Required reading
A Call to United Extraordinary Prayer in Vol 2 of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Section IV of Part III.
My summary
Today Edwards himself sums up what he is trying to teach in this section: 'And if I may be allowed humbly to offer what appears to me to be the truth with relation to the rise and fall of antichrist; it is this: As the power of antichrist, and the corruption of the apostate church, rose not at once., but by several notable steps and degrees; so it will IN THE LIKE MANNER FALL: and, that DIVERS steps and seasons of destruction to the spiritual Babylon, and revival of the true church, are prophesied of under one.'
What grabbed me
I liked Edwards' concluding paragraph: 'If, notwithstanding all I have said, it be still judged there is sufficient reason to determine, that the ruin of antichrist is at a very great distance; and if all I have said as arguing that the beginning of that glorious revival of religion, which in its continuance and progress will destroy the kingdom of antichrist, is not very far off be judged to be of no force; yet it will not follow, that our complying with what is proposed to us in the late Memorial from Scotland, will be in vain, or not followed with such spiritual blessings, as will richly recompense the pains of such extraordinary prayer for the Holy Spirit, and the revival of religion. If God does not grant that greatest of all effusions of his Spirit, so soon as we desire; yet we shall have the conscious satisfaction of having employed ourselves in a manner that is certainly agreeable to Christ’s will and frequent commands in being much in prayer for this mercy, much more than has heretofore been common with Christians and there will be all reason to hope, that we shall receive some blessed token of his acceptance. If the fall of mystical Babylon, and the work of God’s Spirit that shall bring it to pass, be at several hundred years distance; yet, it follows not that there will be no happy revivals of religion before that time, which shall be richly worth the most diligent, earnest, and constant prayer.'
Even if we do not see revival, we have still employed ourselves in a worthy manner by praying for it!
Next week's reading
Read Sections V and VI of Part III.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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