BY JONATHAN EDWARDS.
It cannot be unreasonable to suppose that, before God delivers persons from a state of sin and exposedness to eternal destruction, He should give them some considerable sense of the evil He delivers them from; that they may be delivered sensibly, and understand their own salvation, and know something of what God does for them. As men that are saved are in two exceeding different states—first a state of condemnation, and then a state of justification and blessedness; and as God, in the work of the salvation of mankind, deals with them suitably to their intelligent rational nature; so it seems reasonable, and agreeable to God’s wisdom, that men who are saved should be in these two states sensibly; first, that they should sensibly to themselves be in a state of condemnation, and thus in a state of woeful calamity and dreadful misery, and so afterwards sensibly in a state of deliverance and happiness; and that they should be first sensible of their absolute extreme necessity, and afterwards of Christ’s sufficiency and God’s mercy through Him.
And that it is God’s manner of dealing with men, to lead them into a wilderness, before He speaks comfortably to them, and so to order it that they shall be brought into distress, and made to see their own helplessness and absolute dependence on His power and grace, before He appears to work any great deliverance for them, is abundantly manifest by the Scripture. Then is God wont to “repent Himself for His people, when their strength is gone, and there is none shut up or left,” and when they are brought to see that their false gods cannot help them, and that the rock in whom they trusted is vain. Before God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, they were prepared for it by being made to see that they were in an evil case, and to cry unto Him because of their hard bondage. So, before they were brought to their rest, and to enjoy the milk and honey of Canaan, God “led them through a great and terrible wilderness, that He might humble them, and teach them what was in their heart, and so do them good in their latter end.” The woman that
had the issue of blood twelve years was not delivered until she had first “spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed of any,” and so was left helpless, having no more money to spend; and then she came to the Great Physician, without any money or price, and was healed by Him.
The Apostle Paul, before a remarkable deliverance, was “pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that he despaired even of life; but had the sentence of death in himself, that he might not trust in himself, but in God that raiseth the dead.” There was first a great tempest, and the ship was covered with the waves and just ready to sink, and the disciples were brought to cry to Jesus, “Lord, save us, we perish”; and then the wind and seas were rebuked, and there was a great calm. The leper, before he is cleansed, must have his mouth stopped by a covering over his upper lip, and was to acknowledge his great misery and utter uncleanness by rending his clothes and crying, “Unclean, unclean.” Joseph, who was sold by his brethren, and therein was a type of Christ, brings his brethren into great perplexity and distress, and brings them to reflect on their sin, and to say, “we are verily guilty,” and at last to resign up themselves entirely into his hands for bondmen; and then reveals himself to them, as their brother and their saviour.
And if we consider those extraordinary manifestations which God made of Himself to saints of old, we shall find that He commonly first manifested Himself in a way which was terrible, and then by those things which were comfortable. So it was with Abraham; first a horror of great darkness fell upon him, and then God revealed Himself to him in sweet promises. So it was with Moses at Mount Sinai; first, God appeared to him in all the terrors of His dreadful majesty, so that Moses said, “I exceedingly fear and quake,” and then He made all His goodness to pass before him. So it was with Elijah; first, there is a stormy wind, and earthquake, devouring fire, and then a still, small, sweet voice. So it was with Daniel, he first saw Christ’s countenance as lightning that terrified him, and caused him to faint away; and then he is strengthened and refreshed with comfortable words. So it was with the Apostle John in Patmos. And there is an analogy observable in God’s dispensations and deliverances which He works for His people, and the manifestations which He makes of Himself to them, both ordinary and extraordinary.
But there are many things in Scripture which more directly show that this is God’s ordinary manner in working salvation for the souls of men, and in the manifestations God makes of Himself and of His mercy in Christ, in the ordinary works of His grace on the hearts of sinners. The servant that owed his prince ten thousand talents is first held to his debt, and the king pronounces sentence of condemnation upon him, and commands him to be sold, and his wife and children, and payment to be made; and thus he humbles him, and brings him to own the whole debt to be just, and then forgives him all. The prodigal son spends all he has, and is brought to see himself in extreme circumstances, and to humble himself and own his unworthiness, before he is relieved and feasted by his father. Old inveterate wounds must be searched to the bottom, in order to healing; and the Scripture compares sin, the wound of the soul, to this, and speaks of healing this wound without thus searching of it as vain and deceitful.
