The Life of Jonathan Edwards – Part 3 (pages 41–54)
Mr. Jonathan done since,
Edwards.
my extream Feebleness and Impotence, every
and the innumerable and bottamlefs Depths of secret Corcuptibn and Deceit, that there was in my Heart. However, I went on with my eager purRiit and sweet conformity to Christ. after more Holiness * The Heaven I desired was a Heaven of Holiness ; to be with GOD, and to spend my Eternity in divine Love, and holy Communion v/irh Christ. My Mind was very much taken up with Contemplations onHeavcn,and the Enjoyments of thofe there ; and Jiving there in perfetftholinefs, Humility and Love. And it used at that Time to appear a great Part of the Bappinefs of Heaven, that thtjre the It appear 'd to Saints could express their Love to Christ. me a great Clog and Hindrance and Burdan to me, that what I felt within, 1 could nor express to GOD, and give The inward ardor of my Soul, seem'4 vent to, as I desired. to be hindered and pent up and could not freely flame cut as it would. 1 used often to think, how in Heaven, this sweet Princip'e should freely and fully vent and express it self. Heaven appeared to tne exceeding delightful as a WorJd of Love. It appeared to me, that all Happinets consisted ifn living in pure, humble, heavenly, divme Love.
manner of
then to have of Horemember I then said sometimes to my ie \ I 60 certainly know that I love Holiness, such as the Gofp.€l * "I remember the Thoughts I used
linefs;
It appeared to me, there was nothing in it but what was ravilhingly lovely. It appeared to me, to be the highest Beauty and Amiableness, above all other Beauties that it was a divine Beauty ; far purer than any thing here upon Earth and that every thing else, was like Mire, Filth and Defilement, in Cbmparifon of it.
preferibes.
" Holiness, as I then wrote down some of my Contemplations on it, appeared to me to be of a sweet, pleafanr, charming, serene, calm Nature. It fcein'd to me, it brought an inexprefhle Purity, Brightness,Peacetwlners & Ravjihment to the Soul and that it made the Soul like a Ficid or Gardea of GOD, With all manner of pleasant Flowers ; that is all pleafani, (k-lightful & undisturbed ; enjoyinL; a sweet Calm, and the gently vivifying Beams of the Sun. The Soul of a true ChniVian,as I tliefi wrote myMeditations, appeared like :
fiich a little white Flowcr,as we see in the Spring of the Year
57 Life of the Reverend'
low and humble on the Ground, opening it*s Bosom, to receive the pleasant Beams of the Sun's Glory rejo)cing as it were, in a calm Rapture diffusing around a sweet Fragrancy standing peacefully and lovingly, in the midll of other Flowers round about all in like Manner opening their Boloms, to drink in the Light of the Sun. ;
" There was noPart of Creature- Holiness, that I then, and at other Times, had To great a Sense of the Lovehnefs of, as Humility, Brokenness of Heart and Poverty of Spirit and there was nothing that I had such a Spirit to long for. My Heart as it were panted after this, to lie low before GOD, and in the Dust that T might be nothing, and that might be all s that I might become s a :
Child.
little
*' While I was there at New-York, I fometlmes was mucli affected with Reflcclions on my part Life, considering how late it was, before 1 began to be truly religious ; and how wickedly I had lived till then and once so as la weep abundantly, and for a considerable time together. :
On Jammry 12. 1722,3. I made a solemn Dedication
cf my lelt to GOD, and wrote self,
and all that 1 had to
down
giving up
to be for the future in
my no
Refpecf my own ; to act as one that had no right to himself, in any Refpe b. And solemnly vowed to take (lOD for my whole Portion and Feliciiy ; looking on nothing else as any Part of my Happiness, nor acSting as if it were and his Law for the constant Rule of my Obedience engaging to sight with all my Might, againfl the World, the :
to the End of my Lite. But liave be infinitely humbled, when 1 confidcr, liow much I have faii'd of anfwcring my Obligation.
