Author: drthomasclothier

“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (2 Corinthians 11:30)

Having served the Lord for over two decades in a local church, Jonathan Edwards may have thought that he would enjoy as lengthy a pastorate as his predecessor at Northampton; his grandfather Solomon Stoddard who served over 50 years. This was not to be. 

Instead, Edwards entered a storm of controversy in 1749. It was not a sudden cloudburst but one which had been brewing for some time. The controversy centered on a New England custom called the Halfway Covenant. The tradition permitted a baptized person to have all the privileges of church membership although they had not openly professed conversion to Christ as Savior and Lord.

Edwards strongly objected to the Halfway Covenant. Edwards passionately believed that not only was a public profession of Christianity necessary for church membership, but also that a public profession of faith in Christ should impact one’s behavior in striving to live a holy life.

Edwards’ biographer Iain Murray explains, “His whole case was that the church must not allow a separation between a profession of Christ and conduct which supports that profession, because a profession of the essence of Christianity which should be required of candidates includes such truths as repentance and gospel holiness.”

Edwards biographer George Marsden writes, “That Edwards was willing to sail the foundering ship of his pastorate into the teeth of the storm, knowing well that he and his family were likely to go down, tells us much about his character. First, he was irremediably a man of principle. Once he arrived at a conclusion, he was not ready to give in. Like many eighteenth-century people, he believed that through observation and logic one should be able to settle almost any question. His own logical powers increased his sense that he could settle an issue by argument. Even after he had faced the force of his people’s animosities, he still remained hopeful that he might convince them if only they would read his treatise.  Edwards’ reverence for Scripture enhanced his sense of the authority of whatever beliefs he derived from it. His conviction that the life or death of eternal souls was at stake made him willing to risk his own welfare.”

The conflict between Edwards and those who embraced the Halfway Covenant resulted in Edwards’ dismissal as pastor of Northampton in 1750. As Edwards’ biographer Iain Murray explains, “Even though he saw it coming, and could speak so calmly in his Farewell Sermon, Edwards was undoubtedly shocked by the strangeness and the finality of his dismissal.”  

In writing to a colleague in Scotland regarding his dismissal, Edwards stated, “I am now separated from the people between whom and me there was once the greatest union. Remarkable is the providence of God in the matter. In this event we have the striking instance of the instability and uncertainty of all things here below” Edwards displayed a trust in a holy God that His sovereign plan was perfect, even though sinful, imperfect men carried it to completion.

How could such a thing happen? Marsden states, “That he was willing to risk comfort and status for high principle does not mean he was without fault. For one thing, his brittle, unsociable personality contributed to the breakdown of the once-warm relationship with the townspeople. Try as he might to temper his natural propensities by cultivating Christian virtues of gentleness, charity, and avoiding evil-speaking, he still seemed aloof. He was not able to build up the reserve of personal goodwill that more pastoral ministers enjoyed. Edwards was keenly aware of these failings, and as the disaster developed he suggested a number of times that he might not be suited for anything but writing.”

The Lord often uses His followers by their personalities, and sometimes in spite of their personalities. May we as believers in Christ exercise godly discernment in how we serve the Lord with our whole hearts. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

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On June 22, 1832 Robert Murray McCheyne (1813-1843) wrote in his diary: “I bought Jonathan Edwards’ works.” It was a date McCheyne never forgot. The books were his companions for the rest of his comparatively short life.

In 1929, D. Martin Lloyd-Jones was waiting for a train in Cardiff, South Wales. He found that he had time to spare and as pastors are inclined to do, he made his way to a second-hand book shop.  It was the book store of John Evans. Lloyd-Jones wrote that he got down on his knees and in a corner of the shop, wearing his heavy overcoat, he found the two volume, 1834 edition of the Works of Jonathan Edwards. He purchased the volumes for five shillings. Lloyd-Jones wrote, “I devoured these volumes and literally just read and read them.”  

