Men's Inhumanity To God — Jonathan Edwards

"Men will not bear that others should behave themselves with such pride and arrogance towards them as they do towards God… Men will not bear to be treated by their neighbors with that disregard and contempt with which they treat the Most High… Men will not bear such disobedience in those that are under [their] authority as they are commonly guilty of towards God. When men are vested with authority and command over others, they expect to be obeyed… Men will not endure to be treated by men with such injustice—in withholding and abusing what is committed to their trust—[as] they are guilty of towards God. Men received from God all the faculties of their minds, [their] senses, members, [and] all their worldly possessions: committed to them by God to be improved for him. Lent things require that they be returned, but how is God robbed!… Men commonly treat the Most High with such unfaithfulness as they will not bear one from another… Men will not bear such ingratitude one from another as they are guilty of towards God. Ingratitude is a thing that is in a peculiar manner resented amongst men… Men would exceedingly resent such obstinacy in injuriousness and ill treatment from their fellow creatures as they are guilty of towards God… So that this is really the case, owing to two things: first, a low thought of [God and Jesus Christ]; second, a magnifying [of] themselves. Were it not for these things, men would not object against the justice of that eternal punishment that God threatens… I would hence exhort to praise to God for his patience, forgiveness, and grace to us who have treated him so ill. 'Tis because the Lord is God and not man (Hosea 11:9). Such as are the subject of the saving mercy of God in Christ, you have reason to confess that God's ways of dealing with you are not as your ways, nor his thoughts [as your thoughts] (Isaiah 55:7–9)…"

— Jonathan Edwards, Men's Inhumanity To God

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saving, justifying faith in Christ, acceptance with God, & union with Christ - Jonathan Edwards

“The end of the doctrines and precepts of Christianity, is to bring about this sweet harmony between the soul and Jesus Christ… The grace of faith is often spoken of in Scripture as that by which especially the union between Christ and the soul is made. And therefore 'tis called in Scripture, a coming to Christ, and a receiving Christ. 'Tis a coming to Christ as being drawn to him: 'tis the opposite to disallowing and rejecting of Christ (1 Peter 2:7).

And therefore saving, justifying faith in Christ, don't consist merely in the assent of the understanding, nor only in the consent of the will; but 'tis the harmonizing of the whole soul with Jesus Christ, as he is revealed and held forth in the gospel.

'Tis the soul's embracing the revelation of Jesus Christ as its Savior. 'Tis the whole soul's entirely adhering to him and acquiescing in him, according and symphonizing with the revelation and offer of Christ as its Savior. There is an entire yielding to it, and closing with it; adhering to it with the belief, with the inclination and affection; admitting and receiving it with entire credit and respect as true, and worthy, and excellent.

Faith is no other than that harmony in the soul towards Christ that has been spoken of in its most direct act. And it may be defined [as] the soul's entirely uniting and closing with Christ for his Savior, acquiescing in his reality and goodness as a Savior, as the gospel reveals him. And hence it is that by faith that we are justified, not as commending us to God by its excellency as a qualification in us, but as uniting us to Christ. The foundation of persons' acceptance with God, is their union with Christ, or that relation to him, whatsoever that is, by which in Scripture we are said to be in Christ. And faith is that by which we are thus united; for it is the active uniting [and] closing with Christ as a Savior.”

Jonathan Edwards, The Sweet Harmony of Christ

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Christ's appearing to Moses in the burning bush - Jonathan Edwards

“One is Christ's appearing to Moses in the burning bush, which we read of in Exodus 3:2, "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed." This burning bush represents the church in Egypt that were persecuted there, and yet not consumed. But not only so, but it represents Christ in his passion; for it was Christ that appeared to Moses in that bush; as is evident, because he is called "the angel of the Lord." And it was not a created angel, but the angel of the covenant; as is evident, because he tells Moses that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that his name is "I am that I am." This bush that he appeared in represents the human nature of Christ that is called the branch, and is the growth of the earth. It was not an high tree, but a low bush, to represent Christ in his state of humiliation, when he was as "a tender plant, and a root out of a dry ground."

Christ was said to have dwelt in this bush. Deuteronomy 33:16, "With the good will of him that dwelt in the bush." So Christ dwells in the human nature, betabernacled in flesh. This bush burned with fire to represent how the human nature of Christ suffered in the fire of God's wrath. As the bush burned and was not consumed, so Christ's human nature suffered extremely, endured the wrath of God, but yet did not utterly perish, but revived again out of the flame. God did not leave his soul in hell, nor suffer his Holy One to see corruption. The fire spent all its force upon the bush; but yet because of the divinity that dwelt in it, it was impossible it should be consumed. So the wrath of God spent all its force on the man Christ Jesus; but yet because of the divinity that dwelt in him, it was impossible that he should be utterly destroyed, but came to life again on the third day, and ascended up to heaven.”

- Jonathan Edwards, The free and voluntary suffering and death of Christ

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"Approaching the end of God’s grand design" - excerpts from a sermon by Jonathan Edwards

“God's end in the creation of the world consists in these two things, viz. to communicate Himself & to glorify Himself. God created the world to communicate Himself, not to receive anything. But such was the infinite goodness of God that it was His will to communicate Himself, to communicate of His own glory & happiness; & He made the world to glorify Himself, [as it is] fit that God should glorify Himself. These two things ought [not] to be separated when we speak of God's end in the creation of the world, as the assembly of divines in speaking of the chief end for which man was created have judiciously united glorifying and enjoying {God}. Indeed, God's communicating himself and glorifying {himself} ought not to be looked upon as though they were two distinct ends, but as what together makes one last end, as glorifying God and enjoying {God} make one chief end of man. For God glorifies Himself in communicating Himself, & He communicates Himself in glorifying Himself…

God's design in all the works {of creation} is to glorify His Son, & through Him to glorify Himself… God hath an infinite love to His [Son and] delights to put honor upon Him… The way in which the eternal Son of God is glorified in the creation is by communicating Himself to the creatures, not by receiving anything from the creatures…

[God will] glorify his majesty, power [and] justice before his elect that they might behold the glory and so be happy in the sight of this glory of God, and that they might give God the glory due to him on this account, and that they might be the more sensible of the worth of {their} happiness and of the wonderfulness and sovereignty of God's grace."

- Jonathan Edwards, Approaching the end of God’s grand design

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The saint prefers what he hath already of God before any thing in this world

“The saint prefers what he hath already of God before any thing in this world. That which was infused into his heart at his conversion, is more precious to him than any thing which the world can afford. The views which are sometimes given him of the beauty and excellency of God, are more precious to him than all the treasures of the wicked. The relation of a child in which he stands to God, the union which there is between his soul and Jesus Christ, he values more than the greatest earthly dignity. The image of God which is instamped on his soul, he values more than any earthly ornaments. It is, in his esteem, better to be adorned with the graces of God’s Holy Spirit, than to be made to shine in jewels of gold, and the most costly pearls, or to be admired for the greatest external beauty. He values the robe of Christ’s righteousness, which he hath on his soul, more than the robes than the robes of princes. The spiritual pleasures and delights which he sometimes has in God, he prefers far before all the pleasures of sin. Plas. 84:10. “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

- Jonathan Edwards, sermon “God the best portion of the Christian”