Fkfh and the Devil, Reason
had then abundance of fwcet religious Convcrfaflon the Fainily where I lived, with Mr. John Smithy aid his pious Mother. Heart was knit in AiTec ion to ** I
tho(e, jn
whom were Appearances of true
Piety ;
and I
could bear the Thoughts of no other Companions, but such as v.crc holy, and the Dilciples ot the blcfted Jesus, I
Jonathan Edwards,
great Longings for the Advancement of ChriH s
My secret Prayer used to be
Kingdom in the World.
great Part taken up in praying for
heard the lead
hint of any thing that happened in any Part of the World, that appear'd to me, in some Refpe»5l or other, to have a favourable Afpe6t on the Interest of Christ's Kingdom, my Soul eagerly calch'd at it ; and it would much animate
and refreih me. I used to be earnest to read publick NewsLetters, mainly for that End ; to see if I could not find
some News favourable to the Interest of Religion in the World. ' I
very frequently used
to retire into a solitary Place,
on the Banks of Hudson's River, at some Distance from the City, for Contemplation on Divine Things, and secret Converse with and had many sweet Hcurs there. Sometimes Mr. Smith and I walked there together, to converse of the Things of and our Converfa; tion used much to turn on the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom in the World, and the glorious Things that would accomplilh for his Church in the latter Days.
" I had then, and at other Times, the reateft Delight any Book whatsoever. Oftentimes in reading it, every Word seemed to touch myHeart. in the holy Scriptures, of
felt an Harmony between something in rny Heart, and thofe sweet and powerful Words. I seem'd often to see so much Li ht, exhibited by every Sentence, and such a refrefliing ravishing Food communicated, that I could not get along in reading. Used often*times to dwell long on one Sentence, to see theWonders contained in it ; and yet almost every Sentence seemed to be full of Wonders.
I came away from New-York ir) the Month of Aprils 1723, and had a most bitter parting with Madam Smith and her Son. My Heart seemed to fink within me, at leaving the Family and City, where I had enjoyed so many sweet and pleasant Days, I went from 'Neiu-York to ea*'
thenfield by Water.
City as long as
As I fail'd away, I kept Sight of the and when I was out of Sight of *
could
would affe6t me much to look that Way,, with a mixed with Sweetness. However, that Night after this sorrowful parting, I was greatly comforted in at H'efichejhr where we went athore to
kind of Melancholly
lodje :
of the Reverend
and had a pleasant Time of
it all the Voyage to was sweet to mt: to tliinlc Oi" meeting dear Chrirtians in Heaven, where we (l ould never part more. Ai Saybrcok we went afhcre to lodge en Saturday, and there kept Sabhath ; where I had a sweet and refrcfhing "eafcn,
lodge
Saybrock.
walking alone in the Fields. ** After I came home to remained much in lVin>1f:)\ a like Frame of my Mind, as I had been mat KewYork-y but only feme times felt my Heart ready to finlc, with the Thoughts of my Friends at New-York. And my Refuge and Support was in Contempiaiions on the heavenly State ; as I find in my Diary oi Mny i. 1723. It was my Comfort to think of that State, where there is fulness of Joy ;
where reigns heavenly, sweet, calm and delightful Love, where there aie ccntinija.ly the dearest ; Exprelfions of tliis Love where is the Enjoyment of the -Perfcns loved, without ever parting; where these Persons that appear so lovely in this World, will really be inexpreifibly more lovely, and full of love to us. And how Iwectly will the mutual Lovers jo'n together to ling the without Alloy
Praises of How full will it fill us and the Lamb with Joy, to think, that this Enjoyment, tliefe sweet Exercises will never cease or come to an End j but will last to all
Eternity **
CcvTiN'UED mucli in the same Frame in the general,
that I had been in at A'VTt-}l?r, ', till I wtnt to Kcw-Haven to live there as Turor oi \\\t College ; having one special
Seafcn of uncommon Sweernefs
particularly once xBoUony from Boflcr walking out alone in the Fields. my Mind Alter i went to Nciv-Haven lunk in Religion being diverted from my eager and violent Pursuits after Holiness,hy fomcafi'airs that greatly perplexed and dlrtra(5lsd my Mind. \\\
a Journey
Sfptc'mlt'ry \']CiSt
endeavouring to go
W3 tskrn ill
hone
and tl:e
where I lay could go no further f'ck or about a Quarter of a Year. And in this SickneJs, was pleafcd to visit mc again with the sweet Influences of his Spirit. My Mind wTjs greatly engaged there
North VilIaL'e,
that
rn divine, pleasant CciitcmplaticTis, and Longmgs of Souls
Mr. JonathanEdwards.
observed that thofe who watched with me, would often be lookint out for the Morning, and seemed to vvilh for it. Which brought to my Mind thofe Words of the Psalmist, which my Soul with Sweetness made it's own Language. A y Soul waiteih for the Lord, more than they that watch for the I
Mornings I say more than they that %urttch for the Alorning, And when the Light of theMorning came,and theBeams of the Sun came in at theWindows, it refrelhed my Soul rrom one Morning to another. It seemed to me to be some I mage of the sweet Light of GOD's Gibry.
