Poor lost sinner
(Jonathan
Edwards, "The Justice
of
God in the Damnation of Sinners")
Poor lost sinner, you never
have exercised the
least degree of love
to God; and therefore it would
be agreeable to your treatment of Him—if He should
never express any love to you. Why should God be
obliged to express
such wonderful love to you—who
has never exercised the least degree of love
to Him
in all your life? You never have loved God—who is
infinitely glorious
and lovely; and why then, is God
under obligation to love you—who are deformed all
over, and loathsome as a filthy worm, or rather a
hateful viper!
You have also slighted the honor of God, and
valued it no more than
the dirt under your feet!
Seeing you thus disregard so great a God—is
it
a heinous thing for God to slight you—a
little,
wretched, despicable creature; a worm, a mere
nothing, and
less than nothing; a vile
insect, that
has risen up in contempt against the Majesty of
heaven
and earth?
Must God take these bold and vile despisers of
His majesty—and forgive
all their sins? And not
only so, but must He adopt them into His family,
and make them His children, and bestow eternal
glory upon them?