N13259:320
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.
BUT it is far otherwise with the true convert. His work is not done; but he finds still a great work to do, and great wants to be supplied. He sees himself still to be a poor, empty helpless creature, and that he still stands in great and continual need of GOD'S help. He is sensible that without GOD he can do nothing. A false conversion makes a man in his own eyes self-sufficient. He faith he is rich and increased with goods and hath need of nothing; and knoweth not that he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. But after a true conversion, the soul remains sensible of it's own impotence and emptiness, as it is in itself, and it's sense of it is rather increased than diminished. It is still sensible of it's universal dependence on GOD for every thing. A true convert is sensible that his grace is very imperfect; and he is very far from having all that he desires. Instead of that, by conversion are begotten in him new desires, which he never had before. He now finds in him holy appetites, an hungering and thirsting after righteousness, a longing after more acquaintance and communion with GOD, So that he hath business enough still at the throne of grace; yea his business there, instead of being diminished, is since his conversion rather increased.
3. THE hope which the hypocrite hath of his good estate, takes off the force that the command of GOD before had upon his conscience; so that now he dares neglect so plain a duty. The command which requires the practice of the duty of prayer is exceeding plain; Mat. xxvi. 41. Watch and p••y, that ye enter not into temptation, Eph. vi. 18. Praying ⟨p. 121⟩always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance, and supplication for all saints. Mat. vi. 6. When thou prayest enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret. As long as the hypocrite was in his own apprehension in continual danger of hell, he durst not disobey these commands. But since he is, as he thinks, safe from hell, he is grown bold, he dares to live in the neglect of the plainest command in the bible.