RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS
JONATHAN EDWARDS
X. Another thing
wherein those affections that are truly gracious and holy, differ from those
that are false, is beautiful symmetry and proportion.
Not that the symmetry of the virtues, and gracious
affections of the saints, in this life is perfect: it oftentimes is in many
things defective, through the imperfection of grace, for want of proper
instructions, through errors in judgment, or some particular unhappiness of
natural temper, or defects in education, and many other disadvantages that
might be mentioned. But yet there is, in no wise, that monstrous disproportion
in gracious affections, and the various parts of true religion in the saints,
that is very commonly to be observed, in the false religion, and counterfeit
graces, of hypocrites.
In the truly holy
affections of the saints is found that proportion, which is the natural
consequence of the universality of their sanctification. They have the whole
image of Christ upon them: they have put off the old man, and have put on the
new man entire in all its parts and members. It hath pleased the Father that
in Christ all fullness should dwell: there is in him every grace; he is full
of grace and truth: and they that are Christ's, do, "of his fullness
receive grace for grace" (John 1:14, 16); i.e., there is every grace in
them which is in Christ; grace for grace; that is, grace answerable to grace:
there is no grace in Christ, but there is its image in believers to answer it:
the image is a true image; and there is something of the same beautiful
proportion in the image, which is in the original; there is feature for
feature, and member for member. There is symmetry and beauty in God's
workmanship. The natural body, which God hath made, consists of many members;
and all are in a beautiful proportion: so it is in the new man, consisting of
various graces and affections. The body of one that was born a perfect child,
may fail of exact proportion through distemper, and the weakness and wounds of
some of its members; yet the disproportion is in no measure like that of those
that are born monsters.
It is with
hypocrites, as it was with Ephraim of old, at a time when God greatly
complains of their hypocrisy, Hos. 7:8: "Ephraim is a cake not
turned," half roasted and half raw: there is commonly no manner of
uniformity in their affections.
There is in many
of them great partiality with regard to the several kinds of religious
affections; great affections in some things, and no manner of proportion in
others. A holy hope and holy fear go together in the saints, as has been
observed from Psal. 33:18, and 147:11. But in some of these is the most
confident hope, while they are void of reverence, self-jealousy and caution,
to a great degree cast off fear. In the saints, joy and holy fear go together,
though the joy be never so great: as it was with the disciples, in that joyful
morning of Christ's resurrection, Matt. 28:8: "And they departed quickly
from the sepulchre, with fear and great joy."[69]
But many of these rejoice without trembling: their joy is of that sort, that
it is truly opposite to godly fear.
But particularly
one great difference between saints and hypocrites is this, that the joy and
comfort of the former is attended with godly sorrow and mourning for sin. They
have not only sorrow to prepare them for their first comfort, but after they
are comforted, and their joy established. As it is foretold of the church of
God, that they should mourn and loathe themselves for their sins, after they
were returned from the captivity, and were settled in the land of Canaan, the
land of rest, and the land that flows with milk and honey, Ezek. 20:42, 43:
"And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the
land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give
it to your fathers. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your
doings, wherein ye have been defiled, and ye shall loathe yourselves in your
own sight for all your evils that ye have committed." As also in Ezek.
16:61, 6S, 63. A true saint is like a little child in this respect; he never
had any godly sorrow before he was born again; but since has it often in
exercise: as a little child, before it is born, and while it remains in
darkness, never cries; but as soon as it sees the light, it begins to cry; and
thenceforward is often crying. Although Christ hath borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows, so that we are freed from the sorrow of punishment, and
may now sweetly feed upon the comforts Christ hath purchased for us; yet that
hinders not but that our feeding on these comforts should be attended with the
sorrow of repentance. As of old, the children of Israel were commanded,
evermore to feed upon the paschal lamb, with bitter herbs. True saints are
spoken of in Scripture, not only as those that have mourned for sin, but as
those that do mourn, whose manner it is still to mourn: Matt. 5:4,
"Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted."
