In the Eighteenth Century, God used Jonathan Edwards to teach and model many great things for the glory of Christ and the edification of the church.

VERSE. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” (Colossians 1:15).

QUOTE. “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary” (Jonathan Edwards).

JONATHAN EDWARDS: RESOLVED TO LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

In the eighteenth century, amidst the shifting tides of colonial America, God raised up Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), a man whose intellectual brilliance, fervent piety, and theological insight illuminated the church and glorified Christ. Edwards’ life, marked by rigorous scholarship, revivalist zeal, and unwavering devotion, stands as a testament to the power of God to use a single soul to edify His people and advance His kingdom. Born on October 5, 1703, in East Windsor, Connecticut, Edwards emerged from a Puritan colony striving to preserve its covenantal faith against a changing cultural landscape. His father, Timothy Edwards, a pastor, and his mother, Esther Stoddard, daughter of the eminent Solomon Stoddard, nurtured him in a home steeped in holiness, where rigorous education in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew complemented a deep reverence for God’s Word. This formative environment shaped Edwards into a thinker and believer whose life would resonate across centuries.

From an early age, Edwards displayed a remarkable curiosity about both the natural world and spiritual matters. At eleven, he penned an essay titled “Of Insects,” marveling at the intricate design of spiders and their webs, which he saw as reflections of God’s creative genius. Yet, his intellectual gifts were matched by a profound wrestling with divine sovereignty, a doctrine he initially found troubling but later embraced with joy. In 1716, at the tender age of thirteen, Edwards enrolled at Yale College in New Haven, a bastion of Puritan thought. There, he encountered the philosophical works of John Locke and the scientific insights of Isaac Newton, which sharpened his intellectual and theological outlook. Graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1720 and a Master’s degree in 1723, Edwards prepared for a life of ministry and scholarship, his mind honed by rigorous study and his heart stirred by divine truth.

In 1721, at seventeen, Edwards experienced a profound conversion while meditating on 1 Timothy 1:17: “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Reflecting on this moment, he wrote, “There came into my soul… a sense of the glory of the Divine Being; a new sense, quite different from anything I ever experienced before… I thought with myself, how excellent a Being that was, and how happy I should be, if I might enjoy that God” (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 16, p. 792). This encounter with God’s majesty transformed Edwards, anchoring his life to the pursuit of divine glory and setting the stage for his future labors.

Edwards’ early ministry included a brief pastorate at a Presbyterian church in New York from 1722 to 1723, where his maturity belied his youth. Returning to Yale as a tutor from 1724 to 1726, he refined his calling amidst academic rigor. In 1727, Edwards joined his grandfather Solomon Stoddard as assistant pastor in Northampton, Massachusetts, and married Sarah Pierrepont, whose deep piety and grace complemented his ministry. Their union, blessed with eleven children, became a cornerstone of Edwards’ personal and pastoral life. Initially, Edwards grappled with pride in his intellectual gifts, but God humbled him, leading him to adopt a simpler, Christ-centered preaching style that relied on the Spirit’s power rather than human eloquence.

In 1734–1735, Edwards’ preaching ignited a revival in Northampton, chronicled in his work A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God. He described the awakening: “The Spirit of God began extraordinarily to set in, and wonderfully to work amongst us… There was scarcely a single person in the town, old or young, left unconcerned about the great things of the eternal world” (A Faithful Narrative, p. 13). This revival, part of the First Great Awakening alongside the efforts of George Whitefield, marked Edwards as a pivotal figure in American Christianity. On July 8, 1741, he delivered his most famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, in Enfield, Connecticut. With vivid imagery, he proclaimed, “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider… abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked… it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment” (Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, p. 15). Listeners trembled under the weight of God’s wrath and grace, cementing Edwards’ role as a revivalist whose words pierced the heart.

In 1747, Edwards welcomed David Brainerd, a young missionary ravaged by tuberculosis, into his home. Brainerd died that year at age twenty-nine, but Edwards, recognizing the power of his story, edited and published Brainerd’s journal as the first missionary biography, a work that inspired generations of missionaries. Edwards’ own ministry, however, faced challenges. In 1750, after twenty-three years in Northampton, he was dismissed due to his strict stance on limiting the Lord’s Supper to professing believers, a painful yet pivotal moment that redirected his path.

