Kiss the Rod

God has given me great joy through the divine musings of Jonathan Edwards. I could write a lot about him–but not now. Pastors, historians, and online catalogs have already been doing this.

What I will say is on death.

The unexpected death of Jonathan Edwards occurred at the age of 54, from a small pox inoculation.When Edwards’ wife Sarah heard the news, she wrote to her daughter Esther whose husband  had died six months earlier:

“My very dear child, What shall I say! A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod, and lay our hands upon our mouths! The Lord has done it. He has made me adore his goodness, that we had [your father] so long. But my God lives; and he has my heart. O what a legacy my husband, and your father, has left us! We are all given to God; and there I am, and love to be. Your affectionate mother, Sarah Edwards.” (Marriage to a Difficult Man, by Elizabeth Dodds, p. 196)

My heart still grieves over the temporary loss of my brother. I say temporary, because I know that my brother Sam  trusted and held Christ to be sweeter than all things. With this I know that soon I will stand, kneel, and gaze alongside him and many others, while we all worship Jesus forever.

Though there lays the bold surety of the temporary–with each day there are always new trials to appear and these only add to a collection of old pains and old woes.

“My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.

But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

“the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:20-24

As this Fall approaches it will be 8 years since I’ve seen my brother. 8 long years. Yet, I must adore God for having my brother for so long and I must adore God for being so good to me. I must and I do.

“…and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelations 4:8-11

Friend and stranger, my soul pleads for you to join me in this great adoration.

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