CHURCHCHURCH HISTORY IIHISTORY IILesson 23Lesson 23

The Life of Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards

“No man is more relevant to the present condition of Christianity than Jonathan Edwards. . . . He was a mighty theologian and a great evangelist at the same time. . . .He was pre-eminently the theologian of revival. If you want to know anything abouttrue revival, Edwards is the man to consult.”

D. Martin Lloyd-Jones

“The history of religious revival proves thatall real, spiritual awakenings of the nationalmind have been those in which God and notman, has been the prime mover.”

Octavius Winslow

Apostolic Church

Apostolic Fathers

Church Councils

Church History

Ca. 30AD 590 AD 1517 AD

Golden Age of Church Fathers

Reformation & Counter Reformation

Rationalism, Revivalism, & Denominationalism

Revivalism, Missions, & Modernism

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Ancient Church History Medieval Church History Modern Church History

The Pre-Reformers

The First Medieval Pope

The Rise of the Holy Rom Emp

The Crusades

The Papacy in Decline

Why so little about J. Edwards?

Recent History

No Political/State Involvement

No Church Break

Secular Historians Can’t Understand His Significance

Reformed Theology Not Vogue

Oliver Wendell Holmes – “If Edwards had lived a hundred years later and breathedthe air of freedom, he could not have written with such old-world barbarism as we find in his volcanic sermons”

Henry B. Parkes (1930) – “As a religious figure, his is the greatness of religious‘tragedy’ being that even for the greatest intellect in the history of American Christianity,his inherited Calvinistic beliefs were too strong for him to overcome.”

Ola Winslow – viewed Edwards as a prisoner in an outworn, obsolete theological system – “his bondage seems almost a tragic pity.”

Herbert Schneider – “His philosophical insight was buried under the ruins of his religion.He failed to see the futility of insisting on the Puritan principles.”

Perry Miller – “The life of Edwards is a tragedy . . . . Because of his faith Edwards wrought incalculable harm.”

When did Jonathan Edwards Live?

• 1607 Jamestown established• 1621 First Thanksgiving, Plymouth, Mass.• 1630 3,000 colonist live in VA; 300 in Mass.• 1680 William Penn receives charter for PA• 1700 Boston, Mass. Has 7,000 people

New York Has 6,000 people

• 1732 George Washington Born

• 1743 Thomas Jefferson Born

• 1706 Benjamin Franklin Born

An Overview of the Life ofJonathan Edwards

Age

1703 Jonathan Edwards born

Jonathan Edward’s Family Tree

Solomon Stoddard = Esther Wareham

12 Children

Rev. Timothy Edwards = Esther Stoddard

Jonathan Edwards = Sarah Pierrepont

b - October 5, 1703d - March 22, 1758

11 Children – 10 girls, 1 boy

11 Children – 3 boys, 8 girls

Age1703 Jonathan Edwards is born1716 Enters Yale

1722 Called to Pastor in NY – Presby. Congregation1721 Converted**

1724 Tutor’s at Yale Briefly

1727 Marries Sarah Pierrepont

1726 Assoc. Minister @ Northampton w/ Grandfather Solomon Stoddard

1734 Revival Breaks Out1729 Becomes Full Pastor at Northampton

1318192123

242631

1737 Edwards Defends the Revival341740 1st Great Awakening1750 Dismissed as Pastor @ Northampton

3747

An Overview of the Life ofJonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards dismissal from Northampton

Book Incident

Salary Issue

Admission to the Lord’s Table

Ungodly membership & family loyalty

Results of His Dismissal

Opportunity to write

Missionary Outreach & Emphasis

Age1703 Jonathan Edwards is born1716 Enters Yale

1722 Called to Pastor in NY – Presby. Congregation1721 Converted

1724 Tutor’s at Yale Briefly

1727 Marries Sarah Pierrepont

1726 Assoc. Minister @ Northampton w/ Grandfather Solomon Stoddard

1734 Revival Breaks Out1729 Becomes Full Pastor at Northampton

1758 Accepts Presidency of the College of N.J.

1318192123

2426

1740 1st Great Awakening1750 Dismissed as Pastor @ Northampton

1737 Edwards Defends the Revival

1751 Called to Stockbridge – Pastor/Missionary

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An Overview of the Life ofJonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards -The Man

Wife - Sarah

3 sons – all graduated from Princeton8 daughters – 3 daughters married Yale graduates, one was