When Robert Murray McCheyne began to read Edwards and to read about Edwards’ life, he had an experience that maybe we have all had. It can be quite discouraging to read or to hear the biography of another Christian. They appear to be so much more spiritual and godlier than we could ever hope to be.

“How feeble does my spark of Christianity appear beside such a sun. But, even his was a borrowed light and the same source is still open to me, ” wrote McCheyne.

“That changes the whole perspective, doesn’t it? If Jonathan Edwards could speak to us, he would tell us that we are wasting time to look at the borrowed light. We must go to the source and that is what we are seeking to do together. If you look at Edwards from the wrong standpoint, everything is wrong. Some people look at him in terms of a great 18th century figure, thinker, writer, preacher. And that is as far as they go. But we have to look at Edwards, first of all, as a sinner who, by the grace of God, was made a Christian and then called to be a minister of the Word of God. We have to see Edwards as a member of the kingdom of Christ and a teacher of divine Revelation. And when we come to him in that way, we find something that is abiding and permanent,”  one pastor explains,

“The wisdom of God was not given for any particular age, but for all ages,” Edwards said.

We all have our biblical and Christian heroes. For some, it is the Apostles Paul, Peter or John.  For others, it may be Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin or Jonathan Edwards. Contemporary examples of theologians and pastors worthy of respect include R. C. Sproul and John MacArthur.  

However, it is wise to remember that theirs is a borrowed light. We respect these men, and others like them, because they pointed us to the Light of the Word; Jesus Christ. May each of us, as believers in Christ, have the same vision.

Soli deo Gloria!

“He greatly disliked a disposition in persons to much noise and show in religion, and affecting to be abundant in publishing and proclaiming their own experience; though he did not condemn but approved of Christians speaking of their experiences, on some occasions, and to some persons, with modesty, discretion, and reserve.” – Jonathan Edwards’ eulogy for David Brainerd

Jonathan Edwards and David Brainerd became close companions in Christ prior to Brainerd’s death in 1747. However, they became even more closely linked following Brainerd’s death. This is due because after examining Brainerd’s personal papers, Edwards spent close to two years composing a biography of this young missionary.

In 1749, and over 300 pages, Edwards’ An Account of the Life of the Late Reverend Mr. David Brainerd was published. Edwards’ account of David Brainerd was the first biography gaining international acknowledgement and the first about a missionary to be published.

, “At the very time that Edwards was thinking, writing, and praying about the coming era of world missions, a flesh and blood trail blazer of that future age had come to his door. He wanted Brainerd to be read and known not simply as an example of a true missionary but as an example of a real Christian, showing what the power of godliness and vital religion truly is,” explains Edwards’ biographer Iain Murray.

“The Christian life is God-centered living; it means giving reverence to all the commands of God and it is not rapture but habit. The Christian has an experience of God which is of an increasing nature. The motivation is conformity to God, not a longing for experiences as such, ” stated Edwards.

In the immediate aftermath of Brainerd’s death, Jerusha Edwards, Jonathan and Sarah’s daughter and caregiver for Brainerd while he lived in their home, also contracted tuberculosis and died in February, 1748. She was buried next to Brainerd. There are those who speculate that they were romantically involved and perhaps even engaged to be married. However, no evidence exists of such a romantic relationship. Jerusha was the best available nurse for the ill, young missionary. Their friendship was a friendship of Christians.

On that October day of Brainerd’s funeral, as Edwards surveyed the empty bedroom and the manuscripts entrusted to his care, he could indeed say about his friend whose unexpected stay had brought him so much encouragement, ‘I have learned, in a measure, that all good things, relating both to time and eternity, come from God’.”   

