CAUSED THEIR HEARTS TO LEAP……

Acts 11:18 – When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.

Hearts leaping for joy! Really !?!? Hearts leaping in a Puritan church.?!?! How is that even possible but it actually is, God came down with His mercy and caught everyone by surprise, I think the pastor, Jonathan Edwards, was the most surprised of all. Edwards had been in these types of churches all of his life and nothing like this was ever on display; but now somehow God had comedown It started with a young woman who was miraculous born again and now the whole town was buzzing with the sounds of His love. All of this seemed just too good to be true yet here it is, the stories were absolutely true. Many were filled with God and some overcome with joy as they discovered the gospel of His grace. Here is how Edwards’ describes this scene as many were filled with joy.

“It was very wonderful to see after what manner persons’ affections were sometimes moved and wrought upon, when God did as it were suddenly open their eyes and let into their minds a sense of the greatness of his grace, and fullness of Christ, and his readiness to save, who before were broken with apprehensions of divine wrath and sunk into an abyss under a sense of guilt, which they were ready to think was beyond the mercy of God. Their joyful surprise has caused their hearts as it were to leap, so that they have been ready to break forth into laughter, tears often at the same time issuing like a flood and intermingling a loud weeping; and sometimes they han’t been able to forbear crying out with a loud voice, expressing their great admiration. In some even the view of the glory of God’s sovereignty in the exercises of his grace has surprised the soul with such sweetness, as to produce the same effects.”

Can you imagine the blowback this church received with this sudden display of spiritual affections in a Puritan church? No one had ever heard of such carryings on but God had come down in this place and caused quite a ruckus, some were filled with laughter, some leapt for joy, there was tears of joy, and shouts of joy in God’s house. Once your eyes are wide open your value system radically changes, before you know it you will be jumping for joy too.