Theologian of Trinitarian Love: Preaching Jonathan Edwards

June 12, 2011 by Daniel Harrell

Continued from Page 3

Edwards' idealism carried him over the pastoral edge, yet his communion emphasis remains important. Because celebrating the Lord's Supper tends more toward funeral than feast, we need reminding of how communion should excite us for heaven, so much so that we desire to enjoy and extend its fruits of love even now. If heaven is a perfect world of love, then the Christian community headed there should at least strive to display more than average amounts of unity, compassion, and grace. The Trinitarian love life of God symbolized in communion, fills us now from heaven and in filling us, should spill over from us in lives of love. And because all of this overflowing love is the Spirit of God, it will buoy us ever upward, back into that heavenly eternal Trinitarian life.

As Edwards preached:

And oh! what joy will there be, springing up in the hearts of the saints, after they have passed through their wearisome pilgrimage, to be brought to such a paradise as this! Here is joy unspeakable indeed, and full of glory—joy that is humble, holy, enrapturing, and divine in its perfection! Love is always a sweet principle; and especially divine love. This, even on earth, is a spring of sweetness; but in heaven it shall become a stream, a river, an ocean! All shall stand about the God of glory, who is the great fountain of love, opening, as it were, their very souls to be filled with those effusions of love that are poured forth from his fullness . . . And thus we will love, and reign in love, and in that godlike joy that is its blessed fruit, such as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath ever entered into the heart of man in this world to conceive; and thus in the full sunlight of the throne, enraptured with joys that are forever increasing, and yet forever full, we shall live and reign with God and Christ forever and ever!

Page: 4 of 4

6/12/2011 4:00:00 AM

Evangelical

Preachers

The Church Fathers ABCs

Heaven

History

Jonathan Edwards

Love

Preaching Resources

Trinity

Christianity

Evangelicalism

more at patheos

The Wisdom of the Uncarved Block

Rob Giannamore

Crossing Cultures In Corinth: Unity Amid Diversity 11:4-10

Miranda Turner

Seeing Jesus Beyond Our Assumptions

David Ewen

What Is A "Better" Christian?

Rick Rice

About Daniel Harrell

Daniel M. Harrell is Senior Minister of The Colonial Church, Edina, MN and author of How To Be Perfect: One Church's Audacious Experiment in Living the Old Testament Book of Leviticus (FaithWords, 2011). Follow him via Twitter, Facebook, or at his blog and website.

Patheos Logo Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos