No degree of speculative knowledge of religion is any certain sign of true piety. Jonathan Edwards More Quotes by Jonathan Edwards More Quotes From Jonathan Edwards Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept. Jonathan Edwards confession prayer answers When God is about to bestow some great blessing on His church, it is often His manner, in the first place, so to order things in His providence as to show His church their great need of it, and to bring them into distress for want of it, and so put them upon crying earnestly to Him for it. Jonathan Edwards church blessing order I make it my rule, to lay hold of light and embrace it, wherever I see it, though held forth by a child or an enemy. Jonathan Edwards light christian children Real pain can alone cure us of imaginary ills. Jonathan Edwards cures pain real The bodies of those that made such a noise and tumult when alive, when dead, lie as quietly among the graves of their neighbors as any others. Jonathan Edwards alive body lying But it is doubtless true, and evident from [the] Scriptures, that the essence of all true religion lies in holy love; and that in this divine affection, and an habitual disposition to it, and that light which is the foundation of it, and those things which are the fruits of it, consists the whole of religion. Jonathan Edwards light essence lying The bow of God's wrath is bent, and His arrows made ready upon the string. Justice points the arrow at your heart and strings the bow. It is nothing but the mere pleasure of God (and that of an angry God without any promise or obligation at all) that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. Jonathan Edwards arrows wrath heart Whatever in Christ had the nature of satisfaction, was by virtue of the suffering or humiliation that was in it; but whatever had the nature of merit, was by virtue of the obedience or righteousness there was in it. Jonathan Edwards merit satisfaction suffering As it is with spiritual discoveries and affections given at first conversion, so it is in all subsequent illuminations and affections of that kind; they are all transforming. There is a like divine power and energy in them as in the first discoveries; they still reach the bottom of the heart, and affect and alter the very nature of the soul, in proportion to the degree in which they are given. And a transformation of nature is continued and carried on by them to the end of life, until it is brought to perfection in glory. Jonathan Edwards spiritual heart discovery Nothing is more certain than that there must be an unmade and unlimited being. Jonathan Edwards certain unlimited Almost all men, and those that seem to be very miserable, love life, because they cannot bear to lose sight of such a beautiful and lovely world. The ideas, that every moment whilst we live have a beauty that we take not distinct notice of, brings a pleasure that, when we come to the trial, we had rather live in much pain and misery than lose. Jonathan Edwards love-life pain beautiful Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it. Jonathan Edwards body soul suffering Religion consists much in holy affection; but those exercises of affection which are most distinguishing of true religion are these practical exercises. Friendship between earthly friends consists much in affection; but those strong exercises of affection that actually carry them through fire and water for each other are the highest evidences of true friendship. Jonathan Edwards true-friend strong exercise Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell. Jonathan Edwards hell pain thinking That there should absolutely be nothing at all is utterly impossible. The mind, let it stretch its conceptions ever so far, can never so much as bring itself to conceive of a state of perfect nothing. Jonathan Edwards void perfect mind When I am giving the relation of a thing, remember to abstain from altering either in the matter or manner of speaking, so much, as that, if every one, afterwards, should alter as much, it would at last come to be properly false. Jonathan Edwards lasts matter giving If you seek in the spirit of selfishness, to grasp all as your own, you shall lose all, and be driven out of the world, at last, naked and forlorn, to everlasting poverty and contempt. Jonathan Edwards selfishness naked world A greater absurdity cannot be thought of than a morose, hardhearted, covetous, proud, malicious Christian. Jonathan Edwards absurdity proud christian
