Images of Divine Things
Miscellanies by Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)Today, many Christians are turning back to the puritans to, “walk in the old paths,” of God’s word, and to continue to proclaim old truth that glorifies Jesus Christ. There is no new theology. In our electronic age, more and more people are looking to add electronic books (ePubs, mobi and PDF formats) to their library – books from the Reformers and Puritans – in order to become a “digital puritan” themselves. Take a moment to visit Puritan Publications (click the banner below) to find the biggest selection of rare puritan works updated in modern English in both print form and in multiple electronic forms. There are new books published every month. All proceeds go to support A Puritan’s Mind.
Edwards’ thoughts about how the natural world demonstrates divine things.
635. Lancing Wounds. Bad wounds must be searched to the bottom, and oftentimes, when they are very deep, they must be lanced and the core laid open, though it be very painful to endure, before they can have a good cure. The surgeon may skin them over, so that it may look like a cure without this, without much hurting the patient, but it will not do the patient much good. He does but deceive him for the present, but it will be not lasting benefit to him: the sore will break out again. This figures forth to us the case of our spiritual wound: the plague of our hearts which is great and deep and must be searched, and must be lanced by painful conviction. The core must be laid open. We must be made to see that fountain of sin and corruption there is, and what a dreadful state we are in by nature, in order to a thorough and saving cure. Jer. 8:11, speaking of the teachers of Israel, their prophets and priests: “They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace, when there is no peace.’”
638. Vanishing of Shades. There is a harmony between the methods of God’s providence in the natural and religious world, in this as well as many other things: that as when day succeeds the night, and the one comes on and the other gradually ceases, those lesser lights that serve to give light in the absence of the sun gradually vanish as the sun approaches. One star vanishes after another as daylight increases: the lesser stars first and the greater ones afterwards. The same star gradually vanishes till at length it wholly disappears and all these lesser lights are extinguished and the sun appears in his full glory above the horizon. So when the day of the gospel dawned, the ceremonies of the Old Testament and ordinances of the law of Moses that were only appointed to give light in the absence of the sun of righteousness (or until Christ should appear), and shone only with a borrowed and reflected light (like the planets), were gradually abolished one after another, and the same ordinance gradually ceased, and those ordinances that were principal (one of which was the Jewish sabbath) continued longest. There were a multitude of those ceremonies, which was a sign of their imperfection, but they altogether did but imperfectly supply the place of the sun of righteousness. But when the sun of righteousness is come, there is no need of them. When the true sacrifice is come, there is no need of any of the legal sacrifices. When Christ is come and gives and introduces the gospel, that is the ministration of the Spirit, there is no more need of ceremonies in worship. But the time is now come that men must worship God in spirit and truth. So there is a multitude of stars that shine in the night, but they altogether do but very imperfectly supply the absence of the sun. But when the sun rises, they all vanish, and we find no want of them.
Consider the following two works by Edwards that have been updated and republished for easy reading:
Ripe for Damnation: Sermons on the Book of Revelation – by Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758). Are you hungry for more of Edwards’ sermons? On the book of Revelation? These new works are not found anywhere on A Puritan’s Mind, and there are new ones not found in his large 2 volume works. 4 deal with the plight of the wicked, and 2 deal with the bliss of saints in heaven. These sermons are powerful, practical, and biblical, glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ, and contain 2 never before published sermons.
Justification by Faith Alone – by Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758). In this classic work, Edwards covers the intricacies of how believers are made righteous only through Christ’s merits, and that this justifying righteousness is equally imputed to all elect believers. This is accomplished by the condition of faith as an instrument.