At the beginning of the New Year, I shared a couple accounts of the vibrant faith of a youth, James Laing (as recorded by Robert Murray M'Cheyne), so we might begin to examine our faith (please see my posts here and here).

In the century prior, Jonathan Edwards wrote A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God... to document the movement of the Spirit of God in revival beginning near the end of 1733 in Northampton, Massachusetts and the surrounding vicinity. Just as M'Cheyne recorded the testimony of the teen-aged James Laing's burning heart for Christ, Jonathan Edwards does the same for us with little four-year old Phebe Bartlet. I've included the first portion of his account below; I'd encourage you to read the rest here. May God give us grace to hear His voice, so we might rightly examine ourselves and be zealous and repent of our lukewarmness and return to our first Love...

From Section III of "A Faithful Narrative..." This work further illustrated in particular instances.

But I now proceed to the other instance, that of the little child before mentioned. Her name is Phebe Bartlet, daughter of William Bartlet. I shall give the account as I took it from the mouth of her parents, whose veracity none who know them doubt of.

She was born in March, 1731. About the latter end of April, or beginning of May, 1735, she was greatly affected by the talk of her brother, who had been hopefully converted a little before, at about eleven years of age, and then seriously talked to her about the great things of religion. Her parents did not know of it at that time, and were not wont, in the counsels they gave to their children, particularly to direct themselves to her, being so young, and, as they supposed, not capable of understanding. But after her brother had talked to her, they observed her very earnestly listen to the advice they gave to the other children; and she was observed very constantly to retire, several times in a day, as was concluded, for secret prayer. She grew more and more engaged in religion, and was more frequent in her closet; till at last she was wont to visit it five or six times a day: and was so engaged in it, that nothing would at any time divert her from her stated closet exercises. Her mother often observed and watched her, when such things occurred as she thought most likely to divert her, either by putting it out of her thoughts, or otherwise engaging her inclinations; but never could observe her to fail. She mentioned some very remarkable instances.

She once of her own accord spake of her unsuccessfulness, in that she could not find God, or to that purpose. But on Thursday, the last day of July, about the middle of the day, the child being in the closet, where it used to retire, its mother heard it speaking aloud; which was unusual, and never had been observed before. And her voice seemed to be as of one exceedingly importunate and engaged; but her mother could distinctly hear only these words, spoken in a childish manner, but with extraordinary earnestness, and out of distress of soul, pray, blessed lord, give me salvation! i pray, beg, pardon all my sins.’ When the child had done prayer, she came out of the closet, sat down by her mother, and cried out aloud. Her mother very earnestly asked her several times, what the matter was, before she would make any answer; but she continued crying, and writhing her body to and fro, like one in anguish of spirit. Her mother then asked her, whether she was afraid that God would not give her salvation. She then answered, Yes, I am afraid I shall go to hell! Her mother then endeavoured to quiet her, and told her she would not have her cry, she must be a good girl, and pray every day, and she hoped God would give her salvation. But this did not quiet her at all; she continued thus earnestly crying, and taking on for some time, till at length she suddenly ceased crying, and began to smile, and presently said with a smiling countenance, Mother, the Kingdom of heaven is come to me! Her mother was surprised at the sudden alteration, and at the speech; and knew not what to make of it; but at first said nothing to her. The child presently spake again, and said, there is another come to me, and there is another, there is three; and being asked what she meant, she answered, one is, Thy will be done, and there is another, Enjoy him for ever; by which it seems, that when the child said, there is three come to me; she meant three passages of her catechism that came to her mind.

After the child had said this, she retired again into her closet; and her mother went over to her brother’s, who was next neighbour; and when she came back, the child, being come out of the closet, meets her mother with this cheerful speech; I can find God now! referring to what she had before complained of, that she could not find God. Then the child spoke again and said, I love God! her mother asked her, how well she loved God, whether she loved God better than her father and mother, she said, Yes. Then she asked her, whether she loved God better than her little sister Rachel. She answered, Yes, better than any thine! Then her elder sister, referring to her saving she could find God now, asked her, where she could find God. She answered, In heaven. Why, said she, have you been in heaven? No, said the child. By this it seems not to have been any imagination of any thing seen with bodily eyes, that she called God, when she said, I can find God now. Her mother asked her, whether she was afraid of going to hell, and if that had made her cry? She answered, Yes, I was; but now I shan’t. Her mother asked her, whether she thought that God had given her salvation: she answered, Yes. Her mother asked her, When? She answered, To-day. She appeared all that afternoon exceeding cheerful and joyful. One of the neighbours asked her, how she felt herself? She answered, I feel better than I did. The neighbour asked her, what made her feel better. She answered, God makes me. That evening, as she lay a-bed, she called one of her little cousins to her, who was present in the room, as having something to say to him; and when he came, she told him, that Heaven was better than earth. The next day, her mother asked her what God made her for? She answered, To serve him; and added. Every body should serve God, and get an interest in Christ.