Not only is there
often in hypocrites an essential deficiency as to the various kinds of
religious affections, but also a strange partiality and disproportion, in the
same affections, with regard to different objects.
Thus, as to the
affection of love, some make high pretences, and a great show of love to God
and Christ, and it may be, have been greatly affected with what they have
heard or thought concerning them: but they have not a spirit of love and
benevolence towards men, but are disposed to contention, envy, revenge, and
evil speaking; and will, it may be, suffer an old grudge to rest in their
bosoms towards a neighbour, for seven years together, if not twice seven
years; living in real ill will and bitterness of spirit towards him: and it
may be in their dealings with their neighbours, are not very strict and
conscientious in observing the rule of "doing to others as they would
that they should do to them." And, on the other hand, there are others
that appear as if they had a great deal of benevolence to men, are very good
natured and generous in their way, but have no love to God.
And as to love to
men, there are some that have flowing affections to some; but their love is
far from being of so extensive and universal a nature, as a truly Christian
love is. They are full of dear affections to some, and full of bitterness
towards others. They are knit to their own party, them that approve of them,
love them and admire them; but are fierce against those that oppose and
dislike them. Matt. 5:45, 46, "Be like your Father which is in heaven;
for he maketh his sun to rise upon the evil, and on the good. For if ye love
them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the
same?" Some show a great affection to their neighbours, and pretend to be
ravished with the company of the children of God abroad; and at the same time
are uncomfortable and churlish towards their wives and other near relations at
home, and are very negligent of relative duties. And as to the great love to
sinners and opposers of religion, and the great concern for their souls, that
there is an appearance of in some, even to extreme distress and agony,
singling out a particular person, from among a multitude, for its object,
there being at the same time no general compassion to sinners, that are in
equally miserable circumstances, but what is in a monstrous disproportion;
this seems not to be of the nature of gracious affection. Not that I suppose
it to be at all strange, that pity to the perishing souls of sinners should be
to a degree of agony; if other things are answerable: or that a truly gracious
compassion to souls should be exercised much more to some persons than others
that are equally miserable, especially on some particular occasions: there may
many things happen to fix the mind, and affect the heart, with respect to a
particular person, at such a juncture; and without doubt some saints have been
in great distress for the souls of particular persons, so as to be as it were
in travail for them; but when persons appear, at particular times, in racking
agonies for the soul of some single person, far beyond what has been usually
heard or read of in eminent saints, but appear to be persons that have a
spirit of meek and fervent love, charity, and compassion to mankind in
general, in a far less degree than they: I say, such agonies are greatly to be
suspected, for reasons already given; viz., that the Spirit of God is wont to
give graces and gracious affections in a beautiful symmetry and proportion.
And as there is a
monstrous disproportion in the love of some, in its exercises towards
different persons, so there is in their seeming exercises of love towards the
same persons.--Some men show a love to others as to their outward man, they
are liberal of their worldly substance, and often give to the poor; but have
no love to, or concern for the souls of men. Others pretend a great love to
men's souls, that are not compassionate and charitable towards their bodies.
The making a great show of love, pity and distress for souls, costs them
nothing; but in order to show mercy to men's bodies, they must part with money
out of their pockets. But a true Christian love to our brethren extends both
to their souls and bodies; and herein is like the love and compassion of Jesus
Christ. He showed mercy to men's souls, by labouring for them, in preaching
the gospel to them; and showed mercy to their bodies in going about doing
good, healing all manner of sickness and diseases among the people. We have a
remarkable instance of Christ's having compassion at once both to men's souls
and bodies, and showing compassion by feeding both, in Mark 6:34, &c.:
"And Jesus when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with
compassion towards them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd; and
he began to teach them many things." Here was his compassion to their
souls. And in the sequel we have an account of his compassion to their bodies,
because they had been a long while having nothing to eat; he fed five thousand
of them with five loaves and two fishes. And if the compassion of professing
Christians towards others does not work in the same ways, it is a sign that it
is no true Christian compassion.
