Jonathan Edwards: Excerpt from his sermon “The True Christian’s Life, A Journey Towards Heaven”

“If we spend our lives in the pursuit of a temporal happiness: if we set our hearts on riches, and seek happiness in them; if we seek to be happy in sensual pleasures; if we spend our lives in seeking the credit and esteem of men; the goodwill and respect of others; if we set our hearts on our children, and look to be happy in the enjoyment of them, in seeing them well brought up, and well settled, etc. All these things will be of little significance to us. Death will blow up all our hopes and expectations, and will put an end to our enjoyment of these things…

We are designed for this future world. We are to be in two states; the one in this world, which is an imperfect state; the other, in the world to come. The present state is short and transitory; but our state in the other world is everlasting…Our state in the future world, therefore, being eternal, is of so exceedingly greater importance than our state in this world, that it is worthy that our state here, and all our concerns in this world should be wholly subordinate to it…God hath made us for himself…

There is but a very imperfect union with God to be had in this world; a very imperfect knowledge of God in the midst of abundance of darkness; a very imperfect conformity to God, mingled with abundance of enmity and estrangement. Here we can serve and glorify God, but in an exceeding imperfect manner; our service being mingled with much sin and dishonor to God.

But when we get to heaven (if ever that be), there we shall be brought to a perfect union with God. There we shall have clear views of God. We shall see face to face, and know as we are known. There we shall be fully conformed to God, without any remainder of sin. We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. There we shall serve God perfectly…In heaven alone is the attainment of our highest good. God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper happiness; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied.

To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops; but God is the ocean.”

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), excerpt from a sermon delivered in 1733 entitled “The True Christian’s Life, A Journey Towards Heaven” in The Works of President Edwards vol. 4 of 4. (New York: Leavitt & Allen, 1852) 575.

“For a man to be proud of his riches, is as if a horse was proud of his trappings. Your riches are but thorns which, without great care, will penetrate your hands. Many names are given in Scripture to riches, to wean us from them, such as mammon of unrighteousness, riches that fly away and deceitful riches…O Christian, never be proud of things that are so transient, injurious, and uncertain as the riches of this evil world, but set your heart on the true and durable riches of grace in Christ Jesus.”

Isaac Ambrose (1604-1664) in The Christian Warrior (Westfield, Digital Puritan Press, 2013) 82, originally published in 1674 as War with Devils.

“Consider that a heart set on heaven will preserve the vigor of all your graces, and put life into all your duties. It is the heavenly Christian that is the lively Christian; and, on the other hand, it is our strangeness to heaven that makes us so dull and lifeless.

It is the end that quickens to the use of all the means; and the more frequently and clearly this end is beheld, the more vigorous will all our motions be. How unweariedly do men labor, and how fearlessly do the venture, when they have the prospect of a rich prize!”

Richard Baxter (1615-1691) in “Motives to Heavenly Mindedness” from the collection of his writings, The Saint’s Everlasting Rest; Or a Treatise on the Blessed State of the Saints in Heaven (Philadelphia: PNP, 1847) 245.

“The first century Christians enjoyed a sense of closeness and unity that caused the world to sit up and take notice. It’s one thing to talk of loving others; it’s quite another to sell one’s valuable possessions and give the proceeds to those less fortunate. Yet that kind of generosity was common in the Early Church. And that kind of selflessness is the essence of true fellowship.”

Philip Comfort & Dan Lins in Life Application New Testament Commentary notes on Acts 2:42-47 (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 2001) 488.

Let us generously dedicate time to fast and pray for the lost and seek the Lord for another Great Awakening! God, use us as catalysts for revival!

In 1796 James McGready (1763-1817) left North Carolina for Kentucky and took the pastoral charge of three congregations in Logan County—Gaspar River, Red River, and Muddy River. These congregations were small, and in a low state of interest in the things of Christ.

He drafted this revival prayer covenant for the people he served:

“When we consider the word and promises of a compassionate God to the poor lost family of Adam, we find the strongest encouragement for Christians to pray in faith—to ask in the name of Jesus for the conversion of their fellow-men. None ever went to Christ when on earth, with the case of their friends, that were denied, and, although the days of his humiliation are ended, yet, for the encouragement of his people, he has left it on record, that where two or three agree upon earth to ask in prayer, believing, it shall be done. 

Again, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. With these promises before us, we feel encouraged to unite our supplications to a prayer-hearing God for the outpouring of his Spirit, that his people may be quickened and comforted, and that our children, and sinners generally, may be converted. 

