The American Puritan, Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), is renowned as a revival preacher. His preaching is considered to be one of the catalysts for the Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s. A sermon such as Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God brought him international recognition as a revivalist preacher and is arguably still one of the most famous and widely read sermons ever preached.
The gospel’s effect on people’s lives should not be confused with affection for God.
The widespread revival that occurred in the Connecticut Valley during this time led to a highly productive writing period in Edwards’s life. He used the opportunity to study and document the conversion process during the Great Awakening in publications such as Charity and Its Fruits (1738); Concerning the End for Which God Created the World (published posthumously, in 1765); and On the Nature of True Virtue (also published posthumously in 1765); Closely related to these are his publications in which he discusses the marks of true virtue: A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God (1737); The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God (1741); and Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in New England (1742).
Though not convinced that all conversions were equally genuine, he was less skeptical than some of his contemporaries. Edwards was deeply aware that the gospel’s effect on people’s lives should not be confused with affection (loving devotion to God). Consequently, he puts great effort into distinguishing between true and false forms of religiosity, which he also called virtue or piety.
Appearance Versus Reality
In his works, Edwards draws a distinction between what he calls negative and positive signs of true holiness or virtue. In his Religious Affections, Edwards writes: “There are false affections, and there are true. A man’s having much affection, don’t [sic] prove that he has any true religion: but if he has no affection, it proves that he has no true religion. The right way is not to reject all affections, nor to approve all; but to distinguish between affections, approving some, and rejecting others; separating between the wheat and the chaff, the gold and the dross, the precious and the vile” (p121).
Not all affections should be considered signs of regeneration.
Edwards urges believers to practice discernment. Although virtuous, not all affections should be considered signs of regeneration and true faith. Some affections are false in the sense that they can be mistaken for the real thing. They do not offer a proper standard to determine true faith. In order to understand the nature of true virtue, according to Edwards, it is important to firstly explain what it is not (negative signs) before moving on to its true meaning (positive signs).
Edwards’ Negative Signs
Edwards does not mean that negative signs should be absent in true believers or that they are devoid of value. Rather, he argues that these signs should not be used as definitive indicators of Spirit-wrought virtue. To illustrate: Many people possess the skill of driving. While this is essential if one wants to become a racecar driver, we cannot conclude that everyone who can drive is a racecar driver. Likewise, negative signs are qualities often found among Christians, but their presence alone does not prove that someone is truly a Christian.
The first negative sign he mentions is raised affections—that is, heightened emotions or feelings. While genuine believers are expected to experience Spirit-stirred affections, the intensity of such experiences is not necessarily a reliable sign of true, Spirit-wrought piety.
Not everyone who’s well-versed in scripture is necessarily a true believer.
Another negative sign is physical reaction or bodily effects. For example, someone may weep intensely over their sins, fall to the ground, or collapse in distress. This may indeed be a response to the Spirit’s work (Acts 9:3-6). But physical reactions to the gospel should not be mistaken for Spirit-filled piety in themselves.
Edwards also warns that theological eloquence and the ability to quote scripture extensively should not be confused with Spirit-filled piety. While such knowledge is expected of believers, not everyone who is eloquent or well-versed in scripture is necessarily a true believer.
Unfortunately, space does not allow for a full discussion of each negative sign (see Religious Affections, pp127-90), but the examples above demonstrate how important it is to use the right criteria when trying to discern the authenticity of a spiritual revival.
Positive Signs of True Christian Virtue
In his editorial introduction to Religious Affections, Paul Ramsey points out that Edwards refers to the positive signs as gracious or saving affections. Edwards explores the nature of spiritual virtue in depth and emphasises that these signs are impossible without the powerful and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. In Religious Affections (pp197-462) he identifies 12 positive signs.
1. True Virtue Arises From Spiritual, Supernatural, and Divine Influence
Genuine religious affections are from God and transform a person’s heart rather than merely stimulating external behaviour or emotional experiences.
2. True Virtue is Objectively Grounded in the Transcendently Excellent and Amiable Nature of Divine Things
Genuine love for God should be rooted solely in the intrinsic glory of his attributes—not in personal gain or self-interest. God is worshipped for his own sake.
3. True Virtue Consists in Love of Divine Things for the Beauty and Sweetness of Their Moral Excellency as a Fountain of Holy Affections
Recognising the moral excellence and beauty of God’s attributes is the source of true love and devotion toward him.
4. True Virtue Arises From a Mind Being Rightly and Spiritually Enlightened to Understand or Apprehend Divine Things
Edwards emphasises Spirit-wrought knowledge (heart knowledge) over mere intellectual understanding. A spiritual grasp of truth is at the root of genuine virtue. He rejects the anti-intellectual bias often associated with revival-type religion that elevates emotional experience above knowledge and understanding of truth. Edwards does not view the heart as merely representing emotion but as integral to understanding, involving inclination and judgment.
5. True Virtue is attended with a Reasonable and Spiritual Conviction of the Judgment, of the Reality and Certainty of Divine Things
This sign underscores the importance of conviction in genuine spiritual affections, emphasising an immediate certainty of the truth of religion—a direct apprehension of truth accompanied by unwavering trust and surrender to religious truth. It compels the believer toward complete surrender of their total self
6. True Virtue is Accompanied by Evangelical Humiliation
True humility involves a voluntary acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty and moral excellence, signifying a change of inclination that impacts the entire person.
7. True Virtue is Attended by a Change of Nature
Real conversion means turning to God and rejecting one’s sinful nature. This change must penetrate to the core of a person’s being, establishing a new foundational principle for life.
8. True Virtue Naturally Begets and Promotes Such a Spirit of Love, Meekness, Quietness, Forgiveness, and Mercy, as Appeared in Christ
Gracious affections are attended with the lamblike, dovelike spirit and temper of Jesus Christ.
9. True Virtue Softens the Heart and is Followed by a Spirit of Christian Tenderness
A heart of flesh reveals compassion, empathy, and sensitivity toward others.
10. True Virtue has Beautiful Symmetry and Proportion
Genuine piety reflects a balanced interplay of various virtues, such as hope and fear, coexisting to cultivate and maintain reverence for God.
11. True Virtue Raises Gracious Affections Higher, Increases a Spiritual Appetite and Longing of the Soul After Spiritual Attainments
This sign emphasises that true piety is marked by a growing hunger and desire for communion with God. Affections are not the object of faith, but rather the manifestation of it—a sign of a deeper relationship with God and his Spirit.
12. True Virtue has its Exercise and Fruit in Christian Practice
The twelfth and greatest sign highlights the crucial role of Christian practice as the primary evidence of true piety. It provides a significant clue as to the person’s spiritual condition. Though practice is not the basis of true faith, it is its visible expression.
Which standard do you use to determine your own spiritual state or that of your church? We should tread carefully, for when we use the wrong standard as a guideline, we might end up with a false sense of security, which could be fatal. In a time when the spiritual state of the church and society demands discernment, Edwards’s framework helps us apply the correct (biblical) criteria for evaluating the authenticity of revival.
