N04004:42
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.
We can't determine that GOD never shall give any Person so much of a Discovery of himself, not only as to weaken their Bodies, but to take away their ⟨p. 19⟩Lives. 'Tis supposed by very learned and judicious Divines, that Moses's Life was taken away after this Manner; and this has also been supposed to be the Case with some other Saints. Yea, I don't see any solid sure Grounds any have to determine, that GOD shall never make such strong Impressions on the Mind by his Spirit, that shall be an Occasion of so impairing the Frame of the Body, and particularly that Part of the Body, the Brain, that Persons shall be deprived of the Use of Reason. As I said before, it is too much for us to determine, that GOD will not bring an outward Calamity in bestowing spiritual and eternal Blessings: so it is too much for us to determine, how great an outward Calamity he will bring. If GOD gives a great Increase of Discoveries of himself, and of Love to him, the Benefit is infinitely greater than the Calamity, tho' the Life should presently after be taken away; yea tho' the Soul should not immediately be taken to Heaven, but should lie some Years in a deep Sleep, and then be taken to Heaven: Or, which is much the same Thing, if it be deprived of the Use of its Faculties, and be unactive and unserviceable, as if it lay in a deep Sleep for some Years, and then should pass into Glory. We cannot determine how great a Calamity Distraction is, when considered with all its Consequences, and all that might have been consequent, if the Distraction had not happened; nor indeed whether, (thus considered) it be any Calamity at all, or whether it be not a Mercy, by preventing some great Sin, or some more ⟨p. 20⟩dreadful Thing, if it had not been. 'Tis a great Fault in us to limit a sovereign all-wise GOD, whose Judgments are a great Deep, and his Ways past finding out, where he has not limited himself, and in Things, concerning which, he has not told us what his Way shall be.—'Tis remarkable, considering in what Multitudes of Instances, and to how great a Degree, the Frame of the Body has been over-powered of late, that Persons Lives have notwithstanding been preserved, and that the Instances of those that have been deprived of Reason have been so very few, and those, perhaps, all of them, Persons under the peculiar Disadvantage of a weak, vapoury Habit of Body.
We can't determine that GOD never shall give any Person somuch of a Discovery of himself, not only as to weaken their Bodies, but to take away their