WICKED MEN USEFUL IN THEIR DESTRUCTION ONLY

Therefore if man be not made to serve and glorify his Creator, it is wholly to no purpose that such a creature is made. Doubtless then the all wise God, who doth all things in infinite wisdom, hath made man for this end. And this is agreeable to what he hath taught us in many places in the scriptures. This is the great end for which man was made, and for which he was made such a creature as he is, having a body and soul, bodily senses, and rational powers. For this is he placed in such circumstances as he is, and the earth is given him for a possession. For this he hath dominion given him over the rest of the creatures of this world. For this the sun shines on him, and the moon and stars are for signs and seasons to him, and the rain falls on him, and the earth yields him her increase.

All other ends of man are subordinate to this. There are inferior ends for which man was made. Men were made for one another; made for their friends and neighbors, and for the good of the public. But all these inferior ends are designed to be subordinate to the higher end of glorifying God; and therefore man cannot be actively useful, or actively answer any purpose, otherwise than by actively glorifying God, or bringing forth fruit to God.

Read the full sermon by clicking on the link;

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=3369

Savannah: I've read this sermon 3-4 times now. I have Edwards complete sermon set at home.

There is scarcely 1 in a hundred Christians (generally speaking) that would even read a sermon like this and think to use it in their own witness, study, bible study or preaching.

His more famous sermon 'sinners in the hands of an angry God' has the same effect, they say "I don't believe in a God like this".

You would catch more fish if you modified the sermon somewhat...'PRETTY GOOD PEOPLE GET TO HEAVEN SOMEHOW'.
All you would need do is reverse everything Jonathan E. said and use the current buzzwords in our culture.

But then again...you might actually help more people into destruction than warn them away from it.

Ive heard more than a few preachers apologize before starting in on a sermon about hell or judgment.

They do this because they know the subject is supposed to make Christians look bad, and especially make God look bad.
The difficulty seems to stem from a complete absence of preaching on God's judgments, justice, lake of fire. Sinful man's default pathway to it and their propensity to avoid talking about it is strictly kept. Lets talk about marriage, some sentimental ideas about sacrifice or maybe even about some ole grandma who prayed a lot.

Then lets talk about some sports figure who claims to believe in Jesus...and how he suffers for the faith in the face of the media trying to defame him.

Lets' talk about patience when the car breaks down or when the husband get mad in the car...those are always good for a laugh and ribbing by the wife.

If you're in a men's retreat, the best sermon there is starts with "how to". How to read the bible somewhat regularly. How to be patient with the kids, How to be a good worker, How to not cuss, complain or drink too much with Christian friends.
And the most important one "How to manage your Christian identity among other Christian men".

Bringing your bible...optional
Bringing a spirit of prayer...no
Bringing a desire for worship and intercession...a hindrance to the meeting, leave that at home.

Nah, why would we ever want to hear a sermon like 'the wicked are useful in their destruction only'. That kind of sermons needs to be left in the 18th century where it was preached. Today, too many a sermon is a just a selfie with all our friends laughing and smiling behind us.

Savannah doesn't know he's an anachronism.

What we need is a mixture of Pastor Joel, Tony Robbins, Ophra Winfrey and Dr Oz. We need lullaby's.

Edit to add/// if you preach anything like Edwards you can watch the congregation drop by a power of ten. If you have 40, you will have 4 in a short while. If you have 400, you will have 40. No pastor wants to send all of his sheep down the street where they can hear "7 ways to a better you" when he could have preach it himself.

Well to to be truthful the average pew sitter today would not understand the language Jonathan Edwards uses or his style of speaking. If the sermon was preached today we would need an updated version.

To be truthful the average pew sitter today isn't on SI.

How about yourself Todd, do you understand it?

I do dontcha know. Even cotton to ol’ KJV English ‘n sich.

Marvin said,

"That kind of sermons needs to be left in the 18th century where it was preached."

___________

There was a time
Not long ago...

Marvin, you're absolutely right. Your post is spot on.

Men like Edwards, and those who went and heard him, were reverent toward God.

So very much unlike those today. They'll hear or read a sermon such as this, and have no more to say other than it is outdated in some way.

They will use some mild mockery, making light of such a sobering message, speaking in a casual manner of it being hard to understand.

