Press forward

Excerpt from the 1808 edition of the collected works of Jonathan Edwards, on sale in the Palmyra print shop. Nonbiblical terms/phrases found in latter-day scriptures are in red.

First. This doctrine may teach us moderation in our mourning for the death of such dear friends that, while they lived, improved their lives to right purposes. If they lived a holy life, then their lives were a journey towards heaven. And why should we be immoderate in mourning, when they are got to their journey's end?

Death to them, though it appears to us with a frightful aspect, is a great blessing to them. Their end is happy and better than their beginning: the "day of their death" is better to them than "the day of their birth" (Ecclesiastes 7:1). While they lived, they desired heaven and chose it above this world or any of the enjoyments of it. They earnestly sought and longed for heaven. 

And why should we grieve that they have obtained heaven that they so desired and so earnestly sought?

Now they are got to heaven; they are got home; they never were at home before. They are got to their Father's house. They find more comfort, a thousand times, now they are got home, than they did on their journey. 

While they were on their journey, they underwent much labor and toil. It was a wilderness that they traveled through, a difficult road; there were abundance of difficulties in the way, mountains and rough places. It was a laborious, fatiguing thing to travel the road: they were forced to lay out themselves to get along and had many wearisome days and nights. 

But now they have got through; they have got to the place they sought. 

They are got home, got to their everlasting rest. They need travel no more, nor labor any more, nor endure any more toil and difficulty, but enjoy perfect rest and peace, and will, forever; Revelation 14:13, "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." 

They don't mourn that they are got home, but greatly rejoice. They look back upon the difficulties, and sorrows, and dangers of this life rejoicing that they have got through them all.

We are ready to look upon death as though it was a calamity to them. We are ready to mourn over them with tears of pity, to think that these that were so dear to us should be in the dark, rotting grave, that they should there turn to corruption and worms, that they should be taken away from their dear children, and other pleasant enjoyments, and that they should never more have any part in anything under the sun. Our bowels are ready to yearn over them, and to look upon it as though some sorrowful thing had befallen them, and as though they were in awful circumstances.

But this is owing to our infirmity, that we are ready thus to look upon it. They are in an happy condition; they are inconceivably blessed. They don't mourn, but rejoice with exceeding joy; their mouths are filled with joyful songs. They drink at rivers of pleasures. They find no mixture of grief at all that they have changed their earthly houses, and earthly enjoyments, and earthly friends, and the company of moral mankind, for heaven. They think of it without any degree of regret.

This is an evil world in comparison of that they are now in. Their life here, if attended with the best circumstances that ever any earthly life was, was attended with abundance that was adverse and afflictive. But now there is an end to all adversity; Revelation 7:16–17, "They shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

'Tis true, we shall see them no more while we are here in this world; yet we ought not immoderately to mourn for that, though it used to be pleasant to us to see them and though their company was sweet. For we should consider ourselves as but on a journey too: we should be traveling towards the same place that they are gone to. And why should we break our hearts with that, that they are got there before us, when we are following after them as fast as we can and hope, as soon as ever we get to our journey's end, to be with them again, to be with them in better circumstances than ever we were with them while here?

A degree of mourning for near relations, when departed, is not inconsistent with Christianity, but very agreeable to it; for as long as we are flesh and blood, no other can be expected than that we shall have animal properties and affections. 

But we have not just reason to be overborne, and sunk in spirit. 

45 Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection.

46 And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them;

 47 And they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter.

(Doctrine and Covenants 42:45–47)

When the death of near friends is attended with these circumstances, we should be glad that they are got to heaven. Our mourning should be mingled with joy; 1 Thessalonians 4:13, "But I [would not] have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope"—i.e. that they should not sorrow as the heathen that had no knowledge of a future happiness nor any certain hope of anything for themselves or their friends after they were once dead. This appears by the following verse: "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."

Second. If it be so, that our lives ought so {to be spent by us, as to be only a journey toward heaven}, how ill do they improve their lives that spend them in traveling towards hell. Some men spend their whole lives, from their infancy to their dying day, in going down the broad way to destruction. They don't only draw nearer to hell in time, but they every day grow more and more ripe for destruction; they are more assimilated to the inhabitants of the infernal world. While others press forward in the strait and narrow way to life, towards Zion, and laboriously travel up the hill against the inclination and tendency of the flesh, these run with a swift career down towards the valley of eternal death, towards the lake of fire, towards the bottomless pit.

This is the employment of every day with all wicked men; the whole day is spent in it. As soon as ever they awake in the morning, they set out anew towards hell, and spend every waking moment in it. They are constant in it; it is a work that they are very assiduous in. They are earnestly engaged in it. 