Christ, in the work of His grace on the hearts of men, is compared to rain on the mown grass that is cut down with a scythe, representing His refreshing, comforting influences on the wounded spirit. Our first parents; after they had sinned, were first terrified with God’s majesty and justice, and had their sin with its aggravations set before them by their Judge, before they were relieved by the promise of the Seed of the woman. Christians are spoken of as those “that have fled for refuge to lay hold of a hope set before them,” which representation implies great fear and sense of danger preceding. To the like purpose, Christ is called “a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest.” And it seems to be the natural import of the word Gospel, glad tidings, that it is news of deliverance and salvation, after great fear and distress.
And, if it be indeed God’s manner (as I think the foregoing considerations show that it undoubtedly is), before He gives men the comfort of a deliverance from their sin and misery, to give them considerable sense of the greatness and dreadfulness of those evils and their extreme wretchedness by reason of them, surely it is not unreasonable to suppose that persons, at least oftentimes while under these views, should have great distresses and terrible apprehensions of mind.
Especially if it be considered what these evils are that they have a view of, which are no other than great and manifold sins against the infinite majesty of the great Jehovah, and the suffering of the fierceness of his wrath to all Eternity. And the more so still, when we have many plain instances in Scripture of persons that have actually been brought into great distress by such convictions, before they have received saving consolations: as the multitude at Jerusalem, who were “pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren what shall we do?'” and the Apostle Paul, who trembled and was astonished before he was comforted; and the jailor, when “he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'” From these it appears to be very unreasonable in professing Christians to make this an objection against the truth and spiritual nature of the comfortable and joyful affections which any have, that they follow such awful apprehensions and distresses as have been mentioned.
Uaill ann an Crann-Ceusaidh Chriosd.
“Ach nar leigeadh Dia gu’n deanainn-sa uaill ach ann an crann-ceusaidh ar Tighearna Iosa Chriosd, tre’m bheil an saoghal air a cheusadh dhomhsa, agus mise do’n t-saoghal.” GAL. vi. 14.
THA e fìor a thaobh mòran de na cuspairean is ro-òirdheirce th’ anns an t-saoghal, nach faicear an òirdheirceas anns a’ cheud sealladh a gheibhear dhiubh; agus air a làimh eile, gu’m bheil ioma ni air bheag luach a dh’fhaodar a mheas mòran ni’s òirdheirce ‘s a’ cheud sealladh, na’n uair is dùithche bheachdaichear orra. Tha cuid do nithibh ‘n an iongnadh dhuinn a chionn nach aithne dhuinn iad, agus mar is mò gheibh sinn a dh’eòlas orra, is ann is lugha ar meas orra: tha nithibh eile ann mu’n bheil sinn caoin-shuarach tre ain-eòlais, do bhrìgh nach faighear eòlas air am maise agus air an òirdheirceas as eugais dragh agus dian-adhartachd.
Tha so gu h-àraidh fìor a thaobh a’ chuspair a th’ air ainmeachadh anns a’ cheann-theagasg—cuspair ro-ghlòrmhor, ach a tha gu coitchionn air a dhìmeas. Cha n ‘eil ni-eile mu’m bheil beachd an t-saoghail cho tur an aghaidh a chéile. Le cuid, tha e uile gu léir suarach; le cuid eile, tha e uile gu léir glòrmhor. Tha e ‘na iongnadh do mhòran ciod na feartan-tàlaidh tha cuid eile a’ faotainn ann: agus tha e ‘na iongnadh dhoibh sud, cia mar tha chuid eile de’n t-saoghal cho baoghalta ‘s nach ‘eil iad a’ faicinn na feartan-tàlaidh ceudna ann. Tha doille muinntir eile, cho math ris an doille ‘s an robh iad féin aon uair ‘na mhòr-iongnadh dhoibh.
Tha e air aithris mu Melancthon, a’ cheud sealladh a fhuair e de ghlòir a’ chuspair so mu’n àm an robh e air iompachadh gu’n robh e saoilsinn nach biodh e duilich dha le impidhean simplidh, dearbh shoilleireachd a thoirt do mhuinntir eile uime. Bha’ chùis cho soilleir, agus na dearbhaidhean cho làidir, agus nach b’urrainn e fhaicinn gu’m bu chomasach do neach sam bith seasamh a mach ‘n a aghaidh, na ‘m biodh e air a chur gu soilleir fa chomhair. Ach cha b’fhada gus am b’eigin dha aideachadh le doilghios—gu’n robh seann Adhamh ni bu treise na Melancthon òg; agus gu’n robh truaillidheachd nàduir ni bu treise na impidhean dhaoine as eugais gràis Dhé.
