Thoughts on Jonathan Edwards's "Religious Affections": Day 2

Edwards continues to lay out the benefits of trials by saying trials "tend to refine |true religion| and deliver it from those mixtures of what is false, which encumber and impede it." (p.236) Therefore, over the span of a believer's life shouldn't there be less and less dross each time, less that needs to be burned away? He also goes on to say that trials make true religions more beautiful, "lively and vigorous." (p.236)
In the text from 1 Peter, Edwards noticed two different exercises or operations of true religion from the persecuted believers Peter wrote to. The first was their love of Christ. It makes no logical sense to the world, when a person is suffering under trials and persecutions, especially when it is apparent that the person in question displays a Godly joy. (Which will lead us to Edwards's second observation in just a moment.)
In our own experience it has seemed that the people who are most baffled by the joy we have despite our circumstances are church members. Charitably, I could say they are simply immature believers. Biblically speaking, they may not even be believers at all. That is, they have not experienced trials and thus, biblically, may not be actual believers (i.e. followers and obey-ers of Christ) OR they have experienced trials and, instead of responding in joy, they have come out of them with cold, embittered hearts. Which, of course, is very dangerous - now there is even more dross to be burned away!
Onto Edwards's second note: he sees joy in Christ as the other exercise of true religion in this passage. Christ is the foundation of their joy; their joy is possible only because its roots are Christ himself. Next, it is important to emphasize that this joy is "inexpressible." There is nothing in this world to compare it to. Finally, he sees that their joy is "full of glory." This "glorified joy" had the effect of raising their natures to a more God-honoring level. (Isn't that God's will for all believers? That we become more like His Son, Jesus Christ?) It filled their thoughts with God-glorifying brightness. Unlike the worldy joys we often experience that "corrupt and debase the mind," this joy "filled their minds with the light of God's glory, and made themselves to shine with some communication of that glory." (p.236)