Forty-Six Sermons in Vol II of the Works - Edwards - XXXVIII - Sermon XI of 'Seventeen Occasional Sermons'

--> Required reading
Forty-Six Sermons in Volume II of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) -  Read Sermon XI from the section entitled 'Seventeen Occasional Sermons'.

My summary
This week Edwards preaches from 'Matthew xi. 16, 17, 18, 19.  But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came, eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. '

His main doctrine is 'Wicked men are very inconsistent with themselves.'

They are so in the following respects:
I. The dictates of their darkened understandings are inconsistent with themselves;
II. Their wills are inconsistent with their reason;
III. Their wills are inconsistent with themselves;
IV. Their outward show is inconsistent with their hearts;
V. Their profession is inconsistent with their practice;
VI. Their practice is inconsistent with their hopes;
VII. Their practice is inconsistent with itself.

What grabbed me
I loved Edwards points about how a wicked man is inconsistent if he hopes to enjoy heaven while enjoying sin here on earth: 'Their wicked life is unfitted for the pleasure and entertainment of heaven, which consist in delighting and rejoicing in God, in loving him, and in holy communion with him. How unsuited to a hope of enjoying such a happiness as this throughout eternity, is it to place all one’s delight and happiness here in hoarding up worldly pelf, in gratifying the bodily appetites and sensitive desires, and in those pleasures that are common to the cattle and the swine? '

If you enjoy sin, you're not going to enjoy heaven.

Next week's reading
Read Sermon XII from the section entitled 'Seventeen Occasional Sermons'.

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