Is e am feum bu chòir dhuinn a dhèanamh dheth so, gu’n iarramaid an gràs soillearachaidh sin air ar son féin, air son an robh Pòl ag ùrnuigh as leth nan Ephesianach (Eph. i. 17) “Gu’n tugadh Dia ar Tighearna Iosa Criosd, Athair na glòire, spiorad gliocais agus foillseachaidh dhuinn ann an eòlas airsan.” Bu chòir dhuinn anns a’ chùis so, mar anns gach cùis eile, ùrnuigh agus meadhonaibh aonadh r’a chéile—mar sin, is e aon de na meadhonaibh sònruichte gu eòlas fhaotainn air sàr-bhunait ar creidimh agus ar dòchais, a bhi breithneachadh air glòir a’ chuspair ud, a th’againn ann an cainnt cho làidir anns a’ cheann-theagasg so, le neach aig an robh aon uair, barail cho suarach uime ‘s is urrainn a bhi aig aon sam bith a tha fhathast am measg a naimhdean.
Anns a chomh-theagasg, tha an t-Abstol ag innseadh do na Galatianaich ciod e anns an robh luchd teagaisg breige àraidh a’ deanadh uaill; agus ciod anns an robh e féin a’ deanadh uaill. Bha iad a’ deanadh uaill ann an seann deasghnàthaibh lagh nan Iudhach, nach robh ach ‘n an sgailean a mhàin: bha esan a’ deanadh uaill ann an crann-ceusaidh Chriosd, brìgh nan sgailean ud. B’aithne dhasan gu’n robh e cur masladh air Criosd a bhi nis a’ cur an urram air na sgailean ud a bhuineadh dhoibh roimh làimh, air do’n chuspair air an robh iad ‘n an samhladh a bhi nis air fhoillseachadh. Uime sin, tha e le mòr eud a’ cur cùl riu; agus aig an àm cheudna, ri uaill anns a’ chuspair bheannaichte ud a b’e crìoch nan sgailean a bhi samhlachadh—”Nar leigeadh Dia gu’n deanainn-sa uaill ach ann an crann-ceusaidh Chriosd, tre am bheil an saoghal air a cheusadh dhomhsa, agus mise do’n t-saoghal.”
Anns a’ cheann-theagasg tha an t-Abstol a’ feuchainn dhuinn an t-àrd mheas a bh’aige air crann-ceusaidh Chriosd, mar an ni sin as an robh e a’ deanadh uaill:—agus a’ bhuaidh chumhachdach a bha aige air ‘inntinn, mar an ni sin leis an robh an saoghal air a cheusadh dhasan, agus esan do’n t-saoghal.
Anns na sgriobturann, tha crann-ceusaidh Chriosd air uairibh a’ ciallachadh fulangais a phobuill air a sgàth-san, agus air uairibh eile
fulangais Chriosd air an son-san. Mar is e an seadh mu dheireadh seadh sònruichte agus ro nàdurra nam briathran, tha aobhar a bhi co-dhunadh gur h-e sin an seadh a th’aig an Abstol ‘s an amharc. Is e so seadh nam briathran anns an dàrna rann deug de’n chaibideil so, a tha labhairt mu gheur-leanmhuinn airson crann-ceusaidh Chriosd, sin ri ràdh—airson teagasg a’ chroinn-cheusaidh. Osbarr,—tha e dearbhadh gu’n iad ar fulangais fhéin, ach fulangais Chriosd anns am bheil sinn gu h-àraidh ri uaill a dhèanamh thar gach ni eile. Cha’n iad ar fulangais fhéin ach fulangais Chriosd a bheir caitheamh-as air ar truaillidheachd; agus a cheusas an saoghal dhuinne, agus sinne do’n t-saoghal.
Tha crann-ceusaidh Chriosd anns an rann so a’ ciallachadh, cha n e ‘bhàs a mhàin, ach an t-iomlan d’a irioslachadh, no an t-iomlan de fhulangais a bheatha agus a bhàis a bhi air an làn-choimhlionadh ann am fulangais a’ chroinn-cheusaidh. Tha an t-Abstol an so agus an àitibh eile ag ainmeachadh a’ chroinn-cheusaidh gu bhi ‘g ar cuimhneachadh air modh a bhàis, agus gu bhi neartachadh ‘n ar n-inntinnean na drùidhidhean a rinn féin irioslachd a’ bhàis ud oirnn, no bu chòir dha dhèanamh oirnn. Gu’m fuilingeadh ùghdar na saorsa, bàs tràill—gu’m fuilingeadh tobar gach urram, doimhneachd gach maslaidh; gu’m biodh am peanas a b’abhaist a bhi air a dhèanamh air na peacaich a b’ìsle, airson na droch-bheart a b’anntromaiche, air a leagadh air an neach a b’urramaiche d’am bu chomas fulang;—Is e so an cuspair anns an robh an t-Abstol a’ deanadh uaill.
