Extracts from His Private Writings

His Resolutions.

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly intreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these ItesohUions once a-iveek.

1. Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

2. Resolved, To be continually endeavouring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the fore-mentioned things.

4. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul S LIFE OP EDWARDS.

or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

G, Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

9. Resolved, To think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

11. Resolved, When I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

13. Resolved to be endeavouring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality,

1 4. Resolved, Never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, Never to suflTer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

17. Resolved, That I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, To live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

20. Resolved, To maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him,

24. Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavour to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

28. Resolved, To study the scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

30, Resolved, To strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

32. Resolved, To be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. xx. 6, a faithful man who can find? may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, Always to do what I can towards making, maintaining and establishing peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects.

34. Resolved, In narrations never to speak any thing but the ‘pure aflrt. simple verity.

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36. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it.

37. Resolved, To inquire every night, as t am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied mjself; also at the end of every week, month, and year.

38. Resolved, Never to speak any thing that is ridiculous, or matter of laughter on the Lord’s day.

39. Resolved, Never to do any thing that I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not: except I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

41. Resolved, To ask myself at the end of every day, week, jnonth, and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better.

42. Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this 12th day of January 1722-3.

43. Resolved, Never hence-forward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s: agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday January 12.

46. Resolved, Never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, To endeavour to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally, sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgwing, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to: examine strictly every week, whether I have done so.

48. Resolved, Constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that 1 will live just so as I can think T shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.

54. Whenever I hear any thing spoken in conversation of anV person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavour to imitate it.

55. Resolved, To endeavour to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments.

56. Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, When I fear misiortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it; and let it be just as Providence orders it, I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin.

62. Resolved, Never to do any thing but duty; and then according to Eph. vi. 6, 7, 8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.

65. Resolved, Very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance, according to Dr. Mantoa’s 27th sermon on the liOth Psalm.

67. Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.f