N03467:101
Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…
Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal salvation, viz. I. Justification by faith alone. II. Pressing into the Kingdom of God. III. Ruth's resolution. IV. The justice of God in the damnation of sinners. V. The excellency of Jesus Christ. : Delivered at Northampton, chiefly at the time of the late wonderful pouring out of the spirit of God there. / By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the Church of Christ in Northampton. ; [Three lines from Deuteronomy]
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland and T. Green, 1738
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
8. The Apostle does in like Manner argue against our being justified by our own Righteousness, as he does against being justified by the Works of the Law; and evidently uses the Expressions of our own Righteousness, and Works of the Law, promiscuously, and as signifying the same Thing It is particularly evident by Rom. 10▪ 3. For they being ignorant of Gods Righteousness, and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God ▪ Here 'tis plain that the same Thing is asserted as in the two last Verses but one of the foregoing Chap. But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness, hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness: Wherefore: Because they sought it not by Faith, but as it were by the Works of the Law. And 'tis very unreasonable, upon several Accounts, to suppose that the Apostle by their own Righteousness, intends only their ceremonial Righteousness. For when the Apostle warns us against trusting in our own Righteousness for Justification, doubtless it is fair to interpret the Expression in an Agreement with other Scriptures where we are warned not to think that 'tis for the sake of our own Righteousness, that we obtain God's Favour and Blessing; as particularly that in Deut. 9▪ 4, 5, 6▪ Speak not thou in thine Heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, for my Righteousness ⟨p. 41⟩the Lord hath brought me in, to possess this Land; but for the wickedness of these Nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee: Not for thy Righteousness, or for the uprightness of thy Heart, dost thou go to possess their Land; but for the wickedness of these Nations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which he sware unto thy Fathers, Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Understand therefore that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good Land to possess it, for thy Righteousness, for thou art a stiff necked People. None will pretend that hear the Expression thy Righteousness, signifies only a ceremonial Righteousness, but all Virtue or Goodness of their own; yea and the inward Goodness of the Heart as well as the outward Goodness of Life; which appears by the beginning of the 5 ver. Not for thy Righteousness, or for the uprightness of thy Heart,—and also by the Antithesis in the 6.