N13864:404
A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…
A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of divinity, in a method entirely new. / By the late Reverend Mr. Jonathan Edwards, president of the College of New Jersey[.]
Boston: printed by Draper & Folsom, 1782
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.
After God had showed the vanity of human learning, when set up in the room of the gospel, God was pleased to make it subservient to the purposes of Christ's kingdom, as an handmaid to divine revelation; and so the prevailing of learning in the world before Christ came, made way for his coming both these ways, viz. as thereby the vanity of human wisdom was shown, and the necessity of the gospel appeared; and also as hereby an handmaid was prepared to the gospel: for so it was made use of in the Apostle Paul, who was famed for his much learning, as you may see Acts xxvi.24. and was skilled not only in the learning of the Jews, but also of the philosophers; and improved it to the purposes of the gospel; as you may see he did in disputing with the philosophers at Athens, Acts xvii.22. &c. He by his learning knew how to accommodate himself in his discourses to learned men, as appears by this discourse of his; and he knew well how to improve what he had r•ad in their writings; and he here cites their own poets. Now ⟨p. 127⟩Dionysius•, that was a philosopher, was converted by him, and as ecclesiastical history gives us an account, made a great instrument of promoting the gospel. And there were many others in that and the following age•, who were eminently useful by their human learning in promoting the interests of Christ's kingdom.
After God had shewed the vanity of human learning, when set up in the room of the gospel, God was pleased to make it subservient to the purposes of Christ's kingdom, as an handmaid to divine revelation; and so the prevailing of learning in the world before Christ came, made way for his coming both these ways, viz. as thereby the vanity of human wisdom was shown, and the necessity of the gospel appeared; and also as hereby an handmaid was prepared to the gospel: for so it was made use of in the Apostle Paul, who was famed for his much learning, as you may see Acts xxvi.24. and was skilled not only in the learning of the Jews, but also of the philosophers; and improved it to the purposes of the gospel; as you may see he did in disputing with the philosophers at Athens,