N13259:569
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.
2. CHRIST'S peace is a virtuous and holy peace. The peace that the men of the world enjoy is vicious; it is a vile stupidity that depraves and debases the mind and makes men brutish. But the peace that the saints enjoy in CHRIST, is not only their comfort, but it is a part of their beauty and dignity. The christian tranquility, rest and joy of real saints, are not only unspeakable privileges, but they are virtues and graces of GOD'S spirit, wherein the image of GOD ⟨p. 216⟩in them does partly consist. This peace has its source in those principles that are in the highest degree virtuous and amiable, such as poverty of spirit, holy resignation, trust in GOD, divine love, meekness and charity. The exercise of such blessed fruits of the spirit as are spoken of Gal. v. 22, 23.
3. THIS peace greatly differs from that which is enjoyed by the men of the world, with regard to its exquisite sweetness. It is a peace that passes all that natural men enjoy in worldly things so much that it passes their understanding and conception. Phil. iv. 7. It is exquisitely sweet; because it has so firm a foundation as the everlasting rock that never can be moved. It is sweet, because perfectly agreeable to reason: It is sweet, because it rises from holy and divine principles, that as they are the virtue so they are the proper happiness of men.
IT is exquisitely sweet because of the greatness of the objective good that the saints enjoy, and have peace and rest in, being no other than the infinite bounty and fullness of that GOD, who is the fountain of all good. It is sweet on account of the fullness and perfection of that provision that is made for it in CHRIST and the new covenant, where there is a foundation laid for the saints perfect peace; and hereafter they shall actually enjoy perfect peace; and though their peace is not now perfect, it is not owing to any defect in the provision made, but in their own imperfection and misery, sin and darkness; and because as yet they do partly cleave to the world and seek peace from thence, and don't perfectly cleave to CHRIST. But the more they do so, and the more they see of the provision there is made, and accept of it, and cleave to that alone, the nearer are they brought to perfect tranquility.