From 1751 to 1757, Edwards served as a missionary to Native Americans in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In this remote outpost, he penned theological masterpieces such as Freedom of the Will and The End for Which God Created the World, advancing Calvinist theology with unparalleled clarity and depth. In 1758, Edwards accepted the presidency of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton), but his life was cut short on March 22, 1758, when he died at age fifty-four from a smallpox inoculation. His death, though premature, could not extinguish the enduring legacy of his theological insight and revivalist fervor.

Edwards’ love for study was legendary; he often rose at 4 a.m. to spend thirteen hours daily with books, blending reason and affection in works that exalted God’s glory. His personal tastes, such as a fondness for chocolate—often requesting travelers to Boston to bring some back—revealed a relatable humanity beneath his towering intellect. Above all, Edwards loved the Triune God, declaring, “The happiness of the creature consists in rejoicing in God, by which also God is magnified and exalted” (The End for Which God Created the World, p. 432). This passion defined his life and death, making him a model of devotion for the church.

The Theological Legacy of Jonathan Edwards

Edwards’ theological contributions, rooted in Scripture and articulated with precision, continue to shape Christian thought. First, he taught that God created all things for His glory, as expounded in The End for Which God Created the World. Drawing from Psalm 19:1—“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”—and Isaiah 43:7—“Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made”—Edwards asserted, “The end of the creation is that the creation might glorify [God]. What is glorifying God, but a rejoicing at that glory He has displayed?” (The End for Which God Created the World, Dissertation II, Chapter VII). This doctrine calls believers to live with God’s glory as their ultimate aim, finding joy in magnifying the Creator through every thought, word, and deed.

Second, Edwards proclaimed that sinners deserve the wrath of God, a truth vividly captured in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Citing Deuteronomy 32:35—“To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time”—he warned, “The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood” (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 22, p. 410). This sobering reality underscores the urgency of repentance and the necessity of Christ’s mercy, urging sinners to flee to the Savior before it is too late.

Third, Edwards exalted the excellence of Christ, as articulated in The Excellency of Christ. Grounded in Colossians 1:15–20, which declares Christ as “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,” Edwards wrote, “Christ, as he is God, is infinitely great and high, above all comprehension; and yet, as he is man, he is meek and lowly of heart, and invites us to come unto him with boldness and confidence” (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 19, p. 570). This dual nature—divine majesty and human humility—reveals Christ as the perfect mediator, worthy of adoration and trust. Believers are called to marvel at His excellence and draw near to Him with confidence.

Fourth, Edwards affirmed that Christ is victorious, a theme developed in A History of the Work of Redemption. Referencing Daniel 2:35—“But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth”—he declared, “The latter days are spoken of as the time when the Work of Redemption shall be accomplished in its perfection, when the kingdom of Christ shall be set up over all the earth in the most glorious manner” (A History of the Work of Redemption, p. 456). This eschatological hope assures believers that Christ’s triumph is certain, inspiring perseverance in the face of trials and opposition.

Fifth, Edwards modeled that Christ is worthy of all devotion, as seen in his Seventy Resolutions. Rooted in 1 Corinthians 10:31—“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God”—Edwards resolved, “Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will” (The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 16, p. 753). His life exemplified wholehearted devotion, challenging believers to dedicate every aspect of their existence to Christ, regardless of circumstances or cultural pressures.

Conclusion

In the eighteenth century, God used Jonathan Edwards to teach and model profound truths for the glory of Christ and the edification of the church. His life, though brief, was a radiant testimony to the supremacy of God’s glory, the urgency of the gospel, the excellence and victory of Christ, and the call to unwavering devotion. Let us memorize this verse as we remember Edwards, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15), and memorize and embrace Edwards’ sobering yet liberating truth: “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” May his legacy inspire us to live for God’s glory, proclaim Christ’s excellence, and trust in His victorious reign, that we, too, may magnify the Triune God in all we do.