Johnathon Edwards' Resolutions

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing 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 Mission

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 endeavouring 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 possibly avoid it.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

22. Resolved, to endeavour to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigour, 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 any thing 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 whatsoever good thing any

man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord.”

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 endeavouring 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.

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 any thing 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 any thing 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Relationships

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger to irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for

some real good.

31. Resolved, never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian

honour 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 any thing against any one, 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.

34. Resolved, in narration’s never to speak any thing but the

pure and simple verity.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some

particular good call for it.

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.

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.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to illnature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act goodnaturedly; 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.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavour 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 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.

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 [referring to 11th

resolution] as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such

account, immediately to throw it by.

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.

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 endeavour to my utmost to deny whatever is

not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and

benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate

and generous, humble and meek, modest, submissive and

obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient,

moderate, forgiving and 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.

54. Whenever I hear any thing spoken in commendation of any

person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to

endeavour to imitate it.

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 lustre, and appearing

excellent and lovely from whatever part and under whatever

character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would if I strove with

all my might to be that one who should live in my time.

27. Resolved, never wilfully to omit any thing, except the

omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my

omissions.

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 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 so 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.

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 weary of earnestly endeavouring

to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness.

The Lord’s Day

38. Resolved, never to speak any thing that is ridiculous,

sportive or a matter of laughter on the Lord’s day.

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, 1723.

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.

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.

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 endeavour 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.

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.

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.

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.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this [64th

resolution] 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 119:26.

From Matt Pearman categorisation