From the pen of Jonathan Edwards to the Scottish pastor, Thomas Gillespie, after Edwards was removed as pastor from his church in Northampton, Massachusetts. He mentioned some of his own sins and weaknesses that caused some of the difficulties that resulted in his dismissal, but he also spoke of the spiritual pride that permeated the congregation at Northampton. The letter was written from Stockbridge, the place of his new ministry, July 1, 1751.
In later times, the people have had more to feed their pride. They have grown a much greater and more wealthy people than formerly, and are become more extensively famous in the world, as a people that have excelled in gifts and grace, and had God extraordinarily among them; which has insensibly engendered and nourished spiritual pride, that grand inlet of the devil into the hearts of men, and avenue of all manner of mischief among a professing people. Spiritual pride is a monstrous thing…
Jonathan Edwards: Letters and Personal Writings, edited by George S. Claghorn, vol. 16 in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Yale University Press, 1998, p. 382.
2 comments:
Sounds all too much like Corinth; sounds all too much like us!
How right you are, Predestined. We must maintain a guard. Pride will bowl us over at the drop of the hat and leave us wondering how it entered. May God help us to hate pride as He does.
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