REFORMED WITNESS
Volume VI, August 1998, Number 7
In our mailer today we are reprinting excerpts from a sermon by one of the greatest preachers that ever lived, Jonathan Edwards. This is one of his most famous sermons. It is a sermon that, once you start reading it, you will not lay it down until you finish. It is safe to say that this kind of sermon is almost never preached in any church today anymore. The excellence of the sermon is that it is God-centered. It makes God and His glory, His righteousness and His truth that main concern. This is what every sermon ought to do. But today the vast majority of sermons preached are man-centered: God has to accommodate to man's interest and needs and man's thoughts of who and what God should be. This sermon warns very strongly against the serious judgment that shall come upon the wicked. This is one of the things that Jonathan Edwards was so famous for. It was also one of the things for which he was hated. It is the responsibility of every preacher and every church to warn the ungodly about the righteous and holy judgments of God upon sin, and about the peril in which the impenitent ungodly sinner stands. Do you belong to a church that preaches in this way? Let no one say that such preaching is not love. It is love for God in the highest sense of the word, and it is also real love for sinners. It is fervent love which is the basis for urging them to repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. Read this sermon and think carefully about what it says. Compare it with the truth of scripture and you will agree that the power of the sermon is the mighty power of the Word of God.
The End of the Wicked Contemplated by the Righteous
A sermon by Jonathan Edwards
Reprinted from the book Jonathan Edwards on Knowing Christ
SECTION. II
Why the sufferings of the wicked will not be cause of grief to the righteous, but the contrary
- Negatively; it will not be because the saints in heaven are the subjects
of any ill disposition; but on the contrary, this rejoicing of theirs will
be the fruit of an amiable and excellent disposition: it will be the fruit
of a perfect holiness and conformity to Christ, the holy Lamb of God. The
devil delights in the misery of men from cruelty, and from envy and revenge,
and because he delights in misery, for its own sake, from a malicious disposition.
But it will be from exceedingly different principles, and for quite other reasons, that the just damnation of the wicked will be an occasion of rejoicing to the saints in glory. It will not be because they delight in seeing the misery of others absolutely considered. The damned suffering divine vengeance will be no occasion of joy to the saints merely as it is the misery of others, or because it is pleasant to them to behold the misery of others merely for its own sake. The rejoicing of the saints on this occasion is no argument that they are not of a most amiable and excellent spirit, or that there is any defect on that account, that there is any thing wanting which would render them of a more amiable disposition. It is no argument that they have not a spirit of goodness and love reigning in them in absolute perfection, or that herein they do not excel the greatest instances of it on earth, as much as the stars are higher than the earth, or the sun brighter than a glow-worm.
And whereas the heavenly inhabitants are in the text called upon to rejoice over Babylon, because God had avenged them on her, it is not to be understood that they are to rejoice in having their revenge glutted, but to rejoice in seeing the justice of God executed, and in seeing his love to them in executing it on his enemies.
- Positively; the sufferings of the damned will be no occasion of grief
to the heavenly inhabitants, as they will have no love nor pity
to the damned as such. It will be no argument of want of a spirit of love
in them, that they do not love the damned; for the heavenly inhabitants
will know that it is not fit that they should love them, because they will
know then, that God has no love to them, nor pity for them; but that they
are the objects of God's eternal hatred. And they will then be perfectly
conformed to God in their wills and affections. They will love what God
loves, and that only. However the saints in heaven may have loved the damned
while here, especially those of them who were near and dear to them in this
world, they will have no love to them hereafter.
It will be an occasion of their rejoicing, as the glory of God will appear in it. The glory of God appears in all his works: and therefore there is no work of God which the saints in glory shall behold and contemplate, but what will be an occasion of rejoicing to them. God glorifies himself in the eternal damnation of the ungodly men. God glorifies himself in all that he doth; but he glorifies himself principally in his eternal disposal of his intelligent creatures, some are appointed to everlasting life, and others left to everlasting death.
