More on Questions
There are a lot of sermons in which Edwards omits the questions at the end. Yet there are plenty of examples of the use of this strategy. See, for another example, Glorious Grace, Works, 10,398
What would you have God do for you, that you may accept of it? Is the gift that he offers to small, that you think it too little, for you to accept of? Don't God offer you his Son, and what could God offer more? Yea, we may say God himself has not a greater gift to offer. Did not the Son of God do enough for you, that you won't accept of him; did he die, and what could he do more? Yea, we may say that the Son of God could not do a greater thing for man. Do you refuse because you want to be invited and wooed? You may hear him, from day to day, inviting of you, if you will but hearken. Or is it because you don't stand in need of God's grace? Don't you need it so much as that you must either receive it or be damned to all eternity, and what greater need can there possibly be?
What would you have God do for you, that you may accept of it? Is the gift that he offers to small, that you think it too little, for you to accept of? Don't God offer you his Son, and what could God offer more? Yea, we may say God himself has not a greater gift to offer. Did not the Son of God do enough for you, that you won't accept of him; did he die, and what could he do more? Yea, we may say that the Son of God could not do a greater thing for man. Do you refuse because you want to be invited and wooed? You may hear him, from day to day, inviting of you, if you will but hearken. Or is it because you don't stand in need of God's grace? Don't you need it so much as that you must either receive it or be damned to all eternity, and what greater need can there possibly be?
posted by Michael McClenahan at 8:23:00 pm
2 Comments:
Edwards certainly shows the complete irrationality of refusing God in these questions. But they are far from mere academic arguments- he is pleading with people for their own sake to see the coming to Christ should be impossible to refuse. He makes God appear all-attractive (as He is) and Hell all-torment (as it is). How can we refuse the gift of Christ?!?
The striking thing about both the examples you have chosen is the relentless nature of the questions. It takes very little imagination to sense the impact of question upon question striking the audience like a hammer on an anvil. Edwards may lack the colour of Spurgeon but as Matt Wienken concedes his style is far from academic.His questions drive his application home with simplicity and power.
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