Jonathan Edwards Collection: Edwards, Jonathan - Personal Writings: 26b
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Jonathan Edwards Collection: Edwards, Jonathan - Personal Writings: 26b
TOPIC: Edwards, Jonathan - Personal Writings (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 26b
Other Subjects in this Topic:
III. I would address myself to those who are under some awakenings.
Blessed be God that there are some such, and that (although I have
reason to fear I leave multitudes in this large congregation in a
Christless state) yet I do not leave them all in total stupidity and
carelessness about their souls. Some of you that I have reason to hope
are under some awakenings, have acquainted me with your circumstances,
which has a tendency to cause me, now I am leaving you, to take my
leave with peculiar concern for you. What will be the issue of your
present exercise of mind, I know not, but it will be known at that
day, when you and I shall meet before the judgment seat of Christ.
Therefore now be much in consideration of that day.
Now I am parting with this flock, I would once more press upon you the
counsels I have heretofore given, to take heed of slightly so great a
concern, to be thorough and in good earnest in the affair, and to
beware of backsliding, to hold on and hold out to the end. And cry
mightily to God, that these great changes which pass over this church
and congregation do not prove your overthrow. There is great
temptation in them, and the devil will undoubtedly seek to make his
advantage of them, if possible to cause your present convictions and
endeavors to be abortive. You had need to double your diligence, and
watch and pray, lest you be overcome by temptation.
Whoever may hereafter stand related to you as your spiritual guide, my
desire and prayer is that the great Shepherd of the sheep would have a
special respect to you, and be your guide (for there is none teacheth
like him), and that he who is the infinite fountain of light, would
"open your eyes, and turn you from darkness unto light, and from the
power of Satan unto God; that you may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them that are sanctified, through faith that is in
Christ;" that so in that great day, when I shall meet you again before
your Judge and mine, we may meet in joyful and glorious circumstances,
never to be separated any more.
IV. I would apply myself to the young people of the congregation.
Since I have been settled in the work of the ministry in this place, I
have ever had a peculiar concern for the souls of the young people,
and a desire that religion might flourish among them; and have
especially exerted myself in order to it. Because I knew the special
opportunity they had beyond others, and that ordinarily those for whom
God intended mercy, were brought to fear and love him in their youth.
And it has ever appeared to me a peculiarly amiable thing, to see
young people walking in the ways of virtue and Christian piety, having
their hearts purified and sweetened with a principle of divine love.
How exceeding beautiful, and conducive to the adorning and happiness
of the town, if the young people could be persuaded, when they meet
together, to converse as Christians and as the children of God,
avoiding impurity, levity and extravagance, keeping strictly to rules
of virtue and conversing together of the things of God, and Christ,
and heaven! This is what I have longed for, and it has been exceeding
grievous to me when I have heard of vice, vanity and disorder among
our youth. And so far as I know my own heart, it was from hence that I
formerly led this church to some measures, for the suppressing vice
among our young people, which gave so great offense, and by which I
became so obnoxious. I have sought the good, and not the hurt of our
young people. I have desired their truest honor and happiness, and not
their reproach: knowing that true virtue and religion tended not only
to the glory and felicity of young people in another world, but their
greatest peace and prosperity, and highest dignity and honor in this
world, and above all things to sweeten, and render pleasant and
delightful, even the days of youth.
But whether I have loved you, and sought your good more or less, now
committing your souls to him who once committed the pastoral care of
them to me--nothing remains, but only (as I am now taking my leave of
you) earnestly to beseech you, from love to yourselves, if you have
none to me, not to despise and forget the warnings and counsels I have
so often given you. Remember the day when you and I must meet again
before the great Judge of quick and dead, when it will appear whether
the things I have taught you were true, whether the counsels I have
given you were good, and whether I truly sought your welfare, and
whether you have well improved my endeavors.
I have, from time to time, earnestly warned you against frolicking (as
it is called), and some other liberties commonly taken by young people
in the land. And whatever some may say in justification of such
liberties and customs, and may laugh at warnings against them, I now
leave you my parting testimony against such things, not doubting but
God will approve and confirm it in that day when we shall meet before
him.
V. I would apply myself to the children of the congregation, the lambs
of this flock, who have been so long under my care.
I have just now said that I have had a peculiar concern for the young
people, and in so saying I did not intend to exclude you. You are in
youth, and in the most early youth. Therefore I have been sensible
that if those that were young had a precious opportunity for their
souls' good, you who are very young had, in many respects, a
peculiarly precious opportunity. And accordingly I have not neglected
you. I have endeavored to do the part of a faithful shepherd, in
feeding the lambs as well as the sheep. Christ did once commit the
care of your souls to me as your minister; and you know, dear
children, how I have instructed you, and warned you from time to time.
