N13259:202
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.
3. WE ought not to look back when fleeing out of Sodom, because the destruction to which it is appointed, is exceedingly dreadful: it is appointed to utter destruction, to be wholly and entirely consumed.—It is appointed to suffer the wrath of the great GOD, which is to be poured down from GOD upon it, like a dreadful storm of fire and brimstone. This city is to be filled full of the wrath of GOD. Every one that remains in it shall have the fire of GOD'S wrath come down on his head and into his soul: he shall be full of fire and full of the wrath of the Almighty.—He shall be encompassed with fire without and full of fire within: his head, his heart, his bowels and all his limbs shall be full of fire, and not a drop of water to cool him.
NOR shall he have any place to flee to for relief. Go where he will, there is the fire of GOD'S wrath: his destruction and torment will be inevitable.—He shall be destroyed without any pity. He shall cry aloud, but there shall be none to help, there shall be none to ⟨p. 78⟩regard his lamentations, or to afford relief. The decree is gone forth, and the days come when Sodom shall burn as an oven, and all the inhabitants thereof shall be as stubble. As it was in the literal Sodom, the whole city was full of fire: in their houses there was no safety, for they were all on fire; and if they fled out into the streets, they also were full of fire. Fire continually came down out of heaven every where.—That was a dismal time. What a cry was there then in that city, in every part of it! But there was none to help; they had no where to go, where they could hide their heads from fire: They had none to pity or relieve them. If they fled to their friends, they could not help them.
Now with what haste should we flee from a city appointed to such a destruction! and how should we flee without looking behind us! how should it be our whole intent, and what we with all our minds and might are engaged about, to get at the greatest distance from a city in such circumstances! how far should we be from thinking at all of returning to a city which has such wrath hanging over it!