Directions for Judging of Persons’ Experiences
The only text we have for this document is the one published by Alexander Grosart in his Selections from the Unpublished Writings of Jonathan Edwards. In his introduction, Grosart writes, “I have come upon this searching and very precious MS. since the issuing of my Proposals. It evidently formed the author’s guide in his test-conversations with enquirers during the great Awakenings or Revivals.”1 Beyond this, nothing is known of its nature or provenance. The title may be Grosart’s own.
The deliberate division of the document into two parts is based on Grosart’s transcription. In the absence of the original manuscript, we cannot know with certainty whether the sections date from different periods. However, while the directives in each section do not fall into distinct categories, the former lean more heavily toward the nature of conviction and the latter toward holiness and practice. This shift in emphasis parallels that which Edwards makes in “Miscellanies” and sermons after the end of the 1734–35 awakening, as well as in notebooks such as “Signs of Godliness,” when he became more intent on Christian practice and perseverance as signs of true conversion.2
Throughout, the directives reflect Edwards’ lifelong interest in souls under awakening. He is concerned with detecting outright hypocrites and those under the power of their own “imagination” as well as with steering sincere seekers to a correct sense of their own sin and the excellency and sufficiency of God. Convictions should be founded on “reasonable, solid consideration” of the person’s actual experience—“as of things as they are indeed”—and not on “pangs and sudden passions, freaks and frights, and a capriciousness of mind.” Expressing an important point in his theology, Edwards emphasizes that proper conviction and humiliation lead to a longing after holiness.
In the process of hearing hundreds of relations of spiritual experience from his parishioners, Edwards became an expert in the genre and came to deplore the use of stock phrases that really meant nothing to the narrators (a development that is probably related to his distrust of spiritual relations as a prerequisite for church admission). At one point, stringing together several common utterances, Edwards cautions himself to ensure that it is a true sense of sin that convinces narrators “of the justice of God in their damnation, in rejecting their prayers, disregarding their sorrowful case, and all desires and endeavors after deliverance, etc. and not merely any . . . melting of affection through some real or supposed instance of divine goodness.” Even more indicative of some narrators’ attitude is Edwards’ concern regarding “[w]hether, when they tell of their experiences, it is not with such an air that you as it were feel that they expect to be admired and applauded . . . and shocked and displeased if they discover the contrary.”
Since these reflections are probably based on face-to-face encounters and interviews with his parishioners, Edwards as religious clinician comes through here in an immediate way. In this document is raw material that Edwards could use in constructing his treatises on conversion, affections, and the signs of grace. The directives in the first section bear some resemblance, in miniature, to Edwards’ detailed study of the experiences of his parishioners in his Faithful Narrative. The directives in the second section contain criticisms Edwards made of his parishioners during and after the emotional stirs of 1740–42. For these reasons, the document is, as Grosart described it, “precious.”
Directions for Judging of Persons’ Experiences 521 directions for judging of persons’ experiences
See to it:
That the operation be much upon the will or heart, not on the imagination, nor on the speculative understanding or motions of the mind, though they draw great affections after ’em as the consequence.
That the trouble of mind be reasonable, that the mind be troubled about those things that it has reason to be troubled about; and that the trouble seems mainly to operate in such a manner, with such a kind of trouble and exercise as is reasonable: founded on reasonable, solid consideration; a solid sense and conviction of truth, as of things as they are indeed.
That it be because their state appears terrible on the account of those things, wherein its dreadfulness indeed consists; and that their concern be solid, not operating very much by pangs and sudden passions, freaks and frights, and a capriciousness of mind.
That under their seeming convictions it be sin indeed; that they are convinced of their guilt, in offending and affronting so great a God: One that so hates sin, and is so set against it, to punish it, etc.
That they be convinced both of sins of heart and life: that their pretenses of sense of sin of heart ben’t without reflection on their wicked practice; and also that they are not only convinced of sin of practice, but sin of heart. And in both, that what troubles ’em be those things wherein their wretchedness has really chiefly consisted.
