirits who still excel in strength, and, as far as they have leave from God, will not fail to torment whom they cannot destroy; to tear those that are coming to Christ. It is also remarkable, that there is plain Scripture precedent of every symptom which has lately appeared. So that we cannot allow even the conviction attended with these to be madness, without giving up both reason and Scripture. 14. I grant, Fourthly, that touches of extravagance, border ing on madness, may sometimes attend severe conviction. And this also is easy to be accounted for, by the present laws of the animal economy. For we know, fear or grief, from a temporal cause, may occasion a fever, and thereby a delirium. It is not strange, then, that some, while under strong impres sions of grief or fear, from a sense of the wrath of God, should for a season forget almost all things else, and scarce be able to answer a common question; that some should fancy they see the flames of hell, or the devil and his angels, around them; or that others, for a space, should be “afraid,” like Cain, “whoso ever meeteth me will slay me.” All these, and whateverless.com moneffects may sometimes accompany this conviction, are easily known from thematural distemperof madness, were it only by this one circumstance,--that whenever the person convinced tastes the pardoning love of God, they all vanish away in a moment. Lastly. I have seen one instance (I pray God I may see no more such !) of real, lasting madness.