I have learned, in a measure, that all good things, relating both to time and eternity, come from God. May this be our perspective today as believers in Christ. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

“For to me. To live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

“I could have no freedom in the thought of any other circumstances or business in life: All my desire was the conversion of the heathen, and all my hope was in God: God does not suffer me to please or comfort myself with hopes of seeing friends, returning to my dear acquaintance, and enjoying worldly comforts.” – David Brainerd   

In 1742, Brainerd was licensed to preach by a group of New Light evangelicals.  As a result, he gained the attention of Jonathan Dickinson, the leading Presbyterian in New Jersey, who unsuccessfully attempted to reinstate Brainerd at Yale. Therefore, Dickinson suggested that Brainerd devote himself to missionary work among the Native Americans, supported by the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge. The society approved Brainerd for this missionary work on November 25, 1742.

In April, 1743, following a brief period serving a church on Long Island, Brainerd began working as a missionary to Native Americans. His first missionary assignment was working at Kaunameek, a Mohican settlement near present-day Nassau, New York. Brainerd remained there for one year.

Later in 1743, he was reassigned to work among the Delaware Indians along the Delaware River northeast of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He remained there for another year, during which he was ordained by the Newark Presbytery. Following this, he moved to Crossweeksung in New Jersey. By 1744, the Native American church at Crossweeksung had 130 members. In 1746, they moved to Cranbury where they established a Christian community.  

In these years, he refused several offers of leaving the mission field to become a local church pastor. Brainard continued his work with the Native Americans, writing in his diary: “I could have no freedom in the thought of any other circumstances or business in life: All my desire was the conversion of the heathen, and all my hope was in God: God does not suffer me to please or comfort myself with hopes of seeing friends, returning to my dear acquaintance, and enjoying worldly comfort.”

He would continue to serve in this missionary work until late 1746 when he became too ill. Along with his physical battle with tuberculosis, he also experienced depression, loneliness, and a lack of food. It is estimated that Brainerd traveled over 3,000 miles on horseback as a missionary.

In November 1746, he became too ill to continue ministering, and so moved to Jonathan Dickinson’s house in Elizabethtown and later to Jonathan Edwards’ house in Northampton, Massachusetts. Apart from a trip to Boston in the summer of that year, he remained at Edwards’s house until his death the following year in 1747.

“David Brainerd died in the Edwards’ home toward day, about six o’clock in the morning, on Friday, October 9^th, 1747. The coming of Brainerd to Northampton was an event of far-reaching importance in Edwards’ life. While the opposite might have been expected, the presence of a dying man, through many weeks, was uplifting to Edwards. For five years past he had been particularly occupied with the nature of true godliness, and it was as he advance in this subject that he became not only isolated from many ministerial neighbors but also from others in his own congregation. In Brainerd, though almost a stranger on his arrival, there was an instinctive unity of mind and spirit,”  writes Edwards’ biographer Iain Murray.

More to come. May it be evidenced by us that for us to live is Christ and to die is gain.  

Soli deo Gloria!

David Brainerd was not a genius, nor an orator. His scholarship was not very remarkable. He laid no foundations of empire. He made no discoveries. He achieved no literary fame. And yet young Brainerd had that in him of which heroes and martyrs are made. He was a representative man of the truest and noblest type. His is a character of such saintliness, of such lofty aims and principles, of such intense loyalty to “Christ and him crucified,” and of such all-absorbing love for souls and desire for God’s glory, that it has left a lasting impression on the Christian Church, and his name will travel down the centuries, hallowed in the memory of the good, and regarded as one of the brightest stars in the constellation of Christian worthies.” – J.M. Sherwood

Even to this day, believers in Christ are influenced by the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards. Numerous books are available which detail his life, his family, his ministry and his legacy. There is no question that Edwards left an enduring legacy.

Edwards’ impact upon the church of Jesus Christ is unquestionable. However, there is one singular individual who made a lasting impact upon Edwards. That individual was the missionary David Brainerd.

David Brainerd (1718 – 1747) was an American Presbyterian minister and missionary to the Native Americans known as the Delaware Indians of New Jersey. Missionaries such as William Carey and Jim Elliot, and Brainerd’s cousin, the Second Great Awakening evangelist James Brainerd Taylor (1801–1829) cite Brainerd as an inspiration in the lives and ministry.