Burr, another Timothy Dwight fore bearer of 3 Yale presidents

Parsonage

Well orderedSarah ran most of domestic dutiesOften Jonathan would miss a meal because of studiesNumerous visitors

Aloofness/distance/reflectiveConstantly making notes from his thoughts – during his writing period

he was able to draw from these thoughtsGracious, but not gregarious

The only son of eleven childrenEntered Yale at the age of 13 and graduated the head of his class

She was criticized by some for being too fashionable

Jonathan Edwards -The Pastor

Study - “13 hours a day in the study”

His primary focus was the Lord’s day2 sermons on Sunday, 1 on Thursday

Personal communion with God must come first

Sermon Manuscripts

Written word for word – reading sermons? Outlines

Edward did not visit his congregation unless requestedHe did encourage visits into home/study

Sermon Delivery

Unconverted

Newly Converted

Northampton

Stockbridge Ministry

The Writings of Jonathan Edwards

1719 Of Insects1721 Of the Rainbow

Of Light RaysNatural PhilosophyOf AtomsOf Being

1722 ResolutionsDiaryMiscellanies

1738 A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God1741 The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God1746 Some Thoughts Concerning Religious Affections

1754 A Careful & Strict Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of thatFreedom of Will

The Great Doctrine of Original Sin DefendedThe End for Which God Created the World

1720’s - The Middle Colonies

1730’s – The New England Colonies

1740 – 1750’s – The Southern Colonies

The Great Awakening 1730-40’s

The Great Awakening was a glorious work of God whereby He causeda period of intense spiritual revival and conversions that enlarged thechurch with true members and quickened them to Christian duty.

George Whitfield – common link between Great Britain and Colonial Revivals.

Opposition to the Great Awakening

1741 – “The Distinguishing Marks of a work of the Spirit God, Applied to thatuncommon Operation that has lately appeared on the Minds of many ofthe People of New England”. Sermon given at Yale

1742 – Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion in NewEngland, in 1742. 378 page book

May 1743 – 400 ministers convened in Boston to debate the validity of the recent revival – they publish a list of “errors and disorders” & denied thata true revival has occurred.

July 1743 – a Counter Convention is called to affirm revival

Why this dissension & split?

Old Lights vs. New Lights

“Old Lights” who were anti-revival, alienated by the “New Light” criticism. Held to acold, rational approach, to religion. With the new “Age of Reason”, they rejectedCalvinism & particularly the doctrine of total depravity & God’s sovereign role insalvation. They opposed the supernaturalism, the emotionalism and the radicalismof the revival.

1. They were offended by the “new” type of preaching.

2. They opposed experimental religion.

4. There was a great dislike to the historic Calvinism which was gainingstrength thru the Great Awakening.

3. The Great Awakening brought a revived orthodoxy into collision with ideas which had been slowly replacing it.

“Old Light” reaction was so strong against the revivals that by mid centurythe Congregational churches were no longer a potent influence in New Eng.

“New Lights” were pro-revival and had sharp words for those opposing theGreat Awakening.

Tennent – “The body of the clergy were as great strangers to the feeling experienceof the new birth as Nicodemus who talked like a fool about it. Isn’t this the reasonwhy a work of conviction and conversion has been so rarely heard of, for a longtime, in the churches, till of late, viz. That the bulk of her spiritual guides werestone-blind and stoned-dead.”

He also stated that all were Pharisees, hypocrites, carnal unregenerate wretches,both ministers and people, who do not think just as I do, particularly as to the Doctrines of Calvinism.

Whitfield said that, “Many, nay most that preach (in Conn & Mass) I fear, donot experimentally know Christ, yet I cannot see much worldly advantage to tempt them to take up the sacred function.”

Radicals – James Davenport who preached long, unprepared, rantingdiscourses in which he attacked many leading ministers as beingunconverted. Was able to capitalize on the emotions for popularity.

Edwards believed that the revival did not continue because friends of the revivalbegan to focus on carnal ‘enthusiasm’ and God was grieved.

Zeal became too fervent – visions, revelations, and strong impressions. Sudden physical collapses, outcries, and swoonings. To many noise,excitement and spiritual power were all one.

1746 – A Treatise Concerning the Religious Affections

Jonathan Edwards: His Contributions

Preacher

Revivalist

Missionary

Theologian