Therefore, we bind ourselves to observe the third Saturday of each month, for one year, as a day of fasting and prayer for the conversion of sinners in Logan county, and throughout the world. We also engage to spend one half hour every Saturday evening, beginning at the setting of the sun, and one half hour every Sabbath morning, from the rising of the sun, pleading with God to revive his work.”

To this covenant he and they affixed their names. 

Within a few years the Second Great Awakening of 1800 would break out in Kentucky… He would come back to North Carolina and the Revival would spread across North Carolina, into the Methodists and Baptists, then into Virginia, South Carolina, and north Georgia.

Excerpt from “James McGready: North Carolina Catalyst for Revival” by Gene Brooks (March 25, 2011).

“There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord; but few of us are willing to do the little things…There are many who are willing to preach to thousands, but are not willing to take their seat beside one soul, and lead that soul to the blessed Jesus. We must get down to personal effort–this bringing one by one to the Son of God…The trouble is, we are afraid to speak to men about their souls. Let us ask God to give us grace to overcome this man-fearing spirit…If we would do this, we might turn ten thousand to the son of God.”

Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) in The Gospel Awakening: Comprising the Sermons and Addresses, Prayer-Meeting Talks and Bible Readings of the Great Revival Meetings conducted by Moody and Sankey (Chicago: Fairbanks and Palmer, 1885) 154.

Today, I honor my wife, Jenni, for her willingness to help connect one person at a time to Jesus by providing soul care here in Littleton, CO, and for her service to God’s Treasures, the destitute poor children of the Guatemala City garbage dump.

This morning she departs for Guatemala City. She had the privilege of writing the curriculum, and this week she will train the staff and volunteers of Potter’s House in preparation for VBS for 2,000 of God’s Treasures. Last year 222 of 1,000 children made decisions for Christ.

Let us pray for a safe and fruitful trip (Aug 31 to Sept 7). Jenni will be joined by her mother, Wilma, from the SF Bay area. Pray that she too is blessed and is a blessing to all at Potter’s House. And may their example inspire all of us to a lifestyle of doing little things for our great God!

“Faith and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again–until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other.”

William Booth (1829-1912) founder of the Salvation Army in the slums of London, England, as recounted in Christianity Today, “The Founder’s Messages to Soldiers” (page 48), October 5, 1992.

“To conclude upon this point: so work with that earnestness, constancy, and unweariedness in well doing, as if thy works alone were able to justify and save thee: and so absolutely depend and rely upon the merits of Christ for justification and salvation, as if thou never hadst performed one act of obedience in all thy life.

This is the right Gospel frame of obedience, so to work, as if we were only to be saved by our own merits; and withal so to rest on the merits of Christ, as if we had never wrought any thing. It is a difficult thing to give to each of these its due in our practice.

When we work, we are too apt to neglect Christ; and when we rely on Christ, we are too apt to neglect working. But that Christian has got the right art of obedience who can mingle these two together; who can with one hand work the works of God, and yet, at the same time, lay fast hold on the merits of Jesus Christ.”

John Fletcher (1729-1785) a contemporary of John Wesley and a key interpreter of Wesleyan Theology in the 18th century in The Works of the Reverend John Fletcher, volume 1 (New York: Waugh and Mason) 114.

“I suggest we restore the church as it was in the New Testament day, rooting it firmly in the pattern set by the early disciples. With its roots there, it can sway and bend to adjust to the times, but fundamentally it would always be the same. A strong tree is still a tree whatever winds blow. And the church would still be the church despite men’s opinions blowing about it.”

This statement is ascribed to Barton W. Stone (1772-1844) one of many leaders in the Second Great Awakening, as recounted in Samuel Rodriguez in The Lamb’s Agenda: Why Jesus is Calling You to a Life of Righteousness and Justice (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2013) 116.

“Those who are so redeemed from “Love of the World” as to possess nothing in a selfish spirit, their “Life is hid with Christ in God,” and these he preserves in resignedness, even in times of commotion.

As they possess nothing but what pertains to His family, anxious thoughts about wealth or dominion hath little or nothing in them to work upon, and they learn contentment in being disposed of according to His Will, who being Omnipotent, and always mindful of his Children, causeth all things to work for their good.

But where that spirit works which loves riches; works and in its working gathers wealth, and cleaves to customs which have their root in self pleasing…

A day of outward distress is coming, and Divine Love calls to prepare for it. Hearken then, O ye children who have known the Light, and come forth!

…Think not His pattern too plain or too coarse for you. Think not a small portion in this life too little: but let us live in His Spirit, and walk as He walked, and He will preserve us in the greatest troubles.”

John Woolman (1720-1772) The Journal and Essays of John Woolman (New York: MacMillan, 1922) 418-419.