N03467:104
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.
But we need not go to the Writings of other Penmen of the Scripture; but if we will allow the Apostle Paul to be his own Interpreter, he when he speaks of our own Righteousness as that which we are not justified or saved by, don't mean only a ceremonial Righteousness, nor does he only intend a Way of Religion, and serving God▪ of our own choosing and fixing on, without divine Warrant or Prescription; but by our own Righteousness he means the same as a Righteousness of our own doing, whether it be a Service or Righteousness of God's prescribing, or our own unwarranted performing: Let it be an Obedience to the ceremonial Law, or a Gospel Obedience, or what it will, if it be a Righteousness of our own doing, it is excluded by the Apostle in this Affair, as is evident by Titus 3, 5. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done.—But I would more particularly insist on this Text; and therefore this may be the▪
9. Argument, That the Apostle when he denies Justification by Works, and by Works of the Law, and by our own Righteousness, don't only mean Works of the ceremonial Law viz. What is said by the Apostle in Tit 3. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7▪ For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient, deceived, serving divers Lusts and Pleasures, living in Malice, and Envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the Kindness and Love of God our Saviour, toward Man, appeared, not by Works of Righteousness which we have done, but according to his Mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ Our Saviour; that being justified by his Grace, we should be made Heirs, according to the Hope of eternal Life. Works of Righteousness that we have done, are here excluded, as what we are neither saved, nor justified by. The Apostle expressly says, we are not saved by 'em; and 'tis evident that when he says this, he has respect to the Affair of Justification, and that he means, we are not saved by 'em in not being justified by 'em, by the next verse but one, which is part of the same Sentence, That being