N13259:92
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
Sermon 2: The unreasonableness of Indetermination in Religion.
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.
IT was a time of sore famine in Israel. There had been neither rain nor dew, for the space of three years and six months. This famine was brought upon the land for their idolatry. But GOD was now about to remove this judgment; and therefore to prepare them for it, sends Elijah to convince them of the folly of idolatry, and to bring them to repentance of it.—In ⟨p. 38⟩order to this, Elijah by the command of the LORD goes and shows himself to Ahab, and directs him to send and gather all Israel to him at mount Carmel, and all the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves, that eat at Jezebel's table, four hundred; that they might determine the matter and bring the controversy to an issue, whether Jehovah or Baal were GOD.—To this end, Elijah proposes that each should take a bullock, that he should take one, and the prophets of Baal another, that each should cut his bullock in pieces, lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and that the GOD who should answer by fire should be concluded to be GOD.
THE text contains an account of what Elijah said to all the people at their first meeting and of their silence ;And Elijah came unto all the people and said, how long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be GOD, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. To which the people, it seems, made no reply. In these words, we may observe,
1. HOW Elijah expostulates with the people about their halting so long between two opinions; in which expostulation may be observed,