N05035:118
An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications…
An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications requisite to a complete standing and full communion in the visible Christian church. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; With an appendix by Mr. Foxcroft. ; [Ten lines of quotations]An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications requisite to a compleat standing and full communion in the visible Christian church. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the First Church in Northampton. ; With an appendix by Mr. Foxcroft. ; [Ten lines of quotations]
Boston: : Printed & sold by S. Kneeland in Queenstreet, 1749
Title page typeset from the transcription.
An Inquiry into the Qualifications for full Communion in the visibl… › Part 2
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.
That none shall be shut out of Heaven but only those who have lived in the gross Sins there mentioned; Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the Gates into the City: For without are Dogs, and Sorcerers, and Murderers, and Idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Nothing is more common in Scripture, than in the Descriptions is gives, both of the godly and the ungodly, together with their general Character, to insert into the Description some particular excellent Practices of the one which Grace tends to, and some certain gross Sins of the other which there is a Foundation for in the reigning Corruption in their Hearts. So, Lying is mentioned as Part of the Character of all natural Men, Psal. lviii. 3, 4. (Who are there called wicked Men, as in Ps. 1.) The wicked are estranged, from the Womb; they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking Lies; Their Poison is like the Poison of a Serpent, &c. So it is said of the Wicked, Psal. x. 2, 3, 4, 7. His Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness. This the Apostle, Rom iii. cites as a Description of all natural Men. So it is said of the wicked, Psal, cxi. 3. They have […] their Tongues ⟨p. 40⟩as a Serpent, Adder's Poison is under their Lips; which the same Apostle in the same Place also cites as what is said of all natural Men. The very same gross Sins which are here mentioned in the fiftieth Psalm, are from Time to Time inserted in Solomon's Descriptions of the wicked Man, as opposed to the Righteous, in the Book of Proverbs: particularly the Sins mentioned in the 19th ver.of that Psalm, Thou givest thy Mouth to Evil, and thy Tongue frameth Deceit; are thus mentioned, as belonging to the Character of the wicked Man, Prov. xii. The Thoughts of the Righteous are right; but the Counsels of the Wicked are Deceit. The Words of the Wicked are to lie in wait for Blood; but the Mouth of the Upright shall deliver them. Nevertheless 'tis plain, that the wise Man in this Book, in his Distinction of the Righteous and the Wicked, means the same as Godly and Ungodly. Only reading the two foregoing Chapters will be enough to satisfy any of this. Observe Chap. x. 3, 7, 16, 20, 21, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Chap. xi. 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 30, 31. Besides innumerable other like Texts all over the Book. In Chap. i. 16.