Along with the current and upcoming audio versions of JESociety Press publications, JESociety Audio Library will now include author and scholar interviews. Our currently-featured interview is with Stephanie Boss, author of TRAIN: Classical Christian Education & Jonathan Edwards.

Upcoming interviews include Robert Caldwell on “Theologies of Great Awakening” and Mark Hamilton with Layne Hancock on “The Future of Edwards Studies.”

Author Interview with Stephanie Boss

The Integrated Edwards

Stay tuned for the forthcoming JESociety Press volume The Integrated Edwards, edited by Robert L. Boss and Cameron Schweitzer. Coming Fall 2026.

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TRAIN is one year old this June!

Get the paperback for 20% off with code DJPJAM1X7V for the month of June.

NEW: Theology & the Art of Temptation

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Second Edition: Bright Shadows of Divine Things

Get the illustrated paperback for 20% off with code 1PAN30IE0T for the month of June.

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In order to bring the Authors’ voices to their print books, JESociety is wedding print and audio for select volumes with more titles on the way.

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To accompany print and ebook versions, JESociety Audio brings free audio versions to select offerings. Developed in-house, the no-install JESociety Audio Player allows the reader to instantly listen to the author narrate the book free of charge simply by scanning a QR code in the book.

• Scan and read along with the author

• Resume where you left off and never lose your place

• Link to favorite passages

• Share across social media or text message with ease

• Generate social media cards with customized quotes or comments

• and more

Share the audio versions freely with friends and family.

Introducing JESociety Audio

In addition to print and ebook versions, JESociety Audio brings free audio versions to select offerings. Developed in-house, the no-install JESociety Audio Player allows the reader to instantly listen to the author narrate the book free of charge simply by scanning a QR code in the book.

• Scan and read along with the author

• Resume where you left off and never lose your place

• Link to favorite passages

• Share across social media or text message with ease

• Generate social media cards with customized quotes or recommendations

• and more

Share the audio versions freely with friends and family.

Share

Companion Podcasts with Bonus Material

More details coming soon!

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Theology & the Art of Temptation will be shipping in June. I am so excited! As a thank you to current paid subscribers of this Visual Edwards I would like to send you a free copy during the month of April 2026. Just reply to this email with your name and mailing address and you will be the first to receive a copy of the book.

Many thanks,

Rob

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“Shout out to my friend Robert Boss for the cool shirt! Robert is an expert in the thought of Jonathan Edwards and runs the JESociety. He recently started Emblem Wear that couples Edwards quotes or references with some really cool art like this. You can get shirts, mugs, pins, etc. Check it out!”

https://shop.emblemwear.art/

“This wasn't out yet when I chose the one in the pic, otherwise I would totally have picked this:” https://shop.emblemwear.art/products/blind-the-mind-white-on-black-color-back

Check Out EmblemWear!

From the Preface

This book comes from years of contemplating Jonathan Edwards’ private notebooks, especially his “Miscellanies” and “Images of Divine Things.” While working on my PhD, I concluded that his “Images” notebook fits into the genre of emblem books from the early modern period. This led me to study other emblem books, and eventually, I became interested in using computer programming and visualizations to explore Edwards’ theology.

I also sensed that the idea of chiaroscuro—contrasting light and darkness—was an important quality of Edwards’ work. Around this time, I read C.S. Lewis’ thoughts on his book The Screwtape Letters. Lewis wished his book could have included advice from an angel to balance the devil’s advice, but he felt no one could write such a thing.

This made me think of Edwards’ notebooks as a kind of heavenly answer to a devilish character I invented, Doctor Freefall, and his book Theology & the Art of Temptation. Mixing these ideas with the emblem book style, I created a unique book: a “children’s book for adults,” fully illustrated, deep in meaning, but short enough to read easily.

Additionally, readers can enjoy listening to the author narrate the book. The fully-illustrated hardcover edition includes a complimentary audio player (no installation required) via a QR code on the back of the book. Simply scan the code to listen along on your device!

What happens when a world-renowned scientist reaches across the aisle to invite people of faith into a conversation about the fate of our planet? Sometimes, the most unlikely pairings bear the richest fruit. Take, for example, the story of E.O. Wilson—a celebrated Harvard biologist who, as a boy, was raised a devout Southern Baptist in Alabama. Although Wilson later left the church, his lifelong fascination with the natural world led him to a remarkable realization: perhaps science and religion, so often at odds, could become allies in the urgent mission to save life on Earth.

