N03467:206
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 if all have Glory as the Reward of the same Righteousness, why han't all the same Glory? Don't the same Righteousness merit as much Glory, when imputed to one, as when imputed to another.
In Answer to the first Part of this Objection. I would observe, that it don't argue that we are justified by our good Deeds, because we shall have eternal Blessings in Reward for them; for 'tis in Consequence of our Justification, that our good Deeds become rewardable, with spiritual and eternal Rewards. The acceptableness, and so the rewardableness of our Virtue is not antecedent to Justification, but follows it, and is built entirely upon it; which is the reverse of what those in the adverse Scheme of Justification suppose, viz That Justification is built on the Acceptableness and Rewardableness of our Virtue. They suppose that a saving Interest in Christ is given as a Reward of our Virtue, or (which is ⟨p. 89⟩the same Thing,) as a Testimony of God's Acceptance of our Excellency, in our Virtue. But the contrary is true; that God's respect to our Virtue, as our amiableness in his Sight, and his Acceptance of it as rewardable, is entirely built on our Interest in Christ already established. So that that Relation to Christ, whereby Believers in Scripture Language, are said to be in Christ, is the very Foundation of our Virtues, and good Deeds, being accepted of God, and so of their being rewarded; for a Reward is a Testimony of Acceptance. For we, and all that we do, are accepted only in the beloved, Eph 1. 6. Our Sacrifices are acceptable, only through our Interest in him, and through his Worthiness, and Preciousness, being as it were made ours. 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. To whom coming as unto a living Stone, disallowed indeed of Men, but chosen of God and precious; ye also as lively Stones, are built up a spiritual House, an holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual Sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Here a being actually built on this Stone, precious to God, is mentioned as all the Ground of the Acceptableness of our good Works to God, and their becoming, also precious in his Eves. So