N04004:482
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.
The internal Acts & Principles of the Worship of God, or the Worship of the Heart, in the Love and Fear of God, Trust in God, and Resignation to God, &c. are the most essential and important of all Duties of Religion whatsoever; for therein consists the Essence of all Religion. But of this inward Religion, there are two Sorts of external Manifestations or Expressions. The one Sort, are outward ⟨p. 368⟩Acts of Worship, such as meeting in religious Assemblies, attending Sacraments,& other outward Institutions,& honouring God with Gestures, such as bowing, or kneeling before him, or with Words, in speaking honourably of him, in Prayer, Praise, or religious Conference. And the other Sort, are the Expressions of our Love to GOD, by obeying his moral Commands, of Self-denial, Righteousness, Meekness, and Christian Love, in our Behaviour among Men. And the latter are of vastly the greatest Importance in the Christian Life. God makes little Account of the former, in Comparison of them. They are abundantly more insisted on, by the Prophets, in the Old-Testament, and CHRIST & his Apostles, in the New. When these two Kinds of Duties are spoken of together, the latter are evermore greatly preferred. As in Isa. 1. 12, to the 18. and Amos 5. 21, &c.—and Mic. 6. 7, 8. and Isa. 58. 5, 6, 7. and Zech. 7. ten first Verses, and Jer. 2. seven first Verses, & Mat. 15. 3, &c. Often, when the Times were very corrupt in Israel, the […] abounded in the former Kind of Duties, but were in such Times, always notoriously deficient in the latter; as the Prophets complain Isa. 58. four first Verses, Jer. 6. 13, compared with ver. 20. Hypocrites & Self-righteous Persons, do much more commonly abound in the former Kind of Duties, than the latter; as Christ remarks of the Pharisees,