But such men are the majority, and are encouraged and applauded as they tone down the seriousness of sin and the judgment to come upon the lukewarm seated in the church pews each Sunday morning having their ears tickled and then tickling their fellow pewmen.

But,

Because I have called and you refused to listen,have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;they will seek me diligently but will not find me.Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof,therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,and have their fill of their own devices.
For the simple are killed by their turning away,and the complacency of fools destroys them;but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” - Proverbs 1

Don’t y’all see the paradox? Surely you must.

Edwards rails against man’s failure to make glorifying God preeminent (as he should) but in his system God Himself denies men the ability to make glorifying God preeminent.

Edwards sermon is absolutely spot on, but when you add in that little tidbit it sort of removes the luster.

Don’t you see the ridiculousness of scolding men for something God prevents them from doing?

Here in this thread today you say,

"...God Himself denies men the ability..." and,

"...God prevents them from doing?"

6 years ago, replying to another Edwards sermon you say,

"Eternal punishment for temporal crimes seems unjust even by God's stated standards of justice (an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth). A debt or penalty that takes forever to repay will never be fully repaid, and there can never be any final justice or resolution of the problem of sin in the universe."

And in the same thread from 6+ years ago you go on to say regarding the traditional view of hell,

"And once again, I am not insisting that the traditional view is not correct. All I am suggesting is that it MAY not be correct. There is a huge difference."

________________

I say to you, that yes, there is a huge difference.

The huge difference is between saying,

"you shall surely die."

And,

"Hath God said you shall surely die?"

The huge difference is the subtlety of the serpent, as he slanders God. The devil lives up to his name, i.e "slanderer", as he casts doubt upon the Goodness of God.

You've done the same today, as you did 6+ years ago.

The devil has been doing this 6000+ years.

JESUS asks in Matthew 20:15;

"Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?"

Your own understanding of it all, is not the determiner of God's goodness.

It's settled in Heaven! God is good period!

If He commands the slaughter of the first born...He is good!

If He commands the slaughter of men, women and children...He is good!

If He says to one, "it'd been better for him that he'd never been born", and to another, "I've prayed for you"...He is good!

If He saves 8 people or 8 billion people...He is good!

If He saves fallen man and not fallen angels...He is good!

Be Job-like; ""Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, but I have no answer””twice, but I have nothing to add.” Job 40:4,5

/So very much unlike those today.../

/Sucn men are the majority.../

I've never been around men of God or pastors or congregations who would dismiss outright the sermon by Edwards. This seems almost a type of one size fits all accusation.

Now that you have set yourself apart as not like the majority of other men what happens now?

Lk 18:9-14

Not that I'm the best example of walking in and showing humility but there is a pride of belief that is the opposite of the humility of faith. Just some food for thought.

I am pretty impressed that you catalog all my posts. But I would certainly reiterate that the traditional view of hell may not be correct.

But you haven’t addressed the point I raised.

Good stuff.
Thanks for sharing, Savannah
I like that he says bearing fruit, not being elect, predestined, or loved is the guarantee against destruction, or else all would've raised their hands.

I love Edwards, he was a no- nonsense preacher, and paid for it too. No wonder he was voted out of his church by 90% of congregational vote. People hate to hear the truth that will save their souls.

Course that doesn't mean he didn't get it wrong on a few things😋

David Winter asks,

"...what happens now?"

________

I answer;

If I were trusting in my own righteousness, Lk 18:9-14 would certainly apply here.

But, considering that I am persuaded that I could not merit my salvation, nor maintain my salvation by any good or bad I do, but rather that of Him I am in Christ, having been chosen/elected in Him from before the foundation of the world, and at the appointed time He gave me repentance and faith, changing my heart, working in me to will and to do of His good pleasure, keeping me by His power through that same faith He gave me, and prays that that same faith not fail, unto that final salvation to be revealed in the last day, nothing being able to separate me from His love for me in Christ, and no one being able to pluck me out of His hand, I have nothing to boast of nor glory in, but His amazing predestinating grace toward me and all of His sheep He loved and gave Himself for.

It's to the glory of God alone, by His grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to the Scriptures alone.