" I remember, about that Time, I used greatly to long some that 1 was concerned with, k seem'd to me, 1 couid gladly honor them, and with Delight be a Servant to Lhem, and lie at their Feet,if they were but
for the Conveifion of
truly holy.
But some Time after thi?, I was again greatly diverted my Mind, with some temporal Concerns, that exceedingly tooli up my Thoughts, greatly to the wounding of my Soul and went on through various Exercifcs, that it would be tedious to relate, that gave me much -moreExp3nence pf my own Heart, than ever 1 had before. in
" Since I came to this Town,* I have often had fvtfeet Complacency inGOO. inViews of his glorious Perfedhons,
GOD GOD
and the Excellency of Jesus Chrifi. has appeared lo me, a glorious and lovely Being, chiefly on the account cf has always appeared hisholinefs. The Holiness cf to me the most lovely of all his Attributes. The Doctrines of God's absolute Sovereignty, and free Grace, in (hewing Mercv to whom he would (hev/ Mercy ; and Man's abfo lute Dependance on the Operations of God's Holy Spirit, have very otten appeared to me as sweet and gloriousDodt rincs. Tiiefe Dodrines have been inuch my Delight, GOD*s Sovereignty has ever appeared to me, as great Part of his Glcry. It has often been fwcet to me to go to GOD, and adore Him as a sovereign GOD, and aft: sg« -
vereign
Mercy of Him.
*' I have loved the Doctrines of the Gospel : They have been to my Soul like green Pastures. The Gospel Itias fccm'd to me to be the richcft Treasure the Tressure
D * Nortkcmoron.
57? Life of the Reverend
mod defred, and longed that it might dv/ell The Way of Salvation hy Chrid, h s appeared in a izeneral Way, glorious and excellent, and most h has often seem'd to me, that it pleasant and beaiuiful.
that I have
richly in
would in a great Measure spoil Heaven, to receive it in any 'I'hat Text has often been affedin and deother Way. lightful to me, Ifai. xxxii. 2. J Man Jhall he an hiding Place from the Wind and a Covert from the Tewpefl c, It has often appear'd fv/eet to me, to be united so to have Him for my Head, and to be a Member and also to have Christ for my Teacher of his Body and Prophet. I very often think with Sweetness andLongings and Pnntings of Soul, of being a little Child, taking hold of Christ, to be led by Him through the WiJderThat Text, Alatth. xviii. at the Benefs of this World. ginning, has often been sweet to mc, Except ye be converted, I love 42nd hcccme as little Children c. to think of coming to Christ, to receive Salvation of him, poor in Spirit, and quite empty of Self ; humbly exalting Him alone cut entirely css from nn own Root, and to grow into, and out of in Christ to be all in all ; and Christ to have to live byfaith on the Son of GOD, a Life of humble, unThat Scripture has often feigned Confidence in Him. been sweet to me, Pfal. cxv. i. Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us hut unto thy Name give Glory, for thy Mercy, and for And thofe Words of Chrili, Luk x. 2i. ihy Truth's fake. ]u that Hour Jcfus rejoyced in Spirit and jaid 1 thank thee O Fnthets Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou ha/i hid these Things from the wife and prudent, and hajl revealed them unto Babes : Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy Sight. that Christ rejoyced in, feemthat Sovereignty of ed to me to be worthy to be rejoyced in ; and thit rejoycing of Christ, seemed to me to ihew the txceilency of Chrict, and the Spirit that he was of. *<
Christ
Sometimes
only mentioning a single Word, caufcs
mv Heart to burn within me or only seeing the Name of Christ, or the Name of some Attribute of CjOD. And :
GOD has appeared glorious to me, on account of the Trinity.
has made
have cxaltinir
GOD, that lie fubhas in thiee Perlbns and Holy Ghost.
Thoughts of
Father, Soy,
The sweetest Joys andDelights Iliave experienced, have not been thofe that have arisen from a Hope of my own good Eflate ; but in a dired View of the glorious Things When J enjoy this Sweetness, it seems to of the Gospel. Jt carry me above the Thoughts of my own safe EHate. 'seems at such Times a Loss that I cannot bear, to take off my Eye from the glorious, pleasant Obje fl: 1 behold without me, to turn my Eye in upon my self, and my own good Estate.
My Heirt has been much on the Advancement of
Kingdom in the World. The Histories of the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom, have been sweet
Christ's part
When I have read Histories of pafi Ages, the
my reading has been, to read of the Kingdom ofchrift being promoted. And when 1 have expelled my reading, to come to any such thing, I have pleasantest I'hing in all
upon it all the Way
And my Mind has as I read. been mu'ch entertained a<ld delighted, with the Scripture Promises and Prophecies, of the future glorious Advancement of Christ's Kingdom on Earth. Jotted
*' I have sometimes had a Sense of the excellent Fulnef$ of Christ, and his Meetnefs and Suitableness as a Saviour;
whereby he has appeared to me, tar above all, the chief And his Blood and Atonement has apoften Thousands. peared sweet, and his Righteousness sweet ; which is always accompanied with an Ardency of Spirit, and inward Strugglings and Breathings and Groanings, that cannot be uttered, to be emptied of my self, and swallowed up in
Christ.
" Once, as I rid out
into
the Woods for
my Health,
from my F rfe in a retired Place, as myManner commonly has been,t6 walk for divine Contemplation and Prayer ; I had a View, that for me was extraordinary, of the Glory of the Som of ; as Mediator between and Man ; and his wonderful, great, full, pure and sweet Grace and Love, and meek and gentle Condefcention. This Grace, that appear'd to me so calm and sweet, appear'd great above the Heavens. The Person of Christ appear'd ineffably excellent, with an Excellency great enough to swallow up all Thought and Conception, Which continued, as near as I canjudge j nno 1737
a/id
having
aboi t wliic h kept me, the bigger Part of the about an (lour Time, in a Flood of Tears, and weeping aloud. I felt withal, an Ardency of Soul to be, what I know not otherwii'c how to exprels, than to be emptied and annihilated ; to lie in the]3uli,and to be full ofchrift alone ; to love him with a holy and pure Love ; to trust in him ; to live upon him ; to ftrve and (ollow h;m, and to be totally wrapt up in the Fullness otchrift ; and to be perfecliy fanelititd and made pure, with a divine and heavenly Purity, I have several other Times, had Views very much ot the same Nature, and that have had the same Effects. ;
" I have many Times had a Ztn{t of the Glory of the third Person in the Trinity, in his Office of Sanditier ; in his ho!y Operations communicating divine Lii ht and Life to the ooul. in the Communications of his Holy
Spirit, has appear'd as an infinite Fountain of Divine Glory
andsweetnefs j being full and sufficient to fill and satisfy the : pouring forth it self i fwect Communications, iike the Sun in its Glory, sweetly and pleasantly diffuiing Light and Li/e.
Soul
** I have sometimes had an affecting Sense of the Excellency of the Word of as a Word of Life ; a the Light of Life ; a sweet, excellent, Lite- giving Word
GOD,
accompanied with ;a thirlHng after that Word, that it might dwell richly in
my Heart.
" I have often since
lived
tl/is
Town, had very
my own Sinfulness and Vileness very frequently {o as to hold me in a kind of loud Weeping, a(Tcfting
Views ot
fbmclimes for a confidcrahle time together lo that I have olten been forcc< to Ihut my self up. I h ve had a vainly f;r<:af r St-nfe of my own Wickcdnefs, and the Hadnefs of my Heart, since my Convcrfion, than ever I had before. Jt has olten appeared to mc, that if (bould mark Iniquity againll me, I Hiould appear the very worst of all Mnnkind of all that have been since the beginning of the and that I fliould have by far the World to this tim;; When others that have ccme to tal' iowel Place in Hell. have cxprcft:.*d ihi: vvitli me about their Soul Concerns, Scnfc iliey have had of ilieir own Wjckcdncfs, by laving: :
iaat
fetir.'d
them, that they w re
Mr» Jo* NATHAN Edwards.
