In the 1740’s there was a massive expansion of Christianity throughout the English speaking world. In America this revival was called the Great Awakening. Revivals always produce controversy and the Great Awakening was no exception. There were four hundred clergymen in New England at this time and by the summer of 1743 one hundred and thirty of them had openly opposed the revival[1]
Jonathan Edwards, the famous New England pastor, published three works in defence of the Great Awakening. In September 1741 he published ‘The distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God’ which offered various tests by which the authenticity of any apparent revival could be established. In 1742, once opposition to the revival had become public and there were explicit charges to be answered, he published a more direct defence of the revival entitled ‘Some thoughts concerning the present revival of religion in New England.’ Finally, in 1746, he published ‘A treatise concerning Religious Affections’
The ‘Religious Affections’ started out as a series of sermons that had been preached in 1742. By this time the revival was in the past and opposition to it had hardened into a movement that discounted all experimental religion, asserting that true religion lies only in reason, judgement and dutiful behaviour.[2] Uppermost in Edwards’ mind is a concern to deal with this position. There was however another movement he had to take into account. This was the fanatical element that the revival had thrown up, typified by James Davenport, who had made much of direct guidance from the Spirit. This fanatical element had produced nearly one hundred separatist churches in New England, many of them being led by self-appointed lay-preachers.[3]
‘The Religious Affections’ then is an exercise in balance. Edwards is seeking to find the safe path between a subjective fanaticism on the one hand and a reactive intellectualism on the other. This concern to avoid two extremes shapes the structure of all that follows.
1. The Aim of the Book
‘The Religious Affections’ is about discerning whether any given spiritual experience is of God or not, and more specifically, whether any given experience is a saving work of the Holy Spirit. This is stated clearly by Edwards himself: ‘What I aim at now, is to show the nature and signs of the gracious operations of God’s Spirit, by which they are to be distinguished from all things whatsoever which are not of a saving nature’[4] In other words, Edwards is aiming to identify certain tests that will help us determine whether the religious experience of a person is true or false.
2. The Content of the Book
i Laying a Foundation
Edwards begins with 1Peter 1.8. He points out that the religious affections of love and joy are singled out in this text as being ‘those exercises wherein [the religion of Peter’s readers] did appear to be true, pure and glorious.’[5] It is from this observation that he then derives his central idea which is that ‘true religion, in great part, consists in holy affections.’[6]
Edwards defines these ‘affections’ as ‘the more vigorous and sensible exercises of the inclination and will of the soul.’[7] He clarifies this definition by offering a psychology that attributes to the soul two faculties – the mind and the heart. When Edwards speaks of the affections he is referring to the stronger exercises of the heart.
He identifies two sorts of affections. The first are those by which the soul is attracted to what is in view. Examples of these affections would be love, desire, hope, joy, gratitude and complacence. The second are those by which the soul is repulsed by what is in view. Examples of these affections would be hatred, fear, anger and grief.
Edwards argues that ‘affections’ are not simply physical and biochemical phenomenon. He observes that in the Bible ‘affections’ are commonly attributed to the non-corporeal inhabitants of heaven. From this he deduces that ‘affections’ must therefore be spiritual in essence, and that any physical and biochemical processes that accompany them are the consequences of these spiritual affections rather than the cause or ‘essence’ of them.[8]
Having defined ‘affections’ Edwards continues by offering support for his thesis that true religion, in great part, consists in holy affections. He does this by putting forward ten lines of evidence.
1. Who will deny that God requires us to be fervent in spirit? See Romans 12.11, Deuteronomy 10.12, 6.4-5, 30.6.
2. We have been so designed that the affections are a very large part of our human nature, therefore ‘holy affections not only necessarily belong to true religion, but are a very great part of such religion.’[9]
3. Experience shows that religion does not take hold of a person any more than it impacts upon their affections.
4. The words that the Bible uses to define true religion are affectional terms such as fear, hope, love, hate, desire, joy, sorrow, gratitude, compassion and zeal.
5. The Bible sums up true religion as being love – ‘the chief of the affections and fountain of all others.’[10]
6. The religion of the greatest saints in the Bible consisted of holy affections – David, Paul, John.
7. The Lord Jesus himself was of a remarkably ‘tender and affectionate heart.’[11]
8. The religion of heaven consists very much in the affections
9. The importance of the affections is seen in the fact that the ordinances of true religion, such as prayer, singing and preaching, are designed to stir them.
10. The fact that the Bible describes hardness of heart as a very great sin is evidence of the importance of affections in true religion
Having established the place of the affections in true religion, Edwards ends the first part of his treatise by applying his thesis to the situation he faced. He warns against any view of religion that discards all religious affections as having nothing solid or substantial in them. Positively he states that ‘such books, and such a way of preaching the word and the administration of ordinances, and such a way of worshipping God in prayer and praises, as has a tendency to deeply affect the hearts of those who attend the means, is much to be desired.’[12] He also asserts that we have good reason to be ashamed that we are not more affected with the things of religion as, given his thesis, this is an indication that we possess little true religion.
ii What proves nothing about the authenticity of religious affections
From this foundation Edwards then proceeds to the main body of his work which is to distinguish between true and false religious affections. He does this first by setting out what proves nothing either way about the authenticity of religious affections.
The fact religious affections are very great proves nothing either way
The fact that religious affections have an effect on the body proves nothing either way
The fact that religious affections cause much talk about religion proves nothing either way
The fact that religious affections are stirred while those who have them are not seeking to stir them proves nothing either way
The fact that affections come with texts of scripture proves nothing either way
The fact that affections have an appearance of love in them proves nothing either way
The fact that many affections may come together proves nothing either way
The fact that comfort and joy follow in a certain order proves nothing either way
The fact that affections cause people to spend much time in religious devotion proves nothing either way
The fact that affections cause a person to sing praise to God proves nothing either way
The fact that affections make a person very confident proves nothing either way
The fact that a person can speak movingly about their experiences proves nothing either way
iii The hallmarks of genuine religious affections
Having dealt with these various unsafe tests, Edwards concludes his treatise with the third and final part which sets out what are the distinguishing marks of truly gracious and holy affections.
True affections are the result of the work of God in the heart
True affections are excited by the things of God considered in themselves and not as they relate to, and benefit, self
True affections are founded on a love to the things of God for the beauty and sweetness of their moral excellency
True affections arise from the mind being enlightened to understand the truth about the things of God
True affections come with a certainty as to the reality of the things of God
True affections are always accompanied with humility
True affections are always accompanied by a change of nature
True affections make a person like Christ in gentleness and humility
True affections produce a softness and tenderness of spirit
There is a symmetry and balance about true affections
True affections increase spiritual hunger
True affections produce fruit in daily life and conduct. This is the chief sign.
[1] Iain Murray, Jonathan Edwards: a new biography (Edinburgh, Banner of Truth, 1987), p209.
[2] Charles Chauncy was a key spokesman for this position. See Murray ibid., p254.
[3] Murray, ibid., p220.
[4] Jonathan Edwards Works (Edinburgh, Banner of Truth, 1974),Vol. 1, p235.
[5] ibid., p237.
[6] ibid., p236.
[7] ibid., p237.
[8] ibid., p242.
[9] ibid., p238.
[10] ibid., p240.
[11] ibid., p241.
[12] ibid., p244.