The Nearer the Relation the Greater the Obligation to Love.

Tuesdays with Edwards!

Examine your selves whether you don’t live in some way that is contrary to that love that is due to those that belong to the same family. Love is a hearty goodwill and a behavior that is agreeable [to it. It] is a duty that we owe to all mankind. We owe it to our neighbors that we are no other wise related to but only as they are our neighbors. We owe it to those that stand in no other relation to us but only that they are some of mankind, they are reasonable creatures and the sons and daughters of Adam. It is a duty that we owe to our enemies, but how much more do we owe it to them that stand in so near a relation as husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters!

There are the same obligations upon us to love them as to love the rest of mankind. We are to love them as men; we are to love them as our neighbors; we are to love them as belonging to the same Christian Church; and not only but here is an additional obligation: of that near relation they stand in to us. This is over and above the other. The nearer the relation, the greater the obligation to love.

To live in hatred or in any way that is contrary to love towards any man is very displeasing to God, but how much more towards one of the same family! Love is the uniting bond of all societies. Colossians 3:14, “and above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness.” We belong to the world of mankind which are in many respect as one great community and therefore we ought to love all men. We belong to a particular country and therefore are under special obligations to love our own country above others. We belong to a particular town and church and therefore are under special obligation to love others of the same particular society above others of the same country. So as we belong to a particular family we are under obligations to love to those of the same family, and the union in love in our own family should be so much the stronger as that society is more particularly our own and is more appropriated to ourselves.

Edited by Yours Truly from the transcription of “Sermon 297. Psalms 139:23-24” in The Works of Jonathan Edwards Online, vol. 43, Sermon Series II, 1733. L28v-L29r.