On July 17th, a group of Christian Bloggers will begin reading together, and sharing thoughts on-line, Jonathan Edward's "A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections".
I have ordered the book from Amazon. But while I am awaiting its arrival, I have started reading the text on-line at Yale University's "Works of Jonathan Edwards Online".
While trying to decide if I was going to make the commitment to read this demanding text, I wanted first to have a basic understanding of the intent and context of the text.
Following, you will find my notes on the preface of Jonathan Edward's, "A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections".
Please read on...
In first trying to determine the subject of this text, I found myself stumbling on the word "affection". To my mind, affection was a feeling that I had towards someone or something. As it turns out, this particular usage of the word has more to do with a "frame of mind".
Here are a few synonyms from Thesaurus.com to help us further understand Edward's use of the word affection:
"character, qualities, disposition, nature, spirit, tone; temper, temperament; diathesis, idiosyncrasy; cast of mind, cast of soul, habit of mind, habit of soul, frame of mind, frame of soul; predilection, turn, natural turn of mind; bent, bias, predisposition, proneness, proclivity, propensity, propenseness, propension, propendency; vein, humor, mood, grain."
Perhaps the contemporary mind would correctly understand Jonathan Edward's inquiry in this way:
Is there true religion, and if so, what is it, and furthermore, what is it not?
Here is the context of the treatise from Edward's first paragraph:
"There is no question of greater importance to mankind, and that it more concerns every individual person to be well resolved in, than this: What are the distinguishing qualifications of those that are in favour with God, and entitled to his eternal rewards? Or, which comes to the same thing, What is the nature of true religion? and wherein lie the distinguishing notes of that virtue which is acceptable in the sight of God? But though it be of such importance, and though we have clear and abundant light in the word of God to direct us in this matter, yet there is no one point wherein professing Christians differ more one from another. It would be endless to reckon up the variety of opinions, in this point, that divide the Christian world; making manifest the truth of that declaration of our Saviour, “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leads to life, and few there be that find it."
It seems that Jonathan Edwards was living in, and eminently involved with, "The Great Awakening" that was quickly spreading throughout colonial America. As such, in spite of the great numbers who were finding new life and relationship with Jesus Christ, there were, evidently, also large numbers of false teachers in the wake of this movement.
Once again from Jonathan Edwards preface:
"It is no new thing, that much false religion should prevail, at a time of great revival; and that, at such a time, multitudes of hypocrites should spring up among true saints."
Edwards goes on to describe the false teachers that arose in the revivals of Josiah, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ Himself, the apostles, and the Reformation.
Edwards:
"It is by the mixture of counterfeit religion with true, not discerned and distinguished, that the devil has had his greatest advantage against the cause and kingdom of Christ."
Edwards goes on to describe how Satan has actually defeated many of the great revivals of the past:
"It is by this means that the daughter of Zion in this land now lies on the ground, in such piteous circumstances, with her garment rent, her face disfigured, her nakedness exposed, her limbs broken, and weltering in the blood of her own wounds, and in no wise able to arise; and this, so quickly after her late great joys and hopes."
During times of great revival, Edwards goes on to state:
"After religion has revived in the church of God, and enemies appear, people that are engaged to defend its cause are commonly most exposed, where they are least sensible of danger. While they are wholly intent upon the opposition that appears openly before them, in order to make head against that, and while they neglect carefully to look around, the devil comes behind them, and gives a fatal stab unseen; and he has opportunity to give a more home stroke, and to wound the deeper, because he strikes at his leisure, being obstructed by no resistance or guard.
And so it is likely ever to be in the church, whenever religion revives remarkably, till we have learned well to distinguish between true and false religion..."
And here comes the "therefore" in the preface:
"Therefore, it greatly concerns us to use our utmost endeavors, clearly to discern, and that it well settled and establish, wherein true religion does consist. Till this be done, it may be expected that great revivals of religion will be of short continuance; till this be done, there is but little good to be expected of all our warm debates, in conversation and from the press, not knowing clearly and distinctly what we ought to contend for."
And finally, Edward's aim in this treatise:
"What I aim at now, is to show the nature and signs of the gracious operations of God's Spirit, by which they are to be distinguished from all things whatsoever which are not of a saving nature."
So...lets see...one of the most brilliant minds ever to have graced the United States of America is going to help me understand, from God's word, what true religion is and how to identify false religion?
I am in...how about you?