May His people return to that humility alone, produced by these Truths alone, which alone sets us apart making us to differ, as we pass the time of our sojourning here in fear, coming out from among them and being separate, obeying Him from the heart which does so by love, only loving Him because He first loved us.

Won't you sing with me if these words ring true in your heart;

And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!

'Tis mystery all! Th'Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
'Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race;
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Amen.

One Gospel fits all.

Just some Truth for thought.

Fifi If I remember right, it was over his refusal to open the communion table to the youth who were not officially recognized as part of the believing community. They thought since they were infant baptized that would be good enough.

So, they asked to dismiss him. From there he went on to Princeton University. His final sermon to his congregation was wonderful and displayed a great maturity in the faith.

his congregation was well acquainted with his powerful sermons...though he read them like he would a lecture.

"They thought since they were infant baptized that would be good enough."

__________

I think Fifi has the fruit bowl correct.

Because Edwards wouldn't have been opposed to their claim of infant baptism since he himself believed in infant baptism.

It'd have been more of a Baptist John thing.

Similarly, remember he said,

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Matthew 3:7-9

No disagreement there, Marvin. He wanted a public confession of Jesus before partaking in the Lord's table to which the the unbelieving half covenant congregants, a majority at the time, would not consent.

He was a man who stood for truth and wouldn't compromise his conscience.

Did I say something different،?

Didn't say anything about self righteousness there, Savannah but to Edwards if you claim you were the elect, predestined, the fruit should show it.

Let me quote your verse again,

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? "Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Matthew 3:7-9

"Did I say something different،?"

___________

I did not think that you said something different.

_______

Jonathan Edwards from his work, "Religious Affections"

Practice is the proper proof of the true and saving knowledge of God; as appears by that of the apostle already mentioned, "hereby do we know that we know him, that we keep his commandments." It is in vain for us to profess that we know God, if in works we deny him, Tit. 1:16. And if we know God, but glorify him not as God; our knowledge will only condemn us, and not save us, Rom. 1:21.

The great note of that knowledge which saves and makes happy, is, that it is practical: John 13:17 , "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." Job 28:28, "To depart from evil is understanding."
    
Holy practice is the proper evidence of repentance. When the Jews professed repentance, when they came confessing their sins, to John, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; he directed them to the right way of getting and exhibiting proper evidences of the truth of their repentance, when he said to them, "Bring forth fruits meet for repentance," Matt. 3:8. Which was agreeable to the practice of the Apostle Paul; see Acts 26:20. Pardon and mercy are from time to time promised to him who has this evidence of true repentance, that he forsakes his sin, Prov. 28:13, and Isa. 55:7, and many other places.

Holy practice is the proper evidence of a saving faith. 

It is therefore exceedingly absurd, and even ridiculous, for any to pretend that they have a good heart, while they live a wicked life, or do not bring forth the fruit of universal holiness in their practice. For it is proved in fact, that such men do not love God above all. It is foolish to dispute against plain fact and experience. Men that live in ways of sin, and yet flatter themselves that they shall go to heaven, or expect to be received hereafter as holy persons, without a holy practice, act as though they expected to make a fool of their Judge. Which is implied in what the apostle says (speaking of men's doing good works and living a holy life, thereby exhibiting evidence of their title to everlasting life), Gal. 6:7: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." As much as to say, "Do not deceive yourselves with an expectation of reaping life everlasting hereafter, if you do not sow to the Spirit here; it is in vain to think that God will be made a fool of by you, that he will be shammed and baffled with shadows instead of substances, and with vain pretence, instead of that good fruit which he expects, when the contrary to what you pretend appears plainly in your life, before his face." In this manner the word mock is sometimes used in Scripture. Thus Delilah says to Sampson, "behold thou hast mocked me, and told me lies." Judges 16:10, 13; i.e., "Thou hast baffled me, as though you would have made a fool of me, as if I might be easily turned off with any vain pretence, instead of the truth." So it is said that Lot, when he told his sons in law that God would destroy that place, "he seemed as one that mocked, to his sons in law," Gen. 19:14; i.e., he seemed as one that would make a game of them, as though they were such credulous fools as to regard such bugbears. 

And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!

'Tis mystery all! Th'Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
'Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race;
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Amen, and Amen