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Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…
Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal salvation, viz. I. Justification by faith alone. II. Pressing into the Kingdom of God. III. Ruth's resolution. IV. The justice of God in the damnation of sinners. V. The excellency of Jesus Christ. : Delivered at Northampton, chiefly at the time of the late wonderful pouring out of the spirit of God there. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the Church of Christ in Northampton. ; [Three lines from Deuteronomy]
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland and T. Green, 1738
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
About the same time, there were two remarkable Instances of Persons led away with strange Enthusiastic Delusions: one at Suffield, another at South-Hadley: That which has made the greatest noise in the Country was of the Man at South-Hadley, whose Delusion was, that he thought himself divinely instructed to direct a poor Man in melancholy and despairing Circumstances, to say certain Words in Prayer to God, as recorded in Psal. cxvi 4. for his own Relief. The Man is esteemed a pious Man: I have since this Error of his, had a particular Acquaintance with him; and I believe none would question his Piety, that had had such an Acquaintance. He gave me a particular Account of the Manner how he was deluded; which is too long to be here inserted. But in short, he was exceedingly rejoiced and ⟨p. 75⟩elevated with this extraordinary Work, so carried on in this part of the Country: and was possessed with an Opinion that it was the beginning of the glorious Times of the Church spoken of in Scripture: And had read it as the Opinion of some Divines, that there would be many in these Times that should be endued with extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and had embraced the Notion; tho' he had at first no Apprehensions that any besides Ministers would have such Gifts. But he since exceedingly laments the Dishonour he has done to God, and the Wound he has given Religion in it, and has lain low before God and Man for it.
About the same time, there were two remarkable Instances of Persons led away with strange Enthusiastick Delusions: one at Suffield, another at South-Hadley: That which has made the greatest noise in the Country was of the Man at South-Hadley, whose Delusion was, that he thought himself divinely instructed to direct a poor Man in melancholy and despairing Circumstances, to say certain Words in Prayer to God, as recorded in Psal. cxvi 4. for his own Relief. The Man is esteemed a pious Man: I have since this Error of his, had a particular Acquaintance with him; and I believe none would question his Piety, that had had such an Acquaintance. He gave me a particular Account of the Manner how he was deluded; which is too long to be here inserted. But in short, he was exceedingly rejoiced and ⟨p. 75⟩elevated with this extraordinary Work, so carried on in this part of the Country: and was possessed with an Opinion that it was the beginning of the glorious Times of the Church spoken of in Scripture: And had read it as the Opinion of some Divines, that there would be many in these Times that should be endued with extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and had embraced the Notion; tho' he had at first no Apprehensions that any besides Ministers would have such Gifts. But he since exceedingly laments the Dishonour he has done to God, and the Wound he has given Religion in it, and has lain low before God and Man for it.