Forty-Six Sermons in Volume II of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Sermon entitled 'Wicked men useful in their destruction only'.
Now Edwards gives us a sermon from Ezek. xv. 2-4. 'Son of man, What is the vine-tree more than any tree? or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both, the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?'
Edwards' main doctrine from the sermon is 'If men bring forth no fruit to God, they are wholly useless, unless in their destruction.'
For the proof of this doctrine, Edwards shows:
1. That there can be but two ways in which man can be useful, viz. either in acting, or in being acted upon;
2. That man can no otherwise be useful actively than by bringing forth fruit to God;
3. That if he bring not forth fruit to God, there is no other way in which he can be passively useful, but in being destroyed;
4. In that way he may be useful without bearing fruit.
To apply the doctrine Edwards says:
1. Hence we may learn, how just and righteous God is in the destruction of those who bring forth no fruit to him;
2. This subject ought to put you upon examining yourselves, whether you be not wholly useless creatures;
3. Another use of this subject may be of conviction and humiliation to those who never have brought forth any fruit to God;
4. Let me, in a further application of this doctrine, exhort you by all means to bring forth fruit to God. Let it be your constant endeavour to be in this way actively useful in the world.
What grabbed me
A highly interesting sermon as it is on a subject that is rarely discussed.
So many subpoints grabbed me.
For example people often wonder what will those in heaven think if they can see the destruction of the wicked in hell. Edwards explains: 'The destruction of the unfruitful is of use, to give the saints a greater sense of their happiness, and of God’s grace to them. The wicked will be destroyed and tormented in the view of the saints, and other inhabitants of heaven. This we are taught in Rev. xiv. 10. “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of his holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” And inIsa. lxvi. 24. “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” When the saints in heaven shall look upon the damned in hell, it will serve to give them a greater sense of their own happiness. When they shall see how dreadful the anger of God is, it will make them the more prize his love. They will rejoice the more, that they are not the objects of God’s anger, but of his favour; that they are not the subjects of his dreadful wrath, but are treated as his children, to dwell in the everlasting embraces of his love. The misery of the damned will give them a greater sense of the distinguishing grace and love of God to them, that he should from all eternity set his love on them, and make so great a difference between them and others who are of the same species, and have deserved no worse of God than they. What a great sense will this give them of the wonderful grace of God to them! and how will it heighten their praises! with how much greater admiration and exultation of soul will they sing of the free and sovereign grace of God to them! '
The destruction of unbelievers in hell will actually make Christians happy.
Next week's reading
Read Sermon I from the section entitled 'Seventeen Occasional Sermons'.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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