Cha’n ‘eil dà ni is calg-dhìriche an aghaidh a chéile na glòir agus masladh. Ach an so tha an t-Abstol ‘g an aonadh r’a chéile. Tha an crann-ceusaidh ann féin ‘n a chuspair tha làn de mhasladh; ach anns a’ chùis so, tha e, ann am beachd an Abstoil, làn do ghlòir. Cha b’urrainn e bhi cho comharraichte na’n abradh e gu’n robh e’ deanamh uaill ann an àrdachadh ‘Fhear-saoraidh an déigh dha an saoghal fhàgail—no anns a’ ghlòir a bh’aige maille ris an Athair mu’n robh an saoghal ann. Ach is e am Fear-saoraidh e féin, cuspair uaill an Abstoil—cha’n ann a mhàin anns an staid a b’àirde d’a onoir agus d’a inbhe—ach eadhon anns na suidheachaidhean a b’ìsle d’a mhasladh agus d’a dhìblidheachd—cha’n ann mar Shlànuighear cumhachdach agus àrdaichte, ach mar Shlànuighear air a dhìteadh agus air a cheusadh.
Is e bhi ‘deanamh uaill à cuspair sam bith, a bhi ‘g eud na h-urram is àirde air. Bha crann-ceusaidh Chriosd àrd-urramach am beachd an Abstoil thar gach cuspair eile. B’e a thlachd a bhi gabhail fàth air gach cothrom gu bhi ‘g aideachadh agus a’ taisbeanadh am fianuis an t-saoghail an t-àrd mheas a bh’aige air. Bha ‘chridhe agus ‘aignidhean air an lìonadh leis gus nach robh rum air fhàgail annta do ni sam bith eile; agus mar tha e ‘g innseadh dhuinn ann an àitibh eile, “gu’n do mheas e na h-uile ni ‘nan call agus ‘nan aolach.” (Phil. iii. 8), agus gu’n do chuir e roimhe nach gabhadh e eòlas air ni sam bith ‘nam measg ach Iosa Criosd, agus esan air a cheusadh (1 Cor. ii. 2).
Tha dealas agus dian-dhurachd chomharraichte anns a’ chainnt ‘s am bheil an t-Abstol a’ taisbeanadh a mheas air a’ chuspair so. “Nar leigeadh Dia, ar neo, na tachradh e air achd sam bith;—mar gu’n abradh e—Nar leigeadh Dia, ciod air bith a ni daoine eile—gu’m biodh e air a ràdh do m’ thaobhsa—Pòl, a bha aon uair ‘n am fhear geur-leanmhuinn,
gu’n deanainn-sa uaill à ni sam bith ach ann an Fhear-saoraidh air a cheusadh, a spion mise mar aithinn as an teine, ‘n uair a bha mi dian-ruith ni b’fhaide agus ni b’fhaide uaithe; a bha ‘g am ruagadh le ‘throcair agus le ‘chaoimhneas, ‘n uair bha mise ‘g a ruagadh ann ‘na bhuill, le ain-iochd agus le gairge. Rinn mise e tre ain-eòlais; agus is ann a mhàin tre ain-eòlais tha neach sam bith ‘g a dhìmeas. Ach a nis dh’fhoillsich se e féin dhomh. Agus nar leigeadh Dia gu’n téid an solus a choinnich mi air an t-slighe gu Damascus a smàladh gu bràth as m’inntinn. Bu sholus e bha làn do ghlòir; Bha’n cuspair a thaisbein e dhomhsa uile gu léir glòrmhor—’na uile anns na h-uile. Agus nar leigeadh Dia gu’n deanainn-sa uaill ann an ni sam bith eile.
