The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Edwards on the Sabbath

Could you explain what Edwards is saying here?:

"How provoking must it be to God, when men do those things on that day—which he has sanctified, and set apart to be spent in the immediate exercises of religion—which are not fit to be done on common days, which are impure and wicked whenever they are done!"

http://www.the-highway.com/Edwards_sabbath3.html

Now, I understannd he is saying that sins are even more exceedingly sinful on the Lord's Day, but what does he mean by "the immediate exercises of religion—which are not fit to be done on common days"? Is he saying there are acts of worship that should not be done on the other days of the week?

Marie,

I read it that, 'which are not fit to be done on common days"?' refers to the sins which men do.
In other words it might read,"How provoking must it be to God, when men do on that day (which he has sanctified, and set apart to be spent in the immediate exercises of religion) those things which are not fit to be done on common days, which are impure and wicked whenever they are done!"
Hope that's some help.
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Dear Marie:

I agree with Brian, read the dashes in Edwards sentence as parentheses, just as Brian has rewritten the sentence. Edwards, and many of the older authors, like Paul, were masters at stringing together multiple dependent clauses, making it difficult at times to try and distinguish what is modifying what. Even so, to read them does keep you on your grammatical toes and does force you to think.

In Him,

Gerry

Thanks Brian and Gerry. It makde sense after I read it again. I didn't think Edwards would have said something like that, so that is why I wasd making sure.