Devil himself ; I thought their Exprefiions seemed exceeding faint and feeble, toieprefent mywickednefs. I thought I (hould wonder, that they Ihould conient themselves v-ith such Exprefllons as these, if 1 had any Reason to imagine, to (t feerued that their Sin bore any Proportion to mine, me, 1 (hould wonder at mv felt, if 1 fhou!d express m Wickedness in such feeble Terms as they did. *'
My Wickedness, as
pear'd to me perfedly ineffable,
in rny self, has long ap-
swallowing Deluge, I know not how to or infinite Mountains over my Head. cxprefs better, what my Sms appear to me to be, than by heaping Infinite upon Infinite, and multiplying Infinite by I go about very often, for this many Years, with Infinite. thefc Expreiiions in my Mind, and in my Mouth, *' Infinite When I look upon Infinite. Infinite upon Infinite " into my Heart, and take a view of my W ickednefs, it looks like an Abyss infinitely deeper than Hell. And it appears to me, that were it not for free Grace, exalted and raised up to the infinite Height of all the fulness and g'ory of the
up all Thought and Imagination
infinitely
like an inrinite
JEHOVAH,
and the Arm of his Power and Grace great stretched forth, in all the Majefiy of his Power, and in all the Glory of his Sovereignty j I (hould appear funk down in my Sins infinitely below Hell it self, far beyond Sight of every Thing, but the piercing Eye of God's Grace,that can pierce even down to such a Depth, and to the bottom of such an Abyss.
" And yet, I ben't in the ]ea{l inclined to think, that I have a greater Convidion of Sin
than ordinary,
it seems
to me, my Conviction of Sin is exceeding small, and faint. It appears to
me enough to amaze me, at I liave no more
Sense of my Sin. I know certainly, that I have very little Sense of my sinfulness. That my Sins appear to me so great, don't seem to rfne to be, because 1 have so much more Conviftion of Sin than other Christians, but because 1 am so much worse, and have so much more Wickedness to be convinced of. When I have had ihefe Turns of weeping and crying for my Sins, I thought 1 knew in the
Time of it, that my Repentance was nothing to my Sin. *'
I have greatly longed of late,
iielow beiore GOD.
for a broken Heart, and
And when I ask for Humility of
aOD,
COD,
of the Reverend
can't bear the Thoughts of being no
ble, than other Chnrtians.
mere hum-
seems to me, that tho' their
Degrees ot Humihry may be fuitabic for them ; ytt it would be a vile Self exaltation in me, not to be the lowest Others (fpcsk of their longin Humility ot all Mankind. ing to be humbled to the Dust. Tho' ihst may be a proper ExprelTion for them, 1 always think for I ou lir to be humbled down below Hell.
*Tis an £xhas long; been natural for me to iife inPrayer I ought to he infinitely low before
prelfion that
to God.
my self, that
GOD.
" It is affecting to me to think, how ignorant I was, vhen 1 was a young Chrit ian, ot the bcttomlefs, infinite Depths of Wickedness, Pride, Hppocrify and Deceit left in
my Heart. I Have va{ ly a greater Sense of my universal, exceeding Dependence on God's Grace and Strength, and meer good Pleasure, of late, than 1 used formerly to have ; and have experienced more of an Abhorrencaof my ownRighThe Thought of any Comfort or Joy, arising Jeoulnefs. in me, on any Coniideraticn, or Reflecflion on my own Amiableness, or any of my Perfomances or Experiences, or any Goodness of Heart or Life, is nauseous and dcteilable And yet I am greatly afhi6tcd with a proucT and to me self-righteous Spirit ; much more lenfibly, than I used 10 be formerly. I see that Serpent rifin and putting forth it's Head, continually, cvc ry where, all around me.
