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Title: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Source:
Blue Letter Bible
URL Source: http://www.blueletterbible.org/stud ... n/jonathan_edwards/sinners.cfm
Published: Mar 7, 2015
Author: Jonathan Edwards
Post Date: 2015-03-07 00:07:19 by redleghunter
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Keywords: None
Views: 29188
Comments: 80
(A Sermon Preached at Enfield, July 8th, 1741 at a Time of Great Awakenings, and Attended with Remarkable Impressions on many of the Hearers.) Their foot shall slide in due time.— Deut. 32:35. In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, who were God’s visible people, and who lived under the means of grace; but who, notwithstanding all God’s wonderful works towards them, remained (as Deut. 32:28) void of counsel, having no understanding in them. Under all the cultivations of heaven, they brought forth bitter and poisonous fruit; as in the two verses next preceding the text.—The expression I have chosen for my text, their foot shall slide in due time, seems to imply the following things, relating to the punishment and destruction to which these wicked Israelites were exposed. 1. That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall. This is implied in the manner of their destruction coming upon them, being represented by their foot sliding. The same is expressed, “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction (Psalm 73:18).” 2. It implies, that they were always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction. As he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning: Which is also expressed in “Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction: How are they brought into desolation as in a moment? (Psalm 73:18-19)” 3. Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down. 4. That the reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is only that God’s appointed time is not come. For it is said, that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction; as he that stands on such slippery declining ground, on the edge of a pit, he cannot stand alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is lost. The observation from the words that I would now insist upon is this.—“There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.”—By the mere pleasure of God, I mean his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will, restrained by no obligation, hindered by no manner of difficulty, any more than if nothing else but God’s mere will had in the least degree, or in any respect whatsoever, any hand in the preservation of wicked men one moment.—The truth of this observation may appear by the following considerations. Poster Comment: And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God. Many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south; many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are now in a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him who has loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. How awful is it to be left behind at such a day! To see so many others feasting, while you are pining and perishing! To see so many rejoicing and singing for joy of heart, while you have cause to mourn for sorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of spirit! How can you rest one moment in such a condition? Are not your souls as precious as the souls of the people at Suffield, where they are flocking from day to day to Christ?
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 23.
#2. To: redleghunter (#0)
Hellfire sermons and the very idea of hell itself -- except for Hitler and Stalin -- are increasingly unpopular over the last century. Edwards would not be too surprised at this outcome. Tell me, what draws people to Christianity: love of God or fear of hell?
Some people are saved because of fear of punishment, some because of hope for reward, some because of love of God.
Which of these means of drawing people to God do we see most clearly in scripture? We can leave aside the Pharisees and their obvious hostility to Jesus and His repeated condemnations of them as Jesus knew they were hardened enemies and scripture records none of them except Saul of Tarsus ever converting and then only by dint of a miracle on the road to Damascus where Saul was going to persecute more Christians. Would you consider Jesus a hellfire preacher?
This is a paraphrase of a statement by one of the Church Fathers.
Nice dodge of two simple questions.
Nice dodge of two simple questions. Not at all. Here are the passages from Saint Maximus the Confessor, The Church’s Mystagogy chapter 24: The slaves are the faithful who execute the Lord’s commandments out of fear of threats and who willingly work for those who are obeyed.
While Maximus certainly looks like he'd be a riot at a party, I wasn't asking about the theological opinions of 7th century monks. I was asking what NT scripture shows us as the priorities of Jesus, His disciples and the early churches.
I am not a Protestant and I do not need to separate one part of the Holy Tradition from the rest. I do not believe in the Luther's doctrine of Holy Scriptura either. What Saint Maximus said is true, sufficient and well expressed. I think it is possible to find equivalent passages in the Old and New Testament, although not gathered in one piece. But why should I do it, if I found what I need already in another God inspired text?
The very crux of the Prot argument against Rome.
Well, the Western squabbles between Prots and Rome are domestic dispute that I probably should not get involved. Both sides focused too much on the writings of Blessed Augustine and neglected multitude of other Church Fathers, several of which were better grounded in the Apostolic Tradition.
#27. To: A Pole, TooConservative, liberator (#23)
Man 'cooperating' with God's Grace (semi-pelagianism) was rejected at the Council of Orange (529).
And since the Orthos regard Augustine with considerable suspicion and reservations, you guys are happy enough to let Prots and Romans slug it out. A pox on both of their houses!
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#3. To: TooConservative (#2)
what draws people to Christianity: love of God or fear of hell?
#4. To: A Pole, redleghunter, Liberator (#3)
Some people are saved because of fear of punishment, some because of hope for reward, some because of love of God.
#5. To: TooConservative (#4)
Which of these means of drawing people to God do we see most clearly in scripture?
#7. To: A Pole (#5)
This is a paraphrase of a statement by one of the Church Fathers.
#12. To: TooConservative (#7)
"This is a paraphrase of a statement by one of the Church Fathers."
the three classes of the saved.
Mercenaries are those who out of a desire for promised benefits bear with patience "the burden and heat of the day," - that is, the affliction innate in and yoked to the present life from the condemnation of our first parents, and the temptations from it on behalf of virtue, and who by free choice of will wisely exchange life for life, the present one for the future.
Finally, sons are the ones who out of neither fear of threats nor desire of promised things but rather out of character and habit of the voluntary inclination and disposition’ of the soul toward the good never become separated from God, as that son to whom it was said, "Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours."
#13. To: A Pole (#12)
ere are the passages from Saint Maximus the Confessor, The Church’s Mystagogy chapter 24:
#17. To: TooConservative (#13)
I wasn't asking about the theological opinions of 7th century monks. I was asking what NT scripture shows us as the priorities of Jesus, His disciples and the early churches.
#18. To: A Pole (#17)
But why should I do it, if I found what I need already in another God inspired text?
#23. To: TooConservative (#18)
The very crux of the Prot argument against Rome.
Replies to Comment # 23. Well, the Western squabbles between Prots and Rome are domestic dispute that I probably should not get involved. Both sides focused too much on the writings of Blessed Augustine and neglected multitude of other Church Fathers, several of which were better grounded in the Apostolic Tradition.
#31. To: A Pole (#23)
Both sides focused too much on the writings of Blessed Augustine...
End Trace Mode for Comment # 23.
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