Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadJonathan Edwards Collection: Edwards, Jonathan - Personal Writings: 15b
TOPIC: Edwards, Jonathan - Personal Writings (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 15b
Other Subjects in this Topic:
'Burlington, New Jersey, Feb. 5, 1748.
You will, Sir, be sure of me as a friend and father to the
missionaries this way, and of all my might and encouragement for
spreading the everlasting gospel of God our Saviour, in all parts and
places where God shall honour me with any power or influence.
As to myself, Sir, it is impossible to express the warm sentiments of
my heart, for the mercies without number with which I have been
loaded, by the God who has fed me all my life long to this day; and my
reflection upon his goodness covers me with shame and blushing, for I
know my utter unworthiness, and that I am less than the least of all
his mercies. I would therefore abhor myself, and repent in dust and
ashes. You are sensible, my good friend, that governors stand in a
glaring light, and their conduct is narrowly watched by friends and
enemies: the one often unreasonably applaud them, while the other
perhaps too justly censure them. Yet in this I am not anxious; but to
approve myself to the Searcher of hearts, from whose mouth I must hear
pronounced, at the great and general audit, those joyful words, Enter
thou, &c.--or that terrible sentence, Depart from me, &c. Join with me
then in thankfulness to God, for all the blessings and talents he has
intrusted me with, and in prayer that I may employ them to his honour
and glory, to the good of the people over whom he hath placed me, and
so to the comfort of my own soul: that I may always remember that he
ruleth over men, must be just, ruling in the fear of God.'
In another letter which I have received, dated Burlington, N. J. May
31, 1748, he says as follows.
'I will prostrate myself before my God and Saviour, and on the bended
knees of my soul, (abhorring myself in every view,) I will beg for a
measure of divine grace and wisdom; that so I may be honoured, in
being an instrument of advancing the kingdom of the blessed Jesus in
this world, and in that way be bringing forth fruit in old age [30] .
I bless God, my heavenly Father, that I am not ashamed of the cross of
Christ; and I humbly ask the assistance of sovereign grace, that, in
times of temptation, I may never be a shame to it, I mean that my
conversation may always be such as becometh the gospel of Christ. And
I tell you again, that all such as minister at the altar, and in the
course of their ministry approve themselves faithful to the great Head
of the church, will not only find my countenance and protection, but
my love and esteem.
'As to our embryo college, it is a noble design; and if God pleases,
may prove an extensive blessing. I have adopted it for a daughter, and
hope it may in time become an Alma Mater, to this and the neighbouring
provinces. I am getting the best advice and assistance I can in the
draught of a charter, which I intend to give to our infant college,
and I thank you, Sir, for all the kind hints you have given me, for
the service of this excellent undertaking: and as St. Luke says of
Mary, She kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart; so
you may depend, what you have said about the college will not be lost
with me; but, as far as God shall enable me, I shall exert and lay out
myself in every way to bring it to maturity, and then to advance its
future welfare and prosperity; for this I believe will be acceptable
in the sight of God our Saviour; a relish for true religion and piety,
being great strangers to this part of America. The accounts I receive
from time to time, give me too much reason to fear that Arminianism,
Arianism, and even Socinianism, in destruction to the doctrines of
free grace, are daily propagated in the New England colleges. How
horribly and how wickedly, are these poisonous notions rooting out
those noble pious principles, on which our excellent ancestors founded
those seminaries! and how base a return is it of the present
generation, to that God, who is constantly surrounding them with
goodness and mercy! and how offensive is it in the eyes of that God,
who is jealous of his glory, and will take vengeance on his
adversaries, and reserveth wrath for his enemies! And from these
things I am led to thank you for your book, wrote in consequence of
the Memorial from Scotland, for promoting a Concert in Prayer. I am
much pleased with this proposal and imitation to all good Christians,
and with your arguments to encourage and corroborate the design. The
two missionaries you mention, Messrs. Spencer and Strong, I am told
are present at Boston. I have once and again desired Mr. Brainerd to
assure them of my kindness and respect. But their affairs have not yet
led them this way. I rejoice in their being appointed to carry the
gospel, in its purity, to the Six Nations; and when Mr. Brainerd and
they proceed to Susquehannah, they shall have all my assistance and
encouragement; by letters to the king's governors where they may pass,
and my letters to the sachem or chief of those Indians.'
