Jonathan Edwards:: A Life Well Lived

JONATHAN EDWARDS:

A Life Well Lived

Insights and Sketches from the Life and Pursuits

of Jonathan Edwards

ALLAN G. HEDBERG, PH.D.

CLINICAL AND CONSULTING PSYCHOLOGIST

and Rob Carey, M.Ed.

Artist/Sketcher, Educator

Copyright © 2016 Allan G. Hedberg, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Cover design and sketches: Rob Carey

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-3011-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3012-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3010-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016902050

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/15/2016

CONTENTS

Endorsements

In Appreciation

The Edwards Challenge

PART I   THE MAN, HIS WORLD, AND HIS TIMES

The Man and His Roles, Values, and Times: An Executive Summary

A Brief Biography and Portrait Commentary of Jonathan Edwards

Timeline of the Life of Jonathan Edwards

A Good Name is Better than a Fine Ornament

PART II   THE MAN AND HIS SURROUNDINGS

The Hometown

The Tree House Years

The Yale Roots Run Deep

Many Factors Shape a Life

A Man of Learning, Wisdom, and Influence

PART III   THE MAN AND HIS HISTORICAL ROOTS

The Unfolding of United States History (1690-1787)

The History of the Church

Colleagues in Ministry with Jonathan Edwards

PART IV   THE MAN AND HIS PURSUIT OF GODLY LIVING

The Seventy Resolutions and Other Personal Writings

The Pursuit of Godly Living

Spiritual Honing System

The Faith Languages of the Believer

Strategic Thinking About Moral Departure

Confronting Evil

Living for the Trumpet Sound of God

PART V   THE MAN AND HIS PURSUIT FOR STRESS-FREE LIVING

Stress Management Strategies

Daily Time Management

The Value of Temper Control

Desire to be a Peacemaker

Compassion, Not Revenge

PART VI   THE MAN AND HIS PURSUIT OF HEALTHY LIVING

The Health Care System of Edwards’ Day

The Demons of Addiction

The Challenges of Aging

The Pursuit of Happiness

Dealing with Procrastination

Acts of Charity

PART VII   THE MAN AND HIS COMMITMENT TO A GODLY HOME

A Large and Traditional Family

Honoring Parents and Family

The Provider in the Home

Parenting Styles and Strategies

Money Matters in the Home

Slavery in the Home

The Edwards’ Legacy

PART VIII   THE MAN AND HIS PURSUIT FOR NEW BELIEVERS

The Most Famous Sermon of All

An Authentic Faith

The Disciplines of Godly Living

Intentional Self-Examination

Advice to New Believers

PART IX   THE MAN AND HIS PASTOR’S HEART

The Man and the Pulpit

The Pastor’s Final Words to His Congregation

When God Has Other Plans

The Final Four Key Decisions

Life in the Rear View Mirror

APPENDIX

The Ten Most Highly Regarded Writings of Edwards

The Author’s Perspective as a Clinical Psychologist

Publications of the Author and the Artist

ENDORSEMENTS

I have been wishing aloud for years that professional psychologists would take a look at Edwards, helping us think about his life-and what can be learned about it today-from a mental health perspective. Dr. Hedberg has done just that. Of course Edwards is now in heaven, so conjectures about his psyche ought to be made with great care. Still, cautious, humble hypothesis about his inner life and the lessons it affords for people seeking better health can lead to useful conversations that bring healing to the soul. Whether or not you feel like Edwards (who was an ordinary man with extraordinary gifts for sensing the work of the Spirit of God), I pray that God will use this book to make you whole. Douglas A. Sweeney, Ph.D. Jonathan Edwards Center, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

I enjoyed learning about the Biblical principles that Jonathan Edwards lived by. I also believe these principles are still relevant today! A thought provoking book. DelAnn Miller, A seventh generation Edwards (Burr) descendant

Dr. Hedberg has shared from his passion for Jonathan Edwards some unique experiences as a psychologist which are a delight to read. Rev. Dr. Arlynne C. Turnquist, BSN, Augustana College; MA, Philosophy, University of Iowa; M.Div., Theology, Luther Seminary; D. Min, Fuller Theological Seminary

