Animal Quote by Jonathan Edwards
“Immediately upon the fall, the mind of man shrank from its primitive greatness and expandedness, to an exceeding smallness and contractedness... Before, his soul was under the government of the noble principles of divine love, whereby it was enlarged to the comprehensiveness of all his fellow creatures and their welfare... [But] sin, like some powerful astringent, contracted his soul to the very small dimensions of selfishness, and God was forsaken, and man retired within himself, and became totally governed by narrow and selfish principles and feelings.”
About This Quote
Source Sermon: “The Nature of True Virtue,” 1745
Human nature shifts from expansive love to selfish contraction when sin dominates, reducing empathy and divine connection.
In simple terms: Sin narrows the heart, limiting love for others.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate humility and divine love to expand compassion.
Themes
spirituality
human nature
sin
compassion
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
theological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- community service
- prayer
- counseling
Key Concepts
theology
psychology
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one recognize the subtle ways selfishness contracts the soul?
- What practices restore a sense of divine love?
A Different Perspective
Sin can also motivate self‑preservation, making change difficult.
![“But it is doubtless true, and evident from [the] Scriptures, that the essence of all true religion lies in holy love; and that in this divine affection, and an habitual disposition to it, and that light which is the foundation of it, and those things which are the fruits of it, consists the whole…” quote by Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fd/jonathan-edwards-770_affection_but-it-is-doubtless-true-and-evident-fro_82879.jpg)
