N13259:99
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.
DOCTRINE. The unresolvedness of many persons in religion is very unreasonable.
I. PROP. Many persons remain exceedingly undetermined with respect to the things of religion. They are very much undetermined in themselves whether to embrace religion or to reject it.—Many who are baptized and make a profession of religion, and seem to be christians; are yet in their own minds halting ⟨p. 40⟩between two opinions: they never yet came fully to a conclusion, whether to be christians or not. They are taught the christian religion in their childhood, and have the bible, the word preached, and the means of grace all their days; yet continue, and grow up, and many grow old, in an unresolvedness, whether to embrace christianity or not; and many continue unresolved as long as they live.
I. PROP. Many persons remain exceedingly undetermined with respect to the things of religion. They are very much undetermined in themselves whether to embrace religion or to reject it.—Many who are baptized and make a profession of religion, and seem to be christians; are yet in their own minds halting ⟨p. 40⟩between two opinions: they never yet came fully to a conclusion, whether to be christians or not. They are tought the christian religion in their childhood, and have the bible, the word preached, and the means of grace all their days; yet continue, and grow up, and many grow old, in an unresolvedness, whether to embrace christianity or not; and many continue unresolved as long as they live.
1. THERE are some persons who have never come to a settled determination in their own minds, whether or no there be any truth in religion. They hear of the things of religion from their childhood all their days; but never come to a conclusion in their own minds, whether they be real or fabulous. Particularly, some have never come to any determination in their own minds, whether there be any such thing as conversion. They hear much talk about it, and know that many pretend to be the subjects of it; but they are never resolved whether all be not mere designed hypocrisy and imposture, or the mere notions of whimsical persons.