I have been reading a biography on Jonathan Edwards. What a dedicated and holy man! He has been called “The Great Awakener,” and was the primary vehicle in the American Revival of the mid-1700’s, along with George Whitfield.

Midway through this biography, George Whitefield, upon returning from America to England summarized the American situation. He said, “I am greatly persuaded that the generality of preachers talk of an unknown, unfelt Christ. And the reason why congregations have been so dead is because dead men preach to them.”

After reading this quote my mind went to Romans 8:6— “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mindset on the Spirit is life and peace.” Hence, I conclude that many preachers in that day were preaching in the flesh and were dead in the Spirit. And that is also true today.

But this was not true of Jonathan Edwards. I was sparked in my reading with the following words of inspiration:

• Edwards viewed the work as a minister to call men to recognize their need to know God personally.
• Edwards believed that his own knowledge of God should be first before preaching to others.
• He set time for prayer, solitude, meditation, and earnest study—13 hours every day!
• He recognized that the plain man (in his congregation) was reached best by the plain style of preaching.
• He said that Christians are to be people of prayer.
• He was all for Spirit-anointed preaching and he set out in his style to address the conscience of men.

Back to Romans 8:6. “The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” I have been thinking about that verse for some time now, and I think it has been helpful because of its truth. How often during the day I catch myself thinking of fleshly things and have to change my thinking. Everything in the World is of the flesh you know. And so, a Christian must be watchful and prayerful and diligent to set his mind back on the Spirit—to find life and peace.