From Religious Affections, by Jonathan Edwards, 1746
It is unreasonable to think otherwise, than that the first foundation of a true love to God is that whereby He is in Himself lovely, or worthy to be loved, or the supreme loveliness of His nature. This is certainly what makes him chiefly amiable. What chiefly makes a man or any creature lovely is his excellency; and so what chiefly renders God lovely, and must undoubtedly be the chief ground of true love, is His excellency. God’s nature or divinity is infinitely excellent; yea it is infinite beauty, brightness, and glory itself. But how can that be true love of His excellent and lovely nature which is not built on the foundation of its true loveliness? How can that be true love of beauty and brightness which is not for beauty and brightness’ sake? How can that be a true prizing of that which is in itself infinitely worthy and precious which is not for the sake of its worthiness and preciousness?
If men’s affection to God is founded first on His profitableness to them, their affection begins at the wrong end; they regard God only for the utmost limit of the stream of divine good, where it touches them and reaches their interest, and have no respect to that infinite glory of God’s nature, which is the original good, and the true fountain of all good, the first fountain of all loveliness of every kind, and so the first foundation of all true love.