As a faith-based medical missions organization, Medsend has seen firsthand the way the world has become very dangerous for Americans who are serving the unreached people of the world for Christ. In line with this accelerating hostility and terrorism, famine and disease, so has emotional and physical stress dramatically increased for missionaries and their families. Dr. Hedberg’s insights into the mind of America’s most famous theologian and missionary, Jonathan Edwards, and how he overcame could not be better timed. It is a must read for church leaders, mission agencies, healthcare professionals or anyone else who needs encouragement from someone who made 2 Timothy 4:7 come alive; I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Richard Allen, CEO. Medsend

Academically, Edwards was a scholar among scholars. Spiritually, Edwards was a theologian among theologians. It amazes me to think many of his accomplishments came before the age of twenty! As a Christian in his teenage years, I consider Edwards a great example of how young people can be used for the glory of God. And I’m thankful for the fine contribution by Dr. Hedberg to help people further grasp the profound life of Jonathan Edwards. Joshua D. Micu, Age 16, Grade eleven, Clovis, CA

IN APPRECIATION

Many friends have added color and energy to my life and have significantly broadened my sphere of knowledge and experience. Because of these friends, I have had a range of personal growth experiences, such as fishing, hunting, golfing, tennis, meal-time conversations, Biblical study, and late evening pie and coffee talks about church, missions, and politics, to name a few. I am fortunate to have had many close friends over the years that have enriched my life.

Unfortunately, over the last few years while this book has been in preparation, I have experienced the untimely loss of many of my close friends. I still keenly feel their absence. I am appreciative and grateful to each of them for their unique contribution to my life. I will miss each one of them that no longer can be active in my life. Hopefully, I have played a significant role in their life, as well. I recall the poet who penned the words, God gives us flowers in the summer, so we will have memories in the winter. Winter memories to all of them that are no longer able to be part of my life. Thankfully, there still are many young men who regularly impact my life, including my son, sons-in-laws, and grandsons.

Writing a book involves many people who help along the way. Special appreciation is expressed to Mary Endres for her proofreading and editing of the manuscript. My appreciation is also expressed to many others who provided comments, encouragement, and suggestions for improvement of early drafts of the manuscript. These include but are not limited to Lowell Campbell, Psy. D., Douglas Sweeting, Ph.D., Kenneth Minkema, Ph.D., Adriaan Neele, Ph.D., Alan Hultberg, Ph.D., Arlynne Turnquist, D.Min, Carolyn Linn, Gina Berry, Kathy Hamlin, and my wife, Bernice.

Special recognition is extended to several individuals who identified themselves as students of Edwards and as a descendant of Edwards. One descendant is in my own extended family, by marriage. Thanks to all of them for their interest and their encouragement to complete the writing of the book.

A special word of appreciation is given to Rob Carey who joined me in my tour of Edwards country, in Connecticut and Massachusetts. We traveled from New Haven to Northampton and all the sites in between. We even attended the Sunday morning worship service at the Congregational Church of Northampton. Throughout the five day tour and countless sketches of Edwards’ sites, Rob provided great companionship. Together, we forged a bonding of psychologist and artist, as well as father-in-law and son-in-law. We were an enjoyable and purposeful team.

Finally, in preparation for this book, I had the distinct privilege to study one week with Dr. Douglas Sweeting of The Jonathan Edwards Center of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and another week with Drs. Kenneth Minkema and Adriaan Neele of the Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University. These were both major learning experiences with the masters.

THE EDWARDS CHALLENGE

The Edwards Challenge is an opportunity for the reader to make sure the points of each chapter are understood and will therefore be more likely to affect a change in the life of the reader. The Edwards Challenge presents an opportunity for the reader to personalize the teachings of Edwards and apply them to daily living, thus furthering the reader’s spiritual growth.

Take Home Points of Importance

In any learning exercise, it is important to summarize a few of the main points of the speaker, teacher, or author. This can be more easily accomplished by focusing and committing to memory at least three points of the content in each chapter.

Personalizing the Points of Importance

Each chapter includes three or four ways the reader can engage in a learning experience by underscoring the main message of the chapter. Several activities on each topic are suggested and designed as opportunities to enrich the reader on the issues discussed.

