It was a warm summer's day, July 8, 1741, as Jonathan Edwards, manuscript in hand, ascended the steps up to the pulpit in a church in Enfield, Connecticut. Edwards, nearsighted since he was a boy, put on his spectacles, and with solemn power read his manuscript; an indictment of the sinfulness of all mankind, from Almighty God Himself.
His text was taken from Deut. 32:35, "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." He warned his hearers with forceful solemnity, "That God who holds you over the pit of Hell much in the same way as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you and is dreadfully provoked, His wrath towards you burns like fire. He is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in His sight. You are ten thousand times more abominable in His eyes than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended Him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; yet, it is nothing but His hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment."
Men and women, who had been previously totally occupied with the things and problems of life in Colonial America, were suddenly placed under the grip of the conviction of the Holy Spirit. As Edwards continue to read God's indictment of mankind, men and women cried out to the preacher, "Is there no way of escape?" Never since Peter's sermon at Pentecost, when those that were under conviction cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?", has a single sermon had such a tremendous impact.
Even with men and women crying out to him, Jonathan Edwards kept reading without interruption, Reading charge after charge in God's indictment, taking away every false hope that they should escape. Reminding them that, "men's pains and contrivances which they use to escape Hell while they continue to reject Christ and so remain wicked men, do not secure them from Hell one moment."
As Edwards concluded with these words, "Never was there a period when so many means were employed for the salvation of souls; and if you entirely neglect them, you will eternally curse the day of our birth. Now, undoubtedly it is, as it was in the days of John the Baptist, the axe is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree which brings not forth good fruit may be hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Therefore, let every one who is out of Christ now awake and flee from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over every unregenerate sinner. Let every one flee out of Sodom: "Escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed." Everyone in the church was prostrate, crying out to God for mercy, and thus was sparked a revival, that became the Great Awakening in Colonial America.
The Lord is still commanding everyone everywhere to repent, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior before it is to late. Click below, and experience the dynamic force and power of: