Posted in Lecture 1: Love, the Sum of all Virtue
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The study of Jonathan Edwards' sermons continues after a long hiatus. We are looking at "Love, the Sum of all Virtue." Links in the sidebar lead to web versions of the full sermons. And so a due consideration of the nature of love will show that it disposes men to all duties toward their neighbours. If men have a sincere love to their neighbours, it will dispose them to all acts of justice towards those neighbours -- for real love and friendship always dispose us to give those we love their due, and never to wrong them. Rom. 13:10. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour."* And the same love will dispose to truth toward neighbours, and will tend to prevent all lying, and fraud, and deceit. Men are not disposed to exercise fraud and treachery toward those they love; for thus to treat men is to treat them like enemies, but love destroys enmity. Thus the apostle makes use of the oneness that there ought to be among Christians, as an argument to induce them to truth between man and man. Ephesians 4:25.** Love will dispose to walk humbly amongst men, for a real and true love will incline us to high thoughts of others, and to think them better than ourselves. It will dispose men to honour one another, for all are naturally inclined to think highly of those they love, and to give them honour; so that by love are fulfilled those precepts, 1 Peter 2:17,*** "Honour all men," and Phil. 2:3,**** "Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves." ___________________________________________________ Cat's Q & A: 1. Told a lie lately? Tried to make things sound better or worse than they are, or just plain different? If you think about it now, what distracted you from love in that moment? I find I just prefer to tell stories when I'm talking to people. I'd rather tell it the way it sounds best - not to deliberately change it, but to pick and choose what I tell people. 2. when did you last honour someone? Especially a family member or friend? It's easy to feel I don't have the energy to do a little something extra for my closest people. I tend to shift into subsistence mode with very little prodding. But I did take care of some farm stuff for dh while he was working some required overtime shifts. 3. Do you tend to think of others as more important than yourself, or do you find yourself in a constant fight to balance your needs against the rest of the world's? That's easy. I homeschool. I have honestly not trusted God to meet my needs while I give to others. It seems there's so much giving and giving, and not much for refreshment. For whatever reason, I find spouse to be worse than kids -- more of a bottomless pit when it comes to things needed. ___________________________________________________ * Romans 13:10 (NASB) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. ** Ephes. 4:25 (NASB) Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. ***1 Peter 2:17 (NASB) Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. **** Philip. 2:3 (NASB) Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; ***** Proverbs 10:12 (NASB) Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions. |
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