Jonathan and Sarah Edwards

Jonathan was a North American revivalist preacher, philosopher and Congregationalist theologian. he is regarded as one the USA’s most important and original philosophical theologians. He played a critical role in shaping the First Great Awakening (1735-7), (1740-4). His theological work gave rise to a distinct school of theology known as the New England theology.

Jonathan was the fifth of 11 children - the other 10 were all girls. His father, Timothy, was a pastor at East Windsor, Connecticut. He grew up in an atmosphere of Puritan piety, affection and learning. Following rigorous home schooling he entered Yale College in New Haven aged 13.

He was converted at the age of 17 as he read 1 Timothy 1 v17
All honour and glory to God for ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies;he alone is God. Following this he had a delightful conviction of divine sovereignty to a new sense of God’s glory revealed in Scripture and in nature.
He graduated in 1720 from Yale and stayed a further 2 years to study Divinity.

Briefly he was a pastor in New York (1722-3) and received a MA degree. !724-6 he was a tutor at Yale. In 1727 he became his grandfather’s colleague at Northampton and married Sarah Pierrepont (they had 11 children).

On his grandfather’s death in 1729 he became the sole occupant of the pulpit. He stayed at Northampton until his dismissal concerning a dispute who should take Holy Communion. He was there for over 20 years. On July 1st 1750 he preached his dignified and restrained ’ Farewell- sermon’. This was followed by 2 books explaining his position.

On his termination at Northampton he began missionary work in Stockbridge, Massachusetts working with Indians. Although hampered by language difficulties, illness , Indian wars and conflicts with personal enemies he discharged his pastoral duties. This is where he wrote his most famous book The Freedom of the Will (1754).

In 1757 he was invited to be president of the College of New Jersey-now Princeton University. He had hardly assumed duties when he contracted smallpox and died aged 55. (He was inoculated against smallpox and 5 weeks later caught the disease from the vaccine.)

So ended the life of the man who was arguably USA’s greatest theologian. His writings, expounding and defending the evangelical and Reformed faith are of lasting value to the Christian church.

American historian , Perry Miller said that Jonathan is the * greatest philosopher-theologian yet to grace the American scene.* His entire corpus of Jonathan’s works are available on line.

Sarah Edwards
His wife raised their 11 children largely by herself. Jonathan focused on sermons and books. She was a hands-on parent who raised the children and ran the household, providing an agreeable and pleasant life for the family.

Sources
Gold from Dark Mines Irene Howat ch5 p109-p140
wikipedia
Britannica Online Encyclopedia
Great Leaders of the Christian Church Woodbridge