Education Quote by Jonathan Edwards
““Unless men may come to a reasonable, solid persuasion and conviction of the truth of the gospel, by the internal evidences of it, . . . by a sight of its glory; it is impossible that those who are illiterate, and unacquainted with history, should have any thorough and effectual conviction of it at all. They may without this, see a great deal of probability of it; it may be reasonable for them to give much credit to what learned men and historians tell them. . . . But to have a conviction, so clear, and evident, and assuring, as to be sufficient to induce them, with boldness to sell all, confidently and fearlessly to run the venture of the loss of all things, and of enduring the most exquisite and long continued torments, and to trample the world under foot, and count all things but dung for Christ, the evidence they can have from history, cannot be sufficient.””
About This Quote
Source Sermon: “The Greatness of God’s Grace,” 1740s, sermon in New England
A true conviction of the gospel requires personal, internal evidence, not just historical proof or scholarly testimony.
In simple terms: Faith needs personal experience, not just facts.
Key Takeaway
Seek personal encounter with truth.
Themes
faith
conviction
religion
history
persuasion
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
theological
inspirational
When to use this quote
- personal study
- prayer
- missionary work
- teaching
- debate
Key Concepts
theology
epistemology
spiritual experience
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you know when belief is personal versus taught?
- Can history alone inspire deep commitment?
A Different Perspective
Historical evidence alone may not move the heart; personal revelation is essential.
![“But it is doubtless true, and evident from [the] Scriptures, that the essence of all true religion lies in holy love; and that in this divine affection, and an habitual disposition to it, and that light which is the foundation of it, and those things which are the fruits of it, consists the whole…” quote by Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fd/jonathan-edwards-770_affection_but-it-is-doubtless-true-and-evident-fro_82879.jpg)
