N13259:503
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.
SECONDLY. THERE are others who allow, that the expressions of the threatenings, do denote a proper eternity, but then, they say, it doth not certainly follow that the punishment will really be eternal; because, say they, GOD may threaten, and yet not fulfil his threatenings. Though they allow that the threatenings are positive, and peremptory, without any reserve, yet they say GOD is not obliged to fulfil absolute, positive threatenings, as he is, absolute promises. Because in promises a right is conveyed, that the creature, to whom the promises are made, will claim; but there is no danger of the creature's claiming any right by a threatening.—Therefore I am now to show that what GOD has positively declared in this ⟨p. 187⟩matter, does indeed make it certain, that it shall be as he has declared. To this end I shall mention two things;
1. IT is self-evidently contrary to the divine truth, positively to declare, any thing to be real, whether pa••, present, or to come, which GOD at the same time knows is not so. Absolutely threatening that any thing shall be, is the same as absolutely declaring, that it is to be. For any to suppose that GOD absolutely declares that any thing will be, which he at the same time knows will not be, is blasphemy, if there be any such thing as blasphemy.
1. IT is selfevidently contrary to the divine truth, positively to declare, any thing to be real, whether pa••, present, or to come, which GOD at the same time knows is not so. Absolutely threatening that any thing shall be, is the same as absolutely declaring, that it is to be. For any to suppose that GOD absolutely declares that any thing will be, which he at the same time knows will not be, is blasphemy, if there be any such thing as blasphemy.