Religious Affections, Part 2
by Jonathan Edwards
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VI. It is no evidence that religious affections are saving, or
that they are otherwise, that there is an appearance of love in
them.
There are no professing Christians who pretend, that this is an argument
against the truth and saving nature of religious affections. But, on the other
hand, there are some who suppose, it is a good evidence that affections are
from the sanctifying and saving influences of the Holy Ghost.--Their argument
is that Satan cannot love; this affection being directly contrary to the devil,
whose very nature is enmity and malice. And it is true, that nothing is more
excellent, heavenly, and divine, than a spirit of true Christian love to God
and men: it is more excellent than knowledge, or prophecy, or miracles, or
speaking with the tongue of men and angels. It is the chief of the graces of
God's Spirit, and the life, essence and sum of all true religion; and that by
which we are most conformed to heaven, and most contrary to hell and the devil.
But yet it is in arguing from hence, that there are no counterfeits of it. It
may be observed that the more excellent anything is, the more will be the
counterfeits of it. Thus there are many more counterfeits of silver and gold,
than of iron and copper: there are many false diamonds and rubies, but who goes
about to counterfeit common stones? Though the more excellent things are, the
more difficult it is to make anything that shall be like them, in their
essential nature and internal virtues; yet the more manifold will the
counterfeits be, and the more will art and subtlety be displayed, in an exact
imitation of the outward appearance. Thus there is the greatest danger of being
cheated in buying of medicines that are most excellent and sovereign, though it
be most difficult to imitate them with anything of the like value and virtue,
and their counterfeits are good for nothing when we have them. So it is with
Christian virtues and graces; the subtlety of Satan, and men's deceitful
hearts, are wont chiefly to be exercised in counterfeiting those that are in
highest repute. So there are perhaps no graces that have more counterfeits than
love and humility; these being virtues wherein the beauty of a true Christian
does especially appear.
But with respect to love; it is plain by the Scripture, that persons may have a
kind of religious love, and yet have no saving grace. Christ speaks of many
professing Christians that have such love, whose love will not continue, and so
shall fail of salvation, Matt. 24:12, 13: "And because iniquity shall abound
the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the
same shall be saved." Which latter words plainly show, that those spoken of
before, whose love shall not endure to the end, but wax cold, should not be
saved.
Persons may seem to have love to God and Christ, yea, to have very strong and
violent affections of this nature, and yet have no grace. For this was
evidently the case with many graceless Jews, such as cried Jesus up so high,
following him day and night, without meat, drink, or sleep; such as said,
"Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest," and cried, "Hosanna to the
Son of David."[19]
The apostle seems to intimate, that there were many in his days who had a
counterfeit love to Christ, in Eph. 6:24: "Grace be with all them that love our
Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." The last word, in the original, signifies
incorruption; which shows, that the apostle was sensible that there were
many who had a kind of love to Christ, whose love was not pure and spiritual.
So also Christian love to the people of God may be counterfeited. It is evident
by the Scripture, that there may be strong affections of this kind, without
saving grace; as there were in the Galatians towards the Apostle Paul, when
they were ready to pluck out their eyes and give them to him; although the
apostle expresses his fear that their affections were come to nothing, and that
he had bestowed upon them labor in vain, Gal. 4:11, 15.
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