Tag Archives: The Miscellanies

“Every atom in the universe” by Jonathan Edwards

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“By virtue of the believer’s union with Christ, he does really possess all things (1 Cor. 3:21-23). But it may be asked, how does he possess all things? What is he the better for it? How is a true Christian so much richer than other men?

To answer this, I’ll tell you what I mean by “possessing all things.”

I mean that God three in one, all that He is, and all that He has, and all that He does, all that He has made or done— the whole universe, bodies and spirits, earth and heaven, angels, men and devils, sun, moon, and stars, land and sea, fish and fowls, all the silver and gold, kings and potentates as well as mean men— are as much the Christian’s as the money in his pocket, the clothes he wears, or the house he dwells in, or the meals he eats; yes, properly his, advantageously his, more his, by virtue of the union with Christ; because Christ, who certainly does possess all things, is entirely his: so that the Christian possesses it all, more than a wife the share of the best and dearest husband, more than the hand possesses what the head does; it is all his.

Every atom in the universe is managed by Christ so as to be most to the advantage of the Christian, every particle of air or every ray of the sun; so that he in the other world, when he comes to see it, shall sit and enjoy all this vast inheritance with surprising, amazing joy.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “Miscellany ff,” The “Miscellanies”: (Entry Nos. A–z, Aa–zz, 1–500), ed. Thomas A. Schafer and Harry S. Stout, Corrected Edition., vol. 13, The Works of Jonathan Edwards (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2002), 13: 183–184.

“It was easy” by Jonathan Edwards

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“It was as easy with God to raise up His Son from death, as it is for one man to awake another out of sleep.”

–Jonathan Edwards, The “Miscellanies”: (Entry Nos. 1153–1360) (ed. Douglas A. Sweeney and Harry S. Stout; vol. 23; The Works of Jonathan Edwards; New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2004), 159.

“Christ Jesus loves us so much” by Jonathan Edwards

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“In the gospel God is come down to us, and the person of God may receive communications of happiness from us. The man Christ Jesus loves us so much, that He is really the happier for our delight and happiness in Him.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “97 – Happiness,” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. a-z, aa-zz, 1-500, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 13, Ed. Harry S. Stout (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), 264.

“Every atom in the universe is managed by Christ” by Jonathan Edwards

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“By virtue of the believer’s union with Christ, he doth really possess all things. That we know plainly from Scripture (1 Cor. 3:21-23). But it may be asked, how doth he possess all things? What is he the better for it? How is a true Christian so much richer than other men?

To answer this, I’ll tell you what I mean by ‘possessing all things.’ I mean that God three in one, all that He is, and all that He has, and all that He does, all that He has made or done—the whole universe, bodies and spirits, earth and heaven, angels, men and devils, sun, moon, and stars, land and sea, fish and fowls, all the silver and gold, kings and potentates as well as mean men—are as much the Christian’s as the money in his pocket, the clothes he wears, or the house he dwells in, or the victuals he eats, yea more properly his, more advantageously more his, than if he could command all those things mentioned to be just in all respects as he pleased at any time, by virtue of the union with Christ, because Christ, who certainly doth thus possess all things, is entirely his, so that he possesses it all, more than a wife the share of the best and dearest husband, more than the hand possesses what the head doth. It is all his.

The universe is his, only he has not the trouble of managing of it. But Christ, to whom it is no trouble, manages it for him a thousand times as much to his advantage as he could himself if he had the managing of all.

Every atom in the universe is managed by Christ so as to be most to the advantage of the Christian, every particle of air or every ray of the sun, so that he in the other world, when he comes to see it, shall sit and enjoy all this vast inheritance with surprising, amazing joy.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “ff – Union with Christ,” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. a-z, aa-zz, 1-500, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 13, Ed. Harry S. Stout (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), 183-184.

“The wonderful love of Christ” by Jonathan Edwards

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“There is this good that comes by the saints’ dying: they thereby are able to have something of an idea of what Christ suffered for them. They themselves taste of death and so they are the better able to judge how wonderful Christ’s love to them was in dying for them.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “Entry 521: Wisdom of God in the Work of Redemption: Death of the Saints” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. 501-832, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 18, Ed. Ava Chamberlain (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000), 67. This entry may be read here in its entirety.

“Almost incredible” by Jonathan Edwards

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“When I think how great heaven’s happiness is, sometimes it is ready to seem almost incredible. But the death and sufferings of Christ make everything credible that belongs to this blessedness.

