Union in Prayer for Revival of Religion, Title page 1 – Title page 2
AN Humble Attempt To promote Explicit Agreement AND Visible UNION Of GOD'S People in Extraordinary Prayer For the REVIVAL of Religion and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom on Earth, pursuant to Scripture-Promises and Prophecies concerning the last Time.
By Ionathan Edwards, A. M. Minister of the Gospel at Northampton.
With a PREFACE by several Ministers.
BOSTON, NEW-ENGLAND: Printed for D. HENCHMAN in Cornhil. 1747.
THE PREFACE.
THE Ruin of Satan's miserable Kingdom, and the Advancement of the universal and happy Reign of CHRIST on the Earth, were included and hinted in the Sentence denounced on the Serpent, that the Seed of the Woman should bruise his Head. What was a terrible Threatning to Satan, in the surprized Ears of our first guilty Parents, implied a joyful Prophecy, to keep them from Despair, and enliven their Hopes for themselves and their Descendants, of obtaining by this Seed of her's an eternal Triumph over him who had so sadly foiled them. And 'tis likely, their Hope and Faith immediately arose, laid hold on the reviving Prophecy, earnestly desired it's happy Accomplishment, and transmitted it to their Posterity.
But tho' this Prophecy was at first only delivered in the Form of a Threatning to Satan; it was afterwards directly given in the Form of a Promise to Abraham, tho' still in general Terms, that in his Seed should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed. Yet this general Promise was more clearly by Degrees explained in the following Ages, to mean a DIVINE KING, no other than the SON OF GOD assuming Human Nature of the Seed of Abraham, Isaac, Iacob and David; that should be born of a Virgin in Bethlehem of Iudah; and at first despised, abused, rejected and put to Death; but should rise to immortal Life, ascend to Heaven, and thence extend his blessed Kingdom over all Nations; not by outward Force, but inward overcoming Influence, by his Word and SPIRIT making them his willing People in the Day of his Power; and reigning in glorious Light and Holiness and Love and Peace for ever: And the Advancement of this universal and happy Reign has been the earnest Desire and Prayer of the Saints in all Ages to the present Day.
But how great the Honour, and how lively the Encouragement given in Scripture to those their Prayers; by representing them as offered by CHRIST himself with the fragrant Incense of his own Merits and Intercession, on the Golden Altar before the Throne, and ascending together in one grateful Perfume to GOD! And how chearing to every Saint is that Promise of his,— From the Rising of the Sun, even to the going down of the same, my Name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every Place Incense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure Offering! How pleasing to GOD and the heavenly Hosts to see, as the Sun goes round the Globe, this grateful Incense rising from every Part on high! And the more extensive and incessant are these Prayers, ascending from the Circle of the Earth, the more does this blessed Promise go into it's desired Fulfilment, and the holy GOD is more pleas'd and glorified.
To promote the Increase, Concurrency and Constancy of these acceptable Prayers, is the great Intention both of the pious Memorial of our reverend and dear Brethren in Scotland, and of the worthy Author of this exciting Essay. And this Design we can't but recommend to all who desire the coming of that blissful Kingdom in it's promised Extent and Glory, in this wretched World.
As to the Author's ingenious Observations on the Prophecies, we entirely leave them to the Reader's Judgment: With only observing, thô it is the Apprehension of many learned Men, that there is to be a very general Slaughter of the Witnesses of CHRIST about the Time of their finishing their Testimony to the pure Worship and Truths of the Gospel, about 3 or 4 Years before the seventh Angel sounds his Trumpet for the Ruin of Antichrist;—yet we cannot see that this is any just Objection against our joint and earnest Prayers for the glorious Age succeeding, or for the hastening of it.
For if such a terrible Time is coming in Europe, which we in depending America are like to share in; the more Need we have of joining in earnest and constant Prayers for extraordinary suffering Graces for ourselves and others. And that such a Time is coming on the Members of CHRIST, is no more an Objection against their Prayers for the hastening of the following Glory, than it was before the Incarnation of Him their Head, that his most bitter Sufferings were to preceed the Spreading of his joyous Kingdom among the Nations. And the nearer the Day approaches, the more Need we have to be awakened to continual Watchfulness and Prayer.
May GOD pour out on all his People abun…antly the Spirit of Grace and Supplications, and …repare them for the amazing Changes hastening …n the Earth, both for previous Trials and for …ollowing Glories!
Ioseph Sewall,
Thomas Prince,
Iohn Webb,
Thomas Foxcroft,
Ioshua Gee.
BOSTON, N. E. Ianuary 12. 1747, 8.
THE CONTENTS.
PART II. … to a Compliance with … is … the Memorial.
Page. 26 The latter-day Glory not yet accomplished.
Page. 39 The Great Glory of the Latter Day.
Page. 44 The Holy Spirit the Sum of Christ's Purchase.
Page. 46 The latter Day, eminently the Day of Salvation.
Page. 50 How the Creation travaileth in Pain for that Day.
Page. 54 Scripture Precepts, Encouragements, and Examples of Prayer for Christ's Kingdom.
Page. 68 Dispensations of Providence at this Day, present, with many Motives to Prayer for it.
Page. 79 The Beauty and good Tendency of uniting in such Prayer.
Page. 82 The particular and great Encouragement in the Word of God to express Agreement in Prayer.
PART III. OBJECTIONS answered.
Page. 85 No Superstition in the Case.
Page. 89 The Concert not Fanciful.
Page. 99 The Concert not Pharisaical.
Page. 101 The slaying of the Witnesses consider'd.
Page. 126 The Fall of Antichrist approaching.
Ibid — The Time not known beforehand.
Page. 132 — The Time not at a very great Distance.
Page. 146 — His Fall will be gradual.
Page. 153 — Good Reason to hope that That Work of God's Spirit will soon begin, which will in its Progress overthrow Antichrist and Satan's Kingdom on Earth.
Ibid — The 6th Vial probably now in Fulfilling.
Page. 171 — Antichrist's Ruin speedily follows it.
Page. 175 — However if otherwise, yet our Prayer will not be in vain.
Page. 176 Such an Agreement in Prayer, no new Thing.
— The Duty of agreeing to pray, no new Duty.
— The like practis'd in 1712, with the wonderful Consequence.
Page. 181 The Conclusion.
A HUMBLE ATTEMPT to promote an explicit Agreement and visible Union of God's People thro' the World, in extraordinary PRAYER, for the REVIVAL of Religion and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom on Earth, pursuant to Scripture-Promises and Prophecies concerning the last Time.
OCCASION'D By a late MEMORIAL publish'd by a Number of Ministers in Scotland, and sent over America; giving an Account of a certain CONCERT for Prayer,—which has been already come into by many Ministers and Others in Great-Britain and some other Parts, and in which They desire the general Concurrence of their Christian Brethren every where.
CONTAINING A Copy of the said Memorial, with a more particular View of the Affair it relates to; a Variety of Arguments and Persuasives to comply with the Motion therein made, for united and extraordinary Prayer; and Answers to some Objections.
Together with Seasonable Considerations on the Aspects of Providence in many late wonderful Dispensations, and the present State of Things in the Church and moral World; pointing out the Fulfilling of the Scriptures, and the Voice of God to his People, in these Events.
By Ionathan Edwards, A. M. Minister of the Gospel in Northampton.
BOSTON, NEW ENGLAND: Printed for D. HENCHMAN in Cornhil. 1747.