Historical Perspectives: Jonathan Edwards
Jonathan Edwards was born on October 5, 1703 in East Windsor, Connecticut. At the age of 13, he enrolled in Yale University and began to write the first of many papers on philosophy and metaphysics. Though it seems a young age to us now, in the eighteenth century college enrollment happened in the teenage years. Since Edwards did not need to work on the family farm — his family consisted of Congregational ministers — he began working toward a degree.
Time spent at Yale exposed him to the works of Newton and other prominent scientists of the day. Their discoveries fascinated Edwards, for he saw in natural laws the wisdom and character of God. He authored papers on natural philosophy, light, and optics. He explored works of philosophy. By all accounts, Edwards made full use of his education for the purpose it was intended: preparation for a successful life. He did take leave of his education for a time to serve in ministry to congregations in New York and Connecticut, but returned to Yale and received a Masters of Arts degree at age 21 (1724).
At the age of 22, Edwards took the pastorate of his grandfather’s church in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was here that he would see the first waves of the Great Awakening. During a six-month period in 1733-1734, nearly three hundred people joined the church at Northampton. The revival continued to grow and spread, and Edwards published several works to help other ministers prepare their churches and convey the Gospel message.
The revival was arrested by an epidemic of depression and suicidal thoughts among parishoners. Some even acted on these impulses, including Edwards’ own uncle. Edwards himself had never focused on the emotional aspects of revival, being more comfortable with rational argument. He could not stim the tide of emotion against the revival any more than he had encouraged it at the start — which is to say, not at all. The Great Awakening returned to slumber.
Biographers note that Edwards’ education played strongly into his style of address and form of argument. The majority of his sermons were not emotional or dramatic. His most famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” (1741) is in fact an exceptional example designed to spur action in a lethargic congregation. In fact, this “fire and brimstone” sermon was written during the second wave of revival, which began with George Whitefield’s revival tour of 1739-1740.
In Jonathan Edwards’ life, we see the value of preparation and the danger of only preparing for logical argument. We see the power of God at work in a man who appreciated the expression of God’s grace and power from the shape of a raindrop to the motion of the stars. May his life inspire you to continue learning and preparing yourself — perhaps your world needs an Awakening.
Interesting. We are again reminded that there can be great maturity and productivity in the teen years.
As to the balance of revival: we are told to worship in spirit and in truth. It’s hard to tell if people went overboard in spirit or if the enemy came in and sabotaged things in areas they did not understand. Either way, we can learn and be wiser.