The Spiritual Awareness and Growth of Jonathan Edwards
Posted by Pastor Kurt | Filed under My Faith
- Enjoyment of nature’s beauties
- I walked abroad alone, in a solitary place in my father’s pasture, for contemplation. And as I was walking there, and looking up on the sky and clouds, there came into my mind so sweet a sense of the glorious majesty and grace of God, that I know not how to express. I seemed to see them both in a sweet conjunction; majesty and meekness joined together; it was a sweet and gentle, and holy majesty; and also a majestic meekness; and awful sweetness; a high and great, and holy gentleness.
- Enjoyment of God’s majesty revealed by nature’s power
- God’s excellency, his wisdom, his purity and love, seemed to appear in every thing; in the sun, and moon, and stars: in the clouds and blue sky; in the grass, flowers, trees; in the water and all nature; which used greatly to fix my mind.
- Desire to become a complete Christian
- I felt a burning desire to be in every thing a complete Christian; and conformed to the blessed image of Christ; and that I might live, in all things according to the pure, sweet, and blessed rules of the gospel.
- Awareness of pride and self righteousness
- I am greatly afflicted with a proud and selfrighteous spirit, much more sensibly than I used to be formerly. I see that serpent rising and putting forth its head continually, every where, all around me.
- A sense of and delight in God’s absolute sovereignty
- On one Saturday night, in particular, I had such a discovery of the excellency of the gospel above all other doctrines, that I could not but say to myself, “This is my chosen light, my chosen doctrine”; and of Christ. “This is my chosen Prophet.” It appeared sweet, beyond all expression to follow Christ, and to be taught, and enlightened and instructed by him; to learn of him, and live to him.
