CHARITY AND IT'S FRUITS BY JONATHAN EDWARDS

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understand all mysteries, and all knowledge,” etc. It is this miraculous gift which the apostle here says shall vanish away, together with the other miraculous gifts of which he speaks, such as prophecy, and the gift of tongues, etc. All these were extraordinary gifts bestowed for a season for the introduction and establishment of Christianity in the world, and when this their end was gained, they were all to fail and cease. But charity was never to cease. Thus the apostle plainly teaches, as the doctrine of the text: THAT THAT GREAT FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, IN WHICH THE HOLY GHOST SHALL, NOT ONLY FOR A SEASON, BUT EVERLASTINGLY, BE COMMUNICATED TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, IS <strong>CHARITY</strong>, OR DIVINE LOVE. That the meaning and truth of this doctrine may be better understood, I would speak to it in the four following propositions: first, The Spirit of Christ will be everlastingly given to his Church and people, to influence and dwell in them; second, There are other fruits of the Spirit besides divine love, wherein the Spirit of God is communicated to his church; third, These other fruits are but for a season, and either have already, or will at some time, cease; fourth, That charity, or divine love, is that great and unfailing fruit of the Spirit, in which his everlasting influence and indwelling in the saints, or in his church, shall appear. I. The Spirit of Christ is given to his church and people everlastingly, to influence and dwell in them. The Holy Spirit is the great purchase, or purchased gift, of Christ. The chief and sum of all the good things in this life and in the life to come, that are purchased for the church, is the Holy Spirit. And as he is the great purchase, so he is the great promise, or the great thing promised by God and Christ to the church; as said the apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32, 33) - “This Jesus … being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” And this great purchase and promise of Christ is forever to be given to his church. He has promised that his church shall continue, and expressly declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And that it may be preserved, he has given his Holy Spirit to every true member of it, and promised the continuance of that Spirit forever. His own language is (John 14:16, 17), “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world can not receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” Man, in his first estate in Eden, had the Holy Spirit; but he lost it by his disobedience. But a way has been provided by which it may be restored, and now it is given a second time, never more to depart from the saints. The Spirit of God is so given to his own people as to become truly theirs. It was, indeed, given to our first parents in their state of innocence, and dwelt with them, but not in the same sense in which it is given to, and dwells in, believers in Christ. They had no proper right or sure title to the Spirit, and it was not finally and forever given to them, as it is to believers in Christ; for if it had been, they never would have lost it. But the Spirit of Christ is not only communicated to those that are converted, but he is made over to them by a sure covenant, so that he is become their own. Christ is become theirs, and therefore his 143
fullness is theirs, and therefore his Spirit is theirs - their purchased and promised and sure possession. But, II. There are other fruits of the Spirit besides that which summarily consists in charity, or divine love, wherein the Spirit of God is communicated to his church. For example, 1. The Spirit of God has been communicated to his church in extraordinary gifts, such as the gift of miracles, the gift of inspiration, etc. The Spirit of God. seems to have been communicated to the church in such gifts, formerly to the prophets under the Old Testament, and to the apostles, and evangelists, and prophets, and to the generality of the early ministers of the gospel, and also to multitudes of common Christians, under the New Testament. To them were given such gifts as the gift of prophecy, and the gift of tongues, and the gift called the gift of knowledge, and others mentioned in the context, and in the foregoing chapter. And besides these, 2 There are the common and ordinary gifts of the Spirit of God. These, in all ages, have more or less been bestowed on many natural, unconverted men, in common convictions of sin, and common illuminations, and common religious affections, which, though they have nothing in them of the nature of divine love, or of true and saving grace, are yet the fruits of the Spirit, in the sense that they are the effect of his influences on the hearts of men. And as to faith and hope, if there be nothing of divine love with them, there can be no more of the Spirit of God in them than is common to natural unregenerate men. This is clearly implied by the apostle, when he says in this chapter, “Though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” All saving faith and hope have love in them as ingredients, and as their essence; and if this ingredient be taken out, there is nothing left but the body without the spirit. It is nothing saving; but at best, only a common fruit of the Spirit. But, III. All these other fruits of the Spirit are but for a season, and either have already ceased, or at some time will cease. As to the miraculous gifts of prophecy and tongues, etc., they are but of a temporary use, and can not be continued in heaven. They were given only as an extraordinary means of grace that God was once pleased to grant to his church in the world. But when the saints that once enjoyed the use of these means went to heaven, such means of grace ceased, for they were no longer needful. There is no occasion for any means of grace in heaven, whether ordinary, such as the stated and common means of God’s house, or extraordinary, such as the gifts of tongues, and of knowledge, and of prophecy. I say, there is no occasion for any of these means of grace to be continued in heaven, because there the end of all means of grace is already fully obtained in the perfect sanctification and happiness of God’s people. The apostle, speaking in the fourth chapter of Ephesians, of the various means of grace, says that they are given “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man.” But when this has come to pass, and the saints are perfected, and are already come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, then there will be no further occasion for any of these means, whether ordinary or extraordinary. It is in this respect very much as it is with 144