The same day the elder children, when they came home from school, seemed much affected with the extraordinary change that seemed to be made in Phebe. And her sister Abigail standing by, her mother took occasion to counsel her, now to improve her time, to prepare for another world. On which Phebe burst out in tears, and cried out, Poor Nabby. Her mother told her, she would not have her cry, she hoped that God would give Nabby salvation; but that did not quiet her, she continued earnestly crying for some time. When she had in a measure ceased, her sister Eunice being by her, she burst out again, and cried, Poor Eunice! and cried exceedingly; and when she had almost done, she went into another room, and there looked up on her sister Naomi: and burst out again, crying, Poor Amy! Her mother was greatly affected at such a behaviour in a child, and knew not what to say to her. One of the neighbours coming in a little after, asked her what she had cried for. She seemed at first backward to tell the reason: her mother told her she might tell that person, for he had given her an apple: upon which she said, she cried because she was afraid they would go to hell.

At night, a certain minister, who was occasionally in the town, was at the house, and talked with her of religious things. After he was gone, she sat leaning on the table, with tears running from her eyes; and being asked what made her cry, she said, It was thinking about God. The next day, being Saturday, she seemed great part of the day to be in a very affectionate frame, had four turns of crying and seemed to endeavour to curb herself, and hide her tears, and was very backward to talk of the occasion. On the Sabbath-day she was asked, whether she believed in God; she answered, Yes. And being told that Christ was the Son of God, she made ready answer, and said, I know it.

From this time there appeared a very remarkable abiding change in the child. She has been very strict upon the Sabbath; and seems to long for the Sabbath-day before it comes, and will often in the week time be inquiring how long it is to the Sabbath-day, and must have the days between particularly counted over, before she will be contented. She seems to love God’s house, and is very eager to go thither. Her mother once asked her, why she had such a mind to go? whether it was not to see fine folks? She said, No, it was to hear Mr. Edwards preach. When she is in the place of worship, she is very far from spending her time there as children at her age usually do, but appears with an attention that is very extraordinary for such a child. She also appears very desirous at all opportunities to go to private religious meetings; and is very still and attentive at home, during prayer, and has appeared affected in time of family-prayer. She seems to delight much in hearing religious conversation. When I once was there with some strangers, and talked to her something of religion, she seemed more than ordinarily attentive; and when we were gone, she looked out very wistfully after us, and said, I wish they would come again! Her mother asked her, why? Says she, I love to hear ‘em talk.

She seems to have very much of the fear of God before her eyes, and an extraordinary dread of sinning against him; of which her mother mentioned the following remarkable instance. Some time in August, the last year, she went with some bigger children, to get some plums in a neighbour’s lot, knowing nothing of any harm in what she did; but when she brought some of the plums into the house, her mother mildly reproved her, and told her that she must not get plums without leave, because it was sin: God had commanded her not to steal. The child seemed greatly surprised, and burst out in tears, and cried out, I wont have these plums! and turning to her sister Eunice, very earnestly said to her, Why did you ask me to go to that plum-tree? 1 should not have gone, if you had not asked me. The other children did not seem to be much affected or concerned; but there was no pacifying Phebe. Her mother told her, she might go and ask leave, and then it would not be sin for her to eat them; and sent one of the children to that end; and, when she returned, her mother told her, that the owner had given leave, now she might eat them, and it would not be stealing. This stilled her a little while; but presently she broke out again into an exceeding fit of crying. Her mother asked her, what made her cry again? Why she cried now, since they had asked leave? What it was that troubled her now? And asked her several times very earnestly, before she made any answer; but at last said, it was because, because it was sin. She continued a considerable time crying: and said she would not go again if Eunice asked her an hundred times; and she retained her aversion to that fruit for a considerable time, under the remembrance of her former sin.

She sometimes appears greatly affected, and delighted with texts of Scripture that come to her mind. Particularly about the beginning of November, that text came to her mind, Rev. iii. 20. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in, and sup with him, and he with me.” She spoke of it to those of the family, with a pent appearance of joy, a smiling countenance, and elevation of voice; and afterwards she went into another room, where her mother overheard her talking very earnestly to the children about it; and particularly heard her say to them, three or four times over, with an air of exceeding joy and admiration, Why it is to sup with god. Some time about the middle of winter, very late in the night, when all were a-bed, her mother perceived that she was awake, and heard her, as though she was weeping. She called to her, and asked her what was the matter. She answered with a low voice, so that her mother could not hear what she said; but thinking that it might be occasioned by some spiritual affection, said no more to her: but perceived her to lie awake, and to continue in the same frame, for a considerable time. The next morning, she asked her, whether she did not cry the last night. The child answered, Yes, I did cry a little, for I was thinking about God and Christ, and they loved me. Her mother asked her, whether to think of God and Christ loving her made her cry? she answered, Yes, it does sometimes.