With regard to the missionaries, Governor Belcher mentions: `The
commissioners in Boston, of the corporation in London, for the
propagation of the gospel among the Indians in New England and parts
adjacent, a little before Mr. David Brainerd went to Boston, the
summer before his death, had received a sum of money from the estate
left by the famous Dr. Williams, for the maintenance of two
missionaries among the Six Nations: and having entertained a very
great esteem of Mr. Brainerd, from the opportunity they had of
acquaintance with him while in Boston, the committee intrusted to him
the affair of finding and recommending the persons proper to be
employed in this business.' Accordingly he, after much deliberation,
recommended one Mr. Spencer, belonging to Haddam, his native town; and
Mr. Strong, belonging to this town, Northampton; who are undoubtedly
well qualified persons, of good abilities and learning, and of pious
dispositions. The commissioners, on his recommendation, accepted these
persons; and after Mr. Brainerd's death, sent to them; and they went
down to Boston, and accepted the mission. But the commissioners did
not think proper immediately to send them forth among the Six Nations;
but ordered them to go and live, during the winter, in New Jersey with
Mr. John Brainerd, among the christian Indians, there to follow their
studies, and get acquaintance with the manners and customs of Indians;
and in the spring to go with Mr. Brainerd to Susquehannah, to instruct
the Indians on that river, before they went to the Six Nations.
Accordingly they went and lived in New Jersey; but were discouraged as
to their intended journey to Susquehannah; for they understood that
the Susquehannah Indians greatly objected against entertaining
missionaries, without the consent of the Six Nations, (to whom they
are subject, and of whom they stand it seems in great fear,) and
insisted that the missionaries should go to the Six Nations first.
Therefore, in the spring, Messrs. Spencer and Strong returned to
Boston, for new orders from the commissioners; who saw cause to order
them to come and live at my house, till the time of an appointed
interview of the governors of Boston and New York with the chiefs of
the Six Nations, at Albany, in the latter part of the summer; when it
was proposed that some, that should go to Albany with Gov. Shirley,
should, on the behalf of the commissioners, treat with the Six Nations
concerning their receiving missionaries. Messrs. Spencer and Strong
did accordingly; they lived with me in the summer, and went to Albany
at the time of the treaty; and the nation of the Oneidas, in
particular, were dealt with concerning receiving these missionaries;
who appeared free and forward in the matter. Messrs. Spencer and
Strong, at that time, got some acquaintance with the chiefs of the
tribe; who appeared fond of them, and very desirous of their going
with them. But the grand difficulty then in the way, was the want of
an interpreter; which occasioned their not going with the Indians at
that time, but returning again to New England. Mr. Strong, also, was
taken much out of health, which discouraged him from entertaining any
thoughts of throwing himself into the fatigues and hardships of their
undertaking, till the next spring. But the difficulty of the want of
an interpreter is now got over; a very good one has been found; and
Mr. Spencer was ordained on the 14th of the last month, and is gone
with the interpreter, to go to the country of the Oneidas, about 170
miles beyond Albany, and about 130 miles distant from all settlements
of the white people.
It is a thing, that has a favourable aspect on the design of
propagating the gospel among the Indians, that many of late have been
remarkably spirited to promote it, and liberally to open their hands
in order to it. Mr. Brainerd's going to Boston before his death, and
people there having some acquaintance with him, and with his labours
and success among the Indians, gave occasion to a considerable number
in Boston, men of good substance and of the best character, and some
of them principal men in the town, to form themselves into a
charitable society, that by their joint endeavours and contributions,
they might promote the instruction and spiritual good of the Indians;
who have done some very liberal things for the Indians in New Jersey,
and also for the Six Nations. The people of Northampton have also had
their hearts remarkably opened, to contribute to the maintenance of
Mr. Spencer's interpreter; and one individual at Springfield, has been
moved to devote a considerable part of his estate, to promote the
propagation of the gospel among the Six Nations.
