47. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented, easy, compassionate, generous, humble, meek, modest, submissive, obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable, even, patient, moderate, forgiving, sincere temper; and to do at all times what such a temper would lead me to. Examine strictly every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5, 1723.

Commentary

Would our joy in Christ and our relationships improve if we measured our temperament on a weekly basis? Weekly (probably each Sunday morning) Edwards committed to evaluating his attitude and actions. And the goal was to have a type of heart posture toward God and others that was;

• good

• sweet and benevolent

• quiet and peaceful

• content and patient

• easy and compassionate

• generous and charitable

• humble

• meek and modest

• submissive

• obliging, diligent, and hard-working

• balanced, genuine, and forgiving

This isn't something that you just wake up and decide to do. This is the result of a life controlled by the Holy Spirit of God. The Apostle Paul had the secret to walking in this manner Edwards speaks of and he believed it was the ultimate cure for anxiety:

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV)

We live in anxious times. And it is an anxious and discontent heart that produces the opposite of the lists given to us by Paul (primarily) and Edwards (borrowed from Paul and expounded upon). An anxious and discontent heart is angry. It is filled with lustful passion. It clings to idols and calls them 'saviors'. It is quick to end relationships over those cherished idols. It is impatient. It is prideful and lacks grace. These are the vices that describe the state of our society. These are the vices the church has quickly embraced.

When we look to Paul though, we see he cuts through the noise and tells us to meditate. The practice of meditation runs so counter to those vices we've embraced. To meditate is to slowly consider, digest, and apply that which is (in this passage) just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Ultimately this type of thinking drives us to Christ and that is where we need to be. We need to be driven to Christ.