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Reading Classics - The Religious Affections (XV)
- 11/13/08
- 12
We made it! This marks the final reading in Jonathan Edwards’ The Religious Affections. I hesitated for a while before suggesting that we read a 380-page book together, but we did it. And what a read it was. My only real regret is that I feel like I have only skimmed the surface. In his companion volume to this book, Sam Storms says that he had to read the Affections many times through to have any confidence that he knew what Edwards was saying. I am sure that is a near-necessity. While I know I’ve learned a lot from the book, I know also that I could read it again and benefit just as much. Someday I’ll have to do that.
This week we read a rather lengthy portion of the book—Edwards’ twelfth and final mark of genuine religious affections—that they have their exercise and fruit in Christian practice. He saved the best and most important mark for last and, over 80 pages, proved time and time again that a Christian’s confidence in his salvation is to be found primarily in his practice of the Christian faith. A person will know he is a Christian if he is inwardly and outwardly conformed to the image of Christ. As Edwards says, “Christian practice is the most proper evidence of the gracious sincerity of professors, to themselves and others; and the chief of all the marks of grace, the sign of signs, and evidence of evidences, that which seals and crowns all other signs.”
Instead of interacting with all 80 pages of this week’s reading, I thought I’d simply share some of the quotes I highlighted. These will give the flavor of all Edwards had to say.
“Hypocrites may much more easily be brought to talk like saints, than to act like saints.”
“In order to a man’s being properly said to make a profession of Christianity, there must undoubtedly be a profession of all that is necessary to his being a Christian, or of so much as belongs to the essence of Christianity.”
“No external manifestations and outward appearances whatsoever, that are visible to the world, are infallible evidences of grace.”
“A man’s actions are the proper trial what a man’s heart prefers.”
“The things that put it to the proof whether men will prefer God to other things in practice, are the difficulties of religion, or those things which occur that make the practice of duty difficult and cross to other principles beside the love of God.”
“If we put true gold into the furnace, we shall find its great value and preciousness: so the truth and inestimable value of the virtues of a true Christian appear when under these trials.”
“God’s future judging of men, in order to their eternal retribution, will not be his trying, and finding out, and passing a judgment upon the state of men’s hearts, in his own mind; but it will be, a declarative judgment; and the end of it will be, not God’s forming a judgment within himself, but the manifestation of his judgment, and the righteousness of it, to men’s own consciences, and to the world. And therefore the day of judgment is called the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
“Certainly that which our supreme Judge will chiefly make use of to judge us by, when we come to stand before him, we should chiefly make use of, to judge ourselves by.”
And that’s it for The Religious Affections. Please feel free to add comments, share your experiences, and so on. If you’d like to suggest the next book we read together, feel free to leave a comment on that as well. We’ll start our next round of Reading Classics Together in a few weeks.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (12)
Tim,Business travel, in the last month, has put me behind. I just finished my post on the 9th gracious affection: http://tinyurl.com/5e82rr
I will finish the book and continue to blog away on my own. I have definitely missed the group interaction.
I look forward to joining you on the next great classic.
The interesting parts of the end of the book are contained in the footnotes. The most searching, by far, is the quote from Edwards’ grandfather, Solomon Stoddard. The full sermon is online and located here…
http://www.ligonier.org/publishing_solideogloria_puritansermons.php?sermon_id=17
The Way to Know Sincerity and Hypocrisy Cleared Upby Solomon Stoddard
These chapters are not an easy read. I mean, they are very searching and probably the scariest part of the work to apply. To fully appreciate the searching nature of these comments, it is worth while to read the appendix. There are a couple of letters to a Pastor Gillespie from Scotland. These are enlightening because they shed more light on the treatise and clear up objections in the reader’s mind.
Even more interesting, they were written at a time when Edwards’ own congregation had turned against him and later he was dismissed from the pulpit. I will be teaching a S.S. on this subject on December 7th - mainly on the great declension after the Great Awakening which issued in the writing of this treatise by Edwards.
The application of the end of this treatise humbles me to the dust as well. I find myself woefully weighed in the balance, as regards to sins of omission, and found wanting. And yet I know a blindness as to my real condition - because of the affluence we are surrounded with, and the tendency to indifference to real heart searching - my condition is worse even than I can estimate it. So that indeed, as the Psalmist says, “If Thou Lord Should mark iniquities - who could stand? Psalm 130:4
The comments of saints of the past help me so that I know my case is not singular. The Baptist pastor J C Phipot wrote,
“O thou hideous monster, sin, What a curse hast thou brought in.’ I love it, I hate it; I want to be delivered from the power of it, and yet am not satisfied without drinking down its poisoned sweets. It is my hourly companion and my daily curse, the breath, of my mouth and the cause of my groans, my incentive to prayer and my hinderer of it, that made a Savior suffer and makes a Savior precious, that spoils every pleasure and adds a sting to every pain, that fits a soul for heaven and ripens a soul for hell. Friend Joseph, canst thou make out my riddle? ’ Is thy heart as my heart. Redemption, to the self-saved, is a Bible term — no more ; and some of them say it is a universal term, and others a particular term ; and the one quotes an Arminian, and the other a Calvinistic text, and with these sticks they belabor one another’s heads. Whilst a lost, sin-bitten, bulrush, howling, half-desperate, ditch-plunged, black-hearted wretch, up to the neck in guilt, cries for its individual application as his only remedy and only hope. (letters of Philpot)
I am interested in what others say in their comments.
