Overview of Jonathan Edwards

For an overview of the life and thought of Jonathan Edwards, you can download a special issue of Christian History here:

https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/issue/jonathan-edwards-and-the-great-awakening

A good online source for his writings:

http://digitalpuritan.net/jonathan-edwards/

From the Miscellanies:

237. ETERNAL PUNISHMENT.

It seems to me certain that the wicked that are punished by God will continue to hate God all the while they are punished, and that their punishment, instead of humbling them, will stir up their hatred to God and make them blaspheme him. Now it is not probable that their punishment will be either taken off or mitigated whilst they do so, nor that they will cease so to do while their punishment is upon them. Those minds that are so destitute of principles of virtue, will unavoidably dreadfully hate that being that brings so much misery upon them. Therefore, the punishment of the damned will be eternal.

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239. SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE.

From what has been said under the foregoing head, we learn wherein spiritual knowledge consists. For seeing [that] in order to the knowledge of spiritual things there must be those things in the mind, at least in order to a knowledge anything clear and adequate, sinners must be destitute even of the ideas of

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many spiritual and heavenly things and of divine excellencies, because they don't experience them. It's impossible for them so much as to have the idea of faith, trust in God, holy resignation, divine love, Christian charity; because their mind is not possessed of those things, and therefore can't have an idea of the excellencies and beauties of God and Christ, of which those things are the image—he "knows not the things of the Spirit of God" [1 Corinthians 2:14].

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240. URIM AND THUMMIM.

There has been great inquiry, what was that urim and thummim that was in the breastplate of the high priest, whereas I think we have it plainly described in Exodus 28:17–21.9 And I don't see that, from anything said in Scripture about it, we have reason to think it any other than those twelve precious stones with the names of the twelve tribes on them. And when it is said in Exodus 28:30, "And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the urim and thummim," it is as if he had said thus, thou [shalt] put in the breastplate the urim and thummim which has been described. The drift of this verse does not seem to be to order anything new, but only to give a name to that which had been before described and to tell the use of it, viz. that Aaron might bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually; the which seems to me to intend, that the high priest might bear that upon his breast which in God's account and judgment should represent the children of Israel, and should stand for 'em before him upon the heart of the high priest their mediator. Every jewel stood for a tribe, and had the name of that tribe written on it that it stood for. God's people are called his jewels. So Christ bears our judgment; that is, he is our representative in judgment and, as to God's dealings with respect to his law, he stands for us.

The name "urim and thummim" signifies light and perfection; and it being 'tis the plural number, may more properly be rendered "glisterings" (or "brightnesses") and "beauties," because of the charming appearances that the jewels made by their different kinds of glisterings,

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and the beautiful proportion of their different colors. (The church that those jewels represented is in Psalms 50:2 called by a name that is much like to this, viz. "the perfection of beauty.") Some say there was an extraordinary brightness given those jewels beyond what was natural to them. That the urim and thummim were not two distinct things in the breastplate appears, because sometimes when they are spoken of, but one of the names are mentioned; it's called urim only, as Numbers 27:21 and 1 Samuel 28:6.

The use of it seems to be much the same with the plate of gold on the miter mentioned in Exodus 28:36, whereon was engraved "holiness to the Lord"; which the high priest was to have on his forehead, that he might bear the iniquity of the children of Israel, and that he might be accepted when he came in before the Lord (as Exodus 28:38). By the urim and thummim he was to bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart; by this plate of gold he was to bear the iniquity of the children of Israel on his head. 

We find them both mentioned after the same manner, where we have an account of Moses putting the holy garments upon Aaron, as in Leviticus 8:8–9, "And he put the breastplate upon him; and he put in the breastplate the urim and the thummim. And he put the miter upon his head; also upon the miter, even upon his forefront, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown, as the Lord commanded Moses." 

That which was properly called the breastplate, was a cloth curiously wrought, doubled (as Exodus 28:15–16), and the urim and thummim was1 the four rows of stones set in it Exodus 28:17–18].

The manner of inquiring of God by it was the priest's appearing with it on before the most holy place, waiting for an answer from off the mercy seat; and when they inquired in the camp there was a tabernacle that the ephod was kept in, made in the resemblance of the tabernacle of the congregation (of which see Prideaux's Connection, Part I, p. 222).2 

The urim and thummim, by the beauty and excellency of its

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appearance was as proper to obtain acceptance and counsel of God, as incense by the sweetness of its smell was to render their prayers and sacrifices acceptable.

It will [be] objected, that if the urim and thummim were nothing but that plate of gold with the jewels in it, why is it said in Ezra and Nehemiah, that those priests that could not prove their genealogy should not eat of the most holy things till there stood up a priest with urim and thummim (as Ezra 2:63)? for if it had been only gold and jewels they could have gotten them before now. 

