Charity and its fruits - Edwards - XVII - Lecture XVI commenced

Required reading
Charity and its fruits by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence Lecture XVI (Heaven, a world of charity or love) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'IV. Of the principle of love in heaven.'

My summary
Today Edwards continues in a fresh chapter to look at 1 Corinthians 13:8-10: '8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.'

The thesis of the chapter is that heaven is a world of love.  Today we will look at Edwards' first three points.

Firstly Edwards explains what is the cause and fountain of love in heaven: God himself.

Secondly Edwards observes three things about the objects of love that heaven contains.  In heaven:
(i) there are none but lovely objects;
(ii) the objects of love shall be perfectly lovely;
(iii) shall be all those objects that the saints have set their hearts upon, and which they have loved above all things while in this world.

Thirdly Edwards discusses the hearts in which love dwells in heaven.  The hearts of:
(i) God;
(ii) saints and angels.

What grabbed me
Great description of heaven: 'There, even in heaven, dwells the God from whom every stream of holy love, yea, every drop that is, or ever was, proceeds. There dwells God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, united as one, in infinitely dear, and incomprehensible, and mutual, and eternal love. There dwells God the Father, who is the father of mercies, and so the father of love, who so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son to die for it. There dwells Christ, the Lamb of God, the prince of peace and of love, who so loved the world that he shed his blood, and poured out his soul unto death for men. There dwells the great Mediator, through whom all the divine love is expressed toward men, and by whom the fruits of that love have been purchased, and through whom they are communicated, and through whom love is imparted to the hearts of all God's people. There dwells Christ in both his natures, the human and the divine, sitting on the same throne with the Father. And there dwells the Holy Spirit, the spirit of divine love, in whom the very essence of God, as it were, flows out and is breathed forth in love, and by whose immediate influence all holy love is shed abroad in the hearts of all the saints on earth and in heaven. There, in heaven, this infinite fountain of love — this eternal three in one — is set open without any obstacle to hinder access to it, as it flows forever. There this glorious God is manifested and shines forth, in full glory, in beams of love. And there this glorious fountain forever flows forth in streams, yea, in rivers of love and delight, and these rivers swell, as it were, to an ocean of love, in which the souls of the ransomed may bathe with the sweetest enjoyment, and their hearts, as it were, be deluged with love!'

Oh what a glorious place we are headed toward!

Next week's reading
Continue Lecture XVI (Heaven, a world of charity or love) by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'VI. O the blessed effects and fruits of this love exercised and enjoyed in these circumstances'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.