Jonathan Edwards on God's Sovereignity

My gracious, Monergist are you using this piece to chastise us all? This guy Edwards took three paragraphs to tell everyone who questions diety, they are a bunch of "louts" and "low-lifes" and very much in danger of losing our salvation.

Who has time for him? He may have something to say, but the sheer volume of words makes it difficult read for meaning.

 

Well done monergist..

Wes... three paragraphs?... Believe me, Monergist took these understanding that to even put J.E's thoughts into 3 paragraphs is like saying the John 3 explains the Bible... He's just given you a glimpse.. Just because J.E. is deep (probably the deepest in theological history) doesn't mean you write him off... In fact it should prompt you to dive in!! JUST TRY IT !! J.E.'s "Religious Affections" is a masterpiece explaining the intentions of the heart!! "The End for which God Created the World" is a born again experience into the Glory of God! Those two books bring me to my knees in tears. But most of all they give ALL the glory to God! (Funny, that's what his books and life where all about)

 

NO! J.E. is no deeper than anyone else, HE IS VERBOSE!

 

"Those who don't understand books written for grown-ups shouldn't comment on them" C.S. Lewis

 

It is not a matter of understanding, it is a matter of weeding through the sheer volume of syllables to arrive at something needing understanding!

 

Why do you think he is verbose?

 

Paul said it like this. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". Edwards took 3 paragraphs to say the same thing.

 

No Wes, Paul took 11 CHAPTERS to say the same thing. And God took 66 books...

 

Wes, Outwest,

Yes, and I think if a preacher cannot preach a message on Sunday morning within twenty minutes to one half hour, their minds will wander, unless I am preaching. I am just kidding folks; lighten up!

A brother in Christ,
Ray

 

rc,

Yes, God had his men who wrote down the mega truths from Jesus, our Lord. Think of the many topics that our Lord covered in those sixty-six books of the Bible, God's holy Word.

 

Yes, and I think if a preacher cannot preach a message on Sunday morning within twenty minutes to one half hour, their minds will wander, unless I am preaching. I am just kidding folks; lighten up!

A brother in Christ,
Ray </font>[/QUOTE]I can preach 20 truthes in twenty minutes Ray, and I am sure you can do the same thing.

 

I read, word for word, Pastor Jonathan Edwards sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God which was preached at Enfield, Connecticut on July 8, 1741. Preaching in his day was somewhat different than in this 21st century.

All of his illustrations were taken from the Bible as in ‘Sodom and . . . ’ which is not wrong, but in our age contemporary illustrations can prove effective.

He held his congregation over Hell repeatedly speaking of His anger, vengeance, and wrath against all sinners, but never mentions even once, the love of God toward human beings, as in John 3:16. This seems to be a foreshadowing of some preaching today. You know, the pick and choose mentality . . .

He did little to explain each verse that he preached; only a one sentence point. In this reality he jumped from one thought to another and you really have to follow him in where he was taking his listeners.

He speaks of being ‘born again’ which was and is good, but much of his theology was rehashed material from the pen of Augustine and John Calvin. Pastor Edwards offered no new information by way of spiritual insights.

I do think, in his defense, that God the Holy Spirit used the truths that he preached to bring men and women to Christ.

 

You should read it again.

"The misery you are exposed to is that which God will inflict to that end, that he might show what that wrath of Jehovah is. God hath had it on his heart to show to angels and men, both how excellent his love is, and also how terrible his wrath is."

"And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God. Many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south; many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are now in a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him who has loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God."
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

 

I disagree with Ray Berrian that "Sinners" never mentions the love of God toward human beings. It is mentioned, but is mentioned rarely, and the topic of God's love is incredibly lacking in context. Edwards' sermon does not accurately portray a picture of God as a whole. Edwards' prime focus is not that God loves us, but that God hates us. It is not bad theology, but it is lacking in full theological context.

 

Sinners in the Hands of an angry God? ... that's it? That's the sum total of your understanding of J.E. ? I weep for you... The only reason why that's popular is because the colledges use it for a 101 class!

Gird up your loins gentlemen and read a real book like Religious Affections, The End For Which God Created the World. Or some of his BETTER sermons, like "A Divine and Supernatural Light" ... Then you can say you read J.E. and can commnet on Him.

By the way Christ talked more on Hell than he did heaven or love

 

rc,

That is not new news, light or truth--but it is a fact that you are telling us.

 

It's hard to talk about a man that was so beyond his time. How relevant he is for today. Every type of thought that is invading the church today was laid to rest by him... It's hard to understand him I know, but he undersood that even the common person in his parrish knew Greek WELL, their pue Bibles were Greek NT's {how far we have fallen).