February 16, 2018

Religious Affections in Vol I of the Works - Edwards - XIII - 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 13.


My summary.
Now Edwards further elaborates on what it means that the chief sign of grace is Christian practice.  

This week he shows that Christian practice is a manifestation and sign of the sincerity of a professing Christian to the eye of his neigbours and brethren.   Next week he will show how it is an evidence to a person's own conscience.

Firstly he shows that holiness is the chief sign of grace to others from:
(i) Scripture;
(ii) reason.

Secondly Edwards wants to make certain observations if this matter is to be rightly understood:
(i) it must be observed, that when the Scripture speaks of christian practice, as the best evidence to others of sincerity and truth of grace, a profession of Christianity is not excluded, but supposed;
(ii) it should be considered how far this may be visible to others;
(iii) no external appearances whatsoever, that are visible to the world, are infallible evidences of grace.

What grabbed me
I appreciated Edwards' candor in affirming that no evidence is infallible: 'The manifestations that have been mentioned, are the best that mankind can have; and they are such as oblige Christians entirely to embrace professors as saints, to love and rejoice in them as the children of God; and they are sufficient to give as great satisfaction concerning them as ever is needful to guide them in their conduct, or for any purpose that needs to be answered in this world. But nothing that appears to them in their neighbour, can be sufficient to beget an absolute certainty concerning the state of his soul. They see not his heart, nor can they see all his external behaviour; for much of it is in secret, and hid from the eye of the world: and it is impossible certainly to determine, how far a man may go in many external appearances and imitations of grace, from other principles. Though undoubtedly, if others could see so much of what belongs to men's practice, as their own consciences may know of it, it might be an infallible evidence of their state, as will appear from what follows.'

Yes, we can have good signs of someone's faith, but never certainty.

Next week's reading
Continue Part 3 by reading Section 14.


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


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