Thoughts on Revival in Vol I of the Works - Edwards - V - Part III

Required reading
Thoughts on Revival in Volume I of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Part III.

My summary.

Today Edwards continues to answer objections relating to the revival.

Edwards says ministers have been injured when people have found fault with

(i) ministers addressing themselves rather to the affections of their hearers than to their understandings;

(ii) ministers speaking terror to them who are already under great terrors, instead of comforting them;

(iii) having so frequent religious meetings, and spending so much time in religion;

(iv) ministers for making so much of outcries, faintings, and other bodily effects;

(v) ministers for keeping persons together that have been under great affections, which have appeared in such extraordinary outward manifestations;

(vi) the disposition that persons show, under great affections, to speak so much;

(vii) the abounding so much in singing in religious meetings;

(viii) the religious meetings of children to read and pray together, and perform religious exercises by themselves.

What grabbed me

Many of the criticisms are simply laughable and Edwards answers them well.

I particularly enjoyed his defence of passionate preaching: 'I think an exceeding affectionate way of preaching about the great things of religion, has in itself no tendency to beget false apprehensions of them; but on the contrary, a much greater tendency to beget true apprehensions of them, than a moderate, dull, indifferent way of speaking of them. An appearance of affection and earnestness in the manner of delivery, though very great indeed, if it be agreeable to the nature of the subject—and be not beyond a proportion to its importance, and worthiness of affection, and if there be no appearance of its being feigned or forced—has so much the greater tendency to beget true ideas or apprehensions in the minds of the hearers concerning the subject spoken of, and so to enlighten the understanding: and that for this reason, That such a way or manner of speaking of these things does, in fact, more truly represent them, than a more cold and indifferent way of speaking of them. If the subject be in its own nature worthy of very great affection, then speaking of it with very great affection is most agreeable to the nature of that subject, or is the truest representation of it, and therefore has most of a tendency to beget true ideas o fit in the minds of those to whom the representation is made. And I do not think ministers are to be blamed for raising the affections of their hearers too high, if that which they are affected with be only that which is worthy of affection, and their affections are not raised beyond a proportion to their importance, or worthiness of affection. I should think myself in the way of my duty, to raise the affections of my hearers as high as possibly I can, provided that they are affected with nothing but truth, and with affections that are not disagreeable to the nature of the subject. I know it has long been fashionable to despise a very earnest and pathetical way of preaching; and they only have been valued as preachers, who have shown the greatest extent of learning, strength of reason, and correctness of method and language. But I humbly conceive it has been for want of understanding or duly considering human nature, that such preaching has been thought to have the greatest tendency to answer the ends of preaching; and the experience of the present and past ages abundantly confirms the same. Though, as I said before, clearness of distinction and illustration, and strength of reason, and a good method, in the doctrinal handling of the truths of religion, is many ways needful and profitable, and not to be neglected; yet an increase in speculative knowledge in divinity is not what is so much needed by our people as something else. Men may abound in this sort of light, and have no heat. How much has there been of this sort of knowledge, in the Christian world, in this age! Was there ever an age, wherein strength and penetration of reason, extent of learning, exactness of distinction, correctness of style, and clearness of expression, did so abound? And yet, was there ever an age, wherein there has been so little sense of the evil of sin, so little love to God, heavenly-mindedness, and holiness of life, among the professors of the true religion? Our people do not so much need to have their heads stored, as to have their hearts touched; and they stand in the greatest need of that sort of preaching, which has the greatest tendency to do this.'

Amen!

Next week's reading

Commence Part IV by reading Section I.

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