glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the life of a godly man is a life full of conflicts "First. Hence we may learn that it must needs be that a Christian must live a fighting, struggling life, while he lives in this world. For if he be of a spirit to be perfectly [holy], and at the same time be so far from [it], and have so much within and without that is exceeding opposite to it; how can it be otherwise than there must be a continual strife and struggle in a Christian? For how little a way have the best saints in this world advanced towards perfection, even the most grown Christians? How remote are they still from it? And how much is there in their own hearts that is opposite to this perfection? How much sin remains, and how many lusts, and how active and how strong are they? And how many are there within that are opposing his progress towards perfection? How many enemies of the soul, tempting continually to sin, and endeavoring to hinder all that is good, laying stumbling blocks in the way? And how full is this world, that the saints in this life live in, of that that opposes them in this matter? How many clogs and hindrances, how many snares? How difficult is it, in such a world as we here live in, not only to make progress towards perfection, but to keep from being driven back, and being corrupted more and more? Hence, there being such a spirit in the godly, must of necessity arise a great inward strife and warfare. It is impossible but that a godly man should find much to do, and that he should find great occasion for labor and diligence, and many sighs, and groans, and pantings of heart, and earnest cries, and vehement conflicts. The life of a godly man is a life full of conflicts. They therefore that think they are converted, and are, since that, sunk into a stated negligence of the work of religion; and find a free opportunity now they are, in their own apprehension, safe to sit down and take their ease; and, accordingly, actually live now an idle life, so that 'tis impossible it can be said that they live in anywise laboriously in religion; 'tis a sign they ben't much acquainted with what belongs to Christianity, and that they are very inexperienced concerning the real life of a Christian." Jonathan Edwards 6:40 p.m. - 2022-05-31 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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