N03467:108
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.
And what renders the interpreting this Text of Works of the ceremonial Law, yet more unreasonable is, that these Works were indeed no Works of Righteousness at all, but were only falsely supposed to be so by the ⟨p. 44⟩Jews; and that our Opponents in this Doctrine suppose is the very reason why we ben't justified by 'em, because they are not Works of Righteousness, or because (the ceremonial Law being now abrogated) there is no Obedience in 'em: But how absurd is it to […] that the Apostle when he says we are not justified by Works of Righteousness that we have done, meant only Works of the ceremonial Law, and that for that very Reason because they are not Works of Righteousness. To illustrate this by the forementioned Comparison; If it should be asserted that such a Thing could not be procured by Money that Men possess, how ridiculous would it be to say that the meaning only was, that it could not be procured by counterfeit Money, and that for that Reason, because it was not Money.—What Scripture will stand before Men, if they will take liberty to manage Scripture thus? Or what one Text is there in the Bible that mayn't at this rate be explained all away, and perverted to any Sense Men please.
And what renders the interpreting this Text of Works of the ceremonial Law, yet more unreasonable is, that these Works were indeed no Works of Righteousness at all, but were only falsly supposed to be so by the ⟨p. 44⟩Jews; and that our Opponents in this Doctrine suppose is the very reason why we ben't justified by 'em, because they are not Works of Righteousness, or because (the ceremonial Law being now abrogated) there is no Obedience in 'em: But how absurd is it to 〈…〉 that the Apostle when he says we are not justified by Works of Righteousness that we have done, meant only Works of the ceremonial Law, and that for that very Reason because they are not Works of Righteousness. To illustrate this by the forementioned Comparison; If it should be asserted that such a Thing could not be procured by Money that Men possess, how ridiculous would it be to say that the meaning only was, that it could not be procured by counterfeit Money, and that for that Reason, because it was not Money.—What Scripture will stand before Men, if they will take liberty to manage Scripture thus? Or what one Text is there in the Bible that mayn't at this rate be explain'd all away, and perverted to any Sense Men please.