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CHARITY AND IT’S FRUITS by Jonath
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CONTENTS Introduction to the 1851 E
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works on the “Will,” the “Aff
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prone to trust; and yet the apostle
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ecause he loves him. He is willing
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equired as of universal and perpetu
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In the application of this subject,
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God and Christ appear in the gospel
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main principle in the heart of a re
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that all the extraordinary gifts of
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them as it were next to himself, an
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in these extraordinary gifts of the
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enlightened, and have tasted of the
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(3) If saving grace is more excelle
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3. THE GREATEST PERFORMANCES OR SUF
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defense of the Mahometan faith, sha
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character. This love it is of which
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of a holy, sincere principle of lov
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accomplishing that which they are e
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peaceableness and calmness and gent
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apostle asks, “Despisest thou the
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he feels the injuries that his enem
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disturb the calm and peace in which
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and long-suffering spirit under all
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Objection 3. But you may object aga
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trial; and, generally, of promoting
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ecompense thee: for thou shalt be r
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kings and governors used to assume
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6. CHARITY INCONSISTENT WITH AN ENV
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his heart, and will crucify within
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was he from begrudging to his disci
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some are always ready to improve th
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7. THE SPIRIT OF CHARITY IS AN HUMB
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Secondly, a sense of our own meanne
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I would specify some things that ar
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Humility tends also to prevent a wi
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threatens those who do this. You ar
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I. I would show the nature of that
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former strength, and having no supe
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But more particularly, under this h
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espouse and seek the interests of e
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disposes us to look upon our neighb
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and the interests of his kingdom; a
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9. THE SPIRIT OF CHARITY THE OPPOSI
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only cause was, that the circumstan
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4. Anger may be unsuitable and unch
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Page 96 and 97: 10. THE SPIRIT OF CHARITY THE OPPOS
Page 98 and 99: contrary to Christianity. Some pers
Page 100 and 101: think evil of others. It may be in
Page 102 and 103: and again, it is written, “Wheref
Page 104 and 105: 11. ALL TRUE GRACE IN THE HEART TEN
Page 106 and 107: 3. That effectual calling, or that
Page 108 and 109: Fifth, true Christian grace is not
Page 110 and 111: in the fullest trust in his charact
Page 112 and 113: proportionably cease, and the humbl
Page 114 and 115: summing up the several commandments
Page 116 and 117: more? Do you stand on your watch ag
Page 118 and 119: 12. CHARITY WILLING TO UNDERGO ALL
Page 120 and 121: the heart to forsake all, and follo
Page 122 and 123: to forsake honour for him. And so i
Page 124 and 125: you to bitter persecutions, such as
Page 126 and 127: 13. ALL THE GRACES OF CHRISTIANITY
Page 128 and 129: Faith, too, promotes humility; for
Page 130 and 131: 3. That they all have the same root
Page 132 and 133: manner, delighting to renounce them
Page 134 and 135: 14. CHARITY, OR TRUE GRACE, NOT TO
Page 136 and 137: children of Israel in Egypt, agains
Page 138 and 139: enemies, and to give it the victory
Page 140 and 141: and made us sit together in heavenl
Page 142 and 143: promise, be faithful to your part,
Page 146 and 147: the fruits of the field, which stan
Page 148 and 149: 2. We may consider the church of Ch
Page 150 and 151: themselves they are childish, in co
Page 152 and 153: 16. HEAVEN - A WORLD OF CHARITY “
Page 154 and 155: dwells the great Mediator, through
Page 156 and 157: altogether lovely; and with the Hol
Page 158 and 159: happiness and glory of others are i
Page 160 and 161: made lightly and without meaning; b
Page 162 and 163: 8. In heaven they shall enjoy each
Page 164 and 165: We know not particularly how the sa
Page 166 and 167: And so, when converted persons get
Page 168 and 169: First, by putting them in mind of t
Page 170 and 171: Now consider, all ye that are out o
Page 172 and 173: constantly be seeking heaven, witho
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CHARITY AND IT'S FRUITS BY JONATHAN EDWARDS

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