N05035:242
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 3
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.
Although' none of the requisite moral Qualifications for this Jewish Sacrament, either of one Kind or other, are near so clearly made known in the Old Testament, as the Qualifications for the Christian Sacraments are in the New; and although' the supposing a Visibility, either of moral Sincerity, or sanctifying Grace to be requisite, is (both respecting the one Case and the other) involved in some Obscurity and Difficulty; yet I would humbly offer what appears to me to be the Truth concerning that Matter, in the Things that follow.
Altho' none of the requisite moral Qualifications for this Jewish Sacrament, either of one Kind or other, are near so clearly made known in the Old Testament, as the Qualifications for the Christian Sacraments are in the New; and altho' the supposing a Visibility, either of moral Sincerity, or sanctifying Grace to be requisite, is (both respecting the one Case and the other) involved in some Obscurity and Difficulty; yet I would humbly offer what appears to me to be the Truth concerning that Matter, in the Things that follow.
(1.) Although' the People in Egypt, before the first Passover, probably made no explicit public Profession at all, either of their Humiliation for their former Idolatry, or of present Devotedness of Heart to God; it being before any particular Institution of an express public Profession, either of Godliness, or Repentance in Case of Scandal: Yet I think, there was some Sort of public Manifestation, or implicit Profession of both. Probably in Egypt they implicitly professed the same Things, which they afterwards professed more expressly and solemnly in the Wilderness. The Israelites in Egypt had very much to affect their Hearts, before the last Plague, in the great Things that God had done for them; especially in some of the latter Plagues, wherein they were so remarkably distinguished from the Egyptians: They seem now to be brought to a tender Frame, and a Disposition to show much Respect to God (see Exod. xii.27.) and were probably now very forward to profess themselves devoted to him, and true Penitents.