And furthermore,
it is a sign that affections are not of the right sort, if persons seem to be
much affected with the bad qualities of their fellow Christians as the
coldness and lifelessness of other saints, but are in no proportion affected
with their own defects and corruptions. A true Christian may be affected with
the coldness and unsavouriness of other saints, and may mourn much over it:
but at the same time, he is not so apt to be affected with the badness of
anybody's heart, as his own; this is most in his view; this he is most
quicksighted to discern; this he sees most of the aggravations of, and is most
ready to lament. And a less degree of virtue will bring him to pity himself,
and be concerned at his own calamities, than rightly to be affected with
others' calamities. And if men have not attained to the less, we may determine
they never attained to the greater.
And here by the
way, I would observe, that it may be laid down as a general rule, that if
persons pretend that they come to high attainments in religion, but have never
yet arrived to the less attainments, it is a sign of a vain pretence. As if
persons pretend, that they have got beyond mere morality, to live a spiritual
and divine life; but really have not come to be so much as moral persons: or
pretend to be greatly affected with the wickedness of their hearts, and are
not affected with the palpable violations of God's commands in their practice,
which is a less attainment: or if they pretend to be brought to be even
willing to be damned for the glory of God, but have no forwardness to suffer a
little in their estates and names, and worldly convenience, for the sake of
their duty: or pretend that they are not afraid to venture their souls upon
Christ, and commit their all to God, trusting to his bare word, and the
faithfulness of his promises, for their eternal welfare; but at the same time,
have not confidence enough in God, to dare to trust him with a little of their
estates, bestowed to pious and charitable uses; I say, when it is thus with
persons, their pretences are manifestly vain. He that is in a journey, and
imagines he has got far beyond such a place in his road, and never yet came to
it, must be mistaken; and he is not yet arrived to the top of the hill, that
never yet got half way thither. But this by the way.
The
same that has been observed of the affection of love, is also to be observed
of other religious affections. Those that are true, extend in some proportion
to the various things that are their due and proper objects; but when they are
false, they are commonly strangely disproportionate. So it is with religious
desires and longings: these in the saints, are to those things that are
spiritual and excellent in general, and that in some proportion to their
excellency, importance or necessity, or their near concern in them; but in
false longing it is often far otherwise. They will strangely run, with an
impatient vehemence, after something of less importance, when other things of
greater importance are neglected.—Thus for instance, some persons, from time
to time, are attended with a vehement inclination, and unaccountably violent
pressure, to declare to others what they experience, and to exhort others;
when there is, at the same time, no inclination, in any measure equal to it,
to other things, that true Christianity has as great, yea, a greater tendency
to; as the pouring out the soul before God in secret, earnest prayer and
praise to him, and more conformity to him, and living more to his glory,
&c. We read in Scripture of "groanings that cannot be uttered, and
soul breakings for the longing it hath, and longings, thirstings, and pantings,"
much more frequently to these latter things, than the former.
And
so as to hatred and zeal; when these are from right principles, they are
against sin in general, in some proportion to the degree of sinfulness: Psal.
119:104, "I hate every false way." So ver. 128. But a false hatred
and zeal against sin, is against some particular sin only. Thus some seem to
be very zealous against profaneness, and pride in apparel, who themselves are
notorious for covetousness, closeness, and it may be backbiting, envy towards
superiors, turbulency of spirit towards rulers, and rooted ill will to them
that have injured them. False zeal is against the sins of others, while men
have no zeal against their own sins. But he that has true zeal, exercises it
chiefly against his own sins; though he shows also a proper zeal against
prevailing and dangerous iniquity in others. And some pretend to have a great
abhorrence of their own sins of heart, and cry out much of their inward
corruption; and yet make light of sins in practice, and seem to commit them
without much restraint or remorse; though these imply sin both in heart and
life.