Tho'
seems to me, that in some Refpe ls I was a for two or three Years after my first Converlion, than am now ; and lived in a more constant yet of late Year«, I have had a Delight and Pleafurt more full and con'Unt Scnfe of the absolute Sovereignty and have had of GOD, and a delight in that Sovereignty m'bre of a Stnfe ot the Glory o\ Christ, as a Mediator, ( )n one Saturday Night in paias revealed m the Gofpcl. ficular, had a particular Discovery of the Excellency of the Gospel of Christ, above all other Dov5>rincs ; To that I could not but say to my self; " This is my chofcn liit ht, my chofcndodrinc :" and oi Chnft, '* This is my chosen It appear'd to me to.bc fwect beyond all ExProphet.'* "rciU )M, to follow Chnil, and to be taught and chiighten'd r -ii. i. Sv him; to learn ;»f h;ni, nnd live toh.m. *'
far better Christian, 1
Anothef-
Mr. Jonathan Edwards,
how fvveet and blefled a Thing it was,
tC7 walk in was right and meet
Way of Duty, to do that which
to be done, and agreeable to the holy Mind of that it caused me to break forth into a kind of a
loud
so that I was forweeping, which held me some Time I could not ced to shut my self up, and taften the Doors. but as it were cry out, " How happv are they which do They are blefted that which is right in the Sight of indeed, they are the happy ones !" 1 had at the same time, a very affecfting Sense, how meet and fuiiable it was that (hould govern the World, and order all Things according ro his own Pleafur ; and 1 rejoyced in it, that reigned, and that his Will was done." 5
Part
III.
Containing a History of his Life from his EnT E R I NG on theWork of the Minillry, unto his
Death. S
General Manner of Life. Edwards made a Secret of his private Devo*
and therefore it cannot be particularly known ; that he was puncflual,: confcant and frequent in secret Prayer, and often kept Days of Farting and Prayer in secret ; and set a part Time loi serious, devout Meditations on spiritual and eternal things, tion,
tlio'
as part of
there is much Evidence,
his religious Exercise in secret.
appears
his Diary that in his Youth he determined to attend secret
Prayer more than twice a Day, when Circumflances would allow. He was,so tar as it can be known, much on his Knees in secret,and in devout reading God's Word, & Meditation upon it. And his constant, solemn convcrfe with in these Exercises of secret Religion made his Face, as it were, to ftiine before others. His Appearance, his Countenance, Words and whole Demeanour, (tho' without any thing of affecud 4
Grimace and four Auflerlty) wns attended with a Seriousness, Gravity and Solemnity, which was the natural genuine Indjcations and Exprelfion of a I'ccp, abiding caU of divine Things on his Mind, and of his livmg affc(5led
constantly in the fear ot God. Agreeable to his Resolutions, he was verv careful and
abstemious in eating and drinking ; as dou' tlefs it was Deceflary so great a Student, and a Person of so delicate and tender a bodily make as he was, should be, in order to be comfortab'e and ufetul. When he had, by careful Obfcrvation, tound what kind, and what quantity of Diet, best suited his Constitution, and rendered him moll til to pursue his Work, he was very ftri(5t and exa6V in complying with it ; and in this respect lived by Rule and herein conHantly |)radlired great Self-denial Wluch he also did in his conItant early rising, in order to redeem Time for his Study, He uled himself to rife by four or between four and five in the Morning. Tho* he was of a tender and delicate Confiirution, yet few Students are capable of close Application iTi:.re Hours in a D y than he. He commonly spent thirteen Hours every Day in his Study. His most usual Diversion in the Summer was riding on Horseback and walking. He would j
commonly, unless diverted by Company, ride two or three JMilcs after Dinner to some lonely Grove, where he would
dismount and walk a while. At v;hich times he generally carried his Pen and Ink with him, to note any Tlicught that Ihoiiid be suggested, which he chose to retain and purfje,as whtit promiled feme Light on any important Subjefv. In the \Vint2r he was wont almoin daily to take an Ax and
chop Wood moderately forihc fpaceof half anHour or more. He had an uncommon thirfl tor Knowledge, in ihepurfuit of which, he spared no Coll nor Pains. He read a'l the Books, especially Books ot Divinity, that he could come at, from v;hich he could hope to get any help in his purluit of Knov;ledgc. And ii this, he conhnd not himleJt to Authors ol any particiW Sevft or Denomination ; yea toe k much pains to come at the Books of the mol> noted Writers, who ad\'ancc a Scheme or Divinity mort contrary to his own Principles. Eut he Hudicd the Bible more than ail oiherBook .,and more ilnn moll other Divines do. His
uncommon acquaintance with the Bible appears in his Scr2nuns,and in most of hisPublicat»ons
and Ins great pains in (tudvinff
Jifr.
