Charity and its Fruits, by Jonathan Edwards. Chapter Two of the text.
Channel: Take Up The Cross
Date: 2018-02-05

Charity and its Fruits, by Jonathan Edwards. Chapter Two of the text.

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
~ Isaiah 6:5

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. ~ Psalm 51:17

Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. ~ Job 42:6

Blessed are the poor in spirit: ~ Matthew 5:3a

Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
~ Galatians 5:26 

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
~ 1 Peter 2:1 

Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
~ Proverbs 13:10 

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
~ Ecclesiastes 7:8

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
~ Romans 15:1-2

Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-5a

"Humility tends also to prevent an ostentatious behavior. If the truly humble man has any advantage or benefit of any kind, either temporal or spiritual, above his neighbors, he will not affect to make a show of it. If he has greater natural abilities than others, he will not be forward to parade and display them, or be careful that others shall know his superiority in this respect. If he has a remarkable spiritual experience, he will not be solicitous that men should know it for the sake of the honor he may obtain by it; nor does he affect to be esteemed of men as an eminent saint and a faithful servant of heaven, for it is a small thing with him what men may think of him. If he does anything well, or does his duty in any respect with difficulty and self-denial, he does not affect that men should take notice of it, nor is he careful lest they should not observe it. He is not of the behavior of the Pharisees, who did all their works to be seen of men (Mat 23:5); but if he has done anything in sincerity, he is content that the great Being (who sees in secret) beholds and will approve it.

"Humility tends also to prevent an arrogant and assuming behavior. He that is under the influence of an humble spirit is not forward to take too much upon him, and when he is amongst others, he does not carry it toward them as if he expected and insisted that a great deal of regard should be shown to himself. His behavior does not carry with it the idea that he is the best amongst those about him, and that he is the one to whom the chief regard should be shown, and whose judgment is most to be sought and followed. He does not carry it as if he expected that everybody should bow and truckle to him, and give place to him, as if no one was of as much consequence as himself. He does not put on assuming airs in his common conversation, nor in the management of his business, nor in the duties of religion. He is not forward to take upon himself that which does not belong to him, as though he had power where indeed he has not, as if the earth ought to be subject to his bidding, and must comply with his inclination and purposes.

"On the contrary, he gives all due deference to the judgment and inclinations of others, and his behavior carries with it the impression that he sincerely receives and acts on that teaching of the apostle, “Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Phi 2:3). In talking of the things of religion, he has not the air, either in his speech or behavior, of one that es- teems himself one of the best saints in the whole company, but he rather carries himself as if he thought, in the expression of the apostle, that he was “less than the least of all saints” (Eph 3:8)."

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