E.O. Wilson’s Appeal: Science, Faith, and a Shared Responsibility

In his influential book, The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth, Wilson writes as if penning a heartfelt letter to a Southern Baptist pastor. He doesn’t shy away from the reality that, historically, science and faith have often clashed. But Wilson isn’t interested in furthering division—he’s reaching out, hoping that the mutual love for the wonders of creation might inspire cooperation rather than conflict.

Wilson’s message is simple yet profound: the environmental crisis facing our planet is too great for any one group to tackle alone. He believes that, deep down, both scientists and people of faith share a sense of stewardship—a responsibility to care for the Earth. However, he laments that neither side has fully explained or embraced this duty, partly because of gaps in education and the sheer pace of scientific discovery.

What’s his solution? Wilson envisions a world where nature is not only studied but celebrated—a world where historians, poets, and scientists work side by side to catalog the miracle of life on Earth. His dream is to create an “Encyclopedia of Life,” an ambitious catalog of every species, chronicling their genetic codes, behaviors, and roles in the ecosystem. For Wilson, this is more than a scientific endeavor; it is a moral imperative—a compelling reason to cherish and preserve the natural world.

Jonathan Edwards: Seeing Creation as the Voice of God

But what about those who see nature not simply as a marvel of biology, but as a living message from the Creator? For them, the beauty and complexity of the world is more than an evolutionary accident—it is, in the words of theologian Jonathan Edwards, the “language of God.”

Edwards, an 18th-century preacher and philosopher, offered a vision of nature that was spiritually illuminating. He encouraged people to meditate on the world around them, not just as a collection of atoms and molecules, but as a profound communication from the divine. To Edwards, every flower, every bird, every rushing stream was a living metaphor—a reflection of God’s character and love.

He went so far as to say that, for those with spiritual insight, the Book of Nature could be almost as revealing as the Book of Scripture. Just as we can “read” a person’s feelings through body language, so too can we discern the goodness, majesty, and creativity of God in the beauty of the world.

The Poetry of Creation: Where Science and Faith Converge

This poetic vision of the natural world isn’t unique to Edwards. Thinkers like Johann Georg Hamann, a radical critic of the Enlightenment, saw creation as a tapestry of divine imagery, a universal language through which God speaks to all people. As Hamann put it, “The language of God’s Creation is poetry”—a sentiment that resonates with anyone who has ever felt awe in the presence of nature’s grandeur.

Despite their differences, both Wilson and Edwards invite us to look deeper. Wilson hopes that by understanding nature, we might be moved to protect it. Edwards asks us to listen for the voice of God in the rustling leaves and the singing birds. Both remind us that creation is precious, and that caring for it—whether for scientific, moral, or spiritual reasons—is a calling we share.

A Call to Action

In an age where the mechanistic worldview of materialism often dominates, it’s easy to lose sight of the transcendent dimension of life. But perhaps, as both E.O. Wilson and Jonathan Edwards suggest, it’s time to rediscover that sense of wonder. Whether you see nature as an intricate web of life or as a sacred message from the divine (or both!), the message is clear: our future depends on how we treat the world around us.

So next time you step outside, pause for a moment. Notice the sunlight, the flowers, the birds. Listen for the poetry of creation. In that moment, you may find both the inspiration and the responsibility to help protect this remarkable world we all call home.

Interested in exploring further? Check out the EmblemWear.art Project and rediscover the emblematic imagination for today’s world.

It was a warm summer evening in a small pub nestled in the English countryside. Three remarkable figures had gathered for an extraordinary conversation about the nature of creation: E.O. Wilson, the celebrated biologist; Iain McGilchrist, the psychiatrist and philosopher; and Jonathan Edwards, the influential theologian. Each brought a unique perspective, and together, their discussion painted a vivid picture of the world’s mysteries.

E.O. Wilson began by championing the power of evolution. For him, the natural world is the product of countless trials and errors—an ongoing experiment where adaptation and survival shape every living thing. The world, in Wilson’s eyes, is wondrous precisely because of its unpredictability and the relentless push and pull of evolutionary forces.

Iain McGilchrist added another layer, focusing on how the hemispheres of the brain shape our understanding of reality. The left hemisphere, he explained, favors categorization, precision, and detail, while the right hemisphere seeks meaning, connection, and depth. Our perception of the world, McGilchrist argued, is a dynamic dance between these two ways of knowing.

Jonathan Edwards, however, offered a different lens. He demonstrated his emblematic worldview using a simple rose as an example, contrasting the scientific view with a spiritual interpretation, and showing how both perspectives could be understood within McGilchrist’s brain hemisphere theory.

