# “He gave Himself for her” by Jonathan Edwards

- Link: https://tollelege.net/2010/09/30/he-gave-himself-for-her-by-jonathan-edwards/
- Published: 2010-09-30T10:07:48-05:00
- Author: tollelege

“For the Creator to _make _the creature was a great thing. But for Him to _become
_a creature was a greater thing. And He did a much greater thing still to obtain
this joy in that for this _He laid down His life_ and suffered even the death of
the cross.

For this He poured out His soul unto death, and He that is the Lord of the universe,
God over all, blessed for evermore, offered Himself a sacrifice, in both body and
soul, in the flames of divine wrath.

Christ obtains His elect spouse by conquest: for she was a captive in the hands 
of dreadful enemies and her Redeemer came into the world to conquer these enemies
and rescue her out of their hands that she might be His bride.

And He came and encountered these enemies in the greatest battle that ever was beheld
by men or angels. He fought with principalities and powers. He fought alone with
the powers of darkness and all the armies of hell. Yea He conflicted with the infinitely
more dreadful wrath of God and overcame in this great battle.

And thus He obtained His spouse. Let us consider at how great a price Christ purchased
this spouse: He did not redeem her with corruptible things as silver and gold, but
with His own precious blood. Yea He gave Himself for her.

When He offered up Himself to God in those extreme labors and sufferings this was
the joy that was set before Him that made him cheerfully to endure the cross and
despise the pain and shame.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “The Church’s Marriage To Her Sons, And To Her God,” in_[ The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 25, Sermons and Discourses 1743-1758](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0851513972?tag=toletaupanre-20)_.
Ed. Wilson H. Kimnach ([WJE Online Vol. 25](http://edwards.yale.edu/archive?path=aHR0cDovL2Vkd2FyZHMueWFsZS5lZHUvY2dpLWJpbi9uZXdwaGlsby9nZXRvYmplY3QucGw/Yy4yNDoxMS53amVv)),
187-188.

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