Instruments in his hands - lamb-like meekness

The eminently humble Christian is as it were clothed with lowliness, mildness, meekness, gentleness of spirit and behavior, and with a soft, sweet, condescending, winning air and deportment; these things are just like garments to him; he is clothed all over with them. 1 Peter 5:5, "And be clothed with humility." Colossians 3:12, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering."

Pure Christian humility has no such thing as roughness, or contempt, or fierceness, or bitterness in its nature; it makes a person like a little child, harmless and innocent, and that none need to be afraid of; or like a lamb, destitute of all bitterness, wrath, anger and clamor, agreeable to Ephesians 4:31.

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With such a spirit as this ought especially zealous ministers of the Gospel to be clothed, and those that God is pleased to improve as instruments in his hands of promoting his work. They ought indeed to be thorough in preaching the Word of God, without mincing the matter at all; in handling the sword of the Spirit [Ephesians 6:17], as the ministers of the Lord of hosts, they ought not to be mild and gentle; they are not to be gentle and moderate in searching and awakening the conscience but should be sons of thunder. 

The Word of God, which is in itself "sharper than any two-edged sword," ought not to be sheathed by its ministers, but so used that its sharp edges may have their full effect, even to the "dividing asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow" [Hebrews 4:12] (provided they do it without judging particular persons, leaving it to conscience and the Spirit of God to make the particular application); but all their conversation should savor of nothing but lowliness and good will, love and pity to all mankind; so that such a spirit should be like a sweet odor diffused around 'em wherever they go, or like a light shining about 'em; their faces should as it were shine with it: they should be like lions to guilty consciences, but like lambs to men's persons. 

This would have no tendency to prevent the awakening of men's consciences, but on the contrary would have a very great tendency to awaken them; it would make way for the sharp sword to enter; it would remove the obstacles, and make a naked breast for the arrow. 

Yea, the amiable Christ-like conversation of such ministers in itself would terrify consciences of men, as well as their terrible preaching; both would co-operate one with another, to subdue the hard, and bring down the proud heart. 

If there had been constantly and universally observable such a behavior as this in itinerant preachers, it would have terrified the consciences of sinners ten times as much as all the invectives, and the censorious talk there has been concerning particular persons for their opposition, hypocrisy, delusion, pharisaism, etc. 

These things in general have rather stupefied sinners' consciences; they take 'em up, and make use of 'em as a shield, wherewith to defend themselves from the sharp arrows of the Word that are shot by these preachers: the enemies of the present work have been glad of these things with all their hearts. 

Many of the most bitter of them are probably such as in the beginning of this work had their consciences something galled and terrified with it; but these errors of awakening preachers are the things they chiefly make use of as plasters to heal the sore that was made in their consciences.

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Spiritual pride takes great notice of opposition and injuries that are received, and is apt to be often speaking of them, and to be much in taking notice of the aggravations of 'em, either with an air of bitterness or contempt: whereas pure, unmixed Christian humility disposes a person rather to be like his blessed Lord, when reviled, dumb, not opening his mouth, but committing himself in silence to him that judgeth righteously [Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 2:23]. 

The eminently humble Christian, the more clamorous and furious the world is against him, the more silent and still will he be; unless it be in his closet, and there he will not be still. 

Our blessed Lord Jesus seems never to have been so silent as when the world compassed him round, reproaching, buffeting and spitting on him, with loud and virulent outcries, and horrid cruelties.

There has been a great deal too much talk of late, among many of the true and zealous friends of religion, about opposition and persecution. It becomes the followers of the Lamb of God, when the world is in an uproar about them, and full of clamor against them, not to raise another noise to answer it, but to be still and quiet. 

'Tis not beautiful, at such a time, to have pulpits and conversation ring with the sound, "Persecution, persecution," or with abundant talk about Pharisees, carnal persecutors, and the seed of the serpent [Genesis 3:15].

Meekness and quietness among God's people, when opposed and reviled, would be the surest way to have God remarkably to appear for their defense. 

'Tis particularly observed of Moses, on the occasion of Aaron and Miriam their envying him, and rising up in opposition against him, that he "was very meek, above all men upon the face of the earth," Numbers 12:3; doubtless because he remarkably shewed his meekness on that occasion, being wholly silent under the abuse. And how remarkable is the account that follows of God's being as it were suddenly roused to appear for his vindication? And what high honor did he put upon Moses? And how severe were his rebukes of his opposers? The story is very remarkable, and worth everyone's observing. 

Nothing is so effectual to bring God down from heaven in the defense of his people, as their patience and meekness under sufferings. When Christ girds his sword upon his thigh, with his glory and majesty, and in his majesty rides prosperously, his right hand teaching him terrible things, it is because of truth and meekness and righteousness, Psalms 45:3–4. God will cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth shall fear and be still, and God will

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arise to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth, [paraphrase of] Psalms 76:8–9. 

He will lift up the meek, and cast the wicked down to the ground, Psalms 147:6. He will "reprove with equity for the meek of the earth, and will smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips will he slay the wicked," Isaiah 11:4. 

The great commendation that Christ gives the church of Philadelphia is that, "Thou hast kept the word of my patience," Revelation 3:10. And we may see what reward he promises her, in the preceding verse, "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." 

And thus it is, that we might expect to have Christ appear for us, if under all reproaches we are loaded with, we behaved ourselves with a lamb-like meekness and gentleness; but if our spirits are raised, and we are vehement and noisy with our complaints under color of Christian zeal, this will be to take upon us our own defense, and God will leave it with us to vindicate our cause as well as we can: yea, if we go on in a way of bitterness and high censuring, it will be the way to have him rebuke us, and put us to shame before our enemies.