How does your love for God compare with that of Phebe Bartlet's? How well do you love God? Do you love Him better than anyone or anything?

 

Along with Phebe Bartlet, can you confess from the heart that you know Jesus is the Son of God?

Along with Phebe Bartlet, do you love God and His salvation so much that you earnestly and exceedingly cry for the salvation of others, afraid they would go to hell?

Along with Phebe Bartlet, do you love God's house and are you eager to go there? Are you attentive while there?

Along with Phebe Bartlet, does your love for God include a fear of God and a extraordinary dread of sinning against God?

When was the last time you cried over your sin? Have you ever cried with exceeding fits of crying over your sin like Phebe Bartlet?

Along with Phebe Bartlet, have you ever been greatly affected, and delighted with texts of Scripture that come to your mind? Do you delight that you have been privileged to sup with God? Have you ever supped with God?

Along with Phebe Bartlet, does thinking of God and Christ loving you make you cry?

Matthew 18:1  At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3  and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4  Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

The next day, her mother asked her what God made her for? She answered, To serve him; and added. Every body should serve God, and get an interest in Christ.

Revelation 2:1  “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3  I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4  But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6  Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

References: A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God in the Conversion of Many Hundred Souls, in Northampton and the Neighbouring Towns and Villages of New Hampshire, in New England; In a Letter to the Rev. Colman of Boston <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works1.viii.iv.html> is found in the Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume One <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works1>. The account of Phebe Bartlet is found in Section III - <http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works1.viii.iv.html>. Edwards also includes the account of Abigail Hutchinson, whom I cited in my post "Why Do I Write Poetry".

To access a free audio recording of the entire Narrative: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sid=1504221433 and http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=150423530

Related posts...

• What is a nominal Christian?
• ♥ Valentine's Day Posts ♥ (Series Links)

• Why read Christian biography? To help us examine our love for God.
• a little child shall lead them in life and in death
• In loss and grief ... "You maun just go the mair to Jesus." ~ James Laing
• a little child set in our midst leads us into the New Year

• Herein is love ... Vast as the ocean ~ And let him that is athirst come!
• Linger, linger, linger – so you might know God's love

• the Holy Spirit and Life
• Mistakes about Religion & What Religion Is
• "Alas! if this be not true religion, what is?" ~ George Whitefield
• Barabbas we save, Jesus Christ we slay (the mockery of profession ~ decisional regeneration)
• "...it is a pleasing thing to walk with God." (George Whitefield)
• Finding pleasure in Him
• Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from Jonathan Edwards
• Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from George Whitefield
• How's your spiritual appetite? (Jonathan Edwards)
• Things To Look for in a Church, 9: "Pearl Freaks" (a.k.a. a Kingdom-Obsessed People)
• Christian, are you bearing fruit in keeping with repentance?
• Have you forgotten? Will you REMEMBER and REPENT?
• Is your faith living – or is it dead? (Isaac Watts)
• Have you believed with your heart ... all your heart? (Acts 8:37)
• Half a heart, half a heart (How long? If the LORD is God, follow Him)
• His seed (If ye be Christ's ~ He came seeking fruit)
• In which circle do you take your stand? ~ Hewitson's holy ambition ~ Are you a true disciple?

Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Emphasis mine.

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From Charles Spurgeon's Sermon # 1707, "Herein Is Love":

Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths? Yes, by the leadings of God’s Spirit, we will search out the springs of the sea of love! Only in one place shall we find love enough for our supreme purpose, which is also the purpose of the Lord, Himself. There is one shoreless ocean into which we may be baptized and out of which we may be filled until we overflow! Where is the unfailing motive of Love? For Love is tried and hardly put to it to hold her own! Can we find a motive that will never fail, even towards the most provoking of mankind? Can we find an argument for affection which shall help us in times of ingratitude, when base returns threaten to freeze the very heart of charity? Yes, there is such a motive! There is a force by which even impossibilities of love can be accomplished and we shall be supplied with a perpetual constraint moving the heart to ceaseless charity!

Come with me, then, in the first place, to notice the infinite spring of love—“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us.” . . .

