Sunday, December 30, 2007

speaking of resolutions


I read somewhere that Jonathan Edwards wrote these Resolutions when he was nineteen years old. I am including some of them here, but go to this site to read all seventy of them. They are challenging to say the least. Resolve means "to reach a firm decision about." Surely I can reach a firm decision about some of these same things!


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.

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

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

Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

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.

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.

2 comments:

  1. Great post, Kay. Thanks. I wonder if there are my 19 year olds around today that think that deeply. Or 30 or 40 or 50 year olds, for that matter.

    A prisoner of hope,
    Megan

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