What a wretched place would heaven be!

(Jonathan Edwards, "The Way of Holiness")

"Nothing impure will ever enter it." Revelation 21:27

Everyone hopes for heaven—and if everyone who hoped
for heaven actually went there—heaven would be full of
murderers, adulterers, swearers, drunkards, and thieves!
It would be full of all manner of wickedness and wicked
men—those who are no better than wild beasts, howling
wolves, and poisonous serpents. Yes, heaven would be
full of incarnate devils! What a wretched place would
heaven be—if it were so! That pure, undefiled, glorious
place—would be turned into a hell.

There would be no happiness there for those who are
holy—if they were all mixed up together with wicked
men and devils! How would one unsanctified person
interrupt their happiness—and fill those regions with
the loathsome stench of his sin and filthiness!

It is impossible that a God of infinite holiness, who
is perfect and hates sin with perfect hatred, who is
infinitely lovely and excellent—could embrace in
His arms—a filthy, abominable creature, a hideous,
detestable monster, more hateful than a toad and
more poisonous than a viper! So hateful, base, and
abominable—is every unsanctified man!

What a pitiable, miserable condition are they in—to
step out of this world into an uncertain eternity, with
an expectation of finding themselves exceedingly happy
and blessed in heaven—and all at once find themselves
undeceived—and sinking in the bottomless pit!


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We have posted Jonathan Edwards insightful
sermon, "The Way of Holiness"

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Be sure to listen to this week's featured AUDIO sermon
by Thomas Watson on "Covetousness" (20 minutes long)