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The Works of President Edwards in Four Volumes
The Works of President Edwards in Four Volumes Author:Jonathan Edwards Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMON III. HEN NATURALLY GOo'g ENEMIES Rom A Mb V. 10.—For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the doilh of hi Son The apostle, from the... more » beginning of the epistle to the beginning of this chap ter, hath insisted on the doctrine of justification by faith alone. And having particularly spoken to that, in this chapter he goes on to consider the benefits that are consequent on justification. And there are three that flow from justification, which are here spoken of, viz., peace with God, present happiness, and hope of glory. Peace with God is mentioned in the first verse. " Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." In the following verses he speaks of present blessedness, and hope of glory, as benefits accompanying justification. " By whom also we have access by faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." And concerning this benefit of the hope of glory, the apostle does particularly take notice of two things, viz., the blessed nature of this hope, and the sure ground of it 1. He insists on the blessed natuie of this hope, in that it enables us to glory in tribulations. This excellent nature of true Christian hope is described in the following words: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope ; and hope raaketh not ashamed, because the love of Gcd is shed abroad in our hearts by trje Holy Ghost which is given unto us," verses 3—5, q. d. Through hope of a blessed reward, that will abundantly more than make up for all tribulation, we are enabled to bear tribulation with patience; patiently bearing, and patiently waiting for the reward. And patience works experience; for w...« less