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The Holy Spirit

Miscellanies by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)

Today, many Christians are turning back to the puritans to, “walk in the old paths,” of God’s word, and to continue to proclaim old truth that glorifies Jesus Christ. There is no new theology. In our electronic age, more and more people are looking to add electronic books (ePubs, mobi and PDF formats) to their library – books from the Reformers and Puritans – in order to become a “digital puritan” themselves. Take a moment to visit Puritan Publications (click the banner below) to find the biggest selection of rare puritan works updated in modern English in both print form and in multiple electronic forms. There are new books published every month. All proceeds go to support A Puritan’s Mind.

Edwards’ thoughts about the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity.

178. Spirit of God. It is exceeding evident in natural philosophy that all the operations of the creatures are the immediate influence of the divine being, and that the method of influence is most simple, constant, and unvaried in the meanest and simplest beings, and more evident, compounded, and various and according to less simple rules in beings that are more perfect and compounded — and that in proportion as they are more or less perfect. It is most simple in inanimate beings, less so in plants, more compounded still in the more perfect plants, more evident in animals than in them, and most so in the most perfect animal and most compounded and least of all bound to constant laws — in man. And it is certainly beautiful that it should be so that in the various ranks of beings those that are nearest to the first being should most evidently and variously partake of his influence. And it would be no more than just, to make out the proportion, if the soul of man be influenced by the operation of the Spirit of God, as the Scripture represents.

225. Holy Spirit. The name of the Son of God is MESSIAH and Christ, not only because there was an extraordinary pouring out of the Holy Ghost upon the man Christ Jesus, and giving the Spirit without measure unto him, as separating him to and preparing him for his work. Nor are these names proper to Christ only as man or as Mediator. But God the Son from all eternity was Christ or anointed with the Holy Spirit without measure, strictly speaking, or with the infinite love of the Father towards him. As the sons of God are begotten of divine love or born of the Holy Spirit.

293. Spirit Creation. It was made especially the Holy Spirit’s work to bring the world to its beauty and perfection out of the chaos; for the beauty of the world is a communication of God’s beauty. The Holy Spirit is the harmony and excellency and beauty of the deity, as we have shown. Therefore it was his work to communicate beauty and harmony to the world, and so we read that it was he that moved upon the face of the waters.

330. Holy Ghost. It appears that the Holy Spirit is the holiness or excellency and delight of God, because our communion with God, and with Christ, consists in our partaking of the Holy Ghost: 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Cor. 6:17; 1 John 3:24. The oil that was upon Aaron’s head ran down to the skirts of his garments. The Spirit, which Christ, our head, has without measure is communicated to his church and people. The sweet perfumed oil signified Christ’s excellency, and sweet delight. Phil. 2:1.

Communion we know is nothing else but the common partaking with others of good. Communion with God is nothing else but a partaking with him of his excellency, his holiness, and happiness.

Consider the following two works by Edwards that have been updated and republished for easy reading:

Ripe for Damnation: Sermons on the Book of Revelation – by Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758). Are you hungry for more of Edwards’ sermons? On the book of Revelation? These new works are not found anywhere on A Puritan’s Mind, and there are new ones not found in his large 2 volume works. 4 deal with the plight of the wicked, and 2 deal with the bliss of saints in heaven. These sermons are powerful, practical, and biblical, glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ, and contain 2 never before published sermons.

Justification by Faith Alone – by Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758). In this classic work, Edwards covers the intricacies of how believers are made righteous only through Christ’s merits, and that this justifying righteousness is equally imputed to all elect believers. This is accomplished by the condition of faith as an instrument.

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