Christian Course, No.4

...some directions how to conduct yourself in your Christian course..."
from the pen of Jonathan Edwards
Northampton, New England
June 3, 1741

Though God has forgiven and forgotten your past sins, yet do not forget them yourself: often remember, what a wretched bond-slave you were in the land of Egypt. Often bring to mind your particular acts of sin before conversion, as the blessed apostle Paul is often mentioning his old blaspheming, persecuting spirit, and his injuriousness to the renewed, humbling his heart, and acknowledging that he was "the least of the apostles," and not worthy "to be called an apostle," and the "least of all saints," and the "chief of sinners" (I Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8; I Timothy 1:15). And be often confessing your old sins to God, and let that text be often in your mind, "That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of they shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God" (Ezekiel 16:63).