The Fall
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.
The Fall
186. Fall. Seeing the beauty of the corporeal world consists chiefly in representing spiritual beauties, and the beauties of minds are infinitely the greatest, we therefore may conclude that God, when he created the world, showed his own perfection and beauties far the most charmingly and clearly, in the spiritual part of the world. But seeing spiritual beauty consists principally in virtue and holiness, and seeing there is so little of this beauty to be seen now in that part of the spiritual world that is here on earth, hence we may conclude that there is a great fall and defection in this part of the spiritual world, from its primitive beauty and charms.
Corollary. Seeing this is so agreeable to the account that the Christian religion gives of the matter, and seeing it is evident (from many arguments), that God intends not to give over man as lost, but has a merciful intention of restoring him to his primitive beauty, and seeing we are told this, and the manner of it, in the Christian religion alone, and seeing the account is so rational, it is a great confirmation of the truth of the Christian religion.
It is also evident to me that the lower corporeal world has not its primitive beauty, but that only the ruins are to be seen. Seeing this is so exactly agreeable to the account which the Christian religion gives of the matter, and the account of the marring of the beauty of the world by the fall and flood being so rational, this also confirms the Christian religion.
290. Fall. .If it be inquired how man came to sin, seeing he had no sinful inclinations in him except God took away his grace from him that he had been wont to give him and so let him fall, I answer, there was no need of taking away anything that had been given him, but he sinned under that temptation because God did not give him more. He did not take away that grace from him while he was perfectly innocent, which grace was his original righteousness, but he only withheld his confirming grace, given now in heaven, such grace as shall surmount every temptation.
291. Fall and Free Will. See M 436. Man has not so much freedom now as he had before the fall in this respect: now he has a will against a will, an inclination contrary to his reason. Judgment which begets a contrary inclination, and this latter inclination is often overcome and suppressed by the former, but before the fall the inclination that arose from reason and judgment never was held down by the inferior inclination, so that in that sense he was more free, or as they speak, had more freedom of will.
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.