Two Ways of Seeing: The Rose

The Left Hemisphere View:

Rosa (Rose) is a genus of shrub in the family Rosaceae. They are climbers, native to regions like the United States, Alaska, Canada, and Saint-Pierre Et Miquelon. Roses have achenes, and their flowers attract bumble bees and other pollinators. Individuals can grow up to 3.7 meters tall.
—Encyclopedia of Life

The Right Hemisphere View:

Roses grow upon briers, signifying that temporal pleasures are mingled with pain. More deeply, the rose symbolizes true happiness—the crown of glory—achieved only by bearing Christ’s cross through a life of self-denial, labor, and endurance. The rose, chief of all flowers, appears last; the thorny bush comes first, but the end and crown is the beautiful, fragrant rose.
—Jonathan Edwards, “Images of Divine Things”

The Universe as Symphony

Edwards described the universe as a grand symphony—a web of interconnectedness, bound together by divine love. He believed that every aspect of creation reflects God’s attributes, and that humanity’s ultimate purpose is to recognize and glorify the Creator. His words captivated Wilson and McGilchrist, who listened intently, recognizing the resonance between their own perspectives and Edwards’ vision.

But what does this mean for us? Deep down, we sense that the world is more than what science can explain. There is a longing for something greater—a truth that escapes the microscope and the telescope. We yearn for a connection with something beyond ourselves, whether we call it a higher power or an alien intelligence.

Jonathan Edwards: Nature as Divine Language

Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) went further than most theologians in seeking to understand nature as a revelation from God. In his writings, he described a world saturated with signs, symbols, and emblems—windows into spiritual reality. Edwards believed that the universe, the sky, the seas, and even the Scriptures are filled with images of divine things, much like a language composed of words.

Crucially, for Edwards, creation is not simply an example of intelligent design—a view common among deists, who saw God as a distant creator. Nor is nature merely a product of blind natural selection. Instead, the world is a living message, intelligibly designed for those who are open to hearing it. Edwards argued that true understanding requires supernatural illumination—a divine and supernatural light given by God’s grace. We are, he insisted, swimming in an ocean of signs inviting us to return to our Creator.

Comparing Worldviews

Some might find Edwards’ perspective fantastical—especially in a modern era brimming with alternative theories:

• Worlds of random multiverses and alternate realities, dreams of interstellar travel,

• The idea that life on Earth was seeded by aliens,

• Or the belief that beauty, consciousness, and art emerged from endless, random events.

In contrast, Edwards envisioned:

• A world spoken into existence and upheld by divine power,

• A world whose origin is rooted in language and poetry, not chaos,

• A world shaped by wisdom, not accident,

• A creation filled with meaning, every part a word in the divine language,

• A reality that exists in the mind of God, in whom we all live, move, and have our being,

• A creation that longs to proclaim its Maker, groaning for liberation,

• A world created out of overflowing divine love, whose meaning is unlocked by Scripture.

This is the God-haunted world of Jonathan Edwards.

Two Books: Scripture and Nature

Edwards believed that God reveals Himself through two books: the Book of Scripture and the Book of Nature. While Protestants have rightly emphasized the authority of the Bible, Edwards argued that nature, too, is not merely giving hollow praise to its Creator. Rather, the world is designed to reveal divine mysteries. “The works of God are but a kind of voice or language of God, to instruct intelligent beings in things pertaining to himself,” Edwards wrote.

Let those who have ears, hear.

References:

• Iain McGilchrist, The Matter With Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions and the Unmaking of the World (Perspectiva Press, 2021)

• Encyclopedia of Life: Rose

• Jonathan Edwards, Images of Divine Things in Typological Writings, vol. 11, The Works of Jonathan Edwards

Interested in exploring further? Check out the EmblemWear.art Project and rediscover the emblematic imagination for today’s world.

Over the course of a decade, what began as a dissertation investigation into Jonathan Edwards’ emblematic imagination has blossomed into a much larger project. First released as God-Haunted World in 2015, Thunder God, Wonder God: Exploring the Emblematic Vision of Jonathan Edwards, foreword by Gerald McDermott (JESociety Press, 2023) has since expanded—most notably with the addition of an entirely new section that places Edwards’ “Images” alongside emblematic works from other early modern writers. This comparative approach allows readers to more deeply engage with Edwards’ unique vision, situating him within a broader context of emblem literature.

