In Matthew 6:22, Jesus said, "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." As far as the followers of Jesus go, one of the most shining examples of someone who sought to live this principle to the full is Jonathan Edwards. Edwards was born in the 18th century, and is best known as one of the chief figures of the Great Awakening, as well as the author of the famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry GOD".
What has been often overlooked by many of us—except perhaps those who take to write a biography of him—is that Edwards was a driven man, with only one ambition: to live for GOD's glory. Every other aspiration was subordinate to this aim, and every aspect of his life was subject to it. Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions testify to this.
For example, number 28 shows that he understood that studying the Bible every day was an absolute necessity when it came to having a healthy spiritual life. " Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same." Number 29 shows that he knew the importance of prayer: " Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept." The following resolution, number 30, clearly shows that he sought to attain to greater heights in his relationship with GOD. "Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before."
Edwards wasn't just concerned with religion in terms of a life of mere devotional thought and exercise. He determined to bring the Bible into his everyday life. This included the wise management of his time. "Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can."[1] Even appetite did not escape his scrutiny, as is evidenced by the 20th resolution: Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking."
Naturally, these encompassed not only Edwards' conduct towards himself, but towards others. Three of the seventy resolutions deal with the way he ought to speak to people[2], number 46 specifically addresses his attitude in regards to the members of his family— particularly his mother and father[3], and two others pertain to issues that relate to his fellowmen, albeit indirectly.[4]
Someone once said, "Bible religion is not one influence among many others; its influence is to be supreme, pervading and controlling every other. It is not to be like a dash of color brushed here and there upon the canvas, but it is to pervade the whole life, as if the canvas were dipped into the color, until every thread of the fabric were dyed a deep, unfading hue."[5] We have no doubt seen that this is certainly true of Edwards. His religion influenced his life through and through. You truly cannot know anything about Jonathan Edwards without knowing of the other. Indeed, the two are so thoroughly intertwined that it is well nigh impossible to separate the man from his beliefs. In other words, they were one. His eye was single.
While he did not have all the light that we do today, Jonathan Edwards was a faithful steward of the truth which he did have, and I believe that he will rise again when Jesus returns. I believe that GOD allowed this man to live not only to bless those in his day, but also to be a blessing to us through the example that he left behind. I know that this has been the case with me, and it has made me want to more fully consecrate myself to the service of the Saviour. May we all seek, as he did, to let our eye be single to the glory of GOD.
Blessings,
Jean
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