N05035:134
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.
VI. The Representations which CHRIST makes of his visible Church, from Time to Time, in his Discourses and Parables, make the Thing manifest which I have laid down.
As particularly the Representation which Christ makes in the latter End of Matth. vii. of the final Issue of Things with Respect of the different Sorts of Members of his visible Church: Those that only say, Lord, Lord, and those who do the Will of his Father which is in Heaven; those who build their House upon a Rock, and those who build upon the Sand. They are all (of both Kinds) evidently such as have pretended to an high Honour and Regard to Christ, have claimed an Interest in him, and accordingly hoped to be finally acknowledged and received as some of his. Those visible Christians who are not true Christians, for the present cry Lord, Lord; that is, are forward to profess Respect, and claim Relation to him; and will be greatly disappointed hereafter in not being owned by him. They shall then come and cry Lord, Lord. This Compellation, Lord, is commonly given to Jesus Christ in the New-Testament, as signifying the special Relation which Christ stood in to his Disciples, rather than his universal Dominion. They shall then come and earnestly claim Relation, as 'tis represented of Israel of old, in the Day of their Distress and God's awful Judgments upon them, Hos. viii. 2. Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. To know don't here intend speculative Knowledge, but knowing as one knows his own, has a peculiar Respect to, and owns and has an Interest in. These false Disciples shall not only claim Interest in Christ, but shall plead and bring Arguments to confirm their Claim; Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy Name, and in thy Name have cast out Devils, and in thy Name have done many wonderful Works? 'Tis evidently the Language of those that are dreadfully disappointed. Then (says Christ) I will profess unto them, I never knew you; Depart from me, ye that work Iniquity. q. d. 'Tho they profess a Relation to me, I will profess none to them; tho' they plead that they know me, and have an Interest in me, I will declare to them that I never owned them as any of mine; and will bid 'em depart from me as those that I will never own, nor have any Thing to do with in such a Relation as they claim.