Christian Safety

But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Proverbs 29:25
God is the chief, yea, the all and only good to the godly; he is all in all to them; he is all their good, and their only defense from evil. He is called in Scripture by the names of all those things from which we either receive good, or are defended from evil: he is frequently called the father, the guide, the friend, the savior, the redeemer, the light, the life, the portion and inheritance, the shield and buckler, the strong tower and hiding place, of those that are his.

And who are those that are his, but those that trust in him? There wants nothing to make a man one of His, but his being willing. It is said in our text that those that trust in God are safe, and it is said in the next chapter, at the fifth verse, to the same purpose: he is a shield to them that put their trust in him; and, in many other places to the same purpose, he is called their refuge in time of trouble, a strong rock, and a wall of fire round about them that fear him.

Preached by Jonathan Edwards: Summer 1721-Summer 1722

The Duty of Hearkening to God's Voice

Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart. Psalms 95:7–8

'Tis a prudential maxim amongst all mankind: the things of the greatest concern should be done first. It is so plain and evident that no man can deny or question it. It is evidently a great piece of folly for a man, when his house is on fire, to spend his time in endeavoring to save some useless trifles, and in the meanwhile suffer the most precious and valuable things to be lost. It is just such a piece of folly for a man to spend all his lifetime about money, meat, drink, and clothing, and in the meanwhile take no care of himself or his everlasting welfare, but suffers his soul to run to ruin while he is busy about worldly baubles. But yet the world is full of such that do thus. They postpone the affairs of their souls to all other affairs, and take less care about losing body and soul in hellfire than in saving that which cannot profit them; and although God himself calls upon them, and entreats them to save themselves, yet they will not hearken to him, but turn him off, telling him practically that when they have a more convenient season, they will afford time to hear what he has to say to them.

Preached by Jonathan Edwards: Summer 1721-Summer 1722

God's Excellencies (Part 2)

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord, and who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? Psalms 89:6

This book of Psalms has such an exalted devotion, and such a spirit of evangelical grace every[where] breathed forth in it! Here are such exalted expressions of the gloriousness of God, and even of the excellency of Christ and his kingdom; there is so much of the gospel doctrine, grace, and spirit, breaking out and shining in it, that it seems to be carried clear above and beyond the strain and pitch of the Old Testament, and almost brought up to the New. Almost the whole book of Psalms has either a direct or indirect respect to Christ and the gospel which he was to publish, particularly this Psalm wherein is our text.

Of the ten penmen of these Psalms, Ethan the Ezrahite was the penman of this. He was a man peculiarly noted for wisdom, as appears because the greatness of Solomon's wisdom is set forth by its being greater than his; see 1 Kings 4:30–31, "And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite." This Ethan, in this Psalm, or rather the Spirit of God by Ethan, gives us a most glorious prophecy of Christ. He begins it, as it is very proper to begin a prophecy of this nature, by setting forth the glorious excellencies, perfections, and works of God, for never were God's perfections manifested so gloriously as they have been manifested in the work of redemption; never did his infinite glories so brightly shine forth as in the face of Jesus Christ.

Preached by Jonathan Edwards: Summer 1721-Summer 1722

God's Excellencies (Part 1)

For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord, and who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? Psalms 89:6

This book of Psalms has such an exalted devotion, and such a spirit of evangelical grace every[where] breathed forth in it! Here are such exalted expressions of the gloriousness of God, and even of the excellency of Christ and his kingdom; there is so much of the gospel doctrine, grace, and spirit, breaking out and shining in it, that it seems to be carried clear above and beyond the strain and pitch of the Old Testament, and almost brought up to the New. Almost the whole book of Psalms has either a direct or indirect respect to Christ and the gospel which he was to publish, particularly this Psalm wherein is our text.


Of the ten penmen of these Psalms, Ethan the Ezrahite was the penman of this. He was a man peculiarly noted for wisdom, as appears because the greatness of Solomon's wisdom is set forth by its being greater than his; see 1 Kings 4:30–31, "And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite." This Ethan, in this Psalm, or rather the Spirit of God by Ethan, gives us a most glorious prophecy of Christ. He begins it, as it is very proper to begin a prophecy of this nature, by setting forth the glorious excellencies, perfections, and works of God, for never were God's perfections manifested so gloriously as they have been manifested in the work of redemption; never did his infinite glories so brightly shine forth as in the face of Jesus Christ.

Preached by Jonathan Edwards: Summer 1721-Summer 1722

The Nakedness of Job

Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither. Job 1:21

We have an instance in this chapter of one of the greatest men in the world, in the most prosperous worldly estate and condition, brought to be externally one of the meanest of men; brought from seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, and a very great household, all at once to nothing at all, as poor as the meanest beggar: a most remarkable instance of the vanity of worldly honor, riches, and prosperity. How soon is it gone and lost; how many hundred, yea thousands of accidents, may deprive the most prosperous of all in a little time, and make him most miserable and forlorn!

Here is a man that sat like a king and dwelt as a prince, but, as yesterday and today, is become a miserable and forlorn beggar. Before the messenger had finished his bad news, another came with more of the like upon the back of it. First, he has the news of his servants' being killed and his oxen and asses being taken, as you may see in the fourteenth and fifteenth verses; but before he had done telling this sad news to Job, there comes in another and brings him tidings that fire from heaven had burnt up all his sheep, and servants that kept them; and before he had done speaking there comes in another, and tells him that the Chaldeans had carried away all his camels and killed his servants; and before he had done, there came another with the yet more dreadful news that his children were all suddenly killed, as they were feasting together in their eldest brother's house.

Grace, Grace, Glorious Grace!

And he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shouting, crying, Grace, grace! Zechariah 4:7


The mercy of God is that attribute which we, the fallen, sinful race of Adam, stand in greatest need of, and God has been pleased, according to our needs, more gloriously to manifest this attribute than any other. The wonders of divine grace are the greatest of all wonders. The wonders of divine power and wisdom in the making [of] this great world are marvelous; other wonders of his justice in punishing sin are wonderful; many wonderful things have happened since the creation of the world, but none like the wonders of grace. "Grace, grace!" is the sound that the gospel rings with, "Grace, grace!" will be that shout which will ring in heaven forever; and perhaps what the angels sung at the birth of Christ, of God's good will towards men, is the highest theme that ever they entered upon.

The Importance of a Future State (Part 2)

Preached by Jonathan Edwards, 1721-1722
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment. Hebrews 9:27


How solemn and awful a thing is it to receive an eternal doom and sentence. It is accounted an awful thing to receive sentence of an earthly judge; it is what has made the stoutest hearts to tremble. What, then, must it needs be to receive an everlasting sentence from the great God which will determine our condition without end?


1. The sentence of the Judge in the other world will determine to the everlasting happiness of the godly.


The godly in this world are oftentimes judged by temporal judges to pain and torment. Millions of godly men have been adjudged to tormenting deaths. But after the Judge of heaven and earth has past that blessed sentence upon them, Matthew 25:34, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," they will be happy and inherit that kingdom, that glorious kingdom, in spite of all the regions of darkness, which will then be put everlastingly out of a capacity of molesting of them, and the godly will be exalted clear out of the reach of their molestations.


2. The sentence of the great Judge will determine the misery of the wicked to eternity.


O how dreadful and amazing will every word and syllable of that...