N03467:89
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 that the Apostle don't mean only Works of the ceremonial Law, when he excludes Works of the Law in Justification, but also of the moral Law, and all Works of Obedience, Virtue, and Righteousness whatsoever, may appear by the following Things.
But that the Apostle don't mean only Works of the ceremonial Law, when he excludes Works of the Law in Justification, but also of the moral Law, and all Works of Obedience, Vertue, and Righteousness whatsoever, may appear by the following Things.
1. The Apostle don't only say, that we are not justified by the Works of the Law, but that we are not justified by Works, using a general Term; as in our Text it is said, unto him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth, &c. and in the 6. v. God imputeth righteousness without Works, And Chap 11. 6. "And ⟨p. 33⟩if by Grace, then it is no more of Works, otherwise Grace is no more Grace: But if it be of Works, then it is no more Grace; otherwise Grace is no more Grace. St Eph. 2 8, 9 For by Grace ye are saved, through Faith,—not of Works. By which, there is no Reason in the World to understand the Apostle of any other than Works in general, as correlates of a Reward, or good Works, or Works of Virtue and Righteousness. When the Apostle says we are justified or saved not by Works, without any such Term annexed, as the Law, or any other Addition to limit the Expression, what Warrant have any to confine it to Works of a particular Law, or Institution, excluding others? Are not Observances of other Divine Laws Works, as well as of that? It seems to be allowed by the Divines in the Arminian Scheme, in their Interpretation of several of those Texts where the Apostle only mentions Works, without any Addition, that he means our own good Works in general; but then they say, he only means to exclude any proper merit in those Works. But to say the Apostle means one Thing when he says we ben't justified by Works, another when he says we ben't justified by the Works of the Law, when we find the Expressions mixed. and used in the same Discourse, and when the Apostle is evidently upon the same Argument, is very unreasonable, it is to dodge, and fly from Scripture, rather than to open and yield our selves to it's teachings.