N04757:111
An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in…
An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in extraordinary prayer for the revival of religion and the advancement of Christ's Kingdom on earth, pursuant to Scripture-promises and prophecies concerning the last time. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Minister of the Gospel at Northampton. ; With a preface by several ministers.
printed for D. Henchman, 1748
Part 2: MOTIVES to a Compliance with what is proposed in the Memorial.
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.
In order to Christ's being mystically born in•o the World, in the Advancement and Flourishing of true Religion, and great Increase of the Number of true Converts, who are spoken of as having Christ formed in them, the Scriptures represent it as requisite, that the Church should first be in Travail, crying, and pained to be delivered; Rev. xii.1, 2, 5. And one Thing that we have good Reason to understand by it, is her exercising strong Desires, and wrestling and agonizing with God in Prayer, for this Event; because we find such Figures of Speech used in this Sense else-where: so, Gal. iv.19. My little Children, of whom I travail in Birth again, until Christ be formed in you.—Isai. xxvi.16, 17. Lord, in Trouble have they visited thee; they poured out a Prayer when thy Chastening was upon them. Like a Woman with Child, that draweth near the Time of her Delivery, is in Pain, and crieth out in her Pangs, so have we been in thy Sight, O Lord. And certainly it is fit, that the Church of God should be in Travail for that, which (as I before observed) the whole Creation travails in Pain for.
In order to Christ's being mystically born in•o the World, in the Advancement and Flour•shing of true Religion, and great Increase of the Number of true Converts, who are spoken of as having Christ formed in them, the Scriptures represent it as requisite, that the Church should first be in Travail, crying, and pained to be delivered; Rev. xii.1, 2, 5. And one Thing that we have good Reason to understand by it, is her exercising strong Desires, and wrestling and agonizing with God in Prayer, for this Event; because we find such Figures of Speech used in this Sense else-where: so, Gal. iv.19. My little Children, of whom I travail in Birth again, until Christ be formed in you.—Isai. xxvi.16, 17