Paul,

I don't really like to give this stuff much airtime, but I did bring it up, and you did ask, so here is some of what I was talking about. It's kinda long, but you won't get the full effect of how painfully morbid it is if you don't read the whole quote.

[color:red]You that have godly parents, who in this world have tenderly loved you, who were wont to look upon your welfare as their own, and were wont to be grieved for you when any thing calamitous befell you in this world, and especially were greatly concerned for the good of your souls, industriously sought, and earnestly prayed for their salvation; how will you bear to see them in the kingdom of God, crowned with glory?
Or how will you bear to see them receiving the blessed sentence, and going up with shouts and songs, to enter with Christ into the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, while you are amongst a company of devils, and are turned away with the most bitter cries, to enter into everlasting burnings, prepared for the devil and big angels? How will you bear to see your parents, who in this life had so dear an affection for you, now without any love to you, approving the sentence of condemnation, when Christ shall with indignation bid you depart, wretched, cursed creatures, into eternal burnings? how will you bear to see and hear them praising the Judge, for his justice exercised in pronouncing this sentence, and hearing it with holy joy in their countenances, and shouting forth the praises and hallelujahs of God and Christ on that account?

When they shall see what manifestations of amazement there will be in you, at the hearing of this dreadful sentence, and that every syllable of it pierces you like a thunderbolt, and sinks you into the lowest depths of horror and despair; when they shall behold you with a frighted, amazed countenance, trembling and astonished, and shall hear you groan and gnash your teeth; these things will not move them at all to pity you, but you will see them with a holy joyfulness in their countenances, and with songs in their mouths. When they shall see you turned away and beginning to enter into the great furnace, arid shall see how you shrink at it, and hear how you shriek and cry out; yet they will not be at all grieved for you, but at the same time you will hear from them renewed praises and hallelujahs for the true and righteous judgments of God, in so dealing with you.

I think that calling that "morbid junk" is being tactful. ISTM that Mr. Edwards took quite a lot of literary license in that sermon, and while he was no doubt hoping to scare some kids out of hell, he probably caused some parents who were already bound for heaven to dread it. I think his conclusions are his own, and there is lots there that I just don't see in the Bible. If you think this was taken "out of context" and have the stomach for it, you can go here and read the rest....at your own risk! [Linked Image]

http://www.the-highway.com/Edwards_wicked.html

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