Why Revisit Edwards’ Worldview Today?

Although academic interest in typology has waned since its heyday in the 1970s, I believe Edwards’ emblematic and typological worldview remains profoundly relevant. His approach to the Old and New Testaments, frequently considered orthodox, sometimes appears to either challenge or enrich traditional theological boundaries—particularly when he applies typological reasoning to the natural world. Some scholars see this as a departure from doctrine; others, as a deepening of the believer’s understanding of divine communication.

This nuanced legacy is often overlooked. For instance, the Oxford Handbook of Jonathan Edwards (2021) doesn’t dedicate a chapter to his typology, despite multiple contributors referencing his imagination and emblematic thought. This “honorable mention” only underscores how understudied this topic has become. My aim, therefore, is to shine a brighter light on Edwards as an emblem writer, aligning him with the vibrant tradition of early modern emblem literature.

The Emblem Book Tradition: More Than Meets the Eye

To understand Edwards, one must consider the emblem book—a form of devotional literature that thrived in the seventeenth century. Blending visual art and contemplative verse, emblem books drew from medieval iconography and provided spiritual instruction through layered symbolism. English poets like George Wither and Francis Quarles popularized this genre, often drawing inspiration from Jesuit sources.

Shakespeare’s dazzling imagery, as noted by scholars like Tibor Fabiny, owes much to the emblem tradition—a connection largely unexplored among students of Edwards. Today, Edwards’ typological vision can help thoughtful Christians use biblical imagery to make sense of the contemporary world, blending preservation with the renewal of Christian imagination.

Lessons from Nature: The Book of Emblems

For early moderns, emblems were everywhere: in nature, in sermons, on the stage, and throughout the visual arts. The world itself was seen as a vast “Book of Nature,” where every creature and phenomenon pointed to divine truths. Physicians, preachers, and artists mapped a complex network of correspondences between visible and invisible realities—a “Great Chain of Being” stretching from God’s throne to the smallest pebble.

In this worldview, the emblem represented a “combined art”—a striking image paired with a motto, an epigram, or scriptural reference. Emblems were cut-and-paste creations, drawing from classical literature, visual art, and other emblems. They addressed topics as varied as love, politics, and morality, making their study inherently interdisciplinary. Today, this rich tradition offers unique opportunities for digital humanities research.

Emblems in the Digital Age

The rise of computers and digital media opens new frontiers for emblematic thinking. Just as the emblem book combined text and image, today’s memes, websites, and digital art remix language, visuals, and references in creative ways. This approach—integrative, compositional, and generative—echoes the emblem’s original epistemology.

Inspired by this continuity, I developed Types Explorer as part of the Visual Edwards Project. Built in Python, this tool allows users to explore and visualize the networks of emblems in early modern books. By mapping connections, annotating nodes, and creating web-ready visualizations, Types Explorer helps discover the deep patterns within emblem literature.

Emblematic Thought: Limitless Frontiers

Edwards himself described the emblematic world as an “almost limitless frontier”—a universe where the language of God is written across all creation, waiting to be read and understood. Today, with technologies capable of weaving together the “Book of Scripture” and the “Book of Nature,” we have unprecedented opportunities to renew our imagination and devotion.

In Edwards’ words:

If we look on these shadows of divine things as the voice of God, purposely, by them, teaching us these and those spiritual and divine things, to show of what excellent advantage it will be, how agreeably and clearly it will tend to convey instruction to our minds, and to impress things on the mind, and to affect the mind. By that we may as it were hear God speaking to us. Wherever we are and whatever we are about, we may see divine things excellently represented and held forth, and it will abundantly tend to confirm the Scriptures, for there is an excellent agreement between these things and the Holy Scriptures. (“Images,” no. 70)

In revisiting Edwards’ emblematic legacy—through both traditional scholarship and digital exploration—we discover a map not only of his world, but also of our own capacity for spiritual insight, creativity, and wonder.

Interested in exploring further? Check out the EmblemWear.art Project and rediscover the emblematic imagination for today’s world.

30-SECOND MAN-ON-THE-STREET GOSPEL CONVERSATION SCRIPT

Passerby: Hey, cool tee shirt! What’s it about?

Evangelist (wearing EmblemWear.art Tee): Thanks! This emblem captures a picture God painted in creation. On a clear day, look up at the sky—its pure blue color, height, those light clouds floating—it feels exalted, peaceful, glorious.

