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W.J. Erdman
William Jacob Erdman (February 21, 1834 – January 27, 1923) was an American preacher, Presbyterian minister, and author whose leadership in the premillennialist and holiness movements of the late 19th century bridged evangelical fervor with scholarly exposition. Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to John Erdman and Sarah Wunderly, he grew up in a German Reformed family before moving with his parents to western New York at age 11. Converted at 16 during an 1850 revival meeting in Rochester, New York, he graduated from Hamilton College in 1856 with a B.A., then studied at Union Theological Seminary in New York City (1856–1858), where he was ordained in 1860 by the Presbytery of Buffalo. Marrying Henrietta Rosenbury in 1860, he had six children, including Charles Rosenbury Erdman, a future Princeton theologian. Erdman’s preaching career began at Jefferson Presbyterian Church in Jefferson, New York (1860–1864), followed by pastorates in Jamestown, New York (1864–1870), and Dwight L. Moody’s Chicago Avenue Church in Chicago (1870–1874). Known for his clear, earnest sermons, he became a key figure in the Niagara Bible Conference (1876–1897), advocating premillennialism—the belief in Christ’s imminent return before a literal thousand-year reign. From 1875 to 1880, he served as superintendent of the New York Presbytery’s Home Mission, planting churches across the state, then pastored Second Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Pennsylvania (1880–1890), growing its congregation significantly. After retiring from regular ministry in 1890, he devoted himself to writing and itinerant preaching, speaking at holiness conventions like Keswick until 1900.
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W.J. Erdman preaches about the limitations of the natural man in understanding the gospel, emphasizing that the conclusion of the natural man falls short of true Christianity with its focus on the cross, grace, and the revealed wonders of God. He contrasts the insufficiency of human efforts to fear God and keep His commandments with the necessity of justification by faith in Christ alone for eternal life and salvation. Erdman highlights how the Hebrew Scripture and human wisdom ultimately point to the need for God's grace in Christ Jesus to save sinners from despair and judgment.
The Law and the Gospel
A final Proof that even this highest and best Conclusion is still of the natural man, lies in the fact that no preacher of the gospel would select this text as one containing the gospel. Did he do so, he would contradict the high truth of the Old Testament itself, "the just shall live by faith," and would wrench this book out of its proper place in the organic structure of the Old Testament, as throughout a preparation for Christ and his redemption. This "Conclusion," and obedience to it, are not Christianity, with its cross and its grace; nor does it contain the wonderful things God has revealed to the spiritual man. Or should a "Preacher" read, to an un saved assembly, the book of Ecclesiastes in stead of preaching an ordinary sermon, he would never, if he knew the gospel of the grace of God, on reaching the conclusion of the whole matter, " Fear God and keep His commandments," dismiss the congregation with the benediction, as if their assent to that final word had now set them right with God, and "its practice would issue in their salvation! " Would he not, at that very point, begin to preach to them justification by faith in Christ alone, and to testify that whosoever believes in the Son of God receives eternal life, and will never, as a sinner, come into judgment? The use of either the Text or Book, or both, would be to convince of vanity and convict of sin, and to lead to Christ, the Righteousness of God and the Bread from heaven, the Chief Good and Real Portion of men under the sun; — Whose words and example are His changeless law for the conduct of life. This Hebrew Preacher to natural men, can only tell them what they ought to be, and there he leaves them. The very suddenness of the Conclusion is suggestive of subsequent failure and despair. It has been so with all who knew what law means. The great height attained in the final conclusion, proves to be but a Sinai, with its fire, and blackness, and tempest, and tremblings. Who has so feared God and kept His commandments as to be able to meet Him in judgment? But just here the grace of God in Christ Jesus meets the sinner, perplexed, weary, unsatisfied, condemned, on his way to the darkness of the grave and eternal judgment. When man ends then God begins. When all the world had become guilty before God; when the Hebrew in his self-righteousness had utterly failed to fear God and keep His commandments; when the Persian loved darkness rather than light; when the Greek by his wisdom knew not God; when the Roman had stupefied his conscience and liked not to retain God in his knowledge even though there was still taught by Hebrew Scripture and by .Pagan creed, by seer and sybil, the coming of a day of wrath, and the impending judgment of Gehenna; then God, in His love, wisdom and power made Himself manifest, a just God and a Saviour. Where man ends there God begins. The Book of the Natural Man comes to its close so that the Gospel of the Son of God may open; the all of man, under the sun, of the first and fallen Adam, only convicts him of failure and guilt, to lead him to the All of the last Adam, the Lord from heaven. Over the highest Thought of Man " under the sun," touching the Good, over this loftiest Conclusion concerning Ideal Righteousness and future Judgment," God's heaven of gracious Thoughts toward man as vain and sinful, bends out of infinite depths. The Book of the Natural Man is the Preparation for the Gospel of the Son of God, the Redeemer.
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William Jacob Erdman (February 21, 1834 – January 27, 1923) was an American preacher, Presbyterian minister, and author whose leadership in the premillennialist and holiness movements of the late 19th century bridged evangelical fervor with scholarly exposition. Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to John Erdman and Sarah Wunderly, he grew up in a German Reformed family before moving with his parents to western New York at age 11. Converted at 16 during an 1850 revival meeting in Rochester, New York, he graduated from Hamilton College in 1856 with a B.A., then studied at Union Theological Seminary in New York City (1856–1858), where he was ordained in 1860 by the Presbytery of Buffalo. Marrying Henrietta Rosenbury in 1860, he had six children, including Charles Rosenbury Erdman, a future Princeton theologian. Erdman’s preaching career began at Jefferson Presbyterian Church in Jefferson, New York (1860–1864), followed by pastorates in Jamestown, New York (1864–1870), and Dwight L. Moody’s Chicago Avenue Church in Chicago (1870–1874). Known for his clear, earnest sermons, he became a key figure in the Niagara Bible Conference (1876–1897), advocating premillennialism—the belief in Christ’s imminent return before a literal thousand-year reign. From 1875 to 1880, he served as superintendent of the New York Presbytery’s Home Mission, planting churches across the state, then pastored Second Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Pennsylvania (1880–1890), growing its congregation significantly. After retiring from regular ministry in 1890, he devoted himself to writing and itinerant preaching, speaking at holiness conventions like Keswick until 1900.