New Year is the time for resolutions for many people who want to change their lifestyle in one way or the other. I normally do not make new resolutions when we enter a new year. I have resolved that I will live my life fully for the Lord and that I want to serve his purpose in my entire life. But today I came across some resolutions made by the famous American revivalist Jonathan Edwards. I am posting his 70 revolutions which he read to himself once a week, and think there are lots of things to be learned from these resolutions.

“Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I
do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so
far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once
a week.

1. Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most
to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my
duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many
myriads of ages hence. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty,
and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved, so
to do, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great
soever.

2. Resolved, To be continually endeavouring to find out some new
contrivance and invention to promote the forementioned things.

3. Resolved, If ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to
neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember,
when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in
soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God, nor be,
nor suffer it, if I can possibly avoid it.

5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it
in the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to
do if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, To act, in all respects, both speaking and doing,
as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or
had the same infirmities or failings, as others; and that I will let the
knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only
an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. Vid. July
30.

9. Resolved, To think much, on all occasions, of my dying, and
of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of
martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, When I think of any theorem in divinity to be
solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do
not hinder. xxi

12. Resolved, If I take delight in it as a gratification of
pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, To be endeavouring to find out fit objects of
liberality and charity.

14. Resolved, Never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, Never to suffer the least motions of anger towards
irrational beings.

16. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall
tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, That I will live so, as I shall wish I had done
when I come to die.

18. Resolved, To live so, at all times, as I think is best in my
most devout frames, and when I have the clearest notions of the things of the
gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to
do, if I expected it would not be above an hour before I should hear the last
trump.

20. Resolved, To maintain the strictest temperance in eating and
drinking.

21. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which if I should see in
another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way
the more meanly of him.

22. Resolved, To endeavour to obtain for myself as much
happiness in the other world as I possibly can, with all the power, might,
vigour, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to
exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, Frequently to take some deliberate action, which
seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the
original intention, designs, and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for
God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the fourth Resolution.

24. Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to
trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully
endeavour to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the
original of it.

25. Resolved, To examine carefully and constantly, what that one
thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and
so direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, To cast away such things as I find do abate my
assurance.

27. Resolved, Never wilfully to omit any thing, except the
omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly,
and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself to grow in the
knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass
as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I
cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession which I cannot
hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, To strive every week to be brought higher in
religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, Never to say any thing at all against any body,
but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of christian honour,
and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own
faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said
any thing against any one, to bring it to, and try it strictly by, the test of
this Resolution.

32. Resolved, To be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust,
that that, in Prov. xx. 6. ‘A faithful man, who can find?’ may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, To do always what I can towards making,
maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without an overbalancing
detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, In narrations, never to speak any thing but the
pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, Whenever I so much question whether I have done my
duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also
how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any, except I have some
particular good call to it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, To inquire every night, as I am going to bed,
wherein I have been negligent,—what sin I have committed,—and wherein I have
denied myself;—also, at the end of every week, month, and year. Dec. 22 and 26,
1722.

38. Resolved, Never to utter any thing that is sportive, or
matter of laughter, on a Lord’s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, Never to do any thing, of which I so much question
the lawfulness, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine
afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness
of the omission.

40. Resolved, To inquire every night before I go to bed, whether
I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and
drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week,
month, and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better.
Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to
God, which was made at my baptism, which I solemnly renewed when I was received
into the communion of the church, and which I have solemnly re-made this 12th
day of January, 1723.

43. Resolved, Never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I
were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s; agreeably to what is to
be found in Saturday, Jan. 12th. Jan. 12, 1723.

44. Resolved, That no other end but religion shall have any
influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the
least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan.
12, 1723.

45. Resolved, Never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or
sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any
circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12 and 13, 1723.

46. Resolved, Never to allow the least measure of any fretting
or uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved, to suffer no effects of
it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye; and to
be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

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

48. Resolved, Constantly, with the utmost niceness and
diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul,
that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I
come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May
26, 1723.

49. Resolved, That this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, That I will act so, as I think I shall judge would
have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5,
1723.

51. Resolved, That I will act so, in every respect, as I think I
shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if
they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, That I will live
just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age.
July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, To improve every opportunity, when I am in the
best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus
Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that
from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my
Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Resolved, Whenever I hear anything spoken in commendation of
any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, that I will endeavour to
imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, To endeavour, to my utmost, so to act, as I can
think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven and hell
torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken,
my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, When I fear misfortunes and adversity, to examine
whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it and let the event be just as
Providence orders it. I will, as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but
my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13, 1723.

58. Resolved, Not only to refrain from an air of dislike,
fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love,
cheerfulness, and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, When I am most conscious of provocations to ill
nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea,
at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects
it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May
12, July 11, and July 13.

60. Resolved, Whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least
out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least
irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination.
July 4 and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, That I will not give way to that listlessness
which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on
religion, whatever excuse I may have for it—that what my listlessness inclines
me to do, is best to be done, &c. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, Never to do any thing but my duty, and
then, according to Eph. vi. 6-8. to do it willingly and cheerfully, as unto the Lord, and not to man:
knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall be receive of the
Lord. June 25, and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual
in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all
respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true
lustre, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under
whatever character viewed: Resolved, To act just as I would do, if I
strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan. 14,
and July 13, 1723.

64. Resolved, When I find those ”groanings which cannot be
uttered,“ of which the apostle speaks, and those ”breathings of soul
for the longing it hath,” of which the psalmist speaks, Psalm cxix. 20. that I will promote them to the utmost of my power; and that I will
not be weary of earnestly endeavouring to vent my desires, nor of the
repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and Aug. 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, Very much to exercise myself in this, all my life
long, viz. with the greatest openness of which I am capable, to declare
my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him, all my sins, temptations,
difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every
circumstance, according to Dr. Manton’s Sermon on the 119th Psalm,. July 26, and Aug. 10, 1723.

66. Resolved, That I will endeavour always to keep a benign
aspect, and air of acting and speaking, in all places, and in all companies,
except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the
better for them; what good I have got by them; and, what I might have got by
them.

68. Resolved, To confess frankly to myself, all that which I
find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion,
also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and
August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, Always to do that, which I shall wish I had done
when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak. Aug.
17, 1723.”