Forty-Six Sermons in Vol II of the Works - Edwards - XXVII - 'When the wicked shall have filled up the measure of their sin'

Required reading
Forty-Six Sermons in Volume II of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Sermon entitled 'When the wicked shall have filled up the measure of their sin, wrath will come upon them to the uttermost'.

My summary
Now Edwards teaches us from 1 THESS. ii. 16. 'To fill up their sins alway; for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.'

Edwards' main doctrine from the sermon is 'When those that continue in sin shall have filled up the measure of their sin, then wrath will come upon them to the uttermost.'

To make his point clear, Edwards establishes the following propositions:
(i) There is a certain measure that God hath set to the sin of every wicked man;
(ii) While men continue in sin, they are filling the measure set them;
(iii) When once the measure of their sins is filled up, then wrath will come upon them to the uttermost.

Then if these things are true, Edwards asks the reader to consider:
(i) Under what great means and advantages you continue in sin;
(ii) How dreadful the wrath of God is, when it is executed to the uttermost;
(iii) You know not what wrath God may be about to execute upon wicked men in this world.

What grabbed me
Another frightening sermon from Edwards.

I was particularly moved by the description of the lives of the wicked: 'While men continue in sin, they are filling the measure set them. This is the work in which they spend their whole lives; they begin in their childhood; and if they live to grow old in sin, they still go on with this work. It is the work with which every day is filled up. They may alter their business in other respects; they may sometimes be about one thing, and sometimes about another; but they never change from this work of filling up the measure of their sins. Whatever they put their hands to, they are still employed in this work. This is the first thing that they set themselves about when they awake in the morning, and the last thing they do at night. They are all the while treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God. It is a gross mistake of some natural men, who think that when they read and pray they do not add to their sins; but, on the contrary, think they diminish their guilt by these exercises. They think, that instead of adding to their sins, they do something to satisfy for their past offences; but instead of that, they do but add to the measure by their best prayers, and by those services with which they themselves are most pleased.'

If you are outside of Christ, your life has only one focus: sin.

A terrible fact to consider.

Next week's reading
Read the Sermon entitled 'Wicked men useful in their destruction only'.

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