Miscellaneous Observations - Edwards - IV - Heaven commenced

Required reading

Miscellaneous Observations in Vol 2 of the Works by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence 'Heaven' by reading up to '[499] Hades-Separate spirits-Heaven-Hell.'

My summary

Today we begin hearing observations about heaven including:

(i) death and grief;

(ii) union with Christ;

(iii) happiness in heaven;

(iv) contemplation in heaven;

(v) love in heaven;

(vi) singing in heaven;

(vii) the light in heaven;

(viii) the resurrection of the church;

(ix) glory in heaven.

What grabbed me

Some interesting ideas from Edwards: 

'That the glorified spirits shall grow in holiness and happiness in eternity, I argue from this foundation, that their number of ideas shall increase to eternity. How great soever the number of their ideas when they are first glorified, it is but limited; and it is evident the time will come when they shall have lived in glory so long that the parts of duration, each equal to a million million ages, that they have lived, will be more in number than their ideas were at first. Now we cannot suppose that they will ever entirely forget every thing that has passed in heaven, and in the universe, for a whole million million of ages. It is undoubted that they never will have forgot what passed in their life upon earth, the sins they have been saved from, their regeneration, the circumstances which did heighten their mercies, their good works which follow them, their death, &c. They will without doubt retain innumerable multitudes of ideas of what passed in the first seventy years; so also they shall retain to eternity their ideas of what was done in the ages of the world, with relation to the church of God, and God’s wondrous providence with respect to the world of men; and can we then think that a whole million million ages of those great and most glorious things that pass in heaven shall ever be erased out of their minds? But if they retain but one idea for one such vast period, their ideas shall be millions of times more in number than when they first entered into heaven, as is evident, because by supposition the number of such ages will be millions of times more in number; therefore, their knowledge will increase to eternity; and if their knowledge, their holiness; for as they increase in the knowledge of God, and of the works of God, the more they will see of his excellency, and the more they see of his excellency, ceteris paribus, the more will they love him, and the more they love God, the more delight and happiness will they have in him. See Note on Is. lxxxix. 1,2. It will be objected that at this rate we might prove that the damned increase in perfection. I answer, No; for, though it is true that they shall increase in knowledge, they will increase in odiousness in the same proportion.'

I agree. Any memory of this world will promote love for God.

Next week's reading

Continue 'Heaven' by reading up to '[721] Happiness of heaven after the resurrection-Their external blessedness and delight.'

Now it's your turn

Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.