N04004:302
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.
Those Texts of Scripture that speak of the Children of GOD as led by the Spirit, have been by some, brought to defend a being guided by such Impulses; as particularly, those Rom. 8. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God: And Gal. 5. 18. But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law. But these Texts themselves confute them that bring them; for 'tis evident that the leading of the Spirit that the Apostle speaks of is a gracious Leading, or what is peculiar to the Children of GOD, & that natural Men cannot have; for he speaks of it as a sure Evidence of their being the Sons of GOD, and not under the Law: But a leading or directing a Person, by immediately revealing to him where ⟨p. 232⟩he should go, or what shall hereafter come to pass, or what shall be the future Consequence of his doing thus or thus, if there be any such Thing in these Days, is not of the Nature of the gracious leading of the Spirit of GOD, that is peculiar to GOD's Children; 'tis no more than a common Gift; there is nothing in it but what natural Men are capable of, and many of them have had in the Days of Inspiration: A Man may have ten Thousand such Revelations and Directions from the Spirit of GOD, and yet not have a Jot of Grace in his Heart: 'Tis no more than the Gift of Prophecy, which immediately reveals what will be, or should be hereafter; but this is but a common Gift, as the Apostle expressly shows, 1 Cor. 13. 2, 8. If a Person has any Thing revealed to him from God, or is directed to any Thing, by a Voice from Heaven, or a Whisper, or Words immediately suggested and put into his Mind, there is nothing of the Nature of Grace, merely in this; 'tis of the Nature of a common Influence of the Spirit, and is but Dross and Dung, in Comparison of the Excellency of that gracious leading of the Spirit that the Saints have. Such a Way of being directed where one shall go, and what he shall do, is no more than what Balaam had from GOD, who from Time to Time revealed to him what he should do, and when he had done one Thing, then directed him what he should do next; so that he was in this Sense led by the Spirit, for a considerable Time.
Those Texts of Scripture that speak of the Children of GOD as led by the Spirit, have been by some, brought to defend a being guided by such Impulses; as particularly, those