N04004:157
Some thoughts concerning the present revival of religion in New-England, and the way in…
Some thoughts concerning the present revival of religion in New-England, and the way in which it ought to be acknowledged and promoted, humbly offered to the public, in a treatise on that subject. : In five parts; Part I. Showing that the work that has of late been going on in this land, is a glorious work of God. Part II. Showing the obligations that all are under, to acknowledge [sic], rejoice in and promote this work, and the great danger of the contrary. Part III. Showing in many instances, wherein the subjects, or zealous promoters, of this work have been injuriously blamed. Part IV. Showing what things are to be corrected or avoided, in promoting this work, or in our behaviour under it. Part V. showing positively what ought to be done to promote this work. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the Church of Christ at Northampton. ; [Two lines from Isaiah]Some thoughts concerning the present revival of religion in New-England, and the way in which it ought to be acknowledged and promoted, humbly offered to the publick, in a treatise on that subject. : In five parts; Part I. Shewing that the work that has of late been going on in this land, is a glorious work of God. Part II. Shewing the obligations that all are under, to acknowlege [sic], rejoice in and promote this work, and the great danger of the contrary. Part III. Shewing in many instances, wherein the subjects, or zealous promoters, of this work have been injuriously blamed. Part IV. Shewing what things are to be corrected or avoided, in promoting this work, or in our behaviour under it. Part V. shewing positively what ought to be done to promote this work. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the Church of Christ at Northampton. ; [Two lines from Isaiah]
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland and T. Green, 1742
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.
And that we may be warned not to continue doubting and unbelieving, concerning this Work, because of the extraordinary Degree of it, and the Suddenness and Swiftness of the Accomplishment of the great Things that pertain to it. Let us consider the Example of the unbelieving Lord in Samaria; who could not believe so extraordinary a Work of GOD to be accomplished so suddenly as was declared to him: The Prophet Elisha foretold that the great Famine in Samaria should very suddenly, even in one Day, be turned into an extraordinary Plenty; but the Work was too great, and too sudden for him to believe; says he, If the Lord should make Windows in Heaven, might this Thing be? And the Curse that he brought upon himself by it, was that he saw it with his Eyes, and did not eat thereof, but miserably perished, and was trodden down as the Mire of the ⟨p. 121⟩Streets. when others were feasting and rejoicing. 2 Kings, Chap. 7.
When GOD redeemed his People from their Babylonish Captivity, and they rebuilt Jerusalem, it was, as is universally owned, a remarkable Type of the spiritual Redemption of GOD's Church; and particularly, was an eminent Type of the great Deliverance of the Christian Church from spiritual Babylon, & their re-building the spiritual Jerusalem, in the latter Days; and therefore they are often spoken of under one by the Prophets: and this probably was the main Reason that it was so ordered in Providence, and particularly noted in Scripture, that the Children of Israel, on that Occasion, kept the greatest Feast of Tabernacles, that ever had been kept in Israel, since the Days of Joshua, when the People were first settled in Canaan; (Neh. 8. 16, 17.) because at that Time happened that Restoration of Israel, that had the greatest Resemblance of that great Restoration of the Church of GOD, of which the Feast of Tabernacles was the Type, of any that had been since Joshua first brought the People out of the Wilderness, and settled them in the good Land. But we read of some that opposed the Jews in that Affair, and weakened their Hands, and ridiculed GOD's People, and the Instruments that were improved in that Work, and despised their Hope, and made as tho' their Confidence was little more than a Shadow, and would utterly fail 'em: What do these feeble Jews? (say they,) Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an End in a Day? Will they revive the Stones out of the Heaps of the