1808 at 68982

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4zOjYud2plby4xMTU0MjY4LjExNTQyNzQ=

‘The Opening of the Protestant Mind’ Review: The Early Evangelical Outlook

Review in the Wall St. Journal:

https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/the-opening-of-the-protestant-mind-review-the-early-evangelical-outlook-513ce5f4?st=23zjnhcgyhu9746&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

‘The Opening of the Protestant Mind’ Review: The Early Evangelical Outlook

Excerpt:

In Mr. Valeri’s interpretation, though, a figure like Jonathan Edwards, famous for preaching “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” may have been among the most liberal and progressive thinkers in the Anglophone world.

[the formatting on the website is damaged so I'm reconstructing the full article here.]

‘Evangelicals,” or born-again Protestants—Christians who believe in converting non-Christians to their faith—haven’t had a lot of great press of late. The mainstream media all but blamed them for the 2016 election of Donald Trump. Going further back are evangelical ties to the Moral Majority and the religious right. Evangelicals in both politics and religion have a reputation for intolerance. They may have earned it: In 2017, the Pew Research Center found that evangelicals, more than any other Christian group, viewed Hindus, Buddhists, Mormons, atheists and Muslims unfavorably.

Mark Valeri’s “The Opening of the Protestant Mind” isn’t about 21st-century America, but his exploration of born-again Protestantism’s historical roots upends assumptions about religious conversion. Instead of making Christians intolerant, coming to faith by conversion historically went hand in hand with reasonableness, civility and religious toleration. Most readers would likely assume the opposite: If you believe other people need to convert to your faith from theirs, chances are you won’t give them much of a hearing. In Mr. Valeri’s interpretation, though, a figure like Jonathan Edwards, famous for preaching “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” may have been among the most liberal and progressive thinkers in the Anglophone world.

Mr. Valeri’s narrative of Anglo-American Protestantism between 1650 and 1750 is not as oxymoronic as it initially sounds. The Protestant outlook that prevailed in English society at the time of Charles I’s execution in 1649 assumed that the “health of the state depended on a . . . religious confession” to supply social coherence. For the rest of the 17th century, when English writers (including American colonists) encountered non-Christians, they saw “illegitimate, dangerous, and demonic” religions.

But after the Glorious Revolution in 1688, in which the threat of a Catholic monarch was decisively ended, English Protestants began to distinguish “loyalty to the kingdom” from “conformity to any one creed.” English writers—some zealous Protestants, others philosophically inclined—“minimized theological orthodoxy” as a requirement for social standing. Not only did these authors discover “republican ideas of toleration and moral virtue” in other religions; they also revised Christianity. Conversion became the path to faith not by submission to dogma but by persuasion. This shift aided the ascendant Whigs in governing a diverse religious constituency. It also prompted Protestants to regard conversion

 (and awakenings) as the mark of true faith. Mr. Valeri, a professor of religion and politics at Washington University in St. Louis, refers to a variety of authors well known and obscure. In the “Letter Concerning Toleration” (1689), the key to civil liberty was separating the purpose of the state from that of the church. If religious contro 

public order, the state should intervene. Otherwise government should leave religious groups to themselves. Locke’s outlook extended to Native believe that they please God and are saved by the rites of their forefathers, they should be left to themselves.” Jonathan Edwards, who for a time served as a missionary to Native Americans, echoed Locke. Although an advocate for the First Great Awakening, Edwards regarded the Mohawks and English people as because they shared the same sinful human nature. For that reason, Edwards thought acculturating Native Americans to Anglo-American conventions as unimportant compared with converting them through persuasive preaching. 

The 1733 English publication of “The Ceremonies and Religious Customs of the Various Nations of the Known World” is Mr. Valeri’s best example. Compiled by two French Protestants, Bernard Picart and Jean Frédéric Bernard, this popular book reinforced the ideal of conversion. Especially appealing to Anglo-American Protestants was the French catalogers’ contention that ceremonial religion represented an illegitimate “alliance between priests and secular rulers who persecuted religious dissenters.” Ritualized Christianity went hand-in-hand with imperial ambition and produced “uncivil, unreasonable, and coercive” religion 

Mr. Valeri does not hide the anti-Catholicism of British Protestants, whether Enlightened or awakened. But his argument relies too heavily on lit enough on political history. He maps changes in “the discourse” about the religious “other” as the best way to track perceptions of non-Christian discounts the significance of imperialism. Between 1653 and 1763, the British Empire grew considerably in size and might. To govern adequately, followed the playbook of other imperial administrations by tolerating cultural and religious diversity in provincial peripheries.

Roman Catholics, for their part, well knew the intolerance of British Protestants. Until at least 1829, with the Catholic Emancipation Act, holding civil or military posts required membership in the Church of England. A similar pattern prevailed informally in Scotland, the United States and Canada. As late as 1870, the popular essayist and historian Anthony Froude, by no means a devout Protestant, celebrated Elizabeth I’s 1588 victory over the Spanish Armada as the moment when Protestant and English fortunes combined to secure Britain’s political sovereignty and Protestantism’s long-term viability in Europe and colonial North America. It’s true that religious outsiders in 19th-century Anglo-American society enjoyed a measure of liberty at the local level. But in government, Protestants generally reserved the levers of power for themselves.

The Protestant air of superiority is a missing piece in Mr. Valeri’s book. Had he spent more time on the nature and persistence of anti-Catholicism among British Protestants, he could well have resolved the riddle of Protestant tolerance in politics and insularity in religion. He might even have facilitated understanding those Protestants who to this day show a capacity to live with and sometimes be governed by non-Christians even while praying for their conversion.