Charity and its fruits - Edwards - XI - Lecture X

Required reading
Charity and its fruits by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Lecture X (The spirit of charity the opposite of a censorious spirit).

My summary
Now we are taught that the spirit of Christian love is the opposite of a censorious spirit - a disposition to think or judge uncharitably of others.

Firstly Edwards teaches us about the nature of censoriousness.  A censoirous spirit appears in a forwardness to judge evil of:
(i) the state of others;
(ii) the qualities of others;
(iii) the actions of others.

Secondly Edwards shows a censorious spirit is contrary to Christian love:
(i) it is contrary to love to our neighbour as we see persons are very backward to judge evil of themselves and those they love;
(ii) as a censorious spirit manifests a proud spirit.

Then in applying the doctrine, Edwards:
(i) sternly reproves those who commonly take to themselves the liberty of speaking evil of others;
(ii) warns all against censoriousness either by thinking or speaking evil of others.

What grabbed me
I liked the encouragement to examine ourselves if we wish to avoid a censorious spirit: ' If men were humbly sensible of their own failings, they would not be very forward or pleased in judging others, for the censure passed upon others would but rest on themselves. There are the same kinds of corruption in one man's heart, as in another's ; and if those persons that are most busy in censuring others would but look within, and seriously examine their own hearts and lives, they might generally see the same dispositions and behavior in themselves, at one time or another, which they see and judge in others, or at least something as much deserving of censure. And a disposition to judge and condemn, shows a conceited and arrogant disposition. It has the appearance of a person's setting himself up above others, as though he was fit to be the lord and judge of his fellow-servants, and he supposed they were to stand or fall according to his sentence. '

If people followed this advice, there would be a lot less conflict between Christians and a lot less divided churches.

Next week's reading
Read Lecture XI (All true grace in the heart tends to holy practice in the life).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.