God designed that view to show us the breathtaking beauty and purity of heaven: how incredible life is with Him forever. And then think of the total opposite: dark, cold caverns deep underground. That contrast points to the huge difference between the joy of those with God and the horror apart from Him.

The Bible is full of these comparisons: creation itself points us to spiritual realities.

That’s why this emblem and QR code are on the shirt: to start conversations about where we’re headed and the life Jesus offers.

What do you think—have you ever felt that pull toward something higher and brighter? I’d love to share more if you’re curious!

We are excited to release two new volumes this month: Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Hopkins, and the Theological Ethics of Social Concern by Joseph W. Lee and A Precious Treasure: Jonathan Edwards’s Preaching and Teaching Based on Biblical Knowledge and Puritan Education by John L. Inman III.

Hardcover Special Editions available exclusively through the JESociety Bookshop https://shop.jesociety.org for 30% off till the end of March. Available in paperback from other vendors soon.

https://shop.jesociety.org/b/bjka9

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EmblemWear.art

https://emblemwear.art

EmblemWear.art is an initiative inspired by Jonathan Edwards, built on the idea that beauty and emblems can open the door to deeper reflection on spiritual truth. The project features apparel with Edwards-inspired emblems, each paired with a QR code linking to a short video that connects the imagery to theological themes like beauty, redemption, and divine glory. The goal is to encourage meaningful conversations about faith in everyday spaces, using visual art coupled with casual wear as a way to invite curiosity and reflection—not just as commercial branding, but as a form of visual theology.

Endorsements of EmblemWear.art

DOUGLAS A. SWEENEY, Dean and Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

“What a wonderful idea. These emblems of divine truth, inspired by Jonathan Edwards, will put our minds on things above, where Christ is (Colossians 3). There is no more exciting place to be.”

GERALD MCDERMOTT, author of Everyday Glory: The Revelation of God in All of Reality (Brazos)

“Jonathan Edwards is Christianity’s preeminent theologian of beauty. His typological vision of reality was rich and deep. These shirts with emblems are beautiful and provocative pointers to the depths of reality he plumbed so masterfully.”

I expect by very ridicule and contempt to be called a man of a very fruitful brain and copious fancy, but they are welcome to it. I am not ashamed to own that I believe that the whole universe, heaven and earth, air and seas, and the divine constitution and history of the holy Scriptures, be full of images of divine things, as full as a language is of words; and that the multitude of those things that I have mentioned are but a very small part of what is really intended to be signified and typified by these things: but that there is room for persons to be learning more and more of this language and seeing more of that which is declared in it to the end of the world without discovering all.1

We believe that vision is deserving of restoration.

We are returning to symbolism, beauty, and contemplation in a distracted era that is characterized by arguments, slogans, and commotion. We encourage curiosity rather than confrontation by means of thoughtfully crafted emblem art, which is incorporated into coffee mugs, hoodies, tee shirts, and stickers. Subtle QR codes are also included. A doorway is represented by each emblem. Upon scanning the image, an emblem is drawn along with a brief text meditation and audio narration: a symbol, reflection, and invitation.

EmblemWear.art

This is not commerce that is being presented as faith. It is not a tract concealed within technology. It is the resurgence of a historic Christian understanding that the heart is awakened before it is persuaded, and that truth is frequently initially perceived as beauty.

The world remains an emblem.
Is it possible for us to perceive it?

It concerns everyone that would obtain the kingdom of God, to be pressing into it.

In discoursing on this subject, I would, first, show what is that way of seeking salvation that seems to be pointed forth, in the expression of “pressing into the kingdom of God”; second, give the reasons why it concerns everyone that would obtain the kingdom of God, to seek it in this way; and then make application. – WJE 19:276

Attached below is a dataset of the Visual Edwards search results. You can load them into https://www.jesociety.org/visualedwards.html to manipulate, edit, and explore. All of the references are to the Works of Jonathan Edwards Online at edwards.yale.edu.

Visualedwards 2025 10 16

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For details and registration visit https://www.etbu.edu/colloquy.

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This past summer was quite eventful. Not only were several new titles put in the JESociety publication pipeline, but I also submitted the sixth and final volume of the Jonathan Edwards Commentaries on the New Testament, edited by Robert Boss and Allen Stanton with forewords by Joel Beeke, Chris Chun, Douglas Sweeney, Adriaan Neele, Rhys Bezzant, and Peter Jung. Marco Barone has supplied an interview essay in which major Edwards scholars outline fruitful areas for future research. Of special note is an article by Stephen Crocco on the early years of the Edwards project at Yale. The series is set to be published starting in Fall 2026 by Reformation Heritage Books.

