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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.
Presently upon this, a great and earnest Concern about the great things of Religion, and the eternal World, became universal in all parts of the Town, and among Persons of all Degrees, and all Ages; the Noise amongst the Dry Bones waxed louder and louder: All other talk but about spiritual and eternal things, was soon thrown by; all the Conversation in all Companies, and upon all occasions, was upon these things only, unless so much as was necessary for People, carrying on their ordinary secular Business. Other Discourse than of the things of Religion, would scarcely be tolerated in any Company. The Minds of People were wonderfully taken off from the World, it was treated amongst us as a thing of very little Consequence: They seemed to follow their worldly Business, more as a part of their Duty, than from any Disposition they had to it; the Temptation now seemed to lie on that hand, to neglect worldly Affairs too much, and to spend too much Time in the immediate Exercise of Religion: Which Thing was exceedingly misrepresented by Reports that were spread in distant Parts of the Land, as tho' the People here had wholly thrown by all worldly Business, and betook themselves entirely to Reading, and Praying, and such like religious Exercises.
Presently upon this, a great and earnest Concern about the great things of Religion, and the eternal World, became universal in all parts of the Town, and among Persons of all Degrees, and all Ages; the Noise amongst the Dry Bones waxed louder and louder: All other talk but about spiritual and eternal things, was soon thrown by; all the Conversation in all Companies, and upon all occasions, was upon these things only, unless so much as was necessary for People, carrying on their ordinary secular Business. Other Discourse than of the things of Religion, would scarcely be tolerated in any Company. The Minds of People were wonderfully taken off from the World, it was treated amongst us as a thing of very little Consequence: They seem'd to follow their worldly Business, more as a part of their Duty, than from any Disposition they had to it; the Temptation now seemed to lie on that hand, to neglect worldly Affairs too much, and to spend too much Time in the immediate Exercise of Religion: Which Thing was exceedingly misrepresented by Reports that were spread in distant Parts of the Land, as tho' the People here had wholly thrown by all worldly Business, and betook themselves entirely to Reading, and Praying, and such like religious Exercises.