N13259:287
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
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.
AGAIN, we have a greater plenty of bibles, than they had under the dispensation of Moses and the prophets. Then there was no such thing as printing, and bibles were scarce things. They seldom had any bibles, any where else but in their synagogues. But now we have them in our houses; we can look into them when we please.—Besides, CHRIST hath appointed the gospel ministry, by which we have the word of GOD explained and enforced every week.—Yet how little influence hath the word of GOD to bring men to repentance!
LET this strike conviction into those, who never yet have found any such effect by the word of GOD Though you are convinced of nothing else, yet you have abundant reason to be convinced, that your hearts are as hard as a stone, and that you are exceedingly stupid and sottish.
3. HENCE we may learn how justly and fairly GOD deals with us. He gives us the best means of awakening and reclaiming us from our sins; better ⟨p. 109⟩than if he had sent one from the dead to warn us. He gives us those means which are most suited to our nature and circumstances. He gives sinners abundant warning before he punishes them. What could he have done more, than he hath done? We can devise or imagine no sort of warning, which would have been better, than what GOD hath given us.—How justly therefore are ungodly men punished; how inexcusable will they be.