Jonathan Edwards.
studying it are manifest in his Manuscript Notes upon it of which a more particular Account may be gven hereHe took his religious Principles from the Bible, and after. Tho* not from any human System or Body of Divinity. his Principles were Caivini/iicy yet he called no Man, Father. He thought and judged for himlelf, and was truly very much of an Original. This is evident by what he pubSS liihed in his Life- time, and is yet more so by his Many Volumes of which he has left ; and the Reader may' expert a more particular Account of them in the Sequel. For readmg was not the only Method he took to improve' his Mind ; but he did this much by Writing j without which, 'tis probable no Student can make Improvements Agreable to Rcfolution nth, he to the belV Advantage. applied himself with all his Might to find out the Truth-: He searched for Understanding and Knowledge, as for Silver, and digged for it, as for hidtreifures. Every thought onany Subjedt, which appear'd to him worth purfumg and prelervingjhe pursued,as far as he then could,wiih hisPen ia his Hand. Thus he was all his Days, like the buCy Bee, colle(5ling from every opening Flower, and storing up a Stock of Knowledge, which was indeed sweet to him, as
theHoney & theHoney comb. And as he advanced inYears and in Knowledge, his Pen was more and more employed, and his Manuscripts grew much faster on his Hands.
He was thought by some, who had but a flight Acquaintance with him to beftiff& unsociable j but this was owing to want of better Acquaintance. He was not a Man of many Words indeed, and was somewhat reserved among Strangers, and thofe on whose Candor and Friendship he did not know he could rely. And this was probably owing to two Things. Fir/ , the stria Guard he set over his Tongue from his Youth, which appears by his Resolutions, taking great Care never to use it iq any way that might prove mischievous to any ; never to Jtn zviih hlsTongue \ or to improve it in idle, trivial and impertinent Talk, which generally makes up a great Part of thecoverfation of thofe v/ho are fulj of Words in all Companies. Hewis fenfiblc that in the multitude of Words there wanteth notSin ; and therefore
refrained his Lips, and habituated himself to tlmk before hcfpoke and to propose some good End even in tA *-is Words ; which led him to be above many others, '
James's Advice Jlow to fp(ak.
Secondly, this this was in Part the effc(5> of his bodily Constitution.
bur a comparative small Stock of animal Lite : his animal Spirits were low, and he had not Strength of Lung.s to spare,that would be neceftary in order to make him V'hat would be called, an affable, facecious (lenilcman, in lliey who have a great flow of animal all Companies, Spirits, and so can speak with more Ease and less Expencc, may doubtless lawfully practice free Conversation in all Companits tor a lower End, (e. g. to please and render themfeues acceptable) than he, who has not such a Stock to expend upon. It becomes h'lm to reserve what he has, for higher and more important Service. Besides, the wanr of animal Spirits lays a Man under a w u/ r / inability to that freedom ot Conversation, at all times, and in whatever Company he is ; which thofe of more Life naturally go into and tiic greatest Degree of a sociable Disposition, Humility and Benevolence, will not remove this ObiUcle. poitcfled
He was not forward to enter into any Dispute among Strangers, and in Companies where were Perlons of different Sentiments ; as he was sensible that luch Disputes are generally unproiitable, and otten finiul and ot bad Confeand he tho't he could dispute to the bel Advan; tage with his Pen in his H.ind Yet he was always tree to give his Sentiments on an\Subje6t proposed to him ; and re-
quence
move anydifiiculties orObje61ions offered by way ot Enqui-
Way of what he looked upon to be the But how groundless the imputation ot l '.ff and nnJQc'iable was, his known and tried Friends befl knew. They always found him easy of acccfs, kind and condescending and tho' not talkative, yet affable and ixtt. Among such wl cfe Candor and Friendfliip he had experienced, he threw off the Reserve, and was mot open and ry,
as lying in the
Truth.
free ; quite patient ot Contradi(5lion, while the utmofi Op-
position was made to his Sentiments, that could be by any
plaufibie Argumcnrs or Objections. And indeed, he \*as on all Occations, quite lociable and free with all, who had
any special Bufincls wiih him. In his Condua in his Family he prac ifcd that conscientious exadncls which was perfpiltuous in 11 his Ways. He m:iinfained a gre.it eOeem and regard tor his amiable and excellent Consort. Much ot the tender and kind was exprelfcd in his
Converlation with her and condu<5l to-
wards