Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.docx
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Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.docx
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SinnersintheHandsofanAngryGod
SinnersintheHandsofanAngryGod
Afterthefiascoofthewitchtrials,NewEnglandgraduallytradeditstheocraticoutlookforamorepracticalone. Edwardsseesagrowingpragmatism,agrowingconcernformaterialgain.Certainlycomparedtotoday,theywerebuttoneddownandstraitlaced.Butatthesametime,Edwardssawthisasgettingawayformthevaluesofthegreatspiritualancestors.Edwardspreachesthissermon,itstartsthemovementcalledTheFirstGreatAwakening.ItisalsothefoundationofAmericanRevivalism,thatcuriousinstitutionthatweshouldsomehowoccasionallygetchargedupinourferver.Ithasbecomesomethingofaplannedeventinmanychurcheswhereeveryyearyouhavearevival.Butthiscamebysurprise.
Edwardsgotupandreadhismanuscript,youseehowthisiswritten,heprettymuchjustreaditout.PeoplewereliterallyclingingtothepillarsandpewstotrytokeepthemselvesfromslidingdowntoHellimmediately.Ithadthatkindofeffectonpeople.Thetextthatheusesis"Theirfootshallslideinduetime".Usingthistext,EdwardsgoesonusingAristotelianlogic.HegoesaboutprovingthatyouaregoingtodieandburnineternalHellthewaythatweprovethatatrianglehasthreesides."Thattheywerealwaysexposedtodestruction;asonethatstandsorwalksinslipperyplacesisalwaysexposedtofall."Youcanslipatanytimewhenyouwalkonice."Suddenunexpecteddestruction."Youdon’tneedtoexpectit,itcanhappenoutoftheblue."Thattheyareliabletofallofthemselves,withoutbeingthrowndownbythehandofanother."NobodyhastopushyoutoHell;youarealwaysreadytofall;itisonlyGod’sgracethatholdsyouup.Thisgetsintoabitofmixedcausality.
JonathanEdwards(1703-1758)
Enfield,Connecticut
July8,1741
--Theirfootshallslideinduetime.--
Deuteronomy32:
35
InthisverseisthreatenedthevengeanceofGodonthewickedunbelievingIsraelites,whowereGod'svisiblepeople,andwholivedunderthemeansofgrace;butwho,notwithstandingallGod'swonderfulworkstowardsthem,remained(asvers28.)voidofcounsel,havingnounderstandinginthem.Underallthecultivationsofheaven,theybroughtforthbitterandpoisonousfruit;asinthetwoversesnextprecedingthetext.--TheexpressionIhavechosenformytext,theirfootshallslideinduetime,seemstoimplythefollowingthings,relatingtothepunishmentanddestructiontowhichthesewickedIsraeliteswereexposed.
1.Thattheywerealwaysexposedtodestruction;asonethatstandsorwalksinslipperyplacesisalwaysexposedtofall.Thisisimpliedinthemanneroftheirdestructioncominguponthem,beingrepresentedbytheirfootsliding.Thesameisexpressed,Psalm72:
18."Surelythoudidstsettheminslipperyplaces;thoucastedstthemdownintodestruction."
2.Itimplies,thattheywerealwaysexposedtosuddenunexpecteddestruction.Ashethatwalksinslipperyplacesiseverymomentliabletofall,hecannotforeseeonemomentwhetherheshallstandorfallthenext;andwhenhedoesfall,hefallsatoncewithoutwarning:
WhichisalsoexpressedinPsalm73:
18,19."Surelythoudidstsettheminslipperyplaces;thoucastedstthemdownintodestruction:
Howaretheybroughtintodesolationasinamoment!
"
3.Anotherthingimpliedis,thattheyareliabletofallofthemselves,withoutbeingthrowndownbythehandofanother;ashethatstandsorwalksonslipperygroundneedsnothingbuthisownweighttothrowhimdown.
4.ThatthereasonwhytheyarenotfallenalreadyanddonotfallnowisonlythatGod'sappointedtimeisnotcome.Foritissaid,thatwhenthatduetime,orappointedtimecomes,theirfootshallslide.Thentheyshallbelefttofall,astheyareinclinedbytheirownweight.Godwillnotholdthemupintheseslipperyplacesanylonger,butwillletthemgo;andthen,atthatveryinstant,theyshallfallintodestruction;ashethatstandsonsuchslipperydecliningground,ontheedgeofapit,hecannotstandalone,whenheisletgoheimmediatelyfallsandislost.
TheobservationfromthewordsthatIwouldnowinsistuponisthis.--"Thereisnothingthatkeepswickedmenatanyonemomentoutofhell,butthemerepleasureofGod."--BythemerepleasureofGod,Imeanhissovereignpleasure,hisarbitrarywill,restrainedbynoobligation,hinderedbynomannerofdifficulty,anymorethanifnothingelsebutGod'smerewillhadintheleastdegree,orinanyrespectwhatsoever,anyhandinthepreservationofwickedmenonemoment.--Thetruthofthisobservationmayappearbythefollowingconsiderations.
