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Jonathan Edwards, perhaps the most significant theologian of all time, made the following 70 commitment statements when he was just 19 years old! He went on to read these 70 Resolutions once each week, for 35 years, more than 1,800 times before his death in 1758!
I thought that as we approach a new year it is a good time to consider these resolutions to see what may still relate to us over 250 years later.
Being sensible that I am unable
to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat 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
Resolutions once a week.
Overall Life Mission1
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 myriad’s 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
endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the
aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall
and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent
of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any
manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the
glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
6. Resolved, to live with all my
might, while I do live.
22. Resolved, to endeavor to
obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can,
with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of,
or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.
62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and
then according to Eph. 6:6-8, 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.” June 25 and July 13, 1723.
Good Works
11. Resolved, when I think of any
theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving
it, if circumstances don’t hinder.
13. Resolved, to be endeavoring
to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.
69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish
I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.
Time Management
5. Resolved, never to lose one
moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
7. Resolved, never to do
anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
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.
19. Resolved, never to do
anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above
an hour, before I should hear the last trump.
37. Resolved, to inquire every
night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have
committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week,
month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.
40. Resolved, to inquire every
night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly
could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.
41. Resolved, to ask myself at
the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any
respect have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.
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. July 5, 1723.
51.Resolved, that I will act so,
in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be
damned. July 8, 1723.
52. I frequently hear persons in
old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again:
Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done,
supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.
55. Resolved, to endeavor to my
utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness
of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that
listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and
fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my
listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July
13, 1723.
Relationships
14. Resolved, never to do
anything out of revenge.
15. Resolved, never to suffer the
least motions of anger to irrational beings.
16. Resolved, never to speak evil
of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account
except for some real good.
31. Resolved, never to say
anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the
highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the
lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the
golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to,
and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
33. Resolved, always to do what I
can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can
be without over-balancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.
34. Resolved, in narration’s
never to speak anything but the pure and simple verity.
36. Resolved, never to speak evil
of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.
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 eve: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of
our family.
58. Resolved, not only to refrain
from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit
an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May 27, and July 13,
1723.
59. Resolved, when I am most
conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to
feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature,
though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as
would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 2, and July 13.
66. Resolved, that I will
endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all
places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires
otherwise.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.
Suffering
9. Resolved, to think much on all
occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain,
to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.
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.
57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and
adversities, to examine whether ~ 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. June 9, and July 13, 1723.
Character
8. Resolved, to act, in all
respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as
if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as
others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but
shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and
misery to God.
12. Resolved, if I take delight
in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account,
immediately to throw it by.
21. Resolved, never to do
anything, 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.
32. Resolved, to be strictly and
firmly faithful to my trust, that that in Prov. 20:6, “A faithful man who can
find?” may not be partly fulfilled in me.
47. Resolved, to endeavor 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, forgiving, 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. Sabbath morning. May 5, 1723.
54. Whenever I hear anything
spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in
me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.
63. On the supposition, that
there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was
properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having
Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and
lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to
act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who
should live in my time. Jan. 14 and July 3, 1723.
27. Resolved, never willfully to
omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to
examine my omissions.
39. Resolved, never to do anything 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 no; except I as much question the
lawfulness of the omission.
20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance
in eating and drinking.
Spiritual Life
Assurance
25. Resolved, to examine
carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the
least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
26. Resolved, to cast away such
things, as I find do abate my assurance.
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 no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting
this to repent of. May 26, 1723.
49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can
help it.
The Scriptures
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.
Prayer
29. Resolved, never to count that
a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer,
which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a
confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.
64. Resolved, when I find those “groanings which
cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those
“breakings of soul for the longing it hath,” of which the Psalmist speaks,
Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and
that I will not be wear’, of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of
the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August
10, 1723.
The Lord’s Day
38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is
ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’s day. Sabbath
evening, Dec. 23, 1722.
Vivification of Righteousness
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.
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 twelfth day of January, 1722-23.
43. Resolved, never henceforward,
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, 1723.
44- Resolved, that no other end
but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no
action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious
end will carry it. Jan.12, 1723.
45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief,
joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any
circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12-13, 1723.
Mortification of Sin and Self
Examination
23. Resolved, frequently to take
some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of
God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and
if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th
Resolution.
24. Resolved, whenever I do any
conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause;
and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with
all my might against the original of it.
35. Resolved, whenever I so much
question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby
disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec.
18, 1722.
60. Resolved, whenever my feelings
begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least
uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject
myself to the strictest examination. July 4 and 13, 1723.
68. Resolved, to confess frankly
to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it
be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore
needed help. July 23 and August 10, 1723.
56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least
to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.
Communion with God
53. Resolved, to improve every
opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and
venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and
consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my
safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.
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. Manton’s 27th Sermon on Psalm
119. July 26 and Aug. 10, 1723.
Aug. 17, 1723
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