Brainerd was born in Haddam, Connecticut. His parents were Hezekiah, a Connecticut legislator, and Dorothy. Brainerd had nine siblings, one of whom was Dorothy’s from a previous marriage. He was orphaned at the age of nine; his father died in 1727 at the age of 46 and his mother died five years later.  

Following his mother’s death, Brainerd moved to East Haddam to live with one of his older sisters, Jerusha. At the age of nineteen, he inherited a farm near Durham, but returned to East Haddam a year later to prepare to enter Yale College.

Brainerd was converted to Christ when he was twenty-one. On July 12, 1739, he recorded having an experience of “unspeakable glory” that prompted in him a “hearty desire to exalt [God], to set him on the throne and to ‘seek first his Kingdom'”.

In September of that same year, Brainerd enrolled at Yale. While in his second year at Yale, he was sent home because he was suffering from a serious illness that caused him to spit blood. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis.

One historian explains, “When he returned in November 1740, tensions were beginning to emerge at Yale between the faculty staff and the students. This was because the staff considered the spiritual enthusiasm of the students to be excessive. The students fervent behavior of the Lord and His Word had been prompted by visiting preachers such as George Whitefield, Gilbert Tennent, Ebenezer Pemberton and James Davenport. Brainerd was soon expelled because of his derogatory comments about, what he called, the impious Yale faculty. 

Due to a recent law forbidding the appointment of ministers in Connecticut unless they had graduated from Harvard, Yale, or a similar and approved European institution, Brainerd had to reconsider his ministerial plans. 

In 1742, Brainerd was licensed to preach by a group of New Light evangelicals.  As a result, he gained the attention of Jonathan Dickinson, the leading Presbyterian in New Jersey, who unsuccessfully attempted to reinstate Brainerd at Yale. Therefore, Dickinson suggested that Brainerd devote himself to missionary work among the Native Americans, supported by the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge. The society approved Brainerd for this missionary work on November 25, 1742.  

More to come. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Edwards worked hard to correct false notions of piety. His aim was twofold: he cared immensely about the spiritual welfare of his congregation’s souls, and he wanted to save the Awakening from disrepute.” – Dr. Joel Beeke

Jonathan wrote many sermons providing a biblical context and understanding of the Great Awakening. He wanted people to have a correct understanding of what God was doing during that particular time period. While his intentions were understandably focused on the people of Northampton and the 18^th century American colonies, Edwards’ writings benefit believers in Christ living in the 21^st century.

In September of 1741, Edwards explained the Awakening in a sermon entitled The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God. He articulated that non-traditional worship services and emotion neither proved, nor disproved, the moving of God’s grace among people.

“After testing the revival for evidences of true piety, which essentially involved devotion to Jesus as Savior, reverence for and sound interpretation of Scripture, Edwards concluded that it indeed was the work of the Spirit of God,” Dr. Joel Beeke writes,

The First Great Awakening, as previously noted, had both its detractors and supporters. In order to reconcile both sides, Edwards’ wrote Some Thoughts Concerning the Present Revival of Religion. Edwards took great effort to denounce the extremists from both perspectives.

“Edwards enlarges and develops the arguments put forward in his The Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God, with the aim of defending this unprecedented period of revival against the unjust words of its critics and the overzealous excesses of its friends, both of which, he feared, would quench the Spirit and put a stop to the blessing,” an Edwards’ biographer explains.

Edwards sought to answer the following questions. One author states, “What is a revival? How is it to be recognized? Is it a genuine work of the Spirit of God? If it is, then how is revival to be guarded against the spurious errors and unspiritual tendencies of its over-zealous promoters? These are the questions taken up and ably answered by ‘the theologian of revival’, who, in God’s providence, has supplied future generations of Christians with a sure guide on this vital subject.”

When Minister Charles Chauncey (705-1787), of Boston’s famed First Church, denounced the Awakening in Seasonable Thoughts On the State of Religion in New England (1743), Edwards responded with Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (1746). In what is considered one of his most important works, Edwards distinguished between true and false religious experience.

