The Fruit of the Love of God

Here's the second reason Jonathan Edwards gives for why young people are happiest when they commit themselves to godliness-

I come now to show that walking in ways of religion and virtue doesn't hinder young people's comfort in outward enjoyments, but promotes it. It gives them a far more excellent kind of pleasure, more sweet and satisfying delights than the world can afford, but the enjoyment of these things doesn't rob young people of pleasure in outward things, but helps it.

Religion doesn't forbid the use of outward enjoyments, but only the abuse of them. It doesn't forbid the enjoyment of outward good things, for they were made to be received with thanksgiving, but only forbids the vicious and irregular manner of enjoying them. There is a way of enjoying outward things that is not disagreeable to the commands of God.

Outward enjoyments are much sweeter, and really afford more pleasure, when regularly used than abused. Temporal good things are never so sweet, they are never taken with so good a relish, as when they are taken with innocence and in the way of virtue. Vice destroys the sweetness of outward enjoyments. So much as men transgress divine rules by taking outward enjoyments in a forbidden way, and so much as they go beyond the bonds of temperance and moderation in the enjoyment of them, so much is abated from the relish of them. Vice mixes a bitterness in enjoyments and causes a sting to be with the honey. When we enjoy outward good things with innocence, and agreeably to the rules of God's Word, we then enjoy them with peace in our minds; but when they are viciously used, the pleasure is attended with inward remorse. Such a one does not have the approbation of his own conscience in what he enjoys. In order to a person's having any quietness, he must stupify himself and suppress the exercises of reason and keep himself from reflecting otherwise, he can enjoy his pleasures with no peace.

Besides, when a person who walks in the ways of holiness has the pleasures of outward enjoyments, he has this to give a sweetness and relish, that he has it as the fruit of the love of God.

(To the Rising Generation, pp 47-48)

Tomorrow will bring the final reason.....