A surpreendente obra de Deus na conversão de muitas centenas de almas

by Jonathan Edwards

A narrativa da surpreendente obra de Deus apresentada neste livro por Jonathan Edwards deve servir de incentivo a cada um de nós, hoje e sempre. A igreja não precisa “sonhar”, mas deve orar sem cessar para que Deus, urgentemente, também faça uma obra tão ímpar e surpreendente em nosso meio. Como descreveu Jonathan Edwards: “Há novos apetites e um novo desejo e arquejo no coração, e gemidos que não podem ser exprimidos. Há um novo tipo de trabalho e luta interior da alma em direção ao céu e à santidade.”

Genres: Christian, Church History, Theology, American History, Christian Living, Christianity, Biography

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1979

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Jonathan Edwards.

Jonathan Edwards was the most eminent American philosopher-theologian of his time, and a key figure in what has come to be called the First Great Awakening of the 1730s and 1740s.

The only son in a family of eleven children, he entered Yale in September, 1716 when he was not yet thirteen and graduated four years later (1720) as valedictorian. He received his Masters three years later. As a youth, Edwards was unable to accept the Calvinist sovereignty of God. However, in 1721 he came to what he called a "delightful conviction" though meditation on 1 Timothy 1:17. From that point on, Edwards delighted in the sovereignty of God. Edwards later recognized this as his conversion to Christ.

In 1727 he was ordained minister at Northampton and assistant to his maternal grandfather, Solomon Stoddard. He was a student minister, not a visiting pastor, his rule being thirteen hours of study a day. In the same year, he married Sarah Pierpont, then age seventeen, daughter of Yale founder James Pierpont (1659–1714). In total, Jonathan and Sarah had eleven children.

Stoddard died on February 11th, 1729, leaving to his grandson the difficult task of the sole ministerial charge of one of the largest and wealthiest congregations in the colony. Throughout his time in Northampton his preaching brought remarkable religious revivals.

Yet, tensions flamed as Edwards would not continue his grandfather's practice of open communion. Stoddard believed that communion was a "converting ordinance." Surrounding congregations had been convinced of this, and as Edwards became more convinced that this was harmful, his public disagreement with the idea caused his dismissal in 1750.

Edwards then moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, then a frontier settlement, where he ministered to a small congregation and served as missionary to the Housatonic Indians. There, having more time for study and writing, he completed his celebrated work, The Freedom of the Will (1754).

Edwards was elected president of the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in early 1758. He was a popular choice, for he had been a friend of the College since its inception. He died of fever at the age of fifty-four following experimental inoculation for smallpox and was buried in the President's Lot in the Princeton cemetery beside his son-in-law, Aaron Burr.

Reviews

[Sylvia Hayes · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

I was excited to learn what started this Calvinist revival. (Was it something the preachers were doing? Something the ordinary congregations were doing?) I read all 6 prefaces and finally started the book, only for Mr. Edwards to reveal "THIS WAS A WORKING OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD!!!" and give no other explanation.

I'm going to be honest. That one's on me.

Besides the widespread conversion, one thing that surprised me about this book was the passion. Children cried with longing for the Sabbath, women fainted when talking about their unconverted state. I guess it is fair of them to act like that, given the gravity of the topics! It was just bizarre to read about. I was impulsively skeptical of these raptures and agonies and kept asking "what about when the excitement dissipates?!" Edwards took care to note that even when extraordinary passions mellowed, holiness and devotion still remained.

Now that I've finished the book, I suspect my discomfort has more to do with my coldness and apathy than Northampton's impropriety.

"I have seen some, and conversed with them in such frames, who have certainly been perfectly sober, and very remote from anything like enthusiastic wildness. And they have talked, when able to speak, of the glory of God's perfections, the wonderfulness of His grace in Christ, and their own unworthiness, in such a manners cannot be perfectly expressed after them. Their sense of their exceeding littleness and vileness, and their disposition to abase themselves before God, has appeared to be great in proportion to their light and joy."

[Ryan Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the first things Edwards’ ever wrote. It was written in 1736, and he was recounting the revival he had in his town of Northampton in 1735. This was not the big ‘Great Awakening’—that occurred around 1740, when George Whitfield came to America, and when Edwards preached his ‘Sinners in the Hands…’ sermon. But this was still a great local revival which was becoming famous, so Edwards wanted to tell what it was like and how it happened.

The narrative is split into three parts. Part 1 he introduces it all.