In 1958, biblical commentator Philip Edgcumbe Hughes wrote about Jonathan Edwards in Christianity Today magazine. “Ever since Pentecost, there have been revivals, and there have been other Peters who have won multitudes to Christ. Occasionally and tragically, there have been revivalists who were interested first in the living they could make. As for laymen, too often the Christian experience became a matter of periodicity; in between the annual excitement of being “revived,” they lapsed into a corpse-like coma. Of the meaning of true revival, few seem to have an understanding, ” he stated,

“This year, which marks the two hundredth anniversary of the death of Jonathan Edwards, evangelicals would do well to turn back to the writings of that remarkable man of God who was so notably used as an instrument of revival in New England. They would find of particular interest Edwards’ Faithful Narrative of Surprising Conversions, his Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New England, and his Distinguishing Marks of a Work of the Spirit of God. Add to these the penetrating Treatise on Religious Affections, and you have a study of the subject of revival, its various aspects and operations, which for depth of perception and scriptural insight has never been surpassed, and is as relevant to our day as it was to his.”

“In approaching the discussion of this subject, Edwards has one overruling principle, namely, that “we are to take the Scriptures as our guide” and to resort to them as “an infallible and sufficient rule.” Doing this, we shall recognize that “the Holy Spirit is sovereign in his operation.”

The First Great Awakening can best be summarized in one sentence by Edwards’ himself. “There was an appearance of a glorious progress of the work of God upon the hearts of sinners, in conviction and conversion, this summer and autumn, and great numbers,  I think we have reason to hope, were brought safely home to Christ,” he wrote, in 1741.

May such a work of God, in bringing many souls safely home to Christ, be seen in our lives today. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!   

“Historians call it the First Great Awakening. It remains one of the most significant events in United States history.” – Dr. Stephen J. Nichols

The First Great Awakening had not only its supporters but also its detractors. The movement had its proponents, opponents and zealots. Let’s examine all three.

Jonathan Edwards’ was the First Great Awakening’s strongest supporter, along with evangelist George Whitefield. As one author explains, “If Edwards was the Awakenings great theologian, then Whitefield was the Awakening’s great evangelist.”

Another supporter was Gilbert Tennent. At the time, he was a well-known Presbyterian minister. His sermon The Danger of an Unconverted Ministry caused a strong reaction the church. Dr. Stephen J. Nichols explains, “The sermon helped lead to a split in the Presbyterian church between the New Side and the Old Side. In the Congregational churches, where Edwards roamed, the split was referred to as New Lights and Old Lights.”  

However, there were also opponents to the movement. As previously mentioned, these were the Old Lights. One such detractor was Charles Chauncy. Along with his criticism of the behavior of recent converts and the lack of proper decorum, he was opposed to the movement’s underlying theology, which stressed the sovereignty of God in salvation. This was because Chauncy was a universalist who believed that everyone was destined for heaven.

The zealots were fanatical in their opposition to the First Great Awakening. Whereas the recently converted displayed great emotion in their conversion, ministers like James Davenport displayed great emotion in their opposition. He referred to Edwards, and other pastors like him, as wolves in sheep’s clothing. He also led in public bonfires for the burning of books. Later on, Davenport regretted his actions, but the damage was already done.

Yale College, Edwards’ alma mater, was split down the middle regarding the First Great Awakening. On September 10, 1741 Edwards delivered the annual commencement address for the new school year. His text was I John 4:1-6. He identified five marks which demonstrated an authentic work by the Holy Spirit. The sermon resulted in the published work entitled The Distinguishing Marks of a Word by the Spirit of God (1741).

Edwards set forth five marks to indicate an authentic work by the Holy Spirit. Those marks of a true work (1) raises people’s esteem of Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world; (2) leads them to turn from the corruptions and lusts to the righteousness of God; (3) increases their regard for Holy Scriptures; (4) establishes their minds in the objective truths of revealed religion; and (5) evokes genuine love for God and man.

