N03467:626
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 here is not only infinite Strength and infinite Worthiness, but infinite Conde•cersion; and Love and Mercy, as great as Power and Dignity. If you are a poor distressed Sinner, whose Heart is ready to sink for Fear that God never will have Mercy on you, you need not be afraid to go to Christ, for Fear that he is either unable or unwilling to help you: Here is a strong Foundation, and an inexhaustible Treasure, to answer the Necessities of your poor Soul; and here is infinite Grace and Gentleness to invite and embolden a poor unworthy fearful Soul to […] to it. If Christ accepts of you, you need not fear but that you will be safe; for he is a strong Lion for your Defence: And if you come, you need not fear but that you shall be accepted▪ […] he is like a Lamb to all that come to him▪ and receives them with infinite Grace and Tenderness. 'Tis true he has awful Majesty; he is th• great God, and is infinitely high above you; but there is this to encourage and embolden the poor Sinner, that Christ is Man as well as God; he is a Creature, as well as the Creator; and he is the most humble and lowly in Heart of any Creature in Heaven or Earth. This may well make the ⟨p. 273⟩poor unworthy Creature bold in coming to him. You need not hesitate one Moment; but may run to him, and cast your self upon him: You will certainly be graciously and meekly received by him. Though he be a Lion, he will only be a Lion to your Enemies; but he will be a Lamb to you.—It could not have been conceived, had it not been so in the Person of Christ, that there could have been so much in any Saviour, that is inviting, and tending to encourage Sinners to trust in him. Whatever your Circumstances are, you need not be afraid to come to such a Saviour as this: Be you never so wicked a Creature, here is Wor•••ness enough: Be you never so poor, and mean, and ignorant a Creature, there is no Danger of being despised; for though he be so much greater than you, he is also immensely more humble than you. Any one of you that is a Father or Mother, won't despise one of your own Children that comes to you in Distress; much less Danger is there of Christ despising you, if you in you• Heart come to him.