Jonathan Edwards, A New Biography, by Iain H. Murry.
That New Sense of Things
Jonathan Edwards joined the Collegiate School of Conneticut in 1716. He was 13 years old. Harvard had been the place of choice for religious studies before this school was founded in 1701. In fact, it was still a matter of debate among pastoral leaders of the day.
There were rules:
1. Every student shall exercise himself in reading Holy Scriptures by himself every day that the word of Christ may dwell in him richly.
2. All students shall avoid the profanation of God's holy name, attributes, Word and ordinances and the Holy Sabbath, and shall carefully attend all public assemblies for worship.
3. All undergraduates shall publicly repeat sermons in the hall in their course and be constantly examined on Sabbaths at evening prayer. (In other words, "You better take GOOOOOOOD notes!")
Though these kind of rules fostered mere formalism, Jonathan was able to spend a lot of time with his grandfather (Richard) who would die that same year. It was these kind of statements that he heard on a regular basis uttered from his godly grandfather:
"Make the glory of God your main end."
"Depend on him by a lively faith in his promises"
"I carry my life in my hand every day, I am daily looking and waiting until my change come"
His last words: "I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and I desire to do so more and more."
Sometime during this first year Jonathan Edwards would come to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The change was evident in his spirit. He writes:
[about walking in his father's field after returning home]"And as I was walking there, and looking up on the sky and clouds, there came into my mind so sweet a sense of the glorious majesty and grace of God, that I know not how to express -- I seemed to see them both in sweet conjunction; majesty and meekness joined together: it was sweet, and gentle, and holy majesty: and also a majestic meekness; an awful sweetness; a high, and great, and holy gentleness" (p.36).
What amazing contemplations from a boy only thirteen years of age! Yet, how true!
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