One benefit of reading Edwards’s early sermons is seeing how he “proves” the doctrine of Scripture through reasons. He is really teaching me how to think.

Kimnach explains that “The term ‘reason’ is actually a generic term for all ‘proofs’ under the Doctrine” (p. 38). And Edwards goes to great effort to prove everything and I mean, everything.

He will often appeal to other Scripture, something you and I probably do pretty well. Edwards’s second kind of proof is “appeals to human reason and commonplace experience” (p. 38). I need some work on this one and reading Edwards is helping.

For instance, here’s how he proves that there is a future state:

“Who can suppose that God made man to glorify Him so miserably as we are capable of in this life, and enjoy some little communion with Him for about sixty or seventy years, and then the man is annihilated, and the glory of God and the enjoyment of him is at an end forever? Who can think thus?” (p. 359).

Evidently, nobody. But, I confess that I have never thought about it like that.

After a few more reasonable proofs, Edwards boldly claims: “Thus I have proved a future state and another world from the light of natural reason” (p. 360).

Then Edwards turns his attention to what happens to those who are “judged in the other world” (p. 366). He writes,

“They shall not be pardoned then if they would. If they would not be pardoned when God would, they shall not be pardoned when they would; if they would not answer when God called, God will not answer when they call, but will laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear cometh” (p. 366).

Edwards concludes his reasoning about the judgment on the wicked by stating:

“They will never have another trial….God will never try them again….They shall never have Christ offered to them more….They shall never more have the Bible in their hands…” (p. 367). I am in a Bible Church so that one really got to me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Edwards’s method of providing good reasons for a future state and the judgment and that this kind of thinking will help us bring God glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal