Jonathan Edwards on the danger of claiming to speak extra-biblical revelation,
One
erroneous principle, than which scarce any has proved more mischievous
to the present glorious work of God, is a notion that it is God’s manner
in these days, to guide his saints, at least some that are more
eminent, by inspiration, or immediate revelation. They suppose he makes
known to them what shall come to pass hereafter,
or what it is his will that they should do, by impressions made upon
their minds, either with or without texts of Scripture; whereby
something is made known to them, that is not taught in the Scripture. By
such a notion the devil has a great door opened for him; and if once
this opinion should come to be fully yielded to, and established in the
church of God, Satan would have opportunity thereby to set up himself as
the guide and oracle of God’s people, and to have his word regarded as
their infallible rule, and so to lead them where he would, and to
introduce what he pleased, and soon to bring the Bible into neglect and
contempt.
Late experience, in some
instances, has shown that the tendency of this notion is to cause
persons to esteem the Bible as in a great measure useless. This error
will defend and support errors. As long as a person has a notion that he
is guided by immediate direction from heaven, it makes him incorrigible
and impregnable in all his misconduct. For what signifies it, for poor
blind worms of the dust, to go to argue with a man, and endeavour to
convince him and correct him, that is guided by the immediate counsels
and commands of the great JEHOVAH? This great work of God has been
exceedingly hindered by this error; and, till we have quite taken this
handle out of the devil’s hands, the work of God will never go on
without great clogs and hindrances.—Satan will always have a vast
advantage in his hands against it, and as he has improved it hitherto,
so he will do still. And it is evident, that the devil knows the vast
advantage he has by it, that makes him exceeding loath to let go his
hold.
It is strange what a disposition
there is in many well-disposed and religious persons to fall in with
and hold fast this notion, it is enough to astonish one, that such
multiplied, plain instances of the failing of such supposed revelations
in the event, do not open every one’s eyes. I have seen so many
instances of the failing of such impressions, that would almost furnish a
history. I have been acquainted with them when made under all kinds of
circumstances, and have seen them fail in the event, when made with such
circumstances as have been fairest and brightest, and most promising.
They have been made upon the minds of apparently eminent saints, and
with an excellent heavenly frame of spirit yet continued, and made with
texts of Scripture that seemed exceeding apposite, yea, many texts
following one another, extraordinarily and wonderfully brought to the
mind, and the impressions repeated over and over; and yet all has most
manifestly come to nothing, to the full conviction of the persons
themselves. God has in so many instances of late, in his providence,
covered such things with darkness, that one would think it should be
enough quite to blank the expectations of those who have been ready to
think highly of such things. It seems to be a testimony of God, that he
has no design of reviving revelations in his church, and a rebuke from
him to the groundless expectations of it.
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