Professional Insight

As a psychologist, I end each chapter with a psychological principle or understanding. Edwards is a challenging study for a clinical psychologist to determine what made him tick. How he parented and left such a rich legacy is a rich area of study for any psychologist. Every aspect of Edwards’ life has a psychological message for us. Although he is known for his theological expertise and focus, he would not look upon psychology with distain or suspicion. In fact, he would most likely have endorsed the study of psychology as he did other sciences.

An Edwards Oak Leaf

Oak trees are known for their strength, outreach, and attractive beauty. They are also known for the quality heat and comfort they provide during wood burning season on cold winter evenings. In this book, Edwards is likened to an oak tree. He was like an oak tree on a hillside that people admired, appreciated, and often visited for reflection. Personal strengthening experiences occurred when Edwards sought silence and solace in the woods around his house. He was a prominent voice of strength, morality, comfort, and wisdom. He, as any pastor of his time, was the one upon whom displaced anger and jealously was directed, a lightening rod in times of interpersonal and community storm.

Each Oak Leaf by Edwards is an aphorism, a short sermon or a pointed sentence that expresses a wise and clever observation or general truth dropped from Edwards’ oak tree for us to appreciate.

PART I

THE MAN, HIS WORLD, AND HIS TIMES

Jonathan Edwards lived an atypical family and career life with many vicissitudes of daily living and experience. As any family and career man, he had roles to assume and values by which to live and teach. These factors shaped his lifestyle and ministry, as well as his effectiveness as a family man and a man of the community. Edwards lived during a time in which much change was occurring within the church and in the scientific world of thought and experimentation. While this all intrigued him, it also distressed him as a minister of the Gospel. He worked hard to counter the trends that were capturing the attention and interest of the Christian as well as the non-Christian world. A battle for man’s soul was in the making, and he placed himself in the middle of this spiritual battle. He addressed the current issues through his preaching, speaking, writing, and ongoing dialogue with his peers

Portrait of The Rev. Jonathan Edwards

Map of Edwards’ Country

Bronze Portrait of Edwards on Wall of the Northampton Church

THE MAN AND HIS ROLES, VALUES, AND TIMES: An Executive Summary

Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows.

Luke 12:7

An overview of Jonathan Edwards is a good starting point for most people who are unfamiliar with him as a person, a spiritual leader, and a major national figure. In doing so, I will focus on the major roles he played in life and the primary values he upheld in the home, church and community. Unfortunately, due to his life being shortened, he had many pieces of unfinished business that others have tried to subsequently address, with mixed results.

Edwards and His Roles

The Person: Edwards was a tall, gaunt man, taciturn with strangers and generally considered withdrawn and preoccupied. He was not a conversationalist. Although he may have felt an internal happiness, he was not viewed as cheerful and outgoing. He had a minimal sense of humor and expressed it more easily with the family. He did not manage stress very well and was a victim of it, with frequent stress-related illnesses and times when he decompensated, emotionally and physically. He was a proud man and was regarded as stubborn, and some considered him stern and austere. He carried himself with an air of self-control, self-respect, and self-confidence.

His own personal faith was of prime importance. He had to nourish his faith as anyone else does. His faith and its vitality set the pace for his congregation and family. It has been said that he always appeared preoccupied. It was also said of him that he was God-centered, God-focused, God-intoxicated, and God-entranced. He held that every believer was to devote time and devotion to his or her own maturation in the faith.

The Husband: Edwards described his marriage to Sarah as an uncommon union. It was a love match as well as a truly deep and abiding partnership. Marriage was of highest importance to him, as was his family. Accordingly, he loved and served his wife and family, as well as his church and congregation. He believed in very clear and specific roles for the husband, wife, and children. Indeed, Sarah was the manager of household affairs, and he was clearly the head of the house. The children clearly knew and accepted these roles and lived under them in the home. They each had their own responsibilities and were expected to assume them faithfully.

The Father: The eleven children of Jonathan and Sarah were reading and thinking young people with well-trained minds. They were scholarly children and had a wide range of interests and skills. They were all home-schooled. They developed a masterful command of and precision with the English language for communicating in such forms as preaching, teaching, and debating. Edwards had an analytical mind and taught his children to act accordingly to reason and make decisions analytically. He loved his children and knew that they honored him as their father. He viewed himself as their primary role model.

