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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.
There is a vast Difference between this Scheme, and what is supposed in the Scheme of those that oppose the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone. This lays the Foundation of first Acceptance with God, and all actual Salvation consequent upon it, wholly in Christ and his Righteousness. On the contrary, in their Scheme, a Reg•d to Man's own Excellency or Virtue is supposed to ⟨p. 98⟩be first, and to have the Place of the first Foundation in actual Salvation, tho' not in that ineffectual Redemption, which they suppose common to all: They lay the Foundation of all discriminating Salvation in Man's own Virtue and moral Excellency: This is the very bottom Stone in this Affair; for they suppose that it is from Regard to our Virtue, that even a special Interest in Christ it self is given. The Foundation being thus contrary, the whole Scheme becomes exceeding diverse and contrary; the one Scheme is an evangelical Scheme, the other a legal one; the one is utterly inconsistent with our being justified by Christ's Righteousness, the other not at all.
From what has been said we may understand what has been before mentioned, viz. How that not only is that Forgiveness of Sin that is granted in Justification indissolubly connected with a forgiving Spirit in us, but there may be many Exercises of forgiving Mercy that may properly be granted in Reward for our forgiving those that trespass against us: For none will deny but that there are many Acts of divine Forgiveness towards the Saints, that don't presuppose an unjustified State immediately preceding that Forgiveness; none will deny that Saints, that never fell from Grace or a justified State, do yet commit many Sins which God forgives afterwards, by laying aside his fatherly Displeasure. This Forgiveness may be in Reward […] Forgiveness, without any Prejudice to the Doctrine that has been maintained, as well as other Mercies and Blessings consequent on Justification.
From what has been said we may understand what has been before mention'd, viz. How that not only is that Forgiveness of Sin that is granted in Justification indissolubly connected with a forgiving Spirit in us, but there may be many Exercises of forgiving Mercy that may properly be granted in Reward for our forgiving those that trespass against us: For none will deny but that there are many Acts of divine Forgiveness towards the Saints, that don't presuppose an unjustified State immediately preceeding that Forgiveness; none will deny that Saints, that never fell from Grace or a justified State, do yet commit many Sins which God forgives afterwards, by laying aside his fatherly Displeasure. This Forgiveness may be in Reward Forgiveness, without any Prejudice to the Doctrine that has been maintained, as well as other Mercies and Blessings consequent on Justification.