As
there is a much greater disproportion in the exercises of false affections
than of true, as to different objects, so there is also, as to different
times. For although true Christians are not always alike; yea, there is very
great difference, at different times, and the best have reason to be greatly
ashamed of their unsteadiness; yet there is in no wise that instability and
inconstancy in the hearts of those who are true virgins, "that follow the
Lamb whithersoever he goeth," which is in false-hearted professors. The
righteous man is truly said to be one whose heart is fixed, trusting in God,
Psal. 112:7, and to have his heart established with grace, Heb. 13:9, and to
hold on his way, Job. 17:9: "The righteous shall hold on his way, and he
that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger." It is spoken of
as a note of the hypocrisy of the Jewish church, that they were as a swift
dromedary, traversing her ways.
If
therefore persons are religious only by fits and starts; if they now and then
seem to be raised up to the clouds in their affections, and then suddenly fall
down again, lose all, and become quite careless and carnal, and this is their
manner of carrying on religion; if they appear greatly moved, and mightily
engaged in religion, only in extraordinary seasons, in the time of a
remarkable outpouring of the Spirit, or other uncommon dispensation of
providence, or upon the real or supposed receipt of some great mercy, when
they have received some extraordinary temporal mercy, or suppose that they are
newly converted, or have lately had what they call a great discovery; but
quickly return to such a frame, that their hearts are chiefly upon other
things, and the prevailing bent of their hearts and stream of their
affections, is ordinarily towards the things of this world; when they are like
the children of
Israel
in the wilderness,
who had their affections highly raised by what God had done for them at the
Red Sea
, and sang his
praise, and soon fell a lusting after the fleshpots of
Egypt
; but then again,
when they came to Mount Sinai, and saw the great manifestations God made of
himself there, seemed to be greatly engaged again, and mightily forward to
enter into covenant with God, saying, "All that the Lord hath spoken will
we do, and be obedient," but then quickly made them a golden calf; I say,
when it is thus with persons, it is a sign of the unsoundness of their
affections.[70] They are like
the waters in the time of a shower of rain, which, during the shower, and a
little after, run like a brook, and flow abundantly; but are presently quite
dry; and when another shower comes, then they will flow again. Whereas a true
saint is like a stream from a living spring; which, though it may be greatly
increased by a shower of rain, and diminished in time of drought, yet
constantly runs: John
4:14
, "The water
that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up,"
&c., or like a tree planted by such a stream, that has a constant supply
at the root, and is always green, even in time of the greatest drought: Jer.
17:7, 8, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope
the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that
spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but
her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought,
neither shall cease from yielding fruit." Many hypocrites are like comets
that appear for a while with a mighty blaze; but are very unsteady and
irregular in their motion (and are therefore called wandering stars, Jude 13),
and their blaze soon disappears, and they appear but once in a great while.
But the true saints are like the fixed stars, which, though they rise and set,
and are often clouded, yet are steadfast in their orb, and may truly be said
to shine with a constant light. Hypocritical affections are like a violent
motion; like that of the air that is moved with winds (Jude 12), but gracious
affections are more a natural motion; like the stream of a river, which,
though it has many turns hither and thither, and may meet with obstacles, and
runs more freely and swiftly in some places than others; yet in the general,
with a steady and constant course, tends the same stay, until it gets to the
ocean.
And
as there is a strange unevenness and disproportion in false affections, at
different times; so there often is in different places. Some are greatly
affected from time to time, when in company; but have nothing that bears any
manner of proportion to it in secret, in close meditations secret prayer, and
conversing with God, when alone, and separated from all the world.[71]
A true Christian doubtless delights in religious fellowship, and Christian
conversation, and finds much to affect his heart in it; but he also delights
at times to retire from all mankind to converse with God in solitary places.