Part 2, which is the longest, he recounts some general themes of what it was like. Here, his main point seems to be that God uses different means/methods. But in the end, people who are truly converted see some type of glory in the gospel. He distinguishes between ‘awakened’ people and truly converted people. Awakened people see how sinful they are, see the dreadfulness of God’s judgment, but have no saving graces. While converted people see how sinful they are, but also see the gracious salvation in Christ.

One of the things I took away from this section was that Edwards also said that usually people, right before they were truly converted, started to see that they could not be saved apart from God working true faith in them. In other words, they realized how sinful they were, and how dependent upon God they were for personal salvation and faith. This is much different that the decisionism that dominates much of evangelicalism today. And Edwards’ point was that for most people, once they got to this point, God then graciously showed them the glory of the gopel. We might benefit much from Edwards’ point these days.

Then in Part 3, he recounts two specific stories to give personal examples. The first was a young adult woman. The second was a four year old girl (!). Both stories were incredible in how these women started to love and live for Jesus.

This clearly wasn’t as ‘brilliant’ as typical Edwards. He was writing a long letter to someone recounting the revival. That being said, historically it was fascinating. And it gave some meat to the general idea of ‘revival.’

Moreover, it showed that Edwards really believed what he wrote in the Religious Affections years later: He knew that God didn’t have one type of method or means or experience. But that the best proof of true conversion was Christian love and life. This is seen in this narrative as well.

Would I recommend it? Sure, if you’re reading Edwards. But definitely read some of his sermons, or The Freedom of the Will, or The End For Which God Created the World, or The Religious Affections before this.

[Robert Caldwell · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

As I continue working through Jonathan Edwards’ major works this year, this book was a good change of pace with some of Edwards’ other works. After finishing Religious Affections, here Edwards demonstrates in practice what he argues for in that book, by evaluating biblically a revival that occurred in his town during his ministry. At times Edwards’ writing can tend to encourage navel gazing in his readers. But in a day where we are quick to assume someone is genuinely converted, Edwards’ work here provides a good corrective.

[R. Dwain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical account and defense of the First Great Awakening shortly after it took place from one of the main ministers involved. In that sense, it is a wonderful work.

Edwards would later write “Religious Affections”, which is a more doctrinal look at the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. This is more of a historical and biblical defense of what had happened amid some controversy.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edwards wrote this account shortly after the early movements of 1733-34—the advent of Whitefield and what became known as the Great Awakening would shortly follow. He is writing to ministers in England who had heard rumors of what happened over in New England to give them an accurate account, or as Edwards writes, “faithful narrative.” He divides the short narrative into three sections, (1) Introduction and context, (2) How people were converted during this awakening, (3) Two specific examples of young girls who had been changed.

In keeping with Edwards’ divisions, here are my three observations: (1) That these people were driven into deep darkness so they would love the light. Edwards describes the terror and lack of comfort these people were under as they came to saving faith. (2) Though there was a pattern to how these people came to Jesus, the way they got there was different—each person carrying away a different lesson or emphasis. (3) People were just as skeptical then as they are now. The Edwards lays it out, the outbursts of laughing, crying, or shouting are not hard to understand. Driven to contemplate the glory of God, their own despicable state, or some other divine meditation, people (including Edwards at one point) could not help but emote. I would dare to say we’ve all been there at one time or another. I know I have. I think back to my experience of God’s glory and my own pride and finitude at Passion in Atlanta after listening to John Piper. I cried out loud in the middle of thousands of my peers like a crazy person. Part of me was terrified of that and how to explain, while the other part of me knew it was alright and there was no way to explain it. That, I now believe, is what was happening back then.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Calvinist for my personal beliefs, but a masterful example of rhetoric nonetheless

[Melissa]

History philosophy

[Kevin Deane · Rating 3 out of 5]

God did some things, and he wrote them down. It is definitely cool and interesting, but it's hard to say that this is a must-read or that it is life changing.

[Rex Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second part of the book, "The Character of the Work as Illustrated in its Influence upon Individuals," was amazing. Edwards SO accurately described the emotional/mental/spiritual chaos that reigns in the life of one questioning the fate of his soul....it was amazing and encouraging. I give it four stars. The rest of the book was good, and overall, I really liked it!

[Aaron Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great history of a mighty work of God in revival in earlier American history in New England. Containing invaluable insights into theology and missions in areas like love for God, true conversion, justification, sanctification, mortification of sin, the way of holiness, assurance of salvation, etc.

[Chuck O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Research for my latest play. Fascinating.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting account of the work of God in Edwards' day. We can pray for something similar in ours.

[Debbie Henage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this book. It is very good! If you have a desire to learn of the past revivals, this will stir your heart

[Peter Stonecipher · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting first-hand account of the revivals in the 1730s in New England, particularly those in Northampton, MA.