Selected Sermons of Jonathan EdwardsEdwards, Jonathan
Religion
Selected Sermons of Jonathan Edwards
Edwards, Jonathan
Congregational churches -- Sermons; Edwards, Jonathan, 1703-1758; Sermons, American
Faithful ministers will then give an account with joy, concerning those
who have received them well and made a good improvement of their ministry;
and these will be given 'em, at that day, as their crown of rejoicing.
And, at the same time, they will give an account of the ill treatment of
such as have not well received them and their messages from Christ: they
will meet these, not as they used to do in this world, to counsel and warn
them, but to bear witness against them, and as their judges and assessors
with Christ, to condemn them. And on the other hand, the people will, at
that day, rise up in judgment against wicked and unfaithful ministers who
have sought their own temporal interest more than the good of the souls of
their flock.
2. At that time ministers, and the people who have been under their care,
shall meet together before Christ, that he may judge between them, as to
any controversies which have subsisted between them in this world.
So it very often comes to pass in this evil world, that great differences
and controversies arise between ministers and the people that are under
their pastoral care. Though they are under the greatest obligations to
live in peace, above persons in almost any relation whatever; and although
contests and dissensions between persons so related are the most unhappy
and terrible in their consequences, on many accounts, of any sort of
contentions; yet how frequent have such contentions been! Sometimes a
people contest with their ministers about their doctrine, sometimes about
their administrations and conduct, and sometimes about their maintenance;
and sometimes such contests continue a long time; and sometimes they are
decided in this world according to the prevailing interest of one party or
the other, rather than by the word of God and the reason of things; and
sometimes such controversies never have any proper determination in this
world.
But at the day of judgment there will be a full, perfect and everlasting
decision of them. The infallible Judge, the infinite fountain of light,
truth and justice, will judge between the contending parties, and will
declare what is the truth, who is in the right, and what is agreeable to
his mind and will. And in order hereto the parties must stand together
before him at the last day; which will be the great day of finishing and
determining all controversies, rectifying all mistakes and abolishing all
unrighteous judgments, errors and confusions, which have before subsisted
in the world of mankind.
3. Ministers, and the people that have been under their care, must meet
together at that time to receive an eternal sentence and retribution from
the judge, in the presence of each other, according to their behavior in
the relation they stood in one to another in the present state.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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