N13259:45
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.
II. PROP. This work or business, which must •e done in order to the salvation of men, is a great undertaking. It often appears so to men upon whom it is urged. Utterly to break off from all their sins, and to give up themselves for ever to the business of religion, without making a reserve of any one lust, submitting to and complying with every command of GOD, in all cases, and persevering therein; appears to many so great a thing, that they are in vain urged to undertake it. In so doing it seems to them, that they should give up themselves to a perpetual bondage and eve• throw themselves away. The greater part of men therefore choose to put it off, and keep it at as great a distance as they can. They cannot bear to think of entering immediately on such an hard service, and rather than do it, they will run the risk of eternal damnation, by putting it off to an uncertain future opportunity.
ALTHOUGH the business of religion is far from really being as it appears to such men; for the devil will be sure, if he can, to represent it in false colours to sinners, and make it appear as black and terrible as he can; yet it is indeed a great business, a great undertaking; and it is fit that all, who are urged to it, should count the cost beforehand and be sensible of the difficulty attending it. For though the devil discourages many from this undertaking, by representing ⟨p. 19⟩it to be more difficult than it really is; yet with others he takes a contrary course, and flatters them it is a very easy thing, a trivial business, which may be done at any time, when they please; and so emboldens them to defer it from that consideration. But let none imagine any other or conceive any other notion of that business of religion, which is absolutely necessary to their salvation, than that it is a great undertaking. It is so in the following accounts.