That they are convinced of their spiritual sins, consisting in their sinful defects, living without love to God, without accepting Christ, gratitude to him, etc.
That the convictions they have of the insufficiency and vanity of their own doings, ben’t only from some sense of wanderings of mind, and other sinful behavior mixed; but from a conviction of the sinful defects of their duties, their not being done from a right principle; and so as having no goodness at all mixed with the bad, but altogether corrupt.
That it is truly conviction of sin that convinces them of the justice of
God in their damnation, in rejecting their prayers, disregarding their sorrowful case, and all desires and endeavors after deliverance, etc. and not merely any imagination or pang, and melting of affection through some real or supposed instance of divine goodness.
That they be so convinced of sin as not in the inward thought and habit of their minds to excuse themselves, and impliedly quarrel with God, because of their impotency: for instance, that they don’t excuse their slight of Christ, and want of love to him, because they can’t esteem and love him.
That they don’t evidently themselves look on their convictions [as] great, and ben’t taken with their own humiliation.
That which should be chiefly looked at should be evangelical. If this be sound, we have no warrant to insist upon it, that there be manifest a remarkable work, purely legal, wherein was nothing of grace. So with regard to convictions and humiliation; only seeing to it that the mind is indeed convinced of these things, and sees ’em, that many divines3 insisted should be seen, under a purely legal work. And also seeing to it that the convictions there are, seem to be deep and fixed, and to have a powerful governing influence on the temper of the mind, and a very direct respect to practice.
See to it: That they have not only pretended convictions of sin; but a proper mourning for sin. And also, that sin is burdensome to them, and that their hearts are tender and sensible with respect to it . . . the object of their care and dread.
That God and divine things are admirable on account of the beauty of their moral perfection.
That there is to be discerned in their sense of the sufficiency of Christ, a sense of that divine, supreme, and spiritual excellency of Christ, wherein this sufficiency fundamentally consists; and that the sight of this excellency is really the foundation of their satisfaction as to his sufficiency.
That their conviction of the truth of divine things be discerned to be truly some way or other primarily built on a sense of their divine excellency.
That their discoveries and illuminations and experiences in general, are not superficial pangs, flashes, imagination, freaks, but solid, substantial, deep, inwrought into the frame and temper of their minds, and discovered to have respect to practice.
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That they long after holiness, and that all their experiences increase their longing.
Let ’em be inquired of concerning their disposition and willingness to bear the cross, sell all for Christ, choosing their portion in heaven, etc.
Whether their experience have a respect to practice in these ways. That their behavior at present seems to be agreeable to such experiences.
Whether it inclines ’em much to think of practice, and more and more for past ill practice.
Makes a disposition to ill practices dreadful. Makes ’em long after perfect freedom from sin, and after those things wherein holiness consists; and by fixed and strong resolutions, attended with fear and jealousy of their own hearts.
Whether, when they tell of their experiences, it is not with such an air that you as it were feel that they expect to be admired and applauded, and won’t be disappointed if they fail of discerning in you something of that nature; and shocked and displeased if they discover the contrary.
Inquire whether their joy be truly and properly joy in God and in Christ; joy in divine good; or whether it ben’t wholly joy in themselves, joy in their own excellencies or privileges, in their experiences; what God has done for them, or what he has promised he will do for them; and whether they ben’t affected with their own discoveries and affections.
524 Directions for Judging of Persons’ Experiences
Notes
1. Grosart, Selections from the Unpublished Writings of Jonathan Edwards, pp. 183–85. The quote appears on p. 13.
2. See, for example, “Editor’s Introduction,” in Works, 18, 18–24; Persevering Faith, in Works, 19, 595–608; and above, p. 470.
3. Grosart, p. 184: “and sees ’em [sees] that [which] many divines.”