The saints in heaven will be perfect in their love to God: their hearts will be all a flame of love to God, and therefore they will greatly value the glory of God, and will exceedingly delight in seeing him glorified. The saints highly value the glory of God here in this word, but how much more will they do so in the world to come. They will therefore greatly rejoice in all that contributes to that glory. The glory of God will in their esteem be of greater consequence than the welfare of thousands and millions of souls. Particularly,
- They will rejoice in seeing the justice of God glorified
in the sufferings of the damned. The misery of the damned, dreadful
as it is, is but what justice requires. They in heaven will
see and know it much more clearly, than any of us do here. They will
see how perfectly just and righteous their punishment is, and therefore
how properly inflicted by the supreme Governor of the world. They will
greatly rejoice to see justice take place, to see that all the sin and
wickedness that have been committed in the world is remembered of God,
and has its due punishment. The sight of this strict and immutable justice
of God will render him amiable and adorable in their eyes. They will
rejoice when they see him who is their Father and eternal portion so
glorious in his justice.
Then there will be no remaining difficulties about the justice of God, about the absolute decrees of God, or any thing pertaining to the dispensations of God towards men. But divine justice in the destruction of the wicked will then appear as light without darkness, and will shine as the sun without clouds, and on this account will they sing joyful songs of praise to God, as we see the saints and angels do, when God pours the vials of his wrath upon antichrist; Rev. 16:5-7. They sing joyfully to God on this account, that true and righteous are his judgments; Rev. 19:1-6. Their seeing God so strictly just will make them value his love the more. Mercy and grace are more valuable on this account. The more they shall see of the justice of God, the more will they prize and rejoice in his love.
- They will rejoice in it, as it will be a glorious manifestation of
the power and majesty of God. God will show his own
greatness in executing vengeance on ungodly men. This is mentioned as
one end of the destruction of the ungodly; "What if God, willing to
show his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long-suffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?" God will hereby show how
much he is above his enemies. There are many now in the world, who proudly
lift up themselves against God. There are many open opposers of the
cause and interest of Christ. "They set their mouth against the heavens,
and their tongue walketh through the earth." Then God will show his
glorious power in destroying these enemies.
The power of God is sometimes spoken of as very glorious, as appearing in the temporal destruction of his enemies; Exodus 15:6. "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power; thy right band, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy." But how much more glorious will it appear in his triumphing over, and dashing in pieces at once, all his enemies, wicked men and devils together, all his haughty foes! The power of God will gloriously appear in dashing to pieces his enemies as a potter's vessel. Moses rejoiced and sang when he saw God glorify his power in the destruction of Pharaoh and his host at the Red sea. But how much more will the saints in glory rejoice, when they shall see God gloriously triumphing over all his enemies in their eternal ruin! Then it will appear how dreadful God is, and how dreadful a thing it is to disobey and condemn him. It is often mentioned as a part of the glory of God, that he is a terrible God. To see the majesty, and greatness, and terribleness of God, appearing in the destruction of his enemies, will cause the saints to rejoice; and when they shall see how great and terrible a being God is, how will they prize his favour! How will they rejoice that they are the objects of his love! how will they praise him the more joyfully, that he should choose them to be his children, and to live in the enjoyment of him!
When the saints in glory, therefore, shall see the doleful state of the damned, how will this heighten their sense of the blessedness of their own state, so exceedingly different from it! When they shall see how miserable others of their fellow-creatures are, who were naturally in the same circumstances with themselves; when they shall see the smoke of their torment, and the raging of the flames of their burning, and hear their dolorous shrieks and cries, and consider that they in the mean time are in the most blissful state, and shall surely be in it to all eternity; bow will they rejoice!
This will give them a joyful sense of the grace and love of God to them, because hereby they will see how great a benefit they have by it. When they shall see the dreadful miseries of the damned, and consider that they deserved the same misery, and that it was sovereign grace, and nothing else, which made them so much to differ from the damned, that, if it had not been for that, they would have been in the same condition; but that God from all eternity was pleased to set his love upon them, that Christ hath laid down his life for them, and hath made them thus gloriously happy for ever, Ohow will they admire that dying love of Christ, which has redeemed them from so great a misery, and purchased for them so great happiness, and has so distinguished them from others of their fellow-creatures! How joyfully will they sing to God and the Lamb, when they behold this! - They will rejoice in seeing the justice of God glorified
in the sufferings of the damned. The misery of the damned, dreadful
as it is, is but what justice requires. They in heaven will
see and know it much more clearly, than any of us do here. They will
see how perfectly just and righteous their punishment is, and therefore
how properly inflicted by the supreme Governor of the world. They will
greatly rejoice to see justice take place, to see that all the sin and
wickedness that have been committed in the world is remembered of God,
and has its due punishment. The sight of this strict and immutable justice
of God will render him amiable and adorable in their eyes. They will
rejoice when they see him who is their Father and eternal portion so
glorious in his justice.