You know how I have often called you together for that end, and some
of you, sometimes, have seemed to be affected with what I have said to
you. But I am afraid it has had no saving effect as to many of you,
but that you remain still in an unconverted condition, without any
real saving work wrought in your souls, convincing you thoroughly of
your sin and misery, causing you to see the great evil of sin, and to
mourn for it, and hate it above all things, and giving you a sense of
the excellency of the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing you with all your
hearts to cleave to him as your Savior, weaning your hearts from the
world, and causing you to love God above all, and to delight in
holiness more than in all the pleasant things of this earth. And I
must now leave you in a miserable condition, having no interest in
Christ, and so under the awful displeasure and anger of God, and in
danger of going down to the pit of eternal misery.--Now I must bid you
farewell. I must leave you in the hands of God. I can do no more for
you than to pray for you. Only I desire you not to forget, but often
think of the counsels and warnings I have given you, and the endeavors
I have used, that your souls might be saved from everlasting
destruction.
Dear children, I leave you in an evil world, that is full of snares
and temptations. God only knows what will become of you. This the
Scripture has told us that there are but few saved, and we have
abundant confirmation of it from what we see. This we see, that
children die as well as others. Multitudes die before they grow up,
and of those that grow up, comparatively few ever give good evidence
of saving conversion to God. I pray God to pity you, and take care of
you, and provide for you the best means for the good of your souls,
and that God himself would undertake for you to be your heavenly
Father, and the mighty Redeemer of your immortal souls. Do not neglect
to pray for yourselves. Take heed you be not of the number of those
who cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God. Constantly pray to
God in secret, and often remember that great day when you must appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, and meet your minister there, who
has so often counseled and warned you.
I conclude with a few words of advice to all in general, in some
particulars, which are of great importance in order to the future
welfare and prosperity of this church and congregation.
1. One thing that greatly concerns you, as you would be a happy
people, is the maintaining of family order.
We have had great disputes how the church ought to be regulated; and
indeed the subject of these disputes was of great importance: but the
due regulation of your families is of no less, and, in some respects,
of much greater importance. Every christian family ought to be as it
were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and
governed by his rules. And family education and order are some of the
chief of the means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely
to prove ineffectual. If these are duly maintained, all the means of
grace will be likely to prosper and be successful.
Let me now therefore, once more, before I finally cease to speak to
this congregation, repeat, and earnestly press the counsel which I
have often urged on heads of families, while I was their pastor, to
great painfulness in teaching, warning, and directing their children;
bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; beginning
early, where there is yet opportunity, and maintaining a constant
diligence in labours of this kind. Remember that, as you would not
have all your instructions and counsels ineffectual, there must be
government as well as instructions, which must be maintained with an
even hand, and steady resolution, as a guard to the religion and
morals of the family, and the support of its good order. Take heed
that it be not with any of you as it was with Eli of old, who reproved
his children, but restrained them not; and that, by this means, you do
not bring the like curse on your families as he did on his.
And let children obey their parents, and yield to their instructions,
and submit to their orders, as they would inherit a blessing and not a
curse. For we have reason to think, from many things in the word of
God, that nothing has a greater tendency to bring a curse on persons
in this world, and on all their temporal concerns, than an undutiful,
unsubmissive, disorderly behaviour in children towards their parents.
2. As you would seek the future prosperity of this society, it is of
vast importance that you should avoid contention.
A contentious people will be a miserable people. The contentions which
have been among you. since I first became your pastor, have been one
of the greatest burdens I have laboured under in the course of my
ministry--not only the contentions you have had with me, but those
which you have had one with another, about your lands, and other
concerns--because I knew that contention, heat of spirit, evil
speaking, and things of the like nature, were directly contrary to the
spirit of Christianity, and did, in a peculiar manner, tend to drive
away God's Spirit from a people, and to render all means of grace
ineffectual, as well as to destroy a people's outward comfort and
welfare.
Let me therefore earnestly exhort you, as you would seek your own
future good, hereafter to watch against a contentious spirit. " If you
would see good days, seek peace, and ensue it." 1 Pet. iii. 10, 11..
Let the late contention about the terms of christian communion, as it
has been the greatest, be the last. I would, now I am preaching my
farewell sermon, say to you, as the apostle to the Corinthians, 2 Cor.
xiii. 11. "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of one mind,
live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."
And here I would particularly advise those that have adhered to me in
the late controversy, to watch over their spirits, and avoid all
bitterness towards others. Your temptations are, in some respects, the
greatest; because what has been lately done is grievous to you. But
however wrong you may think others have done, maintain, with great
diligence and watchfulness, a christian meekness and sedateness of
spirit; and labour, in this respect, to excel others who are of the
contrary part. And this will be the best victory: for "he that rules
his spirit, is better than he that takes a city." Therefore let
nothing be done through strife or vain-glory. Indulge no revengeful
spirit in any wise; but watch and pray against it: and, by all means
in your power, seek the prosperity of this town. And never think you
behave yourselves as becomes Christians, but when you sincerely,
sensibly, and fervently love all men, of whatever party or opinion,
and whether friendly or unkind, just or injurious, to you or your
friends, or to the cause and kingdom of Christ.
3. Another thing that vastly concerns the future prosperity of the
town, is, that you should watch against the encroachments of error;
and particularly Arminianism, and doctrines of like tendency.
