Jonathan Edwards is probably the most well known "fire and brimstone" preacher in history, and of course, he is one of my heroes in the faith. In a day where it is so unpopular to mention the reality of Hell and the terrors of it, it is quite a jolt to read Edwards' work. It is actually refreshing to those whose hearts burn for the glory of God, I think.
Edwards was born October 5, 1703 and died March 22, 1758. He is one of the mighty men of God used during the Great Awakening in America. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy acknowledged Edwards to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian in history. This man, by the special grace of God, contributed much to the Kingdom of God.
He was genius. By the age of 6 he had mastered Latin. He entered college, at YALE no less, at the age of 12 and graduated as valedictorian at 16. He began his significant writings at the age of 10 and had the mind to write on so many different things like nature and metaphysics, philosophy, (biblical) Calvinistic theology, church history, biographical works (such as David Brainerd), revival, and various aspects of science. By the age of 20 he took on his first pastorate and ultimately became associate pastor of Northampton at the age of 23 and senior pastor upon his grandfather's death when he was 25. This was a large influential church but in his boldness and genius (and I would argue, the power of the Holy Spirit) he shook the church to the core. He challenged their religiosity and stood up against the unbiblical practice of the Half-Way Covenant (look it up).
Jonathan Edwards was a scholar pastor who spent 13 hours a day in his study! He would often forego meals to spend all of his day in study. He was not a very charismatic personality, yet mighty things happened when he spoke. He was criticized for the highly emotional things that took place under his preaching like "swooning, outcries, and convulsions." He spoke out against these things saying they were not proof that God's Spirit was at work, yet when he preached sometimes men would be so gripped and their affections so stirred by the Word and power of God that various reactions occurred. Some historians report that Edwards was actually a soft-spoken preacher who read his manuscript. He was so passionate though and his words so Holy Spirit drenched that hearers would be drawn in and on the edge of the pews with fingers clenched to the seat by the end.
Everyone should read his most popular sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Which was used so mightily of God the second time he preached it, not the first...
(You can also listen to Mark Dever preach this sermon here.)
Also, preachers would greatly benefit from reading John Piper's notes on preaching from life and ministry of Jonathan Edwards in the book The Supremacy of God in Preaching.
Oh how we can learn from those who have gone before us...
mw
2 comments:
I love how he balanced all the "fahr-n-brimstone" stuff with Joy, as well. If you're only exposed to his "Sinners in the hands..." sermon (as I was when I was younger), you just envision this mean dude with a permenant scowl, but that really wasn't him at all, hm?
Absolutely. I remember how negatively I perceived him in High School after studying a portion of "Sinners in the Hands..." This sermon was preached out of great compassion actually. He did not hate the congregation, but rather cared deeply and that is why he went into the vivid imagery and detail about the terrors of hell and God's wrath that he did.
Post a Comment