N18020:79
A sermon preached at New-Ark, in New-Jersey, before the Synod of New-York and Philadelphia,…
A sermon preached at New-Ark, in New-Jersey, before the Synod of New-York and Philadelphia, by the Rev. Jonathan Edwards, late president of the college in New-Jersey: ; entitled, True grace, distinguished from the experience of devils. ; [Two lines from James]
printed by Loring Andrews, 1791
Title page typeset from the transcription.
TRUE GRACE, Distinguished from the EXPERIENCE OF DEVILS. › IMPROVEMENT.
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.
I might also here add, that observation and experience, in very many instances, seems to confirm what scripture and reason teaches in these things.
The second USE may be of self-examination.
Let the things which have been observed, put all on ⟨p. 34⟩examining themselves, and enquiring whether they have any better evidences of saving grace, than such as have been mentioned.
We see how the infallible spirit of GOD, in the text, plainly represents the things the Devils are the subjects of, as no sure sign of grace. And we have now, in some instances, observed how far the Devils, and damned men go, and will go in their experience, their knowledge of divine things, their belief of truth, their awakenings and and terrors of conscience, their conviction of guilt, and of the justice of GOD, in their eternal, dreadful damnation, their longings after salvation, their sight of the external glory of CHRIST, and heavenly things; their sense of the vast importance of the things of Religion, and another world; their sense of the awful greatness and terrible majesty of GOD, yea, of all GOD's attributes. These things may well put us on serious self-examination, whether we have any thing to evidence our good estate, beyond what the Devils are the subjects of CHRIST said to his disciples, except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case, enter into the kingdom of Heaven: So the spirit of CHRIST, in his Apostle James, does in effect, say, in my text, except what ye experience in your souls, go beyond the experiences of Devils, ye shall, in no case, enter into the kingdom of GOD.