N04004:65
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.
They that are studied in Logic have learned that the Nature of the Cause is not to be judged of by the Nature of the Effect, nor the Nature of the Effect from the Nature of the Cause, when the Cause is only Causa sine quâ non, or an occasional Cause; yea, that in such a Case, oftentimes the Nature of the Effect is quite contrary to the Nature of the Cause.
They that are studied in Logick have learned that the Nature of the Cause is not to be judged of by the Nature of the Effect, nor the Nature of the Effect from the Nature of the Cause, when the Cause is only Causa sine quâ non, or an occasional Cause; yea, that in such a Case, oftentimes the Nature of the Effect is quite contrary to the Nature of the Cause.
True Disciples of CHRIST may have a great deal of false Zeal, such as the Disciples had of old, when they would have Fire called for from Heaven to come down on the Samaritans, because they did not receive them. And even so ⟨p. 37⟩eminently holy, and great, and divine a Saint as Moses, who conversed with GOD from Time to Time, as a Man speaks with his Friend, and concerning whom GOD gives his Testimony, that he was very meek, above any Man upon the Face of the Earth, yet may be rash and sinful in his Zeal, when his Spirit is stirred by the Hard-heartedness and Opposition of others, so as to speak very unadvisedly with his Lips, and greatly to offend GOD, and shut himself out from the Possession of the good Things, that GOD is about to accomplish for his Church on Earth; as Moses was excluded Canaan, tho' he had brought the People out of Egypt, Psal. 106. 32, 33. And Men, even in those very Things wherein they are influenced by a truly pious Principle, yet, through Error and want of due Consideration and Caution, may be very rash with their Zeal. It was a truly good Spirit that animated that excellent Generation of Israel that was in Joshua's Time, in that Affair that we have an Account of in the 22d Chapter of Joshua; and yet they were rash and heady with their Zeal, to go about to gather all Israel together to go up so furiously to War with their Brethren of the two Tribes and half, about their building the Altar Ed, without first, enquiring into the Matter, or so much as sending a Messenger to be informed. So the Christians that were of the Circumcision, with Warmth and Contention condemned Peter for receiving Cornelius, as we have Account,