Puritans were supposed to be dour, sour, austere, hardhearted killjoys, always afraid that someone somewhere might be enjoying themselves, right?  That’s the stereotype.  But stereotypes don’t always fare well in the light of day.

Consider Jonathan Edwards.  He’s the guy who preached about “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” But if you take a closer look at Edwards’ writings, you’ll find a man who despised the emotional coldness of mere religion for religion’s sake and who spoke warmly of a lively, joyful, and sweet faith in Christ.

But what I want to draw your attention to today is how Edwards delighted in “the exuberant goodness of the Creator” as it was made known in every detail—large and small—of the natural world.

Consider his reflections on his days as a young believer, rejoicing in the knowledge of God:  “I often used to sit and view the moon, for a long time; and so in the daytime, spent much time in viewing the clouds and sky, to behold the sweet glory of God in these things.”

This appreciation for how the character of the Creator was reflected in his creation began to develop when Edwards was first converted, around the age of 17.  He writes that at that time, “The appearance of everything was altered….  There seemed to be, as it were, a calm, sweet cast, or appearance of divine glory, in almost everything….  God’s excellency, his wisdom, his purity and love, seemed to appear in everything; in the sun, moon, and stars; in the clouds and blue sky; in the grass, flowers, trees; in the water and all nature; which used greatly to fix my mind.”

He was especially enthralled with the “sweet” power and beauty of thunderstorms:  “I felt God at the first appearance of a thunderstorm.  And used to take the opportunity at such times, to fix myself to view the clouds, and see the lightning’s play, and hear the majestic and awful voice of God’s thunder… leading me to sweet contemplations of my great and glorious God.  While thus engaged, it always seemed natural for me to sing, or chant for my meditations; or, to speak my thoughts in soliloquies with a singing voice.”

Edwards — who was an absolute genius by any standard — wrote many scholarly essays on different aspects of nature which delighted him, such as atoms, light rays, rainbows, butterflies, and much more.  He once wrote a piece on New England’s “flying spider” which was known for “marching in the air from one tree to another, sometimes at the distance of five or six rods, though they are wholly destitute of wings.”

After careful observation, Edwards explained this spider’s ability to “fly.” And then — in characteristic Edwards style — he wrote of “the exuberant goodness of the Creator, who hath not only provided for all the necessities, but also for the pleasures and recreations of all sorts of creatures, even the insects.”

That’s right.  Edwards argued that God even wanted his bugs to enjoy themselves.

This love of God’s world was frequently observed in Edwards’ sermons.  Preaching to Mohican and Mohawk Indians gathered by a river to hear something of the gospel, Edwards declared that “God’s goodness is like a river that overflows all of its bounds.”

Inviting these Indians to consider the beauty of the Bible, Edwards said:  “We invite you to come and enjoy the light of the Word of God, which is ten thousand times better than the light of the sun.”

In one of his most interesting works (to me, anyway!), “Images and Shadows of Divine Things,” Edwards drew wonderfully insightful spiritual lessons and analogies from things like trees, rivers, stars, a cat playing with a mouse, a difficult climb up a mountain, etc.

Edwards was in awe of the beauty of God’s creation: “The reason why almost all men, and those that seem to be very miserable, love life: because they cannot bear to lose the sight of such a lovely and beautiful world.”

This, too, is the story of the church.  God’s people are a people who have been set free to understand how the very attributes of the Eternal and Living God Himself are on display every day in the world around us (Romans 1.19,20; Psalm 19.1-6; Acts 14.17; 17.24-27). 

In every garden there are 1,000 intense theological truths that demand our wonder and praise.