N13259:507
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.
ABSOLUTE threatenings are a kind of predictions; and though GOD is not properly obliged by any claim of our's, to fulfil predictions, unless they are of the nature of promises; yet it certainly would be contrary to truth, to predict and say such a thing would come to pass, which he knew at the same time, would not come to pass. Threatenings are declarations of something future, and they must be declarations of future truth, if they are true declarations. It's being future alters not the case any more than if it were present. It is equally contrary to truth, to declare contrary to what, at the same time is known to be truth, whether it be of things past, present, or to come: for all are alike to GOD.
BESIDE, we have often declarations in scripture of the future eternal punishment of the wicked, in the proper form of predictions, and not in the form of threatenings. So in the text. These shall go away into everlasting punishment. So in those frequent assertions of eternal punishment in the Revelation, some of which I have already quoted. The Revelation is a prophecy, and is so called in the book itself; so are those ⟨p. 189⟩declarations of eternal punishment.—The like declarations we have also in many other places of scripture.
2. The doctrine of those who teach that it is not certain, that GOD will fulfil those absolute threatening is blasphemous another way; and that is, as GOD according to their supposition was obliged to make use of a fallacy to govern the world. They own that it is needful that men should apprehend themselves liable to an eternal punishment, that they might thereby be restrained from sin, and that GOD has threatened such a punishment, for the very end that they might believe themselves exposed to it. But what an unworthy opinion does this convey of GOD and his government, of his infinite majesty, and wisdom, and all-sufficiency!—Beside, they suppose that though GOD has made use of such a fallacy, yet it is not such an one but that they have detected him in it. Though GOD intended men should believe it to be certain, that sinners are liable to an eternal punishment; yet they suppose, that they have been so cunning as to find out that it is not certain. And so that GOD hath not laid his design so deep, but that such cunning men as they can discern the cheat and defeat the design: because they have found out, that there is no necessary connection between the threatening of eternal punishment and the execution of that threatening.