February 8, 2019

History of the Work of Redemption Vol I of the Works - Edwards - VII - Period I concluded

Required readingHistory of the Work of Redemption in Vol I of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Part VII of Period I.

My summary.
This week Edwards makes some concluding remarks about the first period of the history of redemption as contained in the Old Testament.

What has been said:
(i) strongly argues that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world; and so that the christian religion is the true religion;
(ii) affords a strong argument for the divine authority of the books of the Old Testament, from that admirable harmony there is in them, whereby they all point to the same thing;
(iii) teaches us how weak and ignorant the objection is, against the Old Testament being the word of God, because it consists so much of warlike histories and civil transactions;
(iv) shows the wisdom of God in the composition of the Scriptures of the Old Testament, i.e. in the parts of which it consists;
(v) shows that Christ and his redemption are the great subject of the whole Bible. Concerning the New Testament, the matter is plain; and by what has been said, it appears to be so also with respect to the Old Testament;
(vi) shows the usefulness and excellency of the Old Testament;
(vii) makes us sensible how much most persons are to blame for their inattentive, unobservant way of reading the Scriptures;
(viii) shows us how great a person Jesus Christ is, and how great his errand into the world, seeing there was so much done to prepare the way for his coming.

What grabbed me
An excellent reading.  So much grabbed me.

Right from the get go: 'From what has been said, we may strongly argue, that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world; and so that the christian religion is the true religion, seeing that Christ is the very person so evidently pointed at, in all the great dispensations of Divine Providence from the very fall of man, and was so undoubtedly in so many instances foretold from age to age, and shadowed forth in a vast variety of types and figures. If we seriously consider the course of things from the beginning, and observe the motions of all the great wheels of providence, we shall discern that they all tend hither. They are all as so many lines, whose course, if it be observed and accurately followed, will be found to centre here. It is so very plain in many things, that it would argue stupidity to deny it. This person, sent from God, came into the world with his commission and authority, to do his work, and to declare his mind. The Governor of the world, in all his great works towards Jews and Gentiles, down to the time of Christ's birth, has declared it. It is a plain and evident truth, that he who was born at Bethlehem, who dwelt at Nazareth and Capernaum, and who was crucified without the gates of Jerusalem, must be the great Messiah. Blessed are all they that believe in and confess him, and miserable are all that deny him. This shows the unreasonableness of the deists, who deny revealed religion, and of the Jews, who deny that this Jesus is the Messiah foretold and promised to their fathers.'

Stupidity indeed to deny it!

Next week's reading
Read Part I of Period II.


Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.

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