N05401:158
Misrepresentations corrected, and truth vindicated. In a reply to the Rev. Mr. Solomon Williams's…
Misrepresentations corrected, and truth vindicated. In a reply to the Rev. Mr. Solomon Williams's book, entitled, The true state of the question concerning the qualifications necessary to lawful communion in the Christian sacraments. / By Jonathan Edwards, M.A. Minister of the Gospel at Stockbridge. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]Misrepresentations corrected, and truth vindicated. In a reply to the Rev. Mr. Solomon Williams's book, intitled, The true state of the question concerning the qualifications necessary to lawful communion in the Christian sacraments. / By Jonathan Edwards, M.A. Minister of the Gospel at Stockbridge. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by S. Kneeland, 1752
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.
There is such a Thing, as what may be called a moral Sincerity, in distinction from saving, in many moral Things; as in loving our Friends and Neighbours, in loving our Country, in choosing the Protestant Religion before the Popish, in a conscientious Care to do many Duties, in being willing to take a great Deal of Pains in Religion, in being sorry for the Commission of such and such Acts of Wickedness, &c. But there are some Duties, which, unless they are done with a gracious Sincerity, they can't be done at all. As Mr. Stoddard observes (Safety of Ap. P. 216.) There are some Duties which cannot be done but from a gracious Respect to God. Thus, there is but one Sort of Sincerity in loving God as God, and setting our Hearts on Him as our highest Happiness, loving him above the World, and loving Holiness above all the Objects of our Lusts. He that don't do these Things with a gracious Sincerity, never really doth them at all: He that truly does them, is certainly a godly Man; as we are abundantly assured by the Word of God. So, there is but one Sort of sincere and cordial Consent to the Covenant of Grace, but one Sort of giving all our Hearts to Jesus Christ; which Things Mr. W. allows to be necessary, to come to Sacraments. That which a Man's Heart is full of reigning Enmity to, he can't with any Reality at all cordially consent to and comply with: But the Hearts of unsanctified Men are full of reigning Enmity to the Covenant of Grace, according to the Doctrine of Scripture, and according to the Doctrine of Mr. S. and Mr. W. too, as we have seen before.
However, if there were any such Thing, as a being heartily willing to accept of Christ, and a giving all our Hearts to Christ, without a saving Sincerity, this would not be a complying with the Terms of a Covenant of Salvation. For it's Self-evident, that 'tis only something which is saving, that is a Compliance with the Terms of Salvation. Now Mr. W. himself often allows (as has been observed) that Persons must comply with the Terms of the Covenant of ⟨p. 67⟩Grace, in Order to come to Sacraments.— Yet because he also in Effect denies it, I shall say something further in Confirmation of it.