One of my dearest friends (we’ve spent hundreds of hours together!) is Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), indisputably the greatest intellect produced on American soil. Edwards is known for one sermon; his famous “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, which was mightily used for the conversion of many during the Great Awakening. But Edwards should be known for so much more. He was a true renaissance man, conversant in the sciences, theology, literature, music, and much more.
Because of his fearless Reformed preaching and insistence upon a clear profession of faith before people could take communion, 90% of his congregational church in Northampton, Massachusetts voted to fire him. Even though he had an international reputation and had been greatly used in the conversion of many and had been the pastor for 22 years, the church dismissed him. His “Farewell Sermon” (from 2 Corinthians 1:14) is one of the most remarkable sermons I’ve ever read. It’s noteworthy for its tenderness and complete lack of bitterness.
After considering several options in Scotland and the Colonies, Edwards shocked the world by taking a call to be a missionary to the Mohican and Mohawk Indians in the area of Stockbridge on the western frontier of Massachusetts. This actually should not have been a great surprise for Edwards had trained and mentored several missionaries himself, including the almost legendary David Brainerd. He had also penned “An Humble Attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God’s people in extraordinary prayer, for the revival of religion and the advancement of Christ’s kingdom on earth”, an early treatise on the necessity of concerted prayer for the success of missions.
When Edwards moved his family to Stockbridge and took up his ministry among the Indians there were many critics who did not think that Edwards could “come down” to their level. But, for the next 7 years, Edwards happily and faithfully preached, pastored and evangelized in their midst. He took a special joy in crossing cultural and linguistic boundaries to bring the Gospel to them, sure in the knowledge that Christ had promised to save people from every nation, tribe, people and tongue (Revelation 7:9).
In addition to serving as their pastor, Edwards also became an advocate for the Indians on financial and legal matters, much to the chagrin of many white settlers. Edwards also served as headmaster of a boarding school for Indian children and lodged some of them in his own home. Under his tutelage this was the first school for Indians that taught girls as well as boys!
Reading Edwards sermons from this period is fascinating. His preaching gets simpler, he stays largely in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. He uses parables heavily. And he develops great powers of imagery and metaphor, striving for familiar figures of speech. His sermons are shorter and quicker to the point. Calvinistic theology is clearly present in almost every sermon.
On Sunday, August 1, in preparation for communion, Edwards preached a short (for him!) sermon on Psalm 1:3 (“He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water”) entitled “Christ is to the heart like a river to a tree planted by it”. By way of analogy Edwards shows how just as a tree cannot live without water from the river, so we cannot live without Christ. But upon being placed IN CHRIST – by repentance and faith – we thrive and bear fruit.
As we prepare to celebrate the sacrament of communion this Sunday morning, listen to some of Edwards closing exhortations:
As the waters of a river refresh the tree, so Christ refreshes the heart of the believer continually and makes it rejoice. As the waters of a river give life and keep the tree alive, so Christ enlivens the heart and makes it grow, beautiful and fruitful;
If you are a saint, then Christ IS sweet and refreshing, even life-giving to you.
- The Well-Ordered Home - May 16, 2017
- Grace-Based Parenting - March 8, 2017
- The Civil Government Has Asked Us to Pray - November 16, 2016