I answer, so if it had been any other material thing they could have gotten them as well as those jewels. But it seems that being lately returned from captivity they had not yet gotten them; and it's no wonder they should not, in the circumstances they were in. 

But it seems by this, that they expected to get them in a short time; which if it had been something that must be immediately given by God, they had not so much reason to expect it, for it seems that God had denied them hitherto. 

But if the objection be allowed, all that it can argue is that the urim and thummim was not any material thing, but a power given to the breastplate of foretelling or of obtaining divine responses. 

For we can't imagine in reason, that any material thing was expected to be sent down from heaven, to be put into the breastplate; but Leviticus 8:8 proves it was [a] material thing. Therefore, if they had those jewels in the breastplate at that time, the reason of their speaking in this manner must be, because they did not think them worthy the name of urim and thummim till they had such a power given them as3 the former urim and thummim had.

9. Matthew Poole summarized the inquiry up to his time in Synopsis criticorum (5 vols. London, 1669–76), 1, Pars I, cols. 463–65; he more briefly sketched the chief answers to the riddle in his Annotations (Exodus 28:30, in loc). John Spencer's epoch-making Dissertatio de urim et thummim (Cambridge, 1669) appeared in the same year as the first volume of Poole's Synopsis, but Poole ignored it in the Annotations (1683). Prideaux (see n. 2 below) mentioned Spencer but dismissed his ideas as "absurd and impious." Spencer had identified the urim and thummim with the teraphim and had cited parallels from Egyptian priestly divination. Poole considered the urim and thummim a "singular piece of Divine Workmansip," now indescribable, required as a condition for obtaining answers from God, and for Prideaux they meant simply the "divine vertue and power" which the breastplate possessed when properly used. ↩

1. Here occur the words, "that plate of gold that was fastened on it with"; JE deleted them at the same time he changed the page reference to Prideaux (see next note). ↩

2. MS: "p. 156 (222)." Humphrey Prideaux, The Old and New Testament Connected in the History of the Jews and Neighboring Nations, from the Declension of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah to the Time of Christ (2 pts. in 2 vols. fol. London, 1716–18). JE's original page number shows that when he wrote No. 240 he owned or had access to the 2nd (1716–18), 4th (1718), 6th (1719), or 8th (1720) edition. The 9th edition (London, 1725) was a genuinely new edition in 4 vols. 8vo. Sometime before writing No. 597 JE acquired the 9th edition (which he cities in Humble Inquiry [Works, 12, 281, n. 2]), and then or later went back and changed the page reference in No. 240 to fit that edition. In the passage to which JE refers, Prideaux contends that the ark which the Israelites carried into battle was not the ark of the covenant but a chest containing the ephod and breastplate. ↩

3. MS: "and." ↩

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36 ¶ And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

37 And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

38 And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

(Exodus 28:36–38)

The earth will be lightened/transfigured

D&C 63:20 Nevertheless, he that ^aendureth in faith and doeth my ^bwill, the same shall overcome, and shall receive an ^cinheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come;

21 When the ^aearth shall be ^btransfigured, even according to the pattern which was shown unto mine apostles upon the ^cmount; of which account the fulness ye have not yet received.

Fourth. The future appearance of Christ in his glory at the day of judgment, that will be most pleasant and joyful to the saints, will be dreadful and amazing to those that have rejected Christ. At the day of judgment, the Sun of righteousness shall appear in its greatest glory; Christ shall then come in the glory of his Father, and all the holy angels with him. In the morning of that day, this Sun shall arise and shine forth with rays inconceivably bright.

He shall shine with a brightness far exceeding the brightness of the natural sun, even so much that the sun shall be turned into darkness before it. It shall appear dark in comparison of it.

This shall be the most joyful and pleasant sight to believers that ever their eyes beheld. It will be a thousand times more refreshing to them than ever was the sight of the rising sun to them that have wandered in a wilderness, through the longest and darkest night. The sight of [it] will fill their souls with unspeakable gladness and rejoicing. It will be a bright day to the saints. The beams of that glorious Sun that will then appear will make it bright. The earth will be lightened with his glory, and the light of his glory that the world will then be filled with will be a sweet light to them. That brightness that the disciples saw on the Mount when Christ was transfigured before them was some resemblance of it: that was most pleasant to the disciples, so that they said it was good to be there, and were for building tabernacles that they might dwell there; and Peter calls [it] an “excellent glory” that they saw there (2 Peter 1:17).

