Selected Sermons of Jonathan EdwardsEdwards, Jonathan
Religion
Selected Sermons of Jonathan Edwards
Edwards, Jonathan
Congregational churches -- Sermons; Edwards, Jonathan, 1703-1758; Sermons, American
3. _This_ spiritual light is _not the suggesting of any new truths or
propositions not contained in the word of God_. This suggesting of new
truths or doctrines to the mind, independent of any antecedent revelation
of those propositions, either in word or writing, is inspiration; such as
the prophets and apostles had, and such as some enthusiasts pretend to.
But this spiritual light that I am speaking of, is quite a different thing
from inspiration: it reveals no new doctrine, it suggests no new
proposition to the mind, it teaches no new thing of God, or Christ, or
another world, not taught in the Bible, but only gives a due apprehension
of those things that are taught in the word of God.
4. _'Tis not every affecting view that men have of the things of religion
that is this_ spiritual and divine light. Men by mere principles of nature
are capable of being affected with things that have a special relation to
religion as well as other things. A person by mere nature, for instance,
may be liable to be affected with the story of Jesus Christ, and the
sufferings he underwent, as well as by any other tragical story: he may be
the more affected with it from the interest he conceives mankind to have
in it: yea, he may be affected with it without believing it; as well as a
man may be affected with what he reads in a romance, or sees acted in a
stage play. He may be affected with a lively and eloquent description of
many pleasant things that attend the state of the blessed in heaven, as
well as his imagination be entertained by a romantic description of the
pleasantness of fairy-land, or the like. And that common belief of the
truth of the things of religion that persons may have from education or
otherwise, may help forward their affection. We read in Scripture of many
that were greatly affected with things of a religious nature, who yet are
there represented as wholly graceless, and many of them very ill men. A
person therefore may have affecting views of the things of religion, and
yet be very destitute of spiritual light. Flesh and blood may be the
author of this: one man may give another an affecting view of divine
things with but common assistance; but God alone can give a spiritual
discovery of them.
But I proceed to show,
Secondly, Positively what this spiritual and divine light _is_.
And it may be thus described: _a true sense of the divine excellency of
the things revealed in the word of God, and a conviction of the truth and
reality of them thence arising_.
This spiritual light primarily consists in the former of these, viz., a
real sense and apprehension of the divine excellency of things revealed in
the word of God. A spiritual and saving conviction of the truth and
reality of these things arises from such a sight of their divine
excellency and glory; so that this conviction of their truth is an effect
and natural consequence of this sight of their divine glory. There is
therefore in this spiritual light,
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