May these marks of a true work by the Holy Spirit be seen in our lives today. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!

“Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.” (Deuteronomy 32:35 (ESV)

Jonathan Edwards was the most vigorous defender of The Great Awakening. He believed the Holy Spirit truly moved among the people of the American Colonies in 1740-1742. This awakening not only brought about conversions unto salvation in Jesus Christ, but also brought about a renewed commitment by believers in Christ to personal consecration and holiness.

The pinnacle of the Great Awakening occurred on July 8, 1741. Jonathan Edwards was in Enfield, Conn. for a midweek service. He was not scheduled to preach that night. However, the intended preacher became ill and Edwards provided pulpit supply. His text was Deuteronomy 32:35. Dr. Stephen J. Nichols explains what then occurred.

“Edwards delivered what is likely the most famous and the most read sermon ever preached on American soil, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The drama overwhelmed the crowd. They shrieked and cried out. But the drama did not stem from Edwards’ technique. Rather than whoop up the crowd into a frenzy, Edwards waited for the congregation to regain its composure, and then he pressed on in his sermon. The drama came not in the technique but in the truth, the truth of eternal damnation, the truth that all of us are on the precipice of eternal judgment. The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow is pointed directly at us. We are like spiders dangling over the pit of hell, saved from the flames for the time being by a mere thread. God used Edwards’ words to pierce hearts.”

“Edwards equally matched his imagery of judgment with imagery of redemption. Christ has ‘flung the door of mercy wide open and stands in the door crying and calling with a loud voice to poor sinners.’ This was passion for the gospel.”  

“Edwards had preached the sermon a month earlier in his own church with little visible effect. But when he delivered it at Enfield, a powerful revival occurred. Sinners were convicted and souls were shaken. Edwards was forced to motion for silence as people clung to the pews for fear of dropping into hell,” Dr. Steven J. Lawson states

We must again note that drama of that evening was not sourced in Edwards’ preaching technique. The drama was not in technique but rather in truth. Edwards preached the truth of eternal damnation and God’s eternal judgment of sinners without faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. The Holy Spirit brought conviction of sin. This distinguishes Edwards from being a motivational speaker to being a herald of the Word of God.

Eternal damnation is a truth which continues to be denied today, by even some well-meaning pastors. However, it remains a truth to be preached, leading to the gospel to be believed (Romans 1:16-17).

Soli deo Gloria!

“It was no ‘superstitious panic,’ but a plentiful effusion of the Holy Ghost.” – George Whitefield

“Now, God is pleased again to pour out His Spirit upon us; and He is doing great things among us…You have had your life spared through these six years past, to this very time, to another outpouring of the Spirit.” –Jonathan Edwards, 1740.

The surprising work of God broke through the spirit of slumber among the people of Northampton in the 1730’s. Unfortunately, this gave way to “a long season of coldness and indifference” to the Word of God in the beginning of the 1740’s. However, “The Great Awakening broke upon the slumbering churches like a thunderbolt rushing out of a clear sky, ”  one minister wrote.

The Great Awakening, often referred to as the First Great Awakening or the Evangelical Revival, was a series of Christian revivals that swept Britain and its thirteen North American colonies in the 1740s. The revival movement permanently affected Protestant churches as believers in Christ strove to renew their individual holiness and religious devotion to God and His Word.

The Great Awakening marked the emergence of American evangelicalism as a multi-denominational movement within the Protestant churches. The movement built on the foundations of three older traditions: Puritanism, Pietism and Presbyterianism. The major leaders of the revival include evangelist George Whitefield, John & Charles Wesley along with Jonathan Edwards. All of them articulated a theology of recommitment and salvation that transcended denominational boundaries. This helped to forge a common evangelical unity.

