Heartfelt Wisdom from a Man With a Wig

Jonathan Edwards

An excerpt from Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections:

"The nature of human beings is to be inactive unless influenced by some affection: love or hatred, desire, hope, fear, etc. These affections are the 'spring of action,' the things that set us moving in our lives, that move us to engage in activities.

When we look at the world, we see that people are exceedingly busy. It is there affections that keep them busy. If we were to take away their affections, the world would be motionless and dead; there would be no such thing as activity.

It is the affection called covetousness that moves a person to seek worldly profits;

it is the affection we call ambition that moves a person to pursue worldly glory;

it is the affection we call lust that moves a person to pursue sensual delights.

Just as worldly affections are the spring of worldly actions, so the religious affections are the spring of religious actions."