Jonathan Edwards — in their own words

Nothing is more manifest in fact, than that the things of religion take hold of men's souls, no further than they affect them.

God has revealed no certain connection between salvation, and any qualifications in men, but only grace and its fruits.

The saint's affections begin with God; and self-love has a hand in these affections consequentially, and secondarily only.

The former rejoices in himself; self is the first foundation of his joy: the latter rejoices in God.

The true beauty and loveliness of all intelligent beings does primarily and most essentially consist in their moral excellency or holiness.

The subtlety of Satan appears in its height, in his managing of persons with respect to this sin.

The deceitfulness of the heart of man appears in no one thing so much as this of spiritual pride and self-righteousness.

The soul of a saint, by having something of God opened to sight, is convinced of much more than is seen.

Nothing can be invented that is a greater absurdity, than a morose, hard, close, high-spirited, spiteful, true Christian.

The saints desire the sincere milk of the word, not so much to testify God's love to them, as that they may grow thereby in holiness.

The kingdom of heaven is not to be taken but by violence.

It is God that gives us faith whereby we close with Christ.

Holiness and happiness are in the fruit, here and hereafter, because God dwells in them, and they in God.

Faith abases men and exalts God, it gives all the glory of redemption to God alone.

The Spirit of God may act upon a creature, and yet not in acting communicate himself.

There is not only a rational belief that God is holy and that holiness is a good thing, but there is a sense of the loveliness of God’s holiness.

He does not merely rationally believe that God is glorious, but he has a sense of the gloriousness of God in his heart.

We may often observe it, that the Holy Spirit who indited the Scriptures, often takes notice of little things, minute occurrences, that do but remotely relate to Jesus Christ.

Many that others worship and serve as gods are cruel beings, spirits that seek the ruin of souls; but this is a God that delighteth in mercy; his grace is infinite and endures forever.

None that will come to Christ, let his condition be what it will, need to fear but that Christ will provide a place suitable for him in heaven.

The sword of divine justice is every moment brandished over their heads, and ’tis nothing but the hand of arbitrary mercy, and God’s mere will, that holds it back.