Characteristics of the Great Awakening were several. These included a passion for the doctrinal imperatives of the 16^th century Protestant Reformation, an emphasis on the providential outpourings of the Holy Spirit, and the extemporaneous and expository preaching of God’s Word.

“Throughout New England, it is estimated that out of a population of 300,000, between 25,000 and 50,000 new members were added to the churches during the revival,” Dr. Steven J. Lawson states,

People became aware of a sense of deep personal conviction of their need of salvation by Jesus Christ. This repentance of sin and trust in Christ as Savior and Lord also fostered introspection and commitment to a new standard of personal and biblical morality. Revival theology stressed that religious conversion was not only an intellectual assent to correct Christian doctrine but had to be initiated by the “new birth” or regeneration (John 3:1-8). This was done solely by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of God’s Word.. The leading proponents also taught that receiving an assurance of salvation was a normal expectation in the Christian life.

“In 1740–42, God brought about another season of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as awakening came not only to the churches up and down the Colonies, but also in the lands of Old England. In Old England, George Whitefield and brothers John and Charles Wesley preached to tens of thousands—mostly gathered outdoors. Soon, Whitefield crossed the Atlantic and preached to crowds of similar size in the Colonies. An indefatigable evangelist, Whitefield crisscrossed the Atlantic and logged thousands of miles on horseback,” Dr. Stephen J. Nichols explains,

The Great Awakening would produce one of the most famous and most read sermons ever preached in America. Jonathan Edwards would be an instrument God would use to proclaim it. Join us next time as we examine Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.   

Soli deo Gloria!

“Jonathan Edwards’ first letter was an account of the outpouring of the Spirit of God. His first published sermon was a clear proclamation of the sovereignty of God in the work of redemption. His first book chronicled a revival. Awakening was a dominant theme of the life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards.” – Dr. Stephen J. Nichols, 2018.

In 1739 Jonathan Edwards preached a series of thirty sermons in his church at Northampton, Massachusetts. These sermons were based on Isaiah 51:8: “For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.” Edwards crafted a book containing these messages. He entitled the book A History of the Work of Redemption.

A History of the Work of Redemption traced God’s work of redemption from the beginning to the end of history. It was Edwards’ pronouncement of the truth of the gospel.

Whatever originality the book possesses is literary and theological. Edwards’ used figures of speech to connect the events of redemption history. These included the metaphors of a river and its tributaries, a tree and its branches, the construction of a building, the conduct of war, and “a wheel,” or “a machine composed of wheels” reminiscent of Ezekiel’s vision of the divine throne chariot and of clockwork.

The book also consists of Edwards’ examination of typology, the practice of interpreting things, persons, or events (the “type”) as symbols or prefiguration’s of future realities (the “antitype”). Protestants had restricted typology to figures, actions, and objects in the Old Testament which foreshadowed forth Christ as their antitype. Edwards interprets the New Testament typologically as well, arguing that relevant passages prefigure events in the church’s later history. Most radically, Edwards interprets nature typologically.

Finally, Edwards’ placed great emphasis on the objective and historical side of God’s act of redemption. The perspective was rare in Puritanism, which tended to stress the redemption’s application to the individual souls of sinners.

A History of the Work of Redemption is structured as follows.

General Introduction.

I. From the Fall to the Incarnation.

A. From the Fall to the Flood.

B. From the Flood to the calling of Abraham.

C. From Abraham to Moses.

D. From Moses to David.

E. From David to the Babylonian Captivity.

F. From the Captivity to Christ.

G. Improvement of the First PERIOD.

II. From Christ’s Incarnation to his Resurrection.

A. Of Christ’s Incarnation.

B. The Purchase of Redemption.

C. Improvement of the Second PERIOD.

III. From Christ’s Resurrection the End of the World.

A. Scriptural Representations of this PERIOD.

B. How Christ was capacitated for effecting his Purpose.

C. Established Means of Success.

D. How the Success was carried on.

E. To the Destruction of Jerusalem.

A History of the Work of Redemption is available as a free download at monergism.com. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!