You were, many of you, as I well remember, much alarmed with the
apprehension of the danger of the prevailing of these corrupt
principles, near sixteen years ago. But the danger then was small in
comparison of what appears now. These doctrines at this day are much
more prevalent than they were then. The progress they have made in the
land, within this seven years, seems to have been vastly greater than
at any time in the like space before. And they are still prevailing
and creeping into almost all parts of the land, threatening the utter
ruin of the credit of those doctrines which are the peculiar glory of
the gospel, and the interests of vital piety. And I have of late
perceived some things among yourselves, that show that you are far
from being out of danger, but on the contrary remarkably exposed. The
elder people may perhaps think themselves sufficiently fortified
against infection. But it is fit that all should beware of
self-confidence and carnal security, and should remember those needful
warnings of sacred writ, "Be not high minded, but fear; and let him
that stands, take heed lest he fall." But let the case of the elder
people be as it will, the rising generation are doubtless greatly
exposed. These principles are exceeding taking with corrupt nature,
and what young people, at least such as have not their hearts
established with grace, are easily led away with.
And if these principles should greatly prevail in this town, as they
very lately have done in another large town I could name, formerly
greatly noted for religion, for a long time, it will threaten the
spiritual and eternal ruin of this people, in the present and future
generations. Therefore you have need of the greatest and most diligent
care and watchfulness with respect to this matter.
4. Another thing which I would advise to, that you may hereafter be a
prosperous people, is, that you would give yourselves much to prayer.
God is the fountain of all blessing and prosperity, and he will be
sought to for his blessing. I would therefore advise you not only to
be constant in secret and family prayer, and in the public worship of
God in his house, but also often to assemble yourselves in private
praying societies. I would advise all such as are grieved for the
afflictions of Joseph, and sensibly affected with the calamities of
this town, of whatever opinion they he with relation to the subject of
our late controversy, often to meet together for prayer, and cry to
God for his mercy to themselves, and mercy to this town, and more to
Zion and the people of God in general through the world.
5. The last article of advice I would give (which doubtless does
greatly concern your prosperity) is, that you would take great care
with regard to the settlement of a minister; and particularly in these
two respects.
(I.) That he be a man of thoroughly sound principles, in the scheme of
doctrine which he maintains.
Of this you will stand in the greatest need, especially at such a day
of corruption as this is. And in order to obtain such a one, you had
need to exercise extraordinary care and prudence.--I know the
danger.--I know the manner of many young gentlemen of corrupt
principles, their ways of concealing themselves, the fair specious
disguises they are wont to put on, by which they deceive others, to
maintain their own credit, and get themselves into others' confidence,
and establish their own interest, until they see a convenient
opportunity to begin more openly to broach and propagate their corrupt
tenets.
(2.) Labour to obtain a man who has an established character, as a
person of serious religion and fervent piety.
It is of vast importance that those who are settled in this work
should be men of true piety, at all times, and in all places; but more
especially at some times, and in some towns and churches. And this
present time, wherein region is in danger, by so many corruptions in
doctrine and practice, is in a peculiar manner a day wherein such
ministers are necessary. Nothing else but sincere piety of heart is at
all to be depended on, as a security to a young man, just coming into
the world, from the prevailing infection, or thoroughly to engage him
in proper and successful endeavours to withstand and oppose the
torrent of error and prejudice, against the high mysterious
evangelical doctrines of the religion of Jesus Christ, and their
genuine effects in true experimental religion. And this is a place
that does peculiarly need such a minister, for reasons obvious to all.
If you should happen to settle a minister who knows nothing truly of
Christ, and the way of salvation by him, nothing experimentally of the
nature of vital religion, alas, how will you be exposed as sheep
without a shepherd! Here is need of one who shall be eminently fit to
stand in the gap, and make up the hedge, and who shall be as the
chariots of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. You need one that shall
stand as champion in the cause of truth and the power of godliness.
Having briefly mentioned these important articles of advice, nothing
remains, but that I now take my leave of you, and bid you all
farewell; wishing and praying for your best prosperity. 1 would now
commend your immortal souls to him, who formerly committed them to me,
expecting the day when I must meet you again before him, who is the
Judge of quick and dead. I desire that I may never forget this people,
who have been so long my special charge, and that I may never cease
fervently to pray for your prosperity. May God bless you with a
faithful pastor, one that is well acquainted with his mind and will,
thoroughly warning sinners, wisely and skilfully searching professors,
and conducting you in the way to eternal blessedness. May you have
truly a burning and shining light set up in this candlestick; and may
you, not only for a season, but during his whole life, that a long
life, be willing to rejoice in his light.
And let me be remembered in the prayers of all God's people that are
of a calm spirit, and are peaceable and faithful in Israel, of
whatever opinion they may be with respect to terms of church
communion. And let us all remember, and never forget our future solemn
meeting on that great day of the Lord; the day of infallible decision,
and of the everlasting and unalterable sentence. Amen.
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[95] 2 Cor. i. 4