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Publications of Note on JE and Education

John Van Wyk made a major contribution to our understanding of Edwards as an educator in his book which thoroughly examines Edwards’ pedagogy. I’ve supplied a brief review here. This volume is a rich resource with copious footnotes and bibliography! Available here.

“If the expansion of Christ’s kingdom was the aim of Jonathan Edwards’ life and ministry, education was a vital instrument in achieving this aim. John Van Wyk traces the diverse influences on Edwards’ pedagogy and brings to life Edwards’s interactions with children, Native Americans, and theological students. A valuable read for anyone who wants a fuller grasp of Edwards’ life and times.” – Esmari Potgieter, author of Jonathan Edwards and a Reformational View of the Purpose of Education

For classroom teachers, Train: Classical Christian Education and Jonathan Edwards provides an eminently accessible guide for implementing Edwards’ pedagogy in the classroom setting. Stephanie Boss, a twenty-year veteran of classical Christian education, has filled this volume full of wisdom for the next generation of teachers! A perfect gift, available in print and audiobook. Get it here.

“This book is both an outstanding primer on classical Christian education and a fascinating source of pedagogical inspiration and edification from Jonathan Edwards, the best-known teacher in colonial America. It offers hard-won wisdom on classroom teaching from a masterful educator. It is stirring, substantive, and consistently practical. Anyone invested in the training of our children will find it full of priceless treasure (old and new).” — Douglas A. Sweeney, Dean and Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

“Stephanie Boss is a master teacher in classical Christian education! In this book, she provides both aspiring and seasoned teachers a gift of insight, wisdom, and practical instruction that combines all of her passions, gifts, and experiences as an educator. Teachers will draw inspiration and direction from this book for many years ahead!” — Eric Cook, President, Society for Classical Learning

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Religion, as ordered by God, is not weak or lifeless, but rather ardent in spirit and vigorously practiced. This is confirmed in Romans 12:11, Deuteronomy 10:12, and 6:4–5. It is the fruit of true regeneration, or heart circumcision, and holds the promise of life. God expects us to fear and love Him, to walk in His footsteps, and to serve Him with all our hearts and souls. This intense, vigorous spiritual engagement is the result of true heart circumcision, or regeneration, and it holds the promise of life.

That religion which God requires, and will accept, does not consist in weak, dull and lifeless wouldings, raising us but a little above a state of indifference: God, in his Word, greatly insists upon it, that we be in good earnest, fervent in spirit, and our hearts vigorously engaged in religion: Romans 12:11, “Be ye fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Deuteronomy 10:12, “And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul?” And ch. 6:4–5, “Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” ‘Tis such a fervent, vigorous engagedness of the heart in religion, that is the fruit of a real circumcision of the heart, or true regeneration, and that has the promises of life; Deuteronomy 30:6, “And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” – Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections, WJE 2:99

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Some people’s affection and acts toward others differ greatly. Some care about their appearance, while others care about their souls. Jesus Christ showed true love for both. He preached the gospel and healed the sick, showing kindness to hearts and bodies. By feeding five thousand people with loaves and fishes, Jesus showed compassion for souls and bodies. Christian compassion isn’t true if it doesn’t work the same way.

And as there is a monstrous disproportion in the love of some, in its exercises towards different persons, so there is in their seeming exercises of love towards the same persons. Some men show a love to others as to their outward man, they are liberal of their worldly substance, and often give to the poor; but have no love to, or concern for the souls of men. Others pretend a great love to men’s souls, that are not compassionate and charitable towards their bodies. The making a great show of love, pity, and distress for souls, costs ‘em nothing; but in order to show mercy to men’s bodies, they must part with money out of their pockets. But a true Christian love to our brethren, extends both to their souls and bodies. And herein is like the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. He showed mercy to men’s souls, by laboring for them in preaching the gospel to ‘em; and showed mercy to their bodies, in going about doing good, healing all manner of sickness and diseases among the people. We have a remarkable instance of Christ’s having compassion at once both to men’s souls and bodies, and showing compassion by feeding both, in Mark 6:34 etc. “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion towards them; because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.” Here was his compassion to their souls. And in the sequel, we have an account of his compassion to their bodies, because they had been a long while having nothing to eat: he fed five thousand of ‘em with five loaves and two fishes. And if the compassion of professing Christians towards others don’t work in the same ways, it is a sign that it is no true Christian compassion. — Religious Affections, WJE 2:369

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