SECTION. IV
The ungodly warned
I shall apply this subject only in one use, viz. of warning to ungodly men. And in order to this, I desire such to consider,
- How destitute of any comforting consideration your condition will be, if you perish at last. You will have none to pity you. Look which way you will, before or behind, on the right hand or left, look up to heaven, or look about you in hell, and you will see none to condole your case, or to exercise any pity towards you in your dreadful condition. You must bear these flames, you must bear that torment and amazement, day and night, for ever, and never have the comfort of considering, that there is so much as one that pities your case; there never will one tear be dropped for you.
- You have now been taught that you will have no pity from the created inhabitants of heaven. If you shall look to them, you will see them all rejoicing at the sight of the glory of God's justice, power, and terrible majesty, manifested in your torment. You will see them in a blissful and glorious state; you will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God; you will see many come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and sit down in that glorious kingdom; and will see them all with one voice, and with united joy, praising God for glorifying himself in your destruction. You will wail and gnash your teeth under your own torments, and with envy of their happiness; but they will rejoice and sing: Isaiah 65:13,14. "Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit."
- God will exercise no pity towards you. If you might have his pity in any degree, that would be of more worth to you than thousands of worlds. That would make your case to be not without comfort and hope. But God will exercise no pity towards you. He hath often said concerning wicked men, that his eye shall not spare, neither will he have pity, (Ezek. 5:11; 7:4,9; and 8:18.) He will cast fury upon you, and not spare; you will see nothing in God, and receive nothing from him, but perfect hatred, and the fierceness of his wrath; nothing but the mighty falls or outpourings of wrath upon you every moment; and no cries will avail to move God to any pity, or in the least to move him to lighten his hand, or assuage the fierceness and abate the power of your torments.
Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, will have no pity on you. Though he had so much love to sinners, as to be willing to lay down his life for them, and offers you the benefits of his blood, while you are in this world, and often calls upon you to accept them; yet then he will have no pity upon you. You never will hear any more instructions from him; he will utterly refuse to be your instructor: on the contrary, he will be your judge, to pronounce sentence against you.
- You will find none that will pity you in hell. The devils will not pity you, but will be your tormentors, as roaring lions or hell-hounds to tear you in pieces continually. And other wicked men who shall be there will be like devils; they will have no pity on you, but will hate, and curse, and torment you. And you yourselves will be like devils; you will be like devils to yourselves, and will be your own tormentors.
- Consider what an aggravation that you have heard under this doctrine will be to your misery. Consider how it will be at the day of judgment, when you shall see Christ coming in the clouds of heaven, when you shall begin to wail and cry, as knowing that you are those who are to be condemned; and perhaps you will be ready to fly to some of your godly friends; but you will obtain no help from them: you will see them unconcerned for you, with joyful countenances ascending to meet the Lord, and not the less joyful for the horror in which they see you. And when you shall stand before the tribunal at the left hand, among devils, trembling and astonished, and shall have the dreadful sentence passed upon you, you will at the same time see the blessed company of saints and angels at the right hand rejoicing, and shall hear them shout forth the praises of God, while they hear your sentence pronounced. You will then see those godly people, with whom you shall have been acquainted, and who shall have been your neighbours, and with whom you now often converse, rejoicing at the pronunciation and execution of your sentence.
Perhaps there are now some godly people, to whom you are near and dear, who are tenderly concerned for you, who are ready to pity you under all calamities, and willing to help you, and particularly are tenderly concerned for your poor soul, and have put up many fervent prayers for you. How will you bear to hear these singing for joy of heart, while you are crying for sorrow of heart, and howling for vexation of spirit, and even singing the more joyful for the glorious justice of God which they behold in your eternal condemnation?
You that have godly parents, who in this world have tenderly loved you, who were wont to look upon your welfare as their own, and were wont to be grieved for you when any thing calamitous befell you in this world, and especially were greatly concerned for the good of your souls, and industriously sought, and earnestly prayed for their salvation; how will you bear to see them in the kingdom of God, crowned with glory? Or how will you bear to see them receiving the blessed sentence, and going up with shouts and songs, to enter with Christ into the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, while you are amongst a company of devils, and are turned away with the most bitter cries, to enter into everlasting burnings, prepared for the devil and his angels? How will you bear to see your parents, who in this life had so dear an affection for you, now without any love to you, approving the sentence of condemnation, when Christ shall with indignation bid you depart, wretched, cursed creatures, into eternal burnings? How will you bear to see and hear them praising the Judge, for his justice exercised in pronouncing this sentence, and hearing it with holy joy in their countenances, and shouting forth the praises and hallelujahs of God and Christ on that account?
When they shall see what manifestations of amazement there will be in you at the hearing of this dreadful sentence, and that every syllable of it pierces you like a thunderbolt, and sinks you into the lowest depths of horror and despair; when they shall behold you with a frighted, amazed countenance, trembling and astonished, and shall hear you groan and gnash your teeth; these things will not move them at all to pity you, but you will see them with a holy joyfulness in their countenances, and with songs in their mouths. When they shall see you turned away and beginning to enter into the great furnace, and shall see how you shrink at it, and hear how you shriek and cry out; yet they will not be at all grieved for you, but at the same time you will hear from them renewed praises and hallelujahs for the true and righteous judgments of God, in so dealing with you.
Then you will doubtless remember how those your glorified parents seemed to be concerned for your salvation, while you were here in this world; you will remember how they were wont to counsel and warn you, and how little you regarded their counsels, and how they seemed to be concerned and grieved, that there appeared no more effect of their endeavours for the good of your souls. You will then see them praising God for executing just vengeance on you, for setting so light by their counsels and reproofs. However here they loved you, and were concerned for you, now they will rise up in judgment against you, and will declare how your sins are aggravated by the endeavours which they to no purpose used with you, to bring you to forsake sin and practise virtue, and to seek and serve God; but you were obstinate under all, and would not hearken to them. They will declare how inexcusable you are upon this account. And when the Judge shall execute the more terrible wrath upon you on this account, that you have made no better improvement of your parents' instructions, they will joyfully praise God for it. After they shall have seen you lie in hell thousands of years, and your torment shall yet continue without any rest, day or night; they will not begin to pity you then; they will praise God, that his justice appears in the eternity of your misery.
You that have godly husbands, or wives, or brethren, or sisters, with whom you have been wont to dwell under the same roof, and to eat at the same table, consider how it will be with you, when you shall come to part with them; when they shall be taken and you left; Luke 17:34-36. "I tell you, in that night, there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left." However you may wail and lament, when you see them parted from you, they being taken and you left, you will see in them no signs of sorrow, that you are not taken with them; that you ascend not with them to meet the Lord in the air, but are left below to be consumed with the world, which is reserved unto fire, against the day of the perdition of ungodly men.
Those wicked men, who shall go to hell from under the labours of pious and faithful ministers, will see those ministers rejoicing and praising God upon the occasion of their destruction. Consider, ye that have long lived under Mr. Stoddard's ministry,* and are yet in a natural condition, how dreadful it will be with you, to see him who was so tenderly concerned for the good of your souls while he was here, and so earnestly sought your salvation, to see him rising up in judgment against you, declaring your inexcusableness, declaring. How often he warned you; how plainly he set your danger before you, and told you of the opportunity that you had; how fully he set forth the miserable condition in which you were, and the necessity there was that you should obtain an interest in Christ; how movingly and earnestly he exhorted you to get into a better state, and how regardless you were; how little you minded all that he said to you; how you went on still in your trespasses, hardened your necks, and made your hearts as an adamant, and refused to return! How dreadful will it be to you to hear him declaring how inexcusable you are upon these accounts! How will you be cut to the heart, when you shall see him approving the sentence of condemnation, which the Judge shall pronounce against you, and judging and sentencing you with Christ, as an assessor in judgment; for the saints shall judge the world (I Cor. 6:2), and when you shall see him rejoicing in the execution of justice upon you for all your unprofitableness under his ministry!* The author's grandfather and predecessor.
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