Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-07-21
The Des Moines Reoi,,e, nuh,;sh.,

part OF sermon of Jonathan Ed
wards, on tho subject "Sinners In the
hands of an angry God" Edwards as
everybody knows was one of the most
noted divines of the 18th centuary.
He was born in 1903 and died in l75S.
The Register takes occasion to repro
duce this sermon on account of the
demand made in these Bescher- Tilton
times for a return to tho good old
fashioned style of sermonizing. Its
not improper to show the great diff.
ference in style of pulpit oratory then
and now,to publish the extract alluded
to, from Edwards sermon. He said /:
"There is nothing which kceps
wicked men out of hell but the more
pleasure of God. God is not only Able
to cast wicked men into hell, but he
can most easily do it. They deserve
Pc ssss nss bell E Sscyyrs 6 S
They are now the objects Of that very
same anger and wrath of God that ia
expressed in the torments OF hell. Yes
God is q great deal more angry with
many that are now in this c0ngrega.
ton, that, it may be, are in ease and
quiet, than he is with many of those
that are in the flames of hell. The
wrath of God burns against them.
Their damna.ion does not slumber.
The pit is prepared. The fire is made
ready. The furnace is now hot. ready
to receive them; tho flames do now
rage aud glow, The devil stands
ready to fall upon them and seize
them as his own, at what moment
God shall permit. They belong to
him he has their souls in his pos
session and under his dominion. The
scripture represents them as his goOde.
The devils watch them. They are
ever by them at their right hand.
They stand waiting for them, like
greedy, hungry lions that see their
prey and expect to have il, but are for
the present kept back. II God should
withdraw His hand by which they are
restrained, they would in one moment
fly upon their poor souls. The old
serpent is gaping for them. There
is laid in the very nature of Cursed
men foundation for the forments Of
hell. Natural mems prudence and
care to preserve their own lives, or
the care of others to preserve them. do
pains natural man takes in religion,
whatever prayers he makes, till be be-
lievcs in Christ, God is under no man
ner of obligation to keep him q mo-
nent from eternal destruction. So
that thus it is that natural men are
held in the hand of God over the pit
Of hell /; they have deserved the fiery
pit, and are always sentenced to II ;and
God il dreadfully provoked; His
anger is as great toward them az those
who are actually suffering the execn.
ton of the fierceness of his wrath in
hell, and they have done nothing In
the least to appease or abate that
anger; neither is God in the least
bound by any promise to hold them
up one moment. The devil is waiting
for them, hell is gaping for them and
would fain lay hold on them and swal-
low them up the fire pent up in their
own hearts is struggling to break out !;
and they have no interest in any
Mediator there are no means within
reach that can be any security to them.
In short, they have no refuge, nothing
to lay hold Of; all that preserves them
every moment is the mere arbitrary
will and uncovenanted, unobligcd for
bearing Of an incenscd God. The God
that holds you over the pit Of hell,
much as one holds some loathsome in.
sect over the fire, abhors you and is
dreadfully provoked. His wrath to-
wards you burns like fire. He looks
upon you as worthy of nothing else
but to be cast into the fire. You hang
by slender thread with the flsmes Of
divine wrath flashing about it, and
ready every moment to burn assunder.
God will have no mercy, no compass
sion, no moderation. lie will only
laugh and mock. How many, ia It
likely, will remember this discourse In
hell? And it would be no wonder il
some persons who now cit here In
health, and quiet and security, should
be there before tomorrow morning"