Christian Classics
‹ Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume One

Jonathan Edwards · 242 of 349

OBJ. XIV. Unsanctified persons may live as saints.

OBJECT. XIV.

Either unsanctified persons may lawfully come to the , or it is unlawful for them to carry themselves as ; but it is not unlawful for them to carry themselves as .

Answ. It is the duty of men both to become , and to behave as . The scripture rule is, Matthew xii. 33 . Make the tree good, that the fruit may be good. Mr. Stoddard himself never supposed, that the fruit of was to be expected from men, or could possibly be brought forth by them in truth, till they were .

And I see not how it is true, that men ought, in every respect, to do those external things, which it is the duty of a godly man to do. It is the duty of a godly man, conscious of his having given his heart unto the Lord, to profess his love to God and his esteem of him above all, his unfeigned faith in Christ, &c. and in his closet-devotions to thank God for these graces as the fruit of the Spirit in him. But it is not the duty of another that really has no faith, nor love to God, to do thus. Neither any more is it a natural man’s duty to profess these things in the .—Mr. Stoddard taught it to be the duty of converts, on many occasions, to profess their faith and love and other graces before men, by relating their experiences in : but it would be great wickedness, for such as know themselves to be not , thus to do; because they would speak falsely, and utter lies in so doing. Now, for the like reason, it would be very sinful, for men to profess and seal their consent to the of in the , when they know at the same time that they do not consent to it, nor have their hearts at all in the affair.