Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Why does Jonathan Edwards say that animals, the sun, the earth, and air are not here for our enjoyment?

This question is a reference to the following line from Edwards's sermon:


Were it not that so is the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly; the sun doesn't willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth don't willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air don't willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God's enemies. God's creatures are good, and were made for men to serve God with, and don't willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope.



Edwards wants his listeners to understand that humans were put on this earth as one of many of God's creations, not the most important one.  And all of God's creations are here to give glory to Him, not to humans.  


This explanation goes along with the major message of Edwards’s sermon, that humans should not glorify themselves as if they were gods.  He wants his audience to understand where they stand in God’s eyes: they are as insignificant as humans view the smallest insects or the rush of air.  He, at one point, compares humanity to a spider, saying, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect, over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked.”  Just as humans hate spiders and want to squash them, so, too, does God view humanity.

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