For if God would so contrive to show His love in the manner and means of procuring our happiness, nothing can be incredible in the degree of the happiness itself. If all that God doth about it be of a piece, He will also set infinite wisdom on work to make our happiness and glory great in the degree of it.

If God ‘spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?’ (Romans 8:32). Nothing could have been such a confirmation of our blessedness as this.

If nothing be too much to be given to man, and to be done for man in the means of procuring his happiness, nothing will be too much to be given to him as the end, no degree of happiness too great for him to enjoy.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “Entry 576: Heaven’s Happiness” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. 501-832, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 18, Ed. Ava Chamberlain (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000), 114. This entry may be read here in its entirety.

“One of us to plead for us” by Jonathan Edwards

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“Christ calls us brethren and is one of us. How should we be encouraged when we have such a Mediator! ‘Tis one of us that is to plead for us, one that God from love to us has received into His own person from among us.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “Entry 183: Christ’s Love” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. a-z, aa-zz, 1-500, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 13, Ed. Harry S. Stout (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), 329-330. This entry may be read here in its entirety.

“The excellency of Christ in the beauties of nature” by Jonathan Edwards

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“Now we have shown, that the Son of God created the world for this very end, to communicate Himself in an image of His own excellency. The beauties of nature are really emanations, or shadows, of the excellencies of the Son of God.

So that when we are delighted with flowery meadows and gentle breezes of wind, we may consider that we only see the emanations of the sweet benevolence of Jesus Christ. When we behold the fragrant rose and lily, we see His love and purity.

So the green trees and fields, and singing of birds, are the emanations of His infinite joy and benignity. The easiness and naturalness of trees and vines are shadows of His infinite beauty and loveliness. The crystal rivers and murmuring streams have the footsteps of His sweet grace and bounty.

When we behold the light and brightness of the sun, the golden edges of an evening cloud, or the beauteous bow, we behold the adumbrations of His glory and goodness and in the blue skies, we see His mildness and gentleness.

There are also many things wherein we may behold His awful majesty: in the sun in its strength, in comets, in thunder, in the towering thunderclouds, in ragged rocks and the brows of mountains.

That beauteous light with which the world is filled in a clear day is a lively shadow of His spotless holiness and happiness and delight in communicating Himself.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “Entry 108: Excellency of Christ” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. a-z, aa-zz, 1-500, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 13, Ed. Harry S. Stout (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), 279. This entry may be read here in its entirety.

“We reexist” by Jonathan Edwards

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“By the new creation, or new birth, we reexist.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “Entry 171: New Birth and New Covenant” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. a-z, aa-zz, 1-500, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 13, Ed. Harry S. Stout (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), 324. This entry may be read here in its entirety.

“Union with Christ” by Jonathan Edwards

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“By virtue of the believer’s union with Christ, he doth really possess all things. That we know plainly from Scripture. (1 Cor. 3:21-23; 2 Cor. 6:10) But it may be asked, how doth he possess all things? What is he the better for it? How is a true Christian so much richer than other men?

To answer this, I’ll tell you what I mean by ‘possessing all things.’ I mean that God three in one, all that He is, and all that He has, and all that He does, all that He has made or done—the whole universe, bodies and spirits, earth and heaven, angels, men and devils, sun, moon, and stars, land and sea, fish and fowls, all the silver and gold, kings and potentates as well as mean men—are as much the Christian’s as the money in his pocket, the clothes he wears, or the house he dwells in, or the victuals he eats.

Yes, these are more properly his, more advantageously more his, than if he could command all those things mentioned to be just in all respects as he pleased at any time, by virtue of the union with Christ, because Christ, who certainly doth thus possess all things, is entirely his so that he possesses it all, more than a wife the share of the best and dearest husband, more than the hand possesses what the head doth. It is all his.

The universe is his, only he has not the trouble of managing of it. But Christ, to whom it is no trouble, manages it for him a thousand times as much to his advantage as he could himself if he had the managing of all.

Every atom in the universe is managed by Christ so as to be most to the advantage of the Christian, every particle of air or every ray of the sun so that he in the other world, when he comes to see it, shall sit and enjoy all this vast inheritance with surprising, amazing joy.”

–Jonathan Edwards, “Entry ff” in The “Miscellanies”: Entry Nos. a-z, aa-zz, 1-500, in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 13, Ed. Harry S. Stout (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), 183-184. This entry may be read here in its entirety.