let thoughts be directed

The Importance of a Future State
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment. Hebrews 9:27

The scope of the chapter: to show how the things of the law and first covenant were types [and] shadows of things under the gospel state, and how much more excellent the antitypes.

.....

(3) Let such persons consider, what would be their thoughts of another world if they were upon their deathbeds and just ready to fetch their last breath.

Men generally han't the same thoughts of things when they come to die as when they were in health; especially wicked men's opinions of the things of another world differ, as far as the East is from the West.

Therefore, consider what will be your dying thoughts of these things. You now perhaps look upon death as at a great distance, and that you shall live a long time in the world, and that blinds your eyes; therefore, think with yourself: what if you were now dying? Do you think that it would seem so to you then, as it doth now?

The most atheistical men in the world, some of them, when they have come to lie on a deathbed, have been quite of another mind from what they were in their health. In their health they have thought that there was no world to come, no such thing as hell, have thought that it was nothing but a mere fiction invented to fright folks; but when they lay a-dying, they have been as fully convinced of a hell as if they were actually in it, and some of them have actually felt it before they have been dead. 

Therefore, represent to yourselves, as if you were leaving the world, how would it seem to you should you have [had] no suspicion at all that you was going into another world? And if so, believe it now and live accordingly.

Second. Some scarcely ever think anything about it, Psalms 10:4, "God is not in all his thoughts": though they live under the gospel—under the glorious gospel—where the Sun of Righteousness shines right in his eyes, yet they shut their eyes against the light. 

Though God should be more in their thoughts than anything else whatsoever; though religion should be the great business of their lives; though they were made for that very end, to think and meditate upon God; though all their thoughts, words and actions should be directed to God through Jesus Christ, and Christianity should be the great spring of everything they do: yet instead of that, they care nothing at all about [God]. They'll allow God no share in their thoughts, words, nor actions, and

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though one would wonder how they do to avoid it, yet they hardly ever think anything about religion.

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy45Ojcud2plby4xMDI2MTgzLjEwMjYxODY=

The Millennium Probably To Dawn in America

[The Millennium Probably To Dawn in America]

'Tis not unlikely that this work of God's Spirit, that is so extraordinary and wonderful, is the dawning, or at least a prelude, of that glorious work of God, so often foretold in Scripture, which in the progress and issue of it, shall renew the world of mankind.

If we consider how long since the things foretold, as what should precede this great event, have been accomplished; and how long this event has been expected by the church of God, and thought to be nigh by the most eminent men of God in the church; and withal consider what the state of things now is, and has for a considerable time been, in the church of God and world of mankind, we can't reasonably think otherwise, than that the beginning of this great work of God must be near. 

And there are many things that make it probable that this work will begin in America. 

'Tis signified that it shall begin in some very remote part of the world, that the rest of the world have no communication with but by navigation, in Isaiah 60:9, "Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring my sons from far." 

It is exceeding manifest that this chapter is a prophecy of the prosperity of the church, in its most glorious state on earth in the latter days; and I can't think that anything else can be here intended but America by "the isles that are far off," from whence the firstborn sons of that glorious day shall be brought. 

Indeed, by "the isles," in prophecies of Gospel times, is very often meant Europe: it is so in prophecies of that great spreading of the Gospel that should be soon after Christ's time, because it was far separated from that part of the world where the church of God had till then been, by the sea. 

But this prophecy can't have respect to the conversion of Europe, in the time of that great work of God, in the primitive ages of the Christian church; for it was not fulfilled then. The isles and ships of Tarshish, thus understood, did not wait for God first; that glorious work did not begin in Europe, but in Jerusalem, and had for a considerable time, been very wonderfully carried on in Asia, before it reached Europe. And as it is not that work of God that is chiefly intended in this chapter, but that more glorious work that should be in the latter ages of the Christian church, therefore some other part of the world is here intended by

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the isles, that should be as Europe then was, far separated from that part of the world where the church had before been, by the sea, and with which it can have no communication but by the ships of Tarshish. 

And what is chiefly intended is not the British Isles, nor any isles near the other continent; for they are spoken of as at a great distance from that part of the world where the church had till then been. This prophecy therefore seems plainly to point out America, as the first fruits of that glorious day.

Jonathan Edwards, The Great Awakening

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4zOjYud2plby45NTA1NDcuOTUwNTUyLjk1MDU1Ny45NTA1NjQuOTUwNTY5Ljk1MDU3Mi45NTA1NzY=

vessel thrown into the sea of happiness

We are very apt to conceive that those that are thus, that are more holy and more happy than others in heaven, will be elated and lifted up above them; whereas, their being superior in holiness implies their being superior in humility, or having the greatest humility; for humility is a part of holiness that is capable of degrees in the perfect state of heaven, as well as other graces. Not that the holiest shall think more meanly of themselves than the less holy, for they shall all be perfectly humble and perfectly free from pride, and none shall think more highly of themselves than they ought to think; but yet as they see further into the divine perfections than others, so they shall penetrate further into the vast and infinite distance that is between them and God, and their delight of annihilating themselves, that God may be all, shall be greater.

And besides, those that are highest in holiness, and so necessarily highest in happiness (for holiness and happiness are all one in heaven), instead of anything like despising those that are less holy and happy, will love those that are inferior to them more than they would do if they [themselves] had not so much holiness and happiness, more than if they were but equal with them, and more than [do] those that are equal with them.

