N04004:362
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.
From these Things we may learn how to judge of Experiences, and to estimate their Goodness. Those are not always the best Experiences, that are attended with the most violent Affections, and most vehement Motions of the animal Spirits, or that have the greatest Effects on the Body; nor are they always the best, that do most dispose Persons to abound in Talk to others, and to speak in the most vehement Manner; (tho' these Things ⟨p. 280⟩often arise from the Greatness of spiritual Experiences;) But those are the most excellent Experiences that are qualified as follows; 1. That have the least Mixture, or are the most purely spiritual. 2. That are the least deficient and partial, in which the diverse Things that appertain to Christian Experience are proportionable one to another. And 3. That are raised to the highest Degree: 'Tis no Matter how high they are raised if they are qualified as before mentioned, the higher the better. Experiences thus qualified, will be attended with the most amiable Behaviour, and will bring forth the most solid and sweet Fruits, and will be the most durable, and will have the greatest Effect on the abiding Temper of the Soul.
If GOD is pleased to carry on this Work, and it should prove to be the Dawning of a general Revival of the Christian Church, it may be expected that the Time will come before long, when the Experiences of Christians shall be much more generally thus qualified. We must expect green Fruits before we have ripe ones. 'Tis probable that hereafter the Discoveries which the Saints shall have of divine Things, will be in a much higher Degree than yet have been; but yet shall be so ordered of an infinitely wise and all-sufficient GOD, that they shall not have so great an Effect, in Proportion, on the Body, and will be less oppressive to Nature; and that the outward Manifestations will rather be like those that were in Stephen, when he was full of the Holy Ghost, when all that sat in the Council, looking stead fastly on him, saw his Face, as it had been the Face of an Angel. ⟨p. 281⟩Their inward Fullness of the Spirit of GOD, in his divine, amiable and sweet Influences shall as it were shine forth in an heavenly Aspect, and Manner of Speech and Behaviour. But