By the way, the letter of J C Philpot to Joseph Parry is here…http://www.gracegems.org/letters03.htm
November 7 1837
Somehow I managed to overlook this last reading. I must have gotten off track somehow, ‘cause I never posted regarding the last one. Well, I’ll try to finish up quickly then. Thanks for the reading. It’s been wonderful. This is a book I will, Lord willing, be reading a few more times.
This last reading was my favorite part of the whole book. Hard reading, as Thomas wrote above. I fear I read it too lightly and did no where near the heart work called for but I gained much.
This last section brought such a greater light on truths I thought I already knew. But in reading Edwards’ description of Holy Practice as that sure sign of true gracious affections I indeed learned, I grew deeper in my understanding - may it sink down into my heart.
In the past I understood and affirmed: “you cannot separate justification from sanctification - the two must always come together. Whoever has been justified by Faith will be in the process of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.” or “The Holy Spirit is Holy and will make holy all those in whom he dwells.” Even saying “good works are the evidences of a true faith.” “Works is faith expressed.”
But somehow knowing all this, yet Edwards helped me by the Grace of God to know so much more fully, and especially more fully as regarding the Final Judgment. “Know ye not that will all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ?” yes, I knew that. But Edwards’ unfolding in this 12th sign made it so much clearer. Edwards did not confound at all justification by faith, and being judged by our works/holy practice. He was very clear. For this Holy Practice is the evidence of true faith. And the works are in no way the price paid, but the fruit evidencing that indeed one is in Christ and we will indeed be judged by our works.
Also, encouraging was Edwards pointing out how continuing and growing in this Holy Practice as that one sure sign of true affections will also bring about a fuller and more complete assurance of salvation.
It seemed that in some ways this 12th sign was also an illustration of 1John.
I don’t read books to learn “new” things nor do I expect “new” things. I hope to grow deeper in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ as I read, study and think on what I am reading. But I must admit, especially as touching the Final Judgment - though it wasn’t a “new” thing to me. The proper understanding became so much clearer and fully revealed it was as though I was studying this for the first time.
I had only just previously finished listening to Arturo Azurdia’s 81 sermons on Revelation, where he covers much this same ground. But what still wasn’t quite plain to me from Azurdia, Edwards’ 12 sign illuminated.
Also, having recently read of some discussions on the Final Judgment in both James Buchanan’s Doctrine of Justification and Turretin’s book on Justification and affirming what I read there, yet Edwards 12th sign made it all the more clearer.
So, for Edwards’ 12th sign I am thankful especially for reading this book.
Lastly;I’m also considering, Edwards use of the many references to the “flowers and apples” or the “flowers and pomegranates” or as the KJV has the “knops and flowers” which adorn the golden candlesticks” which appear in the candlesticks and lamps in the tabernacle which were inscribed into the walls of the temple. It had never entered my mind to understand these as the Flowers = the good profession of faith and “knops (pomengranites/apples) as the good fruit of faith the good works of faith. Edwards saying that this is the church which has both a good profession holding to the gospel as presented in scripture, not partially, not picking and choosing but professing and confessing the truth as it is in Jesus Christ, but that also this is no bare profession but one accompanied by fruits. (Heb 6 - I am persuaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation - or John the Baptist bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance) Wow - do you think Edwards is allegorising here? Appreciate any further insight on this.
Enjoyed and benefited from everyone’s comments. Thanks Tim for picking such a great Classic. I’m sure it has worked spiritual growth in me, and many others even far beyond what you see in the comments.
sda
I missed this last reading too. Will try to hurry. This book has to be read several times to grasp what Edwards is saying. For people like me with volatile memories, it is all the more important. There is something about this book that can make it seem vague and out of reach if we do not contend with it and read it with much effort, and then it becomes deep and vitally important. I hope in the years to come, I will come back to this book time and again. Thanks Tim for leading us through this reading. -n-
Really enjoyed this classic. I even got out my Charity and it’s Fruits book to re-read it. Thanks. Can’t wait to the next one.
I have a suggestion for the next book, but maybe we could just read parts, The City of God by Augustine. Very relevant to us U.S. folks.
My suggestion for the next book is “A serious call to a devout and holy life” by William Law. It’s available on the CCEL.
Scott’s question about the allegorizing was mine too even when we first came across this earlier in the 12th point. For good reasons, we are not usually comfortable with interpreting the Bible in this way especially without explicitly acknowledging that one is allegorizing. Although I feel comfortable with this particular allegory because it so fits with the rest of scripture, I wonder about it. I would also like more light on this matter.
I will shortly complete my summary for the rest of the 12th point. The link is http://couragetotremble.wordpress.com/2008/11/16/the-religious-affections-part-iii-point-12b/
I vote for Mere Christianity for the next read.
My very belated thoughts are posted here: http://lauriemo.blogspot.com/2008/11/twelfth-sign-part-2.html