This is certain, for the foundation of the saints' love to each other will be their love to the image of God which they see in them. Now most certainly, the holier a man is the more he loves the same degree of the image; so that the holiest in heaven will love that image of God they see in the less holy, more than [do] those that are equally less holy. And that which makes it beyond any doubt that their superior happiness will be no damp to them, is this, that their superior happiness consists in their greater humility and in their greater love to them, and to God and Christ, whom the saints look upon as themselves.

These things may be said of this, besides what may be said about everyone being completely satisfied and full of happiness, having as much as he is capable of enjoying or desiring, like a vessel thrown into the sea of happiness; and also [besides] what may be said about their entire resignation, for God's will is become so much their own that the fulfilling of his will, let it be what it will, fills them with inconceivable satisfaction.

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4xMjo0LndqZW8uNjY2NDkzLjY2NjUwMC42NjY1MDcuNjY2NTEyLjY2NjUxNi42NjY1MjAuNjY2NTIz

Press forward in the straight and narrow

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 straight 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.

1730 sermon

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4xNjoyMToyOjA6OS53amVvLjEyNDM2NDYuMTI0MzY1Mg==

Perfect brightness

If you find Christ, this glorious star, this excellent heavenly jewel, will be yours. He will be your own, your Savior, your Lord, your portion. Then may you say, as in Canticles 2:16, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” O how rich and happy will you be then! 

What will all the riches of kings be in comparison of yours? If you find this, what can you desire more? Would you desire a better treasure than the most precious jewel to be found anywhere, not only in this lower world but in the highest heavens itself?

Would you desire to find a better treasure than the best and choicest jewel, that the King of kings himself possesses?

If this star arises in your heart, it will bring day along with it. The day will dawn when the day star arises. The night, by degrees, will vanish away till, at length, perfect day begins. And this light will be to you an everlasting light. 

If once this star rises, it will never set any more; and the joy and comfort that you have in its beams never will finally cease. And though it may sometimes go into a cloud in this world, yet it will break out again. 

And the time will soon come when all clouds and darkness shall be totally done away, and then this excellent light shall shine with perfect brightness upon your soul to all eternity without any interruption.

1739 Sermon

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4yMTozNToyOjA6MTYud2plby44MjY2OTYuODI2NzA0

Brightness of hope

For so hath God contrived and constituted things, in his dispensations towards his own people, that when their love decays, and the exercises of it fail, or become weak, fear should arise;

for then they need it to restrain them from sin, and to excite 'em to care for the good of their souls, and so to stir them up to watchfulness and diligence in religion:

but God hath so ordered that when love rises, and is in vigorous exercise, then fear should vanish, and be driven away;

for then they need it not, having a higher and more excellent principle in exercise, to restrain 'em from sin, and stir 'em up to their duty.

There are no other principles, which human nature is under the influence of, that will ever make men conscientious, but one of these two, fear or love: and therefore, if one of these should not prevail, as the other decayed, God's people when fallen into dead and carnal frames, when love is asleep, would be lamentably exposed indeed.

And therefore God has wisely ordained, that these two opposite principles of love and fear, should rise and fall, like the two opposite scales of a balance; when one rises, the other sinks.

As light and darkness, necessarily and unavoidably succeed each other; if light prevails, so much does darkness cease, and no more; and if light decays, so much does darkness prevail; so it is in the heart of a child of God: if divine love decays and falls asleep, and lust prevails, the light and joy of hope goes out, and dark fear and doubting arises;

and if on the contrary, divine love prevails, and comes into lively exercise, this brings in the brightness of hope, and drives away black lust, and fear with it.

From Religious Affections.

http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9jb250ZXh0dWFsaXplLnBsP3AuMS53amVvLjUwOTAwMy41MDkwMTQuNTA5MDE3

General conference scriptures - October 2019

A thoughtful article used the BYU scripture citation index to review the most-cited scriptures from the October 2019 general conference.

https://www.ldsliving.com/Found-in-the-Footnotes-What-the-Most-Referenced-Verses-of-Last-Conference-Can-Teach-Us/s/92640

Because the works of Jonathan Edwards are solid evidence that Joseph Smith actually translated the ancient Nephite plates, let's look at some of these scriptures.

Here, we focus on non-biblical Book of Mormon phrases; i.e., phrases that are not found in the Bible. (Many Book of Mormon phrases are found in the Bible, rearranged the way we would expect if Joseph was the translator.)

Mosiah 2:41: “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”

Jonathan Edwards used the term "happy state" over 100 times. He used the phrase "blessed and happy" 15 times. Here, he combined the two: There have been some instances of this glorious work amongst us of late, as we have reason to hope. Let it stir you up to get in the like blessed and happy state and condition that they are got into. Let it encourage you to seek it.

Jonathan Edwards used the phrase "temporal and spiritual" 10 times. It appears 3 times in the Book of Mormon. E.g., 'Tis by God that our well-being is preserved. All our good things, all the comforts, temporal and spiritual , that we enjoy are by him given to us and by him preserved.

Edwards: But the time would fail me to tell of apostles, and prophets, and martyrs, and saints, and of Christ himself, who were faithful alike through good report and evil report, and in sufferings and trials, and who counted not their lives dear, so that they might be faithful to the end. 

Edwards: There they shall dwell with that God whom they have loved with all their hearts, and with all their souls, and with all their minds. There they are brought to be with their beloved Savior.


Mosiah 18:8–9: “And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—”



Mosiah 24:14: “And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”