N13259:193
Sermons, on the following subjects
Sermons, on the following subjects; The manner in which salvation is to be sought. The unreasonableness of indetermination in religion. Unbelievers contemn the glory of Christ. The folly of looking back in fleeing out of Sodom. The warnings of Scripture in the best manner adapted to the awakening and conversion of sinners. Hypocrites deficient in the duty of prayer. The future punishment of the wicked unavoidable and intolerable. The eternity of hell-torments. The peace which Christ gives his true followers. The perpetuity & change of the Sabbath. / By the late Reverend Mr. Jonathan Edwards, president of the College of New-Jersey.
Hartford: printed by Hudson and Goodwin, 1780
Sermon 4: The Folly of looking back, in fleeing out of Sodom.
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.
JERUSALEM was like Sodom in that it was devoted to destruction, by special divine wrath, as that was; and indeed to a more terrible destruction than Sodom was. Therefore the like direction is given concerning fleeing out of it with the utmost haste, without looking behind, as the angel gave to Lot, when he bid him flee out of Sodom; Gen. xix. 17. Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain.—And in the text Christ enforces his council by the instance of Lot's wife. He bids them remember her and take warning by her, who looked back as she was fleeing out of Sodom, and became a pillar of salt.
IF it be inquired why Christ gave this direction to his people to flee out of Jerusalem, in such exceeding haste, at the first notice of the signal of her approaching destruction; I answer, it seems to be because fleeing out of Jerusalem was a type of fleeing out of a state of sin. Escaping out of that unbelieving city ⟨p. 75⟩typified an escape out of a state of unbelief. Therefore they were directed to flee without staying to take any thing out of their houses, to signify with what haste and greatness of concern, we should flee out of a natural condition, that no respect to any worldly enjoyment should prevent or delay us one moment, and that we should flee to Jesus Christ the refuge of souls, our strong rock, and the mount of our defence, so as in fleeing to him, to leave and forsake heartily all earthly things.
THIS seems to be the chief reason also, why Lot was directed to make such haste, and not to look behind; because his fleeing out of Sodom was designed on purpose to be a type of our fleeing from that state of sin and misery in which we naturally are.