As to my writing against Arminianism; I have hitherto been remarkably
hindered; so that probably it will be a considerable time before I
shall have any thing ready for the press; but do intend, God allowing
and assisting, to prosecute that design: and I desire your prayers for
the Divine assistance in it. The books you sent me, will be a great
help to me; I would on no account have been without them.
I condole with you and Mrs. Erskine, on the loss of your noble and
excellent father; which is doubtless a great loss to the church of
God. But the glorious King of Zion, who was dead, is alive, and lives
for evermore, and can raise up others in exalted stations to favour
Zion; and seems to be so doing at this day, by things you give an
account of in your letter. I have been the subject of an afflictive
dispensation of late, tending to teach me how to sympathize with the
afflicted; which I think I mentioned in my last letter to you, viz.
the death of my second daughter, the last February.
Please to present my most affectionate and respectful salutations to
your dear consort. That I and mine may be remembered in your and her
prayers, is the request of
Your affectionate and obliged
Friend and brother,
jonathan edwards."
Letter from Mr. Willison to Mr. Edwards.
"To the Rev. Mr. Edwards.
Dundee, March 17, 1749.
rev. and dear brother,
I thank you for yours of October last, with your two sermons, which
Mr. M'Laurin sent me; which two sermons give me cause to sing of mercy
as well as of judgment, that as on shining and successful youth is
laid aside from labouring in the gospel, another is sent forth to it.
Indeed, worthy Mr. Brainerd was one among a thousand, for carrying the
gospel among the heathen, as appears by the account you give of him in
your sermon, and by his Journals which have been published here, and
prefaced by Dr. Doddridge, and dedicated by him to the Society at
Edinburgh. We must be silent; seeing He who hath removed him is holy,
just, and wise. We must also lay our hands on our mouths, with respect
to the loss of our great and eminent men, such as Dr. Watts, Dr.
Colman, Mr. Cowper, and others. But O, it is no loss to be absent from
the body, to them who are present with the Lord. Great need have we to
cry to the Lord of the vineyard, to send forth others in their room:
it is easy for him to do it, from places we little expect. These are
hopeful and promising accounts, which you have from your
correspondents in Scotland, mentioned in your letter. May they all
hold true, and be the forerunners of greater things, and the dawnings
of the glory of the latter days. I may add to them, the rising of a
burning and shining light of a church of England minister, in Dr.
Doddridge's neighbourhood, viz. Mr. Hervey; for he dates his writings
from Weston Favel, near Northampton. He has lately published two
volumes of Meditations on all kinds of subjects, in a most orthodox,
Calvinistic, and evangelical strain, in which he takes all kinds of
occasions of exalting and commending his glorious Master, Christ, in a
most rhetorical way, and in a style I think inimitable, and in the
most moving expressions, so that it is not easy to read him without
tears. He freely taxes his brethren of that church, for departing from
the doctrines of grace, and of justification by imputed righteousness,
&c. which were taught by the Reformers, and their own articles and
homilies. And notwithstanding this uncommon freedom, which he uses
with his brethren, great men, &c. never had any books such a run in
England, as his; for in a year and a half's time, or thereabouts,
there are five editions of them published at London, and still they
are greedily bought and read, especially by persons of distinction;
the style being a little too high and poetical for the vulgar. His
name is James Hervey, A. B. Some say he is of noble descent, from the
Earl of Bristol; but I am not sure of this. It is thought he is the
man that Dr. Doddridge points at, in the life of Col. Gardiner, pages
37, 38. It looks well, that so many in England should become fond of
sound evangelical writings. No doubt the books may have reached Boston
by this time. Let us therefore still wait and pray in hope. I should
be glad to do any thing in my power, for promoting the Concert for
United Prayer, and oh that it were spread both far and near; it would
be a token of a general revival of religion to be fast approaching. I
know nothing that hath a greater tendency to promote the aforesaid
happy Concert, than the book you lately published about it (a copy
whereof you sent me, for which I humbly thank you.) I wish it were
universally spread, for I both love and admire the performance upon
subjects so uncommon. I approve your remarks on Mr. Lowman. His reason
