RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS
JONATHAN EDWARDS
II. It is no
sign that affections have the nature of true religion, or that they have not,
that they have great effects on the body.
All affections whatsoever, have in some respect or
degree, an effect on the body. As was observed before, such is our nature, and
such are the laws of union of soul and body, that the mind can have no lively
or vigorous exercise, without some effect upon the body. So subject is the
body to the mind, and so much
do its fluids, especially the animal spirits, attend the motions and exercises
of the mind, that there cannot be so much as an intense thought,
without an effect upon them. Yea, it is questionable whether an imbodied soul
ever so much as thinks one thought, or has any exercise at all, but that there
is some corresponding motion or alteration of motion, in some degree, of the
fluids, in some part of the body. But universal experience shows, that the
exercise of the affections have in a special manner a tendency to some
sensible effect upon the body. And if this be so, that all affections have
some effect upon the body, we may then well suppose, the greater those
affections be, and the more vigorous their exercise (other circumstances being
equal) the greater will be the effect on the body. Hence it is not to be
wondered at, that very great and strong exercises of the affections should
have great effects on the body. And therefore, seeing there are very great
affections, both common and spiritual; hence it is not to be wondered at, that
great effects on the body should arise from both these kinds of affections.
And consequently these effects are no signs, that the affections they arise
from, are of one kind or the other.
Great effects on
the body certainly are no sure evidences that affections are spiritual; for we
see that such effects oftentimes arise from great affections about temporal
things, and when religion is no way concerned in them. And if great affections
about secular things, that are purely natural, may have these effects, I know
not by what rule we should determine that high affections about religious
things, which arise in like manner from nature, cannot have the like effect.
Nor, on the other
hand, do I know of any rule any have to determine, that gracious and holy
affections, when raised as high as any natural affections, and have equally
strong and vigorous exercises, cannot have a great effect on the body. No such
rule can be drawn from reason: I know of no reason, why a being affected with
a view of God's glory should not cause the body to faint, as well as being
affected with a view of Solomon's glory. And no such rule has as yet been
produced from the Scripture; none has ever been found in all the late
controversies which have been about things of this nature. There is a great
power in spiritual affections: we read of the power which worketh in
Christians,[2] and of the
Spirit of God being in them as the Spirit of power,[3]
and of the effectual working of his power in them.[4]
But man's nature is weak: flesh and blood are represented in Scripture as
exceeding weak; and particularly with respect to its unfitness for great
spiritual and heavenly operations and exercises, Matt. 26:41, 1 Cor. 15:43,
and 50. The text we are upon speaks of "joy unspeakable, and full of
glory." And who that considers what man's nature is, and what the nature
of the affections is, can reasonably doubt but that such unutterable and
glorious joys, may be too great and mighty for weak dust and ashes, so as to
be considerably overbearing to it? It is evident by the Scripture that true
divine discoveries, or ideas of God's glory, when given in a great degree have
a tendency, by affecting the mind, to overbear the body; because the Scripture
teaches us often, that if these ideas or views should be given to such a
degree as they are given in heaven, the weak frame of the body could not
subsist under it, and that no man can, in that manner, see God and live. The
knowledge which the saints have of God's beauty and glory in this world, and
those holy affections that arise from it, are of the same nature and kind with
what the saints are the subjects of in heaven, differing only in degree and
circumstances: what God gives them here, is a foretaste of heavenly happiness,
and an earnest of their future inheritance. And who shall limit God in his
giving this earnest, or say he shall give so much of the inheritance, such a
part of the future reward as an earnest of the whole, and no more? And seeing
God has taught us in his word, that the whole reward is such, that it would at
once destroy the body, is it not too bold a thing for us, so to set bounds to
the sovereign God, as to say that in giving the earnest of this reward in this
world, he shall never give so much of it, as in the least to diminish the
strength of the body, when God has nowhere thus limited himself?
The Psalmist,
speaking of the vehement religious affections he had, speaks of an effect in
his flesh or body, besides what was in his soul, expressly distinguishing one
from the other, once and again: Psal. 84:2, "My soul longeth, yea, even
fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the
living God." Here is a plain distinction between the heart and the flesh,
as being each affected. So Psal. 63:1, "My soul thirsteth for thee, my
flesh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is."
Here also is an evident designed distinction between the soul and the flesh.
The prophet
Habakkuk speaks of his bodies being overborne by a sense of the majesty of
God, Hab. 3:16: "When I heard, my belly trembled: my lips quivered at the
voice: rottenness enter into my bones, and I trembled in myself." So the
Psalmist speaks expressly of his flesh trembling, Psal. 119:120: My flesh
trembleth for fear of thee."
That such ideas
of God's glory as are sometimes given in this world, have a tendency to
overhear the body, is evident, because the Scripture gives us an account, that
this has sometimes actually been the effect of those external manifestations
God has made of himself to some of the saints which were made to that end,
viz., to give them an idea of God's majesty and glory. Such instances we have
in the prophet Daniel, and the apostle John. Daniel, giving an account of an
external representation of the glory of Christ, says, Dan. 10:8, "And
there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned into
corruption, and I retained no strength." And the apostle John, giving an
account of the manifestation made to him, says, Rev. 1:17, "And when I
saw him, I fell at his feet as dead." It is in vain to say here, these
were only external manifestations or symbols of the glory of Christ, which
these saints beheld: for though it be true, that they were outward
representations of Christ's glory, which they beheld with their bodily eyes;
yet the end and use of these external symbols are representations was to give
to these prophets an idea of the thing represented, and that was the true
divine glory and majesty of Christ, which is his spiritual glory; they were
made use of only as significations of this spiritual glory, and thus
undoubtedly they received them, and improved them, and were affected by them.
According to the end for which God intended these outward signs, they received
by them a great and lively apprehension of the real glory and majesty of God's
nature, which they were signs of; and thus were greatly affected, their souls
swallowed up, and their bodies overborne. And I think they are very bold and
daring, who will say God cannot, or shall not give the like clear and
affecting ideas and apprehensions of the same real glory and majesty of his
nature, to any of his saints, without the intervention of any such external
shadows of it.
Before I leave
this head, I would farther observe, that it is plain the Scripture often makes
use of bodily effects, to express the strength of holy and spiritual
affections; such as trembling,[5]
groaning,[6] being sick,[7]
crying out,[8] panting,[9]
and fainting.[10] Now if it
be supposed, that these are only figurative expressions, to represent the
degree of affection: yet I hope all will allow, that they are fit and suitable
figures to represent the high degree of those spiritual affections, which the
Spirit of God makes use of them to represent; which I do not see how they
would be, if those spiritual affections, let them be in never to high a
degree, have no tendency to any such things; but that on the contrary, they
are the proper effects and sad tokens of false affections, and the delusion of
the devil. I cannot think, God would commonly make use of things which are
very alien from spiritual affections, and are shrewd marks of the hand of
Satan, and smell strong of the bottomless pit, as beautiful figures, to
represent the high degree of holy and heavenly affections.
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