frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the
do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder."180 This resolution could be a modern-day mission statement for any church or ministry.
"The Religious Psychologist"
Jonathan determined not only to observe, but also to record, what he saw. The spiders that fascinated him, for example, were classified and described in great detail—we still have Jonathan's detailed account of a spider weaving a web. As a pastor, he was known to carry a pen, ink, and bits of paper along with straight pins when he went for rides in the woods. These rides were prime times for him to think and to talk with God. He would record the ideas that came to him and pin them, in order, to his coat. This checkerboard of thoughts was then carefully unpinned by his wife, vigilant to keep them in order, when he arrived home.
Jonathan once disassembled one of his Bibles—very carefully, of course— and sewed a sheet of blank paper between each pair of pages to allow him to record his notes. Another of his resolutions may reveal part of his reason for doing this:
28. Resolved,…to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.181
Constant and deep study of Scripture was a way to make sure he was growing in accordance with the exhortation of the apostle Peter, who wrote in his second epistle, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
Jonathan not only observed the perceived gaps in his life and constructed resolutions for solving them, but he also kept a detailed record of his progress. At the end of each month he tallied up the score.
As a pastor, Jonathan later recorded the possible evidences of the spiritual experiences of his parishioners, a practice he had seen his father do. His observations and notes on the emotional and physical responses of the people during the Great Awakening—such as weeping, fainting, laughing, and screaming—caused him later to be known as the "religious psychologist."
After observing and recording what he noticed, Jonathan, according to