God has given to mankind affections, for the same purpose which he has given
all the faculties and principles of the human soul for, viz., that they might
be subservient to man's chief end, and the great business for which God has
created him, that is, the business of religion. And yet how common is it among
mankind, that their affections are much more exercised and engaged in other
matters, than in religion! In things which concern men's worldly interest,
their outward delights, their honor and reputation, and their natural
relations, they have their desires eager, their appetites vehement, their love
warm and affectionate, their zeal ardent; in these things their hearts are
tender and sensible, easily moved, deeply impressed, much concerned, very
sensibly affected, and greatly engaged; much depressed with grief at worldly
losses, and highly raised with joy at worldly successes and prosperity. But how
insensible and unmoved are most men, about the great things of another world!
How dull are their affections! How heavy and hard their hearts in these
matters! Here their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and
their gratitude small. How they can sit and hear of the infinite height, and
depth, and length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, of his
giving his infinitely dear Son, to be offered up a sacrifice for the sins of
men, and of the unparalleled love of the innocent, and holy, and tender Lamb of
God, manifested in his dying agonies, his bloody sweat, his loud and bitter
cries, and bleeding heart, and all this for enemies, to redeem them from
deserved, eternal burnings, and to bring to unspeakable and everlasting joy and
glory; and yet be cold, and heavy, insensible, and regardless! Where are the
exercises of our affections proper, if not here? What is it that does more
require them? And what can be a fit occasion of their lively and vigorous
exercise, if not such a one as this? Can anything be set in our view, greater
and more important? Any thing more wonderful and surprising? Or more nearly
concerning our interest? Can we suppose the wise Creator implanted such
principles in the human nature as the affections, to be of use to us, and to be
exercised on certain proper occasions, but to lie still on such an occasion as
this? Can any Christian who believes the truth of these things, entertain such
thoughts?
If we ought ever to exercise our affections at all, then they ought to be exercised about those
objects which are most worthy of them. But is there anything which Christians
can find in heaven or earth, so worthy to be the objects of their admiration
and love, their earnest and longing desires, their hope, and their rejoicing,
and their fervent zeal, as those things that are held forth to us in the gospel
of Jesus Christ? In which not only are things declared most worthy to affect
us, but they are exhibited in the most affecting manner. The glory and beauty
of the blessed Jehovah, which is most worthy in itself, to be the object of our
admiration and love, is there exhibited in the most affecting manner that can
he conceived of, as it appears, shining in all its luster, in the face of an
incarnate, infinitely loving, meek, compassionate, dying Redeemer. All the
virtues of the Lamb of God, his humility, patience, meekness, submission,
obedience, love and compassion, are exhibited to our view, in a manner the most
tending to move our affections, of any that can be imagined; as they all had
their greatest trial, and their highest exercise, and so their brightest
manifestation, when he was in the most affecting circumstances; even when he
was under his last sufferings, those unutterable and unparalleled sufferings he
endured, from his tender love and pity to us. There also the hateful nature of
our sins is manifested in the most affecting manner possible: as we see the
dreadful effects of them, in that our Redeemer, who undertook to answer for us,
suffered for them. And there we have the most affecting manifestation of God's
hatred of sin, and his wrath and justice in punishing it; as we see his justice
in the strictness and inflexibleness of it; and his wrath in its terribleness,
in so dreadfully punishing our sins, in one who was infinitely dear to him, and
loving to us. So has God disposed things, in the affair of our redemption, and
in his glorious dispensations, revealed to us in the gospel, as though
everything were purposely contrived in such a manner, as to have the greatest
possible tendency to reach our hearts in the most tender part, and move our
affections most sensibly and strongly. How great cause have we therefore to be
humbled to the dust, that we are no more affected!
- Jonathan Edwards (Religious Affections, Part I, Section III)
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