for beginning the antichrist's reign so late as the year 756, is weak,
viz. because then King Pepin invested the pope in his temporal
dominion over that province in Italy, called St. Peter's
Patrimony--when it is evident that the pope had usurped his tyrannical
dominion over Christ's church long before, which is the main ground of
his being called antichrist; yea, the pope's usurped power was greater
before King Pepin's time, than it is at this day--as for instance, in
Pope Symmachus' time, anno 501; in Pope Hormisdas' time, anno 516; in
Pope Boniface 3d's time, anno 606; in Pope Constantine's time, anno
713. Yea, Mr. Lowman himself gives a dreadful instance of the pope's
tyranny and usurpation, both over the church and the emperor, in page
97 of his book, which happened anno 726, thirty years before he begins
antichrist's reign; when Pope Gregory 2d excommunicated the Emperor
Leo, for ordering images to be removed out of the churches, and forbad
obedience or paying of taxes to him. Was not antichrist's reign far
advanced by that time? And we have several instances of the pope's
tyranny, similar to this, recorded by historians, before that which
Mr. Lowman mentions; which more directly denominate him antichrist,
than his temporal doings in Italy. We see how easy it is for the best
writers to slip into mistakes and wrong schemes. I agree with you,
that antichrist's fall will be gradual, in the way you explain it.
I am sorry to hear of Arminianism growing in New England. But I
rejoice to hear of Gov. Belcher's zeal for religion in New Jersey; may
the Lord spare him and bless him. As also I am glad to hear of the
hopeful prospect of the gospel's growing among the Six Nations of
Indians; and of such a youth as Mr. Spencer being sent among them: may
the Lord prosper him as he did Mr. Brainerd. I sympathize with you
under that affliction of your daughter's death; but it is comfortable
she was helped so to live and die, as to afford such grounds of hope
concerning her. And though she was the flower of your family, yet the
remembering of the gracious hand, that painted the flower, will engage
your worthy spouse and you to a becoming silence, like Aaron. As he
will do what he will, let us join and say always, Let his will be
done. I would fain be at this in my own case: may the Lord help me to
more of christian submission and resignation. I am now entered into
the 69th year of my age, and fallen under several distresses, whereby
I have been shaken over the grave these many months past, and am laid
aside from preaching. May the Lord assist me in my preparation for the
dissolution of this tabernacle. I find it no easy matter to die, and
to die in faith, and to die like Simeon with Jesus in his arms. I very
much need your prayers for me. I am glad to hear, dear brother, that
your parents are both alive, and that they hold the abilities of both
body and mind so remarkably at so great an age; and particularly that
your father, at seventy-nine years of age, and now near eighty,
performs the whole of his ministerial work so constantly, without
feeling it burdensome, and was able to travel forty miles to see you:
his is indeed a wonder of his age, and would be reckoned so in this
country, where few ministers come near to that age and vigour. May the
Lord still spare him, with your mother, and make them still
flourishing in old age; may they be blessed with much of God's
precious presence, and with the consolations and fruits of the Spirit,
in their aged and declining days. I still kindly remember your worthy
spouse and children remaining, and pray they may long be continued for
comforts to you, and you continued for a blessing to them, to your
flock, and to many others, as you already have been.
I remain, Rev. and dear brother,
Your most affectionate brother, and serv't
In our Lord,
j. willison."
"P.S. The Rev. Mr. Whitefield came to Scotland in September last, and
preached about two months in and about Edinburgh and Glasgow. But some
brethren who employed him, being challenged for it in synods and
presbyteries, and debates arising thereupon, Mr. Whitefield returned
to London. To give a view of the substance of these debates, and what
passed thereupon in the synod of Glasgow, I have sent you herewith a
printed pamphlet containing the same, with two other books, as a small
acknowledgment of your favours."
The three following letters went in the same packet to Scotland. The
religious intelligence, which they communicated, will be found highly
interesting at the present day. In the first of the three, is the
earliest allusion, on the part of Mr. Edwards, which I have met with,
to a most painful subject; the mention of which I have purposely
forborne, that all which relates to it may be presented together.