Edwards' Farewell Sermon

This is an abridgment of the farewell sermon that Jonathan Edwards preached after he was dismissed from his pastorate at the Northampton congregation. It is a powerful sermon which shows both the great strength of Edwards' preaching as well as the weaknesses which, I believe, led him to be so abruptly dismissed from his charge.

The strengths are, I hope, obvious. Edwards combines a masterly command of the Scriptures with a consuming passion that his hearers be truly born again and made heirs of glory through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet his heart-searching preaching includes frequent calls to doubt ones one's own salvation as there are MANY self-deceived and but FEW that are saved.

Edwards, with many of the Independent Puritans, had done extensive work on the marks of true saving grace, marks which perhaps belong more properly to maturity than conversion. When a controversy arose in the church about the requirements to take communion, it seems that the rejection of Edwards had already taken place. Edwards held lectures to defend his views, but they were very ill-attended by his own congregation. And within two weeks, Edwards was preaching this farewell.

This sermon is therefore a model of heart-searching preaching to undeceive the hypocrite and a caution against emphasizing self-examination more than the Scriptures warrant.

Doctrine: Ministers, and the people that have been under their care, must meet one another before Christ's tribunal at the Day of Judgment.