Book Review

God's Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men
Jonathan Edwards
Great Christian Books
48 Pages

There is no one I am aware of who makes the sovereignty of God appear so sweet and glorious as does Jonathan Edwards.  This doctrine is laced through all of his writings and is the focus of God's Sovereignty in the Salvation of Men.

The book is a little hard to read at the start. The older English is hard to understand on occasion and laying the foundation is a little tedious. It is work the work at the front to experience the glories of God's sovereignty explained in the last three chapters the way only Edwards can. Edwards argument is that God cannot do something that would damage any of His attributes. The way God keeps from injuring his attributes in saving men is through the sufferings of Christ.

"It is sufficient testimony of God's abhorrence against event the greatest wickedness that Christ, the eternal Son of God, died for it."

"Let the contempt be ever so great, yet if so honourable a person as Christ undertakes to be a Mediator for the offender, and the mediation suffer in his stead, it fully repairs the injury done to the majesty of heaven by the greatest sinner."

"Justice cannot require any ore for any man's sins, than those sufferings of one of the persons in the Trinity, which Christ suffered. "

The final chapter asks, "Why does God exercise His sovereignty?" The answer is fairly simple: God's design is to manifest to his creation the glory of each of His attributes through the exercise of them. "He glorifies His power in the exercise of power. He glorifies His mercy in the exercise of mercy. So he glorifies his sovereignty in the exercise of sovereignty. In the case of sovereignty, the greater the being it is exercised over, the greater the glory of the sovereignty. "God's sovereignty over men appears glorious, that it extends to everything that concerns them" even the destiny of their souls. Edwards puts it best in saying, "The infinite greatness of God, and His exaltation above us, appears in nothing more, than in His sovereignty."

To some this is a fearful thought. And the truth is that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31). Yet, with David we can say, "Let me fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercy is very great"           (1 Chronicles 21:13). 

Edwards conclusion is ultimately a hopefully one. "God can bestow mercy upon you without the least prejudice to the honor of His holiness, which you have offended, or to the honour of His majesty, which you have insulted, or of His justice, which you have made your enemy, or of His truth, or of any of His attributes. Let you be what sinner you may, God can, if He pleases, greatly glorify Himself in your salvation." And that should be our joy: God's glory.

Therefore, "Let us with the greatest humility adore the awful and absolute sovereignty of God."