Contemplate
on these thoughts on “counterfeit religion” on page 17 of Jonathan Edward’s
preface to The Religious Affections:
“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, all along hitherto. It is by
this means, principally, that he has prevailed against all revivings of religion
that ever have been since the first founding of the Christian church.
By this, he hurt the cause of Christianity, in and
after the apostolic age, much more than by all the persecutions of both Jews and
Heathens. The apostles, in all their epistles, show themselves much more
concerned at the former mischief, than the latter.
By this, Satan
prevailed against the reformation, began by Luther, Zwinglius, &c.,
to put a stop to its progress, and
bring it into disgrace; ten times more,
than by all those bloody, cruel, and before unheard of persecutions
of the Church of Rome.
By this, principally, has he prevailed against
revivals of religion that have been in our nation since the reformation?
By this he
prevailed against New England, to quench the love and spoil the joy of her
espousals, about a hundred years ago. And
I think, I have had opportunity enough to see plainly that by this the
devil has prevailed against the late great revival of religion in New England,
so happy and promising in its beginning.” [1]
Yet another interesting post to read and think about Gregg,
ReplyDeleteYvonne.