Mar bha mòr-mheas aige air a’ chuspair ghlòrmhor so, bha buaidh aige air da réir; oir leis a’ chuspair so bha an saoghal air a cheusadh dha, agus esan air a cheusadh do’n t-saoghal. Is e bh’ann ceusadh taobh air taobh. Is e am meas a bh’aige air Criosd cion-fàth an dì-mheas a bh’ aig an t-saoghal airsan, agus aigesan air an t-saoghal. Cha n e gu’n tug an crann-ceusaidh e gu bhi fuathachadh muinntir an t-saoghail; no gu bhi cur cùl ri ‘thoil-inntinnean laghail. Is ann a cheadaich e dha na toilinntinnean ud a mhealtuinn, agus dh’eignich e e gu daoine an t-saoghail a ghràdhachadh. Ach cheus e annsan na truaillidheachdan a tha gintinn fuath d’ar coimhearsnaich, agus ‘gar fàgail neo-chomasach air taitneasan an t-saoghail a sàr-mhealtuinn. Is e theirear ris an ni so, gleachd, cogadh, cathachadh agus marbhadh; a chionn gur còir dhuinn am peacadh a mheas mar ar nàmhaid is mò; an nàmhaid is mò th’aig ar n-anamaibh agus aig Slànuighear ar n-anamaibh. B’e sud beachd an Abstoil mu’n pheacadh, agus mu’n truaillidheachd a th’anns an t-saoghal tre ana-miann (2 Pead. i. 4). Bha e sealltainn air a’ pheacadh mar mhortair a Shlànuighear; ni a las ‘na chridhe ceart-dhìoghaltas ‘na aghaidh; lìon sud e leis na deòthasan naomh an aghaidh a’ pheacaidh, a th’air an ainmeachadh leis féin mar thoraidhean nàdurra air creideamh agus aithreachas;—”ro-dhìomb, eagal, dian-thògradh agus tògradh dìoghaltais.” Is e sin, dearbh-ghràin do’n pheacadh, maille ri faire chùramach ‘na aghaidh (2 Cor. vii. 11). Is e so tha an t-Abstol a’ ciallachadh le ceusadh an t-saoghail. Is e is brìgh do’n chainnt so gu’m b’e gràdh neo-mheasarra do nithibh talmhaidh aon de mhàthraichean-aobhair a’ pheacaidh. Rinn crann-ceusaidh Chriosd a leithid a dh’atharrachadh gràsmhor air aignidhean an Abstoil ‘s nach robh nis an saoghal dhasan an ni bha e do mhuinntir eile, agus a bha e aon uair dha féin. Bha ‘anam sgìth d’a ghreadhnachas, agus chaill e ‘bhàs do na nithibh anns am mò an robh de thlachd aige roimhe. Bha urram an t-saoghail suarach ‘na bheachd, a shaibhreas ‘na bochduinn; agus a shòlasan deistinneach; cha robh ‘fhàbhar an t-saoghail no ‘cheisimpleirean ‘n an cuspairean-tàlaidh dha; ni mò bha ‘fhuath ‘n a chùis eagail dha. Bha e sealltainn air gràdh agus air fuath dhaoine, cha b’ann gu sònruichte ann an solus na buaidh a bhiodh aca airsan ach orra féin, anns an tomhas am faodadh iad a bhi ‘g adhartachadh no cur bacadh air soirbheachadh a theagaisg ‘nam measg. Faodaidh na nithibh so uile bhi air am filleadh a stigh ann an ceusadh an t-saoghail a th’air ainmeachadh anns a’ phàirt mu dheireadh de’n rann.
Air do’n t-searmoin so bhi air a bunntachadh air a’ cheud phàirt de’n rann—”Nar leigeadh Dia gu’n deanainn-sa uaill ach ann an crann-
ceusaidh ar Tighearna Iosa Criosd”—Is e an teagasg a tha gu sònruichte air fhilleadh ann;—
Gu’m bheil crann-ceusaidh Chriosd ‘na aobhar uaill do pheacaich thar gach uile ni; seadh, gur h-e, air mhodh àraidh an t-aon ni a mhàin anns am bu chòir dhoibh uaill a dhèanamh;—oir tha an t-iomlan de irioslachadh Chriosd, agus gu sònruichte a bhàs airson pheacach, ‘na chuspair d’am buin a leithid de ghlòir gun choimeas, ‘s gur cubhaidh dhuinn na beachdan is àirde agus is urramaiche altrum d’a thaobh.
Mar tha an fhìrinn so gu soilleir air a filleadh a stigh anns a’ cheann-theagasg, tha i mar an ceudna gu tric air a sparradh oirnn ann an earrannan eile de’n sgriobtur: mar tha (2 Cor. iv. 6) far am bheil e sgriobhte—”Oir is e Dia, a thubhairt ris an t-solus soilseachadh a dorchadas, a dhealraich ‘nar cridheachaibh-ne, a thoirt dhuinn solus eòlais a ghlòire ann an gnùis Iosa Criosd.” Mar chithear mar an ceudna anns an (2 Cor. iii. 18, agus 1 Cor. i. 18-24). Tha e soilleir uime sin, far am bheil na sgriobturan a labhairt mu “ghlòir Dhé ann an gnùis ar Tighearna Iosa Criosd,” gu’m b’e tha e ciallachadh gu sònruichte—a ghlòir ann an gnùis Chriosd air a cheusadh; eadhon, ann an obair na saorsa a chrìochnaich e air a’ chrann-cheusaidh.