The children were raised to be responsible and independent. They all had age-appropriate chores and were expected to care for themselves and each other as appropriate. The children were also taught to revere God and honor his teachings. Edwards devoted time nightly to his children. His family’s faith legacy was huge and growing. It was as if he had the ability to see the eventual and full impact of their parenting philosophy and the future of his family’s influence. He regularly prayed for his children and their offspring.

The Pastor: Edwards ministered in New York and two small towns, Bolton and Northampton. Northampton was the larger with 1,200 adults, and it was his primary parish. He briefly served a parish in New York City before going to Bolton. He was somewhat tied into the politics and the family life of the communities in which he served. He came to hold very specific views on church policy and procedures from these pastoral experiences. He then moved to Stockbridge, which had100 Anglo-Saxons and 200 native Indians.

His preaching style was quiet yet commanding, powerful, and purposeful. He kept the congregation’s minds on things that were divine and godly. He attempted to exalt God the Savior, promote holiness, and humble the sinner. He was steadfast and unchanging in his devotion to biblical truth and certain traditions as he understood them, such as in the Lord’s Supper, which he taught was for believers only. He told few stories. He was not known for telling jokes as part of his sermons. He did use some illustrations; the most famous was the dangling spider to represent the coming death of the unbeliever. He had little eye contact with his audience, and his presentations were conducted in a somber manner.

However, although he was factual and rational in his presentations, he did believe that the faith-conversion experience was deeply personal and had to stir the emotions of the new believer. He believed in small-group prayer get-togethers. He established them in the Northampton church once he became the pastor.

His preaching focused on ruin through sin, redemption through Christ, and regeneration through the Holy Spirit. He placed special stress on the reality of ruined human nature because he believed that only out of self-despair would anyone ever turn wholeheartedly toward God. He also focused on personal holiness, which consisted of a focused love for God and man. His wrote 70 resolutions designed to increase his grace, holiness, and godly lifestyle.

Edwards adopted a relatively formalized, systematic structure for his sermons, moving from a focus on God to a focus on man. His sermons had three distinct parts. The first part was the main text consisting of passages of Scripture along with an appropriate amount of exegesis. This was the theme of the sermon in the context of the Word of God. The second part was doctrine. It was a statement of doctrine that functioned in the sermon as a thesis statement does in a formal essay. The doctrine is analyzed, explained, and confirmed the theme in a series of numbered subsections collectively known as reasons. The third part, about a third of the sermon, was the application. The application showed how the sermon’s theme and doctrine could serve to guide human thought and conduct.

Finally, Edwards was known for the efficacy of his hellfire preaching. He learned this from his grandfather. Perhaps his most well-known hellfire sermon was the one titled The Torments of Hell Are Exceedingly Great.

Besides his responsibilities to the church, in the latter part of his career, he began to employ the sermon primarily as an instrument of awakening and pastoral leadership. He also addressed social morality and moral agency.

The Theologian: Theologically, Edwards focused on the works and ways of God according to the Scriptures and the Reformed faith as it was understood at the time. Edwards came from a clergyman’s family and served as a clergyman all his life, other than a few early years when he was a professor/tutor at Yale. He could just as well have spent his years in academia but chose to spend them in parish ministry, through which he was able to advance the essence of Reformed theology. He opposed the teachings of Armenians. He took a strong advocacy role and position for Reformed theology. The basic tenets of the Reformed theology for which Edwards stood included the authority of the Scriptures, the sovereignty of God, salvation by grace through faith, God’s foreknowledge, and the importance of evangelism. He wrote many books and papers on Reformed theology, with his most famous papers being The Freedom of the Will, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, and the Distinguishing Marks of the Work of the Spirit of God.

The Evangelist: Edwards was frequently sought out to fill the pulpit of a church in the area while a pastor was absent or a vacancy existed. He was also invited to speak in area churches to help awaken the congregation to faith and godly living. He particularly enjoyed the opportunity to assist new converts in the development of their newfound faith. Most notable was his speaking in the churches of Wethersfield, Longmeadow, Coventry, Suffield, and Enfield, using various sermons including Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God. Many came to faith through this sermon, especially in the Enfield church. The sermon served as a basis for the Great Awakening in 1736. The sermon certainly characterized Edwards’ heart’s desire for those outside the faith to come before God Almighty and escape the consequences of unbelief.