I. First, THE INFINITE SPRING OF LOVE. Our text has two words upon which I would place an emphasis— “not,” and “but.” The first is, “not.” “Herein is love, not”— “not that we loved God.” Very naturally many conclude that this means, “not that we loved God first.” That is not exactly the Truth of God taught here, but still it is a weighty Truth, and is mentioned in this same chapter in express words—“We love Him because He first loved us” (v. 19). The cause of love in the universe is not that man loved God first! No being in existence could love God before God loved him, for the existence of such a being is due to God’s previous love! His plans of love were all laid and many of them carried out before we were born. And when we were born, we, none of us, loved God first so as to seek after God before He sought after us—so as to desire reconciliation with God before He desired reconciliation with us. No, whatever may be said about free will as a theory, it is never found as a matter of fact that any man, left to himself, ever woos his God, or pines after friendship with his Maker. If he repents of sin, it is because the Spirit of God has first visited him and shown him his sin! If he desires restoration, it is because he has, first of all, been taught to dread the wrath of God and to long for holiness—

We inscribe a negative in black capital letters upon the idea that man’s love can ever be prior to the love of God. That is quite out of the question. “Not that we loved God.”

Take a second sense—that is, not that any man did love God at all by nature, whether first or second; not that we, any one of us, ever did or ever could have an affection towards God while we remained in our state by nature. Instead of loving God, man is indifferent to God. “No God,” says the fool in his heart and, by nature, we are all such fools. It is the sinner’s wish that there were no God. We are atheistic by nature and if our brain does not yield to atheism, yet our heart does. We wish that we could sin according to our own will and that we were in no danger of being called to account for it. God is not in all our thoughts, or, if He does enter there, it is as a terror and a dread.

No, worse than that—man is at enmity with God by wicked works! The holiness which God admires, man has no liking for! The sin which God abominates has about it sweetness and fascination for the unrenewed heart, so that man’s ways are contrary to the ways of God. Man is perverse. He cannot walk with God, for they are not agreed. He is all evil and God is all goodness and, therefore, no love to God exists in the natural heart of man. He may say that he loves God, but then it is a god of his own inventing and not Jehovah, the God of the Bible, the only living and true God. A just God and a Savior, the natural mind cannot endure—the carnal mind is enmity against God, is not reconciled to God and, neither, indeed, can be! The unregenerate heart is, as to love, a broken cistern which can hold no water.

In our natural state, there is none that does good, no, not one. So is there, also, none that loves God, no, not one! We come nearer to John’s meaning when we look at this negative as applying to those who do love God. “Not that we loved God”—that is, that our love to God, even when it does exist, and even when it influences our lives, is not worthy to be mentioned as a fountain of supply for love. The Apostle points us away from it to something far more vast and then he cries, “Herein is love.” I am looking for “the springs of the sea,” and you point me to a little pool amid the rocks which has been filled by the flowing tide. I am glad to see that pool—how bright! how blue! how like the sea from where it came! But do not point to this as the source of the great water floods, for if you do, I shall smile at your childish ignorance and point you to you great rolling main which tosses its waves on high.

What is your little pool to the vast Atlantic? Do you point me to the love in the Believer’s heart and say, “Herein is love”? You make me smile. I know that there is love in that true heart, but who can mention it in the Presence of the great rolling ocean of the love of God, without bottom and without shore? The word, “not,” is not only upon my lips but in my heart as I think of the two things—“NOT that we loved God, but that God loved us.” What poor love ours is at its very best when compared with the love with which God loves us! Let me use another figure. If we had to enlighten the world, a child might point us to a bright mirror reflecting the sun. And he might cry, “Herein is light!” You and I would say, “Poor child, that is but borrowed brightness. The light is not there, but yonder, in the sun!”

The love of saints is nothing more than the reflection of the love of God! We have love, but God IS Love. When I think of the love of certain saints to Christ, I am charmed with it, for it is a trait of the Spirit not to be despised. When I think of Paul the Apostle counting all things but loss for Christ. When I think of our missionaries going, one after another, into malarious parts of the African coast and dying for Christ. And when I read the Book of Martyrs and see confessors standing on the firewood, burning quick to the death, still bearing witness to their Lord and Master—I rejoice in the love of saints to their Lord! Yet this is but a stream! The unfathomable deep, the eternal source from which all love proceeds infinitely exceeds all human affection and it is found in God, and in God alone! “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us.”

Let us contrast our love to God with His love to us. Dear Brothers and Sisters, we do love God and we may well do so, since He is infinitely lovable. When the mind is once enlightened, it sees everything that is lovable about God. He is so good, so gracious, so perfect that He commands our admiring affection. The spouse in the Song, when she thought of her Beloved, mentioned all manner of beauties and then cried, “Yes, He is altogether lovely!” It is natural, therefore, that one who sees God should love Him. But, now, think of God’s love to us—is it not incomparably greater, since there was nothing lovely in us whatever, and yet He loved us? In us there is, by nature, nothing to attract the affection of a holy God, but quite the reverse—and yet He loved us. Herein, indeed, is love! When we love God, it is an honor to us! It exalts a man to be allowed to love a Being so glorious!