“Application is the Preacher’s chief Work”: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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When you read Jonathan Edwards’ early sermons you quickly realize that someone taught him about the importance of applying Scripture. That someone included John Edwards (The Preacher, 1705). John, not Jonathan, wrote:

“Application is the Preacher’s chief Work, and it is the Hardest too: but it is the most Useful and Necessary….the Word of God, must be set to the Breast and Heart of every particular Person. And this Close Application will be most effectual to a Holy Life, because it will stick by them, tho’ the rest of the Discourse should be forgot. And in a world, the Application will be found to be the Best part of the Sermon.” (Kimnach, p. 18).

First, which part of the sermon do you think your listeners remember the most? Yes, that’s what I thought too: illustrations. We’ve come a long way since the 1700’s. That might say more about the quality of my application than it does about the quality of their listening. Ouch.

Second, if John E. is correct, than I must work harder at application than exegesis (I realize much of what’s wrong with that statement). But, if application is the “Hardest” and “most Useful and Necessary” then it demands more work.

I loved Edwards’ phrase, “Close Application” (caps and all) that drives the Word deep into “the Breast and Heart” (caps and all).

I do believe application is “the Best part of the Sermon.”

And, if I do, then I will spend time before Sunday thinking about the Use of my selected Scripture. I will not allow exegesis to consume all my sermon prep time this week. It certainly didn’t consume all of Edwards’. As we’ll see in future posts, his application sections, sometimes called “USE,” are extensive.

Mine could use some work. And God will receive more glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Categories: application, audience analysis, Preaching of Jonathan Edwards
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Your thoughts?

3 thoughts on ““Application is the Preacher’s chief Work”: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons”

  1. The thing is, there is a great danger, and I mean a Great Danger (caps and all) 😉 in that word “Application.” I think you’ve discussed it in the past, but we face a great danger of making Scripture all about me with application. If we view application as some tidbit that will “improve” my life today (help me with some specific problem or give me advice for some sticky point I’m facing, etc.), we are turning Scripture into just some kind of life handbook, which it most certainly is not. It is much, much more than that, and, in fact, it makes a terrible life handbook of the sort that we like to think of one.

    So I think a fun post would be to go through a bunch of Edwards’ sermons, and share what the applications from those sermons were. (maybe a bit too much work, but valuable nonetheless).

    (sorry, I’m a bit sensitive on this topic at this moment–having just gone through some headaches over this very issue. I have no issue with this post… I just know how some people will interpret it) 🙂

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    • Those are helpful words. I have talked about the nature of application before and if I were slick enough I would have links to those posts (*smile*). And you will be happy to hear that next week’s posts will list Edwards’ (Jonathan) “Use(s)” found in his first sermon. No extra work for me since I’ve been having fun reading all his sermons in order and highlight profusely. Finally, you missionaries are so sensitive…(*smile*).

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