They begin in early days, before they begin to speak; Psalms 58:3, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." They hold onto it with perseverance. Many of them that live to be old are never weary of it; if they live to be an hundred years old, they won't give out traveling in the ways to hell till they arrive there.

And all the concerns of life are subordinated to this employment. A wicked man is a servant of sin: his powers and faculties are all employed in the service of sin, and in fitting them for hell. And all his possessions are so used by him as to be subservient to the same purpose. Some men spend their time in "treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath" (Romans 2:5). 

Thus do all unclean persons, that live in lascivious practices in secret. Thus do all malicious persons. Thus do all profane persons, that neglect duties of religion. Thus do all unjust persons, and those that are fraudulent or oppressive in their dealings. Thus do all backbiters and revilers. Thus do all covetous persons, that set their hearts chiefly on the riches of this world. Thus do tavern-haunters, and frequenters of evil company; and many other kinds of persons that might be mentioned.

Thus do far the greater part of man. The bulk of mankind are hastening onward in the broad way to destruction. The way, as broad as it is, is, as it were, filled up with the multitudes that are going with one accord this way. And they are every day flowing into hell out of this broad way by thousands. Multitudes are continually flowing in to the great lake of fire and brimstone out of this broad way, as some mighty river constantly disembogues its waters into the ocean.

Third. Hence, when persons are converted they do but begin their work, and set out on the way they have to go. They never, till then, do anything of that work which their whole lives ought to be spent in, which we have now shown to be traveling towards heaven. 

Persons before conversion never take a step that way. Then does a man first set out on this journey, when he is brought home to Christ. And he is but just set out in it; so far is he from having done his work, that he only begins first to set his face towards heaven. His journey is not finished; he is only then first-brought to be willing to go to and begins to look that way. So that his care and labor in his Christian work and business is then but begun, which he must spend the remaining part of his life in.

Those persons do ill who, when they are converted and have obtained hope of their being in a good condition, don't strive as earnestly as they did before, while they were under awakening. They ought henceforward, as long as they live, to be as earnest and laborious as ever, as watchful and careful as ever; yea, they should increase more and more.

It is no just objection or excuse from this, that now they han't the same to strive for: before, they strove that they might be converted, but that, they have obtained. Is there nothing else that persons have as much reason to strive, and lay out their strength for, as their own safety? We should will to be diligent and laborious that we may serve and glorify God, as that we ourselves may be happy. And if we have obtained grace, yet that is not all obtained that may be obtained. 'Tis but a very little grace that we have obtained; we ought to strive, that we may obtain more. We ought to strive as much as that we may [obtain] the other degrees that are before as we did to obtain that small degree that is behind. The Apostle tells that he forgot "what was behind," and "reached forth towards what was before" (Philippians 3:13).

Yea, those that have converted have now a further reason to strive for grace than they had before, for now they have tasted and seen something of the sweetness and excellence of it. A man that has once tasted the blessings of Canaan has more reason to press forward towards Canaan than he had before.

And then, those that are converted should strive that they may make their calling and election sure. All those that are converted are not sure of it, don't know that they shall be always so. Still seeking and serving God with the utmost diligence is the way to have assurance, and to have it maintained.

Use II may be of Exh. So to spend the present life that it may only be a journey towards heaven. Labor to be converted, and sanctified, and to obtain such a disposition of mind that you may choose heaven for your inheritance and home, and may earnestly long for it, and be willing and desirous to change this world and all the enjoyment of it for heaven. 

Labor to have your heart so much taken up about heaven and heavenly enjoyments, as that you may rejoice at any time when God calls you to leave your best earthly friends and those things that are most comfortable to you here to go to heaven, there to enjoy God and Christ.

Be persuaded to travel in the way that leads to heaven, viz. in a way of holiness, in a way of self-denial and mortification, in a way of obedience to all the commands of God, in a way of following Christ's example, in the way of a heavenly life, an imitation of the saints and angels that live in heaven. 

Be content to travel on in this way in a laborious manner, to endure all the fatigues of it. 

Begin to travel it without delay, if you have not already begun it. And travel on it with assiduity; let it be your daily work, from morning to night, and hold out in it to the end. 

Let there be nothing that shall stop or discourage you, or turn you aside from this road. 

Labor to be growing in holiness, to be coming nearer and nearer to heaven, in that you are more and more as you shall be when you get to heaven, if ever that be. 

And let all other concerns be subordinated to this great concern of getting forwards towards heaven.

Consider the reasons that have been mentioned why you should thus spend your life. Consider that the world is not your abiding place and was never so intended of God. Consider how little a while you are to be here, and how little worth your while it is to spend your life to any other purpose. 

Consider that the future world is to be your everlasting abode, and that the enjoyments and concerns of this world have their being only and entirely in order to another world.