RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS
JONATHAN EDWARDS
X.
Nothing can be certainly known of the nature of religious affections by this,
that they much dispose persons with their mouths to praise and glorify God.
This indeed is implied in what
has been just now observed, of abounding and spending much time in the
external exercises of religion, and was also hinted before; but because many
seem to look upon it as a bright evidence of gracious affection, when persons
appear greatly disposed to praise and magnify God, to have their mouths full
of his praises, and affectionately to be calling on others to praise and extol
him, I thought it deserved a more particular consideration.
No Christian will make it an
argument against a person, that he seems to have such a disposition. Nor can
it reasonably be looked upon as an evidence for a person, if those things that
have been already observed and proved, be duly considered, viz., that persons,
without grace, may have high affections towards God and Christ, and that their
affections, being strong, may fill their mouths and incline them to speak
much, and very earnestly, about the things they are affected with, and that
there may be counterfeits of all kinds of gracious affection. But it will
appear more evidently and directly, that this is no certain sign of grace, if
we consider what instances the Scripture gives us of it in those that were
graceless. We often have an account of this, in the multitude that were
present when Christ preached and wrought miracles; Mark 2:12, "And
immediately he arose, took up his bed, and went forth before them all,
insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it
on this fashion." So Matt. 9:8, and Luke 5:26. Also Matt.
15:31
, "Insomuch
that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be
whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of
Israel." So we are told, that on occasion of Christ's raising the son of
the widow of Nain, Luke 7:16, "There came a fear on all: and they
glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That
God hath visited his people." So we read of their glorifying Christ, or
speaking exceeding highly of him: Luke 4:15, "And he taught in their
synagogues, being glorified of all." And how did they praise him, with
loud voices, crying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; hosanna in the
highest; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," a little
before he was crucified! And after Christ's ascension, when the apostles had
healed the impotent man, we are told, that all men glorified God for that
which was done, Acts 4:21. When the Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia, heard from
Paul and Barnabas, that God would reject the Jews, and take the Gentiles to be
his people in their room, they were affected with the goodness of God to the
Gentiles, "and glorified the word of the Lord:" but all that did so
were not true believers; but only a certain elect number of them; as is
intimated in the account we have of it, Acts 13:48: "And when the
Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and
as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed." So of old the
children of Israel at the Red Sea, "sang God's praise; but soon forgat
his works." And the Jews in Ezekiel's time, "with their mouth showed
much love, while their heart went after their covetousness." And it is
foretold of false professors and real enemies of religion, that they should
show a forwardness to glorify God: Isa. 66:5, "Hear the word of the Lord,
ye that tremble at his word. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out
for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified."
It is no certain sign that a
person is graciously affected, if, in the midst of his hopes and comforts, he
is greatly affected with God's unmerited mercy to him that is so unworthy, and
seems greatly to extol and magnify free grace. Those that yet remain with
unmortified pride and enmity against God, may, when they imagine that they
have received extraordinary kindness from God, cry out of their unworthiness,
and magnify God's undeserved goodness to them, from no other conviction of
their ill deservings, and from no higher principle than Saul had, who, while
he yet remained with unsubdued pride and enmity against David, was brought,
though a king, to acknowledge his unworthiness, and cry out, "I have
played the fool, I have erred exceedingly," and with great affection and
admiration, to magnify and extol David's unmerited and unexampled kindness to
him, 1 Sam. 25:16-19, and 26:21, and from no higher principle than that from
whence Nebuchadnezzar was affected with God's dispensations, that he saw and
was the subject of, and praises, extols and honours the King of heaven; and
both he, and Darius, in their high affections, call upon all nations to praise
God, Dan. 3:28, 29, 30, and 4:1, 2, 3, 34, 35, 37, and 6:25, 26, 27.
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