RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS
JONATHAN EDWARDS
XI. Another
great and very distinguishing difference between gracious affections and
others is, that gracious affections, the higher they are raised, the more is a
spiritual appetite and longing of soul after spiritual attainments increased.
On the contrary, false affections rest satisfied in themselves.[72]
The more a true saint loves God with a gracious love,
the more he desires to love him, and the more uneasy is he at his want of love
to him; the more he hates sin, the more he desires to hate it, and laments
that he has so much remaining love to it; the more he mourns for sin, the more
he longs to mourn for sin; the more his heart is broke, the more he desires it
should be broke the more he thirsts and longs after God and holiness, the more
he longs to long, and breathe out his very soul in longings after God: the
kindling and raising of gracious affections is like kindling a flame; the
higher it is raised, the more ardent it is; and the more it burns, the more
vehemently does it tend and seek to burn. So that the spiritual appetite after
holiness, and an increase of holy affections is much more lively and keen in
those that are eminent in holiness, than others, and more when grace and holy
affections are in their most lively exercise, than at other times. It is as
much the nature of one that is spiritually new born, to thirst after growth in
holiness, as it is the nature of a new born babe to thirst after the mother's
breast; who has the sharpest appetite, when best in health. 1 Pet. 2:2, 3,
"As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." The most
that the saints have in this world, is but a taste, a prelibation of that
future glory which is their proper fullness; it is only an earnest of their
future inheritance in their hearts, 2 Cor. 1:22, and 5:5, and Eph. 1:14. The
most eminent saints in this state are but children, compared with their
future, which is their proper state of maturity and perfection; as the apostle
observes, 1 Cor. 13:10, 11. The greatest eminency that the saints arrive to in
this world, has no tendency to satiety, or to abate their desires after more;
but, on the contrary, makes them more eager to press forwards; as is evident
by the apostle's words, Phil. 3:13, 14, 15: "Forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I
press towards the mark.--Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus
minded."
The reasons of it
are, that the more persons have of holy affections, the more they have of that
spiritual taste which I have spoken of elsewhere; whereby they perceive the
excellency, and relish the divine sweetness of holiness. And the more grace
they have, while in this state of imperfection, the more they see their
imperfection and emptiness, and distance from what ought to be: and so the
more do they see their need of grace; as I showed at large before, when
speaking of the nature of evangelical humiliation. And besides, grace, as long
as it is imperfect, is of a growing nature, and in a growing state. And we see
it to be so with all living things, that while they are in a state of
imperfection, and in their growing state, their nature seeks after growth; and
so much the more, as they are more healthy and prosperous. Therefore the cry
of every true grace, is like that cry of true faith, Mark 9:24: "Lord, I
believe, help thou my unbelief." And the greater spiritual discoveries
and affections the true Christian has, the more does he become an earnest
beggar for grace, and spiritual food, that he may grow; and the more earnestly
does he pursue after it, in the use of proper means and endeavours; for true
and gracious longings after holiness are no idle ineffectual desires.
But here some may
object and say, How is this consistent with what all allow, that spiritual
enjoyments are of a soul satisfying nature?
I answer, its
being so, will appear to be not at all inconsistent with what has been said,
if it be considered in what manner spiritual enjoyments are said to be of a
soul satisfying nature. Certainly they are not so in that sense, that they are
of so cloying a nature, that he who has anything of them, though but in a very
imperfect degree, desires no more. But spiritual enjoyments are of a soul
satisfying nature in the following respects. 1. They in their kind and nature,
are fully adapted to the nature, capacity, and need of the soul of man. So
that those who find them, desire no other kind of enjoyments; they sit down
fully contented with that kind of happiness which they have, desiring no
change, nor inclining to wander about any more, saying, "Who will show us
any good?" The soul is never cloyed, never weary; but perpetually giving
up itself, with all its powers, to this happiness. But not that those who have
something of this happiness, desire no more of the same. 2. They are
satisfying also in this respect, that they answer the expectation of the
appetite. When the appetite is high to any thing, the expectation is
consequently so. Appetite to a particular object, implies expectation in its
nature. This expectation is not satisfied by worldly enjoyments; the man
expected to have a great accession of happiness, but he is disappointed. But
it is not so with spiritual enjoyments; they fully answer and satisfy the
expectation. 3. The gratification and pleasure of spiritual enjoyments is
permanent. It is not so with worldly enjoyments. They in a sense satisfy
particular appetites: but the appetite, in being satisfied, is glutted, and
then the pleasure is over: and as soon as that is over, the general appetite
of human nature after happiness returns; but is empty, and without anything to
satisfy it. So that the glutting of a particular appetite, does but take away
from, and leave empty, the general thirst of nature. 4. Spiritual good is
satisfying, as there is enough in it to satisfy the soul, as to degree, if
obstacles were but removed, and the enjoying faculty duly applied. There is
room enough here for the soul to extend itself; here is an infinite ocean of
it. If men be not satisfied here, in degree of happiness, the cause is with
themselves; it is because they do not open their mouths wide enough.
But these things
do not argue that a soul has no appetite excited after more of the same, that
has tasted a little; or that his appetite will not increase, the more he
tastes, until he comes to fullness of enjoyment: as bodies that are attracted
to the globe of the earth, tend to it more strongly, the nearer they come to
the attracting body, and are not at rest out of the centre. Spiritual good is
of a satisfying nature; and for that very reason, the soul that tastes, and
knows its nature, will thirst after it, and a fullness of it, that it may be
satisfied. And the more he experiences, and the more he knows this excellent,
unparalleled, exquisite, and satisfying sweetness, the more earnestly will he
hunger and thirst for more, until he comes to perfection. And therefore this
is the nature of spiritual affections, that the greater they be, the greater
the appetite and longing is, after grace and holiness.
