Who was Jonathan Edwards?

Jonathan Edwards, one of the early presidents of Princeton College, was born in the year 1703, at East Windsor, Conn.

At the same time, I think that the resemblance is stronger to such a dealing of God as the Reformation. For a revival is more a work of awakening sinners; whereas this was a recall of the people of God also to their place from idols and profanity. No doubt sinners were awakened, but there was a loud call to the people of God generally to hear the word of God instead of acquiescing in their own declension and dishonour. Now this is not always the case. We hear of some such effects locally; for instance in the revival which God wrought by Jonathan Edwards and others of his day in their districts of America. The Whitfield-Wesleyan movement was widespread in arousing sinners, but extremely partial as to any dealings with the state of Christian people. They were both, however zealous, too ignorant of the word and ways of God to help the church of God to any appreciable extent. I need not speak much of the comparatively recent revival chiefly in the North of Ireland, which spread over various parts of the world about the same time; but it seems plain that whatever may be God's goodness in a revival, it is in general a rebuke to the wickedness of man in its day — a strong reclamation on God's part against the routine in which the mass consent to go on, as well as a display of grace exceptionally. But the effect of slighting such a summons of His, not only in others, but even in those who have shared the revival and thus enjoyed blessing from God, leaves them as the rule in a worse state than before. This seems to have always been the history of such movements.

A time of peace (428) it will be. But Israel will be definitely owned as God's people, (Isaiah 11) which cannot be while the gospel endures; a fact which, of itself, suffices to overthrow Dr. Brown's system. Isaiah 2 I have examined. Micah 4 equally refers to Israel in the most explicit way, and judgment and vengeance on the heathen "such as they have not heard," and Christ's presence in Israel after Israel had been given up for rejecting Him. Its application to the last days is as plain as language can make it. Dr. B. says, the Millennium will be distinguished by much spiritual power and glory (431), and to prove it, quotes the revival in Northampton under President Edwards. He afterwards quotes Isaiah 56 and 60, both referring exclusively and expressly to Jerusalem and the Jews: the former insisting on the judgment of the Gentiles, the latter, as we have seen, of all flesh. To quote Rom 11:26–29 is more than boldness. It is adduced as a description of the Millennium, as it surely is, and declares that then there shall come out of Zion the deliverer to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Nor is that all. It is explicitly contrasted with the gospel, "as concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sakes." So far from Israel being brought in by the gospel, they were enemies as regards that, yet as a nation (as which they cannot possibly come into the church where there is neither Jew nor Gentile) they are beloved for the fathers' sake; a principle which can have no place in the gospel as we possess it at all. And in quoting Zechariah Dr. B. is obliged to add "by faith;" "they look (by faith) on Him." What right has he to change the express text of scripture? "Thomas, because thou hast seen, thou hast believed; blessed are they who have not seen who have believed." Hence there are those who believe not having seen, and those who believe when they see. And in Revelation we find "behold He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they who pierced Him." And in the passage itself, the next preceding verse, the Lord destroys the nations which come against Jerusalem: all the people of the earth being gathered together against it. It is the day of the Lord, we further read, and His feet stand on Mount Olivet. Is it not as clear as daylight in all these passages that it is a time of judgment and display of the Lord's power, as different from the gospel as one thing can be from another?

"When I was a boy," he says, "some years before I went to college, at a time of remarkable awakening in my father's congregation, I was very much affected for many months, and concerned about the things of religion and my soul's salvation, and was abundant in religious duties. My affections were lively and easily moved, and I seemed to be in my element when engaged in religious duties. But in process of time my convictions and affections wore off, and I returned like a dog to his vomit, and went on in the ways of sin. But God would not suffer me to go on with any quietness; I had great and violent inward struggles, till I was brought wholly to break off all my former wicked ways, and all ways of known outward sins, and to apply myself to seek salvation in a manner that I never was before; I felt a spirit to part with all things in the world for an interest in Christ. My concern continued and prevailed, with many exercising thoughts and inward struggles; but yet it never seemed proper to express that concern by the name of terror.

"From about that time I began to have a new kind of apprehension and idea of Christ and the work of redemption, and the glorious way of salvation by Him. An inward, sweet sense of these things at times came into my heart, and my soul was led away in pleasant views and contemplations of them. This I know not how to express otherwise than by a calm, delightful abstraction of the soul from all the concerns of this world; and sometimes a kind of vision, or fixed ideas and imaginations of being alone in the mountains or some solitary wilderness, far from all mankind, sweetly conversing with Christ, and wrapped and swallowed up in God. The sense I had of divine things would often of a sudden kindle up an ardor in my soul that I know not how to express. As I was walking and looking up on the sky and clouds, there came into my mind a sweet sense of the glorious majesty and grace of God, that I know not how to express. I seemed to see them both in a sweet conjunction — majesty and meekness joined together; it was a sweet, and gentle, and holy majesty; and also a majestic meekness — a high, great, and holy gentleness."

"I have loved the doctrines of the gospel; they have been to my soul like green pastures. The gospel has seemed to me the richest treasure, the treasure that I have most desired, and longed that it might dwell richly in me. The way of salvation by Christ has appeared glorious and excellent, most pleasant and most beautiful. It has often seemed to me that it would in a great measure spoil heaven to receive it in any other way."

Chapter 3. But there are in the hearts of the saints affections which grace produces.

What a contrast the conversion of this amiable, gentle man presents with some of those previously recorded. God's heavenly grace appears to have fallen on his soul like the gentle dew of a summer's night; while with others it fell, after a long-felt drought, in a sudden downpour of blessing, amid the thunder and lightning and tempest of God's wrath against sin, and the fierce opposing conflicts of the unseen powers of hell. But in every instance of real conversion it is the Spirit's work giving a knowledge of sin and glimpses of God's holiness, coupled with a sense, more or less distinct, of the work of redemption wrought out by Christ upon the cross.