Miscellaneous Discourses in Vol II of the Works - Edwards - XI - A warning to professors

Required reading

Miscellaneous Discourses in Vol 2 of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read 'A warning to professors'.

My summary

Today we read a discourse on: "That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them. Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house." (Ezek. 23:37-39)

Edwards doctrine is: 'When they that attend ordinances of divine worship allow themselves in known wickedness, they are guilty of dreadfully profaning and polluting those ordinances.'

Edwards gives:

I. Proof that the ordinances of God are holy

II. Warnings that God's ordinances are dreadfully profaned by those who attend on them, and yet allow themselves in ways of wickedness.

III. A call to self-examination

IV. An Address to profaners of ordinances and yet allow themselves in known sin.

What grabbed me

What a way to close a sermon: 'It is a wonder that God suffers you to live upon earth, that he hath not, with a thunderbolt of his wrath, struck you down to the bottomless pit long ago. You that are allowedly and voluntarily living in sin, who have gone on hitherto in sin, are still going on, and do not design any other than to go on yet; it is a wonder that the Almighty's thunder lies still, and suffers you to sit in his house, or to live upon earth. It is a wonder that the earth will bear you, and that hell doth not swallow you up. It is a wonder that fire doth not come down from heaven, or come up from hell, and devour you; that hell-flames do not enlarge themselves to reach you, and that the bottomless pit hath not swallowed you up.

However, that you are as yet borne with, is no argument that your damnation slumbers. The anger of God is not like the passions of men, that it should be in haste. There is a day of vengeance and recompense appointed for the vessels of wrath; and when the day shall have come, and the iniquity shall be full, none shall deliver out of God's hand. Then will he recompense, even recompense into your bosoms.'

No wonder revival broke out under this man's preaching.

Next week's reading

Commence 'The Final Judgement' by reading Sections I to IV.

Now it's your turn

Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.