N04004:213
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.
There are some Things in Scripture that seem to signify as much, as that there should be Preaching in an extraordinary Frequency, at the Time when God should be about to introduce that flourishing ⟨p. 170⟩State of Religion that should be in the latter Days; as that in Isai. 62. at the Beginning: For Zion's Sake will I not hold my Peace, for Jerusalem's Sake, I will not rest; until the Righteousness thereof go forth as Brightness, and the Salvation thereof, as a Lamp that burneth: And the Gentiles shall see thy Righteousness, and all Kings thy Glory. And Ver. 5, 6. For as a young Man marrieth a Virgin, so shall thy Sons marry thee; & as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. I have set Watchmen upon thy Walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their Peace, Day nor Night. The Destruction of the City of Jericho, is evidently, in all its Circumstances, intended by GOD, as a great Type of the Over-throw of Satan's Kingdom; the Priests blowing with Trumpets at that Time, represents Ministers preaching the Gospel; the People compassed the City seven Days, the Priests blowing the Trumpets; but when the Day was come that the Walls of the City were to fall, the Priests were more frequent and abundant in blowing their Trumpets; there was as much done in one Day then, as had been done in seven Days before; they compassed the City seven Times that Day, blowing their Trumpets, 'till at Length it come to one long and perpetual Blast, and then the Walls of the City fell down flat. The extraordinary Preaching that shall be at the Beginning of that glorious Jubilee of the Church, is represented by the extraordinary Sounding of Trumpets, throughout the Land of Canaan, at the Beginning of the Year of Jubilee; and by the reading of the Law, before all Israel, ⟨p. 171⟩in the Year of Release, at the Feast of Tabernacles. And the Crowing of the Cock, at break of Day, which brought Peter to Repentance, seems to me to be intended to signify, the Awakening of GOD's Church out of their Lethargy, wherein they had denied their Lord, by the extraordinary Preaching of the Gospel, that shall be at the Dawning of the Day of the Churches Light and Glory. And there seems at this Day to be an uncommon Hand of divine Providence, in animating, enabling, and upholding some Ministers, in such abundant Labours.