1.ThereisnowantofpowerinGodtocastwickedmenintohellatanymoment.Men'shandscannotbestrongwhenGodrisesup.Thestrongesthavenopowertoresisthim,norcananydeliveroutofhishands.--Heisnotonlyabletocastwickedmenintohell,buthecanmosteasilydoit.Sometimesanearthlyprincemeetswithagreatdealofdifficultytosubduearebel,whohasfoundmeanstofortifyhimself,andhasmadehimselfstrongbythenumbersofhisfollowers.ButitisnotsowithGod.ThereisnofortressthatisanydefencefromthepowerofGod.Thoughhandjoininhand,andvastmultitudesofGod'senemiescombineandassociatethemselves,theyareeasilybrokeninpieces.Theyareasgreatheapsoflightchaffbeforethewhirlwind;orlargequantitiesofdrystubblebeforedevouringflames.Wefinditeasytotreadonandcrushawormthatweseecrawlingontheearth;soitiseasyforustocutorsingeaslenderthreadthatanythinghangsby:
thuseasyisitforGod,whenhepleases,tocasthisenemiesdowntohell.Whatarewe,thatweshouldthinktostandbeforehim,atwhoserebuketheearthtrembles,andbeforewhomtherocksarethrowndown?
2.Theydeservetobecastintohell;sothatdivinejusticeneverstandsintheway,itmakesnoobjectionagainstGod'susinghispoweratanymomenttodestroythem.Yea,onthecontrary,justicecallsaloudforaninfinitepunishmentoftheirsins.DivinejusticesaysofthetreethatbringsforthsuchgrapesofSodom,"Cutitdown,whycumberethittheground?
"Luke13:
7.Theswordofdivinejusticeiseverymomentbrandishedovertheirheads,anditisnothingbutthehandofarbitrarymercy,andGod'smerewill,thatholdsitback.
3.Theyarealreadyunderasentenceofcondemnationtohell.Theydonotonlyjustlydeservetobecastdownthither,butthesentenceofthelawofGod,thateternalandimmutableruleofrighteousnessthatGodhasfixedbetweenhimandmankind,isgoneoutagainstthem,andstandsagainstthem;sothattheyareboundoveralreadytohell.John3:
18."Hethatbelievethnotiscondemnedalready."Sothateveryunconvertedmanproperlybelongstohell;thatishisplace;fromthenceheis,John8:
23."Yearefrombeneath:
"Andthitherheisbound;itistheplacethatjustice,andGod'sword,andthesentenceofhisunchangeablelawassigntohim.
4.TheyarenowtheobjectsofthatverysameangerandwrathofGod,thatisexpressedinthetormentsofhell.Andthereasonwhytheydonotgodowntohellateachmoment,isnotbecauseGod,inwhosepowertheyare,isnotthenveryangrywiththem;asheiswithmanymiserablecreaturesnowtormentedinhell,whotherefeelandbearthefiercenessofhiswrath.Yea,Godisagreatdealmoreangrywithgreatnumbersthatarenowonearth:
yea,doubtless,withmanythatarenowinthiscongregation,whoitmaybeareatease,thanheiswithmanyofthosewhoarenowintheflamesofhell.
SothatitisnotbecauseGodisunmindfuloftheirwickedness,anddoesnotresentit,thathedoesnotletloosehishandandcutthemoff.Godisnotaltogethersuchanoneasthemselves,thoughtheymayimaginehimtobeso.ThewrathofGodburnsagainstthem,theirdamnationdoesnotslumber;thepitisprepared,thefireismadeready,thefurnaceisnowhot,readytoreceivethem;theflamesdonowrageandglow.Theglitteringswordiswhet,andheldoverthem,andthepithathopeneditsmouthunderthem.
5.Thedevilstandsreadytofalluponthem,andseizethemashisown,atwhatmomentGodshallpermithim.Theybelongtohim;hehastheirsoulsinhispossession,andunderhisdominion.Thescripturerepresentsthemashisgoods,Luke11:
12.Thedevilswatchthem;theyareeverbythemattheirrighthand;theystandwaitingforthem,likegreedyhungrylionsthatseetheirprey,andexpecttohaveit,butareforthepresentkeptback.IfGodshouldwithdrawhishand,bywhichtheyarerestrained,theywouldinonemomentflyupontheirpoorsouls.Theoldserpentisgapingforthem;hellopensitsmouthwidetoreceivethem;andifGodshouldpermitit,theywouldbehastilyswallowedupandlost.
6.Thereareinthesoulsofwickedmenthosehellishprinciplesreigning,thatwouldpresentlykindleandflameoutintohellfire,ifitwerenotforGod'srestraints.Thereislaidintheverynatureofcarnalmen,afoundationforthetormentsofhell.Therearethosecorruptprinciples,inreigningpowerinthem,andinfullpossessionofthem,thatareseedsofhellfire.Theseprinciplesareactiveandpowerful,exceedingviolentintheirnature,andifitwerenotfortherestraininghandofGoduponthem,theywouldsoonbreakout,theywouldflameoutafterthesamemannerasthesamecorruptions,thesameenmitydoesintheheartsofdamnedsouls,andwouldbegetthesametormentsastheydointhem.Thesoulsofthewickedareinscripturecomparedtothetroubledsea,Isa.57:
20.Forthepresent,Godrestrainstheirwickednessbyhismightypower,ashedoestheragingwavesofthetroubledsea,saying,"Hithertoshaltthoucome,butnofurther;"butifGods
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