But this appearance, that will be so pleasant to believers, will fill the souls of unbelievers with amazement. The first sight of it will strike them with terror. They shall be for hiding “in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains” [Revelation 6:15]. Every ray of that glory that Christ shall then appear in will be like a stream of scorching fire, and will pierce their hearts with a keener torment than a stream of fierce lightning. They shall see Christ appearing in his majesty, and it will be dreadful majesty to them, that will fill 'em with horrors and set them a-trembling and gnashing their teeth, at the same time that it fills the hearts of the saints with rejoicing and their mouths with singing.

That day will burn as an oven indeed. That brightness that the light of Christ's glory shall fill the world with will be more terrible to them than if the world was filled with the fiercest flames. It will make the world like an oven to them, and as it were turn it into a furnace. Christ will then appear

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an infinitely holy, just judge. The sight of this holiness and justice will be joyful to the saints; it will appear as a ravishing beauty in their eyes. But the ungodly will hate the sight of it. Christ's pure eyes will pierce their souls with torment, like piercing flames of fire that they cannot endure. Christ will then sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. He shall be as a refiner's fire that shall burn up the dross [Malachi 3:3].

So that day that will be the brightest and most pleasant to the godly that ever they saw, shall be the most dismal day to the others that ever they saw. The light of the same majesty and glory that shall fill the world with light to the one, shall fill it as it were with tormenting fire to the other. In his light shall be a paradise for the one and an oven or furnace for the other.

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Worldly prosperity and adversity

 True Repentance Required

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:5

Under the Law, worldly comforts and blessings were dispensed in some measure proportionably to their uprightness or impiety, though there were even then some exceptions from this general rule to lead the observers to the consideration, and expectation, of another state wherein God would reward all according to their works, as God frequently assured his people under the Mosaic Dispensation he would certainly do. Wherefore, they seeing that it was not done always in this [world], must unavoidably expect another state to succeed, as it is manifest they did expect by several passages in the book [of] Job, and Psalms, and elsewhere.

But worldly rewards and punishments were sanctions that were chiefly insisted upon before the publishing of the gospel, as may be seen by reading the book of Deuteronomy, which very much consists1 of promises and threatenings of this nature to enforce the observation and obedience of the Law.

And we have many instances of the bestowment of such temporal rewards upon the godly, and inflicting worldly adversities on the wicked; many upon the children of Israel the while they were in the wilderness, frequent instances under the judges, and afterwards under the kings. Thus, Saul and his family were blotted out for their transgression; and David, being a man after God's own heart, greatly flourished and prospered, and after him his son, Solomon, while he remained steadfast to his duty, and as he fell from it his glory fell with him. And so it constantly went well or ill with their kings, even to the captivity into Babylon, according as they feared the Lord or

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forsook him. This was needful for the infant state and childhood of the church to keep them from sin and awe them to obedience, when they enjoyed so much less light than we do.

But when Christ came into the world, the sanctions of God's commands are no more outward, and worldly prosperity and adversity; 

but, 

heaven and hell, 

eternal misery and eternal blessedness, 

fire and brimstone or light and glory, 

a bottomless gulf of misery or else rivers of pleasure forevermore.

So that now we need not to [be] stumbled at all by the great worldly prosperity of some of the wicked, and the great adversity of some of the godly. 

When we see a wicked [person] flourishing and spreading himself like a green bay tree, we suddenly may curse his habitation. When we see sinful and debauched men rolling in heaps of silver and gold, dwelling in proud palaces and decked in gorgeous apparel, and glutted with the fat and drunken with the sweet, we may well weep over him out of pity to him, considering what a poor, miserable wretch he is. We may pronounce the lifeless stocks and stones blessed in comparison of him.

And if we see a godly man oppressed, afflicted, vexed, and parched with worldly afflictions and adversities, yea, frying at the stake, we may well admire at their happiness and pronounce them thrice happy and blessed.

We have no cause to be stumbled at all because Nero, the wicked tyrant, reigned over all the earth and was drowned in worldly pleasures, and the poor Christians—or rather the blessed and thrice happy Christians—martyred and roasted, and fried, and cast to wild beasts, and crucified and put to all manner of the worst of deaths. What should we think if our eyes were opened and should see the difference of their states as they are now? Wherefore, Christ commands and instructs us in the beginning of this chapter, not to judge of the internal state of the souls of men by their outward condition, seeing that this state was not an estate of rewards and punishment, but of probation.

For says Christ, "Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans because they suffered such things as those eighteen, on whom the Tower of Siloam fell, and slew them? Think ye that they were sinners above all that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" [Luke 13:2–5].

In the words observe two things: first, a solemn preface, "I tell you, Nay"; "I assure you, it is as I declare unto you." Second, the assertion

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itself, "except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish"; in which observe, first, the thing presupposed, and that is the danger of perishing; second, the means without which it cannot be escaped, to wit, repentance: "except ye repent."