Tuesday with Edwards….on Thursday. Hey I have 4 ½ feet of snow on the ground. That sounds pretty until you remember that you need to shovel your driveway. But I digress…
In this selection from Continuing God’s Presence, delivered in July 1737, was given in hopes of rekindling the revival that the people of Northampton had experienced in 1734-35. That revival had dramatic effects on the town and had made Edwards and his church a focus of interest not only in the colonies but in Britain as well.
The revival started with the sudden death of two of the younger people in the town. In Edwards’ own words,
And in April [1734] there was a very sudden and awful death of a young man in town, in the very bloom of his youth, who was violently seized with a pleurisy and taken immediately out of his head, and died in two days; which much affected many young people in the town. This was followed with another death of a young married woman, who was in great distress in the beginning of her illness, but was hopefully converted before her death; so that she died full of comfort, and in a most earnest and moving manner, warning and counselling others, which I believe much contributed to the solemnizing of the spirits of the young people in the town; and there began evidently to appear more of a religious concern upon people’s minds (Jonathan Edwards, “A Faithful Narrative,” in The Great Awakening, ed. C. C. Goen, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 4 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1972) page 100).
It ended with the gruesome suicide of Edwards’ own uncle Joseph Hawley on June 1, 1735.
This was one of many sermons in the aftermath of that event aimed at recovering from what Edwards saw as a devastating spiritual attack on the town.
You can read Continuing God’s Presence in its entirety at the Jonathan Edwards Center website at www.edwards.yale.edu. This selection is from Sermons and Discourses, 1734-1738, ed. M.X. Lesser, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 19 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001) pages 393-395.
***
When God pours out his Spirit on a people, there are many blessed tokens of his presence and mercy amongst them. God is present everywhere, for he fills heaven and earth; but the way in which he is especially present with his people, is by his Spirit. When he pours out his Spirit on a people, he does as it were leave the heavens, and come down and dwells. And then there are many glorious tokens of his favor and mercy to be seen amongst them: it makes a most happy and blessed alteration amongst a people. When God is thus amongst a people, he brings salvation with him.
There is at such a time a happy and blessed alteration made in many persons. Sinners are reformed of their wicked practices; and not only so, but many are savingly changed. They are turned from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God. Poor captived souls are delivered and rescued from Satan’s cruel bondage. ‘Tis a time of redemption out of captivity: ’tis a joyful time amongst poor enslaved captives, when there comes a time of redemption, that they may return again to their own land. A time of the pouring out of God’s Spirit, is a time wherein Satan’s kingdom falls, and the kingdom of Christ is erected: Christ rides triumphant amongst them in the chariot of salvation. Such a time is a time wherein there is an happy alteration in many persons to the appearance of the world. Many that used to be vicious persons, profane persons, or sinful persons, or contentious persons; that used to behave themselves very unbecomingly, and do a great deal of mischief, and were a nuisance where they lived; they become virtuous, religious, and pious persons, and become blessing persons. That is an happy time, when “the wolf dwells with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid.” Such a time is a time, wherein a spirit of love and peace prevails amongst a people, which renders an happy time. An end is put in a great measure to a spirit of contention and strife, whispering, backbiting, and revenge.
Such a time is a time, wherein salvation comes into many houses; and there is great cause given for the voice of joy and praise in many families. Such a time is a time, wherein are the tokens of God’s presence and blessing with ordinances. At another time, [the] Word {and ordinances are} preached in vain. {At another time}, ministers study and labor from week to week to but little purpose; {they} sow much, but bring in little; {there are} but little fruits to be seen. {At another time}, men give the Word a hearing, but go on careless and {senseless}, as they used to do: the fisherman toils all night and catches nothing. But at such a time as when God pours {out his Spirit}, the Word and ordinances have some good effect: the husbandman sees the fruit of his labor.
[At such a time, there are more of the] tokens of God’s presence on sabbaths. Sabbaths are like sabbaths, prized {amongst a people}, precious days. {Sabbaths} are kept in some measure, as sabbaths ought to be {amongst a people}: and at such a time, a sabbath’s blessing is given to many on sabbath days.
[At such a time, there are more of the] tokens of God’s presence in public assemblies. At another time, there is indeed a form of public worship; but there is a great appearance of dullness and lifelessness. {At another time}, many seem not to regard what they are about. But at such a time, God is worshipped more in the beauty of holiness.
At such [a] time, there are more of the tokens of God’s presence in private families and companies. Whereas at other times, the conversation is chiefly about things that are vain and unprofitable, now it is chiefly of the things of God and religion. Such a time is a joyful time in a town, as ’tis said when there was a great pouring out of the Spirit of God in the city of Samaria. Acts 8:8, “[And there was] great joy in that city.”
Such a time as this, seems to be intended in Canticles 2:10–13. “My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 