Religious Affections in Vol I of the Works - Edwards - IX - Part 3 continued

Required readingReligious affections in Volume I of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Part 3 by reading Section 6.

My summary.

This week Edwards teaches us that gracious affections are attended with evangelical humiliation.

Firstly, he distinguishes between legal and evangelical humiliation: the former is what men have while in a state of nature, and have no gracious affection; the latter is peculiar to true saints.

Edwards also shows two things by which spiritual pride may be discovered when it is under a pretext of great humility:

(i) he that is under the prevalence of this distemper, is apt to think highly of his attainments in religion, as comparing himself with others - it is natural for him to fall into that thought of himself, that he is an eminent saint, that he is very high amongst the saints, and has distinguishingly good and great experiences;

(ii) another infallible sign of spiritual pride, is persons being apt to think highly of their humility - false experiences are commonly attended with a counterfeit humility and it is the very nature of a counterfeit humility, to be highly conceited of itself.

What grabbed me

An excellent reading today on a very, very important subject.  This section should be required reading for all Christians, but particularly ministers of the gospel.

I particularly liked this hard hitting challenge to discern pride in humility: 'Let not the reader slightly pass over these things in application to himself. When you imagine, reader, that it is a bad sign for a person to be apt to think himself a better saint than others, take heed lest there arise a blinding prejudice in your own favour. There will probably be need of great strictness of self-examination, in order to determine whether it be so with you. If you conclude thus, It seems to me, none are so bad as I. Do not let the matter pass off so; but examine again, whether or no you do not think yourself better than others on this very account, because you imagine you think so meanly of yourself. Have not you a high opinion of this humility? If you answer, No; I have not a high opinion of my humility; it seems to me I am as proud as the devil: examine again, whether self-conceit do not rise up under this cover; whether on this very account—that you think yourself as proud as the devil—you do not think yourself to be very humble.'

Next week's reading

Continue Part 3 by reading Section 7 and 8.

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