While he was relatively well-known for preaching hellfire-and brimstone sermons, he actually desired most that people escape the consequences of their unbelief and gain the full benefits of heaven. He placed emphasis on the latter, not the former.

The Author: Edwards was a prolific writer. He wrote about 40,000 pages and died with several manuscripts unfinished. For example, the best of his writings were Religious Affections, The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, and Freedom of the Will. As he was not especially a people person, he enjoyed writing as a way of communicating with others. His writings were a means of reducing stress and of organizing his thoughts on a topic. Writing was another way for him to have an impact on the lives of many people without having intimate personal or interpersonal engagement.

Writing was an obsession. He pinned notes on his coat while riding his horse so he would not forget some line or thought to include in a manuscript on which he was working at the time. He was always preoccupied in thought with some theme or ideas to place in his next book or manuscript. Even his sermons were written out and read to the congregation. He wrote letters to his children when on a trip. He wrote letters to new converts. He wrote to other pastors on church matters and theology. He wrote to pastors in other countries on issues of theology and biblical interpretation. He kept the local U.S. Post Office busy. His impact from downtown Northampton was worldwide.

Interestingly, his handwriting was tiny and difficult to read. One would develop eyestrain just trying to read his material. His spelling and expressions were unique to him, not necessarily in the style of the times. Interestingly, Spurgeon had a similar handwriting.

The Mentor: Budding young pastors and seminarians wanting to learn from him regularly visited the Edwards’ home. They came to learn theology and biblical knowledge in order to become better pastors and scholars. Edwards devoted much time to instructing and encouraging these visitors. No doubt, he enjoyed the academic dialogue, as he was a teacher at heart from his Yale days. His method of teaching and tutoring was Socratic. Some came and stayed for friendship purposes. Others traveling through the area would use the Edwards’ home as a place of respite for a day or more. No one was turned away. Sarah served as a great hostess, and the children tolerated the disruption with grace, most of the time.

The Environmentalist: From early childhood, Edwards had a strong interest in nature, especially in spiders and storms. His treatise on spiders still stands as an admired document among scientists. He was a meticulous observer of nature just as he was of Scripture. He wrote accordingly. He held a firm position on nature being God’s domain, and man was not to change the course of nature or upset its flow. Man was to be a wise steward of nature for God’s glory.

As Edwards studied nature and the patterns of the environment in minute detail, so he studied his soul and personal thoughts and behavior. He strongly believed in the process of self-examination just as he did the examination of God’s nature. Man was an integral part of nature, not a separate component. According to Edwards, the more we understand nature, the more God is glorified and worshiped. Praying, reading Scripture, and singing are all acts of worship in which Edwards engaged. When out in the open fields on his horse or walking along the river, he was able to connect with the almighty God in the most personal manner. It was like being in heaven for Edwards.

The Historian: Edwards was also a student of history. He was not just an observer and recorder of history, but one who put history in perspective with unusual thoughtfulness. He was astute in putting history in the context of God’s great will and plan for man. A Christian worldview was most evident in his thinking and preaching.

He lived at a time of much history in the making (see the chart in Part III on American History). He was knowledgeable about historical events and God’s plan for each event. For Edwards, nothing happened by chance. God ordained the world and planned the world’s events, as far as he was concerned. Resolution #62 tells of Edwards’ determination to serve God in all capacities with his full toolbox of skills, interests, and values. This Resolution was one of his key marching orders as a man of God and minister of the Gospel.

Edwards’ Foundational Values

Emphasis on Morals: As a pastor and father, Edwards often focused on the morals of the society of his day. It was important to him that his wife and children be dressed in a conservative manner and not flaunt their physical appearance publicly. He viewed moral behavior as kind, thoughtful, respectful, and considerate. It was important that others not be offended or hurt by his behavior or the behavior patterns of anyone else.

On several occasions, Edwards spoke publicly and strongly regarding the moral behavior of others. On one occasion, he addressed the issue of a certain woman becoming pregnant outside of marriage. He strongly urged them to marry and to take responsibility for their actions. Edwards was chastised for his public stance on this matter and his attempts to correct this couple.

On another occasion, he addressed quite openly and strongly, even to his own eventual dismissal, what he considered to be the immoral behavior of the community youth. The youth were engaging in