Pastor and People

From a sermon titled "The Church's Marriage to Her Sons, and to Her God," by Jonathan Edwards:

A faithful minister, that is in a Christian manner united to a Christian people as their pastor, has his heart united to them in the most ardent and tender affection. And they, on the other hand, have their hearts united to him, esteeming him very highly in love for his work’s sake, and receiving him with honor and reverence, and willingly subjecting themselves to him and committing themselves to his care, as being under Christ their head and guide. Such a pastor and people are like a young man and virgin united in marriage, with respect to the purity of their regard one to another. The young man gives himself to his bride in purity, as undebauched by meretricious embraces. And she also presents herself to him a chaste virgin. So, in such a union of a minister and people as we are speaking of, the parties united are pure and holy in their affection and regard one to another. The minister’s heart is united to the people, not for filthy lucre or any worldly advantage, but with a pure benevolence to them and desire of their spiritual welfare and prosperity and complacence in them as the children of God and followers of Christ Jesus. And, on the other hand, the people love and honor him with a holy affection and esteem. Not merely as having their admiration raised and their carnal affection moved by having their curiosity and other fleshly principles gratified by a florid eloquence and the excellency of speech and man’s wisdom, but receiving him as the messenger of the Lord of Hosts, coming to them on a divine and infinitely important errand, and with those holy qualifications that resemble the virtues of the Lamb of God.

I hope your pastor matches the description here. I am thankful to say that ours does.

Love One Another

From a sermon titled “Christians a Chosen Generation, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a Peculiar People,” by Jonathan Edwards:


"Christians ought to bear with one another. They are the children of the same universal church of God; they are all the children of Abraham; they are the seed of Jesus Christ; they are the offspring of God. They are all of one family and should therefore love one another as family. It is very unbecoming those who are God’s offspring to entertain a spirit of hatred and ill will toward one another. It is very unbecoming to be backward in helping and assisting one another and supplying each other’s wants—much more, to contrive and seek one another’s hurt, to be revengeful one toward another. Let Christians take heed so to walk that they may not dishonor their pedigree. You are of a very honorable race, more honorable by far than if you were the offspring of kings and had royal blood in your veins. You are a heavenly offspring, the seed of Jesus Christ, the children of God. They that are of noble race value themselves highly upon the honor of their families, to dwell on their titles, their coats of arms, and their ensigns of honor and to recount the exploits of their illustrious forefathers. How much more careful should you be of the honor of your descent: that you in nothing behave yourself unworthy of the great God, the eternal and omnipotent King of heaven and earth, whose offspring you are!"