Journal

now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is
whet, and held over them. and the pit hath opened its mouth under them.

5. “the devil stands ready to fall upon them, and seize them as his own, at what moment
God shall permit him. They belong to him; he has their souls in his possession. and under
his dominion. The scripture represents them as his goods, Luke 11:12. 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 it, but are for the present kept back If
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; hell opens its mouth wide to
receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost.
6. There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would
presently kindle and flame out into hell fire, if it were not for God’s restraints. There is
laid in the very nature of carnal men. a foundatiOn for the torments ofhell. There are
those corrupt principles, in reigning power in them, and in full possession of them, that
are seeds ol’hell lire. These principles are active and powerful, exceeding violent in their
nature, and if it were not for the restraining hand ol’God upon them, they would soon
break out, they would flame out afier the same manner as the same corruptions, the same
enmity does in the hearts of damned souls, and would beget the same laments as they do
in them. We souls of the wicked arc in scripture compared to the troubled sea, Isa. 57:20.
l-’ or the present, God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power, as he does the
raging waves of the troubled sea, saying, “i litherto shalt thou come, but no further;” but if
God should withdraw that restraining power, it would soon carry all before iL Sin is the
ruin and misery of the soul; it is destructive in its nature; and if God should leave it
without restraint, there would need nothing else to make the soul perfectly miserable. The
corruption of the heart of man is immoderate and boundless in its fury; and while wicked
men live here, it is like fire pent up by God’s restraints, whereas if it were let loose, it
would seton fire theeourseol’nature;andasthe heartisnowasinkofsirgso ifsinwas
not restrained, it would immediately turn the soul into a fiery oven, or a furnace of fire
and hrimsgong.

1. Where does Edwards believe that uncenverted men belong?

2. in section 6 what does Edwards think is the natural state of man-good-cvil etc?

What is it that Edwards says restrains this state?

3. Based on your reading in the Foner text, how does Edwards style of preaching
compare to George Whitefield’s?