And this also has its peculiar advantages for fixing his heart, and engaging
its affections. True religion disposes persons to be much alone in solitary
places, for holy meditation and prayer. So it wrought in Isaac, Gen. 24:63.
And which is much more, so it wrought in Jesus Christ. How often do we read of
his retiring into mountains and solitary places, for holy converse with his
Father! It is difficult to conceal great affections, but yet gracious
affections are of a much more silent and secret nature, than those that are
counterfeit. So it is with the gracious sorrow of the saints. So it is with
their sorrow for their own sins. Thus the future gracious mourning of true
penitents, at the beginning of the latter day glory, is represented as being
so secret, as to be hidden from the companions of their bosom, Zech. 12:12,
13, 14: "And the land shall mourn, every family apart, the family of the
house of David apart, and their wives apart: the family of the house of Nathan
apart, and their wives apart: the family of the house of Levi apart, and their
wives apart: the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart: all the
families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart." So it
is with their sorrow for the sins of others. The saints' pains and travailing
for the souls of sinners are chiefly in secret places: Jer.
13:17
, "If ye will
not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and mine eye
shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried
away captive." So it is with gracious joys: they are hidden manna, in
this respect, as well as others, Rev. 2:17.
The
Psalmist seems to speak of his sweetest comforts, as those that were to be had
in secret: Psal. 63:5, 6, "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and
fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee
upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches." Christ calls
forth his spouse, away from the world, into retired places, that he may give
her his sweetest love: Cant.
7:11
, 12, "Come, my
beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages: Here I
will give thee my loves." The most eminent divine favours that the saints
obtained, that we read of in Scripture, were in their retirement. The
principal manifestations that God made of himself, and his covenant mercy to
Abraham, were when he was alone, apart from his numerous family; as anyone
will judge that carefully reads his history. Isaac received that special gift
of God to him, Rebekah, who was so great a comfort to him, and by whom he
obtained the promised seed, walking alone meditating in the field. Jacob was
retired for secret prayer, when Christ came to him, and he wrestled with him,
and obtained the blessing. God revealed himself to Moses in the bush, when he
was in a solitary place in the desert, in
Mount
Horeb
, Exod 3 at the
beginning. And afterwards, when God showed him his glory, and he was admitted
to the highest degree of communion with God that ever he enjoyed; he was
alone, in the same mountain, and continued there forty days and forty nights,
and then came down with his face shining. God came to those great prophets,
Elijah and Elisha, and conversed freely with them, chiefly in their
retirement. Elijah conversed alone with God at
Mount Sinai
, as Moses did. And
when Jesus Christ had his greatest prelibation of his future glory, when he
was transfigured; it was not when he was with the multitude, or with the
twelve disciples, but retired into a solitary place in a mountain, with only
three select disciples, charging then, that they should tell no man until he
was risen from the dead. When the angel Gabriel came to the blessed virgin,
and when the Holy Ghost came upon her, and the power of the Highest
overshadowed her, she seems to have been alone, and to be in this matter hid
from the world; her nearest and dearest earthly friend Joseph, that had
betrothed her (though a just man), knew nothing of the matter. And she that
first partook of the joy of Christ's resurrection, was alone with Christ at
the sepulchre, John 20. And when the beloved disciple was favoured with those
wonderful visions of Christ and his future dispensations towards the church
and the world, he was alone in the isle of
Patmos
. Not but that we
have also instances of great privileges that the saints have received when
with others; or that there is not much in Christian conversation, and social
and public worship, tending greatly to refresh and rejoice the hearts of the
saints. But this is all that I aim at by what has been said, to show that it
is the nature of true grace, that however it loves Christian society in its
place, yet it in a peculiar manner delights in retirement, and secret converse
with God. So that if persons appear greatly engaged in social religion, and
but little in the religion of the closet, and are often highly affected when
with others, and but little moved when they have none but God and Christ to
converse with, it looks very darkly upon their religion.
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