A Devotion from Jonathan Edwards

In my Father’s house are many rooms. —John 14:2

There are sufficient and suitable accommodations for all sorts of persons: for persons of all nations and all conditions and circumstances, for those who have been great sinners as well as for moral livers; for weak saints and babes in Christ as well as for those who are stronger and more grown in grace. There is in heaven enough for the happiness of everyone, an accommodation for everyone who will hearken to the calls of the gospel.

The disciples were very different from Christ: he was the Shepherd and they the sheep; he was the glorious, holy Son of God, they were poor, sinful, corrupt people. But Christ encourages them that there will be room in heaven for them, for there were many rooms there. As in a king’s palace there is not only a room of state built for the king himself and for his eldest son and heir, but there are many rooms, for all his children, attendants, and servants.

When God made heaven in the beginning of the world, he intended it for an everlasting dwelling for a vast and innumerable multitude. When heaven was made, it was intended and prepared for all those particular persons whom God had from eternity designed to save. And that is a very great and innumerable multitude. Heaven was built so as most conveniently to accommodate all this multitude, as a house that is built for a great family is built large and with many rooms in it; as a palace that is built for a great king is built very large with a great many apartments; as a house of public worship that is built for a great congregation is built very large with many seats in it.

Here is encouragement for sinners who are concerned for the salvation of their souls, such as are afraid that they will never be admitted to any dwelling there and are aware that they are until now in a sad state because they are out of Christ and so have no right to any inheritance in heaven but are in danger of going to hell and having their eternal dwelling fixed there. You may be encouraged by what has been said to earnestly seek heaven, for there is room enough there. Let your case be what it will, there is suitable provision there for you, and if you come to Christ, he’ll see to it that you will be well accommodated in heaven.