N04195:27
The great concern of a watchman for souls, appearing in the duty he has…
The great concern of a watchman for souls, appearing in the duty he has to do, and the account he has to give, represented & improved, in a sermon preached at the ordination of the Reverend Mr. Jonathan Judd, to the pastoral office over the Church of Christ, in the new precinct at Northampton, June 8. 1743. / By Jonathan Edwards, M.A. Pastor of the First Church of Christ in Northampton. ; [Four lines from Ezra]The great concern of a watchman for souls, appearing in the duty he has to do, and the account he has to give, represented & improved, in a sermon preach'd at the ordination of the Reverend Mr. Jonathan Judd, to the pastoral office over the Church of Christ, in the new precinct at Northampton, June 8. 1743. / By Jonathan Edwards, M.A. Pastor of the First Church of Christ in Northampton. ; [Four lines from Ezra]
Boston: printed by Green for N. Procter, 1743
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.
I answer in two Things,
1. He commits Mens Souls to Ministers to keep and take Care of them for him, that by their Means they may answer their End in glorifying him. God has made all Things for himself, he has created them for his Glory; but more especially those Creatures that he has endued with Understanding, as he has done the Souls of Men: It is by them that God has his Glory from all his Creatures, as they are the Eye of the Creation to behold the Glory of God manifested in the other Creatures, and the Mouth of the Creation to praise him and ascribe to him the Glory that is displayed in them. The other Creatures glorify God passively and eventually, as God glorifies himself in them, as they are the Subjects of the Exercise of his Power and Wisdom in their Creation and Preservation, and in those Events that are brought to pass in his Disposal of them. Thus God glorifies himself in his Works that are manifest in the irrational and inanimate Creation, in the View of his rational Creatures that he has made capable of beholding and admiring them, and adoring, loving and praising him for them: But they only are capable of glorifying him actively and immediately; therefore all the other Creatures do as it were bring their Tribute of Glory to them, through' their Hands, to be offered to their Creator. And therefore the Souls of Men are Beings that, with Regard to the Glory of God the great End of all Things, are of immensely greater Importance than all other Creatures in this lower World. But these, with Respect to this their great End, are committed ⟨p. 14⟩to the Care and Keeping of Ministers. And therefore Christ has furnished them with proper Means to bring them to this End: He has given 'em all needful Instructions; they have a perfect Rule and Directory to guide them in this great Affair; and has enjoined them the Duties they are to perform in their Office in every particular, and the Manner in which they are to perform these Duties, in the Charge which he has left them; and has furnished them with all needful Helps for the Instruction of those Souls that are committed to them, to lead 'em to answer their great End, in duly glorifying their Creator, and all proper Means for the exciting and engaging them to attend to, and follow those Instructions, as also Means for their Help and Assistance in it, that they may do it the more easily and effectually.