But with those
joys, and other religious affections, that are false and counterfeit, it is
otherwise. If before, there was a great desire, of some sort, after grace; as
these affections rise, that desire ceases, or is abated. It may be before,
while the man was under legal convictions, and much afraid of hell, he
earnestly longed that he might obtain spiritual light in his understanding,
and faith in Christ, and love to God: but now, when these false affections are
risen, that deceive him, and make him confident that he is converted, and his
state good, there are no more earnest longings after light and grace; for his
end is answered; he is confident that his sins are forgiven him, and that he
shall go to heaven; and so he is satisfied. And especially when false
affections are raised very high, they put an end to longings after grace and
holiness. The man now is far from appearing to himself a poor empty creature;
on the contrary, he is rich, and increased with goods, and hardly conceives of
anything more excellent than what he has already attained to.
Hence there is an
end to many persons' earnestness in seeking, after they have once obtained
that which they call their conversion; or at least, after they have had those
high affections, that make them fully confident of it. Before while they
looked upon themselves as in a state of nature, they were engaged in seeking
after God and Christ, and cried earnestly for grace, and strove in the use of
means: but now they act as though they thought their work was done; they live
upon their first work, or some high experiences that are past; and there is an
end to their crying, and striving after God and grace. Whereas the holy
principles that actuate a true saint, have a far more powerful influence to
stir him up to earnestness in seeking God and holiness, than servile fear.
Hence seeking God is spoken of as one of the distinguishing characters of the
saints, and those that seek God is one of the names by which the godly are
called in Scripture: Psal. 24:6, "This is the generation of them that
seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob!" Psal. 69:6, "Let not those
that seek thee, be confounded for my sake." Ver. 32, "The humble
shall see this and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God." And
70:4, "Let all these that seek thee, rejoice, and be glad in thee: and
let such as love thy salvation, say continually, The Lord be magnified."
And the Scriptures everywhere represent the seeking, striving, and labour of a
Christian, as being chiefly after his conversion, and his conversion as being
but the beginning of his as work. And almost all that is said in the New
Testament, of men's watching, giving earnest heed to themselves, running the
race that is set before them, striving, and agonizing, wrestling not with
flesh and blood, but principalities and powers, fighting, putting on the whole
armour of God, and standing, having done all to stand, pressing forward,
reaching forth, continuing instant in prayer, crying to God day and night; I
say, almost all that is said in the New Testament of these things, is spoken
of, and directed to the saints. Where these things are applied to sinners'
seeking conversion once, they are spoken of the saints' prosecution of the
great business of their high calling ten times. But many in these days have
got into a strange antiscriptural way, of having all their striving and
wrestling over before they are converted; and so having an easy time of it
afterwards, to sit down and enjoy their sloth and indolence; as those that now
have a supply of their wants, and are become rich and full. But when the Lord
"fills the hungry with good things, these rich are like to be sent away
empty," Luke 1:53.
But doubtless
there are some hypocrites, that have only false affections, who will think
they are able to stand this trial; and will readily say, that they desire not
to rest satisfied with past attainments, but to be pressing forward, they do
desire more, they long after God and Christ, and desire more holiness, and do
seek it. But the truth is, their desires are not properly the desires of
appetite after holiness, for its own sake, or for the moral excellency and
holy sweetness that is in it; but only for by-ends. They long after clearer
discoveries, that they may be better satisfied about the state of their souls;
or because in great discoveries self is gratified, in being made so much of by
God, and so exalted above others; they long to taste the love of God (as they
call it) more than to have more love to God. Or, it may be, they have a kind
of forced, fancied, or made longings; because they think they must long for
more grace, otherwise it will be a dark sign upon them. But such things as
these are far different from the natural, and as it were necessary appetite
and thirsting of the new man, after God and holiness. There is an inward
burning desire that a saint has after holiness, as natural to the new
creature, as vital heat is to the body. There is a holy breathing and panting
after the Spirit of God, to increase holiness, as natural to a holy nature, as
breathing is to a living body. And holiness or sanctification is more directly
the object of it, than any manifestation of God's love and favour. This is the
meat and drink that is the object of the spiritual appetite: John 4:34,
"My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his
work." Where we read in Scripture of the desires, longings, and
thirstings of the saints, righteousness and God's laws are much more
frequently mentioned as the object of them, than anything else. The saints
desire the sincere milk of the word, not so much to testify God's love to
them, as that they may grow thereby in holiness. I have shown before, that
holiness is that good which is the immediate object of a spiritual taste. But
undoubtedly the same sweetness that is the chief object of a spiritual taste,
is also the chief object of a spiritual appetite. Grace is the godly man's
treasure: Isa. 32:6, "The fear of the Lord is his treasure."
Godliness is the gain that he is covetous and greedy of. 1 Tim. 6:6.
Hypocrites long for discoveries more for the present comfort of the discovery,
and the high manifestation of God's love in it, than for any sanctifying
influence of it. But neither a longing after great discoveries, or after great
tastes of the love of God, nor longing to be in heaven nor longing to die, are
in any measure so distinguishing marks of true saints, as longing after a more
holy heart, and living a more holy life.
But I am come now
to the last distinguishing mark of holy affections that I shall mention.
Contents
|
Next
Section
