Puritan Rhetoric: The Issue of Emotion in Religion

2. Distinguishing Marks

READ IN G N U M B E R TWO Distinguishing Marks Jonathan Edwards Some five montIls after his "Future Punishment," Edwards preached the "Distinguishing Marks" li> during the Yale commencement observances . Although some "extravagances" were already beginning to sully the pure expressions of piety, the address was an aggressive, confident assault upon the yet silent and intimidated enemies of the revival. An attempt to demonstrate that the revival was a work of God, it was also an encouragement to the uncommitted to join actively in the awakening. In reworking the sermon for the press,t Edwards may have toned down the Application segment and directed it, not toward the enemies, but toward the overly zealous supporters of the revival. During the bulk of the printed speech, however, he was on the attack, coalescing a defense of emotion into a strident affirmation . 1 JOHN 4:1 Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they are of God; because many false Prophets are gone out into the Wodd. The apostolical Age, or the Age in which the Apostles lived and preached the Gospel, was an Age of the greatest outpouring of the Spirit of God that ever was; and that both as to the extraordinary Influences and Gifts of the Spirit, in Inspiration and Miracles, and also as to his ordinary Operations, li> The text of this speech has been taken from his The Distinguishing Marl\8 of a Work of the Spirit of God (Boston, 1741). For additional orientation to the sermon, see Part One: The Developing Exigence. t Shortly after its delivery it was published in Boston, Philadelphia, London , Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Because the printed version runs considerably longer than the original speech, this text has been pruned more extensively than the others. 81 READINGS in convmcmg, converting, enlightening and Sanctifying the Souls of Men. But as the Influences of the fTUe Spirit abounded, so Counterfeits did also then abound: The Devil was abundant :in mimicldng, both the ordinary and extraordinary Influences of the Spirit of God, as is manifest by innumerable Passages of the Apostles Writings. This made it very necessary that the Church of Christ should be furnished with some certain Rules, and distinguishing and clear MarI(s by which she might pro~ ceed safely in judging of Spirits, and distinguish the true from the false, without Danger of being imposed upon. The giving such Rules is the plain Design of this Chapter, where we have this Matter more expresly and fully treated of than any where else in the Bible. . . . My Design therefore at this Time is to shew what are the true, certain, and distinguishing Evidences of a Work of the Spirit of God, by which we may proceed safely :in judging of any Operation we find :in ourselves, or see in others. • • . But before I proceed particularly to speak to these, I would prepare my Way by first observing negatively, in some Instances, What are not Signs that we are to judge of a Worle by, whether it be the Work of the Spirit of God or no; and especially, what are no Evidences that a Work that is wrought amongst a People, is not the Work of the Spirit of God.~ 1. Nothing can certainly be concluded from this, That the Work that appem's is carried on in a Way very unusual and extraordinary. 'Tis no Sign that a Work is not the Work of the Spirit of God, that it is carried on in such a Way as the same Spirit of God heretofore has not been wont to carryon his Work, provided the Variety or Difference be such, as may still be comprehended within the Limits of those Rules which the Scriptures have given to distinguish a Work of the Spirit of God by, What we have been used to, or what the Church of Cod has been used to, is not a Rule by which we are to judge whether a Work be the Work of Cod, because there may be new and extraordinary Works of God..•. Therefore 'tis not reasonable to determine that a Work is not the Work of God's Spirit, because of the extraordinary Degree in which the Minds of Persons are influenced and Distinguishing Marks wrought upon. If they seem to have an extraordinary Conviction of the dreadful nature of Sin, and a very uncommon Sense of the Misery...