N13259:467
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.
1. THEN I shall briefly show that it is not inconsistent with the justice of GOD to inflict an eternal punishment. To evince this, I shall use only one argument, viz. that sin is heinous enough to deserve such a punishment, and such a punishment is no more than proportionable to the evil or demerit of sin. If the evil of sin be infinite, as the punishment is, then it is manifest that the punishment is no more than proportionable to the sin punished, and is no more than sin deserves. And if the obligation to love, honour and obey GOD be infinite, then sin which is the violation of this obligation, is a violation of infinite obligation, and so is an infinite evil. Again, if GOD be infinitely worthy of love, honour and obedience, then our obligation to love and honour and obey him is infinitely great.—So that GOD being infinitely glorious, or infinitely worthy of our love, honour and obedience; our obligation to love, honour and obey ⟨p. 173⟩him, and so to avoid all sin is infinitely great. Again, our obligation to love, honour and obey GOD being infinitely great, sin is the violation of infinite obligation, and so is an infinite evil. Once more, sin being an infinite evil, deserves an infinite punishment, an infinite punishment is no more than it deserves: Therefore such punishment is just; which was the thing to be proved.—There is no evading the force of this reasoning, but by denying that GOD, the sovereign of the universe, is infinitely glorious; which I presume none of my hearers will adventure to do.
1. THEN I shall briefly show that it is not inconsistent with the justice of GOD to inflict an eternal punishment. To evince this, I shall use only one argument, viz. that sin is heinous enough to deserve such a punishment, and such a punishment is no more than proportionable to the evil or d•merit of sin. If the evil of sin be infinite, as the punishment is, then it is manifest that the punishment is no more than proportionable to the sin punished, and is no more than sin deserves. And if the obligation to love, honor and obey GOD be infinite, then sin which is the violation of this obligation, is a violation of infinite obligation, and so is an infinite evil. Again, if GOD be infinitely worthy of love, honor and obedience, then our obligation to love and honor and obey him is infinitely great.—So that GOD being infinitely glorious, or infinitely worthy of our love, honor and obedience; our obligation to love, honor and obey